Many people are beleivers in Jesus and yet they are living a life where they do not deny themselves and lay their life down for Jesus. Jesus lived a life where He poured Himself out each day. So much of His time was spent giving to people. From the time He came back from prayer each morning to way past sunset He was giving His time and spending His power on people. Many people gave to Jesus and His disciples and Jesus went about sharing that money with the poor.
If we want to look at the life we should live, we should follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We need to lay down our wants, our desires, our lusts, and we should humbly seek to honor God though loving Him and loving all of creation. The Gospel takes money and the people doing that work need our money to operate. In order for us to give, we need first to deny ourselves and put God above of what we would want to spend our money on.
Living a laid down life is simple and easy. Living a life of total surrender might be hard at first, but it really is liberating in the end. Forsaking all, to follow Jesus is where true freedom is found. When we let go of self, and we pursue what God wants, then we are truly satisfied with the life that we live. Take it from me. A surrendered life, a life that is totally laid down for God and His purposes is the best sort of life you could ever have. Gone is the striving. Gone is the thirst for more of what the world can offer you. You can finally be at peace.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Greater Works
Jesus told his disciples that He was going to go to the Father and that He was going to send His Holy Spirit and that they would be able to do greater works than He did. We often read that verse and think that the verse if for the spiritual elites. We cannot see ourselves healing the sick, raising the dead, and multiplying food, so we dismiss this verse.
We don't consider that one of our posts on Facebook might get someone on a new search for answers. We don't consider our listening ear and our love could stop a person from committing suicide. We don't realise that turning only one person from error is a great thing. We don't consider that our effect in a person's life could be integral to them being set free. We don't consider a small part that we do could be a greater work.
I knew and apostle once that was a powerful teacher. I said to him that one day I would be doing some things better then him. He laughed with me and wished me well. Today I have articles that are read by thousands of people per month and thousands of videos that are watched per month. Today I am reaching thousands and what I shared with him has come to pass. It is possible to have a great effect on people on this earth. God, through His Holy Spirit can move on you, and you too can do greater works than Jesus did! Even turning one sinner from eternal death to eternal life is a great thing. Jesus wants us all going forward and affecting change in this world, day by day, and maybe one day we might look back and see that even we have done greater works than Jesus did!
We don't consider that one of our posts on Facebook might get someone on a new search for answers. We don't consider our listening ear and our love could stop a person from committing suicide. We don't realise that turning only one person from error is a great thing. We don't consider that our effect in a person's life could be integral to them being set free. We don't consider a small part that we do could be a greater work.
I knew and apostle once that was a powerful teacher. I said to him that one day I would be doing some things better then him. He laughed with me and wished me well. Today I have articles that are read by thousands of people per month and thousands of videos that are watched per month. Today I am reaching thousands and what I shared with him has come to pass. It is possible to have a great effect on people on this earth. God, through His Holy Spirit can move on you, and you too can do greater works than Jesus did! Even turning one sinner from eternal death to eternal life is a great thing. Jesus wants us all going forward and affecting change in this world, day by day, and maybe one day we might look back and see that even we have done greater works than Jesus did!
Friday, October 2, 2015
Jesus is Here
It saddens me that people run from conference to conference to get the latest teaching, to get a fresh impartation, and a personal prophecy. People go to great lengths to find the peace of God that Jesus promised those that would follow Him. Many people have heard of the presence of God, and perhaps experience it once a week in worship, but fewer people experience that presence 24/7.
Jesus did not say "Come to me all of you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest" if that were not possible. Do you struggle with worries, concerns, and fears? Do you know how to lay them at the feet of Jesus and walk through life in a state of rest? Do you know how to cease from your striving and your need to perform and live from a place of true inner peace and contentment. Jesus does not want to be distant. Jesus wants to be here, right here with you. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. Do you believe that? Do you think that you can walk in the manifest presence of Jesus every single day?
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. He does not want to be stuck in Heaven and someone that you approach after a whole lot of confession and repentance . No! He wants to be with you. He wants to be here with us, each and every day. He does not want us to go through struggles each day alone. He wants to be here with us facing each challenge as a team. Is this sort of life possible? Yes it is because I live this sort of life.
Jesus did not say "Come to me all of you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest" if that were not possible. Do you struggle with worries, concerns, and fears? Do you know how to lay them at the feet of Jesus and walk through life in a state of rest? Do you know how to cease from your striving and your need to perform and live from a place of true inner peace and contentment. Jesus does not want to be distant. Jesus wants to be here, right here with you. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. Do you believe that? Do you think that you can walk in the manifest presence of Jesus every single day?
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. He does not want to be stuck in Heaven and someone that you approach after a whole lot of confession and repentance . No! He wants to be with you. He wants to be here with us, each and every day. He does not want us to go through struggles each day alone. He wants to be here with us facing each challenge as a team. Is this sort of life possible? Yes it is because I live this sort of life.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Imitate Jesus
The apostle Paul wrote, "Imitate me as I imitate the Lord" Paul must have been living a life of perfection to be able to write that. The idea that Paul was constantly sinning is not the sort of picture I get from that command of his. We are told that Paul imitated the Lord Jesus. It is time that we decide to imitate Jesus with our lives and one good way to do that is to read and understand what Jesus taught and make sure that we live our lives the way He commanded us to.
Jesus was a person that saw though the masks that people wear and He saw the real person that was underneath. Jesus knew that every person counted and they deserved to have an audience with Him. I wonder sometimes whether we are too quick to judge people for the way that they look and their behaviours and habits, and simply do not love them for the person that they are inside. I feel that we could all take a leaf out of Jesus' book and treat all people with love and dignity.
There is so much room for us to improve with the way that we act and behave with our lives. I am sure that many of us have so much that we could change if we were convicted by the Holy Spirit. If every person we knew could see everything that we do in private and see how we treat everyone would there be room in our lives to do better? Would we need to change if people could see everything we do and say? I feel that we need to live that life now and strive to be more Christ-like with all that we do and say.
Jesus was a person that saw though the masks that people wear and He saw the real person that was underneath. Jesus knew that every person counted and they deserved to have an audience with Him. I wonder sometimes whether we are too quick to judge people for the way that they look and their behaviours and habits, and simply do not love them for the person that they are inside. I feel that we could all take a leaf out of Jesus' book and treat all people with love and dignity.
There is so much room for us to improve with the way that we act and behave with our lives. I am sure that many of us have so much that we could change if we were convicted by the Holy Spirit. If every person we knew could see everything that we do in private and see how we treat everyone would there be room in our lives to do better? Would we need to change if people could see everything we do and say? I feel that we need to live that life now and strive to be more Christ-like with all that we do and say.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Alone
Life can be lonely for some people, I know that I experience it. It seems to closer you are to Jesus, the more lonely the path gets that you have tread. I am kind of passionate for Jesus and I live a life that is set apart for God. It is not often that I meet people that seem to know the Lord like me. I feel the deeper I go with Jesus, the less that people can relate to me.
I think it was Thomas Kempis the mystic that said, "If Jesus really loves you sometimes you will find that you have no friends but Him." I feel that to be the case with me. Sure I have friends at church, and people that love me on the Internet, but sometimes in the dead of night, its just me all alone. Sometimes God has a season for us to walk through, where He wants us to appreciate Him and grow in our knowledge of Him, and perhaps friendships will water that relationship down.
I know that Jesus was a person that had a lot of people around Him, but still he lived with loneliness and sorrow. No one really understood Jesus for who He really was. No one had the insight, wisdom and knowledge that Jesus had and so because He couldn't share those deep things of God with anyone He relied heavily on His Father each day. If you find yourself lonely, press into Jesus. He is there waiting for you I promise.
I think it was Thomas Kempis the mystic that said, "If Jesus really loves you sometimes you will find that you have no friends but Him." I feel that to be the case with me. Sure I have friends at church, and people that love me on the Internet, but sometimes in the dead of night, its just me all alone. Sometimes God has a season for us to walk through, where He wants us to appreciate Him and grow in our knowledge of Him, and perhaps friendships will water that relationship down.
I know that Jesus was a person that had a lot of people around Him, but still he lived with loneliness and sorrow. No one really understood Jesus for who He really was. No one had the insight, wisdom and knowledge that Jesus had and so because He couldn't share those deep things of God with anyone He relied heavily on His Father each day. If you find yourself lonely, press into Jesus. He is there waiting for you I promise.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
The Fire
Sometimes if you are close to God and Jesus they will place a burden on your heart. You will experience a fire within you and sometimes it will almost consume you. God knows what He is doing with your life. He knows how to light a passion within you and how to stoke that fire. I have a passion for people to know that they are loved. I have a passion to share with people that they can live a life free of the lusts of the world. I have a fire within me that wants to see every Christian be able to hear from God and Jesus. I have a passion that burns within me to let people know that everyone that is a Christian can move in the gift of prophecy.
So many people need to know that God loves then exactly how they are and that there is enough love in God to forgive them no matter how addicted or troubled that they find themselves. It is a fire that is in my heart to communicate to people that God's grace is enough for them. First I have to be convinced so much myself of that truth. I have a burning desire to let people know that they are loved.
I also want people to know that Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price and we can give up our whole lives and take up our cross and follow Him. I have a burden to share with people that they can have possessions but not to have their possession possess them. I have this burden that burns within me to teach people how to live a life set apart. I have a number of fires that burn with intensity in my heart. Have you got any and what are they?
So many people need to know that God loves then exactly how they are and that there is enough love in God to forgive them no matter how addicted or troubled that they find themselves. It is a fire that is in my heart to communicate to people that God's grace is enough for them. First I have to be convinced so much myself of that truth. I have a burning desire to let people know that they are loved.
I also want people to know that Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price and we can give up our whole lives and take up our cross and follow Him. I have a burden to share with people that they can have possessions but not to have their possession possess them. I have this burden that burns within me to teach people how to live a life set apart. I have a number of fires that burn with intensity in my heart. Have you got any and what are they?
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Be Content
It is an amazing discipline to practice to be content in all things. We live in a world that has advertisements that fill out Television screens that encourage us not to be content with the status quo and for us to seek after new things to make us happy. We are told on the advertisements that our life will be a lot better if we had this latest thing. As my cell phone plan came due, the service provider was quick to advertise the latest model of the phone to me. I have a perfectly good phone and I am happy with it, but in this consumer age many people would do what the advertisement said and upgrade their phone to the newest and latest model.
Paul said this to Timothy.
Paul said this to Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
There is real treasure in an attitude of contentment. So much stress comes from wanting extra things and striving after things that God has not given us. It is one of my secrets to being fulfilled with my life that I remain content with what I have. It is my prayer that you also might learn to be content in all things.
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