Self-Discovery
We cannot escape discovering the realities of who we are. Life has a way of boiling up, bringing out, and exposing what is in us. From the Christian perspective, all of these revelations should call us to the One who loves us unconditionally, to whom we cry out for healing. We can’t escape these
Acts of Love
The Father is at work in all acts of love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love… So we have come to know and to believe
Heaven Came Down
Heaven was at work with Jesus on earth. He was the living demonstration of “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Heaven came down to earth via the incarnation of Jesus; we beheld His glory. He brought the actions of heaven to bear on this world. He
Inner Scars
Jesus ascended back to the Father with the physical scars we gave Him: hands, feet, and side. The physical scars we bear, as painful as they are, are nothing like the scars on our emotions, heart and mind. These invisible scars we carry with us throughout our lives and to our grave. Does the
On Being A Christ Follower (22)
Following Jesus is not predictable and it is not always safe. It can disrupt our plans and upset our lives. It can take us in places that may unsettle us, along with our comfort. The disciples were not to let persecution upset the mission. The disciples were sent out as lambs in the midst
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Following Jesus is following the Good Shepherd. Shepherd means feeder of sheep. Jesus fed the five thousand physical bread and fish. The Gospel of John tells us that the meaning of that miracle was that Jesus was the Bread of Heaven, the true manna (John 6:32-35). “I am the living bread that came down
On Being A Christ Follower (20)
To follow Jesus is to follow the very Prince of Peace. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). God is a peacemaker. He sent His Son into a hostile world on a mission of reconciliation. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself”
On Being A Christ Follower (19)
Following Jesus means that we move from a self-centered life to a Christ-centered life. Jesus’ first disciples started following Him with visions of glory for themselves in the new kingdom the Messiah would establish. After the cross and Pentecost, they begin to want Him to have the glory. When I crave the limelight I
On Being A Christ Follower (18)
Following Jesus is about living a life that is as different as night and day, darkness and light. 1 John warns us to avoid the practice of sin, which he equates with walking in darkness. “If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do
On Being A Christ Follower (17)
The high priest was chosen from among humankind to make sacrifices for the people’s sins and his own, so that in his intercession for them he would feel their weakness, having himself the same weaknesses (Hebrews 5:1-2). Jesus also came in weakness, emptying Himself of His divine prerogatives, to show the weak how to
On Being A Christ Follower (16)
Following Christ requires more than an initial decision; it requires daily decisions. He wants our thoughtful decisions because He has included us as partners in the great work of His kingdom. “We are God's fellow workers” (I Corinthians 3:9). To do this we must follow the Senior Partner. He has given us His very
On Being A Christ Follower (15)
He knows me; His divine knowledge and the incarnation guarantee that. He became one with us. He does not use His knowledge of me to leave me where I am; He has come to lead me out. He does not use that knowledge to condemn me; the Great Physician uses His knowledge for therapeutic
On Being A Christ Follower (14)
When we do not intentionally follow Jesus we become idol makers. We do not intend to be, but we often fall into it quite unintentionally. We have this propensity to let stuff edge into our lives that edge the Lord out, or at least to one side. It happens, not because we intend it,
On Being A Christ Follower (13)
Without following Christ we can never be what we were meant to be. We have often heard it said, “There is a God shaped void in us that only God can fill.” But may we remember that God is the God who is revealed in Jesus. Only the Christ of God can fill that
On Being A Christ Follower (12)
In following Jesus, three things have to come together as one. “What we know”, “Who we are”, and “What we do.” When these things do not come together in human personality we become fractured and move away from personal wholeness. Being a disciple of a rabbi meant that the disciple was expected to learn
On Being A Christ Follower (11)
We unlearn bad behaviors by repeating and practicing good behaviors. That is built into human development. We have erred in making discipleship all about “what we know” instead of “what we do”. The former can be driven by pride; the latter must be driven by humility. Jesus’ disciples wanted chief seats, used a little
On Being A Christ Follower (10)
Early in my life I came to think that conversion fixed me for good from now on. In fact, initial faith is the beginning of a life-long journey. Justifying grace is set on taking us somewhere. The goal of the grace of Christ in our lives is character transformation. When we intentionally put into
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It is not possible to follow Jesus as we should without the Holy Spirit. It takes more than careful imitation; it takes more than setting your jaw saying, “I can do this.” We need the grace of the Holy Spirit. We need an inner strength. In short, if we would truly follow Christ we
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We often aspire to being like Christ in His gentleness, kindness and compassion; yet, we shrink back from participating in His suffering. Suffering can be part and parcel of life itself; most of us don’t get through life without a generous portion of it. The question is this, “How should we suffer?” If we
On Being A Christ Follower (7)
Jesus was a person of prayer. He was in constant communication with His Father on what He should do and say. If the Son of God so depended on His Father, so should we. Spending time with the Father enables us to hear the heartbeat of God; we hear the heartbeat of God clearer
On Being A Christ Follower (6)
Jesus had a mission; we have a mission. Our mission in the world is inseparably tied to His mission of advancing His kingdom. Jesus spent three and one half years preparing His disciples for ministry. There were “trial runs” in the sending out of the 12 and the 70; this was to help prepare
On Being A Christ Follower (5)
3) You are to treat people as if they were Jesus (Matthew 25:40). We understand that when it comes to helping the least among us. But what about demonizing a fellow human? The Hidden Christ can even come to us in our enemies, whom we are admonished to love and care for. When we
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2) You are to treat people like Jesus would treat them (Modeling Christ). Follow the steps of Jesus. Look at how He treated people in His life. Look at the compassion with which He received the broken. Look at the personal acceptance sinners had in His presence. Consider the breaking of cultural taboos by
On Being A Christ Follower (3)
My reading of the NT has taught me three ways that followers of Christ are to treat other people. 1) You are to treat people like you would like to be treated (The Golden Rule). 2) You are to treat people like Jesus would treat them (Modeling Christ). 3) You are to treat people
On Being A Christ Follower (2)
Being a follower of Christ can never be reserved for one compartment of our life or one day of our week. We cannot separate our spirituality from any of our actions. We must not hold to a moral and ethical duplicity. We cannot claim to be a friend of Christ and at the same