Getting to Know Him

1 Peter 1:3 esv Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
The idea is simple. You're going to live forever. It's not a question. It's reality. I am going to live forever. I believe with all that I am that I will spend my eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. I figure right now I've got at least as many years left as I've lived thus far. Some may question the statement of living forever. That's Okay, I can understand. I will not, and cannot try to convince anyone of you of anything. I can only tell you what I am believing, thinking, understanding, living etc... I believe simply that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that I have a personal relationship with Him. I know God. Does that make sense to you. My hope is that you know God or that you come to know who He is. My relationship consists of talking to Him and more important listening. Some will think that how is that possible. Well, God has given me a deposit, that is the Holy Spirit. This is God's Spirit that lives in and through me. This also may sound crazy, but this is what I believe. This may sound strange and if you are not a believer I would not expect you to just say, Oh. I get it! There is this element of faith involved. Believing without ever seeing. Yet, I know that God is real. Again, I could never convince anyone that God is real. It's something YOU have to believe. There are various ways that you can learn and experience who and what God is. There are tools i.e. the Bible, the local church, believer's testimony etc.,. Still YOU have to believe without seeing. For me the word of God is real. The Holy Spirit is real and lives within me. I believe that when the time comes I'll be in the presence of Almighty God. Until then I will continue to build relationship with God. I will Listen to the words of Christ Himself through the Holy Scriptures that are the Bible, God's word. I will continue to live my life in such a way that is showing the fruits of the Spirit...love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness & self-control. These things are help me to realize who God is, what His will is, and how I am to live here in this world around me. It is just clear to me who Jesus is and why I follow Him. He said that...“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14: 1-7
I don't know of any other philosophy in history that claims this truth. My prayer is simple. God loves you. He desires to have a relationship with you. He(Jesus) says simply, believe in me and I will give you eternal life. I know that it doesn't sound like much, but it is the truth. Salvation is a gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Believing is more that what you say, or even what you do. Believing means you are now and forever His. Your life is not your own. You are now a disciple of Jesus. You begin a relationship and in doing so you begin to realize who and what Jesus is about. This reality will rock your world and change you forever. So I simply ask, Do you know Jesus, or just about Him. Unfortunately, there will be many, even church members who will just know about Him. You have the opportunity to decide. I pray that these words are a enough to get you, the reader, to think and find out where you fall. There's no maybe here. When I read I am blown away by how Jesus loves and has made a way for me. Taste and see for yourself how good and how great the Lord really is. I know He wants to get to know you.

The Way is the way to Go!

Interesting week. Today is Saturday the last day of the week. I could say that this week has been eventful, but in reality it was just stuff. The best part of this week was spending a day with my wife and thinking and praying about what God wants to do with the rest of our lives. She and I are hearing and trying to follow after what God desires for us as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. We are making sweeping changes in our routines and realizing that no matter where we are or what we are doing it is to bring Glory to God. We want to be people pointing others to Jesus. Using this forum is a tool that allows me to share with you, the reader, how and who God is to me and my family. Jesus has opened our eyes and we see that there is definitely more to this life than the status quo. We are understanding that being believers is more than church membership. We are literally the body of Christ. We understand that evangelizing is every believers calling. It it the great commission. We understand that the world in which we live in is not our home. We are aliens and strangers in a foreign land. We know that we are to be set apart. We are a peculiar people living in the knowledge that God is all, knows all, and that His will is for us to have relationship with Him. We can encounter Jesus every single day when we just follow the greatest commandment. People will see Jesus when we produce the fruits of the Spirit. The world will not understand us. Even many church members will not understand it. Christ will make Himself known to us. He will join us. His Holy Spirit lives in those who know Him. If we are to be His followers. If we are to be His workmanship. If we are to be His servants. We must deny ourselves. We must give up our will. Our desires must match His. Our will must be His. Simply put, our lives in Christ our not our own. We believe with our lives that Christ has transformed us. He is sovereign. God wants all of us. We are apart of the Way. We follow after Christ.

Who is your God?

Who is your God? May sound like a silly question, but really, who or what is the one thing that you wake up thinking about? What is the thing that consumes your thoughts? What is it that makes you burn with passion? I have spent most of my life giving lip service to my God, yet serving other gods each and every day. Do you really think about what and whom you are serving? What are you thinking about right now? What have you been looking at before reading this and even after? What takes up most of your time? Today we really don't want to call them gods or idols, yet they are. It could be t.v., your job, sex, money, power etc... The list could go on and on with the people and things that get your attention. I know that as I said before God has not always been number one and unfortunately I need daily reminders that this life is not my own. It's not as though people purposefully choose to serve other gods, they get caught up in the illusion that whatever it is will bring them satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness. I know I could even read this and think that I'm alright, yet I know if allowed I can make anything my god. Whatever you treasure, whatever has your heart, That is what or who you live for. That is your God! Scriptures are quite clear about idol worship. It's not allowed for the believer. It's not allowed for the follower of Christ Jesus. Still we choose daily to give our time, money, heart, love to things or others that are not of God. So I simply ask the question again, Who is your God? I pray you serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Having given your life over to Him. Allowing Him to be the treasure you seek. To give all of who you are to Him and His service. In doing so you will have life, not what we may think of in this world, but life that is transforming, precious, glorifying God, the one true God.

I'm Beginning to See

Just the other day our family was out and about after school trying to get home and out of the rain. We happened to come across a woman who was in need and we gave her some assistance. During the experience a realization hit me. This is my "neighbor." I know that in the situation it didn't seem like much, but she thanked us for helping, but something inside was still stirring. I don't know how to describe it except that I desired to do more. This feeling I know was coming out my relationship with Christ. I was seeing with new eyes and a new heart for those who are in need of the love of Christ. I don't mean they need to come to church or that they need me to preach to them. They need the love that comes right out of scripture. Love is PATIENT, love is KIND...etc... I was experiencing something that was beyond human nature, or even the love that I have for others. It was Christ loving through me. My eyes are beginning to see and my ears are beginning to hear Christ. I am seeing this world for what it is...Fallen and in desperate need of grace and mercy that can only come when I lay down my "life" and allow Christ to move my hands and feet to do His will. I understand that my steps are purposeful. Each one of them is designed to bring glory to the one who gave Himself for me. A song comes to mind...have thine own way Lord, have thine own way, You are the potter I am the clay, mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still. In those moments when I see with clarity and hear Jesus speak I pray I will get out of the way and let Him move.

Servantship?

Since my last entry I have been thinking of a word: Servantship. Now I know that my spell check just highlighted it and to be frank, I made it up. For a reason. So often I find that we are always wanting power and influence in our lives. We reason that if we get these things that people will somehow begin to listen to us and that will change the world. When I read scripture, the only one with the power is God, Himself. The only one with influence is again, God alone. I would say that when I allow myself to follow the greatest commandment of Jesus I am truly not in control. I am letting the Holy Spirit guide me. God uses the Spirit through me to do what it truly supernatural. It is done so God gets the glory. I would say that I really don't want to be the leader, but simply the follower and have God be Himself leading in my life. He alone can to mighty things. Jesus can accomplish the will of the Father by my obedience to serve and be the vessel I am called to be. God I believe is looking for servants. He wants us to serve Him. This allows His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. The Kingdom of God becomes reality in the lives of those who seek to serve. I think of how the disciples were called. They left everything this world had to offer just for a chance to serve. Now they asked about who was the greatest and where they would sit in relationship to Christ. Jesus Himself said that "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant." So, in my opinion, we should be living our lives to serve others so that God may be glorified in and through us. Of course then comes the question. What does that mean for me? I know for myself, I am learning that everyday I must choose to serve Christ. Whether it be to my family, friends, or even total strangers. I must choose this day who I will serve. I've got be sure I am looking beyond myself and looking to serve those who are in need of Jesus. I mean whatever that might look like. To all it will simply be the Gospel of Christ. Be it listening, feeding, watching, helping, giving, sacrificing, etc... The Gospel of Christ IS the Good news. The hope of heaven, right here, right now! Jesus, please let me serve so that You may be the good news. Amen!

Posing a Question

Each time I read I am reading for answers. I always have questions that need answers. Jesus had come because He was and is the answer. I read that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. and the second is this, to love your neighbor as yourself." I've got to believe this and live it out. I've got to believe that Jesus is speaking through His word and that when I read I must listen and obey. There are so many "neighbors" that need this love. This gift of salvation, this hope that comes through Christ. This is the answer to the question of what every believer needs to do. Live out your faith. Go! Go! Go!

Dirty Hands?

Are my hands getting dirty? Who am I serving? Jesus makes a point to say that the last shall be first. In Matthew 20 Jesus states that He came to serve. Therefore I must follow in His example. I must be His servant. For years we have read and heard about having purpose in our lives. God has ordained what my life will be. I know He has placed situations, people, problems etc... in order for me to become what He wants. I know that I have a purpose which I believe is the will of God. To know Christ and to make Him known. I believe that I am on a daily basis trying to live out this thing we call a relationship with Jesus. I am reading and praying and listening to what it is God wants from me. I honestly believe I hear Him speaking to my spirit in and through His word that I need to get into the nitty-gritty of this thing called discipleship and start putting it into practice. I'm ready, Lord "willing." Jesus want us to be great, but that simply means I must serve.

All In!

What is it going to take to be a true follower of Jesus? As I was reading Matthew 19 I see the cost that is presented to a young man. I was wondering how many of us have ever put ourselves in the place of that young man and answered the question posed. I am sure we have asked what the cost of following Jesus is? We come to a saving faith and then begin our journey in Christ. We hear of those who have been delivered from sins, habits, etc... How often to we hear that when someone accepted Christ they literally gave up everything they owned, were and followed Jesus. I am grappling with the fact Jesus has called me to follow Him and yet what am I, or have given up, in order to follow Him. Yes, I continue to repent and seek forgivness. I give time and money. I am trying to raise a family of Christ followers. I still believe that the cost is greater than this and I want myself and my family to be all in. There's a song that comes to mind by the band RelientK entitled Give. The prayer is simply give, give, give, until there's nothing left and even then give even more. I know that I am still trying to figure this out and what I looks like. God help me to not walk away sorrowful, having not been able to be All In.

Can I be compassionate?

It's been a little wet today here. Right now I'm just thinking about what I have been reading. Today at church we were in Luke 7 where Jesus raised a young man from the dead. Something that stuck out was that they stated that Jesus had compassion on the woman/mother and the peoples response was that God had come to visit his people. God is more than good. God wants to visit each and everyone of us. He has compassion on us. Jesus Himself is our compassion saving us from ourselves. He has raised us from the dead(those who have repented from their sins and have accepted His gift of salvation.) We are raised, made alive in Christ Jesus alone. Not only are we alive but we are also to have compassion on those around each and everyone of us. Our spouses, children, coworkers etc... We are to be the Kingdom of God here on this earth. Living out the gift of salvation. God wants to show us Himself and be in relationship with Him. We must come to Him and allow His grace and mercy to be not only for us, but for everyone what we come into contact with. Now I say all of this not for you who might read it but for me to realize that I need to remember this story and remember how God has saved me from myself and that I continually need to "work out my salvation with fear and trembling." I need to have the same compassion on all of those around me and continue to allow God to change who I am so that there is none of ME left. Simply put I want to not only know Christ but to live out His salvation. In this, my life will simply point people to Him who is my all in all.

Lord, Here I Am?

It is late and I need to get to bed. Before I do so, I had a thought or two. I am trying to be a Christ follower in this world in which I live. I desire to serve the Lord with all that I am. My wife desires for our family to serve Christ with all we are. This world in which we live needs Christ. He is what we need for all our desires. I am realizing that I really don't need much in this world. The world for me has become dull. My eyes are looking beyond what is in front of me and see a world that hasn't a clue who Jesus really is. What He came here for. Why His gift of salvation is so precious and yet so costly. I am dying slowly but surely from this culture in which I live. In fact I'm sort of in culture shock. I am seeing what God wants from me and am beginning to give it to Him. I literally feel as though I am at the edge of the cliff waiting to jump in to the unknown. I want to have the faith just to step off. I am looking for avenues in which to serve as a believer of Jesus and His word. I want to live out the scriptures that are challenging me and changing me, killing what was and making something new. God is calling and I want to answer with my life. Lord, here I am...you know the rest.