Who is Jesus?
Today communicating with real people is no longer done face to face. In our social media world it is not uncommon to have "friends" that you never meet face to face. This has its negatives but there are some positives.
What is the most important relationship that we have on this earth that we will never meet face to face? JESUS! Our relationship with Jesus should be real and deep and yet we are not able to communicate face to face.
Technology has brought our world closer together but at the same time has driving us further and further apart. There is a lot of superficial relationships in social media.
The fact that we don't see Jesus face to face is one of the biggest obstacles that we have in having a real relationship with him.
Who is Jesus? This is a question that should end with a relationship with Him!
Luke 7:1-10
The first thing we need to come to Jesus with is humility!
The centurion was not a jew and yet he humbled himself before a jew. He had all authority from Rome to lord over anyone in Israel and yet he understood who Jesus was. How do I approach Jesus with humility?
The jews came to Jesus and argued that the centurion deserved to be healed! Sometimes we can come to Jesus with the same attitue that we edeserve something! Pride is what convinces us that we deserve something. Humility is what helps us to see that we don't deserve anything!
The second thing we need in a relationship with Jesus is Lordship!
The jews did not respect Jesus as their Lord. They came to him almost as if they were ordering him and telling him what to do. Lordship is a huge part in our relationship with Jesus. We cannot have a relationship with him without Lordship! Do we look at Jesus as the master and us as the slave? Lordship is all about who has authority in your life. If I am living my life and doing the things that I want or am I allowing Jesus to be Lord and does he direct my decisions and actions?
The centurion never met Jesus face to face and he knew who he was. He knew that Jesus had complete authority over his life. Lordship is also about surrender! Surrendering is key. God does not want to take over, he want us to surrender voluntarily!
The third thing we need in a relationship with Jesus is faith!
Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see! The centurion has full faith in Jesus and has never met or seen him! When we understand who we are in humility and when we surrender to Jesus in Lordship the more easy it is for us to put our faith in him! It is impossible to have faith if you know everything and no one has authority over you.
We need to believe with blind faith while we wrestle for the reason why! True faith gets up and does something. Lack of faith gets up and does something too. Running around doing something is not a sign of faith. Why you are doing what you are doing is the beginning of faith if the reason is Jesus!
Faith leads us to salvation. The cross of Christ is about humility, Lordship, and faith! Jesus called us friend when he could have called us servants. Jesus surrendered to God and his will for his life!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Honor The Lord
Honor The Lord
Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
How do we honor Jesus today? How welcome is Jesus in my home? Would Jesus feel comfortable in my home. Would he agree with the things that are said, what is watched on TV, the relationships dynamics in your marriage....etc? Would Jesus have freedom to go through your home and see everything? Would you feel that you needed to hide something?
Honoring Jesus in your home means making Jesus lord of your life and allowing Jesus into every aspect of your life!
In order to honor Jesus in your home you have to honor him in your heart! Mary anointed Jesus with the most valuable thing she had! She used the costly perfume with out a thought to its cost or value. Jesus was worth her very best!
What am I offering Jesus? Am I giving him my best? Jesus call nothing more than everything we have! Really honoring Jesus is giving up everything for him!
Honoring Jesus is to also honor his church! Honoring Jesus is to honor other brothers and sisters.
When you really start honoring Jesus with your life the world is going to ridicule you. Persecution and criticism will come! Mary received that criticism and she did not care. She did not allow other people to keep her from honoring Jesus!
I need to honor Jesus now. There is no better time. Honoring Jesus should be my top priority! It takes a daily decision to honor him! I need a daily relationship with God.
Sent from my iPhone
Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
How do we honor Jesus today? How welcome is Jesus in my home? Would Jesus feel comfortable in my home. Would he agree with the things that are said, what is watched on TV, the relationships dynamics in your marriage....etc? Would Jesus have freedom to go through your home and see everything? Would you feel that you needed to hide something?
Honoring Jesus in your home means making Jesus lord of your life and allowing Jesus into every aspect of your life!
In order to honor Jesus in your home you have to honor him in your heart! Mary anointed Jesus with the most valuable thing she had! She used the costly perfume with out a thought to its cost or value. Jesus was worth her very best!
What am I offering Jesus? Am I giving him my best? Jesus call nothing more than everything we have! Really honoring Jesus is giving up everything for him!
Honoring Jesus is to also honor his church! Honoring Jesus is to honor other brothers and sisters.
When you really start honoring Jesus with your life the world is going to ridicule you. Persecution and criticism will come! Mary received that criticism and she did not care. She did not allow other people to keep her from honoring Jesus!
I need to honor Jesus now. There is no better time. Honoring Jesus should be my top priority! It takes a daily decision to honor him! I need a daily relationship with God.
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, September 13, 2015
What If
What If
What if I could change X in my life? What if I could erase the past? What if I could meet Jesus face to face? There are a lot of What if's?
Deuteronomy 7:12-14
What is God saying here? If we are willing to do things Gods way, if we are willing to lead our families the way God calls us...we will be blessed. Think about what we have in the kingdom of God. Isn't it special? The fellowship, the counseling, the friendships, the parenting classes...etc.
What if you really lived it? Matthew 7:1-5 To really live it, we need to deal with our own hearts and our own sin first. To really live it we have to remove all hypocrisy from our lives.
What if you stayed consistent? Be consistent with our devotionals. Be consistent with quite times. Be consistent with discipling. James 4:17 -- not being consistent is sin.
What if your family was super encouraging? 1 Peter 4:8. What would you say is the over riding spirit in your home? Is it love?
What makes a home an oasis? Humility. Saying I'm sorry and being willing to humble out and admit when we are wrong. Believing in each other is another thing that helps make a home an oasis. Honesty. Being able to speak freely from the heart.
What if you really shared your story? Psalms 78:4 The language in our homes should be filled with Gods story and what he has done in our lives! How have you seen God work in your life and in your family?
What if you really valued your relationships?
Ecclesiastes 9 -- What path am I on? If I continue doing what I am doing now where will I be? Will i have any regrets?
Sent from my iPad
What if I could change X in my life? What if I could erase the past? What if I could meet Jesus face to face? There are a lot of What if's?
Deuteronomy 7:12-14
What is God saying here? If we are willing to do things Gods way, if we are willing to lead our families the way God calls us...we will be blessed. Think about what we have in the kingdom of God. Isn't it special? The fellowship, the counseling, the friendships, the parenting classes...etc.
What if you really lived it? Matthew 7:1-5 To really live it, we need to deal with our own hearts and our own sin first. To really live it we have to remove all hypocrisy from our lives.
What if you stayed consistent? Be consistent with our devotionals. Be consistent with quite times. Be consistent with discipling. James 4:17 -- not being consistent is sin.
What if your family was super encouraging? 1 Peter 4:8. What would you say is the over riding spirit in your home? Is it love?
What makes a home an oasis? Humility. Saying I'm sorry and being willing to humble out and admit when we are wrong. Believing in each other is another thing that helps make a home an oasis. Honesty. Being able to speak freely from the heart.
What if you really shared your story? Psalms 78:4 The language in our homes should be filled with Gods story and what he has done in our lives! How have you seen God work in your life and in your family?
What if you really valued your relationships?
Ecclesiastes 9 -- What path am I on? If I continue doing what I am doing now where will I be? Will i have any regrets?
Sent from my iPad
The Value of Unity in the Church
The Value of Unity in the Church
The early church was so united on Gods word and in their convictions that they turned the world upside down! We are going to have to imitate the first century church if we want to impact the world today!
Gods heart for the lost and desire to see the world saved has not changed. What has changed? The first century church was full of zeal and passion for seeing Gods Will for-filled in their life time! What has changed in Gods church today?
What elements are missing today that were present in the early church? One of them is unity! We have to get behind our leaders and be in complete unity with our brothers and sisters. Acts says repeatedly that the early church was "of one accord".
What God cares about is true unity. The word does not value unity. The world creates chaos and disunity. The early church was united in prayer. Prayer works and we need be unified in prayer as well. Not only praying about the same things but also praying more together and for each other.
The early church was united in purpose too. Everyday they meet together and broke bread together. They multiplied daily because they were united in purpose. Have we lost our unity in purpose?
Finally, the early church in Acts was united in faith. We need to step out on faith together and see what powerful things God will do.
Sent from my iPad
The early church was so united on Gods word and in their convictions that they turned the world upside down! We are going to have to imitate the first century church if we want to impact the world today!
Gods heart for the lost and desire to see the world saved has not changed. What has changed? The first century church was full of zeal and passion for seeing Gods Will for-filled in their life time! What has changed in Gods church today?
What elements are missing today that were present in the early church? One of them is unity! We have to get behind our leaders and be in complete unity with our brothers and sisters. Acts says repeatedly that the early church was "of one accord".
What God cares about is true unity. The word does not value unity. The world creates chaos and disunity. The early church was united in prayer. Prayer works and we need be unified in prayer as well. Not only praying about the same things but also praying more together and for each other.
The early church was united in purpose too. Everyday they meet together and broke bread together. They multiplied daily because they were united in purpose. Have we lost our unity in purpose?
Finally, the early church in Acts was united in faith. We need to step out on faith together and see what powerful things God will do.
Sent from my iPad
Who is Jesus
Who is Jesus
Peter was explaining the question of "who is Jesus" in Acts 2. Peter's response was that he was a man accredited by God but yet was also the son of God. God defined Jesus and who he was by the miracles that he performed.
Jesus lead a life of preaching teaching and healing people physically and spiritually. That is who Jesus was and is.
Matthew 4:1-11 Satan is known as the tempter and he does not only attack the week. Satan uses multiple lies in trying to tempt Jesus.
The first lie can be summed up in the statement "look out for number one". Look out for your self. take care of your self! Independence. Take care of your self because no one else will. Self reliance and independence is that same thing as saying God is not going to take care of me. When we insist on taking care of our selves and without trust that God will provide, we are hurting God!
Jesus had a basic and real need for food and yet he fully trusted God that he would provide. When the Israelites were in the desert God fed them. The spirit lead Jesus out into the desert to be tempted. Jesus had to trust God that he would provide.
The difficult part of this is when we are suffering for a time. None of us give in to temptation immediately. Any one that loves God tries to resist temptation on some level. It is when we struggle through something over time that we struggle the most. Jesus was in during temptation for 40days and yet he fully trusted God.
Temptations become the strongest when we are in a desert. We need to develop a deep conviction that God will meet our needs!
Matthew 4:5-7 Satan's second lie. Do what you want and God will take care of you. Satan comes to us and tries to twist Gods word. Satan has not stopped manipulating scripture from Jesus time till now. Satan uses this tactic on us today.
Gods love is unconditional and yet forgiveness is conditional. God teaches us that we need to repent. We cannot live the way we want and think that Gods grace and mercy will always be there. Romans 6.
Satan's third lie is to build your life based on material things. Satan offered Jesus an empty promise. None of the kingdoms that Satan offered to Jesus never belong to him.They belong to God. Satan is always offering us an empty promise. What does not belong to God in this world? Satan has nothing to give. He only takes and steals.
Sin has never for filled anyone. Sin has never for filled a promise or brought satisfaction to anyone. Sin on leads to regret! Sin has never given true happiness to anyone either.
Sent from my iPad
Peter was explaining the question of "who is Jesus" in Acts 2. Peter's response was that he was a man accredited by God but yet was also the son of God. God defined Jesus and who he was by the miracles that he performed.
Jesus lead a life of preaching teaching and healing people physically and spiritually. That is who Jesus was and is.
Matthew 4:1-11 Satan is known as the tempter and he does not only attack the week. Satan uses multiple lies in trying to tempt Jesus.
The first lie can be summed up in the statement "look out for number one". Look out for your self. take care of your self! Independence. Take care of your self because no one else will. Self reliance and independence is that same thing as saying God is not going to take care of me. When we insist on taking care of our selves and without trust that God will provide, we are hurting God!
Jesus had a basic and real need for food and yet he fully trusted God that he would provide. When the Israelites were in the desert God fed them. The spirit lead Jesus out into the desert to be tempted. Jesus had to trust God that he would provide.
The difficult part of this is when we are suffering for a time. None of us give in to temptation immediately. Any one that loves God tries to resist temptation on some level. It is when we struggle through something over time that we struggle the most. Jesus was in during temptation for 40days and yet he fully trusted God.
Temptations become the strongest when we are in a desert. We need to develop a deep conviction that God will meet our needs!
Matthew 4:5-7 Satan's second lie. Do what you want and God will take care of you. Satan comes to us and tries to twist Gods word. Satan has not stopped manipulating scripture from Jesus time till now. Satan uses this tactic on us today.
Gods love is unconditional and yet forgiveness is conditional. God teaches us that we need to repent. We cannot live the way we want and think that Gods grace and mercy will always be there. Romans 6.
Satan's third lie is to build your life based on material things. Satan offered Jesus an empty promise. None of the kingdoms that Satan offered to Jesus never belong to him.They belong to God. Satan is always offering us an empty promise. What does not belong to God in this world? Satan has nothing to give. He only takes and steals.
Sin has never for filled anyone. Sin has never for filled a promise or brought satisfaction to anyone. Sin on leads to regret! Sin has never given true happiness to anyone either.
Sent from my iPad
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