Showing up means more than just "promising to be there," it entails work. I don't show up to be an Election Judge only to watch everyone else work, nor do I volunteer for the church hospitality team expecting to be waited on
I am called to SERVE OTHERS as the LORD serves me. "The greatest among you must be a servant," (Mt 23:11)
This was a beautiful reminder of living/showing up for others to His glory! This is done in so many ways, big and small. It can challenging at times when you think you are not being appreciated…
I’m not a professional counselor but I’ve been helping to facilitate a grief support group for 8 years.
One of the things we urge participants to do is just show up. They’re grieving, hurting beyond belief and every moment and movement is painful. They don’t feel like being in company, chatting about unimportant things compared to their loss.
We urge them, sometimes just show up. Be there, do what they can, or what they need to do. Have an escape plan if it gets too painful. But take one step forward, then do the next best thing.
Creeping forward, one step at a time, even if you don’t feel like it, is a reward in itself. I believe that Gid will honor the effort.
But Jesus makes it clear when speaking to his disciples that his mission on earth is NOT to save EVERYBODY. Why did GOD harden Pharaohs heart. Maybe Pharaoh was quite amenable to reason but GOD intervened. Why? Why did GOD decide to pre-ordain Judas to be The Bad Guy.
How does a God-believer (even the demons believe in the reality and existence of God)cope with the reality that GOD has pre-ordained you to The Bad Guy in your particular sphere,milieu,location. But you won't play ball so he throws rocks at you. What if Judas had said, " Sod this for a lark,hanging about the Park at midnight like a stupid kiddie,im going home to bed". What if A Hitler had said, "Nothing wrong with being a House Painter,it's good honest work". We all love it when Gods Blessings on us come in the form of love and acceptance, comfort and sunshine,success and the liberty of self+determination but it's not so pleasant when it's 'path to the cross' time and every mans hand (persons hand) is turned against you. Jesus knew about that. I don't know if Jesus has saved me or not,if He is my Redeemer or not. Blessed Assurance is not mine. So maybe the answer is in the negative. Why should I KNOW anyway. I'm not God.
God granted us human free will when Adam and Eve fell from grace in the Garden. We have choices to follow Jesus or the enemy. I don’t believe that we are pre-ordained for evil. God has no evil; He may withhold blessings as a discipline but He never delivers evil. It is not in His character. Just some of my understood scripture.
No we ARE preordained or we'd all live nice lives of comfort and ease. Because we could. It's a bit invidious to tell the parents of a child with terminal cancer that their kid has a choice. It's a bit invidious to tell someone of innately bad character,which is me,that they have a choice. Yes I have a choice - not to smoke,not to drink alcohol,not to lie,not to fornicate,not to steal,not to accumulate stuff,that's an awful lot of NOTS, a pile of negatives can't make me a nice loving person. The likes of Jesus who as God created me ugly and unlovable don't want the likes of me around,lowering the tone.
Jane, I've had similar thoughts . As Job said "Even though He slay me yet will I trust Him." We are to realize that we are NOT God. That is to be our defense and helpless plea. Jacob came to the same conclusion as he wrestled with the mighty One. He sensed his weakness yet pleaded "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Gen_32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. So it is within the power of the Almighty whether to allow us good or evil as our final end. Both are possible. Which side we end up on is determined by how we choose. Who do we know or believe God to be? Do we know Him as loving, merciful, kind, gracious, longsuffering? Or do we choose to know Him as cruel, tyranical, vengeful, hateful, malevolent? He can and will manifest Himself to us as we have known Him in relationship. But the fact remains that He alone is Almighty in every regard, and we are all children of His. We see all people are to have a choice and sides are being ever clearly taken. Now time is shorter in which we must choose. This battle is spiritual, about the mind & it does not matter the amount of physical force or power exercised. "Zec_4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." But what matters is the "spiritual side of man" the thoughts of the mind, the spirit, the character within, and the set pattern of the life. That will be the "final judge" of the destiny of every human who ever lived. God is the only Being who is "all knowing" and so He describes Himself as the "Judge" sitting on the "seat of Judgement". No other being can read the mind, the heart, the character. If we love evil and hate the good - that is our choice - called eternal "hell". If we seek the Light and Truth as it is revealed in Jesus' life - that will be our destiny called "eternal life". Truly the choice is ours to make and not an arbitrary puppetry game with God tossing the dice. The fact that God has foreknowledge and hindsight of all events that ever take place on earth during the battle between good and evil, does not determine our choice, but only keeps it hidden until God chooses to reveal things fully to all remaining participants in the final day. I believe we are in the "final day of judgement". Read the following verses explaining what will be revealed:
Job_20:27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
Jer_33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Dan_2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
Mat_11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Luk_10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Gal_1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Php_3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
If we have been seeking to know God, and to know His Son Jesus then we will also know (have revealed) to us which side we are on. It may not be something we want to know, and we may try to deny it to ourselves, but in the end the choice we have made will not lie and will be open and revealed to all other souls around us. Our character will no longer be hidden. We see this happening now - the truth or lie about people in power and others in our daily lives is being exposed and laid bare before all. We are able to see who they really are and what they lean towards. The evil will be despised. This is just the opposite of what happened in Jesus' first coming - the "Goodness" was despised and rejected and He was crucified. But it will not be so in the end. The wicked may appear to prosper and to rule over affairs, but it will be the meek, the humble, the weak and the soul that leans on Jesus that is raised to glory and victory at last. Righteousness will prevail and rule for eternity. Death and evil will be forever put out of the universe as all will have had a chance to see both sides and to determine by free choice which one will rule. All human beings will have had the "knowledge of good and evil" and they will reap their choice. Evil will not rise up a second time. Nah_1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
There are other prophets who declared this also:
Psa_27:3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. [If we choose righteousness we can have confidence in the promises of God unto our salvation in the end. ]
Psa_36:12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
Isa_24:20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Isa_26:14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Isa_43:17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
Jer_51:64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
The evil will appear to prevail over the earth in the final days as illustrated in the history of Egypt and Jesus. It will happen once again to the righteous elect who like Job will suffer but who are told not to fear:
Exo_3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Exo_8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
Luk_22:68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. [ Jesus knew what would happen.]
Exo_14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Exo_20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Num_14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num_21:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
Deu_31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deu_31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
So while the righteous see all appearing to be against them and even if feeling forsaken of God, their faith will carry them through - the faith of Jesus, faith as Jesus had in the love of His Father. He surrendered all into the Father's hands, the Righteous Judge declaring through many:
Gen_18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Deu_25:1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
1Ki_8:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
2Ch_6:23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
Job_23:7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
Ecc_3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Eze_23:45 And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
Joh_7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
2Ti_4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Loved this! That part about how showing up isn’t just about physically being there but really committing hit home. It’s so easy to go through the motions, but real growth happens when we’re intentional. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you brother. I really appreciate that. I’m blown away by how the Lord reveals things to us. I wrote this as much as a reminder for myself as anyone else. I think it’s that important to be present with the Lord in all aspects of our lives.
The connections provided by many podcast servers is as tenuous as that provided by many clergy with gender issues, especially when the recipient doesn't have them.
Excellent post. The only thing I would add is the pursuit and discovery what Yeshua designed us to be, before the sperm hit the egg in our mother's womb. We are going to spend eternity doing what we are designed to do. I believe it really helps to ask the Holy Spirit to show each of us what we were designed to do. What type of person are we?
Speaking from experience, having spent the past five years realizing that and living it out is a joy which has wonderfully surprised me. To relax into what He designed is a blessed satisfaction. This year I hit eighty years old (I was born on D-Day) I discovered that I finally had a relationship with Jesus which enabled me to truly see myself for who I am. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Holy Spirit.
Amen, brother. That is a great point. I think we likely all have a general calling (to be bondservants of Christ) and then a specific calling and maybe even a special one. Ultimately, it is the Lord through the Holy Spirit who reveals this to each of us. His will, not ours. God bless you.
"...salvation is an ongoing process of transformation into His image.
Many people, even me previously, think that this is a quick if not immediate process. I’ve come to realize that is not true.
It’s a slow, arduous process."
Yes, and that explains the people who seem to believe it's a one-and-done, born again, get baptized, convert, et al. "Saved" and "born again" mean nothing if you dive right back into the world, which most do.
"Many Christians nowadays think we can separate our spiritual life from the rest of our daily lives. This is known as the “spiritual-secular” or the “sacred-secular” divide." Yes, and that divide doesn't work, they just end up being 1000% worldly, the 99.9%. That's why "Christian" doesn't mean anything these days, nor church attendance, group Bible study... quoting scripture (which the devil himself can do), preaching on the mega-stage, saying Christ is king on social media, you name it.
It's what we FOCUS on each day... which SHOULD lead to what we TALK about, and where our INTERESTS lie, etc. THAT is real Christianity. And 99% of christians don't even acknowledge how they're distracted in the first place, so those Bible verses seem to be going in one ear, and out the other.
"In the end times, none will be holy, no one one" I don't know when that end will be, but it cannot be too far, seeing as Christians I know are losing their spirituality by the day right before my eyes. Including family members, and people who witnessed to me in the first place.
Absolutely. Thanks so much for your replies. Made me think of another. "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What we focus on and talk about is what is in our hearts. If it is Jesus Christ then our lives and actions should reflect that in all that we do. God bless you.
"We are to care for ourselves, our families, and our communities, to serve them, and to glorify the Lord."
Great reminders Mike! My church community has been a wonderful place of growth as I am humble and willing to use my gifts to do good to others, including taking rebuke, confessing sin, and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10)
Showing up means more than just "promising to be there," it entails work. I don't show up to be an Election Judge only to watch everyone else work, nor do I volunteer for the church hospitality team expecting to be waited on
I am called to SERVE OTHERS as the LORD serves me. "The greatest among you must be a servant," (Mt 23:11)
But first and foremost, I need to show up.
Amen 🙏🏼
Well put. Thank you.
I wouldn't miss it for the world 😁.
This was a beautiful reminder of living/showing up for others to His glory! This is done in so many ways, big and small. It can challenging at times when you think you are not being appreciated…
Thank you. I agree.
I’m not a professional counselor but I’ve been helping to facilitate a grief support group for 8 years.
One of the things we urge participants to do is just show up. They’re grieving, hurting beyond belief and every moment and movement is painful. They don’t feel like being in company, chatting about unimportant things compared to their loss.
We urge them, sometimes just show up. Be there, do what they can, or what they need to do. Have an escape plan if it gets too painful. But take one step forward, then do the next best thing.
Creeping forward, one step at a time, even if you don’t feel like it, is a reward in itself. I believe that Gid will honor the effort.
But Jesus makes it clear when speaking to his disciples that his mission on earth is NOT to save EVERYBODY. Why did GOD harden Pharaohs heart. Maybe Pharaoh was quite amenable to reason but GOD intervened. Why? Why did GOD decide to pre-ordain Judas to be The Bad Guy.
How does a God-believer (even the demons believe in the reality and existence of God)cope with the reality that GOD has pre-ordained you to The Bad Guy in your particular sphere,milieu,location. But you won't play ball so he throws rocks at you. What if Judas had said, " Sod this for a lark,hanging about the Park at midnight like a stupid kiddie,im going home to bed". What if A Hitler had said, "Nothing wrong with being a House Painter,it's good honest work". We all love it when Gods Blessings on us come in the form of love and acceptance, comfort and sunshine,success and the liberty of self+determination but it's not so pleasant when it's 'path to the cross' time and every mans hand (persons hand) is turned against you. Jesus knew about that. I don't know if Jesus has saved me or not,if He is my Redeemer or not. Blessed Assurance is not mine. So maybe the answer is in the negative. Why should I KNOW anyway. I'm not God.
God granted us human free will when Adam and Eve fell from grace in the Garden. We have choices to follow Jesus or the enemy. I don’t believe that we are pre-ordained for evil. God has no evil; He may withhold blessings as a discipline but He never delivers evil. It is not in His character. Just some of my understood scripture.
No we ARE preordained or we'd all live nice lives of comfort and ease. Because we could. It's a bit invidious to tell the parents of a child with terminal cancer that their kid has a choice. It's a bit invidious to tell someone of innately bad character,which is me,that they have a choice. Yes I have a choice - not to smoke,not to drink alcohol,not to lie,not to fornicate,not to steal,not to accumulate stuff,that's an awful lot of NOTS, a pile of negatives can't make me a nice loving person. The likes of Jesus who as God created me ugly and unlovable don't want the likes of me around,lowering the tone.
Jane, I've had similar thoughts . As Job said "Even though He slay me yet will I trust Him." We are to realize that we are NOT God. That is to be our defense and helpless plea. Jacob came to the same conclusion as he wrestled with the mighty One. He sensed his weakness yet pleaded "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Gen_32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. So it is within the power of the Almighty whether to allow us good or evil as our final end. Both are possible. Which side we end up on is determined by how we choose. Who do we know or believe God to be? Do we know Him as loving, merciful, kind, gracious, longsuffering? Or do we choose to know Him as cruel, tyranical, vengeful, hateful, malevolent? He can and will manifest Himself to us as we have known Him in relationship. But the fact remains that He alone is Almighty in every regard, and we are all children of His. We see all people are to have a choice and sides are being ever clearly taken. Now time is shorter in which we must choose. This battle is spiritual, about the mind & it does not matter the amount of physical force or power exercised. "Zec_4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." But what matters is the "spiritual side of man" the thoughts of the mind, the spirit, the character within, and the set pattern of the life. That will be the "final judge" of the destiny of every human who ever lived. God is the only Being who is "all knowing" and so He describes Himself as the "Judge" sitting on the "seat of Judgement". No other being can read the mind, the heart, the character. If we love evil and hate the good - that is our choice - called eternal "hell". If we seek the Light and Truth as it is revealed in Jesus' life - that will be our destiny called "eternal life". Truly the choice is ours to make and not an arbitrary puppetry game with God tossing the dice. The fact that God has foreknowledge and hindsight of all events that ever take place on earth during the battle between good and evil, does not determine our choice, but only keeps it hidden until God chooses to reveal things fully to all remaining participants in the final day. I believe we are in the "final day of judgement". Read the following verses explaining what will be revealed:
Job_20:27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
Jer_33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Dan_2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
Mat_11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Luk_10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Gal_1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Php_3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
If we have been seeking to know God, and to know His Son Jesus then we will also know (have revealed) to us which side we are on. It may not be something we want to know, and we may try to deny it to ourselves, but in the end the choice we have made will not lie and will be open and revealed to all other souls around us. Our character will no longer be hidden. We see this happening now - the truth or lie about people in power and others in our daily lives is being exposed and laid bare before all. We are able to see who they really are and what they lean towards. The evil will be despised. This is just the opposite of what happened in Jesus' first coming - the "Goodness" was despised and rejected and He was crucified. But it will not be so in the end. The wicked may appear to prosper and to rule over affairs, but it will be the meek, the humble, the weak and the soul that leans on Jesus that is raised to glory and victory at last. Righteousness will prevail and rule for eternity. Death and evil will be forever put out of the universe as all will have had a chance to see both sides and to determine by free choice which one will rule. All human beings will have had the "knowledge of good and evil" and they will reap their choice. Evil will not rise up a second time. Nah_1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
There are other prophets who declared this also:
Psa_27:3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. [If we choose righteousness we can have confidence in the promises of God unto our salvation in the end. ]
Psa_36:12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
Isa_24:20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Isa_26:14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Isa_43:17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
Jer_51:64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
The evil will appear to prevail over the earth in the final days as illustrated in the history of Egypt and Jesus. It will happen once again to the righteous elect who like Job will suffer but who are told not to fear:
Exo_3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Exo_8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
Luk_22:68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. [ Jesus knew what would happen.]
Exo_14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Exo_20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Num_14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num_21:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
Deu_31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deu_31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
So while the righteous see all appearing to be against them and even if feeling forsaken of God, their faith will carry them through - the faith of Jesus, faith as Jesus had in the love of His Father. He surrendered all into the Father's hands, the Righteous Judge declaring through many:
Gen_18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Deu_25:1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
1Ki_8:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
2Ch_6:23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
Job_23:7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
Ecc_3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Eze_23:45 And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
Joh_7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
2Ti_4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Thank you,this is kind of you to send.
Beautiful reminder. I have a very long way to go to measure up.
Yes, and this is all through each moment to moment day as we have Jesus invited in. Showing up, with intentionality makes a whole lot of difference.
Loved this! That part about how showing up isn’t just about physically being there but really committing hit home. It’s so easy to go through the motions, but real growth happens when we’re intentional. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you brother. I really appreciate that. I’m blown away by how the Lord reveals things to us. I wrote this as much as a reminder for myself as anyone else. I think it’s that important to be present with the Lord in all aspects of our lives.
I love this so much. I'm a new Christian, only a year old. This is easy for me to understand. Thank you
Thank you. So glad you found it helpful and easy to understand. I take no credit though. It’s all the Lord. May He bless you in your new journey.
Thanks for sharing this.
The connections provided by many podcast servers is as tenuous as that provided by many clergy with gender issues, especially when the recipient doesn't have them.
Excellent post. The only thing I would add is the pursuit and discovery what Yeshua designed us to be, before the sperm hit the egg in our mother's womb. We are going to spend eternity doing what we are designed to do. I believe it really helps to ask the Holy Spirit to show each of us what we were designed to do. What type of person are we?
Speaking from experience, having spent the past five years realizing that and living it out is a joy which has wonderfully surprised me. To relax into what He designed is a blessed satisfaction. This year I hit eighty years old (I was born on D-Day) I discovered that I finally had a relationship with Jesus which enabled me to truly see myself for who I am. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Holy Spirit.
Amen, brother. That is a great point. I think we likely all have a general calling (to be bondservants of Christ) and then a specific calling and maybe even a special one. Ultimately, it is the Lord through the Holy Spirit who reveals this to each of us. His will, not ours. God bless you.
"...salvation is an ongoing process of transformation into His image.
Many people, even me previously, think that this is a quick if not immediate process. I’ve come to realize that is not true.
It’s a slow, arduous process."
Yes, and that explains the people who seem to believe it's a one-and-done, born again, get baptized, convert, et al. "Saved" and "born again" mean nothing if you dive right back into the world, which most do.
That is so very true, and it's anything but that.
"Many Christians nowadays think we can separate our spiritual life from the rest of our daily lives. This is known as the “spiritual-secular” or the “sacred-secular” divide." Yes, and that divide doesn't work, they just end up being 1000% worldly, the 99.9%. That's why "Christian" doesn't mean anything these days, nor church attendance, group Bible study... quoting scripture (which the devil himself can do), preaching on the mega-stage, saying Christ is king on social media, you name it.
It's what we FOCUS on each day... which SHOULD lead to what we TALK about, and where our INTERESTS lie, etc. THAT is real Christianity. And 99% of christians don't even acknowledge how they're distracted in the first place, so those Bible verses seem to be going in one ear, and out the other.
"In the end times, none will be holy, no one one" I don't know when that end will be, but it cannot be too far, seeing as Christians I know are losing their spirituality by the day right before my eyes. Including family members, and people who witnessed to me in the first place.
It's right now and I feel the attacks of dark energy on me very strongly as they go for the weak points first.
Absolutely. Thanks so much for your replies. Made me think of another. "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What we focus on and talk about is what is in our hearts. If it is Jesus Christ then our lives and actions should reflect that in all that we do. God bless you.
Thank you!
"We are to care for ourselves, our families, and our communities, to serve them, and to glorify the Lord."
Great reminders Mike! My church community has been a wonderful place of growth as I am humble and willing to use my gifts to do good to others, including taking rebuke, confessing sin, and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10)
Thanks brother. That’s great to hear. God bless you.