Jesus’ world is completely God-centered. Ours is predominantly me-centered, which is what most hinders a real, tangible, intimate relationship with Jesus. It is often hard to discern how different our ways are from His ways because no matter what kind of home we have been raised in, we acquire habits, behaviors, thought patterns, and reasoning from many sources other than Jesus Christ without even knowing it. And these become real to us and completely “normal” and acceptable. We don’t even realize how much our Christian life is flavored with the world.
We no longer want to be knowingly or unknowingly fused with the culture. We want Jesus. We need Jesus. We need our Immanuel to accomplish this work in us! We want our mind, our energies, and our heart focused more and more on Him and less on ourselves and our circumstances. We want Him and Him alone.
We can know Him more intimately than a spouse, a sister, a mother, or a life-long best friend. Can He be that real? I believe He can. His love for us and His interest in our lives is greater than we know. We underestimate what the Lord wants to be to us. We get in the way. It is my prayer, though, that He will take us out of the way.
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PRAISE HIM
Begin by praising God for sending His Son, the Living Word, the One who loves us with an everlasting love. Use John 1:14-18 as inspiration.
Begin by praising God for sending His Son, the Living Word, the One who loves us with an everlasting love. Use John 1:14-18 as inspiration.
ADMIT TO HIM
Put your pen to paper and make a list of the things you crave more than the Lord or that keep you from fully surrendering everything to the Lord. What do you hunger and thirst after? Acceptance? Popularity? Position? Perfection? Power? Success? Comfort?
Put your pen to paper and make a list of the things you crave more than the Lord or that keep you from fully surrendering everything to the Lord. What do you hunger and thirst after? Acceptance? Popularity? Position? Perfection? Power? Success? Comfort?
THANK HIM
Take time now to thank Him for his willingness to be always waiting for you and always ready to hear your cry and come to your aid.
Take time now to thank Him for his willingness to be always waiting for you and always ready to hear your cry and come to your aid.
ASK HIM
Without holding back, ask Him now, in faith, to change your desires – that you would desire Him more than yourself or any other thing. Ask Him to help you want less and less of you until you can truly say, “Only Christ.”
Without holding back, ask Him now, in faith, to change your desires – that you would desire Him more than yourself or any other thing. Ask Him to help you want less and less of you until you can truly say, “Only Christ.”
TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART AND BRINGING IT TO LIFE
Choose one truth from today and apply it to your heart. Take it with you throughout the day.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full
of grace and truth.
John bare witness of him, and
cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is
preferred before me: for he was before me.
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 1:14-18 KJV
John 1:14-18 KJV
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5 KJV
John 15:5 KJV
1 comment:
Margie, you are what the people in the U.S. call a Minister . You make the Word of the Lord easy to understand and you send a message for people of faith, even those that doubt sometimes or always. I have often wondered why I didn't die so many years ago and I was told by my Priest, God had a plan for me. So far I haven't found it. You found yours. I am so glad we're friends. I will keep reading your blog and talk to you on Facebook. As I tell my children, remember I love you. God Bless You. Grandma
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