12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(Jeremiah 29:12-13)
Each day we stand at the crossroads and we have a choice to make. Will I serve God and do things his way, or will I go on in my self-willed ways? Are you going to do things your way or God's way? Sometimes we need to get beyond the self-will no matter how difficult that may be. Let the Lord set the course as you follow him.
When we self-will out of the way; when we want NOTHING but God's will, when we seek him with our whole heart. Then we will find him, then we will call upon him and he will answer.
If we prepare ourselves to carry out God's plans, if we seek him with our whole heart, nothing can stop those plans from being realized. God has given each of us free will, and we must will to obey his word if we want to see his plans come to fruition in our life.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Love yourself as God loves you.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
What do you think Jesus meant when he said to love others as we love ourselves?
What is the you of you?
Stop to feel your pulse
Life is running through you
Life is a gift of God
Feel your fingertips
Look at the pattern on them
Each is unique
You are unique
You are made in God's image
You are loved by the Creator who is proud of you, the created.
Look again at the mirror
Ask God to show you the real you, the you without image, the you that God sees.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
What do you think Jesus meant when he said to love others as we love ourselves?
What is the you of you?
Stop to feel your pulse
Life is running through you
Life is a gift of God
Feel your fingertips
Look at the pattern on them
Each is unique
You are unique
You are made in God's image
You are loved by the Creator who is proud of you, the created.
Look again at the mirror
Ask God to show you the real you, the you without image, the you that God sees.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, November 15, 2010
THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST
Yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that I may gain Christ, 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11)
What does it mean to pursue excellence? Often times we have a sense of bettering ourselves to become excellent at something, maybe even to impress others at what we do. Maybe we are trying to simply see how good we are at a given task. What does it really mean to be excellent? What does God mean when he tells us to be excellent? What is Paul saying when he tells us to pursue an excellent knowledge of Christ.
When Paul became a disciple of Jesus, he gave up his brilliant prospects in regard to this life, and everything indeed on which his heart had been placed. He abandoned the hope of honor and distinction; he sacrificed every prospect of gain or ease; and he gave up his dearest friends and separated himself from those whom he tenderly loved. He might have risen to the highest posts of honor in his native land, and the path which an ambitious young man desires was fully open before him.
But all this had been cheerfully sacrificed in order that he might obtain an interest in Jesus, and partake of the blessings of relationship with him. We do not know of the exact extent of Paul's loss in becoming a follower of Jesus. It is by no means improbable that he had been excommunicated by the Jews; and that he had been disowned by his own family- Philippians 3:7-8
What mattered now was for him to "know Jesus Christ".
"...I also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." (Philippians 3:8)
What Paul didn't say is noteworthy:
Paul didn't say, "I want to know all the issues."
Paul didn't say, "I want to know all the answers to selected questions."
Paul didn't say, "I want to know what every person believes."
Paul did say, "I want to know Christ."
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
What does it mean to pursue excellence? Often times we have a sense of bettering ourselves to become excellent at something, maybe even to impress others at what we do. Maybe we are trying to simply see how good we are at a given task. What does it really mean to be excellent? What does God mean when he tells us to be excellent? What is Paul saying when he tells us to pursue an excellent knowledge of Christ.
When Paul became a disciple of Jesus, he gave up his brilliant prospects in regard to this life, and everything indeed on which his heart had been placed. He abandoned the hope of honor and distinction; he sacrificed every prospect of gain or ease; and he gave up his dearest friends and separated himself from those whom he tenderly loved. He might have risen to the highest posts of honor in his native land, and the path which an ambitious young man desires was fully open before him.
But all this had been cheerfully sacrificed in order that he might obtain an interest in Jesus, and partake of the blessings of relationship with him. We do not know of the exact extent of Paul's loss in becoming a follower of Jesus. It is by no means improbable that he had been excommunicated by the Jews; and that he had been disowned by his own family- Philippians 3:7-8
What mattered now was for him to "know Jesus Christ".
"...I also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." (Philippians 3:8)
What Paul didn't say is noteworthy:
Paul didn't say, "I want to know all the issues."
Paul didn't say, "I want to know all the answers to selected questions."
Paul didn't say, "I want to know what every person believes."
Paul did say, "I want to know Christ."
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Blessed are you when people insult you.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
Jesus seems to be suggesting that the prophets’ reward is great because they anticipated the message He brings. As for “rejoice and be glad,” we must ask what the alternative is: to be ground down by the persecution one must suffer; to give up; to let go of the message of Jesus and to wallow, paralyzed, in one’s despair. Jesus is giving hope to those who are suffering. There is a reward that will come if only we have faith and trust in him. Jesus lets us know that all will be well and those who put their faith in him will not be disappointed.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Jesus seems to be suggesting that the prophets’ reward is great because they anticipated the message He brings. As for “rejoice and be glad,” we must ask what the alternative is: to be ground down by the persecution one must suffer; to give up; to let go of the message of Jesus and to wallow, paralyzed, in one’s despair. Jesus is giving hope to those who are suffering. There is a reward that will come if only we have faith and trust in him. Jesus lets us know that all will be well and those who put their faith in him will not be disappointed.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Blessed are they who are persecuted.
"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:10)
Jesus said many times that those who follow Him will be persecuted. "If they persecute me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20-21). Stephen, Peter and Paul, nearly all of the Apostles, and many Christians in the Roman era suffered martyrdom. The twentieth century with its two World Wars and endless regional conflicts has seen its share of martyrs such as Maximilian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the Central American martyrs. But Jesus promised those that suffer for his sake will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Jesus said many times that those who follow Him will be persecuted. "If they persecute me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20-21). Stephen, Peter and Paul, nearly all of the Apostles, and many Christians in the Roman era suffered martyrdom. The twentieth century with its two World Wars and endless regional conflicts has seen its share of martyrs such as Maximilian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the Central American martyrs. But Jesus promised those that suffer for his sake will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
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