Eyes on Jesus

Passage or verses of Inspiration: Galatians 1 and Revelations 5


  It's all about Jesus. Everything good. Everything praise worthy. Everything God has made radiates his goodness. That is what God made man  to do. Radiate his goodness. Instead, we believed the lies of Satan and went and did things man's way. That's when it all went to hell. However, God sent his son, Jesus, to redeem mankind of his sinful nature.
   We are to radiate the goodness and love of Jesus Christ and bring glory and honor to him. That is man's purpose. That is my purpose. Yet, I get sidetracked by the things of this world. I take my eyes off Jesus and find myself immersed in the cesspool that is this fallen world. I fall for Satan's schemes every time.
  What do I have to do to avoid the sins of this world? Keep my eyes on Jesus. Pray to God the Father and stay rooted in his Holy Word-The Bible. That's a step in the right direction.

A Reminder of God's redemptive love.

Inspired passage: Acts 9:1-31


    The conversion of Saul to Paul is one my very favorite stories in all the Bible.
     It tells the story of how Saul, the persecutor of Christians, met Jesus on the road to Damascus. After his miraculous encounter with Jesus, he was left blind for three days. This entire story is told in Acts 9. I highly recommend that you read if you have never read it before or if it's been a while since you've read it. It's a wonderful reminder of the gift of redemption given freely by Jesus.
    Why do I bring this up? Because it is one of the most powerful stories of redemption ever told. If Saul can be redeemed by Jesus, then we all can. All we have to do is turn from our sinful ways, confess our sins to God and turn to his son Jesus for our ultimate redemption-the forgiveness of our sins. This story gives me hope and inspires me daily to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
   I hope and pray that it will be a reminder of Christ's redemptive love for all who read this.

Focusing on the lies of Satan or Promises of God?

 Deut. 31:6


   Jesus is with me where ever I go. Sometimes I find myself walking in fear instead of walking in the confidence and loving assurance of Jesus.
   Why do I do this? Because I fall into the devil's trap of focusing on his lies. Fears placed in my mind from the devil are completely different than having the fear of God in you. Fears placed  in the mind by Satan are false images that have no truth. Yet I find myself focusing on those lies instead of focusing on the promises of God and focusing on the love of Jesus Christ. One such promise that we can all cling to is from Deuteronomy 31:6-"be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you." That is a solid promise from God himself. I must focus on Jesus every second of every day and not on the lies of Satan.
  Thank You, Father God, for your unforsaken love and promises that I can cling to throughout my day. 

How to love those you hate or Loving like Jesus.

Verses that inspired today's entry: Matthew 5:43-45,19:19


   I'm called to love everyone, just as Jesus loves everyone. What about the people who I don't love like my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I to love them as well? Yes. Jesus has a ton to say about  loving others, especially one's that I find hard or impossible to love.

 In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus says "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven."

  According to Jesus, I have to "love" my co-worker who talks about me behind my back or another who plots against me. Not only am I to love them, I'm to also pray for them.

  I try to look at it like this-Jesus loved me so much despite all of my flaws and all the sins I have committed against him(and my future sins) that he died a horrible death on the cross for me and for you.

  In conclusion, I must love those whom I find impossible to love. How do I do this? Love them like Jesus loves me. Unconditionally and without limits.

Friends with Unbelievers

Verses that inspired this entry :Acts 26:17-18


   Yesterday I wrote about my brothers in Christ Jesus.
    Today I am writing about being friends with Unbelievers. I know the Bible has much to say about being friends with unbelievers, but I have to start somewhere. So allow me to being on a personal level.
  First, let me pose a question. Do I turn my back on those who don't believe in God? I say no. Jesus never turned his back on me, so why should I? I have two good friends who are atheists. Some would say to run far away from them and that you can't be friends with such people. Once again, I point to Jesus who was and is friends of sinners. We are all sinners. All of us. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have ask for forgiveness for their sins are referred to as born again.
I am called to be a light to a world in darkness. I am not perfect, but I do my best to be an example of Christ to my two unbelieving friends. I am called to pray for them daily and love them unconditionally just as Jesus loves me.
  What about the people I don't love? Or those that I have a difficult time of showing the love of Jesus to?
                                                             To Be Continued....

Brothers in Christ

Book that inspired this entry:Philemon


    I am blessed with many brothers in Christ. The list is too many to name. God uses these men to strengthen my walk with God on a daily basis, their love for Jesus inspiring me to seek Jesus more and more everyday. when I get off track, my brothers in Christ help guide me back on the straight and narrow path.
   The good Lord knows that I can be stubborn to my brothers viewpoints. These men are patient with me just as Jesus is patient with me every second of the day. Along with patience, my brothers provide  me with kindness and understanding. They get what I deal with on a daily basis and I do my best to give back to each of them in return. Once again, God has blessed me with tremendous Men who hold me accountable and I thank and praise the Lord for them. They know who they are so there is no need to list them by name. May God bless them all.
 

Thankful in suffering?

Scripture referenced or inspired for this writing:
Psalm 95:1,Matthew 5:12,Acts 5:41,1Peter 4:13,16

How often do I thank God for anything that he has done for me?
How often do I thank God for answering my prayers?
How often do I thank God for sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins?
How often do I thank God for the suffering that I go through on a daily basis? I bet that last question was an unexpected one. Should I really thank God for suffering? Yes. Want proof? Let's look at The Bible for the truth.
  In 1 Peter 4:16, Peter says "if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter talks about persecution for being a Christian. He's thanking God when he comes under fire for believing in Jesus Christ. In Acts 5:33-42, the Apostles were flogged for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and were soon released, ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.(Acts 5:40)
 Verse 41 says "The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." So yes, even when suffering, I am to praise God. I will rejoice and be glad and thank God for all that he has done for me and all the suffering I have gone through for the cause of Christ because it makes me a stronger person in Jesus.
  That's not to say that I will never wine or complain when things are bad. I am a sinner who happens to be born again in Christ Jesus, living in a fallen world that chooses darkness instead of the light of Christ. When I start to complain, I must remember all the blessings of God. That is when the pain becomes bearable.