“I believe that Jesus would have given His life for just one person. Jesus emptied Himself, He humbled Himself and He so yielded Himself to His Father's love that He had no ambition of His own. He was not looking to build an empire, He did not want praise or adulation or to impress people with who or how many followed Him. He stopped over and over again for just one person, for just one life.”
REVELATION 19
9Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
10At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
JOURNAL
To worship God means to obey him. Obeying him means to act in love and care for those who are struggling, no matter the effect on me and my life. Throughout the entire Bible this is the constant command. Obedience is ultimately about serving. Obedience to God is first but then that obedience extends to loving others. In order to love correctly though, surrender and obedience to God at all cost is what is demanded.
I am promised that when I surrender to God and commit my life to loving others then I will receive a peace and a joy that passes all understanding. This promise seems counter intuitive...especially in our world. With all the entanglements of this time and place it is so easy to lose perspective. It's so easy to believe that the more I have the happier I will be or to make sure I love those that can give me equal or greater love in return. That mindset is exactly opposite to everything that Jesus was and is.
The older I get, I realize how important designated holidays are and why celebrating Christmas is so crucial to our faith, because we tend to get so caught up in "things" and the effect on us that we forget the purpose of it all. Jesus came and was born in the most unflattering way and his birth was announced to dirty "insignificant" shepherds. We will never know their names yet they were the first to hear the announcement and the first to visit him. I believe the reason was that he came to tend to the worst in us, not the best in us. We are to do the same...
I am so grateful that I live in a country and in a time where Christmas is celebrated...yes it gets twisted and misused and manipulated but it still exists and I get the freedom to worship God and reach out in his love. Just as he continually reaches out across time and space to call me his own.
To worship God means to obey him. Obeying him means to act in love and care for those who are struggling, no matter the effect on me and my life. Throughout the entire Bible this is the constant command. Obedience is ultimately about serving. Obedience to God is first but then that obedience extends to loving others. In order to love correctly though, surrender and obedience to God at all cost is what is demanded.
I am promised that when I surrender to God and commit my life to loving others then I will receive a peace and a joy that passes all understanding. This promise seems counter intuitive...especially in our world. With all the entanglements of this time and place it is so easy to lose perspective. It's so easy to believe that the more I have the happier I will be or to make sure I love those that can give me equal or greater love in return. That mindset is exactly opposite to everything that Jesus was and is.
The older I get, I realize how important designated holidays are and why celebrating Christmas is so crucial to our faith, because we tend to get so caught up in "things" and the effect on us that we forget the purpose of it all. Jesus came and was born in the most unflattering way and his birth was announced to dirty "insignificant" shepherds. We will never know their names yet they were the first to hear the announcement and the first to visit him. I believe the reason was that he came to tend to the worst in us, not the best in us. We are to do the same...
I am so grateful that I live in a country and in a time where Christmas is celebrated...yes it gets twisted and misused and manipulated but it still exists and I get the freedom to worship God and reach out in his love. Just as he continually reaches out across time and space to call me his own.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9
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