JESUS SPEAKING

                “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish?’ (Luke 14: 27-29.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Following Jesus Christ is not easy.  Fleshly desires don’t just go away; selfishness and lust are lifelong companions; they are indulgences that must be denied daily.  The price for eternal existence is death in this life; death to self-centered living.  The wants and needs of a disciple are superseded by the wants and needs of others.  The cross is a symbol for every believer; it is a symbol of selflessness; it represents the victory of God’s will over self-preservation.  Shortly before dying on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  His life (and death) exemplified complete servitude.  Every disciple who follows Jesus must follow him to the very end.  There are no points for almost; no congratulations for half-way; and no reward for those who don’t finish.  The calling of God is a race that must be concluded; a work that demands completion; a journey with only one destination.      

                Some time ago, I was volunteering at a non-profit agency.  When my time there had come to an end, the staff took me out to lunch; I told them I was leaving to attend seminary.  Immediately someone pointed to the quiet man eating across from me; I was made aware that he used to be a pastor.  He and I began to talk a little bit; he had been a minister for nearly his entire life, and had recently left the congregation.  He was rather unexcited to speak about it and so the subject quickly changed.  Later, I was privately informed of why he left the church; he was “gay” and living with another man.  After so many years of faithful service, he had walked away to indulge in homosexuality.  My heart was grieved for him.  On my last day, I went to his office to leave him a note; on a yellow sticky I wrote, “Finish the race” (a phrase an ex-pastor would have easily understood.  Note:  The phrase comes from 2 Timothy 4: Verses 6-8.  Shortly before being martyred, Paul the Apostle wrote, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”)  I signed my name and put the note on his computer; (right next to a framed picture of he and his lover.)  He had spent his whole life serving God and others, only to forsake his maker just near the end.  All those years of service, gone; all his sacrifices erased; all of his efforts, for nothing.   I’m not quite sure what happened to this man, but I can only pray that he repented and returned to the Lord.

                Before making the decision to follow Christ you should sit down and consider the cost.  A life of complete selflessness requires a great deal of sacrifice.  You must turn away from sin and deny your own wants and needs daily.  You must esteem everyone else as more important than yourself; and you must continue this life until the very end.  Are you willing to pay this price?  The cost of eternal life is high, but the reward is far greater than anything you could ever imagine.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and commit ourselves to a life of service and selflessness.  We desire to do Your will; we seek to esteem others above ourselves.  We lay down our lusts and take up Your cross.  Please give us strength to complete the task that we have started.  Perfect us by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we might finish the race, and one day be able to say, “It is finished.”  We love You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

               Jesus had just finished confronting and rebuking the religious leaders, when his disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”  But he answered and said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall in to a pit” (Mathew 15: 13-14.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Human beings, are blind concerning spiritual things.  No one born of flesh and blood can perceive the immaterial.  Mankind is unaware of the battle that rages around them for the possession of their souls.   We are encircled by Angels who seek to save, and demons who desire our destruction.  There are unseen predators searching tirelessly for unsuspecting victims.  The world is filled with dark pits and deep caverns; many seemingly harmless indulgences are in fact, deadly.  There are countless paths that appear harmless, but actually lead to the grave.  Although the dangers are innumerable, there is one solitary solution; follow someone who can see.  Many religious leaders who fought with Jesus claimed to know the way.  But they were as blind as those who followed them.  Only Jesus can see the true dangers that exist; only he can steer the blind clear of deadly obstacles; and only he can be trusted to direct his followers down the path that leads to life.

                I have recently become friends with a blind couple.  Surprisingly, they enjoy seeing movies (they like listening to the dialogue and the music.)  Nearly every Saturday for the past five months I have had the privilege of taking them to the theatre.  Being blind, they need a great deal of assistance.  For them, even the seemingly simple can become deadly.  A crumpled carpet edge; the threshold of a doorway; even an unanticipated sidewalk can result in serious injury.  Although they both have canes and do a wonderful job of living and moving about on their own, they never refuse any help from me.  We have worked out a system for our weekend adventures.  I walk in front and Evelyn takes hold of my arm; Alec in turn, takes her arm.  As we travel, I guide them past obstacles; I navigate them around people; I warn them of impending staircases and sidewalks, inclines and declines, and doorways and aisles.  Although blind, they have learned to use my eyes to see.  They have come to trust me, knowing that I would never lead them in to danger.

                Today, there are nearly 20 major religions in the world; and thousands of different sects within each religion.  They are all in opposition to one another, yet they all claim that they are correct; that means one of two things; everyone is lying; or everyone is lying, and at least one person is telling the truth.  Jesus Christ claimed, not only to be speaking the truth, but to be the truth.  He has stretched out his hand to lead you.  Will you take his hand?  Will you trust him?  Will you follow him?  Those who put their faith in Jesus will never go astray.  He is the Son of the living God; he can direct you away from evil and toward what is good; he can guide you out of darkness and keep you in the light; and only he can lead you around death and in to everlasting life.  Give him that chance today.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, we are blind and ignorant.  We ask You to take control of our lives and to guide us in to the paths of righteousness.  We trust You completely; be our eyes and help us to avoid the evils that would seek to destroy us.  Instruct us concerning wisdom and purity; and strengthen us by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Lead us Lord, and do not forsake us.  We are ready, and willing to follow You now.  We love You father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you. 

JESUS SPEAKING

                “Again I sayto you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Mathew 18: 19-20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The word ‘Amen,’ so commonly spoken at the end of most prayers, essentially means ‘I agree.’  ‘Amen’ is an expression used when two people have finished praying together.  Like so many Christian practices, prayer is meant to be exercised in community (as well as alone.)  No one can have a full relationship with God until they share Him with others.  When two or more gather together to celebrate Christ his Spirit is made manifest in the heart of every believer; those who are weak become strong; doubt is replaced by faith; the empty are made full, and every weary soul becomes glad.  An isolated Christian is a Christian who is weak and vulnerable to attack.  To avoid fellowship with believers is to avoid fellowship with Christ himself.      

                I have been answering prayer lines at my church for nearly two years.  Over that period of time I have been able to make some profound observations.  Those who are not involved in a church fellowship, or a small group bible study, suffer great difficulties.  Many isolators are doing drugs and struggling with grievous sins; nearly all who remain detached are in some kind of continual crisis.  On the contrary, those who express a spirit of joy are actively involved in service work; they usually attend a small group fellowship; most have made close friendships with other believers; and nearly all of them intimately share God with those who call Jesus their Lord.

                Are you involved in a fellowship today?  Do you have close Christian friends that you pray with regularly?  Is your experience with Christ exercised in community, or in isolation?  If you are not plugged in to the body of Christ, go down to your church and ask them about weekly fellowships you might attend.  They usually have lists, and you can always find one that fits your schedule.  Make friends with other believers, and pray with them daily; become a part of God’s family and be renewed by the Holy Spirit.  Without fellowship, you will never know the fullness of God’s power in your life.

                “Lord heavenly Father we come before You and ask that You help us to be members of Your body.  We desire to share You with others, and to be in fellowship with our eternal brothers and sisters.  May we draw near to one another as we all draw near to You.  May Your Spirit flow freely between us.  If we have isolated, give us opportunities to fellowship with others and to grow strong.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.