Many of us know the two great commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
What about the third one? In John 13:34 Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Jesus told this to his disciples as he was facing His last week before dying. Ever have those times when you were having a conversation without someone that turned out to be one of your last with them? Wish you would have paid attention better? Sometimes death comes so unexpectedly there is not time to say good-bye or treasure final moments with loved ones.
Final words carry a lot of weight.
Jesus was telling his followers then and now that there is a distinctive trait that will demonstrate they are truly His followers.
We get caught up in things we can observe as opposed to an attitude of love. We think people are good followers because they go to the right church, attend often, give some, have a position of leadership or something else we can observe.
Why is it important that believers love one another?
It is what the world needs and they are looking for authenticity…acceptance…unity.
It is fulfilling God’s ultimate intention. He wants to call and redeem a group of believers who will so walk in unity and love that the world will notice.
Recently in Slidell, this type of love and unity was demonstrated. With over 1,000 people participating in the Life Chain, we demonstrated a love for life, God and one another. We took a stand and were not regarded as a collection of individuals, but a body of believers in which Christ lives.
May this happen more often.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Pauls’ Pattern for Prayer
Parents love their children. When we pray do we pray the best for them or just temporary relief?
We can produce a laundry list of externals to pray for such as finances, protection, healing and help.
But somehow, the list doesn't really express it. Jesus' heart for His people runs much deeper than material and emotional needs, and it's His heart that we want to touch and reflect as we pray.
What does God want for your children.? Begin to study the prayers of Paul and see.
In Ephesians 3:14-16, Paul began one of his most beautiful prayers. "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."
My prayer so often begins with externals. I bow my knees unto the Father and ask Him to grant a host of material and circumstantial needs. Since we live so close with our children, we know the nitty-gritty of their lives, and that's where our focus tends to go.
But Paul didn't have this luxury. He was separated from his churches by a great distance. He didn't know their day-to-day problems, so his prayers had to reach much farther — much deeper — much higher. God, I think, arranged it this way.
Paul's prayers teach us to focus first on the heart: the soul, the "inner man." Let’s not focus primarily on the physical things or changes in circumstance. Our children need mighty hearts. When we're strong inside, we can handle great trials. When the glory of God fills us, its joy and beauty will spill over to meet the difficulties in our paths. That friend struggling with temptation; that sister who has cancer; that young man taking exams: what they need most is to be strengthened with true might, by the Spirit of God, in the deepest places of their hearts.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The Menu is Never Enough
Hard as it may be for you to believe, I like to eat. Living in Louisiana makes it easy. Slidell offers a wonderful choice of restaurants. One can get seafood, burgers, Italian, Mexican etc.
What I’ve never done is go out to eat and be satisfied looking at the menu. I let the menu guide me where I want to go as far as ordering, but the menu is never enough. Sometimes I note how attractive the menu is, the words to describe the items and even pictures. Still, I want to eat.
Occasionally, the servers describe the items you are considering and stimulate your taste buds into overdrive. Still, bring me the food!
I think our spiritual lives are like the situation I just described.
There are many locations to get spiritual food here in town. A variety of denominations, traditions, speakers, styles of worship, etc. You get to the location, and they present the menu, that is the Bible in different formats. The servers or ministers can describe the wonders in the Word and the reality of Christ in a way that stimulates your desires.
Still, you want the meal.
Don’t stop short by just reading the Bible or taking another’s word.
Get to Jesus Christ Himself.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
The Bible is to point us to Jesus and guide us into a relationship with Him. So many believers are living below their opportunity. They study the Bible in classes, accumulate big notebooks and hundreds for principles for living...but miss the One Whom is the focus of the Word. He is the Word John 1:1.
You best know Jesus based on personal relationships, not a set of principles.
Get to Jesus…only He can satisfy you.
What I’ve never done is go out to eat and be satisfied looking at the menu. I let the menu guide me where I want to go as far as ordering, but the menu is never enough. Sometimes I note how attractive the menu is, the words to describe the items and even pictures. Still, I want to eat.
Occasionally, the servers describe the items you are considering and stimulate your taste buds into overdrive. Still, bring me the food!
I think our spiritual lives are like the situation I just described.
There are many locations to get spiritual food here in town. A variety of denominations, traditions, speakers, styles of worship, etc. You get to the location, and they present the menu, that is the Bible in different formats. The servers or ministers can describe the wonders in the Word and the reality of Christ in a way that stimulates your desires.
Still, you want the meal.
Don’t stop short by just reading the Bible or taking another’s word.
Get to Jesus Christ Himself.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
The Bible is to point us to Jesus and guide us into a relationship with Him. So many believers are living below their opportunity. They study the Bible in classes, accumulate big notebooks and hundreds for principles for living...but miss the One Whom is the focus of the Word. He is the Word John 1:1.
You best know Jesus based on personal relationships, not a set of principles.
Get to Jesus…only He can satisfy you.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Commence…Committed…Completion
“ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. Philippians 1:6
Want to know how to be a good sculptor? Easy, get a picture in mind of what you want to have your sculpture look like, get some clay or better yet marble and chip away anything that does not resemble the finished product. Easy art lesson, huh?
Easier said than done.
This verse is from the last book Paul wrote. He may have written it while chained between two Roman Soldiers while he awaiting trial in Rome.
Yet, this book is one of joy, hope and glorious expectation.
Paul is telling us several things to keep in mind in this one verse.
Commence…committed…completion.
It is God Who began or commenced the work in us. His goal is to shape the life of Jesus Christ in us. It comes through growth, sifting, testing, pruning and sometimes inflicting pain. Not always pleasant but He does things in our lives with a purpose. Romans 8:28
He is committed more to our growth in faith than we are. He will see it through even if our commitment wavers. He loves us the way we are but loves us too much to let us stay that way too long!
God does thing to completion. He has a plan and design for you and your life. God does not abandon when we whine or complain or question. He has the end in mind from the beginning. He desires to form Jesus Christ in you and will remove that which does not resemble Him. He will strengthen that which does. We may not agree with His pace or path, but we can trust His purpose.
When we cannot see His hand, we can trust His heart.
Want to know how to be a good sculptor? Easy, get a picture in mind of what you want to have your sculpture look like, get some clay or better yet marble and chip away anything that does not resemble the finished product. Easy art lesson, huh?
Easier said than done.
This verse is from the last book Paul wrote. He may have written it while chained between two Roman Soldiers while he awaiting trial in Rome.
Yet, this book is one of joy, hope and glorious expectation.
Paul is telling us several things to keep in mind in this one verse.
Commence…committed…completion.
It is God Who began or commenced the work in us. His goal is to shape the life of Jesus Christ in us. It comes through growth, sifting, testing, pruning and sometimes inflicting pain. Not always pleasant but He does things in our lives with a purpose. Romans 8:28
He is committed more to our growth in faith than we are. He will see it through even if our commitment wavers. He loves us the way we are but loves us too much to let us stay that way too long!
God does thing to completion. He has a plan and design for you and your life. God does not abandon when we whine or complain or question. He has the end in mind from the beginning. He desires to form Jesus Christ in you and will remove that which does not resemble Him. He will strengthen that which does. We may not agree with His pace or path, but we can trust His purpose.
When we cannot see His hand, we can trust His heart.
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