What if …

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from November 9, 2011]

[Jesus said,] “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”                        Matthew 20:26-28 (NLT)

“What if we all asked ourselves, what if…and we all undertook one what if thought…and we had a what if serv-o-lution?” – Renee Crosby, author of “Soup Kitchen for the Soul” (ISBN: 1-893729-79-6)

God does not even respect the “sanctity” of my workplace. He came barging into my spirit through a book that I was proofreading called “Soup Kitchen for the Soul” and spoke to me in no uncertain terms about being a servant. He wasn’t interested in how successful I was in the world but how successful I was in being a servant to whomever and wherever He sent me.

“…whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40). Before I start making a list of what I am going to start doing, Jesus’ words have come to my mind “When you give, do not announce it with a trumpet like a hypocrite” (Matthew 6:2). The only applause that I seek is in heaven. I believe one of the extraordinary sights that I will behold in heaven is the humble servants, unknown to me on earth but great in God’s Kingdom.

Do I see those of whom that Jesus speaks? Have I watched Jesus speak to them throughout the Scripture so I can follow His example? Are my ears open to His words or is the voice of my own judgment drowning Him out? What if I took a step outside my “comfortable” life and offered a drink to someone who was thirsty or a shelter to someone who was homeless? What if I reached out to someone who was sick or needed an encouraging word? What if?

“…go and make all the nations into my disciples…and teach them everything I have taught…” (Matthew 28:19-20). I have been outside this country on mission trips. Whatever I have done in obedience to Jesus’ commands, He has blessed me more than I can list. The people I have met who walk their faith every day down roads that are not paved and yet, they see Jesus as their companion. What more do they need?

Whether the “mission” that Jesus calls me to be a part is in my living room with my children or grandchildren or thousands of miles where I do not have a permanent place to lay my head, it is my willingness to freely share what I have learned that pleases my LORD. It is not the level of my education or the size of my bank account. There is always someone who needs a word of encouragement or a hand of care. What if I am willing?

“…you will receive power when my Spirit comes on you and you will be witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Oh, how small I am in the expanse of God’s Kingdom. And, yet, it was His plan that I share who He is wherever I went and whoever I met. It was always about relationships. The relationship of God with His children. The relationship of His children with each other. It is the power of God’s Spirit that will direct and guide me, giving me the words to say and when to say them.

What happens in the church building is only the beginning of what God has planned. My life is Jesus’. Like a soldier in an army, Jesus is my Commander-in-Chief and I am here to serve and obey.

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.         Colossians 3:3-4 (NLT)

Be Thou My Vision written by Dallan Forgaill and sung by 4Him

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Ready – Light – Go!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from June 21, 2010]

– Henry Neufeld

1Then again the kingdom of heaven can be illustrated by 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Now five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps, but didn’t take any extra oil. 4But the wise ones took oil in containers along with their lamps. 5So the bridegroom was delayed, and they became drowsy and all went to sleep. 6And in the middle of the night there was a shout, “Look! It’s the bridegroom! Go out to meet him.” 7Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out. 9But the wise virgins answered, “Never! There won’t be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” 10But as they went to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding, and the door was shut. 11Afterward, the remaining virgins came and said, “Lord! Lord! Let us in!” 12But he answered, “I tell you truly, I don’t know you.” 13So watch, because you don’t know the day or the hour.      Matthew 25:1-13 (HN)

We need to be ready when the bridegroom comes! That’s a good message to get from this parable. It’s also a good “morning” parable, telling us to get moving and be on the ball. (OK, some of you are probably not morning people and lots of cheerful yelling early in the morning doesn’t help get you moving. You can come back to this later in the day.)

If we shift our focus just a little bit, this parable tells us several things about life as Christians.

1. Our life as Christians is not just about the end. While the goal is to meet the bridegroom, our lives consist of being ready all the time. Christianity is not something we can pick up and drop as it is convenient.

2. It’s not good enough just to have lamps. We have to take action to make our light shine. We can share our faith just by our actions, but if we don’t also take action to see that the light shines steadily and shines in the right place. A friend of mine recently participated in a candlelight walk through a park. Afterward, he was fascinated by the way people carried their candles. Some held them in front of their face. Others held them low and ahead of them. He went back to the park and tried the various positions. The one that worked was holding the candle above his head, shining the light around. I think we can learn something about our personal, spiritual light from that experiment.

3. All of us slip sometimes. The question is whether we can get the lamp lit up again and get going. This isn’t about five virgins who slept and five who stayed awake. It’s about ten who slept and only five who were ready to get up again and get moving. You may have trouble getting started in the morning. That’s not something bad; everybody has their bad times. The question is what you do with the good ones.

4. Some opportunities move right past us. If we don’t move when the opportunity is available, it may pass us by.

God is a God of opportunities. If you slept through the last one, be watching for the next.

Keep Your Lamps written by Andre Thomas & sung by the SC All-State Choir (1994) 

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Don’t Hesitate – Just Ask!

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

Sing a new song to the Lord!
He has worked miracles,
and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has shown the nations
that he has the power to save and to bring justice.
3 God has been faithful in his love for Israel,
and his saving power is seen everywhere on earth.
4 Tell everyone on this earth to sing happy songs in praise of the Lord.
5 Make music for him on harps.
Play beautiful melodies!
6 Sound the trumpets and horns and celebrate with joyful songs for our Lord and King!
7 Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures,
and the earth to shout with all of its people.
8 Order the rivers to clap their hands,
and all of the hills to sing together.
9 Let them worship the Lord!
He is coming to judge everyone on the earth,
and he will be honest and fair.                                      Psalm 98 (CEV)

I’m going to start today with where I started after reading this song. I prayed for someone who is ill and I prayed for myself. I ask that if you are reading this, stop now and pray for us too. Thank you.

Like many of the psalms, the writer expresses his faith in his LORD because He is powerful and able to save no matter the circumstance. The writer expresses himself well with music and so he praises God with music. He believes that his LORD is worthy of all thanksgiving and praise because he has a never-ending list of what God has done.

Maybe you know someone like the one I am praying for who is ill and modern medicine does not have a “cure.” And maybe you have prayed for people before and it appears that it was not God’s plan to bless with an easily seen healing. And so you wonder if you should bother to ask God again.

Maybe you are praying for yourself like I am. I know how unworthy I am to receive God’s blessings of healing and mercy and His love. My list of sins is long and – do I actually believe that my Father God will run out of mercy or patience? Do I think that Jesus could never cover my sins? It doesn’t say that anywhere in the Bible, does it? No, Jesus covers every one of my sins. And His love, manifested on the Cross, is greater than I can imagine.

Ask. James came right out and said that “you don’t have because you do not ask!” and “if you ask and don’t receive, it’s because you ask with the wrong motives” (James 4:2-3). How do I correct this? Spend time with Jesus and listen! Tell Jesus what I want and then listen. It’s not complicated but it does go against my take charge nature. It’s time to make a change.

I am praying today but my prayers are ending in praise because I know to Whom I am speaking and I have faith that before I even called out to Him, He was right here and already answering.

In the Garden written by C. Austin Miles and sung by Alan Jackson

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I’m in the LORD’s Army

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

Timothy, my child, Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let him make you strong.2 You have often heard me teach. Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others.

3 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus you must endure your share of suffering.4 Soldiers on duty don’t work at outside jobs. They try only to please their commanding officer. 5 No one wins an athletic contest without obeying the rules.6 And farmers who work hard are the first to eat what grows in their field. 7 If you keep in mind what I have told you, the Lord will help you understand completely.         2 Timothy 2:1-7 (CEV)

Today we remember the millions of military veterans who took and carried out their oaths to serve and protect our country. They have set an example to me of what it means to be a soldier in God’s Army.

Honor. Our LORD receives all the glory and praise. It is from Him that I receive wisdom and strength for all that I do in my life. When I share what He has done in my life, I have an opportunity to point, not to myself, but to Father God.

Loyalty. If I call myself a disciple of Jesus Christ, then I must take seriously Who I represent, Who I stand for. Like Jesus, I am here on this earth to share God’s great love, what God has done in my life, and His Good News of Salvation and Life.

Obedience. A soldier knows the voice of their leader and obeys that voice. A soldier is obedient to his/her commanding officer. A soldier doesn’t get to vote and decide if they will obey. There is no time for discussion in a battle.

Consider today that each of us is a soldier in God’s Army. We are here to follow our LORD into battle. We know that the war is won but there are many conflicts to be fought. Paul warns us that we do not battle people but the rulers of evil and so we do not fight like earthly army with guns and bullets (2 Corinthians 10) but instead we follow the example of our LORD Jesus Christ. We must not be lazy or complacent but instead be wise and alert.

Let us stand tall, not with pride in ourselves, but following in the footsteps of our Savior and LORD. May His truth continue to set His children free!

The Battle Hymn of the Republic written by Julia Ward Howe and sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

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Pain

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said, “He is a nobody!”

4 He suffered and endured great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering was punishment from God.
5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins;
by taking our punishment, he made us completely well.     Isaiah 53:3-5 (CEV)

Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you will, please don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup.[a] But do what you want, and not what I want.”

43 Then an angel from heaven came to help him.44 Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.    Luke 22:41-44 (CEV)

Last night, I was in a great deal of pain, enough to make me weep. There are many people who are in pain, whether from arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, or other debilitating diseases. There are others who are in emotional pain that is just as debilitating. I want to share what I believe Jesus has been speaking into my life about pain.

Why. “Why must I be in pain?” Ask Jesus. He will answer you. I believe His answer is very personal and specific to each of us. For me to presume to give you such an explanation is treading into your relationship with Him where I do not belong. Paul asked God about his chronic suffering (2 Corinthians 12) and shared God’s answer to him but Paul did not assume that God deals with all of us in the same way.

Never alone. What a revelation and comfort it has been to me to know that Jesus is with me when I am in pain, even in the darkness of night. When I am lying there trying to deep breath, rubbing my shoulder or hip, trying to relax, praying that rest will come, there is a warmth that covers me when I recall God’s promises that He will not leave me or abandon me. When I reach out to grasp a hand, Jesus’ is right there. I can pour out whatever is in my heart and He will sift the truth from the deceptions.

Use wisdom. God provides me with many ways to live a joyful, productive life in His Kingdom in spite of pain. He is a physician that provides relaxation techniques, exercises, and yes, medication that will help me. Asking God for His wisdom in how to live and asking Him to have mercy and heal me is all part of our relationship. The passage from Luke 22 has been Scripture that I have clung to during many painful periods. Jesus asked the Father to take painful plan from Him. While submitting to whatever the Father might answer, He was in such agony of prayer that His sweat was bloody. Though the Father did not remove this agony, He sent an angel to Jesus to minister, comfort and strengthen, Him. God’s “treatment” of my pain will always be characterized with wisdom and compassion.

Protect your faith. Chronic pain, pain that is frequent, even daily, drains strength and even faith. Chronic pain is another reason it is so important to give my daily time with God a top priority in my day. Reading and absorbing Scripture, talking to Jesus throughout my day refills my “faith bank.” Asking for prayer from others; receiving prayer from others keeps me humble and open to receiving the healing blessings of God.

The Enemy wants to keep me isolated, beaten down and silently suffering. Father God wants me to be connected to Jesus’ Body, lifted up and speaking to Him and hearing Him. Let us extend our hands and join together with our LORD – right now.

I Need You More written and sung by Lindell Cooley

 

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Give Me Jesus

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life.”

22 Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, “God would never let this happen to you, Lord!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Satan, get away from me! You’re in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples:

“If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.25 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 26 What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?

27 The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done. 28 I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.”        Matthew 16:21-28 (CEV)

I was reminded again this week about this passage and another in John 4 where Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the true worship of God will not happen in a big temple like Jerusalem’s or even on a grand mountain but that the worship of God will happen in our hearts and with our spirits wherever we happen to be. So why do we keep building and maintaining HUGE temples?

Is it our egos that want to show others how much we love God? Are we attempting to show God the perfection of our love for Him?

Jesus said that we should not be like the Pharisees who loudly proclaim their love for God and then treat people with judgment and contempt (Matthew 23). Jesus encouraged us to spend time in our prayer closets privately and give freely, never letting others know of our generosity (Matthew 6).

I am spending a lot of quiet time with Jesus this week. My heart is bruised as I say, “Good-bye for now” to those who have died and moved on to their promised eternal home. Jesus has faithfully and lovingly held me and comforted me. Is there any more precious a gift than Jesus, Messiah and Savior right here with His arms around me and His healing balm soothing and restoring me? Is there any more precious a gift than I can give back than my love in words of praise and thanksgiving? Maybe encourage others to do the same?

You may be reading this at work or on your lunch break. Time and location may limit your actions but nothing can limit what comes from your heart, spirit to Spirit.

Jesus, You are faithful. When I stumble, You are there to pick me up, hold me and heal me. There is no darkness with You here. There is no storm that You can not calm. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for being my Savior and Friend. I love You so very much. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Give Me Jesus written by Fernando Ortega and sung by Vince Gill

 

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Life and Death

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

– Henry Neufeld

[reprinted from March 2, 2010]
54But when they heard these things they became infuriated and ground their teeth against him. 55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. 56And he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and blocked their ears and swarmed at him together. 58And they threw him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses put their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen as he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, Don’t hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.           Acts 7:54-60 (HN)

Stephen gives us an outline of the right way to die. Now many of you may be thinking that you don’t particularly want to know how to die, and you don’t plan to get there very soon. But all of us will get there sooner or later, and it’s a good idea to know how to do it. But even more importantly, the way you’re going to die will have something to do with the way you live.

One of the things Jesus came to rescue us from was the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-18). Why don’t we have to fear death? For precisely the same reason that we don’t have to fear life. God is with us all the way!

So what does Steven show us about dying:

1. He died being God’s witness. The thing that made these folks angry was the testimony that Stephen was giving.
2. He died filled with the Holy Spirit. He was able to know what God wanted him to know and see what God wanted him to see, because the Holy Spirit filled him.
3. He died with his eyes heavenward, on Jesus. Think about it! He’s surrounded by people who want to kill him and he doesn’t look at them, or seek ways to get away. He’s looking at Jesus!
4. He died forgiving those who hurt him. Like Jesus, it wasn’t people who asked forgiveness, it was people who were in the process of hurting him that he forgave.
5. He died on his knees in prayer.
6. He died trusting his life to God.

Now go back through the list, and replace each “he died” with “he lived.” Do you see what’s going on?

The way we live is the way we will die. If God is with us, we have nothing to fear in either case.

For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. 4:8 From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (WEB)

Now the Day is Over written by Sabine Baring-Gould, sung by Jo Stafford & Gordon McRae

 

 

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When We All Get to Heaven

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

[God said,] “Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.7 I will shake the nations, and their treasures will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. 8 All silver and gold belong to me,9 and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.”      Haggai 2:6-9 (CEV)

Lectionary texts: Haggai 1:15-2:9, Psalm 145:1-5. 17-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Luke 20:27-38

The texts this week are all about when Jesus returns. When I take any time to read the news and sense the escalating destruction, violence and evil, it seems that Jesus will be coming soon. Since the time of Paul, Christians have been expecting Jesus soon. So what does that mean to me today in 2013? What do these four texts tell me?

God is LORD. Haggai the prophet reminds the Jewish nation that is in exile that God is still LORD of all and it is He who will truly shake things up. What they are seeing with their eyes is under His control and the really good news is that while this temporary world may be destroyed, the eternal home, the new Jerusalem will be unimaginably glorious! We are blessed to have further confirmation of this in another message from God through John in Revelation 21.

Tell my children and grandchildren the truth. Psalm 145 is a song of praise that reminds me of the importance of telling what God has done in my life. My faith is very personal but it is not private.

My eight-year-old granddaughter was visiting me last week. She was here with her mother to attend the funeral of a great-aunt. That evening after attending the celebration of this Godly woman’s life, I was sitting with my granddaughter and she suddenly turned to me and said, “Nana, I’m looking forward to going to heaven! I can’t wait to see Jesus and Uncle Bubba!” It’s hard to describe here the smile and joy on her face as she said this. “I still have a lot of things to do here. I’m just a kid so I have lots to do yet but I really can wait to see heaven!”

As I read Psalm 145 again, I praise God that He has revealed His glory to this child. I thank Him for His inspired Word that she reads. I thank Him for people who have sown the seeds of His great love into her. And I thank my LORD that she already knows that this world is not her true home. In the years ahead of her, this will be an important truth for her to cling to.

Stay faithful. 2 Thessalonians 2 admonishes me to stay faithful to what Jesus has taught me as His disciple. There are false teachers who will come along to try to lead me astray but if I stay in God’s Word, stay connected and accountable to other disciples, and seek God’s wisdom and guidance through His Spirit, then I will finish well this race He has given me.

It’s all about God’s relationship with me. In the Luke 20 passage Jesus not only sees the Pharisees trying to trick Him in another one of their theology ambushes but He corrects their teachings. The rewards and life that God has promised me for all eternity are not based on my relationships in this life and what I have accumulated in this life but on my relationship with God. It will not matter who I was married to here on earth but am I truly Jesus’ bride, faithful in my relationship to Him.

As my granddaughter reminded me, I have much to do here yet. God has given me a race to run, a mission in His Kingdom. But it’s a good thing to take time to consider and imagine what heaven will be like and joyfully look forward to seeing my LORD and the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who have gone before me.

I Can Only Imagine/When We All Get to Heaven medley, original songs written by MercyMe and Eliza Hewitt, medley sung by Amy Grant

 

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Psalm 29

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
2 Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;
he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10 The Lord rules over the flood waters.
The Lord reigns as king forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace.                      Psalm 29 (NLT)

Did you think about what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians this weekend? It all came back to me again when I read this psalm. Once again I “saw” how big God is and how much He loves me. I saw the LORD this weekend in the sunshine and the crispness of the fall weather. I saw Him in the face of my grandchildren as they love and embrace their lives with unrestrained joy.

This song repeats the phrase “the voice of God …” reminding me that God speaks in many ways. Am I listening? I cry out to God, asking Him to hear me and answer me. But then the question is: am I quiet and leaning toward Him to hear?

It’s quiet in my home after a very busy and joyful weekend. All that celebrating was wonderful! But now I am celebrating in a different way. I am listening to my LORD and affirming all that he is saying to me in the quiet. I am rejoicing and singing a song of praise! Will you join me?

Love You So Much written by Russell Fragar and sung by Darlene Zschech

 

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THAT is Glorious!

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Jody Neufeld

Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ.10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did,11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.

12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.

17 My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again 19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21 has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.            Philippians 3:8-20 (CEV)

I hope, no I am stopping to pray right now, that you will read this passage at least twice. I hope you might find that it produces something inside of you that says, “Wait a minute. What did that say? What did that mean?” And maybe – just maybe you take the time this weekend to read this passage in more than one translation. I read it first in my NIV and then I read it in the CEV. I’m going to go back this weekend and read it in The Message and in Holman’s Standard Bible. I’m going to take the time and effort to do that because I feel the conviction in my spirit that this is important.

Last night, I sat around a table with seven other men and women and we discussed two of the most controversial doctrines in Jesus’ Church today. We discussed and we did not try to convince each other that “my way is the right way.” We did not leave the table angry but still loving each other. It was great! How did that happen? I believe it is because we all heard the Holy Spirit say to us as Paul says here:

  • Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
  • I am not perfect.
  • … if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.

So today, this weekend, I am not thinking about how I can convince others that the way that I believe is the right way, or the best way. I am thinking about how very blessed I am to know Jesus, God’s Son who came to die for my sins and the sins of my friends. We can sit around the table in my kitchen and one day we will all also sit at Jesus’ table together with Him. How totally, gloriously cool is that??!!

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love written by Peter R. Scholtes and sung by Jars of Clay

 

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