Simply Follow Jesus

All Who are Thirsty... Come and Drink ~ Jesus - John 4:37-38

Whoever is thirsty may come to me and drink.  If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from their heart. That is what the Scriptures say.

Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ ~ Madame Jeanne Guyon

We have all been called to the depths of Christ just as surely as we have been called to salvation. When I speak of this ‘deep, inward relationship to Jesus Christ,’ what do I mean? Actually, it is very simple. It is only the turning and yielding of your heart to the Lord. It is the expression of love within your heart for Him.

I give you an invitation: If you are thirsty, come to the living waters. Do not waste your precious time digging wells that have no water in them. If you are starving and can find nothing to satisfy your hunger, then come. Come, and you will be filled

Testament of Devotion ~ Thomas R. Kelly

Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return… The basic response of the soul to the Light is internal adoration and joy, thanksgiving and worship, self-surrender and listening. The secret places of the heart cease to be our noisy workshop. They become a holy sanctuary of adoration and of self-oblation, where we are kept in perfect peace, if our minds be stayed on Him who has found us in the inner springs of our life.

Why Millennials are leaving the Church  ~ Rachel Held Evans, Belief Blog

What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.

We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.

We want to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers.

We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation.

We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in creation care and becoming peacemakers.

You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around.

We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.

Like every generation before ours and every generation after, deep down, we long for Jesus.

The Surrendered Life ~ Anna Mow

Surrendering our lives “to missions, service, even Brethren service, to temperance, to peace… even to prayer” is not what God requires.  “The surrender must be to God as revealed in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  It is not a commitment to a cause or an institution; it is a commitment to a Person, the divine Person, first of all.”

I Believe in Justice ~ Myron Augsburger

I believe in justice: but I am not a preacher of the gospel of justice, but the Gospel of Christ who calls us to justice.

I believe in love, but I am not a preacher of the gospel of love, but the Gospel of Christ who calls us to love.

I am committed to peace, but I am not a preacher of the gospel of peace, but the Gospel of Christ who calls us to peace.

I believe in the value of the simple life, but I am not the preacher of  the simple life, but of the Gospel of Christ who calls us to the simple life.

Let us beware of the ultimate plagiarism of borrowing some great concepts from Jesus then running off proclaiming these concepts and not sharing the Christ who embodies and empowers these concepts.”

Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus ~ Jeff Bethke's

A Modern Parable of the Father's Love

His name was Derrick Redman. He was a runner for Great Britain in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He tried to run in the 1988 summer Olympics but he had to withdraw because of a serious injury.  After the heartache of that experience he had to make a decision, “Do I go through all the work for four more years to get to the 92 Olympics?” But he made a decision to run again to honor his father who had supported him all of his life.

Derek qualified for the 1992 Olympics which was an amazing feat since he had undergone twenty-two surgeries on his Achilles’ tendon. He qualified to be in the semi finals of the men’s 440 meter race. He was in one of the center lanes, the gun fired and he shot out of the blocks leading the pack. The starters gun fired and Redmond set off. 140 meters down the track he was in a strong position when his hamstring gave way. He collapsed to the ground in a ball of pain and tears. Medics ran out to assist him but Redman waved them away. He was determined to finish the race, even if he couldn’t win it. And so he crawled and hobbled his way along the track.

There was a commotion in the crowd and a man ran down from the grandstands. He pushed his way through the security guards and ran on to the track towards his son. It was Jim Redman, Derrick’s father. He placed an arm around Derek.

“You don’t have to do this” Jim told his son.

“Yes I do” Derek replied.

“Well then” said Jim, “we’re going to finish this together”

Just before they reached the finish line, with the crowd screaming in support, Jim Redmond let his son go, so that he could cross the line on his own.

After the race Derrick Redman was interviewed and he said “My father was the only person who could have helped me, because he understood everything that I had been through.”

Derrick Redmond on his experience

‘We hobbled over the finishing line with our arms round each other, just me and my dad, the man I’m really close to, who’s supported my athletics career since I was seven years old. I’ve since been told there was a standing ovation by the 65,000 crowd, but nothing registered at the time. I was in tears and went off to the medical room to be looked after.

Following the race, Redmond received scores of messages including this from a Candian competitor he had never met... “Long after the names of the medalists have faded from our minds, you will be remembered for having finished, for having tried so hard, for having a father to demonstrate the strength of his love for his son. I thank you, and I will always remember your race and I will always remember you – the purest, most courageous example of grit and determination I have seen.”

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor him.          -- Psalm 103:13

God Will Heal the Land

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” – II Chronicles 7:14

1.    Humble yourself

­ -  Conduct an honest self-evaluation (Ps 139:23-24)

­ -  Understand your limitations (John 15:5)

­ -  Recognize your faults (Romans 7:24-25)

­ -  Appreciate the qualities of others (Philippians 1:3-6)

­ -  Stop comparing (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

­ -  Rejuvenate your sense of wonder (Psalm 19)

­ -  Seek Guidance (1 Kings 3:7-12)

2.    Pray

Gracious God,
We come to you with our messed-up lives.
Renew, refresh, recover our lives!
Teach us how to live in your grace.
Show us how to breath with the unforced rhythms of grace.
Enable us to live freely and lightly in you.
Help us to offer your grace to our neighbors
and lead them to you for restoring.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

3.    Seek God’s Face

­ This is an unusual command

• It is not about seeking God's hand
• It is not about seeking God's blessings
• It is about seeking Gods' Presence

75% of North American Christians say that haven’t experienced God during a Sunday worship service once in the past year... George Barna

4.    Turn from your wicked ways

­  "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break

  up your unplowed ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and

  showers righteousness on you.  But you have planted wickedness, you have

  reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception.  Because you have 

  depended on your own strength and on your many warriors " Hosea 10:12-13

­

5.    Hear God’s Voice

­      John 10:27

­      Learn to Listen

6.    Accept God’s Forgiveness

     “Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly.  The hard truth is that all people love poorly.  We need to forgive and be forgiven every day... every hour increasingly.  That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.-- Henri Nouwen

Matthew 6:14-15

Psalm 103:2-3

Psalm 130:3-4

Romans 8:1

          7.    Welcome God’s Healing Grace

­ As we receive and extend God’s grace, healing will take place!

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God 

and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted 

to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true

knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 

 – 2 Peter 1:2-3

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things, 

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. 

– 2 Peter 1:2-3

Refresh Your Faith

To become a faithful follower of Jesus requires the continual refreshing of our faith.  Great mountain top experiences are often followed by time spent trekking through lonesome valleys.  

One of Israel's greatest mountain top experiences took place during the dedication of the temple built by King Solomon:

When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord... 2 Chronicles 7:1-3

However, Solomon was wise enough to know that Israel wouldn't live in that moment for long.  So he asked... What happens when we return to life as usual.  God replied:

If my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land...  2 Chronicles 7:14

When our faith becomes frayed, and needs to be refreshed... follow this path:

• Humble yourself 
• Pray
• Seek God's Face
• Turn from Wicked Ways
• Listen to God's Direction
• Accept God's Forgiveness
• Receive God's Healing

How do we walk in this?  More tomorrow.

History is Okay... But His Story is Amazing

 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:1-2 - The Message)

When we left Nigeria some years ago, my family spent some time in Europe before returning home.  We loved the energetic, toe-tapping worship services with our Nigerian brothers and sisters, but we were looking forward to worshipping in one of the great cathedrals of Europe.  

After landing in Amsterdam and touring the area, we came upon a cathedral in Harlem that had a historic pipe organ played by both Handel and Mozart.  Wow!  We couldn’t wait for Sunday.  

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the cathedral for Sunday worship, the doors were locked.  What had been a place of worship for many centuries was now a museum.  Believers no longer gathered there to “Tell the story of Jesus and his love.”  It's new mission was to tell the story of the building and those who came to visit it. 

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”  With deep appreciate for those who have gone before us, those who have blazed the trail and are cheering us on, we need to get on with the race!

So let's...

Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.