HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you enjoyed this beautiful Friday-eve. I’m doing well, looking forward to the weekend, which will be action packed. It’s going to be fun to be taken back to my childhood. I think every adult loves to relive or capture pieces of his or her youth. Some men do it by playing video games, collecting baseball cards or collectable cars, etc, and some women like to get together with their girlfriends to shop, dress up, do hair and makeup, and gossip. It’s important to keep that joyful heart about you, and there’s nothing wrong with capturing apart of your youth, every now and then. If you haven’t had a carefree day, then treat yourself to a day of pampering, go to an arcade, or go dancing. Remember to live life to the fullest, laugh often, dance as if no one’s watching, and cast your cares upon the Lord in daily prayer. Today we celebrate Veteran’s day here in America, and I want to thank all of the men and women in service, past, present, and future; God bless you! You are appreciated, because without you, American freedom wouldn’t be possible. Enjoy the remainder of your day, and be blessed family!
Today’s scriptures are about being led by the Lord. As humans, we’re always being led by something, whether it’s a career or educational goal, a love interest, religion, fear, culture, or anything else that could control our thinking. In the bible we’re likened to sheep, because we have a “heard” mentality. We’re prone to follow a leader, yet we need that leadership in order to stay on a path. Before God created us, He knew exactly what we’d be put here to do, but He still gave us the freedom to choose Him. He gave us salvation through Jesus Christ, as well the Holy Spirit to help us follow His way. Jesus was created to be the Leader of all God’s children, and so He lived His life according to the ways and will of God. He led a perfectly righteous life, because He had to lead by example.
Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:44-46 NIV) When we follow the leadership if Jesus, we’re not only following Him, but we’re following the will of God. Jesus is a part of God, and still lives, sitting at His right hand, today. The things that He taught over two thousand years ago are still relevant today. Technology, culture, and even religion have changed tremendously, but the Word of God will be the same now and forever more.
Jesus went on to say: “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (John 12: 47-50) The best way to stay focused on Jesus, and follow His lead, is to understand that He was in fact God in the flesh. Everything He did and said was given to Him by the ultimate Leader, and the Creator of all things. Rest assured in knowing that there’s no condemnation in Jesus Christ, so to follow Him is to have life, and to deny His is to experience death.
God sent Jesus to free us from the bondage of sin [and darkness], and bring us into His light. Through Him we learn how to live in the Spirit, while still in the flesh. We also learned how to strive for righteousness without the pressures of perfection. Jesus taught us how to be human, accept our mistakes, and do our best to change them. He never wanted to condemn us, but to uplift and strengthen us to the point where we can follow God’s will with a clean heart and right Spirit. Jesus lived, but lived in a way where He could never have been called anything less than the Son of God. He showed His love openly without judgment, and also shared it with anyone in need. What better way is there to live than that?
We are in need of some strong leaders in today’s society, which reminds me of the story about the compassion of Jesus. Jesus had traveled all over His town healing people. It started with only a few, and He told these few not to tell anyone, but of course they didn’t listen. When the word got out, people came from everywhere, just to catch a glimpse of Him, in hopes that they would be healed. It’s written: But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matt 9:36-38) We must continue to pray for Laborers for God’s harvest, because there are so many people in this world suffering, but they don’t know what to do, or how to do it. Sometimes all it takes is for them to see Christ through us, just as Christ made sure that everyone He came in contact with saw the Father in Him.
I love you because God first loved me. I wouldn’t have been able to write that, and truly mean it, if it wasn’t for the leadership of Jesus Christ. He takes good care of me, so that I can show you great care, even if it’s just through an inspiration e-mail, a hug, or lending an ear when you need one. I can tell you from personal experience that I was stuck in the wilderness for a long time, looking for answers to my strife, but I wasn’t looking in the right places. It wasn’t until I sought out the love of God, through Jesus Christ, that I was really able to understand that there is a better way. When I started to read about the life of Christ, I understood that God does have love for the fallen, weary, stragglers, and sinners. Jesus taught me that no matter what I’ve done, or may do in the future, God will forgive me and show me a better way, and all I have to do is follow His lead—that’s where true freedom lies. If you want to experience that freedom, but don’t know Jesus, then take a few moments to take the God Quiz today. My favorite verse today is: Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5:8)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455512&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional
I love you!
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