I'm with Him

"And He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Matthew 4:19

I started this day as I do many Tuesday mornings, meeting with a brother in Christ over coffee at McDonald's. This morning John shared about challenges in the workplace. He pointed out that he often asks Jesus to go before him on his way to work.

As he spoke I immediately had a mental picture of myself walking with Jesus. We encounter others and I point to Jesus over my shoulder and say, "He's with me."

Wrong! That picture should reveal me pointing to Jesus AHEAD of me -- as I point forward and tell others: "I'm with Him!"

Thank you, Dear Shepherd, for Your commitment to each of Your precious sheep, at all times and under all circumstances. Forgive me my habit of pushing my way in front of you. I ask that I would hear The Shepherd's voice always, and follow in obedience. Thy will be done.

This is not our home

Softly and Tenderly
I love this song, and appreciate Alan Jackson's musical talent. As believers we recognize this world is not our home, but we look forward with eager anticipation to an ETERNAL home with our Father! We pray that countless additional believers will acknowledge the LORD and surrender their hearts before they physically die or Christ returns for His "bride," His church.

Confess your heart's surrender

In the beginning, God

This massive cloud formation drew my attention on a visit to the bank. I couldn't help but think of the indescribable power and magnitude of God's creation when I brought this image up on my screen and noticed the commercial jet flying through the sky (click on photo and see lower right corner). How tiny we are. How great is His love for us! John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Comfort one another with these words

Pursue His holiness, shine His light

D. L. Moody once said, “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.”

Call to Remembrance

I pulled over for a photograph on Memorial Day when I saw this flag and cross standing together on the corner of a residential neighborhood. I am not a flag worshipper, but I am grateful to live in the United States, and I am grateful for the personal sacrifices that have been made to protect the freedoms of its citizens.

The following is an excerpt from the devotional "Days of Praise" published yesterday by the Institute for Creation Research. It eloquently stated my feelings about Memorial Day:

"Memorial Day should not be merely an occasion to give people a three-day time of leisure and pleasure, but rather a call to remembrance of those who suffered and died to ensure our political and religious freedoms—especially that freedom to believe and proclaim the saving gospel of Christ, which so motivated our forefathers."

"And it is even more important, every day, to call to remembrance the unfathomable sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ who died, not just to give us temporal freedom, but eternal freedom, providing everlasting life to all those who believe. We have a formal time for remembering this—whenever we observe the special supper He established, remembering His broken body and shed blood. “This do in remembrance of me,” He said (1 Corinthians 11:24-25), and Christians have been remembering Him in this way ever since He met with His disciples the night before He died for our sins."

Redeemed!

I give thanks for the servant heart, for the timeless writings, of Charles Spurgeon: Here is an excerpt from one of his morning devotionals:

"The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are today accepted in the Beloved, today absolved from sin, today acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! soul-transporting thought!"

Made alive, in Christ

During a photo excursion last week I spotted this rusted metal scrap "planted" on a beach. Of course I saw a cross, but it occurred to me that many passersby saw only a piece of twisted metal. I was encouraged by the realization that other believers passing by saw the same thing I did, and their thoughts went to Jesus, our Redeemer King. Thanks be to God for His perfect plan, and to Jesus for His obedience to the Father, even unto death. How wonderful to know that He is alive! That the sting of death has been defeated and the promise to His surrendered children is life eternal!

A Psalm of praise

It is always a day of celebration in our home when Spring brings forth the first gardenia blossom. The sweet fragrance of the delicate flower always reminds me of the first time I met my wife. The aroma of the gardenia in her apartment was heavy. She was, continues to be, a precious blessing from God, Who is gracious and merciful.

Abundant life

I can't recall if I've ever shared this experience on this blog, but I stumbled across these brief words Holy Spirit placed on my heart a couple of years back, and decided to share:

"At times like this I simply pray

Lord, You led me this way today."

My daughter sent me a note this morning, part of which read: "His adequacy is more than sufficient to produce His work and His will, His way, in His time. I see every hardship as a beautiful opportunity for me to trust in my Lord for His provision. Dependence on Christ is the Christ life."

Father, please forgive me for those times I allow this world to temporarily overwhelm my confidence in your insurmountable power, your total awareness of my situation at all times. As reminded yesterday in worship, and again today, I am inadequate apart from You, Jesus. In You, with a heart surrendered to You, I experience the joy of the Christ life regardless of circumstances!

The believer's true identity

The other day I read a Charles Stanley devotional that served as a blunt reminder that as a Christ follower I have every reason to be filled with joy, regardless of circumstances. He wrote in part:

"When I hear a believer announce, 'I’m just a sinner,' I feel like saying, 'That’s what you used to be.' If your opinion is that you are 'just a sinner,' then you cannot fully experience and enjoy your identity in Christ."

And, "Our true identity is defined not by our past actions but by the Savior’s. Jesus purchased our lives with His blood and brought us into relationship with God the Father, who adopted us as beloved children. We have every reason to hold our heads high, stand firm, and courageously proclaim the gospel."

Amen!