What next?

https://darrellcreswell.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/a-willing-masterpiece-the-master-potter-inspirational-bible-verses/

Following Christ: Our response to His Love

--Luke 9:23-25--

Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"

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Christ wants to mold us into His image, like a potter gently molding the clay into a useful, beautiful vessel.  Then He can pour His spirit into us, His never ending love, to pour out to others.  The amazing thing is, the more we pour out, the more our vessel overflows with His love. 

The Holy Spirit flows in and through us.  We our the windows through which Christ's love flows out into the world, changing it for His purposes.  We need to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.  We would usually act in a certain way, in the interest of self, yet we feel this unexplainable urge to act in the opposite way -- to deny ourselves and put someone else first.  That is the Holy Spirit acting in us.  Christ allows us to do the impossible.  To love the unlovable.  To forgive the unforgivable.  He inspires us to rise above and create something wonderful--his Kingdom, right here, right now on earth. 

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--Matthew 25:34-36, 40--

 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ...."The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

--Matthew 5:14-16--

 

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Father in heaven, we want to be like your son, Jesus.  You loved us so much that you gave up your place in heaven with the angels to come down to earth and save us from ourselves.  Soften our hearts to your love.  Help us to listen for your direction.  Open our ears and eyes to the things you want us to do.  Who do you want us to help today--  a new person at church, a coworker having a tough time,  a spouse or child needing extra patience and care?  Please help us to humbly put Christ at the very center of our lives.  All to your glory.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Who is Jesus?

https://www.heresthejoy.com/2019/05/3-kinds-of-harmful-fear-and-what-to-do-about-them/jesus-shepherd/

Who is Jesus?  Most people know that the cross is a symbol of Christianity and that it has something to do with Jesus.  Some know the manger and nativity as symbols of Christmas.  But who was Jesus?  Does a man in a robe and dusty sandals who lived two thousand years ago have relevance to our modern lives?

Was he a good man who helped people like Mother Theresa?  Perhaps a wise teacher like Budha or Gandhi or a prophet like Mohammad...a martyr like Joan of Ark.  He was all those things: good, wise, prophetic and persecuted.  But he is so much more!  He is Immanuel, God with us.  Unlike any other historic figure, he is alive!  He is seated at the right hand of God, interceding on our behalf.  He is the foundation and the head of the Christian church.  Without him, we would have no basis for hope, no meaning to our lives.

Immanuel -- God with Us

Jesus is God in the flesh, God set aside his glory for a time, only to return to glory in heaven.  Jesus' glory and reign will eventually cover the earth as well! 

 

--John 1:1-5, 14--

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made^.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

--Isaiah 9:6-7a--

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The Good Shepherd

He is the shepherd who cares for the wandering, short-sighted, narrow-minded sheep.

--John 10:14-16--

 

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 

Miracle Worker

He healed the sick, made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and cast out demons.  Even the physical world yielded to him, and the dead came alive!

--Matthew 8:23-27--

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Savior of the World

We are separated from God by our sins, our unrighteousness keeps us from a loving relationship with our Creator.  But God had a plan.  He sent His son, who was perfect and without sin, to take our punishment for us, to cleanse us and restore us into relationship with Him.

--Romans 3:20-25a--

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.  But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

--1 Corinthians 15:20-26--

 

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.  Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

 

So what do we have to do?  Believe it and receive it!

--John 1:12--

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

The Great Comforter--

The Way, the Truth, the Life

--John 14:1-7--

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Christian Creed

https://voiceinthecity.org/en/newsletter/this-battle-was-won-at-the-cross-of-jesus

I am a child of God.  He called me daughter, not because of who I am but because of who He is and what He did.

I want to be like Christ.

I want to be like Christ to love others better than I love myself.  Love is not a feeling but a choice lived out in our daily lives.

I will be thankful, patient, kind, forgiving, humble, just, merciful and faithful.  Sometimes I will fail, but I will not give up.  On my own I am without hope.  With Him I am victorious!  With the Holy Spirit, I am the light of truth and love in a dark world.