Matthew 26:39
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Do you have the ‘Gethsemane mindset’?
In his book ‘Radical Commitment’, Vernon grounds talks about a mindset that trusts God, no matter what. It is a mindset that renounces personal dreams, hopes, ambitions, desires and feelings in favor of the Father’s will.
Jesus is our example. No one would desire the agony of the Cross He faced. Still He was obedient to the Father’s will.
Do you have this same mindset to the same Father to whom Jesus entrusted His all?
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
OBEDIENCE UNDER FIRE
Daniel 3:16-18
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
The time to decide how you will respond when the fire gets hot is before the flame ever starts.
The three Hebrew boys had already placed their faith in the Sovereign God. When they faced conflicting orders with life threatening consequences, their minds were already made up.
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Bow down or die.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “… never…”!
When you get backed in a corner … when it’s crunch time … are you ready to obey God at any cost?
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
The time to decide how you will respond when the fire gets hot is before the flame ever starts.
The three Hebrew boys had already placed their faith in the Sovereign God. When they faced conflicting orders with life threatening consequences, their minds were already made up.
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Bow down or die.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “… never…”!
When you get backed in a corner … when it’s crunch time … are you ready to obey God at any cost?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
OBEDIENCE TO GOD
1 John 5:1-5
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Faith in the Son of God
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
A response to God’s requirements is unavoidable. We each will either be positively obedient or ignore, resist or reject God’s commandments.
Believing that God’s Word is true will lead you to this logical conclusion. If God’s “…commandments are not burdensome…”, obeying those commandments does not bring hardship. It is disobedience to God which produces pain. Obedience to God brings blessings.
God is loving, so the things He asks us to do are for our best. God, being sovereign, can order our circumstances to work everything for the good.
Victory in life flows from our relationship with Jesus Christ, loving the Father, loving one another and obedience to God’s commandments.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Faith in the Son of God
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
A response to God’s requirements is unavoidable. We each will either be positively obedient or ignore, resist or reject God’s commandments.
Believing that God’s Word is true will lead you to this logical conclusion. If God’s “…commandments are not burdensome…”, obeying those commandments does not bring hardship. It is disobedience to God which produces pain. Obedience to God brings blessings.
God is loving, so the things He asks us to do are for our best. God, being sovereign, can order our circumstances to work everything for the good.
Victory in life flows from our relationship with Jesus Christ, loving the Father, loving one another and obedience to God’s commandments.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
GROWING RELATIONSHIP
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
A Call to Love and Obedience
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.
God has already demonstrated His great love for you and me by sacrificing His only Son for our sins. There are certain requirements we must meet to have a growing personal relationship with Him. They are the same requirements that Israel had in days of old … requirements they repeatedly failed because of one thing … disobedience.
Simply stated, God requires us to revere Him, walk in His ways (He gave us Jesus as the example), love Him, serve Him and obey His commandments.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. … Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
A Call to Love and Obedience
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.
God has already demonstrated His great love for you and me by sacrificing His only Son for our sins. There are certain requirements we must meet to have a growing personal relationship with Him. They are the same requirements that Israel had in days of old … requirements they repeatedly failed because of one thing … disobedience.
Simply stated, God requires us to revere Him, walk in His ways (He gave us Jesus as the example), love Him, serve Him and obey His commandments.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. … Love your neighbor as yourself.'
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