For thought and meditation

[rl69]

They said to Him, "Rabbi…where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." JOHN 1:38-39
Where our self-interest sleeps and the real interest is awakened. “They…remained with Him that day….” That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past. Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.
“You are Simon….You shall be called Cephas” (John 1:42). God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don’t dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him— self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.
Pride is the sin of making “self” our god. And some of us today do this, not like the Pharisee, but like the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14). For you to say, “Oh, I’m no saint,” is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, “I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.” Why aren’t you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. You say it would be all right if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is exactly what He will do! And not only do we make our home with Him, but Jesus said of His Father and Himself, “…We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Put no conditions on your life— let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.

[buckwheatpaul]

Thanks Ronnie....stepping on some toes this morning.....Paul

[USMC87]

Amen, Thank you for a great lesson.

[Wayne Smith]

The hard part for me is, and always has been, that if I can accomplish it I can be proud of it. When I was in Seminary and studing Spiritual Formation and working at it I was meditating on and working on humility. Until I realized I was proud of my humility! The balance is realizing that what I can do may be OK here and now, but what God is doing in me is for eternity.

[Blackwater]

Most folks don't really like it when I point out that making a profession of faith doesn't automatically make us "perfect" Christians, but ..... well, it just simply true. This world seems obviously put together to be a testing and proving ground, and a place to grow in Christ, oftentimes through suffering. He loves us enough to let us have our way, and when that way is wrong, to let us pay for those sins, so that we can do better, if only we'll but recognize the error of our ways. Sometimes, I think it's a wonder that we can tie our shoes! After all, we CAN be so absolutely dumb and willful at times! But He always takes care of us, even when we can't or don't or wont' for ourselves. What a wondrous Lord we serve!!!