For Thought and Meditation - Saturday, August 14

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. I hope this message today brings you as much inspiration as it has me. Have a safe and blessed day.

Saturday, August 14, 2021 - Pastor Greg Laurie
Don’t Settle for Substandard

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
—John 10:10

Without question the Christian life is the greatest life there is. I’ve become more convinced of this as time passes by, especially when I look at some of my old high school friends and the course their lives have taken.

More than ever, I’m so thankful that at the age of 17 I chose to follow Jesus Christ.

But the Christian life is more than just praying a prayer or walking down an aisle and getting so-called fire insurance. God intended the Christian life to be dynamic, to be exciting, and to have a radical effect on our outlook and the way that we live.

That’s because Jesus Christ not only wants to be our Savior, but He also wants to be our Lord. He not only wants to be our friend, but He also wants to be our God.

I’m afraid, however, that many of us live a substandard Christian experience. In many ways, that’s an oxymoron because if it’s Christian, it shouldn’t be substandard. Yet, in a sense, many Christians fail to receive all that God has for them.

So why is it that in the first century, a handful of ordinary people turned their world, as they knew it, upside down? They managed to accomplish it without social media, the Internet, television, or radio.

How were these Christians able to do it?

I think we could sum up their success in one word: discipleship. They were true disciples of Jesus Christ, not fair-weather followers. They didn’t live an anemic, watered-down, ineffective version of the Christian life.

Instead, they lived the Christian life as it was meant to be lived, as Christ Himself offered it, and as the early disciples apprehended it. And if we’re going to impact our culture today, then we, too, must be true disciples of Jesus Christ.

[dverna]

"So why is it that in the first century, a handful of ordinary people turned their world, as they knew it, upside down? They managed to accomplish it without social media, the Internet, television, or radio."

Bear in mind, these were people who had been with Jesus, or knew people who had been with Jesus. How can anyone who has been in the presence of the Lord or know first hand people that had known the Lord not be "motivated"?

The majority of Christians today have not found Christ. Most have been raised in Christian homes and are Christians not by study and searching, but by "default". If they had been raised in the Middle East, they would have been Muslims...a product of their environment.

I came to Christ as an atheist. I made a choice that was not based on what my family expected or wanted. If my father was alive, he would think it was a foolish choice...but my Father is pleased.

It is unrealistic to expect most Christians to be disciples. They lack the commitment and courage to share their faith with others. Many know that deep down they have little faith to offer....they are CINOs (Christians In Name Only)

God calls on those who are capable of spreading His word. He knows His children and who He can depend on. He does His work through us and as to our capabilities....if we listen to Him.

[USMC87]

Amen, A disciple is one who not only follows but also witnesses!

[Boaz]

Good message today ! GOD promises more than we could ever achieve on our own .