Being Like Jesus 8/21/2013

"A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher." Luke 6:40

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said to his apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The very definition of the word disciple is one who believes and helps to spread the doctrine or teaching of another. This said, it would seem to imply that Jesus is instructing those in his inner circle (and by extension, us) to teach others about him, baptize them into him (Galatians 3:27) and continue to teach. Our instruction in the Lord is therefore foundational, continual and required to achieve the highest ideal of being like him.

Beloved we are often fascinated by the exploits of people who can do the things that we cannot. Athletes, famous musicians, singers and dancers, and in my case, people who perform as part of the amazing Cirque du Soleil seem to have abilities that are unobtainable by "normal" people. The fact is that they are "normal" people but have had teaching and training from a very early age. This comparison is made to indicate that it is possible to live holy lives full of joy and spirit in the Lord if we would avail ourselves of his teaching and discipline ourselves to follow it. It is entirely possible for us to go from the bumps, bruises, trips and falls of early Christian adolescence to the dexterity and agility of Christian maturity if we would adhere to the Word.

A church member once said to his pastor, who also happened to be a Bible scholar and had memorized vast portions of the word, "I would give my life to know the Bible as well as you do." The pastor replied, "That's what I did." The path to being like our Lord is paved with his teaching but we must be propelled by our own desire to pursue him.

Committed,

Lee

Maturing in the Faith 10/9/2012

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Phi 1:9-11

Are you still believing and doing the same things you did yesterday? Do you still think what you thought a year or two or five ago? Are you still running with the same crowd and getting into the same stuff you always did? These may be strange questions to ask the Christian because a "yes" to any or all of them could be a good thing. In fact, a "yes" could also be a bad thing. A "yes" means that there may have been no growth in your spiritual life.

Paul first tells the church at Philipi that he prays for their growth in knowledge and discernment. The only way that we can acquire more knowledge is to seek it by studying our bibles, attending classes and worship services and surrounding ourselves with the spiritually mature. This will in turn give us a greater ability to know how to recognize and navigate around stumbling blocks that could trip us up. This discernment will also give us the ability to gravitate toward that which is godly and to make wise choices concerning our opinions, activities, habits and relationships that will reflect his presence in our lives. Achieving this (which is a constant process), we can be fully prepared for the return of our savior and please God in the process.

Beloved, it is not enough to sit on the pew on Sunday and simply nod at all the things the preacher says with which we agree. It is imperative to pursue a personal relationship with the Lord and to grow that relationship every day. In so doing, we prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, Rom 12:2.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee