"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you Another helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."-John 14:15-17
Approaching Easter, I'm once again thankful to God for the GREATEST gift, his Son whom he gave to us that we might be saved.
This year though, I've been thinking beyond that wonderful gift. It's all good to be thankful for that precious gift of Jesus, but it's also should be much more than that. While it's true there is nothing we can do to earn God's favor, I'm realizing the importance of living the gospel in my life each day. Each day preaching the gospel to myself that I might live as a light for him.
We've been working through a few studies in our church body, about the mission of the church. It has not only been eye opening to me, but in this day and age so refreshing, and needed. The commitment to Christ, along with support and love of our church body has changed Just and I...it has taught us to love more, serve more, and as the result has strengthened our relationship{s} with Christ.
My prayer as we continue on in this world is that we would seek the Holy Spirit as our helper and guide {John 14} as we seek to live as Christ lived while here on earth. That each day we would die to ourselves, our desires, and seek to serve others, to live in a way that brings ALL glory and honor to Christ and draw others to him.
Phew, easier said than done!
"Rightly may we pray for ourselves that we may have God's blessing and mercy and the light of his countenance -not that we may then monopolize His grace and bask in the sunshine of His favour, but that others may see in us His blessing, and His beauty, and be drawn to him through us...True , the gospel lacks visibility if we merely preach it, and lacks credibility if we who preach it are interested only in souls and have no concern about the welfare of people's bodies, situations, and communities. Yet the reason for our acceptance of social responsibility is not primarily in order to give the gospel either a visibility or a creditability it would otherwise lack, but rather simple uncomplicated compassion. Love has no need to justify itself. It merely expresses itself in service whenever it sees a need." -John Stott.
Thank you Lord for sending your son!
"...the universe was created for the glorification of God’s grace at Calvary, echoing through eternity in the Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed." - J. Piper
Approaching Easter, I'm once again thankful to God for the GREATEST gift, his Son whom he gave to us that we might be saved.
This year though, I've been thinking beyond that wonderful gift. It's all good to be thankful for that precious gift of Jesus, but it's also should be much more than that. While it's true there is nothing we can do to earn God's favor, I'm realizing the importance of living the gospel in my life each day. Each day preaching the gospel to myself that I might live as a light for him.
We've been working through a few studies in our church body, about the mission of the church. It has not only been eye opening to me, but in this day and age so refreshing, and needed. The commitment to Christ, along with support and love of our church body has changed Just and I...it has taught us to love more, serve more, and as the result has strengthened our relationship{s} with Christ.
My prayer as we continue on in this world is that we would seek the Holy Spirit as our helper and guide {John 14} as we seek to live as Christ lived while here on earth. That each day we would die to ourselves, our desires, and seek to serve others, to live in a way that brings ALL glory and honor to Christ and draw others to him.
Phew, easier said than done!
"Rightly may we pray for ourselves that we may have God's blessing and mercy and the light of his countenance -not that we may then monopolize His grace and bask in the sunshine of His favour, but that others may see in us His blessing, and His beauty, and be drawn to him through us...True , the gospel lacks visibility if we merely preach it, and lacks credibility if we who preach it are interested only in souls and have no concern about the welfare of people's bodies, situations, and communities. Yet the reason for our acceptance of social responsibility is not primarily in order to give the gospel either a visibility or a creditability it would otherwise lack, but rather simple uncomplicated compassion. Love has no need to justify itself. It merely expresses itself in service whenever it sees a need." -John Stott.
Thank you Lord for sending your son!
"...the universe was created for the glorification of God’s grace at Calvary, echoing through eternity in the Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed." - J. Piper
2 comments:
Love that John Stott quote! I am reading Tim Keller's Generous Justice right now and it is about the same concept.
Happy Easter to you and yours!
Thanks for this....it is where I want to be as well; living out the gospel every day. Mom
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