A Christ Follower: The Journey

  Do You Hear Me Now? Commonalities A sking S eeking K nocking have one very important commonality: Virtually everyone who Asks, Seeks, and Knocks, all three, expect after carrying out their spiritual interaction with God, to get an answer. But it is at this point many, including myself, get into a quicksand foundation of spirituality: We Ask, we Seek, We Knock, but then we don't wait to hear an answer.  We simply do our thing, and then we stop and don't listen to hear from God; therefore, the conversation is a one way experience. Here's an example: Imagine you call someone on a cell phone, and this person is a dear friend of yours.  You really trust them, and you need their help; therefore, after you have been greeted, imagine your friend listens well to your problem.  You pour out your soul.  You share what you sense. You add to this your various thoughts about what is going on. Emotions may come into the mix.  You talk about any goals, or objectives, or desires you have.

  Levels of Relating To God Having a conversation with God is, perhaps, one of the most important things you or I can learn. And when you are talking about walking on "Stepping Stones For Christ Centered Living," this is especially true: For this requires we cooperate with God's grace to develop our relationship with God. Many folks say the verses below are key for helping us pray, and this certainly has merit; however, nowhere in Matthew 7:7-11 does the Lord say He is talking about prayer. Please consider this: Elsewhere, in Jesus teachings, you will find that, when Jesus is teaching about prayer, you will actually see that He is using the word "prayer" to signal that He is wanting to teach about prayer. See Matthew 6:5-14, and Luke 18:1-8 as examples.  I don't want to push this point of view so stringently; however, I do want us to think about the possibility this passage, maybe including prayer, is about levels of relating to God. Or, to be more specific

  Imagine your having a conversation with Jesus, and you would like Him to sum up a whole lot of what is important, in His life changing teachings, in as few a words as possible. How many words would be enough to satisfy you query? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? Thirty --- A Hundred? Well, according to Matthew 7:12, Jesus accomplishes, what I am calling the " Everything " Stepping Stone For Victorious Christ Centered Living in less than one dozen words. Check this out: So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. For this sums up the Law and the Prophets Matthew 7:12 The Everything Principle Jesus is clear in His first three words: " So, in everything . " Now, for all the modernist that don't like absolutes, this is absolutely an absolutely clear absolute: This transformational wisdom for godly victorious living, that is less than a dozen words, is giving us instructions for eternal life living. And this is something we are to embrace come what ma

  Enter through the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus Ancient Wisdom Jesus is giving some ancient wisdom here, in this passage, that can really impact your life: He is talking about two choices. That's right only two; however, if you look carefully at the how these choices effect your journey, you will see that it would seem to be a no brainer which one you would choose. It's kind of like the choices we make when we go into an airport, and TSA puts us through going through a narrow gate, wands us, sometimes pats us downs, and we even do all kinds of things like take our shoes off or take off belts from around our waist. Some have even allowed themselves to be viewed by special cameras that leave nothing to the imagination as two what gender we are, and how we look underneath our clothes.   Wh

    Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise,  every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire; thus. By their fruit you will recognize them.   Not every one who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in Your name drive out demons, and in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will say to them plainly, 'Depart from me you evil doers. I never knew you.   Jesus: Matthew 7:15-23. We live in an era when false leaders are popping up everywhere. They convince people that evil is good and good is evil.  They redefine God's law. They

I am the vine. You are the branches. If I abide in you, and you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit: Apart from me, you can do nothing. J E S U S In one of my favorite passages of scripture, John 15:1-17, Jesus describes the miracle of how a little branch can be extremely important in His vineyard, which is the body of Christ on full display. Here the Father is being who He is -- the Vine Dresser -- Jesus being who He is -- the Vine -- and we mere human beings being who we are -- individual branches throughout the vineyard. Then there is the Divine essence of God (Who IS God)  --The Holy Spirit -- flowing throughout the vineyard. All three persons of the Trinity are in action, but one God, with one will, one being and one purpose, working miracles of grace in each branch. And God is accomplishing great things in each little branch -- IF. I say "IF" because this is the perfect description between the Father, Jesus and us. And we can be very successful (fruitful) IF we do jus