Category Archives: Pursuit of God

Show Us the Father — The Concerns of God

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“But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today is Mark 8:22-38.

The Disciples didn’t get who Jesus was. They didn’t understand God’s plan. The Jewish people of Jesus’s time were looking for the Messiah, the one who would deliver them from their oppression. They had suffered greatly under the Roman Empire. Jesus steps onto the scene and does things that no one had ever seen, including healing the blind man at Bethsaida. (verse 25)

So Jesus asks His disciples as they are walking “on the way”, “who do people say that I am?” Peter answered correctly…”the Messiah”. But when Jesus tries to teach them about what is to come — His death. Peter rebuked Him.

Peter didn’t have in his mind “the concerns of God.” He didn’t see God’s bigger plan. His thoughts on the Messiah was that Jesus would be a conquering King… not death at the hands of the Romans. But God’s concerns weren’t an earthly kingdom. His concerns were His Heavenly Kingdom that is eternal, unchanging, and free of all the hardship and sadness we see in our world.

God’s ways are not our ways. His concerns are not ours. We cannot with our human minds truly understand the depths of love, joy, and peace our Heavenly Father has for us.

So the words of verses 34 – 36 seem odd to our own fleshly hearts and minds. 

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Deny ourselves…take up our cross…lose my life…

These are the very things of the “concerns of God.” They are very important to Him.

As long as we are trying to live our best lives our way… after self and selfishness, we will not know Him. As long as we insist on our way instead of letting our old ways die daily on our own personal cross (a spiritual one), we will not experience His resurrected life living inside of us. As long as we insist on pursuing our life instead of losing it, we will never gain His life and live connected to Him.

Our mere “human concerns” will always lead us to having our way instead of Gods. God’s “concerns” — the things that are the most important to Him — are that we would know Him intimately. In order for that to happen, our concerns — the things that are the most important to us — must become His!

Show Us the Father — Desires Our Hearts

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Today we read Mark 7:1-23.

The religious leaders of Jesus’s time were all hung up on a rule based religion. They believed if they did x,y, and z they would be doing the will of God. But Jesus pointed out the sad state of their spiritual hearts. Their hearts were far from God:

“He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Their lives gave evidence of what was inside of their hearts — “sexual immorality, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.” (Verse 20) What was coming out of them by what they said and how they lived (what they did) displayed what was in their spiritual hearts.

It wasn’t breaking all their manmade traditions that kept them from being close to God. It was their hard spiritual hearts that were full of sin. What was coming from inside their hearts was defiling them. (Verse 23)

The religious leaders thought that God, the Heavenly Father, wanted them to “jump through hoops” to be accepted by Him and earn His favor. But Jesus told them, their issue was “a heart condition.”

Once Jesus was asked what the Greatest Commandment was. He told the religious leaders plainly: 

““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭36‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our Heavenly Father desires for us to LOVE Him with all that we are and all that we have! He desires for our hearts to be His!

Jesus displayed to us how much the Heavenly Father loves us when He gave Himself — entirely, totally, and completely — on the cross. Jesus shows us a Heavenly Father that desires all of our spiritual heart — entirely, totally, and completely in return. He wants to take that heart and transform it to reflect Himself — His love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, self control.

Is my heart completely His? Or Is my heart far from Him?

God’s Image Bearer — A Life of Significance

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“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever felt that you were here for something more than just the ordinary daily grind? That is because you are! God created you in His image. An image is a representation of a person, expression of, copy of, reflection of. You and I were created to represent and express God. We are a copy of Him or a reflection. This is our true design. It is what we were meant for.  We were created to display God to all of creation. We were made to display God’s character and His ways. 

This desire for something more or something bigger than ourselves has been placed deep within us. Ecclesiastes 3:11 describes it this way. “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…”  God has made us for something greater. That greater is Himself! 

The problem is we have been deceived into thinking WE were made for a life of greatness — where we exalt ourselves and we make ourselves known. Living to promote and exalt ourselves will only end in emptiness. We are meant for more, a life of significance — one that signifies or makes someone who is greater (GOD) known. A life of significance is a life of meaning and purpose. 

Have you felt the longing for something more in your life or something greater than what you are currently experiencing? So often we are deceived into thinking that we need to do more for ourself in order to be happy — gratify ourselves, exalt ourselves, do more to fix ourselves (self help). This is a misplaced longing. 

The longing for something more is not meant to discourage you or make you feel less than… It is meant to draw you to what you were created for — the  one true “life of significance” — a life in pursuit of knowing God! 

We can only experience this as we are connected to God in a deep and intimate relationship. It is through that relationship that God shows Himself to us and through us! The more we know Him, the more we will display Him or live as we were created to live, as God’s image bearer, reflecting God to those around us! 

Glorify Your Son!

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Good morning! Today let’s read John 17:1-5.

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

(God’s glory is the sum total of all His attributes. It is who He is. To glorify is to reveal the divine nature.)

Jesus is getting ready to go to the cross and experience the crucifixion. He also knows that this will not be the end. He will rise again. His prayer is that His Heavenly Father would reveal to the world His divine nature — “glorify Your Son”.  And in turn, Jesus would glorify the Father — reveal God’s divine nature to us.  

Jesus death, burial, and resurrection revealed something to us about who God is: He is powerful. He is loving. He is just. He is good. 

God wants us to know Him. This knowing is an intimate knowing. He wants us to experience a relationship with Him. He generously provided The Way through Jesus. On the cross and through the empty tomb, Jesus glorified His Father. His Father glorified Him! God made Himself— Known! 

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Knowing God is VERY important to us! It is life itself! When we know God, we experience Him! We experience His life in us. This is why Jesus prayed that He would glorify God or make God’s attributes, His divine nature, known to us. 

God’s one true purpose for our lives is that we would KNOW Him and experience His life! 

Do you know God? Are you living moment by moment in a deep and intimate relationship with Him?  

The events of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are proof that God’s one true purpose for us is for us to KNOW Him! May our desire be to KNOW Him all the more!

Chosen Out of the World

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Today let’s read John 15:18-25.

““If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus warned His disciples that the world would hate them. What is the world? It is the system of values and desires that are opposed to God and His will. (Bible Hub) 

1 John 2:15-17 describes the world: 

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The lust of the flesh -sinful cravings; the lust of the eyes — lust for material possessions or appearances; the pride of life —arrogance and self sufficiency; these are all part of the world. 

Those who pursue the things of the world will be in opposition to the things of God. They will hate and persecute the ones who truly follow Jesus… As followers of Jesus we are “chosen out of the world.”

What I must understand is what side am I on? 

Am I pursuing the things of the world?  Do I chase after the sinful cravings of my old sinful nature?  Do I desire prideful importance and position over exalting God as Lord of my life? Do I think I am able to live my life independent of God — not seeking Him, His will, or His truth in His Word? 

Do I love God or Do I love the world? 

Abide In His Love

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““As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You and I are dearly loved by God! In fact, God is love. We were born out of Divine Love, by Divine Love and for Divine Love!  We will never experience what we were meant for if we do not experience God’s Divine Love every moment of every day. This is not a one time spiritual experience. We “remain in {His} love…”  or we ABIDE in it. We are to Abide/ Dwell In Him!  

Jesus talked about being the vine and us being the branches. There is connection between the two. They are one! His Divine Love is similar to the sap that goes between the vine and the branches. It flows in and out of every fiber. If that sap — LOVE — does not flow the branch dies. 

You and I need to live connected to Jesus in a vibrant relationship. This is how we remain in His love!  This relationship is characterized by total obedience to His Word, total submission to His will, and total dependence on Him for everything we need or ABIDING in Christ! 

Am I living connected to Jesus? Am I remaining/ abiding in His love?

 

Holy Spirit — We Can Know Him

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Today let’s read John 14:15-31.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you…. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭16‬-‭17‬, ‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us! He describes Holy Spirit as “the Advocate” — (Greek — intercessor, comforter, helper, counselor). He is the Spirit of truth who teaches us and reminds us of everything that Jesus has said to us. What a wonderful Friend! 

In 2 Corinthians, Paul spoke of “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” or the intimate relationship and communication we have with Holy Spirit. A few years ago, I read that verse and it hit me… I have made too little of my relationship with Holy Spirit. If Jesus spoke of what a treasure my relationship with Holy Spirit is, and Paul prayed that the Corinthians would experience this deep relationship, “fellowship” with Him, then why would I not want to experience Him? I began to ask God that I would truly know “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” 

The Holy Spirit desires for us to know Him! He wants us to listen to His voice. He wants us help us, guide us, speak to us, teach us, comfort us, etc. Will we let Him? Will we listen to Him? 

One of my prayers that I pray frequently is this:

“Holy Spirit, I want to know You in deep fellowship — intimate friendship. I want You to speak to me. Help me to listen to You and obey You in whatever You say. I want to be close to You. I need You to teach me. I want to walk in the Spirit each and every moment of this day.”

Do You desire to know Holy Spirit and His fellowship? Do you desire to experience Him and all that Jesus promised that He would be to you — the Advocate — intercessor, comforter, helper, counselor, teacher, truth —  your best Friend? 

Obedience

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Today let’s read John 14:15-23.

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our one true purpose is to KNOW God! Jesus tells His disciples how to fulfill that purpose. He told them that it is the  one  who “keeps” His commands that truly loves Him. It is the one who truly loves Jesus who Jesus shows Himself to or makes Himself KNOWN. 

Jesus said that if we love Him, we will OBEY His teachings and His Father will love us and they will come and make their home with us, or dwell with us. (John 14:23-24) 

Obedience to what God says gives us a close and intimate relationship. Disobedience (sin) put’s God at a distance. It separates us from Him. 

We need to remember that all that God commands us in the Bible is for our good. What He tells us He requires is meant to keep us from harm and to help us walk close to Him. When we are truly in love with Jesus, we will want to do what He says because we will want to please Him and be close to Him.

The problem is when we are not truly living our lives close to Jesus we want our way… when we want it and how we want it… THEN “obedience” seems like it is a “dirty word.”  We do not consider what God wants. If we live our lives at a distance from Him, obedience will seem like a task and a burden. 

Here’s the kicker….We can’t come to God on our own terms… If we live our lives chasing our ways with no consideration of what He has told us, we need to take a look at what is in our spiritual hearts. 

Jesus said the greatest command is this: 

 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your souls and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) 

If you and I are truly loving God, we will do what He says in His Word. Which means we need to know His Word so we can obey it. 

How is my love life with God? 

Do I desire to KNOW Him and His Word so I can obey Him and then live my life connected to Him in an intimate relationship? 

Or does the word “obey” feel like a dirty word to me? Does it make me recoil at the thought of it?

ONE — A Life Connected to God

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Today let’s read John 14:9-14.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus came to show us the Father. Everything that Jesus did was what His Heavenly Father did. Jesus told His disciples repeatedly that He and His Father were one. He wanted them to understand something that is VERY important to us today. We are invited to participate in that relationship of being one with Him.

Jesus said:

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We were created for this very purpose — to live connected to our God, united to Him — one. As we live connected to Him — one with Him, we will do the things He does — His works. We will demonstrate and reflect God to everyone around us. So essentially Jesus was saying in the verses above, I’ve been doing God’s works and displaying who He is to this world. Now I am going back to my Father… Tag you’re it! 

When we come to Jesus our life is no longer our own. Our purpose is no longer to do what we want, when and how we want to. We are here to “do the works {Jesus} had been doing, … and greater things…” 

When we accept Jesus into our lives His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is in us and we are in Him. We now are empowered to do the works that the Father had prepared in advance for us to do.(Ephesians 2:10) 

Am I living my life connected to God in a deep and intimate relationship? 

Are His plans my plans?

Are His desires my desires? 

Am I doing His works? 

Am I living one with Him? 

Where I Am You May Also Be

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Today let’s read John 14:1-14.

The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was a story of living with God in a close relationship. They had everything! they experienced God fully — walking and talking with Him. 

When they chose to sin, separation came i.e. death. It is hard for us to understand anything different. It is all we have known. God is perfectly holy — sin cannot exist in Him. Sin has separated us from Him. 

Jesus came to restore the relationship lost. His desire is for us to live connected to Him now and to one day be with Him in heaven. 

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He wants us to be with Him, where He is! What was lost in the Garden was restored on the Cross! When we accept Jesus we live our lives no longer separated by sin! 

Where Jesus is, we may also be! 

Am I experiencing the relationship that Jesus died to restore me to? Am I walking and talking with God every moment of every day? Or is sin keeping me at a distance from my God?