We all need a little encouragement along the way as we follow Christ. The quote below is from J. Heinrich Arnold, and he captures the essence of discipleship quite well. May this encourage you in your small corner of the kingdom.
"We know that by ourselves we cannot change the world. But Christ will, and we want to give ourselves voluntarily to him. He demands our whole personality and our whole life. He came to save the world, and we believe that he, not any human leader, will one day govern the earth. For him we live, and for him we are willing to die. That is all that is asked of anyone. Jesus does not expect perfection, but he expects us to serve him wholeheartedly."
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I hope everyone has found at least one reason to smile today. Eugene Peterson writes the following:
"Joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship, it is a consequence. It is not what we have to acquire in order to experience life in Christ; it is what comes to us when we are walking in the way of faith and obedience." As we have entered the season of Lent and prepare ourselves for the Easter season, I would like to share a devotional thought each week from different authors. The following is from Soren Kierkegaard:
"It is well known that Christ consistently used the expression 'follower.' He never asked for admirers, worshippers, or adherents. No, he calls disciples. It is not adherents of a teaching but followers of a life Christ is looking for. What then, is the difference between an admirer and a follower? A follower is or strives to be what he admires. An admirer, however, keeps himself personally detached. He fails to see that what is admired involves a claim upon him, and thus he fails to be or strive to be what he admires." As we prepare to look at Acts 2 and the events of the day of Pentecost this Sunday, this quote from John Stott offers an eloquent perspective:
"Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead." Thank God for his wonderful Gift poured out upon us! |
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October 2023
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