Journey in Christ

Steadfast Love

Dr. Mike 2023, Journey in Christ, Life in Christ , , ,

Proverbs 19:22

What is desired in a man is steadfast love…

Hosea 6:6

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

In hindsight, I was a very difficult child. I probably caused most of the family difficulties in my parent’s household. I was rebellious, strong willed, and hated our family culture. Yet, deep down inside, I knew both parents loved me in their own way no matter how stupidly I acted.

Currently, after almost forty years of marriage to the same woman, I know she still loves me. Though throughout the years we had our share of heated arguments, strong differences in parental tactics, and sharp changes in personal preferences in food, clothing, and lifestyle, we still confirm our love for each other and enjoy sharing life together.       

Then God, while I was still in total rebellion against Him, forgave me for disrespecting Him and His ways before I even came to know Him. Since then, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, I have come to grow in His grace. He is now my standard of measurement of the steadfast love we are to display and share with others.

To know someone loves you unconditionally opens the door of acceptance. You learn to fully accept yourself as you are and yet are motivated to live up to your full potential as a person. You gladly change your attitude, behavior, and thinking so you may fully enjoy living with the person who steadfastly loves you. You enjoy their companionship. You look forward to sharing your life with them and they share their life with you. And with the Triune God there is no difference.

God longs to share His life with you. His desire is to create a human/divine family that includes you and me. Like any healthy family, the parent wants to be involved in their children activities. God likewise wants to be involved in your activities. As you share your life with Him, you will discover more of who HE is. As you gain knowledge of His character, attributes, and ways, you will inculcate them into your life. You will become an image of your Father in heaven. You will then better understand how the apostle Paul wrote that we are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

Everything good begins with love. When love is allowed to bloom, we begin to experience the entire fruit of God’s Spirit. The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control become the bedrock of one’s attitude in life. Love also leads the way for faith and hope to follow. When apostle John writes that God is Love, than one better understands the importance of allowing God to fully live in us.

HE is the essence of all creation. HE created life, the planet, and universe so that HE may express HIS love. When we rebel against HIS love, we find ourselves living life outside HIS Character. The result is sin which devastates oneself and those around you. When immature, we rebel thinking this type of life is normal. We wallow in our misery and call the dark side of life normal. When love is removed, the ugliness of human nature runs rampant. The result is self-destruction and eventually the destruction of a society.

There is nothing more highly elevated than immovable love, firmly fixed in place, and non-changing for one to totally grasp the power and character of God. His steadfast love is our standard to pursue. Even when we fail, his grace will pick us up, and we will continue the journey to become more and more like our elderly brother Jesus Christ.

Is not this what makes being a Christ-follower the most adventurous trip one can choose in this life?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler

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God is Always with YOU!

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , ,

Zephaniah 3:17 

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Amos 5:14

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.

Isaiah 8:10

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

1 Chronicles 17:2

Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”

Exodus 3:12

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Genesis 21:22

At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.

So many scriptures reference God’s presence in people’s lives. And the presence is so often noticed by those around them. One of the first awareness’s we come too when starting out on this journey of faith is the realization Someone is watching over you.

Circumstances and events occur outside of your control or knowledge which we come to call blessings and they reoccur over and over again. After the umpteen time, you begin to hilariously laugh praising God for the outcome.

Then there are those times when your back is against the wall; there is no easy solution and you don’t know which way to turn, when from an unexpected source a “miracle” occurs. You can’t explain it; science and logicians are dumbfounded. Yet looking back, you realize as helpless the situation you found yourself, there was an inner peace and comfort that kept assuring you everything will work out.

When you come to acknowledge God is for you and always with you, your demeanor changes. You find yourself at awe that the Creator of the universe actually wants to spend time with you. Not because of how awesome you are, but because He loves you as a grandparent loves their grandchildren.

God is working out a purpose that involves you and me. He enjoys sharing life with you and me. He gets excited as we grow and mature into the image of His Son. He has big plans for you and me. Maybe not what you may be expecting in this life, but most definitely for eternity.

Yet he knows we are only human. Born to eventually physically die.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed his one command, God didn’t abandon them. He evicted them from the Garden of Eden for their own sake. But He remain with them. He orchestrated all the human events from Abraham through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And He still is working out human events toward the culmination of all things. He has never left us nor forsaken us.

Even when misguided preachers speak about God turning his back on Jesus at the cross because of all the sins is a misnomer. God was always with him. Jesus, because of the blindness of all the sins of the world coming upon him, loss sight of God at that moment. But God was still with him. God never forsook Jesus. Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 which is the opening sentence that expresses mankind’s empty feelings when we feel God has abandon us. Yet Psalm 22 is followed by Psalm 23 which restores the confidence and faith that God is always with us.

So remember, no matter what you are going through, or how you feel about your relationship with the living God, HE is ALWAYS with YOU.   

  

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Christianity: Version One

Dr. Mike 2020, Journey in Christ , , ,

Jude 3 (ESV)

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

2 Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Which version of Christianity do you practice?

At last count, there are approximately 30,000 denominations in the United States alone. Each with a slightly different message emphasizing certain aspects of the gospel and delineating other points. If one is unhappy with the institution they currently are attending, they can easily shop down the street for another which better suit their beliefs and needs.

For the person searching for God, the journey can be most confusing. Most people have very little theological education and generally select a church community very much like choosing a gym membership. On the other hand, many who have left the institutional church because of hurt feelings or disagreement of teachings, leap to the other side and become agnostic Christians. They believe portions of Christianity but have difficulty with the God of the Bible. Most often they are stranded on a spiritual island unrecognizing the seriousness of their dilemma. They want a relationship with the living God, but everything they are told to do and act upon doesn’t seem to change their world. Again, they may become frustrated and walk away from The Way.

When one comes to realize Christianity version one is still available for all who ask, seek, and knock, the journey’s Way becomes more encouraging, engaging, and exciting. As one reads the early disciple’s writings about Jesus Christ, and His teachings, one begins to capture the Good News that the angels shared with the shepherds at the birth of earth’s King.

When one begins to focus on developing a meaningful relationship with the Triune God, instead of following a list of rules and duties, one discovers the God of the Bible.

As you travel through the writings of Matthew, Mark, John, Luke, Paul, Peter, James, and Jude, you capture another side of who God is. Then as you immerse yourself into continual prayer with your heavenly Father, He answers your heart with solutions beyond your expectations. You slowly learn He cares for you and all those around you. As you begin to communicate with the Living God more profusely, you find yourself experiencing the fruit of His Spirit in your life.

Your heart and mind and soul slowly align with His desires. You begin to change. The old you slowly dissipate and a new creation comes alive. Your focus becomes more God and less you. You join His story instead of trying to write an independent biography. The relationship you begin to experience is pattern after the one Jesus has with His Father. As you read Scripture, you study context, Biblical culture, and learn to apply the message into your life today living in the 21st century. You become an amateur theologian.

Christianity version one is found written in the New Testament section of the Bible and also the writings of the early Church fathers during the first three hundred years after Christ’s ascension into heaven. All that information is at your finger tip. Instead of relying on any one institution or teacher, why not become a practicing Christian of version one yourself?  

Ask your heavenly Father to lead you; allow the Holy Spirit to direct you; and Jesus Christ to fully live in you. Step aside your pride, lust, and worldly desires, and allow the Triune God complete His masterpiece within you. He designed you, gifted you, and made you unique for His purpose. Find that purpose in Christ, hang out with the Invisible God, and relive Christianity version one. You will never want to go back to the life you had before you truly met the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly Good News. If you haven’t come to that realization yet, then maybe its time to return to the basics of Christianity version one. Your family, friends, and work associates may think you as a radical Christian, but if radical means experiencing the overflowing life found in Jesus Christ, then why not bring it on!

Today is a new day. Yesterday is done. Tomorrow is only a day on a calendar until it arrives. But today is always the start of something new. Why not make today the day you reach out, forgive others and yourself, grab the hand of the Man from Galilee, and follow Him along your journey today. Be radical in Christ, partake of His creation, and watch as He leads you through this world’s maze for His glory and your salvation. You will not have time to look back. But will find yourself always amazed at His work in your life and the life of others.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved