DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

With God or Without God?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , , , ,

with god 4

Dallas Willard, author and minister, passed away last year. I for one truly enjoyed his work and will miss him. He was blessed with insight to take “religious concepts” and make them practical for us non-theologians.

One of his concepts was to explain life as “the with-God life.” A life centered in Christ and experienced through the Holy Spirit. The opposite would be a life apart from God.  So in reflecting, I wrote below a few reasons why I enjoy the with-God life.

With God we enjoy His Blessings; apart from God we are confronted by luck.

With God we experience His divine nature; apart from God we are left along with our human limitations.

With God we catch His Life; apart from God we are taught life.

With God we are found in Christ; apart from God we are lost in Christ.

With God we are comforted by his Spirit; apart from God we are left on our own.

With God we have purpose for life; apart from God, we act like an accidental blip that evolved from cosmic dust.

With God we realize our divine design; apart from God, we strive to make ourselves unfulfilled.

With God we discover wholesomeness; apart from God, we are never satisfied.

With God we participate in his Story; apart from God, we mess up our lines.

With God we have hope; apart from God, we walk plagued by fear.

With God we learn to love; apart from God, we are painfully lonely.

With God we are fully alive; apart from God, we are dead men walking.

You may notice, I have a bias toward enjoying life with God. How about you?  What else would you add to the above list?

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 9

Our Holy Father, Holy Lord, and Holy Spirit — Thank you for sharing your life with us and allowing us to experience life as you intended it to be.  Let our life glorify you.  Let your Kingdom be fruitful wherever we go.  Let your Spirit touch the lives of all with we come into contact.  Help us live our life with you.  Wherever you go; whatever you are doing in our little world, help us see and participate with you.  Whoever we can meet and speak about you, give us the wisdom, words, and grace to honor you.  Bless this life so we can be a blessing for others.  Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, and Encourager

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God

How Do You Measure Success?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , , , , , ,

success 3

In the business world, everything that is important and valued is monitored, measured, and evaluated for improvement.  But in our personal walk with the Triune God, how do we measure real success?  For example, when we view the world’s religious landscape, what do we notice?

There are those who place emphasis on keeping rules.
There are those who emphasize a specific denomination.
There are those who observe special days.
There are those who place trust in Jesus plus…(something else).
There are those who place trust in their ability to do good work.
There are those who place trust in their service toward others.
There are those who place trust in pursuing causes for social justice.
There are those who place trust in maintaining a loving relationship with others.
There are those who place trust in yoga, in karma, or in the cosmos.
There are those who place trust in their ability to recall scripture.
There are those who place trust in attending church services on a regular basis.
There are those who place trust in participating in local, Christian fellowship.
There are those who place trust in observing unique rituals.
There are those who place trust in their ability to pray.
There are those who place trust…(add your own observation)

The point is many of us place trust everywhere but in Jesus. Yet, trusting His claim as Savior, Lord, and King from our heart, head, and will in everyday life’s circumstances is all we really have to show.  A total, dependent trust that His life, death, and resurrection gives us birth unto a new life. A life that we can taste now. A hope that we can believe.

The real measure of spiritual success is simply our faith (trust) in Him.  No matter the trial; no matter the situation; no matter the challenge we face, our faith is constantly being tested and strengthen through the circumstances of life.  Though we may fail to live up to our expectations, He is committed to being faithful and will complete the task. We simply have to hang in there with Him.
The fact is Christ knows our human condition. Most of the time we are simply discovering where we really do stand before God, and it’s not pretty. I am one believer who is very thankful that Jesus is my Judge and jury and He includes us within His story. We are simply his servants enjoying the ride.

How goes your trust in Jesus? Jesus himself wondered whether or not there would be real, trusting faith in this world when he returns (Luke 18:8).  However, no matter where you stand, Jesus loves you and enjoys you just as you are. He only wants you to truly enjoy spending time with him as he invests heaven’s and earth’s resources for your journey with Him unto the promise land.

Our Prayer

PRAY 4

Our Holy Father, Holy Lord, and Holy Spirit – Thank you for opening our mind and heart to come to know you. To know your love, joy, and peace. To know that no matter the situation, the struggle, or event, you are always with us. Whatever we lack in trusting you, continue to shower us with your favor and grace as you sanctify and grow us to always trust you no matter the circumstance. Help us to glorify your name every time we trust you for your intervention in our life. Complete your work in us; help us to participate with you in your Story for mankind.  Amen

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, and Encourager

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God

Are We Not His Masterpiece?

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , , , , , , , , ,

reflection 3

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees believed they were the righteous people known by God and everyone else rejected by God.  Jesus would illustrate many a parable to them drawing comparisons from everyday life contrary to their opinion.  In addition He would even illustrate where people performed miracles and works in His name but He didn’t even know them.

Can you confidently say to yourself that Jesus will have no problem recognizing you as His brother or sister when He returns?  Or is there some hesitancy?  Paul warned of being overconfident in our relationship with God.  He stated (1 Cor. 10:12) that we should be careful unless we likewise fall from His Grace.

Frankly, isn’t our hope that He recognizes us not because of our accomplishments or works, not because of our yielding attitude and trustworthy relationship built over time, but because of who He is.  If He is looking for us because of our accomplishments, then most of us may as well forget eternity.  Our best efforts probably haven’t generated much of a return.  Even in our relationship we may question our honesty and faithfulness.  How many times have we failed Him?  Like Peter during Jesus’ ministry, we may jump into activities with great faith only to have Him pull us to dry land.  Or we deny Him with our actions even when we know better.  Oh, how great is His Grace!

What we hope He sees in us is a reflection of Himself and our Dad.  We hope that He sees the spiritual masterpiece that He is creating and not what we have thrown together.  As we mature, it doesn’t become any easier for us to deny our self and allow Jesus through the Holy Spirit to have full access into our inner sanctuary.  Yet, isn’t it our heart, attitude, and soul that He is changing?  Oh saturate us Holy Spirit and change our heart to conform to Your will!

As a disciple of His we long to become like our Lord & King.  We may have an image of what that is, but over time doesn’t it change?  The Jesus that we knew yesterday is not the same Jesus we know today.  Isn’t He even greater?  Likewise, the Jesus that we know tomorrow, will he be more than the Jesus we know today?  Isn’t it an everyday process of search and discovery.  But isn’t this the one process that we are committed to living each and every day?  What else is more fulfilling than living a spirit led life rooted in Jesus Christ for the glory of God?  Can we agree like many others before us, that we have tried it all and nothing compares with it?

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 8

Our loving Dad, thank you for starting the task of producing a new creation within us.  Thank you for not allowing us to quit when we felt like quitting.  Thank you for being committed to our success.  Thank you for revealing to us what real success is all about.

Help us always to focus on your plans and work.  Let us not measure our success with our neighbors.  Instead, let us be thankful that you have uniquely designed us, gifted us, and disciplined us for your sake, for others, and for our self.  That you are preparing us for eternity for a special assignment that only you know for sure.  Help us always to trust you no matter what the circumstances or situation.  Let your faith, love, and hope always precede us.  We thank you Jesus and ask all this in your name.  Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant,Coach, and Encourager

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God