The Journey

As you are continuing on the journey to becoming all that God wants you to be, you need to ask yourself a fundamental question. You need to ask yourself, “What is my ultimate authority for the journey?”

The writer Luke presents an interesting situation where Jesus asks the Pharisees a crucial question. They had a major problem with Jesus healing people on the Sabbath. So he asks them a question that strikes at the heart of the problem. Luke writes:

And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”But they kept silent….  (Luke 14:3-4 NKJV)

Jesus wanted them to acknowledge what is the authoritative basis for their prohibition. What is their ultimate authority in stating what is lawful on the Sabbath. The Old Testament law did not prohibit healing on the Sabbath. It prohibited work. The Jews developed oral traditions over time to explain what work is. So somewhere along the line, healing was considered a work. While they would not say this openly, the Pharisees held these oral traditions as being superior to the scripture itself. These traditions became their ultimate authority.

What is your ultimate authority in your life? Is it your spiritual experiences? Is it your opinions? Is it your traditions or cultural worldview? Is it what some pastor taught you? Or is it the Bible? You will know what your ultimate authority is by what you give credence to. What trumps the Bible in your life? The natural result of having a ultimate authority other than the Bible is the fact that you will develop a double standard by which you live your life.

My friends, make the Bible the ultimate authority in your life. As you do that consider these questions to determine the Bible’s place in your journey.

1.  If you were honest with yourself, what would you say is the ultimate authority in your life?

2.  Have you develop a double standard for your life? Do you have a standard for yourself (based on experience, opinion) and a standard for others (what the Bible says)?

3.  Do you spend time in God’s word each day? If not, why?

4.  Do you act upon what God shows you in His word?

5.  Does your personal experiences mean more than what the Bible says? If so, do you recognize that you have a problem?

6.  Are you open to allow God’s word to correct any teaching or opinion that you have embraced in the past?

Give serious thought to these questions. Make God’s word the ultimate authority in your life!

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

The greatest threat to our relationship with the living God is not the government. It is not another religion. It is not the secular influences of our culture. The greatest threat to our lives is our own pride.

Pride is at the root of all of our sins and rebellion against a living God. Each of us struggles with it. Pride is so deadly, that we can find ourselves justifying the presence of it in our lives. Pride at its root is nothing more than the attitude that you or I know better. We know better than God. We are better than others. It serves as the basis for our judgment of others.

The writer Luke shares the interaction that Jesus has with those who were invited to a meal at the home of a prominent Pharisee. This story reveals the evil of pride as it is manifested in the lives of those who were dining with Jesus. He writes:

Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things. (Luke 14:1-6 NKJV)

When we look at the attitudes and actions of these religious people who were eating with Jesus, it is easy to pass judgment on them. But, we need to use this story as a mirror to our own souls. When that occurs, we will see that we are no different than these religious leaders. Notice five component of a life that is dominated by pride.

1.  It sees people as nothing more than objects.
The man, who suffered from dropsy, was nothing more than a pawn to serve the purposes of the Pharisees. They had no concern for his personal well-being. Their concern was discrediting Jesus. Pride is so focused on self and what self wants. People become the means by which self is gratified. They are nothing more than objects.

2.  It sees misfortunes of others as the judgment of God.
Dropsy was a condition where the body swelled due to water retention. It is a symptom of a greater health issue. Such a visible sign of a health problem brought the condemnation of others. The problem would be seen as the judgment of God. Pride views the misfortune of others as the judgment of God. It automatically assumes the worse of another person.

3.  It views its experiences and opinions as trumping God’s word.
Jesus asks the Pharisees and religious experts if the Law forbids healing on the Sabbath. They refused to answer him. This was partly due the fact that Jesus’ question revealed their error. They went beyond the Law with their traditions in forbidding healing on the Sabbath. They placed their traditions above the word of God. Pride says that it knows better than God what one should do in a given circumstance.

4.  It exists with a double standard.
Jesus points out their hypocrisy in that they would not hesitant to help their donkey or ox if it was in harm’s way on the Sabbath. Yet they strongly felt that it was wrong to help someone with a health issue on the Sabbath. They had two standards. They held others to a strict standard, but they held themselves to another less strict standard. Pride views itself as the exception to any standard or rule.

5.  It cannot see what God is doing.
Pride is so self-absorbed that it misses what God is doing around it. These Pharisees missed the beauty and blessing of seeing a man healed of a major health issue. All they saw was their precious man-made rules being broken. Pride blinds us from seeing the reality of God in our lives.

It is incumbent upon us to take a long hard look at our own lives. Each of us suffers from pride. It is reflected in our actions and attitudes. Pray that the Lord would reveal to us the wickedness of our own hearts. Ask him to lead you in the path of humility.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

As a boy, I enjoyed spending my afternoons playing in the woods behind my family home. Those woods became the place where many battles and adventures were engaged in with my friends. There seemed to be no end to the fun that one’s imagination could create. For the most part that was true, except when I was unlucky to get tangled up in briars.  Briars are nasty plants that stretch out there long tentacles, waiting for an unassuming boy to come by.

To become entangled in briars is an exercise in pain. No matter what you do, the result will be pain and destruction. Whether you pull away fast or slow, there will be pain. Briars will rip your clothes. And even if you get free, briars always leave behind thorns, which have painfully embedded themselves in your skin. Briars are not fun and they will hinder your wilderness experience.

The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to avoid becoming entangled by sin as we live our lives for the Lord. He uses the picture of a race to describe the way we live our lives for Jesus. He writes:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.  (Hebrews 12:1-4 NKJV)

Sin, like briars, can hinder our race. Like briars, sin is both painful and destructive. The writer tells us to deal with the sin that so easily ensnares of entangles us. If we are going to live for Jesus, we have to deal with the sin our lives. Consider four points from the writer’s encouragement.

1.  Be encouraged by the fact that others have finished the race.
We are good at making excuses. “That’s not possible, because of what I have done.” “I don’t measure up.” The writer tells us finish the race because others have run it before us. In fact, if you look at the list of those who ran before us (Hebrews 11), our excuses for giving up seem meaningless.

2.  Even if you get entangled, don’t give up on the race.
The writer tells us to lay aside our sin and run with endurance. He is saying, “Pull yourself out of the briars.” Yes, it is going to hurt. But don’t give up. Never give up. You are in this for the long haul. Finish the race.

3.  Jesus is our example.
Because we are in the race for the long haul, we need to keep our focus. You can only do that by looking to Jesus. That is what we remember at Easter. He died for us. He was buried. And on the third day, He arose. He conquered sin and death. The victory is ours. We need to claim it for ourselves. Look to Jesus. Finish the race.

4.  If you are going to run the race, you have to get tough with yourself.
Finally, the writer tells his readers that they have not been serious about dealing with their sin. The phrase “to bloodshed” does not mean that I need to brutally punish myself. Rather it means I need to get tough with myself. Quit making the excuses! Quit being lazy! Don’t get comfortable with those “pet sins!” It is hindering my race. It is holding me back. It is time to get serious about the sin in my life. It is time to act. Finish the race.

Each of us knows where the briar patches are in our lives. It is time to deal with them. We should no longer allow them to hinder our lives. So be encouraged. Others have overcome. We will too, if we keep our eyes on Jesus.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

It is possible to be so wrapped up in something that you miss everything else. This is especially true when it comes to spirituality and the church. We can get so wrapped up in the our view of life and church, that we miss what God is doing that may be outside of the box that we have created for him. That is the danger of becoming religious in our churches today.

The writer Luke shares an incident from the life of Jesus that expresses this point. Jesus is interacting with someone who is missing the bigger picture. This person cannot see what God is doing because he is absorbed with his religious practices and thinking. Luke writes:

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. (Luke 13:10-17 NKJV)

You cannot help but be appalled at the reaction of the synagogue ruler. He is consumed with his religious rules and is indigent when they are not being followed by others. Notice how Jesus reacts to this guy. He makes three points about how this guy’s religion has gone bad.

1.  They were nothing more than hypocrites.
Jesus calls “a spade a spade.” This guy presented himself as having his act together spiritually. But when it came to the redemption of someone who has been in bondage for many years, he focused on whether the man-made rules are being followed. You almost get the sense that if this woman had been his mother or wife, he would not have complained. He was a hypocrite. Religion meant more than people. Rules trumped needs.

2. They made exceptions for themselves.
Jesus points out the nature of their hypocrisy. he shows that they made exceptions for themselves when a need presented itself. They would work on the Sabbath to care for their animals. Yet it is wrong to help a woman who has been in physical bondage for eighteen years. Hypocrisy makes exceptions. It holds others to a different standard. But that standard is not applied to themselves. It knows the loopholes that it has created for itself. That is hypocrisy.

3. They overlooked the important for the insignificant.
Bottom line, this guy missed what God was doing in his midst. She was healed. That does not happen every day.  But that is not important to this guy. Rather the issue is whether or not our religious rules are being followed. How dare God act outside of the box that I have created for him? Do you see the blindness of hypocrisy? Do you see how religion can go bad?

It is easy to be offended with this guy. Yet, the reality is we are just like him. We get so wrapped up in our self-righteousness that we miss what God is doing in our lives and in our church. We reject “outsiders” because they do not follow our “rules.”

Let be honest with ourselves. Are you hypocritical? Are you missing the important for the insignificant? Do you hold people to a different standard than yourself? If so, your religion has gone bad.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

It is not uncommon to hear of someone serving a trial or probationary period before he or she has been hired by a company. Such probationary periods last from one to three months. During that time, the employee’s character and work is examined. If he or she does well during this period of examination, they can be assured of their job.

The writer Luke presents Jesus sharing a parable concerning the probationary period that mankind has entered into. He writes:

He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’  But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
(Luke 13:6-9 NKJV)

It is interesting to note that Jesus is telling his listeners that there is a probationary period for them. Rather than focus on why tragedy happens to some people, they need to make sure that they are right with God (Luke 13:1-5).

This is the background for the parable of the fig tree. You and I are the fig tree. God is the owner who comes to inspect us. Out of this parable, we can see three realities that should make us consider the nature of our lives and how God sees them.

1.  Our lives will be inspected.
We have grown accustomed to living without any real sense of accountability. It is reflected in our culture that lifts the banner of individual rights. But reality is far different. We are accountable. One day we will have to give an account to the God of the universe. He is going to look at our lives and see the fruit that we have produced. We will answer for all of our actions and attitudes.

2.  Patience is being shown.
In the parable, the keeper urges the owner to be patient. “Give the tree a little more time.” In his grace, the owner gives the tree some more time or grace. It is probationary period. We need to grasp that grace is being shown to us. If we have not been baring fruit consistent with a life that professes Jesus Christ, we need to recognize that we have an opportunity to repent of, or turn from, our past sins and commit our lives to him. Recognize that we have grace, but it is only for the moment.

3.  Judgment will come one day.
At the end of a probationary period, there is a time of examination or judgment. Have we made the change from our old lives without Christ? Have we born fruit that is reflective of Christ’s lordship in our lives?  Or are we still barren, because we choose to do our own thing? We must face the reality that judgment is coming.

One day with will have to stand before the God of the universe. We will have to give an account for our lives. What will He find in your life?

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

We live in a world filled with tragedy. It is part of our everyday lives. We are constantly being bombarded with news of terrible events that are occurring locally and around the world. As we try to process the tragic things in other people’s lives, we have a tendency to make wrong assumptions.

Whether we realize it or not, we have bought into an old idea that tragedy is a result of a person’s individual sin. In fact, our culture tends to joke about this wrong assumption by talking about experiencing “bad karma.”

The writer Luke presents Jesus addressing this wrong assumption and the implications that it has for you and I. He writes:

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5 NKJV)

From Jesus interaction concerning the tragedies of his day, we can see three thoughts that we need to consider as we cope with the terrible events around us.

1.  One’s righteousness does not dictate the manner of death.
Jesus asks a rhetorical question concerning the character of those who have experienced tragedy. His point is that we are no different than the one who is experiencing tragedy. We are all sinners. Tragedy and death are not based on the level of one’s righteousness. We are all the same.

2.  Death and judgment come on all.
Jesus makes the point that all of us will suffer in some way. He states “you will likewise perish.” We need to quit focusing of what happen to others and recognize that it can and possibly will happen to us.

3. There is an urgency for our repentance.
Since all of humanity are sinners and the reality that death and judgment comes on all, we need to repent. This is the point that Jesus is making. When we see terrible things happening in the lives of others, it should result in an attitude of repentance on our part. This is because we realize that we are no different than they and one day we will face death as they did.

It’s time to stop trying to figure out the “why?” in other people’s lives. We need to recognize that they are no different than us. One day we will face terrible circumstances. One day we will face death. It should draw us to examine our hearts and repent.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

All of us have heard the statement, “There is no free lunch.” Everything has a price that must be paid by someone. That is true concerning our salvation. Salvation is free to us because Jesus Christ paid for it with his very life. I need only accept his gift of salvation by faith, trusting in his sacrificial work on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin.

Yet, there is still a cost to those who have placed their trust in Jesus for their salvation. It comes as a result of following Jesus. Notice what the writer Luke is presents to us in his gospel. In chapter twelve, he records some words of Jesus that explain the cost of following him.

Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is.  Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.” (Luke 12:53-59 NKJV)

Jesus tells us that embracing him will result in divisions. The key word that you and I need to grasp is the word “will.” It’s going to happen. Not everyone is going to love your Jesus. In fact Jesus expands the point by stating that it will cause divisions in our family relationships.

So what do we need to do about this reality?  The passage brings out two thoughts.

1.  Pay attention to the time we live in.
Jesus mocks his listeners by stating that they can predict the weather by looking at the sky. He calls them to pay attention to the time we live in. Yes, divisions in our relationships concerning Jesus are tragic. But they are a sign that the end is approaching

2.  Settle your differences with others.
It seems odd that he would address the issue of taking someone to court in this passage. It almost seems out of place. Yet it fits with his point. Divisions usually result in conflict. Conflict results in disagreements, which can become legal issues. Jesus is calling you and I to settle our differences with others in light of the judgment. The apostle Paul states “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.  If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:17-18NKJV)

There is a price to be paid for following Jesus. This is a reality that we need to grasp. Don’t be discouraged by it. It is a reality of our times as we approach the return of Jesus Christ.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

It is possible for you and I to develop a concept of Jesus that does not reflect who he truly is. Often it is a picture of a Jesus who is nice and loving. The farthest thing from our minds is a Jesus who is radical and direct. That makes us feel uncomfortable. We don’t know how to handle that type of Jesus.

Yet, that is the type of Jesus that the writer Luke is presenting us in his gospel.  In chapter twelve, he records some words of Jesus that should make us feel very uncomfortable.

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three.”  (Luke 12:49-52 NKJV)

Maybe, your first thought is “There must be some mistake! That doesn’t sound like Jesus I know.” Yet it is. Jesus is making very direct statements about his true feelings concerning the world and the task that he must complete. Think about what he is saying.

1.  Jesus brings judgment.
Jesus tells his listeners that he came to send fire on the earth. Fire is often a biblical picture of judgment.  So in essence, he is stating that he came to bring judgment on the earth. He even goes so far as to state that he wished this judgment was already “kindled” or “being passed.” He hates our sin. We need to get a grip on that fact alone.

2.  Jesus anticipates the cross.
While he wants judgment to come on this sinful world, Jesus shares an important “but.” He states, “But I have a baptism to be baptized with…” This baptism refers to his cruel death on a cross. Basically he is saying, “I wish judgment would come on this wicked world, but I have to be killed on a cross for its sin.” He knows the price he must pay for our sins.

3.  This is serious.
Jesus expresses his true feelings concerning the cross that awaits him. He states, “how distressed I am till it is accomplished.” It is serious business. Yes, he wants judgment to come for “our sins.” But he is going to endure a cruel death for them. This is serious business.

4.  Jesus came to divide.
It is nice to think that Jesus wants everyone to be happy and to get along. But nothing could be farther from the truth.  Listen to his words: “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” Jesus divides people. He is going to draw a reaction from people. Not everyone is going to like this Jesus. In fact, Jesus states that this is what is going to happen.

So what does this radical and direct picture of Jesus mean for you and I. Simply put, it is time to get serious about our relationship with Jesus Christ. According to Jesus, our sins deserved to be judged. We deserved to die for them. But He went to a cross to die in our place. Not everyone is going to accept that. It will draw a reaction. It will divide people. So it is time to get serious about our faith. Are you serious?

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

Have you ever given someone a gift, only to watch them abuse or neglect it? There is a sense in which receiving a gift carries with it a responsibility to honor and care for it. We develop strong feelings when we see others abuse the gifts that we have given them. We need to recognize that this is true with the gift of salvation that Jesus Christ has given us.

Luke records the words of Jesus concerning the responsibility that his servants have. He writes:

Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”  And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,  the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.  (Luke 12:41-48 NKJV)

Peter recognizes that Jesus is calling his listeners to a radical commitment. He asks Jesus concerning who this commitment applies to? This is a relevant question for you and I as Christ-followers. What is our responsibility? Notice how Jesus responds to the question.

1.  Faithfulness means obedience to the Master.

2.  Faithfulness means meeting the needs of others.

3.  Unfaithfulness does not take the Master seriously.

4.  Unfaithfulness is expressed in the mistreatment of others.

5.  Unfaithfulness will be rejected as unbelief.

6.  We are responsible for what we know.

Do you have a sense of responsibility concerning the gift of salvation that was given to you? What type of servant are you? Are you faithful or unfaithful? It’s time to make a conscious effort to be found faithful in our lives.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

As I’m working on my lessons for Search for Significance and Celebrate Recovery, I don’t think it is coincidence that the lessons are similar.  In fact the Sunday morning messages are also addressing similar issues.  So I have to ask myself what is the Lord through His Holy Spirit trying to tell me.  What is God trying to communicate to me and through me to our church?  I can tell you that He is telling me “I don’t want to hear rhetoric.  I want to see faith in action.”  The same message He was trying to get across to His disciples before He had to leave them.  So, as I try to discern what it is He is telling me, I’ve come to realize it is right in front of my eyes in the lessons I’m teaching and in the Scriptures that I am referencing.  The key to being Spirit-filled is obedience.  In order for obedience to be complete, there must be repentance – movement away from the old sinful ways.

Hebrews 12: 1-2 tells us “…throw off everything that hinders and the sin that does so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.  (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

I like the authors’ use of the word “entangles”.  I can relate to that description as I try to keep my relationship with God real.  Too often I still feel entangled in the world’s affairs.  Often God reveals things He wants me to change through His Spirit’s leading in my life, but upon further evaluation down the road it still hasn’t changed.  It’s not enough to have knowledge of God’s Will for our lives, He wants to see that knowledge in action.  Often God reveals things to us through the Holy Spirit and His Word, or during the Sunday message that He wants us to change in our lives.  How often does change actually happen?  So in other words, I didn’t turn from whatever it was He was showing me.  I didn’t turn from what the Holy spirit had shown me was holding me back in my relationship with Him which also means there was no obedience – only knowledge.

“Turn” is a key word in the definition of repentance.  This week’s lesson for CR is about the word “TURN”.  Each letter in the word stands for part of the definition in Repentance.

Trust involves taking God at His Word.  No debating over what part you need to actually put into action.  ”Just do it!”

 Understand – seek to understand from God’s perspective.  Your perspective has gotten you in the mess you are in.

Repent has to do with taking God’s point of view on our lives.  This will involve moving away from our own point of view that is extremely limited when compared to God’s point of view.  

New Life – the end result will be new life in Christ.  This “new life” should look different from the life we were living.  This “new life” should reflect that of Christ’s!  People should see Christ in our day-to-day life.

Turning our lives and wills over to the care of God involves action.  Daily action!  When God reveals to us through His Spirit how our walk can be closer with Him, we need to put that revealed knowledge into action.  Put off the old nature; put on the New life in Christ!