A New Obedience

Saints,

I recently finished a year as a middle school band director--a position which seemed to "derail" my life. I thank God that role is finished for me.

As I have turned my attention toward the Father once again, I struggle with my motivation. Why did I put God on a "back burner?" What has become of my passion for Him? 

Check out this wonderful reminder of God's love--the real power of the gospel!

"As the gospel is believed through the power of the spirit, our selfish, hardened hearts burst alive with righteous and godly passions. As we behold the glory of God in the face of Christ, Paul says, we are transformed into glory (2 Cor. 3:18-4:14).

Religion, then, can tell you what to do--namely, to "love God with all your heart, soul, and mind" and "to love your neighbor as yourself"; but the gospel alone gives you the power to do it.

The gospel produces not just obedience, you see, but a new kind of obedience--an obedience that is powered by desire. An obedience that is both pleasing to God and delightful to you."

YES! Let that sink in.

That is an excerpt from a book Lisa kept "hounding" me to read, Gospel, by J D Greear, page, 18.

Beginning to feel alive again...

Steve

Prayer and Suffering

Saints,

I pray that we continue to be drawn into deeper intimacy with Jesus. I know God will answer this prayer because Jesus asked for the same thing as recorded in John 17.

Be encouraged by these words from Paul Miller, in his book A Praying Life, from the chapter on “Learning to be Helpless,” page 59.

“If we think we can do life on our own, we will not take prayer seriously. Our failure to pray will always feel like something else--a lack of discipline or too many obligations. But when something is important to us, we make room for it. Prayer is simply not important to many Christians because Jesus is already an add-on. That is why, as we’ll see later, suffering is so important to the process of learning how to pray. It is God’s gift to show us what life is really like.”

What are your thoughts on your suffering and intimacy with Jesus through prayer?

Blessings,

Steve

A Few Words on Intimacy

Men

Here are a few words from A Prayer Life written by Paul Miller--a NavPress book.

"Jesus' example teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father. 

Any relationship, if it is going to grow, needs private space, time together without an agenda, where you can get to know each other. This creates an environment where closeness can happen, where we can begin to understand each other's hearts.

You don't create intimacy; you make room for it. This is true whether you are talking about your spouse, your friend, or God. You need space to be together. Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness kill intimacy. In short, you can't get to know God on the fly.

If Jesus has to pull away from people and noise in order to pray, then it makes sense that we need to as well." p47

I hope these words encourage you!

Blessings,

Steve