A Christ Follower: The Journey

The Conference &   Hurricane Just a few days ago, the Global Methodist Church met in it's inaugural General Conference.  I viewed it by live streaming, and I can tell you it was a great time of joy, celebration and the building of a brand new faith community! The Holy Spirit moved in a very special way during everyday of the General Conference. This was a mountain top experience. Such a spiritual high as this would long be remembered by all who attended. But As the conference was coming to a close, and as these folks returned home, a Hurricane hit Florida, then Georgia, Then South Carolina, Then North Carolina! And the devastation was as bad as any hurricane destruction ever recorded! All over, people were dying, being stranded, and left without food or water! Bridges were washed out! Mud slides occurred! Communication was wiped out! Loved ones were frightened for one another because they could not get back to each other! Nor could they let each other know how they were doing!

What Does Jesus Really Think?   Jesus said, " (17)  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  (18) For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,  will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ( 19 ) Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. (20) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Misunderstanding Jesus Let me begin by saying, that Jesus is all about grace and truth, and keeping the law does not save a soul; however, that does not mean that the Law is not important to Jesus. As a matter of fact, p

  For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. Jesus: Matthew 6:14 God's Eternal Principle of Reciprocal Forgiveness Tucked away in the middle of Jesus's secret-service foundational principles is a potent step on a Christ-Follower's journey. A lot of secret stuff goes on inside us when we choose to forgive.  And the opposite is true regarding unforgiveness. And Jesus, in this passage, and elsewhere in the Bible, emphasizes the importance of forgiving other people when they sin against us. One place He highlights this is the Lord's prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses as we for give those who trespass against us."  Or you can say it like this: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. You can see this. Can't you? He really does make His point as He emphasizes this reciprocal factor of mercy. Praying like this is like asking, "Lord, I want you to forgive me, but I really want to b

  The Global Methodist Symbol Jesus And The Importance of Fasting The Right Way In our day and age, many have forgotten this spiritual practice which the Lord blesses. I am talking about the spiritual practice of fasting. Mighty things happen when God's people fast in the way our Lord Jesus blesses. And, as we look at The Word of God, Jesus provides us with some seriously marvelous information, and He K eeps I t S imple S aint. The Eternal Principle of Secret Fasting When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do: For they disfigure their faces to demonstrate to others they are  fasting. Truly, I tell you they have their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to others you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 God's Secret Service Previously, we talked about how God blesses us when we behave as His "Sec

  In my life, I have observed people praying publicly, and many have done so with long flowing poetic words that sounded beautiful, but it sort of felt like these folks were trying to impress all the folks around them; however, based on Jesus teachings, this is not the kind of praying God expects. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus compares two folks who were praying. One was a religious leader who exemplified just what I mentioned. The other was a man who simply bowed his head, beat upon his chest, and cried out to God in a 7 word prayer: "God be merciful unto me a sinner"   Of the two prayers, Jesus said God heard only the short prayer.  Even the Lord's Prayer, which is shown above, is a very short prayer, but it is one about which Jesus said, "This is how you should pray."   In this Stepping Stones blog, I want to describe 5 S's upon which Jesus bases His praying: 1. S for Secret:   He tells us to go into our closets to pray: Matthew 6:6-7 And what is done in secret

To Be Praise or Not To Be Praised? Some people, who propose to be seen as Christ Followers, unadvisedly, and all too often,  find themselves looking to receive the praise of other people.  Awards, decorations, trophies, accolades, being on stage to receive applause, becomes a huge part of their daily walk. The outcome of such behavior will leave them drowning at side of the Cross rather than abiding on it. And this is against the will of God for such spiritual going under to occur. Jesus has a better way. It is the way of the God Honoring Secret Servant of The Lord. Christ Stepping Stone: Secret Giving If you read Matthew 6:1-4, You will find how important it is to Jesus, and by extension to following Christ, to give secretly. He tells us not to practice our righteousness for the purpose of being seen by others. And then He says something that should really get  our attention:  He says, " If you do, you will have NO reward from your Father in Heaven."  Say what? That's ri