Friday, February 15, 2019

What would Jesus Do?



Sallman
In 1896, Charles Monroe Sheldon, authored a book entitled, “In His Steps, What Would Jesus Do?” In his novel, Sheldon wrote of a church that had become ‘comfortable’ in their Christianity. The church had a visitor on a Sunday. The man was, by today’s terminology, homeless. The pastor was appalled by the was the congregants received him. The pastor mobilized the congregation and some of the townspeople to follow Jesus' way of dealing with the issues of their time.

The subtitle became a watchword for people in the 1990s. Everyone of a certain age seemed to sport bracelets or wristbands with the letters WWJD, meaning ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ Over time, the idea died out.
Recently, that phrase came to my mind. I prayed a request to God for a long time. As I began to pray that evening, I heard “What would Jesus Do?” My sometimes-analytical mind broke it down into four different questions. Here is the breakdown:

What would Jesus do?
            Teach
            Preach
            Heal
            Forgive

What would Jesus do?
            Would He argue?
            Would He love the sinner?
            Would He allow Himself to be distracted from his job?
            Would He obey His Father?

What would Jesus do?
            Jesus, the Son of God,
            Jesus, our Redeemer,
            Jesus, our Savior,
            Jesus, our King,

What would Jesus do?

            His Father’s work
            Stand for His Father


As a large group of people across the world wait for the answer to their prayers, we must think about this timeless question. What Would Jesus Do?

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

God’s Sacrificial Love



but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (ESV)

Paul makes a very important point in this verse. He highlights a point that we often take for granted. God shows His love for us. He does this every hour, every day, every month, and every year.

Whatever the circumstance we find ourselves or our families are in, God reminds us of His love by directing our attention to the Cross.

God gave His Son. He did this without regard to how we may not appreciate His action. He did it for our ultimate benefit: that we would one day be able to enter heaven and live with Jesus.

We have been, and still are, sinners. We were sinners when He chose to carry out His plan for Jesus. At that time, the disciples didn’t understand the events that unfolded before them. Present day, we don’t always understand what happens right before us. The disciples learned from the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ.


As we see things unfold in our world today, may we look at them through the eyes of Christ and learn from these events the lessons we need to incorporate into our lives.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...