"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." (Jesus)
A person "saves" his life only in absolute surrender to Jesus. Anything else we do loses life, now and for eternity. Every time in the quarter I come to this text I must "take stock." Where am I in Jesus? Am I attempting to save my life or any detail of that life? If I am, I am the loser. If, on the other hand, I not only say, but live, "I Surrender All," then I have Life Eternal, Who is Jesus Christ.
"Having found in many books different methods of going to God, and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me, than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God's" (Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God). Who, in their right spiritual mind, cannot say the same. This is the most noble of life's pursuits. I am thankful for the teachers and books in my life over the years. But no one should ever allow them to replace God Himself. Sadly I have had many people in parishes over the years who did just that. The "big names" were more "lord" than The Name. "How to become wholly God's," has been always God's desire for us. "Adam, where are you?" has never changed in the heart of the Living Triune God. We see this desire in Him as He walked the shores of The Galilee, as He encountered the weary, the lost, the suffering, the hypocrite religious leaders of the day. And these words are still going forth in the Earth to every man, woman and child on the Planet, "_______, where are you?"
So today the words of Jesus still go forth to you and me, to all, "Whoever desires to save his life will lose it...." You and I know the, "wrestle against," which we experience so much, the wrestling with the enemy of man's soul throughout our lives to be "wholly" anyone's or anything's other than Jesus'. We don't say the words, but we act them out nonetheless, "I'll take it from here;" losers all who live thus. But "winners" all, "whoever loses his life for [Jesus'] sake...." Yes, this includes my willingness to lay down my life, but also my obedience to say to Him and live to Him every moment of every day, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "such a worm as I" has attempted to, "save his life," in far too many ways over the years. He surrenders now, anew to, "lose[] his life for [Your] sake...." Amen.
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"The Thug Culture That Killed Chris Lane": www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
A person "saves" his life only in absolute surrender to Jesus. Anything else we do loses life, now and for eternity. Every time in the quarter I come to this text I must "take stock." Where am I in Jesus? Am I attempting to save my life or any detail of that life? If I am, I am the loser. If, on the other hand, I not only say, but live, "I Surrender All," then I have Life Eternal, Who is Jesus Christ.
"Having found in many books different methods of going to God, and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me, than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God's" (Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God). Who, in their right spiritual mind, cannot say the same. This is the most noble of life's pursuits. I am thankful for the teachers and books in my life over the years. But no one should ever allow them to replace God Himself. Sadly I have had many people in parishes over the years who did just that. The "big names" were more "lord" than The Name. "How to become wholly God's," has been always God's desire for us. "Adam, where are you?" has never changed in the heart of the Living Triune God. We see this desire in Him as He walked the shores of The Galilee, as He encountered the weary, the lost, the suffering, the hypocrite religious leaders of the day. And these words are still going forth in the Earth to every man, woman and child on the Planet, "_______, where are you?"
So today the words of Jesus still go forth to you and me, to all, "Whoever desires to save his life will lose it...." You and I know the, "wrestle against," which we experience so much, the wrestling with the enemy of man's soul throughout our lives to be "wholly" anyone's or anything's other than Jesus'. We don't say the words, but we act them out nonetheless, "I'll take it from here;" losers all who live thus. But "winners" all, "whoever loses his life for [Jesus'] sake...." Yes, this includes my willingness to lay down my life, but also my obedience to say to Him and live to Him every moment of every day, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "such a worm as I" has attempted to, "save his life," in far too many ways over the years. He surrenders now, anew to, "lose[] his life for [Your] sake...." Amen.
************************
"The Thug Culture That Killed Chris Lane": www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
