16-09-18 notes

In Genesis when the three angels were journeying to Sodom they stopped at the place Abraham was staying. Do angels journey? the intention was to see Abraham, and how did he respond to the visit?

First of all He recognized the group or one of the group as being his Lord, secondly he stopped everything he was doing and had a meal prepared for them. He got his servants involved, he got Sarah involved. What is striking is that when the Lord showed up he served Him, he sought fellowship with Him.

What would be our reaction/response to the Lord coming to see us in the flesh in person as it were? Would we focus on what He could do for us or would we recognize who He is and serve Him and enjoy Him? When Jesus walked the earth later people would go to Him, not to serve but to get their infirmities addressed or the infirmities of their friends. He healed, he responded to their requests but often told them not to tell anyone. Christ wants to first and foremost be our friend, and companion, and He seeks that we first and foremost are His friend.

The best of friends serve each other, they give of themselves to serve and make comfortable each other. They put each other ahead of self. Suddenly any personal infirmities don't matter so much. They are always glad to see each other, they enjoy spending time together without there necessarily being a purpose. They purposely seek to spend time with each other.

Do you have that kind of friendship with Christ? Do you have that kind of friendship with any other person? Christ seeks that kind of friendship with us, He is ready, He is standing at our doors knocking to see if we'll let Him in. Will we then be that kind of friend back to Him?

This is not to shame it is meant to cause reflection, we all know where we are in all our relationships and we all know we have shortcomings. Christ wants to be closer than a brother to us and we should be closer than a brother to Him as well as in our other relationships.

Christ called 12 and made them His friends on earth, and yet one betrayed Him. Others ran away, curious as to what He was doing, but keeping a distance and denying Him. Yet when He was risen and came back, His apostles were changed, they truly understood His friendship and it changed their life. Changed it to the point that most of them endured horrible deaths for the sake of His friendship.

Can we have the same friendship with Him? YES

Can that model our friendship to others? YES

Is it natural for us to be this kind of friend to Him and others? NO, in the natural we preserve our flesh, we focus on gratifying it. We do need His touch, His help to be the kind of friend to Him and each other we should be.

Help us Lord Jesus.

16-09-04 notes

Why do we sin? We have to know what sin is. Sin is trying to do things our way rather than the Lord's. We have to know what His ways are in order do things His way and not the way that seems best to us. Not knowing His ways is one of the things happening in the time which I live. His Word the Bible is so unprecedently available in the area I was placed and yet the lack of adherence to His ways is clearly approaching the level that was recorded about Sodom and Gomorrah. It is nearly a full blown outward denial of God.

Where do we get the idea to do things are way? Part of it is we like easy and fast without hardship. Instant gratification is a something we seek in lots of the aspects of our lives. Sprinkle in some pride that we can handle anything, and God's ways seem unnecessary. We are also affected by the voices - originating in our own mind, and that of spiritual beings. Again only by knowing God's word can we discern which spirit we are of. Ideally we learn to give up the right to ourself and become obedient to the Holy Spirit. We ask the Lord to come in and He will remake us in His image as we allow it. And in the areas we allow.

Our focus should be on relationship to Christ, rather than self. What have you done for another today? Have you intentionally looked to see where God was acting and going and gone along? Our focus should be on Him. I often fall short, and He knows how and where, and yet in His word the sacrifice of His apostles (unto death- with before that being beatings and torture) is far more than I seem willing to do. It also seems far beyond what I see other "Christians" willing to do. Lord I pray for those who call on Your name including myself. Help us to grow in our walk with You, help us to cleave to your ways and cast away any identity of self. Help us to discern Your voice when we seek guidance, help us to realize that Your ways are best and that any seeming shortcut we see is not something you overlooked, but rather a path to ever increasing misery and disappointment.

Lord you don't hide from us that there will be suffering for us in this life. Its clearly in your Word. We'll have depression, its in your Word, and there are several examples in the lives recorded. We'll also have joy in this life. Help us not to only selfishly seek the joy and avoid the suffering but rather embrace both. Honestly, knowing that You are with us, and even in suffering knowing you softens the suffering.

Amen