Hey Leeland bloggers! Hope everyone is doing well. Hope this encourages you...
"In Him was life and that life was the light of men." St. John (Speaking of Jesus)
Is it just me, or does it seem like we're the walking dead sometimes? I mean, come one people... we serve Jesus! : ) Not only do we serve Him, but when we got saved, His life and nature were poured into us without measure.
This means that the same life and light that burst forth from Jesus, now dwells inside of us. Because HE lives in us!
When we really grasp this truth, everything changes. Like a ripple effect, His love begins to alter everything about us. But the choice is yours. The ball is in your court.
Will you allow the life, love, and light of God to transform your life? It's a choice I have to make every morning with my coffee... and every afternoon when I get cut off in traffic... and every time I get a middle seat on a plane at 5am. : )
I remind myself that I'm no ordinary person, drudging through some ordinary life. I'm extraordinary because someone exceptional has taken residence in my heart. God himself!
Please share your thoughts. How do we practically walk this out?
much love
jack
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23 comments:
Thank you so much for the encouragement. I had a rough day and I just saw this post. Don't you just love how God's children's thoughts and encouragements are all planned out?
It's so difficult and life just seems very harsh and wrong. We do need to keep our focus on God. One important way I believe this is done is by reading His Word and letting it work on our lives daily.
God bless!!
I'm in my 40's and still learning this! I think that part of the key to this is a constant, vigilant attitude toward the moving of the Holy Spirit. It's like when you decide to buy a new car and all of the sudden you see that model of car everywhere--you are more focused on that car because you desire it. If we desire to live in the light, we will begin to see Him in all things. It's a minute-by-minute thing.
sorry, previous post didn't really address the practical, like you were wanting. So if we choose to desire Christ as much as someone desires a new car, or a new job, or a relationship with that "special someone," we'll begin to see Christ in all things. Think of Christ as the most desirable of all treasures - that pearl of great price. Speak your desire to be transformed in your prayers, stop praying for things, start praying for transformation. And trust He will bring the change.
As Hillsong United would say, "the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in me."
the title of the post reminds me of the Family Force 5 song "Wake the Dead"
I think sometimes it's so easy to get stuck in a rut..forgeting our purpose in life is to be light to the world.. It can be hard to shine a light if we are so caught up in the daily happenings and disarsters here we can forget about the wonderful love and plan God has for us...
read Colossians 3..
love the blog... thanks
I just wrote something this morning on the subject of practically walking with Jesus called, "The Way":
http://toventureall.blogspot.com/2009/05/way.html
Definitely. I was sitting at Chik-fil-a, God bless 'em!, a few weeks ago reading John 18 and thought about this. That's the place where Jesus says, "I am He." The guards fall to the ground, and I thought of that place in Chronicles of Narnia where Aslan roars and knocks the queen back. I felt the living Word surge through me and I wanted to jump up and preach. haha. I would've loved to interrupt someone and say, "Excuse me, can I tell you what I just read in the Word??" That's life in Christ. Living, moving, growing. Man. I'll stop now, but I agree brother!
God give us grace to love Your Word!
I think we should be letting God's love overflow to others. Just serve the people around us the way Jesus did.
If He's in us, and He wants everyone to be saved, we should be letting Jesus's perfect heart lead them to him. Let Him work through us for His awesome plans. Read his word to find out about those plans, he loves to share them with us through His prophets.
If we are truly extraordinary because of this exceptional God, we have to stop looking like those around us, stop acting like those around us, and stop thinking like those around us.
The only way to do this is to know God so intimately that we begin to think like him, look like him, and act like him. Reading the Word, storing it in our hearts, is the best place to start. "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."
As we begin to think, act, and look more like Jesus, we will love each other better. And that should make people ask questions about where this love comes from.
I agree, after we become Christians, we can't just leave it on the shelf. A changed life is the proof that we are saved. Being a Christian isn't "boring." Going to church isn't "boring." Reading the Bible isn't "boring." It shouldn't be. God is alive and working, and we should be too.
Well I don't have any answers as to how we practically walk this out, I actually came to the comment section to get answers not give them. If my rut got any deeper well... blahblahblah,,, I know what I should be doing, I know where to find it and I know who has it but here I am non the less. The only answer I can atest to as for walking it out , is I do know God is with me this whole time and WANTS me despertly to shine again, He shows me practically hourly what I mean to him , so I guess I walk it out by holding onto that, knowing He is holding on right back and I will one day shine again. Everyone walks it differently.
wow that all makes so much sense! God is Alive! Alive in me and all believers and those who serve him! That is so so so so so so stinking amazing!!!
~Abby
Leeland ... you are a blessing! I'm 45 years old and love your music and your heart for God. You bless us and Him!
How do we walk this out? Well, I heard a saying "the reason the "dead sea" is dead is because it has a river into it, but no river out." If we receive God's love and don't give it out ... we die inside. Also, the more love of God we give out the more He gives us ... you can't outgive God!!! His desire is to fill you beyond full with His love; so go give it out so He can give you more ... now, you've found true joy and the full meaning of your life! Blessings ...
I find it hard to live it all for GOD but this post and comments helped me to realize that I need to be more forward and growing in my faith. Thanks guys! :) I need to be challenging myself and others to give their all for Christ because of His great and exceptional love for us. Without it, we'd be empty and without purpose like the rest of the world lives like. If GOD loves me so much, I should be pouring it back out to others since I'll never be devoid of it. Jesus loves y'all! :)
I think that every day we need to remind ourselves what our ultimate goal is in this life. Even when we're having a really crummy day, we need to stay focused on Jesus and ask him to help us to show his love through us.
"Our face is set
Our goal is heaven
Jesus, you are the well of love
We'll pour you out, we'll pour you out"
Hey, I read this verse in Jeremiah today:
"But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jeremiah 20:9)
It reminded me about what you said. Might make a good song one day... :) (by me, I mean, but you can use it too if you want)
jack wat you said kinda makes me think, i'm not sure im living to shine for Christ, i've asked Him into my heart, but i don't feel like say, you guys, who seem so in depth with the Holy Spirit and GOD. im not sure how to shine.
awww thanks! that's all so true. you're amazing and so is God
I love your blog. It inspires me, wakes me up, encourages me and just reminds me of Jesus so much. And I so agreed today. Sometimes we Christians kind of live our lives like everybody else. When we should be living our lives like Jesus, who actually lives inside of us. At least I find myself living my life like that sometimes. But Jesus wants us to be the lights we are in him, in this world. As in your song: "We are saved in a world that's lost".
I think the only way to walk this out is to keep your eyes on Jesus and try to live like him. Because by showing your faith through your actions people will see Jesus through your life.
And remind yourself of this when you meet people: You might be the only Bible they'll ever read.
Love you all, and thanks for being such an inspiration and for being role models for us young people today. I’m actually from Sweden and you have a lot of fans here I really look up to you because I know you follow Jesus.
//Mikaela
I love your blog. It inspires me, wakes me up, encourages me and just reminds me of Jesus so much. And I so agreed today. Sometimes we Christians kind of live our lives like everybody else. When we should be living our lives like Jesus, who actually lives inside of us. At least I find myself living my life like that sometimes. But Jesus wants us to be the lights we are in him, in this world. As in your song: "We are saved in a world that's lost".
I think the only way to live this out is to keep your eyes on Jesus and try to live like him. Because by showing your faith through your actions people will see Jesus through your life.
And remind yourself of this when you meet people: You might be the only Bible they'll ever read.
Love you all, and thanks for being such an inspiration and for being role models for us young people today. I’m actually from Sweden and you have a lot of fans here I really look up to you because I know you follow Jesus.
//Mikaela
I love your blog. It inspires me, wakes me up, encourages me and just reminds me of Jesus so much. And I so agreed today. Sometimes we Christians kind of live our lives like everybody else. When we should be living our lives like Jesus, who actually lives inside of us. At least I find myself living my life like that sometimes. But Jesus wants us to be the lights we are in him, in this world. As in your song: "We are saved in a world that's lost".
I think the only way to live this out is to keep your eyes on Jesus and try to live like him. Because by showing your faith through your actions people will see Jesus through your life.
And remind yourself of this when you meet people: You might be the only Bible they'll ever read.
Love you all, and thanks for being such an inspiration and for being role models for us young people today. I’m actually from Sweden and you have a lot of fans here I really look up to you because I know you follow Jesus.
//Mikaela
I came to your blog just when I was surfing on this topic. I am happy that I found your blog and information I wanted.
We practically walk it out just like you said in your examples... In every day regular situations, we have to remember that the one inside of us is greater than anything we're coming up against. And if we get cut off, maybe God has a reason for us going slower in traffic. If we can pray without ceasing, we can keep Him with us all the time. Whenever there is a free second - breathe, and pray. That's how I not only get through days, but thrive in them. Even if everything else is screwed up, I rest in the warmth that dwells in my heart from His presence. :) He's always with us; we just have to remember to say Hi.
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