Category: Interior Life

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Transformation Through Abiding in Jesus

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Do you want your daily words and actions to be more Christlike, but you find that you can’t seem to get the right attitude throughout the day? You may want to consider learning to briefly focus your heart on Jesus several times a day. We call this “contemplating Jesus” because it is not meditation (i.e., mulling over, reflecting, gaining understanding), which is important for devotional times, but rather we are gazing on, beholding, giving attention to or abiding in Jesus. Contemplation is just a fancy word for these simple activities. In John 15:5 Jesus says, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV). Abiding in Jesus is a continuous practice, which is very similar to contemplation. The most profound passage on contemplating Jesus is II Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding Continue Reading →

heaven

Your Rewards In Heaven Depend On Your Works

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When we think about our blessings in heaven we usually think about the immense pleasure of just being in God’s presence and enjoying his love. We may not think so much about the rewards in heaven God will give because that seems too self-focused. Moreover, how much good is a reward compared to being directly in God’s presence with Jesus? In Bernard of Clairvaux’s (b. 1090 – d. 1153) famous work On Loving God he says that “God is not loved without reward, although he should be loved without regard for one” (Sec. 6.17). Bernard rates loving God because of rewards in heaven as only the second of four levels of loving God. And yet scripture repeatedly uses rewards in heaven to motivate us to be Christlike. God assures us in Ephesians 6:7-8 that we should do “service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good Continue Reading →

spiritual marriage with Chrsit wedding rings

Longing For Marriage With Christ

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We can sum up our destiny by saying that God will bring us into his presence (II Cor 4:14) and give us a vision of Jesus that will make us like Jesus (I John 3:2). Theologians refer to this vision as the beatific vision. But is that the end of our destiny? Scripture teaches that there is something more: spiritual marriage with Christ. The supremacy of spiritual marriage with Christ is seen in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 19:7-8 the great multitude declares “…the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.”  The marriage comes after the purification. This purification is essentially equivalent to the Christformation mentioned so often in the New Testament. The marriage supper of the Lamb represents God’s highest goal for humans. In the New Creation we will Continue Reading →

humility

Humble Leadership – Part 2

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Last week we looked at three foundational attitudes for humble leadership: thinking of oneself as a student, a servant, and a messenger. Together these attitudes form humility in us. Today we build on humility with more ideas that deepen humility and equip us for mature leadership, whether we lead as a parent, a spouse, an employee, or in ministry. Truly Love People. This means our heart is committed to the well-being of the people we serve, with at least some measure of affection. If we don’t truly love the people, then we need to find a way to change our hearts or reconsider our calling. Be Weak and Strong. We are a flower in the field but also an anchor in the storm. This sounds like a paradox but it actually makes a lot of sense. Jesus made himself vulnerable for the sake of the people he served, but he was, and is, Continue Reading →

humility

Humble Leadership – Part 1

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You just finished leading a great meeting. Everyone was happy and happy with you. Several smiled and thanked you personally. At home you are feeling thankful for being able to lead. Then, as you relax, your mind starts wandering and thinking about what a great person you are. You are a fantastic leader, so much better than most…whoa! What happened here? You were just thinking about being thankful then you started getting delusions of grandeur. How quickly spiritual pride rears its head and sabotages humble leadership. Scripture teaches that you have an old self, or “flesh” that you have to fight. It has desires that assault us, which we resist by centering on Christ, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Rom. 13:14, NIV). This explains why these temptations and impulses rise up within us. In Continue Reading →