Month: November 2009 (Page 3 of 3)

Devotions from Jan Johnson’s book

Jesus emphasized the practice of welcoming the stranger as he welcomed all kinds of people into His life and identified with them.  He challenges us to welcome others with His love, and to do that we have to let go of self-absorption and our indifference to people that are not in “our group”. They may fit into the category of outcasts like the lepers, or wrongdoers like Zacchaeus, or people longing for a home like Jesus parents when they fled to Egypt. Or it could be anyone who is not like us, newcomers, or anyone in power-down positions. As it says in Romans 12:16 “”Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with the nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.”  To befriend someone normally overlooked may transform us. We learn from them how not to be haughty or think we’re wiser than we are. We can open our selves to them and be willing to be helped by them. The Lord wants to help us cultivate a welcoming heart and let His love flow out of us into others.  Who are the strangers in our lives that Jesus wants to love through us?

Devotions based on Jan Johnson’s book ,”Invitation to the Jesus Life

Today’s devotion is on being a good listener and I certainly have a long ways to go in being an attentive listener.

Do we often listen with half an ear and presume we already know what the other person has to say, waiting for our chance to speak?  And when we interrupt others when they are speaking are we really telling them that what they say doesn’t matter as much as what we have to say?

Jesus, on the other hand, focuses on us and listens to us, and loves us.  He looks for what is going on inside of us, and never tires of us.

.We aren’t born knowing how to listen to God. As we spend time connecting with Him through out the day, we learn to respond to His voice and follow His leading.

We can practice this more by reading scriptures, meditating, praying and paying attention to teaching.

From the experience of being listened to by Jesus we can learn to be present to others and listen deeply to their soul cries.

Listening is one of the most basic ways we submit to each other. It teaches us to die tour own desires and live to theirs.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer listen to God either. “ As we listen to others it can be a greater service than speaking

As we live life in union with God, we will have empathy and genuinely care for others with a willingness to really listen to them.

You might want to try this practice as you talk to people. …try praying for them as they speak to you, to know what is really going on inside of them 

Devotions based on Jan Johnson’s book ,”Invitation to the Jesus Life

Today’s devotion is on being a good listener and I certainly have a long ways to go in being an attentive listener.

Do we often listen with half an ear and presume we already know what the other person has to say, waiting for our chance to speak?  And when we interrupt others when they are speaking are we really telling them that what they say doesn’t matter as much as what we have to say?

Jesus, on the other hand, focuses on us and listens to us, and loves us.  He looks for what is going on inside of us, and never tires of us.

.We aren’t born knowing how to listen to God. As we spend time connecting with Him through out the day, we learn to respond to His voice and follow His leading.

We can practice this more by reading scriptures, meditating, praying and paying attention to teaching.

From the experience of being listened to by Jesus we can learn to be present to others and listen deeply to their soul cries.

Listening is one of the most basic ways we submit to each other. It teaches us to die to our own desires and live to theirs.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer listen to God either. “ As we listen to others it can be a greater service than speaking

As we live life in union with God, we will have empathy and genuinely care for others with a willingness to really listen to them.

You might want to try this practice as you talk to people. …try praying for them as they speak to you, to know what is really going on inside of them

Devotions from Jan Johnson’s book Invitation to the Jesus Life

Jesus calls us friends! Is that a radical thought? Too often we frame God’s invitation to share His life as a contract. We may view Him like a vending machine.. If we put in the coin of good deeds, church activities etc then He will reward us with a life free of problems etc.  But this is really using God, not loving Him. We are only seeing God’s blessings rather than His own self. But He is more than a solution to our problems. He is a daily companion of our souls.
Without a close soul-friend relationship with God, prayer becomes an attempt to manipulate God. But when we live in union with Him, answered prayer becomes a natural part of abiding in Him, not something sought in the mechanical view of God..

He wants us to be our companion and invites us to a life in Him!

Today I woke with the words of a song, “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  The sky was so clear with moon and stars and so awesome. Our whole trip home last night was one of beauty as the moon looked like a ball of fire.

Devotions from Jan Johnson’s book, Invitation to the Jesus Life

People often view eternal life as an existence that starts when we die but in reality it begins now.  Eternal life not only refers to the length of life but the quality of life in which we experience wholeness and union with God.

It is daily tasting the love of God, experiencing joy, peace, etc. “It is nothing else than the life of God himself in you.”
John 17:3 says” Now this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God.” And know here means an intimate fellowship, and interactive relationship with Him.
God invites us into a transforming, soul-friend relationship with Him
Rather than a life  of self-centeredness, self-preoccupation and self-interest, we now know it is not about “Me” but Him and His kingdom.
We become people who bless the difficult people in our lives, care for others, go the extra mile, live with purpose, let go of pride, let go of grudges….you get the picture.

It’s not just about outward behavior but a transformation of our hearts. The inner life of our soul must be transformed if good things will flow out of us naturally. Trying to be good won’t work but we need to connect with Jesus Himself.

“God doesn’t love us because we are good, but because God loves us, God makes us good.”

Devotions from Gary Moon’s book Apprenticeship with Jesus

We were made for Him!

To become more like Him it takes vision, intention and means. ( VIM)

1. Vision is “ the ability to see ourselves radically transformed and authentically living life a whole new way in God’s Kingdom on earth—head-over-heels in love with both the Creator and his creation.”  God offers us more than just a “get out of hell free card,” he wants us with Him and like Him.
2. Intention is to live in the kingdom of God by willing to obey the example and teaching of Jesus.  We must intend to pick up our cross and follow Christ with resolve and continue no matter what obstacles may block our path.  In other words to will to have no other will than the will of God.
3. Means is the path to change.  The means for transformation include openness to the presence and power of Christ, study of his life and teachings, inspiration from seekers and saints, and practice of the spiritual disciplines.

Are we determined to become like Him and to be open and receptive for this purpose in our lives?
May it be our intention to learn from Him and live each moment of our day by his side as His apprentice.

Then we can wake up each morning with the primary purpose of being with Him while learning to be like Him.

Devotions from Gary Moon’s book, Apprenticeship with Jesus

Today our author talks about being well balanced in our approach to spiritual formation and uses 6 different groups. If we zero in on only one we end up having a “spiritual eating disorder”, so we need to partake of each of them.

1. Contemplative: Spending time with God in prayer and meditation each day.  Tell Him of your love for Him and take time to listen to Him
2. Holiness: Having pure thoughts, words, and actions, and overcoming temptation.  Col. 3:1-17 is a beautiful listing of rules for holy living.
3. Charismatic:  Welcoming the Holy Spirit while nurturing and exercising our spiritual gifts.
4. Social justice:  Helping others less fortunate than ourselves.
5. Evangelical:  Sharing the gospel of Jesus and reading the scriptures.
6. Incarnational:  Unifying the sacred and secular areas of our lives while showing forth God’s presence.

Today may we offer everything we do as an act of love to Him and work With Him and For Him. 

Jesus is the source of each of these traditions of spirituality and let us be healthy and be nourished by each one of these expressions.

Devotions from Gary Moon’s book, Apprenticeship With Jesus for 11-2

Hurry is an expression of anxiety and the sign of a deeper problem.

Dallas Willard said, “One of the greatest enemies to service to Jesus is service to Jesus.  If you are not experiencing your yoke as easy and your burden as light, then you are bearing some other burden, but not the burden of Christ-it is a problem with your heart.”

The author recognized his problem as not feeling confident of his worth to God and others…that he was truly loved by God. Projects gave him a sense of accomplishment and the busier he got it only perpetuated the circle of anxiety and hurry.

Jesus was never in a hurry and he knew who He was .

We all need to be reminded to slow down and be fully available to the present moment.
It helps if we recall our truest being as His child and mediate on the power and presence of God.