relationship with Jesus

The Price to Get In

“…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” – Acts 14:22 Today I was reflecting on how much I love going to the gym. It has lots of amenities to help you stay in shape and keep your body healthy. My gym also has hard-core battling ropes and chain equipment, which can be challenging and uncomfortable at times, but yields great results. I was thinking about the similarities between this and our walk as Christians — when we are called to get out of our comfort zone, but in the end, it’s worth it.  There’s another spiritual lesson here I want to share. I’m always curious how my gym can afford to operate a huge facility when not many people go. A fellow gym patron shared some wisdom: “Bobby, many people pay

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This is Jesus’ Heart

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ ” – Luke 19:5-7 Jesus had an eating ministry. The heart of Christ is reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and mercy, and particularly, He likes to do this with food. You might have heard me say this every Sunday back in the day. We used to serve communion and before I would invite people to take part, I would say, “Jesus has an eating ministry and He’s continuing it now in communion.” So much of Jesus’ ministry was inviting sinners — or people who were not supposed to associate with righteous people, to His table. The Bible speaks of a

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God Gave the Gift

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.” – Acts 11:15-17 Imagine Peter, who’s the leader of the church in Jerusalem, being invited to dine with Cornelius, a centurion who the Bible describes as a righteous man. Cornelius has a connection with God and wants to be drawn into the faith, but doesn’t know what to do. He wants to eat with Peter, but Peter is reluctant to do so because he’s a Gentile. To facilitate this encounter, Peter has a vision from God, and God says “don’t call unclean what I have called clean.” So Peter eats with Cornelius and the gang, and they become Gentile Christians. This is an important moment in the Acts of the Apostles. When Peter returns home and tells people that he’s eaten with these Gentiles and that the Holy Spirit came

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Praying in the Morning

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – 1 Chronicles 16:11 Yesterday, we discussed how having a routine may be very valuable as we strive to become rooted and grounded individuals who thrive in turmoil. I’m hoping that by sharing the five steps of my “morning meditation,” you’ll be inspired to create your own, since I feel it will help you grow in the Lord and empower you to be a more powerful influence in the world. In our last devotional, I mentioned how meditation is the first stage in my morning ritual, and how it easily leads to the second component, prayer. Reflecting on a passage of Scripture and lifting up the Name of Jesus in worship generates a lovely Spiritual atmosphere that makes it simple to just begin talking to Him. Now, I don’t have a set prayer formula, but I do pray for

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