Archive for the ‘Alone with Jesus’ Category

Trophies

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

I have won a lot of trophies in my lifetime. I have excelled at baseball, bowling, and martial arts. My trophies are visible exhibitions of my achievement and success. As I was de-cluttering our basement a couple of weeks ago, I saw how much dust my “precious” trophies had collected. As my ego and pride took me down memory lane of each achievement, the Spirit said to me: “Throw them away.” My first reaction was: “But, what about all the practices, sweat, injuries, the time, and the money? How will people know that I have achieved and have succeeded?” Then he reminded me, with these words from Philippians, of the one trophy I should be pursuing everyday:

DSC025962 300x225 Trophies

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith,

DSC025991 300x225 Trophies

. . . that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”

DSC025981 300x225 Trophies

What trophies are you holding on to, that Jesus may be calling you to count as rubbish in order for you to be found in him and know the surpassing worth of him?

Popularity: 8% [?]

Let’s Climb!

Monday, October 19th, 2009

“Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.” Matthew 17:1

Turnagain Arm Rock

As I read this passage this morning, I sensed that Jesus wants me to climb a mountain with him – the Mountain of Aloneness. I hear him calling me to ascend this mountain with him each day. Here are several observations about this ascent:

1. Jesus desires me to climb this mountain with him each day. He longs for me to say no to my lesser desire of procrastination and say yes to his greater desire of spending quality time with me. I know he wants to spend time with me because he loves me. 

2. Every believer is invited to ascend the Mountain of Aloneness with Jesus, but not every believer will make the ascent. The ascent to be alone with Jesus takes work! It takes getting up early, staying up late, turning off the television, blocking time, and making preparations to be alone with him.  Are you willing to be the “one” and put in the work to make the climb? 

3. I am led up this mountain by Jesus himself. I am not left alone to climb this mountain by myself. I have a guide who leads me up this mountain. He leads me up this mountain because he desires to reveal himself to me. 

4. There are times I need to climb this mountain with fellow pilgrims.

5. I must leave distractions behind when I ascend this mountain. I am easily held captive by noise, all kinds. I have to decide to fast and detox from my addiction to the noise of life and let the silent aloneness with Jesus quiet and feed my soul. 

6. I see a clearer picture of Jesus when I climb the Mountain of Aloneness with Jesus. I see him more clearly as Messiah and Son. Layers of his person are peeled away, and I see Jesus in his majesty, holiness, and power.

Will you ascend the Mountain of Aloneness with Jesus with me this week. It’s worth the climb and the view is transformational. 

Which observation(s) spoke to your heart the most? What keeps you from climbing the Mountain of Aloneness with Jesus? What changes do you need to make in order to make the climb? 

Let’s Climb!

Popularity: 20% [?]