Light Steps: How does your faith direct your life?

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

How does your faith direct your life?

Here? Now? How?

"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.'" (John 8:31 NLT)

In context of the entire exchange, it seems Jesus spoke those words to some people who didn't truly believe in Him. To "abide" in the teaching of Jesus, or, as the NLT says, to "remain" in the teaching of Jesus is to keep on believing and continue on in trying to live in obedience to what He has said and who He is.

It seems each of our moments can be tested --on the one hand-- and built --on the other hand-- by the continual determination of whether we are abiding in Jesus (see John 15:1-5) and abiding in His word.

Think on how probing these questions are...
Am I remaining in belief in Jesus --right now, right here-- today?
Am I continuing in obeying Jesus's teachings where I am in this moment?
Am I seeking His face right here, right now?

Does Jesus's teaching tell me...
...how I ought to be thinking, right here, right now?
...what I should be saying, right here, right now?
...what my priorities should be, right here, right now?
...how I should be treating others, right here, right now?
...how I should be honoring the Father, right here, right now?
...what I should be expecting of the Spirit, right here, right now?

Right here, right now, do I...
...hold to Jesus's teachings? (NIV)
...continue in Jesus's teachings? (NASB, KJV, HCSB, NCV)
...remain faithful to Jesus's teachings? (NLT)
...abide in Jesus's teachings? (ESV, ASV)
...live by Jesus's teachings? (GWT)
...hold fast to Jesus's teachings? (AMP)
...obey the teachings of Jesus? (GNT)

Here? Yes. And there.
Now? Yes. And then.

How? Holding to -- Continuing -- Remaining faithful -- Abiding in -- Living by -- Holding fast to -- Obeying the teachings of the Master, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah / Christ of God.

May God bless us to abide in Him and His teachings, that we might prove to be His disciples; true ones, at that. Help us, O Lord, I pray, in and through Jesus, for our good and for Your glory. Amen.

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This Says it for Me!

Every Christian is a contradiction to this old world. He crosses it at every point. He goes against the grain from beginning to end. From the day that he is born again until the day that he goes on to be with the Lord, he must stand against the current of a world always going the other way. God expects him to be "beside himself," "a fool for Christ's sake," "drunk on new wine." If he allows it, men will tone him down, steal the joy of his salvation, and reduce him to the dreary level of the general average. If the devil cannot keep us from being saved, he next endeavors to make average Christians of us, and in this he usually succeeds. He tames the holy recklessness of God's dare-saints until they sink into the drab pattern of most of us, "faultily faultless, icily regular, splendidly dull." The devil does not mind our joining church if we behave like most of those who are already inside. But when a real, wide-awake Christian breezes along, taking the Gospel seriously, the devil grows alarmed and begins plotting his downfall. He gets plenty of assistance right in the church, for many church folk do not like to have their Laodicean complacency upset by these who turn the world upside down. So they conspire with Satan to turn the young Christian's fever into a chill. There are always plenty of human wet blankets to smother the zealot's flame, and they have put out more spiritual fires than have all the skeptics and infidels. -- Vance Havner

A Little About Me...

I was born in South Boston, VA, but was raised on the state line in the Person Co., NC - Caswell Co., NC - Halifax Co., VA region. I always tell people you know you are a country boy when your idea of being a "multi-national" means you've been to three counties in your lifetime.

Enough of my geographical meanderings...I became a Christian (ask me about THAT!) at the age of 25 and have done my utmost to serve God since that day. I worked as an associate pastor for 4 1/2 years and now serve in the role of Executive Director of My Life Matters, where I've been since March 2005, and I also serve as the pastor of East Rock Community Church, a church plant, along with fellow elders, Brett Carver & Casey Adams, where we've been since June 2007.

I love to write. I share a devotion in our local paper each week. This blog site is really just an extension of my writing. I really hope to share the Word of God with people...any kind of people, every kind of person. I also do a weekly podcast called "Light Steps Live," which can be found on several platforms.

Thanks for "stopping by"! Y'all come back now, ya hear?