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Seeking after God?

The Gospel of John is an eyewitness account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  John wrote this account with a special theme in mind.

" but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name"  ~  John 20:31 NASB

I encourage those who may be seeking after God to start here; read the Gospel of John.  If you don't have a Bible handy, check out BibleGateway.com online or as a phone or tablet app.

May our risen Lord bless your life.

I'd like to hear from you.

Bible bookmarks

I'm cleaning out the various pieces of paper that fluff the pages of my Bible and reviewing some of the passages I noted for reflection.  Scribbles of verse references, sermon notes, thoughts to chew on;  I should have studied them immediately and intently, followed them up, for daily, passing peace.

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"But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,  so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need."  ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 (NAS)

"Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.   Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."  ~ Colossians 3:22-24 (NAS)

These two, kept at the front of thinking, would go a great way toward leading me to a stronger and more peaceful relationship with my employer and my fellow workers.

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"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."  ~ 1 Timothy 6:10 (NAS)

I don't lust after money or riches, but there are certainly far too many occasions when I could have been a stronger steward of God's bounty, and more certain, could have put His money to use helping someone other than myself.

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I have the following notes titled "chapter six focus"; I don't recall what study, which book, they are referencing, but the thoughts alone bear review.

1. prayer, surrendering, confessing - I can feel God's presences and sometimes His comfort but His "pleasure" eludes me
2. work was God's plan from the beginning - working "hard" was the result of sin - I think work is needed to keep us sharp, mentally and physically
3. surrendering what we "have" to God puts us in the position of seeking his desires with our stewardship as well as (?) us constantly seeking Him, His plans, His purposes for our lives
4. I have no ambition
5. work as its own reward provides for our needs (not at the mercy of others 1 Thessalonians 4:12) and allows us to show God's hand in our lives - Honor God - God displayed - God honored
6. at this point, virtually none of my life is surrendered to God - I am hanging on to control and God is not honored & seldom acknowledged

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Here are some note from a study titled "Relationships":

1. Not sure about everyone else, but I am
2. Somewhat - drilling down deeper - think you could call it "personal dissatisfaction"
3. Fear of failure
4. I would lobe to step aside but time is money and money is ability - "If can't give love, I must give stuff"
5. Amen
6. inward focus - "self trapping"
7. I am more outward outside the home. but part of it is that I get "nitpicked" if i express myself to my three girls - it gets wearisome
8. yes - more frustration at home because I expect them to comply willingly, but they are just as difficult

It's interesting that this most important chapter is the shortest and says the least.

Hmm ...

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This one comes from a sermon, I think at Grace Point, titled "EPIC"

 

Your Ending

The Journey

•  2 Peter 1 3-11 -The journey begins when we exchange our lives; the goal is to have lived a life of moral excellence (vs 5)

 Glimpses of Glory

• 2 Corinthians 2:18
• 1 Corinthians 13:12
• 1 John 3:2

Our New Home

• Geneses 2:19
• Revelation 2:17
• Revelation 19:11-16

 I'll just have to look these up and flesh them out to reveal the cohesion.

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11/28/10 FWFBT (?)

James 4:10-12

1 Peter 2:1-2

Ephesians 4:29-32

Galations 6:1-2

Matthew 7:1-6

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"Life is hard, and then you die."

Why is life hard?  What happens when I die?

The mind and the heart are shaped by our senses, by the influences we see, hear, feel, touch, taste; by the things we live.  As our minds and hearts are shaped, the path before us unfolds and time moves us forward.

What is shaping my path?  Is it smooth or rough?  Do I see the end clearly, or is it murky and undefined?  Can I reshape my path or am I bound to it?

The answers are in The Book.

the answer

The answer lies in Jesus, Christ The Lord, not in "Christianity".  Christianity, the religion, is made up of men and women, and we screw up.  We follow Jesus, but we are not Him.  We cling to Him, but we are far from perfect.

I will tell you what I know to be true and I will tell you why I believe, but, please, don't look to me for the absolute answers to anything.

That comes from knowing Him, and coming to know Him.

Look to Jesus for the truth.

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  ~  John 8:32 (NASB)

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  ~  Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

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