The Lord is saying: I am with you, an unfailing God. Don't look to the left or right but walk with me. Trust me, hope in me and take your eyes off of people and things. They will all eventually fail but I will never fail you and I will walk you into a glorious future.

When a person gets born again, this new relationship with Jesus is likened many times to a marriage in the scriptures with Jesus as the bridegroom. We are called to love him with such a passion that all else fades away into insigmicance compared to this new love. This is because he loves us so much and wants us to be his first love.

We make a big mistake when we preach the good news and tell people that if they give their life to Jesus, he is going to make everything alright. It is true that when we give up our own life to follow him, he leads us into the greatest inheritance and happiness we could ever imagine, but He is a jealous God and because of his great love towards us He wants us to love him first and foremost.

Its a bit like marrying a very rich man who has fallen in love with a woman. He wants her to love him for himself not for his riches. This relationship needs to be proved, would she still love him if he was a pauper. Yes of course he longs to pour out of his riches to make her happy, but it would soon go sour if that is the only reason she married him. The moment she was denied something for a time she would grow cold towards her husband. He would want to know from the very beginning that her motive was pure and her commitment total.

Many people have become Christians and have turned back from following Jesus when the going gets tough, simply because they turned to him for what they could get and are quickly disappointed when they don't readily see the answers manifested.

Jesus never promised am easy life, but the follower would need to know that the hardship that He went through would be the life of the believer and yet it would be the start of the greatest adventure that person could imagine. Just like a woman marrying a man, to give up all she has ever known to go on a long journey and dwell in another country and start a new life. Imagine the trepidation, yet if she loves and trusts her new husband she will give up all she has known to start this new life. Yes at the beginning this would truly test her love for her new husband.

 

Matthew 16. 24. Then Jesus said to the disciples, ``If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25. For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again.
26. What profit is there if you gain the whole world--and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life?

 

Email: shirleyhowitt@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

 

And each one will say:

by
Catherine O'Halloran

"You Lord Jesus are the delight of my heart,
the flame which burns so brightly within.
Lighting up the darkness of the night,
and the lonely dreary places in my being.

It is You whom I love beyond measure,
yielding up all that is self in me,
And submitting only to You Divine Healer.
So to receive back, all in essence that is me.

Redeemed, restored, renewed and more beautiful
than any creature ever imagined possible.
To you my Lord be glory, praise and honour
for all time and for all eternity.

The light in your heart is gentle,
gentle as a butterfly's wing,
Seeking only to love and heal,
and touch my heart so tenderly

You call me out from the desert
of noise, heat and dust
And show me a place of lush green pasture,
where the little tender daisies
With their golden heads crowned
in purest white are wet with the jewels of dew,
And the clear and sparkling streams
flow with a zest for life,
Whilst giving that same life
to your creation,

Continued ....next update