Do you want to encounter Jesus?

I was inspired by the sermon this morning (Mark 5:21-43, https://extendgrace.org/) and wanted to share...

The question was asked: Who would be most likely to encounter Jesus? To know and walk closely with Jesus?
I quickly scribbled an answer and then came up with two more...

1) If I had very regular quiet times full of prayer and Word, I think I would encounter Jesus. If I loved others unconditionally ALWAYS, I would probably encounter Jesus more.

2) Feelings: If I had the desire to know and be with Jesus, I would be full of joy, peace, power & purpose. And encounters with Jesus.

3) The only pre-req is that we have a NEED. Jesus meets us when we are in "need" of Him.

YES. Jesus is available no matter what! We don't need to have good Christian disciplines. We don't need to have the warm fuzzy feelings. We just need to need Him and ask for an encounter (see Mark 5:21-43).

++++ additional thoughts ++++
Upon additional pondering... The nature of the word "encounter" implies not very often. My desire (#2 above) it to continually "encounter" Jesus 24/7 in every micro moment, thought and action.

++++ a poem I thought fitting ++++


++++ Bonus Material to Ponder ++++
Q: Do you have the power/ability to limit what God can do in your life?

A: I'm afraid the answer is "yes" because if we surrender and turn to Him, good things happen (God's power flows through us). If we turn away from God and go our own way, we delay God's power and plan coursing through our lives.

Let me know what you think. :)

Recent Inspiration - Prayer-Faith-Trust

So after some great fellowship last night and listening to a sermon this morning (Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? at Grace Roseville) I'm inspired to ponder and think :)

Two main actionable takeaways for me:
1) More time in prayer (for work, home, school, others, etc.)
2) More faith and trust in God (living as if He's got my back in all things)

I think it's progressive and building. I like formulas so here's my formula:
Foundation: Repent from sin. We are all sinners and need to continually acknowledge and repent from our sin. A good checking question: What sin do I have in my life (thought, word & deed) today that I have not repented from? (repent is to do a 180 and walk away from it completely, no turning back)
Level 1: Obedience. We are not to judge or decide a la cart what to do, we are to listen and obey. God is very clear in this matter (ref Bible). A friend of mine shared a quote that "we are responsible to obey the outcome/result is God's responsibility." WOW! This is really freeing and totally makes sense. We are not God so all we're just responsible to follow orders. He is responsible for results. WOW.
Level 2: Faith/Trust. Building on the foundation (sinner saved by grace and beloved of the Father) and level 1 (obedience) we enter into faith/trusting in God's promises. This includes that His timing will most likely not align with ours, but that's why we are trusting him.
Level 3: Life to the fullest (John 10:10). I'd argue that with a firm foundation and solid levels 1 & 2 we can freely enjoy the life God has for us, life to the fullest. Let's enter into the joy of our master (Matt 25:23). Onward, upward & heavenward :)

Sooooo, what level are you operating at? Are any of your levels not completely solid/secure? If not, work it! (that's what I plan to do)

Standing Out vs. Fitting In

Some things to think about (a few random paragraphs, loosely connected)...
These thoughts were inspired by meeting with BUILT guys from Camp Cherith 1-19-19. 

It is in our human nature to fit in. We generally want to look like, be like, act like, dress like our peers, those around us. We generally are full of pride and concerned with our image. From this place we are OK standing out if we won or out did our peers such as being faster, better, smarter, having more, doing more, etc. Winning (standing out, competing) unfortunately carries the risk of making others feel like they are "less" since in this case you are "more". Hmmmmm, doesn't seem like winning is good to me.

Everybody gets a trophy. Is this good or bad? Let's look at it in two areas: First, consider a race in track and field... The 5th graders are told to run the race as fast as they can to win first place. Give it your best try! If after the race, they all get the same recognition, what does that say? The problem arises when we mistake "First Place" as meaning your are better than the others (see competition in the paragraph above). In reality, "First Place" just means that you were the fastest runner that day. Congratulations!! Now let's consider "everybody gets a trophy" from God's perspective: Amazing Grace. In this case, we (if we believe in Jesus) all get the prize (eternal life). God puts us all on the same level and freely gives eternal life to the thief on the cross and the Christian who followed Jesus and loved others every step of the way. I think this is good and humbling because it reminds us that we are all sinners and we all need Jesus. This sets us up to humbly serve one another because we are all in the same boat (sinners saved by amazing grace).

So back to "fitting in" with regards to our faith: In our human nature, we want to fit in; this also applies to our faith. We don't want to be different or stand out because we are a Christian. I think there are two ways of looking at this: The first (self-centered) isn't fruitful or good, but the second (Christ-following) is very fruitful. The self-centered view says that, I don't want to say I'm a Christian, carry a Bible and let them know I go to church every Sunday. They might judge me as different and weird and I want to fit in. The Christ-following view says that I will be loving and kind to everyone, just like Jesus. If I stand out, let me be weird because I love others (not because I'm a Christian or because I go to church). "They will know that we are Christians by our love." (John 13:35) In the Christ-following view we stand out for leading by example and laying down our lives for others (John 15:13) and everybody wins the more we all do this (God's amazing grace). I think this is a good idea. :)

So I hope that you can ponder and think a bit on these topics. My prayer is that if we stand out, if we are weird, different and don't fit in, it is because we have received God's grace/forgiveness/love and that we freely give it to others. May we be known for this and may it turn others to the Giver of Grace and all good things. To God be the glory. Amen.