5 Bible Verses about the Bible

Many people have a lot of things to say about the Bible, but what does the Bible have to say about itself? Today we are going to look at 5 Bible verses written specifically about the Bible from the Bible.

Many people debate the validity of the Bible and question whether or not it is written for our time or whether or not it contains errors. Although that is a deeper discussion for another time, we can look closer at what the Bible has to say about itself and in the process maybe answer some of those questions.

While I don’t have any question, that the Bible is inerrant and 100% contemporary based on my experiences and study of God’s Word, I believe that God’s Word speaks well for itself.

The Bible speaks clearly of itself. It presents its own validity. It is the living and breathing Word of God.

I can attest to countless times that I have needed nothing more than a whisper from the pages of Scripture and God has given me exactly what I need.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12.

You could quickly argue that I was just reading what I wanted to hear or needed to make myself feel better. That by no means is the case. Although reading God’s Word is uplifting and encouraging, there are many times that I am convicted of my wrong thinking or doing. My soul is divided and my innermost thoughts, sometimes not very nice ones, are exposed and laid wide open for examination.

A Lamp for My Path

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

I can often time find my way. North, South, East, and West, forget it. But when I need to get to a new place, I am able to navigate the streets and the land quite well. I use landmarks and physical features of the land to get where I am going. When I lived in Hawaii, I was easily able to navigate my way by following or looking toward the ocean or the mountains. I was confident in not getting lost because I paid close attention to my natural surroundings.

But life isn’t the same way. I am a mom of three busy kiddos. There are so many times where I mess up and fail and need good guidance. I need to be able to find my way and back from selfish desires and turning to the needs of those around me with a servant’s heart.

There are so many times in my life when I feel lost.

I feel like I am wandering around in a dark world and my navigation becomes skewed. So quickly, I can become inward focused and near-sighted in my circumstances. I can easily become consumed by the pressure of taking on one more task that is not in my playbook.

But then when I sit down with God’s Word, my perspective and reality don’t always line up. The story I tell myself and sometimes put on replay in my head is not always the truth that captures the moment.

God’s Word guides me back and illuminates my path. It helps me take the focus off of myself and what only lies in front of me. It lights my days with the truth that God seeks for me to indwell in my heart, mind, and soul.

My path becomes clear. My days become brighter. Not because they are without trials and troubles of their own but because I am walking in the light and my focus is clear.

I can see that my days are sprinkled with hope. Hope for the present and a future. I can see the heart of a Father who so desperately wants a relationship with His children and hurts when they want to let go. My path and purpose are clearly lit when I am in the presence of The Word.

The Word of the Lord Stands Forever

The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of the Lord stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

I love flowers. In fact, every year, I go to the store and buy seeds and new plants. All with good intentions. To make my yard look beautiful and my heart to feel happy from taking in the beauty that would surround me.

The problem is the only one with a green thumb in my house is my husband. In fact, my last gift few plant gifts sat by and withered away. One of them was even an air fern, which is really hard to kill. I was sad for its loss because it is so pretty.

I water them. Most of the time. When I think of it. Apparently, every couple of weeks isn’t often enough. especially in the summer when they are being scorched by the sun. My husband insists that he is not buying me anymore every time he has to water them. I can’t blame him but I truly love their beauty. I just remind him that the kids are still alive because I do remember to water and feed them.

The reality is that flowers and plants are temporary. Mine plants are just a bit more temporary than most. Maybe it’s because I don’t put my greatest love in things of this world and I can’t quite bring myself to remember the temporary.

So I put my hope and faith in something greater.

God wanted us to remember that seasons and time comes and goes. The beauty in something may only be there for a season. But there is something greater. Something that we can hold onto even as the seasons of our life seem to be fading away.

His Word is truth and reality that we can stand on. It is eternal, just as we are. God’s Word offers hope and confidence in something more than the temporary. It offers us the eternal life through Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. A message that is timeless. A message that doesn’t and hasn’t faded with time and anything that we contribute to it. God’s Word will stand the test of time and will never fade no matter the season that this creation goes through.

Man Cannot Live on Bread Alone 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

When I go to a buffet or have a meal over the holidays, I just want to eat the bread. Literally, I could have a whole meal of delicious rolls. Why? They are so delicious. Why can’t I have just that?

If I only engorged on warm and did I mention delicious roll, I would be missing so many nutrients that would be sufficient for my body to stay healthy. And at some point, I may look like a roll.

I love the story of the woman at the well. The disciples go away to get food as Jesus speaks to this woman. In the process of Him telling her everything he knew about her, He also declares that He is the Messiah her people had been waiting for.

When the disciples return they try to get Him to eat and He says I have food which you do not understand. Jesus feeding truth was satisfying Him more than any amount of food they could have brought Him. Likely some flatbread.

He knew that the only way would ever truly be satisfied in life was not dining on delicious warm rolls but dining on the truth that He has to offer us. So not we couldn’t physically or spiritually live on just the bread because we need the substance that is given us through His Word.

All Scripture is the Breath of God and Useful

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

As we were reading through Job tonight at the dinner table, my son shouts out, “Where is all this coming from?”

Confused I asked him, “Where is what coming from?”

“All these words. Who came up with all these words?”

Even at a young age, we wonder about the words poured out in the Bible.

There are so many of them. Where did the words come from? Who wrote them? Where did the people come from? How did they all come together? How did they know what to write?

The short answer is, there at least 40 authors of the Bible. It spans the writings of around 1400 years from people spread out over what we would call today, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and Northern Africa.

Those are great facts if you like details, like me, but the Bible is more powerful than mere facts. That God could orchestrate such a symphony is writing is beyond our comprehension. He could breathe life into the pages and words that each author poured onto their scrolls or writing pages this vast is a pure miracle.

The Bible isn’t just for our viewing pleasure, to collect dust on a shelf, or to hold us in any position of high esteem. The Bible, like Jesus, has a purpose. It is to teach us the words and way of the Lord. It is for rebuking the sins that enslave us. His Words are for correcting that sinful behavior and steering us toward righteousness.

We are not to end there. We are given all of those gifts from God so that we could be properly equipped to accomplish His good works and point people to Him and His Kingdom.

Where is this coming from? The very breath of God.

Men Spoke from God as They were Carried Along

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For the prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)

Seems possibly far-fetched? That the very breath of God breathed life into the words and pages of Scriptures.

Well, I don’t think so, but I also wholeheartedly believe in the miracles that are poured into those pages. But we don’t need to just take my word for it.

The writer of 2 Peter, Peter. One of the over 40 authors of the Bible. A disciple of Jesus and close confidant who would have been privy to more information than the average person.

Peter was also more privy to more information than most of the disciples and Jesus’s closest friends. He had the insiders scoop.  Jesus often took him aside and spoke only to Him.

He ascended the mountain and saw Jesus transfigured in His glory. Peter sat by the garden while Jesus prayed inside. He was the first to enter Jesus’ empty tomb.

You couldn’t get any closer to the Son of God than Peter probably did.

Yet

Peter himself writes no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.

He gives all credit to the Holy Spirit, who inspired the words that authors had the privilege of holding the pen for as they sketched God’s Word onto scrolls. God’s will put pen to parchment and the result was a Book that has become the eternal Word of God.

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The post 5 Bible Verses About the Bible appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face with My Freedom

For most of my teenage years and much of my twenties, I had chained myself back to the chains of sin that Christ had set me free from.  Being saved as a young girl I didn’t realize the importance of a personal relationship. My freedom from sin had nothing on my desire to be my own person.

What I had done was taken my freedom and used it as an opportunity for the flesh (Galatians 5:13). I knew that I was saved and firmly believe in that being something that is secure. But living for Christ was an entirely different story.

I began to get into a spiral of sin and living for my fleshy desires. I stopped recognizing the girl I thought I was becoming. That is a trail that seems to start out pretty harmless and can quickly spin into returning to my slave days of being trapped in my sin.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

The Yoke of Bondage

The of bondage was something I wore. I had begun to think that there was no turning back, no space for redemption and no need for reconciliation.

I was sorely mistaken. You may have heard this a thousand times, what I wouldn’t say to my younger self.

Looking back now, I would have let her know that she was free indeed, not to continue living for the flesh but free to walk in the graces of Christ. And the entangling back into the yoke of sin doesn’t have to become a permanent fixture. In Christ, there is no condemnation. You are free indeed.

For me personally, I thought I had messed up too badly. I knew I was too far away from Christ that there was no chance I could or He would accept someone of my nature.

I was afraid to come home. Afraid I would be greeted with the harshness I deserved and not the mercy Jesus is so often willing to give.

Years of Freedom Lost

The problem was this bottom line, I didn’t know Him. I didn’t know of His great love for His children even the ones so desperately far away. Especially the ones so desperately far away.

I had become an infant only living on the milk that I was provided as a child. Never willing to taste and see the Lord’s true goodness. I never doubted it but at the same time never made Him my own.

I didn’t know of His true redemption and His plan to set me free. At that time, I only understood His plan to take me one day to Heaven.

So I went on living the way I wanted to live leaving Christ and any relationship with Him on the back burner.

Years of freedom lost in the pursuit of my own self. Pride and self-sufficiency had become my mantra. I remember my deepest pit. Curled up on the bathroom floor in the midst of a mildly abusive relationship on both our parts and nowhere to turn.

I would love to say that was my turning point but sadly it was not. So I began hiding my self in this person I had become. I look back now and feel so sad for her. The answer, her Savior, Her Father waiting for her return.

The Decision at the Foot of the Cross

As we approach the cross, we are forced to make a decision. To follow Jesus or walk away. There is no opportunity for gawking because He is no longer there, He has Risen!

I had made that decision to follow Christ, but my decision stopped there. I never knew Him and never allowed myself to be known by Him. Although His presence I could always feel, I pushed it away.

My freedom was not free. It was paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
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The Lost Sheep

Jesus often times talked in Parables — stories with a lesson. This particular day, In Luke 15, He was talking with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees were highly offended and began muttering about Jesus dining with sinners.

Jesus tells this amazing story.

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. uke 15:4-7 (NIV)

Isn’t that story just precious? I am sure that these sinners and tax collectors were outcasts. Yet, Jesus points out to the very people that probably made sure they stayed that way that He will go out and get just one.

Just One

Do you ever wonder if Jesus would have died for just you? If you were the only one in all of existance and were such a desperate mess, would he have died for just you?

I believe these verses point to Jesus, who found it necessary to go out of His way for only one sometimes.

I can confidently say yes, I know He pursued me. He saw a lost sheep, and while He can care for the others, He still came after me, I know that He did. I know that He stayed there until I returned.

And today, I can celebrate because as He picked me up, put the full weight of my sinful rebellion on His shoulders, He carried me home, rejoicing all the way that He was bringing back home His lost sheep.

Christ Celebrates His Lost Sheep

You can be assured that Christ celebrates you. He and His angels rejoice at the return of His rebellious child.

I remember the day my husband, who was my fiance at the time, accepted Christ into His life. Our pastor said, today, the angels are rejoicing. One of Jesus’ lost children had decided to come home. As He hoists us up onto His shoulders He takes us home and celebrates.

Friend, you are greatly loved by a good God. If you are at a point where you feel like there is no safe passage, no way to return or get redemption, know that you are God’s treasure. He wants you to come to Him. Repent and turn from your ways. Let Him free you from the bonds of sin that so desperately entangle you.

On the cross, Christ died for our sins. He was buried and on the third day rose again and today He is Alive. One day He is going to return to this earth to gather up His children. The decision to follow Him is today. We do not know the day the shepherd will return for His sheep and so we have to be ready.

The Decision at the Cross

For some this may mean for the first time accepting Christ as your personal Savior and the Ruler of your Life, Repenting and turning from your sinful ways. And For others, it may mean that you repent and turn back to Him. Turning from your sin that you have buried yourself under. For others, it may be a deeper more sincere relationship where we keep watch and all the more as the day of His return approaches.

Real freedom has no other name than Jesus.
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Personal Reflections:

1. Do you believe that God is a good God? What does that mean to you?
2. Do you believe that He would have died for just you?
3. Do you need to make a decision of change in your life so that you can capture Christ’s freedom?

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will also be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with My Freedom appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face with True Worship

Recently while at Bible Study I heard Jesus whisper in my heart. Go home and bow down. It sounded like such a strange request. I thought God, I love you, do I really need to do this? The reply. Yes, go home with your face to the ground, bow down.

Now I can see how this may sound crazy, but when you have spent time in the word, God will teach you, rebuke you, correct you and train you up in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) Sometimes, this comes from the Holy Spirit whispering to your soul. This day, this spirit led worship was clearly teaching me what it meant to bow before The King.

So I did. I have to be honest, at first, it was awkward. But I wanted to be obedient. So I went home. Got down on my living room floor and as I brought my face to the ground the tears began to pour down my face.  I bowed there. In silence. Being still before God.

It has been so long since I just bowed before Jesus with nothing to say. Just obedience to the whispers in my heart. Recognizing Him as my King and object of true worship. I laid there and the tears just kept coming. And I stayed that way until He lifted me off the floor.

Today in our story we are going to be traveling to the other side of the Mount of Olives to a town called Bethany. There we are going to witness the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha.

A Welcoming Home

As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Luke 10:38 (BSB)

Jesus had been friends with Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus.  We know this from the interactions we see in John that they were dear friends of one another (John 11:5). It is also quite possible that when Jesus retreated to Bethany that he found rest at their house (Matthew 21:17).

This day, Martha welcomes Jesus into her home as she may have done before, and as any good hostess would do she begins the preparations for her beloved guest.

She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His message. Luke 10:39 (BSB)

Mary welcomed Jesus in a very different way. She sat at His feet and took in all that He was teaching.

Jesus had to of taught Mary and Martha that He was the Messiah, the Son of God because they believed that deep in their heart (John 11:27).

What does it mean to sit at the feet of Jesus?

Mary was at quite a preferential advantage to this type of view. Hearing the words of the Son of God straight from The Word Himself while reclining at His feet. At times, I am envious of Mary’s view and seated place. I can’t imagine sitting with Jesus on more than one occasion and being able to show my love to Him face to face.

Mary wasn’t just an admirer of Jesus, she loved Him and she was loved by Him and called His friend. While Jesus was traveling from town to town He met many along the way but these friends had a special place in Jesus’ heart.

It could have something to do with them opening their doors to Him when He needed a quiet retreat. Even more importantly they opened their hearts to Him as true worshippers.

Sitting at Jesus’ feet meant Mary could hear first hand as He described His mission as Son of God. He disclosed this to His disciples and to Mary and Martha as well. (John 11:24)

Although we can feel like our seating is on the outside looking in as we read these Bible stories. Our vantage point is quite different from Mary and Martha’s.

This side of the cross we can have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling inside us. As he leads and guides us we are more than sitting at His feet, we are the dwelling place, the tabernacle of the Living God.
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The Many Distractions

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” Luke 10:40 (BSB)

There are so many things that can distract us from worship and the moment they distract us they hinder our true worship. They keep us from worshiping in spirit and in truth.

This classic story of two sisters seems interwoven with the conflicting sisters. What I believe the true conflict is our heart for pure worship. Coming to Christ with our distractions, our to-do lists, our daddy-do lists, our pride, our self-centeredness, and our self-righteousness –just to name a few– breaks the line worship. True worship starts with a repentant sincere heart.

We come with our presuppositions about what is going to occur and we miss the very thing God is really trying to teach us. We come to worship with our worries, our gripes, our greed and our busy schedules and we want that really good thing to be a really quick thing.

The Worried Worship

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. Luke 10:41 (BSB)

Martha was not able to focus on who was in her house because she was more worried about the proper placement of the things in her house, including her sister. Instead of worrying about setting the table she should have been setting her heart right.

I just love her interjection, don’t you? Isn’t it so like us. We assume that someone else is doing something so wrong that we just go right in for the correction.

I am sure if Martha is anything like I am, she was just a stewing. Stewing up new worries and maybe even ones that were not there. Rolling over in her thoughts the thing she might say to get her sister’s attention to help. Her heart is so blurred by her inaccurate perception of her situation and what her sister is doing she says to Jesus, “Don’t you care?”

We can be most assured that Jesus does care. He cares so much that He sent His Son to die to show us how much He cares.
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Before she allows Jesus to answer, assuming she knows what He is going to say, she tells Him how to correct Mary.

I don’t know about you, but when I try and tell God how things are going to go down, it doesn’t end pretty for me.

I love that Jesus’ rebuke to Martha is gentle and mild. “Martha, Martha. You are upset.”

The Only One Thing

 But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (BSB)

Jesus tells Martha. Martha, there is one thing that is necessary. Mary has chosen it. AND what she has chosen and learned while sitting at My feet, will not be taken away from her.

While at the well, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”John 4:23-24 (NIV)

The Father is seeking true worshipers. He is seeking ones who will worship Him in both the spirit they have inside, which is connected to Him by the Holy Spirit and with sincere hearts.

It’s not about posture, placement, or even servanthood. It’s about the Lord who created the Heavens and the Earth. The one who knit your very soul in His image. The one who moved heaven and earth to walk among His people.

Mary was commended for her true worship. Her heart was not distracted by the day but enveloped in the One Good Thing she was supposed to be worshiping.

Why is this so amazing for us?

Friends, I am so encouraged by Jesus’ response today. Put yourself in this story. Where it says Martha, insert your name like this and let Jesus whisper into your heart…

Jaime Jaime, you are worried about so many things. Let them go. Chose the only one thing that is necessary and take the time to truly worship me. Put down your to-do lists and the worries that are weighing down your heart. Lay them all down right here at my feet. Come and sit and let me teach you. I will be your good portion each day.  You have so many things distracting you and fighting for your attention. I know you are needed by so many people and I know you want to get it just right. Remember what I give you each day will not be taken away from you. Come. Sit. Just Be.

Personal Reflections:

1. How do you feel when you worship with a distracted worried heart? How can you change that?
2. What do you do to allow yourself to worship the Only One thing that is necessary?
3. What can you do in your day to free up some time for worship?
4. Can you relate more to Martha than Mary? What is one step you can take today to be more like Mary?

5. ---

   This week as you come face to face with your worship, do you have anything you can repent so that your time spent with Jesus is with a pure heart?
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Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will also be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with True Worship appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face with New Life

Much of my life was not spent in living an abundant life in Christ. Sure, I thought that I had a life. Sure, I thought it was eternal. But I had never really sat face to face with Jesus. In fact, I had spent much of my time running in the opposite direction. New life wasn’t something I grasped.

The most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16, was something I could rattle off of my tongue in my sleep. But like the man Jesus was talking to in these verses, I didn’t quite grasp the love, the life eternal, and the new life that is offered by Jesus.

So There Was a Man

And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. John 3:1 (BLB)

This man was not just any man of the synagogue, he was a ruler He was a Pharisee and a lawyer. If disputes are to be made among the rulers, these are the men that are gathered. We see Nicodemus appear later in requesting Jesus get due process of the law in John 7.

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” John 3:2 (BSB)

I can completely relate to Nicodemus in the verses. Sadly, I lived much of my life ashamed to come out in the light of day to know Jesus. I think if we are honest, as believers, we often struggle with the people around us knowing we want to know Jesus more or even that we know Him at all.

Jesus is Personal

What I love about this interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus is that I can picture, Jesus, sitting right up close with someone who has to come in the cloak of darkness to Him more. Jesus seeks a personal intimate relationship with each of us and this man was no different.

Jesus got personal with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was not condemned for his late night covert operation. Jesus welcomed him into a conversation about who He truly is.

Nicodemus had one understanding of God at this point in his life. He knew access to God was limited through the vail. He most certainly would have known that God had not been present behind that vail for hundreds of years. To be up close and personal with someone who he believed was with God had to be astonishing.

Jesus’ signs and miracles were evidence of who He was. Nicodemus knew these signs pointed Him in the direction he wanted to understand more. Although Nicodemus came in the dark of the night, he had a purpose to understand his own soul. And without hesitation, he jumps right into this subject.

Born Again

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT)

This is a very interesting statement. It baffles Nicodemus. What is Jesus talking about? Born again? How could he go back into his mother’s womb?

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. John  3:5 (NLT)

Jesus gives us all hope in this one phrase. He tells Nicodemus, “I assure you”.

If you have ever questioned your faith, questioned if God is who He says, questioned Jesus and His authority. You can take ahold of verses such as this.
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Born again does not mean we go back to being an infant in our mother’s womb. We know that is not happening. Jesus tells Nicodemus if you don’t understand earthly things (going back to your mother’s womb) how are you going to understand things of heaven.

Heavenly things — because Christ died for us on the cross, we can be born into new life with Him. the new life or new beginning is of the Spirit.

I Just Don’t Know

I have to be honest, there are somethings in my faith that I just don’t know and understand. That does not make them any less credible or believable. It just makes my trust in Christ stretch farther.

Although we would like a clear explanation of how the moving of the Spirit works, Jesus continues on in verse 8.

 “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 (NIV)

I cannot explain about the day I received Christ as Savior. Having come to the realization that I was a sinner in need of a Savior and to be with Jesus in heaven I needed to admit my sin, ask for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to come and live inside me.

I cannot explain the things that the Spirit was doing in me to make this decision. I don’t know how the Spirit operates in this manner. But I can be confident that He does. I can be assured of my Salvation as a result of Him breathing new life into me. And I can have blessed assurance that one day, I will get to see Jesus face to face.

Great Love

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

This verse is a cornerstone in the Christian faith. Yet, it’s so drastic, that it seems unreal.

This is not a love that we know by any other name. Sacrificial, never-ending, unfailing love. That God would send His one and only Son, to save an undeserving sinful wretched soul such as myself. To take the punishment that I deserve and lay it on His Son so I can breath new life.

I can see why the Christian faith seems so unbelievable. This kind of love has its own name. It is the name Jesus.

Jesus went to the cross for my sins and yours. He was placed on heaven's alter and sacrificed in our place.
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Yet some 2000 years ago, Jesus did exactly that.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

For my sins, He allowed Himself to be beaten, slapped in the face, and spit upon. A crown of glory that was meant to mock Him will one day bring me into glory. He was speared, nailed, and hung to die on a tree on Calvary’s Hill.

For me.

For you.

No, I can’t explain it but I can claim it. Christ assures us it is for us to take and when we do, we may enter the kingdom of God.

Choose New Life

Dear Friends, if you have not made the decision to accept Christ as your personal Savior, don’t hesitate. The Bible says one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord. The decision is not if but when. The decision has both immediate and eternal impact.

If you have not made that decision, I would love to talk with you further. I don’t want you to miss the breath of new life that can penetrate your soul. Life of the Spirit. One that can not be obtained by any human effort or achievement. One ordained only by God Himself.

If you would like to further learn how you can make a decision to accept Christ, here is a great resource. PeaceWithGod.net

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will also be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with New Life appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face with My Redeemer

There she stood. Eyes welling up with tears. She was so close. Just inches from Him. He had healed the sick and raised the dead. Certainly, there was hope for a woman like her.

Making it into this room this close, she couldn’t contain her emotion. Just like a fresh spring shower, the tears poured out of her. Onto His feet. To the feet of her Redeemer.

Jesus would dine with many along His journey. He was even accused of dining with sinners and being a glutton and drunkard. (Luke 7:34) Gasp. But this day, He was dining with a Pharisee.

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:36-38 (NIV)

Intentional Worship

When this sinful woman came to the Pharisee’s house, she knew the scrutiny that she was facing. A woman of ill repute couldn’t go anywhere without being noticed. He tears flowed so freely that they began wetting the feet of Jesus.

With her face to the ground, at the feet of Jesus, she began wiping the tears from His feet with her hair. She kissed His feet and poured perfume on them.

I love that being in the presence of Jesus when our guard is really let down allows us to see ourselves for who we really are in the presence of a perfect King.

Personally, when I am feeling convicted, my tendency is to keep my distance from my offender. Maybe that looks like less time in prayer or in the Bible.

Feeling guilty for something we have done or maybe a way we behaved, lends to keeping our distance so we don’t have to face Jesus or our sins.

This woman came to worship with her jar of perfume. Sins and all. She had intent. Having most likely heard about what He was doing for others, I can imagine her hope. Maybe just maybe, there was a chance for her.

A Sinful Woman

For much of my life, I lived the way I wanted to live. I professed to be a Christian but there were no signs of it except maybe a weekly trip to church which only really made me a church attendee.
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Honestly, I remember thinking if I don’t look over my shoulder, I don’t have to face Jesus. I knew He was there (not physically but in my heart). I knew He was watching, but if I didn’t have to come face to face with Him, I didn’t have to come face to face with my sin. This meant eyes forward on the world, I could continue to live the sinful life I was so deeply entangled in.

That is not true by the way. A sinner’s life has a way of catching up with itself. Living for yourself never really brings satisfaction. The pit that you find yourself so deep in has only one way out. You can continue to dig the hole deeper or you can look up and reach to God to pull out.

I feel deeply for this woman. Maybe because I , too, was in a broken place and for far too long had lost my way. I know when I was finally so overcome with shame and ready to crawl out of the pit, I was face to face with the feet of Jesus. It is there I repented and my many sins were forgiven.

If This Man

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:39 (NIV)

If this man were a prophet. What Simon didn’t know or realize was that Jesus was not just a prophet. He wasn’t just a man. He was God in the flesh. Jesus knew all there was to know about this woman. Most importantly He knew He was what she needed.

His response to Simon was this brief story that put His thoughts of this woman on the stand.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Luke 7:41-42 (NIV)

Which of Them Will Love Him More

I believe we would answer the same as Simon did. The one whose debt was greatly forgiven would love Him more.

This woman didn’t come to Jesus because she loved Him more. Her love didn’t save her more. She took a chance when she came of not even seeing Jesus.

Jesus was not telling Simon that greater love will forgive greater sins.  A great debt was paid on her behalf and the result was great love toward the one who forgave it.

You have judged correctly. Jesus told Simon. Simon hadn’t actually said anything. These thoughts were to himself.

If only Jesus knew… He was casting judgment out on not only the woman but also on Jesus.

Jesus knew who was seeking forgiveness and He knew whose debt would result in greater love.

Not Just for the Elite

Jesus didn’t just come to earth for the elite. He didn’t just dine with those who would have been considered the top of the social order.

So when Simon, a Pharisee, asked Him to have dinner, He obliged. Jesus was always on mission. To seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And although the Pharisees saw themselves far from lost, Jesus took every opportunity to point them toward the right path. And this time was no different.

Jesus didn’t show favoritism to the elite over the poor. Jesus knew who He had come for.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NIV)

The Pharisees thought so highly of themselves that they imagined when the true Messiah came, He would surely come for them.

They were sorely mistaken. We could be sorely mistaken as well if we believe that we in anyway contribute to our sins being forgiven.

Maybe we think, we have done pretty well, certainly, we should make it to heaven. Maybe we think our good outweighs our bad and that is our ticket to our heavenly home.

He is the Way

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)

There is only ONE way to the Father. This Pharisee thought he had it or had already earned it. What I love about this verse is you can substitute any word or thing you hold dear in the place of I AM and it doesn’t work.

Jesus said, “Being good is the way”… No. He said, “Getting baptized is the way”… No. Jesus answered, “Going to church is the way”… Doesn’t work. He said, “Reading your Bible every day is the way”… Nope.

I think you get the point. While all of these things are good. They are not the way.

Jesus said I AM the way. He is the way. There is one way. I know that is quite hard for people to digest but Jesus is THE way. In our world where we would prefer a buffet of options and many roads that lead to the same glorious place, we want there to be ways. But that is not the case.

Jesus is THE way.

You Are Seen

And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:44-47 (BSB)

Simon, do you see this woman? I can read those sweet words over and over.

Jesus saw that woman. He noticed her wiping the tears from His feet. He noticed her pouring the perfume on His feet. She hadn’t stopped kissing His feet and He was the center of her worship and He noticed. Because He noticed, her many sins were forgiven.

Face to Face with her Redeemer that day changed everything.

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50 (NIV)

Her hope was placed in Jesus. He forgave her sins and her faith, even if it was the off chance for a new beginning got her noticed and she was saved.

Her desperation and shame now had a new name and it is peace. She was now free to walk in the sweet grace and mercy of Jesus’ forgiveness.

Personal Reflections

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments. Also, feel free to journal your responses as we go through this study.

1. Do you ever feel like Jesus doesn’t notice you? Or maybe He has so many people to notice that you may have been overlooked?
2. Do you feel the depth of your forgiven sins? Have you praised God lately for the opportunity to come face to face with your redeemer?

3. ---

   When is the last time you were physically on your face at the feet of Jesus?
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4. Staying down and living in shame is not where Jesus wants you. Just like this woman, He told her to go in peace. Have you been able to grasp the Peace that only God offers in the face of forgiveness?
5. If you have lived your life with trying the many roads that don’t lead to Jesus are you ready for Him to guide you on the right path?

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. 

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with My Redeemer appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face with a Friend

Those times when you sit down with a dear friend, face to face, are treasured. They may be so impactful that you remember them for a lifetime. The advice they gave, the listening ear they turned your way, or just the support you treasure so dearly.

This kind of time in the Word and with Jesus is also a treasured moment. I remember some of the sweetest times I sat with my Bible open and didn’t know where to turn. Instead of flipping through the pages, I stained them with my tears and heartaches.

I have opened them with no expectations except to meet my friend that day. For Him to pour into my heart something I so desperately needed to hear.

I have opened my Bible praying that God would lead me to a place of peace and learning and wouldn’t you know it. He knows just the words I needed at that moment and directs me straight to it.

A friend that knows the number of hairs on my head and the flaws in my heart certainly can have a word for me and so that is where I go.

But I long for the day when I can sit down with Him, face to face, and talk to Him, as a friend.

Face to Face with Moses

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Exodus 33:11 NIV

Moses treasured this time. He was favored by the Lord to lead His people out of the oppression of slavery. Moses lead them in their delivery out the hands of the Egyptians to a land flowing with milk and honey.

This is a section of verses that I have read time and time again. But until recently, it hadn’t struck me so powerful as to bring me to tears.

Moses, face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Savor in that for a while. This is what time with the Lord does. He draws you in like a friend. There are many definitions of the word friend but the one that strikes me most is intimate.

Just me and Him in these intimate moments. A time I delight in and treasure as I do a dear friend. I don’t want to miss the appointments and the coffee dates. I don’t want to miss those times where my heart is poured into like a drink offering refreshed and restored.

But then life happens and then I feel the gaps in our friendship and feel weakened. Then I come back to passages like these and realize this is where I truly find life, sitting down with my friend, face to face.

I Want My Face to Glow

One time I was in Bible study leading a small group. After we had finished our discussion a lady said to me, I want to have a glow like you have. That was a great compliment because it meant I was shining Jesus’ light.

I know I don’t always have a glow but this night I must have. Not because I was wearing extra highlights but because my faith was pouring out of me. Nothing gets me more excited than having discussions about the God and His Word.

Right before that, I had spent most of the day in the Word in the presence of the Lord. My heart was full and it poured out of me. I was so excited because several years before that I had been studying Exodus and reading about Moses’ glowing face.

In Exodus 34, it describes Moses going onto the mountain to get the second set of stone tablets. It says he was there forty days and forty nights without eating and drinking, spending time with the Lord. When he came down this time, his face was aglow.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. Exodus 34:29 NIV

In fact, his face was so radiant, the people became scared and he had to veil his face.

After studying this section of scripture I was visiting with my grandma telling her all about what I was learning. I was picturing Moses’ face just lighting up like a neon sign that flashed, I have just been with my Lord. I was so excited, I said to her, “I want my face to glow!”

Spending time with Jesus and then sharing it with others, pouring out what God has poured into you, may not make your face physically glow like a neon sign but it can certainly shine a light in this dark world.
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I Don’t Want To Go Any Further

Moses had come to a place with the Israelites where they were causing the Lord to burn with anger. When Moses had gone onto the mountain for the first set of tablets, the Israelites had become restless. Instead of waiting on the God, they decided to make their own gods.

They wanted a person to follow that they could see right in front of their discontented eyes and they wanted a god they could see while they bowed down. So melting down all their gold, they had Aaron craft them a golden calf.

When the Lord saw this, He burned with anger. He said to Moses. You have to go from this place. This is a stiff-necked people and I cannot be around them or I will destroy them.

The Lord told them to go.

He would send an angel to go before them to drive out all their enemies and deliver them to the land that He promised to their fathers. A land flowing with milk and honey.

There was one condition. He wasn’t going with them.

Moses pleaded with the Lord. Lord You have asked us to go but you haven’t said who will go with us.

 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Exodus 33:15 NIV

Moses was not willing to go any further without the Presence of God. “How will anyone know we are your people? How will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”  Moses pleaded with the Lord.

Precious Time Face to Face

Moses had spent some precious time face to face with the Lord. In this time with Him, the Lord became His identity. We see this in Moses’ response to Him. “How will anyone know we are yours if you are not there.”

This is the part of the story that stops me in my tracks.

• How many times have I gone before the Lord or completely without Him?
• How often do I let my reflection, my attitude, my behavior outshine the presence of the Lord in my life?
• Would I be willing to take all the provisions the Lord had to offer, a land flowing with milk and honey, driving out my enemies, and bring me to my promised land, with the one provision that He wouldn’t be there?
• Is the presence of the Lord in my life my true identity or do I allow the world, my circumstances, and my feelings determine my identity?

Moses response was the response we should have to the Lord daily.

Lord, my time in your presence, becomes my identity. I need that intimate time face to face with my friend. I am your people and without your presence, I cannot leave this place.

What if we made no attempts to go out into the world without sitting in the presence of the Lord. What if we, as believers, said I will not go into this place without you Lord.

He can become our true identity but it takes time in His presence. Even though we cannot physically sit face to face with Jesus, we can sit in His presence. We can talk to Him through prayer and learn from Him through His Holy Word. We can be still before Him and follow His lead.

Prayer

Please join me in prayer today as we begin this journey of Cherished Moments: Face to Face with Jesus.

Heavenly Father,

Your presence is where I receive life. Lord, I do not want to go into my life without it. I treasure the time that I have with you. Please help me to carve out that time in my life every single day. Please swing the door wide open so I am without excuse. Lord, I want to sit in your presence. I want to enjoy my time with you as I long for the day to sit with you face to face. Lord, please teach me, guide me, and help me gain wisdom as I learn from all you have for me in your Word. Lord, thank you for never leaving me to do this alone and please forgive me for all the times that I have tried. Please bless this journey.

In Your Precious Name, Amen!

Personal Reflections

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments. Also, feel free to journal your responses with us as we go through this study.

1. How many times have I gone before the Lord or completely without Him?
2. How often do I let my reflection, my attitude, my behavior outshine the presence of the Lord in my life?
3. Would I be willing to take all the provisions the Lord had to offer, a land flowing with milk and honey, driving out my enemies, and bring me to my promised land, with the one provision that He wouldn’t be there?
4. Is the presence of the Lord in my life my true identity or do I allow the world, my circumstances, and my feelings determine my identity?

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. 

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with a Friend appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Face to Face

I remember thinking for a long time if I could just sit down with Jesus, face to face. If I could just walk with Him. If I could just talk to Him. Just like I was sitting down with a friend. My faith would be so much stronger. It would be unmovable as I sat next to the unshakable Creator of my soul.

Even if it was for a moment. It would be something I could treasure and never let go. Life would be so different. My doubts and fears could disappear because I would see Him clearly. Worries would vanish at His sight. My insecurities and feelings of unworthiness would be wiped away from my being and He gazed into my heart.  

Oh, how I long for the day that actually happens! Until then I will wait because blessed are those who have not seen and still believe. (John 20:29)

Like Thomas, I have had my share of questions and doubts. Jesus, however, wasn’t afraid to prove to Thomas it was truly Him, in the flesh. Touch my hands. See my side. And it changed Thomas. And although Jesus didn’t reprimand Thomas for questioning Him, He says those of us who believe without seeing, are the ones that are blessed. 

Our faith lies in the confident hope and assurance in what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Dive Deeper

I am so excited to look deeper into the heart of Jesus. I am ready to have a more intimate relationship with Him. If you have been joining me here, we just went on the most remarkable journey. Walking with the people Jesus walked with and saw how He impacted them. 

Over the next six weeks (starting next week), we are going to sit down with Jesus. In the most intimate way He allows. Time meditating on Him in His Word. This is one of the most important things we can do as believers. It allows us that intimacy. It allows us that face to face time that we crave. 

Exploring the treasure trove (a store of valuable and delightful things) into God’s heart we can find our true worth and have our doubts shattered. 

We are going to sit face to face with Jesus and Moses. We are going to wipe the tears of the woman at Simon’s house, and we are going to sit by the moonlight with Nicodemus. This is going to be a great time of sharing our own intimate moments. I am so glad you are joining me here. 

Before you go. I would love to hear from you in the comments.

1. Have you had or do you have times that feel more intimate with Jesus?
2. Was it a season of life or a way of life?
3. What do those times look like? Do you crave those times?
4. Do you miss Jesus when those times seem to be a faded memory?
5. What do you do to have new memories with Him? 

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. 

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Cherished Moments: Face to Face with Jesus appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Act Now!

When we began this most remarkable journey with Jesus we wanted to get to know Him more. As with any journey, it should lead us closer to a destination. Our destination here on earth should be closer to Jesus to resemble Him more each day. To do that we need to Act Now!

Of course, as followers of Christ our destination is in the presence of the Living God but for now, it is studying and walking with Him. It is an awesome journey.

Studying Jesus’ life is the most significant thing we can do to dig deeper into our relationship with Him. The more time we spend in a relationship the more we become like the other person.  Our personalities and characteristics start to mesh.

So we walked beside Him. But what do we do next?

Don’t Keep Looking Up

Do you ever catch yourself looking up into the sky and thinking what if Christ returned right now? Hoping that moment would come that instant or double-checking making sure you did’t miss it. (Don’t worry you won’t!)

Maybe you have looked at the splendor He has created in the sunsets or the rays that float through the morning skies dreaming of your coming king.

After Jesus journeyed here on earth and ascended into heaven the disciples did just that. They stared intently into the clouds. As they did this two men dressed in white stood next to them and asked them why they were standing there staring into the sky.

The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

Go

Luke tells us in Acts 1:1 that in his former book (Luke) he wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up into heaven.

The great news is we have such an amazing blueprint for Jesus’ teachings. This is such a great reason to study His journey. We see the things He wants to teach us and we see the things He did so we, too, can emulate them.

We were not left empty-handed. Better yet, in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit. Just as the apostles had the Holy Spirit come on them and the power flow through them we have access to that same power.

But we have been directed to do something with the Holy Spirit. No, it is not staring intently at the sky and hoping for His soon return. Our job is to go and be His witness.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

You Will Be Equipped

Often times we have a million and one excuses why we are not the one for the job. Just as Moses did when God gave him the job to free His people, we rattle them off one-by-one.

We are not strong enough, a good enough speaker, worthy enough, tall enough, thin enough, brave enough, educated enough, enough of this and enough of that.

I am right there beside you. I have given God my list of qualifications and I have given my list that is lacking. His response is the same today as it was then.

I AM.

We don't need to be enough when we have a God that is more than enough. We need to show up and be obedient.
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All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

The journey begins with the Scripture. Letting it teach us, correct us, train us, and yes even rebuke us.

Why?

So we will be thoroughly equipped. 

Traveling the Road Again

Jesus’ journey as recorded in the gospels gives us such a blessed look at who He is. Let’s review some of those lessons here that we are now equipped with.  

Jesus Among Us           

            God knew when sin entered the world that He had the solution to resolve our broken relationship. So he put on flesh and made His dwelling among us so He could be like us so we could one day be like Him. 

Testimonies and Business            

          God sent people at just the right time to testify to who He was. Simeon and Anna were devout believers, who were given the divine word that Jesus was the Son of God. As Jesus grew He testified to His own identity by being about His Father’s business while in the temple. 

Lord, Have Mercy!          

          Along Jesus’ journey, we see Him heal the sick, the blind, the broken and the hopeless. One particular man, blind Bartimaeus, gives us another clue to Jesus’ identity by crying out to the Son of David. The Old Testament continually pointed to the Messiah coming from the throne of David. 

This man asked for one thing from Jesus and that was His mercy. We see time and time again people that know their true disparity know their need for mercy. Praise the Lord! He is willing to pour it out onto us.  

Who Jesus Is           

          Our next stop was the well that was not too deep to draw real perspective. We learned many things about Jesus here. He pursues us and see us for who we are and loves us anyway. Jesus was fully human and the Messiah the world was waiting for.

Jesus goes beyond the social norms for us to understand His great love and while He is there offers us life and soul restoration.

With Jesus           

        Finally, we traveled with the resurrected Jesus on the Road to Emmaus where He opened our eyes to the importance of Scripture. While being reminded that Jesus is not just the one his people had hoped would rescue them from their oppressors but the ultimate redeemer of their souls. 

Act Now!

Last week my little girl was sick and she couldn’t go to AWANAs. She loves going to church. She went and got her vest, her book, and her bag and insisted that she was going.

You know how hard it was to tell her she couldn’t go. She had been sick for several days and I wanted her to really rest before returning to school and not spread anything more.

But her sweet little heart burned to go. She loves saying her verses and listening to stories about Jesus.

And I. DON’T. WANT. THAT. TO. EVER. END.

Her passion was so great that I almost gave in. She paraded through the house declaring her stance to go until the car pulled away.

Can we be more like that?

Let our passion to pursue God and the things that are about our Father be made known. May we make declarations that we will not go unheard and our pursuit of Him will not be evaded by a temporary setback.
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May we firmly take our stance until the trumpet sounds and we are called to our heavenly home. 

Blessings to you on your journey. I am so glad that you have chosen to spend some of it here with us at Seeking God!

Dust Off Your Feet

I hope you are ready to dust of your feet because we are ready to take a break from the dirt road. The next leg of the journey is going to be face-to-face with Jesus.

I have loved this journey and am really excited for the next step. Next, here at Seeking God. we are going to study the people that Jesus had more intimate conversations with. We learn another aspect of the heart of Jesus when we get up close and intimate with Him and that is my desire for us.

There were so many people that He met along the way. Some He journeyed by on the dirt roads but some He sat with and had amazing conversations with. I am excited to explore those conversations further and I hope you will join me and we see Jesus face-to-face.

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. 

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Most Remarkable Journey: Act Now! appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

With Jesus On the Road

Today The Most Remarkable Journey takes us on the Road to Emmaus. The Road where two men walked along with Jesus.

Once again on this journey, Jesus reveals so much about Himself and what we are to do in response. Which is always great news for us.

After Jesus went to the cross and was in the tomb for three days, He was raised from the dead. This was something He had been telling His disciples and followers that they couldn’t quite grasp. Of course, us having hindsight it seems so clear.

Today, however, I want to journey on that road with you. Often times when reading the Bible, I imagine myself being right there in the story. Today, I am going to attempt to do that with you as we bring this story to life. We are going to have to use our imaginations a bit. Even if you have read this a thousand time, I want us to look at the perspective of being there on that road with Jesus first hand.

The Two Men

We have been followers of Jesus. We were just in Jerusalem and witnessed all that had happened. Mary returned from the empty tomb telling us that Jesus was gone. We’re a pretty tight-knit group. My friend and I stayed pretty close to Jesus and the disciples.

I’m Cleopas and this is my friend and we have to tell you about this amazing journey with Jesus.

We were traveling on the dirt road back home. Our faces barely off the dusty ground because our hearts were in turmoil. The events that had just taken place over the past three days were heavy. We are about to take that 7-mile journey back to Emmaus. We were physically, emotionally, and spiritually empty. Helplessness and hopelessness were settling in deep.

Our hope had come but now He was gone. Completely gone. Not even a body to remember Him by.

We had hoped for this Jesus to save us. To rescue us from our oppressors. We have been with Him for quite some time and we realize that He is sent from God. But then just like that, it is over. He is over and no trace of Him to be seen or heard.

On the Road to Emmaus

Our feet are heavy as we walk along this road. Leaving Jerusalem means we leave it all behind. The life we had grown to know and seemingly understand.

Then along comes a man. It is if he just crawled out from under a rock. He asked us what we’re talking about.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” Luke 24:17 (NIV)

Is this man for real? How can anyone not know about this? I mean the ground shook, it grew dark in the middle of the day for hours, there was an uproar in the city. We can’t even pull our faces out of the dirt. It’s Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth.

He was well… amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it. He was a prophet. You would not believe the things He could do. The miracles were only the beginning.  And the way He talked was pure power.

But He made them nervous. Their way of life, their traditions, their religion was all put into question. So they took Him. They had Him arrested and they hung Him on the cross. Our Savior. Our Hope and Redeemer. Let’s just say, He wasn’t redeeming us from up there or so we thought.

Who is this Man?

Then this man joined us on the road and you wouldn’t believe it, He called us foolish. Then did the most remarkable thing. He opened up Scripture to us.

 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27

You know I have heard this before, but never like this. I mean everything that was concerning Jesus was laid right out there in the open for us to see and understand. Yet we still didn’t notice. This man walking along the road with us. Who was this man?

We weren’t quite sure who He was but we didn’t want Him to leave. We wanted to hear more and we wanted Him to stay. Although our appetites were quite full from all that we were hearing, we asked Him to stay and eat with us.

I mean come and stay. Anything. Please just tell us more about Jesus and the prophets and the psalms. It’s getting dark. Just stay we urged Him.

He Broke Bread

He decided to stay. Oh, you wouldn’t believe our joy! We went into the house and we got Him some bread. He raised the bread into the air. Prayed to God the Father. Broke the bread and gave us a piece.

It was like our eyes were split right open. All of a sudden we saw Him. It was Jesus. As soon as we recognized Him, He was gone again. Out of our sight but not out of our minds.

We cannot tell you how excited we were. We got up. Ran that dirt road, even though it was quite late, all the way back to the disciples.

We had to tell them. We had to tell the others. He was here. And to us. I can’t believe He walked with us all that way. I can’t believe we didn’t recognize Him. We must have looked so silly. Heads down and telling Him everything about Himself.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:39 (NIV)

Peace Be with You

He came back! We saw Him! We know He is alive! Peter had already seen Him and Mary had told us all that had happened with the angels. As we were standing in the room talking with the disciples, He appeared. Just like that. Doors locked. There He was right in the middle of us.

Peace. That is what He offered us. Peace. The Hope I thought was going to be a faded memory, well Hope showed back up. He showed us His hands and feet and He ate with us.  Now I have so many people to tell. He is here and He is alive!

Personal Reflections

1. Have you had a time in your life when Jesus was walking right beside you and you didn’t recognize Him? Maybe you only saw Him after the fact.
2. Jesus offers Peace. What do you want to trade today for the peace that He can replace it with?
3. We are told by Jesus in the story of the woman at the well that He gets His spiritual food from doing the will of His Father and sharing scripture. (John 4:34) Where do you get your hunger satisfied?
4. Does your heart burn within you when you spend time in the Scripture? Do you want to tell someone about it?
5. What has this story revealed to you about Jesus and what has it revealed about yourself?
6. Do you ever wonder if it is all really true? I think it is a common feeling but one that can be debunked by spending time with God in His Word like He did with the men on the Road to Emmaus. How do you replace doubts and uncertainty with truth?

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Most Remarkable Journey: With Jesus! appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Lori Schumaker at Searching for Moments

During the toddler years, I found that I could keep an eye on all four boys if I stationed myself at the dining room table where I could see and hear all.  Although I missed the quiet intimacy of early mornings, I felt (and still feel) that my mornings need to be kept free for interacting with my husband before he leaves for work.  What I have received from that “sacrifice” has been the gift of modeling for my children the truth that time in the Word is a regular part of my day. 

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“Featured Friend” Will Be on Hold for Two Weeks! Please Visit One of the Friends that shared with us today or one of the friends on the linkup below!

While you’re here, sit down with some of my friends.

WOW! I know Summer is busy so I thank you all for coming here and for the 85 Amazing posts. This party has been wonderful and it is thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read and SHARE! Thank you!

You all are amazing writers who share DIY’s, Recipes, Photos, Giveaways, Homeschool and Family and Faith. Many of you have amazing journeys of faith and I praise the Lord we are able to connect here!

There are easy share buttons to your left or at the bottom of each post (mobile) and after you link-up. Thanks for sharing! 

Thanks! From all of us at  #SittingAmongFriends

*** I am no longer pinning to Pinterest, but you are welcome to join me on Pinterest and Pin to Our Sitting Among Friends Blog Party Board where I will be happy to re-pin posts to my other boards. ***

The post Walking with Christ & Sitting Among Friends Blog Party #39 appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.