Living Life for Christ Alone

  “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” (Mat thew 18:12)   Many going in the right direction, following the Shepherd, doing as He says...   But then there’s one wandering.   One, just one. That’s all it takes to get Him searching.    One wandering off, leaving the others that are doing it right.    One forgetting to listen, failing to follow.    One falling into a ditch, finding himself stuck on a ledge far off the path.    One feeling alone, wondering if the Shepherd even cares.    One starving to be found, looking up and realizing he is lost.    One who hasn’t discovered he is lost yet.    I see Him looking around at His sheep to see that one is gone. Suddenly His eyes go to the mountains where they just walked together –Him and all one hundred sheep.   And n...

Two kingdoms are at war in this world: the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light.  And every human you or I meet is in one kingdom or the other.  Everyone was born into the kingdom of darkness. But some have been transferred from that kingdom into the Kingdom of Light.  It is interesting to me how we expect so much from those who still live in that kingdom of darkness.  We expect them to love what is right and protect it.  We expect them to treat others with kindness and respect and for that kindness and respect to endure the harshest treatments.  We expect them to not fall for the enemy's lies and believe that God's ways are not really the right way.  But, really, should we expect so much from those who are under the sway of the wicked one?  Should we be surprised when they embrace wickedness wholeheartedly?  "...The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." (1 John 5:19) Do we really think the wicked one would sway the worl...

  "Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me." (Psalm 22:11) "...No one else can help me." No hope anywhere but in Him. No help unless He helps. No joy unless He supplies it. No endurance, no patience, no peace, no goodness... unless it comes from His hand. No joy, no faith, no purpose in challenges unless He Himself gives it to us. The process to get to this place is arduous. It's one we don't ask for, but as Christians we need.  You see, when trouble is near, and we find that our resources are running out, we have whatever veiled our vision of Him removed so we can really see Him. He IS all -we just don't tend to see Him that way. He is our soul's answer -but we usually just have Him in our minds as a plan B. It's usually something else and  Him we depend on -not just Him. The Christian life is a process of growing in exclusive dependence on the One who is all we need. (Read John 15 for more on this.) And some...