At Christmas we celebrate his birth and at Easter we celebrate his death and resurrection, but when do we consider who Jesus is today? At True North we did this last weekend on the 5th birthday of Compass Bible Church! Our goal is to take one weekend every year to remember the glory of Jesus as he is revealed in the book of Revelation. Here’s the sermon:
This revelation of Jesus calls for a response from each and every one of us. Some of us are lukewarm towards him. We think that we know him in a “Lord, Lord” way but really we don’t. He is waiting for us to be zealous and repent so that he will really enter into a relationship with us.
Others of us (and I would put myself in this category) have repented of our sin and lived on fire for Jesus. But the question is do we still have that first love? Is our love for him increasing in obedience or have we stopped doing the things we did at first?
As we see Jesus in resurrected, glorified Godness, with eyes on fire and a sword coming out of his mouth, he wants our whole hearts. As the saying goes, we need to be on fire for Jesus!
Please leave a comment about what you learned about Jesus from the sermon or about how you are trying to stoke the fire of your heart for him! Here are three things I am doing today to fan the flame:
#1 – Eating the Bible! This is why we have Scripture of the Day on this website, because we all need a regular intake of God’s Word to stay strong! Like newborns we should long for the pure mile of the Word (1 Peter 2:2). And those of us who have been Christians for a while should be meat-eaters moving on to maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14).
#2 – Updating my Prayer Journal! It would be hard for me to say that I love my wife if I didn’t talk to her every day! That’s why I need to constantly be seeking the Lord in prayer and thinking through all that I have to say to him. For me, it is so helpful to organize these thoughts by writing them down and then I can see how he answers them time and time again!
#3 – Writing! Whenever I write about the Bible and try to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, it has a real sanctifying effect. Sometimes I try to write blogs like this or have even tried writing a book or two. But mostly, I just write in a journal in my computer as I think through something God is teaching me. Lately, I have not been doing this as much and I am eager to get back to it!
What do you do to stoke the fires of your heart for Jesus? Leave a comment and let us know!
Awesome blog Pastor Bobby! I definitely have lost my first love for the Lord! Today I have been getting in the Word, and also posting in my journal on the computer! I need to stay strong the rest of the day by talking to God in prayer as well! Thank you for the encouragement and admonition!
I listen to worship music and pray!
Yes this was an awesome weekend when you preached this! I’m starting to do some of these, and I’m loving it! We are so blessed to have a God who has made a way of communication—the Bible, and prayer! Great sermon, great preaching, and of course, God is good! To Him be the glory!
SCRIPTURE. First and foremost, I seek God by searching His Word to know what pleases Him, what He sees as sin, what glorifies Him and honors Him, what His character is and Who He says that He is. I pray before digging in, and I ask Him to open my eyes and heart to Him and His ways, and I ask Him to pierce me with His Word, to stretch, grow, purify, and use me however He wills, so that lives might be saved for all eternity.
DISCIPLINE. I find accountability and growth comes far easier when I am organized and on top of things. I anticipate my schedule by looking ahead, I keep lists of people and situations I am praying for so that I can refer to them and not be wayward or flaky in my intercession. I do not compartmentalize, but rather exercise consistency in all areas of my life. I set up goals and expectations according to what God shows me in His Word, but maintain a flexibility to be, do, and go what- or wherever He may call me.
REFLECT. I meditate on God’s Word. I slow down: take a pause from life. I journal my prayers and thoughts on God and His Word, so that I do not fall prey to getting sucked into the Robot Realm of going through motions. I make and seek out conversation with others about our Maker, so that we might be mutually spurred and encouraged.
HUMILITY. I magnify God and minimize everything else. Especially me. I keep short accounts with God, being mindful of the sinner I am. Also, it is critical to remember that I have not-and will never-master ANYthing in this world and life. There is no cookie cutter situation in life; every person He calls me to minister to is unique. I return to God DAILY on my knees, looking to Him as my Sole Soul Provider.
CELEBRATE. I get so pumped about what God has done and Who He is-since the inception of time, on through eternity, as recorded in Scripture. And I get giddy to see that He shows Himself to ME, to be the SAME God that He has been and always will be. I share my salvation story with others. I spread His love with others. I ask others about what God has done in THEIR lives. I sing songs and dance for Him. I commune with Him in prayer. I recount His love story for me: how He plucked me from the burning fire I was frying and dying in. I give thanks and remember His faithfulness, and I use that as fuel in sharing my testimony with others. And this in turn GROWS my testimony and witness for Him that much MORE.
TELESCOPE, NOT MICROSCOPE. I zoom out so that I might have God’s perspective instead of my own. He gives me peace in this. I also laugh a whole bunch. Stepping back and taking on His perspective of the Big Picture yields peace, joy, wisdom, and confidence in who I am as His beloved daughter.
JUST A FEATHER…blowing in the wind of the Holy Spirit. I go wherever He carries me. And in Him, I maintain an aerodynamic that only He can sustain. ATAPAT. With a willing and joyful heart.
CONTENTMENT. Circumstances don’t matter. Eye On the Prize. As Pastor Mike recently taught: “Past the Cross, To the Crown”. Not living for the here and now, but rather, the There and Then.
Great blog, Pastor Bobby!!! The message was definitely convicting for me this past weekend because I could remember a time when I had more of a fire and desire to pray and get into my Bible. After hearing this sermon I’ve been making it a priority to get into my Bible more and this has been getting me more excited about Jesus and I am definitely on fire for him!!!:)
yay for mady!
We need to see who Jesus is today! We need to make sure we stay on fire for Him! <3
Beth! Thank you for your encouraging comment on today’s Acts.
It’s nice to meet you and nice to see you on!
After Bobby’s sermon on remembering who the Lord is and His seciond coming, whenever I pray, I remember what His face looks like now and I cringe at it because I am honestly scared of Him. It keeps me concentrated on who He is and what I am praying for. Even now as I remember His face, I get all asian because my eyes get all small and my face gets all puffed up. haha But seriously, God is amazing and I can’t imagine living without Him. Remembering the eyes is what keeps me focused. Maranatha.
Through the Lord’s strength I am in His word and prayer every morning; I get to know Him TODAY for who He is through personal study of the bible, application of it to my life, and talking with him. The Lord helps me to understand and apply what I learn from sermons from ministries I’m committed to that our church body offers. I serve Him however HE wants me to; any thing, any place, any time. I die to myself and live 100% for Him. This is how He keeps me close to Him/ on fire, because of His love,mercy, grace, and who Jesus is.