Do You Know Him?

Jesus Christ does not make the list when one searches for "Best" or "Famous" motivational speakers. The Bible does not make the list for motivational books at Amazon (I confess I didn't look after page 3). 

In three years, 2.9 million people have watched That's My King. Take 3 minutes to listen or watch. It might become the best 3 minutes of your day. I've yet to tire of it.

Albert Martin, THANK YOU for putting this together. 

HAVE A GOOD AND GODLY DAY.

The Camel and Eye of Needle.

PRIDE is a high or inordinate opinion of one's superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

Regardless how one tries to cloak PRIDE, it remains PRIDE and very difficult to relinquish because... Jesus tells us to lose our ambition and follow Him. To find life we have to first lose our life. To be first we have to be last. He says we are to put the interest of others before ourselves. To carry the bag two miles and oppose evil by doing good. He commands us to pray for our enemies and not to repay evil with evil.

PRIDE is the sole obstacle keeping men and women from surrendering their life to Jesus Christ. People tend to place their faith in a variety of things, including themselves. After all, it is they who work hard, it is they who make the money, and it is they who provide for their family. Not Jesus. After all we are the ones who are hurt and need justice. Not Jesus. We need healing. Not Jesus. We get hungry, not Jesus.

The prerequisite to surrendering your life to Jesus Christ, the only trait required, is HUMILITY. I would argue people never volunteer to exchange their PRIDE for HUMILITY. Hence the camel and the eye of the needle illustration. No one surrenders their life and ambition to carry their cross and follow Jesus without HUMILITY. Why? 

Jesus' message is the love of money is deadly and a great obstacle to developing and growing a relationship with God. He used a camel (which is large) and the eye of a needle (which is tiny) to illustrate the power money/wealth possesses in one's life and how difficult it can be to defeat that power.

Very humble people exist who haven’t heard the story of Jesus Christ and thus surrendering is not an option. They have no choice to make. Once one becomes aware of the story of Jesus Christ, then and only then is the option available to surrender or reject Jesus.

Surrendering, by default, says one has knowledge and is aware of the option to serve Jesus, to obey Jesus, to follow Jesus. 

The message of the camel and eye of a needle says we need to be vigilant and guard our relationship with God. 

Joy and Pleasure

Jesus said, "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Luke 17:33

Whoever finds their life will lose it... are those things such as the material 'stuff' to elevate our worthiness. I label it as the pursuit of Pleasure and it feels good, incredibly good, sometimes phenomenally so. The thing about Pleasure is it's temporary. It skips town under the cover of night. What was once new becomes old. What was once exciting becomes listless and soggy. It fades like smoke requiring trip after trip back to its well. The pursuit of Pleasure is an all-consuming, never-ending proposition. It will exhaust the pursuer and ruin lives because seeking Pleasure is a selfish ambition. Pleasure is a withdrawal from this world for the sole purpose to elevate ourselves above others when we should be serving them instead.

Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it... this is Joy and Joy is different because Jesus is different. Jesus is the Great I Am. Joy sticks around because Jesus will never forsake us. Jesus is the meat and potatoes of our life. To be first we have to be last. We are to surrender our selfish ambition, pick up our cross, and follow Him. Why do we call Him Lord and not obey? Jesus is called the Bread of Life, Living Water, the True Vine, the Way, Truth, and Life... for a reason.

All of this brings Joy. Being a servant of Jesus Christ is by default Joy.

Keep The Sabbath Holy

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.”  Colossians 2:16-17.

A shadow contains no substance. A shadow is cast by the substance. The food eaten or holyday or Sabbath day chosen are defined as simply a shadow. The Sabbath day, the day to keep holy and set apart for God, is to be our day of rest. As Christ Followers, Jesus is our Sabbath. He is our rest. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Christians are no longer required to abide in the law, but we now abide by faith in the salvation Jesus Christ offers. The substance is Jesus Christ and our earnest pursuit to know Him as Lord and Savior. It is He who casts the shadow.

Names of Jesus

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Author of Eternal Salvation.

God Almighty.
The Most High God.

The Beginning and the End.

The Alpha and Omega.

God’s only begotten Son.
The Visible Image of the Invisible God.

The Messiah.
Fully Man and Fully God.
Without Sin.

The Spotless Lamb of God.

The Resurrection and the Life.
The Sacrifice.

The King of Heaven.
The King of Kings.

The King of Israel.

Lord of All.

Lord of Lords.

Prince of Peace.

The Great I Am.

The Way. The Truth. The Life.

The Bread of Life.

The Head of the Body and Church.

The Chosen One.

The Light of the World.

Living Water.

The Foundation of the World.

The Son of Mary.