A Heart For Jesus

  Paul writes in Philippians 2:16 that we are to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. He repeats this in 1 Corinthians 2:16, saying, “We have the mind of Christ.” So, what does it mean to have the mind of Christ? Or to have a mindset like His? I don’t claim to know exactly how Jesus thought, but I can describe who He was. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” (ESV). Jesus was humble and not self-important. He knew who He was and didn’t feel the need to prove Himself. Consider the story in John chapter seven. Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to prove Himself by going to the Feast of Booths, but He refused. I don’t think Jesus was trying to show off or impress others. Similarly, in Matthew 4, the devil tempted Jesus in the desert. The devil tried to make Jesus doubt or question God, but Jesus didn’t fall for it. Instead, He quoted Scripture every time to counter the devil’s lies. Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He became a servant of all and chose ...

  Elisabeth Elliot ~  “Love is not merely a gentle touch or a pat on the head. It is a refiner’s fire. It burns to purify.” Reminds me of the verse in Mark 9:49 which says, “For everyone will be salted with fire.”  Neither of those sound like a lot of fun!  ‭ Fire can purify. It burns away what is useless to bring out something better.  But love “burns to purify?” The Bible teaches us that God is love. If God is love, then is it His love that does the purifying? ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭29‬(ESV‬‬) says, “for our God is a consuming fire.” And in ‭‭ ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭3‬(ESV‬‬), “…For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap…” I found this definition for “fuller’s soap”. “Fuller's soap was a powerful, highly alkaline cleaning agent used in ancient times to scour, cleanse, and whiten raw wool or woven cloth before it was dyed”.  God’s love is like “fuller’s soap, scrubbing away what is unnecessary within us. Like deep cleaning for the soul and perhaps the h...

  “The whole claim of the Redemption of Jesus is that He can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human soul, not only hereafter, but here and now”. Oswald Chambers  Oswald asserts that Jesus has the power to fulfill the deepest and most profound desires of the human soul. What is it that you yearn for the most? What need or desire consumes your thoughts and emotions? Psalm‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭2‬(ESV‬‬) says, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” Have you ever thirsted for God as the Psalmist says? Do you yearn for a deeper connection with God? Or is it more convenient to seek fulfillment in other ways that often fall short of satisfying your true desires? ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭25‬(NIV‬‬) says, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” It is the Lord who can truly satisfy, replenish, and provide rest! He will do this, but we must also take action. We must come to ...