Knowing Jesus as a Person

I’ve been a follower of Christ since I was 12 years old.  That was a long time ago.  I have been involved in various capacities of ministry for over 20 years.  I am not a novice when it comes to church life, the Bible, preaching, praying, or anything else that goes along with the Christian life.  One thing that I have experienced many times in my walk with Jesus is that every now and then He will take you on a journey of deep self-discovery.  It’s an internal journey and oftentimes isn’t pleasant.  He reveals things to you about yourself that you don’t like to see nor care to admit are a part of your life.  He does this in a loving way, never in a condemning nor condescending way, so that you can grow through it.  A couple of years ago that Lord began to take me on such a journey. It’s a journey that I am still on albeit at times I wish there was an exit ramp! Throughout this journey I’ve come to realize how strong my character is (and how weak in spots it is). I’ve seen what strengths I have and what weaknesses lie within the core of who I am.  God has certainly given me some wonderful insights for my life and my relationship with Him, but I’ve also seen some things about myself that I just haven’t liked nor wanted to deal with.

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Clearance Sale Jesus

A friend and I were talking one day about the cost of following Jesus. Following Jesus is a costly thing.  He said Himself that if we didn’t give up everything to follow Him that we couldn’t be His disciple (Luke 14:33).  That’s costly.

It’s not about us working to receive salvation. It’s about being in a relationship with Jesus. Relationships take work. Relationships require commitment and they will cost you. You get out of a relationship what you put into it. When it comes to our relationship with Jesus we must be willing to give up whatever is going to hinder that relationship.  It must be the centrality of all that we do.  Like any human relationship it will take work on our part to make the relationship vibrant, wonderful and healthy.

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