Two Routes

Excerpt of comment by Neil Booth in "My Hidden Life" (on his blog site "Pass the Toast"):

"It seems to me that there are two routes open to us as Christians who want to live holy, God-pleasing lives. One is to draw up a set of rules for holy living (or borrow an existing set) and keep tweaking them and adding to them and refining them and above all making sure we don’t break them. But Paul says that that is going back into the slavery from [which] Christ has freed us! The second is to be so wrapped up in Jesus, so devoted to him, having our minds so set on him, that we just do what pleases God without there being any “must” or “musn’t” about our response to people, places, situations and circumstances. Sadly, however, because we find it difficult to enter and to maintain this oneness with Christ, we resort to the moral and ethical rule book to do by law what we should be doing out of love."

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8 NIV

Hidden Workers

By George Matheson

"John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true" (John 10:41)

You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life. John did no miracle, but Jesus said that among those born of women there had not appeared a greater than he.

John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ.

Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says, "The dawn! the dawn!" and then dies away.

Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to their conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness.

We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say, "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself."

A Man Fell in a Hole

Prayer of Salvation

A prayer you may pray to invite Jesus to come into your heart:

Father God,I come to You just as I am. There is nothing I can do to earn salvation. I know that I am a sinner and I ask Your forgiveness. Wash me clean with the precious, life-giving blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son. I believe He took my sin upon Himself and died on the cross for me. And I believe that He was raised from the dead, giving me power over the enemy.I want to turn from my sins. I don't understand everything about being a Christian, but I invite You to come into my heart and life, and I ask for the powerful indwelling of Your Holy Spirit to guide and teach me. Jesus, I will trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You, Father, for Your gift of restoration and eternal life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, take the time to chat daily with the Lord - This is prayer. It doesn't have to be fancy - just from the heart!