How Could They Not Understand

During my quite times this week I read this passage in Luke:

"Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.' The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about," (Luke 18:31-34, NIV).

I read this passage and I could help thinking about the final two sentences. "The disciples did not understand any of this." How could they not understand? How could Jesus be any more clear about what was going to happen to him. Jesus basically spells it out for the disciples. He is going to be handed over, beaten, and killed, and then raise back to life after three days.

It's very clear, easy for anyone to understand. I don't think it was that they didn't understand, but that they didn't WANT to understand. They loved and adored Jesus so much that they didn't want to believe that these things were going to happen. But if they didn't happen then the world wouldn't have been redeemed, and none of us would be able to have a relationship with Christ, and God.

We don't want horrible things to happen to the people we love. But this had to happen so we could be saved. Thank you God for loving us so much. For loving me so much.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Worship

So, I went to the Church Service on Saturday, and I stayed for the entire night. I was tempted, at first, to leave early like always. Until I saw a friend who knows I've been struggling with laziness. I knew I couldn't just walk on past, so I sat down and stayed. I'm glad I did, because the worship at the end of the message was worth the night alone.

On Sunday mornings our Church is doing a different message than what is being taught on Saturday nights. I decided when I woke up that I wanted to go to the service. Once again, as the night before, I'm glad that I did.

God had something He wanted to teach me from that message about Worship. Worship is more than just singing songs to him one night a week. It's about the way we live our lives for Him. It's about how everything we do should be for God. Not anyone else, especially not for ourselves. If we live only for ourselves we will always be lacking something.

Worship is more about a relationship with God. It's not something that we are required to do. A relationship is about responding and communicating. That is how we should be worshiping God, by responding with our whole hearts to the unconditional love of God.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Laziness

I feel like I have no motivation to do much of anything these days. Even when it comes to God and my spiritual life. I feel like I have to force myself to go to Church services or House Church/Small Group. Even when I do get to Church services I find some excuse to leave early, and not stay for the messages.

I think my prayer life, quite times, have gotten stale. I do the same things over and over and over again, and I feel like if I don't stop I'll go insane. I want God to rekindle a fire in me, like I had before. To wake up my heart and to thirst for seeking Him.

I think the first thing I need to do is get back into a routine (even if I don't want to):
- Quite times every morning
- Church service on Saturdays (and staying for the entire message)
- House Church/Small Group on Wednesdays

I also think I need someone to be accountable to. I fear that if I'm left to my own devices again a I'll continue to fall back into my laziness. Any suggestions on what to do?

TNT
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad