Interactive Bible Study: Following In the Footsteps of Christ

Putting aside selfish ambition means I will pour out my life to those who "don't matter", who cannot in any way advance my status or reputation. And I will do it joyfully for my Lord did it for me. I have no agenda, no plan, I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I only have Jesus. Any "praise" that comes my way I know is only because of He who lives within me and I thank Him for allowing me to wash the feet of His servants. I do not, I cannot own it.

On The Cross

On the Cross I place my dreams and hope
My refuge, my escapes and how I cope
All that I am or desire to be
Crucified with You on a lonely tree

.....peace.....

Recently, there came news of a soon-to-come shift change at my factory. When that happens I will pick up much more overtime (which is much need since my wife quit her job in October due to health issues, hers and mine). The man who does my job on days asked me if I wanted to switch shifts. I turned him down. When talking with a supervisor he mentioned that he was thinking of quitting because of how it would affect his family life. The Lord impressed upon me to share the scripture from Psalms, "So He gave them their request but sent leaness to their souls". I did the next day. I mentioned how he had advanced quickly in the company and had accomplished all he had desired up to this point. And the future looks very bright for this man. But was it worth it?

Later, as I thought about the words I had spoken to another I asked myself the same question. Was it worth it? The only benefit for me was money, period. So in the morning when this man came to work I asked him if the offer to switch still stood and he enthusiastically replied, "Yes!" That was Friday as I was leaving work. He probably already has his transfer request in and I will do mine Monday. Instead of a nice size pay increase I will take a pay cut (shift premium). But I will gain so much.

Like this week our church had a holiness crusade. Because of my work schedule I missed all of it except for the last two nights. Next year I will be able to go to every service.

I have worked third shift for ten years. I only attend church on Sunday morning. There have been friends who have passed on and others who have came in that I never got a chance to get to know. Soon, I can become involved in the life of my church family instead of the member who used to do a lot of things in the church.

Now well into "stage two" of raising children, I will be there for my children much more by going on days than I would have if I had went to the scheduled second shift. This will be good for our children, for my wife, for me.

I will even actually get to sleep at least six-eight hours a night now...in a row!!!

It will not be easy finacially. The Cross is never the easy way. Self sees the financial need. Faith sees the spiritual need. Self shakes it head in disbelief as faith raises its' arms in thankful praise. When self is denied Christ is glorified.

One day I arrived early to a Sunday School class. I looked at the lesson and a phrase stuck out to me from John 21, "...this spake he signifying by what death he should glorify GOD." How could a person's death glorify GOD? I looked up the word glorify in a bible dictionary in the room. One definition of glorify is to make rich. When we die heaven is richer! Even this week I have seen heaven "glorified" as a fellow laborer in the Lord went home. Indeed, heaven is richer.

But we do not have to die physically to glorify (make richer) GOD. To die daily, a living sacrifice, poured out and broken, offered with thankful hearts to the One who gave Himself for us, not as an investment but as an act of love.

I don't try to identify with Christ. What I mean by that is that I do not work at being identified as a follower of Christ. I just live my life and somehow people identify Christ in me. An example of this would be a young lady I met about four years ago at work. She kind of became my friend. I would speak to her, listen to her, cared about what was going on in her life.

One day when some tragic personal news came she shared it with me and began crying. It was a Friday, she was going on break, I was still working, I asked her if I could talk to her away from work the next day. She said yes. So the next day me and Lucas, I think he was three then, went by and talked with her. Oh, during the night, GOD gave me a poem for her, The Key. It was her life and how GOD cared, and another.

Spent most of that day with the young lady, before I returned her home we prayed. She said the right words but when it was over I sensed in my spirit it was not over. Yeah, I was confused. I asked her if she would mind talking to a pastor friend. She said no. But when I got to his house I discovered he was not home.

Now I had never met his wife, and here I stood with my long hair and this young girl beside me when she asked if she could help us. I told her Heather needed Jesus. She invited us in. I stayed a little while and then felt I needed to leave. So I took a walk and prayed. An hour later I returned and it was over. Heather found Jesus and knew He was real and living in her heart.

Then Heather shared that there had always been something different about me. While everyone else around her in the department was all stressed I seemed to always have a peace. And that peace was why she felt safe talking to me and being my friend.

Jesus never sought crowds. But people were drawn to Him. My desire is to live so close to Him that others do not see me but He who lives in me. And to speak when He put words in my mouth, to be quiet when He doesn't, and to crave, long for, intimacy with the Father.

.....peace.....