Panda, it would be an unimaginable blessing to bring you with us. Can you paddle a canoe? :-)

(oh, and thank you for the kind words! and star!)

Isn't it wonderful, when we can accept the rest he offers, Lara?

Todd, thanks for stirring these thoughts in my bro. FYI, I find YOU gentle and humble in heart as well....i.e. Christlike.

Thanks MarJay! Amen, and yes, I've heard. And I find it comforting to know that the Lamb of God will become as a Lion of Judah in defense of those under his protection. BTW, Jesus is referred to as a "Lion" once in Revelation, but as a "Lamb" approx. 32 times. I believe there is a message to us in this.

From Genesis to Malachi....Jesus walked through the bible....And He wasn't so gentle, I think that exceeds those 32 times (smile)...He didn't just show up in the New Testament ;o)

Does anyone have a hard time seeing a gentle Jesus?

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I have no problem seeing a gentle Jesus. Gentle, kind and smiling. O how he wants to wrap his arms around us and comfort us in our trials, and yes give us Rest, Rest, Rest.........
However, like a loving parent, he corrects us, ouch, but as we all know, it's for our own good!!!!!! I just wish I didn't need correcting so much

Crystal, our Father corrects us, but does our brother?  (Just wondering...)  Thanks for your comment, I pray you were blessed by reading.

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Mike, I think we only have to read what was spoken, through John, to the 7 assemblies in the book of Revelation.  Not only were the "good" things enumerated but also issues were spoken to; and on occasion very strongly (e.g. first love).

So my question is: How could the same spirit that spoke through John be saying something different these days?  How is it that our assemblies are without any exhortation or reprimand?

Have you ever heard prophecy that admonished an assembly to change their mind (repent) or their lamp stand would be removed?  Are we so perfect that we are in no need of correction?  Or are we, in general, in such bad shape that the Lord has given us to our own ways?

These are some of the things I ponder myself.  Don't know the answer but am concerned.

Craig

Ah, thanks Craig! I appreciate the reminder that Christ offered correction for...his bride! I've required as much correction as anyone, maybe even more than most. So those words are sobering. Yet although Christ and the Father are One, I sense my Father doing the correcting.

I also find John's reaction to seeing the glorified Jesus, recorded in Rev 1 ("When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead"), very interesting, given that he'd already seen Jesus' glory revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration too.

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Hey Mike, I'm like you....so many fav verses of scripture depending on what is the current need. Aint' it great?!

Have fun at summer camp. Wish I was going too, lol. I so loved Bible camp as a child. God was so ever present at the church services we had several times a day. They packed so much praise and worship and activities like swimming, baseball, classes etc. into one short week! What a delightful way to spend the end of your summer and get some real rest with no cell phone or internet. I hope they have no tv too!

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Mike, I've seen a gentle Jesus all threw this journey.

That's ok Crystal. I couldn't think of any cases of Jesus offering correction, but Craig set me straight. I'm the one that stands corrected. :)

I think these words of our Lord's bear stating too, in relation to brother Craig's last comment:

Meditating on the words gentle and humble in heart....

REST....how delicious!

Rebel, delighted to see you! I have prayed for your healthy return.

Thank you Barb!

Excellent Mike!

Agreed....Busyness and overactivity (even if it is  spiritual things) can cause us all to forget how He wants us to "rest". Sometimes, I try to prove to God how awesome I am and how much ministry I can do....It really comes from an orphan mentality, to earn our way into His grace. Sorry. It can't happen. He loves us just as we are and no matter how much we do, we don't change His love for us. It's already infinite....I think that means complete, already set, eternal. Gentle and humble of heart seems to go along well with one who draws us to Him sheerly by the power of His love. My heavenly father does correct me, but, even then, I feel His gentleness and kindness flow through the correction. It then allows me to rest in His transforming power to make me what He wants me to be. 

He is sooooo GOOD!  Have a great trip bro!!

Bruce, bro, you have an amazing way with words!

Liz, Jesus seems to show his strong side when defending his sheep. Amen?

My church had revival this week and we had a guest pastor.  He preached about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) and how there are no second chances in hell if you reject God's teaching when you have a chance.

He told a story that has bothered me, and your blog and your question about Jesus being gentle has me thinking about it again (and similar stories). He told us about a single mother whose children were playing with a gun, and her daughter was shot in the throat.  This mother started coming to his church when this happened, and she and her other children were there every time the doors were open, until her daughter was healed completely.

He said that at one point he overheard her praying to God, making the promise that if God would only heal her daughter, she would give her life to Him and bring her children to church every week.  The pastor said that God told him to warn her then that He was listening to these promises, and to tell her not to make promises unless she intended to keep them.

He said that after her daughter was healed, the woman and her family started missing church until after a while they did not come back for months. The next time he saw them was to give the eulogy at her 14 year old son's funeral.  The woman came in cursing God for taking her baby.  He said she smelled like marijuana, and her complaining was not making it any easier for him to give the service, so he took her aside and reminded her of the promises she did not keep to God.

I am wondering if during her grief, this was an appropriate thing for him to bring up - seems pretty harsh if I was the woman who just lost my son, and not very loving or forgiving of him.  But my personality is very different from this pastor's personality, which may be why God put him in the situation instead of me. 

I had the thought that maybe if someone had checked on her when she did not come back to church to begin with, maybe things would have been different for the woman, but I was not there, so I don't know if maybe someone did. Since Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light, is it fair to blame anyone at the church for not being superChristian (I know I am not).  Is it fair to blame God, as she did?

I know there are one or two bible stories (New Testament) about people who did not keep their promises to God.  I also know Jesus said that some seeds fall on infertile ground, blossom for a season and dry up. He tells the story of the wheat and the tares, and I wonder, is it gentle to pull weeds from your garden?  From the point of view of the weed, I am sure it seems very unfair, but the flowers around it do appreciate it.  It was Jesus who said that any plant that was not planted by His Father would be pulled up. As a parable, this story is easy to understand, but when it starts applying to people around you, it is hard to know how to react (for me anyway).

Jesus Himself is gentle and kind, forgiving and loving.  Even when He rebukes people, He does it with words that sometimes make them angrier, but sometimes make them think, depending on where their heart is (for example, the rich young ruler and the woman at the well).

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Hey Mike, Our pastor was talking about that on Sunday, If someone asked what your favorite verse was, a lot of the times people will say John 3:16, I'll have to check that blog out also.

Toni <><

raconpoodle....it was!!

Juanita...THANKS for those lyrics! They do indeed portray and celebrate a meek and humble Savior, yet remind us he has the power of a lion as well. 

He gives REST...thanks Joe. Lovely thought, isn't it?