Dirty Bible, Clean Heart

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." -John 21:22 Throughout Scripture, we see a recurring theme where God constantly addresses His followers as sheep and He as our Shepherd (Psalm 23 probably comes to mind). Though I often overlooked this symbolism, I believe that God wants us to know that there are certain characteristics of sheep that are true of us also. The primary one that comes to my mind is this: sheep live in tight-knit communities and often mimic each other's behaviors. Sheep tend to conform to what the rest of the pack does. The same can be true of us also.   So many of our day to day behaviors aren't unique to us but rather inherited from interaction with others. Yet we were designed to follow Jesus and it is only when we do that we find true fulfillment, protection, and blessings in life. However we aren't always good at following Him and many times experience unnecessary burdens ...

"How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.  Jesus answered, ' I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you'." - John 1:48 Have you ever felt unnoticed? Left out? Invisible? Like an extra or unwanted piece in a jigsaw puzzle? I think it's safe to say that each one of us have felt unnoticed and lonely at one time or another. For some of us that may mean getting overlooked for a promotion at work, not being invited to that friend's birthday party, or still being single while everyone around you is married. We want to be seen, yet find ourselves overlooked once again. There are plenty of reasons we could list as to why we sometimes feel unnoticed. Yet if we take a close look at Scripture, we see that even in our loneliest moments God is always present...especially when we need Him the most.  God's silence never equates to His absence.  If you've been walking with Jesus for a while now, you will have encountered periods...

"Were it not for the work of the Holy Spirit there would be no gospel, no faith, no church, no Christianity in the world at all."  -J.I. Packer One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Acts. I love reading about the power of God manifested in the daily lives of the believers as they became powerful witnesses of the love and mercy of God. Nothing excites me more than reading about miraculous healings, supernatural provision, Sauls becoming Pauls, and countless lives given to our Lord Jesus Christ. I think one of the reasons why I love the book of Acts so much is that it demonstrates to us what real Christianity looks like. The early church, despite their flaws and "growing pains" are a real life example of what God desires to do in us and through us. Though it is great to read about the miracles God performed, we must closely examine the  source behind the power seen in the early church and apostles...the Holy Spirit. The hallmark in the book of Ac...