“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell.
“You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
My Pondering
L,L or L?
I chose the latter, Lord almighty! He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the last.
I believe we choose who we are going to partner with. Who we are going to serve. If we choose Jesus, we must do so intentionally, surely and exercise discipline as a sincere disciple.
If we choose to follow the thief, sooner or later, we are the one’s who will be stolen, killed and destroyed.
Sadly, no choice is the same as the wrong choice.
And God of course amps things up, even more than we can imagine! Superabundance!!! To Him be the Glory!
“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP
On our own, we are finite. With Him – all possible. Our part of the deal is to BELIEVE and TRUST fully as we are capable. Max is max. For us to have max power we need to simply be a conductor of His infinite power; this to abide (See John 15).
“Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.””
Mark 10:27 AMP
When it comes down the essential, the bottom line we can rest and take comfort and assurance in this statement:
“What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?”
Romans 8:31 AMP
And even beyond that:
“‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficult or too wonderful for You—”
Jeremiah 32:17 AMP
This is tried and true:
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”
Romans 8:28 AMP
In Greek mythology there was a great warrior named Achilles. When he was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. In order to prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability. She dipped his body into the water, but held Achilles by the foot and therefore his heel was not washed over by the magical waters of the river.
The following is written and is a devotional available on the YouVersion Bible App:
Tim Mannin – Do What Matter
According to the legend, Achilles grew up to be a mighty warrior who survived many great battles, but his fateful day came when a poisonous arrow struck him in his heel, killing him shortly after. Today we refer to our “achilles heel” as something that is our weak spot, vulnerable place, or in some cases the thing that will defeat us. For Superman it is kryptonite, for some people it is fear, and for many of us it’s a sin lurking around the corner looking to trip us up.
Our enemy is out to crush our dreams and keep us from being people who do things that matter for the Kingdom. In fact, he’s out to deceive, steal, and destroy us. As much as there is a God in heaven that loves everything about us, there is also an enemy that absolutes hates every part of who we are. John 10:10 isn’t just about the abundant life Jesus gives, but also a reminder that we have an enemy.
So many people have dreamed wildly for God only to see their hopes and dreams come crashing down because of sin. Is sin impacting your life in such a way that it is getting in the way of any dream God has for you? Has sin become your achilles heel? Don’t be fooled – sin will take you out! The enemy tempts us with sin and wants to pull us away from who God wants us to be.
We must be alert and of sober mind! What sins are crouching at our door? God’s Word promises that He will give us the strength to overcome temptation. We must submit our areas of struggle, sin, and even fears to prayer and the grace of God. We must repent of our sin and submit our lives to Him.
Read today’s scriptures and be encouraged. Never hesitate to seek spiritual counsel from someone you trust if you need help.
“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10:18
Pondering Life : Pursuing God 