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  • Undeterred

    “The moment they saw him, they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge…”
                                              Matthew 28:17-18 MSG

    My friend Melanie would often come over and play Barbies with my daughter, so Shelby began to expect that whenever Mel came over she was her playmate. One day Mel didn’t feel like playing Barbies and declined Shelby’s invite. Shelby kept asking so I told her to go to her room. While I was preparing food she begged Mel to come down to her room for just a minute. As soon as Mel walked in the room, Shelby, undeterred by Melanie’s responses, shut the door and said, “Now we play Barbies!”

    I love how Jesus was undeterred by the response of His disciples. Jesus was a strong leader and He wasn’t governed by His emotions or the responses of people to His words. Their lack of unity or commitment to the plan didn’t faze Him. Jesus was committed to following His father’s lead and fulfilling the call on His life no matter how people reacted or what was the popular opinion about Him. In Luke 9:51 it says that Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem” when it was His time to return home to Heaven.

    In this coming new year, may you walk towards the call of God on your life; undeterred by emotions, circumstances, the responses or opinions of others!

    Prayer

    Father…I thank-you for sending Your Son Jesus to be the perfect example of how I should live! Help me to not be swayed by the response or opinions of others. Let my heart be so set on Your purposes that nothing; not even my emotions, could deter me from following Your lead. In Jesus Name…Amen

    #Dare2Share
    Dare To Share a time when you lived undeterred for Christ?
    Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

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  • Follow Me

    follow me scripture
    “There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.”
    Hebrews 4:10-11 NIV
    Does the idiom, “Do as I say, not as I do” annoy anyone else?  It bothers me when I hear parents repeating it to their kids.  They say it as if it’s a joke, when really it’s backed up by their actions.  The Free Dictionary describes this phrase as: “Take my advice, even though I am acting contrary to it”.1   I’m so thankful that we serve a heavenly father who parents nothing like this!  God never requires something of us that He has not modeled for us.   He tells us to take a Sabbath rest, following His example.
    Good Leaders lead by example, not by rule.
    “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  In Matthew 4:19 NIV.  Jesus had every right to say, “follow me” because that is exactly what He was doing, fishing for people.  Paul encouraged believers many times to follow his example, even saying twice that people should “imitate” him.  In Philippians 3:17, Paul said “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” NIV   We need to be Christians who lead by example, so that we can say, “Do as I say, and as I do!”
     Prayer:
    Father…I thank-you for modeling good things before me.  Help me to follow your example to rest and to model what I say, in what I do.  May I live a life that others will be better to follow after.  In Jesus name, Amen
    1 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Do+as+I+say,+not+as+I+do

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