discipleship

SELF-CONTROL AND SELF-DISCIPLINE — You need both to become more like Jesus

January 2, 2025 by Eddie Leave a Comment

This is the last reflection in the Pathways of Hope Special Series on the “Fruit of the Spirit”. Throughout each of these last 8 days, we have been listening to reflections on each of the 9 fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” For today, let us reflect on that last item on the list which is SELF-CONTROL.

I’m sure you’re familiar with what self-control means, and what it involves; and I’m almost certain that you exercise a large degree of self-control in your day to day living. Having said that, I think that if we’re being honest, we still have a long way to go in growing in self-control.

[Read more…]

JESUS DIDN’T ALLOW PUSHBACKS TO STOP HIM — So should you. Stay on mission.

October 31, 2024 by Eddie Leave a Comment

“Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’” We find this incident told in Luke 13:31-35. This passage shows us how committed Jesus was to obey His Father, despite threats on his life, and how the plan and purpose of Jesus in fulfillment of the Scriptures written centuries before His time was so perfectly executed.

At this point in His ministry, Jesus is still preaching and performing miracles in Galilee. The Pharisees want to get rid of him, and so they intimidate Him to leave Galilee saying that Herod Antipas (who was the one who had John the Baptist killed, remember?) was ready to have Him killed too. These Pharisees hope that Jesus will run for His life and depart from Galilee, away from the territory of Herod.

[Read more…]

BEING A DISCIPLE and BECOMING A DISCIPLER

May 26, 2024 by Eddie Leave a Comment

Our passage today is the last passage from the last chapter of the gospel by Matthew. This passage is usually called “The Great Commission”, when Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This passage from Matthew is very similar to the last passage of the last chapter of Mark’s gospel. And in Mark’s version, he adds a little detail saying that after Jesus gave these instructions, He was lifted up into heaven. While that ascension of Jesus is indeed a marvelous spectacle (and how we wish we were there to witness it), we want to relish these words of Jesus because they were the LAST words He ever spoke in person, and I encourage you to continue to reflect on these words in the coming days so that you will appreciate how much importance Jesus wanted to place in these words that He left for His disciples, and for you and me and all mankind.

[Read more…]

DAY OF PRAYER GUIDE in 6 Parts

January 11, 2023 by Eddie 2 Comments

“*Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.*” (Mark 6:31)

Dedicating a significant amount of time alone in a quiet place at the start of the year to engage in an intimate conversation with Lord is a rewarding exercise of faith. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the year that has just passed with thankfulness, and open yourself up to the Lord’s purposes with prayerful expectation for the year ahead. It builds on our relationship with the Lord who is our good Shepherd, and who is sovereign in our lives.

[Read more…]

WANTED: HEROES

August 29, 2022 by Eddie 4 Comments

This year on Aug 29, the last Monday of August, our nation will remember her heroes of long ago, men and women who fought for what they believed was our sovereign right as a people, and who braved death against all odds. Those that fight political battles are called heroes; those that fight spiritual battles are called saints. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had more heroes and more saints in our midst? A.W. Tozer in his book entitled Of God and Man, says, “The fact is that we are not today producing saints.”

[Read more…]