Despite being two weeks into "retirement" I have not yet found my rhythm and at times I feel as busy as I had been when working full time. Yet at other times, I feel things are too quiet and I do not have enough going on.
Of course this is not the most important thing. Most important is what is God saying to me. How is Jesus calling me and where is He looking for me to trust and be obedient to Him?
After a year away, I am again back in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) as an Admin Leader. As with all who are involved with BSF, there are weekly lessons to be done. Which is a good thing, keeping those attending focused on God's Word.
This year, we are studying Revelation which is all about the revealing of Jesus Christ, more about who He is and His second coming. There is much ado about this book and speculation about what all of this means and what and how the second coming / end times will unfold - with many different views.
However, I think a couple of things are important in all of this, that can be agreed upon:
These things are absolutely important to us as believers - not just individually but as the body of Christ, the Church.
But there are some things shared by Jesus in Revelation that should not just cause the Church to ask questions about their relationship and where the Church stands with Jesus (absolutely the Church needs to assess itself based on what Jesus shares in Revelation, especially in the letters to the seven Churches). These letters raise questions we also as individuals should ask ourselves about our relationship with Jesus.
This past Monday night our Class Administrator ask all of us Admin Leaders that very question:
How is Jesus speaking to you through the letters to the seven Churches? What of His Words cause you to stop and consider your relationship with Jesus?
For me the answer came almost immediately. These words from Jesus have penetrated my heart from the letter to Ephesus in chapter 2:
Revelation 2:4-5 - "4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
I remember that February 2014 Wednesday morning when I had a radical encounter with Jesus, calling me to Himself. I felt on fire. Despite the consequences of my sins, I was ready to confess to anyone my sins, to ask forgiveness, to share how Jesus had just turned my life upside down in the most amazing way.
Over the years, although I am still passionate about my relationship with Jesus, I think Jesus' words to the Ephesians are an accurate reflection - that I need to be doing the things I did at first - stuff that glorified God and demonstrated my love for Jesus and what He did for me.
The Holy Spirit is convicting me and I am feeling my heart's desire to repent and return to the level of passionate love I had for Jesus when I first was called by Him.
My question for you today is "What is Jesus saying to you these days? And what are you going to do about it?"
Lord Jesus, my prayer as we go into this upcoming weekend, is that we have ears to hear what you, Lord Jesus are saying to us, what You are asking of us> And then that we follow the hearing up with action that demonstrates our whole hearted love for You! Amen.
Enjoy this weekend knowing the truth of the work, the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus,
Patrick Engesser
Of course this is not the most important thing. Most important is what is God saying to me. How is Jesus calling me and where is He looking for me to trust and be obedient to Him?
After a year away, I am again back in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) as an Admin Leader. As with all who are involved with BSF, there are weekly lessons to be done. Which is a good thing, keeping those attending focused on God's Word.
This year, we are studying Revelation which is all about the revealing of Jesus Christ, more about who He is and His second coming. There is much ado about this book and speculation about what all of this means and what and how the second coming / end times will unfold - with many different views.
However, I think a couple of things are important in all of this, that can be agreed upon:
- The book is about Jesus Christ, what He has done, what He is doing and what He will be doing. We see the subject of this book clearly stated in Revelation 1:1-3 - "1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
- Jesus Christ will and is making all things new - Revelation 21:5 - "5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
These things are absolutely important to us as believers - not just individually but as the body of Christ, the Church.
But there are some things shared by Jesus in Revelation that should not just cause the Church to ask questions about their relationship and where the Church stands with Jesus (absolutely the Church needs to assess itself based on what Jesus shares in Revelation, especially in the letters to the seven Churches). These letters raise questions we also as individuals should ask ourselves about our relationship with Jesus.
This past Monday night our Class Administrator ask all of us Admin Leaders that very question:
How is Jesus speaking to you through the letters to the seven Churches? What of His Words cause you to stop and consider your relationship with Jesus?
For me the answer came almost immediately. These words from Jesus have penetrated my heart from the letter to Ephesus in chapter 2:
Revelation 2:4-5 - "4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
I remember that February 2014 Wednesday morning when I had a radical encounter with Jesus, calling me to Himself. I felt on fire. Despite the consequences of my sins, I was ready to confess to anyone my sins, to ask forgiveness, to share how Jesus had just turned my life upside down in the most amazing way.
Over the years, although I am still passionate about my relationship with Jesus, I think Jesus' words to the Ephesians are an accurate reflection - that I need to be doing the things I did at first - stuff that glorified God and demonstrated my love for Jesus and what He did for me.
The Holy Spirit is convicting me and I am feeling my heart's desire to repent and return to the level of passionate love I had for Jesus when I first was called by Him.
My question for you today is "What is Jesus saying to you these days? And what are you going to do about it?"
Lord Jesus, my prayer as we go into this upcoming weekend, is that we have ears to hear what you, Lord Jesus are saying to us, what You are asking of us> And then that we follow the hearing up with action that demonstrates our whole hearted love for You! Amen.
Enjoy this weekend knowing the truth of the work, the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus,
Patrick Engesser
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