He advocated that all who follow Jesus are priests, not just the official clergy. Much of what he said made sense, as did his kind manner. But why was he here now? Had this persecuted recluse emerged just to speak to me?
And the news got worse. It appeared that there was this whole other person Jesus Christ whose birthday a lot of people tended to confuse with mine. I was personally outraged. It was a long time before I forgave the Lord for that.
Stand by; for I am holier than you!" What a parody on holiness! Jesus the Holy One is the humble One: the holiest will ever be the humblest. There is none holy but God: we have as much of holiness as we have of God.
Many came to Jesus expecting him to solve their problems. Instead he helped them to connect to their own faith and their own wisdom.
Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
Beyond miracles, what has lasting significance is love. It wasn’t that Jesus healed a leper, but that he touched a leper, because no one touched lepers.
People respond when they are taught, and that primarily by example, rather than preached at. Jesus modeled just this approach in His life." ~R. Alan Woods [2013]
We need to abandon our scale and adopt God's because our misguided labels keep us from the right kind of interaction with people.
No sooner do I conquer a bad habit than I become the biggest critic of anyone who still does what I just stopped doing.
This is how I roll: Joined with Jesus at the hip rid'in the roller coaster to the end which is the beginning of Life eternal" ~R. Alan Woods [2012]
I am so glad that Jesus does not say, “Practice more spiritual disciplines.” He says, “Come to me…and I will give you rest.
The denial of Christ has less to do with facts and more to do with the bent of what a person is prejudiced to conclude.
His life spells living. Your life or my life, apart from Him, spells death.
Only when holiness and worship meet can evil be conquered. For that, only the Christian message has the answer.
No one has ever been deeply changed by an act of the will. The only thing that can re-forge and change a life at its root, is love.
Christianity sees in the picture of Jesus as the Christ a human life in which all forms of anxiety are present but in which all forms of despair are absent.
The best ever spiritual coach you can ever have is Jesus Christ; our model of true leadership! You can do all things through Christ your and my spiritual coach!
Spiritual friends help us most when they make clear that their job is to point the way, not to lead the way. And the Way to which they should point is Jesus.
If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ and believe the Bible to be the Word of God, then we have no room for wallowing in the swamp of self-pity.
The light of truth will cover the world, and eliminate the darkness that, for at the moment, blinds so many from the way. The faith of the faithful will prevail, and those faithful will be united with the Lord Jesus forever.
messy spirituality is the delirious consequence of a life ruined by a Jesus who will love us right into his arms.
