Forums » General Discussion

Serving Jesus

    • 67 posts
    February 25, 2016 12:28 PM EST

    I need some help with this one, I know there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it, but I don't exactly know how and what it means to serve Jesus. I know he is the son of God and our lord and savior, but beyond that I don't know who Jesus was(is). I figured that you were the right folks to ask about this topic and it is my hope that you can provide valuable insight not only to me but to others who have been struggling with this issue as well.

    Many thanks and God Bless! :)

    • 275 posts
    February 25, 2016 1:40 PM EST

    Hi Tyler, interesting question. I'm not sure if I have a full grasp on your goal, mainly because I can think of it in multiple ways. I'll give it a shot here and others can certainly chime in :-).

     

    Since the title of the post and your initial comment were about serving Jesus, I'm taking the second part (who was/is Jesus) as something like "how do I know what He would want, so that I may serve Him properly?". I think that's a very valid thought because even without the objective of serving Him, just getting to know His nature better, building our relationship with Him is just as important as how we serve, maybe more so. Still, if the objective is "how do we serve Him?", I would suggest that an easier path (not saying better, but easier) is to just see what He said. I guess an analogy would be you could really know a person so well that you could pick a gift for them without asking, or you could just ask them :). So, with that premise, I would think of things like John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments", John 21:17 ("Do you love me?...Feed my sheep") and what He considered the greatest commandment, that of loving him and our neighbor as ourself. Together, they bring a theme, I believe to love God, try to live right and help the person in front of you.

     

    There are other ways I could see your question, but rather than make this an excessively long post, I thought I'd just start with one thing for discussion and we can all go from there :).

     

    [blockquote]Tyler Velau said:

    I need some help with this one, I know there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it, but I don't exactly know how and what it means to serve Jesus. I know he is the son of God and our lord and savior, but beyond that I don't know who Jesus was(is). I figured that you were the right folks to ask about this topic and it is my hope that you can provide valuable insight not only to me but to others who have been struggling with this issue as well.

    Many thanks and God Bless! :)

    [/blockquote]

    • 67 posts
    February 25, 2016 3:30 PM EST

    Hi Sylvia, thanks for the reply:). In order to serve Jesus better, I think it is important to have an understanding of who He is/was not only to serve Him properly, but to have a better understanding of it. I would like to know Jesus better and be able to be a bigger help to Him, and also to be a bigger help to others too. 


    This post was edited by Tyler Velau at February 25, 2016 5:07 PM EST
    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    February 25, 2016 4:05 PM EST

    To me, the gospels, particuliarly Luke and John tell you a lot about Jesus. What He was like, the decisions that He made, where He spent His time, the stories that He told. As for intimacy, I have never found a replacement for fasting and soaking in my own life. If your body allows it, then a 7 day water only fast really clears the air. Putting on some good praise and worship music and just sitting quietly will often bring the Holy Spirit's presence. You can stream music like that here for free:  http://soaking.net

    • 275 posts
    February 25, 2016 4:52 PM EST

    Agree with Dion, plus if you are not familiar with the Holy Spirit baptism, here is a teaching from Derek Prince to take your through what that means and how to receive it. Being able to pray in the Spirit and be guided by Him are, for us, essential parts of our Christian walk, both in building intimacy and with being able to be guided to where He wants us to be. I know some parts of the body don't believe in this, so feel free to choose, of course, but it is something we value :).

    • 67 posts
    February 25, 2016 5:16 PM EST

    I appreciate the advice, Pastor Todd and Sylvia, but I'm not real big on this whole fasting thing. And to be frank, I am not really sure about this whole Christian thing either. I think each person must walk their own path and find their own way to faith no matter where that path may lead. Life is full of trials and tribulations, each path has its challenges that we must face, and I believe that I am in the midst of such a trial now. My faith is being tested, as are my mind, my heart and even my soul. My whole being is being tested and I am doing the best that I can to pass this challenge and move on. 

     Fortunately I do have the moral support of my family and that which I recieve from above as well. The challenges I may face are mine but I don't have to face them alone. Even though the Lord is silent, I have faith that he is with me aiding me in ways just beyond my sight. Just as He does for all of us, even those who do not believe are still not forsaken. 

    • 275 posts
    February 25, 2016 5:20 PM EST

    Haha, that's ok, I believe I've been there :). It could be that others will post something that will resonate with you. Even if not, I believe that since you are sincerely seeking Him, there is no other option but that you will find Him!

     

    [blockquote]Tyler Velau said:

    I appreciate the advice, Pastor Todd and Sylvia, but I'm not real big on this whole fasting thing. And to be frank, I am not really sure about this whole Christian thing either. I think each person must walk their own path and find their own way to faith no matter where that path may lead. Life is full of trials and tribulations, each path has its challenges that we must face, and I believe that I am in the midst of such a trial now. My faith is being tested, as are my mind, my heart and even my soul. My whole being is being tested and I am doing the best that I can to pass this challenge and move on. 

     Fortunately I do have the moral support of my family and that which I recieve from above as well. The challenges I may face are mine but I don't have to face them alone. Even though the Lord is silent, I have faith that he is with me aiding me in ways just beyond my sight. Just as He does for all of us, even those who do not believe are still not forsaken. 

    [/blockquote]

    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    February 25, 2016 5:51 PM EST

     “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 KJV)

    • 67 posts
    February 27, 2016 5:24 PM EST

    What exactly does it mean to seek the Lord? And how does one do that? To be perfectly honest, reading the bible is a struggle for me. It's a difficult book for me to wrap my mind around. Even picking the darn thing up is difficult. It speaks in ways that are unclear and are easily misunderstood. For some, the message may appear to be clear, but it's certainly a struggle for others. I have many athiests in my family, people who don't believe at all. And some of those people have been influential in my life, my parents/grandparents and my brother especially. Now, there are 2 new additions my stepmother and her daughter. They are not shy about showing their disbelief.  And that disbelief is their choice, I wouldn't try to persuade them to believe even if I knew God on a personal level and was religious. The Lord gifted us with free will so that we all may choose our own paths in life. I wouldn't try to get in the way of that gift because I feel it is not my place to do so. We all make choices and those choices are between us and the Lord.  And, frankly, trying to convince some athiests of God's presence is like pulling teeth and is just a waste of time and energy. Not that I'm saying to give up on them, just that they have a right to choose and who am I to stand in their way?

    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    February 27, 2016 9:34 PM EST

    I don't worry about convincing anyone about the Lord. If He does not draw them, they are not coming:  “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44 KJV)

    You might want to look into an audio Bible. I listen to the Bible a lot more than I read it these days because I listen to it all night in bed. I still read, but listening while working, driving, cooking or other things is a great way to learn the word. The new testament does not cost much. You got to want it. Salvation is a free gift, getting to know the Lord Jesus and intimacy with Him, you will have to work at. Reading, listening, praying, and fasting. 

    • 67 posts
    February 27, 2016 10:04 PM EST

    There is a site on the internet where you can read or listen to the bible for free. I will provide the link: Http://www.bible.com

    It's one of my favorite bible sites along with mybible.com. I read/listen to it occasionally, though not nearly as often as I probably should. Procrastination is a habit myself and other family members have developed. Again, I don't really get this whole fasting thing... I don't see the point in starving yourself. Are you sure it's not delusions caused by hunger? It's dangerous to go too long without food, could lead to health problems. Praying is something I do from time to time, though I do appreciate and read the prayers in the daily deviotionals. I'm new to this whole religion thing so I need time, besides something seems to be trying to tell me that it is not yet my time, and I seem inclined to believe that. Perhaps, sometime in the coming years, I will come to find my faith and walk a bigger path that leads me to the Lord. I can't see the future, but I do have hope and faith to a certain degree. 

    • 275 posts
    February 28, 2016 10:02 AM EST

    That's a very easy-to-use site there, Tyler, thank you for sharing :)! 

    On fasting, don't worry, it may be that you're not at the point where God is calling you to do that yet. As you mentioned, there's no great pressure to do so...your life is pretty good :). On the idea of delusiions becuase of hunger, I don't actually experience anything extraordinary during a fast, it's usually after I've had some good meals, haha ;). Outside of that though, we believe (and have found it to be so) that fasting breaks obstacles in the spiritual realm, things that we didn't even think or pray about. We do a certain amount of fasting as "maintenance", but if we are looking for an answer that has been hard to find, or breakthrough, fasting is amazing for that, too. 

    As an example, there was a relative who was mad at us and hadn't spoken to us for at least a couple of years. We went on a 7-day fast, with no thought of this person, just as maintenance. It was an easy fast, but we were looking forward to eating something, and in fact, had a meal planned in great detail ;-). On the last day though, we both heard that we were to extend it to 10 days. We were NOT excited about that, but decided to do that. Those last three days were MUCH more difficult than the previous seven by a good bit, hehe :). 

    What happened though, was on the last (10th) day of the fast, this relative came knocking on our door completely unsolicited and had a nice little conversation. We found out sometime later that he had spoken to someone we knew on the seventh day, who prayed for him and encouraged him to see us, and that the last three days of fasting were about breaking through the muck to get him here. This kind of thing happens a lot with fasting.

    All that said, you are on a journey of even finding Him, so however He continues to reveal himself to you is, no doubt, the best :). 

    If you become curious at some point though and want to read a really good book on fasting, here is one we love: The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting by Mahesh Chavda

    Have a blessed day, brother :)!

    [blockquote]Tyler Velau said:

    There is a site on the internet where you can read or listen to the bible for free. I will provide the link: Http://www.bible.com

    It's one of my favorite bible sites along with mybible.com. I read/listen to it occasionally, though not nearly as often as I probably should. Procrastination is a habit myself and other family members have developed. Again, I don't really get this whole fasting thing... I don't see the point in starving yourself. Are you sure it's not delusions caused by hunger? It's dangerous to go too long without food, could lead to health problems. Praying is something I do from time to time, though I do appreciate and read the prayers in the daily deviotionals. I'm new to this whole religion thing so I need time, besides something seems to be trying to tell me that it is not yet my time, and I seem inclined to believe that. Perhaps, sometime in the coming years, I will come to find my faith and walk a bigger path that leads me to the Lord. I can't see the future, but I do have hope and faith to a certain degree. 

    [/blockquote]

    • 67 posts
    February 28, 2016 10:30 AM EST

    www.bible.com   and www.mybible.com are my two favorite bible sites. I go there from time to time to read and attempt to learn. They have great bible reading plans though I can never seem to finish them by the deadline lol. On fasting, I'm not much of a faster, I like to eat :) I have a weakness for pastires and ice cream. Food is a biological necessity and I don't see the import for depriving yourself of such a thing that your body needs to survive. To me, going without food is akin to going without water. And water is critically important to humans and animals, even plants cant survive long without it. It truly is the elixir of life. I thank you for sharing your story with me, it was nice that it had a happy ending. I believe the Lord is out there and working through all of us to some degree.  And one day, I may find him and discover that he was closer to me than I ever thought he was.

     

    This part is going to go a bit off topic, but have you ever thought about adding some games or something here? Even Christians have to have fun sometimes :P It would be nice if there were games that people can group together and chat and play with each other. You know, a way to get out of the box for a while but still having good clean fun. Just some food for thought :)

    • 275 posts
    February 28, 2016 10:38 AM EST

    We had some games here in the chat bar for a while, but we weren't sure if people were actually interested in them, so don't have them there at the moment :). I'm don't think they were group games though, but I like the idea :).

  • February 28, 2016 11:56 AM EST

    I like this conversation! Brother Tyler, this is Dianna, it seems to me sir, you have more insight than you care to admit to yourself. I really like your questions and believe you are well on your way to gaining the answers you seek.  Thank you for all that you have given me to contemplate here. May your journey be blessed and you stay the course to your peace and fulfilment in gaining accurate knowledge of our Father's love for us<3 Also I have never been one to play online games but maybe if they were biblically sound it could totally be fun and interactive! I love that idea:)  Thanks again! God bless and have a great Sunday.

    • 67 posts
    February 28, 2016 12:19 PM EST

    Dianna, I thank you for your kind words and well wishes, you and David have been a big help to me and I am very grateful. And that is why I'm here :) to learn from you and to help others to possibly see a different perspective or to give people something new to think about and learn from. I hope we all find the knowledge and love that we seek in our time as appointed by the Lord. The paths we walk may be difficult, but I can think of no better path to be on.  I think it helps to ask the Lord for some help here and there and follow his guiding light.  As for the games, it's just an idea to get some more interactivity here between members in a fun and positive way. To encourage others to reach out, to chat, develop friendships and the like and have some fun while doing it. The games don't have to be biblically centered, but they can be as long as they're fun to play in groups. Even games like chess/checkers, battleship, monopoly, or scrabble could be fun and entertaining. 

    • 67 posts
    March 11, 2016 11:52 AM EST

    On the subject of serving Jesus, I have some more questions that just came to me. What does it truly mean to be penitent? What is the penace that we each must endure when we repent and what does repent truly mean? How does one go about repenting of their sins? And which sins are the worst and which ones are more.... minor(for lack of a better word)? Are some things simply "frowned upon"? What are those things and why are they frowned upon? 

    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    March 12, 2016 9:59 AM EST

    Repenting of your sins is basically saying "I am sorry, I should not have done that. Please forgive me."  Organized religion has made many things into sin that are not, and every denomination has their defining rule. The only true anchor is the word of God, full Bible, and taken in context. The new testament updates the old. For instance Grace replaced keeping the law. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will fulfill the requirements of the law anyway.

    As far as major or minor, Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Most people today consider lying as nothing, but apparently God does not. On the other hand, some people believe that long hair will send you to hell, but the Bible does not teach that. It is just traditions on men.

    • 275 posts
    March 14, 2016 11:57 AM EDT

    Tyler, in addition to Dion's comments, I guess one thing you asked about was the question below. I know there is a Catholic tradition of a person sinning and doing a specific thing to "negate" it (that's probably not quite the right word, but I believe in practice, that's the idea :)). We don't really believe in that. I guess the closest thing would be that if you wrong someone, for instance stealing from them, part of what's right would be to make reparations to that person. We have a relative, for instance, who steals continually, and never makes any attempt at reparations. He just kind of says "sorry" and continues to steal. It isn't that doing so would wipe away the thing that was done, but a person who really saw the sin for what it was would hate that sin enough to do something to make it up to the person he harmed.

    As Dion indicated though, it is essentially about a change of heart, and turning about from what was in the past. The forgiveness itself will then come, of course, from Him!

    [blockquote]Tyler Velau said:

    What is the penace that we each must endure when we repent and what does repent truly mean? 

    [/blockquote]

    • 67 posts
    March 29, 2016 12:20 AM EDT

    What does it mean to be saved? How does one become saved? Is salvation a gaurantee or something that a person has to work towards? How does salvation work?

    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    March 29, 2016 10:31 AM EDT
    I am on my phone at the moment but Romans 10:9-10 comes to mind. You might want to look at my teaching on "once saved, always saved" under pastor's corner. I wrote a good bit about salvation in that one.
    • 67 posts
    March 29, 2016 10:59 AM EDT

    I have read your teachings on once saved always saved and I found them to be helpful and inspiring. I have been having a chat on a christian facebook post with other christians and that discussion has left me feeling...... concerned. I know everyone is welcome to their opinions and their beliefs, I am certainly not one to infringe upon either of those, and it's not about being right or wrong, its about knowing the Lord's truth, what He says on the matter. I am the worst describer of things because I can't think of a way to describe something. So I can't write a description of their posts, but I will post a link to the post here. https://www.facebook.com/WeWalkWithJesus/photos/a.306611156046794.66425.293331317374778/1136705489704019/?type=3&comment_id=1136859026355332&reply_comment_id=1137752846265950¬if_t=photo_reply

    I wrote down what I feel is right, even though the Lord said to lean on Him and not our own understanding. I feel that the decision of who is saved is God's choice, not ours. Jesus is the only way to the Lord, right? It's up to Him. All I think we can do is choose to believe and try to bring glory to the Lord through our actions and kindnesses by helping others and dealing kindly with others. I honestly don't know what else there is that a human can do in order to lead a good, simple peaceful life. All I ever wanted to do was to do at least some good in this world. I hope that I can one day achieve that. 

    • 275 posts
    March 30, 2016 11:54 AM EDT

    Tyler, if there is anything the body of Christ seems to have in common, it's theological disagreement ;-). For what it's worth, I pretty much agree with your ideas about salvation. I do believe that those who love Him can rest in the salvation He offers, but that the fruit of that love includes actions. Those who take that salvation for granted and just think that God will "have to" take them, are also probably not bringing that fruit. On the other hand, without a relationship with Him, just a checklist of good works will not bring salvation, though there is nothing wrong with that kind of thing, in itself :).

    • 67 posts
    March 30, 2016 12:24 PM EDT

    Maybe you can help me understand something, Sylvia. Why all the disagreements? We all serve the same God, do we not? We all want the same things, kindness, compassion, helping others, peace, do we not? Why can't we simply put aside our petty little differences and look at the bigger picture? Why can't we focus on the positives?-That's a good title for one of Pastor Dion's blogs I think :)- Why do we let such small things divide us when we have many more similarites? Why not cooperate with each other and work together to make the world a better place? I just don't understand. The body of Christ is one body, right? Yet its been vivisected and each part is in a different plaace. I think common ground needs to be made and the division needs to end. I think there needs to be unity in the body of Christ and people will have to put ego and maybe even beliefs aside to make room for the common good( or rather the greater good) and stop this division. We all serve the same God, let's focus on that. 

    • Moderator
    • 137 posts
    March 30, 2016 12:58 PM EDT
    Sounds like a word from the Lord to me. That is about what He would tell us. Can't you just get along?