Religious Eyes

The word religious becomes less and less appealing to me.  It is such an obese term.  It includes every kind of weird belief one can imagine.  My prayer this morning when I rolled out of bed was, Lord, help me not to see you through religious eyes.  Religious eyes are eyes which often define God in weird ways, making Him distant, aloof and cold. Religion can give God a bad reputation because religion is about God from man’s perspective. Jesus doesn’t invite us to religion but to relationship.  Mary and I have relationship not religion.  Today I have His forgiveness but I need more than forgiveness. I need a friend. I need someone to enjoy the birds with me, someone to walk with me on my path in the woods, someone who cares about butterflies and bumble bees, creeks and roses, crickets and lizards and I have found that relationship in Jesus.  Got Religion, NO, got Relationship, YES. To Him be all glory and praise.  Jfs

“Follow Me”  Jesus

Fuel Stops

We just returned from a trip where I was the speaker at a lay retreat.  What a blessing to share truth about our journey with Christ.  I call it The Walk, the Scripture speaks again and again about our walk, it says things like, “walk in truth”, “walk in love”, “walk in the light.”  Some may think of the Christian life as a race but not me. I embrace the idea of a walk.  You won’t find me running.  On our long journey home yesterday we made several fuel stops which reminds me that in our walk if we don’t take time to be refueled we will wind up stranded on the highway of life.  There was one point when we were down to less than twenty miles till empty and I got a little uncomfortable with the thought of being stranded.  Keeping fuel in your tank is important to progress toward home. I pray that the retreat was a fuel stop for my friends who attended and that they are walking toward home with a heart full of joy.  If your spiritual tank is near empty you need to make a fuel stop and allow our Lord to fill you again with the energy of heaven. My prayer is that our Church Services will be Spiritual Travel Centers where we can find strength for our journey.  You can’t go anywhere with an empty tank.  Keep Walking it will be worth the Walk.  jfs

1Co 2:9 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."