Skip to main content

Looking to Jesus and Moving Forward

Message delivered at Sanjaynagar on May 1, 2011

looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

What does it mean to be looking at Jesus?

1. To Forget Ourselves and be Immersed in Him


Of course, this doesn't mean being absent minded. But, as long as we keep looking at ourselves, we'll be filled with all reasons that would keep us from moving forward. But, those who focus on Christ cannot be hindered by other things.

Have you seen some of those people who watch the TV and are so immersed in it that they become one with it? That is not good, anyway. But it is always good to be one with the Lord so that we feel with Him and are aware of His will.

2. To Be Attentive To Him


How would you feel about a person who looks somewhere else rather than at you when you're talking to him or her? Sometimes we behave like that when God wants to speak to us. And, so we fail to listen to and know His will. Let's be attentive in prayer, reading of His word, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit at all times. When we are sensitive to the Lord, we can follow His guidance and move forward.

3. To Have Faith in Him


The Bible says "They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed." (Psalms 34:5)
It means to wait on Him and be patient throughout, for patience builds character (Romans 5:4)
If our expectation is from God, He will never fail us. He is faithful and true. When we walk in faith despite all adversity, we grow in Him.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Placebo and the Philosophy of Mind and Matter in Drug Research

A placebo is a non-therapeutic substance administered under the camouflage of medication to deceive patients into believing that they are receiving medications; this done solely for psychological and not for physiological effects. Placebo may usually be used to compare its effects with the effects of other drugs in drug research. Let's take the case of an experiment that tries to establish whether a particular drug, say to treat weariness, is genuine or merely has the effects of a placebo. Suppose 20 candidates are chosen for this experiment. 10 are given the drug and the rest are put on a placebo while they are told that the placebo is a genuine medication. They need to make sure that the deception is well carried on for the success of the experiment. If both the groups make similar improvements after taking the treatments, the new drug seems to only function as a placebo in effect. The basic hypothesis of the placebo raises the question of mind over matter. Of course, this pushes...

Reliability, Predictability, and Paul the Octopus

Paul the Octopus has recently become very famous after his predictions for Germany and Spain during the World Cup 2010 came right. The 100% accuracy tag distinguishes him from any other diviner who had attempted a prediction during the World Cup. There were responses and reactions from various people including sportsmen, statesmen, and mathematicians. Whatever, the use of Paul has demonstrated once again that mankind's search for an extra-temporal, psychic foresight has not quelled through the historical calendar returning a decade over this millennium. The question before us is can such predictions as those of Paul be counted on as reliable (in other words, can they be seriously taken as true)? The mathematicians have plumped for chance. It's all a matter of probability, they say ( BBC News ). However, the argument of chance in itself is weak. The mathematics of chance will calculate that the probability of Paul being right seven times out of seven is 1/128. But, the conclusi...

Is Water Baptism Necessary Before Partaking in Lord's Supper

"Last Supper" by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1750) Yes, it is. Water baptism identifies one with the redemption work of Jesus Christ, with His death, burial, and resurrection. It is anticipated of visible identification with Christ and His Church. Every person has the personal responsibility to examine him/herself before deciding to partake in the Lord's Table. The Bible makes it clear that those who chose not to be baptized were rejecting the counsel of God (Lk.7:30). In a mixed congregation, it is not possible to always know who is worthy to partake of the Table; however, the minister must encourage only those who have been baptized for remission of sins (not just as a ritual but by faith in Jesus Christ) to partake of the Table. Before Jesus sat down to dip bread in the cup, He washed His disciples' feet. He makes the statement that they are already "washed" and only need feet to be washed. Of course, this may not explicitly/only refer to their baptism, fo...