Becoming More Like Christ

Mark 1:35 : "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

(1) Begin each new morning that God has given us by spending time alone with Him. Pray...pour out your heart! Tell Him how you feel. Talk to Him He is our Father in Heaven! Read His word. He speaks to us through His word. Listen....often times when we get in a hurry we fail to listen to what The Lord may have to say to us. We need to fellowship with Him, we recieve guidance and direction from Him for the tasks of each new day. Sometimes we get in a hurry and pray a routine prayer and give thanks etc but fail to take the time to quietly sit still and listen. Then as we walk with Him through the day we will be more sensitive to His (still, small, soft voice).

(2) Spend time fellowshipping with family and friends. Invest in the lives around you. Reach out to those who God brings into your path. Jesus took time out to wash His disciples feet as we see in John 13 : 12-17...So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, "Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Washing someone feet shows that we look to others as their servant. Jesus sets the example for us to show our humbleness toward those He puts in our path. We are to esteem others more important than ourselves. when we meet someone we are to be their servant and aproach each one with a servants heart. We should not become a door mat so to speak but reaching out in love and caring about their needs is what can build a friendship. Show compassion toward them and by Christ's love working through us we can then watch as The Holy Spirit does His work in leading them to accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

(3) Teach and Train Disciples to spread the good news of Jesus to a lost and hurting world! Ah! The great commission! Matthew 28:19... "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Teach all nations! What is a Disciple? A disciple is someone who sits under a teacher and learns from the teacher until his own teaching becomes the same teaching of his master. (or teacher) Jesus set the example here on earth and He sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. We are to learn from Him, take what He has taught us and teach it to all nations! This is true discipleship! This is also the foundation of ministry!

(4) Worship God throughout the day. Seek and find ways to worship Him during the day. John 4:23..."But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." As we walk through our daily lives there are times when we are up and then there are times when we feel down. I have found that in those times when I am down if I begin to worship God and praise Him my down time soon turns to joy. If we look we can find ways to rejoice and give God praise and worship even in tough times. He is seeking for those who will worship Him in Spirit and truth! Let us find ways to do so as we walk the path that He has us walking in. As we let our light shine so it will chase out any darkness that may be trying to hinder our path.

Mark 6: 31-32..."And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat And they departed into a desert place by ship privately."

(5) Make periods of rest. Find a secluded place to rejuvinate. Folks we are in a spiritual war and as we are battling we will become weary and tired. Jesus teaches us to take some time out and get rested up. Then we can continue. If we battle and war and do not take the time to rest we will become overly tired. Have you ever been so tired that you just wanted to flop down and throw in the towel? This is when we become most vulnerable to the the subtle attacks of our adversary. We need to take time out to be refreshed so that we can be at our best when we return to our missions and ministries.

(6) Take time for fun and recreation. Be gentle, kind, loving and fun to be around. Exemplify the fruits of the Spirit...Gal.5:22-23..."But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Folks this is who we are. We are a child of God and theese are our fruits. We need to show outwardly who we are inwardly! Others will not want to be Christlike if His disciples show frustration or discontent etc. We need to show the joy that He has given us through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives through us! In this world as bad as it is others need to see our fruits and want to know how and why we can be so happy and joyful regardless of the circumstances around us! Matthew 5:16..."Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Heavenly Father, manifest yourself through us as we reach out to others, Teach us how to become more like Jesus. Help us to get ourselves out of the way so that Your will may be done and help us to glorify You as we grow and as we walk the path in which You have given us. It is in Jesus Name we pray...Amen!