Κύριος Notes

Adoration

More Than A Friend
Jesus You're more than a friend

Jesus You're more than my heart

Could ever express

Your love and Your grace never fail me

Your merciful touch always heals me

You bring joy to my soul, joy to my soul

Scripture Reflection Luke 9

23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Lord Jesus...the cross was in your mind and on your heart for the rest of your journey...

How do I take up my cross? The cross was the symbol of the Father's Will in your life. It was why you left heaven...it was a part of the plan, a part of the reason that God sustained the world in the first place. To take up the cross, I must first deny what I would like...or what I would plan for my life. The cross was a symbol of capital punishment and came to be a symbol of hope and grace.

What is the symbol of Your will for my life?

The thought of margin in life...the extra time and energy...and space to do stuff comes to mind. The extra bit of time that might go into a hobby or an interest...the time some people use for investing in the stock market, or rental housing on the side...You have asked for that time energy and space in my life Lord. I remember times when I turned down preaching in the past because I did no think that I would have time to prepare...I had not heard you call to use my margin time with you in control.

24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

Saving and losing take on new meaning when the cross is clearly in view...You have asked not just for the a part of my heart...you have asked for all of it...the center...the margin...the whole thing...the interesting thing is as you have control of it all I am finding that there is always something to say....something that the Spirit has to communicate through me...sometimes in ways that I would not say if I had more energy or time to polish it more. Maybe that was a part of the problem in the past...just too much polish time....So I give you the whole life margin and middle with the hope that you can use it to Your Honor and glory.

So as I sit here in the Residence Inn in Raleigh listening to old jazz on the stereo in the common area I sense that you are here...You remind me that there are many ways to lose your life...sometimes it is in giving up life in one act...that was the way that I thought of it at one point...a event that once given was done.

I have come to think of the losing of my life for you more as an everyday act...of more getting lost in you...lost in your grace...lost in your hope, love and endurance for the task...then the losing will one day lead me to the place where time, space and energy will come from a throne surrounded by the legions of heaven"s hosts.

Lord Jesus--In this day as you work in my life and in the life of your Church live in me today. Draw those to Your house today that you would have there. Keep each of us in the center of your will... Remind me a new of the reality of Your touch, of Your love and Your grace...

Your love and Your grace never fail me

Your merciful touch always heals me