Jesus Our Perfect Pattern

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6.
We have before us the highest, holiest example. In thought, word, and deed Jesus was sinless. Perfection marked all that He did. He points us to the path that He trod, saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24. Christ unites in His person the fullness and perfection of the Godhead and the fullness and perfection of sinless humanity. He met all the temptations by which Adam was assailed, and overcame these temptations because in His humanity He relied upon divine power. This subject demands far more contemplation than it receives. Christians strike too low. They are content with a superficial spiritual experience, and therefore they have only the glimmerings of light, when they might discern more clearly the wonderful perfection of Christ’s humanity, which rises far above all human greatness, all human power. Christ’s life is a revelation of what fallen human beings may become through union and fellowship with the divine nature….
Men and women frame many excuses for their proneness to sin. Sin is represented as a necessity, an evil that cannot be overcome. But sin is not a necessity. Christ lived in this world from infancy to manhood, and during that time He met and resisted all the temptations by which man is beset. He is a perfect pattern of childhood, of youth, of manhood.
The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive…. Let your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus.
The Faith I Live By p. 219
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Mary who is in depression. She just lost her job. Diane
—-Please pray for my son as he is having surgery, again, this morning. Kathy
—-Please pray for Marivel, she is being attacked by her daughter who is bipolar, Priscilla has become one of the most cruel enemies of her mother. Marivel needs heavenly protection and Jesus blessing on her. Please pray to God for calm the evil in Priscilla s mind. G
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Dear Friends,
Before we had our dogs, we used to have two guinea pigs. We often let them out of the cage for a bit of a run. One evening, Ron was kneeling on the floor with his knees spread several inches apart. We had just put our two guinea pigs, Butterscotch and Cocoa, on the floor for a few minutes. Butterscotch spotted the opening under Ron and decided that would be a perfect cave to take a nap in. Moments later, Cocoa had the same idea. Those two guinea pigs began to make their angry noise at each other. No doubt Butterscotch was declaring, “This is my cave. I got here first.” Cocoa responded in a similar way. The matter was solved, however, when Ron got up and walked away. How surprised they must have been!
How many times we focus on the things of this world. How often we fight over things that will soon pass away just as did our pets. Indeed, Jesus tells us, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:33-36
James reminds us, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time , and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14 John agrees, “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:16,17 In view of this, Paul admonishes, “be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; . . .do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Tim 6:17-19 Peter goes into more detail, “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; [suddenly, unexpectedly] in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10-13
Jesus is coming soon! This old world and all that is in it will disappear just as quickly as that “cave” disappeared when Ron stood up. Yes, the nations of this world will pass away, but only our Great Creator’s “dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Soon the “God of heaven [will] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Dan 7:14; 2:44
May we all be ready for the great day when Jesus will put an end to the “cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches.” Mark 4:19 May we soon look up and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa 25:9 May the time come soon when “God shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” Rev 21:4
Rose