Harry Whitt on the Journey with Jesus
Following Jesus with No Options:
I hate picking out colors of paint because there are just too many options. Some foreign restaurants I have eaten in, only give you a choice of available meat and you have no option with the side dishes; you get what they usually serve. When it comes to the side dishes, you either eat it or leave it. Of course, I usually eat it!
When it comes to being a true disciple of Jesus Christ, why do some folks think they have options?
THE WHY BEHIND FASTING:
To be honest, I love to fast and I hate to fast. I love food and I am a ‘snacker’ by nature so I hate the thought of fasting. This sounds like a contradiction but this is what I love about fasting-it crucifies my flesh. I have come to realize the spiritual benefits of fasting. Simply put, it makes me stronger spiritually.
During a fast, especially in the beginning, our flesh will cry out for food and we just wag our parental index finger at our naughty little flesh and say, “No, no you little spoiled brat, you can’t have everything you want.”
End the Old and Begin the New
The hope of the New Year is found in fresh starts and new beginnings. This time of year we talk of New Year’s resolutions and the like, all with the expectations of getting a new grip on life. I am thankful with God; we can get a fresh start anytime.
I like the words Paul wrote to the church of Philippi, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, / I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).
The New Year is just around the corner and on the top of many resolution lists will be to lose weight. That resolution along with many others will end in the ash heap of frustration in just a few weeks. I have never been a big New Year’s resolution guy to begin with but I do like to evaluate myself from time to time. In that evaluation, I always see some things I need to lose and some things I need to gain.
The few days following Christmas is like coming down from a sugar high. This Christmas season started right after Walmart put away their scary masks and it began in earnest the day after Thanksgiving. The weeks leading up to Christmas is filled with scheduling family gatherings, shopping, wrapping, cooking, and decorating. There is a lot of energy that goes into the Christmas season.
No, it’s not a diet plan. It is so simple but requires some dedication–reading through the entire Bible every year. This is something I have done for many years and one of the best things I have ever done. The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV). It takes some diligence but it has great rewards. Here are a few reasons I do it:
I remember feeling a burden and calling from God to do ‘something’. At the time, I did not know what the ‘something’ was and what it would look like but the ‘something’ was nagging at my heart. Eventually, I stepped out and began to do something. The genesis of Pathway Outreach Ministries began with a ‘something’ — reaching out to kids in a local trailer park. Pathway Outreach has evolved over time as God has opened more and different doors of opportunities.
We live in a world that celebrates bravado and even ruthless behavior. Even the word meekness is thought to be weakness by many. Biblical meekness is actually restrained power; having the power over someone but exercising mercy instead.
We exist for God’s purpose not our own. Sure, we existed in the mind of God before He said, “Let there be light.” What a crazy thought but true. Yet, God does not exist so we can live happy, contented, and fulfilled lives. We exist for His pleasure and the fulfillment of His plan in and through us.
Pathway Journey 