Stay Close
“And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.” Mark 14:54
After Jesus was arrested and led away to be crucified, all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Peter did follow Jesus, but from a distance. Because he did, he ended up getting too cozy with the wrong crowd and eventually denying the Lord. Little compromises lead to big disasters. We must stay close to the Lord in prayer, in the word, and in fellowship with other faithful followers of Christ. When we compromise our walk with God we will end up in more compromising situations. Temptations will come. But when we are close to the Lord, we will have the strength to resist. But when we are following from a distance, not only will we find ourselves in compromising situations, but we ourselves will be compromised.
Often the distance that leads to compromise is a slow drift. Have you ever felt distant in a relationship with someone that you once were close to? The distance that people feel from those that they were once close to doesn’t just happen suddenly. Married couples that break up often say things like, we just grew apart. But growing apart doesn’t just happen. Married couples often grow apart because they fail to make intentional investments to cultivate intimacy in their marriage.
As professional counselor, Rachel Velishek, wrote, “Unfortunately for so many couples we stop being and start doing. We easily lose sight of who we are, the dreams shared, and our overall connection to marriage. It is easy to constantly “do” — do the chores, run the errands, maintain the interior and exterior of the home, do things for kids and for extended family, do things for ourselves and projects for work, and the list continues to evolve. Learning to “be” requires effort— be present, be focused, be attentive, be affectionate, be vulnerable, be the partner you want to have, and be the partner you want your kids to have when they grow up and marry someone.”
If you want to be more present, making time to engage your spouse daily in meaningful conversation is an essential investment. As Rachel Velishek also suggested, “When you and your partner are both ready to improve the quality of the relationship and connect at a more personal level, implementing the following two skills will be helpful. One: Be intentional. Set aside time (minimum of 20 minutes) where you can actually focus on your partner without any distractions. This means no electronics at all. Actually go into a room separate from the TV and cell phones. Two: Let yourself be vulnerable. It is a pathway toward intimacy and assists with building and maintaining a level of trust in the relationship.”
To the church of Ephesus Jesus said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5). On more than one occasion, I’ve heard a professing Christian, who feels distant in their relationship with the Lord, say, “I’ve lost my first love.” But notice that to the church of Ephesus, Jesus didn’t say, you lost your first love. Jesus said, “you have ‘abandoned’ the love you had at first.” Jesus' prescription for returning to a first love relationship is to remember, repent and do the first works. What were you doing before that you are not doing now? What most often leads to spiritual drift is that we neglect spending meaningful time in communion with the Lord.
It’s important that we remember that communion with God in prayer and the word is more than a one way conversation. John Piper explained in a sermon that for years George Mueller tried to pray without starting in the Bible in the morning. Inevitably, his mind wandered. Then he started with the Bible, and turned the Book into prayer as he read, and for 40 years he was able to stay focused and powerful in prayer. Piper then notes, “I have seen that those whose prayers are most saturated with Scripture are generally most fervent and most effective in prayer. And where the mind isn't brimming with the Bible, the heart is not generally brimming with prayer.”
The best way to commune with God in prayer is to let God start the conversation. As my mentor, Daniel Henderson often says, “The one who starts the conversation tends to lead the conversation.” Pray with an open Bible. Let it be your prayer book. Remember, when we are following the Lord from a distance, not only will we find ourselves in compromising situations, but we ourselves will be compromised. Stay close and avoid spiritual drift.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
After Jesus was arrested and led away to be crucified, all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Peter did follow Jesus, but from a distance. Because he did, he ended up getting too cozy with the wrong crowd and eventually denying the Lord. Little compromises lead to big disasters. We must stay close to the Lord in prayer, in the word, and in fellowship with other faithful followers of Christ. When we compromise our walk with God we will end up in more compromising situations. Temptations will come. But when we are close to the Lord, we will have the strength to resist. But when we are following from a distance, not only will we find ourselves in compromising situations, but we ourselves will be compromised.
Often the distance that leads to compromise is a slow drift. Have you ever felt distant in a relationship with someone that you once were close to? The distance that people feel from those that they were once close to doesn’t just happen suddenly. Married couples that break up often say things like, we just grew apart. But growing apart doesn’t just happen. Married couples often grow apart because they fail to make intentional investments to cultivate intimacy in their marriage.
As professional counselor, Rachel Velishek, wrote, “Unfortunately for so many couples we stop being and start doing. We easily lose sight of who we are, the dreams shared, and our overall connection to marriage. It is easy to constantly “do” — do the chores, run the errands, maintain the interior and exterior of the home, do things for kids and for extended family, do things for ourselves and projects for work, and the list continues to evolve. Learning to “be” requires effort— be present, be focused, be attentive, be affectionate, be vulnerable, be the partner you want to have, and be the partner you want your kids to have when they grow up and marry someone.”
If you want to be more present, making time to engage your spouse daily in meaningful conversation is an essential investment. As Rachel Velishek also suggested, “When you and your partner are both ready to improve the quality of the relationship and connect at a more personal level, implementing the following two skills will be helpful. One: Be intentional. Set aside time (minimum of 20 minutes) where you can actually focus on your partner without any distractions. This means no electronics at all. Actually go into a room separate from the TV and cell phones. Two: Let yourself be vulnerable. It is a pathway toward intimacy and assists with building and maintaining a level of trust in the relationship.”
To the church of Ephesus Jesus said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5). On more than one occasion, I’ve heard a professing Christian, who feels distant in their relationship with the Lord, say, “I’ve lost my first love.” But notice that to the church of Ephesus, Jesus didn’t say, you lost your first love. Jesus said, “you have ‘abandoned’ the love you had at first.” Jesus' prescription for returning to a first love relationship is to remember, repent and do the first works. What were you doing before that you are not doing now? What most often leads to spiritual drift is that we neglect spending meaningful time in communion with the Lord.
It’s important that we remember that communion with God in prayer and the word is more than a one way conversation. John Piper explained in a sermon that for years George Mueller tried to pray without starting in the Bible in the morning. Inevitably, his mind wandered. Then he started with the Bible, and turned the Book into prayer as he read, and for 40 years he was able to stay focused and powerful in prayer. Piper then notes, “I have seen that those whose prayers are most saturated with Scripture are generally most fervent and most effective in prayer. And where the mind isn't brimming with the Bible, the heart is not generally brimming with prayer.”
The best way to commune with God in prayer is to let God start the conversation. As my mentor, Daniel Henderson often says, “The one who starts the conversation tends to lead the conversation.” Pray with an open Bible. Let it be your prayer book. Remember, when we are following the Lord from a distance, not only will we find ourselves in compromising situations, but we ourselves will be compromised. Stay close and avoid spiritual drift.
In your service,
Pastor Marco