Articles

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

Overcoming Temptation

Timothy R. Berman

Living a mindful crucified Christian life is one that is not easy. It is not merely a means of confession and profession of faith. Anyone is capable of confessing and professing Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is easy to proclaim one is born again and has tasted the new birth. Furthermore, many even proudly claim they are a new creation in Christ. Yet, when it comes to experience the wilderness of testing their faith - they wilt away. They faint and give up. And such faith that is not tested and refined is that which cannot be trusted.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

A Spiritual Wilderness

Timothy R. Berman

All our easy crutches are stripped away when we face the raw forces or nature. The Israelites had to be tested and humbled in the wilderness before they could enter the Promised Land (Deu 8:2). Paul faced trials and difficulties in the wilderness (2 Cor 11:26). Most notably, Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted (Matt 4:1-11). In these cases, the dangers of the wilderness became an outward symbol for the inner turmoil caused by the temptations of evil.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

A Beloved Child of God

Timothy R. Berman

Living a mindful and crucified Christian life means we are needing to learn how to deepen our understanding and experiences on the Love of our Heavenly Father. Deepen our understanding of how to experience love for ourselves. It requires us to become vulnerable before Him. It creates within us a more fulfilling connection, sense of belonging, and sense of completeness and wholeness. Our spiritual connection with Christ, and therefore, with our Heavenly Father allows us to explore healthy relationships. Healthy boundaries and develop a more meaningful and deep intimate relationship and fellowship with self and others.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

“To Fulfill all Righteousness”

Timothy R. Berman

It is time that we change our perspective and place faithful obedience as a priority of a mindful and crucified Christian life. Where does it begin? How are we to do this? By remembering those covenants, we made when we first came to believe in Christ and were baptized unto Him. Because it is this that we need to face - Christ obeyed the Father in all things. His submission took him to minister, heal, preach, and ultimately experience a cruel death. However, He broke the bonds of sin and death when he rose up the third day.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

“Repent … for the Kingdom of Heaven has Come Near!”

Timothy R. Berman

Christ's invitation is for us to repent and turn unto Him as a means to follow. His invitation is for us to turn from our way and go the way of the righteous and covenant path. To be guided by the Holy Spirit. This is key to finding His Kingdom. Our willingness to change our hearts and reform our lives to live a committed and disciplined life unto our Heavenly Father. As we turn our will and life over to His care - we are redeemed through His grace. Yet, if we refuse to repent, we will miss that which we most desperately desire and seek after.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

Full of Grace and Truth

Timothy R. Berman

In choosing the mindful and crucified Christian life means we are choosing a life where we find strength and hope. Find the capacity to grow and learn how to live with peace and joy in a world full of despondence and despair. We are learning to become full of grace and truth by applying the principle truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into our own lives. It is not an easy process either. It requires personal sacrifice and daily discipline. However, how great shall be our reward when we come before Christ and know of a surety, we are like Him - full of Grace and Truth.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

Behold – the Lamb of God

Timothy R. Berman

A mindful and crucified Christian life presents each one of us with a choice: deny ourselves and take up our own cross to follow Christ. Or continue feeling hopeless and engage in self-blame and shame by not measuring up to our own (and others) expectations. By choosing to deny ourselves and commit to living a mindful and crucified life, we are letting go of those personal expectations, disappointments, resentments, and discouragements. One also becomes aware that this type of life of discipleship is one of an unfolding process and experience.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

Understand Our Spiritual Identity

Timothy R. Berman

This gives each one of us hope and a blessed desire to come unto Christ, to follow and worship God, and to strive toward walking in the will of Our Heavenly Father. Through our personal study of the scriptures, we come to understand the pure teaching that we are of Heavenly heritage, we have a divine purpose in this life, and we have a divine destiny awaiting us. Only if we come to the understanding that our spiritual identity motivates us to embrace true fellowship with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and others around us.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

His Light Shines Brightly

Timothy R. Berman

It is our spiritual obligation to strive to live according to the teachings and truths of Jesus Christ as we find illumination along the path of righteousness. Through our diligence of living our live dedicated to our Heavenly Father - the light of Christ empowers us to overcome the darkness that is within us. Through Christ, we overcome the darkness of our own personal shame and guilt we've carried for so long. It brings us through the swamp of despair and depression. His light gives us a way to find love and peace where there is emptiness and a sense of feeling abandoned.

Come Follow Me 2023, Come Unto Christ, Devotional

True Life and Light

Timothy R. Berman

Since Christ is the true life and light of humanity - it reveals those good qualities that lie within me. How I choose to use this truth determines the way my life is led. Yet, it is quite easy to get caught up in my own thoughts and worry about how I am living for myself rather than focusing on how I am living through Christ. Either I am falling into the past regrets, shame, and guilt that I refuse to lay down. Or I am living in the future and worrying about the possibilities that cause distraction to the reality of what is happening in the present.