Encountering Jesus Firsthand

Speaking for myself, often times in my life I have relied on others' relationship with God at certain times rather than making the appropriate sacrifices in order to have my own personal fellowship with the Lord. In ways, this has caused me to have many secondhand experiences of God and few firsthand experiences with God. Secondhand experiences causes one to rely on others, but also causes the perception of God to be limited to the person or persons in which you rely on. Secondhand experiences due to limitations produce lack in several areas such as a lack of understanding, relationship, freedom, fullness, purpose, vision, and identity of who God is and who we are in Christ. Having a limited view of God effects every part of our walk with him. It's imperative that we encounter Jesus firsthand, and on a regular basis in order to abide in the relationship that he desires with you and in order to capture/walk in the purpose that He has designed for you. 

Who encountered Jesus firsthand on a daily basis? His disciples- the 12 that traveled with him, that were real with him, saw His miracles, saw His compassion,were loved by him, were commissioned by Him, who was led by him, taught by Him, who were corrected by Him, who saw Him crucified and resurrected, and who(for the most part) took on the burden and purpose of Christ.

So to dive into the life of the disciples to see what Jesus showed them, what He taught them, what purpose He was instilling within them. When Jesus entered the scene, what did He bring?

-What was the life of Jesus like in the gospels?
-What was he showing the disciples to do?
- What was he paving the way for believers in the New Testament church to apply to their daily life?

We are called to make a difference as a Christian, and as a disciple of Christ, and with small disciplines applied to our lives we can have an internal change that we have an outward effect on those around us.
Our lives are never meant to be a mundane life, but ones filled with purposes, loving God, taking on a kingdom mindset, loving as Jesus loved, embracing Faith challenges, living a life above reproach, pulling those around us in, being transformed, and a living a life of obedience as well as so much more.
Who to better learn but by THE example Himself. Jesus.

It's time to revolutionize who I am in order to be more like Jesus so that He can be shown to the lost.

Day 1.
Mark 1:1-45
(In summary)
When Jesus called the first disciples (14-20) Jesus told the disciples to follow him and that He would make them fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.

In relation to us today our "nets" could be anything that we hold onto in life, but when we are saved it's necessary that we let go of the worldly things we hold onto because God has bigger plans for our life.
Jesus wants to entrust with His children his heart for mankind, by making us fishers of men. He wants us to go after those who are lost, by being witnesses. Letting our own nets go, making personal sacrifices, and becoming eternally minded, reaching those around us.

(21-27)
When Jesus preached, He preached in such a way that people were compelled because no one had preached in that manner of authority before. It was evident that Jesus walked in a power unlike anyone else had every had.
Because we are also of God, we have the potential to allow God to work through us in this same capacity to where hearers recognize that we are set apart for God's purpose.

(40-45)
At this point a leper came to Jesus and begged to be healed. Jesus was moved with compassion and  reached out and touched the leper to heal him. Jesus could have done anything to heal him, but he touched him.
This, to me, says that Jesus goes beyond the natural man-made barriers and does things we are not capable in ourselves to do, but also goes beyond the confinements and limitations that man has made.

These principles can be applied to our daily lives as disciples to transform our mindsets so that we can become more Christ-minded in our lives.
Because we as Christians are born of God, we possess a unique power that when we speak, people are compelled to listen.
We are called to reach those around us, and can tear down the barriers that have been set up by men!

When the word of God is applied to our daily life, things change within us and around us.