WE ARE BEGGARS ALL

I am trying to follow Jesus.

I’m not too concerned about the Christian religion (though much of it is interesting). I’m not Catholic, Baptist, or Pentecostal. I’m not looking to get caught up in where people meet, what songs they sing, or how they have communion. I’m not too worried about how it makes me look, nor am I bothered that it will be my life’s entire journey.

I just want to know who Jesus is. Why he would give so much to save some? Why he would give up all the heavens to dwell as a man? Why does he speak on my behalf to God? Why does he provide so much? I want to know what it means to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). I want to draw near to my savior… to my God.

BLESSED is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises himself for the sake of Jesus. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes to be loved alone above all things.

Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant, but the love of Jesus is true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty, but he who gives himself to Jesus will ever be strengthened.


Love Him, then; keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail.
Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another—He wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein as King in His own right. If you but knew how to free yourself entirely from all creatures, Jesus would gladly dwell within you.

You will find, apart from Him, that nearly all the trust you place in men is a total loss. Therefore, neither confide in nor depend upon a wind-shaken reed, for “all flesh is grass” and all its glory, like the flower of grass, will fade away.
You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek comfort and gain in them. If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. Likewise, if you seek yourself, you will find yourself—to your own ruin. For the man who does not seek Jesus does himself much greater harm than the whole world and all his enemies could ever do. Thomas ‘a Kempis

Thus as the apostle has spoken, I do not want any other Gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). I do not want to get lost in hollow philosophy or self-righteous rituals (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). So like John the son of Zebadee, the disciple whom Jesus loved, I want to make Jesus central in all things.

I’m going to try to work through the book of John so that I can have public accountability in my goal towards the centrality of Christ in my writing and to engage with others who are on the same path. Much of what I hope to write will be in the form of applicable commentary. For my goal will be that knowledge will inspire action and thus achieve the chief end of man…that God may be glorified in our delight of Him.

To join me in reading and discussing the centrality of Jesus in the Gospel of John you can go here.