Always Looking for Him

A Day in the Life

“And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.” — Mark 1:36

There is something quietly revealing about Mark’s brief statement that Simon Peter and the others “searched for” Jesus. The moment comes after a full and exhausting day of ministry in Capernaum—healings, teaching, crowds pressing in from every direction. Jesus has withdrawn early in the morning to pray in a solitary place, and the disciples wake to find Him gone. What follows is not irritation or indifference, but pursuit. Peter goes looking. That detail matters. Before Peter is known for preaching at Pentecost or shepherding the early church, he is known for seeking Jesus, even when he does not fully understand Him.

Peter’s reputation in the Gospels is often reduced to his impulsive words and missteps, yet the deeper thread running through his life is desire. He is drawn to Jesus again and again. He rebukes Jesus in Matthew 16 and then clings to Him. He boasts of loyalty and then denies Him, but even in failure he does not flee permanently. Luke tells us that Peter runs to the empty tomb when he hears the news of the resurrection. John describes him plunging into the sea, swimming toward shore simply to reach the risen Lord faster. Even his brief walk on the water in Matthew 14 is not an act of bravado so much as longing—he wants to be where Jesus is. As Frederick Buechner once observed, “Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun.” Peter’s faith moves; it searches; it follows.

This pattern invites reflection on how seeking actually works in the life of discipleship. Seeking Jesus does not mean flawless devotion or uninterrupted spiritual clarity. It means returning, again and again, to the One who calls us, even when our understanding is partial and our obedience uneven. Peter’s growth does not come from his consistency but from proximity. He keeps encountering Jesus, and those encounters reshape him over time. Dietrich Bonhoeffer captured this dynamic when he wrote, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” That call unfolds not in a single heroic moment but through daily decisions to follow, to search, to stay near.

One of the more subtle insights in Mark 1:36 is that Peter is never alone when he goes looking for Jesus. “Simon and those who were with him” search together. Peter’s seeking becomes contagious. Because he is oriented toward Christ, others are drawn in the same direction. This raises a searching question for us: what do people tend to pursue because of us? The answer is rarely found in our words alone but in the trajectory of our lives. We reproduce what we genuinely seek. If our days are shaped primarily by ambition, recognition, or comfort, others will sense that gravitational pull. But when our lives are quietly and persistently oriented toward Christ, even imperfectly, others begin to follow that movement as well.

The prophet Jeremiah gives voice to God’s promise: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). In Hebrew, the verb darash carries the sense of diligent pursuit, not casual curiosity. Seeking God is not a side interest but a settled direction of the heart. That does not mean constant emotional intensity; it means intentional orientation. Jesus Himself affirms this posture at the close of Scripture: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come” (Revelation 22:17). The invitation is ongoing, and the thirst is assumed.

As I reflect on Peter’s life, I am struck by how often seeking Jesus required interruption. In Mark 1, the disciples want Jesus to return to the crowds—there is more work to do, more momentum to maintain. Yet Jesus chooses prayer and redirection instead. Peter must learn that seeking Jesus sometimes means allowing our plans to be reshaped by His priorities. We may begin the day with spiritual intentions, but the deeper question is whether we remain responsive when Jesus leads us away from what feels urgent toward what is truly necessary. Seeking Him with the whole heart involves surrender as much as pursuit.

This devotional presses gently but firmly on our self-examination. Did I begin today intent on encountering Jesus, or merely fitting Him into the margins? Is my seeking wholehearted or half-attentive? Am I known, even quietly, as someone who searches for Christ? The encouragement embedded in Peter’s story is that faithfulness grows through repeated turning, not perfect execution. If the heart remains oriented toward Christ, the encounter will come. Seeking Jesus is never wasted effort; it is the soil in which discipleship matures.

For a thoughtful reflection on Jesus’ rhythm of prayer and pursuit, see this article from Desiring God: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-jesus-went-away-to-pray

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When the Shortcut Looks Softer Than the Cross

On Second Thought

Scripture Reading: John 6:65–69
Key Verse: John 14:6

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6

There comes a moment in every serious walk of faith when the question is no longer whether Jesus is admirable, inspiring, or even truthful, but whether He is enough. John 6 records such a moment. After Jesus speaks hard words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood—language meant to press disciples beyond curiosity into costly trust—many turn back. The crowd thins. Commitment is tested. Jesus then turns to the Twelve and asks a question that still echoes across centuries: “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter’s response is not polished theology; it is settled realism. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” This is not blind loyalty. It is the recognition that all alternatives have been weighed and found wanting.

This same discernment lies at the heart of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Christian’s detour into By–path Meadow was not an act of rebellion but of discouragement. The narrow way was difficult, and the grass looked softer elsewhere. Bunyan’s insight is incisive: most spiritual departures do not begin with denial of truth, but with fatigue. When obedience feels arduous, alternatives feel merciful. Yet Bunyan exposes the deception clearly. Shortcuts that promise relief often deliver captivity. The Giant Despair does not live far from By–path Meadow.

Jesus’ words in John 14:6 confront this impulse head-on. He does not present Himself as a way among many viable routes, nor as a guide who merely points toward truth. He identifies Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Each term is exclusive not because Jesus is narrow, but because reality is. A bridge is not arrogant because it is the only crossing point over a ravine; it is faithful because it holds. In the same way, Christ’s sufficiency is not a limitation imposed on seekers, but a gift offered to the weary.

The temptation to look for “other options” is not new, nor is it limited to overtly false religions. Often the alternatives are more subtle: self-reliance dressed as maturity, moralism mistaken for holiness, spirituality without submission, or compassion detached from truth. These options do not deny Jesus outright; they simply reposition Him as helpful rather than essential. Yet Scripture presses us to a harder clarity. If Jesus is not the way, then He is reduced to a way. If He is not the truth, then truth becomes negotiable. If He is not the life, then we are left managing death with optimism.

Understanding who Jesus is guards us against these seductive compromises. The disciples in John 6 do not claim to understand everything Jesus has said. What they do understand is this: there is nowhere else to stand that leads to life. As Augustine famously wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” Restlessness often masquerades as exploration, but it is more often a symptom of displacement—of stepping off the path that actually leads home.

It is important to acknowledge, pastorally, that the way of Jesus is demanding. The Gospel never denies this. The road is narrow, the call is costly, and obedience can feel lonely. Yet Scripture consistently insists that difficulty does not invalidate direction. The way of Christ may be arduous, but it is coherent. It leads somewhere. Other paths promise ease but lack destination. They offer relief without redemption, comfort without transformation.

Jesus’ sufficiency also confronts our desire for control. Alternatives feel appealing because they allow us to remain managers of our own lives. Christ calls us instead to trust, to abide, to follow. This is not passivity; it is reorientation. He gives direction not merely for eternity, but for the present ordering of our loves, decisions, and hopes. His forgiveness is not partial. His love is not supplemental. There truly are no substitutes.

On Second Thought

Here is the paradox worth lingering over: the exclusivity of Christ, which initially feels restrictive, is actually what makes freedom possible. When Jesus says, “I am the way,” He is not narrowing the world; He is stabilizing it. Endless options do not produce peace; they produce paralysis. A thousand possible paths may feel empowering, but they also leave us perpetually uncertain, always wondering if we chose correctly. Christ’s claim removes that burden. The freedom He offers is not the freedom of endless choice, but the freedom of confident belonging.

On second thought, perhaps the real danger is not that we will outright reject Jesus, but that we will quietly supplement Him. We add strategies where He calls for trust, explanations where He calls for obedience, alternatives where He calls for faithfulness. Yet every supplement subtly implies insufficiency. Peter’s confession in John 6 is so enduring because it refuses that implication. “To whom shall we go?” is not resignation; it is clarity. It is the settled understanding that while other paths exist, none lead where the heart truly longs to go.

The way of Jesus may feel demanding, but it is the only way that tells the truth about both God and us. It names our brokenness without abandoning us in it. It calls us forward without pretending the road is easy. On second thought, the narrow way is not narrow because it excludes life, but because it protects it.

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This blog post explores the concept of eternal security, examining arguments on both sides and offering practical takeaways for your Christian walk. Discover what the Bible says about a believer's standing in Christ and how to live with confidence in God's grace.

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#salvationinchrist #SalvationInJesus #JesusIsLord #jesuschrist
#JesusIsKing #jesusisgod #canyouloseyoursalvation

https://livingforthechrist.com/can-a-christian-lose-their-salvation/

The Christadelphians or Brothers and Sisters in Christ are a community of lovers of God, who follow the teachings of the Nazarene Master Teacher Jeshua, better known as Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

As followers of the Jewish man from Nazareth, we are aware that Jesus him being a Jew, worshipped the God of Israel, and asked to do his followers to do so too. That God of Abraham is a Singular Eternal Spirit Being, no man can see. Jesus did not come to earth to undo the Law of God or the Torah. He came to explain it and to show the Way to God. Therefore, we take the words of Jesus seriously as an indication of how to continue our life on the path laid in front of us by this rabbi, and keep to the Law of God, God and His son their teachings and wishes, instead of keeping to human doctrines.

Jesus preached love for all creatures of God, and that is why we find it necessary not only to show and share that love for the whole of creation (earth, plants, animals and human beings), but also to come up for the weaker ones and to help and defend those in need.

In case you are looking for making your life easier or want to know more about the present and the future and our position in the whole picture or Plan of God, then you are right at our address.

Even when you are not sure about the existence of God, you are welcome to join us at our meetings and Bible Classes. We also provide printed material which you are welcome to read and to question us about. Any time of the day someone shall be willing to help you with your questions or solving your problems.

At our ecclesiae we have meetings for studying and worshipping but also moments of gathering and sharing good time and food. Also, at those events you are very welcome.

In Wintertime, we also provide shelter for the night, in certain towns, for the homeless people. Waifs and strays are also welcome at our food supplies.

But our main occupation in the ecclesia is the provision to glorify God and praise Him with a merger in prayer and Bible reading in the unity of spirit.

For those gatherings, where they may take place (Leuven, Leefdaal-Bertem, Tervuren, Brussels, Nivelles-Nijvel, Mons or Newbury), we invite you to join us and to feel the spirit of our brotherhood.
In Belgium, we are financially very limited and do have no building of our own. We have to rent spaces and  also use private houses, making house-church. For that reason it is not possible to offer set days and hours for our meetings. In Newbury, it is different. There our brethren and sisters have their own hall and offer services on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with regular events on different days as well. Never be afraid to contact them or us to have further contact or to know about their and/our activities.

For the Carelinks (like the Antwerp Ecclesia) and Old Paths Christadelphians you shall have to contact them. We as Free Christadelphians are not bounded to any person or organisation and could be considered being part of the more progressive branch of Christadelphianism, having liberated ourselves from all boundaries of this world, only to be bounded to the sent one from God, the son of God, Jeshua, Jesus Christ.

One of us might have a strength in one area and another might be strong in another. We believe that when we can join hands to make ourselves stronger. We are convinced that when we come together in union, we all benefit and are made into the image of Christ.

We believe that all can help each other to grow in the Body of Christ, becoming more like Christ, pure and set apart. Coming together we give each other the opportunity to learn more about the Word of God, by sharing and discussing that set apart or holy Word. Together we can help each individual around us, to become part of a bigger unit, able to be compassionate, gentle, and to have a great capacity for mercy and forgiveness.

When coming to our ecclesia you should not be afraid that people would look at you as a strange intruder, because nobody would. Nobody shall go to point to the faults of yourself or others. Instead, you may find we try to use the strengths the Lord has given us to build up the body of Christ. We all have faults, and we all have gifts, and they are meant to work together. We all go for the same primary goal, to grow in the spirit according to God His Wishes, and to form a strong unit in the Body of Christ. By the influence of our fellowships you and we can have our character transformed.

At our ecclesia or church, we are people who want to share the hope in a better world. To reach that goal we know we have to start by ourselves and our own surroundings. We hope to inspire each other in our community of believers in Only One True God, but also to encourage those outside our community, to work at a relationship with Jesus, because when we seek him and not this world, he will teach us, and we will grow in all good things. A lot of this process is done through our brethren and sisters, who are here also for you!

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The Big conversation Why it matters

Looking at our small community we must remember that it is God Who calls and for what we can offer in our community He takes what we have and makes it go further!

• Church is the place to bring empty lives for God to fill.
• Church is about meeting not just meetings!

In our previous postings we also pointed out that some people may have a wrong opinion about unity and expect all people in a community to say the same and to act the same. But “being one” doesn’t mean “being a clone”. God blesses unity! And we should have and should share our unity in Christ and unity with Christ. All being one in following the teachings of Christ, believing what he says and following up what he asked his followers to do. Not just following a church because it pleases us but because it follows the teachings of the son of God, Jesus Christ, and stays truthful to the Words of God, following God’s Will and willing to share His Gospel. Our union should be in the love for God which should be noticeable for outsiders, being a union of loving people, loving Jehovah God and His son Christ Jesus, Jeshua the Messiah, as lovers of the truth, sharing this love and Good News and spreading unselfish, mutual, unconditional Agape brotherly love and love for all creation under the Covenant of love as beloved disciples and as Bible lovers making a circle of love under the Royal Law of love.

Having different people coming together there should be allowance for every one to have their say. All gathered should have respect for all present and give them the opportunity to share their ideas. Being together it also must be an occasion where public confession, based on a word from God, can take place. This may demand courage to stand up and declare truth, but in a real church of God this should not be a problem because that has to be a place of sharing the love of Christ and working at getting the love of God.

Spending time together to study the Word of God, must do something to those present. Change is inevitable…

except from a vending machine

said Arne Roberts, on October the tenth, at the Big Conversation. For him it is clear what is going to happen to other Bible Students which all came form the same source.

Here’s what will happen to Jehovah’s Witnesses: They will become increasingly like the religious group that influenced Charles Russell: The Christadelphians…

The Christadelphians were once an outspoken, vibrant, edgy “Christian” group who spread their urgent end-times message far and wide. They grew exponentially in the latter half of the nineteenth century, but their heyday is long past. For several decades now they resemble a heavy rusty old steam locomotive that is running out of speed as it lumbers along ill-kept tracks, but still tries to muster the motion needed to take on steep mountain slopes.

The Christadelphians ooze sad irrelevance and faded glory of times well passed. They are an old people’s religion – old people who don’t have the self- and other-awareness to see that they are clinging to a dead dream. The Christadelphians have long since passed their used-by date and the only ones who still ‘practice’ this religion are older individuals who cannot muster the strength to look out their windows at the real world passing them by.

This is the future of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who will not go out with a bang, but who will slowly whimper to an ever slower crawl as the decades pass and the world, in its infinite fascination with religious novelty, will fix its distractable attention on to other more modern belief systems.

For Arne Roberts that is not the end. He asks us to keep in mind that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

We as followers of Christ should make sure that the Clarion of the Torah may sound. We hearing the sound loudly should make sure that there might be a stimulant for others in our community to become co-workers, helping each other, not working against each other, or not considering each other rivals. As individual beings, planets or stars, we may be totally different, but together we are one part of the universe, just some small elements in the creation of God.

When people just not come to join others because they are part of a small community than that community shall never have any chance of growing. When people keep waiting before willing to join a small community because it does not attract them for it is so small that they shall be noticed, we do have to convince them that they should not hide themselves behind the numbers. It is true that when there is a small church people will be noticed. In a mega church nobody shall notice it when you come in later, slip out earlier, shall fall asleep or shall not be attentional. When we encounter such doubting people who are afraid to join a small church we can ask them

How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice

It is up to us that God is in our life and that we want to share it with them. They should not be afraid to feel having a naked identity it such a small group, because as followers of Christ Jesus we have abandoned our sinful ‘I’ and actually have taken an other identity, no identity of our own apart from our union with Christ. Not that we have no unique personality or value or purpose, but that Christ defines our new life. It is that inseparable connection within Christ as a believer, which unites us and in the love of Christ we found the love for each other and have to show the world that we want to share that love. When we fail to see our true existence in Christ and fail to find our life and, thus, seek it outside of Christ we shall become victim of our own vain pursuit that only leads to frustration and angst in our God-thirsty soul.

We must understand that whatever happens the majority of people will not want to take the divine Creator as their God and lots of people shall prefer to be part of the contemporary world, belonging to it, being in it, and enjoying a worldly philosophy, inventions of men designed to rob you of your inheritance (Col.2:8-10) and as such shall not be so much attracted to the Christadelphian world, which demands a change in their attitude. The friendship with the world is for most people much more important than the friendship with God loving people. Most shall prefer to stay in the Godless world having not to wonder about their own responsibilities.

It is up to the lovers of God to show the others the light of the world and that no one should worry to much about living in this world. When people could come to know that New world better they might think twice and be prepared easier to leave the Old world for what it is, looking forward to a better and perfect world. We understand it is not easy for man to get away with the worldly traditions, so this shall always be some of the obstacles to join or to stay in our community. But people should not be afraid that they cannot take part in worldly events in a Godless world.  Christadelphians for sure also can enjoy worldly life, having enough time fore worldly pleasures, and not to become frustrated under the yoke of the world.

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Preceding articles:

Counting sands and stars

The Big conversation

The Big conversation follow up

Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church

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Additional reading

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Further readings:

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