4.4-What is the path where Jesus tells us to turn to?

4.4-

Jesus pushes us for positive change.  Those who love us do as well.  Those whom God loves, God disciplines.

Proverbs 3.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.<sup>[b]

Jesus and His cousin John pushed for positive turn arounds

Matthew 3.</sup>

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”^[a]

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

What are the ways of a follower of Jesus and the ways of the kingdom of God?

Focus on the simple way of life. Live simply that others may simple live.  

Be honest and confess to even lament the failures in your life.

Psalm 80.

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
    shine forth ² before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
    come and save us.

³ Restore us, O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

⁴ How long, Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder
    against the prayers of your people?
⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears;
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
⁶ You have made us an object of derision^[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.

⁷ Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

⁸ You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹ Its branches reached as far as the Sea,^[c]
    its shoots as far as the River.^[d]

¹² Why have you broken down its walls
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
¹³ Boars from the forest ravage it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
¹⁴ Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,
¹⁵     the root your right hand has planted,
    the son^[e] you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶ Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
    at your rebuke your people perish.
¹⁷ Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹ Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

God will give us Holy Spirit power to use self control for improvement in health and having an excellent spiritual life.

This leads to an affirmation from God.

There are some things that are hard to understand, but for some things it is not the understanding problem as much as the obedience problem.

Larry Wishard

4.4.17