God is Aways in Control

Although we feel like every trial is the end of our life, we can walk through each one of them with courage, because God’s future plan for us is just on the other side of this mountain. We need the experience of this current ordeal in order to face what lies ahead. Our faith in God’s faithfulness is strengthened by every negative aspect in our life, because He delivers us from them all (Psalm 34:19).

We enjoy our powerful hope because of God’s wisdom and goodness. Although we know that in this world we surely will experience tribulation, He goes through every one of them with us, and He already overcame every trial known to mankind (John 16:33; Hebrews 4:15). Each negative aspect we experience will turn out for our ultimate good and also conforms us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Our Father God is in complete control of our life. Nothing happens to us that is not already part of His plan for us. This is true, even when we reap the negative consequences of our foolish behavior, because He knew what we would do before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10). In fact, He loved us even while we were still sinners, although each sinful choice we made broke His heart (Romans 5:8).

God no longer sees our past sins, but the blood of Christ and His love, which covers a multitude of our sins (1 Peter 4:8). We no longer suffer condemnation for our sins, because we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). As Believers, we are the Bride of Christ and we look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb as His beloved spouse (Revelation 19:1-10).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for using the negative aspects of life to strengthen us for future ordeals and to draw us closer to You. Remind us that You will never leaving us alone, because You live within us and accomplishing all things through us (Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:13). We rest in the fact that You are in complete control and nothing will occur in our life, which is not in Your perfect will for us. 

Thought for the Day:

We may foolishly make our own plans for our day, but God always directs our steps. – Proverbs 16:9

The Eternal Marriage

 

One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the connection between Jesus and the Church in a marriage. A husband is exhorted to love his wife in the same manner that Christ loves the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus literally laid down His life for the Church. How many husbands actually do that for their wife? Many of them get frustrated with their wife’s idiosyncrasies and opt out of the marriage?

There is not a problem in a person or a marriage that cannot be resolved with intentional counseling and mutual submission. Except in life or death situations, no reason is good enough to justify divorcing one’s mate. It is a lazy, superficial, self-centered person who files for divorce. They are unwilling to work at becoming one flesh. A time of separation and a forgiving heart will help to iron out even the worst marital issues.

Reserving nothing for Himself, Jesus gave His life for His Bride before we even knew or loved Him. His love is unconditional, regardless of our behavior, attitude or expressions. He will never, ever leave or forsake us for any reason or in any way (Hebrews 13:5). Spouses are to follow suite and care for one another’s physical, emotional, mental, financial and spiritual needs despite the reception we receive from our mate.

The husband honors the wife as the weaker vessel, and he protects her from the pain and confusion of the world (1 Peter 3:7). He listens to her and cares about what she cares about. The wife respects and encourages her husband. She keeps his home and cares for his children. She supports him even when she disagrees with the direction he is going. Although she does have the option to separate for a time if she feels threatened in any way.

There is no man or woman alive who does not grab his/her toe when it is stubbed, or jerk away from something hot or cringe from a hand raised in anger. We are to protect one another in the same way that we love and protect our self (Ephesians 5:28-33). We care about each other’s needs, often anticipating them before the desire is even expressed. God will help us to work out every negative issue in our marriage, if we totally surrender our will to His.

Prayer:

Father God, You give us a perfect example of loving a flawed mate. Israel failed You over and over; and yet, You continually loved her and honored Your commitment to her. Remind us to feel each other’s pain and confusion as if they were our own and never to break our marriage vows to one another, even when we do not like one another very much!

Thought for the Day:

There is no one that loves us better, or cares for our welfare more than Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer. – Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 1-4

A Separated Life

 

God gave His Church, His Bride, His Holy Habitation, the dynamite power of His Spirit who dwells within us. There is nothing that we cannot do. If we rely on our human resources, we will fail more often than not. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not need the lusts of the flesh to make us happy (Galatians 5:16-25). If we begin walking in the Spirit and then give up, we will live a miserable life.

Many Christians have no idea that at Salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). It is not a separate experience. We have the fullness of the Spirit dwelling in us from the moment that we believe only on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. We have daily fillings of His Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), but He is resident within us from the point of our salvation.

We do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit by entertaining sin in our life (Ephesians 4:30). We can occupy our time with religious activity, control our flesh and our sinful desires and meditate on God’s Word continually, but if our spirit is still dead in sin, none of this human activity reaps any benefit for us other than a more peaceful life on this earth.

All of our efforts reap no eternal reward for us because they are all done in the flesh. We give our human will the place of the Holy Spirit in our life (1 Corinthians 3:1). Let’s give up everything we hold dear in the natural world, which stands between our Living Lord and us, and walk in God’s Spirit each moment of the day. What we think we will lose will be returned to us in a way, which is a million times better.

Prayer:

Father God, help us not to attempt to perfect our self in the flesh, rather than submitting our will and our life to Your Spirit. We do not want to fail You in this life and end up reaping hell in the process. We prefer to serve You wholeheartedly and to give You the praise and the glory for all of the works, which Your Spirit leads us to accomplish for You.

Thought for the Day:

We gain no return on what we sacrifice in the flesh. So let’s lay down our human will, character, wisdom and efforts, and fully embrace the thoughts and works of Christ instead.

A New Nature

Jesus learned obedience through the things, which He suffered, just as we do (Hebrews 5:8). He dealt with the common curse of His pesky human flesh all the way to cross, just as we do (Hebrews 4:15). He laid down His human life on Calvary’s cross and came forth from the grave in His immortal glory, just as we will, once He returns for His Bride (1 Corinthians 15:54). We receive our redemption through His blood, and we gain the indwelling of His Holy Spirit through His resurrection and ascension.

When we come to intimately know the living Lord, we start to experience eternal life right here on this earth (John 17:3). He gives us the love, which God gives to Him (John 17:26). We live in this world, just as God sent Jesus into the world, to accomplish God’s will for our lives (John 17:18, 20). At the same time, Jesus gives us a new nature and makes us holy (John 17:17-19; Colossians 3:10). The Spirit teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live disciplined, holy and Godly lives, not by our own self-efforts, but through Christ Jesus within us (Titus 2:12).

Slowly, the Spirit changes us from glory to glory until people see Jesus when they look at us (2 Corinthians 3:18). In Christ all the fullness of the triune God dwells and Jesus dwells in us, at the same time that we are in Him (Colossians 2:9; Romans 6:8). We are united to the triune God through Christ. Our spirit is infused with power through His Spirit, and Christ lives in and through us (Ephesians 3:16-17). Since Christ is in us, even though our body is dying, His Spirit gives us His life (Romans 8:10). We have supernatural strength regardless of how we feel in body and soul.

When Jesus moves into our spirit, we walk by the direction of His Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25). Following the leading of God’s Spirit moment by moment throughout the day results in physical productivity, a healthy mental and emotional life, spiritual power and material blessings that we cannot even imagine! We submit our negative thoughts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ for healing. We even lay down our positive thoughts; and, instead, take up His thoughts as our own (Philippians 2:5). We submit our will to His will. Out of God’s glorious riches, He provides all of our needs (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:33).

Rather than to spend our financial blessings on frivolous amusements and earthly treasures that are here today, but gone tomorrow, we actually prefer to donate to our local church and to missionaries doing the work of the Lord. This makes the fruit of our labor last into eternity; 1 Corinthians 1:9, 6:17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:3-14, 4:32, 5:22-33; Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 15:28). When Christ is foremost in our thoughts and we pray about His order for our day, even cleaning the house, tending the children, working in the secular world, ministering at church, preparing meals and spending time with our family is the result of a spirit-filled life.

Prayer:

Father God, You love us so much and You reveal Yourself to us in a multitude of ways all throughout the day (John 14:21).  We often get too busy to even notice Your blessings. We spend our time so absorbed in our own plans and the issues in front of us, that we fail to see Your provision and direction for us in the midst of it all. However, You continually give us exceedingly great and precious promises of salvation, for the purpose of us partaking in Your divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). You sanctify our heart of flesh and give us Your Spirit to perfect us. As we keep our focus on Your glory within us, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ with ever increasing holiness, which comes from the sanctifying work of Your Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

We have the potential of becoming spiritual beings in a carnal world, because of the divine power and authority of Christ in us. - 1 Corinthians 15:48



Thank you, Peter Dehart, for the use of your photo.

The Bride of Christ

Prior to salvation, we lived as slaves to sin, pawns in Satan’s plan (Romans 7). Even after salvation, our sin sometimes builds a wall between us and our fellowship with God. No matter how slowly or how high the wall goes up – we feel a separation and distance from our Lord and Savior (Romans 1:18). Our prayers hit the ceiling, our joy ebbs and our peace is overwhelmed by stress and negative emotions. Without righteousness, there can be no lasting peace and joy. We are separated from God due to our rebellion and unbelief (Romans 14:17).

This severance of our union with Christ bitters our soul. Then, resentment becomes the mortar we use to adhere the stones of willful sin in place. As the wall rises ever higher, fears riddle our soul. We grow gradually more anxious and hopeless. Eventually, some even feel animosity toward God and rail against Him, hurling accusations at Him and slandering His name to anyone who will listen. We end up punishing our self by removing our self from the protection and provision of our Heavenly Father.

With humility and grace we finally surrender our life to Christ. We live as slaves to righteousness and bondservants to Christ who lives within us by His Holy Spirit (Romans 1:1, 6:18). When temptations come our way, we can draw near to God, resist the devil, and Satan has no option but to flee from us (James 4:7). If we happen to sin, God is faithful and just to forgive that sin (1 John 1:9). However, as we walk in the Spirit, the lusts of the flesh are no longer tempting to us (Galatians 5:16, 25). If we are born of God, we cannot live in habitual sin (1 John 3:9).

Jesus recognized that He could do nothing of Himself, and that He and the Father are one (John 5:19, 10:30). After salvation, we are one with Christ. Jesus has the mind of God, and this mind is in us (1 Corinthians 2:16). Our union with Christ deepens as we focus on His work in us and through us. We repent of our sins and walk away from our agenda of self-effort and good works. At first, we have to practice listening to God’s Spirit as He guides us through our day. Slowly, it becomes second nature for us to follow the Spirit’s direction for each moment.

God wants more for us than just to redeem us from our sins. He also longs for a Bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). That is why God was in Christ, reconciling us to Himself (Colossians 1:20). He showed us His love, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Now, there is joy even among the angels when every sinner repents (Luke 15:10). We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). As we keep our focus on Christ, He authors and completes our salvation (Hebrews 12:2). We are one with Christ by His Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, Joshua is a good example to us of listening to Your direction. The walls of Jericho posed an impossible obstacle. As Joshua obeyed Your instructions, the walls fell straight down. Even archeology proves the accuracy of this Biblical account. Joshua did not use human reasoning to capture the city; but He followed Your will for seven days, and then the city fell before his eyes (Hebrews 11:30). The wisdom of man is foolish when compared to Your ways (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Thought for the Day:

Listen to God’s Spirit within and do only those things, which you see God doing through your life.

Divinity Within Us

God dwells in His children by the new birth we receive from Christ through Salvation (John 1:12). He rejoices as we grow in the knowledge of our salvation (1 John 3:2), but He waits for our realization that we are also temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Once we begin to submit to the Spirit for sanctification of our flesh, then He teaches us about the divinity of Christ, which dwells within us (Galatians 2:20).

We are not separate from Christ, obeying Him in our own power. He permanently dwells in us and expresses Himself through us (Colossians 3:3). We are children of His death, but we are also children of His resurrection (Luke 20:36). We are transformed into Christ’s image in ever-increasing increments of glory, which come from the Lord’s Spirit. Then, as unveiled mirrors, we reflect to the world the glory of the Lord within us (2 Corinthians 3:18). In our daily life, as His Spirit molds us into His image, we experience and express all of the attributes of God just as He is within us, (Romans 8:29).

Jesus gives us the glory that God gave Him, so that we will be one with our triune God, just as they are one (John 17:22). If we do not recognize this divine power within us, then we will never live up to our full potential as Christians. Jesus’ sacrifice enables us to share in His divine nature and to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil human desires (2 Peter 1:4). As we mature, we attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ who dwells within us. We put on our new self, shaped by the Spirit to be like God with all of His virtues and holiness within us (Ephesians 4:13,24).

We often limit our understanding of life to what we perceive through our five senses. We also rely heavily only on what our human mind envisions. Yet, we ignore the supernatural and the eternal aspects of Christ within us. Therefore, we hinder the expression of God’s power in and through us. With Christ in us, it does not matter where we live, with whom we live or even if we live alone. Christ’s presence within us rises above the limitations of the natural realm and the circumstances in it. God imparts His Spirit to us in order to allow the glorious nature of Christ in us the freedom of expression through us (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 12:27).

As we grasp this fact, we realize who we really are in Christ. Then, we live by faith in the eternal, and no longer by sight in the temporal realm of life (2 Corinthians 5:7). It is not I, but Christ living in me (Galatians 2:20). When trials and tribulation afflict my life, I no longer have to overcome them. They are simply another adventure in Christ; an opportunity for Him to show His divine nature through us. Nothing, which comes into our life, is a surprise to God. He saw it all before the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4).

Jesus completed the work of redeeming, sanctifying and perfecting us on the cross (Hebrews 10:14). Now, He is working through us to perform His purpose in each situation in our life as it occurs. We have His joy in our tribulation, because we know that God has a divine purpose for us in it. God allowed Job to experience devastating loss in his life; but He used Job for His glory in each one of them. In the end, God gave Job much more than he ever lost (Job 42:12). We enjoy God’s presence in our life now, and we look forward to dwelling with Him where righteousness reigns, in the new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Prayer:

Father God, when we forget that we are simply aliens and pilgrims in this world, we take life too seriously. We put all of our effort into attaining success in this world. There is no reason for us to doubt Your Word; it is true because all of its prophecies are true. Help us to believe Your Word and to allow it to transform our life as we live by the direction of Your Spirit through each moment of every day, until You decide to take us home to live with You in glory.

Thought for the Day:

As we continue to live in Christ, we walk in His holiness. When He returns for His bride, we will face him with confidence and unashamed (1 John 2:28).

 

Why Did Jesus Have to Leave?

Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 14:26, 16:7, 8). Why did Jesus have to leave before the Holy Spirit could come to us? Jesus had to leave in order to return to His place of glory in heaven. He had work to do there. Jesus went back to heaven as our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20).

During His lifetime, Jesus suffered in every way that we do and He knows what we need (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, He now intercedes for us with the Father (Hebrews 7:25). He went to the Father so He could send the Holy Spirit to allow us to perform even greater works than He, as one man, accomplished while He lived on this earth (John 14:12). The Holy Spirit within every Believer exponentially multiplies the amount of Kingdom work we can achieve. He is also constructing for His Bride our eternal home (John 14:2; Revelation 3:11-13).

Jesus was God in the flesh, living and ministering on earth. He walked with His disciples and comforted those who knew Him. However, when He ascended into heaven, He did not leave us abandoned or defenseless. He sent the Holy Spirit to not only walk with us, but to live within us as well. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. 1 John 2:1 refers to Jesus Christ as our “advocate”. This is the same word “paraklēton”, with the same meaning. This word “paraklēton” in the original language means “to comfort, to plead for our defense, to lead us to a deeper knowledge of gospel truth and to give us the divine strength to undergo trials and persecutions.”

No relationship with a person can come close to the intimacy we can attain with Jesus, because He dwells within us by His Holy Spirit. The Lord knows us even better than we know our self. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus asked the Father to give us “another” comforter, so He would abide inside of us forever. This is the Holy Spirit of truth and He teaches us all things. He also reminds us of everything Jesus taught us (John 14:16-17). Jesus is our advocate and comforter from Heaven with the Father, and the Holy Spirit is our advocate and comforter here on earth.

The Holy Spirit also utilizes us to comfort one another. We can live in anticipation of God using us to listen to, care for and console one another in our times of need. He gives us the words to say and the ideas of what to do to lift one another’s burdens (John 14:26). Each of us is a member of Christ’s spiritual Body. We have equal concern for one another. If one of us suffers, we all suffer collectively; if one of us is honored, we all rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:25-27). Jesus sealed us in Himself with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Spirit is our pledge from God that we will receive our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). (More about the Spirit in tomorrow’s post on this blog).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, the Spirit could not come to earth, until You were glorified (John 7:39). However, when You went to be with the Father, You sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, comfort and guide us, as well as to convict us of our sins and to teach us Your truth (John 17:11). Thank You for preparing for us an eternal dwelling place (Revelation 21:2). You promised to come again to take us to be with You for eternity (John 14:2-3). We look forward to that day when we will dwell as Your Bride forever (Revelation 19:7-9; Ephesians 5:25-27).

Thought for the Day:

If we repent of our sins and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38

Standing in the Gap

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“Our new life in Christ is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. – 2 Corinthians 5:18

One of Paul’s favorite topics is God’s message of forgiveness and the ministry of reconciliation. The word reconcile in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 is the Greek word, “katallage”, which means to restore to divine favor. In other words, reconciliation means to transition an enemy to a friend. While sinners, we are God’s enemy; but through Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary’s cross He makes us consecrated friends with God (James 2:23). Then, God entrusted us with the ministry of reconciling others to Him.

The eternal destiny of every soul depends on whether or not he/she is reconciled with God. This should stir us to eagerly take part in this ministry of reconciliation with everyone we meet. This is not a difficult task. We simply tell people, “God took Christ, who knew no sin, to represent our sin and to receive the punishment due for our sin in His death on the cross. So that we, who were enemies, alienated from God by our own sin, might be reconciled back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

We see a pattern for reconciliation in the story of the Prodigal Son. His rebellion against the Father leads to his ruin. Then his repentance leads both to his reconciliation with his father and also the restoration of his position in the family (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus’ sacrifice paid our debt, reconciled us to God and brought to us the restoration of our position in God’s family. Jesus made peace between God and mankind through His blood, which He shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20).

Another aspect in our ministry of reconciliation is that we settle differences with our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors as well as with God. If someone has something against us, or if we are harboring an offense against someone else, then God wants us to reconcile with that person (Matthew 5:23-24). We do this by asking forgiveness for our misbehavior against them, and by forgiving them for their transgressions against us (Matthew 6:14-15). When we reconcile, we remove the wedge Satan planted between us to prevent us from loving one another as Christ commands us to do (Matthew 22:37-40).

A third aspect of reconciliation is that even Creation is eagerly waiting for the restoration of all things that will take place once the sons of God are revealed Right now, Creation is subjected to frustration because of the choices made by Adam and Eve on that fatal day in Paradise. Creation is groaning in pain, such as women experience in childbirth. All Creation waits for its liberation from bondage to decay; so that it also can once again experience the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:19-22). We do not realize how much we and Creation lost with Adam’s sin. However, because of Calvary, we have the confidence that everything Satan stole in Genesis, Jesus will restore to us and Creation at His revelation with His Bride in the end times.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Your death on the cross opened the door for all mankind to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. We thank you for Your transforming love that heals our wounds, which divide us from one another and for forgiving our sins that separated us from You. We recognize the power of Your grace and mercy in our lives and we come to You in humility, presenting ourselves to You as a living sacrifice. Give us the humility to reconcile with our family, friends, neighbors and associates. Then use us according to Your will to bring reconciliation between them and You, so we may all enjoy eternity in Your presence together.

Thought for the Day:

As flawed humanity, if we place our faith in God, He freely forgives our sin and reconciles us to Himself.