Christ, Who is Our Life

Peace in this world is fleeting and superficial. It depends on our circumstances and the people we are with. However, the peace of God allows us to glide serenely through any trial or difficulty (John 14:27). God’s peace is a fruit of His Spirit and His Spirit is ever present within us (Galatians 5:22-23). His peace is supernatural and everlasting. We cannot understand His peace, but it always guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

The closer to God we live, the harder it is for Satan to attack us. God is our shield, our high tower and our defense (Psalm 28:7). As we hide in Him and clothe our self in His armor (Ephesians 6:10-12), He is with us, even in the depths of hell on earth (Psalm 139:8). He never deserts us or abandons us (Hebrews 13:5). When the fiery darts of Satan attack us, God shelters us through it all (Psalm 91).

The demons of hell are actually powerless against us, because our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Luke 10:20). As we walk in obedience to God, we are surrounded with legions of angels and they protect us from Satan and his demons, as well as any harm man plans to impose on us (2 Kings 6:8-23). God always works everything out for our ultimate good, even if it is to work His nature into our life (Romans 8:28). Without Him, we are hopeless and helpless (John 15:5).

Life is not about us, but about Christ living in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Having Christ as our life is more than enough for us (Colossians 3:4). We live every moment of our life on earth only for the glory of God (Philippians 1:21). We surrender our plans and aspirations to His will for us (Ephesians 2:10). We pray without ceasing by communing with God each moment of the day through His Spirit within us (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is our key to abiding in Christ (John 15:4-7).

Prayer:

Father God, our hope of living in glory lies in the fact that Your Christ lives within us (Colossian 1:27). Our life in You is more than salvation, more than dedication, it is a life where Christ is all we need, as well as in all we say and do (Ephesians 1:22-23). We are one with You in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10). Now, we labor until we see Christ formed in our family, friends, associates and neighbors (Galatians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

We are partakers of Christ’s divine nature, and one with Him now and for eternity. – 2 Peter 1:4; John 17:23

Spiritual Eyes Enlightened

 

 

We humans run through life at a full tilt, feeling guilty over the past, worried about the future and missing the here and now. We live for the weekend, losing opportunities during the week to look for God’s guidance in the midst of our busy schedules. We sacrifice quietude for busyness in order to fill every moment of our day with material gain and accomplishment. We miss the adventures, which God has for us in each moment of our life

We accomplish nothing for God through our human striving. We also attempt to manufacture times of rest by reserving a vacation in the mountains, on the beach, on cruises or in resort areas. While this is often enjoyable, our only true rest comes by ceasing our human efforts and entering God’s rest through Christ within us (Hebrews 4:10). In the most stress-filled moments of our life, let’s retreat to that still, small place within our spirit where God’s Spirit waits for us.

It is only in the center of God’s will that we find true rest. Christ’s presence in our life makes all things more beautiful. A short break in your schedule to take a walk in nature will renew your soul. Relish the cool breeze coming off the water, the shade trees swaying in the breeze, the massive clouds collecting along the edge of the landscape, the vibrant flowers and lush green trees, the ancient oaks draped with Spanish moss, as well as meeting new people strolling through the park on their way to or from home or work.

Little do we realize that our best achievements occur only in the center of God’s will. There is no need for us to be anxious about anything. If we put God’s Kingdom as a priority in our life and seek Him with all of our heart – not part of our life, not just our Sunday morning, not just when it is convenient and there is nothing else going on in our life. Then, he can provide our life with everything we need (Matthew 6:28-33). We want to live a life that is pleasing in God’s sight (Hebrews 13:20).

We stop planning our works for God, in which we hope to obtain recognition, and we quietly go about our day. We follow the leading of His Spirit and do the works, which He ordained for us to do before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:10). We completely surrender our life to the great “I am” (Exodus 3:14). Christ totally permeates every chamber in our body, soul and spirit until we are infused with the Divine nature of Christ in us (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus lives His life in and through us.

Prayer:

Father God, we want to see the reality of Your Trinity dwelling in us in peace, and living with us in one accord throughout our everyday life (Romans 15:33, 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Supply us with everything we need to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). We totally trust You with our life, as well as the moment of our death (Philippians 4:6-7). We do not rely on our human comprehension, but we pray that our spiritual eyes may be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18).

Thought for the Day:

Cease from striving; be still, and come to the personal realization the God truly wants to reign in your life. – Psalm 46:10

Lessons from Paul's Life

 

 

The Apostle Paul is a great example to us of what a forgiving person acts like when persecuted. He was arrested multiple times, five different times the Jewish leaders gave him thirty-nine lashes, three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned and left for dead, three times he was shipwrecked, once he spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

He was constantly on the move to preach the gospel and to escape persecution. Paul was in danger from rivers, from bandits, from his own countrymen and from many Gentiles. He was in danger in the city, in the country, at sea and in danger from false brothers. He was hungry and thirsty and often went without any food at all. He shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep him warm.

Paul worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. Then, besides all of this, he had the daily burden of his concern for all of the churches, which he planted (2 Corinthians 11: 24-28). Yet in spite of these horrendous issues, he forgave his persecutors and he trusted God to give him everything he really needed. In fact, Paul was in Rome awaiting trial, under house arrest and chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4).

He exhorted us from his deprivation to rejoice always. Regardless of our circumstances, if we live in America, we have more than enough motivation in our life to rejoice. Ultimately, Paul viewed life from God’s eternal perspective, which shed a whole new light on his situation. Paul explains to us how to have a fulfilled life in Christ.

He reminds us that the Lord is near, and our gentleness should be evident to everyone. He tells us that the way to do this is not to be anxious about anything. In fact, he advises us to present your requests to God in thankful prayer. He promises that if we do this, then God’s peace, which exceeds our human understanding, will protect our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:5-7).

Prayer:

Father God, the reason we find it hard to rejoice in our circumstances like Paul did is that we do not have the eternal perspective of life, which he maintained. We keep our focus on the earthly, carnal, material aspects of our life rather than on the spiritual, eternal ones. We do not have to wait until heaven to enjoy an intimate, personal relationship with You. You are with us now and even until the end of this age (Matthew 28:20).

Thought for the Day:

We can make the choice right now to fully surrender our will to God’s, and to live with a completely spiritual commitment, focus and lifestyle.