United with Christ

God originally created mankind in the image of the Trinity (Genesis 1:6). Adam and Eve enjoyed an existence of body, soul and spirit in close fellowship with the Father. They enjoyed the same divine nature, which Christ exhibited.

Yet, when they believed Satan's lies, they chose to ignore their divine nature and to give in to the temptation of their human nature. As a result, their spirit died and their immortal body became mortal. We all reap the consequences of their choice.

God planned, before He created the world, to become man as Emmanuel (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 1:23). He paid the ransom for the sin debt of anyone who will choose to submit to His will rather than to our human desires or the devil's temptations (John 3:16-18; Romans 4:25, 5:6).

The reason that God's Spirit regenerates our spirit and sanctifies our soul is so that we will live in the divine life of Christ in us, rather than through our human life with its earthly thoughts and desires (2 Peter 1:4; John 1:1, 12-14).

This is only possible once our spirit is Born Again. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (Romans 12:2, 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We live, move and have our existence in Christ alone (Acts 17:28).

The life, which we live in this body, is lived through the faith of God's holy Son (Galatians 2:20). We are united with Christ in our spirit, just as Jesus' humanity was united with God, while He lived on this earth.

We continue the work of Christ on this earth, and we do greater works, as we function as His Body (John 3:3-6, 14:12). We think, feel, speak and act in the will of God as we follow the leading of His Spirit through every decision we make and every action we take.

This affects our behavior and words in our vocation, marriage, extended family, neighborhood and church Body. We live as a city on a hill, and we never hide the light of Christ within us (Matthew 5:14-16).

Prayer:

Father God, You teach us in Your Word that if we live by the dictates of our flesh, and give in to Satan's temptations, we will surely die in our sin. Yet, if we live by Your Spirit, He enables us to resist temptation and we will live in Your Kingdom as co-heirs with Christ forever (Romans 8:13). Teach us how to walk in the divine nature of Christ in us.

Help us to live and move and have our being in Him, so that we can walk in Your will, exhibit Your character and do the works of Christ all the days of our life (Acts 17:28). Thank You for helping us to renew our mind through the washing of the water of Your Word (Ephesians 5:26). Since Christ set us free from sin, help us to stay free from its destructive clutches (Galatians 5:1).

Thought for the Day:

God's Spirit, who raised Christ from the dead, now lives within our body through our spirit, and gives us His life. 

- Romans 8:11

Lost Love Restored

As children, we had a natural affection for our parents; but as we age, we learn to withhold love and to look out for our self, instead of for other people. We lose this predilection to love sacrificially, as we experience disappointment, difficulties and distress. Only God’s Spirit can restore our lost love, void of our own agenda. His unconditional love draws us to live in the center of His divine will and to unite with Him in the fullest expression of His character (Galatians 5:22-23).

We agree with Jesus that our sustenance is found only in doing the will of God (John 4:34, 6:38). God does not eradicate our human will. He brings our will into agreement with His, as He graces us with more and more of His nature (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We perfectly complement God’s love for humanity, because our affections are no longer centered on our self, but on those He sends us to serve. We even grow to love our enemies without any fear of them.


As we abide in God’s purpose and will, His light replaces our darkness and His joy delivers us from the deepest sorrows in our soul. We are unified with His nature, directed by His Spirit and radiating His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We listen to God’s Spirit throughout our day and use His discernment in making every decision. Our purpose and actions are now motivated only by the will of God and the works, which He created for us to do before the earth began (John 2:17; Ephesians 2:10).


Faith in God’s faithfulness replaces negative emotions and human desires. Gratitude for His provision eliminates the need to petition Him for more. We live with a grateful heart, wanting nothing and requiring very little. Our grandest wish is not for material possessions, but for more of God to share with more people, who are held hostage in this lost and dying world. Our lost love is restored and focused on all of humanity with the sacrificial love of Christ.


Prayer:

Father God, You desire for our will to submit to Yours, so that we die to our self, and You can bear much fruit in and through our mortal spirit, soul and body (John 12:24). Therefore, we have no need to force our behavior to line up with Your Word. We simply surrender to You and You perfect us little by little through our union with Your Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 3:1-3). Help us never to live from the place of our depraved human desires and will, but to live instead for Your glory and honor in the center of Your will for our life (Romans 8:2).

Thought for the Day:
We are not united with God's will from a sense of obligation, but through love for Him and faith in Him.

The Trouble with Thoughts

The first negative thought that enters our mind is usually from Satan. He inserts his two cents worth into our mind before we can even hear from God. We often focus on some person causing us issues, when it is really Satan’s intrusion (Ephesians 6:12-18). If we react to his temptation or believe his lies as truth, he has us crippled. He can manipulate us any way he wishes. According to Jesus’ example, we combat Satan’s interference by standing on the truth in God’s Word. 

Many people are confused by their emotions; however, negative emotions are actually little roadmaps to idols in our life, which God wants to remove. As we fix our eyes on Jesus and stand on the truth of God’s promises, we walk in the victory of the joy of the Lord, through whatever life brings our way (James 1:2-4). As we fulfill God’s calling for our day, He works all things out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:33). 

Taking a daily inventory of our thoughts allows us to keep watch over our soul – our mind, will and emotions. What we think in our mind also affects our feelings and decisions. So, if we journal our thoughts and feelings every day, it will help us to diffuse them and to prevent them from building up and exploding all over everyone else. This will also avert anxiety, paranoia and aggravation from feeding on our thoughts and exacerbating them.

God promises that there is a seed of joy hidden within every trail and temptation, and He will reveal it to us if we wait on Him (James 1:2). He also uses trouble to mature our faith, so we have everything we need to live a Godly life (James 1:4). We overcome each temptation with the power of God’s Spirit, because He always provides us with a way to resist (1 Corinthians 13:10). Trials stop bothering us after a while too. We learn from experience that God has a purpose for each one. 

People, places and things often irritate us and cause us to take our eyes off Jesus. If negative emotions influence our decisions, we make mistakes and live to regret them. We tend to take life into our own hands rather than to walk in obedience to God’s Spirit. As we surrender control over our life to Christ in us, we experience God’s victory. If we avail our self of His constant presence in our life (Hebrews 13:5), His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that our attitude about the issues in this life will often influence our thoughts, which influence our emotions and actions. We can slip into a downward spiral from which it may take days to break free. We cannot change anyone else, but we can change our focus about our times of trouble and count it all joy. We need to remember that nothing is too difficult for You (Jeremiah 32:17). Christ in us provides us with Your abundance as we abide in You (Colossians 1:27).

Thought for the Day:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

The Power of Our Words

No one is perfect. All human beings stumble in one way or another. If anyone is never at fault in what he/she says, they are a perfect person. They are able to keep their whole body in submission (James 3:1-2). We are acquitted and condemned by what we say and do (Matthew 12:37). Too much talk can lead to sin; therefore, it is sensible to keep a guard over our words (Proverbs 10:19).

When we do speak, we should pray first and then speak as though God Himself were speaking through us. This way everything we say will bring glory to God (1 Peter 4:11). What we say is the product of how we think and what we believe (Matthew 12:33-35). What we say flows from what is in our heart. A good person produces good things from the reservoir of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the abundance of an evil heart (Luke 6:45).

Our negative thoughts are like a skein of tangled yarn, so entwined that it is almost impossible to unravel them. They confuse our mind and cause us to miss the purposes of God in our life. We are too busy complaining to see His hand working out the details for our good (Romans 8:28). Negative thoughts cause a perverse heart, which never prospers; and a deceitful tongue causes just as much trouble (Proverbs 17:20). The person who speaks rashly will come to ruin (Proverbs 13:3). Only a fool keeps on talking (Ecclesiastes 5:3). An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble (Proverbs 12:13).

A cultured person with education may be able to use words with restraint, and a thoughtful person is more even-tempered than someone who just blurts out whatever comes to his/her mind (Proverbs 17:27). However, no human being can ever fully restrain their tongue. It is impatient, wicked and full of lethal poison (James 3:8). Only the work of Jesus, living within the Believer, gives us the power over our tongue. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the negative aspects of life only have power over our thoughts or actions if we allow them to do so.

When we belong to Jesus, then the power of the life-giving Spirit frees us from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:2). We are no longer conformed to this world, but we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). Jesus actually renews the spirit of our mind (Ephesians 4:23). He effectively gives us a choice along with wise advice about which choice to make. If we guard our words and keep our tongue, we avoid calamity (Proverbs 21:23). We are to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, and to live with each other in one mind and spirit rather than arguing (Philippians 1:27).

The Bible encourages us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). Our thoughts affect our beliefs, our emotions and our attitude. We reap the consequences of our words, and they affect our relationships and even our health (Proverbs 8:21). Wise words win good things for us; and if we guard our lips, we guard our life (Proverbs 13:2). Therefore, we can choose to think only about those things, which are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4:8). When our thoughts are excellent and worthy of praise then this affects what we say and what we do, as well as how we feel emotionally and physically.

Prayer:

Father God, it is better not to be quick to speak with our mouth or hasty in our heart to utter anything before You. You are in heaven and we are on earth, so let us be wise and let our words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Help us to submit to Your Spirit as You transform our mind, so that we may prove what Your good, acceptable and perfect will is for our life (Romans 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely as the good work of his hands rewards him. - Proverbs 12:13-14

 

 

 

 

Love Your Neighbor AS Yourself

Read: Ephesians 3:16-19

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12: 9

Some people are self-centered, myopic, petty, puffed up, thoughtless, wanting more and more and not willing to give to others. Thankfully, they are few and far between. Most of us, however, are hard working, caring, loving and thoughtful. We consider others before we think about our self. If you are like this second group of people, I want to talk to you right now.

Sometimes we fight battles, which God never intended for us to fight, in an attempt to control our circumstances, to get ahead or to impress someone else. In reality, God wants to use our weaknesses, not our strengths, because…His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 9). We try so hard to be “grown up” and responsible, to make our significant others proud of us, to earn that promotion or reward, or to get that second job to make ends meet.

By trying to be strong, however, we often deny attention to the person who we really are inside. We ignore our needs and opt to care for others instead. By not relying on the Lord or being led by His Spirit, we have no energy left to care for our self. We overlook our needs in order to excel according to other people’s standards. This part of our self, which we deny, has many popular names in today’s psychological world: the authentic self, the true self, the inner soul and the inner child. I like to call this part of the soul, the “Inner Child”.

David, the psalmist and king, agrees with me. He said in Psalm 131: 2 “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

If you ignore your soul, your energy level will go down incrementally, until you are running on pure adrenalin. Hope deferred does make our heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). You may even resort to pills, caffiene or energy drinks to pump up your quantum state. There is a side effect to ignoring your soul, however. I guarantee that it will use everything available to get your attention.

Our inner child speaks to us through dreams, addictions, illnesses, etc. This is a very real issue. It is very important to pay attention to this matter in order to heal from the emotional wounds we receive almost every day of our life. Most people ignore their own needs, because they do not realize that they are a person too, and that they have needs that should be met.

The two most important commandments, according to Jesus, could actually be broken into three mandates: Luke 10: 27…

1.)“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ …

2.) “And, ‘Love your neighbor …
3.) “as yourself.’”

We can minister to our self in the same way that we minister to the Lord and to everyone else in our life. When I feel my hope weakening, I ask my true inner self - my soul: my mind, will and emotions – “What do you need?” or “What can I do for you today?”

This accomplishes two things. First, I feel like somebody actually cares about me, so that I am no longer stuck inside my body with no hope of getting my needs met. Then, once I meet the my needs, I have more emotional and physical energy to minister to the Lord and to my neighbor. It is absolutely ridiculous to wait around for other people to meet your needs. This is a very unrealistic expectation, and almost impossible for anyone to live up to.

Jesus recognized the need to have personal, quiet time. He often drew aside from the crowd to recuperate. After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit actually sent Him into the wilderness to spend time alone in order to get Him ready for three years of intense ministry. Jesus also spent time in the mountains and on the seas throughout these years, resting in order to meet the needs awaiting Him later that day or the next.

We feed our spirit with Biblical nourishment. We feed our body at least three times a day. Now it’s time to start feeding our soul. I’m not refering to the flesh here, or to the carnal nature of man. I am referring to our human faculties of thought, action, and emotion. Without it, we weaken or possibly even shut off a very vital part of our existence, which God created for us to use.

Go fishing, read a book, draw a picture, take a nap, watch a Christian movie, sew a dress, take or teach a class, write a book, make a new friend, enjoy nature, etc. Do something at some time during every day, which makes you feel alive - not only in your body and spirit, but also in your soul.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to follow Your example to draw aside for times of refreshment for my soul. Help me to obey Your Spirit and to allow myself times of nourishment in my soul, as well as in my body and spirit. Use me as a blessing and bring people into my life to bless me as well.

Thought for the Day:
When I admire the wonders of nature, the melody of music, the intricacies of art or the giggle of a child, my soul glows with worship for our Creator.