Life's Toughest Moments

We were formerly dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), but now as authentic Believers in Jesus, we are dead to sin, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Romans 6:11; Colossians 3:3).

The Holy Spirit continually fills us with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We view the visible issues of life as transient and passing, because we know that only the spiritual aspects of life are everlasting.

Paul experienced tremendous hardships (2 Corinthians 11:16-33); yet, reminded us that with an eternal perspective on life, we know that our eternal weight of glory far outweighs the momentary, comparatively light affliction we experience in this world (2 Corinthians 4:17).

When life reaches its toughest moments, we totally trust in and hide our self in God. His presence within us keeps us separate from our experiences as they are happening.

We view life from God's perspective and we no longer hold on to fears and wounds of the past. He heals us from them and Satan's lies one at a time, as we submit them to Him

( www.theophostic.com ).

We live in this world as manifestations of God through Christ. We have the same abilities and expression of the Spirit that Christ did, because He lives within us (1 John 4:17).

We obey God’s Spirit with an awareness, which exceeds human understanding. We cannot prove this relationship intellectually or physically, but the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

As we allow God’s light within us to shine brightly, many in the world will see Him through us and want to give their life to Christ as well (Matthew 5:16).

Prayer:

Father God, we want people to see the fruit on our branch, and realize it is actually the produce of the Vine, which is the only real source of our productive life (John 15:5). As authentic, Born Again Believers, our life on earth has Jesus’ supernatural capabilities, and He uses our body, soul and spirit for His glory.

Not only does Your Spirit lead us (Romans 8:14), but He also fills us to overflowing (Acts 4:31). We are privileged as Your children, with Christ living in us by Your Spirit (Romans 8:11). The more we decrease, the more You will increase within us (John 3:30).

Thought for the Day:

We are alive in Christ, created to do every good work through Christ in us for the glory of God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom in the earth. - Ephesians 2:10

Health and Well Being - Part 2

God fashioned humans as a triune being: body, soul and spirit. He created our body from the dust of the ground, breathed into our spirit His breath of life and formed us into a living soul (Genesis 2:7). When our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - is neglected, it attempts to draw our attention to our legitimate needs, which require fulfillment.

If we neglect our needs, our Inner Child, which the Psalmist alluded to (Psalm 131:2), will make sure our body and spirit are also effected by this mental and emotional deprivation (Psalm 107:5-6). Mind-related illnesses cause our muscular, nervous, respiratory and vascular systems to break down. They are called psychosomatic illnesses. These have no physical cause or explanation.

Our dreams and negative emotions are two more avenues, which the soul uses to attempt to bring our needs to our conscious awareness. Our overall health depends on us heeding these messages. At times, as the psalmist realized, our soul is like a child and must be weaned (Psalm 131:2). If the Inner Child controls our thoughts, words and deeds, we never grow up.

Alternately, many of us work all day long to provide for the needs of other people and neglect our own needs. God created us to care for our own needs as well (Mark 12:31). This is not selfish unless our whole focus is on our self, or if we care for our self to the detriment of others. God's Spirit will lead us into a healthy balance of nurturing our self and others.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that we can give our soul a wholesome treat every day! Walking in nature, a healthy snack, chatting with close friends, hobbies, reading Your Word, writing a letter or email, relaxing in the sun and nurturing a garden are just a few healthy choices. Help us to discover what makes our thoughts and emotions happy. We want to make Godly choices, which meet our needs and to help us to nurture others as well.

Thought for the Day:

If we neglect our soul, we are only 2/3 of a person! If we do not nurture our soul, one whole third of our self is crippled.

The Call to Salvation

Due to the first Adam’s sin, we are all born with a spirit dead in this sin (Ephesians 2:5). Our spirit must be Born Again for us to be a fulfilled human being with a living body, soul and spirit. 

Until we experience conviction for our sin, we live in self-righteousness. In our self-righteousness, we will never recognize our need for a Savior. We try to live a good life, earning our own salvation (Acts 4:11-12; Ephesians 2:8-9).

This prevents us from realizing our need for the indwelling Spirit of God. Though we live a moral life, we still need Jesus as our Savior. Unless our spirit is Born Again, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:7). 

When this conviction finally comes to our conscious awareness, then we do not need to listen to friends and family who try to talk us out of it. Salvation requires more than a formal, mental relationship with Jesus. 

We cannot connect with Him personally if we rely only on church services. We need a heart-changing revelation of who He is and what He means to us. 

Once this occurs, Jesus takes all of our sins, all of our fears, all of our needs and earthly cares and turns them into blessings.

God calls us to know Him intimately on a daily basis. He heals the deepest recesses of our soul and gives us His new life, one day, one moment at a time (Psalm 23:3). 

When we see Jesus, we see Calvary. We recognize the world for what it is, a cursed place. We no longer belong to this world, but are accepted into God’s beloved family (Ephesians 1:6).

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for revealing to us that salvation has nothing to do with our human effort or human love at all. When we base our salvation more on feelings than Biblical truth, the devil takes advantage of us and draws us away from You. 

Teach us to provide discipleship classes and to intercede for all new Believers. The intercession of Your Holy Spirit for the Saints in this present evil world can only be made through authentic Believers filled with Your Spirit (Romans 8:27). Remind us to pray diligently for them.

Thought for the Day:

As authentic Believers, we cannot help but to speak about the things that we hear and see Jesus do in our own life.