Not of This World

 

Our God is so awesome, mighty in power, gentle in mercy, constant in grace, consuming in His love for us and faithful beyond measure. We can trust in Him with our whole heart and depend on His intimate involvement in our life.

God never, ever leaves or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). His three personalities are all-encompassing (Isaiah 7:14; John 10:29; Matthew 12:32). God is our Creator and Heavenly Daddy; Jesus is the Trinity in the flesh who died on the cross to exhibit the Father's love; the Spirit promotes Jesus and His words (John 3::8, 14:6, 26; Luke 24:49; Acts 16:7).

Through believing on Jesus we are constructed into the temple of the entire Godhead of the Trinity (Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:13). The Trinity is our Father, our Brother and our continual comfort and guide (Mark 1:10-11).

The Trinity's presence in our life nourishes us to grow in godliness, to consecrate our life to Him and to do the work He created us to do (Ephesians 2:10). The Trinity draws us into unity with the Godhead (John 6:44, 10:30, 14:10-13).

We are raised from sin's degradation to walk in a new life in order to share in the glory of the Trinity through a consecrated and holy life (John 17:22; Romans 8:11). We let His light in us shine, so that people look at us and are drawn to believe in and trust in the Trinity for their salvation as well.

Vacation homes, worldly hobbies, time shares, multiple cruises in a year, smart phones for every family member, TVs in every room, expensive clothing stores, excessive clothing accessories and jewels, a car for every driver in the family, etc. keep us in bondage to this world and limit our participation in activities that promote the Kingdom of God.

We are not of this world, we do not rely on our human nature or characteristics, and we do not develop plans and goals for this life. We only live here to build up the Kingdom of God while it is still day, because the night is coming when no one may get saved (John 9:4).

Prayer:

Father God, break our heart with what breaks Yours, give us a Kingdom mind and focus in this life and make the fact that we are not of this world a reality in our life (Romans 12:2; John 17:16). Help us to stop focusing on building our nest in this world and to change our attention to furthering Your Kingdom.

Remind us that Christ is our whole life and that we no longer live, but Christ lives in and through us (Colossians 3:3-4; Galatians 2:20). Draw us into a more intimate relationship with You, so that we are not sidetracked by the lies and schemes of the devil to get our focus on this world rather than on Your Kingdom.

Thought for the Day:

We develop a Kingdom mindset and allow God's Spirit to draw our attention to the presence of God within us, which is our only true source of comfort and joy, rather than on the riches and trappings of this world.

Sweeter than the Day Before

When we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we stop living for our self and instead live to serve Him in unity and holiness. He gives us a new life, which is so much better than our loneliness and deprivation.

God's Word urges us to live a holy life worthy of His call on our life (Ephesians 4:1). Jesus sets us free from our former bondage to sin (Romans 6:22) and exhorts us to follow Him and to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).

We are a new creation and we forsake the meager existence we formerly experienced on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:17). He renews our mind and gives us the mind of Christ, which no longer depends on human reasoning (Romans 12:2).

God fills us with His presence and Spirit and draws us ever closer to His will and ways. He challenges us to give Him our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is holy and pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1).

Daily, we depend on God as we face the obstacles and discouragements of life. We love Him more today than we did the day before. We dedicate to Him our whole heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

His Spirit leads and guides us in His will, fills us with His fruit and gives us wisdom to face the questions and perplexities of our day (Galatians 5:22-23).

We take advantage of divine opportunities to share the love of Christ with everyone we meet. We never meet a stranger, but a potential friend and a possible fellow Believer.

We do not shy away from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others as God gives us opportunities; and they see the joy of the Lord in our life.

Prayer:

Father God, I trust in You, so never let me be put to shame by my relationship with You. Bow down Your ear to hear me, and deliver me in Your righteousness. From eternal damnation You save me.  You are my rock, my fortress and my refuge in which I dwell continually.

Deliver me from the ruthless, wicked, unrighteous people all around me. You are my hope, my trust and my confidence. You are my benefactor since I was 18 and You even knew me when You formed me in my mother's womb. I love and worship You today and always (Psalm 71).

Thought for the Day:

Walking in the center of God's will for us is the happiest place on earth; His love cascades over us like a waterfall and His grace, mercy and peace are available in every experience we encounter.

Union with Christ - Out of This World

 

As long as we dwell in the realm of the flesh, we will continue to experience defeat at the hands of tribulation. However, we do not belong in Satan’s grip.

If we are living in Satan’s pit, it is because we allow Satan's thoughts to infiltrate our mind. We give in to his defeatist thinking, and we buy into his lies and follow his direction, forsaking God’s truth in the process.

However, authentic Christians are not of this world. We dwell with Christ in the Kingdom of God and we are no longer limited by the parameters of this earthly realm (Galatians 2:20; John 18:36).

Our citizenship is in Heaven and Jesus is our Savior and our King (Philippians 3:20). The Lord Himself called us to live in His eternal glory now as well as in eternity. The possibilities are out of this world.

Jesus is our strength and He confirms us and establishes our place in His Kingdom (1 Peter 5:10). Our life on earth is simply a momentary breath on a cold day (James 4:14).

In the realm of the Spirit, our body experiences occasional negative circumstances, but these trials do not influence our spirit or our soul – our mind, choices and emotions.

God delivers us through any trial, and we have joy in it as we accept that He is using it to do its perfect work within us and through us (James 1:4).

Prayer:

Father God, we see You working out all things, even the negative things in our life, for our good (Romans 8:28). We look to You to supply all of our needs and we keep our focus off our self and on You through every moment of our day. You are our exclusive supply, our inspiration and our guide.

We give You all of the praise and honor and glory for Your provision, love and care for us each day of our life. We look forward to Christ's return to the earth and the culmination of all things. Thank You for allowing us the privilege of living as the bride of Christ and for the opportunity of spending eternity in Your service as well.

Thought for the Day:

When we step out of this world - out of the temporal realm of the flesh - and enter into the eternal realm of the Spirit right here on this earth, we finally find eternal rest for our soul and provision for our every need through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Psalm 116:7