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.

Family and Friends

Read: Ephesians 3: 4-6

“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” – Romans 8:17

Although in another portion of scripture, Paul calls himself a bondservant to Jesus Christ and a slave to righteousness, he also reveals this significant truth, which identifies us as children, heirs and friends with our Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:13). As Born Again Christians, we are not only regenerated disciples of Christ. We are not merely His servants. We are someone whom He considers as His friends and family. We are adopted into God’s family and co-equal heirs with Jesus to inherit everything that our Heavenly Father owns.

This thought warms my soul and fills me with joy, peace and abundant love for both my Heavenly Father and my brother, Jesus. Jesus who is both the Lion of Judah and the sacrificial lamb, the sin of the world and the righteous judge, the consuming fire and the light of the world, the root of Jesse and the King of the Jews, is ultimately, Emanuel, God with us. He dwells in our spirit and changes us from the inside out.

We do not have to earn His love or acceptance by good deeds or righteous acts. We simply need to surrender our will to His and walk in obedience to His calling for our life. He gives us His Holy Spirit as our comforter and guide (John 15:26) and He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). As His friends, we do what He leads us to do.

He no longer calls us servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, He has calls us His friends, because everything that Jesus learned from our Father He has made known to us. We did not choose Him, but He chose us and appointed us to go forth in the world and bear fruit for His Kingdom (John 15: 13-16a).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you are my very best friend and I thank You for Your finished work on Calvary’s Cross that allows me to walk in Your love and acceptance as Your sister and friend. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who dwells within me, and that the fullness of the godhead is in me as well (Colossians 1:19; 2:9).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is our loving Friend and Brother who is always here for you.