True Christian Life

 

A life lived in total surrender to the will of God brings healing in body, soul and spirit. God's Spirit renews our mind and transforms our spirit into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Satan will attempt to keep us under His bondage to sin, and to prevent us from functioning with effectiveness in the Kingdom of God. He will lure us with a promise of worldly gain.

However, as we seek more intimacy with God, who abides within us, our desire for more of this world fades. We find our true identity, restful peace and complete joy in the presence of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20).

Christ abides in our heart by faith and we are rooted and grounded in God's love (Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 2:7). Our goal is to reach perfection through the knowledge of God's Son and by growing into the fullest measure of the richness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

We live in contentment, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). We have boldness and access to the very presence of God, because of Christ's completed work on Calvary's cross (Ephesians 3:12).

Christ's faith within us helps to quench the fiery darts of Satan's lies and temptations (Ephesians 6:16; 1 Corinthians 10:13). By God's Spirit we work in faith, labor in love and have patience through our hope in the Lord in the sight of God, our Father (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for counting us worthy of our calling, for helping us to fulfill Your will through Your goodness, for the work of Christ's faith and power within us, and for delivering us from unreasonable and wicked people in our life (2 Thessalonians 1:11, 3:2)

Thank You for freeing us from believing fables and trusting in endless genealogies, which only stir up more questions rather than edify You or build our faith (1 Timothy 1:4). We enjoy Your abundant grace through the faith and love, which we find in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:14). You are all we need.

Thought for the Day:

As Christians, we let our thoughts, words and deed reflect the glory of Christ within us, so that we do not shame our Father God in any way. - Philippians 1:27

God Receives the Glory

 

As Believers, we never make our plans and ask God to bless them. God receives no pleasure from our religious activities, which He did not inspire.

Using our gifts and talents for our own advantage is hollow and vain. We may receive personal acclaim for our skill and accomplishments, but the effects of these commendation will not last for eternity.

God calls us to walk in His Spirit every single moment of every day (Galatians 5:15-25). He only blesses our efforts birthed in His will.

As we listen to His Spirit, God directs our every task, every decision, every opinion and every thought. This way, we have much less stress and many more blessings in our life.

Think about it. Christ dwells within us and He has to be a part of everything, which we think, say and do. We grieve God's Spirit more often than not by our behavior and choices (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:30).

Our body is the temple of God's Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:6). He embodies our life and lives His life through us, touching lives in more ways than we could ever imagine.

We simply ask, and receive His guidance, wisdom and strength to accomplish with our life everything, which He pre-ordained for us to do (Matthew 7:7; Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, we want You to receive the glory for all of our words and actions. As we abide in Your presence, our countenance will glow with Your radiance of the Lord shining through us. We want to walk in Your His presence every moment of every day (Exodus 34:29).

Your Spirit is transforming us into the likeness of Christ in stages of maturity and perfection (Exodus 34:33; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We look forward to seeing Christ work in and through us throughout the day.

Thought for the Day:

We discover the true potential for all of our talents and human abilities only as we surrender them to God's will. - Romans 12:1-2

Higher Purpose

Paul and Barnabas embarked on an extensive journey and planted churches all along the way. The fledgling Believers they left behind suffered for their faith in Jesus. So, the apostles made a return visit on their way home to encourage the Christians in all the churches they started. They strengthened these fledgling Saints and encouraged them to persevere through tribulation, because their ultimate destination was the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:21-22). Paul also reminded them that we are never alone in our persecution. We have one another, as well as our Savior that lives within us (Galatians 2:20).

We often reap tribulation from some ill-conceived scheme of our own, or from a decision or action perpetrated by some self-centered person in our life. At other times, we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we fall victim to some evil deed. However, God uses every tribulation to build up our faith and to allow the fruit of His Holy Spirit to replace the carnality in our life (Galatians 5:22-23). We learn to rejoice in suffering and to persevere through it (Romans 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). It is miraculous what praising will accomplish in us and for us.

Paul also went on a second missionary journey, this time with Silas to assist him. In one town, they were accused of causing riots and sentenced to time in jail (Acts 16:20). Knowing the secret of the power of praise, the men prayed and sang hymns even while they were chained behind bars (Acts 16:25). God blessed their faith and miraculously delivered them from their bondage. This phenomenon caused their guard and his household to accept the saving knowledge of Christ into their lives (Acts 16:30-38).

When we view our tribulation with the eyes of the Holy Spirit, we learn the secret of contentment regardless of where we are, what we have or what is happening to us (Philippians 4:12). There is always something to thank God for. We may have received a faux fur coat rather than a genuine mink; however, we are still warm. We may have a small income rather than great wealth, but we still have everything we really need. We may have physical ailments, but we are still alive. There is always something for which we can praise the Lord. Adversity and advantage are actually two sides of the same coin (James 1:2-8).

When we allow our self to focus on what we do not have, or on our problems and negative circumstances, we lose faith. We doubt God’s love for us, and His power to provide. Our greatest gift in life, as well as in death, is eternal life. No one can kill a Christian. They can only change our address! Paul reminds us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). The Lord rejoices in the death of His Saints, because we are no longer separated from Him by time and space, and we will live in His presence for eternity (Psalm 115:16).

The purpose of tribulation is to conform us to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29). A secondary purpose is that we are forced to totally trust in God for deliverance, when we encounter trouble that we cannot navigate on our own. As we see God’s mighty hand move in our behalf during these times of trial, our faith grows and we learn wisdom and patience (James 1:4-8). Eventually, we learn to be joyful at all times, even in tribulation. This is because of the Godly character built into our life, as well as because of the hand of God that is always strong in our behalf (James 1:2-4).

Prayer:

Lord God, we find total peace and joy only when we give thanks to You in all of our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Our fulfillment depends more on our relationship with You than it does on our state of affairs. We may not have what we want; but if we did not have what we need, then You would certainly provide it (Philippians 4:18-20). Remind us to wait on You and to be of good courage, knowing full well that You will strengthen our heart and supply our needs in Your perfect timing and way (Psalm 27:14).

Thought for the Day:

No one who places their hope in the Lord will ever be put to shame. - Psalm 25:3