Total Surrender to God's Spirit

The Bible declares that if anyone claims to be a Christian, yet lives a worldly life, they are liars (Romans 8:9; 1 John 2:4). Even demons believe and tremble at the name of Christ (James 2:19).

We might believe in God. We might be convicted of our sin. We might like going to church and listening to religious music. However, we are not Born Again.

If we are Born Again, we live by the Spirit of God in everything we think, say and do (Romans 8:9).  There is continual intimacy with the living Lord and growth in our character and actions, which are led by His Spirit.

Our humanity is already dead with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). God is love and if He abides in us completely, we have no need to strive to show His love to others (1 John 4:8). His love fills us and overflows into the lives of everyone we meet.

Christ in us expresses the fruit of the Spirit in and through us. We are a vessel containing the living Lord of the universe with all the dynamic power of the triune God resident within us (Ephesians 3:20).

Our Heavenly Father is always faithful to lead us in His perfect will. However, we must be willing to spend all day praying without ceasing, worshiping at His feet, communing with Him in prayer, and waiting patiently for His direction as we carry on in our daily commitments.

Prayer:

Father God, the only person that may call him/her self a Believer is one with a vital and vibrant intimate union with You. If we live according to our own plans for the day, and attempt to work You into them, we gravely miss many opportunities to allow You to work Your plans through us.

Remind us to converse with You moment by moment throughout the day as You orchestrate the adventures in our life to fulfill Your purpose in and through us. We hunger and thirst for a deeper relationship with You, so that we may walk in the fullness of Your Spirit and to enable You to accomplish Your will on the earth through us.

Thought for the Day:

Total submission to the control of Christ in our daily life is the next step after our salvation; so let's completely surrender to the work of God's Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 15:22-28

Abiding in Christ

 

Most people just want to live a quiet, normal life. The real question is...what is normal? Jesus promised that in this world we are going to have tribulation, so we can count on experiencing trials. The only way to deal with them is to change our attitude about them. Each interruption to our normal schedule is actually an adventure in Christ and a potential miracle.

Happiness is not the absence of problems. Happiness is knowing God and walking in His precepts. We do not have to rely on another person to help us to make decisions, to feel happy or fulfilled or to be complete. We are already complete through Christ in us (Colossians 2:10). We can minister to our own needs as long as we do not get self-centered with it.

Abiding in Christ means to dwell in Him, to stay connected and to continue to walk by His Spirit’s direction each moment of our day. As we do, we are amazed at His character that is birthed within us, and His perspective on life, which becomes our own. We do not simply obey the dead letter of the law, but we have our Living Lord abiding within us.

At times, we slip back into the flesh. We may be tired, hurt, perplexed, anxious, overworked, unappreciated, neglected or emotionally wounded. We forget all about the Spirit and allowing Him to live and move in and through us. We strike out in the flesh to make the negative experiences go away. However, living in the flesh is unproductive and grieves God’s Spirit.

We need to ask anyone we hurt while we reacted in the flesh to forgive us. The flip side is important too, that we forgive those who hurt us. We do not erase the person’s behavior with forgiveness, but we free our self from the bondage that unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment cause in our own soul. Our healing is facilitated by forgiveness and frees us from past negative experiences.

Prayer:
Father God, You are the one constant in our life (Hebrews 13:8), and You never abandon or disown us (Hebrews 13:5). Your Spirit will give us wisdom in decisions, comfort in grief and direction to keep us in the center of Your daily will for us. You give us Your peace in the middle of horrendous physical and emotional tribulation. As we keep our mind on You, You abide in us and we abide in You (Isaiah 26:3). You heal our heart and give us Your lasting peace and joy.

Thought for the Day:

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, abides in us. - Romans 8:11

The Ebbs of Life

When we mature in Christ, Satan has little victory in tempting us to sin; therefore, He tries oppressing us with a religious demon or he sets us free to work in our human effort until we spiritually, emotionally and physically burnt out. He knows we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death, by the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). So, He impedes our walk with God by keeping us too busy to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). Submit to God, resist Satan and He will flee (James 4:7).

Our service for God becomes a major detriment to our obedience to God in the ebbs of life. There is no need to over-schedule our day or to pursue anything, which God does not ordain for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). Let God plan your day, so you can walk in His Spirit, doing only those things, which He preordained for you to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). We can live in God’s rest and enjoy the blessings of His wonderful love every moment of every day (Hebrews 4:10).

Spend time with God, not only on your knees, but in personal communication with Him as you traverse His schedule for your day and night. God desires this intimate relationship with you now and always. He wants to live as your very best friend (Proverbs 18:24), your mate (Isaiah 54:5) and your Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9). Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25) has nothing to do with human effort and activities, but only on the leading of God’s Spirit.

Some people envy Adam and Eve for visiting with God in person in the garden. I look forward to living with Him in eternity, but I cannot imagine feeling any closer to Him than I do right now. God lives IN us. He is currently closer to every authentic Born Again Believer than we are to our own self. We have this intimate relationship with the Living Lord of all, and we often fail to take advantage of that. Seek the Lord right now, enter His presence and never leave.

Prayer:
Father God, allow me to walk according to Your Spirit today as You direct me, rather than to sit passively and impassively or to burn out by my own hectic schedule. Show me Your path and teach me Your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6). Once we live in Christ Jesus, by surrendering to the cross, we realize we can no longer earn our way to heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). You have a holy standard for our life and none of us reach it without the perfect, sinless person of Jesus Christ living in and through us each moment of the day.

Thought for the Day:
Too many people today are trying to get into heaven by their own merits and religious works, and it just cannot be done.

- Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23

Walking in Union with Christ

 

God’s Will controls the universe, holding all things together in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). Once our will aligns in harmony with God’s will, we have total fellowship with our Father. If we treat our salvation carelessly, we live in fear of God and man. However, once we finally realize the immense freedom of the children of God, we walk in His presence with peace and joy. As we walk in His truth, His word and His commandments, we walk in His love as well (John 14:15-30).

Jesus lived His life in obedience to our Father. He never did anything that He did not first see our Father do (John 5:19). Satan tempts us to walk in disobedience, but God always gives us a way to escape that temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus lived His life to please our Father; and through Him, we follow in His footsteps (John 5:17-23). The life of the Vine flowing into the branch insures that we have the ability to obey God’s will. We take up our cross and allow Him to live through us (John 15:5; Luke 9:23).

Once we fall in love with the Lord of all, we want nothing more than to follow in His step, walk in His will and do the works, which He prepared for us before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10). He fills us with the knowledge of His will and gives us wisdom and spiritual understanding (Acts 17:11). Our union with Christ starts with our entire consecration to His will (Romans 12:1-2). Eventually, we will stand perfected and complete in Him, as we follow His Spirit’s guidance in all things (Colossians 4:12).

The Holy Spirit continually renews us until our life is absorbed by the mind of Christ. All of our desires and aspirations center on the Kingdom of God. We walk in His will in our daily life and His precepts richly dwell in us. We hide them in our heart and delight in the wealth of their fullness (Psalm 1:2). Their living power infuses our body, soul and spirit as we live for God alone (Hebrews 4:12). We learn to walk in perfect harmony with our King of kings. Enjoying the riches of the earth, yet, no longer walking in sin.

Every time a negative thought or emotion raises its ugly head, we realize that this is an area that we have not yet surrendered to our living Lord. It is an idol that our soul clings to, and will only reluctantly relinquish. Disobedience, even in the mundane issues of life, leads to a hardened heart and a dull conscience. Even if God’s will for the moment is tedious or aggravating to our flesh, we can rest assured that it is for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). As we totally surrender all things to God, our union with Christ deepens and our love for Him increases.

Prayer:

Father God, Your grace is a cleansing fire, which consumes the remnants of our flesh, until we walk in Your fullness and joy (John 15:2). Your nature is more a part of us than our own. When people see us, they see You, because You fill us through all of our being with all of Your fullness (Ephesians 3:19). Your joy is our strength and Your Word is life to our bones (Proverbs 3:8, 4:22). Take complete control of our spirit, body and soul – our mind, will and emotions – and use us for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

Dwelling in the fullness of Christ and walking in His will brings complete freedom and fulfillment.

Fruitful Lives

 

Every time we step out of God’s will for our life, we open our self up to experience unnecessary trials (John 15:6).  Only as we remain connected to the divinity of Christ in us and draw our spiritual, physical, emotional, mental and financial sustenance from Him, do we experience true eternal life and peace (Romans 8:6). As we abide in Him, the divine nature of Christ in us will deal with any trouble that comes into our life. We cast our self on Christ, as helpless trustees of His Kingdom, ready to depend on Him in all things.

Any anxiety, stress, fear or concern in our heart signals an idol in our life, which we did not yet fully surrender to God. We surrender it and then place our self trustingly into God’s capable hands for safekeeping and to use as He wills. We no longer take charge over our life, because God directs our steps (Psalm 37:23). We watch the hands of God mold us from a lump of clay, into a vessel of honor for His use. We start each new day fully surrendering to His ministrations of our every need.

Christ who is our life dwells within our spirit (Colossians 3:4). We do not isolate our self from life in order to abide fully in Christ. We follow the guidance of His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. We live fruitful lives, which God uses to feed those who hunger after Him (John 15:5). We can still function in the vocation in which He calls us to serve. We simply do all things for His glory, no matter what our profession happens to be. We live through our spirit, as we work in our body and love Him with every fiber of our soul.

We abide in Christ and He abides in us (1 John 2:28, 3:24; Ephesians 2:10). We are completely surrounded by Christ, because we live in Him and He lives within us. Faith in God’s faithfulness frees our soul from the trials and worries of life. The abiding Christ in us liberates us from the endless draw from sin and the world. God keeps us in and through all evil (Matthew 6:13). Submission to God guarantees that if we resist the devil, he must flee from us (James 4:7-8).

Therefore, attaining perfection through Christ in us is definitely within our reach. In faith, we cease from our efforts to achieve, and instead we obey God’s Spirit each moment of the day. Sin is not inevitable. Christ in us can live a sinless life in, through and instead of us, because He keeps us from evil and protects our soul from slipping into sin (Psalm 121:7). We consciously die to our humanity each morning and abide in Christ throughout the day. If our flesh happens to lift its dead head, Christ will gain victory over it.

We rise to the level of Christ-centeredness, which God provided for us to enjoy. We live in joyful consecration to our living Lord. By faith, we obey God’s direction for each moment of our day. The bond of our branch to His Vine is secure (John 15:5). God establishes the heart of the humble and the blameless forever (Psalm 112:8). He constantly restore us and strengthen us to enjoy a solid and faithful walk in Him each day of our life (1 Peter 5:10).

Prayer:

Father God, the heroes in the Hebrews Hall of Faith all achieved this status because they obeyed You in the specific area in which You called them. There was no mustering up of volumes of faith, just obedience to Your call in their life. Your plan is for all of us to live in this same simple faith in Your faithfulness that strengthens our obedience. You establish us all as living stones, a holy priesthood, a royal nation and your chosen people (1 Peter 2:5,9).

Thought for the Day:

Commit each of your trials to our Father’s care and obey with faith in Him through each moment of it.

Trusting in God's Faithfulness

The flesh, the world and the devil are not our enemy. A lack of trust is our foremost enemy. Trust allows us to believe in what we cannot see, hear, smell, feel, taste or touch. Trust transcends the bonds of our physical senses and moves into the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12). Even our most horrendous burden is relieved in the face of trust. God’s plans and purpose are perfect regardless of the outcome, because He always works all things in life, even the bad things, out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). His abundant supply provides for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

Every battle in life contains a spiritual context. We can overcome anything because Christ lives in us, through us and instead of us. He uses our body, soul and spirit for His glory. Too many Born Again Believers live in defeat, because they do not realize that Victory dwells within us as the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus already won the war 2000 years ago on Calvary’s cross. Every foe is vanquished, every battle is already won and every mystery is solved by the wisdom of God’s Spirit within us. Our carnal flesh pits itself against the Spirit until the day that we completely surrender to God’s will (Galatians 5:17). 

We can choose to live as 100-fold Christians (Matthew 13:8). Decide this day to serve our living Lord and worthy King with your whole heart and soul. Anything less than 100% dedication to God provides us with less than 100% of His blessings. That is no way to live our life...it is only second best. Once we recognize that we are seated with God in spiritual places, the aspects of life on this earth have no relevance to us anymore, except as the Spirit leads us (Ephesians 2:6). We carpool the children, repair cars, work in the financial sector or medical field or retail, or Pastor God’s people for the glory of God.

When we recognize that God is our truly loving parent, we have joy even in the face of some area of lack, which we think we need (Habakkuk 3:17-18). When the circumstances of life weigh us down, we simply put the matter in the heart of God. Then He gives us His joy with each new morning (Psalm 30:5). We can enter into the joy of the Lord regardless of the time, place or trials that come against us (Matthew 25:21). He sheds His joy on the upright in heart as we celebrate who He is and extol His holy name each moment of the day (Psalm 97:11-12).

Prayer:

Father God, we often live a life of dualism, torn between the insecurities of our flesh and the promises of Your Word. We fail You on so many levels, because we tend to listen to Satan’s lies rather than to believe Your Word of Truth. You want us to dedicate our entire spirit, soul and body to Your service. It is only as we walk in Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day that we live the abundant and productive life that You intend for us to enjoy. Help us to mature in the faith of Jesus within us and to recognize our true identity in Christ. When we gather in Your house for corporate prayer, fill us with Your joy that transcends human reasoning (Isaiah 56:7).

Thought for the Day:

With faith in the unseen, we can accomplish the impossible. - Philippians 4:13




Thank you, Matt Milligan, for the use of your photo.
http://www.mattmilliganphotography.com/