Worldly Gain or Eternal Power

Money, fame, relationships, employment, ambition, pride, rebellion, reputation, worldly goods, houses, etc. are all parts of our carnality, which Believers continue to cling to in this world. 

God calls us to give up worldly gain for His eternal power. There really is no contest between the two! God also gives us the power to relinquish our will to His.

Where He sends us we will go, even if we do not want to go there; and we will not go where He does not send us, no matter how much we want to go. Jesus died for us, so that we can die in Him. 

Our new life belongs to Him, not to us. We wait before the Lord each new day to hear His will for each moment. We surrender each facet of our self to Him and He purges us and breaks sin's hold on us (Isaiah 6:5-7).

At salvation, God raises us up to sit in Heavenly places with Him. We are no longer concerned with earthly issues, but we seek first God's Kingdom (Ephesians 2:1-6).  

Our salvation is provided in justification and our self-life is crucified during sanctification. God fills us with His Spirit's joy and power, which is our strength to accomplish His works with our life (Ephesians 2:10).

As we give God's Spirit full reign in our spirit, soul and body, He takes up residence as His Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). Without reservation, we surrender to God’s Spirit, and offer our soul’s submission without any reservation (Romans 12:1). 

He renews our mind with the mind of Christ, and our character is replaced with God’s nature, which is the fruit of His Spirit and the divine life of Christ in us (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer:

Father God, when You call us to Yourself, we lay our sinful nature and our natural talents at the Cross. Although it is hard to relinquish our life to You, we know You simply require a willing attitude. 

Christ slowly becomes our whole life (Colossians 3:2-4). We live, move and have our being only in Him (Acts 17:28). Your Spirit in us enables us to enter into Your Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19).

Thought for the Day:

We work out our own salvation, but it is God who gives us both the desire and the power to do this. - Philippians 2:12-13

Our Help in Trouble

There are times in life when we feel devastated, overwhelmed and hopeless. Total surrender to God is the key to making sense of our circumstances. Surrendering our family and future to God, walking away from our worries and leaving them in His hands is the only action that will keep us sane. God will give us grace for today, but tomorrow's grace will not come until tomorrow.

As long as we are still alive, we have hope (Ecclesiastes 9:4). The Lord saves the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He binds our wounds and carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4, Psalm 147:3). Our hope comes from God alone and He gives us rest for our soul (Psalm 43:5; 62:5). As we put our hope in Him, the Lord rescues us from our trials (Psalm 39:7; 2 Peter 2:9). If we keep our faith and hope in God, anything is possible (Mark 9:23).

When trouble surrounds us and life is hard, we know that there is always a way out, because God loved us enough to lay His life down for us (2 Corinthians 4:8). God has good plans for His righteous ones and there is always hope in our future (Jeremiah 29:11). There is no need to fear anything, which life throws at us or that people threaten us with. We relinquish them all to the Lord for Him to deal with.

If we call out to the Lord, and pray to Him for help, He never fails to hear us. Our cries always reach His ears (Psalm 18:8). Our Lord and Redeemer strengthens us and holds us up with His victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, 13-14). Full surrender to God’s will in every circumstance is the only way to stay sane. If we continue to strive in our own way, we will continue to feel frustrated and hopeless.

We trust in God, not in our family or friends, job or bank account, talents or human reasoning, church or neighbors. If we do, we put too much pressure on others when we expect them to support us more than they already are. They will feel undue stress and push back or ignore us. We have to get our eyes off our self and onto God. Then He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but God shows us a way out of them (2 Corinthians 4:8). He leads us one step at a time (Matthew 6:31-34). Do not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-30). Face today braced by God’s Spirit and praising God for who He is. Follow the leading of God’s Spirit throughout each day, even if you do not want to obey. Then, God will pour showers of blessings on you all the days of your life.

Prayer:

Father God, even when we take our focus off You in the midst of our tribulation, we know without a doubt that You are always there for us, loving us unconditionally and giving us the victory through Your death and resurrection. Nothing this world has to offer compares to the hope we have, which comes only from You (Psalm 62:5; Ecclesiastes 9:4). You are always on our side, ever loving us and drawing us daily closer to Your heart (John 6:44; Psalm 136:1).

Thought for the Day:

God’s sheltering arms keep us from falling and He lifts us up when we are discouraged. - Psalm 145:14

The Truth About Christians

 

There are people who claim to be Christians, but they live for their own benefit and advancement. They have little time for God’s Kingdom, because they are too absorbed in amassing worldly benefits for their earthly life. They take pride in their good behavior, but have no problem committing sins of the flesh. Their behavior gives the church and Christianity a bad name, and they cause people in the world to criticize the church and falsely label all of us as hypocrites.

Then, there are those who come to Christ in truth, but they rely on their self-effort to work for God. Self-effort relentlessly drives them and leaves them spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally depleted. Self-effort has no place in the Kingdom of God. A true child of God eventually learns that we have no confidence in our flesh. We trust only in Christ within us for our righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 8:14). He is all we need.

We are saved from hell to enter heaven by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). We are no longer our own; we are purchased by God for His own purposes (Ephesians 2:10). We struggle with our flesh (Romans 7-8), but we all come to realize that God calls us to take up our cross daily and to follow Him. We are not signing up for a life of trials, but of simply nailing our will to the cross and surrendering to the life of Christ within us (Matthew 16:24).

Our identity is no longer found in our human capabilities, but in our kinship with Jesus as our brother, and with God as our Father (1 John 3:1-3). The blood of Christ completely cleanses us from all unrighteous thoughts, words and behavior (Hebrews 8:12, 9:14). We can approach the throne of God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). We have fellowship with our Father as children of the Most High God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (1 John 1:3). He is our shepherd, and we follow Him with trust in His faithfulness (John 10:27).

God does not strip us of anything, but we simply relinquish our flesh to Him. He restores us to the spiritual position where Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Paradise. We turn away from all self-confidence, self-serving and self-adulation and follow the leading of God’s Spirit instead (John 6:63). We experience true peace and joy for the first time in our life (Romans 15:13). Each moment of every day, we purpose in our heart to live in obedience to, as well as dependence on God’s Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, our entire purpose for living is to glorify You as our Father and to function as a good and faithful servant through Christ in us. We live in the center of Your perfect will for us (Romans 12:2), functioning by the leading of Your Spirit within us. We are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in You, because Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). Totally immerse us in Your life, because it is greater than secular status, financial fortunes and material possessions. We desire nothing more than Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

The Spirit in us is a mirror, which causes those who live in sin to reject us, because they are convicted by the presence of Christ in us. – James 1:23

Abide in Christ

 

Abiding is one of the most beautiful words in the English language! It includes the concept of union, oneness, fullness, belonging, continuity, prevailing, resting and being made complete. It conjures up visions of luxuriating in a huge feather bed, floating on still waters, lying down in a field of flowers, of having no lack and feeling perfectly comfortable. Abiding in Christ actually does supply us with this combination of safety and provision.

Abiding in Christ also provides us with a restored soul as His goodness and mercy pursue us all the days of our life (Psalm 23). God gives us all of His blessings, but so often we turn from them and from Him. We choose to live life through our own effort, so that we will gain the power and praise. We refuse to submit to the Spirit’s direction because we want to live life our own way. We compromise with the flesh, the world and the devil and we ruin our testimony to the world and our union with our Heavenly Father.

I challenge you to turn from living life your way and choose God’s way instead. Hold fast to His promises, acquire His blessings and allow His Spirit to incorporate His fruit and gifts into your life. God beckons us to come to Him to find rest for our soul – our mind, will and emotions (Matthew 11:28-29). God calls us to take up His yoke, so that He may bear the weight of our load. A yoke is not torturous or restraining, but enabling; as long as we yield to His will each moment of the day.

Abiding in Christ brings us complete peace and joy, which defy description and go beyond human reasoning. The longer we walk with God, the deeper we abide in His rest. We feel complete in Him and experience intimate fellowship and enduring fulfillment. This happens gradually as we surrender more and more of our humanity and carnality to Christ’s divinity within us, as we abide under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:1).

We live in perfect rest as we relinquish our self to God and entirely surrendered our life to His management and care. Christ reigns supreme in every area of our life. We live in undivided commitment to Him with our whole spirit, soul and body. We seek to please Him and to further His kingdom with our every thought, word and action. We have no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. We simple rest in His love and abide in His presence continually.

Prayer:

Father God, simply taking up Your yoke eases our burdens and keeps us in the center of Your will. You care for us as a mother nurtures her child. You protect us as a father who rises up to defend his family. We are joint heirs with Christ and children of Your Kingdom (Romans 8:17). As we fully trust in You, You supply all of our needs and fill our soul with gladness (Philippians 4:19; Psalm 4:7). Remind us to surrender every part of our life to You. Help us to obey your directives, walk in Your Spirit and abide in You.

Thought for the Day:

In the heart of God we find safety and victory, peace and rest, acceptance and encouragement.

Why Surrender?

 

The world rejects the idea of surrendering. They equate surrender with giving up, and with loss and defeat. However, when we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ we release all the stress and striving in our life. In return, we gain the fruit of His Spirit, which defy all human logic (Galatians 5:22-23). Surrender means to trust God and to stop struggling to live on our own in this hostile environment we call “life”. Surrender results in our absolute submission to God’s leading for each moment of our day. In return, we receive His deepest presence in our life along with a multitude of blessings (Job 22:21).

The easiest way to walk in surrender is to start obeying the Spirit’s direction in small increments. For instance, we prefer our mate’s needs to our own. We put money in the offering basket that we intended to use for some luxury. We take food to a sick friend when we prefer to stay home and watch TV. We give our bicycle to a family without transportation. We relinquish our right, as Jesus did, to prove that we are innocent. We do not assume the attitude of a martyr; but we obey the Spirit’s promptings with joy, knowing that God provides us with an abundance of every good thing (Hebrews 12:2).

In our old life we surrendered to sin, but now we have a new Master and He truly sets us free (Romans 6:16-18). Dying to self is not detestable when we know it results not only in future treasures in Heaven for eternity, but also in joy and peace now. This eternal perspective allows us to pass through the less agreeable moments of surrender more easily. When God calls us to submission to His greater will, we offer our life to Him. We relinquish our personal freedom and He replaces it with spiritual freedom, which is deeper and reaps lasting blessings in our spirit, body and soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions.

We surrender our life to Christ each new day, giving to Him the issues that weigh us down, seeking His guidance for each moment and giving Him the glory for everything we accomplish (Galatians 3:1-3). The areas of our life that we refuse to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ are the venues that imprison us. They are idols that we cherish more than our relationship with our living Lord. If we walk through life in obedience to the Holy Spirit, we reap blessings that never end. A life of half-hearted commitment may lose its tranquility and happiness, but a surrendered life provides overwhelming peace and joy.

There is no lasting freedom outside of a complete surrender to Christ (Luke 14:33). We not only commit our life to Christ, but also we surrender our works, talents and accomplishments to His Lordship and direction. We view our life from His vantage point and we see the people in it as our mission field. Our family, neighbors, friends, workmates, associates, and even the check out people at the retail store or those waiting on us at the restaurant are hand-chosen by God for us to influence for His Kingdom. When we live in Christ and allow Him to live in, through and instead of us, we shed the skin of our old life and live as His new creation for the glory of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to follow You by denying our desires and dying to our selfishness. If we try to preserve our life, we will ultimately lose it; but if we surrender our life to You for Your sake, and give up our plans, goals and ambitions for You, then we will gain a more fulfilling and joy-filled life (Matthew 16:25; Philippians 3:8). We realize that gaining the world does not satisfy, because we will lose our own soul. But following You gives us unending peace and joy (Matthew 16:24-26).
 

Thought for the Day:

The moments we live in surrender to God are more richly experienced and completely fulfilling than any others.

 

Thank you, Megapixel Mike, for this serene photo.
http://www.flickr.com/mrickard5

Living in God's Peace

 

We often spend hours of our life thinking of the worse case scenarios and how we will deal with them, yet most never happen. This causes negative emotions, which will kill us. We sense a dread of immanent danger and we use negative emotions and behaviors to make us feel better. These negative emotions suppress our immune system and cause digestive disorders, muscle tension, short-term memory loss, the inability to concentrate, disabilities, anxiety disorders, premature coronary artery disease, heart attack, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, breathing issues and nervous twitching and/or suicidal thoughts.

These fatal emotions alter our relationships, work performance, lifestyle, appetite and sleep patterns. We compensate by using alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, sleeping too much and overeating to soothe the stress and to hide from or to desensitize our self from the overwhelming feelings. Satan deceives us into thinking that we can use these negative emotions to protect us from harm. We think that we can hide behind anger, or worry enough to change our circumstances or prevent some disaster, or hate enough to punish the one who hurt or offended us, or to yell loud enough to change another person’s behavior or thinking.

Reading it in black and white makes this all sound ridiculous, doesn’t it? God gave us the reaction of flight or fight to protect us from real and imminent danger; however, in our modern society, we even allow an uncooperative spouse, child or co-worker; long lines; rude customers or a crying baby to throw us into the grasp of negative emotions. We nurse these feelings and build the situation up in our mind until it consumes us. Then, Satan has us right where he wants us. We take our mind off the eternal aspects of life and the Kingdom of God and allow Satan’s sidetrack to monopolize and consume our attention.

If our negative emotions are out of control, counseling or medication can help us to deal with the intensity of them. A great way to deal with these negative emotions is to keep a journal of how we are feeling. We can write out our feelings in the form of a prayer to God like the Psalmists did. Once they are out of our mind and down on the paper, we can leave them in God’s capable hands to deal with in His way and timing. If we are tempted to think of them again, we can remind our self that this concern is in “the heart of God”, and He is able to make us abound in every area of our life (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Whenever you feel your joy and peace disturbed in any way for any reason, take it to the Lord immediately. Allow His peace to rule your heart and mind (Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7). Refrain from depending on your human reasoning, but trust in the Lord with all of your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). Then watch Him work them all out for your good (Romans 8:28). Do not allow negative emotions to rob you of your health, joy and peace in life. Nothing is too hard for God to handle (Jeremiah 32:17,27). He may not wave a magic wand and cause the situation to change overnight, but He will use the issues to perfect you and then He will change them when they have done their perfect work in you (James 1:2-4).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You dwell within us and want to live through us, but we so often push You aside and insist on facing life in our own strength and through our own human effort. This prolongs the issues in our life and thwarts the results of their outcome. Teach us to walk in the Spirit moment by moment and to relinquish everything to You. Help us to put on Your mind (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:1-11, 4:7), and to resist the urges Satan sends our way to allow negative emotions to ruin our witness for You and our reliance upon You for our health and success in this life.

Thought for the Day:

Trust God for one moment of your life today. Before you know it, you will trust Him in every moment.
 

 

You can buy a heart-shaped box and put little notes in the “heart of God” as prayers about your negative feelings.

Here are directions for making a heart-shaped notebook:

http://www.babycenter.com/210_heart-shaped-notebook_6042.bc

Or buy them already made and write your concerns on the back:

http://www.christianbook.com/heart-shaped-notepad-pen-someone-special/pd/680548 blue-white-200285

 

Doctor's Doom

Read: Romans 6:5-11               

“Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his saints.”

Psalm 116:15

When the doctor orders a follow-up test, such as a stress test, an MRI, a second mammogram, etc., our imagination starts running wild. We envision radiation burns, a bald head and weakened physical stamina. We imagine pain, loss and mortality. We come face-to-face with the fact that death is a real possibility, as our humanity hits us right between the eyes.

When I encountered a second test several years ago, God whispered the words from Psalm 116:15 to my heart. God does not look at death as loss, but of gain. This reminded me of the beggar in Luke that died and caught a ride with the angels up to Abraham’s embrace! I look forward to floating up to heaven on angels’ wings, don’t you? To be absent from this life is to be present with the Lord in eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:8). This is really good news to me.

The only way to have peace when you find yourself in a fearful situation is to realize that our life is in God’s capable hands. If we trust in Him as our Savior spiritually, we can trust in Him as our physical Savior as well. As we keep His word, we shall never really taste death (Matthew 16:28). We close our eyes in mortality and open them in immortality, inhaling the breath of God in heaven. If we remain faithful until death, God will give us the crown of life (James 1:12). 

After all, this world is not our home. As Christians, we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven (Hebrews 13:14). While living on this earth, we have opportunities for Christ to use us, but in dying we gain immortality in the presence of God (Romans 8:11). I feel like Paul did. Sometimes I want to live here on earth with my family and friends, and at other times I long to be in eternity with Christ (Philippians 1:21-24).

I love how Paul also compares life on this earth to living in a tent. He reminds us that we currently live in earthly bodies that wear out and break down and make us so weary at times. Then, he gives us a vivid picture of life in heaven with God. We will have wonderful new bodies and homes that will be ours forevermore, which are made for us by God Himself That is why I look forward so eagerly to the day when I cross the threshold into heaven. Then, my dying body will be swallowed up by eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).

We are not the Captain of our ship. We cannot decide when to live or die. We can choose, however, that whether living or dying we will follow the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that He can be with our Lord both while we live and when we die. Whether we live or die, we belong to Him (Romans 14:7-9)

Therefore, with every living breath, we can set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. In salvation, we relinquish our plans for our life and our self-reliance (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2; Romans 2:20). Then, when Christ appears, we will also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:2-4).

Prayer:

Lord, help us to lay our life down daily for Your Saints, because You promised that if we love Your family, we know that we have passed from death to life (1 john 3:14). Then, when You call us home to live with You forever, we will have the rewards of our labor (Revelation 22:12).

Thought for the Day:

Christ swallowed up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away every earthly tear from our faces. - Isaiah 25:8

Go With The Flow

Read: Psalm 119: 116-126

“You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel, and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven!” Psalm 73:24 (TLB)

Anxiety drives us to try to control our life. In seeking freedom from the intensity of our fears, we keep tabs on everyone and everything in our sphere of influence. We exhibit a bossy, controlling, sometimes bombastic attitude in our attempt to keep people from hurting us. We fear the unknown and try to manage every aspect of our life to ensure tranquility.

However, no amount of self-effort guarantees us a peaceful life. All of our expended effort eventually crumbles at our feet, leaving us disillusioned and hopeless. Only God gives us the assurance we crave. His Word promises His provision for us on a daily basis. He gives us serenity, which is the exact opposite of anxiety.

If His kingdom is our desire instead of our own success, He will not allow our hopes to be dashed against the rocks of the circumstances we encounter. God ensures our well-being as we serve Him. He prevents the arrogant and the liar from oppressing us. He deals with us according to His loving kindness. He teaches us His commandments and writes them on our hearts to prevent us from sinning against Him. His great peace envelops us and nothing can make us fall or even stub our toe upon the impediments of adversity.

If we rest in God’s promises, we have nothing to fear. He supplies all of our needs according to His riches, mercy and grace. We can “Go With the Flow” of the Holy Spirit, moment by moment throughout the day and rest in His abundant love.

Prayer ~ Lord, help me to relinquish control of my life and to give You the reigns. Lead and guide me wherever You choose that I should go and help me to find peace and contentment in Your will.

Thought for the Day ~ Go with the flow of the Holy Spirit, moment by moment throughout the day.