The Realm of Reality

 

Prior to Christ moving into our regenerated spirit by His Spirit, we lived in a two dimensional realm of reality - physical, mental and emotional (2 Corinthians 5:6). Dead in sin, our spirit had no influence over our life at all (Ephesians 2:1).

Once we surrender our life to Christ, our reality is three dimensional - body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We have the opportunity to walk in God's spirit rather than to remain tied to this earthly realm.

Our desires, thoughts and behavior change. Our focus is on the spiritual side of life, rather than the temporal. This transformation is not only on the surface, as if we changed a habit through self-effort; but on the inside as well, and requires little human effort.

We learned the secret, which Solomon learned (Proverbs 3:5-6). We look to God in our every thought, word and deed and do not depend on our human understanding. This allows God's Spirit to direct our day in the very center of God's will.

We sense God's Spirit advancing before us to clear our path of roadblocks, giving us wisdom, and permeating our entire being with the fullness of the presence of God (1 John 5:10; Ephesians 3:19 Amplified Bible).

Peace and joy fill our soul in spite of our circumstances. The Spirit teaches us to walk in God's will in little ways at first. If we listen, He will help us to plan our menu for the week and everything we need is on sale - He knew that.

He will tell us which client to approach at work, and we will make that coveted sale. If we disobey and follow our human understanding, we may choose the wrong client and lose the sale. He knew that would happen.

He might tell us to get up and go to a specific place. When we obey, we see an old friend or meet a new one. He knew that would happen. Maybe He will tell us what to wear and it ends up matching what he told our mate to wear.

These smaller issues will teach us to listen to His leading; and when the monumental opportunities arise, which will affect our whole life - like who to marry or where to work or where to move and live - we are already used to listening to and walking in the Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, although we still live in the natural world, we are learning to operate in the spiritual one instead. Teach us to walk in Your Spirit, so Christ can continue to live His life in and through us each moment of our day. As He is, so we want to be in this world (1 John 4:17).

Remind us that as we practice obeying Your Spirit and walking in Your will, we will finally understand how to walk in the Spirit and to abide in Your will (John 7:17). Our spiritual senses become trained by exercising them in every area of our life and doing only what Your Spirit tells us to do (Ephesians 3:10).

Thought for the Day:

When we live in union with Christ and oneness with the Father through the Holy Spirit, we no longer need to figure out whether we are hearing from Him or from our own mind; we no longer debate Him or speculate about whether or not the leading is from Him or our own thoughts, because we learn to recognize His voice and to follow His peace in our spirit, regardless of how the decision feels in our soul - our mind and emotions.- Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:7

Many thanks to Matt Milligan for the use of his photo.

Changing Our Thought Patterns

From childhood, we are taught to take care of our self: dress, feed, play and make wise choices for our self. Therefore, learning to trust the Lord and His faithfulness takes a bit of getting used to (Ephesians 6:10). The process is called "renewing our mind." This is a continual progression of transformation, through which God's Spirit gives us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 12:2).

By faith in Christ, we receive a new heart through the rebirthing of our spirit, which was formerly dead, due to the sin of the first Adam with Eve. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, became Emmanuel in order to guarantee salvation to whomever chooses to believe (John 3:16-18). God's Spirit teaches us to follow Jesus' example and to live as a new creation with sanctified priorities and goals in life (Philippians 2:5).

Jesus' emptied Himself of His heavenly glory and lived a life as a bondservant to our Father God (Luke 23:34; Matthew 20:28). He was even obedient to the point of suffering the horrendous torture and death at the hands of the Roman army (Matthew 26:39; John 5:30). God wants us to live in the power of His Spirit in order to do the works, which He created us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 139:13).

God's Holy Spirit purges us of pride, selfishness, unforgiveness and all of the deeds and attitudes of the flesh, so that we can live by His direction and divine character (Galatians 5:16-25; 2 Peter 1:4-5). We aid in this process by renewing our mind with the Word of God. We begin focusing on eternal matters, ignoring the distractions provided by Satan and his minions and valuing eternal aspects rather than worldly gain (Ephesians 6:16).

Prayer:

Father God, we all experience the temptation to compromise our walk and to live a life of indulgence in the flesh. However, You gave us Jesus as our example. You also give us a way to avoid temptation and live a pure and holy life before You (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thank You for sending Jesus to pay the debt we owed for our sins, and for giving us Your Spirit to renew our mind with the mind of Christ, so that our thought patterns change from carnal ones to spiritual.

Thought for the Day:

Our Father God already gave us all the tools necessary to live a victorious life in Christ.- Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Ephesians 6:13

My New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Eve is traditionally a time to compare the past with what we want for our future. We reflect on the changes we prefer or need to make. Then we resolve to rid our self of our bad habits and to replace them with good habits, which will help us to reach our desired success in life. How often, though, do we stick to our resolutions?

I find greater success by following God's formula for change all through the year. We are like a creeping caterpillar, spiritually dead. If we continue to walk in the ungodly deeds of the flesh, we do not belong to God or have His Spirit in us (Romans 8:9). We are not able to compare with the majestic butterfly flitting on glorious wings, dancing upon the sunbeams, dining on nectar, playful and full of life.

As we surrender to God, we wrap in the chrysalis of His new birth. Through the process of sanctification, we emerge resplendent in Christ's divine nature and character, which He forms in us over a lifetime in His presence (2 Peter 1:4). God's Spirit enables us to refrain from conforming to the world, and to conform to Christ instead (Romans 12:2).

The blood of Christ draws us near to God, and His Spirit renovates our soul (Ephesians 2:13). Our inner transformation influences our outward response to the world and to God’s will for our life. We bear fruit in all that we do, as we grow in our understanding of God and His ways (Colossians 1:10). We continually reflect more of the glory of God through our thoughts, words and actions (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The message of the Gospel of Christ gives us the power of God, which transforms us from the inside out (1 Corinthians 1:18). God’s Spirit renews our mind and creates in us the desire for holiness in the image of God (Ephesians 4:22-24). His divine power gives us everything we need to live godly lives and to follow the leading of His Spirit (2 Peter 1:3-11).

Prayer:

Lord, help us to resolve to follow Your will for our life, giving You prominence in our thoughts and obeying You in all we say and do by the power of Your Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13-14). Help us to shed the trappings of the old man and to soar in the freedom of Your Spirit (Ephesians 4:22-24). Remind us to live by faith in Your faithfulness and to walk in Your righteousness (Romans 1:16-17).

Thought for the Day:

When Christ appears, we shall be completely like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2-3

Inner Transformation

God promises never to leave us nor to forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). When He seems distant, it is because we have drifted away from Him, not that He left us. Mental knowledge about God cannot compare with knowledge of God in a personal, spiritual relationship (John 17:3). This intimacy transforms us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

God’s presence in our life changes us from the inside out. We are still rough around the edges outwardly; but inwardly, we have more peace and joy than ever before. The fruit of God’s Spirit replaces our carnality (Galatians 5:22-23). We fall more in love with Jesus every day. Our fears, deep-seated anger and insecurities diminish as God heals the pain of our past.

Our faith in God’s faithfulness grows with each trial, which He works out for our good, as well as through each weakness He enables us to overcome (Romans 8:28). We come to Him and willingly lay our goals and desires at His feet, embracing His will for our life. Our prayer time grows from a few moments each morning to continual communication throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

We feast on God’s Word and allow it to dictate our thoughts and behavior. When we, who know God intimately, share with others what Christ does in our life, many of them will desire to know the Lord too. I do wish our passion for God was catching, so that everyone would come to know His love intimately. However, everyone does have a chance, because He calls “whosoever will” (Revelation 22:17).

Prayer:

Father God, our unity with You is our greatest joy. All of our other relationships and activities are influenced for the better, because of Your presence in our life. We love that we can be Your friend (John 15:13-15). King David gives us such insight into our relationship with You. The possibilities are endless (Psalm 63:1-8). Thank You for making us joint heirs with Jesus Christ of the glory of Your Kingdom (Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10).

Thought for the Day:

When we fully love God and keep His Words, the Trinity makes their abode in us. – John 14:23

The Holy Spirit Within

God gives us His Spirit when we admit our sinful state and cry out to Him for forgiveness and salvation. God gives us pardon for our past sins and His guarantees for our future. This provides deep peace, which never fades as long as we keep our mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3). He wants complete control of every part of our life. We hold nothing back.

As we live in total surrender to His direction and guidance, He orchestrates our body, soul and spirit. In exchange, we live in the joy of the Lord, which defies human description (1 Peter 1:7-9). It is never ending joy, which resides deep within our spirit and influences our body and soul. This is the same joy, which God gave Jesus when he faced the cross of Calvary (Hebrews 12:1-3).

When God’s Spirit moves in, He brings holiness, contentment and triumph with Him, which transcends every circumstance we ever encounter in life (Romans 14:17). These are not fleeting emotions, nor do they depend on any aspect in our life. They are resident within us by God’s Spirit no matter how devastating our life becomes. The Holy Spirit is an ever-present help in times of trouble. 

Continually dwelling within us, God’s Spirit transforms our carnal nature with His fruit and Christ’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5: 22-23). He provides the unity and love we receive from our relationship with the Lord of glory (Isaiah 60:1). God is our provider, protector, sufficiency, inspiration, peace and joy. We place our secular life under God’s Spirit’s direction and He leads us to succeed in every area of life.

The Holy Spirit is also the sanctifier who rules in our spirit and soul and gives us grace and mercy in our time of need. His joy is our strength (Psalm 28:7) as we face trials and tribulation. Through His Spirit, Jesus cherishes us with all of the benevolence, patience and love that a bride groom has for His bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Mark 2:19; Revelation 19:7; Ephesians 5:22-33).

Prayer:

Father God, as Your Spirit transforms us with the mind of Christ, we have a Christ-like attitude at home, work and play, which makes a positive difference in the world around us. Your Spirit forms Christ in us to the extent that we live, move and have our entire existence in Him (Acts 17:28). He conquers sin within us, and casts out any idol, which we still cling to, as long as we willingly surrender it to Him. Help us to give every negative experience to Your safe keeping and remind us to respond in Your Spirit to everyone who comes against us.

Thought for the Day:

We give Jesus our whole heart and He gives our life back to us with more fulfillment and peace of mind than anything we could ever imagine.

The Anchor for our Soul

 

Eternal life is God’s promise (1 John 2:25), which enables us to know God intimately (John 17:3). This takes place both now and in eternity. It requires no self-effort, just total rest in His presence (Hebrews 4:10). God’s promises also provide pardon for sin, support in trials, the glorious resurrection, and eventually, immortality. God’s promises encourage us to cleanse our self of every evil desire (2 Corinthians 7:1).

When we choose not to live in God’s Will during each moment of our day, we lose the power of Christ in us. It is only through total surrender to His will that we accomplish all that He prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). God shrouds us with His divine nature, which is the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22-23).

As we mature, we increase in the measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). God disciplines us to enable us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). This empowers us to put on our new self, which is created to be like God in both righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Our humanity is dead and we are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). As we walk in God’s promises, we receive His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Confidently, we cling to God’s promises in tribulation. They are the anchor of our soul and the foundation for our hope. God keeps all of His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). The nation of Israel wandered from God; yet, God is faithful and is keeping His promises to them (Zechariah 13:8-9; Romans 11:25-26). God guarantees His Body freedom from the law, sin and death. He freely provides us with eternal life in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

We partake in the divine nature of God through Christ who dwells in our spirit. When we indulge in fleshly pursuits, the divine nature of God is grieved. However, as authentic Born Again Believers, we cannot continue to live in sin (1 John 3:9). God’s Spirit gradually makes all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we bear His image through continual transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, Your Holy Spirit teaches us to deny unholy conduct and lust, at the same time He encourages us to live serious, blameless and holy lives (Titus 2:12). As we do, we inwardly partake of Your divine nature; which causes us to refrain from outwardly partaking in sin and degradation. Our body houses Your (1 Corinthians 6:15). We are members of Christ’s body, flesh and bones (Ephesians 5:30; John 14: 16-17, 17:20-23). You make Your home in those who love and obey You (John 14:23).

Thought for the Day:

We are now the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but when we see Him return in the clouds, we will be exactly like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2

 

Our Unwavering Hope

 

When we encounter an issue or trial, it causes us to pray about our situation. During this time of dialogue, we increase our unity with the Lord. We also serve as a living testimony to our friends and family. Our faith in God’s faithfulness proves to them that we consider the trail simply as a light and momentary inconvenience (2 Corinthians 4:17), because it does not devastate us as it would them. This causes them to question how they too can share in our faith in Christ.

Christ in us draws them to Himself through the witness of our life. No one can see God unless they are Born Again. This occurs by His Spirit through repentance of our sin and belief in the saving work of Christ on the Cross (John 3:3). All Born Again Believers walk away from the practice of sin (1 John 3:9). Our salvation rebirths our spirit but also transforms our heart. We pass from death to life and we selflessly love the family of God in word and deed (1 John 3:14, 18).

God invests in us all the power of His Godhead, because Christ actually dwells in us by His Spirit. We do not have to fear people, because our warfare is against wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Christ gives us authority over powers and principalities (Ephesians 1:21), because of His work on Calvary’s cross (Colossians 2:15). We fear God, with the awe and respect due His name (Proverbs 1:7); however, we have no more fear of what man can do to us (Hebrews 13:6), or of the devil and his demons (James 4:7).

The Lord, in whom we now believe, forgives and sanctifies us once and for all on the day we repent and surrender our life to Him. He loved us first and drew us to Himself. Now He acts as our advocate and intercedes on our behalf before our Father (1 John 1:9, 2:1, 4:19). We are no longer sinners, but Saints in His eyes. He calls us to bring the gospel to and care for the destitute, hungry and imprisoned people who do not yet know Him (Matthew 25:35-36). In doing this, we prove our love to Him (Mark 12:30-31).

Prayer:

Father God, You always lift up everyone who falls and is discouraged and depressed. We look to You for our deliverance, which You always bring right on time. You open Your hand and satisfy our longing. You are near to everyone who calls on Your name with an honest heart. You place Your desires in the hearts of those who fear You, and You preserve everyone who loves You (Psalm 145:14-18).

Thought for the Day:

We make Christ the Lord on the throne of our heart and we are alert to give a gentle and reverent testimony of the hope He gives us. - 1 Peter 3:15

A Confident Life

Our God, who raised Christ from the dead, gives life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). He also wants our soul – our mind, will and emotions - to prosper (3 John 1:2). Holiness is never obtained by outward habits, but only by an inner love relationship with our Lord. The law never sets anyone free, but simply shows us our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24). Grace leads everyone to repentance, but not everyone responds; some cling to their pride in their humanity and reject God’s truth.

We rely on our human resources and talents to accomplish our work for the Lord. We want to do it our self and we do not want anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it. However, this attitude comes from pride, and pride always precedes ultimate failure, even if we succeed in the moment (Proverbs 16:18). God reminds us not to put our confidence in our human abilities (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 3:3). Conflict is the common result of pride and it opens a door for Satan to influence the circumstances in our life (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:1-10).

I used to run around breathless, because I tried to meet everyone’s needs in my human efforts. I did not follow the Spirit’s leading, and I followed my heart instead. I ended up bitter and disappointed because people sometimes resented what they considered my intrusion. We often consider human needs above the Lord’s desire for our life. We consider others better than our self, but we forget to have humility of mind in every area of life (Philippians 2:3).

Actually, in truth, the work of God is simply to believe in Jesus, whom God sent (John 6:28-29). He requires nothing else from us. God promises to guide us if we ask Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). Prayer is our greatest ally in walking in God’s will (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We respond to Him in love for what He has already done for us. We serve others only as we are lead in love by the Spirit of God (Romans 12:1,10).

There is no need for us to denigrate and deny our self in order to please God. Many false religions purport this behavior in order to prove they are worthy of God’s love. Some even use guilt and masochistic behavior to humble a person. We cannot obtain salvation or do penance for our sins by self-denial. We only become like Christ as we submit to the Spirit’s transforming work in our life (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

We bless you, our God and Father. You comfort us in our afflictions and give us Your hope and mercy. You show us how to comfort others by Your example of comforting us. We may suffer for the name of Christ, but You comfort us through Your name (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). We hope in You and wait for Your salvation, because we have confidence that You always hear us (Micah 7:7). We exult in You, Lord, and rejoice in your salvation. You are our strength and our help (Habakkuk 3:18-19).

Thought for the Day:

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him. - Nahum 1:7

Higher Ground

 

Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh and gave us His righteousness in exchange for our sin (Romans 8:3-4). God makes this transaction, and we have nothing to do with it, except to repent of our sin, to believe that Jesus is God who came in the flesh, and then to surrender our all to His service (1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:2). We work out our salvation with awe and vigilance, but it is actually God who is giving us both the desire and the power to comply (Philippians 2:12-13).

Idols are anything in our life, which prevent us from unhindered fellowship with our Father. With each idol we surrender to Him, we walk more freely in His ways. Many people are snared by the devil and held captive by him; however, God wants to set us free through our repentance and His truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26). As we abide in Christ and His Word, His truth sanctifies us and frees us from Satan’s lies (John 8:31-32; John 17:17).

Through sanctification, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the nature of Christ in continuous stages of holiness (2 Corinthians 3:18). We live in this world, but we are no longer a part of it (John 15:19). Christ lives in us and we are part of Him (Galatians 2:20). We are one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). We live and walk in His Spirit, who leads us and conforms us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). He continually leads us to ever-higher ground.

God loves us with His whole heart (John 3:16; Romans 5:8); therefore, He wants us to love and serve Him with our whole heart in return (Proverbs 3:5-6). God is love (1 John 4:8); and when we are filled with Him, we are filled with His love (John 17:23). We are accepted in His Beloved Body both world-wide and throughout the ages (Ephesians 1:6). God desires unbroken fellowship with us every day of our life (Romans 6:11). God sees us as perfect and complete in Christ (Colossians 1:27).

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to avoid relying on our human resources, but to cling to You as You deliver us and make us whole (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we admit our helplessness, You achieve Your will in our life (Psalm 37:7-9). Prove to us each day that we are undeniably walking in Your Spirit, so that we can learn to live in unbroken fellowship with You. Use us each day according to Your will and purpose.

Thought for the Day:
God accomplishes His will in our life to the praise and the glory of His name. – Romans 12:2

The Plan for Success

 

God has a successful plan for every person ever born (Ephesians 2:10). The problem occurs when we follow our own goals and pursue our own desires, or those planned for us by other well-meaning people in our life (Isaiah 53:6). We run further and harder through the rat race of life, getting lost somewhere along the course, unable to find our way. Then, Jesus stands next to us, offers us His nail-scarred hand and leads us in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

This is the exact spot where our life turns around for the better. Jesus comes into our life and removes our negative emotions and our fears and insecurities a little at a time. He does not perfect us all at once, but like the layers of the onion, He peels them back one section at a time. As He gets closer to our core, the layers of our flesh and carnality disappear until all that is left is Christ in us, who gives us the hope of eternity in His glory (Colossians 2:27).

God rescues us from a life of degradation and sin and lifts us up upon the Rock of Christ (Psalm 18:2). Once we admit we need a Savior, and let go of all of our plans for our own life, God makes a success of us, no matter what our calling is. As long as we obey the direction of His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day, He delivers us from our past and gives us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). However, nothing less than complete surrender will do.

As long as we interject our own plans, God cannot help us. He allows us to flounder around on our own, until we yell, “I quit!” Once we lay down our life and die to the desires of our flesh, then God’s Spirit can labor in us on our behalf. He miraculously works out everything for our good (Romans 8:28), until we wonder why it took us so long to submit to His will. Our sacrifice and the fear of surrender seem inconsequential now, compared to the glory that He sets before us (1 Peter 1:8).

His love pours over us like a waterfall, once we sit still in His presence and worship His name. We can depend on Him for all of our needs (Matthew 6:33). As we joyfully consent to His loving kindness, God frees us from the weight of our past and the fear of the future. He walks within us through every trial life brings our way. We will never be worthy of His love (Galatians 3:1-3), but He loves us unconditionally (Romans 5:8). As our Heavenly Daddy, He will never allow His righteous to be shaken (Isaiah 54:10).

Prayer:

Father God, You love us with the same love You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus (John 15:9-10). In our union with You, through Christ (Colossians 3:3), we have no need to fear the unexpected upsets life brings our way. We deeply abide in Your love for eternity. Jesus died to make us one with You. You give us Your Spirit to reside within us. You make us a temple for Your Spirit. He is our comforter and guide through life. He transforms us until we express Your divine nature to the world around us. You teach us to live as good stewards of Your provision and to meet needs in Your name with those around us.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus gave us His example of how to abide in the Father’s love. – John 17:22

The Problem with Problems

 

Many Christians are not happy. They are overloaded with their problems. They see no joy in life and they are overwhelmed with stress and trials. They rush off to work, rush through work and rush home after work, falling into an exhausted sleep each night, getting up way too early to care for the needs of their family and then starting the same behavior all over again. Like a hamster on a wheel, they frantically run; yet never get anywhere, accomplishing very little, and ending up in the hospital with physical and psychosomatic illnesses.

That is the problem with problems. They are inescapable. Our obsession with them keeps our eyes off Jesus. We often attempt to ignore our problems, denying their existence, minimizing their importance in our life or blaming them on everyone else. We falsely believe that if we had more money, a better mate or job, or fewer problems, then we would be happier. We try to get rid of them, but then new ones pop up! That is when we beg God to free us from them, or to solve them for us.

Jesus uses our trials to convert us into a new creation. His Spirit transforms us into His image day by day throughout our lifetime, using our trials and temptations to perfect us. He replaces our carnal nature with His  nature, which is the fruit of His Spirit. We receive eternal life from that first moment of Salvation; and we walk more fully in this eternal life as we come to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3). God’s Spirit within us enables us to experience pure joy in Jesus.

The Bible tells us that we can traverse trials of every kind with God’s joy. This is because when our faith is tested, we develop perseverance, which works maturity and perfection in us, so that we lack nothing (James 1:2-4). God uses these opportunities to fine-tune our faith and to draw us closer to His heart. He encourages us to enter into His rest and to depend on Him (Hebrews 4:10). He proves His love, power and authority to us by working out every negative circumstance for our good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, when You put us to the test, we fail unless we cling to Your hand and walk through them with our focus on Your face (Isaiah 26:3). Your power and authority over the prince of the power of the air delivers us from anything Satan uses to discourage us or bring us down. When we attempt to escape one problem, we usually end up in the midst of several more. Teach us to trust in You and to walk in Your Spirit every moment of the day.

Thought for the Day:

Facing our problems with prayer allows us to see God in the midst of them.

No Fear of Judgment

 

Jesus sits in a place of honor at our Father’s right hand. He laid down His life for us, and gave us new life so we can join Him in the reality of heaven. He calls us to think about eternal issues, and not about the day-to-day things of life on this earth. In accepting Jesus sacrifice, we identified with His death to every aspect of this life. Now, our real life is with God, hidden in Christ. When Jesus, who is now our actual life, is revealed to the whole world, we will share in His glory, as co-heirs.

With these thoughts in mind, it is easier to crucify the deeds of our flesh, and the lusts of our carnal nature. We realize that the anger of God is coming to those who do not repent of a sinful lifestyle and trust in Jesus for salvation. Therefore, we step outside of the evil culture of this world and clothe our self instead with our new nature in Christ. We come to a place in our sanctification that all unholiness is part of this world, and we no longer care to be part of it.

God chose us before the foundation of the world to walk in His holiness. He loves us and conforms our nature to His own. More each day, we exhibit the fruit of His Spirit instead of the fruit of our human flesh. Each day we grow in our intimacy with our Creator, and His Spirit transforms us more and more into His image. Our citizenship is no longer of this earth, but in heaven. Christ is all that matters to us, because He actually dwells in our spirit.

Just as God forgave us, we forgive one another. We overlook each other’s idiosyncrasies, and we learn to appreciate one another’s gifts and talents. God clothes us with His love and unites us together in wonderful accord. He fills us with the peace that comes from Christ ruling in our soul – our minds, will and emotions. We live serenely as one body, and we live out of gratitude in service to our King. Christ fills our lives with all of His fullness. He also gives us His wisdom to encourage one another in times of trial (Colossians 3:1-17).

Prayer:

Father God, as we live in You, our love is perfected. We have no fear of judgment, but can face You with confidence, because Christ lives His life through us in this world (1 John 4:17). Help us to walk in this new nature, which You created in us, so that we can be just like You, with all of Your righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Songs of praise to You pour from our thankful heart. Whatever we do, even if it is as mundane as eating and drinking, we do it all as authentic Born Again Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ

Thought for the Day:
Anyone who repents and believes the Lord is united in Spirit with Him as well. – 1 Corinthians 6:17

God Transforms and Establishes Us In Him

We receive Christ as our Savior and Lord, but then we have no idea what to do with Him. Paul tells us to walk in Him, to sink our roots into Him and to be built up in Him. In this way, we are established in our faith and abound in Him for every good work (Colossians 2:6-7). This has nothing to do with the exercise of self-discipline (Galatians 3:1-3). It has everything to do with the grace and mercy of God. Our only command is to believe (John 3:16-18). Yet, God even helps us in our unbelief (Mark 9:23-25).

There are impediments to belief. Our guilt, our penchant toward sin, our carnal flesh, our pride and willfulness, our fears and doubts all plague us. They build a wall around our spiritual growth. Slowly, over the years, God cleanses us from all unrighteousness and demolishes these walls (1 John 1:7-9). He builds up our faith by allowing trials to cleanse us from our deepest fears and insecurities. He whittles away at our pride, and allows us to experience humiliation until we are humbled.

We come to realize that we did not earn our salvation and neither can we earn our sanctification (Galatians 3:1-3). We do not deserve Christ, but He loved us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). God empties us of our self and fills us with all of His fullness (Ephesians 3:19). Jesus leads us into a walk of intimate fellowship with Himself. If we sit in His presence and empty our mind of all thoughts and stress, He pours His love over us like a waterfall, until we are saturated with His affection and care.

God fills us with His joy, holiness and spiritual fruit as we come to a place of abiding in His presence each moment of the day (Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:22-23). It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). He holds us securely in His everlasting arms. We can depend on Him for all of our needs and the strength and wisdom to walk in His will moment by moment throughout the day. We walk in confidence as His Spirit directs our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If we are in Christ, we lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). He lives the Christian life through us. Due to His presence, we deny our flesh, obey His Spirit’s direction and study His Word to show our self approved and not ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15). We realize that nothing is impossible to those who believe in God (Luke 1:37). Our life depends upon every Word that ensues from His mouth (Matthew & Luke 4:4). God grafts us into the Vine (Jesus) so that we partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Prayer:

Father God, even in our times of remorse and despair, You remind us that we are Your beloved children. You breathe hope, peace and joy into our soul regardless of our circumstances (Jeremiah 29:11). You accomplish Your wondrous work in us and for us, as You work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). We rejoice in Your divinity within us and we thank You for Your presence forevermore (1 Peter 1:4). As our thoughts permanently dwell on You, Your living Word transforms our life into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

Thought for the Day:

We can thoroughly depend upon Christ to fulfill His promises to us, both now on this earth and also in eternity.

 

Multitude of Blessings

 

Prior to salvation, we followed the leading of our father the devil and exhibited his sin nature in and through our life. As Born Again Believers, we are privileged to take part in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The Holy Spirit transforms us in every area of our life until we express only the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). We no longer personify satanic beliefs or carry out his plans or behavior, but we mirror the image of Christ instead (Romans 8:29). We are filled with the fruit of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Daily, we have the great privilege of God’s Spirit working in and through us.

God puts us in the right place at the right time to be an instrument in His hands. I went to the pool yesterday and a woman, who often swims at the same time that I do, started asking me about God and the Bible. I have seen her several times a month for over a year, and I invited her to church and offered to pray for her requests this whole time. This week, however, she got a book from the library about the words of Jesus and she was full of questions. We walked up and down the pool chatting away about the things of God for the first time.

Philip is one of my favorite Bible characters. He had this same experience. He was preaching a revival in Samaria, doing miraculous works and leading people to Christ (Acts 8:5-8). Then the Spirit translated him to a deserted road where he met an Ethiopian Eunuch. This was another divine appointment, because Philip led him to the Lord and baptized him. Philip could have resented God for taking him away from the great outpouring of God’s Spirit on the Samarian crowds; but instead, he quickly adapted and allowed God to use him in the life of this one honest seeker.

God wants to live His life through us too. We start by spending time alone (all-one) with God in our secret place. We praise and pray and read His Word. Then we follow the Spirit’s direction for each moment of our day, just like Philip did.  Regardless of the results, we obey the leading of God’s Spirit in our own life, and He will use our body, soul and spirit to do His work in the earth. Before this can happen, however, we have to listen to His direction. God will live His life through us in our home, work, church and community. Do not be surprised if He even uses you while you are at play!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we often take for granted the multitude of blessings You provide for us every day. Air to breathe, sunshine and rain, the earth’s exact rotation around the sun, and even clothes, food and shelter. Keep me focused on Your blessings in my life. Help me to appreciate everything You do for me each day. Use me to help others and to bless their life with abundance as well.

Thought for the Day:

As partakers of God’s nature, we are conformed to the image of Christ and no longer exhibit behavior conducive to the flesh, the world or Satan.