Meeting God Face-to-Face

 

As we launch into adulthood, we focus on working hard and using our human talents to open doors to a better life. However, our humanistic worldview and our carnal work ethic often crumble in the face of life’s trials. Meeting God face-to-face leads to action of a different kind (Ephesians 5:8; Romans 8:4). It launches us into a life where every thought, word and deed is an expression of worship to our King. Nothing matters to us except living by God’s Spirit, and He provides us with everything we need (Galatians 5:16, 25; Matthew 6:33).

Encountering God does not occur by chance, nor is it planned or orchestrated by our human effort. We just sit in silence and wait. The human mind is so cluttered, that when we attempt to sit in silence, our mind will go in many directions at one time. We will have a very strong compulsion to jump up and do something before we forget to do it; but then...our time to wait on God is over. Instead, bring along a pen and some paper.

As these ideas pop into your mind, just write them down. This will make a great to-do list for you when you finish your time with God. So here you are, sitting in your comfy chair, under a tree, on the floor or any other place you feel led to wait. You are jotting down the thoughts that flow through your mind. Finally, your lists end and you can begin writing your prayers to God. Continue to wait as you write Bible verses or words to a song, which come to your mind.

Write down how you are feeling, what is worrying you and people you are concerned about. Express your full desires, questions and concerns. Write until you empty your soul of all of its petitions. Then, wait some more! Listen in the silence. Wait for God to speak. Wait for the waterfall of his love to pour over you and bring a refreshing to your soul. Wait until you sense the warmth of His smile beaming down on you, and luxuriate in the folds of His arms.

Write more notes if you want to, sing songs of praise, lift up in prayer the people that God brings to your mind. Sit in companionable silence with Him, and enjoy the presence of God enveloping you. Then, when it is time to go, spend your day walking in the Spirit, one moment at a time. Our life no longer depends on us to reach destinations. We simply walk in obedience to the inner direction of God’s Spirit and live as a brand new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:27; Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:

Father God, my soul waits silently and patiently for You alone. My hope comes from You. You alone are my rock and my salvation. You are my fortress; therefore, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my glory are in You. You are my rock or strength and refuge. I trust in You at all times. I pour out my heart before You. I praise You for who You are and for all You do for me each and every day (Psalm 62:5-8).

Thought for the Day:

A fruitful life is born through an intimate relationship with God. - John 5:8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

The Love of God

 

The intense love of God burns like a fire deep in our soul, warming us as we travel through this cold world of sin and degradation. Christ died so that we may possess this everlasting love (Romans 6:23). We are precious to Him and we bring Him delight by our obedience (John 14:15). Everything God gave to His firstborn Son, Jesus, He shares with us, His adopted sons. Jesus sacrificed His throne and crown for us, and He did not reserve His life or blood, but gave His all for us.

Only as we completely surrender our life to Him in return, will we come into perfect union with Christ within us.  We totally submit to the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. We live according to God’s divine will for our life (Ephesians 2:10), and find our fulfillment in our union with Christ. We seek only the will of God in our thoughts, words and deeds, so that He might be glorified in us, just as He was in Jesus (John 14:13). We completely dwell in His love (John 10:17).

We come to the day where we stop offending God with our sinful desires, because the Spirit sanctifies us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). He gives us discernment and His Word, so that we can ascertain what will bring God glory. His righteousness pervades our life to the extent that we surrender our sinfulness to Him. We live in harmony with Christ in us through the anointing of His name. Our prayers are centered in Jesus’ name and our life is lived in the power of His name.

Our union also provides us with faith to believe in His faithfulness. We live in unreserved obedience to the Father (1 John 3:22). We pray with confidence in our intimate union with Christ. We sit silently in His presence, knowing that He knows what we need before we even speak it (Matthew 6:8). An abiding life of faith in Christ alone provides power to our prayers (John 15:9). We wait at His feet for Him to provide all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19; James 4:3).

Jesus shares with us His life, His inheritance, His righteousness and His Spirit. He keeps nothing from us, but freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32). His love is an example of the Father’s love for us as well. Our sinful state magnifies the beauty of His sacrificial love, and His compassion changes us from the inside out. God is love and we abide in His love through His Son (1 John 4:8). As we completely yield our life to His will, we reap the abundance He died to provide for us.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to find the eternal dwelling place provided for us by Your love (Deuteronomy 33:27). Our soul finds its peace in the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:4). Cause us to hear Thy loving kindness each morning, for in You we place our trust. Fill us to the brim with Your Spirit, and cause us to know Your will for each moment of our life (Psalm 143:8). We want to abide in Your presence and in the fullness of Your joy (Psalm 16:11).

Thought for the Day:

God’s everlasting love promises us eternal blessings. – Psalm 21:6

A New Identity

As we trust in Christ, He becomes more and more at home in our heart (Ephesians 3:17). We gain abundant life through Christ in us. He gives us complete freedom from sin and free access to His throne (Hebrews 4:16). We rejoice in Christ who is our hope (Romans 5:17). We place our complete trust in God’s faithfulness as we live for His glory. His Spirit transforms us into the perfected image of Christ (Galatians 4:19). We no longer view our self as a defeated sinner, but as a child of the King.

Those who are living in Christ, share in His identity. We are:

A holy temple (Ephesians 2:22)
A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Abundantly joyful (Philippians 1:26)
Accessed to His wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)
Blessed spiritually (Ephesians 1:3)
Chosen (Ephesians 1:11)
Complete in Christ (Colossians 1:17, 2:10)
Dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
Enduring no more condemnation (Romans 8:1)
Enjoying the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Enjoying faith, hope, and love (1Timothy 1:1, 14)
Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
Free and confident in God’s presence (Ephesians 3:12)
Full of the triune God within us (Colossians 2:9-10)
Fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28)
Gaining excellence and assurance (1 Timothy 3:13)
God’s children (Galatians 3:26)
Guaranteed showers of God’s love (Romans 8:39)
Holy and faithful (Colossians 1:2)
Hopeful of living in glory (Colossians 1:27)
Hopeful of resurrection from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
House the Light of the world within us (Ephesians 5:8)
Lack no good thing (Philippians 4:19)
Living as a praise for God’s glory (Ephesians 1:12)
Living stones (1 Peter 2:5)
Near to God (Ephesians 2:13)
Promised life (2 Timothy 1:1)
Reaping what we sow (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Recipients of God’s grace  (Ephesians 2:7)
Rooted and built up (Colossians 2:7)
Seated in heavenly realms with Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
Living in spiritual reality (Colossians 2:17)
Thankful in any circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
The body of Christ (Romans 12:5)

Prayer,
Father God, as You replace our identity as a sinner with the identity, which You give us in Christ, we live successfully because our Victory is in the person of Jesus Christ who dwells within us. We are no longer separated from You, but one with You, because Christ lives in us by Your Spirit. We are more than conquerors because You love us (Romans 8:31-39). We give you the praise, honor and glory due Your name.

Thought for the Day:

We are complete in Christ who lives, and moves and has His being within us. - Colossians 2:10

 

 

Which Life Do You Choose?

 

Even as Born Again Believers, we do not always walk in the fullness of the Spirit of God who dwells within us. We are so full of our own dreams, goals and desires that we block out what the Spirit wants for our life (Matthew 23:27). We live empty lives, never satisfied and always wanting more worldly possession, a better job or more money; no matter what we have to sacrifice to get it! Our focus is on the carnal, material aspects of life. We are also spiritual babes, still feeding on the milk of the Word (1 Corinthians 3:2). 

Some Born Again Believers live with a strict adherence to the Law of God. They add restrictions to the Law like the Pharisees, and they keep Christians in bondage to dead works. The law keeps us from enjoying a relationship with God Himself, because we are too busy working to please Him. We find our self separated from God by a chasm of physical, mental and emotional exertion. We run our self ragged all day long and fall exhausted into bed every night, too tired to sleep.

God calls us to come out of the realm of works and the law and to rest in Him (Hebrews 4:10). He tells us to “be still” and to realize the immense meaning of the fact that “He is God” (Psalm 46:10). He is actually in control of all things, orchestrating life from creation to Armageddon. He will lead our individual life as we sit at His feet and worship Him above all else. You may say, “I worship no other god.” However, anything that takes your time, energy and love away from God is an idol; so in reality, we are worshipping other gods.

Until we realize our union with Christ in us, we live with a separated mindset. We live independently from His Spirit, because we rely on our own abilities and talents. We view God way up on His throne in heaven, while we are down here struggling to find success in life before we die. Satan does everything in his power to propagate these lies, so we will not live for God. We all come to the place in our life, however, where God calls us out of the world to serve Him. Many of us reject His call with a string of excuses a mile long.

The Spirit continually calls on us from within to lay our life down and to live for Jesus. We constantly reject this call, or put it off until another day. Some put off our service to Him until we retire. Then we are so tired and busy with our grandkids that we continue to put Him off. Our focus is on our self rather than on God’s Kingdom. We forget that our family, our vocation, our neighborhood and our hobbies are our mission field for the Lord. We do what we please regardless of the needs around us.

Prayer:

Father God, purge our soul of every ungodly thought that is from the flesh and the devil. Lead us into Your truth and cause us to walk only in Your ways. Reveal Yourself to us on an ever-deepening level until we know You intimately (John 17:3). Help us to come to the place where You are our every thought, and that our every word and action are directed by Your Spirit within us. Our goal is to no longer depend on our intellectual understanding of You, but to enter into the spiritual realm, and love You with our whole heart and lives. We want to follow Your Spirit moment by moment throughout our day.

Thought for the Day:

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death, which motivated us prior to our Salvation. – Romans 8:2

 

Shelter From the Storms

 

Since we are dead with Christ in God (Colossian 3:3), we daily surrender our life to His Divine Spirit. We rest in constant submission to His will. Waiting on God, we confess our sins, request our daily provision, forgive and ask for forgiveness from those we offend, and walk in His statutes (Matthew 6:9-13). Then, as we go out into the workplace, community, home and church, we face life’s distractions with the peace of God that transcends all human cognition, and actually protects our heart and mind (Philippians 4: 7).

Sometimes, we are so attached to certain aspects of the world that God must prune them from our life (John 15:2). However, with each snip of the shears, we bear more and more spiritual fruit for His Kingdom (Galatians 5:22-23). We experience a fuller measure of His Spirit with each passing day (Ephesians 5:18-19). Trials come that mean to sever our connection to the Vine, but we abide still, through every wind of adversity (John 15:5). We sink our roots deeper in the fertile soil of Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).

I love the challenge of trials, because He is in us. I enjoy watching the way God gives me wisdom to deal with the interruption in my normal, daily activities; and then experiencing His deliverance for us from the issues. It takes Him a while to rescue us at times, and He is rarely early; but He is never late and He always works everything out for our good (Romans 8:28). Sometimes, the good is not obvious; but if we look closely, we will always see His hand in our circumstances.

If nothing else, they make us a little more like Jesus, which is our ultimate goal as Christians (Romans 12:2). The apostle Paul went through tortorous events in his lifetime, which many of us will never face; yet, he saw God's hand in every instance (Philippians 1:14; Romans 8:18). So in your next trial, look for the good. It is there. God promises (Romans 8:28). We live in God’s presence through every storm, riding the waves of adversity in His everlasting arms.

The longer we abide in Christ, the more we experience an ever deepening confidence and quietness in our soul (Isaiah 30:15). God’s ultimate purpose in sending the stormy trials is to teach us to rejoice in tribulation (Romans 12:12-21) and to abide in the shelter of the Almighty (Psalm 91). There comes a time and place in our life where the temptation of sin, the allurement of the world and the deception of Satan have no more interest for us. We despise anything that breaks the heart of God (Romans 12:9).

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for Your unlimited mercy and unfathomable grace toward us. We so enjoy our times of communion with You, even if we do nothing but sit in companionable silence. Keep us from sin, which dulls our spiritual awareness and discernment. Thank You for making the world unattractive to us, for freeing us from our penchant to wander away from You, and for allowing us to walk in the glorious freedom of Your children (Romans 8:14-17). We rejoice only in the Rock of our salvation and pray without ceasing (Psalm 62:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). We find our rest in Your shadow, Almighty God (Psalm 61:4). You are our portion forever (Psalm 73:26).

Thought for the Day:

It is in the vilest trial that we experience the riches measure of God’s presence. - Ephesians 3:19

There is More to Salvation

There is more to salvation than escaping hell. Salvation and happiness in this world are not our ultimate goals either. God’s salvation enables us to flourish in our victory over sin and to live in absolute obedience to His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. In order to fully succeed in life, we daily repent of our sins and submit our life to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we abide in Christ we grow in our ability to hear His Spirit leading us each moment of the day.

Abiding in Christ, we also bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters, and we share a passion for souls to come to Calvary’s cross and to repent, just as we did. Christ in us gives us the courage and strength to share His love with the unsaved world, in spite of any difficulties along the way. We love each person with God’s agape love, regardless of his or her behavior. We are able to impart His life to others as they open their hearts to His Word.

We cannot live without the Vine. The vine cannot bear fruit by itself. It needs branches in order to bear its fruit. The Master Gardener prunes us as a branch of the eternal Vine; and we bear much fruit that blesses others when they feast from it. As we abide in Christ, completely and fully, we bear the fruit of His Spirit, which is the nature of God.

We bear His love for the world, His joy which is our strength, His peace in our circumstances, His patience in tribulation, His gentleness toward irritating people, His goodness in the face of adversity, His meek in submission to our superiors, His self-control in temptation and His faith in God’s faithfulness.

As we submit our life to Christ, we admit our weakness and find His power in place of our strength. We are mighty instruments in the hand of the Father, because His Spirit dwells within us. His strength is perfected in our weakness as we fully admit our need for all of Him in our life. Then we can rest assured that He is working through us, according to His purpose, timing and way. As we lift Him up, Jesus uses us to draw all men to Himself, giving them the opportunity to accept or to reject Him.

The key to abiding in Christ is the realization that we are empty of all ambition and abilities, but that He fills us with all the fullness of His divine power and spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We live in childlike faith in His faithfulness. We walk in confidence that God is using our body, soul and spirit for His Kingdom and glory. We do greater works than Christ (John 14:12), because He dwells in us by His Spirit. His Spirit within us draws all men to Him.

Prayer:

Father God, our humility comes from realizing that without You, we can do nothing; and that in You, Christ can do all things through us (Philippians 4:13). Help us to walk in Your Spirit, to influence those in our life for You, and to walk in the calling that You prepared for us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:8-10). Let others see our resemblance to the Vine, as a branch full of Your Spirit’s fruit.

Thought for the Day:

May we live so that the holiness and love of God within us shines His light into the darkness of the world around us.