Living an Abundant Life

 

As long as we are human, Satan will try to tempt us to sin. The first thought, which infiltrates our mind, encouraging us to sin, is from the world, the flesh or the devil. The temporary temptation is not the sin; and we should not entertain any guilt for the number of times Satan tempts us. We are only responsible if we entertain those thoughts, even if we do not act on them (Matthew 5:28). When the first thought goes through your mind, let it go immediately.

Do not give the devil a place in your life by entertaining these notions, or letting them bear fruit in your thoughts, words or actions (Ephesians 4:27). Some temptation is greater than our resolve to live a pure life before God. If we do sin, however, Jesus is our advocate with the Father, and He is faithful and just and forgives every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). There is no penance, which we can perform to absolve us of sin; only the sacrifice of Christ on the cross can free us from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

The good news is that Christ in us is greater than anything Satan has to offer us (1 John 4:4). With each fall, we learn to walk straighter, with more spiritual purpose and humility. Selfishness is at the root of every sin. Sin is dead works, which deny the life of Christ within us. When the temptation comes, submit to God, resist the temptation and Satan has to flee from us (James 4:7). Christ always comes to our rescue, if we call on Him.

Our flesh may not have the power to resist sin, but Christ in us will resist through us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). We learn from our failings to take one step closer to total union with Christ each moment of the day (Galatians 2:20). Since we are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), we no longer have any need to cater to our flesh or to give in to temptation (Galatians 5:24; Romans 7:5, 8:8-9). We soon learn to resist temptation, until sin no longer holds any value for us at all (2 Peter 2:9). We live an abundant life in Christ.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to take the power away from Satan and his demons (1 John 5:18). We will keep our eyes on Jesus and submit to the leading of Your Spirit in our life (Hebrews 12:2). Thank You for always providing a way of escape from every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Once Christ abides in us as our whole life, then sin does not interest us any more (Colossians 3:4). We are always kept by Your power (Hebrews 2:18; 1 Peter 1:5). For this, we thank You and give You all the praise, honor and glory.

Thought for the Day:

When we make no provision for the flesh, Satan cannot tempt us. - Galatians 5:16,25

 

Lasting Treasure

 

 

God knows the thoughts and objectives of our heart (Hebrews 4:12). We walk out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ who dwells within us in all of His divine fullness (Colossians 1:13; 2 Peter 1:4). We walk in His Light, because Christ in us is our light (Psalm 27:1; Matthew 5:14-16). Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5), but when He works through us, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13). We abide in Him and He teaches us to believe, talk, think and act like Him (Galatians 2:20).

Then, we live in the center of God’s will for each moment of our day. The Spirit and Christ in us lead us to follow Jesus’ example and to do only those things, which our Father instructs us to do. This takes no striving or human effort on our part. As we wait on the Lord, He renews our strength and we rise up on eagle’s wings (Isaiah 40:31). We only get caught off guard or walk out of the Spirit when we rely on our human effort and understanding instead (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We no longer struggle with fears, doubts and unrest. We enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:10). We no longer attempt to earn our salvation or our sanctification, because we know that just as with glorification, we can do nothing to attain these states of Christian maturity. We live in peace, which transcends human understanding (Ephesians 3:20-21), and we walk in His Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25).

We walk in contentment regardless of the amount of this world’s goods, which we lack. We can live in a mud hut in Africa without a blanket to our name and still be rich in His wisdom and grace (Proverbs 19:11). We find abundant delight as we walk in His will (Psalm 119:35). We abstain from carnal lust, which war with the desires of our heart, because we are not tempted or drawn to this wicked and perverse world (1 Peter 2:11).

We walk in joy, regardless of the trials in our life, and persevere in walking by His Spirit. We witness a transformation in our life as He leads us ever further into His perfection (James 1:2-4). This happens when we realize that each trial is a new adventure in Christ. He uses us to further His Kingdom in the earth regardless of our limitations or failings, because Christ in us is our true treasure and our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Nothing will ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39).

Prayer:

Father God, we have no desire to lay up treasure on this earth, because they usually end up broken or stolen eventually (Luke 16:8-9). Help us to lay up treasure in heaven instead, because this is where our heart truly lies (Matthew 6:19:21). When we come to the end of our life, we see our true accomplishments only in the people in whose lives You use us to minister (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

Thought for the Day:

When we abide in Christ, people no longer see us, but Christ in us. – 1 Peter 2:9

Holy Contentment

 

Our life in Christ has nothing to do with the wisdom of the world. In fact, much of what we do defies natural, scientific laws and worldly expectations. Therefore, some of our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors will reject us over our beliefs and actions (Psalm 14:2-3). They are consumed with their self-important life and cannot conceive of why we would believe the precepts of what they consider an archaic religion (Proverbs 3:7). But we are not alone. Jesus lived a misunderstood life as well (Luke 23:11).

If we renounce the truth of God that we know, we will pay the penalty of a compromised soul. If we search the world to find something or someone to make us happy, we fall short of the glory of God. God does not call us to worship Him only with our mind and understanding, but in spirit and in truth as well (John 4:23-24). God reveals His truth to us as we seek Him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10). Our life becomes a Bible for others to read (2 Corinthians 3:2).

Satan wants us to believe we are hopeless sinners, unable to rise up to partake in holy living. The truth is that God imparted His divine nature in us (2 Peter 1:4). We are Saints of God (Romans 1:7). We walk as children of the Light and we give no place to the flesh (Ephesians 5:8; Galatians 5:16,25). God causes us to rise up with eagle’s wings as we escape the confines of this natural world (Isaiah 40:31). We trade our heavy load of selfishness and sin for His yoke, which is easy and light (Matthew 11:30).

From within our spirit, rivers of living water flow, straight from the throne of God (John 7:38). Apart from God, we have no righteousness, peace or joy (John 15:5). He saved us, not on our own merit of good works, but according to His mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5). As we fellowship in His sufferings, we also share in His presence and in His glory (Philippians 3:10). His life flows through our life and brings a holy contentment that transcends worldly trials and tribulation (Philippians 4:12).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to accept one another and to encourage each other in Your love (Romans 15:7). Unite us with one another by Your  Spirit within us (Ephesians 4:13). Remind us that eternal life is knowing You in an intimate and personal way (John 17:3). We do not need to wait for eternity to have this relationship, but only to trust in Christ for our salvation. We can only bear fruit for Your Kingdom as we abide in You (John 15:5). Your love for us knows no bounds. It fills us to overflowing with gratitude and wonder.

Thought for the Day:

Holy contentment comes to those who possess peace with who they are in Christ and in what God provides for them.

The Flip Side of Death

 

 

 

We all lived as children of wrath in the spirit of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2-3). Our father was the devil (John 8:44). We were lost in sin and owed their wages of death, which we could not pay (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Yet, God gave us the free gift of His Son, Jesus, who died to pay our sin debt and to bring salvation to each one of us. By His Spirit, Christ now dwells within our renewed spirit and allows us to partake of His divine nature both now on this earth and for eternity (2 Peter 1:4).

 

Now, the only way Satan has any influence over our life is if we give it to him by submitting our thoughts, words or deeds to him. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross of Calvary and He will come again to take all authority back from Satan, the current god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus will eventually lock the devil in the lake of torment forever. That is the fate of everyone who refuses to come to faith in Christ Jesus (Revelation 20:15).

 

On the other hand, those who surrender to Jesus are now joint heirs with Him (John 8:17), and will inherit everything God has in store for Him. Death is not an end, but the beginning of our true life. Our last breath on this earth is followed by our very next breath in Heaven. We graduate from the school of life and are carried into heaven by the angels to receive our diploma into the eternal Kingdom of God (Luke 16:22). We passed every test, and earned our rewards from the King.

 

God rejoices in the death of His Saints (Psalm 116:15). He is our guide and our refuge, even through death (Psalm 48:14; Proverbs 14:32). The day of our death is actually better than the day of our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1), because we are no longer separated from God. We dwell in the reality of His Kingdom forever with all the Saints that have gone on before us along with those who will come after us. We will never die, because we take on the immortal aspect of angels, and we are the sons of God, the Body of Christ, whom He raised from death into new life (Luke 20:36).

 

Prayer:

Father God, our body, soul and spirit are filled with joy. We know You will never leave us among the dead. You will not allow Your beloved children to rot in the grave. Thank You for Your many joys in this earthly life, which You bestow on us. Our most exquisite pleasure is to enjoy Your eternal Presence both now and in eternity (Psalm 16:9-11). Create in us a clean heart, and renew our spirit until we come to spend eternity with You (Psalm 51:10).

 

Thought for the Day:

We are confident in the fact that if we are absent from our body, we will undoubtedly be with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8

 

A License to Sin

Since Paul’s time, there is a rash of Believers that think that grace gives us a license to sin. The question in most hearts is, “How much sin can I get away with and still be a Christian?” Actually, Paul pointed out that no Christian can live in habitual sin (Romans 6:2). It is impossible, because the Holy Spirit convicts us of our need for holiness. We died to sin through Christ; therefore, sin no longer makes us happy or fulfilled (Romans 6:2).

There is no sin in Christ, and we are in Him; therefore, there is no desire to sin left in true Born Again Believers (1 John 3:5). If we live in sin, it is because we do not know the true Lord Jesus Christ. We may have repented because of conviction, but we are not truly converted (1 John 3:6). There is no real change in us. Our spirit is still dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). Those who are born of God cannot willfully live in the practice of sin, because our spirit is Born Again (1 John 3:9).

There is a spiritual realm, which most people never see. We are like Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, who focused on the natural armies about to annihilate them. He was a nervous wreck and could not understand why Elisha was so cool, calm and collected. Then, Elisha prayed that Gehazi’s eyes would be open to the spiritual world around then. Gehazi’s fear of the armies surrounding them melted at the sight of the entire host of heavenly horses and chariots of fire that surrounded the enemy army (2 Kings 5:14-17).

God desires people who will fix our focus and passion on Him (Psalm 57:7, 108:1, 112:7), those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). We can have the faith and courage to believe that the impossible is possible, once we look at life from the eternal perspective rather than the earthly, carnal one (Matthew 19:26; Colossians 3:2). However, this is only achievable when we are branches connected to the Vine of Christ (John 15:5).

Then, the life of God’s Spirit flows through us. We are slaves of righteousness now, instead of slaves to sin (Romans 8:2, 6:18). We please God by walking in faith in His faithfulness (Hebrews 11:6). We do not strive to keep the law, because we are set free from the law of sin and death by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 8:2). We abide in Christ as a way of life and we have no other desire, goal or focus (1 John 2:28). We enter into God’s rest now and throughout eternity (Hebrews 4:1, 10-11).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we are already dead to sin and the flesh, and our life is now hidden with You in God (Colossians 3:3). You are our whole life (Colossians 3:4). We desire nothing more in this life than to live it in You. We want to serve You as a vessel for Your honor. Thank You for setting us free from sin and death (Romans 6:23). Now, raise us up to walk in the regenerated life, which comes only from You (Romans 6:4).

Thought for the Day:

Walk in the Light, even as Jesus is in the Light. – 1 John 1:7

Understanding Negative Emotions - Part 3

The power behind many negative emotions is unforgiveness. When we harbor anger toward someone, they retain power over us. When we forgive them, we put them in God’s capable hands to deal with as He sees fit (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35). When we go one step further and do something kind and good for the one who harmed us, God uses it to convict their conscience, which often results in a restored relationship (Proverbs 25:22). 

It is the cross of Christ, and His example to us through His behavior on the cross that gives us the power to forgive (Luke 23:34). When we choose not to retaliate (Luke 6:27-34), we make a conscious choice to set that person free from their debt to us. Make a list of each person you cannot forgive and ask the Lord to help you to forgive them one by one. He will bring them to mind and teach you to refocus your thoughts and attitude about each one.

As you pray for them (Matthew 5:44), God changes your heart about the person. He may even give you compassion for the person, when you discover the reasons the person acted toward you as they did. It does not excuse the pain they inflicted on you, but it allows God to convict them and to release you from the effects of bitterness on your life (Hebrews 12:15). Freedom floods your soul and gives you joy that transcends all human reasoning (1 Peter 1:8).

Bitterness prevents us from growing into spiritual maturity; yet forgiveness paves the way for spiritual growth and development. When we realize that someone else has unforgiveness toward us for some word or event that involved us, God calls us to go to them and apologize for our behavior (Matthew 5:23-26). Even if they choose not to forgive us, we have cleared our conscience before the Lord. Now, they are in God’s hands and He will bless us for our efforts to obey His Word (Matthew 6:12).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for accepting us into the circle of Your beloved family (Ephesians 1:6). Help us to accept those who hurt us, not necessarily as friends, but as people we forgive. You do not release them from the guilt of their behavior until they repent, but we free our self from the bondage, which unforgiveness brings into our life. We readily forgive everyone who used us, abused us, hated us or annoyed us. Help us to love everyone unconditionally and please bring us the freedom that You provide through forgiveness.

Thought for the Day:

Forgive easily and reap the blessings of God.

Understanding Negaitve Emotions - Part 2

 

One reason that addictions are so prevalent in our society is that people are attempting to anesthetize their pain from past trauma. Until we face the pain from the past, we will never be free from it. Many fear experiencing that pain all over again and refuse to address these issues. What they fail to realize is that the pain already affects them every day of their life and causes them to react negatively to current circumstances (Psalm 25:17). They are doping instead of coping.

God is able to heal us of any trauma from our past and to free us to live a victorious future. Pilgrim’s Progress, by Paul Bunyan, is a story about a man who carries a load of baggage with him everywhere he goes. Through the story, he brings this baggage to the cross of Christ and finally lays them down. We do this same thing. We carry emotional baggage that gets heavier with each day we live. This baggage ends up controlling our reactions to life.

Satan rages war with us on the battleground of our mind. He uses our thoughts to infiltrate our soul and to influence our emotions. Then once he controls our mind and emotions, he can also control our will and our actions. This is why Paul encourages us to think only on positive thoughts (Philippians 4:8). In order to get rid of Satan’s negative influence and to think only on positive aspects, we come before the Lord in total surrender and sit quietly and listen to His voice.

Dismissing any distractions, we submit our negative thoughts to God’s microscope and use the principles in Part 1 of this series on Understanding Negative emotions to uncover their root cause. Once we uncover Satan’s lie, we can walk in God’s truth. This allows our emotional baggage to fall away. Sure, we will feel negative emotions again, but they will not be empowered by the pain of our past.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for offering us a way to discard the negative emotions of the past, so we are free to walk in Your freedom and power each day of our life. Help us to concentrate only on whatever is true, righteous, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Help us to live lives that are so full of holiness that the unsaved will see our good works and glorify You (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). Allow Your peace to transport us through any negative circumstance we encounter (Philippians 4:7).

Thought for the Day: Christ in us is our whole life, and we mature to walk in unity with Him. - Colossians 3:4