Prisoner of Hope

Lately, in my spirit, I’ve been sensing that the church needs a steady influx of hope.  My level of faith and love has been off the charts, but my sense of hope is very flimsy.

I asked the Lord, “How can that be?  Don’t faith and hope go hand in hand?  How can you have strong faith and weak hope?”

Then, I heard the Lord say faith and love dwell in your heart, but hope is a mindset.  The state of your hope is governed by your pattern of thinking.  Faith is like the pulsating electric current running through a home, but if you never flip the switch, you’ll never see the manifestation of light.  Hope is the light switch.  Without hope, your faith has nothing to give substance to—for faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1).

Zechariah 9:12 states “Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” Our minds are like a battlefield, and we can build strongholds by the way we think.  This can work both ways—good or bad.

If you are constantly watching the news and listening to negative reports, you can build a stronghold of fear in your mind.  In the same way, when we immerse ourselves in the Word and always look to the good things God is doing in our lives, we build a stronghold of hope and literally become “prisoners of hope.”

That means even when trouble comes and things are looking bad, we can’t escape this fortified city of hope and are fully persuaded God will work it out for our good (Romans 8:28).

That’s why God used the sand in the desert and stars in the sky to illustrate to Abraham how many descendants he would have.  This way, Abraham would have a constant reminder of God’s promise.

Every time Abraham cleaned sand out of his toes, he would be reminded of what God said “And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!” (Gen 13: 16).  Every time Abraham pitched his tent at night to rest, he could look up at the sky and remember what God said: “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” (Gen 15:5).

In a lot of ways, the enemy has usurped our imagination to distract us from the Truth and cause us to take our eyes off Jesus.  This is causing our faith to stagnate and hope to die.  It’s time we take it back!

I pray Ephesians 1:17-23 over us:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
 

Freedom from Self

For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 

--Romans 8:15 (AMP)

The truest kind of freedom you can experience is when you can be totally free from the grip of self.  Letting go of our own wants and needs seems like the most reckless thing one can do.  After all, if we’re not looking after ourselves, who will?  It’s a tricky decision to make because it requires going against the grain of everything we’ve ever known.

We were born in bondage to ourselves.  The driving force embedded in sinful man and this crumbling world system is the consuming desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).  This mindset cheapens life and ultimately spells out emptiness, misery, and destruction.  We were never meant to satisfy ourselves.  

Loving the world’s way sets us at odds with God.  But how can we break free?  We’ve got to go deeper.  Deep within every human being is a God-shaped void.  Our desire to know and have fellowship with God is our deepest, most urgent desire, our reason for being.  Without Him, we’re all just on a road to nowhere, looking for ways to mask our misery, a walking tomb, slowly dying, and fading away in obscurity—hopeless.

In comes Jesus Christ, and with Him, a whole new world of hope and light.  Now, we’ve got a chance.  The only way to have freedom from self and experience real and lasting life is to completely give ourselves to God by way of Jesus Christ.  If we give of ourselves to anything else, it will mean our bondage.  But if we give God our hearts in their entirety, seeking nothing of our own, then God will give Himself freely to us.

When He comes pouring into our lives, in comes purpose, in comes meaning, in comes our brand new identity in Christ.  We can live the way we were always meant to—walking hand-in-hand with our loving Father.

He takes on all the burdens and demands of self, and guess what?  He does a far better job of meeting our needs than we ever could.  He does it right!  He satisfies us to the core.

When we are walking in this kind of supreme satisfaction, knowing God will back us up in every situation, then all we’ve got to do is seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.  Find out what He would have us do—not to earn His approval or strive for His acceptance, but out of a beautiful love relationship that He’s won for us.

“The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.” –John 14:21 (MSG)

When we are free from self, we are free to obey God to the Nth degree.  Fulfillment is finally realized in a true and authentic relationship with God that operates out of faith, hope, and love.

“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.” –John 12:24-25 (MSG)

Take the plunge, go for it!  Declare emancipation from yourself and submit to God.  He’ll transform you from the inside out.

God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.  (Psalm 18:20-24 MSG)

Wisdom: Knowledge and Insight Applied

I asked God for a practical definition of wisdom, and this is what He said:

“Wisdom is knowing what to do and say in any given situation.”

Sounds simple enough, but when actually put into practice, this concept is revolutionary.  Can you imagine what life could be like where no matter what problem arises, no matter what someone does to you, no matter what situation you may find yourself in, you can know with the sharpest clarity and absolute certainty exactly what to do and say?

That would take all the guesswork out of life, all the sleepless nights trying to figure things out, all the senseless worrying.  What’s more, it would totally free our minds up to think in ways we never thought possible.  We could think so much higher than ourselves because we’d no longer be thinking of ourselves.

Walking in wisdom has monumental payoffs:

24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer;

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

28 The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. –Proverbs 30:24-28 AMP

We see from the above scriptures that wisdom causes us to walk in abundance, favor, order, and influence.

Even if you’re on the very bottom of the totem pole, as small as ant, you can live in abundance and always have more than enough in every season.

Even if you are not strong, God’s favor can make you at home in the most inhospitable of places.  God can make a place for you that’s all your own and further will use it to shield and protect you from all of life’s storms.

Even if you don’t have a supervisor breathing down your neck, you will operate in divine order, always on
task and never dilly-dallying.

Even if you are in a very vulnerable position and easy to catch, nobody will be able to pluck you up from your place of prominence.  Your influence can take you all the way to the top in style!

God doesn’t want any of His children to live a defeated life.  He has made this heavenly wisdom available to us, and it all starts with having a personal relationship with Him: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10 KJV).

Fear of the Lord drives out fear of everything else.  When we make decisions with God in mind, taking into consideration what He has to say about it, you can believe our decisions will be dripping with wisdom and truth.

You won’t have to waste time making wrong turns or running into dead-ends; His wisdom will be your ultimate path-finder.  We don’t have to understand everything; we just have to trust Him.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

No Child Left Behind

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

--Romans 8:14

There is an ongoing battle within every believer: two competing desires that determine the course of our lives.  It’s a life-or-death situation.  Following one leads to death.  However, following the other leads to real and genuine life! (See Romans 8:6)

It seems like a no-brainer to choose life, but if you don’t know how to dispel the other desire, then you’ll become its slave.  You’ll mindlessly follow the dictates of your flesh, and you’ll become imprisoned in your own mind.  You’ll end up doing things you know are wrong, but are simply unable to do what you know is right.  It’s a life of frustration and defeat.

This is where free will comes in.  The enemy tries to deceive us to think that there’s no way out of our sinful desires, that we don’t have a choice: we’re trapped.  But the truth is we can make a decision at any point to follow the prompting and leadership of the Holy Spirit.  And it’s the best decision we’ll ever make!

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.  They live in true freedom and total peace.  There’s no guilt or shame, no confusion or worry.  You won’t be constantly wondering if you’re on the right track; you’ll just trust God and know that with Him in the driver’s seat, you’re headed in the right direction!

God is full of Grace, mercy, and compassion, and He’s much too kind to show us the destination without also sending our own personal Guide to help us get there.  There’s simply no reason we can’t live a victorious, overcoming life while we’re in transit to our true home in Heaven.  We have a legal right to win every time.  Even when it looks like we’ve lost, in God’s playbook, He’ll work all things out for our good.
So how can we live this victorious, God-kind of life?

First things first, we must realize that we have no obligation whatsoever to do what our carnal nature urges us to do (Romans 8:12).  If you are on the road and someone cuts you off, your carnal nature might urge you to yell out a cuss word or make a rude gesture, but you’ve got to understand that’s not who you are anymore.  You are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Carnal Christians are slaves to their circumstances.  They live in reaction to what they see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.  But a Spirit-filled believer who is operating from his new divine nature as a son of God follows whatever the Spirit of God prompts him to do.

In the previous example, the Holy Spirit might urge you to pray for that person who cut you off or just let it go and move on.  When you begin to see yourself the way God sees you: as a child of God, an extension of God Himself, then all that is inconsistent with God’s nature becomes irrelevant and erroneous.  No matter what happens, no matter what situation you may find yourself in, you know who you are and you know whose you are.  You are a child of the Most High God and you’ve got His cosmic back-up!

It’s the richest kind of life.  You don’t have to live life riddled with fear and guilt, or drown in an endless stream of baseless questions.  You can be satisfied and whole, pure and blameless.  If you trust God, if you know that He’ll never ask you to do something that will violate your conscience or cause you ultimate harm, then it becomes quite reasonable to obey Him.  And, oh, how the blessings will flow!

The biggest and best blessing of all is knowing that you have a solid relationship with Love Himself.  He becomes your source for everything, your reason for being.  There’s not a single idle or dull moment in a life with God in the lead.

We serve a God who is worthy of our total trust.  He gave His All for us, so we could have the chance to give our all to Him.  He gives us beauty for our brokenness and rivers of joy for our tears of hopelessness.        

A Spirit-led life gets brighter and brighter.  And it all starts with a quality decision. Say no to the flesh, and say yes to Jesus.  Don’t worry about tomorrow and never look back!

When Two Worlds Collide

18-20 Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

--Ephesians 5:18-20

God’s love is eternal, and when we cultivate that love, working it into every aspect of our daily lives, that’s when Heaven meets earth and two worlds collide.  That’s when everything you do is permeated with a rich sense of purpose—whether you’re making lemonade for your family or doing your job with excellence out of love for our Heavenly Father, everything, just everything done in selfless, unconditional, agape love has eternal value.

But how can this be accomplished on a moment-by-moment basis?  It goes against the grain of the world’s way of thinking.  The carnal nature is only interested in doing that which will satisfy itself.  Living a life of love requires us to become transcendent above ourselves.  We’ve got to come up higher, but how?

The above scripture gives us a vital clue.  It says not to drink too much wine, but instead drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of Him!  When someone is drinking wine, the mindset behind it is to seek pleasure—to find an escape from an unsatisfying life.  It seems perfectly innocent on the surface, but the only problem is wine can’t satisfy you on the inside.  All it does is provide some temporary relief, then it makes you pay twice as much as it costs by leaving you hung over and even more empty.

That’s not the kind of wine God would have us drink.  He wants to fill us to overflowing and empower us to do the impossible.  He wants to come on the scene.  One of the ways we can usher in His Presence is by singing songs of worship straight from our hearts.  The Holy Spirit will guide our worship and take us straight into the heart of God.  This is how we can “drink God” and become filled to overflowing.

When we’re filled with God’s Spirit, all those other selfish desires are banished away.  He takes over and makes our lives a song to God.  As we delight in all the attributes of the Father, He puts His desires in our hearts and simultaneously works on our behalf to fulfill them (Psalm 37:4).  His Spirit goes ahead of us and shows us which direction to take.

When you’re drunk with wine, you stagger and stammer, but when you’re filled with God’s Spirit, you’re steady and coherent.  Everything becomes perfectly clear.  Even if you don’t know all the details, you’re not leaning on your own knowledge; you’re leaning on the only One who truly does know it all.   He was there from the very beginning:

1-2 First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

3 God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared.  God saw that light was good and separated light from dark (Genesis 1:1-3 MSG).

When we listen to the voice of God’s Spirit in our lives, He speaks light into our situation.  The Light of Jesus Christ shines into our very souls and restores us from the inside out.  All the damage caused by living in darkness is brought to light and properly addressed by the blood of Jesus and power of God.

Our lives are shaped by our choices.  We have a choice, we can yield to the world’s way or yield to God every day of our lives in every situation.  We can choose to believe what we perceive or what the Word of God says.

People with a chemical dependency are always thinking about their next fix.  They’re desperate for it.  That’s how we should be about the Holy Spirit.  A dependency on anything other than God’s Spirit is our bondage, but a dependency on God means total freedom for us.  He’s the only One who’s truly worthy of our total trust and dependence.

Furthermore, God’s Spirit is the One who produces the fruit of love inside us.  A life totally yielded to the Spirit will cause us to override our carnal desires and do exactly as the Spirit wills, which is the ultimate form of satisfaction.  The Holy Spirit makes us holy and gives us the power to understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep God’s love for us really is (Ephesians 3:18).

There’s no hope for us in and of ourselves.  But when we give the Lord access to our hearts and give Him free rein in our lives, two worlds collide, and we will literally experience Heaven on earth!

I’m Not Scared, I’m Satisfied

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)

Some of the slickest, most subtle weapons the enemy uses to slip into our minds and destroy us from the inside out are the spirit of fear and worry.  If he can program your mind to be constantly worrying and afraid of every move you make, then he might as well go on vacation and leave you be, for you’ll self-destruct.

One way the devil compels us to worry is by deceiving us to think that if you are not worried, then you don’t care.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A person who truly cares will place the issue in the Hands of the only One who can do something about it.

Imagine you have a sick baby and you know a skilled doctor who can take care of that baby.  Would a caring parent try to fix the baby himself by freaking out over the situation or would he release that baby into the doctor’s care to do what needs to be done?

There is no one better skilled than our Awesome God to handle any and every issue that arises in our lives.  When we worry and stress out, we’re taking matters into our own hands, and we usually make a mess of things.  But when we cast our care on the Lord, He takes it upon Himself to move on our behalf.

I used to be addicted to worrying.  Even if I didn’t have anything to worry about per se, I would try to look for things to worry about to occupy my mind.  Then, when everything would turn out ok, I would accredit it all to my deep concern over the matter.  What senseless arrogance.

Thankfully, as I matured in my relationship with Jesus Christ, God began to teach me how to let the Holy Spirit guide my thinking.  He showed me that my mind was spinning out of control, and it was robbing me of what He wanted to do in the present moment.

All we really have is this present moment, and that’s where God lives.  He is I AM, not “I was” or “I will be.”  He has something He wants to show you right now.  But if we’re fretting about the past or worrying about the future, then there’s a disconnect between our souls and our spirits, and we’ll miss it.

Worse, worry is an expression of a lack of trust towards God, our loving Father.  If He takes care of the itty, bitty sparrows, how can we possibly think He won’t take care of us?  It’s insulting to God to give into the spirit of worry—it’s just plain evil.

Fortunately, the Bible gives us a wonderful, sure-fire antidote to this deadly virus.  Philippians chapter 4 tells us to replace worrying with prayer.
 
”But I don’t know how to pray,” you might say.  That’s ok, just ask God to show you.  I don’t think anyone really knows how to pray, but that’s why God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers, that’s when the power comes in!  That’s when prayer becomes effortless.  I used to wonder how it could be possible to pray unceasingly according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  Why would God want us to do that?  Doesn’t He want us to have jobs, and go to school, and talk to unbelievers?  How can you be doing all that and still be praying at the same time?

It works much the same way stress does.  You can be stressed out and still be doing your job or having a conversation with someone.  In the same way, we can be totally yielded to the Spirit of God and do all the things He’s called us to do.  The only difference is giving in to stress and fear will lead to your destruction, while giving in to the Holy Spirit will lead to life and peace! (See Romans 8:6)

The Holy Spirit will always place Jesus front and center in our lives.  With Jesus at the center, everything else just falls into place.  Instead of being consumed with fear, you’ll be overwhelmed with satisfaction.  You’ll be right where you need to be all the time.  You’ll speak words of life and laugh with joy instead of complaining or yelling out curses.  Instead of being tossed about like a wave in the ocean, you’ll rise above the storm.

God is for you not against you.  So, with Him on my side, I’m not scared; I’m satisfied.
 

Secret Identity

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

--Colossians 3:1-4  (NLT)

Have you ever felt very out of place, like you just didn’t belong somewhere?  Chances are you’re not thinking in the right context or from the right perspective.

Let’s say you’re a multi-billionaire.  You’ve got more money than you know what to do with, but then what?  Are you truly satisfied deep within?  It may make you comfortable, it may reduce the stress of having to make ends meet, and it may allow you to acquire some fleeting pleasures, but in the end, money can’t satisfy our souls.

Let’s take it the other way.  What if you’re absolutely in the pits career-wise?  What if you’re at the bottom of the bottom without any hope of climbing the ranks?  Does that make you any less of a human being?  Are you really going to spend the rest of your life bitter about not achieving something that could never satisfy you anyway?  

The truth is every born-again believer has a secret identity, so to speak.  Our real lives are hidden in Christ.  We tend to tie our identity to the circumstances we’re in, but that’s all wrong.  If you truly know who you are in Christ, then your circumstances will begin to shift around you.

Look at Rahab as a case in point (see Joshua 2).  She was living as a prostitute, circumstances God certainly would not have approved of.  But she had something that made her very unique in God’s eyes: she had faith in Him.  Her faith in God propelled her to help the Israelite spies coming to scout the land God was giving to His chosen people.

As a result, she and her whole family were spared from destruction.  What’s more, she went on to become a link in the ancestral chain of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Don’t tell me God can’t turn things around when you put all your trust and faith in Him alone.  Rahab wasn’t even a Jew, yet her faith made a way for her to be grafted into God’s family tree.  Stop allowing your circumstances to define you; let God do that.

You are valuable to Him.  He gave His only begotten Son to die for you.  He gave His All to have a relationship with you.  And what are we living for?  If you’re living for finite things, then you’re getting ripped off.  

33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:33-34 AMP).

Inner Stillness (A Sea of Glass Inside)

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

--Revelation 15:2 (KJV)

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful…do you want to know how to make yourself attractive to God?  This is quite possibly the ultimate beauty secret.  Ready? Here goes!

But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4 AMP).

God is teaching me something very important: the delicate and masterful art of being quiet.  Not so much in the way of not talking as much (although it includes that too), but more so in quieting my soul (mind, will, and emotions) and opening up to His Spirit more than ever before.

This does not mean being lazy, dull, or boring.  No, not in the least.  This is life in the Spirit—it’s fresh and exciting, full of adventure and wonder!  The Origin of beauty will give you beauty for ashes.  He will unfold mysteries to you and share with you the secrets of His covenant.  He will expand your mind and bring with Him a realm of limitless possibilities.  He will replace a life of pressures with a life of pleasures forevermore.   That’s just what His manifold Love and Presence does.

God certainly wants us to be passionate, but we must first be still and know that He is Lord.  How many of you already know that misguided passions can do a lot of damage?  Saul of Tarsus was a passionate man…like a hurricane.  In his zeal, he viciously persecuted the body of Christ, and Jesus definitely took it personally:

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:3-5 NLT).

When he got quiet enough to hear God’s voice, this same man became Paul, the Apostle, who was used mightily for the Lord—to spread the Gospel of Grace to the gentile world.

It’s important to recognize that inner stillness cannot be realized in our own strength.  A lot of us already know that.  In this current culture, we’re so busy all the time.  Every minute has to be filled with some sort of activity or noise.  It produces impatience and frustration, which ultimately leads to stress, burn-out, and senseless mistakes.  We’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off—expending lots of energy and accomplishing nothing (at least nothing of eternal value).  I believe this is actually a strategy the enemy uses to keep us so distracted, we’ll miss out on God’s plan for our lives.

Not to worry though, the devil has nothing on the wisdom of God.  We can definitely get to a place of inner stillness and tune in to the voice of God.  It takes two key essentials:

1. Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8) and
2. The power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)

If you’ve got these two, you’re set for life (and eternity too!).  The good news is both are gifts from God, so there’s no sweat on our part!

This is how we can have a sea of glass mingled with fire deep inside us.  By faith we enter God’s rest, the stillness and security of being in His presence and totally trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  He’ll lead us beside still waters.  No matter what’s going on in the natural, inside we are so calm, cool, and collected as steady as a sea of glass.  At the same time, we are mingled with fire.  When the Holy Spirit comes in, He sets us on fire!  What unadulterated bliss.

Totally yielded to the Spirit, we can carry out the will of the Father down to the last detail.  As a result, we’ll experience total satisfaction in this life and the one to come.  This is so beautiful to God.  This is how He wants our hearts—a sea of glass mingled with fire.

If you are experiencing any issues in life, please take a moment to examine your heart.  Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts (Proverbs 4:23 MSG).  Allow God to take control, and He’ll lead you down the right path for your life.  If you are bitter, He’ll make you sweet.  If you are worried, He’ll calm you down.  If you are going through some unbearable circumstance, He’ll turn it around for your good.  But He’ll only do that for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Stay in love and listen for His call to find out what He wants you to do.  Lose your life for Him and you’ll find it.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

The Joy of Faith

21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

--John 16:21-24 (NLT)

Life with Jesus is a joyful life.  For my brothers and sisters in Christ out there, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  For anyone who is still in that process of deciding to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, keep reading!

The joy that comes from placing faith in Jesus Christ is something we’ll carry for the rest of our lives and on into eternity.  No matter how bad it gets in this world, no one can rob us of this joy!  No matter how good it gets, we still know the best, most valuable thing we've got is the sheer joy and eternal life that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

There’s only one way human life enters this world, by being born of a woman.  In the same way, there’s only one way to our Father in Heaven, and His name is Jesus Christ.  I’m not being closed-minded, just speaking the Truth—the most loving thing one can do.  The Truth is God loves us so much, He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

It’s very important to recognize Jesus is the only way.  But even if you don’t, if you are still open and willing to give Him a chance, He’ll come flooding into your life, changing everything about it for the better…and sooner or later, you’ll come to the sound conclusion that Jesus truly is the only way!

As Jesus was preparing to enter His passion and make the ultimate sacrifice, this is a portion of the prayer He prayed right before He was arrested: And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts] (John 17:13 AMP).

Joy is a very powerful thing.  It enables us to do things that might otherwise be impossible.  Nehemiah 8:10 states: Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!  If you allow the devil or your own wrong mindset to steal this amazing joy God has given us, you’ll immediately be sapped of your strength.

This will not only cause you to live in misery, but will also halt the advancement of the Kingdom of God, which should be our first and main priority (Matthew 6:33).

What’s more, joy is one of the highest forms of faith.  Are you disappointed about the way something turned out?  Let God have the final say about the matter.  Find out what His Word says, because His Word trumps the circumstance!  Do you really think that situation can stand up to what God has to say about it?  When God said “Let there be light,” did the darkness put up a fight?  Nope, darkness fled.  Stay in the Word, stay in the Light.

Don’t waste time getting caught in a tizzy.  Calm yourself and allow God’s joy unspeakable and full of glory to come pouring forth, ushering in a new wave of boldness, strength, and confidence that God will see you through to the end.  Don’t wait till the battle’s over, shout now!  If you’ve got Jesus, you’re on the winning side!

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!

Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

Glory down all the generations!

Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!    (Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG)
   

Gentle Giant

Ever since I first got saved, I’ve always been intrigued by the Holy Spirit, yet He remained such a mystery to me.

Jesus is like my best friend; I can tell Him anything, anytime, and always run into His arms for refuge.  God, the Father, is my Daddy who gives me such peace and whom I have nothing but the utmost respect for.

But how does one become intimately connected to the Holy Spirit?  He’s sweet and sensitive, kind and gentle.  At the same time, He’s this dynamic force of power that can totally zap you!

I know a lot of people (myself included) misunderstand Him.  To the uninformed onlooker, people who are completely yielded to the Spirit might seem crazy, weird, and off their rockers.

But the truth is the Holy Spirit brings a divine, beautiful, and rich order everywhere He goes.  He’s so good, He can bring order in a way that seems chaotic.  Being controlled by the Spirit is being totally free.  Totally free to be totally submitted.  See what I mean?  It’s hard to understand, but it’s true all the same.  

God gave absolute power to absolute purity.  The Holy Spirit brings with Him a realm of unlimited possibility, unlimited wisdom, unlimited potential.  In our finite world, how can we relate to One such as this?

But thank the Lord, He gives us His Spirit freely and without measure (John 3:34).  Do you want to know the great secret to accessing the things of God?  Simple! Just receive it!  Take it by faith.  Believe God is who He says He is, and He will reward you when you earnestly seek Him.

When Jesus arose from the dead, He came to the disciples and gave them this long awaited gift: Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said (John 20:22).

The disciples didn’t have to do a laundry list of tasks before receiving…then it would no longer be a gift.  They just received this amazing and beautiful gift by relaxing and letting Jesus do all the work! As a result, they were totally transformed from the inside out!        

When you want to give someone you really love a really special gift, do you go and hide it in the depths of the ocean and say “Ok, I’ve got your gift for you, but you have to go on a long and arduous journey to find it!”?

That’s just ridiculous!  If anything, you’ll hand deliver the gift yourself and make sure you’re there to see that person’s face when he gets it.  

If you want to go deeper with God, the best way to do it is to enlarge your capacity to receive from Him and just relax.  You’re not being greedy or demanding.  You’re being humble and totally surrendered.

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:14 MSG).

True Humility Roots Out Self-Righteousness & Pride

If there is anything that is truly icky, gross to God, it is that horrid monster of self-righteousness which is rooted in pride (Isaiah 64:6).  And there is no place for it in the new-covenant believer who is a recipient of the most beautiful Grace made available by the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, King Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Pride is a killer.  It literally destroys souls and cuts one off from God, which is the worst kind of death there is.

False humility, too, is rooted in pride, and its results are quite the same.

But true humility prepares you for all sorts of honors (Proverb 29:23).  This is the way to the Tree of Life, to enjoy the riches of God’s Grace and sit at the feet of Jesus forever, getting blessed and blessed and blessed and blessed.

I’m so blessed to know Him!  What an honor!  The God who created the universe, the very King of Glory, wants to have a rich relationship with me??  Does He even know who I was?  Does He know the kind of thoughts that have crossed my mind?  Or the types of words that have come out of my mouth?

Thank God for His Blood which cleanses my soul.  Thank God for His mercy which begins afresh each day.  Thank God for His love which totally disarms me and causes me to rest in security no matter what!

Don’t imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven’t had a bath in weeks (Proverb 30:12 MSG).  We see by this scripture that self-righteous pride is built on some sort of deception.

I asked the Lord, “Is there any way to prevent prideful thinking?”

He said, “Oh yes, you must have a passionate love affair with Truth.”

Strong words for Truth, huh?  But there is so much wisdom in them.  If you only know Truth in your head and not in your heart, then it won’t change a thing!  And what is Truth supposed to be anyway?  How can you know the Truth let alone have a passionate love affair with it?

In Pilate’s discourse with Jesus, they touched on this matter:

37 Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”

Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”

38-39 Pilate said, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-39 MSG)

The best way to know the Truth is to know the Person of Truth, Jesus Christ.  The best way to get to know Him is to listen to His voice through the Word of God.

Just open up the Bible and be open and receptive to whatever He wants to show you.  The more you get to know Him, the more you want to know Him.  The Truth can stir up so much passion inside you that you actually can have a love relationship with Truth!

Astonished by Grace

8 Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!

--Matthew 5:8 (AMP)

My one, increasingly desperate desire is to see God in all His Glory, to gaze upon His endless beauty, to worship and adore Him forever and ever.  According to the above scripture, in order to do so, we must have a pure heart.

“But how is that accomplished?” one might ask.  It’s so simple, we often miss it.  We must stay connected to this amazing Grace that totally envelopes us and carries us from one season to the next, day in and day out for the rest of our natural lives here on earth and then on into eternity.

This Grace has revolutionized my life.  The Amplified version of the above scripture says that we can be “conditioned by the revelation of His Grace.”  One of the definitions for being “conditioned” is “to be made suitable for a given purpose.”

Isn’t that perfect?!  Not a single one of us can accomplish our God-given purpose and divine destiny without a revelation of God’s endless Grace.  It certainly takes Grace to live in a world where people can do you so wrong, where we can wrong each other, and worst of all, where we can wrong our Most Holy God…and still only by the power of His Magnificent Grace can we make it through totally scot-free! What a God, what a God, what a God! Somebody help me, what a God!!!

His compassion humbles me. This Grace was displayed in the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is Grace personified.

Fight to stay in love.  Fight to keep its commands. Fight the good fight of faith.  Stay intimately connected to Christ through faith.

Don’t get burned out working in your own strength.  You’ll wither up and fall away.

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  (Matt 11:28-30 MSG) 

A Message for the Body of Christ

Tongues and Interpretation for the Body of Christ:

"You are My chosen vessel for My Holy Spirit.  I will never lead you astray; you can trust Me.  You will operate in My Shekinah Glory.  The devil will flee from you, keep seeking Me.  Never lose hope.  Hold on to My Word and My promises.  You never have to worry or fear, for I am with you and I love you dearly.  I will warn My children ahead of time what danger awaits them.  I will divert storms that destroy.  I won't let your faith be snuffed out.  I love you."

Praise Is the Secret to Patience

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].

--Hebrews 12:11 (AMP)

Right now, the Lord is taking me through a season of patient endurance.  He’s whispered so many things to my heart and I believe Him 100%, but He’s asking me to wait on Him.

Of course, my flesh wants to throw a fit.  I started thinking, why is God asking me to do something so hard?? He drops a bomb shell on me, then tells me to do nothing about it.

Then God said, “I didn’t tell you to do nothing.  I told you to be patient.”

Feeling a little silly for pitching a fit, I told God I’m sorry and just started worshiping Him, not to get anything, not to make Him move on my behalf—just worshiping Him for Him.

He’s so awesome, He gives me something anyway.  He told me so calmly, “Praise is the secret to patience.”

I’m beginning to see how right He is.  We often make the mistake of judging our worth and value by the circumstances we’re in.  But God doesn’t see it that way.  When He looks at us, He sees the Son He gave up for us.  God gave up the most valuable thing He has for us.  Do you think He will withhold anything else?  He just wants to have a relationship with us and show us how much He loves us. 

The Bible says to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).  It doesn’t say to rejoice in the state of your bank account or the kind of car you drive or anything else.  He tells us to rejoice in the Lord. Whether you’re on a mountain top, coasting on a plateau, or deep in a valley, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

We can rejoice in any situation, in any emotional condition, any time, & any place! As long as we have breath, we can praise the Lord.  I think this example in Acts 16 paints the perfect picture of what prayer and praise can do:

²⁵ Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! ²⁷ The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.³⁰ Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 

--Acts 16:25-31

I think this is so amazing.  You can get in a state of praise and worship that is so good, you come to a point where you really don’t care what happens in the natural.  You’re right where you need to be: arms lifted high and totally satisfied.

Even though the prison doors flew open and their chains fell off, Paul and Silas still stayed right where they were!  Even more astounding, the other prisoners did too! And the jailer and his family got saved to boot!

I’m convinced God will never lead me in harm’s way unless He’s already given me the victory for it.  That’s why we can always praise Him in every season.  Nothing is impossible with God.  There’s not a single problem in the world He can’t solve with His goodness and Grace.

Go ahead, you know you want to: let’s give a big Hallelujah to our Awesome King!!!  

Is God Your Sidekick Or Your Superhero?

It’s strange, isn’t it? How when we first give our lives to Christ, He’s our Superhero and we know that we’ll always be safe in His arms.  But then what?  How do we incorporate this vast, amazing, invincible Superhero into our daily lives?

Do we even really know what comes next?  A lot of times, we try to invent our own mission and then ask God to tag along and be our sidekick.  That is so out of whack, it’s not even funny.

The truth is: God is thinking so much farther down the road than we are and of course He has an amazing plan for us!  How could He not? Do you think a God who created the whole universe, who has a purpose for everything from the smallest worm to the great big whale could possibly not have a wonderful, rich, and beautiful purpose for us, His prized creation?!  (See Jeremiah 29:11)

I’m not writing this to condemn anybody.  God created us to have goals and dreams and to want to pursue the things that He’s promised us.  He definitely encourages us to keep pressing on to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).  I’m mainly writing to make sure we get the order right.

Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  Have you ever found yourself delighting in the desires instead?  When that happens, we are already setting ourselves up for extreme disappointment.  Even if we get what we desire, it will never even come close to comparing with our amazing Lord and is sure to disappoint.

God knows exactly what we need and what is best for us.  He’s definitely worthy of our total trust.  You don’t need a back-up plan when you’re trusting in God! Psalm 25:3 states: No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Let’s stop fooling ourselves, and start trusting God!  Whatever problem you’re going through or whatever dream you’re trying to attain is easy for God.  I’m sure none of us doubt He can take care of it with the snap of His fingers.  But even more importantly than that, He wants to build our faith which is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7).

I think God wants to do it all.  He wants to be our Superhero, our Sidekick, the cool bat-mobile, provide every single one of those fancy gadgets in the utility belt, smash the bad guys, and ride off into the sunset with us!  And all we have to do is have faith in Him and join Him along for the ride.  Not too shabby right?  That’s how good our God is!  And that’s why we can always delight in Him no matter what!!  

Take the Limits off God

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

--Matthew 5:14-15(NLT)

Have you ever wondered why there are Christians (myself included at times) who are just as depressed, discouraged, and defeated as the rest of the world?  According to the above scripture, they might be putting their light under a basket.

Do you know any basket-case Christians out there?  In the Greek, that word for “basket” can also be translated as a “bushel” or a unit of dry measure.  This scripture indicates that we can dim the light within by measuring or limiting God by the way we think.

A believer with an unrenewed mind is like an eaglet that grows up in a chicken coop.  While that precious little eaglet has everything within him to soar in heights the chickens have never dreamed of, he never will as long as he perceives, thinks, and acts like a chicken!

However, there is a way to break out of our old way of thinking and totally take the limits off God.   

John 3:34 states: 34 For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!   

God has given us His Holy Spirit without measure, so we can live the victorious, overcoming lives we were destined for—the God kind of life!

Romans 8:5-6 states: 5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

God loves us tremendously and longs to share His thoughts with us, but He is the ultimate gentlemen.  He will never force His way into your mind and make you think about Him, His Word, and the things of God.  We must freely yield to the Holy Spirit.

If we can submit our minds to sin—worry, lustful thoughts, fear, stress, & negativity, why shouldn’t we just as easily be able to submit our minds to the Holy Spirit Who is far more powerful than sin and the things of the devil?

I encourage everyone and myself every day to take the limits off God and allow His Word and His Spirit to dominate our minds.  You don’t need a theological degree or masters in divinity to be able to do this.  It’s the right of every believer, from the least to the greatest!  It’s who you are.  You have a new divine nature within; you are a believer and a LIGHT to this dark and hopeless world.

When we yield to the Holy Spirit in our minds and hearts, we are removing the “basket” and will truly shine just as we are.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

Foundation of Our Faith

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

—1 Corinthians 3:10-11

Since our church is in the market for a building, I believe God put these verses on my heart as an encouragement to remind us of what our building will be built on—the true foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ.

In this portion of scripture, Paul begins by pointing out the source of his devotion to building the church—God’s amazing Grace.  You know anything that starts with God’s Grace has got to turn out good!  Stop trying to do works in the flesh and freely receive the Grace God has made available to us.  That’s where it all begins.  We can’t live a godly life on our own.  Once we receive God’s Grace, then we’ll be equipped and empowered to do great exploits for the Lord.

Additionally, operating under God’s Grace draws others to help us in our mission to build the church.  However, Paul does warn us that whoever is building the church has to “be very careful.” 

What does that mean exactly?  According to Strong’s concordance, that word in the Greek can also mean: to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, or gaze at.  The next question that arises: what are we supposed to be looking at? 

The very next verse gives us the answer: For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 

It’s so vitally important to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Then, whatever we build on top will not topple easily because it was built on our true cornerstone, the Rock of Jesus Christ.

But you might be wondering:  In a world filled with distractions and issues, how do we keep our eyes on Jesus?  Even if we’re looking at Jesus, can we really see Who He is? 

No, not really.  Not without some major help from a wonderful Helper.

Matthew 16:15-19 states:

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” 

In the above verses, we learn that the church is built on revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Also, Jesus points out that we can’t get a revelation from flesh and blood; we need God’s help to reveal the true identity and Person of Jesus.  Furthermore, He gives us the keys (or authority) to open heaven and lock up hell on earth!

Let’s give a huge shout out to the Holy Spirit!  There’s really no way to function in God’s will or to participate in His work without the help of the Holy Spirit.  God operates in a divine order: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The only way to the Father is through Jesus (John 14:6), and the only way to see Jesus and the things of God is by revelation from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward, but at the end of the day, They all point back to Jesus!  One of the Holy Spirit’s main (and favorite) functions is to empower us to make a place for Jesus to dwell in our hearts (Eph 3:16-17).  Likewise, it’s the Father’s heart to give all the authority and glory to Jesus (Eph 1:10 & John 17:24).

The more we adore Jesus, learn about His attributes through His Word, and get to know Him as a Person, the stronger our foundation will be and the stronger our faith will be.  Our building can rise higher and higher into the sky with boldness!   We can rest assured that there are no fault lines in our Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  All praises to our King! 

Living By His Promises

The Lord asked me: “What’s the difference between my law and my promises?” 

After thinking about it for a good minute and a half, I said “I don’t know Lord, what is the difference?” 

He said “My law puts all the pressure on you to fulfill it, but my promises put all the pressure on Me.  Which do you prefer?”

Without skipping a beat, I said “Your promises, Lord!  Definitely Your promises!”

He said, “Good, that’s how I want it!”

If there’s one thing I’m certain of in these troubling times, it’s that God is faithful.  He will never waver or go back on His Word.  I thank the Lord He does not speak idle words or make empty promises.  His promises are pregnant with Life and fervor.  When God says something, you can bank on it!  It’s a done deal!

The best part of all is that God wants to fulfill all of His promises in our lives:

“Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete” (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 MSG).

I've firmly resolved that I want to live by His promises and make His Word the final authority in my life.  Now, whenever we decide to believe the Truth, our faith will be tested.  The devil always comes like a thief in the night to snatch the Word away from us.  Sometimes, it seems when we decide to put our faith in God, all hell breaks loose. 

Can I just say: so what?!  God is still God and His Word is still true! In those times when the Word is being tested in your life, just keep standing firm in the Word.  Don’t worry about what it looks like, you’re on solid ground.  

Ephesians 6:13 states “Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].”

Romans chapter 4 says Abraham hoped against hope.

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”

We are believers, so let’s start believing! Crack open your bible just like the woman with the alabaster jar (Mark 14) and let the rich aroma of God’s unquenchable Word perfume your mind and transform your life! 

True Holiness Attained through Sonship

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God—who chose you to be His children—is holy.  For He Himself has said, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” –1 Peter 1:15-16

I love this scripture because it shows us how to walk in true holiness: “Be holy because I am holy.”  Why would God tell us to do something we cannot do?  Or to be something we cannot be?  He would not.  He cannot.  To do so would be unjust, and God is just.  God does not ask us to do anything without first giving us the power and provision to do it.

Ephesians 1:4-5 reveals God’s heart: “Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.  And this gave Him great pleasure.”

This scripture reveals He chose us in Christ to be holy.  So being positioned in Christ is the key.  In Him, we are holy.  In John 15:5, Jesus says “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.”  When we make room for Jesus in our hearts, when we recognize our true identity in Christ and yield to the Holy Spirit, we will do wondrous works for the Lord.  This will bring Him great glory.

You might still struggle with sin, but that’s not who you are anymore.  We are the righteousness of God in Christ!  Sometimes, we might slip back into our old way of life, but don’t be despondent.  All we have to do is put it behind us, and keep pressing on toward Jesus.  He has already made a way for us through the shedding of His blood.  Philippians 2:13 says “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.” 

It’s not about trying our hardest not to live in sin; it’s all about hungering for Jesus and the things of God so passionately that we’re not even conscious of sin or trying to keep the law.  Don’t let the enemy deceive you, and don’t live in condemnation.  Just remain in Christ and watch Him transform you from the inside out. 

The devil is not afraid of a carnal Christian who’s driven by fleshly desires and who’s so weighed down by guilt and shame, he can’t receive his inheritance from God.  No, the devil is afraid of a Spirit-filled believer who is equipped with the arsenal of God’s Word and who is so full of God, there is no room for anything else!

When God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, He said: “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him.” What is the first thing the enemy tried to question when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness?  “If thou are the Son of God…” (Matt 4:3).  Notice, the devil carefully omitted the word “beloved.”

The enemy is always trying to make us question our sonship and take God’s love out of the equation.  This spirit of sonship attained by faith in Jesus Christ produces such a bold confidence inside us that the enemy will flee from us in terror!  He doesn’t know how to fight someone who is secure in God’s love.  Even the sinful desires lingering in our own earthly flesh must bow the knee to God’s all-consuming love.

Yield to God and allow His life to flow through you.  As we do, the very Person of Jesus Christ is being expressed and glorified through us.  It’s not about us and our inability.  God already knows apart from Him we can do nothing.  But with Christ, we can do all things.  Life with Jesus gives birth to all manner of possibility.

Our position in Christ makes all the difference.  “Be holy because I am holy,” says the Lord.  Be holy. We are not holy in and of ourselves.  We are holy because God is holy and His life is inside of us.  We are holy because God loves us and chose us in Christ to be holy and to be His very own children.

If you don’t see yourself as a beloved son of God, then you need to find out who you are in Christ.  Let His Word have the final say in your life—let it be the ultimate authority regardless of what you see on the outside, for the bible says “the just shall live by faith.”  When you build your life on the Rock—Jesus Christ, the Truth of God’s Word, then you cannot easily be shaken.  Come hell or high water, you know who you are.

We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  The old things have passed away and a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Let us shed off our old evil nature as we would shrug off an old raggedy coat, and let us robe ourselves with the righteousness of Christ in all its supreme elegance.  Let us make a place in our hearts for Christ to rule and reign!  Let Jesus be the center and watch everything else fall into place.