UNITY – Key to Victory (Part 3)

1 Corinthians 1:10; Matthew 18:18-20; Ephesians 4:13 – – – [I ask that you read these passages…]

Let us pick up where we left off yesterday and dig a little deeper into this subject, which I consider to be revolutionary in our spiritual walk, work, and warfare!  I want us to consider some of the things that Gideon did that will be of benefit to us today:

He Worshipped through Prayer.

I have always said, “Never pray just to pray.”  I believe that we should pray to be “heard of and hear God.”  It is both communion and communication not just a religious exercise to salve our consciences.

When you are not walking in the plan that God has designed for you, you are often and usually miserable!  No amount of money, recognition, or so-called success will satisfy that longing inside of you!  But, to know what His plan is you must “communicate” and “commune” with Hm. 

It is important to always remember that it is God’s Desire to talk to you!  We just need to remove the clutter of busyness.  I like what the prophet Jeremiah had to say: “Call unto Me and I WILL…” (33:3) First, He will answer, but it goes so much further than that because He is the I AM THAT I AM!

As Gideon prayed, God spoke a Rhema Word to him!  It was a specific, explicit word for a specific time in a specific situation. That is how God operates.  He is not vague or hard to understand.  He is crystal clear when we clear away the clutter of busyness and Listen! 

I am convinced that God has a word for each of us today in our present situation.  He does not want to go through somebody else to bring that word to you He wants to communicate directly and personally with you!  He will often confirm that word through others and events, but He desires to have your attention and speak to you!  If you go back to Genesis, you will find that God is a “speaking God” and as Jesus and Paul advised, we can come boldly before the Throne of Grace and ask…

Gideon Heard a Word from the Lord.

THE WORD TO GIDEON: “Arise, for the Lord has delivered into your hands the hosts of Midian.”  That is a Now Word for Gideon.  It was a direct word that inspired confidence and it was a promise made by God Himself to this man.  The word was “You Win!”  Gideon’s response was, “I receive that, and He acted upon the Word of God.”

I am convinced that one of the reasons that many do not make more progress as individuals and as corporate bodies is that they are not “hearing what God is saying right now” to them. 

Another possibility is they hear but either do not heed or hold on to that Word.  If God gives you a Word of guidance and direction, hold on to it and allow it to become the driving force in your life and vision.  It just could be that the reason that Matthew 18:19 is not working for you right now is that you need to “hear what God is saying right now” in your life and situation. 

Once you have that Word, find somebody to come into “agreement” with concerning what God is Now Saying in your life.  I am not talking about what you would like God to say, but what God actually says!  I am not talking about your desires, but God’s actual direction.  It may not be what you would have preferred but if God says it, you can take it to the bank!

Another caution: “We cannot speak the same thing (agree) unless we hear from God.”  It is imperative that we “only” speak what God is saying not what we want God to say!

Gideon spoke what he Heard God Said.

Gideon had a Word from the LORD and as a result, he went to the army and said: “When I say, the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon, you say, the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”  In other words, “say the same thing.” 

That is one of the reasons that God had him send so many away!  The doubters and fearful would have polluted the Word with their interpretation of the situation and what should be done.  They would have prevented the miracle!  They would have not fully obeyed the Word!  That is why you do not need multitudes you need one or two who will agree to see the victory come! 

The strength of Gideon’s army was not in their numbers it was in their UNITY!  They were willing to “say the same thing.”

The questions for us today are:

1. What are we saying?
2. What is God saying?

We need to become totally aligned with what God is saying!  That is our strength!  That is our power!  That is our confidence!  We need to Hear God and then Speak what God Speaks!  I do not mean to go off on a tangent but that gets God’s attention!  It attracts the Presence of God, the Authority of God, and the Power of God!

The pattern is simple:  We pray.  We hear God.  We speak or agree with what God has said.  We align our hearts, our minds, and our actions with what God has said and refuse to deviate from it no matter how things look.

James 1:5-8 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” NKJV

What happens?  You pray, hear what God is saying, find someone to come into agreement (say the same thing), and having done all to stand, stand firm!  Refuse to be shaken from that promise of the LORD!

The problem is that too often we speak the same thing until difficulties or delay presents themselves.  Then we or they begin to speak doubts or fears and become double-minded and the door shuts!

I want you to carefully hear this:  The only thing that can shipwreck God’s Plan in your life is for you to start agreeing with the devil.  Follow the directive of Paul and “Be not weary in well doing, for…”   If you hold on to you will see the harvest.  The devil cannot win unless you quit!  Therefore, it is imperative that you remain in agreement with God and hold to His Promise!  It does not matter how large or how small that promise is, Stand On It!

I encourage you to “pray until” you Hear God and once you have Heard God stand on that word and refuse to be shaken.  It does not matter how long it takes to become reality.  Remember Moses spent 40 years training in Pharaoh’s house, 40 years getting Egypt out of him and emptying himself of self, then 40 years fulfilling the purposes of God.  God is not concerned with time for the most part.  He is concerned with the finished product not how quickly it comes to pass.  He is very very very patient contrary to what some have preached for generations!

Hopefully, this has inspired you to follow this prescription to victory and in doing so take the battle to the devil and reclaim territory and lives that have been stolen and deceived.  

May God bless you as you go through your day in Him!

1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:13; Matthew 28:18-20 – – (I ask that you read those passages…)

Let us pick up where we stopped yesterday and look at the Principle of Unity.  It is important because of its critical role in the flow of the Blessings of God to us and through us.  I know that this is something that I desire and have no doubt that it is a strong desire on your part as well.  However, even stronger than our desire to receive and convey His blessings is God’s desire to bless us!

2 Chronicles 16:9 – “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him….” NKJV

Too often, we miss God’s Blessings because we fail to understand His Principles.  But here is a principle that will, in my opinion, open the windows of heaven to you.  It is something that we need to get into our spirits not just our minds.  In truth, every time we discover a principle, we need to find an illustration to confirm that principle and make it understandable, practicable, and applicable.

Consider the “Prayer of Agreement” if you will.  In Judges 6 we find Gideon.  He was a poor man, chosen by God to bring deliverance from the oppression of the Midianites.  Israel was suffering as the tail rather than being the head that God said they would be.  That position is not the promise or purpose of God for us!  The problem, too often, is we are declaring and agreeing with the wrong things because we do not truly know what God has said or is saying in whatever situation we are in.

I find it almost amusing that Gideon was shocked that God would choose him.  One of the amazing things today and will be even more prevalent in the days to come is that God is raising or going to raise up people out of obscurity to do great exploits for the Kingdom of God!  If God says he will use you, He Will Use You!

Psalms 75:6-7 – “For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. 7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.” NKJV [The KJV renders it “promotion”]

So, resist the temptation to say, “Who me?”  Instead of when God nudges your heart, stand up and declare, “I can do all things through Christ….” and “Here am I Lord, send me.”  But we find that Gideon had a difficult time accepting the fact that God was going to use him.  But, once he got into motion, God began to work with him and through him.

Judges 7:15-17 – “And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.” 16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do:” NKJV

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 that he wanted us to follow him as he followed Christ.  Everybody has to follow somebody!  But what if he fails?  My immediate follow-up question is always, but what if he does not?

Judges 7:17-22 – “And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!'”

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers — they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing — and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” 21 And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. “NKJV

This is an incredible victory won against Impossible Odds!  The only question is, “How did they do it?”  There are several things that Gideon did that you and I can use in application to our situation, whatever that situation might be.

I do not mean to tease you, but I want to stop there for today and pick up with the things that Gideon did on the morrow.  But, for now, allow the Holy Spirit to impress upon your heart and mind that you are a candidate for exploits in God and that your situation is not impossible! 

We will put this on hold until tomorrow and as you go through this day may you walk in the Peace that passes all understanding and may the Spirit of the Lord guard your hearts and minds!  

Blessings until tomorrow!

Philippians 2:1-11 – “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” NASB

In a world filled with discouraging and depressing things, there is a ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds of darkness that shrouds this world.  There is an old saying, “Sometimes you can be too near the forest to see the trees.”  Sometimes, we get too near the problems of this world to see the solution, the hope, and the promise that our LORD provides through His Spirit, Word, and Love.

Paul’s encouragement and challenge to the Philippian church and all of us all centuries later pulls back the veil and shows us a powerful truth that we must cling to and hope in.  He encourages and challenges us to “have the mind of Christ.”  He inspires us to lay aside all “self-centered” aspirations and goals and “focus” on the Kingdom of God and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, JESUS CHRIST! 

Paul challenges us to empty ourselves of self and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with the Spirit of Christ.  He also reminds us that no matter how many false religions spring up, and false Messiahs arise there will come a day when EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW before the throne of Heaven and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!  The Bible makes it clear that there are not many roads to heaven, nor many doors to God.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6., He is the Door that leads to salvation. (John 10:9).

As I look at the strife and unrest in this present world and the direction that it appears to be heading at breakneck speed, I could become so alarmed that I looked for a place to hide.  However, I face each day with renewed confidence having read the last chapter of the book, and know that “in the end, we win!” 

I am not talking about political elections, or political parties, I am talking about the Kingdom of God!  So, as you face each day, face it with a boldness and confidence that cries out to the darkness, “Be gone, I am a child of the King!”

May God be with you as you go through this day, this week, this month, and this year and lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake and provide all your needs according to His riches in glory!  May you walk in the peace, power, and presence of the LORD!  

Blessings be upon you!

Judges 2:7 – “So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.”  NKJV

There was an old country preacher that I knew who often said regarding the presence of God, “It is better felt than telt…”  I love feeling the presence of God and basking in the sunlight of His presence, power, and love.  And, as I reflect on that preacher’s words, I find there is something in it worthy of consideration regarding experience.  I personally, do not want to ever reach the place where I base my relationship with God on an emotional experience, but I never want to discount or discontinue that either.  I long to make my permeant residence In His Presence here and in eternity.

In this particular passage, there is a realization that is important in life.  I have heard about some of the great revivals of days gone by but did not experience many of them.  However, I have been in the presence of God and had some incredible experiences and witnessed some powerful moves of God’s Spirit that lasted long in churches, communities, and people.  I have been a part of some of the more modern revivals. I treasure those experiences.  However, who among us is not cognizant of the fact that historical experiences we did not participate in do not captivate us as those we did?  

This passage reveals that so long as Joshua the Moses mentored leader who lead the nation into the Promised Land and the elders who were also eyewitnesses lived God Reigned in the hearts of the people.  When they died, there were no longer those who had experiential first-hand knowledge of God’s mighty deliverance and fulfilling His promise to bring them to the Land of Milk and Honey.  When experience died there was a gradual erosion of commitment and a turning away or growing cold in dedication.

Every revival of the church lasted until the generation that witnessed and experienced it died and then it began to wane.  The fervor and fire of that revival kept the Church on track in pursuing the truth that revival revealed and/or restored but when there were none who had experienced it around those who had heard about it could not embrace it with the same devotion nor feel the same compulsion to comply with the directives of the Spirit of God. 

It became theoretical rather than experiential.  Sadly, many call themselves Christian in much the same way, theoretical rather than experiential.  We talk about God being able to “do all things” but if we have not witnessed or experienced His miraculous it is, to us, theory and when the chips are down, we cannot stand on the promise with confidence.

I know some who grew up in Church and in homes where there was a fervent dedication to God, prayer was a staple, and the Bible was the guide.  They heard about it from their parents and grandparents but never truly experienced it for themselves and as those who had the experience received their eternal promotion the devotion and practices that kept the fire burning waned and diminished.  That reminds me of the truth that “You cannot get to heaven on Mama or Papa’s faith or experience.” 

Christianity is a personal experience and relationship, not something that is inherited like property.  Growing up going to church may help you establish some important moral principles and ethics but will not save your soul.  The fact that Mama or Papa had their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life does not automatically inscribe yours there.  It is an individual and personal experience.  “If we (each individual) confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” 

Experience or having a spiritual encounter with God personally is incredibly valuable in helping us to resist temptation and maintain our dedication as we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.”   If you do not personally know Jesus, I urge you to go into your prayer closet and call upon Him in repentance and receive His pardon and grace transforming you from darkness unto light.  Jesus has promised that if Anyone will call upon Him, He will not reject us.  Today is the day of salvation and now is the accepted time.  Experience God for yourself and the Bible will no longer be a theory but reality.

God bless you as you open the door to today with all its problems, promises, and potential.  Have a Great Day!

Proverbs 12:25 – “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”  NKJV

We have all had times when we either received an encouraging word or gave one.  Through the years I have had people tell me, “You just don’t know how much what you said meant to me.”  I have often been completely unaware that I said anything of particular significance but somehow the Holy Spirit directed my words to be the right word at the right time for the right situation to produce the right result.  I have received words of encouragement in the same manner.  Through those situations, I have come to deeply appreciate the power of a word of encouragement.

When a person begins to succumb to anxiety, fear, frustration, or worry it brings depression and weighs down the heart.  It is like carrying a load that you cannot see but can feel and it exhausts physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  It will sap your strength and propel you into the darkness and if not checked can lead to self-pity which is incredibly destructive. 

David said in Psalm 94:19, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Thy consolations delight my soul.”  Jesus urged us in John 14 to reject a troubled heart by focusing on His promise and provision.  Encouragement is incredibly powerful because it enables a person to combat discouragement and renews a sense of worth and significance in the heart.  Encouragement helps fuel or empower a person to begin moving forward out of the shadows into the light of God’s promises and purposes.  Paul instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” NIV

Always remember the times when you needed someone to give you an encouraging word and how much it uplifted your heart and spirit.  Instead of looking down on someone suffering from depression because of anxiety remember that except for the Grace of God that could be you and possibly you have been discouraged and depressed.  I never want to receive or give flattery, but I do want to give and receive encouragement.  Remember we reap WHAT we sow, later than we sow, and more than we sow!

I have had times when simply giving me a word of cheer was insufficient and needed to be slapped in the face (figuratively) with the reality of my situation.  I needed to be challenged to shake off the depression and look to the Word of God for my hope and help.  I remember once battling discouragement and having a friend who would begin singing when he saw me.  It irritated me at first but after a few times, it began to stir something inside, and as the chains of despair began to break, I could see what he was doing and began to rejoice with him. 

You never know the power a kind and encouraging word will have in and on life.  Therefore, remember what God has brought you out of and always have a word of encouragement for a brother or sister battling anxiety.  Your encouragement may be the catalyst that lifts them from the darkness into a new walk of victory.

Blessings as you go through this day!

Ephesians 4:29-32 – “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” NASB

Ephesians 5:1 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  NASB

What do we have to Put Away as Christians?  What are those things that the Holy Spirit identified through the apostle Paul that we, as believers, are responsible for dealing with in our lives?

THE NUMBER ONE THING IS BITTERNESS.

That is numero uno!  It is the big boy of things that we must deal with in our lives if we are to move into the Grace of God and mature as believers.  I would suggest to you that bitterness is less about what you do than what you do with it.  Bitterness is in reality, a way of being or a state of mind.  It is something that has descended so deeply inside our beings that it is rooted to the core of who we are.  It is a state or a constant that too many either do not know exists or refuse to acknowledge. 

Bitterness can be tied to an experience and that experience may have happened years earlier and likely did because now the hurt, disappointment, and pain have become full-blown Bitterness!  Remember that Paul is speaking to believers!  I know that is difficult for some, but he is speaking to believers who still have problems.  He is speaking to people that have brought some ugly baggage with them into the Christian experience.  He could have said, “Hold it!  You brought some things with you that are part of the old life, and you are still bitter about them.’  

Things that have become such an ingrained part of our being that we often do not even know they are there.  Big or small it was something that you never forgot or let go of and now it has taken root deep inside of who you are and has to be dealt with.   Remember what the Bible says about a root of bitterness, and it springs up and many are defiled.

Research has proven that bitterness can release poisons into the bloodstream that can be measured in a test tube and those poisons can actually bring on sickness and disease.  We expect that of sin or what we identify as sin, but do we really understand the danger of bitterness?

Bitterness never remains buried it has a way of being released to the tongue!  We see it in wrath – flying off the handle and rage and it comes from a fire that burns deep inside.  We see it in anger – you can see it in the eyes, by the body language but they are nice people and do not let it out, but it is there.  We see it in clamor – uncontrolled shouting, loud arguing, and no control over the tongue.  They will beat you up verbally.  We see it in evil speaking – deliberately spreading gossip and harmful stories about people to hurt them.  In the Greek, it is called blasphemy.   We see it in malice – malice is a settled determination to hurt others.  They may have hurt you and you are getting even. 

Paul says – – God says – – Put it Away!  You do not have to be bound by bitterness Jesus died for your victory and freedom!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Ephesians 4:29-32 – “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” NASB

Ephesians 5:1 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  NASB

Yesterday we talked about this in a measure.  Today I want us to move further in this consideration of the mindset of the victim vs. Christian.  I truly believe that one of the reasons that we fall into that trap is that we fail to understand Grace.  Sometimes it seems as though we think Grace is simply God being gracious to us. 

I think the schoolmaster, The Law that brought us to Grace has become a problem in that in The Law or any Law says if you behave, I am satisfied.  Grace does not issue that edict but demands more.    The Law simply deals with my behavior but Grace deals with my heart.  I can look the part, act the part, and appear to be Christian but inside be full of filth.  Grace deals with my heart and regardless of how I look on the outside, it is working on the inside or the Heart!

Grace is not focused on behavior but the Church per se is.  We fulfill the scripture that ‘man looks on the outward’ to a tee!  Grace deals with our want to and begins the process of change there at the seat of the problem and the core of our being.  Then, when the heart is changed the behavior follows naturally.  Sadly, behavior is too often nothing more than a ‘mask’ that professors of Christianity wear and hide who they really are from the world, but you cannot hide from God!

Notice Paul says, “The Grace has come to you….”  In other words, it has invaded who you are.  Now it is up to us to cooperate with the Spirit of God and allow change to be affected in our lives on the inside.  Grace did not just bring us deliverance from the world of sin it brings us Salvation that takes place every day of our lives.  It brings us daily wholeness! 

The Grace of God makes us spiritually healthy and whole.  There is a truth that I will not get into here but sometimes we are sick in our bodies because we are sick in our heads and hearts.  I have heard medical doctors claim that upwards of 90% of all diseases are psychosomatic.  I do not know that I would go that far but I do know that our attitudes can affect our health.  Please do not assume that I am saying if you were right spiritually you would not battle any physical ailment.  I did not and do not say that!  I lost my wife due to cancer and do not believe any of her disease was psychosomatic or because of a sickness of her heart.  She was devoted to God and had a pure heart filled with love!  It was diabolical evil that attacked her.

Paul tells us that there are some things that we must do as believers.  There are some things that we do not just pray about but take ownership of and act on.  We are to put away – malice, bitterness, and evil speaking.  That is pretty radical, but the Holy Spirit emphasized the put away which in Greek means ‘make a decisive choice.’  It is like saying, ‘Do it man!  Make it happen!  Don’t pray about it!  Don’t say I will try!  JUST DO IT!’

I want us to look at what we are to Put Away, but time and space will not permit adequate examination so I will pause here. 

God bless you as you go through your day!

Ephesians 4:29-32 – “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  NASB

Ephesians 5:1 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  NASB

The more I read and study the writings of the apostle, Paul, the more I am convinced that he saw a life that many professing believers either never see or do not believe is possible.  Paul repeatedly speaks of leaving the “old” – world, way, man, and everything that belongs to the realm of sin and the fallen race of Adam and moving into the “new” – creation, self, man, birth and encouraged his followers to Act Out or Live Out the Christian experience through their new source of Life – JESUS!   His message was one that continually called for those who experienced the ‘new birth’ to Become who they really are in Christ!

The new birth is about the process that happens after the experience of salvation. In the new birth, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.  We were not and are not the finished product but are in the process of becoming!  So, for the rest of our mortal existence on earth, we are moving from one experience to another and being transformed into something!  We are no longer what we were and are not yet what we will be, but we are moving toward that goal.  It is time that we allow the newness of the Life in Christ to permeate every crevice of our lives and touch every facet and dimension of our being.  It is a passage from the old to the new.  It is moving from sin to total transformation.  It is Salvation!

Tragically, many have the cart before the horse and are trying to change, shape up, get better, turn over a new leaf, and try harder or something.  It is the incredible need of humanity to earn something and deserve something.  God repeatedly says, “No thanks!  I accept you just as you are, where you are, and who you are because of JESUS!”  So, it is time that we comprehend and get our heads and hearts around the truth that We are Accepted!  It is in that state of acceptance that God steps in and begins the process of changing us or transforming us into His Image.

When we come to Christ, we essentially have to relearn life because we have the mindset of sin in us.  That is one of the reasons that Jesus spoke of becoming like little children.  We have to develop a new way of thinking and a new way of living.  For that to become reality we have to be schooled or trained and that is the work of the Holy Spirit and those under whose tutelage we are maturing.  

Too many just add Sunday to their schedule when they accept Christ, but Christianity is not that.  It truthfully is relearning how to live every moment of every day of every week of every month of every year!  It is allowing all the distortion that is in us to be purged.  It is to allow the bentness that is inherent in our DNA to be transformed by God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace!  It is literally having our Mind Renewed!

That is the only possible way that we can move from the human mindset of victimization to God’s mindset of Christian.  We have to relearn life and then live that life that we have learned in Jesus!  You are a “Child of the King of Kings” not just a man or a woman.  You are God’s children and are heirs to everything that God is and has, so live like it!

May God be with you as you go through your day!  We will consider this more tomorrow!