Galatians 1:12 – “…for it was given to me directly by the unveiling of Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s declaration to the Galatians, as he said in 1:12, that the gospel he preached flowed out of the ‘unveiling of Christ’ in his heart and mind, is a powerful testament to the transformative power of Christ’s life in believers.  Christ’s life replaces self-life, and to the degree we are yielded, He is manifested in and through us, empowering us and giving us hope.

Galatians 2:20 –“My old identity HAS BEEN co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives…” Think about that. “AND NOW the essence of this NEW LIFE is NO LONGER mine, FOR the Anointed One LIVES HIS LIFE THROUGH ME – we live in union as one.”    [Emphasis mine]

Whose life and who is living it?  We have traded our old life for His new life, and in our surrender, He lives that life through us.  But not without our cooperation. He does not arbitrarily force us to live Him. ‘My New Life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave Himself for me, dispensing His life into mine!’  If that revelation becomes a reality in our hearts, we become totally free, liberated from the struggles and shortcomings, and at peace.

Paul’s prayer and desire for the Galatians and us was that “the Anointed One would be Fully Formed in our hearts!”

Galatians 5:16 – “Let me emphasize this: AS you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.” 

Galatians 5:18 – “But when you yield to the life of the Spirit, you will no longer be living under the law, but soaring over it!”

Galatians 5:25 – “IF the Spirit is the source of our life, we must allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives.”   

Therein is the Key – a yielded exchanged life. We gave Him our old life, and He gives us His new life. Not only that, but He comes in and lives His life through us.  But only with our Full Surrender and Cooperation!  If we are tired of struggling and falling short, it is time to embrace the Cross and see ourselves crucified and fully immersed in Him. Christ IN us! Christ Through us! Christ, instead of us!

 That life is a life of victory, peace, power, and love.  It is ours!  Do you want it?  Then, give up and let Jesus take over!  Have a fantastic day!

Deuteronomy 8:3 – “And He humbled you and let you be hungry and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, THAT He might make you to know that man does not live by bread alone, but by EVERYTHING that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, something moving was quickened to my heart. The revelation of trials or the revelation in trials.

In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses rehearsed the journey from bondage to the precipice of victory in the Place of Promise and reminded them of their difficulties.

God allowed difficulties, and those difficulties created a condition and mindset that brought revelation. God is our source, nothing nor anyone else. Without the difficulty, they would have continued to view themselves as inherently special, which would produce the stench of arrogance. Instead, in a situation they could not solve, they SAW God’s power and love.

Every trial contains a revelation if we allow it to surface and have its designed effect. Paul’s thorn in the flesh spoke to that truth.  2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is worthy of in-depth consideration and meditation. Speculation runs rampant about what that was. Not to create debate, but Paul told us what it was or who it was, “the messenger of satan” to harass him.

The lesson or revelation is not that this was to keep Paul humble but that in it, he saw the revelation that when he could not, God’s Grace and power were his strength and covering.

I love this rendering of verse 10 – “So, I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! FOR when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment-when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and persecution because of my love for Christ-I am made yet stronger. FOR my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.”

Trials can truly make us stronger if we see the Christ who strengthens us through the problem. Realizing our human weakness opens a portal to God’s power through total surrender. We see our true source.

2 Corinthians 13:3b – “Christ IS NOT weak or feeble in His dealings with you, BUT mighty and powerful WITHIN you.”

Recognizing our inability opens the door to His ability and releases His power in and through us. We don’t look for or desire trials, but in them, there is the opportunity to SEE Him as He is, us as we are, and tap into His Grace, Power, and Provision.

I am not suggesting that we desire difficulties, trials, and tribulations. I am saying: You are weak only in your own strength, but you are strong in Him when you become weak in you! Let your Weakness be enveloped into His Strength and Soar Like the Eagle!

Have a fantastic day, and remember Who you are, Whose you are, and that All things are possible for you through Faith!

2 Corinthians 6:17 – “Come out from among them and be separate…”

I am praying that God’s overflowing grace will manifest in everything you do.  May the crooked places be made straight and all obstacles obliterated.   May discernment be your garment and love your covering.

The download from the Holy Spirit was overwhelming as I read, prayed, pondered, and considered the Word. Now, I am trying to draw out of all that is filling my heart and present the specific thing I feel I am to share. That is a daunting task!

In 2 Corinthians 6:16b, we have the incredible promise of God to make us His home or habitation. He promised to be our God. That blows my mind when I allow the incredibleness of that truth to enter my consciousness. In 2 Corinthians 6:17, we have the call, command, and invitation, “Come out from among them and be separate…” Not isolationism but separation (sanctification).

That was at the heart of God’s directive to Israel in Numbers 33:50-56. He told them to dispossess the occupants that occupied their place of promise. They were to destroy the idols and places of worship. The warning was, “If you don’t, THEN…” They will be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. That was only half of it, for in verse 56 – “And it will be as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.”

There can be no cohabitation with sin and rebellion. The children of Israel were the carriers of the Seed of Redemption. We are the fruit of Redemption. Neither they nor we can co-mingle with sin or rebellion.

The Last Days will be characterized by deception, demanding that we be inordinately tolerant and inclusive. God wants everyone to be saved. Salvation is incredibly costly, and though grace is free, it is not cheap.

Be Holy because I Am Holy is not a suggestion but a life-saving directive. In God, we have Life!  As we become one with Him and He fills us completely, we become lights to the world and channels through which He can love and bless others. We are His love letters to people. Some see Dear John letters, not love letters. Our heritage is Hope and to bring Hope to others!

Today, we need to heed the directive of Deuteronomy 2:3 – “You have circled this mountain (whatever that is in your life) long enough, NOW turn north (symbolic of head toward the Promise.)”

This is day one of your new victorious life in ALL THINGS!  Rejoice, be glad, and embrace the promises of God!

2 Corinthians 1:6 – “If troubles weigh us down, that just means that we will receive even more comfort to pass on to you for your deliverance! For the comfort pouring into us empowers us to bring comfort to you. And with this comfort upholding you, you can endure victoriously the same suffering we experience.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated upon the Word, something unshakable gripped my heart in Numbers 23 and the story of Balaam and Balak. Balaam made a powerful declaration “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent; has He not said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not establish it?” (v. 19).

He spoke absolutes! 

• God is… that is the first principle of life.
• God is not a man… He is other than us, not limited but unlimited.
• God’s words (promises or commands) are done before they are heard.

We need to grasp those absolutes.   If we do, we can embrace the revelation of suffering, difficulty, and trial Paul revealed in 2 Corinthians.

2 Cor. 1:6 – Is a Game Changer!  That attitude and perspective make it impossible to fail but guarantee a victorious attitude in every situation.   In verse 9, Paul reveals the true lesson of trials in our lives. “It HAS taught us to lose all faith in ourselves and to place our trust in the God who raises from the dead.”   We need to shift our focus from self and receive God’s Grace!

In 2 Cor. 4:7-18 his discourse gives a clear, simple pattern and mindset for continual victory.   Troubles are temporary, but Grace is eternal. Our difficulties empower us to empower others to endure with hope.

In verse 13, he gives a needed revelation: “First I believed, then I spoke.”  Notice the order. It is first believing, then speaking, or declaring. It is not declaring trying to believe.  He is not saying it to convince himself, others, or God. It is declaring because we have believed.

Our focus shifts from what we see, the temporal earthly to the invisible eternal.  If we focus on God’s promise, not our seemingly present reality, we will walk in a victory otherwise impossible, and trials will shipwreck us.

We need to embrace the absolutes and realize the value of trials, the power of grace, and the reality of God’s kingdom realm. We need to shift our focus from living in absorbed self-centeredness and desire to be poured out for Him. In that place, His power and provision are released in a dynamic beyond our dreams.

It’s available to you!  Seize the Promise and the Day and Rejoice in Jesus.  Today is your day to shine in God’s Grace and Provision!

Galatians 5:1 – “At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.”

I had someone ask me, “Are you always this optimistic?”   I said, No, sometimes I am even more optimistic because I believe God’s Word, I believe God, and I believe that I am more than a conqueror! Does that mean I never have a bad moment? NOPE!   It means I refuse to let that bad moment become a day!

It would be easy to sit in the corner, cover my head, and be sad, but that is not what God desires or what I want to do!   I have been a participant in the gloom and doom, woe-is-me society, and I resigned my membership! I realized that it was literally killing me and robbing me of all joy and hope.

Today, I declare that I Am Free!   I Am Free in Jesus!  I am an Heir of God and a Joint Heir with Jesus.   I have been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings and declared more than a conqueror through Jesus! My LORD completely defeated the devil and stripped him of his authority over me, so I AM FREE!

I pray that the Lord will help us see the truth of the Cross and embrace the fullness of the victory won there!

If we see the Cross and what Jesus did, we are FREE!  We can forgive like God.  We can love like God.   We can live a life of anticipation and expectancy.  If we shift our focus from ourselves, our needs, desires, problems, and difficulties (me, my, mine), we rejoin the society from which we resigned.    Refuse to focus on yourself, ignoring the needs of others!

• I believe that God is telling the Truth and that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
• I believe He has forgiven my sins, and I am born again.
• I believe that Heaven is real, that Jesus is preparing a place for me to spend eternity with Him, and that He is coming back Just Like He Said!
• I believe that my commission and mission are to reach the lost, see the captive set free, see the sick healed, and strengthen the lives of those who believe.
• I believe that God can do all things, and so can I because He said I could through Jesus.

Why shouldn’t we be optimistic?  We have read the last chapter of the Bible and know that we win!   If we know Jesus as our savior, we get to spend eternity with Him.

Have a wonderful day in Jesus. This is your day to rise, shine, and be victorious!  His Promises never fail, and He never abandons us!  Rejoice!