What Was I Thinking?

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

 -- 2 Cor 10:3-5

I have to "make" my thoughts obedient to Christ.  Jesus Christ has set me free spirit, soul, and body, and I choose what I think about myself and those around me.  Please note that it's not that I CAN choose I already DO choose what I think about. 

Freedom abdicated is still a free choice.  I am always free to turn to the Lord in prayer.  I am always free to turn to the Lord for His Wisdom.  I am free to act on His Word, but all of this starts in my thoughts.

I should never be surprised if my world reflects what I am thinking because my actions originate in my thoughts.  I must take my thoughts captive and make my thoughts obey Christ.

How do I do that?  I pray and ask the Lord to show me what thoughts are pleasing to Him and what thoughts are not.  I read and meditate upon His Word, and I refuse to think negatively.  And, I am getting better at it every day, because God is in me.  He wants me to succeed, because He loves me.

I pray that you too can take captive all of your thoughts and make them obey Jesus Christ.  It is in Jesus’ name I pray and receive – Amen.

You Are My Joy

I was listening to David Crowder Band's song You Are My Joy when the Lord hit me – Jesus Christ IS my joy. 


Now, that may seem like "duh," but think about it... 

If I don't live my life practicing His presence and constantly aware of Him in my life, how can I possibly experience His joy? Or His love...Or His peace...Or any of fruit of the Spirit? I can't.

I have to train my mind to think about Him and fellowship with Him all of the time. I've got to ponder His goodness and open myself to be continually filled with all that He is.

I believe that this is the antidote for what is commonly called going through a “dry” place or season spiritually. If I trust in my feelings to understand God's presence in my life rather than His Word, then eventually I start looking for emotions instead of looking for Jesus.

I'm not anti-emotion, but the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, not in my flesh. I'm not there yet, but my emotions should always be subject to the Holy Spirit and not to any external circumstance or internal mood. 

If I look into my own heart, I always find Jesus Christ and He brings joy .

If I focus on the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord, then I will always have JOY!


Here's the video...

Prayer:

Daddy, I come to you in Jesus' name, and I ask that you give everyone who reads this a revelation of your presence and the joy you bring to their lives. Help them to fellowship with your Spirit in ever-closer ways. I believe that I receive all of this in Jesus' name – amen. 
   

Soul Winning Brings Glory to God

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

--2 Corinthians 4: 15

Please take a moment and remember how you felt towards Jesus Christ when he first came into your heart.

Do you remember the love, the gratitude, and the relief you felt?  Do you remember the feeling of being different?  On the inside?  Do you remember being amazed that God loved you THAT much?

There you were -- born again.  The angels celebrated.

Does your adoption as a child of God bring glory to God?  Yes!

You are a part of the body of Christ.  You are part of His glorious inheritance (Eph. 1:18).

So, would you leading others to the Lord bring Him glory?  Yes!

Take the leap of faith by sharing your faith.  Tell someone about how "the grace" reached you, and then close the deal by leading them in a prayer asking Jesus to come into their heart.

Prayer:

Daddy, I ask that you would touch everyone who reads this with great boldness to share Jesus, that the spirit of the world that blinds the lost would be bound, and You would be glorified in bringing many to glory.  I receive all of this in Jesus' name -- Amen!

Centurion Faith

Matthew 8:5-13 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.  “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

What made the Centurion’s faith so great? 

The level of trust he showed toward Jesus.  All Jesus had to do was say the word.

The subtleties here are important…

The Centurion had choices in seeking help for his servant, but he chose to go to Jesus.

We have lots of choices in what we do, but we should go to Jesus first.  We should pray and listen to what the Lord wants us to do.

You may be able to do a lot about the circumstances around you, but if you act without trusting Jesus you’ve left faith and are walking in the flesh.

The Centurion knew he was powerless and went to Jesus.  What power do you have apart from Jesus Christ?  None.

I pray that our Heavenly Father give you insight and wisdom concerning this teaching, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.   

Faith part 4

 “…the righteous shall live by his faith.” – Habakkuk 2:4

Faith is more slippery than we realize. 

We all tend to live life from the outside in rather than the inside out because it's just "natural".  But, we’re the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  We’re supposed to live by faith in HIM. 

Here’s a quick test. 

Which of the following statements is a statement expressing faith?

a)   The blood of Jesus Christ has removed that cancer.

b)   I hope the blood of Jesus Christ will remove that cancer.

c)    If it’s God’s will the blood of Jesus Christ will remove that cancer.

The answer is “a”. 

I’ve used the phrase “the blood of Jesus Christ” on purpose.  And, I’ve used that phrase because it’s a ridiculous thought that somehow “the blood of Jesus Christ” miraculously takes away ALL the sin of the world but can’t cure cancer.  Chemo therapy can cure cancer, but the blood of Jesus Christ can’t?!?!?  I’ve smelled manure with a more pleasant aroma than that sack of…

Here’s the short list of walking in faith:

1)    Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ for everything.

2)    Faith is in the “now”.

3)    Faith speaks the answer.

4)    Faith prays, believes, and receives before seeing with the eyes.

5)    Faith comes by the Word of God.

6)    Faith is a rest.

7)    Faith never lets go.

I pray the Lord give you wisdom and strength to act on His word, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Faith Part 3

Romans 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless…

Abraham became “heir of the world” the moment he believed God.  He and Sarah had one physical child, and that one physical child put in motion the fulfillment of the promise. 

Abraham has yet to receive the total fulfillment of the promise.  The fulfillment of that promise is still underway as new believers come to Christ. 

Abraham’s faith has had eternal consequences beyond even his physical life. Some of you will catch the implications of that last statement.

Romans 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace…

Who makes the promises come?  Jesus Christ

I would want to ask the question “what makes the promises come?”, but faith in Jesus Christ isn’t about a “what”.  Trust is only as good as the person you’re trusting, and the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely worthy of our trust. 

and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations."

How does one guy of one specific ethnic group become the father of many “nations”?  By our faith in Jesus Christ.  Genetically, Abraham could only have a child of his same ethnicity, but spiritual children are different and those "laws" don't apply to us.

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

God says we’re Abraham’s kids and that’s good enough for me.

RO 4:18 Against all hope…

You know that hope is expectation, right?  Well, what did everyone around Abraham expect from him?  They expected him to die.  And, because he had no heir, they expected that when he died that they would have a big payday coming! 

The world, the flesh, and the devil expect that the promises God has given you will just dry up and die.  Does your hope line up with God’s promises or the world’s expectations?   It’s your choice.

Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

What do you expect?  Abraham expected God to back up HIS promise.  The world expected death, but Abraham trusted God and expected life. 

The world’s expectations do not matter at all if we have faith in God and expect that HE delivers on His promises.

¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

Abraham was no fool.  He knew that men his age and women Sarah’s age didn’t have kids, but he was FULLY persuaded that God was powerful to deliver the promise.  So…

HERE IS THE KEY! 

Abraham believed God above the physical.  Abraham didn’t care what the physical situation was his belief system was in proper order:

Spirit

  Soul

    Body       

He made his mind line up with God, and he expected God to deliver the natural results. 

You and I have been promised a resurrection, but we don’t yet have the physical manifestation of that promise.  We Christians believe in our hearts that we are going to be resurrected, because God has promised us.

This same faith in Jesus Christ, for the specific individual promise of resurrection, is how faith works in all circumstances for all promises.

So...

1. True faith outlasts a lifetime
2. Faith in Jesus Christ makes the promises come to us.
3. If our hope is in God the world’s expectations don’t matter
4. God is powerful to deliver His promises
5. Spirit first – above both body and soul

I pray that you get a hold of this message in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen.

Faith, Part 2

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.                                                                          - Hebrews 11:1

If it’s not “now” it’s not faith. 

Trusting in the Lord Christ Jesus is a full-time, 24/7, 365, every second of every day of our lives occupation, and we need to live ALL of our lives by faith.

The story goes that during WW2, C. S. Lewis was talking to a small group of young RAF Airmen who were showing him the equipment used in the new technology of radar.  During the conversation, every one of the Airmen told Lewis that they were Christians, but when he asked them if God understood how radar worked their unanimous answer was no! 

Those RAF Airmen had so segregated their faith from the other areas of their lives that they didn’t recognize that they held two contradictory beliefs at the same time.  As Christians they believed in an All Knowing God, and as RAF Airmen they knew something that God didn’t. That’s dangerous thinking.

It’s dangerous thinking, because those gents had left having faith in God in EVERY area of their lives.  They were operating in their own thinking and abilities.  They’re actions and attitudes were Worldly.  And, I know they would have been better Airmen had they included God in their radar facility.

I too have to guard myself against ignoring God in areas of my life where I think of myself as “competent.”  Whenever I think “I know that” I’ve closed myself off from trusting God for His wisdom.  Whenever I act like “I’ve got it” I’ve chosen my strength instead of His power.  I’ve got to choose faith in Jesus Christ in the now of every area of my life – even in the areas that I think I do well.

This is my prayer, and I invite you to join me too . . .

Daddy, I come to you in Jesus’ name, and I ask that you would make me aware of the areas in my life where I turn down the volume on your still small voice and live like I don’t need you.  I thank you for your wisdom, and I choose faith in you in every situation in life.  I receive now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ– Amen!

Faith; Part 1

”"Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

--Genesis 15:5-6

Has it ever occurred to you how weird it is that Moses writes down all these stories about Abraham?  I mean, here’s Moses, the law giver, writing all this stuff about Abraham, the father of faith.  God gives Moses the law.  Moses gives the Israelites the law.  God expects the Israelites and Moses to follow the law, but, oh by the way, here’s all these stories about your flesh and blood ancestor and his – FAITH?  Why does God have Moses do that?

The answer to that question is in our passage.  God gives the Israelites the story of Abraham so that they can see that faith in the Lord works.  God promised Abraham; "So shall your offspring be", and there the multitude of Israelites stood.  They were the partial fulfillment of that promise.  God is faithful.

Why did Abraham believe the promise?  Because of who had spoken to him – God!  It’s not a stretch to say that Abraham wouldn’t have believed it if anyone else had said it.  God is the only one who could have called Abraham righteous.  Why did the Lord do that?  Abraham had faith in God. 

What does God expect from the Israelites when he gives them the law?  He expects them to obey and trust just because He said so.  If you look in your Bible, you’ll see that it’s the law of the LORD and not the LAW that is lord.  God was speaking to the Israelites and that should have been enough for them.

What does that have to do with us today?  Well, how do we know Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins?  We have his word on it.  How do we know that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?  We have his word on it.  That word may come to us in the form of the Bible, a testimony of Jesus, a preacher’s sermon, or the way a believer lives, but just as the Spirit of God spoke to Abraham all those hundreds of years ago he speaks today.  The Spirit of Jesus spoke to us told us that what we heard was real, powerful, and effective for you and for me today.  We believed it just because he said so, and the Lord gave us righteousness.  So, then . . .

Faith is trusting Jesus Christ. 

Now, you may say, “I know that.”  Well then, let me ask you this – is that sentence you “know” in the past tense or in the present tense for you? 

To be continued . . .