The Spirit Of Christ,...In Us

Good Morning, T.G.I.F.!! (Thank God I'm Forgiven) Atheism isn't popular at all, so everyone at least claims to be "spiritual",...even if they don't adhere to any orthodox beliefs. And that's just foolish, because what are they clinging to? It's certainly not anything real that will address what is wrong in their life, or wrong with them. Until Christ becomes Lord, spirituality is just another empty and cheap trick. So what does it mean to be genuinely spiritual? Dwelling deep inside our being, in our "core" (to use the latest workout-craze term),...is our spirit. The spirit is distinct from the soul, and the body, yet they are not separate,...they work and function together.

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.—1 Thessalonians 5: 23 (NIV)
The Greek word for Spirit is pneuma,...and it's found everywhere in the Bible. Everything that is born again, and made holy by Christ, is in your spirit. Our spirit is finished and complete,...it's the only thing that is perfect about us,...and why we aren't identified as a "sinner" anymore. God can look at us and say that we are without blemish, because He is looking directly at our spirit,...cleansed by the blood of Christ!

Your spirit is where your true identity is found.

---

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me a new spirit. Because of Your work on the cross, I will no longer be a slave to sin. It's not who I am anymore. May my spirit be a pleasant aroma to You, and give me what I need today to live in Your Spirit. Amen.

" Contentment is not possessing everything,...but giving thanks for everything you possess."

Believing, What Matters

Good Morning!! What we believe matters, but of course, some beliefs will always matter more than others. While our beliefs will have greater or lesser earthly consequences,...none of them matter more than our beliefs in God. Throughout Scripture, belief in God is directly tied to the most valued aspects of our existence,...to things like joy, peace, and purpose.

What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."—Romans 4: 3 (NIV)
It's interesting to note here that Abraham's righteousness did not come just from a belief in God. Abraham didn't just believe that God existed,...he actually believed what God had told him. That's a subtle, but powerful distinction, that has led to big transformation in many people's lives.

Even Abraham, the father of faith, at times found it hard to accept that the God of Everything, would take care of him,...a nobody.

---

O God, we don't want to just believe that You exist. We want to believe what You have been revealed through the Bible. Speak to us clearly through Your living Word so that we can know what is true about You, so that we can then know You more intimately, on a real and personal level. Amen.

" Contentment is not possessing everything,...but giving thanks for everything you possess."

No God,...But God

Good Morning!! Knowledge of God doesn't change the state of your heart, and it’s the heart that matters the most. It's in the heart where idols are created, and raised. We can touch, see, and feel them. We imagine them filling our thirsty souls. We allow them to continually lure our passion and faith away from the true Almighty God. Idols can be metal or they can be mental,...but there is a constant temptation to put trust in them rather than in God.

...Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.—Isaiah 44: 8b, 9 (NIV)
God and God only is Almighty. There is not a single idol on the face of the earth that we can fully depend on to meet our needs. They simply can't do it,...and so all of them will eventually leave our hearts empty, our expectations broken, and our dreams shattered. Even the idols that appear to be sustaining us, will ultimately crumble at the moment of death, for they are completely unable to help us beyond the grave.

Could you leave it all behind? I hope so,...because you can't take it with you.

---

Father God, we say that You are all we need in this life,...but, in all honesty, we don’t fully believe it. Speak to us now. Reveal the idols that we cling to. Show us what we're relying on to fulfill our needs, and enable us to choose You for fulfillment, instead. Amen.

" Contentment is not possessing everything,...but giving thanks for everything you possess."

Just A Small Glimpse Of The Divine

Good Morning!! Just like Moses, we've all wished God would reveal more of Himself to us. Also like Moses, we have no idea what we're asking for. When he asked God to see His glory, it was like asking God to pour the oceans into a thimble. The thimble couldn't possibly handle it,...and neither could we. We couldn't possibly handle God’s infinite glory with the limited mind we possess. Thankfully, God reveals Himself partially.

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."—Exodus 33:18, 20 (NIV)
This partial revelation is more than enough for us today! With the Word of God in our minds and the presence of His Spirit in our hearts, we can "see" more than we need to respond appropriately: We are to respect Him greatly. We are to revere Him continually. We are to replace Him with nothing.

Even a little of God,...is so much more than we know what to do with.

---

Glorious God,  thank You for Your merciful restraint in revealing Your glory. Thank You for showing me more than enough. Reveal my true beliefs, painful as that may be, and conform my beliefs about You to the Truth so that the Truth can set me free. Amen.

" Contentment is not possessing everything,...but giving thanks for everything you possess."

God Is Just,...Always

Good Morning!! Sometimes earthly fathers can misuse the power given to them over their children,...and if we apply these imperfections to our concept of God, we will most likely question His authority, motives, and even His right to punish us,...thinking He gives, and takes away, for His own pleasure. No one should have been more inclined, or expected to think that God was unfair, than Job. That guy lost everything he had,...and still, he kept his cool and stood by his innocence. His friend, Elihu, helped to make sense of it all by affirming God’s fairness:

He repays everyone for what they have done; he brings on them what their conduct deserves. It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.—Job 34:11-12 (NIV)
Our time is short, our vision is limited,...and our understanding does not even come close to being able to grasp the mind of God. HE is perfect, so everything He does is right and good, and He cannot overlook sin. We can thank Him that justice was satisfied on the Cross, that horrid day when Jesus paid the price for our sins so we could be forgiven. That act of sacrifice allows God to be both loving and fair. If we are in Christ, the punishment for our sin falls on Christ. That’s huge; it’s the core of what separates Christianity from all other religions.

" Everybody wants to see justice done,...to somebody else."

---

Father God, we have seen the misuse of justice on this earth, but don’t let that taint your perspective of You. Don’t let us use that as an excuse to reject the fact that You are both loving and perfectly just. Give us eyes to see the Cross as the historical place, where Your power and justice and love came together perfectly for us all. Amen.

" Contentment is not possessing everything,...but giving thanks for everything you possess."

Belief, When It's Hardest

Good Morning,...Great Friday!! Sometimes, all this talk about belief starts to feel kind of fuzzy and "out there." Thankfully, Scripture has given us many, many flesh and blood examples of what belief can look like. In my opinion, Sarah and Abraham are great examples. Not because their belief in God was perfect, but because they are such a good example of the struggle to keep trusting,...and taking God at His Word. Well beyond child-bearing age, God Promised them not just a child, but many children.

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"—Genesis 17:17 (NIV)
When we pick up their story in this part of Genesis, they are way beyond a midlife crisis. Nice couple, but they're coming up on their hundredth birthdays and they don’t have any children. (A major downer, particularly in their culture where status was directly linked to offspring). And at this point, it's well past game over. But, then God makes them a promise,...a promise so unbelievable that it shook their belief to the core: " I will bless her, and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." (v.16)

This same God has given us a lot of promises, through the prophets, the apostles,...and His Son. So how do we respond to promises that seem too impossible to be true?

---

God of Abraham, show us just one place where our beliefs do not line up with who You are. Show us a promise that we don't have the faith to claim. Then take us beyond those boundaries,...into a deeper walk with You. Amen.

"...in our time, the problem doesn't appear to be that people worship MANY gods;
it's that they don't worship ANY god."

Our Belief and God

Good Morning!! God a very simple word,...three letters, one syllable, very easy to say. We see this word on our money,...we print it on our bumper stickers, and plaster it on billboards. Preachers say it with such confidence, as if they have the meaning of this word all figured out,...God squished in a box of fancy-sounding words and quotations by long-dead theologians. We hear this word thrown around casually and carelessly, like punctuation at the beginning or the end of a sentence. It's even common to hear someone use His name as an outcry of petty disgust! What does God mean? Does belief in what stands behind that little word matter? The answer is an unquestionable "yes".

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.—Proverbs 14:15 (NIV)
Different beliefs about it have caused wars, and have healed families. The word God has been used for great comfort,...and misused causing great pain. It causes some to feel peace, and others to boil with anger. Polls tell us that 80-92% of Americans "believe in God." I'm assuming that if you’re reading this devotional, you "believe in God " too. But do you really know what you believe, when you say that? What do you mean when you say, "God "? As more of God’s nature is revealed through the Bible,...and devotionals like this, I hope and pray that your understanding of and belief in Him will be deepened and sweetened.

" Do you know why most of us miss the adventure? It's because we've never learned to plug our theology into our biography."—Tim Hansel

---

Father God, open our hearts, minds, and souls to Your Word, as we learn more about who You are. We already "believe in You",...but we want to Believe In You! Reveal Yourself to us so that we can live in You, in new truthful ways. Amen.

"...in our time, the problem doesn't appear to be that people worship MANY gods;
it's that they don't worship ANY god."

When Our Roads Darken

Good Morning!! 

In today's scripture we find one of most honest prayers in the whole Bible. A man has come to Jesus with a son who is possessed by a violent, and evil spirit. The man desperately asks if Jesus is able to help him. Jesus tells him, "All things are possible to him who believes." Perhaps our most honest responses to God at this point are the same words that the father of the demonized child exclaimed to Jesus:
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"—Mark 9:24 (NIV)
Belief in God is: confidence in a more powerful Person,...finding comfort in the midst of pain,...being candid about our problems,...being convinced of God’s promises,...being courageous and consistent in our actions. These are the very backbones, of our Christian belief. Even as you wrestle with doubt, hold tight to your faith.

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." (J.R.R. Tolkien)

---

Lord, we do believe,...but help our unbelief. Amen

"...in our time, the problem doesn't appear to be that people worship MANY gods;
it's that they don't worship ANY god."

Doubting Or Believing, Our Choice

Good Morning!! Let's be honest, to a certain degree all of us live in this "status between belief and disbelief." Sometimes we have the same reaction as Abraham and Sarah when we hear the truth about who we are in Christ,...one of the promises God has made,...or even prophecies about what the future holds. It is natural for our flesh to doubt when we are first exposed to the Truth. Even the disciples wrestled with this.​.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."—John 20:24-25 (NIV)

Doubt, and belief, are always at war within us,...doubt is fueled by fear, while belief is fueled by faith. The one that survives and flourishes,...is the one you feed the most. Don't beat yourself up, or feel pressured if you have doubts. You aren't being unfaithful or betraying God by questioning what you believe. Belief is a courageous process. I think because we are human, doubt to a certain degree, will always be with us,...until that day when we can put our fingers into His nail-scared hand.

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, to take the first step."—(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)

---

God, we want to call You; "My Lord!" and live with You as "My God!"... just like Thomas proclaimed. Thank You for understanding our doubts, as we continually reject lies, and replace them with Your truth. Now show us every lie, that You want to replace! Amen.

"...in our time, the problem doesn't appear to be that people worship MANY gods;
it's that they don't worship ANY god."

Do You Know That You ARE an Overcomer?

Good Morning!! When Paul established the church at Ephesus, he wanted the believers to understand they had the power to withstand the attacks of the enemy, Satan. He wanted them to know that they could stand firm in their faith and refuse to yield to sin and thoughts of defeat. They had been given spiritual weapons more powerful and effective than the enemy's

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.—Ephesians 6:10,11 (NIV)

But first they needed to understand they were not strong enough on their own to resist Satan's temptations and tactics. God's power and strength empowered them to rebuke the wiles of the devil. Paul explained to the Ephesians that they needed use weapons of spiritual warfare on a daily basis. Yes, God protected them and protects us, but every believer must daily put on the full armor of God.

The power that is alive within you and me is OVERCOMING power.

---

Father God, we thank You, for You Holy Ghost, Overcoming Power. Amen.

"A great key to Christ-like living,...is to never place stuff over people."

The Oldself, Is No More

Good Morning!! Note that today's verse is in the past tense. The old self was crucified. The person we used to be before we trusted Christ was put to death and buried. It’s done! In fact, as you read Romans 6 and 7 and you will see, that Paul goes out of his way to make sure we understand this point,...this truth! Paul wanted his readers to know this to such a depth, that it would change their lives, in very practical ways. (We will get to some of those in the days or weeks ahead,...it’s awesome stuff, I promise).

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.—Romans 6:6, 7 (NIV)

Sure, there are many questions that this foundational principle brings up,...such as, " if my sinful nature is dead, why do I still sometimes sin?" (We will get to that, too). But before the answers make any sense, we must accept what I touched on yesterday,...what is clearly taught in this passage: "Your old self was crucified with Christ! " In his letter to the Romans, Paul goes so far as to make an assumption about his readers,...it’s such a foundational truth that he whips it out there, even before he gets to the guts of what he really wants to say. It's a fundamental principle that every one of us needs to know before we can apply what he has to say next: "Your old self was crucified with Christ! "

Our unity with Christ… is terribly important and perhaps the most critical doctrine of salvation in Paul’s writing.

---

Holy Spirit, as we grasp the theory,...move in my hearts, in such a way that we can accept it as reality! We want to live this truth, but can’t unless You live it through us. Renew our minds, transform our lives according to Your Word, In the name of Jesus. Amen.

"A great key to Christ-like living,...is to never place stuff over people."

Dead, To Rise Again

Good Morning!! I love a baptisms, for me they are one of the great church. The symbolism of being buried (dunking someone) and then the re-birth (pull them out of the water). Water baptism is an outward expression of the inner transformation of Christ,...and when someone makes that public expression, it just invigorates me from head to toe. I just want to be apart of that experience, first hand.

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?—Romans 6:3 (NIV)

We die with Christ, that we may be resurrected in, and with Him. This is a God mystery, but it's true. The phrase is repeated again: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.(Romans 6:4) Whoa! What happened to the old you? The old you, died on the cross, when Jesus died,...we share in His death, and we were also placed into the tomb with Him, when He was buried. This is not theological trivia. This is how it happened,...this is how it had to happen,...in order that we too may live a resurrected life in Christ (because He can’t dwell in something sinful).

"The old man has been put to death just as decisively as Christ died upon the accursed tree."—John Murray

---

Father in Heaven, we thank You for killing off the old us,...and resurrecting us, as new creatures in Your Son. Amen.

"A great key to Christ-like living,...is to never place stuff over people."

What Was Old, Is Now New

Good Morning!! Life "in Christ" is a journey of exploration,...and discovery from beginning to end. "Christ in us" is another of those "great mysteries," as Paul put it. And anyone who thinks they fully understand this mystery, doesn’t really get it at all. Like the Bible, this is incredible stuff that just keeps getting deeper and wider, the more you get into it. When we began life in Christ, we began to experience all sorts of new things (regeneration, justification, sanctification, propitiation, and a whole slew of other neat sounding words that end in ("ation").
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!—2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

But all this new stuff brings up an interesting question; what about the old stuff? The question usually comes to me like this: "Alright, James,...after I get born again, do I now have two natures? At the core of my being, where it really matters,...am I half good, and half bad now?" Maybe you’ve never really thought about it. Maybe you are one of those who loves to debate this sort of thing, at coffee shops or book stores. Either way, how you answer this question is hugely important. On the surface, it's a perplexing question, full of emotion and experiences that can pull us back and forth. But here’s the answer: "No." Yeah, that’s it,...one little syllable; two little letters. But again, this is huge. If you are in Christ, you don’t have two "natures",...you have one nature, and your nature is in Christ too. (the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!)

Being born again first requires a death,...a death deeper and more profound than anything we can fully fathom. Exploring that death brings fresh light to our journey, of discovering True Life.

---

Heavenly Father, as we open Your Word, we anticipate that You want to teach us something,...maybe something new,...maybe a reminder of something we've long-forgotten. We know that by Your Spirit, You mean to do a work within us. So in the days ahead, we offer ourselves more fully to You, and Your teachings,...so that we can experience more of who we are to become in Your Son. Amen.

"A great key to Christ-like living,...is to never place stuff over people."

Our Burden?

Good Morning!! Some days, the burdens we are carrying seem to be more than anyone could bare. If it's true that God never gives us more than we can bare, then it often seems like; he has over estimated our strength. With assignments like Illness, grief, loss, fear and/or anxiety weighing down our hearts,...loads that never leave,...what are we to think? The missions are ours to carry out,...and we can feel so alone, even when surrounded by people.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."—Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Read that again. God’s instruction is clear: "Be strong!" "Be courageous!" "Don’t be afraid!" "Do not be discouraged!" God’s instruction is not without foundation,...in fact, He is the foundation! Wherever we go, whatever we’re going through, whenever we are afraid, He is right there with us. He has promised to never leave, nor forsake us. Strength, courage and freedom from fear are found in him alone. He will give you everything you need to do what he is calling you to do.

Strength, courage and freedom from fear are found in Him alone,
...God will give us everything you need to do what He is calling us to do.

---

Lord, we feel overwhelmed at times, and just can’t carry the weight alone. Thank You for the promise of Your presence. Thank You for the power of Your presence. Right now we're giving our burdens to You. When we try and take it back, remind us that it was never really ours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

"A great key to Christ-like living,...is to never place stuff over people."

Hold Your Course

Good Morning!! A story is told about a sailor, who was given command of a ship overnight,...while the captain slept. It was his first time to have full command of the ship, and the only directive he was given was to sail due north, toward the North Star. "Okay, Captain," the young sailor said. "So should I just come wake you when we sail past that star?" The captain looked at him and said; "Son, we will never sail past the North Star,...it will always be our guide to true north,...it never changes!".

 

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."—1 Peter 1:13-16 (NIV)

In this same way, the statutes and ways of God are our true north. They're our guide in life, as we pursue holy living. And while we'll never pass them,...we can look to them and know the direction to go, that will lead us down the path of better godly living. Never forget your true north,...it’s the very character of Christ Himself. Pursue godly living by following your North Start: Jesus, the Word of God, and the very Spirit of God.

As long as we're heading in the right direction, we can be sure we'll stay on the path,
...toward better Christlike living!

---

Holy Spirit, help us keep our eyes on the true prize. Amen.

"God's promises are our birthright; standing on His promises provides the peace we long for, and the spiritual strength we need."

Looking For A Sign

Good Morning!!  No one every gets lost on purpose,...unsure, and without signs, we pick a direction and commit to it. It’s not until time passes, and we look around, and discover we're not where we meant to be,...we're lost. Most people are constantly on the look out for some sign that tell them they're headed in the right direction. Same goes with being a new creature in Christ. How can we know we are on the right track? God has graciously given us some "born-again signposts." The apostle John had a special relationship with Christ. He wrote one of the Gospels and then he wrote three encouraging letters to early believers who were navigating through new territory as Christians. The first letter is a "signpost" letting them know they are on the right track.

 

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.—1 John 2:24, 29 (NIV)

According to John, one of the ways that you can tell if you’re born again is that you are living "right." Does that mean "perfect"? No, it means that you have a perfect Spirit, and IF you choose to be led by the Spirit of Jesus in your spirit,...the rest of your life will be catching up to that. (a fancy word for that is; "sanctification.") Yes, we still live in a fallen world, and there will be days when we make poor choices,...and walk in the flesh rather than in the Spirit. But if you are born again, and you are trusting Christ to live His life through you, His righteousness will characterize your life!

"living right"...becomes your heartbeat, and with it comes a humble assurance that, yes, you have been born again and Someone is at work in you, and through you,...to God’s good pleasure.

---

Holy Spirit, today, we lay aside our impulses to think and act on our own. We want to walk in Your Spirit. Live through us in a way that confirms we're on the right track,...a little outward evidence that You are working in us. Amen.

"God's promises are our birthright; standing on His promises provides the peace we long for, and the spiritual strength we need."

Stand For God,...Stand With God

Good Morning!!  Not only do we need to wake up God’s way, recognizing that each new day is God’s day that He has brought into our life,...a day in which He wants us to walk with Him, making our lives more spiritually fruitful,...while all the time, deepening our knowledge of Him. We also I need to practice standing up for what we know is right,...standing for God no matter what, to honor and glorify Him with our lives, daily.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.—Daniel 1:8 (NIV)

Even when everyone else accepts moral compromise, we ought to stand for what is right. It's never easy, but it's always worth it. When we pray, there won't be anything shaming us, in the back of our minds. And when we get older, we'll have less regrets, about the choices we've made through out our lives. Though others may not always like it,...they will come to respect us for our stand,...and even depend on us, and our actions. Failing to stand up for what is right, robs our lives of all significance.

Even when no one else around you is pursuing God,...make the commitment to pursue Him.

---

God is always calling us to be bold for Him,...to reflect Him,...and to demonstrate His Love for the weak. Amen.

"God's promises are our birthright; standing on His promises provides the peace we long for, and the spiritual strength we need."

If Not With Love, And Respect, Then How?

Good Morning!! In order for us to confront each other, we need to have love and respect for one another. Paul and Peter model for us the kind of respect, acceptance and love which we need to show to one another at times when we disagree or are disappointed in the actions or words of one another. Let us never hold a grudge but rather realize that as long as we are brothers and sisters in the faith we must live in fellowship with one another.

 

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.—John 3:17 (KJV)

 

Is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled? I encourage you to pray for that person and do what you can to be reconciled to him or her. It's what Jesus taught,...and what God wants. One of your happiest memories could be of being reconciled to a brother and sister in Christ with whom you've had a disagreement.

Remember we are brothers and sisters in Christ,...even after we have disagreed.

---

Pray for those with whom you have strife, and do what you can to be reconciled to them.

"God's promises are our birthright; standing on His promises provides the peace we long for, and the spiritual strength we need."