Flesh Controlled or Spirit Controlled

July 14th, 2009

As I read the scriptures and study them I am always searching and desiring that the scriptures will become a “living reality” to me.  It is wonderful to gain head knowledge of something but unless it translates into something that I can live by it is worthless.

A lot of Christians have a great deal of head knowledge about the Bible and God, but it hasn’t translated into something that has changed their lives. I have heard it said that all of us know a lot more than we live when it comes to Christianity.  People usually can talk a good talk but when it gets down to reality of it they come up lacking.

We have a tendency to think that we today have unique issues that the early church didn’t have to deal with, but as you read the scriptures you find that human nature hasn’t changed very much in thousands of years.  Basically humans want to live their lives the way they want to no matter what century or decade they were born in. Christians have struggled with the flesh throughout the decades and as far as I know will continue to struggle with it until we put off this mortal body.

The Apostle Paul had the same problems that we have today, look at Romans 7:14-25 AMP We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a creature of the flesh [carnal, unspiritual], having been sold into slavery under [the control of] sin.  15  For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns].  16  Now if I do [habitually] what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I take sides with it.  17  However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me.  18  For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]  19  For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.  20  Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [fixed and operating in my soul].  21  So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands.  22  For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self [with my new nature]. [Ps. 1:2.]  23  But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh].  24  O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death?  25  O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Does this sound like you?  I sure can identify with this, sometimes I just feel like I am being pulled in two different directions, I want to do the right thing but I find myself doing right the opposite.  Then when I do the wrong thing I feel guilt and condemnation because I didn’t do what I knew to be the right thing to do.  Then I ask the question, “Will God forgive me?”  It is just this emotional and mental roller coaster we are on that seems to never end.

Thank God that Paul gives us the answer to this in verses 24 and 25.  Jesus Christ is the one who will and can set us free from this struggle.  The question then is, “How does Christ do this for us?”

Well we’ve been studying the past few weeks about “Our Identity in Christ”.  We have to come to know who we are in Christ and what that means in our lives.  But the Apostle Paul gives us further insight in chapter 8 of Romans on how we can be free from this struggle.

I want you to read this portion of scripture over and over again all the time asking God to give you a revelation of what it means to you when it comes to living the Christian life.

Romans 8:1-17 AMP THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.]  2  For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.  3  For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], [Lev. 7:37.]  4  So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].  5  For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.  6  Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].  7  [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.  8  So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.  9  But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]. [Rom. 8:14.]  10  But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you].  11  And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.  12  So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh.  13  For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.  14  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  15  For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!  16  The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.  17  And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

Brothers and Sisters I know that this kind of live seems unattainable to us, but it is because we are so use to living life through the mind of the flesh, but it is not if it were why would God inspired the Apostle to write about it.  This is not a dream desire, but it is the reality of who we are in Christ and we just need to lay claim to it in our own lives. 

It isn’t going to happen overnight, but if we will mediate on scriptures such as this, then our lives will be transformed into the image of Christ, the struggles won’t ever cease in this world, but we will be transformed into a person who knows how to deal with the struggles and one who knows how to live controlled by the Spirit of God.

It really boils down to a choice that we have to make as to whether we choose life or death, there are no gray areas when it comes to living according to our flesh or according to the Spirit.  Each one has its consequences, if you choose to follow the flesh then be willing to deal with the consequences.  If you choose to follow the Spirit then “enjoy” the consequences.  Following the Spirit is not easy because it means that I have to die, God and I can’t share the throne of my life; one of us has to go.

But I know that if God is in control of my life that he will only bring about good in and for my life.  Just remember these words: Romans 8:28 AMP  We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:31 NIV What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:35-39 NIV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  36  As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  39  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Don’t Give Place to the Devil

July 9th, 2009

Ephesians 4:27 NIV and do not give the devil a foothold.

 

Today I awoke at 1:00 am and couldn’t go back to sleep.  I just laid there tossing and turning and pondering things over in my head.  I got to thinking about this passage of scripture in Ephesians as to what it means.

 

The past week or so I have been wrestling with some things in my own life that seem to be causing me to have depression, frustrations and feelings of inadequacies.  I have had these before and as usual when I start going through these things I find myself thinking about things that I shouldn’t and then I begin talking in ways that are not in line with who I am in Christ.  It is amazing how it only takes a second or two for a thought to get planted into you and then you begin acting on it. 

 

As I laid in bed thinking about it I realized that the devil is always ready and waiting to jump on me when my thinking and my emotions and feelings start controlling my life. Listen to what the Amplified Bible says, Ephesians 4:27 AMP Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

We are not to give the devil any opportunity or give him no place in our lives.  He cannot do anything to us unless we allow him to.  He is always looking and listening for an opportunity to get a foothold on our lives.  1 Peter 5:8 CEV Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. He is just waiting for you and me to give into a thought or a feeling and then he will start working to lead us down a road that leads to sin in our lives.

 

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 NLT For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. We need to realize it is not people or things of this world that cause us our problems, but it is the devil himself; he goes after the arena of our flesh and our mind because he knows very well that if we will begin thinking on something we will eventually act on it.  Our thinking dictates what we believe and what we believe is what we live.  Our thinking shapes our attitude for living.  The Bible says we are to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  We have to take those thoughts that are not Godly and cast them out, refuse to think on them.  I find that when I start having trouble with my thoughts I start reading the Word or studying the Word, because the Word will bring freedom to me.

 

The Bible tells us in James 4:7 NIV Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We have to first submit ourselves to God, then we can resist the devil and know that he has to flee from us.

Don’t let the devil get a foothold in your life today, determine that you are going to submit to God and give yourself to Him and His Word, then you can be assured that the devil will have no place in your life.

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The Power of Sin

July 7th, 2009

Psalms 51:1-5 NIV For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.  5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

The background of this Psalm is when David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Many of us quote verses 10, 12 and 17 at various times.  I want you to think about the Psalm in the light of what David had done.  The story is found in 2 Samuel chapter 11. The power of sin is mighty over our lives especially when we least expect it.  Sin at any moment can knock on your door and present us with a temptation that is hard to resist.  This is also shows us just how crafty the devil is in trying to get us to sin, David probably had no intentions of committing adultery that night, after all he had wives that he could have slept with any time.  But this particular time something got his attention, it was a beautiful women bathing and it stirred up something in him. Listen to what James 1:13-15 NLT says And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong and He never tempts anyone else.  14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Just about the time you think you got it all under control, something comes up and grabs your attention and gets you to thinking about it and then all of sudden we find ourselves doing or saying something we shouldn’t and all along we know it was wrong.  It is obvious from the Bible that David knew what he did was wrong because he was doing everything he could to cover it up and get the guilt off of himself.  The result of David’s sin was that an innocent man died and also the offspring of their union.  The last part of James 1:15 says that if sin is not dealt with it will eventually give birth to death.  How many times have we given in to temptation and knowing committed sin before God and then had all the consequences to deal with no matter how repentant we are.  Sometimes one moment’s quick decision to do something leads to a life time of consequences to be dealt with.  It is very painful sometimes.

David didn’t repent just because he got caught, he repented because he knew he was guilty (2 Samuel 12:13).  He didn’t try to make excuses and try to blame someone else, he said “I am guilty and whatever punishment you give I deserve.” (Psalm 51:4).  David felt that he was very dirty and defiled after this so he ask the Lord not to cover up his sin, but he ask for God to “blot” it out and to “wash” him and to “cleanse” him from this sin.  David realized how awful sin was before God and that he needed to be totally cleansed of this.

The temptation of sin is always present before us and is waiting for the opportune moment to lure us into committing sin.  God is full of compassion and mercy and loving-kindness and He is more than willing to forgive and cleanse us from our sins.  But the question we need to ask ourselves the next time we are faced with a temptation is, “Am I willing to live with the consequences of what I am about to do, knowing that I may be going to not only harm myself but others also?  And am I willing to accept that I am not just sinning against myself or someone else, but I am sinning against God himself.

God is always ready and willing to forgive and cleanse us from our sins, but David seem to realize that wasn’t the end of the matter, he realized that even though God would forgive him and restore him; he was going to have a hard time forgiving himself.  (Psalm 51:3) Also he realized that something was lost during all this and it was the fact that he knew he was weak and venerable.  In Psalm 51:10 he ask the Lord to create in him a pure heart or a clean heart and one that will be steadfast and loyal to God.   Then in verse 12 he asks God to restore the joy of God’s salvation to him.  The New International Reader’s Version of verse 12 says Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you.  David had lost something that was priceless to him and that was his joy of being saved.

Sin is not something we want to mess around with in our lives, because every time we do, we are faced with issues that we weren’t counting on.  Sometimes it takes time for us to get over our choice to sin, God forgives but our lives can be scared for a long time especially when we can’t forgive ourselves.  Sin is not worth the price it cost us!!

I am convinced that David was forgiven and the joy of God’s salvation was restored to him and I believe  God’s mercy and forgiveness made David a stronger person in the Lord, but I am also convinced that David probably never forget the child that died because of his sin.

So consider the high price of sin when it knocks on your heart’s door and be assured that God is there by the Holy Spirit in you to help you overcome sin.

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If My Life Ended Today

July 5th, 2009

Psalms 39:4 4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

 Have you ever thought about how it would be if you knew the exact day that you were going to die?  It is quite sobering isn’t it?

Just think about it if you knew the exact day and moment that your life was going to end on this earth and you were going to step into eternity; how different would you live your life.  Think about all the things that you would do now knowing that the end is coming.  Think about all the kind deeds you would do that you have been planning on doing when you got the time.  Would you now be saying all those things to your family, friends and others that you thought about saying but just never did?  Would you be telling your family how much you loved them and would you be not only saying it but showing them also?

I have always said each time I officiate over a funeral, “death has a way of bringing reality to life.”   When a family member or close loved one passes away it just life to a realization that you don’t see in just everyday living.  It shows us just how short life can be and the fact that we don’t know when we will leave this world.  Listen to what the Psalmist said 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah 6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

Here is the thing, we know that we are not going to live forever here on this earth and that means we only have a certain amount of time to live our lives here on this earth, we have only a brief time to love those around us and to show kindness to others.  We only have this time to live our lives for God here and to show the world who Jesus is.  We don’t need to waste our days do we, we need to make every moment worth something and especially to our families, we need to be doing things for them and with them that is going to continue to speak on in their lives after we are gone.  I am sure that Michael Jackson didn’t realize that his final moment was coming in his life and I would almost be sure that if he had he would have done many things different.

In Luke 16:19-31 there is the story of the Rich man and Lazarus, the rich man had everything in this life that anyone could want or so he thought.  Lazarus didn’t have much in this world, but he did know God obviously and when they both died, Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell.  In hell the rich man finally saw and realized that he missed it, that all that he had while in this world meant nothing now, he finally now was concerned about his family and he didn’t want them to come to the place that he was in.  He now faced eternity with a vivid realization of regrets and hopelessness.

My encouragement to you to day is to live your life with purpose and meaning.  Live life making every moment count knowing that just as the Psalmist said, our life is just a breath.  Remember this: Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: (Psalm 37:3-5)

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Independence or Dependence

July 4th, 2009

Psalms 42:1-2 NIV  For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  2  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

 Today is the Fourth of July, a day in which we as Americans celebrate the establishment of our nation.  Our forefathers declared their independence from British rule especially in the area of religious freedom.  They may have declared their independence from Britain, but they did not declared independence from God.  They knew very well that this nation would never survive unless it had a dependence on God and His ways.

 Sadly today America has wonder far from our founding fathers original design and purpose.  We have become a nation of people who want our independence from everything including God. 

This should not be the case for us as Believers; we should never want to be independent from God.  In the Psalm 42, the psalmist indicates how much he needs and desires God.  He uses the illustration of a deer panting for water.  I remember when I was a teenager I went to work with a friend of mine who was working on the Interstate 20 at that time, I was asked to be a flagman for dump trucks bring dirt to a particular location that day.  I didn’t bring anything with me to drink or eat that day and it was one of those hot summer days and as I stood there on a busy highway flagging for those trucks I become thirstier and thirstier as the day went on.  My mouth just became parch and finally after I couldn’t stand it any longer I ask one the truck drivers if he would bring some water.  When I got that water it was like a refreshing renewal for my body, I just could stop drinking it, I wanted more and more.

 This is how I associate with what the Psalmist is saying here, he is so thirsty for God he couldn’t wait until he could meet with Him.  He knew he needed God and that he was dependent on God for his very existence.  The Psalmist did not just desire the hand of God, but he wanted to see His face; in other words he wanted to have a moment with God and just bask in who He was. 

Let me encourage on this Fourth of July to not only be thankful for this nation that we live in and we can freely worship in, but let us remember how much we need to be “dependent” on God and how our very existence depends on Him.  Give Him thanks for Him giving Himself to you everyday day.

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Incredible Promises

July 4th, 2009

Hebrews 8:6 NIV But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

It is an incredible thing to know that we as Christians have been precious promises from God that are not just something God is saying, but they are promises that God will keep to his people; to those who will dare to believe them and receive them. There are so many promises in the Word of God that it would take hours to list them, but I just want to give you a few today that in one way just simple promises but yet they are so powerful to our lives.

Psalms 32:1-2 NIV Of David. A maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  2  Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Just think about it, our sins are forgiven, they are not just put in the drawer to be brought out against again at some point, but they are forgiven.  One might think that when it says “our sins are covered” means that that are not forgotten, but remember our sins were cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, so when God looks at us he doesn’t see a sinful person, but he sees a person who has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.  He sees Jesus.

If God doesn’t see our sins, then there is no reasons for us to keep bringing them up and living our life through them, they are forgiven and we have been made righteous through Jesus Christ.

 Psalms 32:7 NIV You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah  Here is another great promise, God is our hiding place, when we are facing opposition and battles we can be comforted to know that we can hide away in God, it doesn’t mean we are running in defeat but we are moving into the place where God can help us and shield us from all the onslaughts of the enemy.  It further says that God will protect us trouble and He will surround us with songs of deliverance, think about when trouble is all around and the enemy is coming against you; you can have a song of deliverance.  God will deliver us from our troubles. Here are some other promises that reinforce this, Psalms 34:15 NIV The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; Psalms 34:17-20 NIV The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  18  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  19  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;  20  he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Think about it, the eyes of the Lord are watching over you and me and His ears are paying close attention to our cries and pleas.  He emphatically hears us when we pray and He will definitely deliver us from “all” our troubles the Word says.  Even in your lowest moments when it seems there is no one there, God promises to be there and to protect us through it all.

 With these kinds of promises in the Bible, what are we to do, maybe David said it best in Psalms 34:1-4 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  2  My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.  3  Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.  4  I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

 Rejoice today because you have promises from God and He will keep his Word to you and me!

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Do You Love His House?

July 1st, 2009

Psalms 26:8 NIV  I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.

David had a great desire to be in the place where God’s presence dwelt.  We know that David was greatly concerned that he lived in a fine palace but God only had a tent to dwell in.  He wanted to built a house for God’s presence to dwell in.  Even though God didn’t let David build the temple, he did let him guide his young son Solomon in the building of the place where God’s presence would dwell.  The children of Israel place great importance on the Tabernacle because it represented God’s presence among them.

I know that God doesn’t dwell only in buildings and no where else, he now lives in each of us, each of us carries around the presence of God within us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  However, there is something special about coming together in the House of the Lord and worshipping together as the Body of Christ.  Many people say that they can worship God anywhere and this is true, but there is something that happens when we come together in one place and in unity that can happen no where else.

I have had people tell me that they don’t miss out on God when they don’t come to the House of the Lord; well I disagree I think you miss out greatly when you are not in the House of the Lord regularly.   The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25 NIV  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  It is hard to live the Christian life and not be a part of a local fellowship.  There is strength and joy that comes from worshiping together.  When we stay away from the House of the Lord we are isolating ourselves and anytime we isolate ourselves we are playing right into the Devil’s hand.  1 Peter 5:8 NIV  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 Don’t let the Devil convince you that staying at home or doing other things on the Lord’s Day is more important, have the heart of David and a desire to come together at the House of the Lord and expect His presence to be there and expect to receive something from the Lord as we worship together.

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Abundant Life June 30, 2009

June 30th, 2009

John 10:10 “The theif does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

What an incrediable promise from God that each believer is promised an abundant life.  But what does this mean to us?  The Amplified Bible says that abundance means  “to the full, till if overflows”.  The Message Bible says it means “more and better life than they ever dreamed.”  The New Living translation syas “my purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”

In 2 Peter 1:3 it says that He has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness.  This means that God hasn’t forgotten anything that we would need to live our lives here on this earth.  We miss out on what God has for us because we don’t realize what He has done for us through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 4:7 says that we are God’s children and because we are his children everything that he has belongs to us. The Message Bible says that “we have complete access to the inheritance.” 

Don’t miss out on what God has for you as His child, don’t let the devil tell you that you are not worthy of anything from God; God has given us through Jesus Christ an inheritance and it has everything we need to live a victorious and blessed life here on this earth.Search the scriptures that have the phrase “in Him or in Whom” to see what God has given to us through Jesus Christ.

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