Monday, May 30, 2016

Help

Romans 15:2 NLT
We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.


I think most believes agree with this scripture. In how we accomplish it is where we may differ.

It is so easy to judge others by the standards we set for ourselves. But what is right for us may not be right for another.

We try to fix others using the knowledge we have accumulated over the years of our life experiences coupled with the books we have read and the sermons we have listened to. Much of that is good but it may be man led instead of Holy Spirit led.

The standard we use should be God's word. As we spend time in His word Holy Spirit teaches us all things. Our mind is continually being renewed to be more and more the mind of Christ.

Others may need our help. But we don't need to fix people.We need to take them by the hand and disciple them so they too can have their mind renewed. They need encouragement and the fellowship of other believers as they begin their walk with Jesus.


Monday, May 23, 2016

Thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.


We look at all that is going on in the world and wonder how we can be joyful and thankful. But why are we looking at all that each day? Why are we pouring into our mind the news reports and articles in the newspaper and on the Internet about the horrible things happening?

Listen and read, but be aware. The problems of this world are not ours to solve. Every four years the political arena has us debating who the best candidate will be. And yet we can do nothing about what they do when the election is over. Our only responsibility is to cast our vote and know that God is the one in charge of all. (Romans 13:1)

How can we not be joyful when we know that we know that Jesus died to remove forever out debt of sin? We are free of all bondage. We have been redeemed by Christ and are righteous as He is righteous. Now that is something to be joyous about. Let us not allow what is going on around us in this world to take away that joy.

As trials in this life come our way, let us be thankful for each one. If life was rosy all the time we would never have an opportunity to to grow, to learn from our mistakes and move on. How often do we get so wrapped up in our own solutions that we forget the Holy Spirit? If we give our situation to God, He will provide the best solution. He will guide us down the right path.

And of course we should be thankful for all the good things that happen in our lives. As we pray for others and our prayers are answered, we need to be thankful and not just take God for granted. He heard us and answered our prayers. Thank you, Jesus!

How do we never stop praying? Always lift up your thoughts to God. Stay in communication with Him all day. Thanks Him. Complain to Him. Ask for His help. Listen to His answer which may come in many forms. It could be the next text you receive, the person you meet while shopping, or even the scripture you hear on the radio as you drive to your next appointment. He may pop a thought into your mind or even speak so that you actually hear His voice.

As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:15, "Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand."

So let us go about our day in prayer, full of joy and thankful for all God is doing in our lives.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Live Wisely

Colossians 4:5-6 NLT
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

This seems like it should be a very simple task. When you're with other people we should be the best we can be. And yet how often do other people irritate us? Often they say things that make us want to respond in a not so nice fashion.

And is that not the point? If we are using the mind of Christ we would also be able to be quiet when we should be quiet and have the right words to say when it's time to speak. Oh how I wish that were the case with me.

How often I open my mouth and things fall out that later I regret. I think, why did I ever say that? Those are the times that I realize it is my carnal mind just feeding my mouth. I have allowed my old man to take over once again.

And here I am with the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus living in me. All I need to do is practice His presence. All I need to do is let my old thoughts go and allow Jesus to fill my mouth. He knows what to say. Why can't I let him say it?

"Father, help me be the person you made me to be. Help me to live wisely and put my old self aside, dying to all its desires, and allow my new spirit, the spirit that lives inside with your Holy Spirit, to take over. I want more of you and less of me. In Jesus name I pray amen."

Monday, May 09, 2016

Exercise and Diet

No amount of exercise or diet can make us outlive this human life. Only in Jesus do we have life everlasting. ~ DickEvans.org

WWJD

In the 1990's a fad started with WWJD bracelets, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and many other paraphernalia prompting the question "What would Jesus do?" It would remind the person seeing it or wearing it that his or her actions should not be any different than what they perceived Jesus' actions would be if it were Him instead of them.

John 14:12-14 NKJV
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Do we believe this scripture when it says we will do greater works? We believe the end of it that says Jesus will do anything we ask, if we ask in His name, the name of Jesus. I have to wonder if we really understand what He meant by Greater Works than these? Instead of asking what we are to do, perhaps we should be asking what didn't Jesus do. This may seem like a strange question, but how often are we adding things to what Jesus did?

Luke 10:19 NKJV
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

We Has been given authority. Authority to trample on a monsters of any kind trying to attack us or standing in our way as we step into what He has assigned to us.  Authority over the powers of satan. Nothing shall harm us.  We are under the protection of God as we walk forth doing the work He has predestined for us to do.

And in Mark Jesus gave us the The Great Commission which reads "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Jesus tells us we will deliver demons from people and perform miraculous healings by laying on our hands. But do we do as Jesus did, or do we add our own twist? Do we add to what Jesus who is perfect did? Do we trust in God and lean to Him first or do we lean to our own understanding first?

Someone becomes sick in our presence. What is our first response? Do we reach out, lay hands on them and see them recover? Or do we call 911? What would Jesus have done? Would He have called for a physician of that time to help the person and if that did not work laid His hands on them praying for God to heal the person? Of course not. Jesus simply would have told them they were healed. Why do we add to what Jesus would do instead of trusting in His words that told us we would do greater things?

How often do pray for someone by for Jesus to heal them, to deliver them from their illness? We beg God to do what He has told us to do. We believed and therefore received salvation. Our spirit and His spirit are one in us. Holy Spirit was sent to be our guarantee that we are saved. He fills us with all power and authority to do all Jesus did and even greater things.

When someone is troubled by demonic activity we say they are in need of deliverance. Do we just lay hands on them and tell the demons to go in the name of Jesus? This is what Jesus did. No, we enroll them in a series of classes or deliverance sessions where the demons are expelled using a series of methods developed over the years. Why do we add to the simple gospel Jesus brought us? Why do we create our own methods to do what only Jesus can do?

It is time we stopped leaning to mankind to solve our problems. Jesus went to the cross as us and paid our debt in full. He took all our sins, sicknesses, demons, curses, and earthly situations and crucified them. We are free of all of these things. We are free to walk forth in Christ with His mind and His righteousness. We are to be all we can be and that is to be Jesus in this world we live.

Monday, May 02, 2016

Saved

Romans 10:9-10 NLT
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 

It seems that each church has created its own "sinner's prayer" for those who want to be saved to say. Some are as simple as asking Jesus into their heart to save them and others seem to be shot sermons having them confessing everything, agreeing they believe Jesus died for them, and on and on to finally asking to be saved. These are fine and nothing is wrong with them, but they can tend to complicate a simple process.

Jesus said to just believe. Paul confirms that in this scripture-believe and you will be saved. Jesus died as us on that cross. Our total debt was paid. No longer does sin count against us. All curses, sickness, disease, and anything else satan can try and throw at us was removed on that day at the cross. And yet satan continues to try and deceive us into thinking otherwise.

As a guarantee that we have been saved, God sends the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ, to live in us. He take residence in us and His spirit and ours become one. Christ is in us and we are in Him. Our spirit man is righteous, but our soul, mind, and body has a way to go. And that is our transformation walk.

Day by day as we allow Holy Spirit to teach us all things, to comfort us, to guide us in the paths of righteousness. As we receive from Him, we allow our mind to become more and more Christ like. We learn to shut out the voices of the enemy and the voices from our own past life. We cannot go back there because we are a new person in Christ. The old has past away. And yet satan continues to put thoughts in our carnal mind that tempt us to go back where we came from.

Lord, help me to listen to your Holy Spirit as I go about each day. Help me to think Your thoughts and not my old ones. Help me to be a reflection of You to all I come in contact with. May my mind be transformed into the mind of Christ. It is in Jesus name I pray.