Change

John 6:29 KJV
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

When we read the Bible and see examples of how we should behave as Christians it's easy to take that from the standpoint of our behavior creates a good relationship with God

It is as though our behavior maintained by our thinking and encouraged by all of the books we read is what creates change in us.

It gets back to works. It is as though through our works we change. And we do so to please God.

The truth is, as we allow Holy Spirit to lead and guide us we change. No longer does our behavior reflect our old thinking. We behave differently because of our relationship with Jesus.

We behave differently because we have changed. That change was not because of what we have done but because of what Jesus did at the cross.

We are new creatures born again in heaven living in this fleshly body. As we continue to walk in the Spirit we become more Christ like. Our mind becomes ever more the mind of Christ.

It is not because of who we were with all our earthly education and experiences. It is because of Jesus and what he did for us.

He set us free and removed us from the bondage of our earthly existence. And now he abides in us and we abide in him.

The only work is for us to believe in Jesus. Walk in it!

The Authority

Mark 7:30 NLT And when she arrived home, her little girl was lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. 

We each have the right and the authority, in the name of Jesus, to command healing in the body of someone standing right in front of us and in the body of someone else miles away. ~ DickEvans.org

Reach Out

Do not be discouraged as you step out in your belief to lay hands on the sick. Continue to reach out in faith knowing the power in that touch is because Christ is in you. ~ Dickvans.org

Focus

We need to focus on what Holy Spirit has to say to us. We need to ignore the comments of others and move forward with the Truth. As Jesus said, "Don't be afraid. Just trust me." ~ DickEvans.org

Open

As we experience new things and move forth in our walk as a believer, more is revealed to us. We must remain open to His teaching, to the teaching Holy Spirit provides each day. ~ DickEvans.org

Preach It

Preach the word does not have to mean walking around with our Bible in our hands reading out loud. Preach by being who you are, in Christ. Let Him speak to others because He is in you. ~ DickEvans.org

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Luke 2:10
She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

We all are reminded of the story of Jesus' birth each year on this celebration of His birthday; on Christmas. We picture Joseph knocking on the innkeepers door only to discover a No Vacancy sign. They had to seek alternate accommodations.

How often do we hang out the same sign when a believer that is not at the same place in their walk, the place we perceive ourselves to be at, attempts to join our fellowship? Do our actions speak No Vacancy to them?

We say that there are no class distinctions in our society, but how often do we reject those that are not living like we do because they make us uncomfortable? Do our remarks make them seek alternate accommodations?

God wants us to tear down that sign. He wants us to welcome every one of His children. What we do for the least of them, we do for Him. ~ DickEvans.org

The Gift of Christ

Luke 2:11 NKJV
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

At Christmas the world reminds itself of the birth of Jesus. He is the ultimate gift and we give gifts to others in remembrance of that gift. It is the gift that freed mankind to be born again, born In heaven. The gift of salvation and freedom.

Only the Holy Ghost can set you free. Why is it so hard to walk in the spirit? We already have it all and only have to walk out in the truth of who we are in Christ.

God does not bring things into our life to teach us. Satan brings things to interfere with our walk with Jesus. As we focus on the truth of who we are in Christ we rise above that tribulation.

We can focus on our earthly existence still alive in who we used to be. We can work hard to try and use our own understanding to fix what is wrong. To lean to others in their lectures, sermons, and books. We can work hard to fix what is dead. Or we can walk in who we are in Christ and rise above it all.

We cannot fix ourselves or others. Only the Holy Spirit can help them to understand the choices they need to make. Only He can heal them. We cannot be Holy Spirit for them no matter how right we are.

We use the things we learn to live our life for Jesus rather than to correct others. Our revelation is for our walk. We can share it with others but not use it to try and fix them. Only by the Holy Spirit will that revelation of ours touch their life.

May we truly celebrate Jesus on Christmas Day and every day of the year.

Our Agenda

How many times is what we do more important to us than what Holy Spirit has for us to do? How many times do we put our agenda first? ~ DickEvans.org

Generous

When Holy Spirit speaks to us or puts a situation in front of us, we need to step out in faith. We need to step out and be generous with our money, our time and our mercy. ~ DickEvans.org

Rejoicing

Rejoicing is a choice, a decision we make. Be glad for today is the day that the Lord hath made.It is time for each of us to step out in faith and always be full of joy in the Lord? ~ DickEvans.org

Daily

Daily we fight the fight. We fight off our old selfish nature and walk instead in the Spirit; in our new nature. We must be conscience of all our actions and be sure they are the result of listening to and obeying God’s voice. ~ DickEvans.org

Worthy

Regardless of where we are and who we are with, we must stand side by side with fellow believers fighting the good fight, living in a manner worthy of He who lives in us. ~ DickEvans.org

Receive the Upgrade

We are born again. A new creature in christ. An alien to this world, this reality we live in on earth. Our true home is in heaven. We have a new spirit born in heaven, an upgrade of our spirit to the spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Everything Holy Spirit does is about bringing us closer to the revelation of what Jesus has already done. Closer to understanding what was completed at the cross. He wants us to stop trying to figure it out and just believe. As we believe we can receive.

If we can see it completed in our mind's eye then we can believe it and in faith receive it as done.

We have the mind of christ in our spirit and yet we keep thinking with our carnal mind. Our walk here is about getting our carnal mind to think in the spirit. About transforming our mind to think like the mind of Christ. When that happens, our soul and body begin to function as it is in heaven here on earth.

This does not happen with the flick of a switch. I wish it did. It is a daily challenge to die to self, to think with our spirit mind instead of our wrongly programmed mind filled with the malware of life here on earth.

We can fix old programming in our cell phones by simply accepting an upgrade from its maker. In a few minutes time our phone has forgotten the old and only works with the new.

As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, we have the latest program in our spirit. Holy spirit, the mind of Christ is in us. The upgrade to our spirit was completed as soon ad we believed. Oh how I wish the transformation of our soul was as easy.

Our soul is controlled by our mind and our body conforms to that thinking. There is truth to all that positive thinking talk. As a man thinketh so he is. And as we allow Holy Spirit to transform our mind to think as the mind of Christ that is the only way we will think

Our carnal mind says that can't be done or trys to figure it out. Our spirit says it is already done. There is nothing to do but receive it.

How can we make it happen you ask? It is about our free will. Our maker does not force new programming on us. We have to choose.  We chose Jesus and the download was done.  It us up to us to repent of our old programming and allow Holy Spirit to install the changes. 

Obey

Daily we are to listen for the Holy Spirit and obey His words. We are to take that walk of faith. ~ DickEvans.org

Argue

When confronted we are not to argue our faith. It is not possible to win an argument when the other person has a veil over their eyes. Treat them with the love of Christ and they will see His fruit in your life. ~ DickEvans.org

God"s Plan

God has the plan for our lives. It is in our seeking Him that we find the path to take. We cannot get it from another man. We cannot get it from books and tapes and conferences. We get it from God as we seek His face. ~ DickEvans.org

Potential

Jesus looks past the outward appearance to the potential inside, but most people don't. Most miss the potential because of how they look and how they speak. May we begin to see with our spiritual eyes. ~ DickEvans.org

The Vine

John 15:5 NIV

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

I have heard sermons about how we are grafted into the vine. Joined with Christ. Placed in a vine that was meant for the jews. As gentiles we were allowed a place. But watch out. If we aren't careful we could be removed. 

How silly those thoughts are. Even someone as ignorant about plants as I am knows that once grafted in that piece of the plant is stronger than the originals. 

When we receive Jesus in our heart as our savior we are grafted in forever. There is nothing we can or cannot do to be removed. 

Father God gives us gifts. He grants us salvation and the gift of grace. Once given a gift is never taken back or it would not have been a gift.

Jesus went to the cross and paid our sin debt so we never have to worry again. His forgiveness is forevermore. Nothing we do can take that away. He will never leave us or forsake us. 

His gifts are without repentance. (Romans 11:29) We don't earn them and we do not have to do anything to keep them. 

He remembers our sin no more. (Hebrews 8:12) Those events in our lives are as far from Him as the east is from the west. 

Thank you Father for grafting me into the vine. For your Son abiding in me and me in Him. Thank you for your mercy and grace. And for your everlasting forgiveness. In Jesus name I pray.

Wisdom

Godly wisdom comes from God. As we walk forth in faith, Holy Spirit leads us into areas He has for us to go. He supplies all the wisdom we need. As we obey Him, He gives us more, continually increasing our ability to use those gifts that He has placed within us. ~ DickEvans.org

Obey

What does God want of us?  He wants us to follow Jesus, to let Holy Spirit lead us to where we are to go to do His work. He wants us to listen and obey. ~ DickEvans.org

Temptation

What if you went out to dinner with someone that was struggling with an eating disorder? So you order that scrumptious dessert. And since you are having one, they order one also. Eating dessert is not a sin for you, but your action was temptation for them. DickEvans.org

Nothing Can Stop Us

It seems to always get back to our own understanding. Our head tells us that we can or cannot do something but our head only knows things based on our experience. If we did it before and were successful, then we feel good doing it again. We need to get our head and our logic out of the way. We need to know that we know that when God tells us to do something there is nothing that can stop us. ~ DickEvans.org

Turn Off

How difficult it is for us to turn off our human logic. Even when the Lord tells us to do something, we can let our own intellect get in the way and try to do something else. Like Peter we can easily attempt to correct God. We can try and tell Him what we think is best. ~ DickEvans.org

Plenty

Our God is a god of plenty. When we give thanks to Him for what we have and where we are and all that He has done for us, He provides for our needs. ~ DickEvans.org

Give Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

As we have received the gift of grace we must also give grace to others and forgive them when they say or do something that could offend us.

Offense nurtured breeds bitterness. Bitterness will kill you. It is a cancer to your soul. With bitterness comes anger. It is not part of our new life in Christ.

God has saved us by grace not by works. We are forgiven. His word tells us that He remembers our sins no more. They are as far away from Him as the east is from the west.

We need to be walking in the spirit not in the flesh. In the spirit we think with the mind of Christ.

As we allow our mind to draw from our old self we pull away from the mind of Christ. We let others offend us and pull us out of the spirit.

Satan works hard to tempt us into those old thoughts tempting us to go back to those things our old self enjoyed. Tempting us back into old relationships.

That life is over. We cannot go back. Our New life is in Christ. He has a path for us to go on. We need to let go of the dead past life and walk in our new life. Let go of those old friends. Stop the lifestyle we lived before Christ.

Father, thank you for showing me the path you have for Me to follow. Thank you for steering me away from the ways of my dead life. Thank you for wisdom and boldness to speak the truth to others. To use me to heal the sick. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Faith

Faith doesn't come because we read how others increased their faith. It increases because we become immersed in His Word and step out in what faith we have. ~ DickEvans.org

Be Willing

The Holy Spirit is always attempting to communicate to us, to instruct us. We must be willing to hear from Him so that we can understand what He is telling us to do. Without our willingness we will not be able to obey because we will never hear His words. ~ DickEvans.org