You Deserve It

It's been six months since my last post, I'm sorry to say, and it's been a pretty good six months. Approximately 10 months ago my biggest client said he was going under and couldn't give me another dime. I was worried, but I knew God would take care of me. The first month passed and I had enough work, then the second, then the third, now here we are. A few months could be a coincidence, but 10 straight months. It's the divine hand of God and nothing else. And praise God, we're doing better than ever. It's truly a miracle, and we give God all the glory.

 Lately I've found myself saying to God how I don't deserve this, and basically being overwhelmed by His grace and mercy. But in my heart I knew that I shouldn't feel that way, and that I needed to stop talking that way. I thank God for the teaching I've received on His Word, because in fact I know that I do deserve all of God's blessings. That's right, I deserve all of His blessings and so do you! Let me show you why.
There are many, many wonderful verses in the Bible, but these two have to be up there among the best: 

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17 KJV)

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:4-7 KJV)

How do you even provide commentary on verses like that?  What more could I say?  WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN!  

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26 KJV)

When you have faith in Jesus Christ you become a son or a daughter of God.  And a careful look at the Greek text makes it even better.  The words "Spirit of adoption" in Romans 8 could also be translated "Spirit producing sonship."  I think most of us see adoption as something on paper, where one doesn't truly become a person's child biologically, but only in the eyes of the law.  But not so with God's Spirit.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God's Spirit literally makes you the biological child of God.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9 KJV)

We are born of God.  God has given birth to us.  The Greek word for "seed" is "sperma".  Need I say more?  God's Spirit has come into me.  I am born again.  I am born again as God's child.  And as God's child, I am God's heir.

Look at the verses above again.  We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.  We have the same status to inherit from God as Christ does.  Doesn't that blow your mind?

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29 KJV)

Jesus wants to be the firstborn among many brethren.  Jesus isn't fighting over His birthright or claiming His place.  He is calling out to us, giving Himself for us, wanting to share His inheritance with us.  He invites us into Himself to come boldly before God's throne in Him (Hebrews 4:16) and to sit at God's right hand in His chair with Him (Ephesians 2:6).

So you need to see yourself as God's child, and you need to see yourself as a rightful heir to your inheritance.  You know what's great about that area of the law, any fool can receive a major inheritance.  If you have a rich relative die and you stand to receive an inheritance, the law doesn't ask if you are a good person.  The law doesn't ask what you will do with the money.  The law doesn't ask anything about you.  The law only cares about your bloodline.  All you have to do is show up and claim what is legally yours.

So what do we inherit from God?

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ . . . And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:16, 29 KJV)

"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12 KJV)

We inherit God's promises!  

If you are not familiar with God's promises, that's O.K., it's just time to read your Bible more.  We inherit all of God's promises, so let me give you some examples.

"For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD."  (Jeremiah 30:17 KJV)

"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 54:13 KJV)

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV)

There are numerous promises that we inherit because we are now God's children.  These are our unconditional inheritance as God's children.  Why?  Because God loves us and wants us to enjoy our lives, exactly as we should feel for our children.  

The Bible even shows us how our entire inheritance is a promise:

"For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." (Galatians 3:18 KJV)

"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all." (Romans 4:13-16 KJV)

We are of faith, and we are the heirs.  Why did God make the inheritance a promise where all that is required is faith?  SO THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED!  God wants the promises to be assured and established in our lives!

We are God's children.  We we God's heirs.  All of God's promises are our inheritance, and by faith we can obtain our inheritance today.  Want more?  "For all the promises of God in him [Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV)

All the promises of God are yes and "so be it" (amen) in Christ for us.  So that our lives can give God the glory.  It gives God glory when we obtain our inheritance.   The promises are sure.  The promises are yes.  Do you deserve it, yes!  Can you have it, yes!  Does God want you to have it, yes!

When I receive my promised inheritance, like how I have had everything I need over the past few months, I give God the glory.  I know that it is God providing for me.  But I can't start thinking I don't deserve it, because then I won't have faith for it.  I had faith God would meet my needs, so I obtained that promise.  We need to take it to the next level though.  We need to have faith that God will restore our health and heal ALL our wounds.  We need to have faith that great will be the peace (shalom, nothing missing nothing broken) for our children.  We need to have faith for all of God's promises.  We deserve these realities in our lives because God promised them to us.

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19 KJV)

God doesn't lie.  God promises and honors His Word above His own Name (Psalm 138:2).  You can take God's promises to the bank.  All you need to do is know about your inheritance and claim it by faith.  Then stand in patience while you wait in faith for the manifestation of the promises.

Don't be like those people who don't know about their inheritance because they weren't close to their parents.  Don't be like those people who are too lazy to go get it even though they know it's there.

Glory to God.  I'm thrilled to be God's child.  I'm thrilled to be God's heir.  I want my life to give Him glory in every way possible.  I'm going to inherit the promises so that others can see God's glory in my life and become God's heirs too.  Now you do the same, child of the Most High God.  You deserve it.

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God's Secret Plans For You

Hi, I hope you are doing well.  This post might be a bit long, but trust me you won't regret getting to the end of it.  Print it out and have it with you when you have some time.  The truth from God's Word will change your life, and this post contains some very important Biblical truth.

It would be an understatement to say this has been a difficult few months for my family.  While my immediate family is doing well, my extended family has hit really hard times.  In fact, it has probably never been so hard in all my life.  We all remain focused on God and His grace, but it can be tough to focus on His promises when life's problems stare us in the face.  

Personally, things are going well.  God has supernaturally brought work to my law practice and we have experienced no lack.  Glory to God!  But this season has caused me to focus on God like never before.  Obviously that's a good thing.  While lack is the devil's tool and God never uses the devil's tools, God can turn the devil's tools against him.  This is what happens when we draw closer to God during times of struggle.  So that's what I've been doing.  I'm drawing closer to God as I know He will cause me to triumph over all of this.

For a variety of reasons, I've been focused on hearing direction from God on His plans for my life.  I'm sure you would say that I regularly talk about that, and that's true.  But I've approached the subject with a renewed vigor.  I had a dream from God the other night and I believe the best interpretation is that if I continue practicing law (at least as I do now) I will never be happy and I will never make any real money.  This was not the most joy producing Word I've ever received.  Nevertheless, I know God.  I know He said this to me because He is going to show me what to do so that I can be happy and make real money.  It's also no wonder that He told me this in a time of seeking His will for my life.  I yearn for God's direct Word to me.  Even when it hurts it's like both a refreshing drink and medicine on a wound.  I need it.

So in that thought I wanted to share with you the latest fruit from my mediation in 1 Corinthians 2.  I personally believe every Christian needs to meditate this passage again and again and again to truly understand its significance. I'm going to put the whole thing for you here.  Don't rush, just read it slowly.

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:1-16 KJV)

Now let's also refresh our recollection of Ephesians 2:10, certainly one of the most important verses on God's plans for our lives: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)

In the Greek, the word for "before ordained" from Ephesians 2:10 has the same root as the word "prepared" from 1 Corinthians 2:9.  1 Corinthians 2:10 says that God's Spirit reveals to us everything that God has prepared for us, and this includes our good works.  God's Spirit will reveal to you the good works God wants you to do, isn't that awesome!  I've said before that I believe we have a three-part destiny, who we should be, what we should have, and what we should do.  God's Spirit is an essential player in us achieving our destinies, and this is one major reason.  We need God's Spirit to show us what to do.

Now how will God's Spirit show you the good works God has prepared for you?  He will "reveal" them to you!  So let's look at the word "reveal" from 1 Corinthians 2:10.  The word is "apokalupto" which in the Greek is the base word for "apokalupsis" which means "revelation." God is going to give you a revelation of the good works He has prepared for you.

So let's look at this word apolkalupto (reveal, revelation) a bit further.  This is the same word that Paul uses in Galatians 1 (God revealed His Son in Paul).  This is also the same word Paul uses in Ephesians 3:5 (God has revealed the mystery of Christ).  This is also the word Jesus uses when speaking to Peter in Mathew 16:17 (God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ).  God is going to reveal your good works to you, but this isn't going to be a simple communication to be taken lightly.  God is going to give you a Spiritual Revelation of the works He has planned for you.  And in my experience, these things don't come after two minutes of prayer.  This takes time in His Word and fellowship with His Spirit.  We need to press in and hear from God.

Yet there is more to be considered here.  What did Paul say is revealed by God's Spirit - "the things which God has prepared for them that love Him."  But how else did he refer to these things?  He said this was "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom."  Paul says here that he is speaking the secret wisdom of God, which was given to him by revelation from God's Spirit.  Paul says that (at least part) of God's secret wisdom is the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.  Paul then goes on to say that we received the Spirit of God "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."  This passage is just too cool!

So God's secret wisdom, which He gives us by revelation, includes all the things He has prepared for us, which are all freely given to us.  And one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries is to give us this revelation!

The word for "freely given" is "charizomai" which is a special word which essentially means "given as an act of grace alone."  We can't earn anything God gives us.  We can't earn anything God has prepared for us.  We don't even earn the good works God arranges for us to do.  (If this isn't exciting you then you need to spend more time with God!)  Now I know what you're thinking, "Byron, that sounds a lot like 2 Timothy 1:9".  I totally agree.  Let's read that now, "(God) hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."  The calling on our lives is a gift of His grace.  The works He wants us to do are gifts of His grace.  Everything is a gift of His grace, including His Holy Spirit which reveals to us all His other gifts to us.  All of our good works are gifts from God.  It's time we seek out revelation of them so that we can do them all and live the life God planned for us before the world began.

So God has some secret plans for you.  God's Spirit is going to give you revelation of these secret plans.  But we aren't done yet.  We must grasp 1 Corinthians 2:14 also, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  I'm still meditating this one, but here is something I can tell you; you better have your spiritual thinking cap on when you consider the revelation God gives you of His secret plans for your life.  God may show you something that seems 100% incompatible with your current situation.  God may show you something that your mind can't fathom as being possible for your life.  You need to see this revelation with spiritual eyes.

You must have faith in the revelation God gives you and the power of God to help you get where you want to go.  As one of my close friends once told me, "all of Heaven stands behind you when you are walking in the revelation God has given you."  I'll be walking in the power of that statement for the rest of my life!  You cannot use your natural thinking to appraise Spiritual revelation and direction.  You must move in faith.  You must believe that God will give you the power and the desire to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

So that's where I am today my friend.  God has shown me some works that He has for me to do.  They make virtually no sense to my natural mind.  I don't believe they are for today, but I know they will come to pass if I continue to walk with God.  I'm pressing in constantly now to receive what God has for today.  You should do the same.  And we must move forward boldly into whatever God reveals to us, knowing that if God is for us then nothing can stand against us.

God has secret plans for your life.  These secret plans for you are part of God's secret wisdom.  These plans are all gifts of God's grace, given to you before the foundation of the world.  God will never revoke them (Romans 11:29).  God will reveal all of this to you, but it will only come by revelation from the Holy Spirit.  They may appear crazy to your natural mind, but all things are possible with God.  Press in today.  Draw close to God today.  Draw close to His Spirit.  God wants to give you His secret wisdom for your life more than you want to receive it.  This is one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries, and this revelation is freely available to you if you will seek it.

God revealed to Daniel His secret plans for the Hebrew nation and all of creation.  Remember what Daniel said about God, "He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him."(Daniel 2:22 KJV)  God will reveal His secret wisdom and plans for your life too.

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It's Here Now!

I wonder how many of you are constantly sitting around waiting for God to do something new in your life.  I think I've been that way since I became a committed Christian.  I'm sure the Church is partly to blame.  We always hear that God's going to show up, God's going to do something, or God's going to change our situation.  I'm not saying those things aren't true, but I believe God has showed me that I need a fundamental mindset change in this area.  If you've read these posts at all you know that we are looking for mental renovation.  Mental renovation is key to personal transformation which is key to living out God's perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:2).  And on this New Year's Day, I've got a mindset change for you that will truly help you start fresh.

I'm not going to bore you with more of my personal history, but basically from birth people have said God is going to do great things in my life.  He has, but I think these well-meaning people meant more visible or ministry-related things.  When I committed my life to Christ eight years ago, I did make some important changes, but I've always been waiting for God to make some drastic changes or somehow radically change my situation.  I guess I thought one day I would wake up and really be an adult in some high powered job or world wide ministry.  I would be spiritually mature in every area and always make the right decisions.  God would be using me continually to impact the world as I experienced the fullness of His blessings.  I daydream about this and as I've gotten older it still seems just as far away.

But the other day, while in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, God spoke these words to my spirit, "It's here now."  I am going to say more about this, but let me just say that I believe God is saying those same words to you now too.  It can be your "now" time too.  God wasn't telling me that everything I've been expecting was going to happen in an instant, God doesn't work that way.  God was showing me I have a fundamental problem with my thinking and with my faith.  And if you have been constantly looking to the future like I was, you are probably having the same problems.

Faith is now.  You need to understand that to understand God's words to me "it's here now."  It took me a long time to grasp this concept but let me try to show you this fundamental premise of faith.  You see, faith is not hoping that something will come to pass.  That's what most people think faith is, but actually that is nothing more than hope.  (Even the Biblical definition of "hope" is "confident expectation" which is stronger than our natural word "hope" which basically implies that you want something to happen but don't know if it will.)  Biblical faith is believing that something is so now.  I have faith that God is alive in Heaven now.  I have faith that I am saved now.  I have faith that I am righteous before God because of Jesus' sacrifice now.  I hope (confidently expect) to see God in the future.  But I have faith that I am already His child now.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1)  We have faith now.  We confidently expect (hope for) certain things to come to pass, but we (in the form of faith) have the substance of those things now.  We can't see certain things (like Christ on His Throne) but our faith is the evidence of those things.  We have the faith now.  I don't have the thing, but I have the faith, so for me the thing is reality now.

Paul writes about Abraham using faith this way in Romans 4.  "As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before Him (God) who he (Abraham) believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."  This shows how God uses faith.  God calls things that be not as though they were.  Why does this apply to Abraham?  God named him Abraham, which means "father of a multitude" before Abraham had any children.  God was calling Abraham a father long before Abraham was a father.  And as Romans 4 shows us, Abraham was strong in faith and believed that which was spoken.

Jesus explains this principle clearly.  "Have faith in God . . .Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them."  (Mark 11:22-24)  You need to see that in the original Greek the word "in" doesn't appear.  The word "in" appears in many other places as a word of location or position, but not here.  So it doesn't really say to have faith "in God," it says to have the faith of God, or God's kind of faith.  If you read the King James Version then you may see a footnote stating just that.  So this is the God kind of faith.  You pray for something, you believe you receive it, then you have it.  Your faith is the substance of what you are hoping for.  You have it now by faith.   Your faith brings it to you.

And you must remember that faith is not just a state of mind or a thing to be held, faith is a force.  Faith is the most powerful force in the universe.  Faith is how God created the universe (Hebrews 11:3).  Faith is the force that brings God's promises into the natural world.  If I have faith for physical healing, for example, I may still feel bad this second, but I already possess the healing by faith, and my faith will cause my healing to manifest.  It may sound crazy, but that's exactly how it works.

So I can basically say that in all my thoughts about my future I wasn't using my faith correctly, or at all.  It's time I use my faith correctly over my life.  Whereas I was hoping to one day be in the right job and the right place and be the right kind of person, that wasn't getting me anywhere.  Using my faith, on the other hand, will ultimately bring me exactly where I need to go.

So think of everything you are hoping for in your Christian life.  Think of God's promises you want to manifest.  Think of the prophecies over you and the dreams God has give you.  Now say it with me, "In Jesus' Name, they are all here now."  Don't just say it once.  Let it sink in.  We have to build our faith.  Say it over and over.  Those words haven't left my spirit in two weeks now.  Keep saying them, build your faith, get excited.

IT'S HERE NOW!  I'm spiritually mature now.  I exercise and eat right now.  I'm full of God's wisdom now.   The windows of Heaven are open over me now.  I'm a blessing to God's kingdom now.  I'm walking in the ministry God has for me now.  My family is walking in divine health now.  My family and friends are all saved now.  Glory to God!!!!!

Get your verses out.  Get your confession out.  Begin confessing that everything is here now.  It's time we activate our faith forces to bring God's promises to our reality.  God's not keeping them from us.  Just read the Gospels man, Jesus held nothing back from those with faith.  I admit my faith failures.  Now admit yours and let's get going.  IT'S HERE NOW!  I may not see everything yet, but my faith is in the right place now and I'm ready to receive.

Let me end by discussing this principle in terms of your personal spiritual growth because I feel God reminding me about this.  Remember that we are supposed to spiritually mature and grow up into Christ in all things (Ephesians 4:15).  Chances are most of you are like me and you wish you were better in some areas.  Well that is here now too!

My father tells a story about my uncle that God reminded me of when considering all these issues.  They were CPA's together and they both smoked.  They had tried to quit many times with no success.  One day to my father's astonishment my uncle had suddenly quit cold turkey.  He asked my uncle the secret to his success and my uncle answered, "I had to see myself as a non-smoker."

My dad probably told that story 100 times and I'm just getting it.  (It's like that when God brings something back to you.)  There is powerful revelation there that I am just glimpsing now.  I see myself as a fully matured Christian.  Say that to yourself right now.  If you can build that inner image of yourself in your mind and in your heart, you will begin to walk in that image.  If I see myself as a sloth or a glutton, I'm going to act like one.  If I see myself as a powerful man of God who lives for God's Kingdom, then that's who I will be.  I can have faith in who I am (in Christ) right now.  In fact, God sees me in Christ now too, but that's another writing.  I see myself in Christ.  I see myself mature and conformed to His image. My spiritual maturity is here now.

I love you and I pray that 2013 is the year you truly see the manifestation of all God's promises in your life.  They belong to us now because of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  The only thing blocking them is our lack of knowledge and lack of faith.  Use your faith correctly, confess God's promises and believe that you receive them now.  You will surely have them.  IT'S HERE NOW!

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How To Become Like Christ

Almost two years ago I was driving in Birmingham and listening to a sermon by Dr. Bill Winston.  For some time the Spirit of God had been saying to me, "get ready."  During the sermon God showed me that "get ready" meant "become conformed to the image of Christ."  I began studying the subject and I saw that becoming conformed to the image of Christ is a master key to walking in all of your divine destiny.  That study culminated in me carefully reading all four Gospels to study Jesus and how to be like Him.  I highly encourage all of you to do that for yourselves.

I could probably write for years on everything I've learned about Christ.  I plan to share some of the revelation God gave me.  But for now I want to simply show you how to be conformed to the image of Christ.  There are several very important points about change and transformation for Christians.  They include renovating the mind (from carnal to spiritual thinking) and putting off the old man and putting on the new man.  There are more, and they are all entangled with becoming conformed to the image of Christ.  This is the transformation God desires.  This is the destiny we all share.  We were created in God's image, and being conformed to the image of Christ is how we return to the Creator's original design for us.  So now let me show you how to be conformed to the image of Christ.

I began the careful review of the Gospels after studying the following verse: "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:9-10).  I already understood that "putting on the new man" was synonymous with "being conformed to the image of Christ."  I therefore saw that the new man is renewed (or "renovated") in the knowledge of the image of Christ.  The word for "knowledge" in Greek is "epignosis" which refers to perfect or revelation knowledge, knowledge that comes from the Spirit of God.  So the first step in becoming like Christ was also the basis for my Gospel study.  If we want to become like Christ, we need revelation from God about the true person of Christ. 

So I began to study the Gospels specifically for knowledge of Christ.  I saw that the Gospels contain both the teachings of Christ and teachings about Christ.  In His Word God recounts stories of Christ loving, blessing and healing people.  Those are wonderful to see the loving and merciful nature of Christ.  God's Word also recites many of Jesus' teachings.  Honestly, at first I wasn't sure how those revealed the truth about Christ.  But then I realized the connection between Christ and His commandments, that Christ was the living embodiment, the perfect example, of all His commandments.

You can't read the later chapters of John without noticing the importance Jesus places on His commandments.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:15,21).  Now when other people give commandments or instructions, that doesn't necessarily mean they follow them perfectly.  I would love to say I personally walk in the light of all God's truth I've presented on this blog, but that's just not the case.  Sometimes I struggle with some of the very first teachings.  Since most of you don't know me, you really have no idea whether I live this way or not.  But that's not true with Christ.

When Christ gives a commandment, whether it was to love, to bless, to forgive, to show mercy, or to do any other thing, we know that Christ was already living that perfectly.  Sin was not an option for Christ (another fascinating reality.)  Christ had revelation from God about the way to live perfectly.  Christ then passed that revelation on to us in His teachings.  Christ lived what He taught.  So if we will study and obey Christ's teachings, we will become like Christ.

I then considered the other parts of God's Word.  Could they help me?  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1,14)  These verses tell us that Jesus Christ is the physical embodiment of all God's Word.

Let's keep this simple for people who aren't familiar with the relationship between the Old and New Testament.  In general, Christ is not a character in the Old Testament.  But God is a prominent figure in both Testaments.  Christ is the exact likeness of God (Hebrews 1:3).  So while we can study Christ and try to be like Him, studying God and His Word also teaches us about being like Christ, for Christ, God, and God's Word are all one and identical.  When we see God deliver His people, bless His people, protect His people, guide His people, and doing so many other wonderful things, we know that Christ shares that same character.  We know also that Christ shares God's hatred of evil and zeal for holiness.  We can study and obey God's teachings throughout His entire Word.  We can see what pleases God and how He acts.  When I study the entire Bible, I am learning about both God and Christ.  When I study and obey the entire Bible, I am being conformed to the image of Christ.

I'm sorry if it bores you to hear that studying and obeying the Bible is basically the master key in becoming like Christ, but that's the way it works.  God is so wonderful to have given us His Word.  It's alive, and it will change us and help us be all God created us to be.  And that happens as we become conformed to the image of Christ.  

But, thank God, it's not about just our efforts.  We should know that without God's help we will never truly change.  Think of an alcoholic who just trains himself to avoid alcohol.  That's not what I want.  I want to even have the desire completely removed.  I want fundamental change, not just behavioral alteration.  And this is where the Holy Spirit comes in.  The Holy Spirit was the greatest gift to man after Christ.  We have appreciated Christ and without Him we are lost.  We must also appreciate the Holy Spirit and His role in helping us become like Christ.

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."  (2 Corinthians 3:18)  The basic idea here is that while we read God's Word we behold His glory, and the Spirit of God will actually change us to become like what we see in God's Word.  Isn't that awesome!

We've already seen that becoming like God is identical to becoming like Christ, because they are the exact likeness of each other.  We've also seen that studying God's Word helps reveal them to us so that we can become like them.  But now we see that, as we study God's Word, the Holy Spirit will supernaturally change us to become like Christ and God.  With practically everything in our Christian lives, we have a part and God has a part.  Our part is to read and obey; God's part is to supply the supernatural change.

Glory to God!  God created you to be like Him, and now God has clearly shown us Himself and given us His Holy Spirit to help us be the person we were created to be.  I promise you, the more like Christ you are, the more of your divine destiny you will live, the more of God's will you will see in your life, and the more of God's blessings you will experience.  It's not about earning anything with God, that's not what I'm saying.  It's about receiving what He's done for us, and allowing Him to change us into His perfect design.  

I want to be like Christ.  I don't want this to earn something or show off.  I want this because I now have revelation knowledge of His nature.  I want to love, I want to be merciful, I want to bless others.  God and Christ have revealed their nature to me and this is how I want to be.  Freely I have received, now I want to freely give.  I was blessed to be a blessing. When you know the love God has for you, you want to love others.  You want to please God.  You want to "pay it forward."  I want to change.  I want harmonious fellowship with God.  I want to be like His Son Jesus.  

God has this for all of us.  He doesn't have for us to be His slaves or robots.  He has for us to be His children in unity with their Father, for in unity is the place of the commanded blessing, and in unity is love.  So make becoming like Christ your top priority today.  You will never regret it.  Study all of God's Word; study especially the life and teachings of Christ.  Strive to follow God's teachings and live His instruction.  Then have faith that the Holy Spirit will bring fundamental change to your heart and mind.

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Do YOUR Good Works

Does anyone else out there find it difficult to refrain from comparing yourself with others?  Sometimes it's easy to get jealous when comparing yourself, or your house, or your car or your whatever.  That leads me to another subject.  When I was young I thought I could do anything, and I still do.  When I think about Jesus telling people that if they have been given much, then much is required from them, I think if that applies to anyone it applies to me.  I really have been given everything.  But I (unfortunately perhaps) look at that as a cross to bear rather than a reason for rejoicing.  But whether you feel you've been given nothing or everything, we still must work with what we have.

God has a specific plan for my life and one for yours too.  Living out this plan is the best way to show God thanks for all He's done for us.  As hard as it may be, I need to focus on what God has given me (not what He has given anyone else) and I must do the best with what I have.  And the same is true for you.  I'm not saying that I have a vast revelation on this subject (and maybe I"m just preaching to myself here) but I've seen some things in God's Word that may help you if you're going through these issues.

We must first realize that God has good plans for us.  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  (Jeremiah 29:11)  We should notice that "thoughts" here really means "plans" and at its root refers to someone weaving things together.  Then we must see that these plans are plans of peace, which is the word "shalom," meaning peace, safety, prosperity, welfare, health and other great ideas.  Praise God!  God has plans of shalom for you and for me. God's plans for me are different from God's plans for you, but they are shalom plans for both of us.  I need to find God's shalom plans for me, and you need to find God's shalom plan for you.

Now I'm not going to cover this in detail again, but I believe God's plans for our lives consist of three parts: how we should be, what we should have, and what we should do.  We must be conformed to the image of Christ, and as we work on that, and on developing our relationship with the Holy Spirit, we will spiritually discern what God wants us to have and do.  But let's focus for a minute on the "what to do" part of this.

I don't know you about you, but I"m continually wondering what I should do with my life.  The truth is, being self-employed, I could basically do whatever I want tomorrow (for example).  Now that's also true for you, even if you aren't self-employed.  You may lose your job or neglect other things, but for the most part you could do whatever you want.  Sometimes I wish that I wasn't so free so I didn't continually ask myself how I should spend my time.  But regardless, we all have time and we must choose how to use it.  

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained (prepared beforehand) that we should walk in them."  (Ephesians 2:10)  What an awesome verse, God's shalom plans for my life include specific good works for me to do.  This is, of course, also true for you.  God has some good works for you to do, and God has some good works for me to do.  Now we must develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit so we can discern these good works (as He reveals to us what God has prepared for us) (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  But let's move on from that as well and combine today's ideas.

God has given me certain gifts, and God has woven certain shalom plans for me, which include certain good works I'm supposed to do.  But, as you know if you've been working on this, it can get very difficult, especially when we compare ourselves to others.  So I have a verse for you that's helping me with this.  "Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom."  (Proverbs 23:4)  

I strongly encourage you to sit back and meditate that verse for a while.  It's truly awesome.  We go through life looking at the world, seeing others, seeing what they do and what they have, and seeing the plans of men come and go, and then we wonder what we should do with our lives.  This is true whether we live for God or not.  But we can not allow worldly, natural wisdom to determine our course of action.  If we apply our wisdom and make our own plans, we will fail.  Even if we succeed by the world's standards, we may arrive in Heaven to find we've wasted our lives.

A wonderful quote I once heard is "if you succeed in that which is not pleasing to God, then you have failed in the midst of success."  I truly believe that.  I have to cease from my own wisdom.  I have to stop thinking about what others do and what I could do.  I must hear what God wants me to do.  

And the first part of the verse is also great.  Basically the entire world works to get rich.  Even if they won't get "rich" they only work for money.  This next idea is difficult and I can only see it at a distance now, but this is where we need to go - we must stop working for money.  We must, like Jesus, commit our ways to God and trust Him for provision.  There's nothing wrong with money, but it can't be the reason for our labors.  We must bestow our labors to please God and show His love to the world (doing the good works He has prepared for us). 

So you see, we need to shed all our worldly plans to better ourselves and improve our situation.  Our goal in life can't be just to improve our lives.  We can't take worldly wisdom and use it to plan our lives.  No, all this thinking, by which the vast majority of people operate, is wrong.  

We need to realize that God has created us with unique talents and purposes.  We need to realize that God has shalom plans for all of our lives.  We must stop comparing ourselves and our lives to others we see.  Instead, we need to focus on God's unique shalom plans for us.  It won't be easy.  In fact, God's shalom plans will take everything we've got plus God's constant grace and power, but we can do it.  This is Godly success.  This is the life we must live.  The is the key to personal fulfillment and purposeful living.  I pray you find God's shalom plans for you, and pray that I find His shalom plans for me.

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Seeing All God's Best

While attending law school I was a member at Dr. Creflo Dollar's church in Atlanta, World Changers Church International.  It truly blows my mind to consider the events that brought me there, seemingly good and bad, all within God's divine plan for my life.  I received such an awesome spiritual education there that, while I did leave Atlanta with a law degree, I feel like I attended Bible school as well.

Most of the members were very committed.  Dr. Dollar pulled no punches when exhorting us in our walks with God.  You were supposed to be at multiple services, going to all the conventions, reading your Word daily, and truly devoting your life to God.  He really does preach a total life devotion to Christianity.  I remember at the time wondering if such commitment was truly necessary.  Did I really need to be in church twice a week?  Did I really need to spend time with God every day?  Did I need to spend lots of time in the Bible?  I'm sure many others felt this way.

One day he addressed the issue directly.  He said (as best as I can remember), "I know some of you want to tell me, Pastor I don't really think it takes all that.  Well, yes it does take all that."  Even then I didn't totally agree, I still thought they were pushing us too hard, trying to direct our entire lives.  I loved the Church and Dr. Dollar (still do) but I wasn't sure that level of commitment was necessary to see God's best.

I believe now I was wrong.  Over the past few months of meditating God's Word, I've come to believe that seeing God's best for your life takes total commitment (and lots of time).  Now don't get me wrong, I like Joel Osteen and Joseph Prince.  I believe God has blessings waiting for you around every corner.  I believe God wants you to have the best of everything as an act of His grace and love for you.  But you need to see the vital part you must play.  To truly see the fullness of God's plan for your life, you must fundamentally change your life.

"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  (Romans 12:2)

It's easier to understand this verse if you think of "renew" as "renovate", which is the actual meaning of the word anyway.  To renew or renovate means to make new again.  In the same way you renovate a kitchen, by ripping out the old and putting in the new, you need to renovate your mind.  But now look at the importance of this mental renovation.  Romans 12:2 says that mental renovation is the key to being "transformed."  Romans 12:2 also says that mental renovation is the key to living out the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.  I admit, I read that verse probably 100 times before seeing this so clearly.

The word "transformed" is also fascinating.  It's the word metamorphoo, like metamorphosis.  We are to fundamentally change.  This word is used to describe what happened to Jesus at the transfiguration, and the only other place it appears in the Bible is in 2 Corinthians 3:18, a very important verse.  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed (metamorphed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of God."

So Romans 12:2 says that we must be transformed by the renovation of our mind.  And 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that this transformation must be into the image of Jesus Christ.  This is the transformation for Christians.  Mental renovation is key to being changed into the image of Christ, which is a key part of our destiny and God's plan for our lives.

"For whom He (God) did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son."  (Romans 8:29)  If you are a Christian, God has predestinated you to be changed to the image of Christ.  The word for conformed here is aummorphos, which means changed with or conformed to.  You see, we must change and become like Christ.  That is a major part of our destiny with God.  Mental renovation is therefore key to our Godly destiny.

Now what does mental renovation mean?  I recently just discovered a clear answer for this in God's Word.  "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace."  (Romans 8:5-6).  There are two types of mind, or two ways of thinking, available to you.  You can be carnally minded or you can be Spiritually minded.  The mental renovation we need is a renovation from carnal mindedness to Spiritual mindedness.

Now here is why it takes "all that," as Dr. Dollar says.  Quite simply, becoming spiritually minded requires drastic changes in your life.  If you think it sounds easy, you're wrong.  We don't just become Spiritually minded when we get saved.  This takes time in God's presence and God's Word.  We must let God's Word and person so saturate our minds that we fundamentally think like Him.

Let's take the average non-Christian.  He thinks as his world dictates.  He knows what he learns from his senses.  His culture tells him what is right and wrong.  Sure, maybe he's nice and even helps people.  But his thinking is only based on the world around him.  He will be primarily focused with getting his needs met.  He will be primarily focused on his own.  He will be limited to the knowledge around him and his own thinking.  Furthermore, he will likely develop incorrect thinking patterns because of worry, fear, selfishness, strife and other effects of sin in the world.  When your world tells you how to think, you are carnally minded.  This applies to everyone from small children to Stephen Hawking.

When God tells you how to think, you are Spiritually minded.  But while you live in this world with its influences, there will be constant pressure to think carnally.  You must change your influences.  You must change the type of information you take in.  You must change the people around you.  You must change your entertainment.  You must change everything that contributes to your thinking patterns from carnal influences to Spiritual influences.  And after you change your influences to Spiritual ones, you must devote yourself to them.  It's not enough to change from secular music to Christian music and then not listen to it.  It's not enough to change from worthless books to Christian books and then not read them.  In the same way you must install the new kitchen appliances, you must install the new thoughts and thought patterns into your mind.

I know, that sounds hardcore.  Maybe that sounds crazy.  But I want all God has for my life, whatever that means.  I want to be completely transformed to the image of Christ.  I want to be Spiritually minded.  It takes sacrifice, but Godly sacrifice always produces better results (even if you can't see them).  "Take heed what you hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."  (Mark 4:24-25)  How do you measure God and His influence in your life?  How do you measure God's Word for your life?  I'm determined to give God and His Word full measure.  I want them to have complete sway over me.      

So please consider this and decide what you want.  I've made many changes over the past 8 years, but I know I must make more.  Look at Romans 8 and then 1 Corinthians 2.  We've been talking about being led by God's Spirit.  I'm convinced that being Spiritually minded is key to being led by God's Spirit.  If you want all God has for you, it's time to become Spiritually minded.  It's going to be hard, but you can do it.  Change your life, renovate your mind, be transformed, and then see God's perfect will for you.

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The Required Spiritual Mind

Recently Blogger has changed the "dashboard" look for its account holders.  Blogger, which is owned by Google, is the host for this blog.  It's very easy for me now to see which pages have the most views.  It's pretty surprising, and I don't have explanations for why certain posts are most popular.  But I believe these recent posts are absolute revelation from God, and I believe they will bless you if you meditate the Scriptures and ideas presented in them.

That probably sounds like a bold claim, but that's o.k.  There are different forms of revelation.  The form I most commonly receive is when something in God's Word is just laid bare before me.  We can spend our whole lives reading the Bible, but until we truly study and meditate its contents we won't understand them as God intends.  My meditations lately on God's will and the Holy Spirit have brought life changing revelation.  I'm so excited and I hope these posts bless you.  I'm glad the revelations I receive are the kind I can share with others.  I know that clear explanation of God's Word will help all people, and I hope that's what I can regularly deliver to you in this blog.

I've focused lately on 1 Corinthians 2 and Romans 8.  I encourage you to read our last few posts and see some basics about the Holy Spirit's importance to our lives.  I understand now from 1 Corinthians 2 that the Holy Spirit is God's key communication mechanism to His people.  If I'm going to live in all that God has for me, I must be able to receive from the Holy Spirit.  If I could simply flip a switch and suddenly have an open channel between my mind and my spirit, I could clearly see God's will and experience His full desires for my life.

Consider these points for a moment.  God's Spirit knows everything about God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).  God's Spirit will reveal to us everything God has for our lives (1 Corinthians 2).  God's Spirit will communicate with us not based on what He thinks, but based on what He hears directly from God and Jesus (John 16:13).  Our spirits are born again, directly from God, without spot or blemish (John 3).  God's Spirit communicates directly with our spirits (Romans 8:16).

Put these ideas together.  God wants you to know everything you need to know so that you can live in His perfect, specific will for your life.  God has given you His Spirit to give you the required information.  God has perfected your human spirit so that you can have perfect fellowship with His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).  God's Spirit will give all the information to your spirit.  Therefore, I need perfect hearing of my spirit man.  I know my spirit man was perfected.  I know he's communicating with God's Spirit.  But I need to get his information to my mind, it's just that simple.

You really can't do anything in this life unless your mind is involved.  I know people might debate the role of the mind in a Christian's life, but it's really an amazing gift from God.  I believe Jesus would have used 100% of His brain and would have been a genius the likes of which the world has never otherwise seen (He had no sin nature.).  It's true God will bypass your brain and deliver something directly to your spirit.  It's true that healing and even prosperity come from spiritual development.  We live from the "inside out" so to speak.  But for you to do anything in this life, even stand up, or pray, or go to church, requires mental involvement.  For your spirit to have any impact on others or the physical world, it must use your body, and your body is not doing much without your brain, at least not deliberately.  We are not God's puppets, we are God's free moral agents who choose to serve Him.

So, we need a clear channel from our spirits to our brains.  We need to get the information from God's Spirit, to our spirit, to our brain.  This is how we obtain what we might call "actionable intelligence."  I need to know God's will for my life, then I can act on it.  It's just that simple.  Now here is what I clearly see in the Word - to develop this channel, I must become "spiritually minded."

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."  (Romans 8:5-7). 

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."  (Romans 12:2)

We know that our destiny is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).  We know that God's Spirit works to bring about that change in us, as we spend time in God's Word (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).  We must realize that our part, in the conforming to the image of Christ, is to renew our minds. 

I've talked about this before, but now we can see clearly the role this plays in us living out the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.  I used to think that God had all these separate requirements, but we see now they weave together as one giant beautiful tapestry, which says God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

The original Greek word for "renew" is better translated "renovate."  We must change our thinking.  We must change from carnal thinking to spiritual thinking.  As we change to spiritually minded people, we will live more and more in God's perfect will.  Not only will we be conformed to the image of Christ and live correctly, but our spiritual minds will now be open to hearing our spirits.

Consider again the words from Romans 8.  The carnal mind is not subject to God's laws, it truly can't be.  Another translation for those words might be, "a carnal mind cannot marshal itself under God's commands or God's leading."  This is even more apparent as the chapter further discusses being led by God's Spirit (Romans 8:14).  As you give yourself to the Spirit of God, and as you become Spiritually minded, now you can follow the leading of God, which is given you by God's Spirit. 

Your mental development is key.  Become Spiritually minded, your mind is now open to receiving spiritual leading.  Glory to God.  Now that you can hear from your spirit, which hears from God's Spirit, you can both know God's will and do it.  Renovation of your mind is key to being conformed to the image of Christ and to living in God's perfect will for your life.

I'm so glad that God, by His Spirit which guides us into all truth, opens His Word to us to reveal His will.  God wants us to live in His perfect will more than we do.  The more I know God, the more I see His love, mercy and grace.  I hope to hear what God has shown you in His Word, as I know it will bless us all.  You might be asking now what being spiritually minded means.  Meditate these Scriptures and God will show you.  And perhaps I will write on that next time.  God bless you and keep you.

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God's Spirit and You

Recently I have been looking at God's Spirit and its influence on our lives.  If you run a simple study on the words "spirit" or "ghost" in the New Testament you will be amazed at the impact God wants the Holy Spirit to have on you.  There is simply no overstating the importance of our relationship with God's Spirit.

I'm reminded of a sermon I once heard about tithing.  The preacher quoted 1 Corinthians 14:8, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle."  His point was that if many people preach many different things about tithing, then the Body of Christ on the whole won't tithe, and the body of Christ on the whole will then lack.  I believe the same is true of the Holy Spirit.  We have all heard different preaching on the Holy Spirit.  I hope you heard that the Holy Spirit is God's gift to you so that you can successfully live this Christian life.  I hope you heard that developing your relationship with the Holy Spirit must be one of your life's primary endeavors.  What have you heard about the Holy Spirit?  Go through the Bible and look at all the references to God's Spirit.  If you use e-sword it will be very easy to do.  Spend some time and let God's Word teach you about God's Spirit.  This topic is so important you need to study it in the Word for yourself.

I'm going to briefly summarize some of the benefits of having God's Spirit in your life.  Simply put, the Holy Spirit is God Himself inhabiting you (Ezekiel 36:24-30).  God's Spirit brings God's power and love and puts them into you (Acts 1:8, Romans 5:5).  God's Spirit knows everything (1 Corinthians 2 and John 16:13) and will give you God's knowledge and wisdom.  God's Spirit will guide you into God's perfect will and show you things to come (Romans 8:14, John 16:13).  God's Spirit will show you everything God has for your life (1 Corinthians 2).  God's Spirit will teach you to pray (Romans 8:26).  God's Spirit will illuminate the Bible to you (John 16:13, John 17:17).  God's Spirit will give you the power and desire to do God's will (Philippians 2:13).  God's Spirit will make you like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

If you haven't heard those statements clearly, they should be enough for you to realize the importance of the Holy Spirit to Christians.  Don't let anyone lie to you and diminish the importance of the Holy Spirit in your life.  God promised that He would send His Spirit to His people thousands of years before it happened, and second only to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God will ever give you.  I'm convinced now more than ever that union with the Holy Spirit is the master key to walking in the fullness of God's plan for our lives.

Today I want to focus on just a few verses that illuminate the importance of the Holy Spirit to Christians, as designed by God Himself.  I'm not talking about specific benefits of His presence, I'm talking about God showing us the kind of relationship we should have with the Holy Spirit. 

Before Jesus came John the Baptist told how Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Ghost.  Jesus said that after He returned to Heaven He would send the Holy Spirit and that we would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (John 16:7, Acts 1:5).  Baptism is an act of complete immersion.  Jesus was saying that He would immerse us completely in the Holy Spirit.  If you are immersed in water you will eventually dry, but your immersion in the Holy Spirit will mark you for the rest of eternity.  God isn't going to simply sprinkle some Holy Spirit on your head.  Nor will he let even your heel stay dry.  He's going to immerse you completely, so that the Holy Spirit touches every aspect of your life.  The Holy Spirit should impact every part of you and every part of your life.

But we aren't just immersed into God's Spirit, God's Spirit also fills us.  On the day of Pentecost, when the first Christians were immersed into the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit also filled them and even caused them to speak (Acts 2:4).  The apostles repeatedly spoke of being filled with the Spirit.  Ananias, the man God used to witness to the Apostle Paul, said that God wanted Paul to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).  Later, Paul told the Ephesians that they shouldn't be drunk with wine, but should be constantly filled with God's Spirit (Ephesians 5:8).  It's not enough to have God's Spirit on you.  God's Spirit must be in you.  God's Spirit must impact you inside and out, so that you can be changed and then change the world for Jesus.  Glory to God. 

My friends, we probably all go through similar struggles.  We see where we are today but don't know how long this will last.  We long to know God's plans for our life.  We long to be in God's perfect will.  We wonder about the future.  We try to have faith and not fear.  I know beyond any doubt that if I can live in harmony with the Holy Spirit, which is God's will for my life, that I won't miss anything God has for me.  The Holy Spirit will always lead me.  The Holy Spirit will always comfort me.  The Holy Spirit is the answer to humanity's need for constant contact with God.  He is the answer to your needs.  Learn to hear His voice, then trust Him and obey.  I don't know what God has for me next year or even next month, but I now see that the Holy Spirit is the map to Godly success and fulfillment.  I must follow study Him and follow Him closely.  I am so thankful that I see this clearly. 

God loves us so much, more than we can imagine.  God sent His perfect son to die on the cross for us.  But it wasn't just so that we could receive forgiveness of sins.  Along with the removal of our sins, God Himself gave birth to our spirits, and we have God's seed in us.  Our bodies still have a sin nature and the impact of sin on them, but our hearts are pure before God.  We can come boldly into His presence and fellowship with our Heavenly Father, knowing He will always smile on us now that He sees us as perfect in Jesus Christ.  But God doesn't want to just be your friend or even your father, God wants to be united with you.

"He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit (with Him)."  (1 Corinthians 6:17)  We all know how man and woman become one flesh in marriage, but God wants to marry our spirits.  God wants to become one with us.  That says so much.  It says that God has truly perfected us so that we can be one with Him now.  It also shows how much God loves us, and how God doesn't ever want us to run from Him again.

Run to Him.  Embrace His Holy Spirit that is within you now.  Speak to a trusted friend or Christian elder about the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you need more information.  If they belittle the Holy Spirit or tell you this baptism is over or doesn't exist, they are wrong and have shun the relationship God wants to have with them. Follow the Holy Spirit, and He will always lead you to God and Godly success.  Yield to God and His desire for union with you.  "In God's presence is fullness of joy, at His right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

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Led By God's Spirit

A few weeks ago God told me that following the Holy Spirit will always lead to success. Since then I have been considering and meditating on that idea.What if you could do exactly as God wished 100% of the time. It's certainly possible according to Romans 8. I encourage you to study that passage carefully. It says that we are God's children and we can be led by God's Spirit. It even says that we can fulfill the righteousness of the law, if we walk in the Spirit. God has now empowered us to please Him perfectly, something we could never do without the Holy Spirit.

But it's about more than just pleasing God, it's about living the life God has for us, every part of it. We know God has plans for us. We know God wants us to be changed by His Spirit and conformed to the image of Christ. We know God has prepared good works for us to do. We know God wants us to have certain things. What if you walked in the full measure of all these. I'm certainly not there, but I'm thankful that we can see the possibility.

What do you want out of life? If you want to be a Sunday only Christian, if you want to just read the Bible every now and then and hope God will bless you, then that's your choice. But we now have a revelation of the great love God has for us. We now have a revelation of God's father heart for us. We know that God has wonderful things for us, beyond what we can ask or even think. But you won't experience the fullness of these things without effort. If you don't know what God's Word says you will not walk in its benefits (Hosea 4:6). If you don't have faith in God's Word, believing it's truth in the face of any contradiction, then you won't experience the realities it promises (Hebrews 4:2).

You must read, believe and obey God's Word. This is true for salvation. You must read and believe that if you confess Jesus as your Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. You must obey this instruction and then you will be saved. This is not works, this is faith in God's Word. Now that we are in Christ all of God's promises are available to us. But the Holy Spirit is our advocate, helper, comforter, standby, and friend to lead us into everything God has for us.

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so the the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 9-12)

Now that is a verse worth memorizing! Read it again. Simply by volume, Paul wrote more to the Corinthians than any other group. Clearly they were very important to Him. This dissertation on the Holy Spirit comes in the second chapter of the first letter. This is priority information to people close to Paul's heart. And this is priority information for you.

Your relationship with God's Spirit is the key to your successful Christian life. You can be saved and have virtually no relationship with the Holy Spirit, that's true. But God has given us the Holy Spirit so we can walk in all the benefits of what He's done for us. God has so many wonderful things for you. These are things to do and things to have. But you cannot perceive them with your natural senses. God will reveal them to you by His Spirit. This is how we learn what God wants us to have and do 100% of the time. And don't forget, the Spirit of God changes us into the image of Christ. The Spirit of God guides us into all truth. The Spirit of God reminds us of God's entire Word. The Spirit of God shows us things to come. Spend some time focusing on God's Word concerning God's Spirit.

So I believe, and I think the Word well supports, that for us to live the life God wants, we must have a constant and vibrant connection and communication with the Holy Spirit.

Let's consider what that might look like. I believe Paul said it best, "It is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." The Holy Spirit will change us. The Holy Spirit will help us deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit will help us crucify the flesh continually and live for God at all times.

I encourage you to begin focusing on being led by the Spirit, in thought, word and deed, 100% of the time. You will quickly see just what a drastic change that will make. I've only been considering this for a few weeks, and already I see both the drastic change coming and the drastic improvement in my Christian life that is going to occur.

Let's just consider what a typical day might look like, being led by the Spirit. You wake up on time, energized by God's Spirit and reminded by the Spirit to spend time with God. You study the Word and pray. You enjoy your family in the morning, immediately forgiving any annoyance or offense, concentrating on loving them and building them up. You drive to work, but the Spirit probably won't lead you to talk radio or secular music. God's Spirit will lead you to worship, pray or even listen to a sermon. One of the first things I realized about focusing on God's Spirit is that He will lead you to use 100% of your time profitably.

At work you do your job as unto the Lord. You have a spirit of excellence in your duties. You are joyful and peaceful in the face of conflict and problems. Of course you are tempted to do otherwise, but you let the Spirit guide you and you surrender to His leading. The Spirit may lead you to comfort a hurting coworker. The Spirit may lead you to witness if you have opportunity. At lunch, the Spirit will probably lead you to eat healthy food. (Honestly I eat McDonald's occasionally, but I won't say the Spirit has ever led me there.)

Then you return home. Rather than being grumpy and focusing on work's challenges, the Spirit reminds you to focus on your family or other activities. The Spirit helps you compartmentalize your thinking so you can give each matter your attention, mental and spiritual. The Spirit will help you be on point at all times, as you never know when the opportunity to bless or minister to someone may arise. God's Spirit may lead you to exercise and take care of your body. God's Spirit may lead you to spend time with your children. God's Spirit probably won't lead you to watch four hours of TV. There is nothing wrong with a show or two, unless they are negative spiritual influences, but be led by the Spirit in all things.

God's Spirit may lead you to other activities. Perhaps He leads you to attend Wednesday services as well. Perhaps He leads you to volunteer your time. Don't be afraid. He will lead you to extend yourself, but never to overextend yourself. Don't get involved just because people ask. Let God's Spirit guide you to all your activities.

What if you lived like this? What if many of us did? What if every Christian lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit 100% of the time? I know it sounds daunting and scary. Even I don't want to stop watching all my shows, and sometimes I might want to get angry and lash out. But it's not about what we want. Even better than that, everything we did without the Spirit is worthless compared to the life we will live with the Spirit. God only has good things for us. God wants us to live lives filled with His peace and His blessings.

We should want to maximize our lives. We should want to make every moment count. We only have a certain amount of time on this earth and with certain people. It's time to take control of our lives and do our best in every area. We do that by surrendering to God's Spirit and letting Him lead us all the time. I hope this writing changes your life. Actually, I hope you've heard this before and are already living this way. Pray for me as I pray for you. And let us all pray that all Christians walk in the full measure of the Holy Spirit's leading of our lives.

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We Should Dominate

Let me start by briefly discussing meditation. I'm simply can't overstate the importance of meditating God's Word. Read Joshua 1 and Psalm 1. Meditation is about repeating the scripture to yourself, focusing on different parts of it, and visualizing the words and images in your mind. Sure there may be other parts, but those are the basics. You can do this any time, but it really helps to do so in an atmosphere of quiet prayer and focus on God. Meditation opens the scripture to you in a supernatural way. Somehow your brain is triggered and influenced by the Holy Spirit to make associations and expand your understanding of the text. If you never meditate God's Word, I promise you are missing out. Meditating God's Word also opens you to the leading and voice of God's Spirit. Meditation leads to revelation.

I was recently meditating the general themes of my last post, God's Amazing Goodness. I thought about all God has done for us. He has given us His Spirit, the Name of Jesus, His love, faith, grace, His joy, His peace, the list goes on and on. I believe that while meditating God's Spirit spoke to me by way of revelation. Let me also note that when I say I received a revelation, that doesn't mean it's new or outside of scripture, it's simply a truth that has now been revealed to my spirit beyond the means of my physical senses. What is revealed to me today may be old news for you. But I do believe I'm supposed to share the revelation God gives me (and I would like to hear what God reveals to you).

I believe God said to me that, given everything He has done for us, we are equipped and empowered and we should dominate this life on the earth. That's right, I believe that by using the principles and realities of God and His Word we can dominate this life and every situation that comes our way. I don't mean that we dominate so we can be great; I mean we dominate so God's will can be done on the earth, as we are His ambassadors and the carriers of Jesus' ministry today.

I'm sure some of you are already rejecting this, but that's o.k. One time I heard Dr. Christian Harfouche, a minister I greatly respect, say something similar to the following, "I would rather raise up ten champions than thousands or ordinary, do nothing Christians." I'm determined to be a champion. I'm determined to do exploits for God. I hope you are too.

What more could we possibly need. Time would fail me to write of all God has done for us, to write of all God has promised us. As I mentioned earlier, another Dr. Harfouche quote, "We are not called to lay down and die, but to rise up and shine!" I'm not simply waiting for Heaven; I'm determined to use everything God has given me to see His will furthered on the earth.

You get the point. We have the Holy Spirit that will give us power and wisdom for every situation. If we will determine to walk according to His leading 100% of the time then there are simply no limits to what we could accomplish for God. I'm ready to put that statement into action, and I admit that has not been my life. But it will be now. That's a hard commitment, and I'm sure from time to time I will miss the mark, but I'm going to keep trying and I will get better at it by God's grace (favor and empowerment).

I had this revelation of domination several days ago, and then in Church on Sunday I considered it again. I thought to myself how this is sort of an ultimate revelation, that if Christians would take this we could change the world, and what further could we learn. But I knew that was wrong, even in my mind. I believe that is wrong because I think we could study the Bible for a million years and never learn all that is contained within, and thoughts on dominating this life are just the surface. Then God spoke to me again. He said, "If you simply grasped that, where you could succeed in every endeavor and not constantly focus on your own situations, just think of what I could then show you."

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