Bad Days

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can't seem to get a grip.  A day where you feel you just lose your testimony and wish you could just hit the rewind button.  UGH!  Well maybe it is just me.  It is so humbling;... so I suppose it is a good thing.

I suppose it is always good to remember that we all fall short of the glory of God and that it is His glory in us that draws others to Him.  Not our own manufactured goodness or godliness.  That sort of humbling helps us be more forgiving, understanding and long suffering with others short comings.

Maybe we all need a day where we can't get a grip sometimes.

Let's just hope we don't do too much damage while we are losing our grip!  HAHA

Road Map to Freedom

God doesn't make us think like Jesus.  It is my responsibility to take all of my thoughts and make them obey (or line up with) Christ and what He says in the Word of God.

Jesus displayed in the Word a well laid out road map for life.  So if we study the Word of God and put it into action through our obeying the word (thoughts and actions); we will abide with Christ (Remain in Christ). We walk in the word or walk out the word.  We will do the will of God and not abide in our own fleshly desires, sin, and nature.  We will be free.  This will bring us peace with God!

We must be in the word to do this.  We also need to be studying the word so we will know the Father.  We need to know who He is, what He says He can do and what His will is.

When you have walked with God for a time, you find that the true evil that is overcome, is the evil within yourself.  The kingdom of God comes not through this world, but it comes within us, as we surrender to our heavenly Father.  Praise God!  I am ready to be set free from this body of sin and death.  (check out Romans chapter 7 and hear Paul's similar cry)

We cannot do the following list below in our own strength  (or if we can, it is only temporary)  We my allow God to do His work of Jesus Christ in us by surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit within us and by being in His word for guidance in obedience and surrender.  So we will recognize the Holy Spirit's leading and be able to test it.  The Holy Spirit will not lead you to act contrary to God's Word.

1. Walk in the light.
2. Love one another
3. Think Jesus' thoughts
4. Treat others as Jesus did
5. Embrace Jesus' desires
6. Depend on Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Some of my thoughts are prompted by Oswald Chambers.

Simplicity of the Gospel

Gospel Simplified!?!?

According to the scripture, I am in right standing with God because I believe Him and accept what He says.  He is the creator, He made the rules, and He knows how His creation operates.  So if I believe Him, then I will obey Him by following His commands.  When I  follow His commands, I will be purified.  As I obey, I grow up, I mature in my spirit, and I love other believers; so that by that love, the world will know that I follow Christ.  As the body, we are joined together to become a place for the Lord to dwell in His Holy Temple.  This is true individually also.  We are able to go to war against the enemy of our soul.  We can even take our own thoughts captive and make those thoughts line up with what Christ says in the word.  We dress ourselves up in Christ with the full armor for our battle against the evil in this world, and we put on our shoes of peace so we can GO into the world that sees who we belong to by our love for each other, and draw them out of darkness(world) into the light(love/peace).  We then teach and immerse them in all that God is.  We teach them the commands and encourage them to obey them.  Then as they grow up in their faith, they will GO and draw others out of darkness to light and so on and so on….

See all the scriptures referenced below.

Belief >> Righteousness:  God decided to accept Abraham's belief as his righteousness. (Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6)

Belief >>  Salvation:  God decided even though we don't deserve it, to save us because we believe.  (We are saved by grace through faith. Eph 2:8)

• How can I let the word dwell in me?  By reading it. By obeying it, and obeying it is doing what it says. (Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Col 3:16a; Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. Jas 1:22 If you Love me, you will obey me.  Jn 14:15)

Obedience >> Purification: We are able to be purified when we obey the truth/word.  Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere...

When we obey the truth we will love one another.  ... Love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart...   We get rid of all the things that can hinder our purification.  Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.   And we are to grow up in our salvation.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.  1Peter 1:22-23; 2:1-2

The world will be able to see we belong to Christ by our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  Jn 13:35

Christ is like the mortar that holds all the living stones together in a bond of unity.  In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  Eph 2:21-22

Remember that the weapons are spiritual.  We are able to conquer our thoughts that pretend to be bigger than God by making our thoughts line up with the what Christ says.  We need to make our thoughts obey Christ.  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Cor 10:3-5

Scripture tells us to put on love, put on Christ and put on armor of God etc. If we just deal with getting rid of our sinful behavior, yet do not take the time to put on all we are commanded, we will stand naked before our enemy and be very vulnerable. Therefore put on the full armor of God... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Eph 6:13-17

As our feet are fitted and ready, we go to the world with our good news not just on our lips, but also demonstrated in our actions.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you... Matt 28:19-20

Abiding in the Temple

I have been reading several books that have been confirming my thoughts regarding abiding and the care of the temple of the Holy Spirit which is our body for those who belong to Christ. So do not grow weary in caring for God's temple for his Holy Spirit. Ask him to equip you, strengthen you, and lift you up. Be of good cheer for The Lord your God is with you.

According to Rick Warren in his book The Daniel Plan, the key to long lasting success is developing new positive habits. Consider that your body is not yours. Your the caretaker of God's property so ask Him to dwell with you/abide with you. Be motivated by that and by knowing you will give an account for how you cared for your body. This knowledge is not for your condemnation but for your motivation.
As for our own will power and shear determination, it is only good for about a month or two. BUT His power within you, sustains you and will help equip you. 

Notice a tree: The limbs and branches are not working and concentrating on producing leaves and fruit. As long as it remains attached to the trunk it just produces. He said we would be like might oaks of righteousness. Think of the many that could rest and seek refuge in our shade. So all we need to do is remain in connection with Him. Let's learn how to abide in His presence. Let's learn to be aware He is with us. Let's learn to be satisfied in our relationship with Him. Running our daily decisions before our counselor guide and friend. Just communing with him. As much as we lean into Him and remain with Him, we will abide. As much as we abide/remain in His love, we will be satisfied. As much as we are satisfied in Him, we will be able to succeed in caring for His temple.
Regarding abiding: You can be married and not feel connected to your spouse. You can be in a crowd and feel alone. Why? I think it is because we are not connected Think of a time when you felt in good fellowship or connection to another person What was it you were doing? And why did you connect. I believe that may help us transfer how to feel more connected to God. Being connected to Him is the key to everything.

Just look at the Old Testament pictures of the priest busy caring for the temple. It was the place where the "Great I Am" dwelt. If we spend time not worshipping our bodies, but taking care of our bodies in the best way we are able to, in order to be able to be an instrument useful to the Lord of our lives.