GOD IS CHANGING US

GOD IS CHANGING US

by Robert Fltts



"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (II Cor. 3:18) - NIV

We all want to be changed and we are all in the process of change if we belong to Jesus. This change has a specific goal, to be like Jesus! This is the destiny of every believer. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Rom. 8:29) - NIV

How does this change come? God changes us through TRUTH, through TRIALS, and through a Transforming TOUCH.

CHANGED BY TRUTH Jesus Said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) As we walk in truth, we walk in reality and liberty. To whatever extent we are walking in error, (untruth), we are walking in unreality and bondage. To some extent, we are living in an unreal world.

Knowing and receiving the truth about how to become a Christian frees us from the bondage of sin and guilt. Receiving the truth about divine healing releases us from the bondage of sickness, weakness and disease. The truth about generosity and sacrificial giving breaks us loose from the bondage of poverty and debt. We must remain open to truth whether it comes to us through a holy and esteemed prophet or through the mouth of a dumb donkey! (see Judges 22)

CHANGED BY TRIALS We are also being changed through trials. This includes every experience of life whether they are good, bad, difficult, easy, pleasant, galling, smooth, rocky, sweet or bitter. Sometimes the greatest trial is to stay true to God in the midst of pleasant circumstances! As we yield to God in total surrender, we can trust Him to engineer all our circumstances and He will use them all in the process of transforming us into the image of Jesus Christ!

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Rom. 8:18)



"For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him . . . (Rom. 8:32)



"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering . . . But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." (I Pet. 4:12-13)

CHANGED BY A TOUCH The Lord can also change us through a touch of His almighty hand. I like this one best! It is much easier, much faster, and more exciting!

Peter was changed instantly and dramatically through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Before that transforming experience he was so full of fear that he lied and cursed when confronted by a servant girl who recognized him as a disciple of Jesus. After he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit he boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Christ before the very men who had put Jesus to death.

Through an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christians, became a Christian himself. From that time on he was never the same.

You may be saying, "But I have already been saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Is there another touch that will change me more into the likeness of Jesus?"

In the second chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 who were waiting in the upper room. They were all touched in a powerful way when they received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But they were all waiting again in the same place in chapter four of Acts and the same thing happened again. That second outpouring was so powerful that the place in which they were assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit . . . again!

Something is happening in the world today that is changing people from shy, fearful, doubting, denying Christians to bold, courageous, believing, powerful witnesses for Christ. The revival which was prophesied for years is now in progress . . . WORLDWIDE!!

Do you long for a transforming touch from the hand of the Lord? The first step is to acknowledge that for all you have received from the Lord, there is still more. Do you want more? I do! Are you willing to lay down all your prideful dignity and exalted sophistication and come to the feet of Jesus as a little child asking for another transforming touch?

Jesus prayed, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." (Matt. 11:25)

I am convinced that we are sometimes too proud, pompous, and sophisticated to receive all God has for us. God has chosen to use the little things, little people, weak things, and base things to confound the wise, strong, and powerful. God has more of his blessing and anointing for us if we are little enough, weak enough, childlike enough to receive it. A powerful move of God that is exploding all over the world has come knocking on our door. Will we be hungry enough, thirsty enough, and humble enough to invite it in?


Robert Fitts
76-6309 Haku Pl
Kona, HI 96740
robertjoni@gmail.com
www.robertfitts.com


Where It All Begins
Out of the womb of prayer, praise and worship all the mighty movements of God in the earth are conceived and brought to birth for the glory of God and the good of mankind.

A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!

Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Winning the War on Terror by Prayer
Father, give every terrorist an encounter with Jesus such as Paul had on the road to Damascus.

Living to Give
Father, make me a generous giver today! Show me where to give and what to give, and let all my giving bring glory to the name of Jesus.

Grace, YES! Law, NO!
Law demands, demands, demands
But gives me neither feet nor hands Grace and Truth are better things
They bid me fly and give me wings!

Rejoicing in the Midst of All Things

Rejoicing in the Midst of All Things
By Graham Cooke

Rejoicing Always

Living in Christ makes us vulnerable to laughter. Laughter is more than a choice; it’s a requirement for us that we be happy. God’s highest plan for our lives includes a desire for us to find, live in, and love the joy that is in Christ. God is good news! His love and presence is an absolute tonic for us.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full,” Jesus said in John 15:11. Every time God speaks to us, or reveals more of His nature to us, joy is part of that equation. Beholding Him and becoming like Him is an invitation to party and celebrate with Him. Everything God says to us is designed to bring us into joy. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven is about gladness, joy, happiness, and laughter. God wants to bring a smile to our faces.

God is joyful because He knows what’s coming next. He knows the final score. When you know the end from the beginning, you can’t help but laugh at all of evil’s schemes and tricks. They become irrelevant when you know that you win. There is a continuous joy in Christ that runs so deep that no one else can even touch it. But to access it, we need to learn how to rejoice in all things.

For me, joy is a safeguard. It’s a shield against the enemy. When the enemy comes, we can laugh in his face—because God laughs at him first.

I once had a dream where I was on a battlefield. We had just fought off the enemy, but we had lost a lot of good people. There weren’t many of us left; we were small and pitiful, to be honest. Every one of us was wounded. I myself had at least a dozen sword gashes on my arms. I was bleeding badly, and was absolutely exhausted.

Suddenly, a trumpet blew, and I saw another enemy army take the field in front of us. I looked around but saw no reinforcements for our battered side. The enemy was powering up. Their ranks were swelling with every passing moment. It was a hopeless fight, but our ragtag band of survivors gathered close together and got ready.

As I set my feet and gritted my teeth in preparation for the enemy’s charge, I noticed a man next to me was dressed as a restaurant waiter. Perfectly-pressed black trousers, a bowtie, a crisp, white shirt, and a white towel slung over his arm.

“What are you doing?” I asked incredulously.

“Would you like the melon or the soup?” he replied.

“What?” I asked.

“Melon or soup?” he said.

“How can you talk about food at a time like this?” I demanded.

The waiter ignored me and went from person to person, asking, “Melon or soup?”

“Are you mad?” I said. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Don’t you see the blood all over the ground? Don’t you see the enemy over there? How can you talk about lunch at a time like this?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he answered. “Melon or soup?”

I lost my temper completely. “Are you stupid or something?” I screamed. “You want to talk about food at a time like this?”

Suddenly, I woke up to find myself shouting, “Talk about food!” in my bedroom. In that instant, I received a powerful revelation, found in Psalm 23:5—“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

When we’re on the battlefield just trying to survive the next wave of the enemy, God is thinking about menus. He looks around and says, “What a great place for a picnic! We can have sausage rolls, meat pies, cheese sandwiches. This will be perfect.” He is so secure in who He is and in His power to defeat any enemy that He can feed us in the middle of the worst battle of our lives. And that confidence should be a source of pure joy in our lives.

FORBEARING One ANOTHER

FORBEARING One ANOTHER
-by David Wilkerson.

"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have
a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye"
(Colossians 3:13, italics mine).

Forbearing and forgiving are two different issues. Forbearing means
ceasing from all acts and thoughts of revenge. It says, in other
words, "Don't take matters into your own hands. Instead, endure the
hurt. Lay the matter down and leave it alone."

Yet, forbearing is not just a New Testament concept. Proverbs tells
us, "Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render
to the man according to his work" (Proverbs 24:29). We are given
a powerful example of this admonition in David's life. He was in a
vengeful rage toward a wicked man named Nabal because Nabal
refused to help him when he needed help. David swore revenge
but he obeyed God's counsel, "Do not avenge yourself - let
the Lord fight your battle." That situation was resolved in a timely
manner and David praised God for his intervention. (See 1 Samuel
25 for the entire story.)

David had another opportunity for easy revenge when he found his
pursuer, Saul, asleep in a cave, in which David himself was hiding.
David's men urged him, "This is God's doing. He has delivered Saul
into your hands. Kill him now, and avenge yourself." But David forbore,
instead cutting off a piece of Saul's garment, so he could later prove
he could have killed him. Such wise actions are God's ways of
putting our enemies to shame, and that was the case when David
showed Saul the garment. Saul responded, "Thou art more
righteous than I: for thou has rewarded me good, whereas I have
rewarded thee evil" (1 Samuel 24:17).

Now we come to forgiving, which encompasses two other
commandments: (1) Loving your enemies and (2) Praying for them.
"I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

One wise old preacher said, "If you can pray for your enemies,
you can do all the rest." I have found this to be true in my own
life.

Jesus never said the work of forgiving would be easy. When he
commanded, "Love your enemies," the Greek word for "love" does
not mean "affection" but "moral understanding." Simply put,
forgiving someone isn't a matter of stirring up human affection, but
making a moral decision to remove hatred from our hearts.

-SOURCE - http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com

TRUSTING IN HORSES

"TRUSTING in HORSES"
-by Coach Dave Daubenmire.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Sometimes when I sit down to pen a commentary I wish I didn’t
have to. I don’t know why the Lord has laid this yoke upon me, but
I try to be faithful to the gift and the calling that He has put upon
my life. They are irrevocable you know, the gifts and callings of
God, so I might as well embrace the work He has left on my desk.

I can’t explain it but sometimes I feel like I have on a different set
of glasses. Not rose-colored mind you, but more like binoculars
that help me see things that are farther down the road. I can’t explain
it, but I know it to be true.

I have always been amazed by guys who can “fix things”,
mechanically that is. I can spend all morning trying to figure out
how to get my riding lawn-mower operational and then my brother-
in-law pulls up, takes one look at the engine, and diagnosis the
problem. It is his gift, and I sure wish I had it.

But my gift is a little different. Although I have never been to
seminary, or spent time at the feet of great theologians, the Lord
has gifted me with the ability to “connect the dots” in regards to
the application of Biblical principles as they relate to cultural issues.
I think it makes some folks mad, especially the “credentialed
pulpiteers.” I know how they feel. I have experienced the same thing
with my brother-in-law. I’m the guy with all of the degrees yet I can’t
figure out that the spark plug needs cleaned before the engine will
start.

Education without application is like tires without air. One without
the other leaves one feeling a bit flat.

(I’m still not sure I am making myself clear.) Solomon put it this
way.“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding.” Wisdom is the application of
knowledge. “Understanding” is the offspring of the union of
application and knowledge.

I remember praying a few years ago “Lord, help me see and
understand things that others don’t see and understand.” I’ll let you
be the judge of whether or not He answered that prayer.

The solutions to the problems facing America are so clear to me.
The cause/effect of our cultural collapse is so easy to diagnose. Like
my brother-in-law has often said to me while working on a piece of
my equipment, “Everything is connected together. All you have to
figure out is where the chain is broken. If it isn’t working there has
to be a reason. Just follow the trail.” Sorry to be simplistic, but that
is how I feel about America. Everything is connected…but we refuse
to follow the trail.

So follow along with me as we lift up the hood, check out the spark
plugs, and see if we can figure out how to get this baby running. It
is my opinion that we are trying to replace the wrong parts. Pardon
the corny phraseology, but we are putting the chariot before the
horse.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God.”

America’s problems are spiritual, they are not mechanical. We can
not get out of this problem merely by changing the horses (parts).

We have tried that cure before. Substituting Republicans for
Democrats, or liberals for conservatives may change the direction
the chariots are pulled but it gets us no closer to the finish line.
Political parties and politicians are merely the horses that pull the
chariot. Changing them has brought us nothing more than a false
sense of hope. Every election we change a few of the horses, hope
that things will straighten out, and then lament the fact that the
stallions we put into office end up being nothing more than the same
old nag.

Trusting in horses has not worked.

Although the word chariot conjures up thoughts of a carriage in which
someone rides, a chariot was actually a weapon of war as
demonstrated in this video of Charleton Heston in Ben Hur. In our
American constitutional republic the constitution has become the
chariot, the weapon of choice, for those who want to over-throw this
nation. Many patriotic-Americans have labeled themselves
“constitutionalists”, and are trusting in that great founding-document
to win the war against an ever-expanding, all-powerful government.
“If only they would follow the Constitution…”

Although their intentions are good, the reality is that chariot
(constitution) is prisoner to the horses and the direction that they
choose to pull it. No matter how much we love to point out “original
intent,” “separation of powers,” and “government of the people…” the
chariot gets pulled in directions that it was never intended to go. The
Constitution in which we trust is the very weapon that the horses
uses to over-throw the will of the people. Extra-constitutional edicts
such at “the separation between the church and state,” the
“penumbras” of the constitution, and “equal protection” clauses have
run the chariot over those whom it was created to protect.

As long as horses are pulling the chariots there is no hope, and no
sense of generational permanence in that document upon which our
nation was founded. Allowing its clearly spelled-out principles to be
changed at the whim of the latest I-know-better-than-you judge has
caused this foundation stone to be crushed into sand. We all know
what happens when one builds upon sinking sand…

Trusting in chariots has led us into a swamp. The Constitution is not
a stand-alone document. James Madison, the “Father of the
Constitution” said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other.”

George Washington said “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation
without God and the Bible.”

Some men trust in chariots…..

Recently I have been asked to speak at several “Tea-Parties” around
these parts. Word has spread very quickly about the zeal, passion,
and clarity with which I articulate The American View of our national
dilemma. The hearts of men and women are moved as I paint the
picture of the consequences of our national rejection of Jesus. But
my impassioned plea for “remembering the Lord” has tugged on the
bridle of the horses who are not “Christians.”

Some of my recent “invitations” to speak have included a request to
“tone down a bit” the “religious part” because some of the “coalition”
does not hold my same “religious” views. You see, it is easy to
change the horses, or fight with the chariot, than it is to harness the
rebellious heart of individual men and women.

Needless to say, I told them what they can do with the horse they
rode in on…

The god-haters have told us that our Constitution is a “living,
breathing document” designed to change with the times. That
attitude is the same one that gave us “living breathing” marriages
and mortgage contracts. The US Constitution was a contract
between a people and their Creator from whom the rights of the
people had been endowed. A contract is only as good as the people
who sign it.

Funny isn’t it, our once solid American dollar is in a free fall because
the gold that once under girded it has been removed. Remove the
firm foundation and a building is destined for collapse. For over two
centuries the ordinances of God were the pillars upon which this
nation stood. Remove those supports and the Constitution is not
worth the paper it was written on.

"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil
freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now
enjoys. . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown,
our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which
flow from them, must fall with them." Jedidiah Morse

I know what my brother-in-law would say… “Better firm up that
foundation.” Nothing short of a spiritual transformation can save
this nation.

Some men trust in horses, some men trust in chariots….

We need to remember the name of the Lord. Does any national
leader have the courage to say so?

© 2009 Dave Daubenmire - All Rights Reserved

SOURCE - http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave172.htm

Poverty

Poverty

What does it mean to be without? I wanted to buy a few things before I left home. Funny, now I can’t even remember what they were or what I wanted them for. They seem pretty insignificant now. We went from the U.S. straight into Bujumbura, Burundi to Uvira, DR Congo. Each move was a huge transition in our world’s economy. Anyone could see the difference right away from one place to the other without even stepping out of the car: the roads, the houses, street signs or lack of, markets, schools, vehicles, dress, etc. Could it get worse?

Unfortunately, yes. Sunday we took the long drive, but short distance from Uvira to the village of Makobola to go to the church that meets at the home of the blind twin sisters. We had the luxury of being in a four-wheel drive Land Rover to drive the dirt and rock, one lane road out there. All the way there were many people walking the four hours to reach the village to buy things at the market to haul them all the way back to Uvira to sell them. Yes, many carrying them on their heads or balancing them in huge bundles back and front on their bicycles. I couldn’t help but wonder if one pair of tires would even make it for the long trip back and forth with all of the rocks on the road. Even many of the women had small children walking alongside of them as they strolled along in the mid-day heat.

When we finally reached the village, there alongside the road were many mud houses with thatched or tin roofs, some with doors, many without. We were led into a tiny, dark room and there on a blanket sat women—women who had obviously been waiting for us for a long time. The two sisters sat quietly side by side with other women closely gathered around them. This room and one other is their home and where they meet for church every Sunday. Remy, a church planter, came to this village, shared the gospel with the sisters and they received Christ. They have shared with others and now there are nine of them who meet at their home. None can read or write, but Remy or Stephen come often to teach and share with them. They were so humble and so sweet as they led our time together with some songs they had learned, with smiles on their faces as they sang about Jesus. Remy shared some Scriptures with all of us and then we discussed them. When we were sitting there, I believe God gave me the Scripture “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” These women had NOTHING, but they had more peace, more joy, more hope than any women I’ve ever seen. Roger prayed over them and it was pretty awesome, but gotta tell you, I’m thinking those girls should have been praying for us!

As we left these women, we went to meet with the chief of this village. He was working hard in an outside kiln with a few other men making bricks for houses. He led us into his small home. With sweat pouring off his face, embarrassed, he apologized for his small house and said he had been working hard to make more bricks to rebuild all the houses that had been destroyed in the war—the war when the rebels had killed over 700 of his people. The pain was etched on his face as he spoke and I thought he would start to cry—or I would. The war happened eleven years ago and the pain and misery and destruction is as obvious today as if it happened this morning. Over six million—that’s million—people have died in DR Congo since 1996. It’s inconceivable. It’s unimaginable.

I thought I wanted, even needed something before I left home to come here. Today, I can’t begin to imagine what it would have been.


Roger Thoman

LEND AN EAR TO A LOVE SONG

Lend an Ear to a Love Song

By James Ryle www.truthworks.org


"If My people would but listen to Me..." (Psalm 81:13).

The Lord is looking for Listeners, those who will be both attentive and obedient to His revealed will. To such as these He will surely speak -- "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Although He is looking, He does not often find them. This is not merely a condition of modern times, but rather is a longstanding problem that has characterized the people of God throughout history.

The Lord lamented Israel's indifference to His Word, revealing that their defeats in battle were directly tied to their neglect of listening to His voice. "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!" (Psalm 81:13-14).

Charles H. Spurgeon, the distinguished prince of preachers, once commented on this verse, saying, "Our enemies find their greatest weapons against us in the stockpile of our own disobedience. They could not defeat us were we not first to defeat ourselves" (The Treasury of David, Vol. IV, pg. 30).

The foremost cause of our many defeats is failure to listen to what the Lord is saying to us, and to do what He is telling us. Oh, how much grief do we experience in our lives simply because we do not lend an ear to a Love Song!

Imagine what a difference it would make in your life today if you listened for the Lord to speak to you, and then did what He wants you to do. Why, the results would be so wonderful that you would lift you voice to heaven and sing your own love song back to Him!

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

It’s A Wonderful Life!
by Chip Brogden
God is Love, Light, and Life. These are the most profound words in the Scriptures. The writings of John are the writings of a man who is spiritually mature. He has found a way to express the inexpressible, a method of summing up all that God is. You will never get to the bottom of these depths. You will never see all the way to the end of it.
I want to talk about that Life for a moment. God has dealt with me for many years on the subject of His Life, and I have written much about Life and spoken much about Life. Even so, I hardly know what I’m talking about. I have barely scratched the surface. Friends, you have no idea what is yours! The same Life which raised Jesus from the dead is contained there within you! It brought the world into being, and it holds the world together. This Life overcomes sin, death, and hell. We have the Life because we have the Son. He that has the Son has Life! YOU HAVE THE VERY LIFE OF GOD HIMSELF.
Brothers and sisters, why do we - how can we - sit around day in and day out, week in and week out, month after month, year after year, content with just barely getting by, fighting with each other all the time, struggling with the same old besetting sins, arguing over the same old man-made doctrines, rehashing the same old arguments, listening to the same old crusty hand-me-down sermons? We have bigger things to discuss! Dear man, dear woman, if Christ is yours then you are filled with LIFE! And if you will yield to that Life, it will transform you and overwhelm you, eclipsing your selfishness, molding and shaping you into the very image of Him Who has called you! Isn’t that more exciting?
Let me tell you about this Life. In my Christian walk I have experienced more defeat than victory. But now the tide is changing. After more than twenty years of Christian experience I am realizing that permanent defeat is impossible because Victory is so encompassing. Let me say that to be victorious or to be defeated is entirely your choice and your decision. If you want to be totally and completely victorious all the time then you only have to decide to be so. How is it that simple? Because the Life is sufficient. The Life! It is more than sufficient. Victory lives within you; Victory has a personality. Have you met the Man named Victory, or are you still looking for it as an experience? Stop searching, for Victory is Christ, and He is already present within you as Life. The Life will carry you through when you cannot go on. The Life will give you words to say when you are all out of words. The Life will inspire you when your circumstances depress you. Trust in the Life, yield to it, rest in it, revel in it, rejoice in it. Talk to your Victory! “Good morning Victory, how I thank you that today You are mine and I am Yours! Jesus is Your Name, and You are My Life!”
Can you see this? Will you see it? Ask the Lord to open yours eyes and show you the Life which is yours. Go to Him and say, “I have heard about this Life, but I don’t know how it works or what to do with it. Please show me, please teach me, please reveal this Life to me.” And He will do it. If ever you see this, just once, you will discover the secret to the Christian life. You will shake your head and say, “All these years I thought I was really living the Christian life, and all I have been doing is playing tiddlywinks. This Life I have been given is greater, bigger, and more wonderful than I ever dreamed!”
How will He do it? How will He demonstrate the sufficiency of His Life to do everything in your stead? Why, the next time you feel your temper getting out of control, or the person you resent is bothering you, or things are not going right, or you are tempted to quit, decide that instead of reacting the way you always do, you will trust in His Life, then stand back and just see what happens. If you are a Christian the Life is there, it just has to be stirred up into activity. The things we call temptations, testings, and trials are the very means through which God desires to activate the Life He has placed within you! How else would we be able to rejoice in our afflictions? How else would we be able to count it all joy when we fall into many temptations and trials of faith? Humanly speaking this is impossible! But what is impossible with man is possible with God, and easily achievable when we trust in His Life to do what we cannot do.
I will say it again: Victory is your choice, and if you possess this Treasure of Life and you are still defeated, it is your choice to be defeated. I know that sounds harsh, but instead of becoming angry, realize that if you can choose to be defeated, you can also choose to be victorious! That Life is just sitting there dormant, waiting to be called upon, waiting for you to activate it, but it will never just take over without a conscience decision to yield to the Life. Yield to the Life! Trust in the Life! This is what it means to lose your life that you may find your Life. Yes! Have you found your Life yet? You say, it is God’s Life, not mine. True, but it is now YOUR Life as well, if you want it, for the Vine is one with the branches. If you do not want it, then it will lie there sleeping, waiting for the day and the hour in which you choose to call upon it.
Some Christians think they have to have the right book or the right man of God or the right formula or the right church or the right this or that before they can be victorious. My friend, you already have all the resources you need to live a victorious Christian life. The same Life which rose Christ up from the dead dwells in you! If the Life can do THAT, what is your excuse? What more could you possibly need than the Life which you already possess?
Here is a golden truth: if He possesses all that YOU have, then you will possess all that HE has. Allow that truth to sink into your heart. Breathe it in and out. Let the Holy Spirit soak it into the pores of your soul and you will not be able to contain His joy and peace emanating from you. You will start giving things up that before you would have never let go. You will gladly relinquish everything.
Each time you lose a part of your life, you will find His Life is right there to fill the void. Every single time. This is a spiritual truth, and there are no exceptions to the rule. Think of what it means. The more I give to Him, the more He gives to me. I trade in my life in exchange for His Life. Which would you rather have? Do you want your life, your failures, your mistakes, your frustrations, your sins? Or would you rather give that up in exchange for His Life? You can have either one you want, but you cannot have both.
What happens is we are afraid to commit ourselves totally and unreservedly to the Life. We want the Lord’s Life, but we also want to retain a little something of our life. That will never work. This is why you have such ups and downs, simply because you still love your life, and only trust in His Life for the really difficult moments. In a bad situation you will throw yourself upon His Life and it will carry you on through, but in the normal everyday situations you live according to your own life. Instead, let us learn to trust in His Life for every moment of every day. If we will surrender everything His Life will reproduce in us more effectively, gradually transforming, renewing, invigorating, and sustaining us from the inside out.
Permit me to share another golden truth with you: walking by the Spirit, trusting in His Life, is a habit. Once you discover how this Life is supposed to work and you obtain a small success over something which used to defeat you, keep yielding to the Life in that area until it is the most natural thing for you to do. Then, expand into other areas and trust in His Life for that, too. Get into the habit of trusting in His Life, of losing your life so you can find your Life. There are not many guarantees in this world, but here is one thing I am sure of: the Life will never fail. Not once will the Life of Jesus fail to meet the highest, most severest demands placed upon it. You might fail, but He cannot fail. If you don’t believe me, look at how Jesus behaved on the cross. Not a trace of bitterness, self-pity, hatred, or desire for revenge. Nothing but love, compassion, forgiveness. Do you think He is not sufficient to see to your little trial?
Invariably, when we fail, it is because we did not trust in His Life to carry us through. Always. So when that happens, simply ask for forgiveness, and return to the habit of trusting in His Life. Just like any other habit, it will be a struggle the first time you attempt it, but if you persist, it will soon be a struggle to do anything else. Trusting in His Life will be the most natural thing for you to do, as natural as breathing. You won’t even stop to think about it anymore. And when someone praises you for being such a fine Christian, such a mature believer, or such a good example, you can do nothing but fall on your face and exclaim, “Not I, but Christ: for apart from Him I can do nothing. It is God working in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” There is no room for the flesh to glory.
It is amazing to see this happen in actual practice. Let us take an example such as bad temper, since most of us can relate to losing our temper, saying and doing things which we regret afterwards. That’s a habit, isn’t it? I can confidently say that I have never lost my temper while I was trusting in the Life of the Lord. Ah, but I lose my temper all the time. Why? Because I don’t always trust in the Life of the Lord! I choose to be angry, or depressed, or defensive. Since I have made my choice to keep my life, I lose the Life of the Lord in that particular situation. What I mean is, I have chosen to handle my temper on my own. I am acting independent of the Lord. So I fail.
The next time you realize you are about to lose your temper, with another person for example, take a few seconds and pray along these lines: “Lord, I am so angry right now I am about to lose my temper. I frankly confess that I cannot control myself. But I trust in your Life to do what I cannot do! Since I cannot humble myself, or be meek and gentle, I rely upon You to do it in my stead. I trust in your Life.” Then don’t worry about it anymore. If troublesome thoughts arise, simply remind yourself that you are trusting in the Life of the Lord to meet THAT, and go on about your business. You see, the key to this is realizing that you cannot do a single thing but trust in His Life. As long as you think you can do it yourself, the Spirit will permit you to go your own way and meet with stinging defeat.
But if your prayer is sincere and you do this early on (before losing control), the next time you meet this bothersome person you will find something rising up on the inside of you which can only be described as supernatural. You may be conscious of compassion trying to come forth. Perhaps when you see the person’s face you will burst into tears and ask for their forgiveness. Or, you may simply receive an extraordinary peace that enables you to remain silent while the other person curses you to your face. Indeed, the Life in you might even have an affect on the other person, and they will totally break down before you, allowing you to minister love to them. One never knows how the Life will respond to the demands made upon it, but afterwards you will wonder how you were able to remain so calm, so full of peace, and so gentle.
This sort of response cannot be conjured up or fabricated. It certainly cannot be faked. Neither can we merely get an idea in our heads as to what we think Jesus would do and try our best to imitate Him. No, no, no, no, no! We don’t have to imitate His Life, we only have to trust His Life! Trust in His Life to do it in, through, and on behalf of us who cannot do it! And I will tell you something else: if you can Trust in His Life to keep you from losing your temper once, you can do it a million times. Hear what I am saying. If you have ever once trusted in His Life to keep you from losing your temper, you can trust in His Life every single time you are confronted with it, and He will bring you through. Without exception.
Along those lines, I can say with all confidence, that if you can trust His Life to overwhelm your temper, you can trust His Life for everything else. What do you need? Do you worry too much? Are you fearful? Are you bitter? His Life indwells you right now, and longs to make you into something totally new, to transfigure you into something entirely different than what you are now. Thank the Lord that I don’t have to be the way I am, but there is hope for me, and there is hope for you, and there is hope for the worst sinner on the face of the earth, because it is not a question of my effort, but of His sufficiency!
Another thing: settle it in your spirit right now that His Life IS sufficient. When you go to the Lord, don’t say, “Oh Lord, help me to trust in your Life.” That will never do. We must go to the Lord and say, “Lord, I DO trust in Your Life to do what I cannot!” If you are saying “help me to trust” then you are really saying that you remain unconvinced that His Life will really rise to the occasion and manifest itself. If you remain unconvinced, ask God to reveal His Son to you as your Life. Go through all the Scriptures concerning the Life of God, particularly the Gospel and Epistles of John, and Romans, and Ephesians. Give the Spirit something to work with. With these Scriptures in hand and in heart you will soon be convinced, if you are not already, that Jesus can do anything. He really can. If He can die on the cross and forgive His executioners, I am confident that He can deal with your little situation. If death, hell, and the grave can’t hold Him back, you need not worry that your problems are going to be too much for Him to handle.
Paul knew something about suffering and affliction, and he wrote, “We are the circumcision, we worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Are you still confident in your self, that you can do it on your own? Go right ahead. The Lord will permit you to meet with failure after failure, but when you give up, His Life will take over from there and you will understand why His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Today let us pray, “Lord, up until now I have come to You as a last resort. But you have taught me to have no confidence in the flesh. Today, I will trust in your Life, for I have come to believe that you are more than enough, that your Grace is more than sufficient.” Amen.