Christian Living
(I DO NOT HAVE PRIVATE MESSENGER)
PLANNED AND CHOSEN
Long before Father God laid the foundation of the world, He chose us as His own. He settled on you and me as the focus of love and adoration. From the beginning He had a plan. That Plan made provisions for us to become His dear children through His Son, Jesus Christ. Prosperity for our body, soul, and spirit was included in this wonderful plan. If that wasn’t enough, it also provided hope for our future and peace for today. And while we may struggle at times with our significance in life, we have been chosen, and we have always been on His mind. (Jer. 1:5)
WE'VE BEEN REDEEMED
In Christ, we have been redeemed from the evil one. Through His blood, our sins have been forgiven. The punishment He endured on the cross secured our peace. His willingness to suffer humiliation to the point of death released us from sin’s bondage. We no longer need to live in turmoil. Fear has no authority in our lives.
He has recovered ownership of you and me; the payment was His own shed blood,
and we have been rescued from the power of darkness. (Gal. 1:3,4)
Many of God's children are bombarded with sickness and depression. Statistics reveal we are just as plagued with these sinister forces as those who do not know Christ. I wonder, do we really know him?
Do we know the freedom He secured for all who are “in Him?” Do we understand, “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed?“ We need to come into agreement with Him and all He has a lready secured for ALL who come to Him.
(I Peter 2:24)
RELATIONSHIP: HIS HEARTBEAT
He longs to cultivate a personal relationship with you and me. He wants to train us and educate us, to reproduce himself in us, and do a complete work -- bringing us to maturity. Woven into His plan is an invitation: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.“ (James 4:8) Knowing this, why would we not want to fellowship with Him?
Perhaps you struggle with the thought of being asked to take the first step closer in your relationship with Him. This God you cannot see is requiring something you don’t feel you are strong enough to commit to. Here is the good news! He so desires relationship with you and me, He is willing to initiate the move. Jesus, made this declaration: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44)
So there you have it! The one who tells us to draw near to him is the same one who
does the drawing. We could spend all day trying to figure that one out. What a God He is! He knows our weaknesses, our insecurities, and our fears, so He initiates the move. He imparts strength to go forward.
This awesome God hungers for fellowship to the degree He searches the whole earth, looking for anyone whose heart is toward Him. (2 Chron. 16:9) It doesn’t take much effort on our part, because He is doing the drawing. One sincere,“Oh, Jesus, I need you,” or one humble, “Dear Father, I am so tired of going my own way,“ will cause a stirring in His heart. The next thing you know, His tangible presence will saturate your being. The mountain before you will become a bump in the road. When you cry out to him, He comes to you. A relationship is being cultivated.
IDOLS, IDOLS EVERYWHERE
How many idols do you own? I’m not sure most Christians would admit it, or perhaps we’re unaware of the many idols in our lives....the many vices that have taken up residence within us. While most seem completely innocent, they rob us of spiritual intimacy with Jesus, the author of our peace. They’re a temporary fix, stealing from us a personal relationship with the Father, resulting in spiritual malnutrition. We may look well fed, but how healthy are we? (Jer. 2:13)
WISDOM AND REVELATION
He longs to impart to us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can know him better. As our spiritual wisdom and revelation increases, we begin to understand more clearly His heart for us. He wants our spiritual eyes enlightened so we may know the hope to which He has called us. When we see Him more clearly, we experience His peace, and it opens the door to pure joy. To know him is to love him! (Eph. 1:15-23)
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED
The wisdom and revelation we desperately need will not come from any earthly source. It is Spiritual revelation, therefore it can be revealed only through the Holy Spirit of God. His Spirit searches the deep things of God then reveals them to the one who has made a conscious decision to take Him at His word and draw near.
(I Cor. 2:10)
We need a revelation of who we are in Him, and who He is in us. All of the fullness of God dwells in this Christ who lives within us. Oh for a deeper revelation of truth to come to the children of God!
The God of divine order has known you from the beginning, and He is inviting you to come into agreement with his plan to prepare you for eternity. Receive His love today.
Barbara Thompson-Young
[email protected]
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We need a revelation of who we are in Him, and who He is in us...amen Barbara. The more we know of Him the better we can love, honor and serve Him. This article has blessed me. Thanks for sharing and keep writing for His glory.
Amen ! Reading this blessed my heart and mind . I especially love your ending statement ...perfect. God bless you as you continue to write for the glory of the Lord. Yours In Christ , Julie
Oh, thank you for sharing this wisom-filled article!! And I so agree with your statement that to know Him is to love Him. I'm reminded of the Word which says "He who does not love does not know God, for God IS love." There are so, so, so many things about Him, unsearchable things that we are blessed if we are given revelation of today. But even if we're given a great multitude of revelations about who He is, we still see Him as though through a mirror. Praise God, I am so eager to see my Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer face-to-face. Because what I've seen in the here and now is beyond description. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! Sorry the long reply........ Got a little carried away. LOL. But how can we help it???
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