Faith From Beginning to our last breath!

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

I grew up religious. I didn’t smoke or drink or party. I taught Sunday school and read my Bible and prayed. I remember memorizing Psalm 139. Church was something I looked forward to. What amassed to the point of an intolerable weight to bear, was all my efforts to be good enough to get to heaven! Oh how often I wondered how good is ‘good enough’?

A miserable marriage and two children later, I fell at His feet in utter reliance and repentance and found He was all I ever wanted. No wonder I was profoundly disappointed in this life! I was created to fellowship with the King of kings and LORD of lords and did not know Him.

 A miracle happened: Now I was able to understand what I was reading. It was like His love letter to me! Before when I read my Bible, it sounded good, but it was like reading someone else’s mail. I was shocked to realize and admit I was without Christ and without hope in a world without a welcome matt. Oh the amazing wonder of now having hope and finding I was loved by Creator-God.

Born again and washed in the blood of the Lamb I believed He died for ‘my’ sins. He gave me all His righteousness and took upon Himself all my sin. Hear these words!!

God made him who had no sin to be sin  for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. II Cor 5:22.

                 That should set your feet to dancing!

I not only believed by faith, receiving Christ as my Savior, but I am to walk by faith daily. My sin-debt was paid in full at the Cross and I was set free. Religious no longer, I am free in a way I have never knew existed. The chains of legalism and religion fell off and I was given a heart that desires Him and want His will. I realized that I had fallen in love with Jesus! His Presence was now so real, I was uncomfortably, wonderfully aware of Him. After all the years of loving Him without knowing Him personally, I was made new inside, old things passed away and the new took root. I couldn’t get enough of His word and miracle of miracles I found Jesus loving my husband through me leaving me surprised and with questions. I hadn’t expected this!

So many trust Christ completely to save them, (knowing everything depends on Him) but then once saved they live like everything depends on them and fail to see the greater Truth… ‘the just shall live by faith’ and they move through the day trying to live the Christian life in their own strength. It can take many years to realize it doesn’t work that way.

   “They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in their relationship to the Lord Jesus, the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man.’ a.m.

It flows from the Cross. We are to remember Jesus death and resurrection until He returns by taking communion….

…do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Our old nature remains evil and sinful to the last. It is only as we daily come empty and helpless, to our Savior, that we receive from Him, life and strength, and the results is that we then produce fruit to the glory of God. a.m

So I too must come to my Savior, casting all my cares and failure on Him, that I may receive from Him all I need. He meets me at my weakness and my heart cries out for the bread of His will, His life, His strength, His wisdom, and His love.

Outward imitation, though it be the perfect Example will fall far short, unable to replace true spiritual growth!! To abide in Christ is the only secret of Christ-likeness. God will expose our empty, fleshly efforts by teaching us the truth of, ‘For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. Romans 7:18 Do we really believe this?

Abba, You who became sin for me, I bow and cover my face with my hands. My whole being is aware of Your Presence. Your nearness is my good but  troubling too, for You are the Living God and never to be taken lightly. I pray You will teach me and each heart, the Truths that are the foundation and basis or our daily walk with You. Oh God change me and let me know you more and more deeply. You are an awesome and glorious God. To abide in You is is the secret of Christ-likeness. Blessed be Your holy name.

Thank You heavenly Father for leaving me in utter reliance on You,

az

 http://www.gramzkidz.comWhat do you think of when I mention 'snails'? Slime? Slow? Oh there is sooo much more! Go to gramzkids by design

 

 “The Presentation of the EvangeCube” — This cube has been used widely in many missions across the world to simply sh...

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

The Peace of Christ is Ours

Peace in Suffering

He (Christ) Himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:14

Brothers and Sisters,

I heard said this past week that,

“Peace doesn’t reside in circumstances; peace resides in the heart.” 

Thankfully this is true. I thought of the apostle Pau. Even with all he suffered in life, He trusted God to be with him, and lead him every step of the way. Read this next paragraph and really look at each trial Paul lists. Stop and mentally put yourself in his place…  for we know how easily we stop thinking and fall into just reading words!

 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

Paul had little reason to have peace. But that is exactly what He had, “A peace that passes all understanding.” We are all learning to choose faith and endure.

  Always be full of joy in the Lord. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

In all but one of Paul’s letters to the churches, his salutation is “grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. He knew the struggling churches needed exactly that, supernatural grace and peace. But look at verse 4 it speaks of joy! “Always” be “full” of the JOY of the Lord. Now that is asking the humanly impossible! “Always” is asking too much right?

Quite!

Seldom does a human being humble himself and run to Yaweh for help unless he has no where else to go. The impossibility of working up any level of joy should do just that, exposing our need for His help! Just as surely as we cannot manufacture our next breath, we cannot make joy happen. It is a gift. It is fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is ours to ‘receive’!

We talk about loving Jesus and usually it’s in reference to our ‘feelings’ about Him. Our emotions can be stirred but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to embrace seriously Luke 9:23 “If anyone will come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Christ’s stirring words challenge me. Not an emotional ply! Jesus own words say distinctly to each one of us: Jesus is our peace.  Ephes 2:14 Am I trusting Him to be my peace no matter what threatens? even suffering? Great pain or death? Paul said, “I die daily!” God could use Paul because he denied himself, taking up his cross daily and following.

People will volunteer to serve and many will give financially to help others and support missionaries. Less will share the Gospel with others and far less will be willing to suffer. Has called you to suffer? Paul was. And because Paul loved what God told him and believed God’s word to him, Paul stood strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. When in jail again and again, Paul used this time to record God’s words to His church, through the Holy Spirit’s revelation. I for one am thankful. It sets my feet to dancing from the wonder of it all. Paul stood strong by the power of the Holy Spirit in him, for this produced the fruit of the Spirit in Paul…. Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Will I trusting Jesus enough to stand strong, letting the Prince of Peace reign in my heart? Paul could have given up, given in, quit, given into discouragement and self-pity, but he chose to trust God was with him and would never leave him or forsake him. We too, must make the same choice. When the battle rages speak it aloud: “Lord Jesus You are right here with me. The battle is Yours. I choose to trust You right now.” Then praise Him.

Stop trying to fix it or insist on understanding ‘why’ it has been allowed, instead start trusting! My mentor said, “If you are trying, you are not trusting”. God is there for you just as He was for Paul. God will lead and strengthen you. Make Christ your focus. He gives hope. He sees the tears you shed, the tears you have not shared with anyone else. He loves you immeasurably. He will carry you through.

I love this verse: Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Every believer is accepted by God the Father. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1) The peace is God’s toward us, through Christ. Our peace is based upon this alone! Jesus made peace through the blood of the Cross. (Col 1:20) We must never forget that His peace is founded solely upon the work of the cross, totally apart from anything whatsoever in or from us (mjs), since God commendeth His love toward us, in that , while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

Be reminded God will never leave you nor forsake you. Hallelujah! He invites you to give Him all your worries. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. I Peter 5:6-7 The Prince of Peace will guide you and give you peace. Peace is not something you work up by trying, but something received by faith. There is a battle for your mind.  Guard it. Put on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8 & 9b

I will leave you with one final thought: God’s word is the key to enduring suffering and the key to 

Peace for Christ Himself is our peace!

Praying for all, near or far, whether it is places I have never been or those who are denied freedom to have a Bible or worship. O God, Remind them You love them and are right there with them in the thick of the suffering. I pray my brothers and sisters will stand strong in You Jesus. Give endurance to those who suffer greatly. Remind them they are not home yet. Come soon Lord Jesus, prince of Peace. amen

Until every knee shall bow,

az

http://www.gramzkidz.com    Creation is amazing! Check it out at Gramz Kidz

Evangecube

  “The Presentation of the EvangeCube” —

A Short Walk

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village… Mark 8:23

Brothers and Sisters, warm greetings in Jesus name,

Imagine for a moment, that you are this person who took a walk with the Lord of heaven and earth! A short walk. A life-changing walk. A walk that changed everything. A never go back or be the same again walk. Do you feel the warmth of Jesus hand as He takes your hand and leads you out of, and away from, whatever is hindering you or lying to you or pulling you down?

Why did He lead the man out of the village? I believe it was because Bethsaida had already been judged for its unbelief. (Matt 11:21-24) He was separating him from a place, that was for him, a place of temptation.  A place that would bind him and blind him and hinder him from being in the center of God's will for him and succumb to a sinful life. Oh how we need to come to a place where Jesus takes us by the hand and leads us out of and away from all that hinders and leads us to His will for us. O that we would long for a heart that longs for His will in our lives.

Nothing happened for this man until he looked up! I was so moved reading this passage. Do you go through life looking down, looking at all the world has to offer you when God wants you to look up? I could feel His hand holding mine and leading me to Himself in a deeper way.

Another unusual thing is it took two tries to heal the man from blindness. It was a gradual healing. So much unbelief hindered Jesus from doing many miracles.

Was Jesus protecting the blind man when He instructed him not to return to the village, not to even enter it? I believe He was.

 Reach out your hand in faith and choose this day, whom you will serve. Let Jesus take your hand and lead you to Himself in a life changing , never go back again, never be the same again walk! He will restore your eyesight spiritually and heal your soul.

Following the scripture about the blind man Jesus continues to teach His disciples. “And He was stating the matter plainly.” This refers to verse 31 of chapter 8 ’And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Now Peter steps in and tries to help the LORD see that it couldn’t and shouldn’t happen. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Jesus helps Peter see it not only could happen, but should happen and will happen.

Do not miss the powerful closure in verses 34 and 35 of chapter 8. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 

Then He addresses the crowd including them in His teaching and this includes us. Are you walking with Him? Are you hearing Him? Are you longing for Him? Does He hold your hand? Are you denying yourself and taking up your cross daily? This is our invitation to crucifixion. See Galatians 2:20 also.

Jesus stated the matter plainly that we too might hear and see…. He healed a deaf man (ears) and then a blind man (eyes). Isn’t it obvious He is making a point? He asks his disciples in verse 21 of chapter 8, “Do you not yet understand?”

This is also a question we need to answer. Do we not yet understand?

 The Cross expresses my love for you. Come take my hand…trust me.

Love in the LORD,          az

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Refrain

Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:

Refrain

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:

            Words: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932.

http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

God's Perfect Way

-->

 As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places. Psalm 18:30-33

Brothers and Sisters, all who trust in our precious Lord Jesus,

Do you have a favorite Psalm? The 18th is one of my favorites. As I read verses 30-33 and I was stopped. Arrested as if I had not read them before. And this question pulsed in my mind: “Do you really believe what you have just read?"

His way is perfect?

I know how easily it is to slip into praying our ‘will’, or our opinions or we stubbornly insist on understanding why God allowed our trial. Believing His was is perfect leaves no room for fears, doubts, anxiety or complaining! To coddle our fears and give into our imaginations is more than unsettling, it is an insult to the LORD who’s ways ARE perfect whether we truly believe it or not.

Believing, or not believing ‘truth’, doesn’t change the truth. And thankfully it doesn’t change one very important truth, ‘God loves us and continually pours out His grace and mercy on us’. But believing He is all that He claims to be changes us! We know His rest and His peace. Every day we have a choice to believe God is perfect, His ways and His words are perfect and, (this is most often the hard part) believing that He arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. (perfect, not easy) That He never makes a mistake! Never! I needed to be reminded about this ‘truth’ again this week.

He makes our way perfect. How can that which tears you apart, leaving you shaken, fearful, grieving or rejected, be perfect?  Because of who He is! If He has allowed it in your life, He will use it in your life for good (Romans 8:28-29). That good is to create the likeness of His Son in you, as you trust Him. And trusting Him is always a ‘choice’. In fact I think it seldom ‘feels’ like the right thing to do. Why? Because our choice requires dying to our flesh.

I realized that in order to grow spiritually, I must recognize my unbelief as sin and deal with it! As a child growing up, my father often said, in his no-nonsense manner, “Call it what it is.” No matter the trial, I am determined not to pretend that panic, worry and anger are a normal Christian response to stress and to be expected. We are not to live natural lives, but super-natural! Then there is the mind set that states: ‘I just can’t help it. That’s just how I am!’

Let’s refuse to stumble along in unbelief; rationalizing that God understands our sin. Every time I rationalize, I believe I have missed out on some wonderful aspect the Holy Spirit wanted to reveal to me about my heavenly Father. God longs for us to rest in Him, trust Him! Our hope is in Him.

“Hopes have precarious life;

They are oft blighted, withered, snapped sheer off

In vigorous youth, and turned to rottenness;

But faithfulness can feed on suffering,

And knows no disappointment.”

One second into heaven we will wonder how we could have every doubted our precious Savior. We will lock eyes with the One who loves and cherishes us and we will realize how immeasurably precious we are to Him. Do you believe that? Then your feet will be dancing or you will be flat our on your face before the throne of grace, in awe of Yeshua.

Unless believers are crucified people, there can be no true expression of Jesus in their life. Where there is no Cross there is no life. The object of suffering is to bring about in each believer an abundant, Holy Spirit dependent life, which produces much fruit, and thereby glory to God.

Rejoicing in my Savior’s perfection I am freed from trying to be perfect and rest in His perfection, for His perfection alone is acceptable to God.

Prayerfully,

az

 
http://www.gramzkidz.com 

Watch next week at Gramz Kidz the amazing Dromedary. God's creation leaves me in awe!!

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

Letter to My Daughter

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

l am sharing a letter I wrote to one of my daughters. So often when we struggle we will not share it, because our pride worries about what others will think. May we receive grace to be truthful and walk by faith, instead of walking as a hypocrite dressed in the deceitful robes of sanctimonious spirituality!

 My daughter,

You have been on my heart, I see your face in a crowd, on TV, and I see no smile. I feel the pain in your expression. I want to enfold you in my arms and pray for you, undoing the distance between us.

I have tasted struggle until I am sated with it. Week after week, wrestling in mind and heart. And now coughing to exhaustion. But the most difficult is my inability to focus. When my Savior pulls back and allows me to totter along in my faith unable to sense Him, my mind wanders without permission. I feel like a failure and I deeply miss His sweet nearness; as when He attends my way. I miss His amazing comfort and gentleness and prayer that is quickly answered. Albeit, I mostly miss the fellowship that fills my day. Instead it's struggle!

 Why? I wonder. Am I being strengthened for greater difficulty? My muscles tense as I wait for the other shoe to drop and the trial be over! I  just want to go back  to His comfort, His sweet Presence. I want to walk away from the pain and leave this alone-ness behind. In spite of the struggle I KNOW He is here and He is comforting, and carrying and loving and providing, but my feelings want the throne and the control. I am aghast at how insistent my unbelief is!!! I repent, I claim, I resist, I soak my mind in God’s word and I praise even when the words sound empty and echo in the chambers of my heart. I wrestle with feeling like a hopeless failure, yet a loved child. I force myself to live in the moment refusing the whispers and lies, as I resist the enemy. One look in the mirror and I wonder how God can love me, when I do not even like myself. He ‘feels’ so far away!

Yet, I long for Him with such a voracious appetite, I wonder if my hunger can ever be truly and deeply satisfied here in this world, for am I not an alien? Not to be satisfied in the now, in this realm of emptiness and brokenness. But in spite of or because of the pain, I always arrive back at the truth that... "HE IS GOOD! period! I must stop making this about me."

Job 19:25-27

 I know that my redeemer lives,
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth^.
 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him
    with my own eyes—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns within me!

This scripture doesn't say  "I 'feel' my redeemer is alive..... It says  'I know' , it is  the 'know' of choosing to believe by faith.

 One more question: how do restore what I feel like I have lost?  I don’t. I trust, I lean hard into Jesus and with great effort  and in obedience I focus, I choose to rest in Him. Yes! Even if it means I never 'sense' His sweet victory, His sweet Presence, or answered prayer. Living the Christian life is about Him. HIM. Not impressing others with how spiritual I am or how kind... not about me. He must increase, I must decrease. "LORD, establish your word to me, Your servant as that which produces reverence for YOU." Psalm 119:38 Free me to be occupied with You! Crucified is my old sin nature and I am blessedly placed in the Son, Jesus. I am not to live by feelings... and I find it impossible, so I am thankful God that what is impossible for me, is His expertise!
My mentor once said to me after an emotional appeal for prayer   "O, bummer!"

Not scripture, but two words which grabbed me by the collar and gave me a shake! My tears stopped …. Peace fell like warm Light over me and I could stand. "And having done all to stand, stand. (Ephesians 6:10)

Lord, You love us far more than explanation can justify. I am an alien on planet earth. Thank You, compassionate One, You always attend my way whether I feel You there or not. Thank You. I realize anew I am not home yet.

love to you daughter, having done all to stand! stand,    mom

Three Magic Words?

-->

What’s in a name? or Three Magic Words?

Q: Why do we pray ‘In Jesus name’ when closing our prayers?

I think a better question is: What does it mean to pray in Jesus name? Are we praying in His name when we tack on those three words at the end of praying all we want to pray? Is it the only prayers God will accept?

Then up-pops another question, “Wherein lies my acceptance? “ To mentally empower those three words as if they were magic, is to reason from man to God. Will He give the same consideration to our supplications if we do not add on those three words?

Better to first answer the question: “On what basis does God accept me?” He has only one ground on which to do so and that is on the basis of His Son’s finished work at the Cross.

J.N. Darby has said,  

“God’s basis must be our basis for acceptance. There is no other. We are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) Our Father is fully satisfied with His beloved Son on our behalf, and there is no reason for us not to be. Our satisfaction can only spring from and rest in, His satisfaction. It is from God to us, not from us to God. When the Holy Spirit reasons with man, He does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man.”

So too our prayers are only accepted through the Son; who shed His blood and paid our debt in full.

Q: What is ‘Jesus’ name? It doesn’t matter how you answer this question if using God’s Word as your premise.

His name is:

I Am   ( The Way, The Truth, The Life  John 14:6) As His Word says, we must pray in truth. ‘God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The words, ‘in Jesus Name’ will not make praying our ‘opinions and finite, fleshly desires acceptable to God.

Savior David prays the following: The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior. Notice David doesn’t wait to tack on the Savior’s name at the finish, but begins with it! Did he get it in the wrong place? Will his prayer be unacceptable? May be we are to do the same as David for he knew his prayer would be heard for one reason… because of who God is. David’s responsibility was to be on praying terms, God is always on listening terms.   II Samuel 22:3.

I have not read of Paul praying ‘in Jesus Name” but all he did was in Jesus name, for His glory. Paul lived his acceptance. Jesus lived through Paul. He only needed to deny himself and daily take up his cross (count himself dead to sin, crucified with Christ) and follow the Christ, the crucified One.

High and Exalted One-  Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit, In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

When we pray, it requires humility not the misuse of Jesus precious name, out of rote familiarity (in the negative connotation). But a deep, sweet, knowing, from a contriteness of heart because we are ‘in Christ’.

I have read of demons being cast out in Jesus name again and again. Miracles were done in Jesus name. Believers were baptized in Jesus name. So if you operate in any of these arenas  it is Biblical.

Mark 9:38-39 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.

It is the living… the Holy Spirit in and through us that is the definition of ‘in Jesus name’.

 God’s names of are many and each name is an omnipotent peek at ‘who’ He is.

Why not try addressing Him with as much meaning as you feel in your heart?

EX:

“Oh mysterious One, You who love beyond understanding. I come just to be near You. Thank You for hearing prayer and planning such an amazing gift for us….

Or “Namer of the stars, who is like You?....

Oh Compassionate One, You who share my grief and loss…

Rejected One, You who carried my sorrows to Calvary’s tortuous Cross… You alone understand my pain and my need for You to hold me now.

Albeit our acceptance doesn’t depend on who we are! We have nothing to recommend ourselves to God. Only What Christ Jesus did in His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension is acceptable and provides great freedom. Why? because, He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

What I love about God’s Word is that it gives understanding in regards to the Truth of who we are and reveals who God is. As we walk by faith, we are living out ‘in Jesus name’! It will also faithfully and deeply reveal who God is while filling us with reverence for Him

We are to live Christ. We are to live Christ in every word we speak, every hug we give, and in every act and sacrifice. I count that a lot more difficult than tacking on three words at the end of a prayer, trusting it will get your prayer to the ear of God! Do not make the Christian life a legalistic marathon, which is, in reality, making the Christian life about you. Excuse me, but as I found out over many years experience, that is not acceptable to Holy God. He wants us to come to the end of our ‘fleshly’ self. Paul said, ‘I die daily.’ And you know what.. he didn’t utter the three magic words, he lived them. Seeing himself ‘in Christ’ in every way. May Jesus Christ be glorified.

Love you my sisters and brothers,
Happy New Year
az

 
http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

Reasoning Makes All the Difference!

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Brothers and sisters

My mentor taught me early on ‘trying’ is not trusting.  Trusting is…. well, trusting!  We are created with a mind, emotions and a will. We have a body, soul and spirit, being created in the image of the Holy God. We know we are to walk by faith and yet we so easily live, pray and work in our own strength. The flesh is in control. To walk by faith is always a faith-choice of our will. It is trusting God with all we do not understand, trusting Him for each trial, each success.

When we choose instead to live by our own understanding, (living by our ‘feelings’) we are allowing our flesh to rule our mind, emotions and will. Either we are filled with God’s Spirit and He is in control or our flesh reigns. A scary thought. No peace, no joy, no strength! Our experience will either ratify or repudiate Truth. What we believe does not change Truth. Bottom line: we are called to walk by faith. Faith comes by the Word of God. No other option. We must be in His word and the New Year is such a great time to add this discipline if you have not already established it.

What I love about God’s Word is that it explains and gives understanding in regards to the Truth, the Truth of who we are and gives us answers to life's difficulties that we will all face. It reveals how to walk by faith and please God, while enabling us to receive all that is our in Christ. It will also faithfully and deeply reveal who God is while filling us with reverence for Him who loves us perfectly.

I have struggled this last few months with thoughts that trip me emotionally, inviting me to insist on understanding while it makes living in the flesh comfortable. It just ‘feels right’. 

But the opposite is true resulting in guilt, fear, anxiety, unbelief and a myriad of other well-established methods of attack  by our enemy, making us unfruitful and ineffectual. My greatest need today and every day is to saturate my mind with His Word to keep sane. When I focus on circumstances, how easily the enemy can shift me into neutral. I begin to reason from man to God, forgetting Truth reasons from God to man. All our efforts at ‘trying’ and struggling and failing or settling for second best, are born on the slippery slope of the flesh, that is unwilling to wait on God. We are not embracing the Truth of our position, possessions, or privileges that are already ours in Christ. Once we see that which is ours, we will begin to appropriate these Truths, choosing to die to our flesh daily and thereby receive by faith, all God has already provided in Christ.

Too often I reason from what I know I am…. powerless, selfish, critical, unkind, judgmental, foolish and easily discouraged, unfaithful, unbelieving and easily led astray. I feel badly about myself. Unloveable. It takes years to really get to know ourselves, and during this time struggle, our failure leads us to Him. The Holy spirit uses it all. It is meant to lead us into a succession of not only getting to know our failures, but to know His provision and love and forgiveness. My feet are dancing now!  And by faith, we are able to prove His faithfulness and grow in the intimate ‘knowing’ of our Savior. The more we find Jesus in our sorrows and in our desires; the more we are drawn to Him. There is no sweeter place to be.

We must see that our acceptance with God is not defined by what we decide it will be, but God’s basis must be our basis for acceptance. J.N. Darby has said,   

“God’s basis must be our basis for acceptance. There is no other. We are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) Our Father is fully satisfied with His beloved Son on our behalf, and there is no reason for us not to be. Our satisfaction can only spring from and rest in, His satisfaction. It is from God to us, not from us to God. When the Holy Spirit reasons with man, He does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man.”

 Souls reason from what we are in ourselves as to whether God can accept us. God cannot accept you this way because you are looking for righteousness in yourself as a ground of acceptance. You will not get peace this way.

How often when trouble comes we immediately begin figuring out how we can fix it or change it. Panic sets in and we don’t even hear ourselves fretting.  When I struggle with God’s acceptance of me, (even though I would not call it that), and I am not living as one He delights in, one loved by the Great God, His acceptance of me has not changed, my faith is weak at best and my joy is gone.

Sometimes we just do not want to call sin, sin! Unbelief is sin. Insisting on understanding the ‘why’ of our struggle, is sin. Living in fear is sin. Refusing to take up your cross and deny yourself and follow the crucified Savior is sin. Instead of waiting for the LORD to meet my needs, as I operate in the flesh, is sin and I miss the blessing of waiting on Him. Refusing His timing, His answers, yes, tis sin. We have one life to live for His glory. Let’s make a difference in 2014 by putting Jesus as our first love and let’s make the business of growing in our knowing of Him our top priority, no matter the cost or what anyone thinks.

What better way to start the year than to surrender in faith to the Truth that God accepts you and delights in you. Ask God to make you aware of reasoning from man to God, instead of reasoning from God to man. There is no cause for God to show us love and mercy, to give us joy and rest and hope, it’s who He is.

Our enemy would love to keep us down and unaware of what we have in Christ! Let this year 2014, be one of being in His Word. His Word lives and gives wisdom and insight and a living hope and it will free you from trying to change yourself. It will change you. Trust Him. Ask Him to give you a love for His Word. Apply it to your life. Memorize His Word. Pray His Word.

Psalm 119 is all about His word, though labeled by many different words: precepts, commands, law, commandments, statutes, testimonies, judgments, and may be more. Read Psalm 119 and mark everywhere it refers to His word. Then write down what it says His Word will do in you! You will have your socks blessed off. Make the following your prayer! It states the results of being in His Word!

 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:9-12

God of all glory and power, great are your Purposes, great is Your plan. Thank You for Your living Word and for making it available to us. I think and pray for my brothers and sisters around the world that would love to have a copy of Your Word but do not. Help them stand strong and miraculously provide them with a copy of the Word of God. We thank You for accepting us in Your Son Jesus. You are a great God. We rejoice that our acceptance is entirely because of Your Son’s life and death and resurrection. He is the same yesterday today and forever. Hallelujah.

A blessed 2014

az

 
http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck