When you serve do it unto Me. Every act of kindness, every encouraging word, will be as though you are giving them directly to Me. This is a blessing to Me. When I see My children blessing others it blesses Me. Oh, I desire you to see with My eyes. To hear with My ears. To see through the veil and enter into My realty. Let love overtake you and be your guide. Look on every face with My love. Listen intently to what I am saying through every person you encounter. Love changes lives. So serve with love and let thanksgiving be in your heart and on your tongue. Be thankful in everything.
Life: Glorifying and Enjoying God
Millions of Christians have been lulled into thinking that God’s purpose for us boils down to little more than a fulfilling life on earth with the added bonus of a heavenly reward later. With this mindset, it’s only natural to focus on what God can do for us here and now. While this belief fits in neatly with our human appetites and ambitions, it merely serves to derail our spiritual growth. This clever deception of the enemy has always been a blight on believers—all the more so in this age of prosperity.
Life is really all about glorifying and enjoying God. And He also wants to enjoy us. In His infinite wisdom, He’s engineered a program to accomplish both goals. In what way might God enjoy us as fully as we enjoy Him? By making us His very own sons and daughters. God fashioned us the way He has, frailties and all, to accomplish this very purpose.
From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
Give Me your desires
My child, keep your eyes fixed on Me. Walk in a manner worthy of Me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Give Me all of your desires. Give Me all of your thoughts. I will in turn give you My mind and My thoughts in every matter. My desire is to flow through you in such a way that people will be drawn to Me. They will experience Me when they encounter you. My love, My power and My light will flow through you when you give over every part, every desire, every bit of your will to Me. Do you want a powerful life? Die to self. Be awakened to live in the Spirit. This is the life I have called you to.
Great Dreama Rooted in a Great God!
“Dad, I’ve always felt I was destined to do something great,” my son once told me. Pretty cool, huh? It spoke volumes about our God-given ability to dream. Dreaming can be rooted in the pride within us all, but I think it goes deeper than that—much deeper.
Why does fantasy come so easily to us? Is it just for fun, or merely an escape from reality? Possibly. But just maybe we’re reaching into the very depths of our being, into the realm of the Spirit—tasting a little of God’s ultimate purpose for us.
Have you sensed being cut out for something great—that you truly are more than what you appear to be? Of course you have! If nothing else, it took place as a child. It happened before the rigors of life smothered it—before you decided that it was more reasonable to settle for the mediocre. That sense of purpose can be reenergized.
From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
A Higher Purpose
My child, days are coming when people are going to start questioning their faith. They will be lured by the pull of this world because it will make sense to them. Do not be deceived My child. Hold tightly on to Me and to My word. Do not be conformed to this world because it is the easy way out. Do not take the easy way. I have not called you to do that. I have called you to a higher purpose. To remain in Me. To listen to Me, not the world. The world will lie to you. I do not lie. I will hold on to you and give you everything you need to accomplish what I am calling you to do. Remain faithful. Stand firm. Resist the devil and he will flee. Resist the pull of the world and its temptations will fade away. You are secure in Me. I will lead you in My path. The world will take you down the path of destruction. Hold on to Me. My path is the path of life.
Inheriting God’s Promise through Faith
Paul’s goal was to explain the meaning of Christ’s coming—to make absolutely clear who Jesus is and what He came to do. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s promise to us. Hope is first born in our heart through God’s promise. Hope is a catalyst. It’s the great motivator. Hope that God will do as He promised ignites the faith that pleases Him. But faith is much more than a superficial belief in God.
We inherit God’s promise through what the Bible calls the obedience of faith—thriving faith which ultimately is proven genuine by our behavior. The Gospel holds marvelous privileges for us. But the sheer magnitude of God’s promise raises questions as to how Jesus works it all out in our lives. It’s mysterious! Yet getting to know Jesus makes spiritual growth a piece of cake.
From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
Move Out
My child, My love for you is endless. My thoughts of you are eternal. I so enjoy expressing My lovingkindess to you and wrapping you in My protective arms. You are My prize, My joy and My bride. My desire is for you. I cherish you and adore you. Come and feast at My banquet that I have spread out before you. Come and enjoy the abundance that is yours. Come and receive the inheritance that I have provided for you. Realize your position and walk in authority. In humbleness, rule and reign, for I have provided all you need and I conquered death that you might live. Live My child, in the fullness of My Spirit. I give you everything you need to walk out the purpose for what I created you for. Your destiny awaits you. Press in and believe Me. Stand up and move out. For the victory is yours.
The Power of Sin is the Law
The freedom we have in Christ can be a bit confusing. The Bible says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” But don’t you find that a little surprising? We tend to think about freedom from sin only as being liberated from the problem of sinning. So how could being freed from law have anything to do with sin losing its power over us? Well, in fact it has everything to do with it! But if you’re like most Christians, your grasp of this truth is probably a little fuzzy.
Don’t feel alone; you’re in good company! I’ve often asked believers: “How many of you feel like you are truly free from the power of sin?” I haven’t had anyone jump up yet shouting, “that’s me!” Though we may accept by faith the fact that we are free from sin’s power, we commonly don’t experience it as a reality in our daily lives. That’s just the way it is. No worries; there’s a solution to this bewildering problem.
From Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
Set Apart
My child, I care for you. I have a personal interest in what goes on in your life. My desire for you is that you would set yourself apart from this world and submit to My will for your life. Too many are going the way of the world. Too many are succumbing to the distractions and pleasures of the evil one. To be set apart takes courage and resolve. Be courageous. Take your stand. Do not be lured away by the subtle distractions of the enemy. There is much to do. Consecrate yourself to Me. Turn your heart towards Me. I will fill you with My Spirit. I will accomplish My will in and through you.
Problems with My Heart
I love Paul’s writings. So practical! So honest! In Romans 7 he exposes what we like to keep as a closely guarded secret. It’s this: “I’m not the model believer I appear to be. There are problems with my heart I don’t even want to admit, or that I blatantly hide in an attempt to appear more righteous than I actually am.” Our inborn pride strongly resists any admission of failure. After all, people might discover what we’re really like!
Paul knew that if we are ever to successfully walk in God’s purpose we must first come to a sound understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And since the gospel impacts every facet of a person’s life, a good grasp of who we are in Christ requires that we be aware of at least three very important things: First of all, God’s purpose and plan for our life. Secondly, our own nature as human beings. And finally, the implications of being redeemed in Christ, but still impacted by a worldly environment dominated by sin.
From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself