Do you ever wonder why folks love to go out on the water? Many find they are so happy just sitting on a boat floating on the water, whether it be on a lake, a river or bigger still.....an ocean. People that usually stay so tense and controlled on land, even when they are not working.....they find that being on the water, doing nothing, is so calming, so soothing.
Wondering however, as so many of us don't have the option of getting out on the water when we feel stressed, downtrodden or a need to just get away from it all. What can we do?
Scripture tells us to come to the waters, water that is healing, where thirst is quenched and souls are satisfied. Our minds are a wonderful thing. Yes, I know our minds can battle our spirit on a continual basis when we are under attack by the enemy....or just life, but those of us who are the "children of God", we have the mind of Christ and He will help us overcome the thoughts of the evil one. We can use our mind to spiritually dip into the waters of the River of Live, the river where the Spirit abides. We can let ourselves spiritually float on that river....the river that flows from the throne room of God. On that river, as we float, all things that are keeping us from having peace are lifted off of us. As we drift along, our bodies can be healed, so many illnesses are stress related....God can now let His healing waters flow through our bodies and we are reminded there is nothing that God cannot and will not do to heal us. When we feel those waters rolling over us, cooling, soothing waters......our souls are restored with His Word, as scripture after scripture comes through us, reminding us of His faithfulness, His goodness. As we let ourselves be saturated in the healing waters of our God, we feel His love flowing anew into our hearts causing them to heal of all hurts and unforgiveness. As we let go of those things we begin to float above all the earth's heaviness and our faith and trust is strengthened.
Need to get away......fall into the waters of the Lord. Take a spiritual cruise with the Lover of our souls....be it for a moment or longer, it is live changing.
Isaiah 55:1b "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters"
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Thirst No More
John 18:28b "I Thirst"
As our precious Savior hung on that rugged cross, moments before death would claim Him, He said "I thirst". One of those responsible for putting Jesus on this very cross dipped hyssop into sour wine and lifted it up to Him, after which He said "It is finished!" and gave up His spirit.
This morning as these words filled my mind, I saw that our Lord was not thirsty for water but in fact was thirsty for the Presence, the Presence of His Father that had left Him when He took on the sins of the world. That immense emptiness His spirit felt when His Father, His God, who could not look at sin, turned His back. Can you just imagine how God felt? Loving His Son so deeply, His Son who knew no sin.....His Son, perfect and unsoiled......Heaven's own joy....and having to turn away.....because He took on the sins of the world......all sin...past, present, future sin....my sin.....your sin. I believe the earthquake that preceded was the very breaking of God's heart as the reason He sent Jesus to earth.....knowing death was the result.....was finished.
I have known parents who, for reasons they knew was the right thing to do, have turned their child, their grown child, out and refused their cries for help, turning from them with their own hearts breaking.....and they were not taking on the sins of all the world. You may know how this feels also, my friends, as a time when you have had to refuse your child something even though it broke your heart to do so. Your tears shed.....I believe my Father in Heaven shed tears, heartbreaking tears.
"I thirst". Serious spiritual thirst when a separation came between the Son and the Father. This is the deep thirst so many feel because of a lack of relationship with the Lord. As these words came to me this morning, I could see....I could feel the estranged cry of Jesus as the relationship was severed.....even though it would be for a short period of time....a minute would be too long to be separated from the Father. People search for lifetimes trying to satisfy that emptiness, that thirst they seek and so many never find it as they are unwilling to let themselves go.....just give up the control they have worked so hard to maintain.....just let themselves call on the Lord and surrender their all to Him. One call and their thirst would be satisfied for eternity with "Living Water" that would cease their thirst forever.
The dictionary says thirst is a dry, painful feeling caused by having nothing to drink......a dry, painful feeling. Have you ever come in, so thirsty, and drank a bottle of water to find that you were still thirsty? So you drank more to find that it did not seem to quench that thirst? Only One can truly satisfy the thirst of a child of God. Only One can truly fill the vessel to the top calming the need for anymore. Only One can calm that dry, painful feeling, replacing it with a joy unknown before. Only One can give everlasting, never-ending "Living Water" so that you thirst no more.
As our precious Savior hung on that rugged cross, moments before death would claim Him, He said "I thirst". One of those responsible for putting Jesus on this very cross dipped hyssop into sour wine and lifted it up to Him, after which He said "It is finished!" and gave up His spirit.
This morning as these words filled my mind, I saw that our Lord was not thirsty for water but in fact was thirsty for the Presence, the Presence of His Father that had left Him when He took on the sins of the world. That immense emptiness His spirit felt when His Father, His God, who could not look at sin, turned His back. Can you just imagine how God felt? Loving His Son so deeply, His Son who knew no sin.....His Son, perfect and unsoiled......Heaven's own joy....and having to turn away.....because He took on the sins of the world......all sin...past, present, future sin....my sin.....your sin. I believe the earthquake that preceded was the very breaking of God's heart as the reason He sent Jesus to earth.....knowing death was the result.....was finished.
I have known parents who, for reasons they knew was the right thing to do, have turned their child, their grown child, out and refused their cries for help, turning from them with their own hearts breaking.....and they were not taking on the sins of all the world. You may know how this feels also, my friends, as a time when you have had to refuse your child something even though it broke your heart to do so. Your tears shed.....I believe my Father in Heaven shed tears, heartbreaking tears.
"I thirst". Serious spiritual thirst when a separation came between the Son and the Father. This is the deep thirst so many feel because of a lack of relationship with the Lord. As these words came to me this morning, I could see....I could feel the estranged cry of Jesus as the relationship was severed.....even though it would be for a short period of time....a minute would be too long to be separated from the Father. People search for lifetimes trying to satisfy that emptiness, that thirst they seek and so many never find it as they are unwilling to let themselves go.....just give up the control they have worked so hard to maintain.....just let themselves call on the Lord and surrender their all to Him. One call and their thirst would be satisfied for eternity with "Living Water" that would cease their thirst forever.
The dictionary says thirst is a dry, painful feeling caused by having nothing to drink......a dry, painful feeling. Have you ever come in, so thirsty, and drank a bottle of water to find that you were still thirsty? So you drank more to find that it did not seem to quench that thirst? Only One can truly satisfy the thirst of a child of God. Only One can truly fill the vessel to the top calming the need for anymore. Only One can calm that dry, painful feeling, replacing it with a joy unknown before. Only One can give everlasting, never-ending "Living Water" so that you thirst no more.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
CREAM ALWAYS RISES TO THE TOP
This
is the word the Lord gave me yesterday and it has been on my mind ever
since. I could not imagine what this
phrase could possible mean in regards to my (our) Christian walk. As the phrase would not let go of me, I decided
to sit down and put some serious thought to it.
I googled the phrase but of course there was nothing to reflect the Word
of God. That is all it took. A serious decision to find out what the Lord
was telling me and the answer began to come.
Cream
is the rich portion of the milk when fresh before anything is done to it. I can remember as a child and seeing my
grandmothers bring in the milk from the dairy man. They would pour off the top of the bottled
milk as this was where the beautiful cream was.
It was always at the top, even though when it was poured into the bottle
it sank to the bottom as it was heavier.
But the richness of it, the buttery goodness of it, slowly began to rise
upwards.
Often
when we are under attack from the enemy, all the good that has been poured into
us by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, all the beauty of God’s Word,
His love and His faithfulness at times begins to slowly flow to the bottom of
our hearts, our spirits. As the attacks
become heavier and we become discouraged, faith beginning to falter, our
spirits become heavy and our knowing….our vision….darkness can begin to
overtake us. We call out to our Father, “help
us Lord”.
Here’s
the good part, dear friends……we are the children of a Mighty God…..of a Father
whose hand never leaves us……we are inhabited by His very own Spirit……and the
Spirit of God, dwelling in us does not fail us but begins to rise above the
circumstances….begins to exalt Himself above the darkness that has tried to
fill us….and His Light comes rising to the top of any and all situations that
have bound us. Like the cream rising to
the top of milk – the richness of the Holy Spirit cannot be held down in the
hearts of those who worship the Lord with their whole hearts……the goodness of
God will draw His Spirit up in us and lift us higher than our problems…..and
the joy and peace that only can come from our Lord begins to fill us again.
It
is difficult at times to put in exact words what the Lord shows me…..I can only
pray you can close your earthly eyes and let your spiritual eyes join me in
seeing the Lord, in His rich glory, rising up in us when we come against
worldly attacks. Join me in thanksgiving
and gratitude to our God, who time after time shows His faithfulness and love….His
abiding love.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
JESUS WALKED ON WATER.....HE DANCED IN THE FIRE
As I was worshiping in church this morning, the song was about being an overcomer......through Jesus. I saw a scene before my eyes and it was Jesus dancing in the fires of hell. There is nothing that tells us what happened between the time Jesus died on the cross and the time He rose again. To be honest, I had never thought of it. But this morning, there during worship, I saw Jesus dancing in the fire, the flames all around Him, but nothing could touch Him or harm Him. As satan was rejoicing in what he believed was his great victory, Jesus came into hell with the power of the Living God. As I sit here writing, that is what has come to me. He was showing satan that he, had won nothing, that death....hell....fire.....nothing could keep the Son of God down. Jesus had said He would rise again in three days and satan could not prevent that. We know that Jesus took the keys to death and hell and He was the Conqueror, not satan. Can you imagine the tormented mind of satan while Jesus spent that length of time down there. I believe satan cowered in fear when he saw the Light descend into that darkness. Jesus wasn't there for a few minutes, but sufficient time to make known the Glory of the Lord in the depths of hell. Neither death nor hell could keep Jesus down. Victory was in His hands.
I think the word given me here was to let me know.....let you know.....that just because satan thinks he has the victory over our lives, it is not his decision at all. He has no authority over the children of God. Yes, he and his evil ones can make our lives difficult......but he does not have authority over our lives. Our Father in Heaven has us in His hands, we are His. He is there to protect us. Jesus went to hell and rose again.....did you ever think there was a reason He did this....that He just didn't get buried and then lay there for a couple of days and then rise up? I believe our Savior wanted to show us that there is a real hell.....that satan is real.....and satan wants to bring us there. But Jesus conquered death....He conquered the grave....and He conquered hell. Jesus has put on us His stamp of forgiveness and mercy.....His righteousness is upon us.....and we, just as He, have the victory over satan. We should not fear what satan can do to us.....we are the victors. It is time we take into our hearts, into our spirits the realization of the victory that was won for us when Jesus descended into that dark pit aglow with flames.
Right now the song "Victory is mine, Victory is mine, Victory today is mine, I told satan to get thee behind, Victory today is mine" is resounding through my spirit.
Dear friends, I believe it is time we see ALL that Jesus did while in the grave, and realize that we have the victory. Jesus has given us the victory.
08/07/16
As I was worshiping in church this morning, the song was about being an overcomer......through Jesus. I saw a scene before my eyes and it was Jesus dancing in the fires of hell. There is nothing that tells us what happened between the time Jesus died on the cross and the time He rose again. To be honest, I had never thought of it. But this morning, there during worship, I saw Jesus dancing in the fire, the flames all around Him, but nothing could touch Him or harm Him. As satan was rejoicing in what he believed was his great victory, Jesus came into hell with the power of the Living God. As I sit here writing, that is what has come to me. He was showing satan that he, had won nothing, that death....hell....fire.....nothing could keep the Son of God down. Jesus had said He would rise again in three days and satan could not prevent that. We know that Jesus took the keys to death and hell and He was the Conqueror, not satan. Can you imagine the tormented mind of satan while Jesus spent that length of time down there. I believe satan cowered in fear when he saw the Light descend into that darkness. Jesus wasn't there for a few minutes, but sufficient time to make known the Glory of the Lord in the depths of hell. Neither death nor hell could keep Jesus down. Victory was in His hands.
I think the word given me here was to let me know.....let you know.....that just because satan thinks he has the victory over our lives, it is not his decision at all. He has no authority over the children of God. Yes, he and his evil ones can make our lives difficult......but he does not have authority over our lives. Our Father in Heaven has us in His hands, we are His. He is there to protect us. Jesus went to hell and rose again.....did you ever think there was a reason He did this....that He just didn't get buried and then lay there for a couple of days and then rise up? I believe our Savior wanted to show us that there is a real hell.....that satan is real.....and satan wants to bring us there. But Jesus conquered death....He conquered the grave....and He conquered hell. Jesus has put on us His stamp of forgiveness and mercy.....His righteousness is upon us.....and we, just as He, have the victory over satan. We should not fear what satan can do to us.....we are the victors. It is time we take into our hearts, into our spirits the realization of the victory that was won for us when Jesus descended into that dark pit aglow with flames.
Right now the song "Victory is mine, Victory is mine, Victory today is mine, I told satan to get thee behind, Victory today is mine" is resounding through my spirit.
Dear friends, I believe it is time we see ALL that Jesus did while in the grave, and realize that we have the victory. Jesus has given us the victory.
08/07/16
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
FORT KNOX - TRUE GOLD OR GONE
Acts 3:6 "Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you..."
I can remember a time when just the name of Fort Knox brought up visions of gold bars stacked in rows and rows in support of our economy. With our economy such as it is, with our nation's debt so far out of reach, I find it hard to believe in the structure once set up by our forefathers.
So many people through out the years have put their hopes, their dreams in gold....or for us every day folks, dollars. We have seen so often those hopes, those dreams, shattered as disaster in one form or another has struck our families, our homes.....our lives. Illness can wipe away savings in an instant, even for those with insurance. Fires, floods....so many things can take away the tangible assets of our personal funds.... a nations funds gone as they overspend to try and compensate for the lack of planning, the lack of trust in solid gold has long been gone. The only difference between personal and national funds is that we face the hard fact of what is no longer there.....nations funds (money tax payers have supported) .....well, we have no way of really knowing what is there or what is gone, the value goes up and down daily. Trust has been lost over the years.....faith in a nation that was once built on Godly principles has deteriorated. We have no idea of what gold is really at Ft. Knox.
Could it be when fear arises.....when these times of anxiety rise up taking over our thoughts, our lives....could it be that perhaps we have our trust in the wrong gold source? The gold in Ft. Knox will not be what is going to save our nation.....save us. It could be gone in an instant!
Our hopes.....our trust.....should only be placed in One.....in Jesus Christ our Lord. When all the riches of the world fade away.....when physical assets are gone......when what we know as our daily living is no longer.....there is One who, from the beginning.....and to the end.....will be there for us.
Our Provider, dear friends, has no intention of leaving us.....nor will he deceive us as to what His riches are and their availability to us.....our trust in Him is solvent. The debts of this world are man- made.....the debt we could never pay.....was paid for us at Calvary. When we leave this world, when Father calls us home.....debts that ensnare so many on this earth will stay here......our sin.....the debt that was paid for with the shedding of the precious blood of our Savior, Jesus.....has washed us white as snow and we are received into the welcoming arms of our Lord.....debt free.....silver and gold could not do this......only the love and grace of God did this......
Put your trust......your hope......your faith in the riches of the Father, our God in heaven......He has paid the price for your salvation.....this can never be taken from you......it is the purest means of gold that is stored up in His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that lives in you.....we are rich, dear friends, beyond measure.
I can remember a time when just the name of Fort Knox brought up visions of gold bars stacked in rows and rows in support of our economy. With our economy such as it is, with our nation's debt so far out of reach, I find it hard to believe in the structure once set up by our forefathers.
So many people through out the years have put their hopes, their dreams in gold....or for us every day folks, dollars. We have seen so often those hopes, those dreams, shattered as disaster in one form or another has struck our families, our homes.....our lives. Illness can wipe away savings in an instant, even for those with insurance. Fires, floods....so many things can take away the tangible assets of our personal funds.... a nations funds gone as they overspend to try and compensate for the lack of planning, the lack of trust in solid gold has long been gone. The only difference between personal and national funds is that we face the hard fact of what is no longer there.....nations funds (money tax payers have supported) .....well, we have no way of really knowing what is there or what is gone, the value goes up and down daily. Trust has been lost over the years.....faith in a nation that was once built on Godly principles has deteriorated. We have no idea of what gold is really at Ft. Knox.
Could it be when fear arises.....when these times of anxiety rise up taking over our thoughts, our lives....could it be that perhaps we have our trust in the wrong gold source? The gold in Ft. Knox will not be what is going to save our nation.....save us. It could be gone in an instant!
Our hopes.....our trust.....should only be placed in One.....in Jesus Christ our Lord. When all the riches of the world fade away.....when physical assets are gone......when what we know as our daily living is no longer.....there is One who, from the beginning.....and to the end.....will be there for us.
Our Provider, dear friends, has no intention of leaving us.....nor will he deceive us as to what His riches are and their availability to us.....our trust in Him is solvent. The debts of this world are man- made.....the debt we could never pay.....was paid for us at Calvary. When we leave this world, when Father calls us home.....debts that ensnare so many on this earth will stay here......our sin.....the debt that was paid for with the shedding of the precious blood of our Savior, Jesus.....has washed us white as snow and we are received into the welcoming arms of our Lord.....debt free.....silver and gold could not do this......only the love and grace of God did this......
Put your trust......your hope......your faith in the riches of the Father, our God in heaven......He has paid the price for your salvation.....this can never be taken from you......it is the purest means of gold that is stored up in His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that lives in you.....we are rich, dear friends, beyond measure.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
My Spirit Grieves
Webster defines grieve as "feel grief, be very sad...but also to make very sad, afflict". In Ephesians 4 we find instruction to the "New Man"; putting off the old man, former conduct, thinking, behaviors, lusts and becoming renewed in the spirit of your mind, putting on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. And DO NOT GRIEVE THE SPIRIT. Here is the place that I feel myself now.
As I see the things going on around me, the actions of my brothers and sisters in Christ.....and forgive me Lord, myself included, I have become grieved in my spirit as I see the grieving of the SPIRIT of God. As I feel His heart, aching for the love and passion of His children.....to seek Him first, to leave the things of the world behind....to love Him completely, trusting and obeying. Yes, I know......I understand how easy it is to be caught up in the things of this earth, especially now as elections are coming up and there is so much debate and conflict in who, what, why's of the candidates. As I seek the Lord in who I should support with my vote.....wanting so deeply to do as the Lord would have me do.....seeing all the propaganda that is flashed before me on social media, on the news.....what difficulty lies in this. How sad it is to see so many proposing things of the Lord that makes you wonder if you serve the same God. How strange it is to sit and contemplate what is being said as "God's will" and be confused as to the manner of the candidate which goes again everything of God. Surely this cannot be. These are Christian leaders......these are folks that you have seen write about the love and grace of our Lord.....these are people that you have come to rely on for the truth of the Word.....and now it leaves wonder.....doubt......questions.
This, however, I do know. I do know that God is in control of all things. Satan might rule the earth as we, God's children, continually seem to give him that power.....how grievous is that, my friends, how very grievous is that......But in all things, God is all Power, all Majesty, all Glory. I know all things can turn around in an instant, if we would but return our hearts and minds to our God, our living God. He alone can restore, heal and empower His people to take back what is His, to take back the land He gives to us, and to become Victorious in Him.
Victory can only be found in Jesus. Victory is not in money, power or fame. Victory alone is in Jesus. Eternal life is victory. Life on this earth is victorious when living for the Lord alone. How I desire to be one of the victorious walking on this earth.....letting His Light shine through me....not living in fear but in victory.
When grief comes on me as it has lately, seeing around me the following of man and not of the Lord, it causes the Light in me to dim....not that my Lord has left me, but a mindful thing only of me, hurting.....knowing how much this hurts my God......especially now, just past Resurrection Sunday, the remembrance of the sacrifice made for me....for us....knowing He died for me, loving me so. How I desire to live....live only for my Lord God....daily.....not grieving Him but following Him, listening only to His voice, not being swayed by what I see.....what I hear.....what I feel. But by trusting in His Word....in His Spirit as He leads me in the will of my Father.
As I see the things going on around me, the actions of my brothers and sisters in Christ.....and forgive me Lord, myself included, I have become grieved in my spirit as I see the grieving of the SPIRIT of God. As I feel His heart, aching for the love and passion of His children.....to seek Him first, to leave the things of the world behind....to love Him completely, trusting and obeying. Yes, I know......I understand how easy it is to be caught up in the things of this earth, especially now as elections are coming up and there is so much debate and conflict in who, what, why's of the candidates. As I seek the Lord in who I should support with my vote.....wanting so deeply to do as the Lord would have me do.....seeing all the propaganda that is flashed before me on social media, on the news.....what difficulty lies in this. How sad it is to see so many proposing things of the Lord that makes you wonder if you serve the same God. How strange it is to sit and contemplate what is being said as "God's will" and be confused as to the manner of the candidate which goes again everything of God. Surely this cannot be. These are Christian leaders......these are folks that you have seen write about the love and grace of our Lord.....these are people that you have come to rely on for the truth of the Word.....and now it leaves wonder.....doubt......questions.
This, however, I do know. I do know that God is in control of all things. Satan might rule the earth as we, God's children, continually seem to give him that power.....how grievous is that, my friends, how very grievous is that......But in all things, God is all Power, all Majesty, all Glory. I know all things can turn around in an instant, if we would but return our hearts and minds to our God, our living God. He alone can restore, heal and empower His people to take back what is His, to take back the land He gives to us, and to become Victorious in Him.
Victory can only be found in Jesus. Victory is not in money, power or fame. Victory alone is in Jesus. Eternal life is victory. Life on this earth is victorious when living for the Lord alone. How I desire to be one of the victorious walking on this earth.....letting His Light shine through me....not living in fear but in victory.
When grief comes on me as it has lately, seeing around me the following of man and not of the Lord, it causes the Light in me to dim....not that my Lord has left me, but a mindful thing only of me, hurting.....knowing how much this hurts my God......especially now, just past Resurrection Sunday, the remembrance of the sacrifice made for me....for us....knowing He died for me, loving me so. How I desire to live....live only for my Lord God....daily.....not grieving Him but following Him, listening only to His voice, not being swayed by what I see.....what I hear.....what I feel. But by trusting in His Word....in His Spirit as He leads me in the will of my Father.
True Identity Make Over
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
As I was dressing for the day, I looked into the mirror and the old Dionne Warwick song popped into my head "Don't Make Me Over". I was a bit stunned and wondered.....where did that come from? As I stood there, Holy Spirit began to show me how as we go through life, there are many that try to do just that. And of course, being the humans we are, most of us fight it tooth and nail. Parents try to do that with their children, a number of times to keep their child from making the same mistakes they made so they can have a better life. Some to fulfill themselves in their child for things they desired and did not achieve. Then in school, friends tend to want us to be like them in order to gain a group around them that will do as they do.....you know this is true also. But most individuals, as we grow older, want to break that shell and be who we feel we are to be, we fight to be that person. To have our own identity.
My trusty old dictionary gives the definition of identity as this: individuality; who a person is; exact likeness, sameness; state of being the same one.
Just the definition of identity gives a lot to think about! I think due to the way so many of us grew up as we came to know our Lord, giving up the identity we perceived for ourselves has put road blocks in our path to becoming like Him. Does anyone feel this? We have had years, even those of us that grew up in church.....have had years of teaching that we either rejected or objected to and developed a mind set of who we are and who we should be. Some had teaching that were so legalistic it gave a feeling of never being able to measure up to what the Lord expected of us. What we should be...who we should be....how we should be. If we were not a certain way, how could we expect to be truly accepted by the Lord, much less....be like Him? We can become captive in these thoughts.....the enemy helps this along by constantly bringing your past to mind....making you feel that who you were, that identity, is what you are and what you always will be. I know people that are wonderful people, loving the Lord, but having trouble with smoking, drinking, cursing.......they just don't seem to be able to realize that those curses can be broken.....it is not who they are!
We are not destined to be what our minds tell us. If we come to the Lord Jesus, lay our burdens before Him, confess our sins, and receive Him as Lord and Savior, He will show us who we are, who we really are....our true identity. We are the children of God, the Father. We are loved for who we are, even as we are....we have been loved since before we were born here on earth. When Jesus was on the cross, He took all our sin - yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's. He did this so once and for all there would no longer be a barrier between us and our heavenly Father. He gave us access to our God. He filled us with His Spirit the day we accepted Him as Lord and Savior....and on that day.... our true identity became known to us. We were filled with unconditional love and grace. Mercy filled the atmosphere and the blood of Jesus cleansed us inside and out. No longer who we thought we would be......no longer the person that accepted the way things were.....but now new creations in the Christ Jesus. A newness of mind was ours. Yes, satan still tries to fill our mind with garbage but we have the Name of Jesus that we can call on instantly to defeat him with.
No longer are the confines of the past binding us, we can now walk in who we were meant to be, in the likeness of Jesus. Don't be fooled by what you see in the mirror.....look at yourself through the eyes of our Lord God.....as He sees us through Jesus. Look into the eyes of love and mercy.....see your true identity......dearest child of God.
As I was dressing for the day, I looked into the mirror and the old Dionne Warwick song popped into my head "Don't Make Me Over". I was a bit stunned and wondered.....where did that come from? As I stood there, Holy Spirit began to show me how as we go through life, there are many that try to do just that. And of course, being the humans we are, most of us fight it tooth and nail. Parents try to do that with their children, a number of times to keep their child from making the same mistakes they made so they can have a better life. Some to fulfill themselves in their child for things they desired and did not achieve. Then in school, friends tend to want us to be like them in order to gain a group around them that will do as they do.....you know this is true also. But most individuals, as we grow older, want to break that shell and be who we feel we are to be, we fight to be that person. To have our own identity.
My trusty old dictionary gives the definition of identity as this: individuality; who a person is; exact likeness, sameness; state of being the same one.
Just the definition of identity gives a lot to think about! I think due to the way so many of us grew up as we came to know our Lord, giving up the identity we perceived for ourselves has put road blocks in our path to becoming like Him. Does anyone feel this? We have had years, even those of us that grew up in church.....have had years of teaching that we either rejected or objected to and developed a mind set of who we are and who we should be. Some had teaching that were so legalistic it gave a feeling of never being able to measure up to what the Lord expected of us. What we should be...who we should be....how we should be. If we were not a certain way, how could we expect to be truly accepted by the Lord, much less....be like Him? We can become captive in these thoughts.....the enemy helps this along by constantly bringing your past to mind....making you feel that who you were, that identity, is what you are and what you always will be. I know people that are wonderful people, loving the Lord, but having trouble with smoking, drinking, cursing.......they just don't seem to be able to realize that those curses can be broken.....it is not who they are!
We are not destined to be what our minds tell us. If we come to the Lord Jesus, lay our burdens before Him, confess our sins, and receive Him as Lord and Savior, He will show us who we are, who we really are....our true identity. We are the children of God, the Father. We are loved for who we are, even as we are....we have been loved since before we were born here on earth. When Jesus was on the cross, He took all our sin - yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's. He did this so once and for all there would no longer be a barrier between us and our heavenly Father. He gave us access to our God. He filled us with His Spirit the day we accepted Him as Lord and Savior....and on that day.... our true identity became known to us. We were filled with unconditional love and grace. Mercy filled the atmosphere and the blood of Jesus cleansed us inside and out. No longer who we thought we would be......no longer the person that accepted the way things were.....but now new creations in the Christ Jesus. A newness of mind was ours. Yes, satan still tries to fill our mind with garbage but we have the Name of Jesus that we can call on instantly to defeat him with.
No longer are the confines of the past binding us, we can now walk in who we were meant to be, in the likeness of Jesus. Don't be fooled by what you see in the mirror.....look at yourself through the eyes of our Lord God.....as He sees us through Jesus. Look into the eyes of love and mercy.....see your true identity......dearest child of God.
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