Tag: Become Love

Deny Yourself, Pick Up Your Cross Daily, Follow Jesus

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Deny Yourself, Pick Up Your Cross Daily, Follow Jesus

We are called to Follow Jesus. Jesus is the shephard, we are His flock. We are to hear His voice and follow Him. We are called to follow in His footsteps and walk as He walked.  We are to imitate Him and become like Him. 

Jesus came here in the flesh as the expressed image of the Father. That means HE is Love. We are to imitate Him, and become love.

In order to imitate Him you need to open your eyes and begin to see things from His perspective. You need to look at how He lived His life and understand what He was trying to do.  You then need to figure out how to apply that understanding to your life. As you do this, you will get to “know Him” and He will get to know you.

He provides very direct instructions in how to do this in a robust way: Deny Yourself, Pick up your cross daily, and follow Him.

Deny yourself means to set aside your own self-conscious identity and cut off the selfish agendas that drive us. We need to realize this life is not all about ME and my ego, it is about allowing God to operate through ME to flow His love to others. God’s love is perfected when it flows through us to others. Self-centeredness gets in the way of this flow, it diverts and hords God’s love in ourselves rather than letting it flow through us to others. We need to flow God’s love through us, you can dable in this by finding ways to helping others. This, at least, gets you moving in the right direciton.  

Deny yourself is a critical step to truly becoming love.

Love does not try to draw attention to itself. It does not brag about how good things are going or complain about how bad things are going. It remains focused on how best to serve and help others.

Love does not try to build itself up or parade itself around. It does not seek credit for what it has or what it does. It doesn’t matter what your car looks like, it doesn’t matter how big or fancy your house is. It doesn’t matter if anyone notices when you spend time or money doing something nice. You need to shut down your ego and get it out of the way for God’s love to flow through you to others.

Love does not build itself up by putting others down. We are each God’s children and deserve to be treated with love. He promises to treat you exactly as you have treated others. Don’t build yourself up at the expense of others.  Don’t tear others down just to build yourself up. Find ways to lower yourself and serve others; the last will be the first in His kingdom.

Love is not focused on money or material  things. Love is focused on using our gifts, talents and resources to do good works for other people. Find ways to be nice to people, loving others, helping those in need physically, mentally, and spiritually.  

Love does not worry about what others think or say or do to it. It does not get puffed up when people say nice things, it does not take offense when someone treats it badly. Don’t seek credit for doing good; Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

Love is content.  It does not envy what others have or take actions to maliciously pursue or take it.

Picking up your cross challenges you and helps you become Love:

Love is willing to sacrifice and suffer for a good cause. God sent His son even while we were rebelling against Him as sinners. Jesus was willing to suffer and die on the cross for us, even while He was being rejected by the very people He came to save. He not only was willing to suffer for us, He said nothing while it happened and forgave those who did it to them.  God knows exactly what has happened to you and what you think, say, and do to others. He promises rewards in heaven for suffering wrongs in this life without retaliating.  

Love forgives and does not hold grudges. Love sees the best in people. Love sees each of us as God’s children struggling in a fallen world.  Love forgives them of misguided actions and is willing to move forward. You are called to absorb wrongs and forgive 70×7 times. You are even called to love your enemies, pray for them, and bless them. You are to overcome evil with good.

Follow Jesus and love will blossom into faith and bring Him glory:

Love is focused on the hope of eternal things rather than the trials and tribulations of our individual earthly life. Jesus focused on the Fathers work, and He did the Fathers will. Stay focused on God and His purpose for our life. We are here to bring God glory. What can we do to serve Him and bring Him glory in our earthly life and how can our earthly lives help others gain an eternal life with Him.

Love has hope and high expectations for God’s divine purpose and plan, Jesus was willing to pick up his cross and die for us on the promise of resurrection on the third day. We trust in Him and His plan even when things are not going well for us in this life.

Please take seriously the opportunity to deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. Imitate Him and become love. Walk as He walked, Become the light as He was in the light.  Become a bright beacon for His kingdom. Stand boldly on judgement day because you have become like Him in this life.

Hope this helps.

 

Have you become love? Here is a test

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Have you become Love?  Here is a self-test!

We are each called to become Love

Becoming love is a really big deal: God is Love, and you are called to get to know Him, imitate Him and become like Him. You are called to Love others and to do all things in love. His love is perfected when it flows through you to others, and it culminates when you can have boldness in the day of judgement because we have become Love in our daily life.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

“Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17

What does becoming Love look like?

So how are you doing on becoming love,  you can see the evidence in your own thoughts and actions. The bible is wonderful mirror to judge yourself against. One of the best verses for this is 1 Cor 13. I like leveraging both the NKJV and the NIV versions to gain clarity on this expectations for love.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

How am I doing?

Let’s turn this verse into a self test: Read each line and see if you have gaps to address

  1. I am patient
  2. I am kind
  3. I am content with what I have and do not envy
  4. I do not boast or parade myself to be seen by others
  5. I am not proud or puffed up
  6. I am polite and always respectful of others
  7. I do not seek gratification at the expense of others
  8. I do not keep track of the wrongs done against me
  9. I am not easily provoked into anger
  10. I never wish evil on people, not even my enemies
  11. I never manipulate things to control or take advantage of someone
  12. I always seek and celebrate the truth
  13. I always accept my circumstances without complaining
  14. I believe the word of God and His promises for those who align and follow His guidance
  15. I have high expectations and hope for a bright future in this life and the next
  16. I endure whatever life throws at me and persevere knowing He is with me and will see me through.

Why am I not manifesting love in all of these aspects?

We are each born with a sinful nature inherrited from Adam;  We each start life with a focus on ourselves and our earthly situation rather than focusing on God and His higher purposes for us. This focus on ourselves seporates us from God and that has consequences. Rather than being directly connected to the source of all love, our love of self  seporates us from the source of love and we live our lives needing love. This vacuum of love at the deepest lovel drives our thoughts, emotions, and bahaviours in destructive ways. In order to transform and become love, we must first get rid of that self-centered love. We are called to love God with all of our heart. If we love ourselves with some part of our heart, we are not loving Him with all of it. What part of you do you still love more than you love God?  Your earthly body? Your money? Your things?  Your job title? Your reputation? Your social status?  The more you can see things from His perspective, the faster you can be transfomred into Love and see the benefits. This life is temporary and our eternal soul is just passing through on its journey. He paid the price to set your free from your sinful nature and He relesed the holy spirit to empower you to live the full life He intended when He created you.  

What do I do about these gaps?

Which gap is the most significant?  Ask Him to help you prioritize: Which area should I work on first to learn?  Which area will have the biggest impact? 

The first step is to understand the gap. What are you manifesting that is not the desired character of love?

Ask Him to help you understand what is at the root of this gap? What aspect of yourself are you still loving more than you love God?   

Confess your gap… the undesired behaviour and the root of self love that drives it.

Declare your intention to crucify the self-love and to Love God with ALL your heart.

Declare your intention to be transfomred and to manifest the full character of love towards others.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you complete the transformation of your very nature so you can become like Jesus.

Example prayer addressing a gap of patience:

Lord, you call me to become love and if I am love I will be patient man.  I continue to fall short and have missed the mark. Lord, you have taught me that I must deny myself in order to become love, that as long as I love myself first, I can not fully recieve your love and flow your love to others and truly become love. Help me understand what part of my old self I still love and hold on to. I wish to submit my entire old self to you so I can cut it off and move forward in love. I declare that I will become a patient man with your help and guidance. I claim this promise to become more like You and to bring You glory through my life. I ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN.  

Testimony:

He showed me that my impatience stemmed from a belief I held consciously or sub-consciously that my own agenda was more important than whatever His agenda was for me or those around me. Once I saw that and acknowledged it was true, I repented of putting myself above Him, and putting my agenda above whatever He is working with His. I declared my intention to be patient and respect His higher level plan unfolding even if my plans are disrupted.  I now purposfully ask for His help as I go thorugh my day, to help me build an appropriate plan of action, and to remain calm and collected as things occur knowing everything will work out in His good time. Significant improvement in demonstration of patience overnight, and over a couple of months it was habit.

Hope this helps.

Become Like Jesus, Become Love!

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Become Like Jesus – Become Love!

You have an huge opportunity:

We live in a fallen world where the sin of mankind continues to creates layers and layers of adverse consequence. We are each born with a sinful nature, a tendancy to love ourselves more than we love God or those around us. This inner nature makes us self-conscious, meaning we spend a lot of our time and energy worried about “ME”, what I look like, what I can do, what I have, what others might think about me, how others treat me; It is all about ME. This self-conscious perspective works itself into patterns of thoughts, emotions, intentions and actions over time. These thoughts, emotions, and intentions keep us focused on short term self-centered agendas which are often counter to our own long term success and often come at the expense of others. If you let this flawed inner nature continue to drive your thoughts, emotions and intentions, you will eventually self-distruct. If you try to manage them yourself with discipline and self-control, without addressing the root issue of your flawed inner nature, you will lead an increasingly difficult and frustrating life and never reach your full portential.  The God who created you sent His Son here to provide an upgrade path out of this fallen world and your flawwed inner nature. All you need to do is acknowledge the problem and follow Him. He promisses to fix the root issue by replacing your flawed self-centerd inner nature with one rooted in Love. He will then help you undo the self-centered thought and emotion patterns which get in your way and cause problems for others. and replace them with thoughts and emotions rooted in Love. These changes unlock the hidden potential within you; You will become the best possible you. These changes yeild benefits for you and those around you. The benefits can be experienced here and now, and they last for etenrity. Follow this brief discussion and see what salvation can really look like when you embrace it.

Call to action:

You are called to transform.  To transform from the You that was born with a self-conscious inner nature. The You that has been shaped by a life time of experiences in this fallen world. You are called to become like Jesus, to submit the old you and let Him form in you. Instead of self-consciousness driving you, you vecome driven by Love;  Love of God and Love of others. As you release your own self-centered agendas you start acting selflessly, you become Love in action.  When you do this, you become the best possible “You”; the “You” God intended when He crreated you. You will shine in this dark world, You will be a beacon for His kingdom. This transformtion is both possilbe and appropriate. 

Why are things so screwed up? 

Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God and they experienced peace and harmony with God and paradise in the garden. That all changed when Adam and Eve exercised their free will, listened to lies, and decided they would be better off to eat of the forbidden tree which violated Gods’ one big rule.  The self-conscious thoughts about becoming like a god by knowing good and evil started a chain reation. It led to a self-centered action to ignore Gods commandment and eat the forbidden fruit.  This corrupted the perfect image of God in them and made them permanently self-conscious and self-centered. They became aware they were naked, became afraid, and started hiding from God. They each deflected accountability for thier aciton by blaming someone else: Eve blamed the serpent, Adam blamed Eve, and then he blamed God. This flawed inner self-conscious and self-centered inner nature has been passed on from generation to generation and has only gotten worse over time. This has resulted in a world where people are focused entirely on themselves. The external consequences are all around us: Violence, Corruption, Immorality, Hate, Divisiveness, Suffering, etc. The inner agendas are evident when you look: Everything is all about “ME”!  This effects how people view themselves: What does my body look like? What do others think of me? How can I make myself look better in their eyes? How can I show off what I have? How can I avoid blame?  This effects how they view others: What do others have that I don’t? How can I get the things they have?  How can I use people to serve my interests? This also effects how they relate to God: “I have accomplished these things..not God through me.” These folks are actually stealing credit from God and there will be consequences.  “I will deal with this myself”…you can address some symptoms but you can’t get to the root. He will present increasingly difficult situations to the point where you suffer so much you give up and call out to Him for help.  Here is your opportunity to avoid all that suffering and address it now. 

Why should I care?

Like it or not, You were born with this flawed inner nature; a tendancy to be self-conscious and to adopt self-centered agendas. This inner nature is a force deep in you and it is shaping your life. It drives your thoughts, your emotions, and your choices. To the extent you let this force run free, you end up operating from a self-conscious perspective, focused on you and optimizing your short term experience. You become distracted from God and His plans for you. You view other people as competition to compare yourself to, or even worse, you view them as resources to be used for your benefit. This creates an endless cycle of distracting emotions and bad decisions as you struggle against lifes’ inevitble challenges. The rules of scociety are establsihed to keep people who are operating with this nature from causing excessive harm to each other.

People who overcome this inner flaw become awakened to the bigger perspective and make longer term decisions, loose the enless distractions and wasted energy, and realize a tremendous joy when they find themselves playing a useful role in a much more important aspect in peoples lives.   

You can detect this nature operating in you if you pay attention.

Have you ever heard yourself say any of these things, outloud or even just to yourself?

I deserve more… What is in it for me…  How will I ever get credit for doing this?

I’m sick and tired of…   I’ll show them…  Well they got what they deserved… 

I know it is wrong but I can’t stop myself… 

Do you feel a tendancy toward any of these emotions:

Pride? Impatience? Anger? Hate?

Envy? Jealousy? Lust?

Fear? Dispair? Desperation?

Guilt? Condemnsation? Shame?

Those are just some of the symptoms produced by the flawwed inner nature you were born with.   

The antidote to all of this is to “Become Love”.

God is love.  He loves us so much He sent His only begotten son as a human to suffer and die for us.

Jesus is the expressed image of God, He is love in the flesh. Jesus is love in Action.  Become like Jesus. Become Love.

We are each called to to follow Jesus, to become like Him.  To submit our old self to him and nail it to His cross. To be raised in new life with Him through His ressurection. To invite Him to come live inside us; Let Him teach us and guide us, Let Him form in us. To let Him flow through us.

What does becoming Love look like?

The following is a summary of what love looks like in thoughts, emotions, intentions, and actions

Love is patient; It is calm, It does not act or react in haste.

Love is kind; It is gentle, it appreciates others and seaks to nurture and be useful towards them.

Love is satisfied; It does not envy what others have.

Love is humble; It does not get puffed up and proud.

Love does seek attention; It does not boast or parade itself.

Love behaves properly; It is never rude or offensive.

Love is happy to flow one way; It does not need reciprocation; It does not seek its own.

Love is not provoked; It doen’t react to actions against it; It sees others as children needing Love.

Love thinks no evil; It does not generate evil thoughts, It does not wish evil on others.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity; It avoids causing harm or injustice.

Love rejoices in truth; It enjoys understanding and doing what is right.

Love bears all things; It maintains composure in the face of struggle.

Love believes all things; It embraces God’s love and trusts His promises.

Love hopes all things; It is optimistic and expects the bright future in this life and the next.

Love endures all things; It persists with conviction and overcomes challenges.

You are called to become rooted in Love and exhibit ALL of these desirable characteristics. These are each counter to the thoughts, emotions, intentions and actions driven by the self-centered nature you were born with. 

This list of characteristics can serve as a mirror to your current thoughts, emotions, intentions and actions. Are you acting in pure love? Which ones are a particular challenge for you? Does one stand out as the biggest issue? If one does not stand out, Ask the Lord to illuminate one for you so that it comes into clear focus. 

Jesus came here to restore your inner nature to the image and likeness of God – which is pure love. When you acknowledge your flaws, and accept Him as the Lord of your life, You open the door for Him to flow into you and start fixing things.  When you ask for His help, He sends the Holy Spirit to come in and take up residence inside you. If you truly give Him permission to work, it is transformational. You start seeing things differently. You start to notice some of the things you think, say, or do are not right. You start to care. You start to hear His voice trying to teach you and lead you. You can try to fix these things yourself through discipline and focus. This can impact things on the surface, but it is much more effective to give Him permission to do the necessary work deep inside you and adress the root of the issue.

How do I become Love?

Only Jesus can fix our flawed inner nature:

We ware created in Gods’ image. Adam corrupted the image through sin. Jesus came to restore what was lost through Adam, the image of God in us.

When we accept Jesus, we are born again and get a fresh start. As we deny ourselves and invite jesus to come and form in us, and the image of God is restored. You can try all the self-help do it yourself strategies you want, but only Jesus can actually restore the image of God in you.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? 

There is no down side.  The only things He will ask you to give up are the things you were never meant to have in the first place.

We need to transform our mind:

Once our spriit it born again, we then need to rewire the thoughts, emotions, and intentions that were previously established in us. We need to purge the ones rooted in our original sinful nature, and establish desireable ones that flow from Love out of our new natue.

You can try to work on this yourself and you will make some progress through focus and discipline, but at some point you willl realize this runs deep and is beyond your control. What you may not realize is that your potential will be limited by what you can imagine is possible based on your past expeirience, not what God had in mind when He formed you. 

The most effective approach is to leverage Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

What can I do move forward and “Become Love”    

There are a couple of structured steps to help this process happen quickly and effectively.

  • Get intimate with Jesus in a quiet place. Sit with Him. Talk with Him. Listen to Him.
  • Follow this flow and speak your statements outloud directly to Jesus, speaking with intention directly from your heart.
  • Acknowledge the shortcoming you notice
    • “Jesus, I clearly have missed the mark. I was doing xxx (undesired behaviour). By doing xxxx, I was not being love.”
  • Acknowledge the consequences
    • “I can now see that doing xxx causes yyyy, this is a problem, It prevents your love from flowing through me to others”.
  • State your intention to change
    • “I no longer want to do xxxx, I want to love others the way you do, I want to become love, I want your love ot flow through me, I want to be love in action!”
  • Ask Him to execute the change in your heart.
    • “You gave your life for me, I hereby give my life to you,:
    • “I nail my old sinful self to your cross. I put my old self to death in your grave”:
    • “I am rasied into new life with you and your resurrection”
    • “I put off my old self, and put on Jesus”
    • “It is no longer me that lives, but You live through me”
    • “I invite you to come in and change my heart – help me become love”
    • “Transform my thoughts, emotions and actions – help me become love in action for others”
  • Declare the desired result in faith – trusting that it is happening as you speak
    • “The Holy Spirit is in me, leading me, teaching me, helping me”
    • “You are working in me; You are the potter, I am the clay”
    • “You are helping me see things from your perspective”
    • “You are leading me into all truth”
    • “You are purifying my heart to love others as you love them”
    • “You are crushing my selfish agendas”
    • “You are helping me put xxxx (specific focus issue) far behind me”
    • “You are helping me become yyyy (desired characteristic): a humble man, a patient man, etc”
    • “I look forward to becoming more and more like You”
    • “Your love will flow through me to others.”
    • “People will get a good look at You when they see me in action.”
  • Be thankful and give glory to the Father through the Son
    • “I thank you for all you have done and what you are doing in me”
    • “This is Your amazing work, not anything I have done”
    • “You are the vine and I am the branch, I can do nothing without you.”
    • “May your work shine through my life”
    • “May I be a bright beacon for you and the kingdom.”
    • “I speak all of this in Jesus’ name to bring glory to the Father through the Son.”

Go for it. Be committed to becoming love, You will become your best you. Submit your flawed old self and committ your new self to follow Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit to come in and help you. Be receptive as the Holy Spirit helps you identify issues and opportunities, Yield to Him completely and let Him do His best work in you. Declare the bright future in faith even before it comes to pass. Be thankful for His work in you and make sure God gets all the credit.

Keep after this agenda as you work through the progression of issues that will inevitably peel off, it is well worth the effort!

Supporting Scriptures

God is love

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

Jesus is the expressed image of God, Jesus is love in the flesh

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Hebrews 1:3

You are called to imitate Jesus, to be like Jesus, To walk in love

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

“…‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31

Love is…

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Becoming Love involves transforming how you think, speak and act, and aligning with Jesus

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5

“Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” 1 John 2:6

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

This involves getting your old self out of the way, and letting Jesus flow through you

“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

The Holy Spirit is available to all who ask

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

The Holy Spirit will take up residence in you if you make an appropriate home for Him

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The Holy Spirit will highlight your opportunnities ot improve

“And when He has come (The Holy Spirit), He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” John 16:8

The Holy Spirit will work in your heart and your mind, and even your physical body

“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

As you renew your mind and reorient your thoughts and emotion, you will align your behaviors with God’s intention.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Shine like a beacon for the kingdom

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Glorify the Father through the Son

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13

 

Become Love

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Your Mission Here Is To Become God’s Love In Action

Summary

He created this amazing place and put us here so that we could manifest His love, without humans, His love has no way to become useful. He gave us free will so that we could develop a conscience in this life,  discover Him, His Love and His Truth,  manifest His love on this earth, and live on with Him for eternity. Mankinds free will has gotten us into a lot of trouble over the years. The sinful nature we each now inherit keeps us self conscious and self centered and separates us from God and His agenda for us. He came here in person, in human form, to restore what was lost by Adam and to provide us a path out of the mess we made. We need to renounce our prior flawed ways and fully commit to follow Him going forward. He actually wants to come and live inside us to help us make this happen. This involves a complete transformation of your thinking, your words, and your behaviors. We need to shift from thinking about ourselves and our own interests in this world to thinking about God’s agenda for His kingdom and how we can be of service to Him through our lives here. The fancy words used in scripture are “Crucify” your flesh. Basically all of the temporary earthly interests of our physical being need to be subordinated to God’s interest in developing our eternal soul. Anything less than a full commitment to transformation will delay the benefits and continue to propagate undesired consequences for you and those around you.  

The following is my scriptural logic chain for what is going on.

  • God is love (1 john 4:8)
  • God made man in His image (Genesis 1:27)
  • The image of God was corrupted and died when Adam sinned and ate of the tree in the garden (Genesis 2:17)
    • Adam’s heart became self-centered (Genesis 3:3-6)
      • He wanted to be like a God and know Good and Evil
      • They listened to a lie – “You will not surely die if you eat of the tree”
      • They decided to ignore God’s one command and chose to eat of that tree
    • Adam’s nature changed, he became self-conscious as a result of that decision
      • He became conscious of his nakedness, hid himself, and became afraid (Genesis 3:7,10)
      • They deflected blame for their decision – Blamed Snake, Blamed Eve, Blamed God (Genesis 3:12-14)
    • Adam and Eve suffered consequences of separation from God (Genesis 3:13-16)
      • Exile form the garden
      • Labor, Suffering, Death
    • All have inherited that sinful nature and suffer in this fallen world (Romans 5:12)
  • God loves you
    • He loves you so much He sent His only son (John 3:16)
    • You know He loves you because He sent His son (1 John 4:9-10)
  • Jesus came to restore that which was lost, The image of God in us, our original purpose (Matthew 18:11)
    • Jesus came in the form of sinful flesh to take the burden of sin off of us (Romans 8:3-5)
    • Jesus’ blood covers that sinful nature and allows us to be born again (Romans 5:19)
  • His goal is for you to become love (1 Timothy 1:15), to be rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17)
  • Pure Love Is powerful when it is in you (1 Cor 13:4-7)
      • It suffers long
      • It is kind
      • It never seeks its own. ex, Never expect an I love you back…
      • It bears, believes, hopes, endures all things
  • His Love is perfected when it flows through you to others (1 John 4:12)
  • He wants to come and live in you to help you enable that flow
    • Youre body is God’s temple (1 Cor 3:16)
    • Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Glorify God with your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20)
    • We have this treasure (Christ Jesus) in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)
    •  Christ in you, the Hope of Glory (Collosians 1:27)
    • “Christ is in you” (Romans 8:10)
  • You must get your ”self” out of the way so He can come in
    • Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable ( Romans 12:1)
  • Deny Yourself, Pick Up Your Cross, and Follow Me (Matthew 16:24)
    • Deny your self, and your self-centered interests
      • Crucify your self-conscious interests / self-centered agendas
        • Give up your life to find it (Matthew 16:25)
        • Do not love the world or things in the world (1 John 2:15)
        • Be in the world, not of the world (John 17:16-18)
        • Get out of the carnal mind, Do not love the flesh (Romans 8:7-9)
        • Renounce ungoldliness and worldy passions, live self-contolled, uprght and godly lives (Titus 2:12)
      • Clues that you have not yet fully crucified your “self”
        • I deserve…
        • I want…
        • I feel…
        • I am offended by…
        • I am embarrassed by…
    • Pick up your Cross
      • Resist temptation 
        • Guart your heart, out of it flows the issues of life ( Proverbs 4:23)
        • Beware of your desires, they concieve sin ( James 1:14-15)
      • You will stand out when you refuse to participate in things of this world
      • You will suffer persecution at the hands of others in this world
      • Do not let sin against you become sin in you
        • Forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)
    • Follow Jesus
      • Make Jesus Lord of your life
        • It is no longer ME that lives but Jesus through me (Galatians 2:20)
        • Submit your self to God. ( James 4:7)
        • Submit to God and be at peace with Him (Job 22:21)
      • Yield yourself fully to Him – 100% Committment – Not compliance
        • Your are not your own, you were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20) 
        • He paid a high price for you (1 Cor 7:23)
        • “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38
      • Speak outloud your comittment to yield your self to Him 
        • My Eyes to see from His perspective
        • My Ears to Hear and understand His word
        • My Heart to love Him and His Kingdom
        • My Mouth to give Him praise
        • My Hands to do His work
        • My Feet to follow where He leads
        • My Resources to serve Him and His kingdom
        • My urges and desires to do His will
      • Follow Him
        • Become a Disciple
        • Get to know Him
        • Follow His commandments –  Love God with ALL your heart,  Love your neighbors more than yourself
        • Follow in His Steps (1 Peter 2:21)
        • Follow where He leads you
    • He is working to shape you, you need to submit and let Him
      • God is the potter, we are the clay. (Isaiah 64:8) 
      • Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ (Isaiah 45:9)
    • Become Like Him, Become Love in Action
      • Speak the truth in love, Grow up into all things in Christ (Ephesians 4:15)
      • Walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7)
    • Shine as a bright light in the darkness to bring glory to the Father
      • You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
      • Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

  • Wait, I’m not ready to deny myself and submit to Him

If you are not willing to deny yourself and follow Jesus – it is a sign you love your earthly “self” more than you love God and His kingdom. You are more focused on satisfying the wants and desires of your temporary physical earthly body rather than investing to develop your spiritual body to fully optimize your life on earth and prepare yourself so you can spend eternity with God.

Maybe you don’t fully appreciate how much He loves you: All He has done to put you here, All He has invested in you with passions to help you find your true purpose and talents to help you be productive. Maybe you don’t appreciate all He does to support you every second of every day with food in your mouth, housing over your head, clothes on your back, and air in your lungs, All He has done to arrange people in your life to love you, to teach you and support you, Maybe you don’t appreciate how badly He wants to spend eternity with you in heaven, He loves you so much He sent His son so you could fulfil His plans for you.

Maybe you don’t fully appreciate the consequences of not submitting yourself to Him in this life. He knows you inside and out, and He knows your heart. He will give you exactly what you love in your heart; If you forget Him, He will forget you. Sin separates us from Him; If we do not love Him with all of our heart, we will remain separated from Him. If you leave this life loving yourself more than you love God, you will spend eternity with yourself and people just like you rather than spending it with God and with people who love God. The hells are filled with people who chose to focus on themselves and live separated from God.

Maybe deep down inside you are concerned that if you commit to follow Jesus, your earthly oriented activities will be exposed and you will need to stop.

Maybe you just don’t want to give up control; It is your life to live after all. He makes it clear that anyone who tries to save his earthly oriented life will lose it eventually, but anyone who gives up control of his earthly life will discover and awaken a spiritual based life that through Jesus that will transform the earthly life experience and extend into eternity.

The idea is to shift perspective on things: You are an eternal being in a temporary earthly body. You have a purpose here. The purpose can not be fulfilled as long as there are self-orienrted, self-conscious, self-centered agendas at play. He wants to come into you and help you identify those agendas, root them out, and help you transform so you can fulfill your purpose. He can only do that if you get yourself out of the way, invite Him in and listen to Him. He promises that the only things you will loose are the things you were not intended to have.

Ask Him to help you sort your agendas and your activities.

Are you drawing ever closer to God: searching, seeing, listening, learning, gaining understanding

Are you living in a thankful perspective: Continually recognizing what God has done, is doing, will do. Expressing praise and thanksgiving

Are you experiencing God’s love: He sent His son to die for you, so you could live life through Him. Raise Jesus up and Recieve Him as Lord. 

Are you finding more and more ways to flow His love to others through your thoughts, words, and actions.

Are you executing in alignment with His will, avoiding self-centered or self-serving agendas.

Are you living a life worthy of the price He paid?

Are you presenting yourself as a vessel worthy of His presence?

Are you using your passions and talents to serve God and others, or just yourself?

Are you using your resources to serve God and others, or just yourself? (Things, Money, Time)

Are you making yourself available for His use?

Are you reflecting and repenting on your thoughts words and actions as you strive to improve

Just some things to consider

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Supporting Scripture

God is love

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8

God made man in His image

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Adam annd Eve listened to the devil and His lies

“Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

Adam became self-centered, wanted to become like a god, and chose to ignore Gods rule

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6

Sin changed Adam’s very nature – His eyes were opened, he became self-conscious – fear, naked

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Geneiss3:7

“So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’” Genesis 3:10

They each deflect blame for their error

“Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’” Genesis 3:12

“The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” Genesis 3:14

Adam and Eve suffer consequences of sin and the resulting separation from God

“To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

“Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall [b]bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

We all now inherit Adam’s sinful nature and suffer in this fallen world

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12

God’s Loves You

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

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:33-39

Jesus redeemed that which was lost through Adam – to restore the image of God in us.

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” Romans 8:3

Our purpose is to be rooted and gounded in Love, to become love.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” 1 Timothy 1:5

Pure love is powerful when it is in us

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

His love is perfected when it flows through us

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

He wants to come and live inside us to enable that flow of Love.

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” John 14:23 

“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness.”Romans 8:10

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

“To them (us,the saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”Colossians 1:27

We need to get ourselves out of the way and make a place for Him.

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

Crucify Your Flesh

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-9

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

“Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” Titus 2:12

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34

“”knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” Romans 6:6

“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24

Submit yourself completely to Jesus

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” Job 22:21

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

He paid a high price for you

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

Present Your Self as a Temple Worhty of His Presence

“Or do you not know that your body is a temSupportingple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” Romans 12:1

Resiste Temptation – It starts in the heart

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:14-15

Seporate yourself from the world

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” John 17:16-18

Pick up your cross.  Do not let sin agaisnt you become sin in you

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they’re doing…'” Luke 23:34 

Follow in His Steps

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”1 Peter 2:21

He is trying to shape you, you need to submit and let Him

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?” Isaiah 45:9

Become Love

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17

“speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” Ephesians 4:15

Shine as a light in the darkness

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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Supporting Resources

 

Change your pictures

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Change the pictures in your mind, You will change your life!

The pictures in your mind are powerful.

The pictures you hold in you mind have a profound affect on how you live your life. They affect how you see reality, and they affect how you react to circumstances in life.  They form the basis for the basic beliefs you hold in your heart and they play a large role in determining your behaviors: They affect what you believe is possible (The world is flat, you could fall off the edge); They affect what behaviors you believe are appropriate in any given situation (There is no God and no heaven or hell, do anything you want in this life). You will never attempt something you do not think is possible (airplanes are heavier than air so they will never fly), and you will never choose to do something until you believe it is appropriate in a given situation (Once we understood Germs, medical staff started washing hands between patients).

Holding the proper pictures in your mind is critical to your success. The proper pictures can help you deal effectively in new situations.  Ex:  Looks like a bear, it is a bear, I’m at risk so run away.

There are actually two families of pictures that are important:  The first is your understanding who you are, and the second is your understanding of your external reality.  If either picture is incorrect, it will eventually cause problems.

If you see yourself as more capable than you really are, you will not properly assess a real threat and will likely suffer a consequence.  Ex: Yes that is a bear, but I am big and strong so i will stand my ground and fight it.  Or, Yes life has challenges but i am strong and can deal with them by myself, I do not need some God character to help me. 

If you understate yourself in your mind, you will miss huge opportunities in life. Ex: I am just a victim of society, I could never accomplish anything useful, it is not even worth trying. Or, I am just a lowly sinner, my past will always haunt me, I will get what I deserve, I am not worthy of anything better.

The same goes for our pictures of the outside world. If we see the world as dreadful, threatful and risky it will cause us to operate out of fear and behave in a very hesitant and defensive way with a short term focus. If we see the world as exciting and ripe with opportunities and the promise of a bright future, we will be more open, enthusiastic and hopeful.

The pictures in our mind are built by our past experiences, a combination of what we have been taught and what we have experienced up to that point in life. If we are taught the truth in a robust way, we will have a sound picture to guide us.  If we never got formal instruction or the instruction was incorrect, our mental picture will be flawed. 

The only way to change the picture in your mind is to bring new information to the table; Information to help you improve the picture.  I better picture could help you discover that something new and different is actually possible, or it could help you see that doing something different is appropriate in a situation.

When it comes to spiritual things, i have come to appreciate that most folks have some serious flaws in the picture in their mind. Some of these flaws are absorbed from our emersion in a secular oriented society, Other flaws are conveyed from man made religious doctrines which have been introduced over the years. The good news is that the truth is available in black and white, and the Lord will reveal it to you if you ask with an open heart.

I find it helpful to explore the actual pictures people hold to help them accelerate the process of discovering the truth and tuning up their pictures. Once we get a handle on the pictures you currently hold in your mind, you can start to ask questions and He will help you see the opportunities to tune them up. If we can build an improved picture in your mind, you will quickly change your life.  

Your current pictures:

Let’s look at the current pictures you hold with regards to your engagement in spiritual reality:

Are you a lowly sinner struggling to survive in this fallen world, begging a distant God to have mercy and to flow blessings to you, hoping He is listening and wondering if it is His will to act?

—-or—-

Are you a born again child of God; Repentant and Forgiven, Saved by faith 

– Crucified in the flesh, setting aside self-consciousness and selfish agendas, fully yielded to the Lord.

– Living in His love; Knowing He loves you because He sent His son

– Flowing His love; Forgiving others as He forgave you. Loving others as you love yourself, Seeing all others as children of God struggling in a fallen world.

– Holy and beyond reproach through Jesus blood; At peace with Him, in perfect union, Entitled to the promises and inheritance of the saints.

– In personal communion with Abba Father, Drawn close to Him so He draws close to you, 

– Led by the Spirit into the mind of Christ; listening to His voice, asking for understanding, seeing from His perspective, following where He leads you.

– Acting as the body of Christ with Christ formed in you, perfecting His love as it flows through you as you live your life.

– Partnered with Him to rule this world; seated with Him in heavenly places. Committed to continue His work and make the devil His footstool.

-Using the authority He gives you to do the works He did, speaking His will into place on earth as it already is in Heaven,

-Shining as a bright light in the darkness, being a beacon for the kingdom.

Your perspective makes all the difference. Modern man-made religious doctrine can severely limit you and your journey. Ask the lord to illuminate His path for you. Let the spirit lead you into all truth. Let the truth release your potential and transform your life. The fruit will bear witness.

Piece by piece

The following section works through parts of the contrasting pictures aspect by aspect, piece by piece. First how you see your self, then how you see the purpose of your life, then how you connect to God, then how you engage and face challenges in your life.

Who God is

There is no God, The universe and all we see came from nothing VS God created the universe and all that there is with order, structure and purpose

There is no God, How could a loving God allow all the suffering we see VS God gives us free will, We suffer the consequences we created over generations, He sent Jesus to rescue us.

God is distant, He is up in heaven VS He is with us, In us, Operating through us

Who you are / Your identify

I am a good person because of how I live my life VS I am made righteous only through Jesus blood

I am a sinner, not worthy, and must suffer the consequences VS I have repented, I am forgiven, I am saved, I am made whole 

I am separated from the Father by my sin and must suffer VS I am reconciled to the Father by Jesus work, The Father sees me as Holy through Jesus blood, I am entitled to promises and blessings.

I am a sinner by nature  VS I am Born Again; My spirit is brand new and connected to the Holy Spirit, My mind is being transformed to understand and execute His will, and my body is submitted and complying 

I will always struggle with sin VS  The Holy Spirit helps me recognize my sins, I listen and repent,  and then He helps me to overcome them.

The problems of my past hold me back VS I am free from my past and focused on moving forward

God is either mad at me or He doesn’t care about me VS I am a Child of God, God loves me, God has plans for me, God is working to help me achieve them

Your purpose

My job is to get myself into heaven someday VS My job is to bring Heaven to others while I am here

I am working to find and fulfil MY purpose VS I am focused on His purpose for me

Life is long, it must be tolerated and endured VS Life is a very short time to make a difference, and every moment must be cherished and leveraged.

I am doing religious things so God will think favorably and I can get into heaven someday VS I am transforming myself so He can use me to bring Heaven to earth for others around me here and now.

i am adopting Christian values where convenient VS I have yielded myself to Christ, It Is Him living through me

I try to comply with the commandments as i try to fit in to society in this fallen world VS I separate myself from this fallen world, I am in the world but not of it, I present myself as a vessel worthy of the holy spirit, I repent when the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, The Holy Spirit helps me transform and overcome Sin by renewing my mind, I never let sin against me become sin in me.

Life is a drag, I am just trying to survive VS Life is a gift, and I make the best of every second and shine as a light in the darkness 

I am watching on the sidelines VS I am engaged executing His commission for the kingdom

I am hiding privately in isolation VS I am shining as a bright light, a beacon in the darkness

Knowing God / Your relationship

God is distant / way up in heaven  VS God is with me, Working in me, Working through me

God is abstract and unknowable VS I have an intimate personal relationship with Him

I talk to God and hope He listens VS I have an ongoing dialog: I talk to God, I listen to His voice

God is a mystery VS The mystery is revealed through the Son and the Holy Spirit

I believe what others tell me about scripture VS I learn the Truth from the Holy Spirit 

I am Led by the flesh and my reasoning VS I am Led by the Holy Spirit

Your authority

I pray to God way up in heaven VS I am seated in heavenly places with Jesus

I am a victim of the devil VS I execute authority over the devil, nothing will harm me

I beg God to take action VS He already took the action, I am now receiving it. I am speaking His will into place on earth.

Only certain people can initiate miracles VS The works Jesus did I do and more

Signs and wonders are no longer relevant VS I am a believer, and these signs shall follow those who believe (Cast out demons, Lay hands on the sick and they shall recover)

I pray once and hope He heard me VS I pray fervently, Speaking His will into place on earth until it is complete.

Scriptures to help you draw improved pictures:

Your identity:

Once we have Faith in Jesus, We are born again, washed and renewed, regenerated as a gracious gift of mercy.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)

You are loved, Know God loves you because He sent His son,  Love God because He loved us first.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:14-16)

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

You are God’s handy work, chosen, beloved, blessed

“But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…” (John 15:16)

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved…” (Colossians 3:12)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)

Knowing God / Your Relationship:

Get to know God personally, and follow His commandments. it is the only way to eternal life and heaven

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (follow His commandments). Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ “(Matthew 7:21-23)

Ask the Holy Spirit to come into you to guide you and teach you

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit will help you overcome sin if you let Him.

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

Live a life worthy of the price He paid, Be a vessel worthy of His presence, Able to be useful for the kingdom

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” (1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed…” (2 Timothy 2:15)

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” ( 2Timothy 2:20)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

He will manifest in you as you get to know Him and follow His commandment

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:20-21)

The Holy Spirit gives us access to the mind of Christ:

“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:13-16)

We are the body of Christ:

“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

We are to be led by the spirit, not the flesh or our own reasoning

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

Your purpose:

Your job is to leave a legacy that brings glory to God.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16)

Become Love like Him, Love others as you love yourself, Forgive others as He forgives you

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

“…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Get over yourself and let Christ live in you and through you:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

We need to yield ourselves and our self-centered interests, and focus on Christ’s purpose for us

“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

Your purpose is to transform and pursue the kingdom of God, shine as a bright light, bear fruit in this life, and leave a lasting legacy which brings glory to His name

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

Your authority:

When you embrace Jesus as lord of the universe, and receive Him as your Lord of your life, You become a Child of God.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [a]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)

We have been raised up and are sitting (ruling) with Christ:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7)

We have all authority and power over the enemy:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)

He expects us to use that authority to bring glory to His name:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12)

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:14-16)

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8)

We must speak God’s will into place:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”(Proverbs 18:21)

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:17)

Always test what you know and what you are being taught. Know correct teaching by its fruit:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

Conclusion:

Explore the pictures you hold in your mind.  Ask yourself is they are right.  The Lord will help you improve your pictures if you let Him. 

Happy to discuss your current pictures and help you build better ones. 

Have a wonderful day.

 

You make a choice each day – and it matters

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

You make a choice each day – and it matters

 

You have a choice every day: choose to follow God and His commandments and receive blessings, or don’t and suffer the consequences. (Duet 30:15) This is both a threat…and a promise.

We live in a fallen world and need God’s help to get through it. You can limit God’s ability to help you by how you live your life: your thoughts, your words, your actions matter. Sin separates us from the father, His protection, and His blessings. (Isaiah 59:2)

What is He expecting ?

Love God first and foremost – He is the source of everything Good. He put you here. He loves you. He gave is only begotten son to save you. Learn about Him. Get to know Him personally. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Do what He says. Follow His commandments. Let Him lead you.

Love thy neighbor – Think of every other person on this planet as a beloved child of God, each struggling in a fallen world. Be kind, be patient, bring love and forgiveness into every situation. He put you here for reason. He wants you to be a living example…to shine as a beacon for the kingdom. Become His love in action, His arms and legs on this earth. You are the body of Christ, Let Him live through you.

Deny yourself – Remove selfish / self-serving agendas. This life is not about you, it is about how you can get over yourself and become of service to others. Put the old self behind you and put on the new self. Die to sin, be born again into life. Present yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. Focus your thoughts and actions around how to be useful to others. It is not about having things, it is about how you can use what you have can be helpful to others.

Pick up your cross. Don’t let sin against you become sin in you. Forgive them for they know not what they do. Live this life worthy of the price Jesus paid for it.

Remember you will stand before Him and be held accountable for how you chose to live this life: your thoughts, your words, your actions, how you spent your time.

How do you treat others? Do you build them up, or tear them down in your mind and through your words. Your words matter.

Do you let issues from the past linger and bog you down or do you focus on today and find ways to be a blessing to others. Forgive and forget. He forgives you so you can forgive others. Move forward!

How are you leveraging the gifts and talents He gave you, are you squandering them or nurturing them and leveraging them to help others. What you do with your life matters.

You have a choice today. Make the most of it!

My two cents for what it is worth.

Supporting scriptures:

Your actions can limit God’s ability to help you.

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power”. (Psalm 78: 41-43)

Sin separates you from God – and his ability to help you

“…your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)

You have a choice every day – Put God first and follow His commandments or suffer the consequences

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. (Deut 30:15-18)

Put sin behind you and become a living sacrifice to God

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

You are not saved by faith alone… how you chose to live your life really matters

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 21:12)

 

Example Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank you.  You are the source of everything good in this world. I thank you for this life and for never giving up on me. Thank you for forgiving me so i can focus on the future. I thank you for filling me with your holy spirit. I thank you for fathering me, for teaching me, for coaching me. I thank you for helping me find the path you set for me. Thank you for continuing to help me remove my selfish sellf-centered agendas.  Thank you for helping me get ME out of the way so your love can flow through me. Thank you for helping me forgive others and moving forward. Thank you for helping me be a blessing to every person i come in contact with today. Thank you for helping me find more and more ways to be useful and to be of service to others.  Thank you for helping me shine in the darkness of this fallen world. AMEN.

 

 

Is God’s love perfected in you?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Have you perfected the flow of God’s love through you?

 

Thought for the day: Have you perfected Gods’ love in you yet?

1 John 4 is a powerful chunk of scripture once you unravel it – Love is indeed the answer!
God is pure love. We know Him through His love. He “abides in us” when we acknowledge He loves us so much He gave His son to save us. We are “born of God” and we get to “know God” when we flow His love out to others. Our challenge is to get our own self-centered interest out of the way of the flow. For example: If we harbor any hate in us, we do not love God. We need to purposefully reflect on our thoughts and actions, figure out what is in the way, and make changes to maximize the flow of Gods love through us and out to others. As we improve the flow, His love becomes “perfected” in us. When we “are” God’s love in action, we can have confidence on judgement day.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7)
“…God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” (1 john 4:16-17)

Key scriptures:

  • At His very essence God is pure love:

“God is love” (1 John 4:16)

  • He loves us so much He gave his son for us

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

  • We bring God’s love alive inside us when we acknowledge His love and what you did for us.

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:15)

  • We begin to “know God” when we love others

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

  • It is your love that enables us to love others

“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

  • His love becomes alive in us when we flow love to others, The chain of love is “perfected”; from Him to Us to Others

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

  • We are to do “Everything” in love, not just some things

“Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)

  • Our mission in this life is to recognize and receive God’s love, bring it to life in us by flowing it to others, and “become” God’s love in action in this world.

“…God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:16-17)

  • The ultimate goal is to “become” pure love – like God

               “…God is love…. as he is so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:16-17)

My prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me and never giving up on me. I thank you for helping me understand that Love is the answer. Your love is in me as I acknowledge the sacrifice you made for me. I am committed to becoming Your love in action in this world. Help me see things from your perspective, Help me hear your word and know how to apply it to my life. Help me to identify and remove the self-centered things impeding the flow of your love through me. With your continued help, I will make my life a bright shining beacon bringing glory to you and your kingdom. Please help others gain an appreciation of your love, and recognize the opportunity they have to set their own self-interest aside and maximize their flow of your love to others. By perfecting your love in them, they can have confidence in the inevitable day of judgement. I ask this in Jesus’ holy name.