Oh God,

who has called us,

Your servants,

to ventures of which

we cannot see the ending,

by paths as yet untrodden,

give us faith to go out

with good courage,

not knowing where

we go but only that

your hand is leading us

and your love is supporting us.

 

Jesus overcame the world!

What does that mean?  This means that since Jesus overcame the world, we can to.  We can overcome the world but with a little help from Jesus and a lot of help from the Holy Spirit.  “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart I have overcome the world”(John 16:33).  In a moment of despair and confusion amongst the disciples, trying to make sense of what has happened the past few days, Jesus comes to them while they are in the upper room.  “And with that, He breathed on them the Holy Spirit and said ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven, if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’,” John20:22-23

The Holy Spirit resides in Christians with joy and peace.  This begs the question ‘why do God’s children still sin?’ Because we have been born into sin.  As with a whole brain emulation, sometimes called mind uploading or  mind transfer or mind copying onto a medium such as a video disc, what if when a person accepts Jesus Christ into their heart and the Holy Spirit was uploaded into the brain(mind) then there would a total change in personality and thinking.  The Holy Spirit would do its thing while Jesus Christ is setting up shop in the heart.  One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its sin.  If the Holy Spirit were here on earth, in person, then He would not be dwelling within us and we would not have access to Him 24 7.

In the secular world view there is no mandate or suggestion that one should follow a moral code.  The view is all about “I” and improving the self. It is all about  stepping on everybody else while your trying to be the best that you can be.  It seems to me that within that philosophy there seems to be no room for God or a moral code but there is plenty of room for I.  The prevailing thought seems to be that it is not a sin for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.  Do not pray for committing the sin of not believing in God but for the life of those who commit the sin.  The world says that righteousness is not needed but that we can get to heaven on our own.  Here is an absolute – we are not all children of God but we are all born in to sin.

The only sin that God does not forgive is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ death brought sorrow but Jesus’ rising brought rejoicing.  For it is in these two events that a Christian is able to take a stand and proudly proclaim the name of Jesus Christ.  He overcame the world.  He conquered Satan and defeated death.  He freed us from the shackles of sin.

The Holy Spirit gives joy beyond our physical and emotional state.  He brings meaning to our situations even if we do not see or understand it.  A Christian always has the hope and joy of seeing Jesus again.  True sorrow never makes it to the pages of history.  Believers do not live a life of inspiration but a life of hope and joy and of certainty.  God promises us that we will have  problems but that we only need to call on Him, on his name.

Sin and this world are on a time table for nothing is random.  Yet the Holy Spirit fills us with a  peace that overcomes the world.  So, the only way that we keep from being beat down by the world is to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Calling on Jesus is more than a default button but a way of life.

 

 

 

 

Context is key

Q:  How does the Holy Spirit help God’s children

A:  He convicts them of their sin and helps them overcome.  Also, it is always good for us to memorize verses but we need to know and understand the context from which they come.  Context is everything.  The meaning of the verse is precise and true.  True confession must profess Christ.  In so being, we open ourselves up and make ourselves vulnerable to God and the movement of the Holy Spirit.  To trust in Jesus is to abide in Him.   This abiding in Him reflects Christ’s character.  No one just drifts to Christ’s likeness.   In fact, bearing fruit begins with progressively becoming like Jesus.

So how do I become more Christ like?  Start with making a prayer request.  Then focus on God and His word and what He is saying to you through it.  This world hates us because we love Jesus.  He prepares us for what to expect from the world and Satan who is the prince of this world.  We are his pawns and he uses us to do his work.   Abiding in God prepares us to bear witness for God.  Abiding in Christ ready’s us for Satan’s attacks and it does this with the Gospel and His Word.

Emotions make good companions and great bed fellows but they make terrible leaders.  A by-product of terrible leaders is shame.

Shame.  There is good and bad.  We have some hope though because Jesus took sin and shame to the cross!  Jesus death on the cross puts to shame the actions of those who plotted to murder Him.  Jesus was in control.  He was publically humiliated hanging on the cross.

Jesus became lowly so I could become royalty in the face of God.  Jesus did this so that we would be holy and inherit the kingdom of Heaven; so that we could be judged righteous by God.  So shame is the door that keeps us from encouraging and forgiving others.

Now, the question becomes – why do we hold on to shame or memory? Pride!  Jesus bore my sin and shame on the cross so that I could be stainless and free from the bondage of sin and shame.  The promises of God are based upon his word and not our feelings.  I hold the key that unlocks the door to my shame and that key is a decision.  A decision that refers to His triumph over sin and death.  In other words, Jesus died so that I may live.  He was a Vicarious(living thru others) Substitutionary(takes the place of) Atonement (the renewal or cleansing of).

Here is something to come to a decision on:  Am I going to live in the shame of my past or the reality of my position in Christ so that I can proclaim His kingdom?

 

Jesus is in control.  He is in control no matter the situation!  When people are involved in a situation emotions are always present.  Happy, sad, anger, laughter, etc…  Jesus knows everything, even the North Star of all the stars in the sky.  This stirs a question.  Who is your North Star?  Who is in control?  If it is not Jesus then the decisions made are not inspired by Him.  Choices lead to outcomes and all choices have some type of effect.   Effects that have lasting outcomes.  There are two decisions whose eternal consequences are crucial and determine where one will live when they die.  The one is to deny Jesus Christ and His existence and this leads to eternal damnation.  God’s cup of wrath will be poured out on those who refuse to accept.  It is punishment that will be poured out on those who have turned on God and Jesus.

Nothing stops Jesus from doing His Fathers will or from loving His people.  Jesus was in control of the circumstances surrounding His crucifixion to accomplish His mission.  Satan was present at that historic event as well.  The devil is at work regardless of Jesus’ presence.   Look at Peter for he denied Christ 3 times.  The Lord redeemed Peter like He can redeem each one of us

The other is to acknowledge Him as the one and only Son of God and to allow Jesus to take control of your life.  This leads to eternal happiness with Jesus Christ in Heaven.  “For I gave them the words that you gave me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty I came from you, and they believed you sent me”. (John 17:8)

“I Am” are words of power and might.  They depict majesty and identity.  The words “Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb”.  These are also word of power because they describe what everyone will do when they go through heaven’s gates.  Yet there are those when faced with a dilemma the thought process is obey what I think is right to obey.  That process should be ‘I will obey who I know is right and do what I know is right.’  1Peter 3:14-15 tells us that we are called to take a stand and be prepared.  Be prepared to take a stand for Jesus.  “Credit belongs to the man who stands in the arena with the sweat of his brow present on his forehead and shirt.”

For it is in the end each person chooses to believe who Jesus is!  “We all have a plan before we get punched in the face.”(Mike Tyson)

     Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus talked to the Father - His Father
How does one talk to the Father?  Two ways, by our prayers and by the Holy Spirit
When we pray to Jesus our prayers are heard by the Holy Spirit. He acts as the go
between for us and Jesus.  What He does is refines our prayer meaning anything
we cannot put into words He does that for us.  He does not change the meaning of our
prayer or put words in our mouth.  He puts words to our 'groaning'so that our prayers
say what we want them to say and not what He wants them to say.  So I ask the ques-
tion, who is your advocate?  What did Jesus pray for?  He prayed for His glorification
and the disciples.  Before He went back to Heaven, Jesus conquered this world through 
the greatest act of sacrificial love that is known to mankind and will never be done
by anyone else.  He did this by death on the cross, by shedding His blood on that cross
for our sins, by rising from the dead.  He was the sacrificial lamb and scapegoat
as in the Old Testament.  Jesus' mission was to be Savior of the world.
     So in the life of a believing Christian, glorifying God is our highest calling.
Being called a leader does not make you a leader.  The calling is that our glory, would
glorify God.  The glory and the majesty of God is far greater then any personal success
or tragedy.  His glory was reflected by the disciples."Holy Father, protect 
them that they may be kept safe"(John 15:11).  

The joy that Christians feel is a joy that comes from Jesus and His joy is
lasting and eternal.  "Knowledge of Christ requires an answer and an action.  
God will be with us in our challenges and struggles."(John Knox)  Obedience 
results in Jesus' love for His own and it brings confidence and joyful living.
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience".(3:12) 
Jesus died to give me this life, so what is keeping me from living it and
keeping me from heaven.

Jesus was the revelation of God's glory and He always answers prayer.  GOD IS
ON THE MOVE. God desires that we experience the fullness of His love and presence.  
Prayer is not optional for a Christian - it is what defines the life style of a
Christian - we engage Him in prayer and a dynamic forms.  We interact God and
God interacts with us.  There is only One who will never leave us or forsake us.
Sarah Young said the same thing but put it this way:  "In closeness to Me, you
are safe.  In the intimacy of My Presence, you are energized.  Not matter where
you are in the world, you know you belong when you sense My nearness.  Ever since
the Fall, man has experienced a gaping emptiness that only My Presence can fill.  I
designed you for close communication with your Creator.  How I enjoyed walking
in the garden with Adam and Eve before Satan deceived them!

When you commune with Me in the garden of your heart, both you and I are blessed.
This is My way of living in the world-through you!  Together we will push back
the darkness, for I am the Light of the world."(Ps32:7  Gen3:8-9  John8:12)

Moses said it best in Deut4:7  "What other nation is so great as to have their god
so near to them the way the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to Him."