Experiencing Christ

I've been missing in action, because I've been busy.  Today I was forced to stay home.  There is a storm coming our way, causing a panic in our city.  So here I am.  I finally have time to share.  Here it goes:

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 

As a Christian, you still inhabit your old body with its habits, temptations, cultural influences, and a relational network that can very easily challenge your life in Christ.  Your old body can thwart God’s work in you causing you to not experience the fruit of the Spirit, to miss God’s abundance, to prevent you from experiencing a daily relationship with Him, and to neglect His purpose for you.  You can experience a greater portion of these by allowing God’s righteousness and holiness to reign in you.  Putting off the old self is making the choice for God’s best.  You choose Christ when you passionately seek to know Him through every avenue at your disposal.  Your hunger and thirst for His righteousness consumes your life in this world. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight.”  Pray for God to give you a revulsion for your old life and a heart of praise for His grace and love.  Gaining a deeper intimacy with Christ will free the Holy Spirit to not only make sin repulsive, but also allow you to experience a greater measure of God’s grace and love.  It is out of your intimacy with Christ that you will be empowered to put off the old selfish self and to put on your new self in Christ – “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 

Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Stepping out of your “Comfort Zone”

Have you ever been so warm in your bed in the morning that you never want to get out? Talk about a “comfort zone.” Now, say you had to get out for something good…like a great smelling breakfast wafting through the doors. That would be some incentive. But say what awaited you wasn’t so pleasant: something mundane like laundry or cleaning. But what’s worse, say what awaited you was something tortuous: like running into a fire or jumping into an ice-cold pool. Wouldn’t be so alluring to get out of your warm, comfortable bed, would it?

Now you have a small glimpse of what Jesus did for you. The Bible says that He was seated in heaven with God, His Father, with every heavenly luxury. He enjoyed a perfect and intimate relationship with God; all the angels bowed at His command; and He lived in Paradise. But Jesus chose to come down to Earth: dirty, sinful, painful Earth, filled with messed-up humans and limitations. He chose to leave glorious Heaven and come to messed-up Earth because He so deeply loved everyone who had gone astray. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish.” Jesus sacrificed His own comfort so that we could have our sins paid for.

What is on the other side of your comfort zone? Is it the person at the store who needs some encouragement? Is it the lonely girl in your class who no one wants to talk to? Maybe it’s the needy people around the world who could benefit from the sacrifice of your finances. It could be anything or anyone; but one thing is sure: there is someone who could benefit from you stepping out of your comfort zone. My life was radically changed because someone stepped up and told me about Jesus. They risked me putting down their invitation. Others sacrificed their time to minister in the retreat where my life where I experienced God for the first time. Because they sacrificed their comfort, my life has been forever changed.


Who could you help by stepping outside of your comfort zone? It’s not easy to spend our time, energy, or words when it feels uncomfortable or inconvenient. But someone’s entire life could be bettered by it. Stand Up and be like Jesus. Praise God!!



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God can give you His peace!

Have you ever seen the peaceful, rolling stream of a river? Studies show that being out in nature actually has a positive impact on your physical and emotional health. The kind of peace like that river is what God has promised to those who trust in Him. He says, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.” (Isaiah 66:12).

Peace is one of the greatest things in life. And you can’t buy it. People try to take drugs to get it, relationships to mimic it, and transcendent religions to acquire it, but the only thing that brings true peace is trust in God. Have you ever seen someone going through the worst time in life but totally at peace?

Jesus was like that—and you can be too. There was a time when He and His followers were in a boat when a huge storm hit. They were all freaking out—even though they had seen Him do a great miracle beforehand—but Jesus was just sleeping like a baby. He wasn’t worried at all. When his disciples woke Him up, He said to them, “’You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:26).

Where is your faith? Is it in the economy? Your spouse? Your talents or looks? If so, it is going to shake when those things shake. But if your faith is in God and Jesus who loves you forever, you can have the kind of peace that rolls along like a river. Ask God to quiet your heart today from all its frantic worries and ask for His peace to fill your heart. You can face whatever is in your life with great peace through complete trust in God.

Let's pray and ask God to help us experience true peace in our hearts. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.


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