Tag: faith

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All Things New

“Make it work from here.”

 Let’s face it. The only perfect human to walk this earth is Jesus. The rest of us have issues! When we accept Jesus into our heart things change. On a spiritual level we are totally recreated into His image.

17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

II Corinthians 5:17-19

However, we are three part beings. It is usually those other two parts that give us trouble. But God knew this would happen. So, He provided a way of escape from those things. He gave His Word. He tells us that as we spend time in His presence and His Word we will begin to renew our mind and the way we think will change too. And that really is the key to the third part of us, our body, beginning to change. Our bodies don’t take off and do things on their own. Our mind is what send the commands and that is why God gives us a path to change our thinking.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NLT)

While our spiritual transformation is instant, our other parts (our soul and body) usually require work. And just like in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, when we disobey God our righteousness doesn’t change, but our fellowship does. We are still created in the image of God. He still loves us! But now there is something that causes us to hesitate to spend time in God’s presence or in His Word. But God gave us a very easy answer to that.

 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

Victory Action 

Everyday, I will remember and be thankful for what God has done for me! I won’t rehearse my past. I will refuse to get stuck there! In every situation I will go to God for His wisdom and direction.

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The Image of God

“You were created in the image and likeness of God regardless of what you see in the mirror.”

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: Genesis 1:26

 For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalms 139: 14b

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 ESV

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we look at ourselves we often do it through the filter of what we know about ourselves. We know the good things that we have done. We also know the bad things that we have done. But we should find our image in the Word of God and who we are Christ. Because that is what God sees when He looks at us. He looks at through the filter of love and forgiveness.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! Ephesians 2:4-5

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Victory Action

I will make time to study the scriptures above to renew my mind to who I am in Christ. As I do I will be able to strongly confess that I am the righteousness of God in Christ! I will allow the Word to create a new image in me!

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God Loves You!

“Even thought you’ve missed it, God still loves you.”

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7

We don’t walk perfectly, but God’s love isn’t based on our actions. He loved us before we existed, sending Jesus to die for our sins even knowing what people would do. God acted in faith that we’d join His family, focusing on our hearts. Our restoration is guaranteed by Jesus’ sacrifice. No matter what your past includes, the Blood of Jesus has covered it so that even God doesn’t see that anymore. He looks at you and just sees Jesus.

Victory Action

Today, by faith, I will walk free from my past. I will set my heart to seek God and become more like Him through spending time in His presence and His Word. I will look forward with hope and live in peace with God because of the blood.

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Forgiveness

“When God forgives, He forgets.”

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 8:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:12

  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25

You cannot sin so much as God can forgive. If it comes to a pitched battle between sin and grace, you shall not be so bad as God shall be good. I will prove it to you. You can only sin as a man, but God can forgive as a God. You sin as a finite creature, but the Lord forgives as the infinite Creator. – Charles Spurgeon – 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. – Ephesians 1:7

  Victory Decision 

I acknowledge what God’s Word says about me is true! I declare that ALL my sins are forgiven and I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I will not dwell on my past. I will meditate on the blood of Jesus and receive everything He died for me to have.

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Trust God

“Where God guides, God provides.”

There are many examples in the Bible where God gave instructions to his children. We find that when they obeyed His instructions they found the provision they needed to accomplish God’s plan. But often they had to take steps of faith to see the provision.

Genesis 22:1-13 tells us the story of Abraham and Isaac. This story is a type and shadow of what God would ultimately do through the sacrifice of Jesus. God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Wow! That is pretty brutal on the surface. Can you imagine what would happen when Abraham returned to Sarah and told her what he had done if he had sacrificed Isaac? That would not have been pretty. Abraham had to consider all the outcomes when he was on that long trip to Moriah. But he was determined to obey God. Isaac was the son of promise. He was the son from which all the nations would come from. I am sure none of it made sense to Abraham.

God had a plan and was only revealing part of it to Abraham. This meant that Abraham had to trust and obey in faith. So Abraham did as instructed. He went as far as to raise his knife to kill Isaac before God stopped him.

And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. – Genesis 22:11-13

Like Abraham, we must choose to trust God and take Him at His word if we want to see His miraculous provision. It takes faith!

Victory Decision

When I know God is guiding me, I can completely trust His provision.

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Flint Like Faith

Flint is very durable and resists weathering better than almost any other natural stone. From early days flint was used to make weapons and tools because of its resistance to wear. When we set our faith like flint we will not fail!

Isaiah 50:7

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.