Overflow

A successful athlete stays sharp by adhering to a strict routine of exercise, diet and training. The same is true for Christians who have a zeal for God. Satan wants to destroy this zeal and passion by feeding us lies and deception. This deception all started at the beginning of time when the serpent told Eve, “You will not certainly die, … For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:4-5, NIV).

The more Christians accept these lies and deceptions, the more spiritual complacency sets in. Prayer life begins to falter, passion for God subsides, and we wonder what happened. To get that enthusiasm back, we’ve learned to exercise our spiritual muscles by Staying Hungry for God, Going Deeper with God, and Seeking Revelation from God. Before we can Live in the Overflow, we must understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Satan cannot keep Christians from heaven, but he can make our lives miserable  while we live in the world. (John 10:10). We must not listen to what Satan says about who we are, instead we must focus only on who God says we are. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them (Acts 1:5). John the Baptist, who came before Jesus, said the Holy Spirit was for all believers to come (Luke 3:16). Of the many benefits received from the Holy Spirit, I believe there are two that give us the ability to Live  in the Overflow. The Holy Spirit testifies to the facts that we are children of God (Rom 8:14-16) and that we have power to live victorious lives (Acts 1:5-8) .

Child of God

Being a child of God means we are loved unconditionally by God and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:21-22). Therefore, we have victory over evil and can share God’s grace with those around us. Our identity is not based on what we have or what we have accomplished. No, it is based on who God is. When we truly know our identity as a son or daughter of God , we can then trust God’s Word (2 Tim 3:16) and not be driven by performance, not be influenced by the world or by deceptions and lies.

Power

C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), wrote a great exposition on the power of the Holy Spirit. (Click here to read the full text.) He discussed 4 outward and visible displays of the Holy Spirit, 3 ways the inner spiritual power of the Holy Spirit are seen (heart, soul and mind), and 3 future works of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of believers (Eph 3:16-17; Ezek 36:27; PS 51:10). The spirit filled heart will therefore bear fruit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23, NIV.)

Just as a stem grafted into a healthy plant takes on the nature (or soul) of the healthy plant, so does the mind when it is grafted into the indwelling Holy Spirit. (James 1:21.)  Christians operating under the power of the Holy Spirit act instinctively and with power (John 1:1-5).

Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor 2:4). The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not to conform to the world but to be transformed by renewing the minds, our way of thinking (1 Cor 2:15-16). During the few years of His ministry, Jesus demonstrated how to live a Godly life in an ungodly world. Paul instructs the church at Philippi that they are to follow in the lifestyle demonstrated by Jesus (Phil 2:5-11). Having the same mindset as Christ, is to know God (Eph 1:17). And this ‘knowing’ God is not just head knowledge of God, it is experiential knowledge of God.

Living in The Overflow

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb 12:1-3, NIV

Do you thirst for this overflow? Follow the advice Jesus gives –

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  John 7:37-39 NIV

Jesus is waiting at the well for you.

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These past two months have been truly remarkable for me. Remember this all started with my youngest daughter telling me to write what God has been teaching me. Go back to Silence and read forward to get the whole picture of what God has been telling me. The journey is far from over. On Sunday evening (2/12/17) New Life Church, where we’ve been attending since November, began a winter Bible Seminar called Times of Refreshing. While I do not like the fact that tonight is the last night, I can say I have been refreshed and have refocused my energies on what lays ahead of us. Pray for us as we have some decisions to make about our future. God has been faithful to us and we want to be obedient to His calling.

Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back now.

 

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Revelation

If only God would just tell me what to do! Have you ever made such a statement? You really want to follow God’s directions in your life but struggle to see clearly. You feel like you are in a fog. That happens when spiritual complacency sets in. To clear the fog, we must develop a hunger for truth (God’s Word), go deep with God, and seek God’s revelation.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son
(Heb 1:1-2, NIV)

Intimacy

Moses had an intimate relationship with God. He was God’s spokesperson to the Israelis as he lead them out of bondage in Egypt. Moses faithfully executed God’s plan as it was revealed.

Intimacy is much deeper than a casual acquaintance. Today, many Christians have a casual acquaintance with God. When head knowledge (or awareness) is transferred to heart knowledge (experience), then intimacy can take root. It is great to know that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, but it is far more significant when we experience that knowledge by trusting Him in all things.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
⁸ This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.
Prov 3:5-8, NIV

The other day, our pastor said – “Knowledge received and not acted upon is just information. Knowledge received and acted upon is faith.” Intimacy requires going beyond just reading the Bible, attending church once a week, and praying occasionally when a need arises. Intimacy includes transformational experience.

Transformation

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 we should be transformed by renewing our minds.  Furthermore, the Bible tells us we should draw near to God James 4:7-8 and He will draw near to us.

A marriage does not last because of a wedding ceremony. A marriage lasts because two people commit to be true to each other, to grow an intimate relationship and to flee from the life before marriage.

To change from the old way of life (before salvation) to the new way of life (after salvation) requires a continuous effort. The enemy (Satan) wants to keep us from having intimacy with God (John 10:10). He constantly reminds us of our past and tells us we are not worthy of God’s love. That is a lie straight from the pit. When Satan reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future. Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross and has sealed me through the Holy Spirit. Any person who is a child of the King is protected from the grip of evil.

Transformation begins with a conscious change of attitude. Every day when I rise, I must choose what I will believe and what fills my mind and what controls my actions.

I am a child of the King, filled with the  Holy Spirit. My mind is controlled by the Spirit of Truth, not the father of lies. I choose to follow Jesus, not the crowd. My joy comes from my relationship with God, not the world, not my friends, and not my co-workers. I am not perfect; I am forgiven. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20, NIV

Trust me, my friend.You can have intimacy with God. This is what He desires. Nothing the world has to offer can match the joy that will fill your heart once you develop intimacy with God.

Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back now.

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Deep

In the fall of each year, 128 NCAA Division FBS college football teams begin their journey hoping to be one of two teams competing at the National Championship game where only one team walks away with the title and trophy.

These two teams did not succeed by chance, lottery or by vote. Their teams were not selected from a bowl of names. No, their achievement was based on their commitment to go deep. Their hard work and training instilled a level of confidence and a ‘can do’ attitude.  They worked together as a team, lifting each other up and encouraging each other to push a little harder. Their strength training and emotional preparedness pushed them to this deep level.

In a previous post on Spiritual Complacency, I outlined 4 steps to get our spiritual muscles in shape:

• Staying Hungry for God
• Going Deeper with God
• Getting Revelation from God
• Living in the Overflow

Going Deeper with God

Knowing who we are in the spirit is important to our spiritual depth. God wants to give us revelation for the destiny and calling He has for our lives. The blueprint for this path can only be accessed in the spirit and understanding our identity in Christ.

Remember I told you that my youngest daughter suggested I write about what God was teaching me. She sent me a new book written by one of my favorite Christian authors, Ted Dekker. The book, titled The Forgotten Way, is a 21 day journal that leads to the discovery of who you truly are.

And interestingly, our church has begun a series entitled Focus Forward. If I am in Christ I am a son/daughter of God. My Heavenly Father approves and validates who I am and He loves me!

So what are some things we can do to go deeper with God?

1. Recognize our spiritual identity. 2 Cor 5:17
   Knowing who we are in the spirit is essential to our spiritual life. God wants to show us the destiny and calling He has for our lives. This calling can only be understood by firmly know who we are in Christ. For an understanding of who you are in Christ, click Who Am I? to download 90+ Bible verses that will help you clarify who you are in Christ.
2. Arm ourselves with God’s word. Eph 6:10-18
   
Our life should be governed by the word of God. The Bible is a spiritual sword that cuts away the false ideas and harmful things the world tries to attach to our life. How can you expect to know what God’s word says if you do not study it (or at least read it).
3. Deny ourselves for His Kingdom. Mark 8:34-38
   Jesus says we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, if we are to be His follower (or Christian). We cannot continue in our old way of life before Christ after we become a Christian. While salvation is a free gift from God through Jesus, our lives should be different as we reflect this new relationship. One cannot be married and continue living as a single person at the same time.
4. Maintain our inner joy and peace. Gal 5:22-24
   The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (tolerance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. These are the characteristics that our lives should reflect daily. Initially, it may require an effort on our part to exercise these characteristics. The deeper we walk with God, the less effort it will take.
5. Grow in wisdom. James 1:2-7
   We all make mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes so we can develop wisdom. We should pray for peaceable and pure wisdom that only comes from God.
6. Feed our spirit daily. Heb 5:11-14
   The deeper our walk becomes with God, the more Satan will attempt to trip you up. Spiritual battles may become a daily routine. If we do not tend to our spiritual needs, we will become spiritual weak, just as our physical bodies will become weak if we neglect proper nourishment. Feed your spirit daily through prayer, fasting and reading God’s word. Make this a priority!

WOW! That’s deep. Yes it is. We would never attempt to run a marathon without proper training. These steps will prep you for a life changing marathon.

I used to see myself as a physical being with a spiritual side. Today, I see myself as a spiritual being with a physical side. My physical side will decay over time.  My spiritual being will live on forever for I know I am a child of God. Gal 3:26; 4:6. And that is pretty cool.

Next up will be Getting Revelation from God and finally Living in the Overflow.

Hope you are enjoying the journey as much as I am.

Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back.

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Hunger

When was the last time you were hungry? Perhaps last year about this time, you started a new diet. About a week into the diet, you felt hungry. Hopefully you satisfied that hunger and still reached the diet goal.

How about famished? Have you ever been famished? That is an interesting word – it means extreme hunger. Try skipping a meal. You may feel ‘hungry’ but I doubt ‘famished’ describes your physical state.

After Jesus met up with John the Baptist on the Jordan River (Mat 3:13-17), He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be alone with God. There, away from the crowds, Jesus spent 40 days fasting – listening and talking to God. At the end of the 40 days Satan challenged Jesus by suggesting He turn stones into bread so Jesus could satisfy His famished body. Jesus responded, no thank you, man does not live by bread alone, He lives by feasting on the Word of God. (Mat 4:1-11).

The Bread of Life

Later, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35, NIV).

Nutritionists say, “You are what you eat.” Which basically means to be fit and healthy, you must eat ‘good’ food. A poor diet will result in poor nutrition. Feast on Big Macs and you will become big like Mac. The same can be said about our spiritual nature, we are what we eat. If we neglect our spiritual needs, we become spiritually famished. Jesus tells us how to avoid this when He said,

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Mat 5:6, NIV

Before we can develop an appetite for righteousness, we must know what righteousness means. To me, it means right living. Striving to keep my focus on God daily so He may be glorified in all that I do, think and say. That is a pretty lofty goal. Here lately, I have found my self far from that ideal. I’ve been moody, angry, sometimes just not pleasant to be around.  Oh, I would always put on the ‘good self’ when in public. But in private, there are few disguises. I’ve realized I am far from who I want to be and it is time to do something about it.

How can that be? How did I lose the appetite for God’s Word? My spiritual diet changed. Rather than feast on the joy of God’s word, I began to feast on worldly things that have ravished my spiritual nature. Essentially, the Holy Spirit has convicted me that my life is not what it needs to be. I needed to make a change to my diet.

Just Do It!

For a diet to be successful, you have to want it to be successful. Are you ready for a spiritual diet in 2017?

1. Start each day with this promise –  Take delight in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
   
2. Open God’s word and ask Him to Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law (Psalm 119:8 (NIV)).
   
3. With pen in hand, open notebook and record what God is telling you.
4. Tell others what you are doing so they too may be encouraged to follow in your steps. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. (Prov 11:25, The Message)

I ask that you pray for me – that I will be successful in this journey of renewal that began when my daughter told me to write about what God is telling me. I will also be praying for you as you listen for God’s whisper.

Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back now.

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The Gift

George Bailey is a man who is dissatisfied with his life and contemplates suicide by jumping off a bridge on Christmas Eve in 1943. If you ever seen “It’s A Wonderful Life”, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, you know the story line of this Christmas classic. George encounters a guardian angel, Clarence, who grants George’s wish that he had never been born. George returns to Bedford Falls where no one recognizes him. After seeing how different his home town would be without George’s influence, he returns to the bridge where Clearance explains to George that he wanted more when he had already been given the greatest gift of all: the gift of life.

Christmas is that magical time of the year filled with colorful lights, last-minute shopping, fantastic food and fun family gatherings. Routine work comes to a grinding halt for many. Children are excited that Santa Claus will visit their homes on Christmas eve and leave gifts for them. Adults also gather with their family and friends to exchange gifts.

In my previous blog, The Visitor, I explained how God gave us His Son, Jesus, as a demonstration of His love for mankind. The Bible is clear on why Jesus came.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And Jesus came to give believers an abundant life. (John 10:10).

Lost and Found

Early in our RVing travels, Carol and I were returning from Jacksonville, North Carolina to our RV in Maysville, a short trip of less than 16 miles. We were in an unfamiliar part of Jacksonville so I trusted our GPS to lead us to “Home”. After driving for about 20 miles, I came to the town of Richlands, NC and realized that I was lost. I reprogrammed the GPS for our correct ‘Home’ address. We drove about 50 miles instead of the normal 16 miles.

So what happened? I placed my trust and faith in a device that led us astray. This is exactly what happened to me in my early life before I met Jesus in 1972. As a young adult, I had placed my trust and faith in the world and was led astray. I knew of Jesus, but I did not know Him personally.

I consider myself a ‘good person’… won’t that be enough?

• Romans 3:23 NIV  – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Romans 3:10 NIV  – As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not one;
• Romans 5:12 NIV  – Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

Is sin really THAT big of a deal? If it is… what HOPE is there?

• Romans 6:23 NIV  – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

After what I’ve done to grieve God… HOW could He willingly die in my place?

• Romans 5:8 NIV  – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

HOW can I be saved?

• Romans 10:9-10 NIV  – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Did God HEAR me? Did He accept me?

• Romans 10:13 NIV  – For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

What do I do now?

• Romans 10:17 NIV  – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Do you know Jesus personally, as a real person? Or do you know of Him? You might wonder how it is possible to know Jesus personally if He is not physically next to you where you can reach out and touch Him. I wondered that as well. Once I accepted Jesus after confessing my sinful life, He delivered a gift to me that is still the most cherished gift I could have ever received. Jesus gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit to reside with me and in me.

“If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth [or Holy Spirit]. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 14:15-17, NIV

Are you ready to meet Jesus? Follow the instructions of Romans 10:9-10:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

To know Jesus is to know God. The Bible is filled with  promises for all believers in Christ. Here are just a few of my favorites.

1. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19, NIV
2. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12:9, NIV
3. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Cor 10:13, NIV
4. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57, NIV
5. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28, NIV
   
6. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Act 2:38, NIV
7. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27-28, NIV

And if that is not enough, Jesus calls us His friend:

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:13-15, NIV

It is my hope and prayer that you know Jesus. Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back now.

 

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