Turn from Flesh

Turn from Your Flesh

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“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6, NIV).

I don’t know about you, but I want my mind ruled by the Holy Spirit. I want life and peace, not death. I don’t want my fleshly body to rule my mind or heart. I want Christ, all of Him. I know I am selfish for saying, “I want all of Christ?” Yes, and I’m proud of it. I want the most of Christ I can get my hands and heart around. Why do I say this? Because I know what life without Christ is like: It is horrible.

Before I knew Christ, all I knew was flesh and the world. The world is not with Christ and by default hates Him. The world is basically evil and dominated by Satan whose main job is to kill, steal, and destroy. Satan is a lost cause and he wants to take as many down with him to hell as he can. It’s scary to think that I was on that side of the fence just a few years ago. I’m on the winning team now. I'm on Christ’s team!

If you are not on Christ’s team, you won’t understand. You’ll read this article and others like it, and tell yourself we are all zealots for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Believe me, He’s real. He’s alive, and right now there is a battle for your soul between Jesus and Satan. But who wins is not their decision. It’s yours. You get to choose your own destiny. Sounds like a game show, right? It isn’t though, this is real and you’re playing for your eternal destination.

You say, “I have my own concept of what God is and we have a special relationship already and I’ll go to heaven because I’m not a bad person.” I hear this all the time; people playing Russian roulette with their eternity based on false assumptions about how they feel about God. Let me tell you, God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be the same for all eternity: Perfect and of full of love.

God made a way to heaven for all mankind. That plan is through Jesus Christ. God doesn’t have a separate contract for every person as to what makes them heaven bound or hell bound. The Word of God is clear: Only through accepting and believing the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ will we be heaven bound. Regardless of what you say about your “special” relationship with your god, God’s plan is what it is and it involves you accepting or denying Jesus.

“Oh, that Jesus name again,” and you say, “He is just a figure in history and He isn’t even real.” If you don’t know Him, then yes, you are right. He isn’t real for you. The world wants you to believe this. Satan (remember he wants to kill, steal, and destroy) wants to keep you as far away from Jesus as possible. He doesn’t want you to even believe that Jesus was a real Person. I was that way. I used to think He was just a figurative person, like a Santa Claus or something, that didn’t really exist, but was made up to keep me in line like Santa did to make us good little children for Christmas presents.

The way the world tries and successfully blinds people to knowing Christ is subtle. It’s not in your face anti-Jesus talk (though that does happen). It’s little nickel and dime ideas, statements, beliefs introduced into society by television, educators, etc. that eventually add up to a dollar and BAM, you are in the boat that believes Jesus isn’t real and you don’t need Him to get to heaven. I was in that boat for nearly thirty years before I saw the proverbial light and jumped from the sinking ship.

If you don’t believe in Jesus, or are not ready to investigate Jesus, then you’ve wasted your time reading this article. If you made it this far, you are either waiting for a punch line or you are a little curious about this whole Jesus “saves” thing. Hold on to Jesus saves because this is the point when the world and Satan will do their best to keep you in their boat with a one-way destination to hell.

It’s important that you feed this curiosity about God, Jesus, and the whole Holy Spirit thing. Stop right now and ask God to help you understand and to let you know if Jesus is real. Then listen to your heart. One of two things will happen when you do this: You will feel in your heart something that you’ve never felt before and will want to pursue more investigation of Jesus, or you will ignore that feeling in your heart because you are scared that you just discovered that Jesus is real.

The world will try to sway you away from Jesus. The world will convince you that Jesus isn’t fun and you’ll have to give up all the “fun” things in life. That’s true. Once you know Jesus and grow in your relationship with Him, those “fun” things you used to do won’t be desired anymore and you won’t consider them in the fun category anymore anyway. You’ll be led to lead a more wholesome existence and won’t miss the old days of “fun” you used to have. You’ll begin to live a life and walk with Jesus in love and peace.

To be honest, my unbelieving friend, being a follower of Jesus is harder than living in the world. Let’s face it -- sinning is easy. You just do what you want to do and don’t worry about the rest of it. Drink and drive, no problem. Cheat on and beat your wife, easy. Be dishonest, not your problem people are suckers, etc. Living for Christ is hard. Let me qualify this by saying it is hard at first.

I remember when I first came to Jesus I noticed things in my heart changed and I was conflicted. With that change came changes in my actions and desires and I was a little confused at first. More conflicted I guess than anything. My flesh wanted to do one thing but my heart was telling me not to do that which I now believe to be wrong but used to do regularly. What you do in response is important.

Listen to your heart. I failed a lot, but as my walk with Jesus continues I fail a lot less and know that even if I do fail and give into my flesh, I am forgiven and can renew my relationship with Christ day-by-day.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV).

If you are still reading this, now is the time to jump ship and swim over to Jesus for eternal life and peace. Ask for guidance and ask for the light of His love to pierce your heart to help you realize the truth of His way. That way is through Christ alone. You want a one-way ticket to heaven? You must go through Jesus to get that golden ticket. Begin your walk with Christ today, right now.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV).

Don’t be dominated by your flesh or the world, for both are temporary in the grand scheme of eternity. Choose life─eternal life, with Christ in heaven and not hell. Focus on Christ and you won’t be disappointed with your decision. It’s a very important decision so choose wisely. Do you want to enjoy the temporary things of the world or do you want the eternal joy of heaven?

To me it’s an easy choice, and I hope it is for you, too. Give God a chance to touch you and change you. Don’t be embarrassed. Give God a chance in secret if you must.

Find a Bible teaching church to go to and surround your self with followers of Christ. Get involved with church activities like Bible studies or outreach program and other works that the Holy Spirit inspires you to do. When you do and accept Christ, it will be hard to keep your change secret because as you grow with Christ your attitude and demeanor will change for the good, and will be noticed by those close to you. You’ll hear them say things like, “There is something different about you. What is it?” You’ll know it is Christ in your heart and hopefully you will be able to introduce them to Christ also.

God Bless

 

Greatest Commandment

Greatest Commandment

 

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV).

Do you love the Lord your God with all yourself (heart, soul, and mind)?

I do. I meditate all day long on God, even while working at my job, watching TV, doing yard work, etc. My parallel thinking is thoughts about the things of God and conversing with Christ. I guess you can say I talk with God all day in my mind, with my heart, and with soul. My heart is always thinking of the heart of Christ and what I can do to reflect that love to others.

For me, this has been a process in my growth with Christ. After the excitement and zeal I had for Jesus after I was baptized, my zeal’s punch turned into a light tapping. I didn’t have Jesus in the forefront in my mind all the time. In fact, He was put in the back seat of my life. I knew He was there and I would only talk to Him when I needed something. I was like a teenager, talking to my parents only when I needed something -- like a ride or money, or advice that I wouldn’t listen to unless it agreed with the same advice I was giving myself.

I realized one day that I wanted the zeal for the Lord back in my life. I wanted the excitement of knowing God. I wanted to get to know Jesus more intimately. In the beginning of my renewed walk, I stumbled on the passage cited in the beginning of this article (when I randomly opened the Bible and read the chapter which I had opened). This verse made things so clear to me─to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind. That meant I needed to give Christ all of me. To walk closer with Christ I needed to get myself into the Word and pray thanks and guidance, not just wants. I didn’t want to treat Christ as a convenience store anymore, only running to Him to get something I thought I needed. I wanted Jesus as my home in my heart all the time.

I mean, look, loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind is easy but at the same time it is hard. It’s easy because God is love, but it is hard because, like any relationship, such as marriage, getting to the point of loving God with all of you takes work. It’s not a 100-meter dash; it’s a long marathon to get to the point where you are close to Christ. It’s a life's journey from the moment you are saved by grace and the sacrifice of Christ. It’s your goal to live by this greatest commandment in your daily walk until you die or whisked away in the Rapture.

You can’t rebuild an engine by placing the tools around the car and walk away hoping the next time you are in the garage the engine is built, that the parts and the tools worked themselves on their own to get the engine built so it is running and finely tuned. No! It takes work, like your walk with Christ. You don’t put raw chicken on the counter in the morning and expect a roasted meal to be ready for you when you come home from work. No! It takes you to prepare the meal, put it in the oven, check on it from time to time, and take it out of the oven, prepare the fixings in order to eat it.

This is the same with our relationship to Christ. We can’t get saved and then set our salvation to the side and wait for our relationship with Christ to just grow on its own. No! Our relationship with Christ is just what I said: our own. If you are content to just be saved, then that is your choice. Are you content just to be married or have a girlfriend or boyfriend and just leave it at that? Probably: not.

I hope that you work on your marriage every day to make it stronger. Or if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, are you content with that level of relationship? I hope not. I hope you work toward marriage and then a family and a long life of happiness with each other. This is the same with our relationship with Christ. We can’t just get saved and set that salvation to the side. You should want to grow in your relationship with Christ. You should want to learn about Him and talk to Him and lay your burdens on Him. Just like your marriage, you just don’t get married and then do your own thing and never talk or try to improve your marriage with your spouse.

To love Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul takes effort on your part. Get into the Word. Talk to God all the time. Ask Him questions, complain about your day to Him, and thank him for his blessings. Also, as part of this growth, you need the one thing that we all have a problem with: listen.

When you converse with God, listen to what He has to say. Don’t make it a one-way conversation from you to Him. He will impress thoughts to you, attitudes, and will impress things on your heart that you have never felt before. Listen. Listen to his voice talking to your mind, soul, and heart. You’ll be amazed at what you will hear from Christ when you shut-up and listen. Just like a relationship with your spouse, you will learn a lot about their day, their concerns and their feelings if you just listen. When you work and rebuild that engine, you listen to it to fine-tune it so it runs smooth. You just don’t put it together and hope it works. Nope, you still have to fine-tune it, just like your relationship with Christ.

What about loving your neighbor? This sounds easy right? Love your neighbor as you love yourself. If you don’t love your self, then you can’t love your neighbor. This command goes hand-in-hand with loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. If you love God, you will love your self. As you grow in your relationship with God, you can’t help but radiate the love of God in your thoughts, actions, and interactions with others.

I recall the story of the Good Samaritan and how Jesus talks about the Samaritan being the loving neighbor to a stranger. I understand it to be that when my relationship with God is right, when I love Christ with all my heart, soul, and mind, I project that love to the people around me. How can I hate when I love the God of love.

Does this mean that I don’t get irked: by people? No, but it means I must love them on a different level. Do I agree with how my neighbors treat others or live their lives of sin? No, but by showing my love of God with my heart, soul, and mind, I believe that I positively affect those people by showing the love God gives me by giving it to them. It's not my place to judge my neighbors. It is my job to show them love. If I can’t show my neighbors, love, how can I introduce them to Christ? If I can’t show my neighbors, love, how can I say that I’m a follower of Jesus?

Do I mess this up sometimes? Yes, all the time. When I do, I ask for forgiveness from Christ for my actions and try my best to make things right with my neighbor to show them that I do have Christ in my heart and I want the best for them. Who are my neighbors? They are all my friends, acquaintances, and strangers that cross my path. Who do you consider your neighbor and how do you treat them; the ones you know and the strangers that cross your path?

You may be asking how to you attain this kind of love with God and how do you show love to your neighbor? It is simple: Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Accept Him into your heart and allow Him to work in you and you with Him. Get saved! Today, right now! Having God’s saving grace through the redemption offered by the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ is the only way to attain and truly live this great commandment to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

Do you feel like you are missing something in your life? Do you want more for your life than what you have now? By accepting Christ as your Savior, your life will change. You will be a different person. You will become a child of God and no one can take that away from you. Getting saved is easy. Accept that Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead and went heaven. The “easy” hard part is working on your relationship with him so you can live the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind.”

Be faithful in your Bible studies and pray regularly, every day, all the time talking to God in your thoughts and heart. Your reward for your efforts will be blessings in your life and eternity in heaven.

God bless you, and may the Lord be with you always in your endeavors.

 

 

Finding Strength in Health Problems

Finding Strength in Health Problems

 

 

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

What about you? Do you have confidence and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? I trust the Lord. I trust that my life’s directions, my actions, and my journey with Christ are all part of His overall plan for me. I believe God made me who I am: My body, my intellect, my attitude, my weird sense of humor, my heart for Him, and my love for people. I believe that God is using me in unique ways to relate to people─to introduce them to Christ and to remind those who are lukewarm that God is love and they need to heat up for Him.

I was in great health until I was pumped full of all sorts of vaccinations from the Army, after which my health turned downward. (My own conspiracy theory is the vaccinations caused negative reactions in my body. I’ve met many other soldiers with similar health problems after they took the same vaccinations.) Considering all my ailments and other health problems some people mock me for my faith.

They say, “Why would a loving God allow one of His children (me) to have all these problems?” Why would I believe in a God that would “punish” me with a lot of health problems that affect me every day with pain, discomfort, mental problems, and much more? I just laugh to myself, and say, “God made me to be me to use me for His purpose.” My ailments make me stronger in faith and allow me to have a unique perspective so I can relate to others who have similar problems. I can confidently say to them that, “Yes, there is a loving God and regardless of health problems, He is still real and working in my and your life.”

I shouldn't complain about my ailments because as Romans 9:20-21 says:

 ^“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”

I don’t question God about my ailments but thank Him that they allow me to be closer to Him and to interact with others who suffer; to provide encouragement and comfort, and that even though we have health problems, God is still love, loves us and He wants us with Him in eternity (heaven).

When I get discouraged from my ailments I remind myself of what is awaiting me, such as what John wrote in 14:1-3:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

God knows me and works in me because He created me. Through me He uses me to get His word of salvation to others. I’m always looking up because I know He is preparing a home for me. He is for you, too, if you believe Christ is your Savior and are born-again (John 3:1-7).

I renew my trust in the Lord every day. I trust that He brings people into my life that I can influence and introduce Christ to. I trust that He will be with me in those moments that I need Him most, when my fibromyalgia flares, when my Crohn’s disease causes me trouble, when my meds for my bipolar stop working, I trust that the Lord works through the doctors and my heart to carry me through those points of my life when I seemingly can’t bear anything alone. He carries me through those tough times and affirms to me that He is real and that He loves me; and what I can't handle, I can give to Him to help me.

Don’t get me wrong, I pray for healing all the time but accept at the same time that God may not have complete healing as part of His path for me, but that my problems can be used for His good, for the furtherance of His kingdom. When I do pray I pray not only for healing but also for relief and for strength to make it through road bumps that my health throws at me at times. I would like to attest right now that my Crohn’s has been in remission for months. I prayed for guidance from Christ to help alleviate the pain and problems associated with Crohn’s disease, and you know what?

 I received inspiration and strength to change my eating habits and how I treat my body. With my bipolar, I was lead to the right doctor that gave me a medication cocktail that has my bipolar under control for some time now. My cornea disease has stopped progressing and has actually improved a bit. My fibromyalgia is what my speed bump is right now but trust that if not for prayer, I would be much worse off than I am now. I trust and believe that Christ has played a role in my health improvements and when I do hit speed bumps in them, He is there to help me through them, to carry me through and help me grow spiritually from the experiences with my health.

 If you have health problems, don’t be discouraged. He is there for you, also. Being saved and accepting Christ may not completely heal you, for God has a purpose for everyone and everything that makes you who you are. God did not make a mistake in making you as you are, whether you are in perfect health or like me, have multiple health problems. God is perfect and His perfect plan includes me, and you. Don’t question the Potter of why He made you the way you are, for the Potter (God) did so for a purpose. That purpose is to further the kingdom of God. You need to ask for guidance to do your purpose.

 “But how can I do that,” you say? “I have so many problems and pain and I suffer! Why would God do this to me?”

 I feel sorry for myself at times and think these things when my problems seem to get worse, yet I immediately remind myself that Christ has a plan for me. You need to do the same. Christ has a plan for you. Your aliments or perfect health is a venue in which God will use you to further His kingdom. All you have to do is listen and follow while God leads you. Don’t let yourself get yourself down; let Jesus lift you up. For example, I’m part of many online support groups. When inspired by the Spirit, I will write a verse of support to a person who is expressing concern for their health problem or are complaining about why would God do this to them. I take these opportunities to sneak in a Word of God to start a conversation about how God can work in their lives to make them better or to bring some relief.

What can you do? Do you trust and have confidence in how God made you and how He can use you? Maybe you go to a support group of some sort or sit in a room full of people getting dialysis or are friends with people who suffer as you do, or similarly. What about when you interact with your nurse or doctor? What a great opportunity to talk about how God is working in your life. Talk about the blessings, not the bad from your ailments. You may spark a conversation that will lead to the saving grace of someone.

Use your problems to get closer to Christ. Trust to allow Christ to help you with your problems. They don’t even have to be health related. They can be financial, relational, work related, etc. Use the negative to turn to the positive and let Christ lead you and be in you in these moments. You always have a choice. You can sit and whine and complain and feel sorry for yourself, or you can trust and have confidence in that God made you the way you are for His purpose. You must find that purpose by praying and asking God how you can use the way He made you to further His kingdom. Remember Matthew 7.7:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Don’t use your problems, health or otherwise as an excuse not to act for Christ, but use them as an opportunity for Christ.

 In all your endeavors, don’t have fear but have confidence in the Lord. He made you and brings people and situations in your life for a reason: For you to bear fruit for His kingdom. Remember the verse I cited from Jeremiah 17.7-8:

 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

 Be strong and confident that your roots are grounded in His living water so when you are faced with an opportunity to relate to someone with health or other problems, you can give them a word from the Lord without fear or worries. Remember, you are nourished with living water in the heat and drought of worldly opposition.

 May the Lord work through your heart as He made you─to further His kingdom and bring you blessings upon you in your endeavors for: Christ.