IN HIS LIKENESS

As I age, I hear some people say, "I see your mom and dad in you more every day." This is a good thing for me because God blessed me with Godly parents that raised me in The Way I should go. However, that similarity in appearance, behavior, attitude, humor and faith is part history of my family, part environment I grew up in and part purposeful parenting/instruction I was given as a youth. As a Believer in Christ, after accepting Jesus' sacrifice for our redemption and restoration to Father God, I have to work at becoming more In His Likeness.

The fact that Christians can be individuals and yet seek to be consumed by God's likeness is a wonderful mystery. The world would say - "Be all you can be. Be your own person. Be the best you, you can be." Some would go as far as to picture reliance on someone for their identity as weak. This depends on who you rely upon for your identity. 

For the Christ Follower this is certainly not a sign of weakness. This is a sign of maturity and a good decision in the development of your whole being - to be more like Christ every day.

All Christians are works in progress. I know of nobody who can claim to have arrived at the Perfect Likeness of Christ. Since this is the case, one of the important ingredients in the Believer's relationship with Jesus for our transformation into His likeness is Time With Him.

Any relationship that is going to be of worth is going to find more time and effort dedicated to it. I believe we prioritize and carry out consciously and unconsciously the relationships we deem important and want to continue. The Scripture calls this - tarrying. 

There is an active tarrying and a more soaking tarrying. When we actively wait, we are consistently pursuing God about something and waiting for His response while living and serving. When we soak in God's Presence, we are spending a little to a lot more extra TIME with The Lord during our Personal, daily, one-on-one meetings with Him. I am sure we do both.

However, I know I love it when best friends and family desire to spend quality, intimate time with me! How much more do you think The Holy Spirit desires Communion with us? My pastor put it this way - "Christianity is not a Zap ministry, but a Sap ministry, where The Oil of His Holy Spirit saturates us and flows down slowly over every inch of our being." [Pritchard Paraphrase] 

This is a perfect opportunity to receive a report card from The Lord on our development. This is a great time for us to allow The Holy Spirit to pin-point additional areas of improvement. This is a wonderful occasion to have God hold up a Holy Mirror and see how we are progressing or regressing - In His Likeness.

WORTH WHILE

Ever said to someone, "You are such a joy!" or "You are such a joy to be around."? When Christmas time rolls around the song Joy To The World can be heard in many places. Although this a great song to promote joy, peace and happiness for the season, the lyrics portray a future time when this will be fulfilled with the rulership of Christ over the entire Earth. Until then all of us believers and non-believers must daily search and find joy to keep life worth while.

The writer of Hebrews stated about Jesus' life outlook - "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." (Hebrews 12:2) Notice in counting the cost of enduring the cross, the joy, His joy on the other side was figured into the worth of the sacrifice.

The Lord asks Christians to behave the same way through James saying, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2-3) Believers do not need to rejoice at the issue, just acknowledge the problem is going to develop you further into who you should be in Christ. I realize many times we don't stop and think this way, but we should begin training our minds, spirits and attitudes in this regard. 

We do have an Ace up our sleeve, our Ace is the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. Jesus has paid for all our mistakes, lived the perfect life and is ready to counsel us at any moment. He is only a heartbeat away. And His counsel is only a prayer breathed in view of a short term issue or long term concern.

Now-a-days we desperately need joy. In this world of joy thieves, I smile with the smile of a Cheshire cat grin because of who my Joy is - The Holy Spirit - and all the joy He is faithful in providing me. His joy is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10), His Joy makes me full (John 15:11-12), His Joy keeps my life - Worth While.

LIVE IN CHRIST

Identity In Christ; Living In Christ

Many things pull at us to claim our identity. Among some of these possessive things are our culture, environment, and self-perception. However, for those who are followers of Christ, our identity should have been metamorphosed into that of a Christ-like human. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” So, what are some of the identifying traits, markers or characteristics Christians should have by being in relationship with Christ?

1. In Christ – we are saved from a eternally, damned future. “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.’” – Acts 2:38

2. In Christ – we have healing to distribute as well as to receive. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’” – Acts 3:6

3. In Christ – we publicly acknowledge His control and leadership of our lives through Baptism. "Then Peter said, ’Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” – Acts 10:46-48

4. In Christ – we have authority to cast out demons and evil spirits. "She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her." – Acts 16:18

5. In Christ – we have right standing with Father God. “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,”. – Romans 3:22

6. In Christ – we were loved with the ultimate sacrifice and continually loved by His faithfulness no matter our pitfalls. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

7. In Christ – we are now reconciled. “Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” – Romans 5:11

8. In Christ – we find and walk in grace, righteousness and eternal life. “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:20-21

9. In Christ – we are not condemned. Romans 8:1

10. In Christ – we have an interceder for us. Romans 8:34.

11. In Christ – we have God’s Presence always. Romans 8:39.

12. In Christ – we are sons and daughters of God. Galatians 3:26

There are numerous more instances where the Believer’s Identity – In Christ – can be found in Scripture. However, I thought this would be a good start and foundation to remind us who and what we have, especially when the enemy visits and tries to change our identity. 

The Devil loves to play mind games (schemes is used in Ephesians 6:11) with the followers of Christ. One of the tricks he will employ is a convincing half-truth that he submits or slides across the “table” for us to blow out-of-proportion and accept as truth. He used this tactic in the beginning with Adam and Eve at The Garden saying, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1 

First Satan places doubt in his target, then he submits his lie(s) for consideration - “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” - Genesis 3:4

Remember what Christ Jesus said about the Devil? “the devil,…..He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44 So, recognizing there is no truth found in the devil, let us re-read his consideration to Eve.

1. “You will not certainly die.” Did they and humanity die when they disobeyed God concerning the one instruction given them? Yes. Their and our relationship with Father God was severed.

2. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened,” Really? Were our eyes opened? On the contrary, they were shut or clouded at best.

3. “and you will be like God” We were already made in God’s image, but here Satan was trying to thrust us to usurp God’s throne because he couldn’t. Now our image was fallen and needed restoring.

4. “knowing good and evil” Do we always know what is good and evil? No. We still need God’s Holy Spirit to help us discern one from the other.

Another image of this tactic is when Joseph's brothers returned to their father Jacob with Joseph's robe dipped in goat blood. The brothers only said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." The seed of suggestion was planted and Jacob's part played out just as they thought, Jacob replied, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." (Genesis 37:31-34) Our enemy, the devil, uses this same tactic so beware.

There is an identity crisis in our world today. People don’t know who they are. Some people feel they have to do some soul searching to find out their true self. Some have a problem with multiple personalities. Others do not even think they should be the gender they were born with, that God somehow made a mistake.

Because of the spirit of confusion that is rampaging across the globe, I felt it imperative to communicate that if Christians are not standing and being Identified with Christ, then their fellow brothers and sisters and non-believers will follow anything. 

Jesus, the Son of God, paid the ultimate sacrifice for whosoever would believe in Him to find all that they need, including their identity. However, not only did Jesus pay the price, but He was the first to conquer death, Hell and the grave. By Jesus not only supplying my payment for a restored relationship with Him, but also securing His victorious stance over all things – we too can do all things through Christ who gives us strength; we too can find and operate in the promises He made to us; we too can Live In Christ.

STAY ON HIS MOUNTAINTOP

Christ promised many wonderful things for His believers. However, Jesus also promised, 

• "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) 

The Christian's daily walk will have challenges from time to time, but it should not be a matter of major ups and downs. Our journey should not be dictated by great swings to the mountaintop one moment and then a trip to the valley of life the next. I know this is challenging to grasp when going through a situation. However, the rest of that statement from Jesus was - 

• "But take heart! I have overcome the world!" 

So, my encouragement today is to Stay On His Mountaintop. 

Here are some promises of God to remember -

1. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
2. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in you, the believer. (Romans 8:11)
3. God will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
4. You are seated together with Christ in Heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6-7)

While our hardships manifest in this physical world, there is another realm that contains the main battle. Paul says it like this - 

• "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) 

Paul instructed the believers in Ephesus of this many years ago so they could make their necessary changes to daily living. The same is true for believers in Christ today. This is a matter of perspective that results in a lifestyle of victorious authority with and through Christ On His Mountaintop.

Some keys to remaining Victorious on a Daily basis are:

1. Know and Speak the Word of God over anything and everything, especially the situation at hand.
2. Cover the issue with the blood of Christ in prayer
3. Speak your testimony of God's track record in your life out loud as The Word of Your Testimony.
4. Pray for pieces of The Armor of God.

When Christ was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, Jesus thwarted every attack with a verbal counter that began with - "It is written...". For Believers we have to have read The Bible or Word of God in order to know it and speak it over our situations. Plus, the more we are in His Word, the better prepared we will be for that "struggle that is not against flesh and blood".

The next two keys are found in Revelation 12:11 and the view is of the Tribulation Saints who will overcome the wiles of the enemy during this awful time in history known as The Tribulation. However, this can be said about all believers fighting the good fight of faith. 

• "They triumphed over him [satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." 

Praying Christ's blood over an issue and sharing one's testimony requires us to speak, so be ready to use your voice, mind, heart and spirit in Holy Confidence.

The fourth key I mentioned concerns wearing God's Armor daily. The armor is referenced in Ephesians 6 and each piece is mainly a defensive piece except for the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Rhema or Revealed, Word of God. The whole set is patterned after the Roman gear, so the shoes and shield could also be an offensive weapon. The shield could be used to push enemies away and there were spikes on the bottom of the shoes that Roman soldiers wore. The idea is to know how each piece performed in the natural and realize what they do for you in your spiritual relationship with Christ, then pray for those pieces of armor for your Daily Victories.

The fact of the matter is that challenges, troubles, problems, issues - whatever you want to label them - will test us everyday, but Christians must remain steadfast and confident. In truth, nothing should throw us out-of-whack; nothing should surprise us and get us out of sorts. Yes, a situation might be difficult BUT...

1. Our God is greater
2. We have God's promises in His Word
3. We are going to speak His Word over everything
4. We are going to claim His Blood as a cover
5. We are going to testify to His Faithfulness
6. And we are going to put on The Full Armor of God.

This is how Believers in Christ stay consistent. This is how Christians remain steady with a good dose of self-control. This is full confidence in knowing who the King of the Mountain is forever and that we don't have to waver as we - Stay On His Mountaintop.

"YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR DAD."

Growing up to this day I have been told - "You look like your Mama." I thanked them and we usually have conversations about family and move on. I have also had people say, "You look just like your Dad." I have thanked them and had similar family conversations after this statement. 

The fact that I look like my parents is a good indicator I belong to them. If you hang around me long enough you will see I have the same kind of humor, mannerisms, values, speech and so forth that identify me as belonging to them and them to me.

In a Christian's life, this mirroring should occur and be noticeable with our heavenly parent, Father God. A wonderful, observable indicator of looking and behaving like our Heavenly Dad is found in Galatians 5:22-23. 

Paul kinda pictures the Believer as a portable, variety, fruit tree. As we are walking out our faith journey with the Holy Spirit and in tune with the Word of God, the natural result is bearing all these different kinds of Godly life-applicable fruit. This Scripture says,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

The catch in identifying ourselves and others as Belonging to Father God is to be aware of the abundance or lack of each fruit. Not that someone who lacks in any area is not part of God's Family or not saved, but that person sure would be a candidate for a phrase such as - "You look/behave nothing like your Dad."

This is the challenge. This is the encouragement. Let others not say, "You don't look like your Heavenly Father." But let our lives reflect thinking, speech, behavior and relationships that would support anybody, especially our fellow Christians saying, "You Look Like Your Dad."

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE...

Have you ever felt or said - "There's nothing like......" (you fill in the rest of that thought). For me there are several things that qualify. Some of these things that "There is nothing like" are a good night's rest, chocolate chip cookies and milk, quality time with family and friends, singing, playing your favorite instrument or sport and enjoying your favorite meal. 

Scripture speaks to this and says there is nothing like - finding the right words to say at the right time. Proverbs 15:23 is the actual verse and reads - "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply-- and how good is a timely word!"

Also, The Bible deals with relationship as nothing like having. Relationship is what we were created, built and wired for, especially relationship with God. God is an abundant giver and has given us relationship with His Son, Jesus, which is enough, but even moreso others like immediate family, friends and for this husband - my wife.

Thank The Lord, I do not have a quarrelsome or adulterous wife otherwise my living conditions would be horrific. Let's observe the negative descriptions of the wife from Proverbs first.

• Proverbs 19:13-14 - a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
• Proverbs 21:9, 19 - Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. (9) Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. (19)
• Proverbs 23:27 - for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
• Proverbs 25:24 - Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
• Proverbs 27:15 - A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

That is what I do not have and do not wish upon anybody, but have witnessed some living with - so sorry for you. I am blessed beyond measure. I have received goodness, favor, a wife with noble character, a prudent spouse and a woman who respects The Lord as my wife. The Scripture that speaks to this is -

• Proverbs 18:22 - He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
• Proverbs 12:4 – Wife with noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is the decay in his bones. 
• Proverbs 31:30 - Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
• Proverbs 31:10-11 - A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

How do you say Thank You to the Lord for a gift such as Tanya Elizabeth? Beyond a shadow of a doubt she was a Godsend. There have been many blessings in my life I have not been not able to see The Lord accomplish for me. However, for the blessings that He has bestowed upon me that I have seen and thanked Him for, especially my wife, being in step with God it is easy to keep saying, "There Is Nothing Like....".

SACRIFICE

Sacrifice is not how The Plan started out, but Sacrifice was soon to come after obedience had been violated. Humans had one rule to abide by in the beginning, then the Serpent, also known as the devil, came along and deceptively convinced Adam and Eve that God did not mean what He said.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'” - Genesis 2:16-17

We had one rule to follow and could not get that right! Since then, our nature has been to set-up and follow our own rules and regulations on how to live life. I believe this is a big reason why God called a specific people out of all the nations, the Hebrews, and gave them an impossible Instruction Manuel to Life - The Law. In addition, the sacrificial system was established but not because God liked it, but because The Law had been given to follow.

Samuel says, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22). Stated another way - If you stay in obedience to me, which I prefer, you will not find yourselves sacrificing any burnt offerings or fat of rams.

However, as we know, there is only one person in all of history that can and did follow every letter of The Law - Christ Jesus. There was no way humanity was going to be able to dot every "i" and cross every "t" to the commands in The Law. And so that we would have freedom from that endless imprisonment, Christ was the Sacrifice required by The Law in order that He might bring in a new Law of The Spirit (Romans 6).

With this new Law of the Spirit, obedience and sacrifice are still vital parts to God's plan for our lives. John emphasizes this by stating what Christ did for us and in essence exemplified for our replication.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16)

Notice Christ laid down His life first for us and for His disciples on a daily basis by providing teaching, food at times, protection, direction and so forth. Then ultimately He laid His life down unto death for our redemption to Father God. In fact, John speaks up again and records Jesus speaking on this as Christ said,

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13)

However, Paul takes "laying down one's life" a step further than "one's friends" in Ephesians 5:25. Paul challenges the Godly husband to be prepared to literally give your life up for your wife.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..."

Believers in Christ have been called to obey, we have been called to serve and we have been called to Sacrifice. In the beginning if we just obeyed we might starve off the sacrifice part of life. But now, obeying God's Word and living the sacrificial servant's life He exemplified are both part of living the Christian lifestyle. If God was willing to sit down before creation and consider the cost of the sacrifice He would pay for all of humanity in all of history, then surely we can practice loving friends, loving family, loving God with Sacrifice.