Don't forget what you look like!

Why do we believers sometimes do the things we don't want to do?  Why do our children disobey us when they know better, even though we have taught them and trained them to do right?  When they get around other children and act like fools, we as parents sometimes ask: Why?  And then, why do we sometimes start to think we are bad parents because our children are disobedient?  The list could go on and on. 

When I was praying about this the other day, I realized that one of the roots goes back to forgetting who we are in Christ.

James 1:22-25
²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

2 Cor. 3:18
¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
a. Or reflect

When we behold Christ in prayer - we are actually reflecting the Lord's glory, and being transformed into his image.  That means the glory of the Lord is in us and reflects from us!

When we start to get our identity from what anyone else says about us, or from what the enemy says about us - we have forgotten who we are in Christ.  When we allow others to tell us who we are instead of God, we have forgotten what we look like and have just raised them above what God says about us.  When we make what someone else, our self, or the enemy says about us more important than what God says about us, it is a form of idolatry!  Only God has the legitimate right to tell you who you are!

Here is what you look like in Christ.
1. God's dearly-loved child
2. Perfect, Righteous, Holy, Pure, spotless
3. A child of light, not a child of darkness
4. The light of the world
5. Inheritors of all God's great and precious promises
6. A new creation
7. Full of power and love from the Spirit of God
8. Overcoming, overwhelmingly-conquering saints
9. Blessed with abundance beyond compare.  Filled with life to the full and overflowing.

I believe the root of sin is forgetting who we are in Christ.  When we forget who we are in him, we begin to separate from him and function from the flesh.  When we know deep within who we are, we will not act independently of him. 

Along with Adam and Eve, Jesus faced the same temptations we do from the enemy and from others. For Adam and Eve, the temptations from the Devil were not only to get them to doubt God's nature and character, but to get them to believe Lies about themselves.  In Jesus' Temptation, notice the words Satan used in Matthew 4:3 & 6. "If you are the Son of God" The Devil wanted Jesus to take a shortcut and function independently of his nature and identity.  He wanted Jesus to function independently from God as his Father, and his identity as the Son of God to make things happen prematurely and illegally.

When other people wanted to make Jesus their King prematurely, he would have no part of that either.  The opinions of the masses did not sway him from who he was and what he was called to accomplish.

When we are secure in our identity, traps like shortcuts, sin, pride, and what others think about us will have no root.

God is everything you need

I was meditating on and praying about who God is to me a couple days ago.  Personalizing and meditating upon who God is to us is one of the most important things we can do.  What we think about God is the most important thing in life.  What he is for us and who he wants to be for us personally.  God loves us, he enjoys us, he is deeply personal, as well as being mighty on our behalf.  If we have a distant, impersonal view of God, our picture of God needs to be re-drawn.  How you see God determines how you view yourself and how you view others.  The more you have a wrong view of God, the more religious and legalistic you will become.  The Pharisees are people who lost sight of what God is really like, so they couldn't receive Jesus when he came, even though he did great signs and wonders.

We must answer the same question that Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am".  Our having the right picture of him is critical.  In fact, so critical, that it was upon this revelation that Jesus said he would build his church.  The picture of God that we have is our bedrock, he builds the church on the image of himself that we have in our heart.  With the right image of God, hell cannot prevail against us.

Here is a list of things that God is to me that I received while meditating on this the other day.

God, You are my peace, my righteousness, my provider, my love, my strength, my life, my shelter, my strength, my best friend, my savior, my maker, my redeemer, my healer, my light, my truth, my shepherd, my bread, my water, my sustainer, my king, my comforter, my guide, my greatest encourager, my example, my teacher, my father, my standard, my holiness, my breath of life, my center, my hero, my champion, my caregiver, my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my strong tower, my defender, my fear-vanquisher, my storm calmer, my liberator, the patient gardener of my soul, my foundation, my master-builder, my priest, my perfect sacrifice, my older brother, my fire, my desire, my exceedingly great reward, my rewarder, my master, my grace for every situation, my everything, my gate to life and the Kingdom, my heaven, my hope, my reason for living, my welcoming arms of love, lifter of my head, my judge, discerner and revealer of the secrets of my heart, my Head, author and finisher of my faith, my completer, my wholeness, binder of my brokenness, object of my worship, my forgiver, you hide me from my enemies, you are the lover of my enemies, my seed sower, my gift giver, and my miracle worker.

God loves you so much and desires to reveal himself to you in all these ways. He wants to be everything you need, for every situation.  I am finding that if I allow God to be these things to me at different times, my picture of him enlarges and I become more aware of his love and his presence.

Overcomer or Overcome?

 A couple weeks ago, I was pondering the significance of being an overcomer in the Bible.  I was amazed to see how many times the phrase "to he who overcomes" and the word "overcome" are used. I realized that being an overcomer is not so much something we do, but it is who we are.  As Christians, it is our true spiritual identity.  The only way to truly overcome is to live out of that identity.  We are overcomers by faith, it is our inheritance as children of God.
1 John 4:4 teaches that every believer is an overcomer. This victory is something that every child of God partakes in. It is not based upon what the believer has earned or achieved, but it is based on WHO indwells the believer!
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

The issue of our identity:
Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Interesting that Jacob was given a new name because he had overcome.  Receiving a new name is a symbolic and prophetic way of communicating our true spiritual identity as a child of God.  There is great power in learning who we really are, what our true names are.

Revelation 3:12
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

We need to see ourselves as overcomers, not as those who are overcome.
2 Peter 2:20
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

We have the spiritual DNA of Jesus Christ, THE overcomer.  Since he has overcome the world, so have we.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Why is it significant for Jesus to say that we can have peace and be of good cheer because he has overcome the world?  Because it was his plan that we would live "in him", "abiding in him".  As long as we abide in THE overcomer, Jesus Christ, we are also overcomers by default.

Every generation and every culture has it's issues and struggles to overcome.  In the seven churches of Revelation, Jesus points out issues he sees with each church, but then he concludes with a promise to those who overcome.

1. Revelation 2:7
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
2. Revelation 2:11
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
3. Revelation 2:17
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’
4. Revelation 2:26
   And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
5. Revelation 3:5
   He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6. Revelation 3:12
   He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
7. Revelation 3:21
   To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

If you are a true Christian, you are an overcomer!  You are more than a conqueror!  You CAN do all things through Christ, who strengthens you!  You HAVE overcome the world! You have overcome Satan!  You are seated(past tense) at the right hand of the Father because you are IN Christ, THE OVERCOMER! 
Ephesians 2:6
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

You are not defeated! You are victorious, triumphant!
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

I like the way Ed Tandy Mcglasson says it in "The Difference a Father makes".
Ed Tandy McGlasson Ministries
He says you are either a "Survivor" or a "Thriver".  A survivor does his best to just get through the day, but a Thriver is one who squeezes everything possible out of Life, making the most of every opportunity.  That is how Jesus lived, and that is how he desires each of us to live.
 
Jesus lived under the smile, blessing, and approval of his Father, he was not living out of a desire to gain his Father's approval or the approval of others.  If we can also live out of this kind of identity as ones who are beloved by the Father, we will also understand our identity as an overcomer, a "Thriver".

However, the enemy has labeled many of us and imparted to us  a false identity.  Many of us were cursed by parents who didn't know their identity either, survivors.  When we really understand who God has created us to be, receive the Father's blessing and purpose into our lives, we will not want to settle for just surviving any more.  We will begin to live as Paul described in Philippians 3:12-14.
¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When we communicate with our children, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to berate them and beat them up for their failures and mistakes. But it does a tremendous amount of good to remind them of their true identity.  When they are complaining, remind them of the fact that they are overcomers.  When they make a mistake, we can say something like, "That's OK, you'll get it next time - because you are an overcomer, you are a Champion, you can do all things through Christ, you have what it takes to succeed!"  If we keep speaking like this in faith to ourselves, and to our children, we will eventually get it.  Something will change deep inside of who we are, and we will truly see as God sees. Instead of seeing ourselves and others as failures or survivors, we will see overcomers, champions, thrivers, victorious, able to do all things.  We will see ourselves and others through the eyes of Faith, we were born to overcome!

Image from http://www.living-water-productions.com/

Disclaimer: I haven't read anything off the web-site, I just searched for and liked this painting.

Growing in Faith

You may have heard it said, "You just have to keep your eyes on Jesus", or "Just behold him with the eyes of your heart".  When we become self-focused and lacking in Faith, this can be quite difficult to do.  It would probably be easier to just go lift up the corner of our house or lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps. It is actually quite impossible to keep our eyes on Jesus simply by trying harder.

How do we learn to live by Faith, and not by sight?  How do we learn to see with the eyes of our heart, not just our natural eyes?  How do we increase our Faith so we are not living by feelings?  How does Faith grow?  Why do we wrestle with our Flesh, and sometimes never seem to have victory?

Let's look at Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor 10:5

^{Ro 12:2} Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Cor 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The Battle begins in our Minds.  I believe the main reason most Christians lack Faith and live by feelings, is because their thought life has not been taken captive and made obedient to Christ.  We are in a war!  Our minds must come into alignment with the Mind of Christ, the Word of God!

Galatians 5:17 says "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other"

We must learn to recognize ungodly thoughts that set themselves up against the knowledge of God, and take them captive!

Romans 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes and grows by a revelation of the Word of God. As we meditate on and ponder the Word of God - it becomes revelation to us.  God's word then becomes more real than our circumstances and what we see with our natural eyes.  God's word becomes tangible - it becomes filled with faith and we can see the evidence of things unseen with the eyes of our heart.

John 5:38, 39  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

God's word must become more than just "information", it must become "Revelation".  The Pharisees had lots of information - they knew the scriptures inside and out, backwards and forwards.  What they were lacking was "Revelation", God's word was not really "abiding" in them.  We must become one with God's words, they must become our daily bread, our life.  This happens when we grow in relationship with God and as we overcome in the daily battles.  His words move from our heads into our hearts and become part of our daily experience.  We learn to trust him and his words more than we trust ourselves. 

How did Jesus defeat the devil in the wilderness?  (Luke 4).  That's right - with God's word.  The devil was able to quote God's word, but he did it in a mocking way.  That's because he doesn't really know God's heart.  Jesus knows God's heart, and was speaking out of his deep relationship with God the Father when he used God's Word to defeat the devil. Jesus lived a life of absolute trust and dependence upon God the Father and upon the Holy Spirit.  The wonderful thing about the temptation of Jesus is to see how completely Jesus trusted God as his provider, and the keeper of his future.  Jesus refused to give in to short-term thinking ("turn these stones into bread") and instead looked with the eyes of faith into what his future would be like if he actually gave in to the temptation.

Here is what I have done in the past, and what I strongly suggest you do.  When you are having dark, defeated thoughts or are being tempted by the enemy; first, write the thoughts down.  Identify each of these thought patterns as lies, then ask God to show you the truth and shine light into those areas of darkness.  Write down the truth God speaks to you to replace those lies.  Most of the time, it will be a direct scripture.  It could also be a picture, vision, or dream.  Or, God may speak truth to you through someone else who you are sharing your struggles with.  You can do this in many areas, whether it be Fear, anxiety, self-focus, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, purposelessness, envy, jealousy, provision, etc.

A counselor at a church we once attended, Robert Fetveit, often said:  "I am an evangelist to the unconverted areas of the believer's heart"

We must learn to replace lies with truth throughout our daily lives.   But you can't fight lies by just casting them down - you must replace the lies with the truth of God's words.  Then, turn the truth into a prayer of faith that is in the direct opposite spirit as the lie.  You can craft very personal prayers to combat the enemy.  Here are some examples:

1.  Not feeling God's presence, feeling rejected or abandoned by God.

Prayer of Faith: God, I believe that you are present right now, whether I feel it or not. I believe you will never leave me or forsake me.  You promised that nothing can ever separate me from your love. Romans 8:38,39

2.  Purposelessness

Prayer of Faith: Jer 29:11 - God, I know you have plans for me, to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future.  You have not forgotten about me, You have engraved me on the palms of your hands. Isaiah 49:16.  I believe you exist, and you will reward me as I diligently seek you - Heb. 11:6.

3. Bitterness and unforgiveness.

Prayer of Faith:  I refuse to allow this person to control my life and make me angry.  They do not determine my identity, only you can do that Lord.  I am your son(or daughter), you are well pleased with me.  Even though this person may hate me and has wronged me, I believe that you love me, Lord.  This person has made me extremely angry, but I ask you to remove this anger, Lord.  Lord, I release this person and what they have done to me to you.  Judgment and vengeance is yours, and I refuse to judge and seek vengeance.  Luke 6:28 - Lord, I choose to bless and pray for __________.  Lord, I ask you to remove from me the bitterness I feel.  I choose to forgive ___________.  Lord, is there something you would like me to do as a blessing for this person, would you have me write out a blessing or send a gift to this person? 

4. Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  1 John 4:17 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Prayer of Faith:  Lord, wrap me in your arms of perfect love and drive out all Fear.  I come to you as your son(or daughter) and cry, "Abba, Father".  I refuse to give way to Fear (1 Pet 3:6) and declare that the spirit of fear has no power over me.  I have the Holy Spirit in me that gives me power, love, and a sound mind.  I have overcome the world, just as you have overcome the world.

5.  Feeling like God is angry with you or disappointed in you today

Prayer of Faith:  God, I believe you never change - you are the same yesterday, today, and forever.  You loved me yesterday when I felt your love, so I believe you also love me today.  You are not fickle and capricious like pagan gods.  Your love is constant, it remains the same every day.  You have always loved me, you love me now, and you will always love me - regardless of how well I feel like I have performed.  I know I am not perfect, and I sometimes fail - but I believe that will never change how you feel about me.  I am your son(or daughter), and you love me just like a human parent loves and wants the best for their children.  Just like the prodigal son who returned to his father smelling like pigs, you still loved him and accepted him - you ran to him and embraced him before he could even say a word.

6.  Failure

Prayer of Faith:  I know a wise man falls and gets up 7 times.  This failure will not defeat me - in fact, this is how I will defeat the enemy, by getting back up quickly.  I only really fail when I have fallen and refuse to get back up, wallowing in self-pity and self-focus.  Lord, I repent for what I did, it grieved your heart and hurt others.  I receive your forgiveness and restoration.  Let your face shine upon me - restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51)

7. Anxiety

Prayer of Faith:  I refuse to worry about tomorrow - tomorrow has enough troubles of its own.  I bring this situation to you that I am anxious about - release your peace into it.  I choose to focus on you and not let my mind become divided.  I receive your peace, because you are the prince of Peace.  I choose to focus on your hugeness, your provision, your blessings.  I refuse to dwell on something that will probably never come to pass.  I thank you for a positive outcome, and I picture you, Lord, right in the middle of this situation or circumstance.  I refuse to give in to a bleak picture where you are not present.

Refuse to become over-focused on the lies and problems - all these examples are intended to get our focus back on God and the truth.  This builds faith!

If all else fails, and you can't even pray - cry out to Jesus for help!  He will come and rescue you, he is your rescuer!

Freedom from Fear

I have been praying about and meditating on freedom from Fear since yesterday. I am reminded of the verse that says "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom". And the verse that says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear".

When the spirit of the Lord came upon the disciples in Acts, they were completely freed from fear. They no longer had any desire to compromise with the world system or try to please people. The spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were able to speak the word of God with great boldness.

Acts 4:31 - After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I believe to be really free means to be free from worrying about what other people think about us. Are we free enough to really be ourselves no matter who is around, or do we start acting like we hope they want us to be? A wise man I once knew defined humility and pride in the following way:

Pride - Trying to be known for something we are not
Humility - Willing to be know for who we really are

Think about Satan, the epitomy of pridefulness. He is trying to be something he is not - he wants to be God. He masquerades as an angel of Light. Whenever we give in to fear, we are really denying who we really are, and trying to be something that others want us to be. Pride and fear go hand in hand.

The opinions of others can be very fickle, and are usually based upon emotions or where the crowd is going. What a waste of time it is to try to please other people, we really need to be focused on pleasing God! I think way too many Christians are caught up in trying to please the world, or even trying to please members of their own family. Jesus said we need to be willing to leave even close relatives behind if they are preventing us from following him.