Jesus' Life in Me

In the Message paraphrase, 2 Corinthians 4:9 records these words, "What they did to Jesus, they do to us - trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us - he lives!"

I was struck by that phrase and the truth of it. Everything that Jesus went through his followers have gone through and will go through. Now maybe we won't get physically assaulted or put on trial, but if we are faithful in our walk with Christ we WILL be persecuted.

At the same time, however, Jesus lives in us just like he did in them. The full reality of that cannot be described. It can only be experienced and shared with others. We can live our lives in any situation because he LIVES in us.

My hope for you is that you ask for and receive the power of the living Jesus in your life each and every day. I hope your relationship with God is not a set of well thought out doctrinal beliefs and a finely articulated set of spiritual theories. I hope you come to know the real thing.

I believe we all can know, experience and live the real thing if we open our lives up to receiving Jesus each day and committing to do what Jesus did and say what Jesus said in every circumstance of our lives.

The reason many of us have yet to experience it isn't because Jesus isn't real and alive, but because we haven't received him, asked him to lead every area of our lives and followed him in obedience.

Where have you sensed the living presence of Jesus in a real, clear way recently? What was it like?

Would your case be dismissed?

William Wilberforce, a member of Parliament in England in the 18th century and fierce advocate for the abolition of slavery, wrote a book called Real Christianity. In it he makes the case that many of us are nominal Christians because we go to church, live reasonably moral lives and acknowledge a belief in God. We have been conditioned to think that is the real thing when it is nothing like the real thing. He makes this powerful statement:

"Our behavior is so conformed to cultural standards that if we were put on trial as a Christian, the case might be dropped for lack of evidence." (pg. 89)

What are the evidences of change in your life? What are the evidences of change in mine?

Here are some examples of change the Bible gives us:
John 3:1-21
Romans 12:1-2
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Galatians 2:20
Ephesians 2:1-10

Those are just a few of the biblical examples of transforming change that happens - and should happen - in all of us. Christians should be the most joyful, winsome, peaceful and loving people because of the work of God in their life. People should be attracted to us in every respect, not because of us per se, but because of the evidences of the life of Jesus in us, coming out of us.

What are the evidences of change in your life? What concrete examples can you point to where God has transformed your life?

I will tell you one from me: Since God has transformed my life, my speech is no longer controlled by foul language and course talking. That was a gift from God and one I am greatly thankful for.

How about you?

Getting Right With God

I have two quotes running around in my head and I have been thinking about the implications of them all week. Here they are:

“God doesn’t revive people who have it all together. He revives people who are hungry, thirsty, weak, naked, blind, and less than spotless.” – John Wimber (The Way In is the Way On, pg. 245)

“Since I rose this morning my constant prayer has been to God to lead me in all things. I pray God to take me like an old sack and shake me until entirely empty, and then fill me with the fullness of God." – D.S. Warner (Journal Entry, April 16, 1877)

Those two men are essentially talking about the same thing: getting right with God. Another way to refer to it is revival. Revival is a season when we get right with God, when we come to Him humbly, in our brokeness, and seek to return to a place of peace and right relationship with Him. It is also a time when we ask to be filled up by His Spirit and set on fire to be useful in His service.

Have you ever felt the Lord speaking to you and urging you to get right with Him? Have you ever needed a revival in your life? What was that like? Do you need one today? How is God leading you?

Encouragement for broken people

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing . . .
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens. - Psalm 68:5-6, 19

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

We all need to be encouraged, especially when we are in a place of brokeness. I know our culture doesn't value brokeness, but God does!

When we come to God in our brokeness, He ministers to us. Broken people are open people, people open to God's will and way, people dependent on His grace, love and mercy. Broken people are the kind of people God works in and with.

When have you come to God in brokeness, seeking Him and not something from Him?

When have you humbled yourself before God and surrendered to Him, setting your agenda aside for His? How did God respond?

When have you needed God's encouragement to strengthen you and lift you up? In your brokeness, how did God work to make you whole?