Christ LIVING in Me

S. "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20, NLT)

O. I have always loved this verse, but last night and this morning, I have been reflecting on the truth of these words. The truth is...As a person who has chosen to to follow Jesus Christ, a person who knows for certain that I have been forgiven of my sins...I am the one who is no longer in control. My life has now been "hidden" in Christ. I don't own or control my body, Christ does. To be honest, I haven't been acting that way. I have been trying to control areas of my life for many years, and for the first time, I feel that God is teaching me and reminding me that he wants and needs to be in control. I just have to live by faith...that means living and believing what I cannot see, but what I know is truth...that Christ is alive in me and wants to lead my life in every way. Just a simple lesson, but one that is so hard to live out. But one that I am committed to working through and making a reality in my life and relationship with Jesus Christ.

A. Today, I want to see all that I do in light of the reality that Christ is in control of my life. I will pray when I come to a point of wanting to control my life. I will seek the face of God today when I want to be in control.

P. I am reminded of the old hymn and want to make this my prayer today..."All to Jesus I surrender, I to him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live."
Amen

Continued Thoughts on Surrender

S. "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:7-14 (NIV)

O. The apostle Paul talks about one of the most important aspects of our growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It involves surrendering my life and my ambitions for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ. There should be nothing more important in my life than my relationship with Jesus Christ. I must make my relationship with God a priority in my life daily. With our relationship with God in line, then the other areas of my life will begin to be aligned with God's plan and will. This is all about growing in spiritual maturity. And in this life, I will never attain to the pinnacle of spiritual maturity, that will only happen when I will one day be face to face with Jesus. But in this life, I must never stop working toward becoming more like Jesus Christ daily.

A. Knowing that my personality is one that likes to be in control, surrendering areas of my life is one of the most difficult things that I do as a Christian. But at this time in my life, there are some areas that I really need to turn over to the Lord. It will take all of my concentration, mental and emotional energy, but I am determined!

P. "Lord, I give you my life and ask for the strength and determination to become a person of surrender" Amen

Seeking God

S. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Joel 2:28-32 (NIV)

O. On this day, when I intentionally seek the face of God, I am reminded that my God has promised to pour out his spirit upon me and all those in our church. I don't know if I have a real good concept of what it is like to experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. I certainly know that the Spirit is part of me, but I am not so sure that I have any memory of a true "outpouring" of the Spirit. I am seeking that in the days ahead, as I turn my focus to the Lord in these days of preparation for the New Testament Challenge. I am excited to be part of a congregation that is seeking God's Spirit together and I pray that this will be a time in the life of our church that will be filled with awe and wonder as we experience all that God will do in and through us.

A. Today, I choose to keep my focus on the Lord Jesus. I pray for strength and follow through with the commitment to keep my eyes focused on Him.

P. "Lord Jesus, thanks for meeting me this morning. I give you this day and ask for your eyes to see the world, your strength to care for those who come into my path, you compassion to those who are hurting and your peace at the end of this day. I love you Lord. Amen"