NOTHING

ALIVE UNTO GOD :
Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

It is interesting to compare Jesus' transfiguration with that of Moses'. Jesus' face shone as the sun and His garment was as white as the light. This certainly exceeded what Moses experienced, and yet Jesus' face did not continue to shine when He came down off of the mountain as Moses' face did. Moses' face reflected the glory of God, but Jesus was the glory of God (Jn. 1:14; Heb. 1:3). Moses put a veil over his face to conceal the glory of God (Ex. 34:29-35) so that the people would not be afraid to come near him.

Jesus' body was His veil that concealed His true glory within. During His transfiguration, He pulled back the veil of His flesh, and we simply caught a glimpse of His glory that he had with the Father before the world was (Jn. 17:5). At Jesus' death, the veil of His body was "rent in two" giving us direct access to the glory of God (Heb. 10:19-20).

We need to be conformed to the death of Christ. That is, reckoning ourselves dead to sin and all its effects upon us in the same way that Christ is dead to sin and all its effects upon Him. Many people focus on the death to sin and omit, or at least put secondarily, being alive unto God. It is assumed that if we will just die to sin, then life with Christ comes automatically.

That's no more so than physical death automatically producing physical resurrection. God doesn't need dead people. He needs people who have risen from the dead spiritually. People who know who they are "In Christ." The victorious New Testament believer is not just living for the Lord, but the risen Christ is actually living through him. There are over a hundred scriptural references to the indwelling presence of the Lord in the life of a believer. Look into the Word, and see what God has to say about you.

BEGIN TO PRAISE:

Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright, in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright in heart. – Psalm 33:1

Praise. According to the Word of God, that's the most appropriate, becoming, thing that you as a believer can do.

Let me warn you though, God's idea of appropriate praise and yours may well be two very different things. The praise He calls for is joyous and uninhibited. And, at times, it's just plain loud!

If you don't believe it, look in the Bible and see the kind of praise that goes on in heaven. Read Isaiah 6 and find out how they act in the throne room. The seraphim shout in there until the doorposts shake! And when they do, the glory of the Lord fills the house.

When you get to heaven, you're going to be praising like that too. You're going to be leaping and praising God with every part of your being. But don't wait until then to start. Begin now.

Decide today that instead of praising God the way you like, you are going to start doing it the way He likes. Begin to release those praises joyously, uninhibitedly. Don't wait until you get to heaven to praise God with all your being. Do it now. He deserves it!

THE CAREFUL WALK

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. —Ephesians 5:15

One of my favorite places to visit in Jamaica is Ocho Rios, home of Dunn’s River Falls—a spectacle that never ceases to amaze. Water cascades down a long series of rocks as it makes its way to the Caribbean Sea. Adventurers can climb the falls, scrambling over rounded rocks on an invigorating trek to the top. The flowing water, the potentially slippery surface, and the steep angles make the going slow and a bit treacherous.

To make it safely to the top, climbers must watch every step. If a person is not careful, he or she could fall on the journey. The keys to a successful climb are concentration and caution.

I can’t think of a better picture of what Paul is saying in Ephesians 5:15 when he says, “walk circumspectly.” We should “be very careful . . . how [we] live” (NIV). Clearly, with all of life’s possible dangers coming our way as we climb through life, it is vital that we take each step with Jesus wisely and cautiously. A fool, the passage says, lives carelessly; a wise person watches each step so he does not stumble or fall.

Our goal of being “imitators of God” (v.1) is met, Paul says, as we walk carefully in love (vv.2,15). Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can walk in a way that honors God.

Consistency! How much we need
To walk a measured pace,
To live the life of which we speak,
Until we see Christ’s face.

As we trust God to rule our hearts our feet can walk His way.

WHAT HAS GOD SAID ABOUT YOU?

'[He] will be proved right in what [He] says.' Romans 3:4 NLT

Paul writes, 'What's the advantage of being a Jew?...Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not!...[He] will be proved right in what [He] says.' (Romans 3:1-3 NLT) God has spoken specific things concerning you. Those things are His for your life. You must believe them, carry them within you and speak them over your life. Don't be held back by the notion that everybody has to accept what God has said about you. Your vision should be independent of outside support. That's a difficult concept to grasp, especially in a democracy, where others vote and the majority rules. God's Kingdom is a theocracy: only one voice and one vote counts - His! Refuse to put your vision on hold, waiting for everybody to come into agreement with you. Not only do they not have to support you, they don't even have to believe what God has told you! You can't afford to wait for them to get comfortable with your vision before you pursue it. When people misunderstand you or refuse to help you, you can still get there without them. God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God and what He has spoken over your life will surely come to pass. If you doubt that, read this: '...My Word...will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' (Isaiah 55:11 NIV) That's all the validation you need!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY :

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. This is the day the Lord has made; let me rejoice and be glad in it. Let Your smile shines upon my face and fill full my mouth with Your words as they are sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. May the love of God cling to me like the morning dew clings to the flower and the streams of the River of Life keep flowing into my life that I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God forevermore!

Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name, Amen !!!

Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com

Fair Use Notice: There is some copyrighted material on this site, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to our efforts to advance understanding of serious issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit for educational purposes.