SEE YOURSELF IN CHRIST
Ephesians 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
I remember going through a terrible time of depression when I was 18 years old. Believing that I was demon-possessed, I sought out a great man of God to have him cast the devil out of me. But when this man of God laid hands on me, he began to prophesy over me. He said, Joe, I see you preaching to thousands and used by God to impact thousands of lives. Joe, you are called by God and the devil is attempting to stop you.
What? I came here for deliverance! I am only interested in saving my own life, not preaching nor impacting lives, I thought to myself then.
You see, what happened was that at that moment, God allowed this man to step into the timeless zone He exists in to bring my future before me. As far as God was concerned, my future had already happened, though I was only 18 years old then. Today, I am a pastor of a church which has more than 30,000 members. Today, I am seeing what was told to me long ago.
God does not see as we see. Abraham was a childless, 100-year-old man. His wife, Sarah, at 90 years old, was doubly dead in her womb. (Genesis 17:17) Yet, God saw him and talked to him as if he were already the father of many nations.
My friend, God wants you to see the way He sees. Right now, you may see yourself going through a trial in your marriage, work, finances or health. But God sees a blessed marriage, success at work, supernatural provision and a healed body because He tells you that you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
You see, God sees you in Christ. So when you see yourself in Christ, who is outside time, you step into the timeless zone. In that timeless zone in Christ, whatever needs and trials of yours are already removed, repaired, restored or resurrected! In that timeless zone in Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!
SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS …
Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings... - Proverbs 22:29, NIV
Too often, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way over and over every day. But if we are going to live at our absolute best, we should constantly be growing and sharpening our skills. We should strive to learn and grow every single day because when we stop learning, we stop growing. When we stop growing, we stop living.
What are you doing to stretch yourself? What are you doing to improve your skills? Don’t get trapped into thinking that “good enough” is good enough. You were created for more than just average. Today is a new day, and there are new heights for you to climb. Pursue what you love and keep developing that area of your life. Take a class or find a mentor that will help you live skillfully. As scripture promises, you’ll go before leaders and rulers and excel in every area of life!
JESUS IN THE FLESH
John 14:28 "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
Jesus stated His union with the Father so clearly that He was accused of blasphemy more than once. This statement about the Father being greater than Jesus must harmonize, not contradict other claims.
A key to understanding this is given in Philippians 2:6-8, where Paul states that Jesus didn't think it was robbery to be equal with God, but humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant (speaking of His humanity). Jesus was equal to God in His divine nature but He made Himself inferior to the Father in regard to His humanity. Jesus didn't lose any of His deity when He became a man, but He did clothe it in flesh and submit it to the consequent limitations. In this sense, the Father was greater than Jesus.
Jesus is the pre-existent God who chose to become a man so he could redeem us by His own blood sacrifice. When He became a man, He was still one hundred percent God in His spirit, but His physical body was one hundred percent human. His body was sinless, but it was still flesh and subject to the natural things we all experience. The physical Jesus had to grow in wisdom and in stature.
When Jesus was born, His physical mind did not know all things. He had to be taught how to talk, walk, eat, and so forth. He had to learn that He was God in the flesh and accept that by faith. His physical mind grew in awareness of who He was. He had the witness in His spirit, but His physical mind had to "take it by faith"-the same way that we do when we believe who we are in the spiritual realm. Jesus' mental comprehension of His deity was something He learned and accepted by faith. Jesus had to become aware of His true identity through revelation and knowledge.We must do the same.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
With Jesus, we are never bankrupt! Through Him, we have all we will ever need. We have been redeemed and made righteous through Him. We have wisdom because of Him—wisdom is the ability to use the knowledge we have. We have also been sanctified because of Him.
GOD IS WITH YOU IN YOUR FIERY TRIAL
…“I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” - Daniel 3:25
When Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, guess who showed up? Jesus! He was there in the furnace with them to protect and deliver them. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego came out of the fire totally unharmed—“the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them” (Daniel 3:27)
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My friend, when you go through a fiery trial, the Lord is not somewhere far away, saying, “Yep, from the comfort of My heavenly throne, I can see what you are going through. Even though I’m not with you, I can see you, so just hang in there, okay?”
No, He is right there with you in your trial. Not only that, He will protect you and deliver you. The Bible says that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
So whatever the fiery trial you are going through today, God is right there with you. He will protect you, comfort you and make a way of escape for you. Put your hand in His hand and let Him bring you out of the “furnace” without even smelling of the smoke of your negative circumstances!
LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The night before Jesus died, He gave His peace to His disciples Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you This peace was not just for His disciples, but also for us today. We have His peace.
The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, He who is the Prince of Peace comes to live inside you. And when the Prince of Peace resides in you, every blessing that you will ever need pertaining to your soundness and wholeness is already inside you.
Pastor, if this is true, then why do I still see problems in my health, finances, family and relationships?
The answer is a troubled heart. That is why after Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, He said, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
A troubled and fearful heart works like fingers that clamp down hard on a water hose. The supply of water is flowing from the tap, but little or nothing is coming out at the other end of the hose. Gods ever-present supply of blessings toward you is like the water flowing freely from the tap. But you don't see the blessings when you allow your heart to be gripped by worry or fear.
So when fearful, anxious thoughts come, remind yourself of Jesus words: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Even when things appear to get worse, say, Lord, I refuse to worry about this. In the midst of all this, I see the finished work of Christ. He said, It is finished! So my child's healing is accomplished. My marriage is blessed. My debts are cleared. I will let not my heart be troubled by these things.
Beloved, I cannot let not for you. Your family and friends cannot let not for you. Only you can let not your heart be troubled. So guard your heart from being troubled. You don't have to guard your career, reputation, children or even health. When you guard your heart, God will guard everything else for you!
HE SATISFIES YOU
They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. - Psalm 37:19, AMP
Are you expecting to see God supernaturally show up in your life? Are you expecting increase and abundance? Notice this verse tells us that the righteous, those who follow God’s commands, will be satisfied even in times of famine. Even when it looks like resources are slim, God has a plan to provide for His people.
God always shows Himself strong on behalf of the people who seek Him first — even during the most difficult times. No matter what you may be facing today, God wants to show Himself strong for you. He wants to make a way where there seems to be no way. He wants to satisfy you and bless you abundantly so that you can reach out and be a blessing to the people around you. Take a step of faith today and begin to declare His promises over your life. Declare that He is the One who satisfies you and expect to see His goodness in your life!
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass” (Psalm 37:7).
Learn to rest in God and allow Him to manifest your heart’s desires. He does not want you to be jealous of wicked men who prosper. Wait on Him to meet all of your needs. He will give you over and above what the world could ever provide.
GOD WORKS IN THE SIMPLE THINGS
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. - John 14:7
Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is not only because Jesus did exactly what He saw His Father do, but Jesus was God in the flesh.
The disciples didn't realize that seeing Jesus was seeing God. They were expecting something more. Many times we miss seeing God work in our lives and circumstances because we are looking for something stupendous. Although it is true that God is totally awesome, He doesn't usually choose to manifest Himself in that way.
God spoke to Elijah not in the fire, wind, or an earthquake, but in a still, small voice. Jesus didn't come to this earth in a grand way by man's standards, but was born to poor parents in a stable. Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus had no form nor beauty that would make us think that He was anything more than a mere man.
Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, that God chooses to do things this way so that no flesh will glory in His presence. The Lord wants us to focus on Him through faith and not concentrate on the physical things He uses. In the Old Testament when the Lord did use visible instruments to release His power, the Israelites made idols out of those things.
Just as the disciples saw Jesus but didn't realize that what they saw was God, likewise, God is infinitely involved in our everyday lives, but we miss Him because we are blinded by our carnal minds. The primary reason that God chooses to use those who are nothing by the world's standards is so that no one else will take the credit for the great things that are accomplished.
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