FAITH WORDS: ATTITUDE

LIFE ABOVE THE SUN ...

John 10:10 - …I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

When you are not enjoying abundant life, you will feel as if life is full of toil. In your heart, life is meaningless and empty. You feel like someone “grasping for the wind”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11)

It seems as if nothing you do adds up to much. The Bible calls this life “under the sun”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11) Someone who lives life under the sun may or may not know God, but God is either forgotten or not the center of things in his life. His thoughts are earthly and he does things to gratify his flesh. In the end, he finds life depressing and unfulfilled. Life under the sun is full of despair.

But this is not so with someone who lives life above the sun with God. For life with Him is filled with joy and pleasures at His right hand. (Psalm 16:11) Life is abundantly full and good just as Jesus promised—“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”.

When you live life above the sun, your thoughts are heavenward and you become Christ-occupied. You live for Him because you know that all things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16) When you live for His glory, your life takes on a new meaning and purpose.

God’s Word says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17) The Greek word for “consist” means “held together”. In Christ, all things are held together. And that is why when Christ is the central figure in your life, you will have it all together. Your mind will be held together. Your hopes and dreams will be held together. Your family will be held together by the cords of His love.

Your life will not be empty, but full of God’s goodness because “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory”. (Colossians 1:27) It is a wonderful life—this life lived above the sun. And you will have an even more wonderful life to come in heaven!

Thought For The Day

When Christ is the central figure in your life, you will have it all together.

BUILDING A BRIDGE

Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. —1 Thessalonians 1:8

James Michener’s Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American West. Through the eyes of a French-Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the European-based community of St. Louis. As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds.

Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds—those who know and follow Jesus and those who do not know Him. Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshiping culture, so Paul said of them, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess. 1:8). The bridge they were building had two components: the “word of the Lord” and the example of their faith. It was clear to everyone that they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (v.9).

As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Christ.

Father, help us live in such a way that others will want to know about Your Son. May we not merely try to do what’s “right” but instead live as people forgiven and loved by You.

Live and speak the gospel, and others will listen.

When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his in8quity; but his blood will I require at your hand.

Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel 33 :8-9

“So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons” (Mark 1:39, NIV).

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, His words were powerful enough to drive out demons and restore people to wholeness. Throughout the centuries, they have remained just as powerful. Whatever demons we struggle with in our lives today are powerless against Him.

DEMONS IN CHURCH

Mark 1:23, "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out;...."

Many people don't associate demon possessed people with places of worship. Yet most of the demons that Jesus cast out were encountered in the church. Why would demon possessed people be in church?

In some cases, the people were there because they were seeking help. The church, like a hospital, offers people the cure and therefore, attracts those who are sick.

In other cases, the devil sows these types of people in the church to spread spiritual disease. A church that is teaching the true Word of God should either try to evangelize these individuals or make them so convicted that they move on. Sad to say, demon possessed people can thrive in most religious settings today.

We always need to show love for the sinner as Jesus did, but we should cut the devil no slack. If a person wants to keep an evil spirit on the inside of them, they should not feel at home in church.

Let the Spirit of God live through you as He did through Jesus and you will either make people mad or glad, but there will not be indifference.

THE DESIRE TO PLEASE HIM

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him - Philippians 2:13, NLT

Do you desire to please Him? When you become a believer by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God begins working in you. He changes your desires from self-seeking to God-seeking. When you make a wrong choice or do something that displeases Him, most times, you know it immediately. There’s uneasiness on the inside of you. You might even feel a little sick to your stomach. That’s because the desire to please God is built inside of you. That “feeling” is the Spirit’s gentle conviction that keeps us on the path He has for us.

But notice He didn’t just give you the desire to please Him; He gave you the power to please Him, too. He didn’t just call you; He equipped you! Follow that inner prompting so that your actions will line up with your heart’s desire. And remember, even when you make a mistake, even when you have a setback, God is always ready to help you. He loves you so much, and He wants the best for you. He wants you to continue growing spiritually. His plans and purposes for your life are good. And when you are submitted to Him, nothing can stop the Almighty God from accomplishing great things in and through you!

BE CONSCIOUS OF GOD’S LOVE AND WIN
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…Do not be afraid, for I am with you… - Isaiah 43:4–5, NIV

When you step out in faith to pursue the dream that God has put in your heart, oftentimes, you will face challenges, opposition and trials. Do you know what gives you the ability to face your giants unafraid, and see them defeated through the Lord’s power and provision?

I believe that it all boils down to a revelation and consciousness of God’s perfect and unconditional love for you. Do you know how precious and loved by God you are today?

My friend, God’s immeasurable love for you caused Him to sacrifice His beloved Son for you so that you would always have His presence and His provision. Because of Jesus’ finished work, God doesn’t leave you or condemn you even when you fail. And if God is always with you and for you, no evil that tries to stand against you can prevail!

Whatever your challenges today, abide in the Lord’s love for you. Make a conscious, personal decision to major on His love for you instead of the negative forces against you. That’s how you conquer the giants in your way!

IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE
Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, but not wholeheartedly. - 2 Chronicles 25:2 NLT

King Amaziah did all the right things, but he wasn’t ‘wholehearted’ about it. You can do the right thing and still not be blessed. Why? Because you did it with the wrong attitude. Take, for example, the subject of giving. The apostle Paul writes: ‘Let everyone give as his heart tells him, neither grudgingly nor under compulsion, for God loves the man who gives cheerfully. After all, God can give you everything that you need, so that you may always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people... The more you are enriched by God the more scope there will be for generous giving, and your gifts, administered through us, will mean... an overflowing tide of thanksgiving to God. Moreover, your very giving proves the reality of your faith, and that means that men thank God that you practise the Gospel that you profess to believe in, as well as for the actual gifts you make to them and to others. And yet further, men will pray for you and feel drawn to you because you have obviously received a generous measure of the grace of God.’ (2 Corinthians 9:6–11 PHPS)

Note two things:

(1) Your level of giving determines the level at which you receive.
(2) Your attitude in giving determines your abundance in receiving.

So when you ‘make up your…mind what you will give’, consider God’s goodness to you, decide what you should give, and do it with a heart of joy. It’s all about attitude!