Tag: confident living in Jesus

The How to of Putting on the New Life in Christ

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Colossians 3:1-10 gives us why we are to ‘put on a new self in Christ’. Paul begins in verses 3:1 with the reason for our new self.  “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  Our faith in Christ aligns us with Him and causes us to want to seek the things of God. 3:2-4 Tells us more about our new allegiance to Christ and how our thinking needs to be aligned and set on heavenly things. 2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Having our minds set on Christ causes us to be hidden within Him, protected by His righteousness and salvation. Paul also mentions our future is set with Christ in heaven.

With those reasons in our hearts and minds, Paul leads us to the list of unsavory actions that unbelievers or those not committed to Christ indulge in: Verses 5-7 5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  Paul reminded the Colossian believers that this was what their ‘unsaved’ life looked like but No More! They are now in Christ and must put these things away and focus on their new life in Christ.

Paul tells the Colossians, and us too, that the time for action is right now, today! 8 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.“

Putting off, turning away from and turning to Christ brings a new life in Him. With that new life comes renewal and knowledge of God. It is a blessed life that is renewed and lived hidden in Christ, protected by His love and righteousness. Today’s truth is: Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have a new life that is renewed in Christ and leads to greater knowledge of God. Do you desire this new life? Christ has it. Turn to Him with a penitent heart and accept His gift of faith. He will lead you all the way!

Linda

Night to Day, that is You in Christ!

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This has been a few stress filled days as I traveled to Los Angeles to attend and speak at the Celebration of Life for my dearest friend Joan. I am home now looking at our picture on my desk, remembering her smile of encouragement, her faith and her being family to me. She encourages me to write and keep speaking out about our beloved Savior.

In today’s passage, Romans 13:12-14 Paul is speaking to the Roman Christians about their behavior. Since they belong to Christ, much is expected because they no longer walk in darkness and have been given the fortitude by Jesus to meet the new high standards He has set for all of us. “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

The Roman Christians had just come out of idolatry and the worship of pagan idols. They were asked to give up those practices that focused on the fleshly nature of man and live morally upright lives based on love for one another in Christ. It was a tall order then, and is today too. There are many ‘idols’ that pull us away from focusing on Jesus and, they seek to occupy our time, talents and monies. Paul exhorts the Roman Christians to put on the armor of light. What is the armor of light? I have been pondering this and I feel it is God’s character that was shown to mankind in Jesus. In verse 14, Paul tells them to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ’. Both of these phrases, suggest we need to put on the godly character of Jesus in place of our old nature. His godly character has support, armor and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirt that makes it tough enough to withstand than anything we can ever face.

How do we put on this armor of light? First, we need to be committed to Jesus and firmly believe Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” We need to believe in Jesus and His saving work on the cross on our behalf.

Second, we need to spend time in God’s Word getting to know who He is, what He has done, what He will do and how we are to live lives for Him. Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Secondly,(again) we need to spend time in prayer talking with God- Adoring Him for who He is, Thanking Him for all He does or has done, Confessing what you know and He reveals to you as sin and seeking His help by asking Him to intervene in the circumstances of your life. Psalm 46:10 ““Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Thirdly, we need to seek the fellowship of other believers so as to encourage and strengthen each other in Christ.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can put on Christ’s armor of light to successfully live each day. With His armor of light, you will be as different as night is from day in your new life in Him!

Linda

Knowing and Rejoicing, Assured in Jesus

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There is amazing comfort in today’s ‘put on’ verses. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 is one of my favorites because it gives me assurance and hope as a believer in Jesus.

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.“

Paul was reassuring the Corinthians Christians, and us too, that God is the one who keeps us with Christ. He is the one who anoints us as believers. He is the one who puts His seal upon us and has given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. What an amazing promise to all who believe! Paul also states in Romans 8:16 that “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” We can know and be assured that we belong to Jesus. We can feel and know His Spirit within us confirming we belong to Him. We can know that He is our heavenly Father and we are a child of His.

**Who does not want to feel grounded and supported in their faith? God has this.

**Who does not want to feel anointed, blessed and chosen in their faith? God did this in Christ.

**Who does not want to be indwelled by His Holy Spirit, knowing that it is God’s seal of guarantee on your life? God did this through Christ. He keeps His promises.

**What is our response to all God has done? Believe in His Son, Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be guaranteed His seal and indwelling Holy Spirit to guide me as I seek to walk with Jesus day by day.

Have a blessed day rejoicing in His Spirit and the knowledge that you belong to Him! Your are SEALED!

Linda

Living in the Light of Jesus, daily!

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For those of you who follow me, I apologize for the error in yesterday’s blog. Once I publish something, I can update it but it still is sent out to you without the correction. Going online and pulling it up brings up the corrected blog. I use 1 Corinthians 9:12 not 12:9. Hopefully, it did not interfere with the message as the scripture was written correctly.

Today I am looking at 1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” This is a great verse with very clear message of what we are to ‘put on’ as believers. Paul is talking in this passage about Christ’s return and our belonging to His light as we not longer live in the darkness of sin. Verse 5, “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” We can live each day in His light assured that we belong to Him. I love 1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him (Jesus) and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Since we are children of His light, we are to put on faith and love and live with a knowledge of the hope we have in Jesus. Each day when you rise, greet the day with ‘God morning Lord’. You are assured that He is with you and that in His love He cares for you. Our faith in Jesus lets the love of God into our lives and brings with it hope for each day and for eternity with Him. Paul uses the analogy of armor in this verse. Our faith in Jesus protects our heart and the hope we have in him covers our minds as protection against the attacks of the world and its unbelief. We can live assured that Jesus has us covered. What a great way to live!

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can live each day in His light filled with His love and hope. May you rise each day and put on faith knowing with it comes His love, His protection and light for living that very day.

Linda

Entangled with the Vipers or Walking with Jesus?

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Today’s challenge to our faith comes from Acts 28. It is an amazing story involving a poisonous snake and Paul. They had just come ashore safely after being shipwrecked. They were wet and cold. Here is the scene on the island of Malta.

Acts 28:3-6 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Paul was simply putting sticks onto the fire when he was bitten. He was living life on his way to Rome as a prisoner. What do you think went through his mind? Certainly not panic as there is no indication from scripture that he even gave it a thought. He simply brushed the snake off into the fire. Those around him were sure the poisonous snake bite was a judgement for wrongs he had done. When he did not die, they had to come up with another theory and decided he must be a god. Paul later refuted their thoughts and spoke of Jesus. Because of how he had lived, they were willing to listen to what he had to say.

What actions of the world are you putting off, casting away as you seek to live each day for the Lord? Do you reject enticing entertainment, reject getting involved in gossip or do you seek to serve the Lord before your career? There are many ways we can put off the worldly pursuits and stay focused on what God wants us to do. Paul’s mind was on his trip to Rome and facing Caesar. But, he took time to heal the sick on Malta and tell those around him about Jesus before they sailed again.

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can remain focused on him in this sin-filled world and proclaim His good news. Where is your focus today? On the viper’s bite and the harm that can come to you? Or on the hope you have in Jesus? Who do you need to tell about Jesus today? Where do you need to add fuel to the fire and build up someone who needs the warm fire of Jesus’ love? Don’t be afraid of the vipers. God promises to deal with them.

Linda

Here’s a reminder: What to put off and what to put on

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Today I want to continue with some of the favorite verses of my friend Elizabeth. As a young mother, dealing with homeschooling, keeping her household running and the various frustrations of life, these verses help to keep her grounded, focused and obedient to God’s calling on her life. The first issue is what to do with anger and the frustrations that come with everyday living.

Ephesians 4:30-32 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. This Ephesians passage reminds us to not harbor or let bitterness and anger fester and grow. We are told to put away, cast off, reject those feelings and replace them with forgiveness, love and kindness always being reminded of God’s forgiveness provided to us through Christ. I know this is easier said than done but being aware that bitterness grows if it is not dealt with and that forgiveness is essential to keeping our hearts in balance with Jesus is important to remember.

What do I need to remember about anger? General anger at life or people causing hurt feelings or anger over unjust circumstances where you feel you were wronged, are not productive. James 1:20 tells us “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” If we are looking for right living, hope, love, grace, mercy… all a product of God’s righteousness, we won’t find it in anger. Our selfish and perhaps petty anger does not produce godly character in us nor does it reveal God’s rightness for living within us.

What are we to conclude? Are we never to be angry? No, Jesus was furious with the money changers abusing their place in the temple and taking advantage of the pilgrims coming to offer sacrifices.(Matthew 21:12-13) Anger is an emotion God has given to us, but since it can lead to unproductive things, we need to use it sparingly and with care in the right circumstances. Ephesians 4:26-27 tell us how to treat anger. “ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.” We need to be careful in our anger and not let it lead us into sin like bitterness, rage, using words to put down or demine someone, etc. Good words to remember are Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” and Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Lord that we would seek to be more like you!

Lastly, Elizabeth has chosen the wonderful encouraging words of Philippians 4:8. When you are tempted to speak words in anger, when you are at a loss of what to say and how to respond- think about Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. We are encouraged to fill our hearts and minds with good things that lead to godliness.

The words of Hebrews 12:1 come to mind as I close. The author had just written about the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, those who lived lives of persistence in following God and who clung to His truths for living. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” We too are to persist in faith, persist in seeking to live a godly life so what we say and do is pleasing to God. I love the reminder that ‘sin so easily entangles us’. When we take the road of anger, bitterness and revenge we are being entangled by sin, and it only leads to more sin. But when we seek to think on good things that lead to light and life we are encouraged and uplifted in our walk with Jesus.

May you run your race each day putting on the goodness of God and rejecting those things that lead away from Him.

Linda

A Favorite from Isaiah, Be encouraged!

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This is a new series for 2022 to be continued throughout the year! Since my word for the year is FAITH, God has given me this inspiration and avenue to build my faith. I will be featuring favorite verses of wonderful friends of faith that have been share with me. I pray they will encourage and strengthen your walk with Jesus throughout this year.

Last summer I met with a group of ladies that studied Promises for Dynamic Living with me. In one of the lessons we were asked to share a favorite verse. I wrote them down and will start with my friend Joyce’s favorite. She chose Isaiah 43:1-3a.

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I love this passage as it shows God’s love for His chosen people Israel and that extends to us. Peter assured us of this in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” As believers we are chosen to belong to Him just as the children of Israel were his precious people so are we- chosen and special in His sight.

What does God proclaim for His chosen ones through His prophet Isaiah? We do not need to live in fear as He created us, redeemed us, calls us by name and promises to be with us. The Israelites had experienced being overwhelmed by their enemies and were rescued by God as they passed through the parted Red Sea escaping the pursuing Egyptian army. (Exodus 14) They had the story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego who lived through the burning furnace and were not consumed. (Daniel 3) Because we belong to Jesus, we too can depend upon His guidance, protection and know we are His in all circumstances. Lastly, we can know and depend upon all these things because God is who He says He is and now and forever. He is our Savior! Praise God!

I pray these favorite words Joyce choose from Isaiah will encourage and comfort you today. They have power to uplift, assure and redeem in the name of Jesus. Perhaps they will become one of your favorite verse too!

Linda

What’s in a Word?

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In my first blog of the year, Happy New Word, I challenged you to pray about a guiding word for this New Year of 2022. Last year my word was joy and I saw it manifested throughout the year. God has given me the word faith for 2022. I have been praying about which scripture to claim along with my word and God has led me to Psalm 37:3 and Hebrews 11:1.

Psalm 37:3 has been a favorite verse of mine for many years. “Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” Befriend is defined by ESV scholars as feeding upon faithfulness that leads to safety or safe pastures. I like to think of it as embracing faithfulness in my life. In order to embrace faithfulness fully, I need to walk in trust and seek to do good. This gives direction and hope to my faith and assurance of His protective hand upon me. What He has given me by faith is sealed by His Holy Spirit and cannot be lost. Ephesians 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” My walk of trust and service will help me from misplacing my priorities. It is so easy to lose focus and to misplace my focus upon worldly things that surround me.

Hebrews 11:1 is also a favorite as it defines faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When people question my faith, I can rely upon the hope and assurance I have in Christ that He is real, alive and with me always. I have that conviction as His Holy Spirit speaks to my spirit that I am His. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” I can be assured that I am His and can be called His child.

In addition to choosing a scripture to go with my Word, I graphically used a program called Word Art to give me a visual of my word. It is an easy program to use and generates a fun art focus to hang near your desk or someplace where you can be reminded of your word. You need to ponder about your word and brainstorm other words it brings to mind. Select those 10 words related words that will expand and define different aspects of your word. My word of faith generated the following list for me: hope, goodness, strength, rooted as in rooted and grounded in faith, courage, trust, conviction, pleasing as in pleasing to God, assurance, and abundance. I made two visuals. One is in the shape of a heart which is red and the other a cloud in blue. The program can be found at http://www.wordart.com It is a free site. Here are my visuals:

I do not know how God will use this word in my life this year but I know He will. May this blog be an encouragement to you to pray about a Word for 2022 and to choose a scripture to claim and cling to during the year. God wants to lead and teach us…we just need to be open to His leading and His teaching.

Linda

Need Strength? Make God Personal

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As I continue this Thanksgiving week looking at reasons for praising God and giving thanks, I came to Psalm 91. It has long been a favorite of mine and is known to be a favorite among soldiers. Why is that you might ask? Are you frightened today about the future or events in your life? Are you struggling and despairing over people or things? Soldiers facing battle struggle with all of these, and yet the words of this psalm sooth and comfort them. May you too find comfort and be able to give thanks to God who is sovereign and All-Sufficient. Psalm 91:1-4

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

My friend Bob who lived at the Veteran’s Home in Yountville, CA used to recite this psalm. He told me he used to put his name in verse 2 as he personalized and claimed God’s truth of love and protection over himself and his bombing crew as they flew missions in WWII. “I, Bob, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I, Bob, trust.” He would do the same with Psalm 23. “The Lord is Bob’s shepherd I will not want…”

Do you find scripture personal? Bob believed in God’s Word and the power of the truths God placed there for our benefit. Can you claim the truth of verses 1 and 2- that God is your refuge and fortress and you can trust in Him in all situations? What about verses 3 and 4? Do you believe that God is greater than any foe or force you will face? Does He faithfully cover you and enfold you in His love and care?

I pray this Thanksgiving, as you reflect on God’s goodness and care, that you can see God’s hand in your life protecting and leading. That you feel his loving arms surrounding you and giving you strength. May God’s faithfulness and love speak to you in a new way this holiday creating in you greater gratitude for God.

Linda

Holy God, Thank You!

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Today’s thank-filled verse comes from Psalm 30:4

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.”

In Hebrew the reference is to giving thanks and worshipping God because of His holiness. Have you ever thought about why we should give thanks that God is holy? Holy means pure, blameless, set apart. Only God is without sin and perfect. I like the definition given in my Bible Study Fellowship manual for explaining God’s attribute of holiness to the children; “God is high and lifted up. He is set apart from His creation. Our English word “holy” is from the same root word as “whole.” God is whole – perfect in goodness and righteousness. No one is like God. Even God’s holy angels tremble in reverent worship before Him. God sets apart His children for Himself and commands us to be holy as He is holy. Being holy makes you whole– what God intended you to be.”

Thinking about Holy God creates in me a sense of humility and unworthiness followed by extreme thankfulness. How is it that Holy God cares for me? Repeatedly in scripture we are assured of God’s love and care. Nahum 1:7 is one of my favorite verses “The Lord is good,  a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” God has compassion upon me and seeks to draw me unto Himself. God loves me so much that He sent Jesus to die for my sins so that I can be brought into a relationship with Him. My faith in Jesus restores me and covers me in His righteousness. What a marvelous gift from our Holy God! Because of God’s love and Jesus imputing his righteousness to me, I can seek to live rightly before Him and honor Him in all I say and do. We can be ‘whole’ before Him and that is something to praise, sing and honor God for! Thank you Jesus for giving me a way to be right with God through faith in you.

Linda