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It Is Christ Who Lives In Me

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“And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
– Acts 10:38

This same Jesus of Nazareth, the risen and eternal Lord Jesus, now resides in all those who believe in Him.  And we go around doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God is with us.

Or do we?  For many of us, we do not yet realize the great potential of Christ now living our lives.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
– Galatians 2:20

Do you see the amazing glory in Paul’s encouragement?  The same Spirit that lived in Jesus of Nazareth is the same Spirit that lives in you!  And we know that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8.  His purpose as a man in this world has not changed – to destroy the works of the devil and to bring all men from darkness to Light and to the love of our Father.  And He is still in this world as a human being – in you!

Even as we have died with Christ through His cross, we are now alive in Him through His resurrection.  We now live His life, and we now live His purpose.

And we go around doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God is with us.

Unfortunately we talk ourselves out of living His purpose because our faith is weak.  Where we should be interceding on behalf of others, opening their eyes to the truth and freeing them from sickness and oppression, we still wonder if it’s actually possible to walk in the path of our Lord.  What if we fail?  What if we didn’t understand properly?  What if our faith fails?

Our answer is, your faith can only fail when it isn’t used.  Try.  Step out and intercede.  Offer to pray for someone for help, or healing, or freedom.  What you are doing is allowing Christ to live through you.  Ask the Father for His grace, tell the sick body to be healed, command oppressive spirits to be silent and depart, and invite the person you are interceding for to see the love of God for them.  Christ, Whose commands were obeyed 2,000 years ago is our eternal King with all authority.  His commands are still obeyed, and more so, and He is alive and active through your act of faith – you tried.  You stepped out.

And (you) go around doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God is with (you).

Remember that this new life you live is by faith.  Christ does indeed live in you, and when you step out and try He lives through you as well.  Your act of trust allows the Lord to honour your requests and your commands in His name.  Step out and try.  It’s an uncertain and frightening step when every experience you know as a human being says you won’t make a difference because life is life – it happens.  But step out and try.  Let Christ live through you and soon your experiences will be radically changed as you see His faithfulness proven time and again.  Step out and try.

But how do I know that the Lord wants to heal someone or free them from an oppression?  Allow Him to lead you.  If you see someone hurting and the desire rising within you is to help them, that is Jesus inspiring your compassion and desire.  Step out and try.

But what it I’m not feeling inspired?  What if I think I’m just trying to prove something, or testing Jesus just to see what He does?  Then pray.  Talk to our Father and ask Him to open your heart to Jesus’ desires and to open your mind to His will.  Look at the person you would intercede for and allow God to stir you.  Your doubts will fade and your desire for that person’s good will grow.  Step out and try.

Christ does indeed live in you, and when you step out and try He lives through you as well.

Step out and try.  Our God is big enough to take our little faith and grow a huge tree with it 🙂  When your heart is for Him and your desire is for His will, you cannot make a wrong decision because God will work with and through your faith.

Settle it in the truth, the Lord Jesus lives in you.  And when you step out and try He lives through you as well.

And (you) go around doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God is with (you).

The Fundamental Things We Believe

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It seems useful to provide a statement of the things we believe so that readers can decide for themselves if our postings are worthy of their attention.  Truth is our foremost pursuit and we are pleased to receive any correction and any confirmation of our doctrinal and faith position.

1. We believe that the Bible contains God’s Word to us, that it was written by holy men of God who were inspired by God’s Spirit in the writing.  We believe that it is suitable for all doctrine, instruction, and correction.  And we believe that it is spiritually discerned by God’s Spirit in the heart of every believer of Jesus Christ.

2. We believe that God is Spirit and that no person has seen Him at any time.  We believe He is that Holy Spirit who shaped the worlds and created all things that were created through His own creative omnipotence and faithfulness to His creative, directive Word.

3. We believe that God has expressed Himself to mankind through His holy men the prophets, through His heavenly angels, and finally through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

4. We believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God to enter this world as a man, the Word having laid aside His divine attributes in order to be fully man, and lived His life in union with the Spirit of God Who enabled His sinless and miraculous existence among sinful mankind.

5. We believe that God gave man authority and dominion over the earth, and that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  As such, when mankind fell into sin only a man could redeem us from sin.  The price of sin is death and so Jesus Christ, fully man, paid that price on the cross for all people.

6. We believe that God chose Israel as bearers of His name to the world, and that they were entrusted with His commands and declarations, and with the authority to write and declare Scripture.  With fulfillment of the law declared as the means to salvation, Israel then rejected that by crucifying as a sinner the sinless Jesus of Nazareth.  All persons were effectively declared sinners through the entrusted nation of Israel because no one could surpass the sinless holiness of Jesus.

7. We believe that all mankind being declared sinners proved God to be just in permitting death as the wages of sin, and then further proved Him to be merciful through His grace in raising Jesus from death to eternal life.  God chose to save us!

8. We believe that in Jesus we die with Him through the cross and our sins are now paid in full, and we believe that in Jesus we are raised to newness of life in union with the Spirit of God and our lives are now at and in His service – empowered by His Spirit to sinless and miraculous existence.

9. We believe that all authority is given to Jesus Who is the eternal King and faithful High Priest over and for all mankind, and that trust in Him is the active and ongoing declaration of our faith.  We believe because He is!

10. We believe that we are exactly what God the Father and Jesus the Lord say we are: beloved, redeemed, accepted, holy, righteous and we live our lives in submission to His care and direction – free of condemnation and filled with trust at being in the caring and directive hands of our Creator and Saviour.