by David Brenneman
"and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts;" Revelation 2:23b.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
"and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:27.
"teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.
Our perceptions on our lives are tainted by our views concerning what is sin and what isn't. On what should be and shouldn't be in our lives. On what's right before God and what isn't.
Satan's a defeated foe according to the Scriptures but he's a lousy loser. Bent on kicking and clawing at whomever has become a child of God.
But our individual lives are always before our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
His promise to never leave us or forsake us is ever before us. We know by His own words that He's searching our hearts. You just read that yourself taken from the book of Revelation. Paul talks of this truth as well.
Growing in Christ, becoming more like Jesus in everyday life IS our life. Regardless of what our day entails that's what we are engaged in first and foremost. Jesus takes no breaks from our being His workmanship. He doesn't offer vacations from learning how to become more like Himself.
If you aren't intentional about learning more from your Teacher and Lord Jesus, then you're heading the wrong way.
We seem to live in a world where everything to stimulate the imagination is now at our fingertips. Everything to satiate the desires of our hearts, or so we think.
We are talked into this or that to make our lives easier or better. We are talked into what is ok and shouldn't be consistent as sin but in fact if we were in the Scriptures we would see that it is.
Jesus isn't going to stop our transformation into being like Him.
If you objectively looked at your life would you see someone obedient or someone who's been self-deceived? We can get so busy with life that we push Jesus out of the room we are in.
We will lie to ourselves as to what's going on but the truth is we are to seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness. Yet we can and do knuckle under to the pressures of life rather than do that.
Do you set aside time, intentionally, purposefully, to be with Jesus because you want to?
Do you have things that you 'love' that have taken up your time so that you don't spend time with Jesus?
These things might even have the appearance of being good but the truth is the truth...you are neglecting your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to pursue those things.
Jesus is never going to cease working in your life until that moment where you either breathe your last or the Rapture of the Church takes place.
Jesus is always going to know when and where you lied to yourself and He was excluded.
We cannot put people, places or things before our lives in Christ.
So what if you miss a live stream or video or movie or television show or sporting event or anything else.
If what you engage in is proving to cost you in growing in Christ then the price is too high.
Nothing should be worth more to you than doing, living, what is right in the eyes of God.
Whatever is important to God should be important to you.
So what if this means you miss out on things...isn't making your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ happy of greater importance?
As Peter was told...so are we...we are to follow Christ. We are to take up our own cross and follow Him.
Get truthful with you. Look at where you've lied to yourself about things and turn back towards the righteous life that God desires for you.
Our lives are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
If your light ISN'T shining in such a way that people ARE NOT seeing your works and glorifying your Father in Heaven then stop n learn what it is, turn from it and get your life right before Jesus.
Jesus is GOING to keep on working on your life, it’s a matter of how hard you are going to resist Him while He does.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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