Living the Journey

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be comparedwith the glory which shall be revealed in us.” -Romans 8:18

He stands among a crowd of admirers with photographers snapping pictures in rapid succession.  In just a few minutes he will receive the reward for which he strove these many years.  Thoughts flood his mind, sending him back to this very day two years earlier…

“The runners lined up.  The gun went off.  Reflexively, each one launched himself into the task at hand.  With every ounce of strength they could muster the runners strained with every stride.  The pain began; slight at first, but increased rapidly.  The intense heat seemed to zap strength from even the strongest.  Only the top five competitors would qualify.  One by one the runners slowed.  A few dropped from utter exhaustion.  With adversities pressing upon him it seemed the disappointment would befall him also.”

Suffering – it’s not the most soothing thought to ponder.  Most people would rather avoid lengthy discourses on the subject because of the emotional picture it creates: grief, pain, and wounds.  We ask the question: “Is there any other way to view suffering?”

In Scripture there are numerous references to Christ’s own sufferings.  Isaiah 53 is the most familiar passage on this topic, but we also have His own words. Mark 8:31 -“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Jesus furthermore spoke of the sufferings believers will endure because of faith in Him.  Luke 21:12 says – “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.”  Paul sums this concept up in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” for their faith.  This is a hard pill for our flesh to swallow because we, as humans, do not like to be rejected by others.

But wait! Romans 8:18 doesn’t end with suffering.  Look at it again. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  There is a reward after it is all finished!!  Numerous verses confirm this fact.

Acts 5:41- “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  The word joy in this passage means delight, gladness, exceeding joyful.  It is the same word used in Matthew 2:10 to describe the wise men’s joy at seeing the star.

1 Peter 4:13 – “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”  This joy literally means to jump for joy.  Can you picture it!!

“And then, just when it appeared that his last ounce of strength was spent, a glimpse of something caught his eye.  Seconds later the picture was clear.  It was the finish ribbon, pulled taut.  A rush of energy and thrill of joy flooded the runner’s body.  Nothing would stop him now.  Running like never before, he closed the gap between himself and the finish line.  A few remaining steps and he felt the ribbon tighten against his chest.  One more step and it snapped – fluttering into the breeze.  The runner, exhausted, collapsed into his coach’s embrace and heard the words, “You have made the Olympic Team!”

…A hush over the crowd brings him back into the present.  Honors are being given to his fellow athletes. Then silence, as he, himself, bows his head and the gold medal is placed around his neck.  He pauses for a moment, and then stands erect, bearing the prize of a race well run. The crowd erupts into a thunderous applause.   

My friends, let us steadily run and faithfully endure the sufferings for His name sake, and so receive that crown of glory which shall not fade away.

~Laura B.

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“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” Romans 8:17

What a wonderful and loving God we have, He gives us the privilege to be called His children, His heirs and if not enough He says we are joint-heirs with His son Jesus Christ. An heir is a person who inherits and continues the work of a predecessor (oxford dictionary). This means that we can enjoy God’s inheritance along with Jesus. Because of the sacrifice He did for us at the cross. I like this part of being His child, God’s gifts and blessings! Who will not want that? But God is a righteous God and He doesn’t give us just the inheritance. He also gives us suffering, trials, problems, difficult circumstances, so our character will be like His. As we suffer with Him we will be glorify with Him too.

I strongly believe God controls all things and nothing happens without His permission (Job 2:10), good or bad things God has a purpose with that. Because times of suffering for righteousness show His glory: “And they [believers in the New Testament] departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).

I had a great new year’s eve with my family. The first day of this year I started thanking God for all the trials, problems, difficulties that I have had since I became a Christian. Suddenly as I was thanking Him a joy came into my spirit, remembering how He has also lifted me up and how His name has been glorified in my life. Suffering and rejoicing, according to God this is a perfect combination to grow in His ways and I totally agree!

When these times of suffering come, we should put our faith in God and cast all of our cares upon Him. At times, it may be hard to understand the suffering. Therefore, we must be patient and allow God to accomplish His perfect work in His perfect way and in His perfect time. We can trust that His ways are perfect! And that we may be also glorified together!

“I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us.”

—David Livingstone

Be blessed ~Ara

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“The Spirit itself beareth witness with out spirit, that we are the children of God” Romans 8:16

Today, we live in a world where Christianity has largely forgotten about the vital role of the Holy Spirit. People go to church, read their Bibles, and reach out to the community. But if you ask the average Christian when the last time was that they heard from the Lord, you might get a blank stare, or get the question, “What do you mean?”
Paul wrote that the Spirit of God “bears witness” with our spirits. But what does this mean? When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left behind the Holy Spirit of promise, the comforter, the One who would teach and guide believers in all truth. Those who truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God are bound in their spirits to the Spirit of God in an unbreakable marriage covenant. Another words, if you are a Christian, your spirit has become one with the Spirit of God. This union is a testimony – a witness – that you are a child of God.
The world is full of people who have doubts about their salvation. We hear questions like “How can I know if I’m truly saved?” or  “Where will I go when I die?” People are looking for answers! Some of those people have barely seen the light of the gospel, but others, like many of you, may have grown up in Christian homes, still facing doubts.
Ephesians 1:13-14 sheds incredible light on the assurance of Salvation: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” Another words, Paul is saying, “You trusted in the Lord for salvation by hearing the truth and believing it. Because of that faith, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest (or down-payment) of your inheritance until Christ returns to take his possession (believers) to himself.”
Our spirit, made one with God’s Spirit, remains in unbroken covenant as the portion of our inheritance that we obtain here on earth, while waiting for Christ’s return. It testifies to the world that there is something radically different about our lives from the lives of those who don’t know the Lord. However, we are also given a solemn warning: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit...” Don’t stifle the light – the difference that shines through to a watching people lost in darkness. Let it show!

I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;

But how much I love Thee my actions will show.

~Hannah Stelzl

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“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

–Romans 8:15

It is so easy to think that being a Christian is living out a list of standards and rules. But your walk is not dependent on your faithfulness to the rules; it is dependent on your relationship with God.

We were saved by grace through faith: “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9

Before we were saved, we had reason to fear: with all our sin came punishment. After we were saved, we no longer have reason to fear. Jesus paid for all our sin!

But do you ever have a sense of guilt and condemnation? Do you ever feel that God, the One who bought you with His Son’s blood from your old master (the devil), is judging you? Often, it seems that way, doesn’t it?

When we were under our old master that is exactly how it was. His pursuit was to keep you from God by telling you that God would never forgive you for your sin. That is why we find lost people who say, “Oh, God would never forgive me for what I’ve done.”

And yet, dear Christian, we feel just like the lost do. We live our lives trying to do more to please God, because it seems like we can never do enough. Is our sin still too great that God cannot forgive us? When we don’t carry out God’s will, does He condemn us? No. The truth is, once we are forgiven, we are always forgiven.

That blood that washed away our sin the day we were saved is still in effect today! When God sees us He doesn’t see little slaves that He can order around all day. He doesn’t see sinners with sin’s stain all over them. He sees precious children: “…but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:15b)

Would a God who is constantly judging us for our sin want to be called our Father? No. But our God is not like that! Once He saved us, He clothed us in righteousness, He put His Spirit within us, He made us holy by His Son, Jesus, and He made us clean! There is absolutely no condemnation anymore! He gave us right standing with Himself, and wants you and I to think of Him as our Father.

We are to have an intimate relationship with Him. That is what He gave us when we were saved. At the moment that we received Jesus as our Savior, we received life eternal: “And this is life eternal, that they may know [knowing by experience] Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

We are to walk out our relationship with our Father the same way we were saved; “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” (Col. 2:6) How did you receive Jesus Christ? Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Since we were saved by grace through faith, we are to walk in Christ by grace through faith. Not of ourselves do we walk, but through Christ.

It was simple at salvation; it is simple now. Don’t be so carried away by what you’re doing for God, but rather, be carried away by the One you are doing it for. Let Him be the motivation for living and the motivation for life; not fear of some overbearing slave-master.

God delights to be called your Father! He’s not ashamed of you! What father would want to be associated with a child he is ashamed of? God wants to be associated with you! You did not receive another spirit of slavery like the one you had before when you were saved, you received the Spirit of the God who calls Himself your Father! There is no shame there; but there is a sweet relationship worth living for.

~Sandie

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“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”

Romans 8:13-14

So do you remember that time, it probably wasn‘t even that long ago, that you promised yourself that you were gonna change? Let’s say for example, you had just done or said something that you knew you shouldn’t have and now you regret it so you say to yourself, “You know what? That’s it. That’s the absolute last time I’m ever doing that again! I know I should stop so I will. I‘m sick of it and I‘m finished with it. Goodbye bad habit!” Good plan right? And so you tell yourself what to do the next time that situation comes up, maybe you even plan and strategize, and you go away with confidence knowing that you’ve got this thing covered. Well you go along your merry way  for two weeks, or two days…or two hours, or for some of us (like me), two minutes. And what do you know, but you mess up and do the exact same thing again? now you’re really upset because you broke your word to yourself and you did this thing once again that you really knew better about. So to make it up to you, you firmly promise never to do it again…again.

Question: Does that really work?

Think back to that specific time right now, what is it that you struggle with most? Maybe for you it’s saying hurtful words, or having unkind thoughts toward someone, or maybe it’s losing your temper. Maybe it’s even eating things that you know you shouldn’t. Whatever it is that you face, can you feel the frustration that comes when you want to conquer it but you can’t? This naturally brings us to another question:

Why can’t I change?

Well, right about now would be a really good time to remember that it’s totally impossible for us to change ourselves. I mean, who ever heard of  me redeeming me? Me making me a better person? It just wouldn’t work. That’s the number one reason why Jesus had to come to earth, to rescue us from ourselves and our sin and to set it all right again. He made a way to change, and He is the only way to change.

But even though I know this, so often I find that my attitude says that I don’t need any outside help, and that I can do it all on my own without Him. But for that to be true would mean battling against the devil, fighting the pull of the world and guarding against my own wicked flesh all by myself. I would be crazy to try it.

Now of course if you asked me about it I would give you a “spiritual” answer, something like, No no no, that‘s not what I think! Don’t be ridiculous! I know I am nothing without Christ, I need him every day.

So sure, I may say that, but the big question is, what do I Do? How do I act? Do I live like Jesus is my life and breath, like my very life is wrapped up in His? (Col.3:3) My very identity? Or is he somewhere on my exterior, just a part of my life, like a nametag or a pair of shoes, something that’s added on to who I already am. You know, something extra.

Jesus Extra or Jesus All.

The Oh-so-Typical scenario up at the top is one example of what living in the flesh looks like in the life of a believer. We might say, Yes, I need Jesus, But what do our lives say? Something different maybe?

but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Ah time for some good news! Praise God the verse doesn’t end there!

Living life in the flesh will leave you burned out and frustrated. We know that; we’ve all been there. But Christ has provided victory over all of our besetting sins, and it’s already been paid for by His death and is now ours for the taking. That’s right, Jesus Christ’s unfaltering victory is available for us in our lives! It came free along with salvation.

Now as believers, our spirits have been reborn, but we’ve been living in the flesh for so long, that there’s still a lot of junk (worldly ways of thinking, sinful habits, faulty character) that still needs to be cleaned up. And we’ve already established that we can’t do it on our own (ever try performing open-heart surgery on yourself? Wouldn’t recommend it.). So it’s time to let God’s spirit do it’s work. This is exactly what we need, but it’s not always easy for us to do. Allowing the Spirit to destroy all our old habits and tendencies isn’t just a one time thing either. It’s a constant minute by minute surrender.

Which leads perfectly into the next bit:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Because as we let Him take control of doing away with our old self, we begin to learn how to  obey His promptings and listen for His still small voice in life. We begin to realize what it really means to be led by the Spirit. It’s not some mystical saying that people use when they want to sound more spiritual, this is practical stuff. Being Spirit led is simply allowing God to impact every area of life, holding nothing back from Him, letting Him strengthen some things, and totally annihilate others, and being okay with it all. It’s through the Spirit alone that we can be freed from our old habits; we don’t do the killing, we can’t (Only He can hit the reset button).

So we can’t do it alone and He won’t do it alone. God and we are a team (that was His idea), He wants us to allow Him to come in and clean house. And then our job is to stand ready for whatever He tells us to do. If He asks for the wrench, we give Him the wrench. He asks for the dynamite, we don’t buckle, we go get the dynamite. Remember, we are Spirit led, that means what He says goes.

So how do we find out what He says? Ask Him. Pray for His guidance. And dive into the living Word. Wrap yourself up in it and saturate yourself until it comes out your ears…or mouth. Find it in the Bible and highlight it, write about it, think about it (that’s all good), but don’t stop there; go out and live it. Take what you find and put feet on it. That’s Spirit led, and that’s also a child of the most High God. They don’t separate. They are one.

Spirit Led = Child of God.

And when you live like that, with your Lifeline leading you every moment, when you face all those things that used to destroy you, you can look the temptation in the eye and say, “Yeah, I used to do those things, but I’m not that person anymore. I am not a slave to that sin now, in fact, now I’m dead to all sin. Dead men can’t sin. And so through God’s power and grace I now Choose to do what is right and refuse to entertain that sin anymore.” (Based on Rom.6)

And for those of you who have tasted that freedom, you know that there’s just nothing on earth like it. All the sin in the world couldn’t make you near as happy as following Christ in that kind of victory. That’s what the Christian life looks like.

Unfortunately for us, we have just enough power on our own to mess it all up, to take control away from God and do our own thing, thinking that our way will give us more freedom. It’s only as we surrender ourselves once more to His will that we experience true freedom again. Because “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (II Cor. 3:17). Wow. Think about that one for a while.

Have you found yourself struggling to keep Christ as the central focus of your life? Saying that you trust Him but living like you don’t? Feeling like God isn’t helping and the burden is all on you? It’s alright to have those feelings, it’s good. It’s like the fire alarm going off in your life telling you that something’s wrong. The important thing to remember is don’t stay that way. Take those thoughts and feelings straight to God. Tell him all about it and then ask for the wisdom and strength to do something. Allow God back into the control room of your life, let Him take those big burdens back, (He never meant for us to carry them alone anyway) and put yourself back on His worktable, letting Him have His way in your life. You will Never regret it.

The plans He has for us are completely boundless, as long as we have the faith to except them.

Children of the King, living in the Spirit is what it’s all about.

So let’s start living.

~Sam Oliverio

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“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.”  Romans 8:12

There is a subtle, fleshly counterfeit to living this Christian life…It masquerades as Godly living.

Its name: Self-Improvement.

It hounds you. It burdens you. It whispers in your ear, “You’re not doing enough.” It smiles as it watches you pull out your checklist of Do’s and Don’ts: “I will get up earlier”, “I will read my Bible longer”, “I will pray for hours a day”, “I will witness more”, etc.

Self-improvement is trying to live a Godly life IN THE FLESH.

The Amplified Bible reads Romans 8:12, “So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh.”

Self-improvement’s Spirit-filled, Christ-exalting, “not about self” counterpart is:SELF-DENIAL.

While on the outset they may appear to be the same, they are vastly different. Self-denial walks in the peace, joy, and freedom of following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

He says, “Get up early and spend time with Jesus.” You say, “Ok.”

He says, “Don’t watch that movie – I want to be your pleasure.” You say, “Ok.”

He says, “See that guy over there – he’s hurting and headed to a Christ-less eternity. Give him a tract.” You say, “Ok.”

A wise man once said, “Never do something to be godly; do it because you’re God’s.” This, friends, is the Christian life! This is joy, fulfillment, and peace! Walk WITH Jesus!

“The Christian life is not a quest to keep a list of rules. It’s about Jesus –

 treasuring Him with all our hearts, loving Him more than anything else.”

Pastor Tim Knaus

~ Becky Keilen

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