'Crucified With Christ'....What Does It Mean For Us?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you have done for us. Thank you for taking the punishment for our sins and paying the penalty of death that we might live by your Spirit now and for all eternity. Thank you Father for your amazing grace and the salvation it has brought. Help me in my daily life to crucify my flesh and love those I can see, touch and serve. Lord Jesus, I love you, help me to live like I do. In Your Name I pray and ask it all. Amen.

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Recently while praying and expressing my love for God.  The Lord showed me that in my heart I was still carrying feelings of hurt, anger, offense and betrayal, and that these were not of Him! It was true! How could I say I loved God with this in my heart? This verse of scripture convicted me to examine my heart, mind and thoughts.
"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." 1John 4:20-21
I had to ask forgiveness, and sought the Holy Spirit to help me make amends and restore these fellowships. But how? I have to admit, I didn't know how to get started...
Then today, I came across the words, 'crucified with Christ', which caused me to pause, they sank deep within. This was how!  Paul reminds us,
"I have been 'crucified with Christ' and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
and teaches us,
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives." Galatians 5:22-25
Beloved, I am grateful the Spirit of Truth spoke to me about my sins.  If you or someone you know struggles with holding hurts, offenses or unforgiveness, repent of this, and ask Father to mend your heart and help to offer love and forgiveness instead.
In summary, as we live by the Spirit and not our flesh, we:

•  love God, when we love our brothers/ sisters. 
•  know that Christ lives in us.
•  allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in our lives.
•  nail (crucify) the passions and desires of our sinful nature to the cross.
•  follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
•  live by faith in the Son of God because Christ lives in us.

Let us pray that we are,"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24
Praying with/for you,
Theresa
PS: I sincerely pray this is a blessing to you and those you may send it to!

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Worshiping God Through Our Wilderness, Part 3

"But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;I say,'You are my God'. My times are in Your hand;" Psalm 31:14-15a

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Worship is: 

~blessing God with honor and thanksgiving, 

~acknowledging God in prayer, thought and song

~meditating on God's Word, holiness & goodness

~declaring God's goodness, faithfulness and love

~holding fast to God's promises and our confidence in Him 
~outwardly living holy, humble and generous lives for God, all before an audience of One...His name is Jehovah.  Amen.

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Worship God through my misery, seriously? Yep. Before the answer even comes!

I really don't feel like worship can help in my wilderness! I totally get it. 
Faith (see Part 1&2 of this study) - not feeling, is our only real resource for the decision to worship God through trying times.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

Isn't worship hard, almost impossible to do while in life pain?!  It doesn't have to be, friend.
Think back, is there anything that God has given, has been or has done for you? Was He trustworthy? Are you grateful? Then even now - you can worship God...

How do I truly worship God while I'm tested, hurting and/or afraid? First we make the decision.
Our decision to worship God before His intervention,  is an act of faith and confidence in Him. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us worship God, and He does, ...ask Him.

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed..." 1Peter 1:7

But you don't know the severity of my situation or circumstance! No one but God does beloved.

How can I worship God? In your own way. He loves your way! 

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Hebrews 10:23

Scripture illustrates worship as personal, intentional and very powerful! 

[See Job 1:20-22; 2:7-10; Psalm 3; 9; 28; 31; 86,121; Acts 16:24-26] 

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Whether we can fully worship God now, deals with our perspective or belief.  This makes all the difference...because hidden within, we either believe:

God is bigger than our wilderness of pain, fear and/or brokenness.

[See 1Samuel 17:26, 32, 34-37, 46-47]

OR

Our pain, fear and/or brokenness is bigger than God! 

[See 1Samuel 17:24-25,33]

We'll need the Holy Spirit's help to change our perspective to God is always bigger!

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Throughout scripture we have examples of the people of God who worshiped Him in the midst of great and small victories, honors and celebrations. Also we're given awe-inspiring views of God's servants, who despite being in desperate, fearful and painful times, did trust, exalt and worship their worthy God. Some even to their deaths!

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"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27

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Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

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"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:36

Let's worship God, for He's at all times worthy!
Praying for you,

Theresa

*Scriptures cited are from NLT & NKJV

Worshiping God Through Our Wilderness, Part 2

(Welcome! For Part 1 of our study, you may reference the February 23rd 2011 post.)

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Where does this faith come from? 

Romans 10:17 teaches us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God".

Our faith comes as we hear (and study) the Word of God. The more often we read, hear, and speak the Word of God...we will believe it, and the stronger our faith becomes!

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How can I have this faith?

(Speak the scripture passages (below and any), to hear them. Do this often to build faith.)

Decide daily to:
~ entrust the wilderness to God, because He will intervene on your behalf! (Psalm 12:5; Psalm 72:4,14; Jeremiah 50:34)

~ believe that Father is in the midst of the wilderness with you!  (Matthew 28:17-20; Isaiah 46:3-5)

~ possess His unconditional, strong and enduring love. (Romans 8:33-39) 

~ take God at His Word, He is Truth & He is Faithful!  (Matthew 6:26-34; Isaiah32:16-20; Psalm 18:30).                               

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"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." 1Chronicles 16:29

Wisdom Applied:

(i) Approach the Bible with a decision to believe what God teaches (Isaiah 43:10); Read scripture often, speak scripture often to hear scripture often. 

(ii) Pray and ask God by His Holy Spirit (John 12:26), to help us to believe and apply the read, spoken and heard Word of God to our life - He will! 

(iii) Hold fast to what you've learned to be true from the Word of God (Philippians 2:14-16); not allowing doubt or fear to snatch away your peace...until God's Word comes to past in your wilderness.

(iv) Meanwhile keep trusting, and worshiping God for all that He is doing on your behalf! (1Chronicles 16:29)

"Justice will rule in the wilderness, and righteousness in the fertile field." Isaiah 32:16

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But worship, seriously? How do we worship God when hurting or afraid?   In Part 3 of our study, we'll review what the Bible beautifully illustrates about this powerful expression of love called Worship.

God bless & keep you encouraged beloved. Am hoping you are blessed by this study.

Always praying with/for you,

Theresa