The second most excellent gift of the new birth life is not only the gift of eternal life but the resurrection-life of the Lord Jesus Christ in our mortal bodies. Paul wrote: I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me! We are unable to bring forth the character of our Lord Jesus Christ by self-effort. We embrace the truth of the Cross which says ”I have been, I am presently, and I will forever remain crucified. Henceforth, I cease to look within myself for any grace or evidence of good in me.

God, who raised Christ from the dead, now lives in us to impart resurrection life by the same power utilized to raise Jesus from the dead. Our Lord Jesus offered Himself by the Eternal Spirit to execute a mighty deliverance. God views us as perfect in Christ Jesus. We meet the spiritual, moral, and physical requirements for a holy God to find his pleasure in us. Thus, he is willing to enliven our mortal bodies to perform His service and, by the same Spirit, empower us to crucify our old fallen nature. This is for His pleasure and glory. #resurrectionlife #spiritfilled

God uses crisis to foster effective praying. The benefit is first, he reveals Himself. The second objective is he leads us to rely on his tremendous and rare promises as the efficacious means to hasten an answer. Lastly, he moves us by His Spirit to fill our minds with his exploits. This is the direct path to seeing our petitions answered, as requested, evidencing his perfect will, and blessing with His presence in an experiential way.

Freedom of choice when addressing moral issues creates conundrums because we are exercised to eliminate the risks while capitalizing on personal benefit. How do we choose a course of action that is mutually beneficial and glorifying to God? The answer may surprise you. The Lord Jesus chose to live a life that was a sweet aroma to the Father and sacrificially loving towards man. (Col.1:20). He made peace by the blood of his cross. He entrusted himself to do the Father’s will at the expense of his life. God was glorified, we were rescued, and He assumed the place of the highest honor for laying down his life.

The spiritual decline has a standard template and is etched throughout holy writ. It begins with a departure from the living God. It runs naturally, starting with the backslidden believer first defiling himself, then profanes his walk with God, and lastly, violating the things that are associated with the spiritual walk: 1. God’s presence is not enjoyed as before, nor is it counted as a necessity for a successful, morally clean, biblically based life. 2. Time alone with God and his word is reduced to a chore. 3. Personal associations are changed so that our social circle reflects the new values we embrace

The popular notion is that we can create the life of our dreams by practicing the Law of Attraction.  Is there merit to this philosophy? Answered prayer becomes reality when we seek God’s presence and aid. Adherence to the Law of Attraction suggests we can put forth the effort and an act of the will to bring that desired life to pass. Perhaps the greatest risk is that it suggests that we are, in essence, gods generating outcomes based on an untested methodology. This new-age philosophy ultimately robs of us the rich experience of God’s grace, providence, and growth in Christlikeness.

Just as there are learning models that categorize the stages people pass through in skills development, so too in spiritual development. Christians pass from The Infant Stage: those who don’t know that they don’t know; to The Mentored: Those that know they don’t know; to the Model: Those that don’t know that they know; to The Mature: Those that know that they know. There are corresponding behaviors that flow from each level of Christian maturity.

God’s Presence is the ”Jewel” of the spiritual life! While we exist in a chaotic cosmos, we resort to God’s Presence as the most important event of our spiritual life regardless of circumstances. Our trial may even necessitate separation from our busy lives for prayer with fasting, in the full assurance that deliverance will follow. Crisis driving us to God is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures, and this is no different for any of us - this is standard in the Christian life!

Eternal life, Faith in God, Being holy as He is holy, and Loving the brotherhood are all components of a “covenant relationship.” If believers breach the covenant terms they made with God, what recourse does the Almighty have? Now, we must contend with an angry God. People marvel at the notion that God gets angry. We ignore the sacredness of His covenants, breach them, and are surprised that judgment follows because of the breach. Anger is a justifiable reaction. The covenant presupposes the exercise of “good faith. “ and mutual benefit.

The ”Saints” have lost the sense of the high notion of the Glory of God. What is the result of a diminished view of God’s glory? We experience a reduced need to be holy, fearlessness in offending a Holy God, and lives bearing thorns, thistles, & weeds, and calling it ”fruit.” This notion of fearing God seems foreign to society and, sadly, even the churches. The quest to avoid offending God is absent in the lives of Christians. We have lost the sense of the dreadful glory of God and the eliciting of a response reticent to offend him. Our primary objective ought to be I should never displease or arouse his wrath