Usually in life we are faced with negative, unpleasant people, troubling events and challenges of all sorts. Although many times we are happy and contented as we live, we cannot count on everything being just as we would order it. The Bible teaches we are dealing with the world of people about us, the fleshly nature of our physical being and the demonic works of Satan.

The world is a sick place to live and if our immune systems are not up to snuff, we will soon succumb to debilitating disease and death. Our fleshly bodies function with a constant pressure of wants, needs and desires. So when Satan gets into our heads with his schemes and deceits, we will find ourselves in a living hell of misery on earth. We will come to distrust each other, we will steal from each other, we will lie to each other, we will have murderous hatred in our minds.

With a besetting unpleasant situation in the world, where can we turn for deliverance and freedom? The Bible teaches we must face our state of being in sin (lost, without God) while living without God's direction in a bondage of sinful addictions.

A self-righteous person will never find true peace and contentment of life in himself/herself and in the world of people. The self-righteous person is a miserable person who tends to make everyone else miserable. The Bible calls self-righteousness filthy rags, unsuited for God's holy presence (Isa. 64:6; Romans 3:9-18). The hardest person to bring to God is often a self-righteous individual. Many of these people will go through life without God and Christ until it is nearly too late and then finally repent in bitter tears of a wasted life of arguing with God's Holy Spirit.

God will make our bitterness and grief a thing of the past when we seek His face in Christ Jesus. The world's people are so loved by God that He gave His beloved Son in death for the miserable sinners of the world (John 3:l6).

Although the Christian is in the world he doesn't share the world's evil attitudes and places God's will foremost in ruling over his own carnal trials and temptations. The Christian will do right in love even when it appears to hurt and brings personal suffering. The Apostle John wrote that this is the victory which overcomes the world,... our Lord will give all our sufferings in Him a blessed and happy outcome/ending. Let's remember Job who nearly lost everything: family, possessions, friends but not Jehovah/God who was watching over him and in the end delivered him from sickness and every loss into abundance of living (Job 42:10-17). Let's remember Jesus Christ, who was crucified, but raised in victory over death, hell and the grave for each one who will believe upon Him.

GROWTH IN CHRIST

"...CHRIST IN YOU...," does this thought stir a wonderful desire for Christ's likeness in your life? If you are a true Christian, in the Biblical sense, your great desire is to be like Christ Jesus in your life. It is truly thrilling to read Colossians 1:1f to verse 27 which reads:"...to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory." Our growth in Christlikeness, first, IS BASED UPON BEING COMMITTED TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST AS OUR personal, RISEN/LIVING SAVIOR, WHO DIED FOR and has cleansed us from our personal sin/sins; thereby, becoming THE RISEN LORD OF OUR LIFE. Second, our perfection, (maturity) from the Greek word "teleion", is the result of wise and sound teachings, received from the inspired Scriptures. In MT.10:38,39, Jesus spoke of the spiritual function of OUR OWN CROSS OF SELF DENIAL which we carry DAILY, AS WE WALK/LIVE IN OUR TIME FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND CHRIST JESUS. Consequently, we are to LIVE FOR CHRIST in our bodily temple. Otherwise, our carnal sensuous nature will give SATAN opportunities for control of our life THROUGH TEMPTATIONS AND WEAKNESSES. The Apostle Paul, in ROMANS EIGHT and II COR. 5:17, affirms: WE HAVE BEEN CREATED NEW BY THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF CHRIST'S HOLY SPIRIT. We no longer WALK/LIVE UNDER THE CONTROL of OUR FLESHLY WEAK NATURE, but cleansed and UNCONDEMNED are LIVING A NEW HOLY LIFE (Romans 5:1;8:1f); EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT'S LIBERATING PRESENCE OF LOVE'S GRACE which is laid out in I Corinthians 13. Romans 8:35f assures us that NOTHING CAN SEPARATE us from the mighty LOVE OF GOD. WE ARE HELD AND SUSTAINED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT INTO OUR HEARTS. Therefore, we should be MINDFUL OF HIS RULE IN OUR LIVES, while being FAITHFUL to His direction in our daily conduct. In summary, as newborn children of God we share a spiritual nature given by the Holy Spirit of Christ as indicated in II Pet. 1:1-5 which leads to godliness and holiness of daily living under the power of undying love I Cor.13. ALL our fleshly works of pride, although they seem commendable to the world, do not glorify God and as works shall be burned in judgment by Christ. Can and will we listen to the Holy Spirit as He teaches us the ways of Christ? We must be good listeners to the Word of God/Christ. Jesus often repeated the phrase "he that hath an ear, let him hear"; that means a heart ready in faith to listen to the Word of God from the lips of Jesus. We must love the Word (logos) of God while giving to it our fleshly bodies for God's glory and ministry, Romans 12:1f. This is the secret of abundant living, here and now. It is totally satisfying, as the living water of life from Christ flows through us to the world about us, moment by moment, showing the glory of Jesus our Lord on our faces; and the amazing fruit of the Spirit is enjoyed in our hearts and lives to the blessing of all the world community about us.

FAITH AND PATIENCE

Faith and patience go hand in hand, like a husband and wife. Both share commitment to the same goals.

In our Christian life our great goals are set by our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The central goal is to be always found peacefully in Him whether on earth or in heaven, whether in times of trials and opposition/persecution, or in the consequent victories.

You see, we are always victors in our faithful trust in the Spirit of God who lives in and through us to do the spiritually fruitful right and good thing which shows the work of God in and through us, now and forever. We are confident in God's power and good will for our well being. See Rev. 21:1-7.

I'm praying for your blessing and care in Jesus Christ the Lord of abundant life, and that you receive Him into your heart as Savior and Lord. (See Romans 10).