Season for Relationships, Pt. II

     The story of the prophet Elijah in I Kings 17-19 paints an excellent picture of those who try to carry the burdens of life on their own.  Just after Elijah called fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice on the altar of Baal, the king's wife Jezebel sent intimidating threats to him which quickly changed his disposition.  One minute he was a mighty man of faith and power and the next minute he became a coward who ran for his life.  Not only did fear get the best of him, but he became depressed and suicidal.

     God responded to his situation by sending an angel on two separate occasions to strengthen him with some "angel food cake" but after eating it, Elijah still couldn't shake his predicament.  In addition to the food, the angel spoke a message to Elijah that went in one ear and out the other:  "The journey is too great for you."  Unfortunately, Elijah thought the angel was just talking about the need to eat to have energy for his travels.  (More on this later)

     Forty days later, Elijah came to Mount Horeb and entered a cave with the resolve to give up on his spiritual calling.  In that lonely place the Lord asked him this simple question:  "What are you doing here, Elijah?"  Contained in the question was a statement that implied that he wasn't supposed to hang out in caves.  God had called him to be his prophetic mouthpiece, not a refuge on the run. 

     Elijah's response revealed that he had yet to learn what God was trying to teach him through this situation, so God told him to leave the comfort zone of his cave for a lesson in the classroom of God's creation.  God caused a strong wind, an earthquake and a fire to manifest in Elijah's clear view, and Scripture notes that "the Lord was not in" any of these forces.  Then God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice.  I think God was making the point that circumstances should not dictate how we live our lives.  The voice of God should direct our steps.  In Elijah' case, a manipulating woman should not incite intimidation, thus silencing his prophetic voice.  Something was missing in this equation and God was determined to help Elijah see just what that was.  So God asked Elijah again "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

     Of course God already knew the answer to his own question.  He was simply trying to get Elijah to see himself from another perspective other than his own, which was skewed by the fear that drove him there in the first place.  But Elijah didn't get it.  He responded to God's 2nd question  with the identical answer he gave  before, revealing that he didn't learn a thing from God's attempt to arrest his attention through the wind, earthquake and fire. 

     The latter part of Elijah's response sums up what was missing in the equation of his life:  "I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."  Elijah truly believed that he was the only godly man left in Israel and that his days were numbered.  But God burst his bubble by telling him that He had 7000 more people who had not bowed their knees to Baal, the god of Jezebel and those who conformed to her control.  What Elijah didn't realize was that Jezebel was forcing him to bow his knees to Baal by submitting to her influence.

     Unfortunately, Elijah missed his window of opportunity to recover out of his pity party of one.  Two angel visitations, two words from God and a visual aid later, Elijah still couldn't shake loose from the pride that blinded him from his greatest need:  the strength of relationships.  The angel said it quite well:  "The journey is too great for you."  Elijah's greatest need wasn't nutrients for a physical journey; it was the strength of spiritual relationships for his spiritual journey.  

     How would the story have changed if Elijah had someone to encourage him through his Jezebel nightmare?  How many more miracles would he have performed if he would have had an ear to hear the truth about his situation?  How many more people would have benefited from his prophetic ministry had he made the effort to connect with the other 7000?  Elijah is definitely known as a great Old Testament prophet whose words of faith activated the power of God, but I think his greatest message was spoken through his very life itself.  He would want us to know the power of relationships in times of crisis.   

     If you wait until you're in a crisis to reach out for help, you might receive ministry but you won't necessarily develop relationships.  But if you develop relationships prior to your crisis, you will undoubtedly have a support system to help you through.  Unfortunately for Elijah it was too little, too late.  But it's not too late for you!  You can believe God for the relationships you need to succeed in life and to fulfill your calling.  You can submit your current relationships before the Lord for His divine adjustments.  And you can surrender your will to the Father in exchange for His wisdom to do your part in each relationship.  Don't allow circumstances to dictate your relationships.  Let the word of the Lord have its course in your life! 

    

Season for Relationships, Pt. I

     I Corinthians 12:18 "But now God has set the members, each of them, in the body just as He pleased."

     II Corinthians 1:21-22 "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

     Acts 13:2 "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

     Matthew 19:6 "...what God has joined together, let not man separate."

 

     Although I pray for those who are closest to me on a fairly regular basis, from time to time I feel led to focus my prayers on relationships as a whole.  Not only do I pray for those who have a special place in my heart, but I also pray for the relationships God has yet to bring into my life and the relationships He wants to restore.  I ask the Lord for wisdom to enter new relationships, to develop existing relationships and to exit relationships, if need be.  I also try to be sensitive when He tells me to accelerate a relationship or to slow one down a little.  I don't believe relationships have to be black or white, all or nothing.  Adjustments are necessary to keep things healthy and productive.

     I find myself in such a season right now, and I am utterly amazed at God's ability to orchestrate relationships in our lives when we exercise our faith in Him!  Jesus often told people that they were healed "according to their faith" or that "their faith made them whole."  I find that this principle applies just as much to relationships as it does to healing.  I normally don't talk much about myself in the blogs that I write, but I have a hunch that my testimony will encourage a number of people to believe God for relational alignment which will accelerate spiritual growth.

     By reading the scriptures listed above, you can easily come to the conclusion that God does indeed bring people together for His purpose.  This purpose can be for fellowship, discipleship or team ministry.  I strongly believe that we shortchange our own spiritual growth and calling when we go through life with a lackluster approach to relationships.  Relationships are worth believing for.  And relationships are worth fighting for.

     About 6 months ago I was enlightened to the fact that I had let some relationships slip away and that I was isolated by my own choice.  I began to notice my spiritual life "gauge" spiraling downward even though I was exercising my spirit through prayer and the Word.  Then the light bulb went off.  My relationship with God was incomplete without the relationships that God has assigned to my life!  I was trying to bear my burden aone, which runs contrary to what God said in the beginning:  "it's not good for man to be alone."  This is not to say that I had no relationships with others, but that I was living well below my potential because I wasn't exercising faith for the wisdom of God to make the most of my relationships.

     Just because you attend church services, hear regular sermons by your pastor and talk to people after church doesn't necessarily mean that you are maximizing your spiritual relationships.  Having relationships in your life is one thing, but managing your relationships by the leading of the Spirit is another thing.  Making a concerted effort to do your part in each relationship involves walking in love, which requires you to speak up at times and to be silent at other times, to take action and sometimes  just do nothing.  Discerning the difference can make or break relationships.  Simply put, knowing who has your back and who you can trust are critical in critical times of your life. 

 

Make sure to read part II of this blog which will be available in just a few days

    

Half the Bible, Twice the Impact!?

     Luke 12:48  "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required." 

     I Corinthians 4:2  "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." 

     God is a giver.  He is a giver because He is a lover.  He loved us so much, He gave us His Son.  After His Son gave His life for us, he rose from the dead, ascended back to heaven and gave the Spirit the responsibility of helping us receive all that He has given us.  He gave us His Word to reveal to us His intention to freely give us all good things.  He gave us His Spirit, not only to make us aware of heaven's possibilities, but to help us walk in their reality in our lives here on earth.    

     We love Him because He first loved us.  We aren't initiators, we are responders.  God gave us faith, not so we could use it at our discretion to get what we want, but so we could believe His Word and walk into the reality of His intention.  Faith gives us access into His grace, which is all He is and all He has for us.  

     Faith is quite possibly the most pivotal gift we have been given by God.  Faith gives us the ability to hear His voice, believe His Word and receive newness of life that only comes from heaven.  Exercising our faith in God through vocal proclamation and active obedience enables us to participate in God's supernatural life in the midst of our everyday lives. 

     Faith causes us to recognize the spiritual world around us and to participate in its reality by embracing and releasing the creative power of His Word.  The universe was framed by the Word of God and "our world" can likewise be formed and reformed by the words of our mouth as we agree with heaven and welcome the kingdom of God into our lives.  

     The beauty of the Word of God is that it inspires our souls to live above the challenges of life and at the same time energizes our spirits to break through barriers that limit God's influence in and through us.  This is possible because the Word both imparts faith (Romans 10:17) and activates the faith we already have. (Romans 10:8-10)

     With half the Bible we currently possess, the early church made twice the impact on their world than we have on ours thus far.  Allow me to submit to you that this is true because they were faithful to respond aggressively to what they were given:  the Spirit of Christ, who picked up where Jesus left off.  In order for our generation to experience the kingdom of God the way God intends, we need a radical paradigm shift in our westernized thinking.  We desperately need to be delivered from a culture that places us at the center of attention.  Church life is not about what we can get out of it, it is supposed to be all about Him.

     Last time I checked Jesus promised to build His Church on the foundation of His Word through the ministry of the Spirit, who is the executive director of the kingdom of God in the earth.  The Spirit develops heavenly culture in our lives as we allow Him to carve away earthly culture that stands in opposition to His ways.  This is what it means to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 10:7, Acts 2:37-40) which by the way, was the predominant message of John the Baptist (the last OT prophet), Jesus (the initiator of the NT) and the early church.

     Repentance, which is a continual change of mind and lifestyle, is an absolute requirement to experience greater depths of God's kingdom in our lives.  The atmosphere of heaven permeates the hearts of those who submit to repentance as the Spirit leads them into all truth.  Repentance is not just something we do in order to be born again or something we do in response to an awareness of our sins.  Repentance is the life-long process of submitting our thoughts to God's thoughts.  And the Word of God is a tremendous tool God has given us to help with this endeavor. 

     One clear distinction between the church we read about in the book of Acts and today's church is the approach to God's Word.  To believe something in that era implied immediate obedience and life application.  After all, "faith without works is dead."  But we tend to separate our beliefs from our actions.  This is primarily due to our tendency to "lean on our own understanding instead of trusting in the Lord with all our hearts." (Proverbs 3:5,6)

     This generation is full of professional church-going, sermon-listening, conference-attending, book-reading Christians who equate the accumulation of their biblical knowledge to spiritual maturity.  But spiritual maturity is not measured by the Word of God we are familiar with.  It is evident by the God of the Word that we intimately know and are influenced by. 

     Another noticeable difference between the church of today and that of yesterday lies in the dependence on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Due to persecution and civil unrest, first century believers depended on the wisdom and protection of the Lord for their very survival.  And due to their limited access to the Scriptures, they had to rely on the Spirit within to verify truth when they heard it.  Due to our abundant access to Scripture, I think we depend too much on our ability to process information instead of the Spirit's ministry to reveal truth to us.  

     In our lush Christian culture we tend to fit our church life into our weekly routine, but in the early church it was a way of life.  Their focus wasn't set on fulfilling expected Christian duties.  It was set on engaging their relationship with God and others on a daily basis because they were compelled to do so by the love of Christ.  And because they relied so heavily on the Spirit's ministry from day to day, the Spirit was able to form Christ in them and reveal Christ through them in rapid acceleration, so much that they turned their world upside-down in a relatively short time span.  

     If we can learn and apply just these two lessons from the early church, we too will turn our world upside-down.  We shouldn't read our Bibles with the religious spectacles of our idolatrous culture because we will end up deifying the apostles of old.  They were ordinary men and women just like you and I, who seriously embraced their responsibility to be faithful to the Word and to the Spirit, who authored the Book in the first place.

     Each generation has the luxury of learning from previous generations who have experienced God firsthand.  In its simplest form the Word of God is a collection of stories detailing how generations of old came into relationship with God because they responded to the voice of God in the midst of their frail humanity.  Welcome the fullness of the Spirit's ministry within as you continue your quest to know Him more through His magnificent Word!

        

    

            

    

Because I Said So, Part 2

     We have the same Spirit that the early church had, the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, and yet our ability to transform our world pales in comparison to the first century believers.  How can this be so?  Now that's a good question that deserves a good answer!  Maybe I'll take a stab at that one in my next blog.  But for now let's dive into some biblical reasons why every believer should diligently read and study God's Word.
     We are all "kings and priests" (I Peter 2:5,9 & Revelation 1:5,6) and therefore have a responsibility to (1) maintain our own spiritual health (Matthew 4:4, I Timothy 3:11-16) and to (2) position ourselves to hear from God on behalf of others (Colossians 3:16, I Corinthians 14:31).  The Word of God assists us in both of these endeavors.
     God never intended for a special class of people to do all the studying and interpreting of the Word while the rest of us are spoon-fed whatever comes our way.  One of the aspects of the New Covenant that Jeremiah prophesied about was that we would all know Him, "from the least to the greatest." 
     The Word of God reveals God's nature and will, which enables us to (3) progress in our knowledge of Him, which ultimately enables us to live a productive life.  So if we want to know Him more and to make Him known through our lives, then a steady diet of the Word is vital.
     Pursuing a greater knowledge of God's Word is also pivotal to the (4) renewing of our minds, (Romans 12:1, Ephesians 4:23) which is presented as a continual process that requires continual pursuit.  God's thoughts have a way of transforming our thoughts when we allow the Spirit to illuminate His truth to us, even truth that He spoke to others generations ago.  This is possible because "the word of God is living and powerful." (Hebrews 4:12)
     Closely related to the renewal of the mind is the need to (5) counteract the influence of the world with the power of the Word.  The culture in which we live bombards us daily with beliefs, practices, priorities and values that are contrary to God's will for our lives.  In order to recognize these things before they conform us to the world's standards, we must become familiar with the culture of heaven, which is revealed through the Word of God.  We need to be mindful of our kingdom citizenship and to be reminded of the values of the kingdom that should determine how we live our lives.
     Another important reason that believers today should be consistent readers of the Word of God is to (6) familiarize themselves with Scripture so as to detect false teaching when they hear it.  The fact that the New Testament warns numerous times (Matthew 24:4-5, I Timothy 4:1 & II Peter 2:1-3) of false leaders bringing false teachings into the church in the last days should cause us to take measures to safeguard ourselves with truth against these lies.  Deception is much easier to accomplish in people who are not familiar with the truth of God's Word. 
      Notice that I have not listed the accumulation of biblical knowledge as a result or a motivation of reading the Word.  The Bible is a spiritual book and therefore should be treated differently from every other book on the shelf.  Reading the Bible without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit can actually be counterproductive.  Paul said in I Corinthians 8:1 that "knowledge puffs up."  When spiritual life takes a back seat to biblical knowledge, you're on the road to spiritual stagnation and pride.   
     Many Christians make the mistake of judging their own spirituality based on their biblical knowledge or past spiritual experience.  And this is exactly the moment that pride forms in believers, thus creating a hindrance to them receiving and walking in newness of life that is available through the Word.  The Word is a powerful tool but please understand that it was written through inspiration and therefore must also be read and understood with the same inspiration of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is our Teacher.  Don't read the Bible without Him.
     In review, here's a list of a few "why's" of reading the Word.  Allow these reasons to motivate you to sit in the classroom of the Spirit, explore the holy textbook with fresh hunger and to walk revelation out in your everyday life.

     1.  Maintain your spiritual health
     2.  Position yourself to hear from God for others
     3.  Progress in your knowledge of God
     4.  Renew your mind
     5.  Counteract the world's influence
     6.  Protect yourself from false teaching 
    
      

Because I Said So

     Every child on the planet has probably heard this at one time or another growing up.  And every parent has probably said this in response to the proverbial question:  "why?"  This question is sometimes asked from a sincere heart that is seeking to make sense out of life and certain situations.  But at other times it is projected on authority figures as a challenge to convince them as to "why" they should do what they are told.

     When the question of "why" is followed up by the infamous answer of "because I told you so," this can mean a number of things.  It could mean that the parent doesn't exactly know the answer but wants to be believed nonetheless.  Or maybe it's a lazy excuse for not wanting to take the time to teach or explain something.  Or perhaps it could mean that they want to be obeyed without being questioned altogether.  And then there are those moments when there simply isn't enough time for an explanation just right then.  But sadly enough, the necessary explanation is all-too-often swept under the rug of the next "because I said so."  And the cycle continues...

     Unfortunately, this expression has taught myriads of children that authority figures have no accountability to their subordinates and that blind obedience is expected from those under their control.  My belief is that this mindset has crept into the church.  Many times we are told to do certain things without sound biblical understanding as to "why."  We are commonly told what to do and are often given a particular version of how to do things, but the why is often neglected when a clear explanation is in order.

     Of course the "why" of spiritual obedience should always be substantiated by the Word of God.  Church doctrines (what to believe) and religious traditions (how to do things) carved in the stones of church services and organizational structures are not reason enough to obey.  We need chapter and verse (why).  Anything other than the Word of God which serves as a foundation for what we believe and how we live is a shaky foundation, which is sure to fall under the pressures of life.

      Even Jesus didn't play the "because I said so" card.  He derived his authority from the word of God coming to him from the Father (Matthew 4:4).  In fact, he only spoke what he heard the Father speaking to him.  And he only did what he saw the Father doing.  So when Jesus issued orders to his disciples, he actually did this because he discerned what the Father was saying and doing in their lives, and he wanted them to experience the Father's love.  Jesus then took the time to help them understand some things along the way, but they had a difficult time grasping truth until they received the Holy Spirit later on.

     So the saga continues...  For example, we are told that in order to be good Christians we should read our Bibles every day.  But why?  "Because I said so."  OK, that's not going to cut it anymore.  "Well, because the Bible itself says to."  That's better but really, why should we read the word of God?  What specific purposes should motivate us to study the Scriptures?  And what tangible results should we expect as a result of becoming a diligent student of the Word? 

     Before we look in the Word to answer this question of "why," ponder this for a moment:  believers in the first century by and large DID NOT read their Bibles every day, and yet they experienced exponential spiritual and numerical growth as the gospel was proclaimed in their generation.  You might be scratching your head at this statement, wondering how it could be true.  Allow me to explain.

     For starters, the New Testament was still in the process of being written in the first century and wasn't compiled for quite some time after that.  Secondly, the printing press wasn't invented as of yet, so copies of the Old Testament weren't exactly accessible in their local Christian bookstores.    And thirdly, the vast majority of people in the Roman empire at that time were illiterate, and therefore couldn't read the Bible even if they had one!  For these very reasons, the reading of Scripture took precedence in their public meetings.

     I am not making the case that we don't need to read the Word.  My point is that the early church thrived under the leading of the Spirit despite the lack of the Word's availablilty to them.  With our ability to read and our easy access to the Old and New Testaments, how much more of an impact should we be making in the world in which we live?  

     We have the same Spirit that the early church had, the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, and yet our ability to transform our world pales in comparison to the first century believers.  How can this be so?  Now that's a good question that deserves a good answer.  Maybe I'll take a stab at that one later, but for now let's dive into some biblical reasons why every believer should diligently read and study God's Word.

to be continued next week...      

    

Where Does the Time Go?, Pt.2

     His message and His mission came from heaven and He was responsible enough to stop and listen for "orders from headquarters."  The moment He sensed the strength of His spirit waning after expending Himself through sacrificial ministry, He found a way to get alone with God for refreshment and to re-orient Himself for the next mini-mission along His journey to fulfill His ultimate mission on the cross.

     Jesus consistently spent time with His Father in prayer, ministry being the result of that prayer life.  Sometimes it was early in the morning, sometimes late at night.  Often He would go up a mountain to pray.  The place and time weren't as important as the priority He placed on it.  He connected with the Father on a consistent basis because the temptations that accompanied His physical body and soul demanded that He draw strength and wisdom from heaven, not only to overcome temptation but to fulfill all righteousness.  And that He did on a tree.

     Immediately after Jesus spent 40 days connecting with God in the desert, the devil tempted Him to function as the Son of God by turning stones into sandwiches. (OK, I modified that a little)  The temptation was to use His spiritual identity as the Son of God to feed his flesh, in more ways than one.  Not only did Jesus refuse to do this, but He silenced the voice of the enemy with this verse in Matthew 4:4 "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God."

     Jesus didn't deny His identity as the Son of God with this statement.  Nor did He deny the fact that He was ready to throw down at the Jerusalem Golden Corral buffet.  (LOL) What He revealed was that His life's decisions were not dictated by external circumstances, but by an ever-proceeding Word from the Father.  In the same way our natural bodies depend on a consistent intake of nutrients in order to function properly, the health of our spirits  depends on receiving His Word into our hearts and allowing the Spirit to apply it to our lives consistently.

     Matthew 4:4 is actually a direct reference to the Israelites gathering manna that God supplied for them in the desert.  The fact that He gave them exactly what they needed every day is a good indication that He wants to do the same for you today.  If you are a born again believer, then the Spirit of Christ lives inside you and has been commissioned to reveal who Jesus is to you.  He is poised to reveal the will of the Father to you.  He is able to show you who you are in Christ (who He is in you).  He can also give you the strength and wisdom not only to overcome your temptations but to fulfill your purpose too!

     The only way He can fulfill His purpose in your life is if you allow Him to help you fulfill yours!  And this involves you putting your faith in God's ability to do what only He can do (the prayer of faith) as well as asking for His wisdom to do what you need to do (prayer of petition).  It's a partnership made in heaven.  You and God are a team.  And together you can accomplish anything He puts into your heart to do!

     Think of the Word of God as your source of spiritual nutrition.  It gives you the strength to survive and the sustenance to thrive, the wisdom to achieve and the faith to believe that anything is possible.  D.L. Moody once said that "the Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."  So true!  When the knowledge of the Word you've obtained yesterday becomes more important than the life the Word can give you today, you essentially begin to sacrifice the wisdom of God on the altar of your own agenda.

     His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts far exceed our wildest imaginations.  Place a premium demand on His will by making each day just a little more important than the one before.  After all, you are a day closer to eternity than you were yesterday.  Time is precious and so is His voice.  Ask the Lord to make you sensitive to hear, ready to learn, willing to change, quick to obey and hungry for more of Him.

     If Jesus Christ, who is the very Word of God Himself, chose to lay aside His deity and take upon Himself human flesh like you and I, this is proof enough that He has made tremendous effort to bridge the gap between your life and your spiritual purpose.  If it was necessary for Jesus to maintain His spirit through prayer, then I think it is extremely self-righteous for us to think that we can go about our lives any other way than He modeled for us:  a life in love with Him.  He took up His cross for us.  We should do the same for Him.  The only way to obtain true life is through the death of our fleshly desire to maintain control in our lives.  Surrender your all, die daily and discover what a joy it is to allow His life to flow through you.

Comments/Questions, etc.     bosalisbury@hotmail.com

                

Where Does the Time Go?

     As each new year approaches I am reminded that time slows down for no one.  Our days on earth are so very valuable, not only to our individual lives, but for eternity itself.  God placed each one of us here in this season for a particular reason.  In order to achieve true fulfillment in life, we need to discover our purpose, develop our giftedness and delight to do God's perfect will.  Easier said than done, but it all boils down to this:  every day is an opportunity to know Him more and for Him to make Himself known through you.

     No amount of effort can change a single thing in the past, but your future awaits the decisions you will make in response to the revelation of His will, even in the face of contrary circumstances that often demand your attention.  Forgive my dry humor, but today truly is the first day of the rest of your life!  If you could see your life from God's perspective, you would know the absolute importance of each day, not only for your sake but for those around you.  As James 4:14 puts it, "What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  Compared to eternity, 80 years is a drop in a bucket. 

     Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and reverse a number of decisions I've made over the years.  And if I was a betting man, I would put money on the premonition that I am not alone on this one!  If you knew back then what you know right now, what would you have done differently?  Probably a whole lot, right?  Although living in the land of regret won't do you any good, accessing the wisdom of God based on your past mistakes is invaluable to making better decisions in the future.  They say "hindsight is 20/20" but unfortunately not everyone learns from past mistakes, even when they are fully aware of them.  Truthfully, our own stubbornness leads us to repeat dysfunctional patterns because we tend to trust in our wisdom more than His.

     Let me encourage you to start this year with a bulldog determination to make the most of each day.  As the Israelites of old made a point to gather manna each day, make it your goal to prioritize what is really important in your life:  hearing and responding to the voice of God.  Without a revelation of His will in your life, you are left wondering what your purpose is and end up wandering from that purpose.  Without a clear sense of direction, the winds of circumstances will dictate the course of your life.  You don't have to be a victim of circumstance.  You can take charge of your life by surrendering it to Him today!  A paradox worth living for, if you ask me.

     You might be saying to yourself right now:  "But I have surrendered my life to Him and I still feel helpesss in my situation."  Maybe you're not sure what your purpose is or maybe you do but don't know how to go about fulfilling it.  If that's you, understand that you're not alone.  Many believers today put on their Sunday suits and smiles to present the image that everything is hunky-dory while their insides are crying out for something more.  They are aware that something is missing, that they are somehow not living up to their potential.

     I must say that I have been in this very position a number of times in my life, the last of which wasn't too long ago.  Times of internal frustration with external circumstances are often the result of depending on our own wisdom instead of accessing His.  When we become complacent in gathering daily manna in our lives, this is indicative of our tendency to "lean on our own understanding" instead of trusting our daily lives to the leading of His Spirit.  We somehow think we know how to run our lives better than He does. Ludicrous, isn't it?

     Surrendering your life to Christ should not be a one-time experience; it should be a continual process of acknowledging your need for Him more than your next breath.  Jesus demonstrated this for us through His lifestyle of dependence on the voice of the Father and the empowerment of the Spirit.  When we read about the miracles Jesus performed, it's easy to assume that they were done because He was God in the flesh.  But Jesus never did anything supernatural until He received the empowerment of the Spirit.  And even after the Spirit "descended like a dove upon Him" He didn't rush off to start His world-shaking ministry.  He got alone with God for 40 days.

     Jesus wasn't a first century version of the incredible hulk, half God and half man.  He was 100% Son of God and 100% Son of man.  As the Son of God He was the Living Word and the Bread from heaven, but as the Son of man he depended on the voice of the Father for identity, instruction and direction.  Jesus refused to teach anything that He didn't first hear His Father say. (John 7:16)  And he refused to do anything that He didn't first see His Father do. (John 5:19)  He didn't just go about randomly teaching people what He decided from day to day and healing people when He was in a good mood.

...Be sure to catch Part II of this series in a few days. 

...I would love to hear from you so feel free to leave comments and/or questions.  If you have trouble interacting through this website, you can contact me through my personal email at:  bosalisbury@hotmail.com