THE GIFT OF LIFE

In Genesis, He is the seed of the woman.

In Exodus, He is the passover lamb.

In Leviticus, He is our high priest.

In Numbers, He is the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.

In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses.

In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation.

In Judges, He is our judge and lawgiver.

In Ruth, He is our kinsman redeemer.

In 1 & 2 Samuel, He is our trusted prophet.

In Kings and Chronicles, He is our reigning king.

In Ezra and Nehemiah, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.

In Esther & Job, He is our ever-living redeemer.

In Psalms, He is our shepherd.

In Proverbs & Ecclesiastes, He is our wisdom.

In Song of Solomon, He is our lover and bridegroom.

In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace.

In Jeremiah, He is the righteous branch.

In Lamentations, He is our weeping prophet.

In Ezekiel, He is our wonderful four faced man.

In Daniel, He is the fourth man in life's firey furnace.

In Hosea, He is the faithful husband.

In Joel, He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.

In Amos, He is our burden-bearer.

In Obadiah, He is the mighty to save.

In Johah, He is our great missionary.

In Micah, He is the messenger of beautiful feet.

In Nahum, He is the avenger of God's elect.

In Habakkuk, He is God's evangelist.

In Zephaniah, He is our Savior.

In Haggai, He is the restorer of God's lost heritage.

In Zechariah, He is the fountain opened in the house of David.

In Malachi, He is the sun of righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

In Matthew, He is the Messiah.

In Mark, He is the wonder worker.

In Luke, He is the son of man.

In John, He is the Son of God.

In Acts, He is the Holy Ghost.

In Romans, He is our justifier.

In 1 & 2 Corinthians, He is our santifier.

In Galatians, He is our redeemer.

In Ephesians, He is the Christ of unsearchable riches.

In Philippians, He is the God who supplies all our needs.

In Colossians, He is the fullness of God, bodily.

In 1 & 2 Thessalonians, He is our coming king.

In 1 & 2 Timothy, He is our mediator between God and man.

In Titus, He is our faithful pastor.

In Philemon, He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

In Hebrews, He is the blood of the everlasting covenant.

In James, He is our great physician.

In 1 & 2 Peter, He is our chief shepherd.

In 1, 2 & 3 John, He is love.

In Jude, He is the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints.

In Revelation, He is the KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!

 

Author unknown

Given by Pastor Tom Curry

Dec 1994

MADE PERFECT, A DREAM

Made Perfect
The jeweler took such pains in polishing and perfecting all His lovely rocks and stones. He asked me if I would like to assist him and I admitted I certainly would but I had no talent or knowledge to offer Him in this endeavor.

"Surely you can watch and learn," He chided, but I still was not sure that I could cope with all the intricacies involved. After all, He was such a perfectionist. Even defects that were not noticeable without a magnifying glass had to be removed.

"I need co-workers," He told me. "There is so much left to be done." "Alright," I finally agreed, "I will do my best. . . but please watch over me and guide my efforts." With that, I was led to a back room. It was a quiet place with plenty of light and warmth. There were several large boxes of rocks just brought in from the quarry. It was awesome to realize that I was being made a partner in the production of precious gems. To look upon the newly hewn rocks, one could not imagine the glorious outcome. As I took into my hands the first stone to be chiseled and smoothed, the Master gemologist handed me a solvent to use while I was chipping away. He bid me not to use it sparingly, for the more that I used it, the better the results I would have. As I took the jar from his hand, I was alarmed to discover the name it bore. The solvent, so important in this process was named suffering. "Don't be baffled," The Expert told me. "Suffering has always been helpful in perfecting My jewels. Most often it works better and faster than anything else."



I took the suffering that He gave me and found His words to be accurate and true. Suffering does help to make perfect.

--given in a dream to Frankie Moore

See John 15:20; 1 Peter 1:7, 2:5, 4:12, 5:10; 2 Cor. 8:2; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 21:19; Mal. 3:17

IN THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST

All Christians are called into the full time Ministry, as a Christian I bet many of us did not know this, we thought only a few are called to minister full time . Many Christians will think that God is calling them to something more than what they are now doing. The fact of the matter GOD is calling ALL Christians into more than they are now doing , 'they', all of us, are being called to be FULL TIME Christians, and that means we are all ministers of Reconciliation. We are all called to minister to one another.
Many of us think that to be a full time Minister of Christ means a full time paying job as a Pastor or some other job that will pay you for  ministering the free gift of Salvation of Christ so you can quit your 'secular' job and live off the proceeds that come in to preach the gospel to others,or to feed the hungry. In fact there are many Evangelist living off of the money that would otherwise feed quite a few hungry, and clothe many that are naked and shelter many that are homeless. Is this truly what it means to be in full time ministry?  Many of these so called Ministers in their fancy jets, houses , cars and clothes think that God has called them to live off the proceeds that would best be used somewhere  else where it would really do others good. Think again.

Listen, the loftiest spiritual service that any of us dream of doing, will never cause us to neglect our most so called 'secular'  earthly duties. Does not the word tell us that if we are not faithful in our earthly duties our so called 'secular' lives, why would GOD  commit spiritual things  to us? Paul's letters reminds us   of the spiritual realities but always ends with our earthly responsibility. This is why he urged people to remain where they are when they are first called. That is to say, if you are a husband or wife then love your spouse.  If you are a parent then love your children, raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Be there for them. I don't know how many lives of these so called Ministers that I have read about who has neglected their greatest calling, their families for the Gospel. If you will not take care of your family, no matter what spiritual excuse you offer, you are worse than a non believer. And does not Paul inform us that if we will not work, we will not eat? Somehow we have gotten way off course and have lost our way when it comes to the practical side of living and working as a Believer. We must heed Paul's counsel, and it is sound advise. His example was to work with his own hands to provide his own support so he could make the Good News available without charge! The Church for a couple thousand years has sold the Gospel and lived off the poor instead of the other way around.No wonder the non believers find Christianity to be a sham. What a different contrast we see in the word of those who gave and worked freely for the Gospel and took care of their families , gave to the poor and homeless than to those who were the false apostles  that Paul speaks about in his letters to the churches,these lazy , con artists ," claiming all the support they could muster and refusing to work, eating and drinking everyone else's groceries, robbing the widows and making merchandise of the Good News." Yet this is precisely what many who claim a "full-time" ministry do today.
A MINISTER of Christ is first and foremost the Servant of the Lord, and a servant to others , and if we do not know what being a minister really means we  need to return to the Bible and find out through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, Paul, and everyone else mentioned within the sacred pages. As Christ followers we ALL have been called to  serve and minister  the Good News to all  people around us where we live, work and play. As a wife I am called of God to be a minister to my family, to my children, to my husband, and to my extended family. I am called to be a minister of the Gospel in what ever my job is at this present moment. We are all 'Missionaries' and it starts first at home and as we develop and learn we will find our areas of influence will grow as we begin to be faithful in the little things. Many Christians will leave their jobs and go on the road preaching the Gospel and leave their families to fend for themselves, and folks this should not be.

The ministry of One-Anothering doesn't require a platform, a pulpit, a building, a budget, or a Board. You can start immediately, with no training and with no experience, and you don't have to quit your job or do anything dramatic. You cannot be voted in, and you cannot be voted out. The Life you possess qualifies you to be in the full-time ministry of One-Anothering. Your wounds are your credentials. You can go to your brothers and sisters right now and say, "The Lord has called me to the ministry, and I am beginning it today." Love, pray for, encourage, and serve the saints. So many times we have observed individuals who claim to be called to some great work but they neglect the basic principles of One-Anothering. There is no competition for the lowest position, so let all who love the Lord go there first and become a servant.

So what if we can't preach, teach, or sing? Is that all there is to the Lord's work? Hardly. You could begin a ministry of affirmation. Just make it your mission to encourage everyone you meet, building them up in the Lord. Most people tear each other down, so determine in God that you will lift up and encourage the Church at every opportunity. Keep a list of addresses and every so often send them a little note. That is a simple way to start. The possibilities are endless!

You see, ministry is not some great, profound, extraordinary thing, but ordinary things done in an extraordinary way.

Whatever our age or stage of spiritual growth we are called to the Ministry of One-Anothering. It is a rewarding call. Only let us walk in love and work diligently according to the Law of Life (not in our own strength) and we will do well. Let us learn to buy up the opportunities and redeem the time. The servants are not greater than their Master, but the servants may aspire to be as their Master. I pray the Lord will raise up more servants as a result of these words. Amen.I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://theschoolofchrist.org/
©2010 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

May we all be faithful in the Ministry that Christ has called all us in.
blessings and shalom in Christ
PATC.

OUR IDENTIFICATION IN CHRIST

Sometimes spiritual things are hard to really understand, in fact many times spiritual things are hard to understand, and here is one aspect of a Believers life that may be hard to understand. Paul in Galatians says that somehow we as believers are 'in Christ' and that ' we no longer live' but it is Christ alive in us. What in the world does that really mean? Here is a wonderful article with 3 great analogies that for me at least explain in terms that I can understand what it means to be In Christ, I hope it will be a blessing for you as well. I have hi lighted the analogies that really spoke to me.
blessing and shalom in Christ.

Identification With Christ
by Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/articles/identification-with-christ.html
Paul says something very peculiar in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Does Paul mean to say that he was physically there with Christ on the Cross when Jesus died? We know that Jesus was crucified between two thieves and that Paul was probably not even present at the actual, historical event of the crucifixion of Christ.
Then, Paul says that even though he was crucified, he lives. Does Paul mean to say that he was raised from the dead with Jesus also? If so, why have we not heard about this before now? Finally he says he is not really living at all, but Christ lives in him. To the natural mind, of course, this all sounds very strange. This is why we must discern spiritual things spiritually.

It should be obvious that Paul is talking about something other than a physical crucifixion and a physical death, burial, and resurrection. Although he says, “I was crucified with Christ” he does not mean that he was present with Christ in the flesh at the moment of crucifixion; instead, he intends to show us something much more profound. We will soon discover that this experience of being crucified with Christ is not unique to the apostle Paul, but is true of every born-again child of God. Not only Paul, but all disciples of Jesus have been crucified with Christ.

How is this possible? The Bible says that there is an invisible but very powerful union that exists between Jesus and all His disciples; they are one Body. It is a spiritual union. This spiritual union forms the basis of our relationship and fellowship with Christ. Jesus says, “I am the True Vine… live in Me, and I will live in you” (Jn. 15:1,4a). Jesus compares this union to a vine that has many branches. Each branch lives in union with the vine. The same life flowing in the vine is also flowing in the branches. Jesus says He is the True Vine, and we are His branches. This is spiritual union. As branches, we can only grow and produce spiritual fruit so long as we continue to live, dwell in, abide, and be part of the Vine. So then, union with God is not the reward for spirituality; it is the basis of spirituality.

With this analogy we can now understand what Paul means when we look at some of his other statements. He tells the Corinthians that “He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Cor. 6:17). To the Ephesians, Paul compares this spiritual union to the union that exists between a man and a woman when they are married: “And the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the [Ekklesia]” (Eph. 5:31b,32).

Certainly this is a great mystery. How God is able to make us one spirit with Jesus is beyond human knowledge. But this we know: however it is accomplished, it has its beginning in the Cross. The Cross is the starting point of our union with Christ. In the Cross, God sees us in the place of Christ and sees Christ in the place of us. That is to say, in the Cross, all our sinfulness is attributed to Christ, and all His righteousness is attributed to us.

How wonderful for us – but how terrible for Him! Yet this is God’s Way, and the Bible refers to it as identification:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

The Bible never identifies us as being one with Jesus in His preexistence with God, or in His birth, or in His sinless life on earth. But when Jesus submitted to the Cross He indentified with us by taking on our sins and accepting the penalty just the same as if He had sinned Himself. In the same manner, when we submit to the Cross, God identifies us with Christ just the same as if we were sinless. Jesus becomes our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). It does not say that He gives these things to us, it says He is these things to us.

Was Jesus crucified for His sins? No, He was crucified for our sins. Are we now wise, righteous, sanctified, and redeemed because of anything we have done? No, God simply identifies us together with Christ, as if we were crucified together with Him. He loses everything and we gain everything. This is why salvation begins with repentance, surrender, and faith in Christ and His finished work on the Cross. It cannot be accomplished otherwise. What a glorious Lord we have!

Being “In Christ”

You may wonder how this union with Jesus was accomplished. I do not have the answer to that, but I consider it to be so because God says it is so. God placed us in Christ. I do not fully understand how He did this, but I know that He did it, and I thank God for it. The Bible says that “because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:30a). Disciples of Jesus are one with Christ because God has placed us there. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. We may not understand how this can be so, but it is so. We are spiritually one with Christ. This oneness, this union, this partnership and fellowship with Him is the basis of our spiritual life and our walk with God.

Passengers in a commercial airliner must entrust themselves to the plane when they wish to fly somewhere. They place themselves in the jet, and once there, their destiny (for better or for worse) is linked to the plane. If the plane rises to 30,000 feet, the passengers rise also. If the plane crashes, the passengers crash right along with it. When the plane arrives at its destination, the passengers arrive at the exact same moment. Is it possible for the plane to arrive in Seattle but for the passengers on the plane to arrive in Dallas? Or could some of the plane’s passengers arrive in Miami while the rest of the passengers arrive in Denver? Of course not. Is it possible for the plane to arrive one hour or one minute or even one second before or after the passengers arrive? By no means. All the passengers who are in the plane arrive whenever and wherever the plane arrives. In the same way, when God placed us in Christ, He forever linked us to Christ’s death, burial, resurrecti0n, ascension, and being seated in the heavenlies. So God considers us to have been crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated as well. It cannot be otherwise. So long as we remain in Him (Jn. 15:5) our destinies are linked.


I once placed a $20 bill inside of a book. I then misplaced the book. What happened to the $20 bill? The bill was lost when the book was lost. The bill and the book were linked together because I placed one inside the other. In order to find the bill I had to find the book. Once I found the book, I also found the bill. In like manner, God has placed us in Christ. When Christ was crucified, we were also crucified. When Christ was raised, we were also raised. The two have become one, and what is true of Him is true of all those who are one with Him.


Now, follow me closely here. Before my father married my mother and conceived me, he was in a serious automobile accident. You ask, did he survive the accident? You know very well that he did survive, because I am alive and able to write these words. But had my father died at the age of sixteen, I would have died also, because I was still in my father. His death would have been my death; and not my death only, but also the death of my children, and their children, all the way down the line. We would have all died together with him, having never even lived. But his life, his survival, his overcoming the accident was just as much my life, my survival, and my overcoming. His testimony of life and overcoming death is verified by my life, and the life of my children, and on down the line. Spiritually speaking, this is similar to what God has done for us by placing us in Christ. Christ was crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated; and since we were in Him when it all happened, God considers it to have happened to us as well. We who are His children now share in the very life of Christ, and each of us bear witness to the resurrection and overcoming of Christ. When God raised Him from the dead, He raised us from the dead as well.

The key to all of this, of course, is to see ourselves in the exact same way that God sees us. We must see that God has made us one with Christ; only then can we say, along with Paul, “I am crucified with Christ” and experience the reality of the fact. Once we see that then it will be very easy to see that we who were crucified with Christ were dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated together with Him also. Tremendous benefits accrue to those who God has made one with Christ, for when we are made one with Him then our spiritual history becomes linked with His. We are “blessed with every spiritual blessing… in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). In ourselves? Never! Only in Him!


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This excerpt taken from the book, Embrace the Cross, by Chip Brogden

SANCTIFICATION

There are so many words that Christians use, that frankly sometimes we really don't know what they mean, we just use them. So lets discover together what these words mean so that we can utilize this knowledge in our progressive walk in the Spirit.

Sanctification comes from the verb sanctify. Sanctify originates from the Greek word hagiazo, which means to be "separate" or to be "set apart." In the Bible, sanctification generally relates to a sovereign act of God whereby He "sets apart" a person, place, or thing in order that His purposes may be accomplished. In the book of Exodus, God sanctifies a place of worship. "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory," says Exodus 29:43. Even a day can be sanctified as seen in Genesis 2:3 where the seventh day is "set apart" as a holy day of rest. "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Which by the way, is the only day GOD has really set apart for Holy use .Even though GOD did create 7days only the last day the 7th day, the creation done on that day was to make it HOLY, GOD'S presence was placed in this 7th day,it is the only thing that was done on this day, it was  created  for the sole purpose, to be HOLY and for REST, unlike the other days which GOD created all that was created on Earth and Heaven were done on these 6  days and these 6 days were created for work, and for us  to do our work in. Not that I am legalistic, but if I were to set aside a day for GOD it would be the day GOD created for such a purpose.I'm just saying...............you can go to church any day you wish, but there is a special connection that can be made when you rest on the 7th and dedicate it for enjoyment of your LORD.

Similarly, when a person is sanctified he or she is being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in Christ we are also immediately sanctified and begin the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. As God's children we are "set apart" from that moment to carry out His divine purposes unto eternity. Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Are you set apart for God?
Sanctification - Different Than Salvation
It is important to differentiate between justification and sanctification.
 Justification is another word for salvation. Jesus gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. His blood washes away our sins and frees us from an eternity of suffering and condemnation. Believers are saved because of what Christ has already done. We can do nothing to earn salvation, it is the gift given to every child of God regardless of race, age, maturity, or merit. Sanctification occurs as a result of salvation/justification. At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit enters our life. We are no longer held hostage by death, but are free to live the life God desires for us. We are thus sanctified simply because of our standing because we are  saved by grace.

Sanctification - A Continuing Process

Sanctification does not stop with salvation, but rather it is a progressive process that continues in a Christian's life. Unlike the things and places that are sanctified by God in the Bible, people have the capacity to sin. Even though we have been "set apart" as God's children, we continue to behave in ways that are contrary to our new Identity in CHRIST. As Christians, we realize shortly after we have been saved that there is a new inner battle being waged within us that was not there before- which is the perception we keep that we still have our old sin-lead nature and the fact that now we have a  new Spirit-lead nature-The battle is in our perception and belief in what GOD has already accomplished in us through Christ, the battle is in our thinking, the battle ground is in our MINDS, which is why we constantly need to renew our minds to our new identity in Christ.Paul in Galatians best describes this inner struggle in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Like Paul, our heart's desire is to please and obey God, but our flesh is weak making sin difficult to resist. Yet, it is in our continual struggle with sin and obedience to God that sanctification does its work.It is our struggle to remember who we NOW are. When life comes at us full force we tend to revert to our old patterns that we have had to cling to all of our lives, it is these old patterns that we now need to address which is why we need to constantly renew our thinking into our new identity.

But what is the work of sanctification? What does it practically mean to be "set apart"? Sanctification can be described as an inward spiritual process whereby God brings about holiness and change in the life of a Christian by means of the Holy Spirit. The effects of living in a fallen world have harmed everybody differently. We all face different issues, struggle with sin, and past hurts of varying degrees,old patterns of thinking which hindering our ability to live the life God desires for us. Once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit enters our life to start a transformation process (progressive sanctification). S/He convicts us on areas that need to be changed, helping us to grow in holiness. We begin to view the world, people, and personal difficulties from a more biblical perspective. Haven't you noticed that you no longer desire what you use to? You no longer even like it (whatever it was that held your attention and desires) Our choices begin to be motivated by love and truth and not selfishness. For instance, we may have misplaced our confidence and security on beauty, wealth, and materialism, but God will ordain difficult circumstances to liberate us from these growth-hindering snares, life at this point is no mere accident. We are where we need to be what ever the circumstances you may find yourself in, you can be sure that it is no accident. We may perceive them to be, but GOD for the believer is working All things for HIS glory .This transformation process may be painful, in fact I guarantee that most times it will be, it is no picnic to be a Child of GOD it is a hard life if we choose to struggle in our identity , when you know that you are IN Christ then ALL things are working for us and not against us,   it is always motivated by God's love for us. Further, God promises in His Word to not give us more than we are able to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).
This is the working process of sanctification in the life of every believer. Though the process is personal for each individual, the end goal is to prevent sin and produce spiritual growth. Note that sanctification has nothing to do with living in sinless perfection. We will never be sinless in this life. In fact, the Bible warns against such false teachings in 1 John 1:8: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Sanctification is not about trying to be sinless in order to earn the favor of God. Rather, sanctification is for our own benefit. God commands us to pursue sanctification so that through it, we may be blessed.


Sanctification -  Did you know that sanctification is a  Christian Responsibility?

Sanctification is one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian walk. Our natural tendency is to embrace sin, yet God in His divine wisdom has chosen to give us the responsibility of working out our own sanctification. "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work," says 2 Timothy 2:21.
So we ask, how do we pursue sanctification? How are we personally responsible? Lovingly, God has sent His Holy Spirit and His written Word, the Bible, to guide us. Though every person's sanctification is unique and personal, there are common disciplines in the pursuit of sanctification that are unchanging.
Sanctification - Here are some practical steps in this process of sanctification.

Prayer is of utmost importance. When we are suffering or facing temptation, our minds and body are weak. Satan knows this and tries to take advantage of us. When we pray, we are in spiritual union with God. Not only will prayer comfort us in our hardship, but it will also give us the strength to overcome sin. Through prayer, we are also more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The written Word - the Bible. The Bible is not merely a history book, but its words have the power to sanctify us. When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, Jesus used the Word of God to overcome temptation. "But He answered and said, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4).
God's written Word also has the power to transform our mind, convict, and bring to light the darkness that is within our hearts. It is the instrument which God uses to develop in us knowledge, faith, and personal holiness; all of which are essential elements of sanctification. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Whether by studying or listening to teaching, the sanctifying work of God's Word is enormous to a believer who recognizes its truth and power.

Worship. Believers are also sanctified in worship. True  worship is what God desires from His people. When our worship is genuine, it transforms our hearts and brings us into close union with God. John 4:23 says, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
Additionally, before Jesus ascended into heaven he tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for a gift God will send (Acts 1). This is the gift of the Holy Spirit.(I choose to use the feminine words for HOLY SPIRIT for I believe it is the Mother aspect of the ONE true GOD.)
 The Holy Spirit is our ultimate helper,nurture and sanctifier. When we yield to Her leading, S/He has the power to help us resist sin and make positive change. "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
When we sin and ignore the Holy Spirit's leading, we break fellowship with HER, thereby cutting off the life-changing power. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 commands us: "Do not quench the Spirit."

Sanctification - Key to Spiritual Growth

Sanctification is both a matter of position and progression. We are  'already' sanctified because Jesus Christ "has already "saved us and yet sanctification continues to work within each of us, to transform us into the likeness of Christ. Sanctification is the responsibility of every believer in Christ. When we choose to pursue sanctification in our life, positive growth occurs. The pursuit of it involves the surrender of the body and the will to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It takes time and is a 'WORK IN PROGRESS' that cannot be hurried. Like a newborn baby that gradually matures unto adulthood, so is the work of sanctification in the life of EVERY new believer. The work of sanctification will ultimately be completed in every believer's life when Jesus Christ returns. This is the hope of every Christian.
Paul puts it best in his epistle to the Thessalonians: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Oh HOLY ONE OF BLESSING, YOUR presence fills all of creation and is within me, thank you for our salvation, and setting us apart for YOUR holy use. We ask for your HOLY SPIRIT, so that we will have the power we need to continue the process of sanctification, LORD we are YOUR work in progress,  unto the coming our LORD JESUS/YESHUA THE CHRIST. amen.

DO CHRISTIANS SIN? YES.

"By the grace of GOD I am what I am, and HIS grace toward me did not prove vain." 1Corinthians 15:10

"He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of HIS beloved Son. " Colossians 1:13

GOD did deliver all of  us  from the domain of darkness and transferred us to HIS kingdom, so , can we still be in both kingdoms? When GOD declares that we are not in the flesh but in the spirit as in Romans 8:9 can we be both at the same time?When GOD said we were in darkness and now light can we be both? If GOD says that if we are in Christ and we are a new creation , all of the old passed away and now all things are new in us , can we be both?
Can a Christian sin? we all know that answer, it is a big YES! If any one says differently they do not speak the truth!
Having sin and 'being' sin are two different  issues as a Christian. When we choose to live as our body -flesh- Adam's nature, dictates we will sin, but the fact of the matter is that we DO NOT HAVE TO SIN if we chose not to. 1 John 2:1 reminds us that we do not have to sin. It is no longer in our Nature to sin as it was before we Called Upon Christ to Save our  Souls.
If we, as Christ followers believe that we are part light and part darkness, part sinner and saint we WILL live a mediocre life, with very little to distinguish us from non believers.We may confess that we are prone to sin and that we are striving to do better, but that only leads to a defeated life, why? Because our perception  of ourselves is what guides our actions, and to continue to believe that you ARE a sinner saved by grace then we will live our lives no different than before we were saved and so we will  just be hanging on until we die or Christ Returns. If we believe we are no different from the rest of the world who are non believers then we are in fact no different.The problem in most of our lives who claim to be Christian is that we are IGNORANT of our true identities in Christ Jesus , Yeshua the Messiah. Our inner change from being in Adam to being in Christ happened already in all Christians  (well the fact of the matter it happened for all people of all time, they just do not know it),but for the Believer it happened at our new birth when we  first believed and called on the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this is called Justification and that is a done deal in the life of a Believer. We have been justified ALREADY and nothing more can be done by us to change what GOD had already done In us by our salvation in Christ redemption.The difference between the believer and non believer is that we know this happened and they do not. But the Progressive work of sanctification will continue through out the rest of our life on earth as believers.But the radical , inner transformation of the justification that happened when we first believed is only fully effective when  it is realized and appropriated by faith in Christ who is doing the work in us. It is as if we came into alot of money , lets say ,an inheritance but if we do not know this, we can not make use of what we already have and so it lays dormant and we live in poverty until we become aware of our inheritance , once we know we have it we then start can start using it.
So if you continue to claim and perceive that you ARE a sinner,what will be the consequence? You will believe that sin is at the core our your identity, which is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Lets believe GOD , that Jesus is at the core of our being and then we will begin to live like it by HIS Spirit , AMEN.

What do these words really mean , that we as Christians use all the time. SALVATION,JUSTIFICATION, REDEMPTION,SANCTIFICATION, ATONEMENT? This will be my next topic of discussion.

Oh Holy ONE of Blessing,YOUR Presence fills the creation and us, thank YOU Father, that we are complete in YOUR Son JESUS/YESHUA and that our identity is rooted in HIM and not in our sin.Thank YOU for waking us up to the fact of YOUR SALVATION AND YOUR GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE WHICH IS KNOWING YOU AND OUR LORD JESUS/YESHUA THE MESSIAH ! amen.