So that your joy may be complete

Our life should be lived hidden in Christ so that our joy may be complete. This expresses the good attitude of walking in the light like Christ is in the light. It comes from service to God and to your neighbor. It comes from repentance and agreeing with God concerning sin. It dying to self and living to God.

He leads many to glory

The wrong attitude is the belief that you can do something to make yourself acceptable and useful to God. God is in need of nobodys help. We cannot earn His favor. What we can do is to have a right relationship with him. This is accomplished in our belief in what he says is true and He can bring all things to pass. Another right attitude is to believe in the Son. Belief that His work is sufficient to save and to sanctify those whom come to him by faith. So you see, its not what we do rather what we believe.

Faith can only became a possession through conflict

Faith must be tested to become your own faith. It pits the natural world against the spiritual one. It contests human reason verses revelation. It tests whether Christ alone is sufficient.
This testing is brought on not at a point of strength but rather during difficulty. The World scoffs at your faith but your Savior exalts it.

The Nature of Prayer

The Natural Man does not suffer for lack of prayer, only the Spiritual Man does. As food strengthens the physical life, so prayer is the building blocks for the inner-man. Many believe that people pray only to receive, but if the truth be known, we receive not because we ask not.
The goal of prayer is knowing God. Prayer is the outward manifistation of inner faith in God.
It also builds trust and confidence and gives us rest.

Walk in the Light lest you fall

Jesus shows us what true righteousness looks like and how it is lived out. He says that if one walks in the light he will not stumble or fall. He who goes into the darkness after experiencing the light will surely fall into disgrace.

Let not your hearts be troubled

What Jesus is saying here is "My peace I give to you." In the natural man's inner being, there is no peace. Strife is characteristic of man apart from Christ. But Jesus says come unto me all who are burdened and heavey laden and I will give you rest. Take upon my yoke because my ways are easy and my burden light. This is why we have peace. It is because we have come to a point where we can "rest in the Lord" because the battle is not our's, but the Lord's.

Godly Joy is Impossible Without Putting God First

We know that God gave His only Son so that whoever beleives in Him will have everlasting life. There is joy in giving, even when the giving is sacrificial. This is why we give of ourself to God.
God loves a cheerful giver and when we come to him with this spirit, our reward is profound joy.

Living by the grace that was given to you.

It may seem that sometimes God withholds blessing even though you earnestly seek His favor.
It may be that he is asking you to examine yourself and see if there is something in your life that needs attention before you get His. It may be an unsettled marriage relationship or a broken promise. It may be your own stubborness on another matter. Whatever it is, it is best to clear that up before approaching the Throne of God in His grace.

Baptism of the Spirit

When Jesus invades your life all of your works, whether they be good or bad are put into full view. When this occurs, we can only say as Isaiah did "I am a man of unclean lips." This is true repentance and surrender. Too often we attempt to reason or justify those things that are put into the light. For Jesus to work in and through you, you must renounce your own life and invite Him to live His life in yours.

Jesus says "Come to Me & I will give you rest."

The way in which we come to Jesus is by establishing Christ-awareness as a replacement for self-awareness. Self-awareness is a sin, but Christ-awareness is the power of God. When one is centered in Christ, he gives you rest. This is because you are sensitive to the Spirit of God and do his will without a command. You walk in the light like He is in the light. You follow after truth and have emnity with evil. This allows us to live as a Child of God without worry because we know our Father and Savior.

He chose us...

The greatness of Jesus' kingdom is that it is possessed by common place people. Jesus says "believe in Me from your heart and from your heart will flow rivers of living water." "Blessed are the poor in heart" he says, "because they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven." It is because of this that our life should be one of thanksgiving.

Its not self-awareness, but Christ awareness

When ever we spend too much time with introspection, we are not spending enough time abiding in Christ. In our flesh is no good thing, but in Christ we find the righteousness of God. This is why Jesus invites us to follow Him. It is because He is the way the truth and the life.

To Become Poor for Jesus

This is what He asks of us: to become poor for Him. That is, to give up everything, even your own self and present it as an offering to Him. In order to become His disciple, you must first die to yourself without conditions. Dying is very hard for all humans. Ask for the help of the Spirit so that you can yield to Jesus and your Lord and your God.

Jesus' Words are Harsh

When Jesus speaks to you, His words are harsh and unyielding. The Son of God can speak no other way other than the perfection which He has from the Father. It is not as though He expects works for salvation, but once saved He commands that you walk before Him. In the flesh this is hard to do which is the reason for the giving of the Spirit so that we may walk in newness of life.

It is better to know Jesus than to know about Him

Education gives the core knowledge about someone. Better than knowledge is the have an active relationship with the Lord you serve. So it was with Mary the sister of Martha. She knew Jesus and He knows her by her name. Those who call themself followers of Jesus are also know by name to Him. This interactive personal relationship separates Christianity from religion. Unlike religion, it is not static or fixed, rather it is dynamic and personal. When He calls you, it is a personal call to service and he calls you by your name.

The Gospel is Foolishness to those who are Perishing

The contrast here is between those who are perishing and those who are being born of the Spirit.
The reality of the one who is born of the spirit is blindness to those who are without the Spirit. It is a matter of vision. To be born of the Spirit allows the saint vision to see Jesus and His kingdom. To the one who is perishing they are their own king, to those who belong to the Good Shepherd, they hear his voice and follow Him.

How to bring joy to your Father

Did you ever wonder what you might do in order to bring joy to the Father? Trust Him and take Him at His word. By His Word, the Lord created the heavens and the earth. It shouldn't be hard for us then to take Him at His Word. By his Word He heals and brings to life. We are His children. Children have nobody other to trust in other than their Father. So then, relax, because our home is the Only One who can do something about our circumstances.

Do Not Look for Your Elijah Anymore

Elijah was a school activity in the ministry of Elisha. When Elijah was "taken up" Elisha did not need to look for Elijah anymore. He only needed to look to the God of Elijah. This is the true power and opportunity. No longer will the Jericho's, Bethels, and Jordan's be a place for Elijah, but instead by God's calling, now Elisha must part the waters of the Jordan and move on.

Get Thee Behind Thee Satan

If a believer is called upon to suffer, that one should not accept the sympathy of another. By doing so, it weakens the believer and puts God in a place where it looks as though He is too harsh on His saints. Instead command them to get behind you, because your journey is not to call attention to yourself, but to bring glory to God.

Father, I Thank You That You Hear My Prayers

Our Father hears our prayers. Words are very important to the Almighty. Jesus is described as the Living Word. To his apostles he gave his word. Through the word, salvation comes to humankind. The bible teaches, call on the Lord your God and you will be saved. Chose your words carefully. Where ever two are three are gathered, there I am with you. Lean on the knowledge that your Father hears your cries of distress. Your Father is faithful and you have no hope greater than the fact that he hears your cries.

We Must Be About Our Father's Business

The simple life of a Child of God is to be about his father's business. It is an abiding presence with the Almighty where prayer is a continuous action, like a conversation rather than an event. In the same way, we understand that all you have, all you are, and all you will ever be comes from your Father's hand. No wonder it is not surprising to say "did you not know I would be about my Father's business?"

The Bewildering Call of God

A call to the sea cannot be perceived unless one has the nature of the sea within him. So it is with the bewildering call of God. To the world, his words are foolishness. But for a child of God, they are power and truth. All things under heaven happen to the decree of God. What may seem small in the human heart may very well be mighty in his. Our life need not be filled with toil. They are purposed for calmness if you are a Child of God.

Our Kingdom Value is in our Poverty

Those who are most used of the Almighty are the frail and dependant ones. Those who appear strong, often times have an agenda apart from Christ and therefore are not useful to him. God chose Israel because it is the least of the nations. God chose David, who was the youngest and most frail of all the brothers. God chose Moses who was slow of speech. So as long as our strength is in Christ, we can be his disciples.

Blinded by His Purposes

You know that's what we are. We are blinded to the purposes of God. Why? Because we spend most of our time with introspection and don't look down the road we are led. The other is that our plan for ourselves ususally is different than the plan God Almighty has for us. Therefore we try to conform his leading into our preconceived ideas for ourself and then wonder why we are frusterated. If you can, take your eyes off youself and keep them on Jesus so that when you walk you do not stumble.

The Source of Your Strength

When you work physically, you become physically tired. When you strain yourself spiritually, you gain strength. This is the source of our strength. As we abide in Christ and He in us, then we do not become weary, but become stronger by the moment.

Where He sends us, there He will also teach

If the Lord has sent you to a particular place, it is because He is coming behind you there for the purposes of instruction. Our role is obedience by going there and waiting. We should not say much because our role is not teaching but obedience to the calling. Therefore go patiently where the Lord sends you and wait on His instruction.