What Does It Mean To Operate From Your Spirit?

 

God made us spirit, soul and body. God is Spirit and we are spirit beings. However through the Fall our spirit was cut off from communion with God. We became like animals and wandered around lost and without a purpose. God ordained for Jesus to come and restore us to a right relationship with Him. This Jesus did through His death and resurrection. Now He has made it possible for all to be in fellowship with the Father through Him. Jesus said He is the way to the Father. Those who choose to follow Him have this promise of eternal life. Eternal death came through the Fall. Eternal life comes through Jesus. 

 

In the spirit we now can operate by the Holy Spirit who resides in us. He was sent as our Helper, Comforter and Guide (John 14:26 NKJ, AMPC). He will help us in our walk in the spirit. We need to be filled with the Spirit to walk in Him. In the Spirit we are born again but we need to be filled with the Spirit to walk in the Spirit. God has made all this possible for us. All we need to do is surrender to Him. He will do what He promised to do. We have on record testimonies of those who have gone before us testifying that this is true. They faced a lot of persecution and opposition and even death yet they triumphed through the Spirit. Some that faced death were transported straight to heaven. Miracles, signs and wonders followed them and many were saved through their testimony.

 

Today we too can walk in the Spirit. All we need to do is to choose to walk in Him. He said He abides in us. He is resident in us. We can therefore walk as Jesus walked by listening to His voice in us. We don't have to run here and there because God is in us. We can go directly to Him and He will make His ways known to us. We can choose to walk according to other voices that we hear or the voice of the Spirit. To listen to the voice of the Spirit gives joy and peace. He will lead us beside still waters and restore our soul. Through Him we get healed and transformed till we become like Jesus. Choose today to walk in the Spirit and be blessed.

The Kingdom Of God Is Within You.

 

Most of us are dependent on seeking external stimulation  to keep us entertained. However during this period of lockdown when my electricity was cut I needed to look within myself to keep me stimulated. Of course it is here where all the stimulation we need exists. The Kingdom of God is within us so all His gifts and fruits are within us. Do you need love, tap into it. Do you need joy, there is plenty of it in the Kingdom. However it is only in times of desperation that we seek for these fruits from within us. We would rather go to meetings and another conference to get  another boost from God. God is saying I am in you. Seek me within you for I abide in you.

 

How easy it is for us to be distracted from without. Our senses yearn for stimulation. The lust of the eyes yearn to see something new. We will waste time listening to and watching what is the counterfeit of the real. When we watch the counterfeit we will receive counterfeit love and joy. How foolish we are to waste our time in seeking the counterfeit that the world offers rather than the real that the Kingdom of God offers. God renewed our spirit and put His Holy Spirit within us. Now we are complete in Him. It is like the treasure is within us but we must dig to find it.

 

Digging for treasure appears like a lot of hard work. However in the Spirit it means spending time with the Lord Jesus. The more time we spend with Him the more we become like Him. The goal of Holy Spirit is to transform us into the image of Jesus. Just like the potter who moulds and remoulds  the clay to make the magnificent pot of clay so also Holy Spirit is the potter moulding us into Jesus’ image. Like gold is purified in fire He purifies us through a process which sometimes is painful. All growth involves pain. A child will never walk if he is afraid of falling. Let us spend time with our Maker and see Him mould us into the image of Jesus.

Is Your Fear Of God Greater Than Your Fear Of Man?

 

Fear of God was once a motivator for good behaviour. This is however not so now as man has forsaken God and has become god in his own eyes. The focus has shifted from being God-centred to being man-centred. This has been the story from the beginning since the fall of man in the garden of Eden. Man wanted to be like God and in a disobedient act lost his relationship with God. Man had the potential to rule and reign on earth as all authority was given to him to do so. However Satan bewitched man and man fell to his temptation. Ever since then man has feared man rather than God. This shift is what has brought about the chaos and strife we see in this world.

 

Fear of man leads to all kinds of ailments both physical and mental. Look around you and see the destruction caused by man on nature and how all creation groans for the revelation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19 -22). Jesus came to redeem us from the fear of man and to walk in the fear of God. This fear is not where we are afraid of God but have a holy respect and love for Him. God is love and He can be trusted at all times. The fear of man leads to distrust and therefore jealousy and envy and other lusts follow. We don't trust each other because we are so self-centred. All we care for is me, myself and I. This can never lead to trust but only mistrust. We therefore create a world of lies to cover up for our sins. This cover up then leads to a fake world of show and glamour but not much substance. What a sorry state of affairs.

 

Jesus came to restore us to a right relationship with God. His relationship with His Father was one of intimacy and fellowship. He only did what He saw His Father doing. He walked in close fellowship with His Father. He travailed in the garden of Gethsemane to be delivered from temptation and to face the Cross before Him. Yet He said not my will but your will be done. He was abused by man and suffered for righteousness sake and took on the punishment we deserved. This holy exchange led to our deliverance.  Now we can walk in the fear of God and be delivered from the fear of man.

What Is The Source Of Your Reality?

Reality is a function of many factors both internal and external. We use our senses to make sense of the world around us. We see things and hear things and our brain then interprets these inputs. The interpretation is based on past experience and processes that paint a picture of reality. I may see the same things but interpret what I see differently from you. A half empty glass of water may be perceived by one person as half empty but by another person as half full. Our interpretation makes it real to us. This is our reality. A person could be operating from their life experience and never see the light of day. An elephant is tied to a tree by its leg by a rope and learns that the rope restricts its movement. However when the rope is removed the elephant still thinks it is tied and bound. The reality for the elephant is still bound by its past experience then the present truth.

What is real is therefore a result of what we sense, interpret and experience in life. A poverty mental set will always see life as a struggle and never rise above it. Change the experience and a new reality dawns. Many are stuck in the reality of their experience of life. The past traps many in thinking that the future is a repeat of the past. No change is possible for the security of the past holds them back. When God comes into the equation a new reality is formed. He comes to remove the past and to bring us to a new future. This is what Jesus did. He knew we were stuck in our sin and there was no escape. He came to remove the blemish of sin and bring us to the land of hope.

Spiritual blindness is a real thing and only God can remove it from us. God's reality is heaven and earth is just a creation. He is our Creator and all we see is but an illusion or copy of the real. Our real being is our spirit. Our body is just the outside casing for our spirit. Reality takes a new meaning when we come to realise that we were born spirit beings and are on a earthly journey. This reality then shifts our whole perspective on life from a earthly realm to a heavenly realm. This shift is what brings about the born again experience. We live in a reality of heaven on earth. Life is eternal and all that we see and feel down here is an illusion, here today and gone tomorrow. Today shift from an earth bound reality to a heavenly reality by confessing Jesus Lord of your life.

Jesus Knew That His Father Knew

 

Jesus was always going about doing His Fathers will. He knew His Father knew what was best for Him. He rested in this intimate knowledge and understanding of His Father. Before the foundation of the world He knew He had to come and suffer and die. He willingly came and did not question His Father's plan for the redemption of mankind. This wonderful plan of salvation was not understood by the people and so they rejected Him. The Pharisees and scribes could not accept that the Messiah had to suffer and die. Jesus suffered at their hands and finally was put to death because He claimed He was the Messiah.

 

Today we too will suffer because the world does not accept that Jesus is the only way to God. The devil knows and trembles at the mention of the name of Jesus. He knows he was defeated on the Cross. What was meant for evil now turned out to be the means to eternal life. The devil was given a death blow on Calvary. He knew his end would come. Now we who follow Jesus suffer at the hand of the devil and his followers. The world is in darkness because the ruler of the world is judged and his time is short. God wants all to hear of His plan of salvation and be saved. 

 

Now is the day of salvation. Do not delay for we do not know how much time we have left. The events in the world point to the soon coming of King Jesus. He promised He would return and we wait with hope for our redemption. This world and all that is in it will pass away. There will be a new earth and a new heaven. We will reign with Him as our King. We have a wonderful future and a hope that will never be denied. He said it and it will be done in His way and in His time. Maranatha.

God Wants Everyone Saved And In His Kingdom.

 

God created us in His image. However through the Fall we were cut off from His Kingdom. Now there is a kingdom of darkness and a Kingdom of God. The kingdom of darkness is ruled by Satan, the fallen angel who rebelled against God. He now seeks to take all his followers to hell with him which is his destiny. Those who are not in the Kingdom of God are in the kingdom of darkness. This darkness is like a curtain that separates the two kingdoms. “Once I was blind and now I see” is another way of describing this. When the light comes through it dispels the darkness. Saul was converted by a bright light that surrounded him and he heard Jesus call him to Himself. 

 

In heaven there are books written about each person on earth. We are all destined for heaven but we have to choose to follow Jesus, who came to make the way to the Kingdom of God. He is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Him (John 14:6). All other ways promise a better life but are in darkness. We were all once deluded in thinking that we had everything in our control till some calamity happened. A crisis always results in an awakening. We can live our lives thinking all is well but death is real. Once we come face to face with death we become more vulnerable and then search for meaning. 

 

Jesus came to give us a reason for living. His love turns the worst sinner into a saint. The light of the Kingdom of God will dispel all darkness. Life becomes a triumphant melody and our walk becomes a song of victory. Yes, death was conquered once and for all and we inherited eternal life. Today, whatever your state, come to Jesus and be saved. He loves sinners and came for sinners like you and me. No matter what your religious background or persuasion, He is enough for all. In His Kingdom there is love, joy and peace everlasting. You can live eternal life now and forever.

Operating In The Flesh Is Like Wandering In The Desert

 

The flesh is that part of our being that consists of our body and soul. We are aware of our body through our senses. Our soul houses our thoughts, emotions and will. We know ourselves through our thoughts and feelings. Our flesh is part of our conscious being. The spirit however is dead until we are born again (Eph 2:5). We were once blind but now we see when our spirit is born again. This born-again experience confuses many like Nicodemus. He took it literally and asked if he needed to go back into his mother's womb to be born again. So also when we operate in the flesh we are blind to spiritual matters or misinterpret what is of the spirit.

 

I have dreams where I get lost and can't find my way back. I now know what the interpretation is. Getting lost is a part of the metaphor for wandering in a spiritual desert. I go round in circles trying to find a way back. However I get exhausted in my wandering. I finally find my way back but waste a lot of time and energy. It is so frustrating when the way is actually straight. It is like trying to find my way to a destination but going the round-about way rather than the straight and direct way. In the spirit I can go directly to the Father. When I try doing it in the flesh it is hard work, because I become religious and get caught up in rituals and traditions and never get to the Father. However, there is a direct way to the Father through Jesus.

 

Now I can come directly to the Father as Jesus did. I don't have to wander around when I communicate with the Father through my spirit. The Holy Spirit in me helps me in my communion with my Father in heaven. I can walk and talk with Him. His burden is light and His way is truth. There is no confusion and my thoughts are clear. What a freedom I enjoy in the spirit. This is the kind of life Jesus came to give us. Yet we must choose daily how we will walk. With our will we must choose to walk in the spirit. Our “will switch” determines how we will walk. We can walk according to the flesh or the spirit. Choose today to walk by the spirit and be blessed.

Hearing And Understanding. Seeing And Perceiving.

 

We hear a lot of things and see a lot of things. However this hearing and seeing is wasteful if there is no understanding of what we hear. This was the problem when Jesus walked on earth and it is still a problem today. We hear things but we do not understand. What we hear passes through our brain and then we forget what we heard. To understand what we hear, we need to listen to what is said. Listening is a higher form of hearing. We listen to understand what is said. Even here we can understand with our mind or with our heart. Both are essential to understand what we hear. It is understanding with the heart that results in revelation, which is the so-called aha! experience when the light bulb comes on.

 

We also see a lot of things especially through media and films. We are a very visual generation and are bombarded with images all day. Yet we need to perceive what we see to understand what we see. Many today see life as a movie. We watch our lives passing by like we watch a movie and then forget what we just saw till the next movie. What a waste of our life. Life is for living not just to watch and forget. When we perceive what we see we will get rooted and changed. Transformation only comes through understanding the truth. Jesus died and rose again. This is the truth but lack of understanding keeps many from receiving the truth. Many hear the good news of the gospel but never receive the salvation in it. 

 

As in the days of the apostles so also today we declare the good news but few listen and perceive the truth in it. They either oppose it or ignore it. The devil has blinded us from seeing and receiving. This applies in all areas of life. What we dismiss will not have any lasting effect on us. We will be like dreamers who dream but no action follows. We will be like clouds with no rain. Come today and listen to the good news of God's message of salvation and receive the truth that Jesus is the only way to the Father and be saved. This will change your life forever and heaven will be your final destiny.

Switch Your Thinking From Your Head To Your Heart

 

God created us as a triune being: body, soul and spirit. Our thoughts and thinking mainly occur in our mind. We are programmed from birth to think in a certain way. Our education system emphasises thinking and processing through our mind. We pride ourselves on our intellect and there are intelligence tests that are able to score  the degree of our intelligence. We are so used to thinking with our head that we miss out on another area called our spirit. When we talk about things we are mainly speaking from our mind. We discuss and opine on matters from our mind. This is good but it is not the full picture. Our spirit also has a mind.

 

Our spirit mind has a different language. Our spirit thinks in dreams, pictures and visions. Our spirit intuits things and feels things that cannot be seen or reasoned. It senses from a different realm. It sees into the spirit realm and then tries to make sense of it through our mind. To think in our spirit is to think like Jesus. He spoke in parables and created stories that had meanings that only those  with spiritual eyes could see. Those who were spiritually blind only saw the external and got confused as to what Jesus meant. Even with the disciples Jesus had to explain what He meant.[ Meaning has many layers. The word of God has many layers of meaning. It is only the spiritually aware that are able to see beyond the word.

 

Switching from operating with our mind to operating in our spirit is not automatic. We need to step back from our mind to observe what we hear and see. We then are able to switch into the spirit mind to discern the spirit behind what we see and hear. Our minds tend to see things through filters. In the spirit there are no filters. There are images and shadows of things to be. We need a spiritual lens to see the meaning behind those shadows and images. When our hearts are enlightened we begin to see beyond the natural. We enter the realm of the supernatural. We see in the spirit and we speak and then see the manifestation in the earthly realm of what we see in the spirit. This is how Jesus walked. He saw what His Father was doing and followed His lead. Today let us begin to think and see in the spirit and walk according to the Spirit.

When Gold Is Refined It Becomes Like Glass

Gold has to be refined to clear it of impurities and make it of value. Gold unrefined is like dirt and has no value. Gold has to be heated in a furnace to refine it. This refining process gets rid of all the dirt that contains the gold. Gold cannot be manufactured. It is of the earth and is eternal in value. The streets of heaven are paved in gold. Some say gold is made by God and that is why it can't be manufactured by man. Other metals can be manufactured and you can get a manufactured version of that metal, like silver. Gold is precious and because of its inherent value is used as a guarantee against currency. This precious metal is mentioned in the Bible as an analogy for how a believer is refined through trials to be transformed.

In a believer the process of sanctification is akin to the refining process. Trials and tribulations are part of the process of refinement. It feels like we are in the furnace and going through the fires of purification. This can be a painful process as the flesh dies to its lusts. God is a holy God and He refines us to be holy. When gold is refined it shows our reflection. Pure gold reflects like glass. You will be able to see your face reflected in it. We are being refined to look like Jesus. We will reflect the image of Jesus. Others will see us and see Jesus.

Yet so many of us resist being refined. The flesh is satisfied with being comfortable. The refining process is only for those who desire to be like Jesus. God desires a holy people. Our flesh wants to go it alone without God. God is holy and He desires a holy people. Holiness is a state of complete surrender to God. Only a surrendered life can be holy. The flesh is strong to resist being refined. This is the battle that we face. We are our worst enemy. We desire to be holy but our flesh resists the refiners fire. The fire is there to burn the dross and bring out the precious gold in us. God had predestined that we would be like His Son. We will be like Him when we see Him like He is. We will reflect the image of Jesus when all the impurities are burnt out of us. Come now and let us submit ourselves to the refiner's fire and be changed into the image of Jesus.

Are You Driven Or Are You Led?

Many are driven in life to achieve. They have a passion to be someone and in that process will give all to their mission. However there is a danger in this. The danger is that anything that drives you could also harm you. Goats are driven while sheep are led. Anything that drives you has the potential to destroy you. The devil drove Judas to betray Jesus. Demonic forces tend to drive people to do things that they never intended to do. Many impulsive actions are done because emotions have driven someone to act. Murders and accidents occur when one is driven to do things only to regret the actions later.

Being led is from a place of rest. Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. He always consulted His Father and never did anything outside His will. To be led is to be secure where we are. When we are secure in the Father's love then we will be content to be and do at His bidding. Many are driven by their passion to achieve. Ask yourself if you are driven or led. He leads us beside still waters. There is a sense of peace and tranquility in being led. When we are driven we tend to be flustered and agitated and annoy others.

God is calling us to come to the place where we know the Father's love and are content in His presence. From this place one can be led to green pastures and be nourished and fed. There is no restlessness here. One is content to be led. There are no control issues and people around us will feel safe. Discern your leading for many have crashed through relentless effort. Many start out well but get burnt out through striving. God wants us to rest and be led by His Holy Spirit. Be blessed as you seek to be led by His Spirit.

Believers Must Unite On Absolute Truth And Not Be Divided By Opinions Or Experiences.

We live in days that call us to choose daily whom we will serve. These are the days of many opinions and persuasions and many are led this way and that. It is vital that we know whom we believe and not be swayed by this way and that. We must build our lives on the solid rock and not the sand of division and opinions. Many in the church have fallen away because a leader has fallen. We have only one leader and He is Jesus Christ. This is absolute truth. He is the only way, truth and life. Anyone else is a thief and a robber. Therefore choose this day whom you will serve.

Absolute truth is absolute. There are no grey areas here. It is black and white. In heaven there are no opinions. Jesus says it and it is done. We have to choose to believe Him for He is absolute truth. His Holy Spirit will confirm His word and we will know if it is the truth. He will lead us into all truth. God's word is the truth. Man may misinterpret His word. This is where we see so many divisions in the church. One man's experience is not the truth. It is an experience and nothing more. His church was founded on truth and not experience. We must hold on to firmly to what is written in His word and not be led astray by interpretations of His word. 

This is the time of separation of the goats from the sheep, the tares from the wheat. Our foundation is Jesus Christ who is Lord and He is the only one who rose from the dead. He rose to testify that He is the truth. He would be like any other leader if He was still in the tomb. His resurrection confirms He is God for no man has power over death. He gives life and that is eternal. We live forever when we believe in Him. He is the source of all things and to Him be all the glory. Today let us unite in Him and live for Him.

Differences And Conflicts Are Opportunities For Healing And Transformation.

 

In this fallen world we will face differences of all kinds. God is a God of variety and He did not create us as clones of Him. Everywhere you see beauty in the variety of creation. Every finger print is different. When we see differences as variety then we will see the beauty in them. If we see a difference as problematic then conflict will ensue. This conflict is due to wanting others to see things in the same way you see them. Sameness is not unity. Unity in diversity is where beauty is created. Sameness is not attractive because it is dull. Therefore begin to see differences as a way to create beauty and grow. Why then do we struggle with difference or change?

 

Change is difficult because it means we have to adapt to the difference. We are all creatures of comfort and want things to remain the same. However change only occurs when there is a difference of opinion. Conflict arises when we resist change. God planned for us to be His from the beginning. However He has given us a free will to choose His ways or ours. Most of us prefer to live our own lives on our terms. We pride ourselves on achieving our success and making it in the world. God however has a better plan prepared for us before we were born. This plan was for us to fit into His plan and destiny for us. Now we can choose to obey or rebel. Our choice will determine our destiny.

 

We are transformed by the renewal of our minds. God's will many times crosses our will. His will crosses out our will. Saul thought he was doing a good thing by persecuting Christians till God confronted him. Saul became Paul and fulfilled God's mission for him. We too need to come to the place where we get crossed out and God takes over and leads us to our destiny on earth. God already has a plan for our lives established before the foundation of the world. This is absolute truth. He does not want anyone to go to hell. We were all created in His image. However many choose not to follow Jesus and instead end up in hell with Satan and his angels. Today choose to follow Him and be healed and delivered from the path to hell.

Thoughts Are External Till They Are Accepted By The Receiver.

Many struggle with their thoughts even after they are born again in the spirit. Thoughts are like missiles sent to discourage the believer. We can entertain these thoughts or reject them. Most of us accept these thoughts because we think they are our thoughts. This is to personalise the thoughts but this may only cause guilt and suffering. Many are caught up in recurring thoughts of lust or anger and jealousy. These are a trap to keep the believer imprisoned in a make believe prison. We need to discern the thoughts that come to us and take control of them. 

Once we realise that thoughts are like birds that fly around, then we can take action to prevent them building a nest in our mind. We need to see our thoughts as external to us to be able to prevent them taking residence. This insight alone will help to take a step back and resist the negative thought. Thoughts enabled become habits that will then become part of our character. Good thoughts will build good habits. Watch your thoughts. Are they ones that you would entertain? If not reject them immediately however enticing they be. Thoughts do stir up your feelings and once your feelings are sparked it becomes more difficult to be set free. Habits are difficult to break because emotions are involved but not impossible. Demons attach themselves to habits and make a habitation there. 

The way of escape is to be filled in the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to take over our will. Our will is the decision part of us that needs to allow what comes in. It is like a filter that filters in what is good and blocks what is bad. The Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness and strengthen us in our weakness. The spiritual walk is met with challenges in body, mind and spirit. We have to be vigilant to not allow what is of the world to infiltrate us. This can happen slowly and subtly. The Holy Spirit is our watchman and He will alert us to what is evil and to be resisted. Watch what you see and hear for it is through these channels that we give entry to negative thoughts.

We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. However many of us still live as if the old is still alive and current. Why is this so? This is so because we fail to enter into the abundant life Christ has promised us. Just like the Israelites we wander around in circles rather than enter the promised land. Today decide to allow the Holy Spirit to filter your thoughts so that you are free from its torment. Live as His new creation and never give in to the temptations of the world or the devil. Those who persevere to the end will inherit the riches promised.