Struggling Relationship w/Jesus

If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but are still struggling with old habits and attitudes - talk to Him about it and let Him know you would like to want Him more than you want this world, but are having a hard time getting there. He will begin to lead you on a better path...the one that involves Him as the most important person in your life. You may need to separate yourself from

some of the people and places you are familiar with. Get a version of the Bible you can understand and start to read about Jesus...His life, and His ways. Ask Him to arrange for new friends and mentors to come into your life, then get excited because I promise He will not disappoint. He is faithful, He is awesome, and He has your picture in His wallet.

Jesus - The God/Man

When Jesus came to earth as a man, He didn't give up any of His rights as a deity. He always was and always will be God. But coming in the form of a man He submitted himself to the limitations of His flesh. (There are great legal ramifications in this, which is how He was able to undo the kingdom of darkness submitting Himself to His own laws. The greatest strategy ever conceived.) He relied upon and was empowered completely by the Holy Spirit during His ministry here 2000 yrs. ago. You and I, as born-again believers, have that same opportunity today.
"Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!" ~ Philippians 2:6-8

Receive God's Grace

If faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (and it does), then doubt and unbelief come by hearing everything the world has to offer. Everything that passes through our eye and ear gates creates something in our souls. The Word of God produces peace, love, holiness - God's character. The World produces doubt, unbelief, rebelliion, evil desires, etc. Thus we have the average carnal American Christian, full of the world and barely allowing for any quality time with the Lord. All anyone has to do is listen to us speak, or read what we write, and see the fruit of our intake...because out of the overflow of the heart our mouths will speak (or we will write).
Remedy = Read & Meditate on the Word of God (Bible), Prayer (two way conversatiion), true Christian Fellowship and Godly conversation, better choices concerning what we see and listen to. Then, all of this will just be works without the power of the Holy Spirit, so ask the Giver for the Gift. He will not turn you down. God loves you. He wants you to connect with Him through the channels He has provided so that your faith muscles will grow. Then you will be able to appropriate, by faith, all that He has provided by grace.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."~ Romans 10:17

"Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word," ~ Eph. 5:25-26

"I will set before my eyes no vile thing..." ~ Ps.101:3

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." ~ Romans 12:2

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" ~ Luke 11:13

I AM WILLING - BE CLEAN

"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. " ~ Luke 5:12-13

Jesus was approached by a man with a severe case of leprosy. It would not have been a pretty thing to look upon. He wasn't sure if Jesus would heal him, but he knew He could. Jesus made His will clear to the man by reaching out and touching him, and of course when He touched him...he was healed.

We desperately need to accept a couple of things here. Because our level of knowledge and belief in them have everything to do with living victorious lives as Christians. They need to be documented in our minds, our hearts...our souls. The first is God's will regarding physical healing. That leper didn't know whether or not Jesus was willing to heal him, but that is not the case for believers today. The Bible sets in place all the testimony and precedent we need to establish God's will concerning healing. It is always His will to heal. Never once does Jesus use sickness as punishment. Never once did He turn anyone away or even require anything of them, before He would heal them. He healed everyone who ever came to Him for healing. Yes in the old testament God put sickness on people who were rebellious. He was angry, and He even killed people. He had to deal harshly with people because they did not have the Holy Spirit and the only way to protect the majority of mankind from rebellion and the sin which was so prevelant was to make examples of some. But all of God's wrath has now been unleashed on Jesus Christ. He exhausted His judgment, punishment, and anger on Jesus as a way of reconciling us back to Himself. Now a just and holy God can look upon you, me, and whosoever will except the gift of salvation found in His son Jesus Christ and say 'their sins have been atoned for by the blood of Jesus'.
The other thing is this... His will to heal is not just for the physical body, but for our spirit man and for our soul or personality (consisting of our thoughts, will, and emotions). From the fall of man till the present day, every person born (apart from Jesus and John the Baptist) has been born captive to sin. When we make a commitment to trust in Jesus for our eternal redemption and make Him the Lord of our life, our spirit is set free from the bondage to sin; enabling us to live Godly lives.

 "... just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." ~ Romans 5:18

 This doesn't mean we don't still have the capacity to sin, we do. It just means we are no longer compelled to sin by an uncontrollable force, and if we do we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, praying for us, and HE IS ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE to free us from the burden of guilt, condemnation, regret, and shame that can hinder us from living the abundant life of an over-comer He died to provide us with.

  ^"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." ~ 1 John 3:20

Dear brothers and sisters, remember this. No matter what sickness you face, and no matter what sin you have committed...Jesus is ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE to heal you, forgive you, cleanse you, restore your confidence, and set you on a course of victory. Find out more about the superabundance of God's grace available to you through the atonement of Jesus as a New Covenant believer. God is not angry with you, and He has a perfect plan for your life. Learn how to appropriate all that He has for you by surrendering yourself to His love and amazing grace. Before long you will be so full of the love of God, you will be walking in faith, trusting in God, and loving His people with His kind of perfect love.

OPEN UP TO GOD'S WORD AND FIND HIS WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful ~ Matthew 13:22

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ~ 1 John 2:15

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ~ Ephesians 5:17

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:2

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ~ 1 Peter 1:14

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ~ Colossians ~ 1:9

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ~ Romans 10:17

Lighten Your Load

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Stay free of bitterness, unforgiveness, gossip, malice, jealousy, and immorality. Recognize and acknowledge these things are not of God, command them to leave in the name of Jesus, then (verbally) invite God's love, joy, peace, and self-discipline into your heart...in the name of Jesus. The Christian life is impossible by your own power, you need the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus to fill you today. He is faithful. You will not arrive in a day, it is a journey, but He will free you of the bondage to sin, so you have the ability to live the abundant life of an overcomer He died to provide you with.

Penny For Your Thoughts

If your thoughts were posted on a TV screen on your forehead you wouldn't have any problem controlling them. What are you choosing to magnify today? Does it glorify God or the devil? The choice is yours. Bitterness, anger, and selfish desires glorify and empower the enemy of your soul. When you meditate on negative things you are submitting to the evil one who is whispering in your ear. If someone offered you a "penny for your thoughts", would they be short-changed? Choose to meditate on positive possibilities, beautiful dreams, and goals that honor God. Fix your mind on Jesus.
"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." ~ Phil. 4:8,9 MSG