Monday, June 26, 2006

Inside Out

The weeks battling with Satan over my health, just like I always like to say, the Lord fights in all battles, we simply stand still & receive the victories. It is important to proclaim from your mouth, believe in your heart & a miracle you need, a miracle you will receive Amen?! I truly believe the God we serve is a good God, so close, calling Him Father, even Abba, seems to be distant; He is our dear Daddy in Heaven! Who constantly bless us with His mercy & loving kindness, Oh How Great is our God...

Jesus changes our nature from the inside out! "A new heart I will give you & a new spirit will I put within you, & I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh & give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you & cause you to walk in my statutes, & you shall heed my ordinances & do them." Ezekiel 36: 26-27 [Amplified Bible] Jesus doesn't send us to obedience school to learn new habits; He sends us to the hospital to be given a new heart. Forget training; He gives transplants...

You want to go to Heaven? Doesn't matter how religious you are or how many rules you keep. You need a new birth; you need to be "born of water & the Spirit." God gives no sponge baths. Washes us from head to toe. Paul reflected on his conversion & wrote: "He gave us a good bath & we came out of it new people, washed inside & out by the Holy Spirit." [Titus 3:5 MSG] Your sins stand no chance against the fire hydrant of God's grace. But more in needed. Jesus is not content to clean you; He indwells you. Jesus deposits within you "His power, which mightily works." [Col. 1:29]

Don't for a microsecond think God does this with you. Washing the outside isn't enough for Him. He places power on the inside. Better stated, He places Himself on the inside. God is constantly working in us Amen?! Religious as Saint Peter's Square, but feeling just as old? Pious, but powerless? If so, may I remind you of something?

When you believe in Christ, Christ works miracle in you. "When you believe in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit." [Eph 1:13 NLT]. You are permanently purified & embowered by God Himself. The message to the religious person is simple: It's not what you do. It’s what Jesus does. Jesus has moved in. And in time we can say with Paul, "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me." [Gal. 20:20 NLT]

If that is true, Godwyn why do I still sputter? If I'm born again, why do I fall so often? Why did you fall so often after your first birth? Did you exit the womb wearing cross-trainers? Of course not. And when we started to walk, we fell more than we stood. Should we expect anything different from our spiritual walk?

But I fall so often I question my salvation. Again, we return to your first birth. Didn't you stumble as you were learning to walk? And when you stumbled, did you question the validity of your physical birth? Did you, as a one-year-old fresh flopped on the floor, shake your head & think, I have fallen again. I must not be human?

Of course not. The stumbles of a toddler do not invalidate the act of birth. And the stumbles of a Christian do not annul his spiritual birth. Do you understand what God has done? He deposited a Christ seed in us. As it grows, you will change. It's not that sin has no more presence in your life, but rather that sin has no power over your life. Temptation will pester you, but temptations will not master you. What hope this brings! It's not up to us! Within us abides a budding power. Trust Jesus!

Do you like the old person or the new? Do you count yourself as having a new heart or old? You have a choice to make. You might say, "I can't climb stairs; I'm too weak." Does our choice negate the presence of a new heart? Dismiss the work of the surgeon? No. Choosing the elevator would suggest only one fact- we haven't learned to trust out new power. It takes time. But at some point you've got to try those stairs. You've got to test the new ticker. You've got to experiment with the new you. For if we don't, we will run out steam...

Religious rule keeping can sap your strength. It's endless. There is always a class to attend, Sabbath to obey. Ramadan to observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of perfection. Her inmates find work but never find peace. How could they? They never know when they are finished...

Christ, however, gifts you with a finished work. He fulfilled the law for us! Bid farewell to the burden of religion. Gone is the fear that having done everything, you might not have done enough. We climb the stairs, not by our strength, but His. Jesus pledges to help those who stop trying to help themselves.

"And I am convinced & sure of this very thing, that He began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] & perfecting & bringing it to full completion in you." [Phil. 1:6 Amplified Bible] Break every strongholds of the Devil & trust the power in you, Christ the hope of Glory!

Inspired By:

Max Lucado

23 comments:

jel said...

Hi Brother Godwyn,

hope your well,

our pastor, was taking about this very thing today in church!

have a great week! :)

Anonymous said...

Well said brother! Sometimes we do fall down, once we stand up again, we are stronger and better.

Be strong and courageous!

Tom Scepaniak said...

Very good brother!!

I've fallen down so many times, but as time goes on the times standing are getting a little longer, sometimes wobbly, but getting steadier and steadier. When we fall down flat on the ground we just got to lift our eyes to Jesus and get back up, oh it might seem hard, but get back up and stand before the King!!!

God Bless

Tom

melinda m said...

Godwyn good, very, very good!! I love your perspective. It's fresh! thanks bunches for this one....i've continued to battle stress, depression and despair, but I must trust in the Father and His work.
much love from USA!

audrey` said...

Yes, miracles still exist.
All thanks be to our Lord :)

Godwyn Lim said...

Sister Janice,

Hugs* I'm well & fine though I suffer from some fatigue.

It's good to share about the Good Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Take Care. May the Lord Bless you always with His mercy & loving kindness.

Godwyn Lim said...

Amen Sister!

In Armor of God in Ephesians, It says "Stand Firm"...

A righteous man is one who falls seven times but arise against all adversaries!

God Bless!

Godwyn Lim said...

Brother Tom,

Thank you for sharing with us your walks of Christ, I believe sharing is loving:-)

Ame?! We should always look at the perfect work done on the cross, Jesus said, "It is FINISHED!" not our own flesh!

We shall arise before Jesus, Our Lord of Lords, King of Kings!

Have a great week ahead! God Bless!

Godwyn Lim said...

Sister Melinda,

Thank you, it is all about Jesus not me! I am praying with you for the depression, despair & depression!

I just want you to know Jesus body is broken for you 6 hours on the cross, each & every illness punished as our sins.

You are healed in the name of Jesus Christ!

"Behold, I will bring it health & cure, & I will cure them, & will reveal unto them the abundance of peace & truth". Jeremiah 33:6

Godwyn Lim said...

Sister Audrey,

You Bet! A miracle you ask for, a miracle you will get. Though we do fall, we shall arise like Micah!

Have a bless week ahead!

Mark D said...

Another great post Godwyn! I hope you are recooperating well.

Anonymous said...

i so agree with you. miracles still do happen! praise God for that. God bless you, bro.

Godwyn Lim said...

Dear Brother Mark,

Thank you for your concern. Yes, I am up & ready, can't wait for Sunday to attend service to praise our good Lord, Christ Jesus!

Thank you for dropping by! God Bless:-)

Godwyn Lim said...

Amen! PIA!

We will pray for more miracles for those who needs. A miracle we asked, I believe in all my heart Jesus will bless us exeeding our expectation!

Praise Jesus, who always love, always bless, always protects...:-)

God Bless!

Kitty Cheng said...

great post brother, so encouraging!

Godwyn Lim said...

Sister Kitty,

It's great to hear from you! Hope all is well, yak when we are online ya!

Meantime have a good week ahead, God Bless:-)

Live, Love, Laugh said...

I just heard a sermon on this on Sunday!!! I hope you are feeling much better! I will continue to pray for your complete healing!

jel said...

Brother Godwyn,
hope you are doing well, and your family!

blessing

huggs

Godwyn Lim said...

Hi Dana sister,

Thank you for your prayers! I'm so bless with all around me:-)

Have a great week ahead! God Bless!

Godwyn Lim said...

Hugs* Sister Janice,

My family is fine, thank you for your concern. I have been watching World Cup, didn't put much thoughts into a new entry heheh!

I just keep reading till spirit prompt to write! I'm glad you had a good weekend!

Jesus & Godwyn always Love U!

audrey` said...

France or Italy? :)

Godwyn Lim said...

Sister Audrey,

The answer is Jesus! I support Italy, hope they will win!

I notice most of the players are catholic, our brothers in Christ too!

Have a great weekend ahead!

God Bless:-)

audrey` said...

HaHa!
You guessed correctly :)