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Christ In Us

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Galatians 2:20 is a verse I often quote, because its the cornerstone of our success in Jesus Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ,” Paul writes, “and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

So let me ask you a question: Do you really believe that? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive inside of you, right now, wherever you are, and whatever youre doing?

If you have trouble grasping the reality of that truth, let me remind you again today: the living Christ lives in you! The Holy Spirit has made you His temple! You are filled with His power! You are cleansed by Christs blood!

With all these wonderful promises, there is no reason why you and I cant walk in the joy and power of the Holy Spirit. We can pray, and believe with confidence that the Lord will speak through us, and use us to reach people in our world with His Good News.

If you really believe that Jesus is alive in you today, theres no telling what the Lord can do through you. So ask God to give you the gift of faith to believe His promises. Christ will enable you to live the kind of victorious life you dream about!

Pretense Leads to Burnout

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Sooner or later most of us will encounter a Christian who is wearing a mask. We find out the pious Christian we thought we knew isnt the Christ-centered person they appeared to be. It seems to happen all too often on the national news and, sadly, in our local church.

The reality is that most people wear some sort of mask. Were scared that without a facade, people will see our inadequacies. Were scared that people wont like us if they really knew us.

But, the apostle Paul reminded us in 2 Corinthians that “whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away…and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lords glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.”

Pauls message is that we can take off our masks, when we truly accept Christ into our hearts. Not only will we experience freedom, but Paul promises we will grow steadily in the image of Christ.

Lets face it – living a life of pretense is exhausting. We can avoid the burnout and live victoriously when we stop pretending. So, stop pretending and turn to Christ for your security. Then, youll be ready to tell others of the glorious freedom you found in Christ.

Pray Great Prayers

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When I was a teenager in Argentina, a missionary from California taught me how to pray. His name was Keith Benson. Keith asked if I would like to pray with him once a week. I was thrilled! The first afternoon we got together, Keith put a map on the wall. On the map was the city of Cordoba, which is the second largest city in Argentina.

We began praying for each and every church in Cordoba. It took many months, but we did it! Then Keith began putting up maps of other cities throughout Argentina, and we prayed for those by name, week after week.

Eventually, it was on to South America. We prayed for each and every country. Finally, Keith brought out a globe of the world! And I fell in love with the nations! I learned so much through those prayer sessions. Keith taught me that regular prayer not only enhances your relationship with God, but it increases your vision for what God can do through your prayers. I determined that I was ready to go wherever the Lord called me!

In John 16, Jesus says: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Whatever we ask in Jesus name, He promises to do it. So dream big – but pray even bigger – that God will use you to reach your world for Jesus Christ!

Your Family

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Theres a wonderful promise in the Old Testament that I came to understand when I was a young boy. The promise is found in Genesis 26:6. God says to Abraham, “Through your descendants all the nations on earth will be blessed.”

When I read that as a boy, I remember thinking, This is something I can pray for my own kids someday! So, as my wife and I started our family, we prayed that prayer for each of our four boys. We said, “Lord, through these boys, please bless all the nations of the world.”

Now, there were some rough years. One of our sons, Andrew, took a big spiritual hike for about 13 years. We experienced a lot of sadness. But we kept praying, “Lord, bless the nations of the world through our boys.” And praise God, Andrew did finally surrender his life to Jesus Christ!

Now, hes an evangelist – sharing the Good News all around the world. In fact, each one of our boys is serving the Lord in different capacities. Its thrilling to watch how God has answered that prayer of ours!

So, dream great dreams for your family. No matter where your kids are right now with the Lord, dont despair. Pray for your children by name, asking God to bless the nations of the world through them. The Lord will hear, and answer!

The First Steps

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Have you recently led someone to Jesus Christ? If so, congratulations! Nothing compares to the joy of helping to usher a soul into the family of God! And now you have the opportunity to help your friend grow in their new relationship with the Lord! One of the first steps you can take is to encourage your friend in their new faith. They may be struggling with some doubt, and wonder, “Am I really saved? Did Jesus really come into my heart? How do I know for sure?” Remind your friend of the truth from Gods Word. In John 10:28 Jesus tells us: “I give them eternal life, they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” New believers may also struggle with a sense of guilt from their past sins. If that happens, open the Bible to Romans 8:1 where Paul writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And finally, remind your new brother or sister in Christ that Jesus lives in them. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” These verses will help a new believer. Gods Word can penetrate your friends heart, with the Lords promises