Planning to Fail

Check out this good post from Travis Hewuse. Are you planning to fail?

Walk in Authority

If you’ve ever gotten a speeding ticket, you’ve got a decent idea of how the criminal justice system works. You’re going too fast, so some guy wearing a police uniform stops you. He walks up to your car and writes you a ticket. You have to pay that ticket and/or appear before a judge in court… all because this guy caught you going too fast.

When this guy isn’t on duty, he’s just another guy. But when he puts that uniform on he can enforce the laws of our nation. That means that when he stops you for speeding and gives you a ticket, you have to listen to what he tells you to do because he wears the uniform. Since he bears the authority of the city, state, nation, etc., he can make you go pay that ticket, or else you will face even more severe punishment.

However, if some guy in street clothes stopped you, didn’t show any identification, badge, or anything and just said, “Hey! You’re going too fast, pay me $100”, you wouldn’t do it. So why do you listen to the police officer?? Because he is backed by something much larger than himself. When he tells you to do something you have to do it because he has the entire power of the government backing him.

It’s the same way with you and God. The Bible says that when you ask Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior—believe on Him for your salvation and reconnection with God, ask for forgiveness of your sins, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and repent and turn your life and your ways towards God—you immediately receive the Holy Spirit. From that instant on, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.

Have you fully realized the implications of this?! Everywhere you show up, God shows up, too. When you walk into the room, you have the ability to change the atmosphere. It’s not just because you’re really hot or charismatic (although you may very well be :)), it’s because you carry the power of the Living God with you.

When you come in the name of Jesus Christ, you come with all authority in Heaven and earth. That means if you see injustice, sickness, poverty, or anything else that is in violation of God’s will on earth then you have the authority and the ability through the name of Jesus Christ to rectify that situation completely. Through your faith in the One you represent, you not only can move the atmosphere of a room, but you can dismantle spiritual strongholds, end oppression, defeat wicked rulers, and bring relief to the hungry. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

You don’t even have to put on a uniform...the Holy Spirit isn’t something that you can just take off :) But you do still have a choice: you get to choose if you’re gonna walk around and be “just another guy”, or embrace the fact that you have all the resources of Heaven and the Almighty God on your side. I choose authority.

Who You Are!!!

We have a 24-hour prayer service going on at my church right now. As I was there this morning, I prayed one thing that seemed to carry more weight in my heart than anything else. I prayed that God would prick the hearts of this generation and this nation so that they could feel again. I prayed that He would get rid of the apathy and that people would care about the desires, concerns, and passions of His heart—b/c He puts a new and clean heart in you when you accept His love.

I think that for people to accept God’s love and ask for Jesus Christ to cleanse them of their sins as they turn and repent from their old ways, they have to understand what God says about them, and to them. They have to understand who they are. So despite what you may have heard people tell you, the following things that are pulled straight from the Bible are the truth about who you are. These verses are phrased so that you can say them out loud and claim them over yourself. I challenge you to read each one of them out loud, one-by-one, and see what happens to your heart. This is what the Almighty God, Your Creator and Lover of Your Soul, says about you:

I am redeemed and forgiven by the grace of Christ.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7).

I am saved by faith in Christ, not by my works.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God.
For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love (Ephesians 1:4).

I am a child of God.
But to all who have received him--those who believe in his name--he has given the right to become God's children … (John 1:12).

I have been chosen of God, and I am holy and beloved.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience … (Colossians 3:12).

I have been accepted by Christ.
Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God's glory (Romans 15:7).

In Christ Jesus, I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption … (1 Corinthians 1:30).

My old self was crucified with Christ, and I am no longer a slave to sin.
We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (Romans 6:6).

My new self is righteous and holy.
… Put on the new man who has been created in God's image--in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth (Ephesians 4:24).

My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am God’s workmanship created to produce good works.
For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:10).

The peace of God guards my heart and mind.
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

God supplies all my needs.
And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

This is who you are. God says so. There are a few links at the bottom of the page that have more to say on your identity in Christ (I copied most of the verses in this post from the first link). Check em out.

Most importantly, if you haven’t already, I urge you to ask Christ Jesus to come into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. He is God's only Son who came into the earth to die to forgive us all of our sins. Through Christ we are reconnected and right with God. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior is as simple as believing in Him, and confessing your sins with your mouth. If you would like help with what to pray, you can follow this link, or ask me (adamkees@hotmail.com). There’s no better time than now. Tomorrow is promised to no one. I pray that you do it.

In Jesus Christ of Nazareth's Love,

adam


http://bible.org/article/who-does-god-say-i-am
http://branchofvine.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-god-says-about-me.html
http://www.nemontel.net/~word1/what_god_says_about_me.htm
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/JennyTheJewel.aspx