Too often we lose sight of the fact that the one that is inside us has already overcome what it is that we fear that is the world. Here it is in Jesus own words. John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Remember that He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. When we try to ride the fence and live as a part time Christian we cannot give loyalty or live true as to who we really are. What does that say about ones testimony when someone looks at you one minute seeing you professing to be a Christian and the next moment acting just like everyone else? Is this being a man or woman of integrity? Is this being true to God? Jesus said that no one can serve two masters. Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. We share in that very same victory and there is nothing my friends that can ever take it away from us! The Apostle Paul was convinced of this. Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord When someone first accepts Christ and He enters their heart you can look into their face and see a change, se that difference and see how there has been a great burden of guilt lifted off of them. After awhile if they try to hide that light or that fire under a mask of trying to appear as someone who is of the world that light very easily can be extinguished. Jesus says that we are not to hide the light. Luke 8:16 "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. I have discovered that when people see you for the first time they tend to treat you from then on as to who they perceive you to be. When they look at you do they see He that is in you reflected on your face, your life and your actions? Ouch! Now the Spirit through me is speaking to me. I am just as guilty as anyone else by allowing the world and life get me down and rob me of the joy that Christ has brought into my life. Too often I find myself becoming frustrated at work, concentrating on the task at hand and walking around with a stern look upon myself when I should be smiling and in a pleasanter mood. I have this problem of dealing with failure at times and when things are not going well I have a tendency to be too hard on myself and allow it to reflect in my mood and demeanor. Now that is not the attitude that someone with the joy of salvation in their life should be displaying. I can only pray about it and ask God to help me with my shortcomings because I truly cannot overcome them alone. Thank God that He is a forgiving God and is always willing to welcome back people such as I that have a tendency to mess things up; that is truly a loving parent. I do not desire to go back to my old ways after all it was that way of thinking that landed me in prison for over 5 years. I constantly must remain aware of the fact that worldly pleasure lasts only for a moment and what I now have lasts for all eternity. If I allow my judgment to slip and begin allowing old habits and worldly ways to creep back into my life pretty soon these things will become acceptable behavior to me and I will be back where I started from. This is what Peter says about those who return back to a corrupt world. 2 Peter 2:20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning So my friends do not compromise who you are in Christ Jesus not even the tiniest amount. Continue to let the world know who you are and allow God to mold your life into the person that He created you to be. The Prison Poet
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:22:53 +0000