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The Personal Journey 365, the belt

Good News -GNBM.org — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:01:00 GMT

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… Ephesians 6:14 NIV

In our modern era, finding truth has never before has been more confusing or elusive. One theology says go this way, one doctor says try this pill, and one self-help book says practice this discipline to find the answers. While each antidote may provide some temporary relief to problems, the root cause of the problems still remains. Conversely, there is an answer that is so simple that it has baffled both intellectuals and scholars alike, throughout all the ages. This answer goes beyond our own limited ability to understand, yet it is the single source of complete healing, complete restoration, and the final destination for the type of love that all of us seek from the moment we are born until the day we die. This belt of truth is so simply, yet divinely, Jesus Christ --the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way to God --the Truth-- accept through Him (John 14:6).

The belt of truth is what holds everything else in the Armor of God together. It is the very catalyst that enables us to stand firm, to overcome no matter what adversity we may encounter, and it is timeless. It is not in the analyzing, nor the pursuit of understanding; it’s in the man Himself, Jesus Christ, which is the answer. It is the relationship that we have with Jesus Christ that determines our ability to not only do battle, but begin to comprehend what exactly we are fighting –and it is not flesh and blood.

Our ways are not God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so how could we possibly ever understand the big picture, let alone the real meaning behind our own personal day to day battles. On our own, we will fall short of the mark, but in continual surrender to Christ the victory is inherently and immediately ours. It is in the little day to day battles that if surrendered to Jesus Christ for obedience then victory that the relationship with Him is built. How could we possibly build an intimate relationship, let alone trust some unknown, if we do not personally interact with them on a continual basis. The intimate love relationship with our Lord is the key and we are given only one lifetime to figure it out.

When that moment of revelation comes, then the 180° transformation begins, hope is alive, and complete restoration in us and those in our sphere of influence is assured. The maintaining is up to us in our continual surrender one day at a time.

For other resources, live group meetings, support and encouragement in the spirit of True Fellowship in Jesus Christ you are welcome to join The Personal Journey group on-line.

Regina M. Dick
rdick@gnbm.org

The Personal Journey 365, the helmet

Good News -GNBM.org — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:51:00 GMT

…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5, NKJV

In the heat of the battle, the mind is reeling with a potent cocktail of raw explosive emotions and obsessive thoughts. The seeds are being planted for destruction with no regard to any collateral damage. This is the turning point of either life changing victory or miserable defeat. The outcome depends on the choice. Paradoxically, at this point the only strategy for victory is the choice of surrender. For those who have put on the helmet of salvation and have learned to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ, then this tactic has become the natural means of surrendering to the power of God. Victory is inevitable.

Unfortunately, most are completely unaware of the battle being waged from within. An evil thought surfaces, combined with a flood of irrational passions or absolute repression, and the clueless inescapably fall prey to the ultimate consequences of out of control actions, or deliberate debilitating inaction. Moving from the seeds of unfiltered thoughts to destructive actions, consequently affecting character formation, and finally shaping destiny oft times quicker than we could possible imagine. We look back and are left with the unyeilding question, “How in the world did I get here?”

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are given the full Armor of God, and if surrendered to the obedience of Jesus Christ, we are trained on a daily basis to do battle. It is in the daily battle that we are honed to walk in victory over any event that crosses our path. Whether believer or non-believer, we are all faced with challenges in our lives. Fighting based on our own limited capacity to understand who or what we are fighting, or running away to avoid confrontation leaves the emptiness of loss that nothing of this world can truly repair.

This loss carries with it unwarranted stress and despair effecting not only the emotional being, but the physical and spiritual being as well. The parasites of depression and apathy are left to suck the life out of its oblivious victims. Fortunately, by God’s amazing grace --His unmerited favor-- at any point while we still draw breath in this world, we can choose to simply surrender to the Answer. If willingly agreed, the scales of the heart are lifted and truth is revealed that Christ is with us and has been waiting for us patiently for a long time.

Perspective is altered and hope is found. We can truly be anxious for nothing, bringing our prayers and petitions, with thanksgiving, before God (Philippians 4:6 ) knowing without a shadow of doubt our prayers are answered. The helmet of salvation belongs to the freely surrendered, and the victory belongs to God.

For other resources, live group meetings, support and encouragement in the spirit of True Fellowship in Jesus Christ you are welcome to join The Personal Journey group on-line.

Regina M. Dick
rdick@gnbm.org

The Personal Journey 365, Armor up

Good News -GNBM.org — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:41:00 GMT

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Ephesians 6:12-12, NIV

And the battle begins. To maintain a blind eye to the fact that we are in a major Spiritual battle is tantamount to giving our lives over without a thought to hopeless oblivion. To continue to beat each other up with quarreling, unforgiveness, and strife is to lose not only the battle, but the war. There is Spiritual wickedness that we must acknowledge to even begin to do battle. Oxford scholar, and former atheist, C.S. Lewis, wrote:

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…

C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letter. 1941

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the necessary Armor to do battle even of epic proportions. The problem is that most believers remain unaware of just what they do possess as Holy Spirit-filled ambassadors of Christ. Satan and his cohorts’ battle strategy consist of lies, deceit and division. It is their continual means of keeping believers off focus, thusly vulnerable to major attacks. Uniformly, when we begin to become aware of what is transpiring all around us, the attacks seem to become relentless. Most cunningly adaptive, the Enemy’s best lie is that one degree from truth for which many theologies have been based.

Divide and conquer, the basic battle strategy of any successful wartime leader is the quickest means of victory, especially in Spiritual warfare. Singularly separated, alone and wallowing in self-pity, the field-day of abuse begins to descend from every direction. As the Enemy succeeds in dividing families, the basic God-designed and ordained unit, then the ripple effect of division permeates throughout communities building into tidal waves of separation effecting all the way to our nations.

The only means of winning a war for which we are out-gunned and overrun by any means of earthly discernment is simply surrender. This humbling surrender is a one-day-at-a-time act of will to our Savior, Jesus Christ. By first surrendering our current understanding, we discover that we can trust God in a very personal way to cover all of our needs. From this revelation builds the faith needed not to ignore or walk away from any of life’s trials, but rather stand through to the finish in resounding victory. Triumphantly we declare that we are more than conquerors through our Lord, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37), suited with the complete Armor of God standing firmly with each other to the end.

For other resources, live group meetings, support and encouragement in the spirit of True Fellowship in Jesus Christ you are welcome to join The Personal Journey group on-line.

Regina M. Dick
rdick@gnbm.org

*Image by Bill Osborne at http://www.billosborne.com

The Personal Journey 365, where’s your focus?

Good News -GNBM.org — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:52:00 GMT

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30, NIV

We hear the still quiet voice becoming louder as a result of answering the calling with the choice for Christ as the Proclamation of Faith resounds. Salvation is claimed, and this turning point initiates the intimate personal journey with Jesus Christ. Now the transformation begins into the fullness of salvation that can only be achieved by continual focus on the Savior.

We have stepped out of the boat and begin walking on water. Sound impossible? It is in the natural, but not in the heavenly realm of God’s kingdom. Simplified, the new man is reborn into Christ’s own image leaving behind the understanding of this world to be transformed into the next. He is in this world, but no longer of this world (John 17:14-19). And the battle begins.

The honing of faith, as sanctification continues, comes in the one-day-at-a-time journey of life’s obstacles, and this is where focus requires our utmost attention. Focused on the wind and waves of circumstance continually beating against us, we sink. Listening to the voices and popular opinion of those still sitting in the boat, we sink. Attempting to figure it out in our own power how to stay afloat, we sink. If we are no longer of this world, but rather in the Kingdom of God, then we are focused on Jesus Christ.

As Spiritual maturity grows and faith is strengthened on this daily battleground of circumstances, perception changes and the big picture begins to unfold. We are never given more than what is required to stretch and build the faith in Christ needed to overcome anything put before us. These muscles of faith being torn down by the old to be rebuilt by the new bring us ever closer to Gods’ ultimate design. The war has already been won on Calvary, but we walk the victory daily through this valley of the shadow of death. “Where’s your focus?” becomes the decisive battle cry. As the world progresses in confusion and deception, the saints are ever more attuned to the voice of the Savior as a result of the day-to-day personal victories through the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling within us.

For other resources, live group meetings, support and encouragement in the spirit of True Fellowship in Jesus Christ you are welcome to join The Personal Journey group on-line.

Regina M. Dick
rdick@gnbm.org

The Personal Journey 365, continual communion

Good News -GNBM.org — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:21:00 GMT

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8, NIV

Continual communion is the personal love affair with Jesus Christ. As with any intimate relationship, the very natural next step when free choice is made to our intentions is pursuit of the desire. With Christ as the object of our desire the magnificent passion begins. This divine relationship brings a fullness and depth of understanding far beyond any conventional wisdom.

When someone truly falls in adoring love with someone else, their thoughts, their actions, their hearts are guided by this surrender. The difference with this love of God is a fullness that transcends our limited capacity to comprehend. This agape love is unconditional, and with it presents an abundance that defies all human ability to explain. The only possible way to appreciate this communion is through personal experience. If you know this love of Christ, then you know God, and knowing only comes through familiarity.

From this depth of our being comes deep awareness as we progress forward on the journey of continual communion with Christ. Our mind and hearts are literally transformed as we become one with Christ and our perspective on every aspect of life is forever altered.

The communion is life-long and as we grow more intimate in this powerful relationship Truth naturally unveils itself. From Truth we are given the tools needed to discern and walk in victory in every aspect of our lives. The void within our hearts that nothing else can fill becomes overflowing with abundance.

The overwhelming abundance is what spills over onto others and fulfills Christ’s declaration to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27 ,NIV

For other resources, live group meetings, support and encouragement in the spirit of True Fellowship in Jesus Christ you are welcome to join The Personal Journey group on-line .