True North News 1-23-15

Greetings Church Family,
 
A little pre-school girl was at the doctor’s office. When the doctor was listening to the little girl’s heart through a stethoscope, he asked her, “Who do I hear in there? Is Donald Duck in there? Is Barney in there?”

The little girl corrected him very seriously: “No! Jesus is in my heart; Barney is on my underwear!”

Even a little child can understand having Jesus come into their hearts. That’s what Jesus was talking about when he made this promise:
 
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you … and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18
 
Who’s with me? Jesus Christ. His Spirit lives in me!  Think about this…Our Lord is victorious and mighty!  He lives in us!  He has won and He is in us!
 
When you wake up and pray for peace, hope, or love – we need to remember all that Jesus is – peace, hope, love – and He is in us!  We have what we need! I don’t need to ask for things to take away my fears, and give me comfort – HE IS my strength, courage, and comfort!   
 
We need to remember that Jesus is the promise of God.  When you deal with junk, broken promises, burn out, hurt relationships, death and loss, pain…you get to the point where you say and think, “I can’t do this anymore.”   Exactly!
 
 Romans 5:10 says, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”
 
Jesus rose from the dead.  He won!  While we were sinning, He saved us! He restored our friendship with God.
 
What am I trying to say?  God made no provision for you to live the Christian life.  The Christian life is Jesus Christ in you! God’s very Spirit in you.  Jesus Christ is the Christian life. Not me acting like Jesus.  It’s me yielding to the living presence of His Spirit in me.
 
Paul said, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13  and he also wrote Romans 8:37, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
 
Jesus Christ in me!  Won – not done!  The Good News is that Jesus won over sin and death, and through faith we win.  Now, with Jesus in us – were are not done.  Let’s continue to live victoriously every day!
 
God bless you all,
 
Pastor Rex