Surprise, you’re adopted. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba Father.’” (Romans 8:15)
I’ve learned a couple of things from talking with those who’ve been adopted. One, they wanted to know why their parents didn’t want them. And two, they worked hard to make sure their adoptive parents would keep them.
This makes what Paul wrote in the above passage so insightful. We don’t have to fear our Father giving us back to the orphanage called this world if we fail. We are safe and secure in the warmth of His love.
He loved us when we couldn’t love Him and couldn’t do anything right. In fact, He wanted us as His children so badly that He sent His own Son to get us from that orphanage. Jesus did and does all the work to make and keep us God’s children. It’s on Him, not us!
Fight your enemy’s lies that make you feel unwanted or have to be God’s workhorse with this truth – you’re adopted! Relax and enjoy your relationship with your Father! You don’t have to earn something that you already have – love and security.
“S”et Free Nowww
Supernaturally Touched Today
You’re touched by God’s love every moment of every day and I’m sure you don’t even notice it. How? God told Adam that if he ever decided to turn his back on God by doing his own thing, Adam would die.
What happened when Adam and Eve finally did it? They experienced something we experience all day long – God’s mercy and grace. Yes, Adam and Eve experienced spiritual death – a disconnection with God. What they deserved, however, was physical death at that time as well.
God out of His great love expressed His mercy by sacrificing an animal to cover up their mistake and His grace by giving them extra time to freely choose to follow Him once again. He does the same for you and me – every second of the day.
How many times a day do we turn our backs on God? More often than we care to recognize. In Leviticus 4, the Israelites needed a make a sin or purifying sacrifice, which was for the sins they didn’t even know they were doing! We are responsible for every action – intentional or not – here on earth and with God.
Our choices deserve both physical and spiritual death the moment we do them. Yet Jesus’ sacrifice not only took care of our intentional sin, but our unintentional turning away as well. We experience God’s love every second whether we realize it or not through His mercy and grace. This should cause us to be extremely thankful as it enables us to stop punishing ourselves and to start walking with Him again.
And since He gives you room to make healthier choices today through His grace and mercy, why not show His love to those around you by extending to them that same grace and mercy? As you do, not only will you be supernaturally touched today, but so will those around you!
“S”et Free Noww“W”
The Power of One
“He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never went to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things usually associated with greatness. He had no credentials but himself…
“Nineteen centuries have come and gone, all the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together, have not affected the life of mankind on earth as powerfully as that one solitary life.”
Dr. James Allan, the author of this poem called “One Solitary Life”, was talking about Jesus. One surrendered life in the hands of the Living God can make one tremendous impact. Who knows that the “good work” He has for you to do today will affect lives for eternity? Let’s follow the lead of the one solitary life that changed history forever.
“S”et Free Nowww
Real, not Artificial, Stimulants
I saw the following statement written on one of the walls in a well known Nashville restaurant.
“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” I’ll save the famous person who said it some embarrassment by leaving out their name.
Sad is the day when this is true for the believer in Jesus. Each day is an adventure in knowing and walking with our God. Our God says that we can do everything we do with Him, even eating and drinking. Our God delights in hanging out and talking with His children wherever they go, no matter what time of day it is.
One question that is asked in Bible Impact Groups is, “Where have you seen Jesus show up in your life this week?” It should be the norm, not the exception, when Jesus shows Himself in our lives. We should be asking ourselves, “Why didn’t He?” when He doesn’t.
Those who walk with Jesus throughout their day will have just as big a smile on their face at the end of the day as they did at the beginning of the day…and they don’t an artificial stimulant to produce it!
Set Free Now“W”w
Your Past is Past
These kids are not afraid to put it out there. Printed on their t-shirts is what their former drug of choice was. One of them told me that she also has a t-shirt emblazoned with ex-homosexual. Now, that’s putting it out there!
This is their Jesus story. There is hope for real life change in the here and now, not just when we head home to heaven. Jesus changed and is changing their lives. These issues are in their past!
Every believer has a drug of choice, where we go other than to Jesus to meet our needs. Will we admit it and then will we turn to Jesus for help, are the questions we have to answer if we want to be rid of our pasts.
When we use our biblical tools through the Spirit’s power our lives will be changed. And it will continually be as we use those same life-changing tools on our next drug as well.
These young adults were not ashamed of their past as it is just that…in their past! They’ve experienced Jesus in real time. You can too! Pick up your tools and put your past in your past.
Set Free Nowww