Monthly Archives: August 2021

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  -(Genesis 1:26 NKJV)

When God designed the first man and woman, they were absolutely perfect.  The master plan was set in motion by the Father, Who said, “Let us make mankind in our image.”  Then Jesus executed the plan by scooping up a lump of clay and shaping a man; out of man He fashioned a woman.

Stick with me for a minute here.  When speaking of Jesus, Colossians 1:16 tells us that “…all things were created by him, and for him” (KJV).  In John 1:3, we read that by God’s Word were all things made, “…without him nothing was made that has been made.”  Verse 14 of John 1 positively identifies the Word as Jesus Christ: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  But it is not until the Holy Spirit breathed the life of God into Adam’s spirit did Adam become a living being.

So, you see, you have been made in the likeness and image of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  You and I are just “chips off the old block!”

Father, I declare that You created me in Your image—the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and I will honor You with the body, mind, and soul You created.

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame…”

Revelation 3:21a (NKJV)

Have you ever used the little phrase “under the circumstances”?  Once when we were having a tremendous crisis, I said to someone, “Under the circumstances, I think I’m doing quite well.”

The Lord spoke back to me, “What are you doing UNDER the circumstances?  You’re supposed to be ON TOP OF the circumstances.”  Revelation 3:21a certainly reaffirms that promise!  If we want to sit with Jesus in heavenly places, we’re going to have to sit in the overcoming position.

Do you have some circumstances that are bowing you under?  Do you feel crushed under the weight of situations that seem beyond your control?  Take hold of God’s promise for “overcomers.”  Confess God’s Word that you will sit on the throne with Jesus, far above the cares of all worldly problems.  We can’t be under the circumstances; we must be on top of them.  Jesus is in us, so He gives us the power to overcome and sit in heavenly places too.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You today that I am not under my circumstances.  I am above them.  In fact, I am sitting high above my circumstances and command them to line up with Your Word. 

In the Name of Jesus,

Amen.

God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Let the people praise You, O God; Let all the people praise You.

For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth.  Selah

(Psalm 67:1-4 NKJV)

The spreading of the Gospel to all nations will result in great praise.  One glorious day we will live in a righteous world under the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s live this life in an overabundance of praise to God for His supernatural intervention even before we see the miracles manifested.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV)

Create means to “make something out of nothing.”  When we are born again, God makes us a new creation.  He gives us a new seed; we are born again of incorruptible seed, the seed of His new life.

Notice that the Word says “new” life—not second-hand or renovated or revamped—BUT ENTIRELY NEW!  God never said to Himself, “Well, here I’ve got Me a sinner.  I think I’ll just throw on a new cover, sort of like renovating a mattress!”  We’re not like a “renovated mattress,” but we have, instead, a brand-new life inside!

Because we have that new creation within, we can have a renewed spirit.  Our mind, conscience, will and intellect can be renewed daily with God’s Word.  We can live in our new nature, rather than our old.

Make this daily decision: “Will I live in the old man, or will I live in the new man?”  Today let’s crucify the old man and decide to live in the newness of Christ’s life.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that, as born-again Christians, we have new man inside us.  We do not have to live in the old man.  We make the choice to live in the newness of life.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

To them God has chosen to make know among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  -(Colossians 1:27 NKJV)

I was 16 years old when I was born again.  Up until that time, I knew about Jesus, but I didn’t know I could have Jesus.  That year, I went to a Methodist youth camp where they told us we could be born-again, we could have Jesus on the inside of us:  Christ in you, the hope of glory!

I prayed, repented of my sins, invited Him to come into my heart and to be the Lord of my life.  And let me tell you, from the age of 16 until now, He’s never left me, never forsaken me, and I love Him.  He’s real!  He’s real in my life every day.

So, I began to read the Word, and I found that Jesus is in every book of the Bible.  That put such a passion in me to get everyone hooked on the whole book.  To see Him in Genesis.  To see Him in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Because often we say, “Jesus isn’t in the Old Testament.”  Or, “Who is Jesus in the Old Testament?”  But did you know that a lot of the New Testament is quoted from the Old?  How can you understand the New Testament if you don’t ready the Old?  He is in every book!

I just want to share Jesus; I want to share Who He is in you and how the whole Bible is about Who Jesus is.  But He’s not just the Word for us to read about and know about, He’s the Word to be made flesh in us and through us.  Because when you receive Him into your heart, it’s totally transformational.

Father, open my heart to hear from You and what You would say to me.  Make Jesus flesh in and through me.  Help me see Jesus every day.  Amen!