Happy Thanksgiving!

I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank Him for everything He's done in and with my life. For I know without Him, I would not have life. And being that Jesus is above all, everything is covered under Him; which includes family, friends, and all of my belongings.

I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look What You've Done

I'm sitting here reading Philippians and in such rejoice over Christ Jesus. Even though I can't fully comprehend His peace and love, I can see what He's done for me (and you) to the extent of his will for that matter. I do know that while here (on earth) we will never grasp the full effect of what He did on the cross. I've even read a book that stated the angels don't even completely know what happened on Calvary. It's something far too big for our little minds to conceive.

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with this, but lately I feel the Lord has been revealing His nature to me more and more. And in the realization of His death, selflessness keeps getting greater. It's funny, but I never thought thinking less of myself would be a good thing. Philippians 2:3 says it best.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.

In ruminating over all of this, I start listening to an album I bought a few weeks ago but haven't listened to it much at all. Well, the third song comes on and my heart is drawn to it with much compassion. It's titled "Look What You've Done".

Look what you've done for me, Your blood has set me free
Jesus, my Lord, Look what you've done for me.
I haven't been the same, Ever since that day I called Your name

Yahweh, Yahweh, Look what You've done for me

What can I do for You, my Lord? I want You to know my heart is Yours

It's not a question of what You can do for me, But what can I do for You, my Lord?

Up to Your cross I crawled, Now I am standing ten feet tall

Jesus my savior, Look what You've done for me,

Free at last I'm free, I owe You my life completely

Yahweh, Yahweh, Look what You've done for me

I think this song says it all. I know in times of distress and/or suffering, we call to God for help. And I think most of us ask for Him to do something for us. But really, what can he do for us that He hasn't already done through His Son. He's already set us free, and SO much more. More than we can even comprehend.

Father, I want to give thanks for what you've done through your Son. I pray that all my prayers are full of selflessness. I pray that if I have any desires, it's the desire to do something for You. As it says in the song, it's not a question of what you can do for me, but what can I do for you. I love you so much. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen.

Absolute Dependence

Experiencing the joy of authentic fellowship begins when we realize that all our dependence must be centered on Jesus himself. We don't share fellowship because we need to. We don't do it to get our needs met. True fellowship can only be known where our dependence upon Christ spills out in our love for others. Knowing the joy and freedom of his life, we can't help but share it with others.

Scripture is clear. True life is only found in Jesus. There is life in no other--not even a correct arrangement of Christians in houses or buildings. That's what Paul meant when he called Jesus the Head of the Church, declaring that it was God's purpose for him to "have first place in everything." Our needs are not the focus of body life. His presence living among us is.

We've taught for years the mistaken notion that we need to go to church to fill up on the life of God. Not true! We can only fill up on God's life through a transforming relationship with the Father through his Son. We were never meant to come to fill ourselves with church, but to live full of him and then share his life together with God's people…

Church life grows out of a group of people who are focused on Jesus. Focus on the church, and you will always be disappointed. Focus on Jesus and you will find him building the church all around you.

By Wayne Jacobsen

I like it when he said that all our dependence must be centered on Jesus. If you think about it, all is a powerful word. That means, everything, total, not even one little thing can be left out of the equation. Every single detail of every second of every day of every week of every month of every year, and so on…

I know that no one does this completely. But this is the truth, He is the Truth, and this is the goal we need to live for. If you could throw away all and every goal you have except for this one, you would be amazed at how your life would be changed. But be careful, don’t do this so YOUR life can be changed. Do this because He is the Truth. Because he deserves all glory and honor and praise. Because He is the answer. Because He is the King of Kings. I could go on and on…

These past two weeks, I’ve been in the process of buying a condo. And let me tell you, being the first real estate purchase, it’s been scary at times. Okay, okay, most times. But the Lord has showed me that during those times of fear (or anxiety or stress), I was not dependent on Him. The moment I focus my eyes on Jesus, everything that is not Truth, dissipates. He is such a merciful and gracious God that nothing can come close to His healings and teachings and disciplines. Someone reminded me in the process too, that perfect love casts out all fear.

Law Of The Spirit

Tonight, the Lord showed us some wonderful truth through his word. These are the scriptures.

Romans 7:25-8:6

7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

It’s so great to see what God is doing with this little church. To see that everyone’s mind is set on the Sprit, there is Life and Peace within this community of saints. Sufferings? Of course, but Life and Peace because of the law of the Spirit.