Overflow with Joy & Peace

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

All the joy, and the all the peace we are able to attain has one source, God—“the God of hope” to those who “trust in Him.”  The life of a Christ follower reveals the presence of Christ, “He that is in you” (Rom 8:19, 1 Jn 4:4) by His Holy Spirit.  The power of the Spirit fills you with joy in all situations—because of hope in Christ’s salvation.  The power of the Spirit fills you with peace over all anxiety and conflict—because of hope in Christ’s salvation.  Only “the power of the Holy Spirit” will allow Christlike qualities to flow from you— because of hope in Christ’s salvation.   

We don’t reveal joy, peace, and hope through our own abilities, endeavors, or human power, however, “the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, …, faithfulness,” (Gal 5:22-23 NCV).  Indeed, I pray, that “the God of hope fill you with” himself.  Trust in Christ, and as his Spirit will fill you with the joy and peace of God, Who is hope. 

Owen <>< 

Stand Still

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today.” Exodus 14:13 NKJV

God’s people were on a journey, following Moses to the Promised Land—all the while, the Pharaoh was pressing in on them with the Egyptian army to destroy them.  This journey of the faithful looked bleak as the chariots of a well equipped, professional military machine was closing in on a multitude of ragtag slaves. 

But, what God’s people did not grasp was that God’s salvation is all encompassing, he gives life eternal, … and, He will accomplish for that very day, their urgent needs!  God is so wonderful.  He is the promise of eternal Life, and He is the God of now!  He is the God who sees your present needs, great or small, and “will accomplish for you today” restoration, healing, your very salvation.

The Word to you is this, “stand still” — there is nothing you can do, no action you can take, to gain eternal salvation or to be delivered, cured of a damaging situation or life matters of need during your life journey.  Simply, “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), it is, after all, God that “will be exalted among the nations, [and] in the earth” not you, not me, not anyone.  It is not about you, or me, but about God’s will, grace, and love.  You can try to fix things in your life journey, you can run from the horrible situations, you can do everything thinkable to save yourself, but even the simplest matters are not within your capability.  The Lord Almighty has said of our abilities, that it is “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zech 4:6), the Lord’s Spirit can minister and fix everything, but you or I cannot. 

Like Israel, you are on a life journey—all the while, the evil one is pressing in on you with his army and he desires victory over you, he sends others to press in on you with the intent to drag you down, to destroy you.  But, be still—no, don’t give up and let evil and desperate situations overrun and destroy you—nor is, to be still, a call to stop praying, to stop witnessing, to stop ministering, or to stop worshiping.  To “be still” is to stop running in fear, to stop making desperate attempts to fix things on your own.  If you will “be still” in the Lord, then, your faith will be seen by God and “He will accomplish for you today” that which you cannot attain—salvation, healing, deliverance, peace of heart, provision in all matters of life.   

Standing still, on His promises, in His Spirit – In Christ, 

Owen <>< 

How to Change the World

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible is the gift that God breathed for our benefit that we “be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  The Scriptures are not dusty old scrolls or an unused book on the coffee table.  The Bible is the definitive whisper breathed into the hearts of those who penned God’s message, who preserved God’s Word for us to have through time.  It is the standard and guide for our life—in it is found the means to live life day to day and the revelation of eternal life in Christ.    

In his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard asks the reader:  How do Bible stories help?  He then states, “Upon realistic, critical, adult reading, by those prepared to be honest with their experience, the Bible incisively lays bare the depths and obscurities of the human heart.  That is why it continues to play the decisive role it does in human history and culture and why it is fitted to be the perpetual instrument of the Spirit of God for human transformation, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 indicates.”

Change history, and change culture by merely having a heart transformed to be Christlike (Romans 12:1-3)—that process for the transformation is found in the Bible.  The Spirit of God reveals in Romans 15:4 that, “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  Hope, births eternal life in Christ, and the Scriptures that have given that hope, in turn, are “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 

Owen <><

Reflection of Perfection

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew 5:48

This is quite an expectation of our Lord.  Yet, isn’t His Spirit in everyone claiming to be a Christ follower?  We must live as one who has been given the gift of God’s miracle in you—the very essence and being of the Holy Spirit.  As we live we are to allow the Lord to be evident on our outside, our life actions.  Christ lived a sinless, perfect life; the most evident point of his perfection was His love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace toward everyone (see Heb 4:14-16).  God’s grace is the allowance for our salvation, and his grace is the power to overcome our sinful nature.  Perfection manifests itself in you when the Holy Spirit is given reign to manage all there is of your essence—do you allow Him to have sovereign reign?

Walking in Christian character is not you “living good” it is, however, “God living through you,” from within you – reflecting His perfection.  The authority of Jesus taught:  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).  That command to love is within a moral sense (the Greek agapao; not agape to mean affection or benevolence); thus, we in Christ are to treat one another in perfection, to be moral or not sin against one another.  Your longing shouldn’t be for self-actualization, but the manifestation of God’s love, which is His perfection.  Again, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Your daily walk and interaction with other Christians, and all people, will reflect love and perfection within you.             

Owen <>< 

God Showed Up!

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.  Romans 8:11

I read this verse and rejoice in the fact that God has placed himself, His Spirit, in me, indeed into all who are born again in Christ.  God is with you, with me, and with every Christ follower in the world.  He is there weeping, rejoicing, embracing, healing, loving you all the time.  When Jesus gave His Commission to be disciple makers, to teach new believers about Christ, he promised, “I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 The Message).  Faithfully, “day after day after day,” God will “give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”  

I have a question for those with Christ’s Spirit in you.  If we witness God pouring out his love to us by healing the sick and injured; comforting the broken hearted, doing something miraculous, or when His Spirit pours over a body of believers gathered in worship, I must ask:

Why do you assume, ‘God showed up,’ … where has he been? 

Jesus said, “I'll be with you …, day after day after day.”  So, did “God show up,” or did you open up?  In truth God’s appearance is a matter of letting him out, you becoming open for the Spirit to freely flow, to work, and best of all, in humility, inviting Him to take over. 

Open,  

Owen <><