“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me!” (Galatians 2:20)

“All unbelievers have an old nature which is characterized by sin. Before you came to Christ you were one of those individuals. You were a sinner because it was your NATURE to sin. This ‘natural man’ cannot accept or understand the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

What happened to the OLD you at salvation? You died– not he physical you, of course, but that old inner self which was empowered by the old nature you inherited from Adam (Romans 6:2-6; Colossians 3:3). What was the method of execution? Crucifixion with Christ. Paul announced in
Galatians 2:20: ‘I have been crucified with Christ.’ And in Galatians 6:14, Paul disclaimed any right to boast ‘except in the cross of our Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.’ At salvation you were placed INTO Christ, the one who died on the cross for your sin. Being IN CHRIST, your old self died with Him there.

Notice the remarkable difference. In Adam you had an OLD self; IN CHRIST you have a NEW self. In Adam you had a sin nature (Ephesians 2:1-3); IN CHRIST you are a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). In Adam you were in the flesh (Romans 8:8); IN CHRIST you are in the Spirit (Romans 8:9). In Adam you could only walk AFTER the flesh; IN CHRIST you may choose to walk after the SPIRIT or after the flesh. YOU ARE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST!” from DAILY IN CHRIST by Neil and Joanne Anderson published by Harvest House.

What a wonderful truth to celebrate as we WORSHIP today on this HIS DAY!

“Fellowship with God is not an abstract theological concept, but a LIVING relationship. Living in a continuous agreement with God is to walk in the light. Satan can’t accuse me if I live in the light, but walking in the light is not moral perfection (1 John 1:8). We are not sinless, but the confession mentioned in 1 John 1:9 brings us into agreement with God about our present moral condition before Him.

What makes it possible to be this open with God about our condition is the fact that we are already His children. Our eternal state is not at stake, only our daily victory. We don’t have to PRETEND with God in the HOPE that He will accept us. As His children, we’re already accepted so we are free to be honest with Him. We have no relationship to lose, only fellowship to gain. Knowing that we’re secure in Christ, we can express ourselves honestly to Him. He already knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).

Knowing that we are forgiven, let’s come before His presence with thanksgiving. God is our Father, and like any parent He doesn’t appreciate grumbling, complaining children, especially since this Father sacrificed His only begotten Son for us. He will not be very interested in our list of demands if we haven’t been obedient to Him. I also don’t think He is going to be very interested in helping us develop our OWN kingdom when we are to work at establishing the one one that will last — HIS!

To sit in the presence of my Father who loves me, who has made an incredible sacrifice so I can be there, doesn’t have to be a dismal, failing experience. He invites us into His presence just as we are, because in Christ our weakness and sin have been covered: ‘Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from and evil conscience ‘ (Hebrews 10:22)”

Good words from DAILY IN CHRIST — A Devotional and Neil T. Anderson published by Harvest House.

Our speaker for the week, Dr. Wendall Calder, shared an incredible message last night entitled WHAT TIME IS IT — IT’S LATER THAN YOU THINK. It is a message that every child of God needs to hear. In fact, I am going to stick my neck out on the limb and make it available to our
Freedom Fighter family on cassette or CD at now cost. All I ask is that when you receive it you prayerfully consider sending a gift to help cover the cost of the postage. If you would like the CD or cassette, reply to this email and include your mailing address.

The text was from 2 Timothy 3:1-5. I am giving you just THE WORD this morning as it speaks for itself. We are seeing this fulfilled as we watch with horror at what is taking place in New Orleans.

“You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly
bad. They will be hardhearted and never give to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality. They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good. They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with
pride, and prefer good times to worshipping God. They will go to church, yes, but they won’t really believe anything they hear.”

These are times of great opportunity, my friend! Challenging times to be living for and serving the Lord. “So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.” (Ephesians 5: 15,16)

“No heart can measure, no tongue can utter, the half of the greatness of God. The whole creation is full of His glory and radiant with the excellency of His power. His goodness and wisdom are displayed on every hand. The countless hosts of terrestrial beings, from man the head to the creeping worm at the foot, are all supported and nourished by the Divine bounty. The solid fabric of the universe leans upon His eternal arms.

Universally is He present, and everywhere is His name is excellent. God works always and everywhere. There is no place where God is not. God is there in a thousand wonders, upholding rocky barriers, filling the flower cups with their perfume, and refreshing the lonely pines with the breath of His mouth. Descend, if you will, into the depths of the ocean, where the water sleeps undisturbed and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet — but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent palace of the sea. Borrow the wings of the
morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea — but God is there.

Nor on earth alone is God extolled, for His brightness shines forth in the skies above the earth and His glory exceeds the splendor of the starry heavens. Above the region of the stars He has immovably set His everlasting throne, and there He dwells in light indescribable. Let us adore Him who ‘alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.'” (Job 9:8-9)

from HOW GREAT THOU ART — A Daily Devotional by Steve Halliday & William Travis published by Multnomah

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1)

“Our God delights in taking the worst of circumstances of life and transforming them into stunning triumphs for His people. In a word, He is the God of turnabouts.

The Lord not only brings good out of evil, He turns evil on its head. He not only overcomes the outrage, He turns it inside out. God will use the most unlike scenarios to display His own omnipotence and the powerlessness of His enemies. God is often exactly where we do not expect to see Him, bringing good out of bad, turning evil inside out.

When our world is caving in, when things look as grim as they possibly can, when it seems as though Satan has applied the coup de grace to our fondest hopes and greatest desires — at precisely that point the Strong One steps in and brandishes the evil for His glory!

Now, THAT is a God to worship! That is a God to adore! And that is the God who fills the universe with His splendor — not some shuffling, half-dead, powerless deity who’s in it way over his head.

As you focus your attention on the everlasting God, you, too, may see your worst nightmares fade and vanish into the shadows as the blinding brilliance of God’s perfect plan for you takes shape. You, too, may be surprised at the unorthodox ways God chooses to bring Himself glory.
Just when you think you have this business of turn-abouts figured out, another one hurtles you through your back door in a form and guise unlooked for. Just when you believe you know how God must act in a certain situation, the turnabout shifts shape before your unbelieving eyes. BUT ALWAYS THE SAME GOD IS BEHIND THEM ALL! — Steve Holliday HOW GREAT THOU ART — A Daily Devotional, published by Multnomah

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Philippians 1:12-14

“The brain — pride and joy of the nervous system — is staggering in its abilities and complexity. ‘In man is a three-pound brain, which, as far as we know, is the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe.’ Thus wrote scientist and author Isaac Asimov. In so
stating, he was giving God a compliment, even though he remained an avowed atheist up to the end.

The basic cell of the brain is called the neuron, of which there are ten billion to one hundred billion. In addition to long extensions called axons, each neuron has ten thousand tiny branching fibers and filamentous projections called dendrites. Each neuron is thus in contact with ten thousand other neurons, for a total of one hundred trillion neurological interconnections.

If you were to stretch out all the neurons and dendritic connections in the brain and lay them end to end, they would extend one hundred thousand miles and circle the earth at the equator four times.

One way to visualize these dendritic connections is as light switches, either in the off or on position. The brain holds 10.14 bits of information and thus has a storage capacity one thousand times that of a Cray-2 supercomputer. Unlike the parts of a computer, however, nerve cells are highly individual. No two cells are exactly the same, nor do they respond to the same incoming information in the same way. Each neuron us unique in all the universe.

The brain is capable of firing at ten thousand million computations a second. The capacity of the brain is such that it can hold the information equivalent to twenty-five million books, capable of filling a bookshelf five hundred miles long. In contrast, the Library of Congress has eighteen million volumes.

The brain can be the conduit of distress or a channel of blessing. Overloading our synapses with excessive multi-tasking will leave us besieged by anxiety. If we live in an emotional gutter and perseverate on problems and pain, then we will be battered by our thoughts. If, on the other hand, we yield our spirit to the Spirit of God, our surrendered thoughts can lead us to green pastures and still waters where He restores our souls.” from A MINUTE OF MARGIN by Richard Swenson MD published by NavPress.

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE to make it obedient to Christ . . .” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

“In an impressive show of power, God created science. On an even deeper level, He DESIGNED the science that He created. How exhilarating to be not only fascinated by the science, but also captivated by the DESIGNER who stands behind it all.

But know this: this same God is uncontrollable. When you come to know Him, it will only be on HIS terms. To know Him is to trust Him; to trust Him is to rest in Him. He will give you the rest you seek, but only after He has shaken the foundations of your life.

What kind of power do we so blithely invoke? He spoke the universe into existence. Nothingness obeys His voice. He controls time, space, matter, and light. He monitors the position of every elementary particle. He is sufficient unto Himself. He does not need anybody or anything to
accomplish His purposes. He answers to no one. He obeys on His own counsel. He works on thousands of levels all at the same time. His scientific sophistication is unfathomable. He created the laws of physics and appears to be a ‘pure mathematician.’ He intelligence is so superior, according to Einstein, that in comparison ‘all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an insignificant reflection.’

Look up the word OMNIPOTENT. Either He is or He isn’t. And if He is, we had better prepare ourselves to accept the consequences. ‘It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church,’ concludes Dallas

Willard. ‘We should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should leash us to our pews.’

Let the record show: God’s power is impressive. It should not be underestimated. The deficiency comes not from a lack of God’s power but rather a lack of our own faith. Busyness is sometimes what happens when we forget who God is.

Reflect on the word omnipotent. If God has infinite power, what implications does that have for your life? Do you suppose He would share some of His power with you if it were in your best interest? But perhaps, you think, He doesn’t know that I need it? Reflect on the word
omniscient. Either He is or He isn’t. He knows what you need even before you do, But perhaps, you think, He doesn’t care. Reflect on the word compassionate. Either He is or He isn’t. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-caring, you don’t need to run your life by yourself any longer. What is keeping you from trusting Him with your family, your finances, and your future?”

Timely words in light of the storms in the South.

from the pen on Dr. Richard Swenson — A MINUTE OF MARGIN — RESTORING BALANCE TO BUSY LIVES, published by NavPress.

The Christian life is not about living it on your own. It is only through Christ that we can live the Christian life. One of the blessings of the Christian life is that we are a part of God’s forever family, not just in the future, but now! There is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian.

Chuck Swindoll says, “that if you are going to dig a foxhole, build it big enough for two!” We’re in this thing together — and God’s Word is filled with how we are to live with each other. Let me list a few for your consideration and further study:

Be like-minded towards one other — Romans 15:5
Esteem one another — Romans 14:5
Pray for one another — James 5:16
Exhort one another — Hebrews 3:13
Prefer one another — 1 Timothy 5:21
Edify one another — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Comfort one another — 1 Thessalonians 4:18
Love one another — 1 Thessalonians 4:9
Admonish one another — Colossians 3:16
Forgive one another — Colossians 3:13
Submit to one another — Ephesians 5:21
Speak the truth to one another — Colossians 3:9

We really do need each other. Good words as we prepare our hearts for worshipping with EACH OTHER tomorrow.

Having a younger child at home and two parrots help me gain perspective on imitation. It is one thing for Zach to imitate things he sees Mom and Dad do and say, but it is even scarier to think that two parrots can pick up our words.

Paul wrote these words to the church in Ephesus: “Follow God’s example (Be imitators) in everything you do just as much as a loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take
away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Let there be no sex sin, impurity or greed among you. Let no one be able to accuse you of any such things. Dirty stories, foul talk and coarse jokes — these are not for you. Instead, remind
each other of Gods goodness and be thankful” (Ephesians 5:1-4)

Wow — powerful words. Our Amazon parrot has picked up lots of sounds and words — your kids, wife, and co-workers pick up your words – – who are you imitating? Charles Swindoll says, “that we ought to so live our lives that we wouldn’t be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” Good reminder for today and always.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You! Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things. Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Rejoice in
the Lord always! Again I will say, rejoice!” (Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 34:1-3; Psalm 84:11-12; Psalm 103:1; James 5:13; Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16; Phil. 4:4)

“REJOICE, REJOICE, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
NONE OTHER IS SO LOVING,
SO GOOD AND KIND!

He lives! He Lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me, and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives! He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I KNOW HE LIVES?
HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART!

Good reminder for today. Are you rejoicing today?