CHOOSE! (if you don't choose - you've chosen).

Its a choice walking in the sin nature or walking in the SPIRIT.
Walking by what you see or judging things by what you don't see?

If your life consists of only making decisions on what you see,
then you are no different then the world.

1 Samuel 16:7 (New International Version)
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance
or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look
at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

We with JESUS in us and for us, judge and decide on what HE says,
and shows us - not by what we see.

What you see is temporary, what you can't see is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

As Peter only saw JESUS then he (Peter walked on water) when he saw the wind and waves he began to sink? Peter Youngren once said "what does wind and waves have to do with walking on water? Does that mean on a peaceful tranquil day (without waves) you can walk on water?" (Matthew 14:30)

The point is choose what you are looking at..
Choose JESUS, Choose HIS LIFE Deuteronomy 30:19

Did your life all dramatically change instantly when you got married?
Or did it change dramatically over time living the married life?
Did you read books and study (making your spouse an experiment) a topic to learn?
Thats what we do in the church building, we build doctrines
explaining GOD yet never throwing them all away, and
just letting GOD be OUR GOD!

A personal JESUS with us everyday and helping us in every need - EVERY NEED.

You chose the married life, (if you are married) and didn't know all about
it, taking it by faith in love.

When I was a younger guy dating, we would send 'love letters'
to each other, because we couldn't be together as much as we liked.
I would look forward in reading what she wrote and happily wrote back.

But when we got married, we don't write love letters or read them anymore.

I've got her now! Not the letter but the Spirit - the real her!
She is way better 24 hours per day then the letter received once
or twice per month.

Faith works through love! (or expresses itself through love.)
see Galatians 5:6

When anyone in our family starts to get doubtful, crabby, irritated,
angry (the kids or me) we often say - get back to JESUS and
HIS LIFE - choose, because you have chosen to live by circumstances
and what you see and hear by your senses and not by what HE has promised.

Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have
their senses trained to discern good and evil.

We often say around our house 'Remember who you are'.

We walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

This is the challenge.

Do you see Goliath?
Do you see your mountain?
Do you see the wind and the waves?

Or do you see JESUS and HIS promises?

Faith takes a step in love (where it can't see) based on nothing
you can logically explain but knows when it gets there its going
to be accepted (because of love).

Hebrews 10:36
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what he has promised.

It doesn't take perseverance to walk in the sin nature (walk anyway you want).
It doesn't take perseverance to do what the world does and run after all the benefits they sell you.
It doesn't take perseverance to judge things 'as you see them'.

It does take perseverance to believe what HE says despite what you see.

Seeing the invisible and ignoring the obvious.

GOD who calls the things that are not as though they are!

Romans 4:17
the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not
as though they were.

I will end with this famous act of faith by Abraham and indeed he is called
the father of faith.

Romans 4:18-20
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

-Amen

Running Frantic Or Seated On A Throne?

Ephesians 2:6

And GOD raised (past tense) us (you and me) up with CHRIST and seated (past tense) us with HIM in the heavenly realms in CHRIST JESUS!

The highest level of faith - is rest!
Kings resting on their thrones, in complete authority aren't frantic they are reigning!

Here's is what the LORD was showing me (this morning).

In Matthew 20 verses 20-28 there is an unusual encounter. This mother is asking JESUS that her boys sit at HIS right and left in the kingdom.

You see just earlier in Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So her request a chapter later, which was probably like a few days at most later, doesn't seem so out of line - or was it?

Matthew 20:20-21
Then the mother of Zebedee's sons (James and John) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. (the 3 of them; mom and 2 sons, kneeling to JESUS).
"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

The mother's and son's request is our own sinful nature (pride) that wants to sit on thrones of power and honour.

The devil longs to be worshipped (Matthew 4:8-9) and so does our fallen, dark, sinful nature (which is really the devil's nature) that CAN NOT be redeemed or saved it can only be put to death - crucified! Because its good for nothing!

That's the part of us that says "ME" (lust, self loving self)
not "you" (love, self loving others).

The mothers and boys request was based on the fact that they were following JESUS and gave up much to do it (see again Matthew 19 :27). Peter saying that 'we (all the disciples) gave up everything to follow you (JESUS).

Those relying on their own good works, abilities (things they do as Christians) believing that by doing all the right things (going here, giving there, doing this and doing that) all religious, routine. Just like the disciples, they too gave up everything and went here and there with their MASTER - right?

Paul later said in 1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.

I do all this, and deserve to sit on thrones, deserve to have HIM answer my prayers.
But never accepted the fact that you and I of ourselves are 'scum bags' deserving death and the good works we do, GOD thinks of them as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6
Not to gross you out but the original idea of the filthy rags (which is our good things we do) is a menstrual cloth.

Here is the catch that cuts us off GRACE.
Because GRACE can NOT be EARNED! That is what you call a wage.
When you get paid for a weeks work, you don't ask your boss for your pay and thank him for being so giving and you so un-deserving because its a wage. If you worked it, then its yours 100%.

The only wages we expect for our efforts is DEATH! Romans 6:23
But the FREE GIFT (GRACE) from GOD is eternal life and this life is in JESUS. Romans 6:23

Here you have 2 ways : wage and grace.

JESUS said to the 2 boys and their mother " You don't know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup I'm going to drink?" Matthew 20:21

Its only through death that resurrection comes.
Its only through humility that honour comes.

These disciples would learn later that self effort and legalism, law following, rule keeping is all self effort doesn't get them sharing HIS throne!

What you kill in the power of the SPIRIT
then you reign over it - sharing in the Throne Life!

Its for those called over comers!


1 John 5:4
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:5
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Revelation 3:21
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

1 John 4:4
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

What you put to death by the SPIRIT (you make a choice) then you (JESUS in you) rules over it! Sin doesn't master you no more - you (JESUS in you) masters sin!

Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

Bow to JESUS, and realize you've got nothing (but HIM) and let HIM teach you the way of the SPIRIT.

Want to walk in the SPIRIT?

Its easy! (as long as you have JESUS in you) then its easy...

How?

Choose.

See about this Throne Life (SPIRIT controlled life in my blog) CHOOSE