From my many decades of carrying the cross around the world I have learned many things from the Bible and from life experiences. I am sharing now one of the most important things.
I have learned to look at the world not just with my physical eyes but in the Spirit. Seeing who I am in Christ and focusing on Him even in the face of war and shattered dreams. You can live in victory and peace no matter what the difficulty. Jesus is the way.
Read this column and rejoice!
From the cross springs peace, life and hope!
Living in the Spirit, a Life Lesson from the Road
For many people their lives seems to be like a roller coaster full of daily, monthly or yearly emotional ups and downs. The idea of living a life free of emotional pitfalls seems to be an illusive dream. There are even many Christians that do not believe we can live such lives. We do not have to live in spiritual frustration. There is hope.
I remember preaching many years ago in a church about 'living in the Spirit' and how we did not have to live in constant ups and downs in life. The pastor rushed up to the pulpit and told me to sit down. With great anger and a huge emotional explosion he said that we could not live this life of victory in the spirit. He sure manifested that he was not Spirit filled. Some visiting pastors called me the next day and said my sermon was fine but the pastor was having many problems and they just took him over when he heard about living in the fruit of the Spirit.continued below.....
Part Two
Part Three
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Part Five
Often people striving in the flesh to live a Spirit filled life quote Old Testament scriptures in explaining dry periods and crying out to get God to hear, and seeking God even though they were children of God. There are many verses in the O. T that show these outbursts.
But we are living now in the New Testament under a New Covenant. God's Presence is no longer in the physical Temple that was in Jerusalem but in the saved follower of Jesus. With the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell the follower now our body is where the Temple is as God's Presence is within us. Glory!
We don't have to 'come into His Presence'. We are already 'in' His Presence. We don't have to have music to worship but true worship is now in Spirit and Truth Jesus said. We don't have to plead and cry and shout and beg for 'God to show up'! In a church meeting when I hear the pastor or worship leader begging God to 'show up' I think, I'm here, God is here already in me!
What this type of thing does is to make people go back to Old Testament thinking where the Spirit would come and go. Now live in the glorious victory of grace with the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
But the roller coaster Christians finds a New Testament passage hoping to justify this. It's when the Apostle Paul writes; "for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I...oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of death?
(This is the old Saul trying to live under the old law)
I thank God through Christ our Lord...for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hast made me free from the law of sin and death...but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you...for you did not receive the spirit of bondage that makes you a slave again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father...and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together...for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Here Paul is comparing the old man under the law with the new man in the Spirit in Christ Jesus. I suggest you read Romans chapters 7 and 8 without taking a break between chapters. In the original there were no chapters, this was added and causes confusion in this passage.
If we are not careful one's poor theology makes church and meetings addicting. The only time some people 'feel' God is in a meeting pumped with excitement or in some cases meditation produces the 'feeling' some need to experience God. No wonder many can't live a 24/7 life in the Spirit. Many beautiful people exhaust themselves running from place to place trying to get a Jesus fix to help them make it.
John was on the Island of Patmos in prison, suffering but he was 'in the Spirit' and the Lord gave him the book of Revelation.
I did not walk around the world carrying the cross on hype but in the real and glorious Presence of Jesus with me every moment, every step, and every breath.
I'm not saying that a follower of Jesus does not go through tough times. The loss of a loved one, illness of ones self or others, wars, disasters etc happen to us all. What I am saying is that when such happens we need to know the glorious Presence of Jesus and the comfort of the loving Father and the fruit of the Holy Spirit that should still be filling our hearts even in pain and suffering. The apostle Paul gives a long list of his sufferings and yet he was not complaining but still praising the Lord. (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
In all I have gone through in my life, my struggles and even failures never, no never have I ever felt abandoned by God or His love and mercy. I have found strength in knowing that Jesus is Lord of all and Lord above all. He is the Lord of Hosts! I have never fallen out of His Arms but have fallen into His mighty Arms where there is peace, forgiveness, love, mercy, grace and hope. I have had to trust Jesus for everything and that is beautiful.
Oh, dear friend don't let the latest news and the things you see and hear rob you of the glorious blessing of being a follower of Jesus. After all the evil that had been on this earth since creation we have the Angel proclaiming the wonderful news of the birth of Jesus and the Hosts of Heaven were praising God and sharing peace on earth!
I truly love you all on our E Letter, thanks for your e mails and prayer requests. I care and hurt with you as you share your struggles. That is why I have written this article. Please let us end with these life changing word from the Holy Scripture:
"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh...if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and self control. Against such there is no law. For those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let is also walk in the Spirit! Galatians 5:16-25
"Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus...finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatsoever is honest, whatsoever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is of good report, whatever is worthy of praise, think on these things."
Philippians 4:4-8
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer" Psalm 19:14
Have a peaceful, fruitful and blessed life living in the Spirit in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Pilgrim followers of Jesus, carrying the cross and the message of Jesus around the world.
Arthur, Denise and Sophia Blessitt
Luke 18:1
Andrew Wommack Ministries "Charis Bible College" Arthur will be speaking "Live" at 9am MT or 11am ET. Friday Nov.16th. You can view this streaming event from anywhere in the world. Just "Click Here"
"Hallelujah Hollywood" Dec. 15, Please check our website for times, route of the crosswalk and place of the rally. Come join us and the TBN family. Glory!
Three Crosses were used in carrying the cross around the world in every nation and major island group, they are behind my desk. E mail your prayer requests and I will print them off and lay all of them on the crosses as a covenant to God to pray for you daily. These request will be on the crosses until this Christmas. Denise, Sophia and I will be praying daily for all these request. It will be a blessing to pray for you. I felt the Lord tell me to do a prayer fast of not praying for myself till Christmas. He said "You pray for others, I'll take care of you". We will keep your request private until Christmas and then shred them. The cross are almost totally covered with your prayer request. I'll send a photo in the next E Letter.
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