"LIFER"

Are you a "LIFER"?

Ga 2:20
"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 faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Encarta Definition:
Lifer=somebody serving a life sentence: somebody sentenced to life imprisonment- career member of military: somebody who spends an entire career in one of the armed forces.

You've seen them... People whose lives seem to go through one extreme set of circumstances after another throughout most of their life. How do they do it? How do they, after being knocked down or knocked around, continue to get up, brush off the dirt and put one foot in front of the other knowing that they will eventually go through it all over again?

One truth about being a "LIFER" is that you must "choose" to be one.
Whether good or bad, you make a choice, or a series of choices, that lead to certain consequences; an end result. It is not the fault of another or even that of the mortal enemy of our soul, it is choices we have made along the path of our lives that have lead us where we are. The great thing about life is that we can choose to redirect our path if it has gotten misdirected, right here...right now, and get back to the one God has chosen for us. A simple act of repentance, that is all it will take to change the end result.

You know... circumstances change in a person's life daily. One day we're walking along not a care in the world and all of the sudden the sky falls on us out of nowhere. A death, a life; a marriage or a break-up. You get fired, you get a raise and a promotion; your last child moves out or you find out you can't have children. Life's pendulum swings to both extremes and before it can swing back again, the scenic view of our lives has changed before our very eyes yet again. Change is inevitable, we can flow with it, even if it is something we don't like; or we can resist and make the journey even more painful than it should be. How can we bare up under the strain of inevitable and constant change and continue to make right choices? God has a plan for our life that is bigger than our immediate understanding. The difficulties, struggles, hurts and obstacles to what our perceived plans are, can be used to grow us into God's intended and perfected work.
For those whose circumstances have not deterred them from their ultimate destiny, they have chosen to get back up time after time and continue in the direction their choices have lead them. Something...Someone...has effected them so greatly that they have made the ultimate choice to diligently follow that path no matter the trial. That Something...The work of the Cross!... that Someone...Jesus!...has greatly impacted their life.

Colossians 3:1-4 states, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory."

We choose to live our lives hidden in Christ. Since we have died to self, we look toward our real home knowing that this life is training for it, and, no matter what adversity change brings in this life, we think on our eternal home and how we are being perfected for His glory.

Make a choice to be a "LIFER" here and now for the eternal kingdom of God.

I Am In Control

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one tells us in as many ways how much God cares for us.

I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My spokesman to the world. Behold I have inscribed, etched, cut-in, engraved you in the palm of My hand; your walls, borders, limitations are continually, perpetually stretched out before me. Give all your worries and cares to Me, for I care about what happens to you. Trust in ME with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek My will in all you do, and I will direct your paths. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. So don't be anxious, asking, `What will we eat?,' `What will we drink?' or `How will we be clothed?' For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first My Kingdom and My righteousness, and I will give all these things to you as well. Don't worry about tomorrow -- tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough worries already!

(Jere. 1:5, Is.49:11, I Pet. 5:7, Prov. 3:5-6, Jere. 29:11, Mt 6:31-34)

Choose Life!

Deuteronomy 30:19 states;

De 30:19 - "I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants."


I had not begun to pray for a need I received this morning when I felt the Lord drop this thought into my spirit.

It is imperative to those we care for, as well as for ourselves, that we choose life in every situation, every need that we call out to the Father for. He has given us a choice. We can choose to speak, act and live-LIFE. We do not have to take what is handed to us out of ignorance, that is the enemy's weapon, to cause us to believe flesh or worldly wisdom over the wisdom of God. Believe in life, choose to live and be alive in all things. The generations that follow will believe because we have believed and chosen rightly, being blessed and remembering that He Who first chose us has given us the right to choose.

One Life! One Word!

The Word says that we are to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Cor. 10:5)
Did you ever wonder how we are supposed to accomplish that? How do you take an imagination captive and bring a thought into obedience?

The Word also says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:18)

So here's something you can try in the privacy of your own home. Take something that you are imagining or thinking, for example;

I don't want to be Ted's friend He always seems so mad.

Well, I know I can't find that exact phrase, or anything that validates it in the Word, so it must be in opposition to the Word. So I can't let that imagination have prominence. I must take it captive. What does the Word say about being a friend? Prov. 18:24 says, "A man that has friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." It's not enough to just know that scripture reference, we must apply it.

Example: Father, Help me to be a friend by showing myself friendly to Ted. I know that we all have bad days and bad experiences that cause us to behave in a way that is not pleasing to You, help me to be understanding and merciful, forgiving my friend and giving him the grace to grow. I pray that he will hear Your voice and be able to overcome any anger he may have. Your word tells me that love covers a multitude of sins. If there are any that are hindering his prayers, I pray for forgiveness for him.

How I thought of Ted before has been changed to thinking what God thinks toward him. My thoughts may not change Ted, but the Word can not return void and has to accomplish the purpose for which it was sent because God said it and He can not lie. His Word is life, creates life and accomplishes life.

One Life can change the world!
Be the one that God uses,
Wayne and Lucretia