Baptism is uniting in Christ death and resurrection (Romans 6-8)

Being a Christian involves an honest encounter with God. We listen to instruction and obey, leading to righteousness, purity and abundance - or we go our own way and fail. A Friend once said a discontented heart is the result of the ideal values you hold not matching the real values you live. When feeling discontented it's important to review who you aspire to be and make a commitment to live from those values today. 

• Good input leads to good output (TrustEdge on Character)
• Lord help me to move from values to virtues
  

Today is my last day of being in my forties and yesterday I watched "Alice Through The Looking Glass" on the airplane (It was the only film not watched after traveling to and from AZ all year). It's a story about time travel, wanting to go back and change what's happened. The moral of the story is that we can't change the past but we can learn from it. 

• The Mad Hatter lives in his head and the Queen of Hearts lives in her heart. 
• The Hatter was dying because Alice didn't "believe him" and is stuck in a minute before tea time. 
• The Queen had, locked people up in her hate filled heart. She shrunk down a whole family and treated them like ants. 
• Time stops for the Queen of Hearts when she goes back to the moment when she felt betrayed by her sister. Alice puts time back in its place of power, where time heals all wounds. 
• Back in the the real world, Alice "gives up the ship" to have a positive relationship with her family and in return her family believes in her. Her heart and mind, in sync - no longer needing to go through the looking glass. 

We had a wonderful walk around the Veterans Oasis Park then we watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with John. When we get caught up in ourselves we lose sight of the big picture. But when we open ourselves up to what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy... When we think about these things and put them into practice we enter into God's peace, wholeness and feeling together. I had these scriptures read at my Baptism in 2005 (Phil 4:4-19). I'm grateful for our "Relationships Matter" group in BSF and all the lives. We watch Christmas Eve at Cornerstone Chandler and Pastor Lyn gave a good message about not opening the greatest Christmas gift of all time. "A Savior." The Savior is the only one who can connect the Ideal to the real. Everything else comes up empty. 

This morning I'm reminded of Romans 7:14-15,18,19,21,23. Sin is still at work in my body and mind. Romans 7:25, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."

• Dying to Self, being made alive for God (Luke 9; Gal 2:20,5:24; Romans 6, 12; 1 Peter 4)
• Sets us free to live righteously in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-6), no longer hostile to God (Romans 8:7-8), He lives in us (1 Cor 12:8-10, Romans 8:9-11), Holy Spirit's trans-formative power in the world and in the individual (Romans 8:14-17), God transforms all things with his glory (Romans 8:28-30)
• Suffering in Christ, with Holy Spirit brings unfathomable hope (Romans 8:17-30)
  

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Confess daily and repent from premeditated sin

In Is My Repentance Real If I Keep Committing the Same Sin? John Piper suggest we separate repentance from confession. Repentance can be thought of as agreeing with God, changing our heart and mind, lifting our eyes up and letting God put our feet on the path, seeing God as our guiding light. 

The daily activity of asking forgiveness is not repentance. Repentance happens when we come to our sense and give our lives back over to God like the prodigal son, like the thief on the cross, like the tax collector who beats his chest. 

• Life of Christians can go off the rails and require repentance like the Churches in first chapters of Revelation needed to repent from forsaking first love (Rev 2:4), allowing false teachers (Rev 2:16,20), being dead (Rev 3:2–3).
• False religious security of wicked, obstinate people leads to doom (Jer 6:22-8:3)
  

Our lives should look different after we've repented and given our lives to Christ: James 2:17, Heb 12:14, John 14:15, Matthew 7:23, Romans 6:2. Yet We Christians still sin everyday... sin can be defined as any action that doesn't flow from loving and abiding in Christ (every action in our lives isn't hitting a bullseye). 

• Jesus said "give us today, our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
• 1 John 1:9. New International Version ... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
• This is our daily habit of prayer and confession.
• As long as it's called today...Heb 3-4
• His mercies are made new everyday. Lamentations 3:22-23

Sin will be with us until our inner condition of rebellion is obliterated

Two kinds of confession

1. Superficial, fatalism. Express regret and sorrow but knowing that this is going to happen again, probably this week. Hypocrisy
2. Express guilt and sorrow, but have a hatred for the sin - you have every intention to make war against it. You are going to rob it of its power. Romans 7:16-19

Two kinds of sin

1. Not premeditate, blindsided. Before you wish you haven't done it but it's done. 
2. Premeditated sin, weighing it. You take some time wressing and then doing the sin. 

Warning against perfectionism and the reality of God's faithfulness to forgive us and make us holy: 1 John 1:8-10

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Freedom, liberty in communion with God

Sometimes we need a fresh start, we've been a failure and need to get back in step with the Lord. Sometimes a quick prayer doesn't feel like enough. Hebrews reminds us that God made a special day called "today" - today WHEN you hear his voice don't harden your heart, today is the day of salvation. Warn each other every day, while it is still "today", so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Heb 3:13) 

• Before work talk to God and give your ideas to him: “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. (Gen 24:12-14)
• Then Pay attention:  Before he had finished praying... (he witnessed the answer)... “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.” (Gen 24:15-27)
• Acknowledge the Lord to others: “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. (Gen 24:42)

Sometimes our prayers are interrupted by thoughts, obsessions, or desires that want to carry us away from the LORD. We need to "be still" and turn the lights on inside our heart, have a moment of reflection, let the word of Christ dwell within ourselves and take Holy Communion. In our hearts we can hold up the shield of faith that extinguish the enemy arrows from the outside, but on the inside of faith is peace. 

• Psalms 11:5 says that “the LORD tests the righteous,” and in Job 23:10, Job says of God, “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Similarly, God told Jeremiah, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10), and Proverbs 17:3 declares that “the LORD tests hearts.”

 Communion: The Meal of Absolute Victory - Bill Johnson (Sermon Clip) | Bethel Church

• "This is my body" - "broken for you"
• "By His stripes you WERE healed" - today I get to experience the liberty and forgiveness 
• Put someone on your lips and declare healing for them, in Jesus name. 
• As for me and my house we will serve the LORD. 

Communion, the body and blood and the weekend (Psalm 23, John 13-21, Exodus 12)

Psalm 19

Don't hold on theology of problems, hold onto theology of our solution. Take time with the LORD. 

Psalm 19:13: Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Keep me safe (from arrogant people/things), also, from willful (presumptuous, flagrant, conspicuously offensive, obviously inconsistent with what is right) sins; don't let them rule (control, dominion) over me. Then I shall be perfect (blameless, without spot) and free (acquitted, declared innocent, cleansed) from the evil of sin (transgression, greatest sin). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

• But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10
• Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. / Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. / For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:12-14
• So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17
• No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:13
• Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Hebrews 12:1
• or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. / Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

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God molds us and re-molds us until he see repentance (Jer 18:1-17)

 Jer 18-19

Key verse: 

...As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. Jer 18:6-10

A) God molds us and re-molds us until he see repentance (Jer 18:1-17)

1-10) LORD gives Jeremiah vision of potter remolding clay on a wheel

• ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’” Jer 18:11
• Be reliable like snowcapped mountain, or a cold stream flowing (Jer 18:13-15)
• But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.” Jer 18:12
• Deserted LORD, incense to idols, stumbled off ancient highways onto muddy paths (Jer 18:15)
• Land will become desolate, monument of stupidity, like wind scatters dust, LORD will turn away from them and refuse to notice distress

Fasting and praying is a wonderful thing. Patience, self-control, perseverance, humility. We talk about what we don't like in ourselves and others but are we willing to change? What will you stop doing, what's no longer working in life that you should put aside and make room for quiet time with the LORD? Fasting does no good if we don't seek the LORD instead of the thing we go to. 

I saw a good video about relationship with God, versus a religious notion about God. If someone comes to your door and asks to stay with you would you let them in? No, you would need to get to know them first as your protecting your home. 

• God wants us in humility to be honest about our shortcomings and out right debauchery, lay your burdons down at the cross and receive forgiveness. His mercy is made new everyday so we turn from our evil way. He puts us back on the path and points us toward righteousness, so that we can do what is right. Alleluia, Amen. 

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Our fruit is for other people

 How to Pursue Your Promised Land (Lessons From the Wilderness) - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

If I don't have people in my life I don't need the fruit of the Spirit. What's worse is if I don't have people in my life I can think I have the fruit of the Spirit. 

Our inner world must become bigger than our outer world (as described in Hebrews 11) until it culminate into the glorious presence of God here and now (Heb 12). 

• I'm reminded of a sponged left in water in the sink can begin to stink. It needs to be rung out, dried and reused. This is the sponges righteous purpose. 
• Our righteous purpose is to work 6 days, then rest. Getting rest in Christ (Upperroom Sundays at 9pm)
• upperroom.cloud
  
• Remember, write it to remind ourselves of what seems to come easy in the moment: Knowing Jesus, the will of God

Bill Johnson's key messages: God is Good, Hosting his presence, Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind, Strengthen Yourself in the Lord, Healing

A fruit tree isn't fed fruit, it's given water and soil and converts it into fruit. A fruit tree doesn't evolve from the water and soil, it comes from the seed, a parent, a design. God is our creator and when I let his Word dwell within me, it's going to break open and become a fruit producing tree. Alleluia, Amen. 

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