Crashes and Crises of 2010

There's a tradition here in Cuenca.  Before the New Year arrives, there are numerous stands all around the city, whereby you can purchase a doll with no face on it, of all sizes and shapes.  Along with the "dummy dolls” masks are sold too, of all sorts.  That is, if you to put a face on it!  The dolls basically, represent the past year and all the unpleasant memories of it.  So on the Eve of the New Year, people burn the dolls - saying goodbye to the old and in with the new.

Most of us want to forget our crashes and crises, whether through the year of 2010 or throughout our lifetime.  But God uses all those "crashes and crises" for His purpose - to propel us into flaming desire to know Him and know TRUTH more than ever.  Our initial response though is "get me outta here!"  Yet God's work in us is to know that these times (we have a friend who has coined the phrase for these trials as "God's negative agents") are His fuel to faith in Him and according to His purpose. 

If we would but remember that in this present world of sin, death and the devil, we do encounter various trials.

We desperately need to "see" all things through the eyes of Christ by His Spirit.  His wisdom is NOT of this world - it's not academic according to how intelligent we think or don't think we are - God's wisdom is REVEALED to babes and seeking hearts. 

Christ Himself said "unless we become as little children, we cannot "see" the kingdom of God."  It's a lifetime of becoming like children, meaning not dependent on ourselves to "figure" things out, but to RECEIVE from the Lord all interpretations whether it be trials or TRUTH.  This is exciting - it really is - to receive from the Lord His mind!

We all belong to the Lord - we've been bought with a price by Him.  He alone is Lord over our lives.  Therefore what He is saying and has said is what matters - all the time!  And this is a good thing! Let us truly know this.

One of the things He is teaching us more deeply is the mind of the flesh versus the mind of the Spirit and knowing the difference.  The Scriptures tell us that we have an anointing that ABIDES in us - the Spirit of TRUTH and all that is from Him is true and has no part of any lie. 
I John 2:27.

Also, His Word declares to us that the mind of the Spirit is life and peace and the mind of fleshly thinking is death, enmity with God, producing anguish of every kind.  Romans 7 & 8

One of Satan's strategies is to get us to think there is an "in-between" to fleshly thinking and the mind of Christ.  But that would be the same thing as saying there is an in-between to either "being in Adam" or "being in Christ."  Or..."dead in sins" or "alive in Christ."  There is no in-between.

We are either in one or the other.  The new birth has secured us in being ALIVE in Christ forever.  Yet Paul admonished us NOT to walk after the Gentiles in the futility of their mind and alienated from the LIFE of God (found in Christ).

We are NOT alienated from God, if we are born of His Son, but we can walk alienated by the fact we do not know and understand God's living Truth.

So we can ask the Lord to show us more accurately and clearly, the difference of thoughts that are NOT coming from Him versus thoughts of flesh, the world, the devil.  And He has given us a definite clue:

The mind of Christ/His Spirit is LIFE and PEACE (bearing fruit) and the mind of the flesh is war, struggle, confusion, death - unfruitful!  There is so much He wants to show us, if we would let Him.

Thank you, Lord - we all our SO dependent on Christ dwelling in us - it is YOUR thoughts we feast upon - you alone are wisdom, hope, love, peace and joy.  Thank you for filling our minds today with TRUTH and with YOURSELF!  AMEN!"

Trusting in Christ,
Sue Gaither