Spirit Life

Sisters,

Something caught my attention this morning. I was reading Romans 7 and 8. There is so much truth there, that I had to let it sink in. Once it got down to my heart, I wanted to share with you my thoughts...

To sum up this part of Scripture, Paul is telling us some extremely good news! The battle to be perfect is over. The battle to overcome sin was won by Jesus on the cross. He didn't just pay for our sins - past, present and future - He put His Spirit within us. His Spirit would enable us to live righteous lives instead of living the old way - sinking into a quick sand of sin and death. Without Jesus, we can't do it.

Are you "slaves" to the law that you can never live up to? If you have been born again, Paul in Romans declares you are now "dead" to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another. We are free. We are released from being controlled by the sinful nature and now serving in a new way (not through guilt) of the Spirit.

Jesus rescued us from the trap of sin. The new law of the Spirit set me free from the law of sin and death.

What does it mean to live according to the Spirit now? It means total transformation. I don't know about you, but that's good news to me! It means life and peace. Not "survival" of the day-to-day nothingness, but real LIFE abundantly. We have a new compass for our lives. A director - Jesus Christ - through His Spirit. And we belong to Him now.

After reading these incredible chapters (Romans 7 and 8) I just sat in silence. We can know this in our heads, but to live it out...that's another story. I want it to be a conviction in my heart. Don't you? When something grabs your heart, you can't let it go. So, how does this go from knowledge to the depth of our beings?

Get into His presence.

Yes, God is everywhere. But His presence is a reality for those whose hearts are seeking after Him. Living the "good Christian life" is not about rules layed out in the Bible. That's missing the point! We want more than that, we want a reality of His presence daily. I've discovered and will continue to learn that experiencing this presence comes when I seek Him, focus on Him and worship Him. It's my aim to lives this out everyday. Through encounters with His presence we are transformed, as King David wrote in a song to God in the book of Psalms... "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

It comes down to this... the connection between you and Jesus.

Is there a connection? Is there a communication link flowing back and forth? That's an indicator of a real relationship there.

One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 12:1-2

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

When I find myself not walking in this new freedom given to us by Jesus, I have to come to His presence and once again surrender my heart, let my mind be transformed by His Word, and choose to worship Him.

Sisters, the peace, joy and love we desire in this life is only found there.

-B

Beaches of Hawaii

There are some places on earth everyone should see. Going to Maui last year checked off one on my list. Crystal blue sky, turquoise ocean, breeze blowing through your hair as your toes sink in to soft sand. (The picture on the right is of Elissa and I in Maui last month while on vacation with our fam)

Ok, ok.. wait a minute. It's snowing here in Colorado and I'm tempted to grumble about it.

To turn a corner completely, have you ever counted how many books you have? I think its funny how many collections of books I have that I don't read. Coffee table books. Gift books (that I will "read someday"). Books that interested you in the store but now stand rejected on your shelf and are collecting years of dust.

I'm not going to gather all my unnecessary books and donate them. I'm not even going to rearrange them. I'm just going to keep them on the shelf as possibilities for a rainy day. I may flip open one and read a page or two, or I may not.

That's why I think blogs are a great idea. They don't take up space on a shelf yet they can be filled with a million chapters.

So let the blogging begin!

-B