YOU, HOWEVER, ARE CONTROLLED NOT BY THE SINFUL NATURE BUT BY THE SPIRIT, IF THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVES IN YOU. AND IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE DOES NOT BELONG TO CHRIST.  BUT IF CHRIST IS IN YOU, YOUR BODY IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN, YET YOUR SPIRIT IS ALIVE BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  AND IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS LIVING IN YOU, HE WHO RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, WHO LIVES IN YOU
(Romans 8:9-11).

Believe that if you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, the Spirit of God lives in you, and your spirit has been made alive by God’s Spirit.  God’s Spirit has imbued your spirit with His Righteousness.

THEREFORE, BROTHERS, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION—BUT IT IS NOT TO THE SINFUL NATURE, TO LIVE ACCORDING TO IT
(Romans 8:12).

However, although your spirit is made alive by God’s Spirit, your mind and the rest of your body is dead because of sin still living in it.  God controls your spirit, but it is up to you whether you will let Him control your mind, your emotions, and your actions and reactions through His Spirit, as well.

FOR IF YOU LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SINFUL NATURE, YOU WILL DIE; BUT IF BY THE SPIRIT YOU PUT TO DEATH THE MISDEEDS OF THE BODY, YOU WILL LIVE, BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD ARE SONS OF GOD
(Romans 8:13-14).

Know that you have a daily choice: to either submit your mind, emotions, and actions to God’s Spirit who lives in your spirit, or to submit your mind, emotions, and actions to the OLD MAN victim nature.

What will it take for you to allow the Spirit of God to take control of your whole spirit, soul, and body and therefore be led by His Spirit, in your mind, your emotions, and your actions and reactions?

PRAYER: Lord God, I authorize Your Spirit to lead the thoughts in my mind, to lead my emotions, and to lead my actions and reaction, because those who are led by Your Spirit are sons of God.  Be my Righteousness.  Be my Holiness.  Be my Wisdom. Bring my whole spirit, soul, and body in line with Your Spirit.

IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE. STAND FIRM, THEN, AND DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE BURDENED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY
(Galatians 5:1).

Know that it is for freedom that the Lord Jesus has set you free: freedom from helplessness…freedom from hopelessness…freedom from powerlessness…freedom from shame…freedom from guilt…freedom from fear…freedom from abandonment…freedom from unworthiness…freedom from condemnation…freedom from sin…freedom from believing that you are a bad person…freedom from rejection—FREEDOM FROM YOUR YOKE OF SLAVERY!

FOR THE LORD GIVES WISDOM; FROM HIS MOUTH COME KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
(Proverbs 2:6).

Beautiful One, allow My Counsel into your heart, then My Wisdom will set you free from the negative belief that you do not belong. Invite My Holy Spirit to renew your mind, then My Power will set you free from the oppressing belief that you do not count. Allow My Perspective into your thoughts, then My Truth will set you free from the accusatory thought that you are a lesser being. Throw your arms wide open and receive the freedom that I, Christ Jesus, hold out to you, Child.  Then, stand firm in this freedom, and do not allow the father-of-lies to lure you back into the yoke of slavery with his beliefs of condemnation, abandonment, rejection, and shame.

SO IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED
(John 8:36).

Are you burdened with a yoke of slavery? Are you inundated with fear? Are you ruled by depression? Are you submerged in shame? Are you scorned by rejection?

Know that the Lord Jesus can set you free from ANYTHING! All you need to do is invite His Presence and Participation into your yoke of slavery.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Light of the World, the King of Kings, the Author and Finisher of my faith, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Prince of Peace, my High Priest. Nothing is impossible for You. I invite Your Presence and Participation to set me free from my yoke of slavery, even today.

MAY YOU EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THOUGH IT IS TOO GREAT TO UNDERSTAND FULLY. THEN YOU WILL BE MADE COMPLETE WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF LIFE AND POWER THAT COMES FROM GOD
(Ephesians 3:19).

I live in the mountains and I love to take a walk each day on one particular dirt road that forms a complete circle.  During my walk, I always talk to God about everything and everyone in my life.  Sometimes I have specific questions for Him.  Sometimes I feel hopeless, lonely, or angry.  Sometimes I talk to God about a perturbing perception.  Sometimes I walk around the whole circle crying.  Sometimes I laugh and rejoice.  Whatever happens in my life, I share it all with God on my walks around the circle.

Do you know what?  I have noticed that the Lord Jesus has been walking with me around this circle of dirt road and giving me His Understanding, so I might know Him who is true.  There is this one particular spot in the circle where Jesus addressed my condemnation—where He clothed me with His Righteousness.  Then, there is the other spot where He addressed my shame—where he promised me that He + I = ENOUGH.  Then, there is the spot where He just embraced me with His Presence when I was going through the valley of the shadow of death.  On another spot, He addressed my rejection and crowned me with His Acceptance and Honor.  The whole circle is marked with spots where the Lord Jesus met with me.

I have EXPERIENCED the Love of Jesus on my walks, although it is too great to understand fully.  With each EXPERIENCE of His Presence, I have come to know Him better. Thus, He has been making me complete with all the fullness of Life and Power that comes from God.

WE KNOW ALSO THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM WHO IS TRUE
(1 John 5:20).

Have you experienced the Love of the Lord Jesus in your life, even though it is too great to fully understand?

If not, I encourage you to choose a special spot, somewhere, to communicate with Him, daily, about everything and everyone in your life.  Start where you are with your feelings of disappointment, loneliness, and despair.  Soon, by getting to know Him who is true, you will experience the Love of Christ in your heart, and you will be made complete.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I desire to walk with You through this life to experience Your Love when I feel forsaken, rejected, and condemned. I yearn for Your Embrace when I go through the valley of the shadow of death, so I may know You. I long to be made complete with all the Fullness of Life and Power that comes from God.

IF YOU THEN, THOUGH YOU ARE EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!
(Luke 11:13).

Precious Child, today, I want to remind you that I have sent you a Gift—My Holy Spirit. I want you to know that My Holy Spirit can do something very supernatural. He can make things that are dead come alive. He can change your darkness into Light, your brokenness into Wholeness, and your guilt into Blamelessness.

THE [HOLY] SPIRIT MAKES ALIVE
(2 Corinthians 3:6).

What need do you have, today, that needs the supernatural touch of My Gift, the Holy Spirit?  Is it hopelessness, helplessness, or powerlessness? Is it sadness? Is it confusion? Is it bitterness?  Maybe you need love for someone you have not been able to love.  Maybe you need to forgive someone you have not been able to forgive.  Maybe you need patience for the people in your life…or for your circumstances. Understand that the father-of-lies has come to kill you, steal from you, and destroy your heart from the inside out. But My Holy Spirit has come to make you alive, no matter how bad your circumstances are, no matter how bad the damage in your heart is, and no matter how black your darkness is. Will you receive My Gift, today?

NOT THAT WE ARE SUFFICIENT OF OURSELVES TO THINK ANY THING AS OF OURSELVES; BUT OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD
(2 Corinthians 3:5).

What is there in your life that is dead—that needs the touch of the Holy Spirit, in order to come alive? Name it and then ask the Holy Spirit to work His supernatural Life in your heart and life.

PRAYER: Perfect abounding Father, I thank You for Your Gift, the Holy Spirit, who came to make alive in me what is dead. Thank you that You did not abandon me here on earth to deal with life and death on my own.  How encouraged I am that Your Holy Spirit can do what I am not able to do.

Perfect Father, I am not adequate in myself, but my adequacy is from You. I need the help of Your Holy Spirit, every day, every hour, every moment. Come into my heart, Gift of God, and change my darkness into Light, my brokenness into Wholeness, and my guilt into Blamelessness.

Holy Spirit, come and create Love in my heart for those I have not been able to love.  Create Forgiveness in my heart for those I have not been able to forgive.  Create Patience in me, so I can deal with the difficult people and circumstances in my life. Make alive what is dead in me.

We all have life patterns of sin where we continually get disturbed by the same perturbing perceptions and then always react to them in the same way.  The father-of-lies does his job well.  He suggests unworthiness and we ACCEPT it, each time.  He introduces shame and we RECEIVE it, every day.  He offers hopelessness and we BOW to it, all the time.

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT IF YOU CONTINUALLY SURRENDER YOURSELVES TO ANYONE TO DO HIS WILL, YOU ARE THE SLAVES OF HIM WHOM YOU OBEY, WHETHER THAT BE TO SIN, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR TO OBEDIENCE WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(Romans 6:16 AMP).

Beloved One, you need to understand that if you CONTINUALLY accept the beliefs of unworthiness from the father-of-lies, you will be taken captive by them.  If you CONTINUALLY receive the thoughts of shame from the father-of-lies, you will become trapped by them.  If you CONTINUALLY bow down to the suggestions of hopelessness from the father-of-lies, you will be hobbled by them.  If you CONTINUALLY heed the counsel of the father-of-lies, you will become his slave, obligated to wait upon him, hand and foot, as you perform his duties.

BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES OF GOD, THE BENEFIT YOU REAP LEADS TO HOLINESS, AND THE RESULT IS ETERNAL LIFE. FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
(Romans 6:22-23).

Child, there is a different counsel available to you, every day, moment-by-moment—My Counsel of Hope, Love, and Truth. If you CONTINUALLY receive and believe My Counsel, your life will change. You will be set free from the suggestions of the father-of-lies and your reactions to these. The benefit you will reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal Life.

Whose counsel do you heed continually, every day, moment-by-moment: the deceitful counsel of the father-of-lies…or God’s Counsel of Hope, Love, and Truth?

I urge you to start living in a new way.  When the counsel of hopelessness comes, yield it to the Lord Jesus…and receive Hope.  When the counsel of unworthiness strikes, lay it at the feet of Jesus…and receive Truth.  When the counsel of shame enters your mind, surrender it to God…and you receive His Love.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me that I become a slave to him whom I obey, moment-by-moment. Help me to choose and heed Your Counsel of Hope, Love, and Truth, today.

In this world, most of us need some sort of antidepressant to numb the pain we experience here.  It hides the pain from us and us from the pain.  We are afraid of pain.  We do not want to feel it; therefore, we avoid it.  The problem is that we might not pursue the pain, BUT THE PAIN WILL PURSUE US.

As a little girl, my earthly father had his own solution to pain.  Whenever I would share my pain with him and start crying, he would hush me with the words, “Don’t cry, then you will feel better.”  But it did not help.  The pain was still in my heart.  My daddy was afraid of pain and taught me to be afraid of it too.

JESUS ANSWERED HER, ‘IF YOU KNEW THE GIFT OF GOD…YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER’
(John 4:10).

Precious Child, I, the Gift of God, am here with you. I am not afraid of pain. You do not have to be afraid of it, either. Rather, you need to understand pain—that it comes from the negative, destructive beliefs of the father-of-lies when he tells you that it is too late, now…that there is no hope, now…that all is lost, now. Beloved, I did not come to offer you a band aid for your pain, but to save you from the negative, destructive beliefs of the father-of-lies that are causing the pain in your heart.  I did not come to tell you to stop crying. Instead, I came to give you a drink of My Living Water of Truth that will flow deep into your wounds.  This will make your pain go away…and dry your tears. 

Life is full of pain.  There is the pain of feeling alone… companionless…forsaken.  Then there is the pain of rejection…non-acceptance…condemnation.  Still yet, there is the pain of shame—a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.  There is also the pain of loss and of disappointment.  Which pain do YOU have, today?

Regardless of which pain you have, the determining question is, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT? Will you find the negative, destructive beliefs from the father-of-lies that are causing your pain, today, and lay them before the Lord Jesus? Will you receive the cup of Living Water He is offering you? Will you let Him dry your tears?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, today I choose to EMBRACE my pain. I choose to find the negative, destructive beliefs from the father-of-lies that are causing my heart-ache; then, I choose to EXPOSE these oppressing beliefs to You. Today, I have decided to receive the cup of Living Water You are offering me—to allow You to EXCHANGE my pain for Your Truth.