So how are we to know which is the voice of God and which is the voice of the antichrist? As children of God, the Holy Spirit lives in us, proclaiming Jesus Christ’s victory and testifying to our adoption. The anitchrist will not confess Jesus. 

In the most difficult times in the most horrendous attacks, we can stand firm on the truth that we are overcomers, not in our strength but in the victory of Jesus. For greater is He that is in us then he who is in the world!

Reflection

Are you struggling in spiritual battle?   Listen to the voice of truth from God’s word and the Holy Spirit that lives in you.  

What spirit are you listening to?  Does that Spirit profess Jesus as Lord?

Take heart for Jesus has overcome the world and all it’s troubles!

Prayer

Father, there are battles all around us and one raging in our minds.  All spirits vying for our allegiance.  Help our minds to listen and discern those that confess Jesus.  May our eyes be fixed on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Remind us of the victory He has given us at the cross that we may overcome any struggle we face today!  In His name, Amen!

When we truly grasp the promises of God, we desire to be holy and He is holy. What are those promises mentioned here specifically? If you turn back a chapter we find these these:
1) We are the temple of the living God

2) He will dwell with us

3) He will be our God

4) We will be His people

5) He will be a Father to us

6) We will be sons and daughters to Him

If you are a believer, the one true living and sovereign God over all the universe has taken up residence in you. Furthermore He has chosen this place as His temple.  

Let that soak in for a minute. Much more, He has chosen us as His sons and daughters. 

This truth should, through His Spirit and grace, cause us to desire for that temple to be clean and undefiled. There should be no corner left unexamined. As I write this, I am convicted and encouraged by what the Lord is showing me. I am renewed even more that I must defend the testimony that He has given me and clean the Lord’s temple (my flesh and spirit)

May we meditate on these promises today and examine our lives honestly. May we also confess and turn from any sin that is defiling us, placing our complete trust in Christ and His finished work at the cross. 

@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life

We must give up our rights, dreams, and everything else we hold dear and choose to belong to Him; leaving behind all the desires of the flesh. In essence, we have to be willing to trade everything for Him and let Him choose what He decides to give back. In so doing our flesh is crucified and we are able to walk in the spirit victoriously 

Personal Reflection

What areas of your life have you really never surrendered. How is that working for you?  Are you experiencing true freedom and victory?    Take some time to confess any area that you are holding back in and then ask God to take all of it draw you closer.  Is it really that scary to surrender to an all knowing God who has your best interest in mind?

Prayer Focus

Gracious God, you are our hiding place; in you we have life.  Remove any fear of surrendering all to you.  Victory requires that surrender.  I want to not only belong to you, but willingly be used for your glory and to bring honor to your name. It’s in the Name of Christ we pray, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#victoryinsurrender #ibelongtohim #truthtalk4life

I remember the first time I was walking with one of my adopted children and introduced him to someone as “my son”.  I was so excited to claim him as mine and let others know also.  The same is true with our relationship with God. He delights in calling us His children.  Sometimes, however; we forget that we are children of God.

Romans 8:15-16 reminds us that we have not received a spirit of fear; instead one of adoption by which we cry out to God intimately as our loving Dad.  Furthermore, It goes on to indicate that the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.  Said another way, one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to remind us that we are God’s children. What better way to remind us than for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

What an amazing God we have!

Personal Reflection:

Take some time to reflect on the fact that you were chosen and adopted by God(warts and all as they say).  What does being adopted by God communicate about Him?  What are the benefits of being adopted by God?  What is the role of a child of God (refence 2 cor 5:17-21 and Matthew 28:18-20)

Prayer Focus:

The human process of adoption isn’t all roses and often times is filled with difficulty while healing and maturation is taking place.  The heavenly process of adoption can be the same way.

Abba Father, we love you and thank you for rescuing us from ourselves and the bondage of sin and death.  We are grateful that despite our sin, you gave your son for us that in believing in Him, we may be called your children.  Help our minds to delight completely in you.  Let our hearts be joyful in the love you have shown to us.  Thank you for your Spirit who reminds us in the darkest of times that we are yours!  Give us a heart to those who, like you have chosen to receive children as their own in the process of adoption.  Give them your strength, perseverance and love to freely give to their children. In Christ’s precious name, amen…

@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life #adoption #childrenofGod

One of the struggles of the Christian life is remembering that we are not walking according to the flesh, but according the Spirit and therefore setting our minds on the things of the Spirit.  The temptation to go back to trying to keep the law in our flesh is a constant struggle.  A mind set on the flesh will not please God because it does not result in righteousness.  The end result of our flesh trying to keep the law is the awareness that we fall short of righteousness and need a savior.  It is when we surrender the flesh, through faith in Christ, that the Spirit of God dwells in us.  We are to worship and walk in Him. Furthermore when our minds are set on the flesh they are hostile(hatred/enmity) towards God.   If we focus on achieving the law, inevitably it results in setting our minds on the flesh and our performance, which we have seen both in scripture and experience to result in an inability to do so.  When our trust is in Christ and our eyes are fixed on Him for the purpose of loving, worshipping and glorifying Him, the result is that we are covered in the righteousness of Christ and we are free from the law of sin and death.

In what ways are you still trying to perform for God?  In what ways are you setting your mind on the flesh?

Heavenly Father, help us to surrender our desires for control, our tendencies to set our mind on the flesh.  Let us walk in the Spirit fully in step with you, your will and good purposes.  Set us free from the law of sin and death.  Help us to love, worship, and glorify you with our whole heart, in the precious name of Jesus!

@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life #mindsetonSpirit

As I read this passage this morning I was reminded of Romans 8.  Romans, by the way, is an excellent place to meditate with regard to salvation, sanctification, sin, resurrection and a score of other parts of the Christian life including walking in the Spirit.

So what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

Today I’d like to share a link to an excellent blog post from about 2yrs ago on Crossway.org that gives 7 steps:.

https://www.crossway.org/blog/2012/03/7-steps-to-walking-the-spiritual-walk/

Lord we pray that you would equip us to walk in the Spirit.  Let us be completely in step with you Father.  May the world be forever changed for your glory!

#walkinSpirit #klstruth #truthtalk4life