Monday, June 11, 2007

JESUS the WORD - HEAVENLY VIEW 1

I had church services on Friday evening, Saturday evening, Sunday at 3 different churches, Monday - Friday one a day again. During the eight day outreach the following teachings emerged comparing the worldly view vs a heavenly view. Only a summary of the teachings is provided, each is about an hour long when presented. Pentecostals have long meetings!

The worldly view of ourselves is formed by our past experiences and the words influential people have spoken to us. Often these experiences and words have worked to limit us, to cause us to think we are less than we are. Examples include people who were told early in life that they were ugly, they believed it, and so they work toward ugliness in their lives. Stupid, or incapable are other traits put upon us by experience or words. These debilitating worldly images are in stark contrast with the images painted in the Bible of the Child of God. The Bible says that any person in Christ is a new Creation, created new in Christ Jesus to do good works prepared beforehand by God (2 Cor 5:17, Eph 2:10).

The Bible accurately predicts or promises that in this world we will have problems, but that in Christ we will have peace and are in all these things more than over comers (John 16:33; Rom 8:3-37).

The basic difference between the worldly view and heavenly view is that with the worldly view all our problems seem like giants, and we seem too small to cope, like the 10 spies with the bad report to Moses (Numbers 13). They confessed that they seemed like grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants and in their own eyes. Only two could see with heavenly the miraculous possibilities in the promises of God. With the heavenly view, being defined by the promises in the Bible, our problems diminish and we become more than conquerors, and easily stomp on those pesky ants!

HEAVENLY VIEW OF SELF shows us an image of someone capable of anything (Phil 4:13), unlimited in ability to dream and achieve whatever God might put in our hearts. The Child of God is recreated new every time he or she confesses they have fallen or failed (sin) and starts life anew knowing that God has surely both forgiven them their wrong and cleansed them from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). The Child of God has a renewed mind, including image of who they are in Christ (Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 2:16; Eph 4:23; Col 1:21; Phil 2:5). The Child of God has surrendered burdens to Christ, who now carries them and is well able and faithful to bring good from them all, so the Child does not worry, but continues in joy and peace doing the work God has prepared for them (and prepared them for).

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