The Gift of God

The Gift of God

Gary and I have been asking God to show us more richly, the gift of God known as the Holy Spirit.  A proclamation was made by the Apostles at the entrance of the Spirit in human vessels years ago:  "Repent, receive the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I was in prison ministry for many years.  How well I remember a particular inmate sharing something with me.  Now we all know inmates are not in prison for doing good - many of their crimes are horrendous.  But there truly are a few who find Christ sincerely - no "jailhouse religion."  And this one, who was truly born again, said he couldn't believe the Holy Spirit came to live in him.  Then he joked a bit and said that the Holy Spirit couldn't believe it either!

The song, "There Is A Fountain," has a precious verse describing "the dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day - and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away..."

Sometimes we think that because we didn't commit the grossest of sins we weren't as vile as the thief on the cross.  The truth is we were all in sin and death - the pot of corruption.  And we heard the blessed message that God was receiving sinners.  We came, we believed, we were washed, and we received the GIFT OF GOD - His precious Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is none other than the Spirit of Christ - the One God raised from the dead, not only for our "being right with God," but now to live in us as the new man - the new life.

Christ Himself reigns there in life - where?  In us.  God is working in us to flow only and through Him - to know Him - to know the unfathomable, unspeakable gift of God.

Could it be the sin of the believer now is to ignore Him who dwells in me?

Oh may we not treat Christ, God's Spirit lightly - may we ask of Him today to allow us to discover the riches of what it means for Christ to be formed in us - to flow out with His Spirit (the gift of God) in and through us.

Christ, the Spirit of God, is a Living Person - we have the mind of Christ inside our hearts.  The Person of the Holy Spirit is indwelling us.  Therefore we are called to listen to Him and express Him.

"Dearest Father, thank you for all grace, your longsuffering and patience as we discover the reality of Your Son in our hearts through Your Spirit."

Blessings & Love,

Sue Gaither

I Must Kill You!

“Now that you know Who I Am, I must kill you!”

“Who are you?”     “If I tell you, then I’ll have to kill you.”

Growing suspenseful complexity marks the progress of the John Grisham novel. Enjoyable, but not enlightening.  After I borrowed the phrase as a somewhat dated, but hopefully clever response to a friend, it dawned on me.  True words, they describe our growing revelational simplicity of our progress in Jesus Christ’s transformation of our lives.

The apostle Paul grew from “least of the apostles” to “greatest of sinners” in his epistles.  “I die daily”,    “For me to live is Christ”,   “…not I, but Christ” were his proclamations.

Romans, chapter 6 repeatedly describes our death to self life. Then chapter 7, describes our wretched condition with the concluding gasp of “who will free me from this body of death?”  And, then, the victory of chapter 8: “The spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free! “

So, as we grow in grace and the knowledge (intimacy) of Jesus Christ, our life expands in His revelation (not achievement, man-pleasing or human growth).  And it contracts into the “simplicity and purity of the knowledge of Christ”.  “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ”, so let’s abide, listen, wait on Him. He is our source, as He is revealed by the Holy Spirit and Scriptures. He who began a good work in you will complete it! 

What was vague to the disciples in “abide in Me and I in you” in John 15, explodes with life in Paul’s epistles. When Christ died, we died. We were buried with Him. Then we were  resurrected to newness of life in Him.  Yes, and ascended with Him and seated with Him.

 The first bookend to the great paschal discourse of John 13-17,  “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  Ponder that!

 The other book end was so important Jesus repeated it in John chapters 17 and 20:                                                               “As  Father has sent me, so I send you.” 

So, yes we die, but then we find our real life in intimate dependence on the One who loves us with an everlasting love. Finally,” these words I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”     Do we want to be His disciples?

                                                Rejoicing in the amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ                                                                                                                                          

                                              Gary Gaither                                 6 June 2011

Abiding Above

Abiding Above

There are two lines in human history.

The first line was drawn at the Cross of Jesus Christ.

At this line something incredible happened.  God is the One who drew the line though – not man.  He did it through ONE MAN – the Man Christ Jesus.

So what happened?

Sin, the fall of man, was crucified and condemned through the body of our Lord.  This is why we sing songs like “my sins are washed away.”  This is why we proclaim:  “We are new creations in Him!”  And  “Christ is the New Man – the New Creation.”

There is no body without a head.  Christ Jesus is the Exalted, Risen Head of the New Man.

Wow – what a great salvation.  I crossed that line one day when I heard the message of God.  I barely understood, but I still crossed it.  I crossed the river – from death to life.  So did you who received God’s message and His Son.

What is the other line?

The one where we now live.   It is an invisible line.  Below this invisible line has to do with the things of this world/earth that are going on.  Most of it is death.  Man, who does not know Christ, is of the flesh – of the old creation, Adam.  He is living in death while he yet lives physically.  We know this is true – the Holy Scriptures speak of it.

BUT ABOVE the line – well now, what is happening there? 

WOW!  Oh my.  Riches untold!  The Holy Scriptures speak of it.  We are seated with Christ in heavenly places!  Every day we are paraded before principalities and powers as objects of His GREAT LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE.  (Ephesians 1, 2, 3 and 4)

Below the line, the accuser, the devil says nasty things about us through others or circumstances.  So if we listen below the line, we get discouraged – or fall into a false despair.  Satan carries a megaphone down below the line.

We are called NOT to tune in to this station – there is a station above with the right music, the right words called THE TRUTH!

ABOVE THE LINE is where Christ is seated at the right Hand of God where HE (JESUS) EVER LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION for us.   By the power of His Holy Spirit now dwelling in us, because of Christ’s cross, His work and His free gift to us – we listen to Him.   This is good news.  We do not have to do this by our own effort and strength - BUT BY HIM WHO WILL TEACH AND GUIDE US IN ALL TRUTH!

Listen to what the heavenly places are piping:  We are called “Beloved, Washed, Cleansed, Sons and Daughters through Faith in Him, Blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing, Loved for all eternity…”  AND we are shown by God what is coming – the future glory.

GOD says:  “When Christ appears, we shall appear with Him in glory!”  Colossians 1:4

Where am I to abide then?  “

God says in Colossians 3:1, 2:   “If then you were raised with Christ, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE (above the line) where Christ IS sitting (a wonderful reality) at the RIGHT HAND OF GOD.  SET YOUR MIND on things above, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH!

For you died, and your life is hidden with CHRIST IN GOD!”

Sue Gaither

If God Says I am, then Yes I am!

       If God Says “I am” – then yes,”I am!”

One of the greatest “fights” the child of God has is to believe God – to believe Christ’s perfect work for them personally – not “globally,” as a group who believe “things” about God.  But one who has literally taken possession of God’s Words of Life.
Now isn’t this what God was demonstrating through Israel when He said – “The land is yours, take possession of it?”

What are our giants today?  What are our enemies today?  We must discover this personally and through God’s marvelous Word.

We are not possessing a literal land on the earth.  This was suspended by God.  We have a country in the heavens.  (Hebrews 11)  Paul said in Philippians 3:  “Our citizenship is in heaven!”  We are a people of the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1 declares this as well).

But what does that mean on earth right now?  Again, we must discover this through His Word and by His teaching us.

We are called to believe God in the face of Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished through Him!

So…if God says the blood of Jesus Christ has purged our sins, what do I do?  Take possession and say, “If God says I am, yes I am!”

If God says we are free from the law of sin and death and have entered into the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, what do I do?  Take possession and say, “If God says I am, yes I am!”

We can go through the New Testament and “seize” all these marvelous realities and take possession.  By doing this, we WILL see fruit in our lives – fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5)  Romans 8 declares:  “The Mind of The Spirit is life and peace.”  It really is our personal responsibility to find out and to lay hold.

The world is not our home.   We are people of His royal kingdom.  We live here though for a short time in the flesh/mortal bodies.  BUT we must lay hold of the glory of God He has placed within us, when we received CHRIST JESUS.

Do we seize or possess without a fight?  No this is our fight.  Paul called it “fight the good fight of faith.”  Ah…fight of faith.  Faith is agreeing with God.  God calls His TRUTH – RICHES!  Unfathomable RICHES!

We are not promised a perfect life here.  Earth will pass away into the glories of a coming kingdom.  This is our hope, our inheritance, our future glory with Christ.  So our job is to be learning, growing, attaining in our understanding, passing on to our brothers and sisters the REALITIES of our eternal life in Christ, and sharing the good news of this Gospel with those who are not possessing this GREAT HOPE in Christ.

“Father, strengthen us in our inner man where Christ dwells – and as Your Word declares so we can KNOW the length, the breadth, the height, and the depth of your TRUTH in Christ. (Ephesians 3)  And if you say and have declared we are sons and daughters through faith in Him, YES WE ARE!  Let us fully possess the Truth, Father by the strength of Your Spirit and revelations You give to our hearts!  Amen!”

                Taking possession,             

                        Sue Gaither