Day 255 - The American Passport

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 165

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 

Next week I will be travelling to Africa on a mission trip.  One of the first things on my “trip list” is “Passport”…a reminder to make sure I take my Passport with me.  It is a “must have” in my possession item to enter the country I am going to.  It tells all that I am a citizen of the United States.  It lists certain information, and it gives me certain travelling privileges.  Beautiful.

Along with my American Passport, I possess and will carry with me another “Passport”…my Heavenly Passport declaring I am a citizen of Heaven, a child of God.  It signifies MUCH MORE than my American Passport. 

Michael traveled all over the world…numerous countries, numerous times.  He got certain privileges because of his Heavenly Passport.  I long to see the privileges mine gives me!  It has been a few years since I last used it in another country than America.  I recall a number of times it provided more than the world could offer.

(be sure and watch for a report of what my Heavenly Passport provided in 3 weeks)

DAY 255

The American Passport

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. --Philippians 3:20

The American passport is the most unique travel document in the world. Every other passport is the possession of the holder, but the U.S. passport always remains the property of the United States government. The holder does not own it, but rather it owns him and proclaims that the traveler is the property of the United States government. If other countries fully understood the position the U.S. government has taken concerning its citizens, they might allow no Americans to come in, because in a sense, America comes in with all of those individuals considered to be her property, and wherever that citizen stands is now possessed, in a sense, by the United States. Therefore, when an American traveler is detained or held hostage, the government has a moral and legal right to come and get their property, and they do come! This is why the Americans were among the first released from the Japanese embassy takeover in Peru years ago; the terrorists did not want the hassle. The American is by definition, then, an embassy, for wherever he is standing, that soil immediately under his feet is considered American. Because of this position, the American is always in a safe place supported by a force much greater than him.

Christianity has rightly been described as a “much more” gospel, for what it gives is always much more! Our citizenship, our passport, our protection, and our representation are much more than the world can conceive of or offer. Wherever we go, we stand in Christ. In Him, we are more than conquerors. In Him everything is given to us. We are His possession. To let the Christian into a business or home is to let in Christ. I enjoy the concept of American citizenship, but I love the power and reality of a heavenly citizenship. Wherever the believer stands is a safe place, with a force much greater than himself behind him.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Michael travelled so much.  Few will ever experience the extent of what he mentions here.  His words should bring great comfort to all who travel to a country other than their own…for “wherever we go, we stand in Christ.”  Amen!

Take a few moments and fully realize all that we have in Christ, whether at home or in a different country.  Soak on each and every testimony of what our Heavenly Citizenship brings to our life as Christians!

I will think of Michael as I enter Africa, and share the message of “there is nothing the nearness of Christ cannot cure/overcome/etc.”

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P. O. Box 633244   Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                   936-559-5696

Day 151 - "I Feel So Guilty"

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 164

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 

In last week’s article, we saw Day 149 dealing with “feelings” regarding a Christian’s connection with God.  This week, we see a Christian’s connection with self.  This may be more difficult for some to deal with than the former, and may actually be a cause of the former.

DAY 151

“I Feel So Guilty”

I will go away {and} return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. --Hosea 5:15

I must admit where I am before I can leave where I am. I must own something to disown it, possess to dispossess! Many suffer from guilt. There are many genuinely afflicted believers who need the revelation that Jesus takes away guilt and forgives and that there is no obstacle between them and Him. However, there are several reasons why guilt feelings sometimes will not leave, and those are what are addressed in this article. For one thing, for all of the believers who lack understanding of God’s willingness to forgive, there are an equal number who only feel guilty because of what the revelation of their sin has done to their image; it is not genuine guilt. A fellow slandered a brother. Later, he began to think that the brother was going to find out. He then started repenting and repenting, praying and praying that the brother would not hear about it. He was so sorry that he had said anything at all. However, after talking with him I discovered that he was not nearly so concerned that someone got the wrong impression about the disparaged brother as he was that others might get the wrong impression of himself as a slanderer! The guilt was merely based in self-image. Sometimes guilt is just a feeling with no center, as if the enemy wants we believers wallowing in insufficient joy. However, there are times when guilt is not relieved because there has not been true confession, which does not consist of going around telling everyone what terrible persons we are. True confession is to God for an offense against Him. I have heard people say, “Jesus, I confess that I made such a fool of myself.” What does that have to do with Jesus? That is embarrassment, self, and flesh. If we were not living to men, how would we know that we made fools of ourselves? Proverbs 28:13 states, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes {them} will find compassion.”

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Michael gives us some basic insights into dealing with the emotion of “guilt.”  This is a very important discussion for MANY.  Take to heart every word Michael has given us in this Day 151 writing.

I am grateful that I learned a long time ago that God wants to heal emotional “hooks” the enemy has gotten in Believers, as much as God wants to heal the actions we either committed or that others committed against us.  Prayer asking God to heal these emotional hooks is very effective.

Confession, then Asking Forgiveness (never Apologizing…that word is not in God’s vocabulary!), then Forsaking (if needed), then Reconciliation…this is God’s way for us to initially act when facing guilt.  But, often, the need for healing of the emotional hooks is what is missing in Christians’ lives.

     If you would like more info on praying for the healing of “emotional hooks,” then write me at leemccm@gmail.com

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                    936-559-5696

Day 149 - "I Do Not Feel Him"

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 163

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 

Michael discusses a big issue with many Christians…”feeling” this or that, instead of living what is truth.  And Michael lets us know the sad truths of just what seeking feelings is all about.

DAY 149

“I Do Not Feel Him!”

In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. –Galatians 3:14

If I as a believer do not feel the presence of Jesus and go looking for Him, what am I actually seeking? I already have Him, but I am actually seeking to have my unbelief confirmed. If I do get the feelings that I have found Him, I have now been deceived, for He is always there, always with me, so I have just had an experience that is contrary to Scripture. We could easily make a list of all that we are in Him and all that we have already received; that would help us discover that we are working in unbelief to get what we already have. It is important to remember that what we receive, we receive by faith. The opposite of faith is work, so if we are working for what can only be received by faith, we have canceled our faith and the experience of it. Work does the exact opposite of what we think it will. Nearness to the Lord is given by faith; work for it and we cancel His nearness, leaving us to work all the harder and still never have the experience. It is a tightening spiral. Stop and acknowledge Him. Enter into rest. Stop seeking for Him. We already have Him!

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

“seeking to have my unbelief confirmed”…how sad is that?

“if…I have now been deceived”…how sad is that?

“I have just had an experience that is contrary to Scripture”…how sad is that?

“if we are working for…we have canceled our faith”…how sad is that?

“work does exact opposite of what we think it will”…how sad is that?

“work for (His nearness) and we cancel His nearness”…how sad is that”

How many times have we heard Michael say, “Why work for something we already have?”  Why “work” at all?  He points out that an opposite of faith is work.

And the priceless victory in Jesus, and all His unfathomable riches, are already ours…we just need to “Stop and acknowledge Him.  Enter into rest.  Stop seeking for Him.  We already have Him!”  Well, amen.

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                   936-559-5696

Day 147 - Humility: The Secret To A Deeper Life

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 162

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 

Today we see one of the simplest, yet most profound writings, of Michael’s book.  I guess I say that because God has gotten MY attention in James 4:6, “Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”  I love God’s grace in my life!

DAY 147

Humility: The Secret To A Deeper Life 

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. --Philippians 2:5

We must remember that humility is not saying, “I am nothing,” but rather, “I possess nothing." This attitude allows us daily to secure the experience of His life within us. However, if we stop and listen, how much boasting about what is possessed do we hear? There is boasting of the past in what we had, of the future in what we will have, and of that bright child, the brilliant career, or those flashy material goods that we now hold. “Jesus Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6, 7). The dreaming about what we will someday possess or what we have already lost takes our attention away from the greatest thing that we possess now, in this moment, the presence of Christ, Himself, within! This is more than man in his wildest dreams, in and of himself, could ever attain.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

It is a very astute recognition of what humility is to say, “We must remember that humility is not saying, ‘I am nothing,’ but rather, ‘I possess nothing.’ “  Most boast of “I am,” or “I have.”  Of course, God is the One Who said, “I AM.”  Why, then, do we not think to stay away from saying that?  The Apostle Paul taught us that it is only by the grace of God that we can be anything.

Possess?  How many of us really have our attention focused on “the presence of Christ, Himself, within,” as our greatest possession?  How many of us let our minds drift (and dream) to “things” or “positions” or something other than Christ as our most prized “possessions”?

Thank You, Lord, that we Born Again Believers possess You!  And Your presence, along with Your grace that gives us the experience of Your life within, is ours when we acknowledge “I possess nothing, apart from Jesus Christ.”  Well, amen.

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                   936-559-5696