Category: Walking like Christ

Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

God Notices Those Who Revere Him

“Then those who revere Adonai (God) spoke with each other, and Adonai took notice and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written before Him, for those who revere Adonai, even those who esteem His name.” Malachi 3:16

Oh wow!  What an honor that God takes notice of us when we are speaking together honoring Him, His ways, and His Name. Do you want to be a person that God takes notice of honoring Him? This is our loving Heavenly Father, who longs for a relationship with each of us. His love should evoke a desire in each of us to honor Him and His ways in all we think, say and do.

It is hard grappling with the reality that God loves us so much, but hates sin and will judge all evil. When you are in love with God because of His great love for you, it becomes so much easier to understand that God hates evil because it destroys – it destroys you, me, the world the universe, and others. He wants it all gone, and if one of His beloved creatures decides they prefer evil over godliness,  no matter how many times He has tried to get them to return to Him, they will end up under the judgment of the evil they embrace. It is not God’s will, it is not the prophet or teachers’ of righteousness will. It is the person’s will that produced the judgment. The greatest gift God gave all of us is free will.

Please don’t excuse evil by labeling your actions as “wokeness” because you think you are doing something loving toward someone. You are actually becoming part of or contributing to their fall away from the greatest love ever. We are called to be strong in the Lord, not strong in the flesh’s ability to hash out our thoughts and come up with a belief system that makes us feel good inside. We are called to yield to God’s Word, God’s love, God’s holiness, and in it, we will find joy, peace, righteousness, and will be able to lead others there. Stay anchored in the Word, praying in the spirit, worship from your heart not just to feel good, and above all stay in a place of a repentant heart. There is so much deception swirling around all of us. But greater is He that is in you and me, than he that is in the World. Our mission is that all people will awaken to who they truly are in Christ. Choose awaken over “woke”.

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Are You Looking For a Breakthrough?

Are you looking for a breakthrough? Have you noticed that often times many of us are living from breakthrough to breakthrough?  I remember one day recently when I was talking to the Lord in devotions, I said, “I’m done going from breakthrough to breakthrough!” and I heard the Lord say, “Yeah! Because the biggest breakthrough ever lives inside of you!”

Did you know that the greatest breakthrough ever lives inside of us? That’s Christ in us! That’s the mystery of God that was withheld for generation after generation. The greatest breakthrough ever, not just in your life but in the whole universe, is when Jesus Christ came down here as a baby, died on the cross, rose again. That is the greatest breakthrough ever! And the next step is that when you accepted Him as Lord and Savior, He came and now lives inside of you. What an amazing breakthrough! Let’s read it! Colossians 1:26-27, “The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

That’s powerful! Christ in you is the hope of glory! Jesus prayed in John 17:21 to the Father God and He said “…even as I am in You and You are in Me that they would be in Us…” So the Word of God is telling us that if you are born again that Christ lives in you and you live in Him. That is the greatest breakthrough ever! As we learn to live in Christ, in His identity in us, in His image in us, we become overcomers. The Bible also says it’s our faith that overcomes. Let’s read this! 1 John 5:4, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world even our faith.”

As I was reading this the Lord began to show me that it is our faith—believing that what God has said is true—that overcomes the world. It is not what we get with our faith that overcomes the world. Think about that for a minute. A lot of us are believing for this and believing God for that and we end up waiting to feel like we are living in our breakthrough or living in the kingdom of God or even living in Christ until that thing shows up.  When that thing shows up that we are believing for, then we feel like we are really in Christ now and we really have a breakthrough. But the reality is the Lord is trying to teach us that we overcome by our faith, not by what our faith gets or receives over time. So how do we do that?

In another Scripture, the Word of God says–it is actually Jesus who said this—He said, “…in Me you have peace but in this world you will have trouble. Be of good cheer because I have overcome this world.” I asked the Lord one day, “okay, you have overcome the world, so how does that work for me?” And He said, “Lisa, this is an invitation to live in Me, vicariously, to live in and through Me. Do you see? You are seated in the highest place ever.” As the Lord began to minister to me and began to show me, He said “…Lisa, I am seated above the universe, in the highest place ever and you are seated in Me. Do you get that? You are seated in the highest place ever! You are above all of these things in Me. Your job is to learn how to live in Me in your thinking, and your emotions, and your heart.”

We do this by faith.  We do it by intentionally putting our hearts and our minds on Christ in us. Pulling up the Word of God and what it says about who you are in Christ. You are seated in heavenly places, you are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus, and you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. There are over 300 Scriptures in the New Testament that teach you about who you are in Him!

Our purpose is to empower people through this ministry to walk in God’s image in them, Christ’s image inside of them. When we live there, here is the difference: if I am focused on Christ in me and throughout the day I am dealing with something and I stop and say, “Wait a minute! Where am I seated, Lord? Oh yeah!” and the minute I go to that place with Him I end up walking in this sense of value and strength and significance and authority over the thing in my life because I chose to take the time to yield to realizing to where I really sit and where I really live which is in the Kingdom of God.

If we focus on the trouble around us or even focus on trying to get rid of the trouble through our faith, then we are still really not living in Christ right now  We are working to get rid of something instead of living in what we already have. Now as we live in what we already have, many of these things we believe for begin to start happening. But some of them are not because Jesus said we live in this world and there will be trouble. And oh, do we see trouble! We see trouble in our personal lives. Other people see it in the world and the country around them. So it’s time, it’s always been time, but it’s time to learn how to live in and through Christ in you and Christ in me.

Jesus said that the work of God is to believe. Now think about that – many people don’t know that Scripture. The work of God is to believe, Jesus said that. That is our labor, our labor is to believe. And we will talk more about this in the identity moments and all of the scriptures that lead to this.

So how do I believe? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It is important to take the time to get in the Word of God – not just other people teaching you but you personally in the Word of God. I want to encourage you this week to get into 1 John. Read and write down every concept that God shows you about your life in Him. As you write it down say, “Lord, show me more about that. Tell me more about that.” And write down whatever He gives you.

We are going to learn how to engage in these truths, not just hear them in a service and go, “Wow, that’s great!” and walk away and go yell at somebody or get offended at the news, or get offended at this or that. All of those are signs that reveal I don’t know who I really am. When we know who we are in Christ, we are not walking around offended because we know our value and our significance and our authority over all of it.

I encourage you to get into 1 John this week and read through it.  Invite the Lord to reveal to you and your heart these truths. Until next time, remember, it is Christ in you that is our life and our hope for glory.

Blessings!

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Confidence Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Walking Like Christ

“I have loved you, says the Lord.”

“..As I have loved you…”

“God so loved the world that He sent Jesus His Son for you!”

3 direct scriptures that declare how much He loves you! I love the first scripture that starts off the book of Malachi. It is so personal. The Lord is calling out to all who have been created in His Image. I love you!!!! You are valuable to me!! I have been hearing from some prophetic people that the revival coming is not about longer meetings, but about family. What will revive our families in this nation more than God’s love?!?!

 

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

The Two Most Important Foundations of Belief: Who God is and Who We Are in Him

The Word of God says, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” This is very important. I’ve always said this Scripture should be posted everywhere because this is literally how we function and how we live. You see, the Lord created us as human beings who live psychologically from how we see ourselves. The cool thing is He not only created us as beings who live from how we see ourselves but He also created us in His image so we can see ourselves through His image in us.

You see, there are two great foundations we need to understand inside of ourselves if we’re going to walk in joy and victory and overcoming. Those two greatest foundations are: who God is and who you are in Him.

I love a statement that Dr. Caroline Leaf says. She says that in order for us to truly represent our unique identity, we have to understand our identity in God. In other words, our identity in our Creator is our core identity and from there we’re able to reflect our unique identities from our culture, such as male/female, groups we join, athlete, business owner., etc. These types of things that people often see as their identity are actually their unique identities. Your temperament, your specific temperament personality traits are unique identities but they are not your core identity.

Your, and my, core identity is where we came from. It’s in God, in our Creator, and who He made us to be in Him. The first of the two foundations I mentioned above was knowing who God is. And if you’ve done a lot of growth in the Word of God by studying and really learning who God is then that’s powerful and foundational.  Next it’s time to move on to who you are now in Him. Because both of them are required in us to be able to function wholly and not be driven by fears of failure, fears of rejection, victim mindsets, and many more.

If you are not sure or you think you know God but you haven’t been in the Word very much, then I encourage you to go back to the Word of God. Start by studying Genesis and then study the Gospel of John.  Then move forward from there.  I encourage you to ask the Lord to show you during your study time the following  four key ideas:    (1) His love, (2) His mercy, (3) His Holiness, and (4) His Justice, because God is all of these things. There’s not just one; it’s not just love and mercy and grace. It is holiness, righteousness, and justice.

That’s important for us to understand in the Kingdom of God but it’s especially important in this season. I believe, and most people believe,  we are headed into the third great awakening and the only way any of us are going to experience it is if we are walking in the fullness of God’s counsel. Not just walking in a piece or part of it such as only preaching grace and grace alone. Let me back up. We could be preaching grace as long as it is about true Grace which is the empowerment not to sin. Grace is not just a freedom from our sin, as in the concept of, “I can do whatever I want now because Jesus sees me as a new creation in Christ Jesus.” This is what has gotten some people in trouble and this is one of the reasons why we’re where we are right now in this country. It is so important for us to understand that love leads us to righteousness. Jesus said, “…if you love Me you’ll obey My commands…” He also said that when you are obeying His commands you are loving Him, so it’s important.

The Lord showed me this several months ago when I was pondering the concept of why walking in righteousness was so easy for me when I came to the Lord.  He showed me that it was something I longed to do because I was so in love with Him, and I knew how much He loved me.  Little by little I began to feel differently about behavior that had never bothered me before.  I began to feel in my spirit things like “Eww, I don’t want that in my life”, “I don’t want to watch that”, “I don’t want to say that”, “Oh, I don’t want to be there”.  As His love was filling me up, the Lord reminded me that I learned righteousness from love, not from the law.  If you have learned righteousness from law and you are reacting to it by going into an extreme grace message of doing whatever you want because God loves you, then remember there’s a place to come back to now, to the place of balance of who God is – His full counsel of love, mercy and grace, holiness, and justice.  They all go together.  For example, for holiness, you could say righteousness, holiness, and put those together too.

It’s important for us to understand and embrace walking in righteousness from a place of love, not from a place of law. I encourage you to go there and really learn who God is and then you will be able to see who you are because we are to be a mirror image of the Lord. When we look into His face it’s like looking into a mirror and we become transformed into His image.

That’s what God wants to do. He wants you to allow Jesus to be your mirror so that you become His righteousness as you look into Him.

Alright, that’s our identity moment for the day!

Be blessed!

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Born for Relationship with God

As I ministered to a client about the spirit, soul, and body the Lord began to show me something in Genesis 2:17. Many see that verse as talking about Adam and Even eventually dying. But I have always seen it as much more than that, as the death of the spirit. But the spirit could not have actually died, because a body apart from a spirit is dead, as Paul said. But what did they die too, they died to their full connection with God and their ability to walk in His freedom, love, and holiness, thus peace and joy. They were now slaves to fleshly passions, and could not freely go into the presence of the Lord anymore. I began to think that the word die is a strong word for God to use for this. Dead is dead, gone for good, without a resurrection. Then I began to see that the connection they had with God was so full of life and flowing freely back and forth, that God saw fit to use the word death to describe what would happen to them if they disobeyed. Ponder that for a moment, they had a connection with God that none of us have ever experienced consistently, day after day. They had no bad thoughts that got in the way, just pure connection, love, relationship with the Father! That is what we were meant to have, we are born for that. We are born created in His Image, and were meant to reflect that image through our relationship with Him!! Wow! Lord I long to have that depth of connection, don’t you?

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Uncategorized Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Jesus the Passover Lamb – His glory for your shame!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! I am humbled and floored. I was reading last night, I read John 2:24 and my eyes wandered to the other page to my right John 3:34-36 and they became powerfully connected. “during Passover, many believed in His name, seeing the signs He was doing. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.”  Next chapter “The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. the Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

So this man/God/Jesus who has the Creator’s Spirit without limit in Him, doing miracles for these people He could never entrust Himself too. He, who came to preach the good news of the gospel to the poor, set captives free, heal the brokenhearted,  and give sight to the blind, did all this for us but could not trust Himself to any of us fully. He knows what is in man, He will never receive back all He has given because we are not capable and only by Him are we partly capable of not betraying Him daily. He has come to give us full participation in eternal life, with Him, this people He can not even entrust Himself too. Yet He shows up on this earth that He could wipe out in a minute and lays down the glory of fully being God only, to put on a man suit for people He can not entrust Hisself to fully. Michael Kouliannos, In The Jesus Book, adds to this so powerfully, talking about Jesus’ torture and crucifixion, laying there with deep wounds on a dirty floor, eyes swollen shut from beatings, sweat, and blood everywhere. He is then taken to see this high authority, Pontus Pilate. A place you typically go dressed your best.  But Jesus had no choice in the matter, in that moment. He went as He was.  Yet, Ps 88:9  says “My eye wastes away because of affliction.”  Jesus had decided before the foundation of the earth how this would all go down. After quoting Ps 88:9 Michael continues, “It was His decision to stand before His accusers looking this way (it was planned from the foundation of the earth). Because He chose to become a spectacle of shame, we will shine with glory in Heaven. He trades His beauty for our disgrace that we may receive His beauty.” This Passover, Good Friday and Easter. Let’s remember the man, Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit pouring out His love for each one of us so we can be free from sin and be transformed into His Image on this earth, and enjoy His glory for eternity. We are a blessed race!! We have the greatest God ever!! There are none like Him! Truly!! Has He won your heart? Whether you think He has done anything else for you or not, This is His love that brings you eternal joy, even beyond this earth!!

Growth in the Lord Individual Treatment Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Walking Away from Sin by His Love and Grace

I had a dream last night. As I considered and prayed about the dream I realized it was part of a series of dreams over 8 months or more. I will not give all details but rather the substance. Some are walking down an “aisle to be married to perversion.” (symbolic for most). You don’t feel it is a problem because many around you don’t say anything. In fact, some pastors you know do not see it as a problem. You feel at ease and are assuming that is God’s peace or at least a lack of His conviction. Yet there is still a “knowing” in you which makes you almost wonder why everyone is okay with you in it or not saying anything. But remember when you or I have engaged in a lifestyle, attitude or process that seems to be well accepted by many, over a period of time, we get numb to God’s conviction. Especially, if someone can find a pastor or ex-pastor to confirm it with words like God loves you right where you are at, so I do to”. They stop there instead of truly loving you by saying “this choice, attitude or behavior is ungodly and will hurt you. and grieves the heart of God. Let me lead you into freedom.” In the continuum of dreams, in this last one I heard come out of my mouth (I was a representation of the church and individuals) “No, I am not doing this” and walked away with great strength and peace.”. God wants you to know whatever you may be engaged in that is not biblically considered godly, you can keep getting led by the enemy down that aisle unaware or you can go the Word of God and allow God to show you how much He loves you and has delivered you FROM unrighteousness, not into unrighteousness. “therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled” Study Hebrews 12, and let God bring peace and wholeness through His love, His blood, discipline and a harvest of righteousness in you. In my dream, I saw that is possible for many of you to just say no and walk out of the “wedding hall”, so to speak. Whatever agreement you have made with unrighteousness, its time to say no by the grace of the Holy Spirit that is all over you right now, call on Him and ask for more grace. He will give it to you!

Confidence Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

We Belong to a Kingdom that Can Not Be Shaken

What can be shaken will be shaken, but since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude-through this we may offer worship in a manner pleasing to God, with reverence and awe, For our God is a consuming fire. Heb.12:28 We are not of those that shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:39. Though they (the enemy and his diseases, his chaos, his poverty, his persecution) will fight against you, they will not win, for I am with you, to deliver you. It is a declaration of the Lord. Jeremiah 1:19 I was thinking about something David Wilkerson said years ago, in countering some people’s concerns that America would go through a great persecution phase. He said something like this, “Americans are wimps, God knows that American Christians would not come out well in persecution therefore we probably will not deal with as much as others.” I laughed, at how right he was and considered it a few times. But as time moves on, we get greater revelation on things that build on previous believers’ revelation. I agree with David’s premise but I do also see how God will USE things like the present scenario to strengthen American Christians. (I am not saying God sent the virus, it is the enemy fighting against us), God will prepare those He loves for whatever will come. We can even see how the economy got so strong right before this happened-preparation. Also, large parts of the church have been sensing and declaring that a great move of God is coming, and have been empowered in deep ways – preparation. Most of you can look at your lives and see great times of growth that were followed by great pain or hardship -preparation. God loves us and He prepares us. Will we answer His call to respond to HIs preparation in faith, not shrink back but allow our “faith muscles” to be tested and grow. We can come out of this a mighty army to be dealt with in the spiritual realm, or we can remain weak even as David saw decades ago. This world and God’s time clock will not wait on us. But God will never leave us behind, He worthy to be worshipped and worthy 

Confidence Individual Treatment Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

CONCEIVED BY GOD

By Lisa Winchell

You and me, conceived by God!   What an awesome revelation!   I received this revelation one day while in a counseling session.  My client brought up the issue of how much a baby in the womb is affected by the rejection of a parent, especially when considering abortion or adoption (I understand that adoption is not usually an act of rejection, but one of deep love).  We did not have much time to discuss the subject, but as I was praying for her at the end of the session the Lord just started praying through me.

“Thank you God for the deeper understanding we have in this age of all that goes on in the womb.    But, many are going back to the womb to find out where they first began to experience rejection,   They often get their identity from that place.   But, Lord if we are going to go back to the womb to find our identity we must go back even farther.  We must go back to where we were really conceived, by You”.

My client, you, and me were conceived by God.  We came from His will, His heart, and His perfect plan.  When He dreamed you up, He sent you to earth from His heart with a perfect plan for your life, with all the acceptance and love, and goodwill towards you that you would ever need.   There was no rejection in your beginning.

When born, we all entered a world of sin, were born with a sin nature, and were entrusted into the hands of human beings with a sin nature.  These are the places where the pattern of rejection, fear, etc. began.   We all must encounter this world of sin, until Jesus’ enemies are made His footstool.  Even more the reason we need to understand that God still loves you as much as He did when He dreamed you up.  He still has that great destiny for you to fulfill.   He has been reaching out to you all along, to draw you out of the pain this world has brought your way.

You must answer His love.  You must be willing to quit identifying with the pain of the past.  Quit blaming God and your parents.   Get free, through God’s glorious plan of forgiveness and restoration.  He put those in place for you and I, before sin even entered the world,  because He knew the choices man would make.  It is not easy to quit nursing the pains of the past, because they become our “friends”.   Many do not know any other way of living.

Oh, but if you can grasp what your real beginning is, and start anew with that revelation, I believe you can get free from the past.  Knowing that the sin and rejection that the enemy sent your way were all efforts to steal the great love and acceptance your Father placed in you at conception (his first thought of you).  Satan knows that you have been called to greatness, and he knows that being full of love will get you there.  That is why he works so hard to deceive us, through the deception of sin, fear and rejection.

Enter your rest in the perfect love of God.   He not only conceived you in that love, He has sent His Son Jesus to confirm it, and deliver you out of the enemy’s lies.  Read the Word, you can’t miss His love spread all over the place.   Get the revelation and do not let go of it!  It is the real truth!

Remember, before any man or woman spoke a word over you, God the Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, the loving Heavenly Father thought you up and perfected you in His heart and placed greatness in you!

To contact us:  813-684-7927
www.inhisimagecounseling.com

Suggested Reading:  A New Kind of Love  by  EW Kenyon

Bondage Broken  by Craig Hill

Growth in the Lord Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Walking in Love and Enjoying the Benefits

There is a three step process for a happier, more loving, and fulfilled life with your family, friends, and church. The first step is getting rid of the offense/strife. The second step is finding a common cause to move forward in together.   Where there is purpose and unity we can accomplish anything together. The third step is honor, seeing and calling out the good in others.

 

Let’s start with overcoming offense and strife.   That is only possible if you CHOOSE to live free from these things. We need to make an all out war on offense and strife in our homes, and churches.  War meaning, the battle you must commit to, inside yourself.  We can not make others be non offensive.  But we can release them to the Lord, and surrender our own hearts to Him.  Choose today, to say no to offense and strife.  Choose to be quick to forgive, and unoffendable.  Titus 2:12 says God’s Word teaches us to say no to ungodliness.  Therefore we know where to get truth that will drive out the lies that lead us into offense and strife.  You may say,” how is it lies.  That person really did act mean?”.   Yes, I am sure they did, and many more to come may as well.  But their meanness has no control over you, that you don’t give them.  Jesus Himself determined to walk in love, yet many around him were offensive towards Him.  Jesus is our model, and He also lives in us through His Spirit to empower us to walk the way He did.   Your offense, is a defense mechanism, to protect your sense of value and identity. When you go to the Word, and develop an intimate relationship with the loving God revealed in the Word, you will begin to receive your value and identity from Him, not from others.  When you meditate on scriptures telling you who you are to God, and who you are in Him, you can retrieve those truths right at the moment you feel that offense rising up.  Stop, drop, and roll.  Yep, it works here too.  Stop those thoughts, drop to your knees (surrender to God), and roll in the truth of how much God loves you and how full of His love you are, and let those truths consume your heart.  Quickly your emotions will be at peace and whatever you say will put out the fire, rather than stir up.    One of the best books I have read on offense is The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere, Check it out. Literally, from the library.  J

 

Second step to loving and unified relationships is finding a common cause. We see several examples In the Word of God of the power of unity in purpose. In the book of John, Jesus prays to the Father that the body of Christ would be one with each other, and with Him even as Jesus is one with God.  Why? So that we can reveal God to this earth.   Which means we will not complete our mission without love and unity, in our families and body of Christ.  We see at the Tower of Babel, God Himself said, because they had unified in purpose that nothing they put their hearts to do would fail. Wow!!! That is powerful!!  Unity works for good and bad. Therefore the enemy uses it as well.  If you and your husband are in agreement daily that you will continue to accept the strife in your home, guess what?  Nothing strife wants to do will be impossible.  Kick it out now, and agree with God!  Agree with love, and nothing Love wants to do in your family will be impossible. In the book of Nehemiah, we see another story of what unity can accomplish.  Actually it is a good story for all three of these points.  We see repentance of offenses, we see favor come to him, then a common cause, and honor that he continues to give.   You too can rebuild the walls of your family, your church, or even of the larger body of Christ, even as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.

 

The third step is honor.  You will only become consistently unoffendable, if you on purpose become the one who brings honor to each situation.  Honor is an outpouring of love and humility in your own heart.  Ugh, did I say humility?  Yes, humility is a stronghold for our Christlikeness.  Everything that we are, we are in Christ.  We are presented holy and blameless in Him, we are the righteousness of God in Christ, we are seated in heavenly places in Christ.  We are only fallible human beings, apart from Christ.  The greatest step of humility we can take is to come to God each day, to His Word, to worship Him, and lay ourselves before Him to honor, praise and allow Him to do what He wants in us.  When you do this, it creates greater humility in you towards others. Because you know where your strength comes from, and without Him you would be a much different person.  Stop coming to God praising yourself, wanting yourself built up.  Come to Him to worship Him, and your flesh will die and your spirit will be built up. Then when something comes to your mind that is negative about someone else, choose on purpose to think and speak a positive thing about them, behind their back and in front of them.  Sometimes we think if we praise someone who is screwing up, then we are enabling them to keep screwing up. Those of us who have experienced that, have a real issue with control. Yep, we think we are somehow in control of this person’s destiny.  Let them go,  to God, and start doing what God does towards them, and you will really affect their destiny. Let your love be revealed to them, and honor them.  Love never fails, but control, manipulation, fear, and criticism always fails.  If you walk a life of honor, then God may at times have you speak something to someone, in love.  Do you know how to know if that is what Is happening?  A good way to tell if God is really telling you to do that, is to check your heart.  Is it gushing with compassion for that person?  Are you hurting for the place they are in? Is that really your first thought, or the one you bring up to excuse your judgment?  Take that issue to God, saying “God do you see what they are doing?”  I remember something God told an author Francis Frangipaine.   “Yes, Francis I see that, and I gave my life for them.  Now go do the same”.  That is honor at it’s best.

 

I have an excitement that those  who set themselves on this track, will be tremendous ambassadors for Christ, revealing God’s great love to those around them and shifting the attitude, moods, and atmospheres around them.  This is when the Kingdom of God will spread to every nook and cranny of this earth, and we will see even greater works of God on this earth.              by Lisa Winchell