You just can not make this stuff up. God’s timing His living word is hilarious. Really, agnostics and atheists may debate our scriptures but they can not debate our experiences. This God thing and the timing of His living word are amazing in spite of us. If you have just a few minutes please bear with me.
Just in the past few days and hours God has freaked me out a bit. I will try to lay this out in as few words as possible which for those who have read me long know that is a challenge for me. Here is the setting: Three days ago I had a discussion with my sister about a person who puts out a daily thought that is definitely metaphysical in nature but is telling people they are the creators of their lives. She is encouraging me to do this with my Affirmations of God.
Two days ago I listened to these cd’s on a road trip to visit my daughter at college much to the disdain of my wife and son. Although my spirit screamed that this guy is out there and preaching a very different gospel I was compelled to be equipped to hear what he said. He did not disappoint as he took me back and even further than I had gone to a day when I welcomed the hope and excitement I received from this metaphysical “dream it and achievement it” movement. He also took me back to why I quit going there.
I turned away from that process not because it did not work, for it does. I turned away because my spirit just told me something is not right about playing God. I knew I was not God. This guy reminded me this weekend that there are people who really do think they are God or at least equal to God. That creeps me out just saying it…but I digress.
Yesterday, I had a conversation about hope or the lack of it. I heard from a person struggling to believe that God could even love them. Certainly the things that they have done in their lives will prevent any hope of God loving them, they shared. What a bunch of lies Satan puts on us.
Last night I attended a Celebrating Recovery meeting at church and a guess speaker spoke on how the word of God can, like a two edged knife, separate the soul and the spirit. His message referring to Hebrews 4:12 was what my affirmation was only three or four days ago. How cool I thought.
In small group we discussed the power of this message from our guest. We discussed how God works from the inside out. We talked about how Satan lies and tells us we are not worthy or how we can not be loved because of our various hurts, habits, hang-ups and illnesses. We discussed how we can not even feel right approaching God at times because of the guilt we feel over our continued shortcomings.
This morning on my search for today’s affirmation I continued to work through the Celebrate Recovery Leader’s guide where John Baker wrapped up his lesson 18 on Grace. He referenced Colossians 1:6 so I went to my spreadsheet of affirmations and saw I already had 10 or more affirmations for Colossians 1:6 and none were highlighted which only means I feel they are strong candidates for sharing here. Although my first thought was to read on and find another reference from Mr. Baker, “something” told me I may be missing something. So I opened up www.blueletterbible.com and began to read the NKJV of Colossians One. Verse by verse per my usual search I looked for the treasures of affirmations hidden in these words.
Then the miracle began to unfold. First I saw that I had a hope laid up in heaven for me. I read some other versions at http://bible.cc to see if I could get clarification of what “laid up” meant in real English. In NIV I saw an affirmation in verse 5 “Faith and hope spring forth from the hope stored up for me in heaven.” Ok I do have a faith and hope that spring out of me that I wasn’t sure where it came from. Here Paul tells me I have it because of the hope that has already been stored for me in heaven. Next, in verse 22 I see another affirmation “Because of Jesus I can stand before God holy, blameless and without fault.” Paul says that because of the blood and death of Jesus I AM holy, blameless, and without fault. SEE SATAN IS LYING TO US! Jesus did remove our sins as one of our members recalled last night as far as the east is from the west. Take that Satan.
In verse 24 “I now rejoice in my sufferings.” I WILL NOT BE ASHAMED of my hurts, habits and hang-ups. They are who I am and they are my ministry! In verse 27 I found today’s affirmation: “Christ lives in me and gives me hope.” Then right there in verse 27 of the New Living Translation is this: “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you” This metaphysical guy is all about the book “The Secret” about the law of attraction. I had joked with my sister three days ago that my first book was going to be “it is no secret”. I didn’t know the word spelled it out so clearly. There is a secret alright but it is that Jesus Christ lives in us. He IS changing us from the inside out. There is no other “secret”.
God does work from the inside out. Christ lives in us. Verse 28 says we were made PERFECT in Christ Jesus. Don’t doubt it. It’s real and inside of us is this hope and faith that will spring forth…and maybe just freak you out a bit. Has God ever freaked you out?
Tom Raines Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Reading Toms’ words today has given me waves of tingling chills and tears welling up in my eyes. What powerful words from our Father through my earthly brother, Tom. God is no secret to those of us who know Him. Maybe He IS the Secret that folks are seeking out. I support Tom publishing such a book. Maybe the secret that has taken so many by storm can be shown that there is NO Secret – God would be revealed to those that ‘It is No Secret’. What millions of us know to be true should be shared with as many as each of us can share with. Thank you for your insight is spreading the truth my brother!
Thanks sis! Can you believe that scripture? I know it is the New Living Translation but it kind of took my breath and I made a doubletake when I saw “And this is the secret:…” wild, huh??!! God is Great and yes Christ lives in us! Thanks for your encouragement!!