I have two announcements to share with you this morning, before I get into the Word.
First, for the next two weeks I will be on vacation with my family. I have been doing Today’s Word for 19 and a half years. I never took a break, not even while on vacation, until 2015, when the Lord gave me the clearance to do so. That time has come again. I really need this break and I am looking forward to it. Rest is spiritual. Please pray for me while I take some very important down-time. There are plenty of messages on the website (http://todaysword.org), our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/rickpina) and our Mobile App (http://subsplash.com/pinaministries/app), please take advantage of those during the break.
Second, Isabella and I never go to the Dominican Republic without doing any ministry. I will preach at our Haitian church while we are there and we will purchase 350 backpacks, with 350 sets of school supplies, to give out during our annual Back to School Drive in August. We have not met our budget yet. We are about $2,000 short at this moment. We will get it done and if you want to be part of it, believe me, God will honor your seed. If you want to partner, please do so online at http://ripministries.org/missions/back-to-school-drives. All donations are tax-deductible in the United States.
Now let’s get to the Word.
Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” For the past couple of days we have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 and 2 Cor 5:14-17. Let’s go back to these passages today.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The Apostle Paul said:
The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.
From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him.
(2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV)
So what does this mean to you today? I will give you two final points before I go on vacation.
1. Honor Jesus.
a) Paul teaches us that there was a time when we thought of Jesus the same way the world thinks about Him. We had the wrong perspective of Jesus. But once we are in Christ, Paul says, “We don’t think that way now!” We are supposed to have a new perspective of Jesus and ALL that He is.
b) Once you are Born-Again and you have God’s Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit will begin to help you understand ALL that Jesus is.
c) Jesus was and is perfect. Jesus was and is flawless. Jesus was and is holy. Jesus was and is blameless. Jesus IS redemption. Jesus is the personification of grace. Jesus has all power. Jesus took back all Adam lost. In Jesus, God the Father completed all He wanted to do in the earth, where kingdom dominion, power and authority are concerned. God’s best was and is IN JESUS. This is how we should see Him. And getting to the point where you can clearly see Him this way is critically important, because all that He is, is NOW made available to you, because you are IN HIM!
2. Honor the Jesus in you.
a) Getting the revelation of ALL that Jesus is, is one level. But then getting the revelation that you are IN CHRIST and CHRIST is IN YOU, takes you to an entirely different level.
b) Seeing Jesus in all of His glory is one thing. But that does not do much for you, because you are seeing Him detached from you. However, seeing Jesus in all of His glory and then seeing yourself IN HIM, is something else. The Father wants you to see yourself IN CHRIST. Once you are IN CHRIST, you get to partake of ALL THAT HE IS!
c) Picture Jesus in all of His glory, and then say, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” You are, because He is.
d) When you are IN CHRIST, everything Jesus is, is what you are. When you get this revelation, it changes the way you look at God, yourself, others and your future. Not because of you, but because of HIM!
I will stop here for today and pick this up when I get back from vacation.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I don’t say this based on my merit. I say this based on ALL that Jesus. Jesus has all power. Jesus is completely perfect. Jesus is blameless. Jesus is sinless. Jesus was made sanctification, redemption and truth. Jesus is grace in person. Jesus is everything a human could ever dream of being and I get to partake of ALL Jesus is, because I am IN HIM and He is IN ME! So I boldly declare, “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I am, because He is! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
