Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I made two points. My first was,”The only way you can make it into heaven is IN Jesus.” And the second was, “Salvation is only half the story.” I told you that I would be discussing the latter all week. So let’s get to it.
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)
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. We are called to reflect heaven on earth.
a) The reason I am driving home the importance of you seeing yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, is because we are called to reflect heaven’s reality in this world. When people look at us, God wants them to get a picture of what heaven is like.
b) If as a Born-Again believer you are only reflecting a human reality, then you are no different than the world. You can’t draw anyone if they don’t see anything different in you; anything worth being drawn to.
c) God wants us to spend time meditating/medicating on the realities of heaven, so that we can in turn reflect that reality in our daily lives. His desire is to manifest heaven on earth, through us. Which is why I have been teaching on supernatural manifestation all year. If your post-salvation life is no different than your pre-salvation life — if you never experience anything that exceeds human power, ability or strength — then you will make it to heaven some day having lived way beneath God’s best for your time in the earth.
2. The day you are Born-Again, your Spirit is new, but your mind is not, so you don’t know how to reflect heaven’s reality.
a) Many believers don’t understand what part of them changed the day they made Jesus their Lord. There are three parts of you: spirit, soul and body. The day you were Born-Again the only part of you that changed was your spirit.
b) The day I was Born-Again my spirit was made new. However, the next day, I was a new man, in an old body, and I needed a new mind!
c) Many believers never develop a heavenly mindset. They never get to the point where they see themselves “as Jesus is, in this world”. As a result, they spend all their lives focused on getting to heaven, as if God only sent them to the world to save them from it. God did not just send you to this world to pluck you out of it. NO! He wants to change the world with you IN IT! He wants to change the world through you!
d) There are three parts of you: spirit, soul and body. The day you were Born-Again, your spirit WAS changed INSTANTLY, your soul IS BEING changed PROGRESSIVELY, and your body WILL BE changed EVENTUALLY (meaning that some day you will receive a glorified body). If your spirit WAS changed and your body WILL BE changed, it is obvious that the remainder of your life should be focused on progressively changing your soul (your mind, emotions and will) to think, feel and make decisions like Jesus. This is why it is so important to see yourself AS JESUS IS in this world!
e) It takes time to get to the point where you see yourself like Jesus. It takes time because we all come to God after having been programmed by this world. So we must be de-programmed in order to be re-programmed to think and live like Jesus; to reflect heaven’s reality.
I will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this with confidence, because I am now at the point where I truly see myself AS JESUS IS, IN THIS WORLD! I am a walking/talking billboard for Jesus. I reflect heaven’s reality on a daily basis. I meditate on heaven and I then enter into each day determined to see Your will being done, ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, through me. My life is a reflection of heaven on earth. Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
