Pride.

 BY Argie Simonis

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

~~ What allows the devil access to our lives is trusting in ourselves ~~

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"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison." (Matt. 5:25)

When the devil says to me "You can't", I used to say "I can in Jesus name".

Do you know what I do now? I agree! I will let the Lord do it through me instead of trusting in myself. He comforts me and takes the burden off me.

~~ As long as something is relatively doable and I can achieve it on my own, it stresses me out. That's where the devil steps in to stress you out and criticize you.

If it is completely beyond my strength I entrust it to the Lord and rest. I have more peace. ~~

---- THE REAL MEANING OF PRIDE ----

"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Prov. 13:10)

"The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with." (Prov. 17:14)

What is strife?

1. -- the contention between individuals, strong disagreement, quarrel,

2. -- intense, sharp confrontations and contrasts that lead to disruption of (good) relations that can lead to conflict.

Conclusion:

~~ Every quarrel and every strife that exists in the world comes from the pride of man! ~~

Some may not agree with this, but this is what God's word tells us.

-- Do you feel angry and are you constantly in conflict and arguments with others? It comes from pride.

--- WHAT IS PRIDE?

--- It is arrogance and conceit. To think you are better than others.

--- It's thinking you're worse than everyone else.

--- At the center of pride is ourselves. It is self-centeredness, which makes you feel that everything is about you and that you are the center of the universe.

Arrogance and low self-esteem is pride. They both

 make you compare yourself to others.

~~ Introvert people (shy people) have pride, as well as those who want to draw all the attention to themselves. ~~

The attitude of "What will they think of me?" is pride.

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--- MOSES: AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY ---

"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman." (Numbers 12:1)

It was an interracial marriage and his siblings critisized it and began to elevate themselves.

"And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it." (Numbers 12:2)

Continue reading:

"(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)" (Numbers 12:3)

The Lord punished Miriam with leprosy and Moses later prays and Miriam is healed. Moses' brothers were humiliated and learned a very good lesson for their bad behavior.

At Moses time, there were 3,000,000 Israelites, the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, and all the other nations. Many millions. And yet, MOSES HIMSELF WROTE THIS FOR HIMSELF under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The world would call that pride.

~~ If you care more about what the world will say than what God says about you, then you are not meek (gentle, without anger), so you are proud. ~~

This revelation would bring peace to the whole world.

~~ False humility is legalism and it is a sin. We are nothing more and nothing less than what God says we are (and not the world!). ~~

Many times we hear people say:

"I don't have a good voice", but when that person sings it just captivates you...

These people are fishing for compliments.

Tell them "yes, I agree, your voice sucks" and watch their reaction!

The world has a completely distorted view of what it really means to be humble. 

~~ Recognize and accept what the Lord is working in you, the talents and skills He gives you, but give ALL the glory to Him. Exalt God and not yourself. ~~

This is what Moses did. When the Lord told him to write it, he wrote it. This is essentially what I said in my previous messages.

~~ Recognize and accept what the Lord is working in you, the talents and skills He gives you, but give ALL the glory to Him. Exalt God and not yourself. ~~

This is what Moses did. When the Lord told him to write it, he wrote it. This is essentially what I said in my previous messages.

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. 3:3)

"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:" (Phil. 3:4)

There is boasting IN the Lord that is NOT sin, just as there is a justified Lord's anger that is not sin:

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" (Eph. 4:26)

And fear of the Lord:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Prov. 9:10)

~~ All of us are called to build God's kingdom and not ours. ~~

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"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Prov. 13:10)

Rage is not caused by our DNA, but by our self-centeredness, the perception that we are the center of the whole world and it's all about us. (What will they think of me, what will they say,? Will they accept me? Will they reject me? Am I better? Am I worse?)

This is suffering! It is ALSO fulishness:

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, ARE NOT WISE." (2Cor. 10:12)

Change your perspective and you will see real change in your life.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" (Phil. 2:5)

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" (Phil. 2:6)

"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" (Phil. 2:7)

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:8)

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" (Phil. 2:9)

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" (Phil. 2:10)

"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:11)

~~ In the kingdom of God the way up is down. ~~

Jesus is the greatest example of humility, and yet He said:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

They tortured the Lord, humiliated Him, mocked Him, beat Him, and yet:

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:" (1Pet. 2:23)

~~ This is how you humble yourself, crucified with the Lord and can love God and other people as yourself! ~~

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)

"... for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)

But we are always IN CHRIST! The Lord is the one producing the fruit and brings increase, not us.

"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" (1Cor. 3:5)

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1Cor. 3:6)

"So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (1Cor. 3:7)

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13)

If you think you can do it yourself:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9)

Without Christ there is NO good in us. We learn to step aside and let the Lord take the lead in our lives and work great things through us. This will completely change our lives.

Amen!

Our life in Jesus.

 BY Argie Simonis

We all make mistakes and continue to have limitations in our abilities, even when we are born again. I have explained that being a Christian does not necessarily mean that you have the right way of thinking. Our spiritual maturity comes gradually through the study of God's word and the renewal of our minds.

~~ What really changes our lives is that our relationship with God is not based on what we do for Him, but on what Christ did for us by His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

Anyone who does not understand this is constantly trying to do the right things to be accepted by an angry and strict God who is never satisfied. And this is really a torture! ~~

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Some people think they are good at putting others down or comparing themselves to others worse than themselves, and this gives them confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. This is definitely NOT the way the Lord wants us to relate either to Him or to other people.

See what Paul writes to the Corinthians:

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2Cor. 10:12

Here Paul tells us that we should NOT compare ourselves to others, and yet, most people do. They justify themselves by criticizing those who behave worse than themselves. What we must not forget is that

"... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

In the previous messages I explained that neither our goodness nor our good works are what justify us before God. When we humble ourselves, put our faith in the Lord, and receive what Jesus graciously did for us, then we are truly justified before God.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9

This is a reality, but let's not forget that during our spiritual rebirth the Lord gives us a new heart, and in Christ we are now perfect in spirit.

"... as Ηe is, so are we in this world." 1John 4:17

Here John is not referring to our physical body. We have not yet obtained our glorious bodies that the Lord promises us.

What John tells us is basically the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy:

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ez. 36:26

"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ez. 36:27

Our soul and body are not yet perfected. Paul explains to us how it will happen:

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1Cor. 15:52

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 1Cor. 15:53

Our bodies still age and get sick. We keep making mistakes and not always behaving right. By renewing our mind through God's word, we may have overcome many problems from the past and perceive many things differently, but our emotions continue to lead us do things we shouldn't do.

~~ Even after we come to Christ, our flesh, (our body and soul), remains just as bad. What has changed is that we now learn to crucify it and resist its desires. ~~

This is the true success in our Christian life. The more we learn how to let Jesus live through us, then we will experience more and more victories in our lives.

See what Paul writes to us:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: ..." Gal. 2:20

In the previous message I explained how important it is to put ALL our trust in the Lord. Do you know what that means? That our biggest problem is when we put our trust in ourselves and ask God to bless what we do.

The Lord's anointing and blessing are not earned either by fasting or wishing. What the Lord asks of us is:

"Trust in Me and I will move through you."

When it's time for me and my wife Peggy to minister, we just surrender ourselves in the Lord's hands. Of course there is a personal preparation and many hours of study before we bring you these messages (either live or recorded), but we are always sensitive to the voice of the Lord and many times we change our plans the moment He shows us.

It is important to understand that while we mature as Christians it does not mean that we become better in our flesh, but we learn to NOT walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. In other words, we learn to let the Lord guide us and flow through us through His anointing He places on us.

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Do you know what the key to a successful Christian life is? We quit striving to become stronger and stronger in the flesh, but seek to become weaker and to trust less in ourselves. Our goal is to get to the point where we will completely step aside and let God flow through us. That's where we will experience the greatest victories in our lives.

This is exactly what Paul explains in his letter to the Philippians:

"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision." Phil. 3:2

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Phil. 3:3

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What I want to emphasize above all is the last sentence of the verse in Phil. 3:3: "not having confidence in the flesh."

In the letter to the Romans we read:

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7

So then they that are in the flesh CANNOT please God." Rom. 8:8

So who are those that please God? After what does realy pleases the Lord? The answer is here:

"But without faith it is impossible to please Ηim: for he that comes to God must believe that Ηe is, and that Ηe is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Ηim." Heb. 11:6

~~ God begins at the end of ourselves. ~~

When Paul says that he had no conviction in the flesh (Phil. 3:3) it does not mean that he was a failure. He was in fact one of the most educated people of his time, but look what he says about himself:

"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:" Phil. 3:4

And he goes on to list his qualifications:

"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;" Phil. 3:5

The term Pharisee today sounds bad, but in Paul's day a Pharisee was considered a very educated person, who had to read the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) and quote them, and had to faithfully apply all the laws and ordinances prescribed by Jewish law. They even counted the number of their steps on Saturdays so it wouldn't count as work!

In other words, to be a Pharisee in Paul's day was a great achievement.

Paul writes:

"Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Φιλ. 3:6

When he says that he was blameless, he does not mean that he was sinless, but for every time he came short in any area, he offered the proper sacrifice. This was required by the Law.

"I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day." Acts 22:3

So we really see that Paul was a recognized person with great achievements in the religious system of his time.

But look what he says further on:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Phil. 3:7

"Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," Phil. 3:8

"And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" Phil. 3:9

Just what we read here is a treasure of revelations.

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----- SUMMARY

Paul, even though he was one of the holiest people of his time, when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6) his life changed. When he saw the glory and true holiness of God, all that he had acquired by his own abilities, (what we would today call his degrees and diplomas that he had framed on the wall and all his trophies and awards) he considered as trash, "before the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord". That's a great revelation!

This should also be our attitude as Christians, but sadly there are few believers who do it. Most people have a tendency of self-promotion which removes the Lord from the scene and draws all the spotlight on themselves and their achievements.

"As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." Gal. 6:12

"For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." Gal. 6:13

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." Gal. 6:14

Not having confidence in our flesh does not mean that we do not recognize anything good in ourselves. Actualy, it is just the opposite:

- We recognize that every good thing we have is trash when we compare it to Jesus,

- everything good we have is a gift from God, not because we are good and deserve it, but because God is good,

- we dedicate everything good that we have to Him so that the Lord can use it for His own glory.

- we don't trust our own strength, but we put all our trust in God, that is, in Him who gave us our abilities and talents.

- It is not our abilities and talents that give us value, but the Lord himself makes us valuable because He loved us unconditionally until death.

So we must all humble ourselves and trust God, and recognize how much we need the gift of the Lord in our lives which is His mercy and grace. Neither fame, nor money, nor the recognition of the world can justify one before Him, because

"... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

If all this sounds strange to some of you, remember that God did not hate us because we were sinners, but He loved us so much that he died for us:

"But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8

Therefore, we reject all confidence we have in ourselves, raise a white flag before Him, and surrender to Him unconditionally. This is exactly the point where our self ends and God begins to manifest powerfuly through us.

Amen!

The living sacrifice.

 BY Argie Simonis

Do you know the solution to all of our problems? It doesn't matter where you're from or what situation you're facing:

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

You are not set free by the truth that you will simply hear, but by the truth that you will know! And if you wonder what this truth is that we must know, the Lord himself gives us the answer:

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Truth is not just an idea or an abstract concept that varies from person to person. Truth is a person and it is called Jesus! So Jesus is the One we must all know in order to be freed:

"It is the spirit that vivifies; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life." Ιωάν. 6:63

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---- WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

The apostle Paul answers that:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20

~~ Christian life is not that we live for God and ask Him to bless us for our effort, but that we daily become a living sacrifice before God.~~

We come before Him without any boasting in ourselves and in our abilities:

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Phil. 3:3

The Lord said:

"... without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

But we who are in Christ are never alone:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

This recognition, that of ourselves we are nothing, that we are dead and have crucified our flesh and Christ is the One who now lives through us, this is the living sacrifice Paul refers to in Rom. 12:1.

Do you know that even after our spiritual birth, our flesh remains just as bad? As Christians we may have quit from old bad habits, behave better or speak better, but our flesh does not become better.

First of all, let me make a clarification here. Flesh according to God's word, is not just our flesh and skin, but the whole physical and emotional part of us. In other words, flesh is our physical body and our soul.

 

~~ So without Christ we are nothing, but in Christ we are everything because the Lord becomes the unit in front of the endless zeros that we are and gives us incredible value! ~~

With the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and with the gifts He gives us, we can do things that are humanly impossible:

"... Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, said the LORD of hosts." Ζach. 4:6

"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Gal. 4:6

When we lay hands and the sick are healed, when we give prophetic words, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, we do not do this with our body or with our mind, but with our spirit.

"I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

See what Paul is telling us here in a picture:

It's like being on a plane. If you think you're someone great and you're proud to fly so high at such a high speed, get out of the plane and see how much you can still fly! You will hit the ground like a rock!

~~ When we are in Christ and our trust is in Jesus, we have victory in our lives. The biggest recipe for failure is trusting our own abilities. When we do this we cease to be in Christ and the fall begins. ~~

Remember what Isaiah says:

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; ..." Is. 64:6

See which criteria God has for those He uses:

"For you see your calling, brothers, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:" 1Cor. 1:26

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" 1Cor. 1:27

"And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are:" 1Cor. 1:28

If you are wondering why God does not choose the most great and the most talented, Paul explains it to us in the very next verse:

"That no flesh should glory in his presence." 1Cor. 1:29

So God chooses to move through the foolish and weak of this world so that He gets all the glory!

This is the living sacrifice that Paul is talking about. We take all our talents and gifts, offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord, and let Him move through us!

~~ Do you have a talent for music? In teaching? In arts? In communicating with people? What is your gift? Give it to the Lord and see how He will use it to do great things! ~~

This is the main reason why many believers are still waiting for God to use them. They have not yet become a living sacrifice to the Lord and are trying to do things out of their flesh.

We see this in the story of Moses that we read in the book of Exodus, and if we combine this with the information we get from Acts chapter 7 and Hebrews chapter 11, we learn many useful lessons.

Many base their theology on Hollywood movies rather than the Scriptures. They see for example in the movie Moses accidentally killing the Egyptian, but the Scriptures tell us otherwise. Stephen, shortly before he was stoned, full with the Holy Spirit, said:

"For he supposed his brothers would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not." Acts 7:25

What I want to emphasize here is that Moses knew what God's will was, but he was trying to fulfill it in his own way. Do you recognize youreslf here? How many times has the Lord shown you to do something and you tried to do it in your own way and with your own strength? This is NOT a living sacrifice and that is exactly what is standing in your way.

The Lord does not want anyone to represent Him with human strength. Look at what John writes to us when Jesus after His baptism went to Jerusalem:

"Now when Ηe was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did." John 2:23

"But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men," John 2:24

"And needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man." John 2:25

The people who followed Him had not yet reached the point of becoming a living sacrifice.

~~ The Lord does not want His people to move according to the flesh, but according to His guidance, because He is more interested in the quality and not the quantity of the ministry. ~~

 

You may have a relationship with the Lord, know what He wants you to do, but as long as you have the attitude

"Lord show me what you want and I'll take it from there"

you will fail.

Many people called by God have failed and ministries have been destroyed because they did not become that living sacrifice that Paul describes to us and tried to do their own thing. We must make a decision to follow Paul's advice:

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Phil. 3:3

Moses, in the same spirit, responded  when the Lord said to him:

"And Ηe said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Ex. 33:14

"And he said to Ηim, If your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Ex. 33:15

In other words, we do not make even a step without the Lord. We must learn to be patient, because the Lord's answer does not always come in the first 5 minutes of our prayer. You know, one characteristic of the living sacrifice is that it tends to want to escape. But when we remain at the altar, the Lord promises:

"I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Becoming a living sacrifice is something we must put into practice daily and if we do it diligently, we will bear rich fruit!

Amen!

The renewal of the mind.

 BY Argie Simonis

God has created us all with a plan and a purpose:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jer. 29:11

It is something that we cannot realize when we are young, but at some point we mature and we have to make decisions about our lives.

- What is God's will for my life? -

This is a question that concerns us all. The answer to this depends on many parameters, as does the question of who is the right partner for you.

I've heard that you'll recognize your significant other by music or bells ringing in your ears, a kick in your stomach, your heart beating fast, or you'll just know in a way that can't be explained.

In the same way, they tell you something similar about how you can know God's will for your life:

"It's your destiny, just wait and it will happen, etc."

So since they cannot explain to you how to find God's will for your own life, the best way is to discover it yourself. Start studying the Scriptures, Christian books, watch anointed videos and teachings. When you give your time and heart to the Lord, He promises:

"And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart." Jer. 29:13

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----- A GREAT REVELATION

"I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Rom. 12:1

This reasonable service that Paul refers to here, is not just for the super saints or the bishops of the churches, but for EVERYONE!

And he continues in the next verse:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

The last sentence

"that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God",

it is also the answer to the question of how to find God's will in your life.

What is this living sacrifice that Paul mentions in verse 1? What does it mean to be a living sacrifice for the Lord?

Choosing our profession is a serious decision to make, but do you know that it is NOT of primary importance to the Lord? The Lord is more interested if we become that living sacrifice that Paul speaks of. It is this commitment, the decision we make to dedicate our lives to the Lord and to do what He asks of us so that His will may be done in our lives.

Whether you will become a teacher, lawyer, businessman, salesman, etc., how God will use you through your profession, will be the product of the same call that God has for everyone: To become a living sacrifice.

~~ Instead of praying to God to show you what to do, start asking Him to show you who He wants you to be. This revelation can really change your life! ~~

Living sacrifice is a daily commitment that we must keep, submitting ourselves to God.

~~ A sacrifice is totaly at the mercy of the one to whom it is offered. So like a living sacrifice, we go up to the altar of submission and surrender to the Lord every day. ~~

King David, although he made many mistakes, look what the Scriptures say about him:

"... I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." Acts 13:22

Let's look again at Paul's words in verse 2:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

The word "conformity" that Paul mentions here, imagine it as the form that molten metal takes, for example, when it is poured into a mold. The metal, as it cools down, takes the form of this mold.

This is what Paul means here. Do not take the form of the mold of this fallen world.

We have an enemy out there, satan, who hates us to death and has many people working for him. So be sure that you will have problems and opposition in your life, which like fire, will melt you. No one will leave this life the same as they were born. Throughout our lives things happen that change us, shape us like molten metal in a mold. 

~~ No one can escape this pressure and meltdown. But do you know what the good news is? We choose the mold in which we will be formed! ~~

So whatever happens to us, we choose to be formed in the mold of Jesus Christ and not in that of the world. See what Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD." 2Cor. 3:18

If you are wondering, the glory of the Lord we see in that mirror is Jesus Himself. We read this in Hebrews chapter 1:

"Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" Heb. 1:3

And in Romans:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Rom. 8:29

Serving God is NOT going to happen by itself. It's a decision you have to make and stick to it diligently. When we make it our goal in life to seek God it is something that limits our options, but it puts us on the right path and gives us the certainty of our destination. In other words, we know BOTH what we want AND where we're going.

That alone, do you know how many burdens and how many traps it frees us from?

If you really want to be transformed, as Paul writes to us in Rom. 12:2, from something earthbound and usually ugly, like the caterpillar, to something beautiful that can fly, like the butterfly, the only way to achieve this is through the renewing of the mind by the word of God:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

God created each one of us with a plan and for a purpose. Many Christians know this, but do not know how to discover it. This is what the apostle Paul explains to us here in Rom. 12:1-2. If we do what he tells us in verse 1, then it will be manifested and we will taste

"what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

No one can achieve this all at once. It is something that is done in stages. We move in this direction and gradually mature and grow in the Lord as He guides us. Remember the parable of the seed that Jesus said?

"For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28

Do you know how I can tell someone's spiritual maturity? From the way he prays. Some prayers may sound good and right, like the Pharisee's prayer in the sanctuary, but don't forget that the Publican was the one who walked away justified. When we become the living sacrifice that Paul mentions, even our prayer will change. This is where the Lord reveals the religious hypocrite in us, not to criticize or punish us, but to set us free.

It never ceases to amaze me how religious many believers are from conversations I have with them, or even when I hear them pray. They have a completely distorted view of God. They see Him as a strict judge, a punisher ready to blast you for your every transgression, He is responsible for all the injustice, sickness, wars and every evil that exists on the world because He either causes it Himself or "allows it to happen" in order to fulfill a mysterious plan that He does not reveal to us.

So we are freed from all this as we become daily a living sacrifice before the Lord and the more we know the heart of the good Father and how much He loves us we are literally transformed into His own image,!

Amen!

The spiritual birth.

  BY Argie Simonis

From the previous messages I have begun to speak on the subject of salvation and spiritual birth.

In John, chapter 3 we see Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who comes to find Jesus:

"The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him." John 3:2

I will make a comment here. Jesus was a very controversial figure, and people either loved Him or hated Him. Nicodemus apparently did not come to find Jesus during the day,

"...because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." John 9:22

Nicodemus at first does not seem to accept Jesus with all his heart, but later, after the crucifixion of Jesus, we see a great change, and I believe that he really believed in the Lord:

"And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, sought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus." John 19:38

"And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight." John 19:39

"Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." John 19:40

Jesus answered Nicodemus:

"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

The term "born again" today sounds quite ordinary, but at the time of the Old Testament this term was very radical. That is why Nicodemus asks in awe:

"Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" John 3:4

Look what Jesus answers him:

"Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5

There is a treasure of revelation here. When the Lord says that unless one is born of water, He does not mean baptism in water; baptism in water does not save. What the Lord means here is natural birth, because the fetus is in a watery environment within the mother's placenta.

As for the Spirit that Jesus mentions, He means the Holy Spirit that comes and dwells in us and makes us this new creature that I talked about in the previous message.

~~ I will say it again that if you simply believe in the existence of God, it will not save you, because the devil believes that too: ~~

"You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

You must make Jesus Lord in your life. No human work can save you:

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf..." Is. 64:6

Our self-righteousness will never bring us salvation:

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10

Therefore we MUST be born from above. And this is not just about a change. Many people say that salvation is a changed life, and I understand what they are trying to say, but we must realize that the Christian life is NOT just a changed life, it is a life of exchange, where you are literally given to God:

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Rom. 10:9 

By making Jesus Lord in our lives, God literally takes that old sinful nature that we are all born with and we become a completely new creation in Christ.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor. 5:17

So our new Christian life is NOT simply some new information we have acquired, nor the acceptance of a set of rules. We are born of God, the Lord has transformed us internally and we belong to him!

Unfortunately there are many who call themselves Christians, believe that there is a God, that Jesus is the Son of God, but they have never really been born from above.

They may try to change their behavior or bad habits, but they never changed in their hearts.

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you." Rom. 8:11

~~ Salvation is not only about the forgiveness of our sins, but about this transformation that takes place in us by the Spirit of God. In the same way that we are born into this physical world, so must we be born into the kingdom of God! ~~

"For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8:15

The Spirit of God literally comes and dwells within us and transforms our hearts! Paul writes to the Galatians:

"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Gal. 4:6

Paul continues in Romans:

"The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" Rom. 8:16

~~ Not only do you change, but there is also a testimony within you, that is, you know that you have changed because God himself reveals it to you! ~~

When you know this, all fear leaves and peace comes within you:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Rom. 5:1

John testifies to the same when he writes:

"This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth." 1John 5:6

~~ Our Christian faith is not simply the knowledge of a truth, but our commitment, our dedication to this truth. ~~

This is how we are born again and how this transformation takes place within us. We also have the confirmation of this in our hearts, because the Spirit of God testifies to us. Then every change in our life and our behavior is not superficial; it is not the way we will secure our relationship and our justification before God, but it is the fruit of our changed heart and our relationship that we already have with the Lord !

~~ Our holiness is the fruit of our salvation and not its root, because Christ offers us salvation by grace, as a gift, and not as a reward for our good works. ~~

"For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness." Rom. 6:20

No matter how good we were before we came to Christ, we were enslaved to sin because of our sinful nature. Jesus even raised the bar of perfection:

"You have heard that it was said of them of old time, You shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:" Μatt. 5:21

"But I say to you, That whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Μatt. 5:22

"Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." 1John 3:15

"You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery:" Μatt. 5:27

"But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Μatt. 5:28

You know, this does not mean that a man of the world cannot do good deeds, charities, help, have mercy, comfort others, but none of these deeds can change his sinful nature. You must be born again for this to happen because we were by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3)

This is what Jesus explained when Nicodemus came to ask him questions (John 3:3-8).

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life." Rom. 6:22

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This does not mean that a Christian cannot sin. See here a revelation that Paul speaks of in verses 20 and 22 that we read:

~~ Just as no good works can change your sinful nature, so no sin can change your righteous nature in Christ! ~~

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and stays for ever." 1Pet. 1:23

~~ As a baby is the result of a seed, so our spiritual regeneration is the fruit of the imperishable seed of God's word. ~~

Right now as you watch this message, you are receiving within you the seed from the word of God, and as Paul writes to us, you are growing in your faith:

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17

As you grow in faith, your behavior will change painlessly, because

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." Prov. 23:7

Therefore, if your nature has not changed, no matter how much you try to do good, you may succeed at times, but in the end your behavior and actions are a product of your nature.

~~ Our change comes from the inside out and not the other way around. This is the real essence of our salvation, and having this revelation many other doors will open before you! ~~

Amen!