I am always amazed by the comments of John the Baptist after Jesus started his ministry (John 3:27; 30). John said: “a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from above” (v27, KJV). John knew that without God he was nothing and could do nothing. He also said of Jesus: “He must increase but I must decrease” (v30).

John knew he was the forerunner to Jesus and in humility and obedience, accepted his role. Verse 30 of the third chapter of John’s gospel can be applied to us as Christians. We need more of God and less of us. When we were born again we died to our old sinful life and became alive in Christ (Rom 6:11).

However, putting off the old ways and putting on the new is a process (Eph 4:22-24). We cannot do this on our own, we need God, we need the direction and power of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:3).

In the Bible we are told that the only work we have to do is to believe (John 6:29); believe what? We need to believe in Jesus, believe in the word (our Bible). As we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and as we develop faith in His word, this releases the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

Paul said he wanted to know nothing but Christ (1 Cor 2:2). He acknowledged that he needed to reach the end of himself, of his abilities and to allow Christ to bring him through. In complete surrender to Jesus, Paul was mighty in Christ. God wants to change us from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18), so we become vessels fit for the master’s service (2 Tim 2:21).

“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). Wow, imagine that kind of life in him; the impact we would have individually and corporately!

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“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple” (Ps 27:4; KJV).

 King David’s primary desire was an intimate relationship with God; this he sought. In Psalms 42 verse 1 David says his soul panted and thirsted for God (Ps 42:1). It’s no wonder God could call David a man after his own heart (Acts 13:22). Do we have the same priority as David? Do we have the same relationship with God?

I love the verse in the New Testament where Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, mesmerized by and focused on the Lord and his every word (Luke 10:39). Think what relationship we can have with God now, David had the Spirit on him (1 Sam 16:13). We are children of God (1 John 3:2) and we have his Spirit on the inside of us (Acts 2:4).

Do we have the same heart cry for relationship with God that David showed in the Psalms (Ps 84:2)? Do we sit at Jesus feet as Mary did? Paul said that he counted everything of the world as rubbish (that word can be translated dung) the he might gain Christ (Phil 3:8).

For me, the Apostle John captured the relationship God yearns for with us when he (John) quoted Jesus' prayer for us as believers: "that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21; KJV).

How heartbroken Jesus was when he prayed over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37; the people rejected His desire for intimacy.

My desire is captured in Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty"; what about you?

God made us in His own image to enjoy and have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26). His desire was to have beings like Him that He could fellowship with (Gen 3:8-9) and through which His nature and character could be conveyed to His creation.

I love the picture created by Genesis 3:8, where God came to the garden in the cool of the day to fellowship with Adam and Eve. This is a picture of peace, love and fellowship; where everything is well and in harmony. God’s desire is still to fellowship with men and women (1John 1:3).

Sin broke this fellowship and separated us from God (Isa 59:1-9). Only in our repenting of sin, receiving forgiveness and asking Jesus into our lives as Lord and Saviour (Acts 3:19; Rom 10:9-10; AMP) can that fellowship be restored.

As Christians, God dwells in us (Gal 2:20), He wants to transform us to be more like Him (Ro 12:2), to bless us (John10:10) and to shine though us to a dead and decaying world (Matt 5:14-16).

All we have to do is to surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to mold us and change us (2 Cor 3:18). As we rest in Him (Matt 11:28-30) and spend time with Him in His word, fellowship and prayer, His power will transform us (Rom 8:11). We can become more like Him each day if we will only just take the time!

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“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor 2:9; KJV). God has an abundant life for us (John 10:10). That word “life” is the life that God lives. He wants to bless us, guide us, protect us and use us to take his light to our world (Matt 28:19).

Christianity is a wonderful journey, we grow daily but we have our part to play. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:7-8).

God’s word changes us. God tells us to discipline our thoughts (Rom 12:2), discipline our bodies (1 Cor 9:27; Ps141:3) and discipline our words so we can live and shine God’s life to those around us. 

How do we do all of this? We need to study His word; our instruction manual for life. If we use our faith that allows the power of God’s word, the power of the Holy Ghost, to change us. You build your faith by getting in your bible; reading, meditating and speaking the word (Rom 10:17; Josh 1:8). The bible tells us we need to be disciplined and to work at building our faith (John 6:29). Let’s do it; the results are awesome.

Let’s be salt and light in our world; live the God kind of life and bring that life and love to those around us.

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Sometimes it can feel that we are on our own, even though we are Christians. We try to tough it out down here in our own strength. Situations and circumstances can arise to try us, but we are not alone. God said He would never leave us or forsake us and that He is our helper (Heb 13:5-6).

It’s true that adversity will come our way, we are not immune to it but be encouraged, Jesus said we have peace in Him and He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Paul told us that God will keep us (2 Tim 1:12), complete what He has begun in us (Phil 1:6) and that His grace (unmerited favor and power to succeed) is sufficient for us (2 Cor 12:9).

Nothing is too hard for God (Jer 32:27). Paul lectured the Galatians for trying to do things in the flesh and not the Spirit (Gal 3:3). The only work God ever told us to do is to believe (John 6:29). Believe God is for you, believe He is in you as the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Rest in God (Matt 11:28), still your mind in God’s Word (Rom 12:2) and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom 8:6; KJV).

The Holy Spirit is our comforter (Acts 9:31), (one who pulls alongside to assist, to strengthen and encourage); He is the power of God to work on our behalf (Rom 8:11). Go to God’s word for your answers; the Holy Spirit will reveal them to you (John 14:26). “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa 41:10; KJV).

Here is the link to the promotional video for our book: “On the way: Basic Christian training” https://youtu.be/ZsxYJaLSX4c