WE ARE HIS COMPLETENESS;

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).

Everything that comes out of God is God. In John 6:63, the Lord Jesus said, “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Everything that comes out of Him has His identity, power, and life in it. Think about it: even the words He speaks carry His life. Now, this doesn’t mean everything that comes out of Him is His person, but that they carry His life. It’s like the human body: every part of your body, no matter how small, has your DNA, but this doesn’t mean every part of your body is you, per se. It’s the totality of all the parts that make up your person.

In the same way, did you know that Jesus isn’t complete without us? And by “us” I mean the Church. You may never have heard this before but it’s true. We’re one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17); it’s the Father’s grand design for Him to need us just as we need Him: He’s our glory as we are His glory. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” He’s the one who fills everything (Ephesians 4:10), yet His fullness is the Church, which is His body. We’re His completeness, and we’re complete in Him: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10).

This should help you understand your importance and relevance to Christ. You’re “in Him,” and He’s “in you.” Without you, He can’t reach the hurting and the lost in the world. Through you, He’s able to express His love to others on a daily basis, and establish His Kingdom in the hearts of men. You’re His extension here on earth because you hail from Him (1 John 4:4). This makes you a world overcomer because “… whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…” (1 John 5:4).

Further Study:
Colossians 2:10;
1 John 5:20

FROM DISTRESS…TO GREATNESS;

…Every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men
(1 Samuel 22:2).

Our opening verse describes the condition of the Israelites who gathered themselves unto David; a rendezvous of broken people; they were down and out when they came to David. They were behind in their finances, dissatisfied, unhappy, uncomfortable and discontented. Before then, David had been anointed by the Spirit, through Samuel the Prophet (1 Samuel 16:12- 13). These men gathered to him, because they knew the anointing of God was on him. They knew that the anointing of the Spirit could change their situation for good.

When you read further into the twenty-third chapter of second Samuel, you’d find that, several years later, their hitherto disgruntled state had changed. From being in distress, debt, and discontent, they became David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8). When it was time to give for the building of the temple, these same men who were once in debt, had become so prosperous, and gave bountifully for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles 29:6-7). The same thing happens today as we minister the Word to many around the world. Those who receive the Word we share, no matter how miserable and dire their circumstances had been, the Word takes them out of obscurity to greatness. The anointing is on the Word to transform lives and set men up for greatness. It reminds me of when we first started out years ago. Those who came to us were those who some thought were too carnal, broken, dejected or lost to be transformed. However, we had the anointing that made the difference.

Today, their stories have changed, and the same people are doing great and mighty things for the Lord all around the world. Isaiah 32:15, says, “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.” The Holy Spirit brings the anointing into your life and makes you productive, through the Word. He turns your wilderness into a fruitful field; He causes water to spring up from your desert. With the Holy Spirit, your experience will be that of productivity, growth, increase, expansion and progress in every area of your life!

Further Study:
1 Samuel 2:7-8;
1 John 2:27

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you..

ALIVE BY THE SPIRIT

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 dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11).

1 Peter 1:23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” God gave birth to us by the Word, through the Spirit. You’re not an ordinary person. The human life you received from your parents has been replaced, supplanted, by the divine life of Christ. Often, I tell people that Christianity is more than a legal document; it’s a vital experience; there’s a true life from Christ beating in your heart.

The natural man (the person who’s not born again) lives by blood, but a Christian lives by the Spirit. No wonder Jesus, referring to the new creation, said, “…if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them….” (Mark 16:18). The blood that’s flowing through your veins isn’t what’s keeping you alive. “What then is the importance of the blood?” you may ask. Well, the blood testifies of your humanity. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood….” Hence, the redemption of man was by the shedding of blood. However, in the New Testament, the life of your flesh is no longer your blood but the Spirit.

There’s no sickness or disease strong enough to ravage your body. Sickness and disease attack the blood, and destroy the body. But your life isn’t dependent on blood: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Have this consciousness. It doesn’t matter the symptoms that may try to fasten themselves on your body, you’re alive and healthy by the Holy Spirit.

Further Study:

John 1:13;
2 Corinthians 5:17;
1 Corinthians 15:22

LIVE FROM “INSIDE OUT!”

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

In Matthew 12:33-35, the Lord Jesus used the allegory of a tree to teach that it’s the character of a man’s spirit that really matters; it’s what you’ve got in your spirit that counts. He said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

The character of your spirit is the character of your life. This is the reason any change you want to see on the outside must be initiated from your spirit; you must work from inside out. At the beginning of the year like this, many make “new year resolutions,” promising themselves to start doing certain good things, or put away certain unwholesome habits. Some have a goal to improve themselves spiritually; they want to get more organized, give more attention to the diligent study of the Word and prayer. Some others want to make improvements in their career, education or lifestyle.

However, many get frustrated along the way, because only three months into the year, they’re back to what they used to be; unable to make any meaningful or lasting change. The reason is simple: they were trying to work from the “outside-in,” instead of working from the “inside-out.” The things that happen in your life come from your spirit and not from around you. Man is a spirit, hence it’s important you learn to live from your spirit and bring forth good things out of the good treasures of your heart.

Real success is from the human spirit. Until and unless your spirit is conditioned to go in the direction of the Word, and the Spirit of God, true success will elude you. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…”; your spirit is a reservoir of good things. Therefore, give attention to the cultivation of your spirit by learning and meditating on God’s Word.

When you allow God’s Word to dwell in you richly, you’d bring forth success, divine health, prosperity, progress, victory, and promotion from within you.

Further Study:
Proverbs 4:20-22;
Matthew 12:35