by Jim Travis
Do you want to operate in the divine power of God?
Do you want to live a life that is immersed in the blessings and abundance of Christ?
Many Christians would answer “yes” to these questions, and then they would tell you that these are things that they are earnestly striving for and working towards.
This isn’t really surprising, as the common Christian idea is that the miracles and blessings of God are only attainable through, either sacrifice, or struggle; long hours of fasting or praying – or even just winning the “spiritual lottery” of being chosen by God for a special calling.
This is what many people are taught, and this is what they believe.
However, what I want to share with you today, is something different… a different idea and perspective – one based on the life of Jesus, and founded on His New Covenant.
And what we will see, as the title of today’s study suggests, is that a divinely empowered life is not something out of reach, or only for a privileged few, but it’s much more simple than you might expect.
Stick with me here, and you will find that there is one simple secret for amazing miracles.
by Jim Travis
Welcome back to the 7th and final of our study series, looking at pictures of Jesus in the Beatitudes. Today we conclude with the last three verses of the Beatitudes – and while it is true that we have spent quite some time on them, I think that you will agree with me that it has been time well-spent; because it is always good when we see pictures of Jesus. Indeed this is the entire purpose of the scriptures (Luke 24:27, John 5:39), and this fact is something that we have studied previously also.
By seeing Jesus and more of His grace, His majesty, His splendor, power and love, it strengthens our own faith – our information of who He is, His character, His nature, and what He accomplished for us on the cross. And in-addition, as we see the truth of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished, we then also see our true selves… we see our real identity as new creations in Him; and this is the point of it all.
And today we continue seeing pictures of Jesus in the final section of the Beatitudes. Get ready, because this is going to be really good!
by Jim Travis
One of the biggest hindrances (if not the only hindrance) to intimacy with God, is sin. Almost every single believer, and even most non-believers know this to be true. With that said, what is to be done about it?
This is where most people tend to branch-off into different directions regarding the solution to the sin problem. Some people set-out on a grand life-long quest to try and rid-themselves of wrong behaviors, wrong thoughts, and to “clean themselves” up, always reaching but never truly attaining perfection.
Others become so confused and intimidated by the whole problem that they become discouraged and defeated and just shut-down on the whole thing.
Still others accept their sin and decide that since they can’t do anything about it anyway, they might as well indulge it all the way.
But are any of these ways correct?
Must we live a defeated and striving life here on this earth dominated by sin and beaten-down with sin-consciousness?
Today in this study, we are going to answer that question, and through the finished work of Jesus Christ and His New Covenant of Grace, you will be able to have assurance, and confidence in your position from this day onward.