Are you happy — with you?
Six born again Christians…six different answers.
- One middle aged man responded with, “How can I be happy with myself when years ago my wife left me, took our four children with her, and now they will have nothing to do with me because of all the lies she told them about me.”
- One young woman said she could not be happy with herself because she was abused by her step-father in her childhood.
- One young man, after graduating college with honors and thousands of dollars in debt, has had difficulty finding a job that he enjoys going to every day. “I spent years of study…for what?”
- One elderly woman, grieving over the loss of her husband six years ago, said all the dreams they hoped to enjoy together when they retired vanished when her husband died.
- One middle aged woman with chronic medical problems said she cannot be happy with herself because she doesn’t feel good.
- One man responded, “Yes, I am happy within myself.”
Unforgiveness
Abuse
Bitterness
Disappointment and shattered dreams
Sickness and pain
Freedom
Two things God cannot do for you:
- God will not resist the devil for you. He told you to do that. (James 4:7)
- God cannot “receive” for you. “…believe that you receive them and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)
You have a Soul: Mind, Will, Emotions, Intellect, Memories
You live in a body.
How to tap into the benefits of healing and power in the Kingdom of God: Have Faith in God. (Mark 11:22)
Benefits of the Kingdom of God
1. The Awesome Power of the Holy Spirit
Be baptized in the Holy Spirit! Pray in the Spirit to build up your spirit man and dominate painful experiences of the past. Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away…” (John 16:7) How can that be? Jesus in His earthly ministry could not dwell inside you. Ah, but His Spirit can! Jesus said the Holy Spirit is the Parakletos; the Comforter, Helper, Teacher, Healer; He is the Power of God. Father anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and then He went about healing and delivering people from the devil. (Acts 10:38) Connect with Him by God's Word, study, and prayer ... and praying in the Spirit.
2. The Word of God
How were you born of God? “I was born again when I asked Jesus to come into my heart.” Yes. But something hidden was taking place.
“…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Peter 1:23) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who 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) Just as your body needs food, your spirit needs spirit food ... "I am the bread of life." Read John Chapter 6.
Your Bible is not just paper and ink; it is living words and your connection to God’s Kingdom. When you study, you are giving life-producing food into your spirit man which provides ammunition for Holy Spirit to empower the words that come forth from your mouth. Christians who do not exercise a daily time of study, fellowship, and prayer will lead defeated unhappy lives wondering, “Where is God in my life?” It takes power to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) Where is that power? Is it way up somewhere in the sky? No! God’s power is in you … in the real you. Tap in by praying in tongues throughout your day. But make sure you have transferred God’s Word into you by study, and by hearing faith teaching for “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Faith overcomes the world. (See 1 John 5:4-5)
3. The Kingdom of God is Within You (Luke 17:21)
When Jesus went about in His earthly ministry, healing the sick, delivering people of satanic spirits, feeding 20,000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread, raising the dead, He said, “... surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luke 11:20) Later He declared, " ... the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20)
Jesus’ parting assignment to His disciples before His Ascension into Heaven was to go and preach the Word, cast out devils, and heal the sick, just like He did, but use His name to do it! He promised that He would confirm it with signs following. (Mark 16:14-20)
Power and authority resides in you to resist the devil and his schemes. Painful memories of the past, unforgiveness, loss of hope, pain and sorrow, can be defeated by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the Kingdom of God. That power is not outside you but rather inside you!
THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT SAINTS!
Once again, there are two things that God cannot do for you.
*God will not resist the devil for you. He told you to do that. (James 4:7)
*God will not “receive” for you. You believe you receive and you shall have. (Mark 11:24)
All six Christian people have had major problems in their life.
Unforgiveness
Abuse
Bitterness
Disappointment and shattered dreams
Sickness and pain
Freedom
Only the last Believer is happy with himself. “Yeah, but he didn’t have to overcome what the others have had to deal with.” Not true!
He was a soldier in Afghanistan and stepped on a mine while saving the life of another soldier and lost both his legs! He overcame because He received Jesus as His Lord, got filled with Holy Spirit, studies two hours every morning in God’s Word, prays in tongues, and ministers to the youth in His Church. Is he happy with himself?
“Yes, I am happy with myself! I am a Spirit–filled Christian fulfilling my purpose.”
This is that…which overcomes the world!
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
Christian, are you happy being you?