Morning by Morning, March 31 - Resurrection Life in Christ through Crucifixion Death to Ourselves Apart from Him Good morning, Lord Jesus. I’m listening for Your voice (John 10:3) to follow the leading of Your Spirit (Romans 8:14) and follow in Your steps throughout the journey of my day (1 Peter 2:21). ... As I watch and wait to listen for Your leading, what comes to my heart, rising up from my spirit to my mind, is this: “Will you follow Me? ... Will you walk in My steps? ... The journey to resurrection goes through the suffering of crucifixion. Not the suffering of sickness or sadness as if I were the source of those things, but the suffering of dying to yourself, dying to everything in you that would resist Me and My will and My way for your life. It is dying to depending upon yourself and your wisdom and strength apart from Mine. It’s when you truly die to yourself that you can truly live life in Me and allow Me to live My life through you. This is the resurrection life I have for you and for all who embrace this journey of crucifixion of trying to live life in themselves apart from Me.” ... Yes, Lord. ... As I test these spoken words in my heart with Your written Word of Scripture, these come immediately to mind: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). “Then (Jesus) said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23). “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (John 12:24-26). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). And finally this Passage of Your Word, so full of practical principles of daily steps in dying to self and living in Christ as we allow You to live in us: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:1-17). Yes, Lord. I do believe I’m hearing Your voice in my heart. And I pray for Your grace to live in You and die to any part of myself that seeks to live apart from You and Your will and Your way in my life. By the grace of God, I choose the resurrection life You offer me, as I seek to die to myself and take up my cross and follow You -- morning by morning, day by day, step by step on my journey with You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My friend, may you embrace the resurrection life of Christ in you as you die daily to every part of yourself tempted to try to live apart from Him and seek to live daily in Him by the power of His grace in you, in Jesus' name. God bless you! Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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