When you look into your mind, don’t go alone.

With my mom’s progress toward her homegoing with Jesus, which occurred this past Monday, I’ve been in a time of introspection.

It has been an interesting journey to say the least. I’ve learned quite a bit about myself. I certainly didn’t want to go where He took me where I had tears roll down my cheeks, a lump in my throat, anger at myself and well, I’ll leave names out, forgiveness doled out.

I’ve had to be careful during this time, though. The Father reminded that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, which was, above all, quiet. Jesus didn’t have a smart phone with ear buds to listen to a playlist or a podcast! Nope, He was alone with His thoughts…and the Spirit.

Keep in mind, this was a Father chosen time for Jesus as a man. Would He walk the journey the Father had for Him, no matter what life and/or the enemy threw at Him? And boy, did Jesus encounter some doozies!

If your Father is calling you into a time of introspection, here are few suggestions. One, make sure the Spirit is leading you. This is a time over and above your daily walk conversations. This will be about a specific purpose He wants to accomplish in your life.

Two, listen to and be okay with being alone with Him. He will accomplish His purpose as we participate with Him.

Three, keep your biblical filter operating! Jesus literally heard voices! We don’t know if Satan actually made an appearance, but he sure did speak. You might hear voices as well.

Yet, the Spirit is truth and can only speak truth, even when we don’t want to hear it. So, be ready to filter out any voice/thought that is not His in order to hear what He’s saying to you. He knows the thoughts/old wiring in our brains that need to be removed to make us more like Jesus. Thus, don’t shy away from the tears, lumps and anger that may come.

Lastly, don’t be afraid of where He may take you – no matter how recent or far back that may be. Nothing can be off limits. He wants you closer to Him, and knowledge alone can’t do it. It’s a choice for life, His life in you.

Introspection is a process the Father uses in the Spirit’s power to draw us closer to Himself. May you enter it willingly and exit it victoriously. Jesus did and so can you.

It’s okay not to be okay, it’s not okay to stay that way.

I recently read about a study done in the late 1990’s that stated the human brain will continue to grow until the age of 25, after which, it would be a long downhill slide until death.

Scripture, however, disagrees. It states that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and says nothing about age (Romans 12:2). Life transformation starts in the brain when truth exposes the lies/false thinking stored in it and then is replaced and acted on using the truth. You can read about this process in the book, More Than a Sunday Faith.

New studies have now caught up with Scripture. In scientific terms, you are throwing away old neurons (“taking very thought captive”) and replacing them with new ones (“to make it obedient to Christ”). It’s called neuroplasticity. You can literally change your brain!

Yet, there also exits what I call the between zone: it is the time between the old thoughts being replaced with the new truth-based ones (your old thoughts/flesh battle with the Spirit – Gal. 5:16-18), which means failure can still take place.

I struggle greatly with this zone. I want out of it! I want to be like Jesus now because I don’t want to mess up anymore as I hate feeling like a failure. It’s hard to be okay in the midst of becoming okay!

A good friend once said, “Don’t you think the Father knows this? I mean, His Word tells us that this process won’t be completed until we see Jesus face to face. Until then, He’s factored our failures into His plan. It’s called redemption.”

If I don’t let this truth sink into my brain, my leg will continue to bounce and my frustration will be seen all over my face. Yet, where’s the joy? It’s okay to not be okay as He’s changing me.

I am already at peace with the Father through the peace offering Jesus made on the cross. He knows my heart to be like Him. So, I must let Him do what only He can do…change me.

No, we don’t want the old thinking to hang around. Until that transformation takes place, however, it’s okay to be at peace in the midst of the uncomfortableness. Relax. He’s working in and will continue to work through you despite you. Why? It’s all about Him.

The Father can give special insight about tomorrow for us to prepare for it today.

Passover, which is Monday April 22, starts God’s prophetical timeline of major biblical events (Leviticus 23).

This timeline began with Jesus coming the first time to save us and to earn the right to become King (Passover). And, it ends with Jesus coming back a second time to sit on David’s throne as King (Yom Kippur & Tabernacles). (see https://www.morethanasundayfaith.com/2013/08/gods-prophetical-time-line-as-seen-through-the-lens-of-the-7-jewish-feasts-of-leviticus-23/ for an explanation of their past and future fulfillment in Christ.)

Why did God tell us the future? He wanted us to be prepared to act in response to what He was going to do. For example, Jesus repeatedly told His men that He would be handed over to the authorities, killed and rise again in order for them to successfully handle life when it occurred.

Did they? No. When Jesus was arrested, Peter tried to kill a man in Gethsemane. When Jesus was killed, all His men were hiding behind locked doors out of fear of it happening to them. When Jesus rose from the grave, John and Peter still didn’t believe He was alive despite seeing an empty tomb.

I’m not saying He does it all the time. But when He does, it is about being prepared to successfully navigate life before that tomorrow becomes today. Are you open to it? If so, will you act by faith in preparation for it? Noah did, and he built a boat that saved the lives of his entire family.

There certainly is enough in Scripture that if you follow it, you will be prepared for tomorrow today. Be ready to accept and make decisions, however, if He gives you special spiritual intel about the future. Many lives could be spared a lot of heartache if you do.

Jesus is your redemption right now!

As never having had my father’s approval, I seek my Father’s approval through doing what He says to do; and then hearing, “This is My son whom I love and am proud of.”

Yet, I fail many times a day. And when I blow it, I can be triggered to spiral downward. I mean, I fell; so, I might as well stay down, right?

As I write this, a certain incident came to mind. I was hanging out with a friend. As we chatted it up, the thought of having a soda came to mind. I really wanted to head to the store and get that soda.

Is that sin? It depends on whether or not your Father said, “I don’t want you having it today.” It’s not the drink. It’s the obedience.

Oh come on Chris, it’s just a soda. True, but that day was a no soda day as He was trying to teach me something about Himself using that soda.  Well, I focused on how good that soda would taste and eventually bought one.

Now, I want you to look at the picture. It’s a spiral staircase. It can either be spiraling upward or downward depending on your point of view. I chose downward. I not only kept on drinking; but, I went back into the store to refill my cup!

What truth(s) did I need to focus on immediately after taking that first sip? The truths of 1 Cor. 1:30. Jesus is my righteousness (the ability not to drink the soda), my holiness (the strength to stay close to my Father by trashing the soda thought before I drank) and my redemption (trash the soda cup after the first draw on the straw).

His redemption through His blood bought that sinful choice; thus, I was free to start over again with His righteousness and holiness to make an obedient choice – toss the cup and not refill it.

Silly illustration? Maybe. But how many “really bad” choices could have been triggered by this “not so bad” choice? How far down do you want to spiral? Until we hate any sin that separates us from our Father, who provides the acceptance and fulfillment we all crave, is the answer.

When you have a soda moment, quickly focus on the truth that Jesus is your redeemer…right now, not sometime in the future. And then, choose to spiral upward!

Today is not the worst nor best day of your life.

Years ago a study was done with rats. While others watched, one rat was put into a bowl of water with no escape. The rat latest mere seconds before giving up and being rescued.

A second was put in the water. It lasted minutes before needing help. The next lasted twice as long as the previous one.

The difference? Hope. The first one didn’t have any. The others, however, saw the first rat being rescued. All they had to do was to hold on until being rescued. The power of hope is huge.

Paul writes that our faith rests on the hope of eternal life. The Father saved us (done deal) and declared us free, not innocent, of all crimes (justified), which forms the basis of our hope.

Someone paid our fine, did our prison time, and sat in our electric chair. We are truly guilty, but Jesus took what we deserved and gave us something we didn’t deserve, hope.

It’s a hope that life change is possible this side of heaven, and ultimately on the other side, despite our failures that make us want to quit. We will, though, be rescued!

Struggle and failure are not the end, becoming like Jesus is. And just like the experimenter did the rats, our Father will rescue us…someday, which could be today.

Hope should lead to a life of thankfulness, not regret; gratitude, not groveling. We are commanded to stay thankful for not only for what Jesus did, but will do – rescue us from this corrupted world, a hope of eternal life.

Keep swimming! Stay focused on your eternal hope, Jesus will rescue you. It might not be today, but stay thankful. It will happen. Amen and amen!