Today’s Bible Verse
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:45, 49-50 (KJV)
I Choose Jesus
When the first Adam sinned, his spirit died (separation from God). He went from walking in the Spirit, having God’s identity and God’s authority (Genesis 1:26 – 28); and he became a living soul. Led by his mind, will and emotions; I think, I want, I feel…”If it feels good, do it”, self gratification, self reliance…. When someone receives Jesus, they are born of the Spirit, yet the nature of the old man tries to maintain control of the believer’s life.
When we make the quality decision to live for Jesus, we must deliberately choose Jesus each and every day. The old nature and Born again Spirit can’t cohabitate in the same body. One will eventually rule over the other. Romans 6:6-8 says “Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin; for when you are deadened to sin you are freed from all its allure and its power over you. And since your old sin-loving nature “died” with Christ, we know that you will share His new life.” God’s miraculous power changes and transforms us, and our old nature is crucified; this starts with our decision to choose Jesus over our old nature each and every day.
James 4:8 in the voice translation says: “Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other.” When we draw near to God, He draws near to us. The anointing of God in us enables us to overcome every temptation, and every circumstance that tries to get us to respond emotionally (based on feelings, without the anointing), we must choose Jesus first and foremost. (Rachel Wela)
An Uncommon Life
I recall a season in my life when I allowed selfish desires to take me out from the covering of the leadership in this house. I recall being so prideful and rebellious. I thought, God has the power to change my heart, I didn’t feel like changing, I liked the compromise I was living in. I allowed my soul (mind, will and emotions) to direct the decisions I made. I bought into a deceptive mindset that compromise was ok. I could love God, and still fit in like the world (be relatable), accept what was acceptable to the world. Something that started as a deceptive thought, that was not uprooted led to lust (selfish, sensual desires, or cravings), which ultimately led to sin/death (separation from God).
From Satan’s first interaction with mankind, his motive has been to deceive us. Deceive mankind, that we don’t have to believe or live God’s Word 100%, 100% of the time… But Thank God for His grace and mercy for us! God is so merciful and gracious, He gave us Jesus! When we choose Jesus, the living Word over our desires, the old, carnal nature is crucified and we experience the fullness of the life God always intended for us to live.
Today’s Declaration
Thank You, Jesus! Today, and everyday, I choose to live by the Word, and live for You! The Word says that ALL who receive and trust in Jesus, He gave them the right to be born again as children of God; He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative, but by God’s will. Thank You, Jesus, for restoring my identity, and restoring my authority in You. I declare this by faith, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Today’s Bible Reading
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
