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We are mere vessels on this earth.  Whatever we receive from The Lord needs to be poured out into the world.  The healthy vessel has a constant stream flowing from it.  

To restrict or dam up the outflow from the vessel is to damage the vessel in some way.  The vessel that receives without allowing for an outpouring will fill to the point of being unable to receive more.  If the stream from the vessel stops completely, the vessel will become stagnant and will no longer be useful.

By faith, we receive Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Savior.  When we receive Him and He dwells within us, we become vessels from which living waters flow from our lives out to others.  If we stay in submission to Our Lord and do not let our old selves interfere, the flow will be continuous.

The flow can manifest itself in many ways.  It can be a trickle or it can be a flood.  It can range from the smallest, unseen act of kindness to a massive outpouring on a grand stage.  But it can also be greatly restricted or stopped completely, if we begin to rely on ourselves rather than relying fully on the power within us.

Absolute holiness is the final product.  We will become absolutely holy when we go to meet the Lord in heaven.  Until that glorious day, we can expect to experience periods of holiness when our behavior is a reflection of the Holy One that lives within us.  On the other hand, we can be certain that we will suffer through times in which we will be led by our flesh.  Our behavior will not be holy.  We will move toward the darkness – the standard of our flesh.  

Fret not, the atoning blood of Jesus Christ puts us in perfect union with Our Heavenly Father, the seat of all holiness.  We can live in triumph knowing that we are holy.  We can manifest holiness here on earth.  For indeed, He is holy.

Being rightly related to Jesus Christ is the only place of complete joy.  Ironically, our constant attempts at finding happiness in worldly things and activities create our greatest obstacles to finding peace in the Lord.

Our steadfast focus on gaining happiness from the things of the world blinds us from seeing, understanding and accepting what God has to offer.  God’s offer is simple.  We are instructed by His Word to give up our old lives in the world and surrender to His Son.  Then the joy that the Son has from the Father will be in us and our joy will be complete.  

We know from the Word of God that the ways of the world are the opposite of the ways of His kingdom.  The world is all about the bottom line results and what we did to accomplish them.

God’s kingdom is all about the process and how we allow our new lives to be perfected through our relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We must be careful not to focus on accomplishing good things when they are keeping us from the God-directed plans for our lives.

Jesus was very clear in His teaching that you will have trials if you follow Him.  In 1 Peter 4:12, we read, “Dear Friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange is happening to you.”

Trials are part of the necessary process for growing our faith and our intimacy with Our Lord.  Without trials in our lives, without having to trust in our Heavenly Father for the strength and provision to get through them, we would soon believe all our good fortune to be of our own works.  The foundation of our faith is built, grown and matured through the trials that we endure.

“Pray without ceasing,” is the message in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  This is not be feasible for most of us, at least not in the form of prayer as we generally think of it.

Perhaps we should think about prayer as a conversation with God.  With His Spirit dwelling within us at all times, why would we not be in conversation with Him throughout the day.  Would we ignore our best friend, if he or she happened to be with us throughout the day?  Of course not, our relationship would dictate constant interaction.  So be it with the Lord.

The light of the Holy Spirit is present within every Christian.  The light affects us in two important ways.  It shines forth to attract others to Jesus and it reveals all the darkness of sin that exists in our flesh.  The two processes work hand in hand. 

If we do not repent of the sin that is revealed to us, we greatly reduce or even eliminate the possibility of reaching others for Christ.  Of even greater personal consequence, we create a stronghold for Satan to place a stronger claim on our lives.

On the other hand, if we repent when sin is revealed to us, we remove the darkness of sin from our spirit.  Then with the Holy Spirit guiding and strengthening us, our living testimony becomes even stronger and more appealing to others.  

We, all too often, focus on the problems that we are facing instead of focusing on the solution – Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, when we are not completely in tune with Our Savior, we are easily taken down a path on which we try to manipulate our own solutions to our problems.  You may have discovered, I certainly have, that this is not a peaceful path.

Why would we take the path of strife when all we have to do is call on the Lord?  Call on the name of Jehovah Shalom.  He promises to give us His peace that goes beyond human understanding. 

Every person who has ever been on a diet knows what a struggle it can be.  It is even more difficult if the only purpose for going on the diet is “to lose weight.”  The dieter generally has greater success when his or her purpose is of a higher calling.  For example, “I want to lose weight so that I can better enjoy the time that I spend with my children.”  The passion behind the purpose is what drives the individual to overcome the challenges.

When we seek to build our relationship with Jesus, we need to have the passion of a higher calling.  We need more than, “I want to be a better person.”  We need, “I want to be a new person in Christ.  I want to die of my old self.”  It is this higher calling that will lead to the intimacy we seek with our Savior.