I'm entering 2019 with greater expectations. Quite different than previous years. I have decided to focus more on Jesus. What I mean by that is when looking at things in retrospect, I am reminded of the way I viewed my relationship with Jesus. If I could be quite honest with you , I must say that I took my relationship with Jesus or my walk with Christ for granted. Publically it did not appear that way but privately my commitment to prayer and fasting declined significantly. Towards the end of 2018, I began to ask myself, "what happen and how did I get to this point?" After doing an extensive self examination, I realized that I became comfortable in my relationship; I was born again, forgiven and I'm going to heaven. Unknowing to me at that time, I became very lukewarm and insensitive to the Spirit of God. I also began to look at the worldview differently - not embracing sin - but rather allowing the worldview, or the media agenda to override that of God's holy word. This began to spill over into reading and studying God's word. Eventually, I laid down my arsenal (God's word, prayer and fasting) which gave the enemy of our soul ( the devil and his imps) free reign. I loss my fight or should I say my "swag" My desire to pray even dwindled. Praise be to God for the light of my concscious being awaken. What caused the light to come on? I would say two scriptures; the first scripture is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which states, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things are past away, behold all things have become new" and also, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God" (1 John 3:9). What caused the light to be made manifest? What caused it was the fact that I'm a new creation. Knowing that and understanding Christ power causes one to look within and come into alignment with God's word, "If any man" that's me, you and the man sitting next to the man. Have you ever felt out of place while in a place you did not belong? That's sort of what it feels like when you are a child of God and you are out of fellowship with Him. Not out of fellowship because God neglects us, but rather by our own conscious decision to put Christ second instead of first. Its hard to admit when we get to this place; but its quite evident when we begin to compromise or attempt to fit into this worlds system. When we find ourselves going back to things that God has delivered us from is in and of itself a sign that we need to conduct a self examination. What "Day 1" revealed to me is to "stay hot" or to keep Christ first in all areas of my life because as soon as we lay down our arsenal (studying God's word, prayer and fasting) we take two steps back which ultimately results in us becoming stagnant, unproductive and lukewarm. We have to remember the Lord's word - "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new." He makes all things new. Stay hot! Go forth and do more!
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