Author: Jacquelin Stoner

Jacqui is a writer, teacher, life coach, and an encourager. She walks alongside of individuals who need help navigating to the better place God has envisioned for their lives. She has discovered that God is central to genuine lasting life change.

LEANING HARD

Just when I thought everything was planned….

I’m traveling through an uncomfortable season. After a significant fall a few months ago, my back is a mess. Turns out my old bones are not happy when they slam backward against a cement block wall. What I thought originally would just be a massive nasty bruise has turned into a very angry spinal column. Restorative sleep is fleeting. The pain marches to its own drummer. Some days are not too bad. Others are agony.

A DIFFERENT SUMMER

Months ago I began planning what I would do this summer. God has nixed most of it. The other day as I sat on my back porch (usually my happy place), I realized that this summer will be different than what I envisioned. I sat there arguing with God (yes, I do argue with God).

THE HARDER WE LEARN, THE STRONGER WE GROW

Then I read this quote from J.I. Packer: “God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your ‘thorn’ uncomplainingly—that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak—is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace.”

REACH FORWARD

What does God say about leaning? “Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14)

God, You definitely have my attention. I’m leaning forward and leaning hard.

Click for more on “letting go”

MORE THAN A SNACK

How is your relationship with God growing?

After spending 40 days with God on the top of Mt. Sinai, didn’t Moses already know God? On the mount, Moses didn’t spend time reading theological books, listening to great sermons, or Googling “God.” He was WITH God all that time, yet he came out of it wanting to know God better.

RELATIONSHIP with God

In Exodus 33:12-23, depending upon your translation, forms of the word “know” are used six times in this passage. One would think that Moses at this point knew God well enough that he could just get to the business of herding the Israelites to the Promised Land. God knew Israel and Moses, however, now Moses wants to know God better. Moses wants relationship with God.

MOSES GALLOPS AFTER GOD

In our house we have a cupboard which has snacks. Often, I open the cupboard door, see what’s available, and then either grab something or continue on. Moses is not casually looking through the cupboard for a snack of God. Moses is banging away at the cupboard door and yelling he is not going to leave it until he is fully satisfied. God is a “rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM” (Hebrews 11:6). Moses doesn’t want to be casual Facebook friends with God; he wants a deep and true relationship with Him. Before this, God had sought Moses, but now Moses gallops after God. He knows the only hope for himself, and his people is in his relationship with God.

DESIRE FOR GOD HIMSELF

“We may have been Christians for many years, but have we ever really longed for some personal, direct knowledge and experience of God? Oh, I know, we pray for causes, we pray for the Church, we pray for missionaries, we pray for our own efforts that we organize, yes, but that is not what I am concerned about. We all ask for personal blessings, but how much do we know of this desire for God himself? That is what Moses asked for: ‘Show me thy glory. Take me yet a step nearer.’” (Martin Lloyd-Jones)

GOD’S ESSENCE

And what part of Himself does God choose in taking Moses a step nearer? God’s essence.

God says, I will make all My goodness pass before you. Moses asks to see the glory of God, and God promises to show Moses His goodness. “God’s glory lies in His goodness. When Moses saw the glory of God, His first understanding was that God was good. If we don’t know that God is good, we don’t know much about Him at all” (David Guzik).

HIS GOODNESS

At the core of all these attributes is one common denominator, God’s goodness. Moses asked: Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. What does God consider essential? For Moses to know the goodness of God.

RELATIONSHIP FOR THE LONG HAUL

This will help carry Moses through 40 years of wandering through the wilderness with a majority of a generation who don’t want to know God or His goodness. This relationship with God is what will carry Moses for the long haul.

RELATIONSHIP GROWING 101

So, the question is, “How is your relationship with God growing?” Ask yourself these questions (taken from “Discipleship Handbook” by Bill Stoner):

  1. Have your family or friends noticed a difference in you and how you act toward others?
  2. Do you spend more time reading the Bible than you have in the recent past?
  3. Are you adding more to discussions when they cross to the spiritual realm?
  4. Has your awareness of the lost around you compelled you to be more of a disciple than when you first came to know Christ?
  5. Do you feel you spend enough time in prayer each day?

 God is the “Rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM.”

GOD’S SHARP TROWEL

The Holy Spirit wants to break up the hardened places in my life.

Oh, glorious summer! My joy is found on my back deck. The pots of flowers are in full bloom. I sit on my chair, hear the birds in the fir trees, and drink in the beauty. It is glorious! That was not the case a couple of months ago. A lot of preparation is necessary to grow my garden. My trowel dug deep, preparing for the summer’s growth. Planting is messy.

GOD’S DIGGING CAN BE PAINFUL

God digs around a lot in my own life. My soul needs intentional preparation, just like a physical garden, in order to produce glorious blooms. Sometimes God’s digging is painful.  Hosea 10:12 reads, …break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. There are many weeds entrenched in my heart.

THE HARDENED PLACES IN MY HEART

The Holy Spirit wants to break up the hardened places in my life. The places in the back room of my soul where I grow those sins that fester: anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, etc. They are weeds which need to be mortified. The Holy Spirit’s shovel is necessary to break the roots that strangle my joy.  

A HARVEST OF BEAUTIFUL LIFE

God wants to reap in beautiful harvest. His gardening instructions are clear. Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God! —harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8).

Are you ready for God’s glorious blooms to grow in your life? Ask Him to uproot the weeds and prepare the soil for His harvest. It will be glorious!

Click for more information on how to grow heavenly fruit.

COME TO THE TENT

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for you to have a tent of meeting on your worst days where you can meet with God?

Ever had a really bad day? Poor Moses! In Exodus 32, Moses throws a fit. Coming down from Mount Sinai, Moses flounders. His past 40 days have been spent on the top of a mountain with God. That great spiritual high quickly plummets when Moses sees what his people have been up to.

HOLINESS DASHES TO THE GROUND

Furious Moses slams down the sacred stone tablets (handwritten by God). The fragments scatter at the foot of the mountain. He sees the Israelites consumed in an orgy, celebrating the worship of a self-made golden calf.

A WHOPPER OF AN EXCUSE

While up on the mountain, Moses had left brother Aaron in charge. Excuses run out of Aaron’s mouth. Rather than an immediate repentance of heart, Aaron makes up a whopper of excuse to his brother: Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ So, I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf! (Exodus 32:22-24). (Remember, I did say it was a whopper of an excuse.)

“Just say no” may have been a good life slogan for Aaron. He is caught with his pants down. The Apostle Paul hit the mark when he wrote: There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

WHERE IS GOD?

Moses desperately needs to see God amid this mess. In Exodus 33:1-23, God gives him the opportunity to set up a “tent of meeting.” This is where God meets with Moses face to face. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for you to have a tent of meeting on your worst days where you can meet with God? A place to talk to Him about the upcoming operation and how scared you are? How about a place to discuss your kids who don’t seem to have an interest in the things of God? Or a safe place to ask those questions when life makes no sense?

GOD’S INVITATION

Oh. Wait. As believers, we already have an eternal tent where He longs for us to communicate daily with Him. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5). You don’t have to go to Cabela’s to find God’s tent.

Meet God at the tent of His presence. It is a wonderful place to find His peace. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Meet God at His tent.

THE ALIEN WITHIN

Who do you trust when life becomes difficult?

I dread the one scene in the movie “Alien”. While in outer space, the crew sit down for a meal. All is well until one astronaut begins convulsing in pain. As the others try to hold him down, an alien creature bursts through the astronaut’s chest. What was growing inside of the astronaut is now horribly evident for all to see. The astronaut had moved far away from the alien beings, but the alien still resided inside the astronaut.

A PROMISE QUICKLY FORGOTTEN

In Exodus chapter 32, The Israelites are now far away from Egypt, but Egypt’s dark hooks are latched onto their hearts. Many are still spiritual slaves of pagan Egypt yet make fervent lip service to the One True God. Earlier, when Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they (Israelites) responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do” (Exodus 24:3). It is a rousing shout quickly forgotten when life becomes difficult.

What happens when the Moses goes up to the mountain and his people are left to their own devices? They wait one day, two days, and finally arrive at day forty. Mt. Sinai is covered with clouds and lightning. Moses is nowhere to be seen. Rather than trusting the God of Abraham, the Israelites rush to their own devices. Enemy nations surround them and quickly they discard Jehovah God. He is the One Who brought the plagues on Egypt, set the Israelites free and drowned Pharaoh’s army.  Satan rejoices in their desertion.

THEY WANTED THE BEST OF 2 WORLDS

They were already in the habit of merging their beliefs with those of the people around them, a practice that would continue to plague them throughout the kingdom years. Aaron called a feast to the Lord (Yahweh) and said that it was the god(s) which brought them out of the land of Egypt. The bull was a symbol of strength and fertility, and the people were already familiar with bull gods from Egypt. Bulls were also typical animals of sacrifice, so to use their image as a symbol of the god being worshiped was a natural connection. Aaron’s bull was a mixture of the powerful God who delivered the people through mighty works and the pagan methods of worship that were borrowed from the people around them. (Gotquestions.org)

Finally, descending from Mt. Sinai, Moses and Joshua discover in horror what is going on in the hearts of their people. God’s chosen people are having an orgy. The wizard behind the curtain of the Israelites’ souls is revealed and it is pure evil. Satan, the Father of Lies, brazenly masquerades as the savior of the people.

GOD DOES NOT SHARE A ROOM WITH OTHERS

God does not share a room with other gods. “You shall have no other gods before me.” The Israelites’ earlier promises to God are only lip service. They combined their old Egyptian practices with the worship of God. However, God does not share the room with others. In  “Exodus, Saved for God’s Glory” Philip Graham Ryken notes, “When things get difficult, we often try to return to the Egypt of our sin”. The alien must be surgically removed from our hearts.

NO SHARED LOYALTIES

Who do you trust when life becomes difficult? Do you choose to cling to the only True God and His promises, or do you produce your own hybrid faith, one that proclaims, “God helps those who help themselves”? God does indeed help those who obediently run to Him and obey. God does not help those who invent solutions of their own making.  He does not share loyalties.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8) There is not room for any other God in your heart. Run only to Him!

PERK UP YOUR EARS

Why wouldn’t God clarify exactly how He was going to restore my life?

A few years ago, I lost my hearing.  No, it wasn’t the physical hearing associated with all the tiny bones in the ear. I lost the ability to hear God’s voice. Life circumstances had plummeted to rock bottom.  Where was God in the middle of it? Had He moved a million miles away with no forwarding address? I thought God zigged when I zagged. He left me in a dark forest with no path, no compass and no flashlight to find my way out.  All I wanted was for life to become normal again. I wanted my life rebuilt on my terms. Where was God?

THE DEPRESSION

For quite a while I sank into a deep depression. Anger and panic became my closest friends.  Why wouldn’t God clarify exactly how He was going to restore my life?  My support system had been washed away. This painful period took far longer than I ever wished.

STEPS TOWARD RESTORATION

That’s when I started to slowly begin looking for the path God laid before me; that which I previously refused to acknowledge.  I wanted my life to be reset to its old modes, but God said, “No.” When I finally demanding life as I imagined it, God began to clearly speak, but on His terms.  He pushed me to view life with gratitude, even for the smallest things.  I slowed down and read His Words no longer because I was supposed to teach them, but because they became my river of strength.  Even church attendance transformed into a thing of beauty, not a place of obligation. God was there all the time, I just had refused listen to His quiet voice.

THE FABRIC OF MY NEW LIFE

All those lovely and vital parts of God’s screenplay that I had missed, became the very fabric of my new life. What at first I considered a great tragedy transformed into one of the greatest gifts I ever received.

GOD’S WHISPER

For all of you who find yourself in the midst of crushing defeat, disappointment and failure, I want to let you know that there is hope.  The pain may be excruciating right now but I beg you to hold on and ride out the tide.  When you feel like you can no longer hang on and you can’t hear God’s voice, quiet down and listen. The prophet Elijah had to listen for the whisper. God is here. (I Kings 19:11-12)

WAITING FOR GOD

Extreme discouragement and I became fast friends.

I am that person who will watch the beginning of a story and then fast forward to the final ten minutes, just to make sure that it doesn’t have a horrific ending. I hate it when the bad guys win and obliterate the good guys. Honestly, if I read I Kings 19:1-9 and thought that was the end to the entire story, I would not read the rest of Elijah’s biography.  In the oratorio “Elijah” there is a solo where the title character sings “It is enough.” He is at the end of his rope.

“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’” (I Kings 19:3-4).

Do you hear the agony in Elijah’s voice?  Can you picture the despair, exhaustion, and depression of a man who had totally believed God? By Elijah’s prayers severe drought arrived, fire came down from heaven that burnt to a crisp a water-soaked sacrifice, and at the right time, the rain clouds opened up again. In a movie, this would be the triumphant end and the credits would roll. However, a reversal arrives in Elijah’s fortune. Where is God?

THE REVERSAL

The arch villainess, Queen Jezebel, places a bounty on Elijah’s head. He transitions from the man of great faith to a man lying in a fetal position under a broom tree, just wanting to die.  He hits bottom. In the oratorio, Elijah’s song, “It Is Enough” begins with a mournful cello solo. He sings, “It is enough! O Lord, now take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers! I desire to live no longer: now let me die, for my days are but vanity. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, for the children of Israel have broken Thy covenant, and thrown down Thine altars, and slain all Thy prophets, slain them with the sword. And I, even I only am left: and they seek my life to take it away! It is enough! O Lord, now take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers! Now let me die, Lord, take away my life!”

WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE A FUTURE

God does not condemn Elijah’s breakdown; God enters his pain.  I know this God.  During my past season with the Lancaster Chorale, I severely injured my back. Just raising my arms in front of me was agony. Restorative sleep was a distant memory. The pain did not let up. “I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” sounds very similar to my state of mind.  Extreme discouragement and I became fast friends. Neither Elijah nor I could see a future of good in our lives.  We didn’t see the God that enters our pain and redeems it for good.  We could only see our own grief.

GOD HEARS

Do you currently feel no hope?  Your soul lies in a fetal position under the broom tree, begging for the end of the pain. If that is your story dear friend, please know plainly: God hears your cries, feels your pain, and He is sufficient to bring a hope and a future which can totally surpass your imagination, if you only let Him.  Take heart. God hears. The sun is rising just around the corner……just wait.

The man who patiently endures the temptations and trials that come to him is the truly happy man. For once his testing is complete he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to all who love him. (James 1:12)

ALL THAT IS LEFT

Both Loraine and Job endeavored to endure, but clung by a thread.

Loraine had a wonderful heart for people. If she saw someone being mistreated, she was a tigress, a warrior for Jesus Christ. Thus, it came as quite a shock to hear her cancer diagnosis. The cycle began: surgery, chemo, radiation, and more chemo. Her beautiful red hair fell out and her skin became a patchwork of rashes. Always strong physically, she found herself imprisoned in a sick and broken body. Loraine endured. That final summer of her illness we discussed the question: “What happens, when all that’s left, is God?”

THE BLAME GAME

If you want a happy read, don’t read the Book of Job. He loses his family, wealth, marriage, reputation, and health. Furthermore, his “friends” bombard him with accusations, saying that everything must be Job’s fault. He must be a huge sinner that his life has turned out this way. A misguided friend counseled Loraine that she was not healed because she “didn’t have enough faith.” Like Job’s friends, it put salt on Loraine’s open wounds.

CLINGING BY A THREAD

What happens when everyone seems to have abandoned you; when all that’s left, is God? During the final weeks of life, Loraine found her sight deteriorating because the cancer had spread to her brain.  The encroaching darkness was frightening.  Bewildered, Job endured an unimaginable prison of pain. Both Loraine and Job endeavored to endure, but clung by a thread.

LOOK UP

In Job 38-41, God finally answers Job out of the storm. He poses a series of questions to Job: “Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades, Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide [the stars of] the Bear with her sons? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?” (Job 38:31-33)

God says, “Look up. Remember Who I am.”

GOD IS STILL GOD

In the midst of our worst fears, God is still God. “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! ‘Be still and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.’ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress” (Psalm 46).

HE IS ENOUGH

What do you do when everything else is gone, when everything you depend on has flown the coop? How do you endure? Run to the One, “Who is wise enough to count all the clouds. Who can tilt the water jars of heaven when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods.” God is enough because of His character. God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Look up and endure.

STAIRWAYS TO NOWHERE

Never does God send us out with wishes of, “Good luck; go and do whatever you want.”

Henry Mercer assumed he could be the lord who built his own house. In 1907, this American businessman, and collector decided to construct his castle of concrete. He incorporated his extensive tile collection. A bachelor with no architectural training, he built his castle-home Fonthill, on the fly. Its interior twists up and down, with 10 bathrooms, 18 fireplaces, 21 chimneys, and at least 32 sets of stairs (some of which lead nowhere). Eight laborers, unfamiliar with concrete construction, were hired under Mercer’s constant watch. They poured concrete and built Fonthill Castle in four years. Nothing in the eccentric structure is plumb. Even furniture is made of concrete. It is the odd and uncomfortable product of Mercer’s ill-conceived dream.

DO THEY DREAM OF CREATING THEIR OWN “NEW EGYPT”?

In Exodus 21-23, what is the Israelites’ dream as they leave Egypt for the Promised Land? Do they dream of creating their own “New Egypt;” a land of their own design and making? Little do they comprehend this new land belongs to God. The Israelites and the land are to glorify and reflect God alone.

LESSONS ON HOW TO RESPOND TO GOD

God gives His people lessons on how to respond to a Holy God. He rejects their preconceptions of what His society is to look like, handing them designs, plans and laws. If requested, God always provides His wisdom. He would have even given Henry Mercer sound plans for designing his home. Mercer’s mansion would not have become such a bizarre castle. However, Mercer rejected sound guidelines. The Israelites eventually rejected God’s wisdom.

WHO THEY WERE TO REFLECT

In these chapters, God gives the Israelites many specifics on how to be socially responsible. They are taught to honor God in all aspects of their lives. Never does God send them out of Egypt with wishes of, “Good luck; go and do whatever you want.” As His people, they are to reflect the holiness of God. Things travel sideways each time the Israelites follow their own plans, imagining they are masters of their own destiny.

HEADED TO DEADLY SPIRITUAL WARFARE

The Israelites head toward deadly spiritual warfare. God warns them, “Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.” God knows bad allegiances “will cause you to sin against Me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” He forbids the Israelites to construct spiritual and cultural castles of their own imagination.

In his writings, Mercer imagined he was lord of his own destiny. He plagiarized, “Except the lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION

God has perfect plans for His children. The designs are not of our own making. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (Peter 2:9) Have you handed over to Him your plans and dreams? Without them, your life will end up like Mercer’s stairways which lead nowhere.

MY FRACTURE

God gave His list of ten commands to humans born genetically fractured with sin. We are unable to rack up complete obedience to just ten rules.

Every day I asked, “How can I do that?” in Mr. Smith’s Chemistry. The Periodic Table of Elements made no sense, just indecipherable formulas. I stayed after school for extra help and discovered I was not born with math and chemistry genes. Give me reading or music and I’m a happy camper, but succeeding at chemistry was like Mr. Smith asking me to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Impossible! It wasn’t going to happen. That’s not the only category in which I come up short. In my spiritual life I am also fractured.

WE CAN’T EVEN OBEY 10 COMMANDS

In Exodus 20:12-17, God gave His list of ten commands to humans born genetically fractured with sin. That’s right. We are genetically wrecked and are unable to rack up complete obedience to just ten rules. However, God is not an ogre rejoicing over our downfall. He understands our dilemma. Consider the ten commandments as an opening introduction to the holiness of God. Adam and Eve, before the Fall, were able to obey all ten. After the Fall, Adam, Eve (and all of us) miserably failed. We are FRACTURED!

Jesus did not make it easier when He broke the Big Ten down to two commands: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others]” (Matthew 22:37-39). That should be simple, right?

GOOD INTENTIONS FAIL

No. Regardless of how good our intentions are, we fail. For example, go to church and that person who rubs you the wrong way seems to magically appear before you in the lobby. Suddenly, all you can think of is the nasty thing they did to you. You are not wishing them peace, joy and love in your heart of hearts. Or what about those days it is a choice between loving God or spending hours of “me” time with you and the TV? Don’t you deserve both “me” time and to think ill of your enemies? Oh, how fractured we are!

GOD’S NEW HEART

There is absolutely no way we can perfectly obey the top two, let alone total ten commands. We fail again and again. God knows how dark and ruptured our hearts and intentions are. That’s why He supplies a new heart to those who become His children. He transfers to us Christ’s perfection once we accept Christ as our only Savior. This is “positional sanctification.”

WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE FRACTURED LIVES

Sadly, we don’t immediately become perfect in our everyday behavior; those heart behaviors are listed under “progressive sanctification.” This second category of sanctification gives us the power to look at God, the world, and ourselves in an entirely different way. We can experientially live out the life God originally planned for us. We don’t have to live fractured lives.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life] (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What if in high school I was given a new brain from God to comprehend chemistry? Astounded Mr. Smith would suddenly have a student wanting to do all the assignments for chemistry who understood the Table of Periodic Elements. No longer would I come up short.

That is what being born again means. The Holy Spirit regenerates me, gives me a new heart and I can choose to obey both the two major commands, and the top ten. By the Holy Spirit, I obey not because I have to, but because I want to. This is the new nature. And that’s how you do it!!!