This beautiful lizard was on one of the islands we visited during our cruise. The colouration is amazing. Not sure the name as I've not looked him up yet but I'd call him gorgeous.
Living in the truth takes knowing the truth. We all suppose we know what the truth is yet our lives are a reflection of what we know. If we know we are free then we walk free.
I'm not trying to start a huge conflict here but when the slaves were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, do you think they walked differently. They were no longer slaves. Oppressed, yes but they could own property for the first time and earn a wage for their work.
We as freed people from sin and death should then walk as freed people, yet we do not. I ran into a couple at the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga TN just this past weekend and our conversation started because I had my Chosen shirt on. The lady asked if we had seen the recent season 4 in theatres and I said yes. The conversation turned to suffering, illness and death in this world and I said God is not interested in our bodies. He's interested in our hearts. The body is a tent to house our souls and is a testing ground for it. As Peter says, faith that is not tested is not faith. Our bodies ache and we lose faith because we think we are supposed to walk in victory. We lose faith because a loved one gets cancer and suffers for years fighting it. We lose faith as our spouses eyes don't recognize us anymore and the list goes on and on. Our flesh is a testing ground for our heart.
The wilderness was a testing ground for Israel. Paul was told the things he should suffer yet suffer he did not because he knew his body was temporary and his soul was eternal. God cares only about our eternal soul which can live forever with Him or without Him.
Why then are we obsessed by our health as we are. Death brings forth life so we are not to live life like we are slaves to it anymore.
Paul said that death would send him to the arms of Jesus yet he knew his mission on Earth wasn't completed yet. He wanted to do the will of God yet he also wanted to be with Him.
Can we truly say we aren’t obsessed with living as long as we can? I know I want to but if I was diagnosed tomorrow with some deadly disease I would not lose faith. Faith must be tested.
My marriage has been tested and is it better because of it, yes it is. If not for the darkness early on, then we wouldn't appreciate the light now. We don't take each other for granted because we made it through together.
If we walk through the valley of the shadow of death with God, we then can fear no evil. We cannot walk upright and bold, a freed people, without knowing we have been freed.
Do we cling to this life like it's our true treasure or do we know where our true treasure lies, within us, in our hearts and minds. The manifestation of Jesus happens through a heart that knows it has been freed.
Christ will come back in a people that knows this truth and lives by it. Don't look to heaven or the clouds, look to your heart and know He has freed you from sin and death. Once truth sets us free, only then will we walk as freed people.
To God be the Glory
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