IT'S ALL WITHIN YOU

1. When they are first converted, they are so happy and excited in their newfound faith and joy. Life becomes meaningful.

2. Everything seems so fresh and new. There is a tremendous change in lifestyle. They have indeed become a new creation.

They make new friends in church, they sing new songs and they love the new environment. Every message from the pulpit strikes a chord in the heart because they are hearing any given spiritual topics for the very first time. Even basic Christian subjects like how to pray, how to read the Bible and how to share your faith sound so new and interesting.

3. Time passes by, and familiarity begins to set in. Excitement is wearing thin as they settle down to a certain routine in church. Things are becoming predictable and a little boring. Even the suit worn by the pastor doesn’t look as fashionable as it used to be; and the programs of the church are not as thrilling as before.

4. You begin to see people and things at close range. You begin to see the flaws and faults of churchmates and some leaders; but don’t forget that they see yours too. Inevitably, there are clashes of opinions, disagreements, arguments and misunderstandings.

Now going to church is not so uplifting anymore. At times, they even dread the thought of it.

5. What has happened to the new creation? They begin to feel like hypocrites. As things seem so stale and smelly, they feel more like old and unhappy creatures.

What in the world is happening? Going to church is no longer a delight but a chore.

6. They come to this conclusion, “There is no love in this church. People are uncaring. Let us find a better church where people are full of Christ’s love and care.” So they leave church with a huff and a puff.

7. At first, people and things appear to be fresh and invigorating again in a new environment. The church friends seem more caring, the worship is more anointed, the message seems hot from Heaven’s oven (freshly breathed by the Holy Spirit) and even the pastor looks more spiritual.

However, with the passage of time, familiarity once again sets in; and they begin to see everyone and everything at close range … Well, let me spare you the usual, inevitable and familiar details. History has repeated itself …

At any given time, anywhere in the world, Christians are silently and desperately asking, “Where is the newness, the anointing and power, the joy and fulfillment I am supposed to find as a believer of Jesus Christ? Why is it that spiritual things are so unreal? Even the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t seem real anymore!”

Hence, some even backslide and stop going to church while many continue to attend church unhappily. If you are one of these unhappy souls, let me help you get to the root problem.

The problem lies within you, not outside of you. When you come to terms with this truth, you will be in a better position to mature in your faith and grow in spiritual stability.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

What kind of door is Jesus referring to? It’s the door of your heart. Where does that door lead to? It leads to the innermost part of your being – your heart or spirit.

How is it possible for Christ to enter into that realm of your being? It is possible because you are essentially a spiritual being deep inside; and Christ’s Spirit, when invited, will not only enter but also abide there as long as you want Him to.

How are we able to sup with the Lord, and what do we partake of? It is our praying and fellowshiping with Him and partaking of the Word of God that Christ is referring to. It is having our mind and heart full of God’s Word to quicken and guide us; so it is all happening inside us.

If a believer experiences the reality of Christ deep inside him, whatever adversity from the outside cannot defeat him because greater is Christ in him than the devil who is in the world. If Christ is allowed to remain in you, all of His wisdom and power are also available to you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Where is the newness? It is certainly not in your outward appearance. The moment you receive Christ into your heart, something wonderful is happening deep inside you. You begin to have a new outlook and appetite, and also a new softness and tenderness.

Why is it new? It is because the Lord Jesus, with all of His purity and power, has taken residence in your heart. For most people, that initial encounter with the Lord is glorious. The reality of Christ, with all of His newness, freshness, power and holiness, has entered into a human heart. It is all within you, and not without.

Here are three things we must remember. First, we must let Jesus enter into our hearts. Second, we must let Him stay inside our hearts. Third, we must let Him work in and through us.

As we yield and allow Him to work in and through us, we will certainly remain evergreen, ever fresh and forever new.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Don’t allow your heart to focus on the negatives. Train yourself to bring out the Living and Written Word of God which is from within you.

Let the Word of God, which is saturating your mind, heart and entire being, be spoken and unleashed into whatever adverse circumstances you are facing. It is the inside that controls the outside; and all the awesome strength, might and power are from within.

I am going to share with you seven powerful verses from the Book of Philippians. This book has only four chapters. I will be sharing with you a verse from each of the first three chapters, and then four verses in chapter 4.

All these verses teach us one thing: God has given us His presence and power that is within us to meet all the contingencies of life. Hence, answers and solutions to every problem and dilemma are within our reach.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Let’s begin with the motto of life. Let it be etched into your heart. This should be the primary reason for living. As long as I live for Christ and have Him abide in my heart, I will not fear death. If He is my life now, He will be my life forevermore.

Recently, I recorded one of my own songs entitled You’re My Song. It speaks of the inner motivation of Christ to inspire a believer to rise above all the circumstances of life and have the freshness and newness of the Lord in his heart.

YOU’RE MY SONG

Fresh as the dawn

You come into my heart

Like the dew-drops on the flowers

You fill my heart with joy

Like the sun slowly peeping

The smile upon your face

You’re my song

You’re my music

You’re my life

And I feel like going on

Yes I feel like going on

In every sunny day

In every stormy night

Through every up and down

And trouble of my life

Through the sunlight and the shadow

I go on

The source of life is within me. I have the inspiration and motivation for righteous living. The fresh power of God enables me to go on being my best and doing my best in all circumstances. When I know what is in store for me at the end of my life’s journey, I have the inner strength to face every situation which life demands. So for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. It is all within me.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Life is a complex maze. However, Jesus sees everything clearly from His vantage point. Nothing is hidden from Him; and all things, no matter how complicated they appear to us, are simple to Him. Hence, it is important to see people, things and circumstances from His point of view.

When our minds are full of God’s Word, we can train ourselves to think like the Lord Jesus. Life is not only a complex maze, it is also filled with problems and troubles. Whenever you find yourself in a dilemma, here are three simple steps of resolution.

1st Step Get the facts

It’s impossible to act sensibly and responsibly without facts, so get as many facts as you possibly can in order to discover the truth of the situation.

2nd Step Seek godly counsel

God often uses godly people, who have traveled life’s road a little further than we have, to give us a better perspective of life. Therefore, we have to weigh their advice and see if it is applicable to our set of circumstances.

3rd Step Consult the mind of Christ within

Ask the Lord to help you identify the root cause of the problem and narrow down all the viable options you have at hand so that you can take the most plausible course of action.

From my experience, the enlightenment on the dilemma usually comes in the first waking minutes after a good night’s sleep. Instead of worrying and tossing about in bed, I have learned to trust the Lord by resting in Him and sleeping peacefully through the night.

Learning to have the mind of Christ is a lifelong process, and I am still learning it. Remember that the mind of Christ is within you.

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Where is the power of Christ’s Resurrection? It is inside a believer’s life.

The first time I discovered this life-giving power was when a man with suicidal tendency approached me for help. There was no known reason why he had the urge to commit suicide because everything in his life seemed to be in order. Yet there was a strong temptation to end his life by jumping off a high building.

When he came into my house, I quickly led him to Christ. Then I boasted about Christ’s power to him. Somehow I helped him discover and apply the awesome power within. That very night, when he returned home, not only had the suicidal tendency disappeared, his smoking habit was also gone. That’s the power of Christ’s Resurrection within the heart of a believing soul.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this. Undoubtedly, he was rejoicing in the Lord despite the fact that he was surrounded by both unpleasant people and circumstances. Strangely, he had enough reasons to rejoice while many unfettered people in his days were downcast and miserable.

Of all people, we Christians have every reason to rejoice in whatever circumstances we are in because all our essential basics have been settled by our Lord Jesus. Our past has been totally forgiven; our present is guided by the Lord; our future is full of goodness and mercy; and our eternity is absolutely secure.

So to be happy is a decision based on the eternal truth of God. We choose between rejoicing or grumbling through life. It is all within us.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Now we have the secret of the Apostle Paul’s attitude of rejoicing. It was in his thought life – the things he habitually dwelt upon. He chose to think of things that were noble and honorable, and his thoughts inspired and energized him to have a positive outlook on life.

You can actually change how you feel, how you see things and how you behave and live by changing your thoughts. If you are not happy with your life, the first thing you ought to change is your thought life. Choose to think and dwell upon lovely things, and you will perfume the world with your presence. It’s all within you, and it’s within your power to do that.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

God has promised to strengthen and enable you to do all the things required of you.

There were many times in my ministry when I faced challenges and daunting tasks which I didn’t feel that I was ready for them. When I realized it was part of God’s plan for me to pursue them and He would be empowering me, I began taking steps of faith to fulfill and complete those projects. So far God had never once failed me. Remember: it all starts from within.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

If we want to be rich whether spiritually or financially, it starts from the inner man where Christ lives. The person who feels rich in his spirit, although he is just starting out in his career, will eventually make it rich. That’s why the Bible says, “Let the poor say I am rich.”

The problem is the poor will usually say, “I am poor and miserable too.” Why is the rich getting richer? Because they believe, work hard and keep saying, “I am rich.”

Christians ought to feel rich inside first. Believe and say it, work toward it, and act like you have it. In fact, you can be super rich because your wealth is not derived from the treasury of your boss but drawn from the heavenly treasury according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

How rich is that? Oh, it’s immeasurable! It’s totally limitless! That means if you have Jesus, you will have everything, not all in one go though. You will get richer as you mature in Christ, not just financially but in priceless areas such as spirituality, wisdom, revelation knowledge, insight and understanding. All of these things are from within.

Many years ago, there was a wise, old man who lived in Greece. So wise was he that many people sought his advice. He seemed to know everything and had an answer for every question.

One day, a smart, young aleck decided to make a fool of this old sage. He held a little bird in his cupped hands and approached the sage. With a glint of mischief in his eyes, he said, “Oh, wise, old man, if you are so wise, can you tell me whether the bird in my cupped hands is dead or alive?”

He had already predetermined in his heart that if the sage were to reply that the little bird was alive, he would squeeze it to death and present him with a dead bird. However, if the sage were to say that it was dead, he would then unfold his hands and release the bird into the air.

Of course, the wise, old man knew what was coming. He pointed at the young man’s hands and said, “Young man, the answer lies in your hands.”

In other words, it’s within your power to answer that question and it is all up to you. The same thing holds true within your heart, you can decide.

“Acres Of Diamonds” is a classic story about a landowner who was obsessed with diamonds. He was prepared to do anything to lay his hands on those precious gems. So obsessed was he with diamonds that he even sold his land in his great search for possible sites with undiscovered diamonds.

The great irony of the story was that he had disposed of acres and acres of diamonds that could be discovered in the land which he had just sold. He was looking everywhere for the diamonds except what he had; and what he had was full of the treasures he was yearning for.

Tragically, many Christians are still running helter-skelter, looking high and low, desperately searching for precious things in all quarters while locked within them are many treasures undiscovered and unused.

Remember, Jesus is with you, for you and in you. Greater is He that is in you than all the other forces which are in the world.