Why a Christian Can't Be an Alcoholic

It's very easy to beat yourself up.  When you sin or fail in some way, Satan puts self-critical thoughts in our minds which sound like our own thoughts.  Then, we run with them and before you know it, we create a narrative about how dumb we are, how ugly we are, what a big failure we are, what a sinner we are or what a terrible Christian we are.  We default to letting our struggles define us.

 

Yet, I challenge you to pray:  "Daddy God, I pray that You would cause my thinking to line up with Your thinking wherever they are different."  That is what a renewed mind is.  It's the Holy Spirit replacing our stinking thinking with God's astonishing thinking about who He is, who we are and how to live life.  I want to focus today on God's thoughts towards us.

 

Our Daddy says in Isaiah 55:8, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. It's very easy for us to take this as a scathing criticism from Him.  Yet, it actually reveals God's longing for us that His thoughts and His ways become ours.

 

When He looks at you, He's not thinking about your failures or successes for that matter.  He's thinking about what He did for you and to you in Christ.  He sees one of His children who is like Him.  He loves you because He sees you as a new creation who is righteous, a saint (holy), complete, forgiven, loving, patient, kind and so much more!

 

I personally had to remember who I was when two people criticized me last week for inviting you in the last few blogs to our Foundation for Transformation Conference (Romans 5-8).  One said I had gotten away from life giving blogs.  What surprised me is that this person had been transformed by Jesus through GLI.  I thought they would want to use those emails to invite people they love who are not free.  The other stated that they lived too far away from our office so they no longer wanted the emails.  I scratched my head wondering if they had somehow missed that no matter where anyone lives, they can join us via our powerful online system.

 

Sometimes, criticism is valid and we can learn from it.  Other times, it's not.  Either way, I reminded myself that it doesn't change my identity.  I am who Jesus says I am, period.

 

This is why a Christian can't be an alcoholic.  That doesn't mean there aren't Christians addicted to alcohol, opioids, meth or cocaine.  They need to admit they are addicted and need help so they can get help. Jesus and the experience of His deep love for them can free them from their addiction as they learn who they are in Christ.  There's so much more I would like to share with you, like why a Christian can't be a liar, a thief, a pornographic person.  Space doesn't permit here, but you will see below that there is a way I can, soon.

 

I leave you with two take-aways.  1. Line up your thoughts about who you truly are with God's thoughts about you.  2. Accept my invitation to come hear more at our Foundation for Transformation Conference IN OUR OFFICE or ONLINE so God can personally speak to you about what He's done that makes you as righteous as Jesus Christ. I will personally be teaching the first night, Monday, June 6. This is a FREE CLASS. SIGN UP HERE  (If you've attended before, invite someone you care about, remembering how God spoke to you there.)

Warmly in Christ, 

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2016 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

God's Cure for a Shame-based Identity

Have you ever heard that little voice in your head saying "There must be something wrong with me."  It usually speaks to us after a mistake, a sin, or a rejection from someone.  It's the lying voice of the enemy of course, but it sounds a whole lot like our own.  John 8:44c says about Satan, Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

That thought, that voice, that accusation is the spirit of shame.  It's not the same as being ashamed of something I did.  This is different because this is about who I am.  This kind of shame is a gnawing feeling, deep down that says "I am defective."

It's very closely related to condemnation. Condemnation whispers to us that because of what we did, we are messed up in the core of who we are.  When we sin, the Holy Spirit points out to us that we didn't live like who we are in Christ.  On the other hand, condemnation is relentless in trying to convince us that our identity is fatally flawed. It leads us away from the truth of our identity in Christ to an identity defined by failure.  If we listen to it long enough, it will eventually tell us that we are probably not a Christian at all!

That is why we all love Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  It's fascinating that this verse follows a chapter in which the Apostle Paul shared with us how much sin defeated him, even though he hated doing it every single time!  Now that's encouraging.

We are not under condemnation because God crucified our shame-based identity in Adam which genuinely was defective and messed up.  Then He buried it in the grave forever with Jesus according to Romans 6:6. Knowing this that our old self was crucified that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  Then He resurrected us as new creations, with a grace-based identity in Christ. God says we are now perfect according to Hebrews 10:14. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

No way does this mean we will live sinless lives.  It does mean that our sin, mistakes, upbringing, abuse, or anything else cannot define us.

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of your past? 

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of your family? 

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of that sin you can't stop doing?

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because you are divorced?

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because (you fill in the blank)?

God has crucified your shame-based identity and exchanged it for a grace-based identity in Christ.  Galatians 2:20 speaks to this, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Why don't you pray right now and tell God that you are choosing to believe that your shame-based identity died on the cross with Jesus and you are now embracing your grace-based identity. Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

And as always, we are here to help in person or virtually.  Why don't you at least have a consultation with us?  Life is way too short to live under the oppression of a shame-based identity.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

A Call to Respond to the Charleston Church Shooting

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I cannot sit in silence without writing about the atrocity at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church last week, when a shooter killed nine of our other brothers and sisters.  My feelings about this are so strong, that I am compelled by the love of Christ to respond.

I believe the killings were demonically motivated in the mind of the shooter.  (I don’t care to give the shooter more fame by using his name.)   Satan’s mission statement, according to Jesus in John 10:10, is to “kill, steal and destroy.” He succeeded in killing these precious nine members.  That is how this story begins, but hopefully, not how it ends.  And, a lot of that depends on whether we choose to live like who we are in Christ.

Here are some piercing questions that challenged me that I had to ask myself in how God can use this tragedy for good. Each of these questions is really about a bigger question?  “Is Christ living through me in regard to racism?”

•       Do I feel our Father’s grief over this or have I resigned myself to the inevitability of these kinds of killings?
•       Have I recognized my own sin of racism as evidenced by telling racial jokes or passing on my racist views to my children and others?
•       Have I prayed for the family members of the nine slain brothers and sisters in Christ?
•       Have I prayed for the remaining members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church?
•       Have I asked God if there is a lonely person in my life He wants me to befriend and share Christ with, who just might be the next shooter unless someone reaches out to him?
•       Have I prayed that the church as a whole would stop being the most segregated institution in America?
•       If I preach each Sunday, have I considered preaching on this?
•       If I blog, have I considered writing on this?

My prayer more than ever is that we let Jesus live through us to be a part of the answer, instead of perpetuating the problem.  Something to look forward to is that God’s kingdom in heaven is full of every race, tribe, tongue and nation according to Revelation 5:9 and 7:9.  Heaven will not have different sections based on skin color.  Every neighborhood will be multi-ethnic.

Jesus taught us to pray for the kingdom of God to come to the earth.  That includes racial diversity in the body of Christ, as well as economic and ability/disability diversity.  As His children, we can all be united in prayer that His Kingdom will come to the part of the earth we journey on.

The Jesus who lives in us grieves over what happened last week.  But He also knows it is an opportunity for the church to rise up and act as His agent, through whom He brings His kingdom to this earth.  No one person can do it all but, the One Person living in us can do more when we rely on Him to do it through each of us.

This is the Gospel in action because just as the Gospel of grace frees us from our own junk, He also desires to express Himself through us into a dark world that desperately needs His light to shine brightly.

Would you stop for a moment and ask your Heavenly Father what He might be saying to you in this devo/blog?

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Do You Know Your Unique Flesh?

Defining the meaning of words is of the utmost importance when you are attempting to understand their true meaning.  Think about the meaning of these words when they were used just a few years ago.

Far Out - in the 70s it meant something was awesome.

Gnarly – in the 80’s it was a surfer term that came to mean something was cool.

Da Bomb – in the 90’s it means something was really amazing.

GitRDone – in the 2000’s it meant to get something accomplished.

It’s the same in Scripture.  Words often have very specific meaning and it does matter. Though I read lots of different versions of the Bible, my favorites for understanding specific words is the New American Standard Bible (NASB) or The English Standard Version (ESV).

That brings us to the word “flesh”.  As I wrote about in last week’s blog, this is not the old nature, the sinful nature or our identity in Adam.  It’s something very different.  The rawest meaning is simply meat.  In the Scriptures it is used to mean a few other things. One definition is simply our physical body.  For example, In John 3:6, Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (NASB)

The main meaning for the word “flesh” used in the New Covenant is what we are interested in today.  Let’s first see what the Bible says.  Then we will make it very practical.

1. The flesh has desires that are the opposite of those of the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (NASB)

2. The flesh expresses itself in specific ways.  Galatians 5:19-21a Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. (NASB)

Here is the practical part.  This is what we help people discover in their personal lives when they come to us for counseling.

1. Fleshly living is acting the opposite of living like who you are in Christ.

2. Fleshly living is strategies of living dependent on you instead of Jesus in you.

3. Flesh is unique for everyone since it is often programmed from relationships and events which you experienced growing up.

Here is a visual for you.  If you drive a car through the mud, even after the car is long gone, the tracks can be imprinted in the mud long afterwards.  The old nature like that car is long gone.  It was crucified with Christ according to Romans 6:6 and Galatians 2:20.  However, there are left over “tracks”, meaning fleshly sins (independent living) you may still struggle with after you are saved, that you were controlled by before you were saved.  You can also develop new fleshly sins after you are saved.

When we provide discipleship counseling, we ask the Holy Spirit through us to show a person that they have beliefs, feelings and behaviors that they are using to try to make life work apart from Christ.  They come to see this as their unique flesh patterns.  We diagram it for them so that they see why life is not working for them.  Then, we show them as a result of the Cross, that’s no longer representative of who they are in Christ, in fact, it’s the opposite.  Next, we take ample time helping them with the day by day journey of learning relying on Jesus in them to “cope with life.” Then, the Holy Spirit begins to replace the former fleshly patterns of coping with the fruit of the Spirit, providing new ways of living.

Do you know the specific patterns of your unique flesh which are defeating you over and over?  If not, I invite you to attend one of our Grace Life Conferences or get counseling from us.  You can take advantage of these opportunities to experience a better way of life, either in person or by Skype.   Contact us at info@gracelifeinternational.com or call us at 704-522-9026.  Also, a listing of the monthly Conferences are available on our website at www.gracelifeinternational.com   We have three locations as well.

If you missed last week’s blog and are interested in reading it and others, go to www. markmaulding.com.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Do I Have a Civil War Inside of Me?

Do you ever feel like there are two equal powers inside you with completely opposite desires?  This is a very common feeling, which seems to explain how we struggle to live a life which pleases God.

For example, when a sexually lustful thought enters your mind, it’s not that you know you shouldn’t do that, it’s also in your new heart that you don’t desire to do it. (Ezekiel 36:27)  Yet, there seems to be a sinister opposite desire to do it, though you know you will regret it.

Another example would be when a thought of not measuring up enters your mind.  Though you know God loves you and you want to stand on that reality, there is this other thought which urges you to agree that you don’t measure up and to either give up, or try harder.

What or who is this other player inside of us?  Is it the old nature, a.k.a. your old identity in Adam, or is it something else?

Romans 6:6 tells us, Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.

The Greek language here, is much clearer than what we read in English.  The verb, was crucified, means that our old self (nature) was crucified once and will never rise from the grave to haunt us ever again.  It was left in that tomb where Jesus was buried.

Here’s our problem.  When we read Scripture, we see that something called the flesh is what we battle with.  And, if you are like me, I was never taught that the flesh and the old nature were different, but they are.  The old nature is gone but the flesh is not.  To muddy the waters ever more, the New International Version Bible translated the flesh as sinful nature, which sounds a lot like old nature, doesn’t it.  (They did correct most of that in their most recent edition.)

The old nature (old self or old man that remained in the grave) was the deepest core of who and what we were in Adam.  This is what made us sinfully rotten to the core. (Jeremiah 17:9)  It died and was replaced with the new nature a.k.a. our identity in Christ. (Ephesians 2:6,   2 Cor. 5:17)

The flesh is strategies we have developed from living, as if we are separated from God, though we are united with Him.  We had some of these before we were saved but we may have developed new strategies since then.

I remember a good pastor friend of my saying, “So what?  This is just semantics.  It doesn’t really matter.”  Actually it matters a lot.  Here is why.

Because we only have one nature, our identity in Christ, our new normal is a heart that desires to live a loving, holy and righteous life.  It’s not to sin, contrary to popular opinion. This means it’s normal for you to live a pure life, rather than a sexually lustful life.  It’s normal for you to live with a Biblical self-esteem, rather than a fleshly one of trying to measure up. None of us will ever do this perfectly, but it is still the deepest desire of our new heart, that is our true identity – our identity in Christ.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Resurrection Reset!

                                  

Have you ever wished you could push the "reset" button on your life? Probably all of us have had that thought after a major failure. If you've ever felt that way, I have some awesome news for you!   God already hit the reset button and you can celebrate it this Easter!

It pleased God to reset who you were by crucifying you and burying you with Jesus on the cross. He crucified the identity you received from Adam, of being spiritually dead, a sinner, and shameful. (Romans 6:6) Then, it pleased God to bury that messed up you with Jesus when He was buried and He left that person, you didn't like, in the grave. (Romans 6:3) Good Friday truly is good because Jesus was crucified and buried and so were you!

God was also pleased to hit the reset button when He included you in Jesus' resurrection. God did not raise a dead Jesus, nor did He raise a messed up you. He resurrected you as a completely different person in your spirit, the place of your true identity. Ephesians 2:4-5. You are now, today, at your core, a child of God, a new creation, the righteousness of God, a saint and more. You are a lot more than you may think and a much better you, than you may think.

It pleased God to give you a new past, a new present and a new future in Him. Your past in Adam was erased and replaced with Jesus' past. Your future in Adam and of hell was erased and replaced with Jesus' future and heaven. Your present was replaced with the daily presence of God, in you and of you, with a new pure, pristine, amazing identity in Him.

A man, I once knew, who was addicted to cocaine, started believing in his own resurrection reset and overcame his addiction.  How?  He realized he wasn't an addict in Christ but an awesome son of God.

I met another man at a pastors' conference where I spoke, whose entire future was remade when he realized his past no longer defined him.  He placed his faith in Jesus' past and future defining him. He ended up marrying a fantabulous Christian woman as a result and now, they have three beautiful children.

Don't let your past be the defining moment of your life. Instead, let Jesus' resurrection define you as you embrace your resurrection reset!  We have much to celebrate. 

Believe it!  It's the Gospel!

Live Free in Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Grace-Onomics: God’s Exchange Rate for Shame

In 2002, staff members, Sandy Witherspoon, Dan Ascher and I traveled 24 hours to get half way around the world to Kyrgyzstan so we could teach the New Covenant message to the staff of a large Christian ministry.  While there, we were all shocked at the monetary exchange rate.  For example, $10 US dollars exchanged for about 600 SOMS which would buy an enormous amount of beautiful Kyrgyz goods.

In our world, there is also an exchange rate for an issue called shame.  Shame in this case is not being ashamed of something you did or some sin you committed or the ones committed against you. This kind of shame is more about an inner sense of being defective.  It is the overwhelming thought, “Something’s wrong with me!”  It’s a cousin of guilt, feeling very similar but not quite the same.

For those outside of Christ, there truly is something wrong with them.  Their core self, called the “old self” according to Romans 6:6 is all wrong.  It is an enemy of God and evil through and through.  We can praise God, though, that once a person is placed into Christ through faith in Him, that old self is crucified with Christ and removed permanently.  Then it is replaced with the “new self”, your New Creation identity.

Yet, if we don’t constantly remind ourselves of our identity in Christ, this world we live in can mold even in us shame based messages.  It often comes from thoughts the Accuser places in our minds or from people who criticize by throwing identity statements at us like:  “You’re stupid.”  “You’re crazy.”  “You can’t do anything right…and more.”

Let’s make this practical.  Do you know the central lie you believe about yourself which your shame based identity is wrapped around?   If not, would you stop and ask the Lord to show it to you right now?  Here are a few I’ve heard through the years.

I’m not a very good Christian.

I’m very inadequate and inferior compared to other people.

I must be the best to be important.

I’m too stupid to get my life together.

Once you know what that central lie is about you, then you can let God’s truth replace it with the genuine reality about who you are.    That is you can be renewed – change how you think – about yourself.  Here are some good examples.

Who Am I? (Taken from our Grace Life Conference) 

Matt. 5:13 I am the salt of the earth.

Matt. 5:14 I am the light of the world.

John 15:1, 5 I am part of the true vine, a channel (branch) of His (Christ’s) life.

John 15:15 I am Christ’s friend.

John 15:16 I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.

Rom. 6:18 I am a slave of righteousness.

Rom. 6:22 I am a slave to God.

I Cor. 3:16; 6:19 I am a temple of God. His Spirit dwells in me.

I Cor. 6:17 I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him.

I Cor. 12:27 I am a member of Christ’s body.

II Cor. 5:17 I am a new creation.

II Cor. 5:18.19 I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation.

II Cor. 5:21 I am the righteousness of God in Christ

Gal. 3:26, 28 I am a son of God and one in Christ

Eph. 1:1 I am a saint. (See I Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:2)

Eph. 1:4 I am holy and blameless.

God has exchanged your shame-based identity for a grace based identity (Gal. 2:20) (Col. 3-1-4) which is dependent on what Jesus has done instead of what you have done!  Are you tired of your attempts to remove your shame through “try harder religion teachings?”   Spend time this week proclaiming the truth of who you are in Christ, and enjoy resting in the exchange of your shame for God’s grace. 

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Will God Curse You If You Don't Give?

Most of my life, I heard sermon after sermon that if you don't give, God is going to curse you and you will get a flat tire or something even worse!  But if you give, and it has to be at least 10% or it doesn't count, God will bless you financially in ways you could never imagine.  I heard it so much, I believed it and preached it at the first church I pastored.  The main Scripture used for this teaching is from Malachi 3:8-10 (I think he was the Spanish prophet!  His name sounds like a mariachi band.) 8)"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9) You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10) Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."  There are some who will hedge a bit, acknowledging that we are to give by grace, but then make us feel guilty by saying things like this.  "You, who want to say we are under grace in our giving, remember that grace always does more than the law, so you should give more than 10%!"  Sadly, I believed and preached that, for many years, also. However, when God began to show me His economy in the New Covenant, I began to question all of this teaching. As I kept studying Scripture, God affirmed that He definitely wants us to give, but not because of any of the reasons mentioned above. Let's step back for a minute and look at those Malachi verses.  It seems like our motivation for giving is primarily fear.  Fear of financial punishment and fear of not getting a financial blessing.   Also, if we look closely at these Scriptures, they precisely fit the arrangement God had with Israel in the Old Covenant whichwas:  "If you obey Me, I will bless you.  If you disobey me, I will curse you." (See Deuteronomy 28.) Yet, we are New Covenant people who are not obligated to keep the external standards of the Old Covenant Law.  God has placed His Laws on our hearts and minds, meaning He has put His character in us.  This gives us the desire and ability to live from the inside out instead of the outside in.  (Hebrews 10:16)  This applies to our giving as well.   He does not want us to feel obligated to give, or guilty, motivated by Law.  He wants us to give as a result of Who He is in us.  Is our God a generous God? Absolutely! Most teaching on giving causes people to think that they can only be defined as a "generous person", if they give generously.  The New Covenant, however, turns that definition on its head by defining us by what Jesus has done, not what we do.  This means that we are generous people in Christ, whether we give or not.  It's simply who we are deep within, in our spirit, in our identity in Christ. A good friend of mine, Pastor Brad Lynch, began teaching his people that they were generous people in Christ.  His encouragement to them was to embrace this and then to live like who they are in.  He didn't set a percentage for them to shoot for; he simply reminded them over and over that in Christ, they are generous.   Then he challenged them to begin asking God how much He wanted them to give.  In other words, he exhorted them to live by grace instead of law in their giving.  Then, an amazing thing happened.  The giving at the church doubled!  Grace does do more than the law, but not because of guilt; rather because of love. When I was a pastor, I began to understand "grace giving" instead of "law giving".   I stood in the pulpit one Sunday and told the congregation what God had been showing me from Scripture.  I then took them through the Scriptures to unfold it for them.   Then, I paused, told them I was sorry I had taught them "law giving" instead of "grace giving" and asked them to forgive me.  But I didn't stop there.  I challenged them to go home, pray, ask God how much he wanted them to give, and then obey Him.  To be honest, I was taking a huge risk.  This was a brand new church and my salary was directly tied to the weekly giving but I knew I had to be honest and tell them the truth no matter the consequences. Guess what happened?  The giving increased!  Imagine that, when you take people out from under the law, they are then free to listen to God, and live like who they truly are in Christ! How about you?  Do you feel condemned, feeling like you never measure up in your giving?  Or, do you give generously but it's out of fear and obligation?  You died to all of that with Christ on the cross according to Romans 7:4.  God wants you to give cheerfully out of Who He is in you and who you are in Christ.  Let go of a law mentality and live from a grace mentality.   Ask Him how much He wants you to give, and then respond by faith.  You will experience joy instead of condemnation.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding but please pass it along!

Finding Your Roots

Have you seen the hit show, Finding Your Roots with Henry Lois Gates, Jr.?  It’s a fascinating show where he traces the historical family tree of famous people and surprises them with the results.  For example, Condoleezza Rice, 66^th Secretary of the United States, found that her maternal roots are from the Tikar people in Cameroon.  On another show, Professor Gates revealed to Ben Affleck that surprisingly, he and Matt Damon are cousins, 10 times removed!

My wife worked for months on both of our family trees and discovered some remarkable facts.  My last name should be Smith instead of Maulding.  One of my great, great, grandmothers, last name Smith, had children out of wedlock and took on the name Maulding.  On my wife’s side, she may have traced her roots all the way back to an Englishman, Rowland Taylor, who was burned at the stake for his unwavering faith in Christ. 

Yet, here’s a reality check for all of us when it comes to our roots.  All of us have a great, great, great, great…grandfather whose name was Adam.  We are all related to him and to each other.  This is significant because in God’s economy, He not only views us from our biological roots but also from our spiritual roots.  Let me share with you what I mean.

You were biologically in Adam when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but more importantly, you were also spiritually in Adam.  That means a few significant things.  When he sinned his first sin, you sinned for the first time, also.  When he died, you died spiritually and became a spiritual zombie.  (Romans 5:12) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Ephesians 2:1b) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.   So, because of our roots, we all showed up on planet earth with a much bigger problem than simply needing forgiveness.    We showed up spiritually dead.

Here’s the good news.  When you believed in Jesus Christ for your salvation, God took you out of Adam’s family tree and relocated you into Christ’s family tree.  Your roots are now found in Christ, not in Adam!   This phrase, “in Christ” or its related form is used 165 times in the New Testament.  In Ephesians alone, it is used 36 times.  There are fantabulous benefits from having our roots in Christ.

Your identity in Adam, as a sinner, died with Christ on the cross.  (Romans 6:6) That same identity was buried with Christ and left in the grave forever.  He’s not going to get up out of the coffin!   (Romans 6:3-4).  When Jesus rose from the dead, God created a new identity for you in Christ which is the deepest essence of who and what you are.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Your new creation identity came with the guarantee that you are 100% righteous.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Your identity in Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father, where you are unconditionally loved, accepted, forgiven and blessed forever!  (Ephesians 2:6)

The next time you have thoughts from the enemy which tell you how inadequate, inferior or messed up you are, remember your roots are now in Christ!    

Believe it!  It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

The Longer We Live in Darkness, The More the Lies We Believe in our Head Seem True

Years ago I led a mission trip to Bermuda. Yea, I know. You are thinking a mission trip to a beautiful island? That's really suffering for Jesus.  Well, somebody's got to do it! One night I was walking back to the home where I was crashing every night and there were no lights anywhere.  I started freaking out because every sound caused me to think that I was about to be jumped. Soon, I saw a dark figure headed straight for me. My thoughts raced just as fast as my heart raced. "Here it comes" I thought. I am definitely going to get jumped. As this island native approached, I prepared for fight or flight.  Then he said, "Hello" and simply kept walking. I had believed lies because in the darkness of the night my thoughts seemed like reality. While believing those lies, my feelings were following right along and made what I believed seem even more true.

This story illustrates what sometimes happens in our spiritual lives. The longer we live in darkness in any area of our lives, the more the lies in our head seem true.   This darkness is caused by our lack of understanding the Gospel.   Let me give examples of some common lies we may believe. 

"I have to obey God for Him to love and bless me."

Not true. However, this is a very common misunderstanding of the Gospel.  It's part of the toxic Christianity making Christians sick today.  The truth is, it's difficult not to obey God when we are confident that He already loves us with no strings attached and has already blessed us in Christ with everything we need to live our lives.  Who would you most likely obey from your heart? A parent you were afraid of or a parent you know loves you?  (Ephesians 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

"What I do defines who I am."

Not true. God uses birth, not behavior to define us.   Our spiritual birth defines who we are. Our faith in Christ gave us a new spiritual birth. Knowing who we are in Christ will positively affect every area of our lives."  Do you have a list of who you are in Christ to read?  Meditate on them and you will not medicate your low self-esteem with food, abuse of alcohol and drugs, shopping or legalistic Christianity!  (John 3:3)

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

"I sin because I am not committed enough to Jesus."

Not true. While we certainly need to be submitted to God, being more committed to God often means deciding that we will try harder to obey Him. Instead, we need to rest in Christ by asking Him to live His life through us.  I remember asking a man in his late 20s to begin doing this and when I saw him next he said, "I experienced God's peace in a very tangible way." People will pay good money for some peace of mind! (Matthew 11:29)  "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Jesus said in John 8:32, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free".  If His truth sets us free, then what keeps us in bondage?  Obviously lies!   Why don't we stop right now and ask God to show us the lies we believe about the Gospel, and ask Him to replace those with His truth.   

   

Believe it.  It's the Gospel!

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

10 Gifts God Gives for Personal Happiness

The mere mention of the song "Happiness is the Truth" by Pharrell Williams should immediately cause you to break out singing this wildly popular hit song.  It's been featured in the movie Despicable Me 2, commercials, singing competitions, news shows, and more.  I also think one of the reasons it was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list for 10 consecutive weeks was that it touched a desire God placed in every human soul: the desire to be happy.

Yet, you have probably been taught as a Christ-follower that happiness and joy aren't the same.   If you mean happiness based on the "happenings" of life, then that is true.  However, when considered in Biblical context, I'm not sure they are different.  You may have also been taught you are not supposed to focus on being happy but on being holy.  Yet, the more I understand the New Covenant, the more I'm convinced these aren't mutually exclusive.  Why?  In one sense, holiness is simply living life the way God intended.  It would seem then that the more you do that, the happier you will be.  Of course, many have their own ideas of what makes them happy that are far from God's ideas.  Let's see if we can discover together in the story of creation what God originally provided for your happiness.  

1. Himself:  When God breathed into Adam, He breathed Himself into him.  His intent in creating each of us has always been to be intimate with us by living inside of us so He could love us and show us how wonderful He is.  He also intended to live through us to reveal Himself to others.   Genesis 2:7 describes this and is similar to Jesus breathing on the disciples in John 20:22. 
2.  Identity:  When God created Adam, Genesis 1:27 says, He created him in his own image.  This means you were created with a God-centered identity.  Though Adam's identity was stolen in Genesis 3, Jesus came to give it back to all who believe in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:17
3. Forgiveness:  After Adam and Even sinned, God came looking for them.  Afterwards, He banished them from the Garden but before He did, He killed animals and covered them with their skins for clothing.  This was the first sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and was pointing to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ's death on the cross, which would provide past, present and future forgiveness to all who believe.  Genesis 3:21, Colossians 2:13, Hebrews 10:17-18
4. Companionship:  When God said, "It is not good for man to be alone", He formed a wife for Adam from his rib.  However, this speaks of a truth larger than just marriage. You were made to be in satisfying relationship with a group of people starting with your spouse(unless God has called you to be single).  Married or single, you were made to enjoy human connection on a deep level.  Genesis 2:18-25
5. Children:  God intended for most of us to have children so He could have others to live in and through.  In a fallen world, some have experienced anything but happiness in raising their children.  Yet, God originally intended for them to be a blessing.  Also, even those who don't have children may often enjoy their family or friend's children.  Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3
6. Animals: God gave us animals to take care of and to enjoy.  If you've ever owned a dog or cat, you know how special they can be to you.  You also know how much sorrow you feel when they die.  Maybe that is why there will be animals in the new heaven and earth that we are going to inhabit.  Genesis 2:19-20.  Isaiah 11:6-9
7. Creation:  God gave Adam a beautiful earth and breathtaking stars to gaze upon.  Why do you enjoy fall leaves, geological formations, mountains, the ocean, a river, a sunset and the stars?  It's because God gave those to us to enjoy and to see Him reflected in it.  That may be why many people feel close to God when they are in nature.   Genesis 1:1-19
8. Work:  God gave Adam a specific job to do - to cultivate and keep the garden.  Genesis 2:15.  According to Ephesians 2:10, you were uniquely designed by God to do specific jobs which include good works in your time on this earth.  Do you know what you are designed to do?  If not, find out for a very small fee at www.placeministries.org.  It will help you understand why you keep being drawn to certain activities.
9. Food:  God created a smorgasbord of tasty nutritious food.  Adam and Eve were given carte blanche permission from God to eat any of the hundreds of fruit and vegetables in the garden any time they wanted (except for one).  When the majority of the food we eat is a variety of God-made food rather than man-made food, we will typically feel a lot better physically and emotionally.  Genesis 1:29; 2:16-17.
10. Land/Home:  In Genesis 2:8, we are told, "The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed."   The desire to have your own home whether a house, condo, cabin, apartment or tent, is not rooted in the American dream.  It comes from God.  So much so, that the Scriptures speak of God having a home for you in God's house after you die.  John 14:2-3

As you just read about all God gave to provide for your happiness, are you enjoying them?

Here are a few other comments as I conclude.  Did you notice that this is a God-centered happiness instead of a man-centered happiness?  Unless you are enjoying 1 - 3 in light of the New Covenant, the remainder will provide only fleeting happiness.  On the other hand, if 1 - 3 are in place, you can enjoy the others more than you could ever imagine.  You can enjoy God-centered happiness without having all of 4-10 such as children or animals.  The world, your flesh and the devil have the goal of twisting all 10 of these to make you miserable.

Believe it! It's the Gospel!

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

Many years ago, when on the staff of a large church, I was caught off guard one day in the work room by the Church Receptionist.  She quizzed me about my relationship with Ellen Taylor, a well-known girl in the church.  We were secretly dating because I was the Youth Minister. So, we were trying to keep it under wraps.  Though I tried to to play it off, the Receptionist realized something was up because she said, "You talk about her differently than anyone else".

I'm so glad God forgave me for lying that day because though  I denied we were dating, I was caught!  Yet, my entire demeanor changed when I spoke of her.  I just could not hide the love and joy I felt when I talked about Ellen Taylor, compared to other people.  My face lit up every time I spoke about her. 

When you and I talk about Jesus and the New Covenant, people may very well notice that we light up too.  Why? Because through The New Covenant, He transforms us so much more than the Old Covenant every could!  I think you will appreciate more of what I mean as we compare the two. 

    

Old Covenant  (Also referred to as the  Mosaic or Law Covenant)	New Covenant  (Also referred to as the  Grace Covenant)
God related to Israel as their King , Father and Husband  1 Samuel 8:7; Deuteronomy 32:6, Jeremiah 31:31-32 Binding Vows:  God promised that He would do His part as long as Israel did their part. Deuteronomy 28	God relates to you as your King, Father and Husband.  1Timothy 1:17; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 5: 21-22  Binding Vows:  God has promised that He would do His part and your part.  He continues to do your  part as you rely on Jesus to live in and through you. Jeremiah 31:31-34, Galatians 2:20
Responsibilities:  The 10 Commandments were written by God on tablets of stone.  Exodus 22	Responsibilities:  God wrote His law on your heart. This gave you your identity in Christ.  Hebrews 10:16
Blessings:    ...Were given by God based  on one condition - their obedience.  Deuteronomy 28 (1/5 of the chapter is blessings; 4/5 is curses.)   ...God was in the Tabernacle  and later the Temple.  Each Jew  could get close to God only once  a year, Yom Kippur, when he or  she was represented by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies.  Exodus 40:34-35; Leviticus 16 ...God lived near Israel in the  Holy of Holies.  Leviticus 16:2 ...God gave temporary  forgiveness based on their  most recent sacrifice.  Leviticus	Blessings:  ...God blessed you with all your blessings in Christ the moment you believed.  The only condition is faith in Christ.  Ephesians 1:3, 2:7-8  (No curses under The New Covenant!) ...God is in you and you can't get any closer to God than that!  Galatians 2:20 ...God lives very much at home in your spirit, the new Holy of Holies.  1Corinthians 6:17 and 19.  ...God gave you eternal forgiveness for your past, present and future sins, based on Jesus' sacrifice.  Colossians 2:13
The Cutting of the Covenant: The sacrificial system was the continuous  "cutting of the covenant".  It was also a constant reminder of their sins. Hebrews 9:18-20	The Cutting of the Covenant:   This covenant was "cut" by the death of Jesus Christ that you "walked into" with God.  Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 2:20
The Covenant Meal:  The Passover Exodus 12	The Covenant Meal:  The Lord's Supper. (Some know it as Communion or the Eucharist). Matthew 26:27
The Sign of the Covenant:  Circumcision for men only (the ladies said,"Hallelujah") which covered their  entire family. Leviticus 12:2-3	The Sign of the Covenant:  Baptism for each individual including men as well as women.  Acts 10

  

Are you beginning to understand how much better the New Covenant is compared to the Old Covenant?  "Thank you God for Your New Covenant that You have so richly provided for us in Christ!  What good news!"  

"But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises."  Hebrew 6:6 NIV

    

Believe it!  It's the Gospel!

Live free in Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding