I hope the new year is going well for everyone. I pray this year will be a year that God will give you a freedom like you have never experienced and that this year you will become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

The power of a correct belief system can take you where you have always wanted to be in your spiritual journey. I have shown you in previous devotions that you and I are indeed new creations. Although we may not feel different after we surrendered our life to Christ, we were not the same. PLEASE BELIEVE THIS. (II Corinth. 5:17, Gal. 2;20 etc.). Hopefully you remember my caterpillar to a butterfly illustration. When God sees you and I He always calls us his beautiful butterfly, not a converted worm. Your new identity has been established.

So, in John 17 verses 21,23, and 26 and John 14:20 we hear Jesus praying to His father that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. He too says that now His desire is that He (Jesus) be in the people and that the people also be in Him as He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. I IN HIM AND HE IN ME—In the New Testament it speaks of you and I being in Christ twice as often as Christ being in us. Both are true and both are so important for us to know and understand. Let me let John 14:10-20 explain the importance of these 7 most powerful words in the New Testament.

THESE 11 VERSES ARE SO POWERFUL!

John 14:10 “Do you not believer that I am in the Father and Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. 12. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father. 13. And whatever you ask in My name that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments 16. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17. That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. 18. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. 20. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in me, and I in you.“

WOW, this is truly GRACE.

The Lord Jesus is our biggest cheerleader. He is working in us and through us to accomplish great things so He in the end will be glorified.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?

When people visit Camp Grace everyone always used the same word after the tour. “THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!” I have heard this phrase a thousand times. I always reply. “GOD IS AMAZING, I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING”  I truly believe that God called me to start Camp Grace and He will work though me to accomplish great things. I actually expect great things because I serve a great God who lives in me and wants to do great things through me. You are no different!

Are you thinking God size thoughts? What do you want Him to do through you in 2023. Set the bar higher than you could ever think to reach. Because if you can reach it, why do you need God. And when God through you reaches and exceeds the bar you set this year just say. “I still don’t know what I am doing” and give God all the glory.

In Christ,
Pastor Dave