Sunday, December 5, 2010

Old or New

"there fore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" -- 2 Corinthians 5:17

Old and New. Two opposites that seem to dictate the other. We find remakes of cars that are considered Old and Classic, that in fact are nothing like them and often either they are loved as much or hated so much more. For Instance the Classic GTO compared to the GTO that came out years ago, many would consider the new Model a fail, particularly because it had none of the classic car feel to it. However, we find the New Chargers are a model of car that has exploded onto the scene, and actually offers very little of that Classic feel. To some keeping that feel that look, that line of thinking is exactly what is necessary for the new Car to represent the old respectfully and fully.

So what of us? What of people?

We are new creations after we are redeemed, new people, with a new life, a renewed soul and spirit. Our hearts are changed, and our minds should be renewed. But sometimes. . . they're not.

Sometimes we hang on to the old, cling to it, we refer to ourselves as a new creation surely, yet we don't do much of anything that is new. When we think new, we instantly think better. If someone comes to you and says "Hey check out this new computer I got" and he brings out a home computer from the 80's, you are going to laugh. But if Steve Jobs comes out and says Look at this new Computer! You'd surely get excited for the new design, programs, processing, and all the new and better abilities of this new model compared to the old.

However, as people we often try to keep the old, and the new.

We want to be that new creation that Christ has allowed us to be, that the Spirit is enabling us to be, yet we hang on to things from our old creation that aren't a part of the new one. Sometimes it's friends, or habits, and others it's beliefs about ourselves. I have to say, that that last bit is the hardest thing I have had to deal with since fully surrendering myself to Christ. It's hard for me to admit it sometimes, but I rarely look at myself as the new creation that I am.

I see the screw up, the one who isn't good at much of anything, the one that gets forgotten, left behind, the one that can't keep up, and the one that continues to fail time and time again. I see the guy that people didn't wanna be around, the crude, crass, brutally honest guy that didn't care about how someone felt.

What I don't often see, is the caring, compassionate, passionate man that I've become. I rarely see the one that can succeed, the one that people rely on, and the one that loves to help people.

Why is that? Why do I only seem to remember the Bad??

Because it's something that I haven't been able to let go. Maybe for lack of understanding, but that inability to let go has done something over time that hasn't been well for me. It's made me repeat mistakes over and over again, it's caused me to falter, misstep, and fall time and time again.

When we refuse to let go of the Old parts of us, we can't fully grasp the new.

We are never going to be able to avoid falling in a hole, if we never take a different path.

We can't get past our past, if we still bring it with us in the form of friends.

That's hard.

That's uncomfortable. . .

Yet it's the truth. I speak from experience. I speak from Reason. It just makes sense.

I've battled myself for a long time on if I can keep part of my Old creation within me, within this new Creation that I've become. And I've come to realize that I can't.

Paul says it best I think:

" Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." -- Colossians 3:5-10

And he does it again in Romans 8 when he says that we are to put to death the ways of old.

It sucks sometimes to do what we have to do to get better. When sick we don't reuse the same old toothbrush and expect to get better do we? We don't go outside when it's cold with very little warm clothes and assume that we're going to get over the sickness inside us? Nor do we assume that if we don't put suntan lotion on we won't burn more than we already have in the summer do we?

No. It's common sense. So then as much as it is difficult it is common sense. And it's hard! Incredibly hard to distance yourself from people you know you must distance yourself with. To put limitations on yourself based on the past and how it'll effect the future. But it's what's best.

Christ never said it was Easy, he Never said it wouldn't leave scars. But he did say that It's what is going to be best.

Hebrews says that God has done good with everything he's done to us.

That simple truth is the only thing that keeps me on the way to forgetting the way I thought about myself in my old creation, and keeps me focusing on myself in the New.

Try it. See what it does. See how you change. I promise it will be one of the best choices you make.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Way to overdue

Over the past few months, coming back to almost a year now, I have felt like I am in a constant state of upheaval. Nothing has gone as it was desired, and I let things that were important to me slip away. Oh the things we lose to depression. Desire to do what we love, the ability to stand for ourselves, and often to even see the good things going on in our lives. I've spent time in the word, though admittedly not nearly enough. Hear and there I'd find a psalm or passage to focus on, I'd latch to it for a week then, forget about it. Twice I memorized passages in an attempt to pull them to mind when the time called for a battle, and I lost them. They weren't needed and I didn't practice. It was a defeat I brought to myself because when I did need them, they weren't there at my fingertips to use.

It's been crazy. School is harder than ever, and I'm less motivated than ever. Working out used to be a thing that I loved to do, now it's hard to even want to make time for it. I'm disconnected with the church I attend, typically because I find myself over sleeping, and then blaming the disconnect on the my inability to come to most church functions due to being away at school (26 miles isn't away.) I seldom throw myself into my home work, papers, tests what ever. And most often find myself throwing myself into my bed, or the car. I work just fine, though I've given away too many shifts for my liking, and for the liking of my bank accounts. I've turned apathetic to most things, and the hardest part about it is that I dont know when this Funk is going to end. I have a difficult time calling it a funk, a funk is . . idk a few weeks of being in a lil mess, this has been over a year. There's been some things that have been catalysts to it, if you know me you know them also. But it's the little things.

The little things that drive me crazy, and the little things that make me smile. A text from a friend. A random gift, hug, smile, what ever. A good grade, a good day. A day where i wake up thankful for waking up, is a day that I know I'm going to enjoy. I used to take great pride in things like work, and working out, and the like. Now? I'm content, dare I say complacent. Well the fact is I hate where I am, I hate who I am being at this moment, pretending to be more like, and this Complacency is fake. My enemy has decided to get me to a point where I want to do nothing. He wants me to make me lazy, Un effective.

My enemy isn't physical, no it is deeper than flesh and blood. It's the sin nature with in myself, at least in part. More so it is my belief that it is the Enemy that all Christians face at one point in time or another, the Devil, the Deceiver, the Liar, Satan. That angel that felt he deserved glory. The Fool who thought he deserved Glory. How simple it is for him to convince us of the same fallacy. That we deserve Glory. Hes the enemy of Enemies, the worst of them, the one that we must wage war with, or at least must Let Christ wage a war within us against him.

A Psalm that I found, that centered my mind and heart on this truth, that he is the enemy I have been fighting lately, is Psalm 13. Granted the enemies that David is speaking of are physical enemies, either the philistines or those sent after him from Saul. But no less, so often in the Psalms we see something that rings true for us in today's world, and often see the Spiritual aspects to the earthly problems that the Psalmists wrote of.
"How long O lord? Will you forget me forever? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me. Consider and answer me O lord my God light up my eyes, lest i sleep the sleep of Death, lest my enemy say I have prevailed over him, lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast Love and my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because he has dealt bountifully with me" Psalm 13:1-6

I felt for so long that the LORD abandoned me, that he didn't forget me that he just saw what I saw, that it wasn't going to work, that I wasn't going to do anything worth while, so he gave up. It's like just dropping a project int he middle of the effort. Thats what I felt was happening. It was foolish of me to think so, he's done too much in my life to put me where he wants me, some painful, some delightful. But all good, as it says in Hebrews 6 God has done everything for the betterment of his people. He never looked away from me, It was I who looked from him. I started to take counsel in my own soul and thus brought the more problems. The enemy has kept my head down too long, self centered and self focused, and I've been aiming for a chance to force my eyes up, to get them lifted up so i can once again see the Glory of God played out in my life.

I started to heed this writers advice, along with the writer of Psalm 77, and started to look into the good that God has done and trust in what I know he's done for me before. Where he's brought me, to whom, with whom, with what, how, every detail I could remember I tried to recall so that I could see that today is not a waist and tomorrow is a gift i should pray would come quickly and pass slowly. It has been a difficult time, a difficult task as well into figuring out what I'm to do now. I'm still down in the dumps so to speak, still depressed and over anxious about many things going on right now. But for the first time in a while I'm excited for the future, for the places he's going to bring me. It's going to be a good ride.

I'll finish with two more verses of a Psalm. Psalm 37:4 - 5
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will five you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD trust in him and he will act."

Didn't take me too long to figure out the secret. Of course it's all in accordance to his will, but the fact is, that I wasn't delighting in the LORD nor was i truly committing my way to him at least not joyfully, I guess it's time for it to happen. That's the change I'm making, and Oh what a difference it's made.

He is Great, mighty, beautifully strong, and Loving. Truth is, that's about all I need.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Psalm 23:1-3

I was trying to think of what to write and I just kept coming back to Psalm 23, and I don't know that I'll get through all of it, maybe in verses, yea I'll do that. I want to relate this to me though, to give just a little more incite as to where I am because, well the Lord has put me on a journey that is scaring me, breaking me, and rebuilding me. It's a trip and I love it, even though at times I get angry with Him and want to just move on. However, lately I've been coming back to this Psalm. Reciting it, Praying it, and studying it. And I think it's about time I share a little bit of that information, even to those tho know it because we all need reminders sometimes.

Psalm 23:1 "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall Not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He Restores my soul; he guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

The first thing I notice when I see this grouping of Verses is the it is the LORD who is the shepherd, not Lord, or God or any other name but it is YHWH that is the shepherd. For a believer that helps me connect with Jesus' statement "I am the good shepherd" right away. I connect that the LORD is the Good Shepherd as well. It's a total thing, it's not just the Physical Jesus or the Spirit but it is the Father as well, it's the whole trinity that is the Shepherd for the people. I think about what a shepherd is, how he cares for His flock, meets all their needs for them and how even rewards them. He does what is best for them.

Sheep are dumb, plain and simple they're dumb. They wander away, they sometimes have to have help getting up from their sleep because they can't roll over properly, they're stupid. The Shepherd has a job of watching over stupid animals, it's hard he has to walk a lot during the day, chase down sheep that run away, he has to fight off wolves and in the case of David lions and bears! But he is always willing to lay down his life for his sheep. That brings us a tad away from the Psalm and into Jesus' statement but we need to recognize our need for someone like that. Our need for someone to protect us, to watch over us, bring us to where we can eat and drink so that we will want for nothing.

A sheep had it's needs met. They didn't really need a whole lot; rest, water, food and that was about it. "I shall not want" the Psalmist says, because he knows that the LORD will meet all his needs. He will be safe, and rested, and fed. He might even get a reward or two. He'll often get extra. See a shepherd wouldn't take his sheep where there was barely enough to eat, or drink no he took them where there was plenty of water and grass for them to graze because his job was to take care of them. He brought them to green pastures, and still waters. He let them eat, and drink, and rest. The word David uses that we translate restore, means to turn back. To return to. He restores my soul the psalm reads but to one who knew the language they might see it as, he causes my soul to return to Him! How brilliant. The Shepherd, the LORD causes the soul of His sheep to return to Him. To turn back to Him. He wins them over! He does what they need, he provides for them and He gets them to turn back to Him in their Souls!

Look at what immediately follows that phrase about restoring their souls, "He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." So he turns their souls back to Him and then He guides them in the paths of Righteousness. Once He wins them back and turns their souls back to Him, he then leads them. He doesn't desert them, or let them figure out themselves he guides them. He walks with them! As a shepherd would do. He leads them on the path of righteousness, he leads them the right way, the best way! Not always the least difficult way, but the best way. And it's for His name that he does it. He does it so that those he leads would praise his name, that they would know it was him that was doing it. He doesn't do it because He has to, but because He desires us to turn to him and walk with him. See a good shepherd loved his sheep, I can say that because they were willing to die for their sheep. They wanted the best for them, and they did what was right. It often brought them more work, and certainly the faith of more people to trust him with their sheep.

So that's what I see when I see those three verses. I see a lot about God's goodness, provision and who he is. But how, in my current condition does that relate.
Well, I know that Jesus is my shepherd he wants what's best for me, and he's going to do what's best for me. He laid down his life for me, why would He stop doing what's best now? And along with that I know his consistency is unprecedented, He's never failed so why would He now. I see that He gives me the things I need, the things that are going to fill me up and I need. He gives me peace and rest even though I'm not seeing it at the moment. For Me it's something I'm looking forward to. The psalm says he leads me, that involves some travel, some distance to be covered before that rest and replenishment comes.
I believe I'm in that journey Now. That the Lord is taking me on the best way, I've recent been in that point of peace and rest and Now I believe that I'm traveling again, the best way and not the easiest way. There's perils and the like but nothing that is going to destroy me. I'll overcome it all because the Shepherd is leading me in the right way. I like how quickly the psalm turns from that picture of returning the soul of the followers back to God, because often we become embittered toward God on that journey, and then when we see the place he was leading us to we turn around and return to him, it's not that we wandered away it's that possibly we were just about to leave because it was tough. We're mad at God for making us go through what it is went through, a death, sickness, break up, school or w/e it is that we had to journey through. But for me, i see the Promise of being restored, of being refreshed, and replenished. I see the promise that God is doing this so that I'll give him the glory in the end, and noone else. Not myself, but Him. Because it's in his name's sake that I'm going through this, and that I'm going to be refueled when I arrive wherever it is he's taking me.

A shepherd brought his sheep to where it was best for them, sometimes to get them to go he had to discipline them and force them to not be able to wander away from where they were going, but he always had their best intentions in mind. For me, I see Him having done that, and doing it more and more. But I know that he's going to lead me to a place where it's better than where I've been before. I'm along for the Trip as for now, looking forward to the promise of still waters and quiet pastures. The journey may be difficult but the fact is, the end result is promised to be worth the Trip.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Soul Searching.

Lately things have been incredibly difficult for me. Classes, work, working out, when I'm at school I wanna be home, and when I'm home I want to get outa the state. It's been progressively worse even though at times I feel better. it's far more often that I have the urge to get away from everything that's been plaguing my mind.

I feel like I've been under attack since the school year started, peace has all but alluded me, and Joy well more often than not it's forced. I pray and read, though more prayer than reading much to my own disappointment, and yet I feel as if my prayers hit the ceiling and come back and pierce me like a knife. It's like I'm running in place. I feel empty, unfulfilled. I confess my sin and pray for change. I renounce the evil things that are inside of me, and yet I feel no relief. I believe I've truly given these things over to the Lord, and yet don't feel as though He is taking them from me.

I know that I'll never be given more than I can handle, but maybe He's overestimated me. Or I'm underestimating myself. . . not sure which one. A lot of the things going on and through my mind have to do with certain situations that have come about and loss of relationships, and strains on other ones, and yet I don't feel this is the core. I feel utterly alone, almost all the time. Even with my best friends around me, I feel alone. I'm the scapegoat, the target, the fool. I'm the accessory that's not needed, and only there because of convenience. I've felt that for a long long time. Deserted. Abandoned. Forgotten. Alone. It's something I've grown used to, but being used to something being there, doesn't mean I still don't hate it with all I have. And I do. Perhaps It's my end to be alone. To go through this time alone and figure something out, something that will enable me to come out on top later when there isn't a way for me to do so. or maybe it's so that I can influence someone else. I don't know. All I know is. I'm tired of it.

So here's to my hope that my prayers reach the Fathers ears and that he takes care of all my needs and brings me peace for longer than a day. To joy that isn't forces. And happiness that's not based in relationship. Hope it works, He is good so. Just waiting to see.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Running

I've been running a lot lately. Last week everyday I was up at 5 am, which resulted in me being in the gym at 6am and working out before breakfast and class all before 8. It felt good to get in the weight room, to get on the treadmill and to run especially. I haven't run in a long while. I usually swim or bike or something else other than run but lately I've been running.
I've always used working out to get numb in a way. To forget things, people, events, even to forget the day that lay behind me. Honestly, I work out to feel it so that I don't have as much energy and focus to think about what was going on before. It's how I cope. When fighting doesn't work, I hide. If I can't fight it anymore, if I can't get around it, If i can't go through it, I get away from it.

It's been that way lately. I fought harder than I ever have, used more energy and pushed myself but nothing happened of any good in the whole deal. I got to a point where I couldn't go another step forward. I was alone, felt abandoned even though I truly knew better, and I felt worthless, even though I know where my real worth lies. I was spent. I had nothing left.
I felt mentally, emotionally and spiritually drained. It was the internal mirror of when I was training for the twelve minute run for football at Concordia University. I had to run 7.75 laps of a quarter mile track in 12 minutes or less. It was hard! I never quite got there, but I remember that when I did my best when I ran as hard as I could for twelve minutes I could barely move. And I had fallen Short. I failed. I was stuck. I didn't end up playing football for them, I didn't even go to the school it didn't have anything to do with the run but still it was a stigma i kept with me. I couldn't do it.

That's how life has felt lately. That I can't do it. That even though I've gone through the training, and that I've had the guidance, assistance and encouragement of those around me I still failed. What's worse is looking back it feels like it was twice in a row. It happened and then I kept getting ready, I got more prepared, I got better I moved forward and then when it came to show up it bombed. I failed. Again. Nothing I could do at all. So I sat there and punched a brick wall for a while. After 2 months of progress it died out. Nothing I did worked nothing got through and I was on empty. I haven't recovered. I haven't juiced back up. I'm not ready. I'm not even close. The Lord feels distant, and it's my fault sure but fact is it's the truth. I know he's never failed me, but I feel like I've failed. I put so much into it and nothing happened. I'm still empty. I'm still fighting for something that's not there. I'm swinging blindly in the dark. I haven't learned my lesson. I can't sit and jus let it because then I have no say in the matter!

Maybe it's better that way. That i have no say in the matter. That I just stay and Hide. But is it hiding in the cowardly sense or, is it smart? Is it to rejuvenate and prepare. To game plan and get right? Is that a smart way to do it? Is that how we should do it? Should the marines chill in the building for an hour before moving through the rest of the town when they come upon something they didn't expect? If they found a tank regiment and didn't plan for it, and decided to just keep going they'd be whipped out. They would have to come up with a battle plan.

So thats where I'm going to be. Coming up with a battle plan. I'm going to fight to be in the light, I'm going to do all I can to be in the right mind and I'm going to win. End of Story. The Lord is my strength, in fact in him is where I'm going to be doing my plan. For Psalm 61:1-4 says "Hear my Cry O God; Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint' Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever Let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings." He also tells us that we are more than conquerors in Christ. We Will Conquer! We Will Win! The Enemy doesn't get to hold on to the part of my life that he has for so long. He has no power over me and he will lose.

It's taken it's toll on me, and I'm tired sore and worn but I'll win. I just need a little rest. In the shelter of the Most High.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Know Your worth.

This past weekend I was given the chance to speak at the youth Group at my parents church in Orland and the Topic of self worth was one I gladly took up. I wanted to share some of it here.

Humanity is the Pinnacle of Creation. We are the Corvette stingray next to the 1982 Honda civic that doesn't have tires. We were the thing declared "Very Good" by our creator. More over, as a Professor Said in class one day, "You saints when you wake in the morning, a servant as you go throughout your day, and a beloved child of god as you lay your head down to sleep." We are worth while, we are priceless in the eyes of the only one that matters.

I do not believe that self-esteem is something we get from our understanding of Scripture. Don't get me wrong having a good self image, a good self outlook, and self-respect is a great thing. But a self-love isn't. In 2 Timothy 16 Paul puts "lovers of self" in the same category as "lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, . . . unholy, unloving, . . . brutal haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." Nothing in that list displays anything that mirrors Christ. He was self-less, loved others more than himself, in fact He died for all mankind! It wasn't that He hated Himself, it doesn't seem fit that God could ever hate Himself, because scripture talks about the perfect loving Union that God-head has. It was for love of Himself, and His people that He died. Scripture continues to make statements about not seeking his own good but that of a neighbor (1 Cor. 10:24), about the greatest being the servant not the master (Matt 23:11,12) and how we are to love our neighbor as ourselves! Scripture looks poorly on the prideful arrogant, and self centered, and conversely looks favorably on the self-less, the modest, and the servant.

That being said, that we are to know that we have worth, yet not be prideful it's clear that our worth has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with our creator. It's like the man that has a common car, in fact three of them in his driveway, and a rare car (one of only ten) in his garage covered in trash. For the owner the one that has more worth is the one that is useful to Him. However while this image is decent it's misleading, I have no more worth than the drug addicted murderer sitting in prison, I am simply living in the light of the knowledge of my worth to the Lord.

Image is linked to worth when it comes to humanity. Men must be either Athletic, Handsome, smart or savvy in order to have worth in the world, while women must be attractive, smart, attractive for them to be considered worth it here. It's stupid. It's a lie. Those attributes have no thing to do with worth, and everything to do with Gifts. They are gifts from the Lord, who looks no differently from one to the other. The man who works on a car has no more worth than the one preaching if they are both living and working for the Kingdom. We try to put things in that fill the void of God and we continue to fail. I tried sports, parties, girls and even work to fill that void for years and nothing worked. You can't Fill a God Sized Hole with a Man Sized Answer. Won't work. It's like trying to put a square where a circle should be you'll fail every time. It either won't fill all the space, or you can't fit it in at all. Our Image is like that of God. We are a chosen race! Beloved! Adored! Treasured! Looked highly upon! God Loves us, and when we live in the knowledge of that fact we have an image that no mirror can reflect and nothing can ruin. For Christ makes new our image to the Father.

So, we are beloved, treasured, and wanted. We are image bearers of God. And we Have nothing to do with our self-worth. Our Self-worth is all about Jesus. We can either live in the knowledge of that use, or we can ignore it. Like the man who ignores a million dollar check on his table addressed to him, he can cash it or let sit, or even throw it out. God wants us to only cash it. He wants us to cash in on our worth in Him and he is desperate to keep us from throwing it away. Psalm 139 is full of allusions to how Good God is in our creation!

It talks about being knit together in the womb, how skillfully we were made, how he has cared enough for us to write out our days before our birth. It says that the number of Good thoughts he has about us is more than grains of sand! For each person! He gives us worth. He loves Us. Treasures us. Desires us. He's reached out for us, he came to us when we could not come to him. Surely if we were not something of Value, something of Great Worth he would not have given his son for us. Forget what the Devil says that we're not good enough, that we can't beat our sin, that we can't live in that faith he's a liar a killer and a thief (John 10:10) He's a fool! He sees God face to face and thinks he can be better. That is a fool who knows no wisdom. Wisdom is this, God Loves us and desires us. He will give us the strength to overcome the sin in our lives, he guides us to live by faith. We are the Pinnacle of creation. We are the beloved children of God! We are valued.

Rejoice in the things about ourselves and our situations that we don't like! For they are surely only for our good. That one is hard to swallow for me. But it's true none-the-less. I've seen it so many times. He works everything out so that we can be well and live life abundantly for his Glory.

Know your worth. It's found in God! Nothing Here! No one here! Only by God.
Live knowing your worth. Cash that Check don't let it sit on the table, and surely don't throw it away and sell yourself off for the Lies that the enemy tries to convince you of.
We cannot ever change our worth in the Eyes of God. There is nothing we can do to make God love us Less. So try every day to do everything For Him, in Him and through Him.

God Loves us. End of Story

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Focus

When we drive, we go where we focus. If you focus on the mailboxes on the side of the road you're going to drift that way. If you text and drive you might notice that what ever hand you text with, which direction your head turns, is the way you'll find your car drifting if you look down long enough.

It's the same thing for our life.

If we focus on something we're going to drift to it. If I focus on my pleasure I'm going to pursue money, sex, alcohol, and other things. If I focus on pleasing others than I'm going to substitute my morals, and my values out for theirs.

It can be a good, great, and awesome thing however.

If we focus on Jesus, If we dwell on Him we'll start to be like Him. We'll act, talk, walk, think, pray and praise like He did while he was here on earth. It's a great thing. If we focus on Jesus we'll be like Him.

Who woulda thunk?

Paul tells us to be in like mind with Christ, which is going to make us like Him. So lets do it.