THE ABUNDANT

LIFE

 (John 10:10)

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 All that we have stated forms a triumphal march into the abundant life. And yes, our adversary always seeks to rob it from us. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full–abundantly." (John 10:10)  In answering the question, what is the abundant life? Let me first tell you what it's not. Surprisingly, it's not based upon financial prosperity. Nor is it derived from worldly accomplishments and even ministry accomplishments. It does not come from the identity that you received from your parents and family. Yet, a good self-image from the right family does aid in securing more easily a new identification in Jesus. 

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     The abundant life is knowing exactly who you are, which is available only in the person of Jesus, our Messiah. This beloved is the building block and starting point for every human being, and soon we will discover its benefits. Take an unsaved person for instance. He or she may be highly self-assured and successful. However, only when their God-given identity comes forth can one have the right self-identity of a son and daughter of God. Where does it go from, you might ask? Well, let's first imagine something together. Let's talk about the gift of imagination.

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IMAGINING

TOGETHER 

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Did you know that your imagination is a gift! Einstein said about imagination, "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." It is also true that over 36 times, the word imagination is used in the Bible negatively. Consider also; faith requires imagination. Did you know that without imagination, faith is impossible? Yes, isn't it true that whatever you need from God comes from the substance of what you hope for? Hoping is employing the imagination as the imagination becomes the mechanism for conception. 

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    In other words, what you conceive in your mind, or imagine, instantly becomes the subject of your hope. Then you release faith for it, which can only come through the saving work of God's Son. Miraculously, this process happens in Nano Seconds. We might hope and believe for healing that is waiting to occur, or marriage needs to be restored, or a financial need still unmet. Einstein was right; imagination is a powerful gift. More importantly, it is God's gift to us that enables us to release those things that are not as though they are. Faith then must work with the imagination.  Those who have lost faith, or those whose faith has grown weak no longer imagine God to move in their situation. Perhaps the answer from God has taken too long. Maybe that need seems like a mountain that has stood in your way forever, and your prayers and faith seem to avail little. Let's begin to imagine something again; perhaps we can ignite faith around something that takes us beyond our present state of being. 

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FIRST THINGS

FIRST

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Imagine for a moment that the love of God is so real that you no longer live with a spirit of abandonment.You are living in a spirit of adoption. Imagine never doing things to win the approval of others, living daily without the fear of others.  Imagine being able to trust again and no longer feeling unworthy and useless and no longer feeling unloved. Imagine no longer feeling that you don't belong, or you're unimportant, but now you're free from striving to perform. We'll welcome to the Abundant Life that comes through our Father's Love!

     Let's imagine something more. Imagine if your life were a book. How would you like the story to go? You see, for every one of those incredible benefits of adoption that was mentioned, ask yourself: Was Jesus Not Enough?

    You see, Jesus is the "key" to the front door of Abba's House, and He alone is "The" bottomless well that we draw from to be continually transformed. He came to give us life and a life of fullness. Together, we received the correct identification! (See John 10:10, Colossians 2:9, 2 Peter, 2 Timothy 3, and Romans 8:23). 

     This beloved perfection in all of its glory releases this abundant life for all; there is no distinction between the rich and the poor, a refugee escaping war, or a victim trapped in a country embroiled in conflict. No! Slave or free! The abundant life is for all who come into the arms of Jesus, our Father's precious Son. NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT JESUS IS THE KEY TO THE FRONT DOOR OF ABBA FATHER'S HOUSE, HOW DO WE ACCESS THE DEEPER AND GREATER MEASURE OF HIS LOVE AND PEACE? 

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I would cite the following requirements: 

1. We must have an increasing consciousness of who we are in Christ. 

2. We must have a growing awareness of His habitation within us. 

3. We must have a generation of power through prayer, devotions, and worship.

4. We must encounter an increasing manifestation of His spiritual gifts daily.

 

 Consider the Greek root for "abundance," which means beyond; it denotes origin or the point where all action or motion begins. We might compare this definition to our physical homes Whatever those memories are in a human sense, they either hold positive or dark and negative ones. The world also has a saying about home; "home is where the heart is."  Spiritually, home implies our exact origin and how we came into existence. Where did we come from, and what is our actual source? Oddly, I will answer this question not from Genesis but from the sea otter.

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THE SEA

OTTER

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  Judaism has a principle for kashrut laws (kosher laws), to determine if an animal is a land or sea animal? The example comes from a sea otter. The Sea Otter spends much of its life in the sea. Does it belong to the sea or the land? Well, because the sea otter returns to land when it's injured, or when it is about to die, the sea otter is considered a land animal.

Yeshua alluded to the same, "I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." When we're facing a severe illness or if we have entered the twilight days of our life, where do we run, but to Him, our Lord, who is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble? (see Psalm 46:1).

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    In September October of 2019, my heart stopped as a result of an incorrect prescription from the Doctor. One late afternoon following a rough night of cardiac episodes, and living for almost a month in a state of overdose, my heart finally stopped. I instantly knew that at 68, I was going to my eternal home, and I did. My cycle of life had come to an end. Praise God following my experience in ascending to heaven and encountering the glory of heaven God He returned me. I say this to illustrate a point: I returned to my true destination, Heaven and immortality. 

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     You see, life's busyness can cause us to lose awareness of our end and destiny. We, beloved, are destined for a state of joy and fulfillment. We are only pilgrims passing through, while our Lord is preparing a mansion in heavenly places for us. Should this reality be lacking, we might be too immersed in the world and all of its allure. This is the spiritual gauntlet that every child of God must conquer.   Take some time to meditate upon the great benefits of the abundant life that is ours on the following page.

SCRIPTURAL BENEFITS TO ADOPTION