I have been bought with a price

I have been bought with a price 1 Cor 6:19-20

These are words that must be meditated on, rehearsed in my memory like a script and reassembled again and again.  I have pondered them over and over as if examining each option for how one piece might connect to another in a living sculpture.

I am adopted into God's family, they call me kin

I am a chosen friend of Christ

I am a saint

I am one of the Lord and Spirit

I'm a member of the body of Christ and I have access to the father through the Holy Spirit

Fan into flames the gift you have received

You have not been given a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Lie:      you do not have a gift

you don't know who you are

so how can you have a gift?

Who knows you?

Recognizes you?

Who do you serve?

You can't have a gift

they only recognize gifts and people like themselves.

Timothy, you might not think you have a gift today. But it was prophesied over you. So you do have a gift. Don't let others judge you while it is developing don't yield to fear while it is true.

Your life has been expanded by God. God has beautified your life a gift that the enemy is fearful.

I am unified with Christ in one spirit

1 Corinthians 6:17 “whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

This must be a picture of where I stand and who I am becoming. There must be a dual sense in the verb, unified.

The Holy Spirit is in me.

I am hidden with Christ in God.

I am an adopted son.

These all speak of my position and connection with God.

Yet the passage talks about today and tomorrow.

I am united with Christ. I am called to stop conforming to the world and to have my mind renewed.

He empowers me to resist the deceiver and see him flee. He empowers me to resist temptation, accusation, and intimidation.

To become an overcomer I must learn how to walk with Him and I must recognize the poison in and brokenness of my soul. I must discern the deceiver’s prick that activates my pain.

The Spirit dwells within me. I can follow the Spirit, lean on the Spirit, call on the Spirit, ignore and grieve the Spirit of God within me.

Yet I cannot surprise him, for he knows me far better than I know myself. My brokenness and habits of sin are not unknown to him. No, in fact he is healing me, helping me to discern and helping me to overcome.

The Holy Spirit unites me with Christ. He is connected to me and all who believe, in a permanent unbreakable way.

I am a citizen of heaven

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

I am seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father

I have access to God, I am encouraged to come boldly before his throne

I am a citizen of heaven

Well I live on the earth I can communicate with God in heaven.

Jesus said, God is a better Father than any man

ask and you will given

seek and you find

knock and he will open to you.

That there is so much more to citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, “pray thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” That God's will, his desire, his commands, his kingdom culture come to earth. Jesus said he was part of the kingdom culture of the Father. Jesus did what he saw the Father doing and said what he heard the Father saying.

Fashion is a part of every kingdom. And fashion is part of God's kingdom.

Col 3:12-17 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The measure of love, righteousness, peace and joy we have shows up in our clothes, attitudes and conversation. It shows up in our fashion and culture.

I do not belong to a kingdom of fear but one of wisdom, power, sound mind and security. In the God’s kingdom, love is not emotional chemistry or seduction.

 But one of protected sensuality and modesty.

The kingdom where love is God and God is love. Where the King desires to restore every rebellious person, to full and complete fellowship.

Heaven’s mission is reconciling men to God.

God confronts and heals

He extends me security and protection

He encourages me and me builds up

He convicts and exhorts while transforming me

He teaches me and grants me wisdom.

Cultures wear different clothes and personalities. That is true about the kingdom of heaven today and over the generations.

My citizenship is purchased by the blood of Jesus and is sealed by the Holy Spirit.

I was bought, sealed and adopted a citizen of heaven.

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

Another version says:

            2 Timothy 1:76-7 “For this reason, I am reminding you to fan the flame of God's gift, which you received through [Spirit] from me. 7 For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline.” CJB

  

How does one person's power not intimidate and create timidity in others? It comes by the power of helping and service. The world lords it over everyone and thus seeks to rule by intimidation.

The kingdom way is to lead by service. Serving with power encourages the gifts of others and empowers them.

“David, your gift needs to be fanned, My son. Your gift is for Me. It is both the gift to see and communicate. It is the gift to draw near and draw others near. It is a gift to be infected and to infect others. You have so much of My spirit stored up in you. You will be surprised by what you write and how others respond. You are simply to write with your heart and My spirit. Write what you have seen in which you express with your anguish and joy.  You will inspire, awaken and call people to me.

            Arise and write

                        Arise and write

                                    Arise and write

“Don't worry about editors. They will come. Don't worry about subjects. They are already laid out ahead of you.

“Just write and let My spirit flow through you.”

The gifts God has given to each of us are marvelous! When we express these gifts they inspire others to praise God and sometimes turn to Him.

Because of this, the enemy of God's kingdom wants to squash our gifts. Whatever they are he wants to squash them. Timothy was experiencing this, so Paul writes…

            Fan into flame the gift God gave you.   Don't let the gift of God flicker.

Fan into flame the gift God gave you.  Why does it flicker?  Because of the fear inspired by intimidation. Who, instead of serving, coaching, directing and encouraging Timothy, sought to shape him. Some people in his church were intimidating him. Asking or demanding that he this and that.

Yet Paul responds, God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity.