3/16/17 - Thursday - IBS - Philippians 3:11 - that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Julie:

What power resurrected Jesus from the dead?  What power resurrected Lazarus from the dead?  The power was the Holy Spirit.  I too want to attain the resurrection, the Holy Spirit.  I too want him to breathe life into me.  Whatever the cost.  But if I am already, dead then I have nothing to do to earn or give to receive It.  I believe the only thing I can do is give my body and allow myself to actually let go and die.  That is the only time that the Spirit can really resurrect.  He will not revive what is not fully dead.  I have done a lot of dying to myself since being in Ignite, but I have been noticing this area that is still living in me.  And it is breeding sin.  But to let that part of me die would require me really having to take that step of faith and trust that God will revive me when I let it die.  Does that make any sense??? In other words, or an illustration, I am this crepe myrtle tree.  I identify who I am by my pink or purple flowers.  "I am a pink crepe myrtle", or "I am a purple crepe myrtle".  But what am I going to identify myself in when my Gardener prunes my branches and all of my colors are gone?  Who am I then?  The world won't look at me and say "look at that bare tree.  She is beautiful".  BUT, what should I care what the world thinks?  The world does not take care of me, my Gardener does!  And I know that when I allow my Gardener to prune me in total submission, then He is happy with me.  And more, my flowers come back.  The difference is that I now find my identity in my Gardener and not my flowers.  "I am God's tree, and I am in total surrender to Him.".  The total surrender is death to self.  I am honored that God loves me enough to expose my wicked branches and prune them back, so I can be the best tree that He designed me to be.  Because without His love, my wicked branches would hinder my growth.