An establishment

Blessings and welcome back to I Teach. And today is a word that I really wanted to share, and today's theme is an establishment. And I really want to kind of incorporate the reflection, the devotion, and the daily strategy and approach for today. I was almost remiss to not do today's word because it went forth so strong earlier today. But I said, you know, this year is about consistency, and I really wanted to stay consistent with sharing in what I have received and to do the work. I mean, just basically to do the work that I'm called to do. And as is bringing a lot of clarity. And as I, you know, get clear on what I should be doing, not what I could be doing or would be doing, but what I should be, and it's what I really enjoy, like even sharing in this word as I teach each and every person what's being shared with me. And I also, I'm learning as well I'm a lifelong learner, so that learning is also growing and stepping into the newness of what God has for each and every one of us. So step into it, move and get up, arise. That is part of the reflection on today. So let's go ahead and dive into the reflection. The reflection, just reflecting on the words, I am established in faith. And just stopping and pausing right there. I am established in faith. You know, faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. So what are you established in? Are you established in the Word of God and the Word about Christ? So therefore, I speak gratitude daily. And if you listened on yesterday to our daily reflection and devotion, we were talking about gratitude. and the quality thereof. And we actually added on today as we're talking about the readiness, the quality. And I just want to kind of go back because just to share on that, as we was talking about the devotion and we was talking about the quality of gratitude, the quality of being thankful, and I added on today Acts 17:11 from the King James Version. There were more noble than they— these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. So it's like hearing the word about God, but then at the same time searching the scriptures to say, is that the truth? And that's what we're talking about today when it comes to our reflection on being established in the faith, the truth. Jesus is the truth, he is the life, he is the way. So we're grounding ourselves in the truth. Um, so our, um, scripture for today is Colossians 2:7. This is coming from the New King James Version. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. So it's breaking that down. It's just basically saying, as you awake daily and you awake with a grateful heart, that's the thoughts of thanksgiving. Like, you wake up saying, you know, God, thank you. The first— just having that thought, it is that standing on that strong faith, and that's based off of the appreciative of God's Spirit, and there was something that I wanted to share. I still have it. If not, I'll find it. But just as far as His Spirit and our truth, the truth and our spirit. So just kind of just ponder on that. We're not going to touch much into it, but just think about it. It's His Spirit ultimately. and then we were— we received the truth, and then we have our truth. But just being grateful, having a grateful understanding, like daily. God, I'm just appreciative of your spirit, that I— your Holy Spirit. You are the Holy of Holy. I'm thankful for your Holy Spirit. But then we also have, um, when we're unappreciative to God and his Spirit. What is God in his— it's his blessings, the daily reflections on how he goes before us. He knows the plans that he has for us and just how he has given us his word, how he has given us his Son, um, his only Son. And to be able to just think about that, like recalculate how much God so loved us, like Actually thinking about John 3:16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. And so for us, we gotta, you know, for us, he gave it for us. So, um, just having that understanding of heart is like I always say, it's a heart posture. How do you understand? Where do you lean your trust in? Trusting in the Lord with all your heart and leaning not to your own understanding. Just understanding that and having that, it makes— it causes you to have a state of gratitude just to say, you know, Lord, I trust in you. I trust in your ways, your will. Let it— like, really denying ourselves of what we may want. And this is a battle, and that's— but we've already won that battle. We just have to walk in it and do it daily. Um, And so it's like, that's why I was like daily grateful. I got out, um, today I was tempted, but, um, well, I was able to think about your word, how you are working in me, and just be grateful. Just show up, have an attitude of gratitude. Like, um, so not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. And that's, you know, that's why we want to have that strong faith to actually know what it means to honor God. And based off this scripture, it's like to honor God is those who do it the will of my Father. When the Father— we don't get to the Father but through his Son. So to do it the will of the Father which is in heaven, we have to do it through the Son. So that's how we can reflect on honoring God. So are we honoring God with our— by following Christ? Are we, are we just settling for salvation and saying the Lord is my Savior? But are we taking it to— are we stopping just with the Son and not reaching the Father? We have to reach the Father. Um, so then our devotion, we're talking about everybody, like broke it up into everybody, like one body, you know. If another person here, that'd be 2 body, but everybody worships. And the people, um, just talking about Acts 17:22, people of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious and superstitious. Based off of the unknown God, like, um, you know, growing up, just to kind of share a little bit, but growing up I was like, all these superstitions, like, you, if you do this, this happens, do this and this happens, um, and it taps into your belief, like, okay, so you start to believe it as true. But then when you actually come into the knowledge of the truth Jesus, and I'm like, you know, that is that that is religious. That is superstitious. My them, but God, God isn't. That's that's not the truth. You could just say no, that's not the truth. Um, and then that's when Paul was you know going dives a little bit deeper because I'm like, you know, it brought me to read the entire. chapter of Acts 17, and what I discovered was Paul was speaking, and he— when he was speaking to those individuals, he was like, God wants to be known. And going through Acts 24 through 28, you know, not just based off of, you know, superstitious or religions, or, you know, God wants to have a personal relationship with each and everybody. So just to put some— like, God wants to be known, so let's get to know God. And I listed out all the things that Paul was speaking on as far as to know more about God. He made the world and all the things. Yes. Lord of heaven and earth. He dwells not in the temples made with hands. So we can't limit God to just one place. Um, neither is worship with men's hands. So we can raise our hands, but that necessarily doesn't mean that we're worshiping God. And that's when he was like speaking about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. And that's where I was, you know, elaborating a little bit more on His Spirit, our truth. The truth, our spirit. But I want you to kind of flip the capitalization on it, like God is the Spirit, he is the truth. But then we are— I mean, when he made us in his likeness, we became spirit and we have part of the truth, um, which is if we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. Um, So, but we don't stop there. We still go to the Father, um, and have a relationship with the Father. You can, you know, um, you have a relationship with the, this Jesus and his Holy Spirit and the Father. He needs nothing. He's the giver to all life, breath, and all things. He made of one blood all nations of men. Of one blood, all nations of men. He determined the times before it appointed and the bounds of their habitation. He supersedes everything. He's available, so you can seek the Lord how— even though, no matter how you may feel, You can find him, and though he is not far from everyone, he's not far. You just gotta seek him, seek to have that relationship with God the Father and the Son, Jesus. Go through him. That's why when we pray, when he taught us how to pray, he said pray like this: Our Father, whose art in heaven. So when we just said he is the Lord of heaven and earth, Um, and we are his offspring. So just going back to like I said, he created us in his likeness so we can have a relationship with him and worship him in spirit. Hey, really have a relationship with God by going through having a relationship with the Son and going through that transformation of accepting the Holy Spirit. And that's basically doing the will of the Father and being a hearer and a doer and access to— access to the kingdom of heaven. So I wrote this, you know, out as far as the altar of your heart. Where are you leaning your understanding? That is the altar of your heart. So if you're trusting in the Lord with all your heart, then you're leaning— your altar is the Lord. And if whatever you lay at the altar, we know that he hears, but it says on— it's— he is eternal. So as long as we are here, we can have a relationship with the Father. So the strategy and approach is true peace. He said, I leave you peace. My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Like, that means a lot even to me. Like, I leave you peace. Like, He left that peace for me, like knowing that I would need that peace, and which I do. I like I look at that peace. It it really sometimes I'm like I don't maybe deserve it because that's just how great you know grateful I am like that. I'm able to receive his peace. Um, you know, maybe I don't— just thinking about it, like he said, so don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. And that's John 14:27 in the New Century Version. When I broke down these things as far as the topics of givers The people, the items that— and the things that it highlights, and others' acts and fruit. So when you think about your parents as a giver, and they give it to the people of like children, and the items that they give, it was gifts, and they highlight it with a party, and others come and celebrate, and their acts is basically allowing them to open up the gifts. And the fruit that it produces is joy. And then when you think about the giver of God, he gave us all, everybody who's like adults, everyone. And the items that he also gives is gifts as well. And how does he highlight those gifts? He eagerly and patiently waits to allow you to partake in the impartation of those gifts. Through his love, just like he said, he chastises those ones that he loves. So you know, you might be like, why am I going through this or or going through that? But God is like, I'm eagerly, patiently waiting. And when you think about Jesus as the giver to all, the items that he gives is all acts of. Everything. Um, salvation. He's a savior. Um, and his fruit, he just, he's just fruitful all around. Um, and he gives that freely. And this is peace. So, um, you are sustained and satisfied. So like I was saying earlier, arise, let us go hence. Let's go forward. Like, let's move forward. Um, in this peace, in this— the foundation that we were talking about. So, and we're established, we're established in the faith, and so we're established in Christ. And then just knowing that the Father— you, to get to the Father, you get through the way. The way how to get to the Father is the way Jesus in the Son. When when you agree with the Spirit of Truth, you agree with Jesus, your mind, your heart, your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your body, and your nose are all in agreeance. And the Comforter is in— you know, you accept the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Men, you should be— you— that's that peace, true peace, when all those things agree. Like, let my mind, let my heart, let my eyes, let My ears, let my my body, let my mouth, let everything agree. Jesus is Lord. Let me get to for me to get to the Father. Let me set everything around me in His whole His Holy Spirit that comforts my soul, and that's true peace. So that was the I teach each, and so we broke it down a little bit. Today I just really wanted to come and just share that, um, and grow in the knowledge of the truth, the life, and the way, and continue to connect with my Father.