blessed life

Life to the Fullest

Dr. Mike 2025 , , ,

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   Galatians 2:20

Jesus Christ lived, died, and was resurrected for you. HE sacrificed HIMSELF. HE showed us what love means through HIS words, actions, and purpose. The end result is HIS Spirit living within you. You and Jesus are now joined together through the Holy Spirit. As your spirit yields to God’s Spirit, you are both partnering in a great dance called life.

You are also wired for good work. Jesus has a place for you in HIS Kingdom. Yet HE will not force you nor coerce you toward it. You must decide whether or not you want to be engaged with HIM. When you do, you begin to experience life the way HE designed you to be.

Like a good marriage where couples share in the decision-making, so is your dance with Jesus. HE has open the lines of communications with you in prayer. HE instructs us to ask, seek, and knock. As we ask HIM for HIS thoughts on the matter, we also put forth our effort. Together, HIS grace and our effort germinate faithful action. All for HIS glory, the benefit of others and ourselves. For HE cares about you and those around you.

HE is the incarnate Triune God of humanity. HE has a greater purpose for life than this earthly experience. Yet, as we pursue our daily tasks with HIS spirit leading us, we learn how life is lived within HIS Kingdom culture. We don’t dream about the impossible, we ask HIM to show us the path toward making the dream become reality. We don’t play virtual life, we live life. We work, play, and relate with real people in real places doing real work for HIS glory and for HIS children.

Though at times life gets hard. Circumstances may stink. There may be days when you feel no one truly cares you even exist. These are the times we reach out for heaven’s help. We lean on HIM. We place our faith on HIS life living in us. We ask HIM for help. To direct our steps. To bring people who can help us. To give us the internal fortitude and strength. We wait. But we focus. We keep leaning on HIM. As we move through the dance floor of life, we sense HIS touch, HIS push, HIS confidence. We follow HIS lead. We partake and observe at the same time.

As the dominoes fall, and the music becomes clearer, the doors begin to open. As we walk forward, events move fast. Before we know, we are looking in hindsight to what just happened. A miracle. An outcome better than we expected. Not as we wanted it, but good. Good for ourselves. Good for all those involved. But most respectfully, a good outcome that glorifies our God in heaven.

This all begins when we choose to be engaged with the Savior and Lord of heaven and earth. HE brings life to the full for everyone who walks with HIM.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Born to Live a Forever Life

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

Genesis 3:22

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

We all know the Genesis account of Adam and Eve. God gave them the responsibility to manage Eden. They also received explicit instructions to enjoy everything in the garden but not touch nor eat from the tree of knowing good and evil. Of course when one is told not to do something, don’t we gravitate toward it? Does it even matter if there are ten thousand other options for your choosing? Your eyes cannot remove themselves from the one forbidden item. Yes, even if one of the other items includes the tree of life which pictures eternal life.

We have all been there. The moment of truth. Whether we succumb to the temptation or refrain from following through, the choice is ours to make. Like Eve, how often are we told not to touch something. If we did, it would cause us severe pain. So when we did, and nothing immediately occurred, we felt like we were lied too. So we continue on the same forbidden path, entrench in the matter, thinking everything we have been told is also a lie. But after satisfying our indulgence, the negative impact occurs. We eventually regret our decision, but it is too late. The pain from the consequences of our action begins their decent. Our world is turned upside down.

Adam and Eve is our historical example of what happens when we fail to submit to God’s instructions. He is the author of creation and life. His concern, contrary to hostile opinions, is for humanity’s success. So, what happens when we choose to ignore HIM and decide for ourselves what is good and bad?  The long-term consequences are unpleasant.

One decree to follow and our initial parents failed to comply. Are we any different?

Adam and Eve were born to live a full and productive life. They even had the opportunity to take the fruit from the tree of life and live a meaningful, happy, and full life forever. But their self-centered desire along with their lack of trust in God Almighty allowed deception to enter into their world. They failed to consider God’s decrees are designed for our good. How? By maintaining boundaries in place to prevent us from falling into the dark side of life.

The negative consequences of history repeat themselves because we fail to learn from them. Yet, we are thankful Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophesy given at the Fall to reestablish direct contact with God for you and I today. We can now choose to follow the divine practices of HIS Kingdom and escape the fragmented trauma of living in a broken world.

Yes, evil is constantly throwing its ugly darts hoping to dissuade us from pursuing our Lord and HIS promise land. But we are grateful HE has chosen to live in us. To equip us with heavenly tools. To combat the enemy. And to grant us the opportunity of being born again. To live life the way HE intended humanity to be and act.

One day Eden will be restored. Then, you and I will fully participate with our Great God. We will live life to the fullest within a community of others for a greater purpose than surviving for another day. You and I were born to live. And life begins with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. HE made everything possible. Let HIM lead you to a life worth living. You will always be gratefully surprised by the long-term outcome.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

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The Real Blessed Life

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , ,
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8 ESV

blessed 8

What is the blessed life? There are those who say that being wealthy, healthy, and wise makes a blessed life. Other say it’s more than these three amigos.

In the same concept, is the blessed life something we cause to happen? Or simply a response for something that has happened to us? Who is our model for the blessed life?

Whenever this discussion arises, I like to point toward examples of the blessed life by the people found in Scripture. The best example, of course, is Jesus Christ.

Can we say if there is any one person that walked on the earth who exemplified the blessed life, wouldn’t it be him? God in the flesh. The Author and Maker of the Blessed Life. Yet for many of us, he may be a stumbling block of what the blessed life truly looks like.

As a carpenter prior to his public ministry, there is no record that he became wealthy. In fact, during his ministry he depended on the support of women. It would be safe to say that He was not a self-made billionaire.

During His ministry, his family thought Him to be crazy. His religious peers saw him a radical. He was betrayed by a friend. His students with the exception of John deserted him at his trial. He was condemned by the government as a traitor. He was buried in another person’s grave. Does this look like a person who lived the blessed life?

Often times we have a limited view of the truth. Seeing only a portion of reality, we erroneously build an entire doctrine around it. This is what happens in the narrative of the American Blessed Life. If you expounded this version of the gospel to your brothers and sisters in the Middle East or Africa, would they recognize it? Sorry, but they would wonder what you have been smoking.

The real blessed life is simply our response to the love of God. To know God and to be known by God places one in the center of an awesome life. As our relationship develops with the Triune God, we begin to experience His divine blessings. He is the great cause of everything that is good. We are simply the recipient of His goodness. And like Jesus who was blessed by His Father for good works, we likewise response to God’s love by living a sacrificial life for the sake of others.

We are not the initiator of the blessed life. God is. We simply respond to His love, truth, and grace. Our response glorifies Him, uplifts others, and allows us to experience the fruit of His divine nature. The measurement is not wealth, health, or wisdom. The real measurement of a blessed life is the character and attributes of the divine life flowing through you. This relationship with the Triune God and the process of walking with Him is the real blessed life.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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