Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

“I am who I AM.” Exodus 3:14

Christ defines Himself as the panacea for your life. He is the remedy or solution for any disease or difficulty facing you. The Holy Spirit spoke this truth to me last night. Do you believe this claim?

You and I have a parochial view of God which is having a narrow or limited outlook or scope. Christ boldly states He is your remedy for any challenge in life. There are no exceptions or limitations to this promise from God.

There is an orthodox view of God which conforms to what is generally accepted as right or true. This is a limited vision of God which has been modified and restricted by religion and worldly influences.

If you are a disciple of Christ this is the perfect time to accept the fullness of His deity. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. He is an unlimited God and nothing is impossible for Him.

The fullness of Christ is waiting to come into your life today. This will happen when you accept by faith every word spoken by Christ without any barriers.

Do not allow the world or religion to define Christ. He is in all things, above all things, and through all things. These are not words. They are the life and reality of Christ.

Why do you want to settle for sampling a small amount of Christ when you can have all of Him? He is standing at your door knocking!

This can be your best Christmas ever! He lives so you can live!

 

“But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” Psalm 71:14-16

The Christmas season creates a lot of emotions and at times feelings of dashed hopes.

You and I have been conditioned to find our hope in the world. This will result in a chagrin outcome of humiliation and failure. The world will disappoint you because it does not operate under the authority of God.

The hope in the world is short lived and will always betray you. This is why Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”

Your security is in the words of Christ Jesus. This security is designed by the hand of God to envelop you today and forever. Christ is about enriching you with His life today. He lives in the moment and meets you at your point of need.

The pathway to God is through continual praise and hope in Christ Jesus. When the foundations of your life seem to crumble away our indestructible God will rescue you because He is loving and compassionate. Your salvation for today is accepting the truth that God never changes and His ways are perfect.

God has no limits and is the author of supernatural strength. This strength comes from the Cross and is yours simply for the asking. You can never find this strength in the world because it originates from the God who made the stars and holds them together by His Word.

This Christmas change your attitudes about God. Think about the promises of God and not what you lack or feelings of disappointment over the past.

Come to God by faith and live in His world. This will give you lifelong security that can never be compromised by the world.

Think of your hope as eternal and coming directly from the tree of life. Keep your eyes on Jesus and dismiss the hope of the world.

Christ Jesus has overcome the world!

Merry Christmas!

 

 

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17

The definition of ubiquitous is present everywhere. This is the perfect definition for Christ. This may seem a little difficult to grasp but Christ is in all, through all, and above all. You and I cannot see the fullness of the deity of Christ so we have to accept this truth by faith.

Christ Jesus is not an esoteric God. He is palpable and can speak to you, touch you physically, or share His emotions with you. He is a tangible and approachable God.

The question is how can you and I share in the ubiquitous character of Christ? First of all, if you want to see Christ you have to be willing to live for Him above all else. God is not going to share Himself with someone who vacillates between light and darkness. And, there is no autonomy in the life of a disciple. Your life belongs to God and there are no secrets.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit is your door to God. The Holy Spirit is the life of Christ and He lives in you. The disciple lives in oneness with Christ through His Spirit. This happens when you invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over every detail of your life. The Holy Spirit is a person with a mission to take what belongs to Jesus and share it with you.

The Holy Spirit will speak to you, give you visions and dreams, and perform signs and wonders. He will also convict you of sin when you overstep the boundaries of God. He is your conduit to God and can be trusted like your best friend.

You cannot seek the transfigured Christ for the purpose of living in His glory. He will never allow you to do this. Christ will determine when and how much of Himself He will share with you. He reveals the transfigured Christ to you for one purpose. He wants you to have unyielding faith in His promises and know His greatness and glory.

This cannot be an intellectual process but has to be experienced through a personal contact with the Living Christ. There is no one like Him!

 

“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24

The definition of incredulous is an unwillingness to admit or accept what is offered as true. Many in this world reflect this view concerning Christ Jesus.

In Christianity you find this same quality. Believers choose to accept the good things and reject the more difficult parts of the gospel.

This attitude is pervasive throughout our universe and happens mostly because we are enamored with worldly values. Jesus is just too costly to accept without limitations.

The other distraction from Christ is many have elected to accept another form of religion. They deny Christ for a false God.

The challenge is understanding you can only approach God by faith. And, faith deals with the unseen. You accept Christ Jesus by His Word and without any proof or evidence in your life.

We have been influenced to think and act in the ways of the world. For example, you have a need or a desire for something and the immediate response is to think or plan how you can achieve this result. This is flawed thinking for a believer because you are operating on the principle of self sufficiency.

Faith is seeking God out for your every need. You believe He is the giver of every good gift and you lay your petitions before the throne of God. This is relatively easy to do but then most believers proceed to get in the driver’s seat and God moves to the back seat of your car.

Faith is living by this principle. It is not by might nor by power but by My Spirit. The walls of Jericho did not collapse because of the efforts of Joshua. The hand of God created this miracle.

Without faith you cannot please God. You have to let go if you want to meet the Living Christ. There is no other way.

The proof of God comes to those who live by faith. Your faith will open the doors to the kingdom of God and you will meet the transfigured Christ!

He lives so you can live!

 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year but it comes and goes quickly. Christmas creates a few moments of happiness then the worries of the world slowly creep back into your life.

Think of Christmas as a way of life not just a holiday. There are no restraints or limitations with this precious gift from God.

Christmas is eternal and gives you the ability to live in oneness with Christ and experience the fullness of His life.

Christmas is recognizing you are “sold under sin” and abysmal (extremely bad) in the sight of God. The miracle of Christmas is you can be forgiven for all your sins-past, present, and future. Most importantly, you can be fully restored to God. With Christ, in the eyes of God you are perfect.

Christmas is accepting the gift of Christ without preconditions or prejudices. You become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things fade away and all things become new. The work of Christ transforms you into a new person leaving your old life to die with Jesus on the Cross.

Christmas is making a decision to give up your independence and live for Christ.

Christmas is choosing to walk by faith believing and living in the promises of God.

Christmas is appreciating God for what He has done for you.

Christmas gives you the ability to overcome fear and doubt. This happens when you live with Christ by faith and reject the world.

Christmas allows you to be filled with the life of Christ and experience unspeakable joy, strength, and protection. This comes by faith regardless of the circumstances in your life. Christ died so you can have His life!

Christmas is not about doing things for Christ. It is living in oneness with Him through the Holy Spirit and seeking His will for your life.

Christmas is changing your priorities from the world to Christ. It is recognizing your sustenance comes from God. He is your bread of life.

Christmas gives you hope. This hope has nothing to do with the world. Your hope is in Christ who died so you can have life and have it more abundantly!

Christmas is living under the impervious shield of Christ. Your refuge is in Christ and nothing in this world can destroy you.

Christmas is eternal and life changing!

 

“The Lord makes a loud noise from Zion. He lets His voice be heard from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a safe place for His people, a strong place to the sons of Israel.” Joel 3:16

God punished the Israelites for their sins and allowed foreign countries to ravage them. The Israelites were sold into slavery and their land was stolen from them.

Then God looked down on the brutality afflicted upon the Israelites and said “I will do to you what you have done to them”.

God promised to take the foreign nations to the valley of punishment and bring retribution upon them for all their evil actions.

This microcosm of judgment allows you and I to see into the personality of God. He saw the sins of His chosen people and severely punished them. Then He saw how the foreign nations treated His own people and decided to turn the tables of judgment upon them.

How can you apply the reality of God’s judgment into your life today? Remember, God never changes!

At this time, many nations are under the judgment of God including our own country. We have sold out to the values of the world and forsaken God. And, Christianity is the one of the worst culprits. They have become corrupt and drifted away from the Word of God to appease the changing values in our society.

This problem is way to big to grasp or come to terms with God.

The truth is God makes a loud noise from Zion, the holy  mountain of God. He speaks from Jerusalem and the heavens and earth shake violently with His voice of judgment.

Your safe haven is in the Lord. There is no other refuge in the universe that is safe from the judgment of God. You can only find strength to deal with the tumultuous storms ahead in Christ Jesus. He is your all!

 

“You have answered Me.” Psalm 22:21

King David was going through probably the most difficult time of His life. He was suffering almost to the point of death. And, he felt abandoned by God. David prayed and there was mostly silence.

After David described a litany of all his problems, he spoke four words, “You have answered me.”

Then David went on to praise the Lord for His greatness and glory.

What happened is David heard the voice of God and the assurance he would be delivered by the hand of almighty God.

This is what you and I need to hear every day of our lives whether life is good or difficult.

Come before God like David and pour out your heart to Him. Then be still and know that He is God. Listen for the promises of your Savior and live by faith believing you will experience the goodness of God in the land of the living!

You and I cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

This is where you will find hope for today!

 

“For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever” Psalm 37:28

Sometimes it seems like God drops off the radar and cannot be found.

You see the justice in the world where prosperity comes to those who live without any rules. And, you live in deprivation! How can this be?

The truth is God loves justice and will never forsake His saints.

The challenge is understanding the justice of God. He dispenses justice on His terms and you and I can’t evaluate the merits of the justice of God. We don’t have the ability to look into someone’s heart or make decisions about justice with the mind of Christ.

We are blind to how God rules and have to accept the justice of God will come to us by faith in Christ Jesus and in His perfect timing.

You cannot look at your love for God, good deeds, or lifestyle in determining the justice of God.

God loves justice and will not forsake His saints. Accept this promise by faith and without interpretation. He is God and will do as He pleases.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and do not judge others or try to play God.

Jesus keeps His Word!

 

“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Very simply, one died for all. Jesus sacrificed His life so you and I can have life and have it more abundantly.

How does Jesus define an abundant life? There is worldly living and living for Christ. The entry to Jesus is the act of denying the world and seeking the kingdom of God above all else.

The abundant life is the life of Christ. The Cross literally offers you the ability to experience the vitality of the life of Jesus. This life is set apart from the world.

Jesus died so you and I can live for Him. There is no other way to find Jesus. You cannot experience the abundance of Christ unless you agree to follow in His footsteps and die to self and live for Jesus.

The question becomes how do you die to self? This happens when you abandon yourself to Christ. You agree to submit your will to the will of God.

At this point, God determines how you will die to self. You have nothing to do with this process. And, the act of dying to self will not be accomplished through religion or works.

Dying to self is a life long process and the outcome will never be perfect until you enter the kingdom of heaven.

Discover the Living Christ and your life will never be the same!

 

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The definition of effusive is expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.

You cannot find this spiritual value through your fleshly condition. It is impossible. The feelings of gratitude will always relate to good things taking place in your life.

We have to look to Jesus as a role model for exhibiting an effusive attitude in His life which was never related to circumstances. Jesus appreciated God for who He was and did not require blessings from God to create unrestrained gratitude.

The effusive attitude of a believer will originate in the work of the Cross. It is understanding the sacrifice of Jesus and the efficacy to a believer.

The gift of eternal life is living with Jesus forever and sharing in His life through the embodiment of His Spirit. The life of Jesus is alive in you and He desires to fill you with unspeakable joy.

There is a direct relationship between the joy of God and unbelief. If you fall into unbelief you are grieving the Holy Spirit and will lose the fullness of the joy of God

The joy of God and is not related in any way to worldly actions. It is understanding Jesus lives above the world and has authority over all things.

When you experience the Living Christ the things of the world will slowly fade away as you dwell in the greatness and glory of God. You gain a new appreciation and joy for your Savior which will abide with you through all the ups and downs of life.

Your joy will be heartfelt reflecting the love of God!