Author: Christine Wyrtzen

MY FUEL OF CHOICE

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  Romans 8: 10

         I’ve been up a while praying.  Convicted.  Aware that something is out of sync and asking God to counsel me and show me.  After feeling that I heard Him speak to my spirit, He urged me to get up and go to the next verse in my Romans journey.  He assured me that my ‘bread’ would be there.  I couldn’t imagine how, knowing the subject matter of my prayer and the perceived subject matter of Romans 8.  But here I am; humbled and in awe before my Father that, once again, He has gone ahead of me and prepared the spiritual meal.  He knew that the instruction He gave in prayer would be confirmed by His Word.

I was up praying about the incredible pressures I am facing all around me, both wonderful and awful. I have before me a new incredible opportunity for ministry but that venture alone could completely dominate my time.  Added to that are the pressures that come with walking on the front lines of battle.  In prayer, I cried out for clear vision about how to walk these days.  God’s message was clear and may only have been for me.  But in case it was also for you, I share it. Continue reading “My Fuel Of Choice” →

ALIVE TO YOU

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  Romans 8:10

         How does a child of God explain the spiritual phenomenon of what it’s like to be God’s child?  To an unbeliever it doesn’t compute because human language is inadequate to really capture it.  I can begin to understand John’s dilemma when his spirit was taken to the third heaven.  How would you describe that experience with words that are so confining! Continue reading “Alive To You” →

THE LIVING DEAD

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6

         So many emails came yesterday that it wasn’t possible to respond to each of you.  I was so touched and encouraged that yesterday’s devotional hit a nerve.  I am so impressed by the spiritual depth and maturity of this devotional family.  You truly are eager for solid spiritual food.  Some of your notes were challenging; asking me questions to further clarify what I believe I’m learning.  Thank you!

I’ve got my feet set in this new direction.  Those who live according to the flesh are unbelievers.  Those who live according to the Spirit are God’s children.  The reason I believe God led me to this conclusion is through the phrase “setting your mind”. Continue reading “THE LIVING DEAD” →

FULLY ALIVE TO GRACE 

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  Romans 8:2 

         Larry Crabb, the author of many Christian books, tells the story of getting a ticket while driving through his neighborhood one evening.  The speed limit was 25 mph and he was clocked at 29 mph.  Larry, while watching the police officer write up his ticket, admitted being more than irked.  Who gets a ticket for going less than five mph over the speed limit!  He told the officer just that but the policeman calmly replied, “But what was the speed limit?”  “Twenty-five”, Larry muttered.

With the ticket in his hand, he drove home.  And he was angry.  He said to himself, with disgust, “What’s the big deal!  I was just going 29 mph.”   Continue reading “Fully Alive To Grace” →

THREE PHRASES

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1

An old German commentator named Spener said that if the Bible was a ring and the Book of Romans its precious stone, chapter 8 would be “the sparkling point of the jewel.”  I agree.  I have waited for the day I would reach the eighth chapter and to be honest, this chapter is the one God used to show me that I should spend this year in Romans.

It begins with ‘no condemnation’.  It continues with many verses that reveal there is ‘no defeat’.  And the last verse proclaims the incredible news that there is ‘no separation’. Continue reading “Three Phrases” →

WHAT COMES BEFORE GOOD NEWS

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.  Romans 7:24-25

My spirit is committed to Christ.  So is my mind and heart but they are also bent toward sin. My flesh is ever breathing down my throat.  I get weary of it, don’t you?  On the best of days, I sin.  On the worst of days, I sin more.  Often, I echo the words of C.J. Mahaney when he lamented, “I am the worst sinner I know!” Continue reading “What Comes Before Good News” →

REACHING BUT NEVER GRASPING

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Romans 7:19

Body, soul, and spirit are so connected.  My spirit is often willing, even eager, to walk as Jesus walked but that is difficult when issues of body and soul enter the picture.  I remember walking around a lake near my house one morning with our dog, Freska.  It was a beautiful Spring day, the kind I love.  No humidity.  Seventy degrees.  A faint breeze.  I was rested and relaxed.  I remember saying to the Lord, out loud, “I feel like I could take on anything for the kingdom today.” Immediately I heard in my spirit, “Be careful, Christine!  Your sense of balance is precarious.”

What He meant by that is this ~ What I want to do in my spirit becomes a challenge when my body is ill, or fatigued. Continue reading “Reaching But Never Grasping” →

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN MATURITY?

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  Romans 7:18

When a parent raises their child from infancy to adulthood, the goal is to set him free at age 21 to soar on his own.  Along the way, a family looks on and notes the child’s progress.  The dependency of a toddler morphs into growing self-sufficiency as he learns to do things on his own.  Hand-holding lessens with age.

As a human, I am prone to take earthly contexts and impose them on scriptural principles.  When I think about being mature in Christ, I believe I should no longer be dependent and needy.  I should be mature and learn to manage myself.  I should practice restraint when needed and boldness when called for.  Others should say of me, “She’s so mature in Christ.”

But this is all backwards!  Continue reading “What Is Christian Maturity?” →

WHY SIN WINS

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Romans 7:15

If someone asked me the question, “Would you like to be like Jesus today?” I would say yes.  That is the deepest desire of my heart.  So what happens when my desire is overridden by my next sin?  Was my intent just not strong enough?   Continue reading “Why Sin Wins” →

FALLS LIKE A SWORD, THEN SAVES

It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.  Roman 7:13

Scriptures, without application, do nothing for me.  It was the Word, falling like a sword, that opened my heart to the awareness that I was a sinner.  The Word exposed my heart, made me take a look in God’s mirror, and showed me the way home to His heart.

“People perish for lack of knowledge,” Hosea said.  My journey into the Word, who is Christ, had only just begun when I became a Christian.  Continue reading “Falls Like A Sword, Then Saves” →