The Privilege of Approaching His Throne

2 Chronicles 5:7

Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

The Holy of Holies, also known as the Most Holy Place, was the inner room of the Jewish Temple in which was kept the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the Cherubim, manna, Aaron's rod and a copy of the 10 Commandments. It was the place where blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat (the lid on top of the Ark) as an atonement for the sins of Israel.  The single high priest designated for duty on the day of atonement was the only person allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.  That was the only time in the entire year that anyone could enter.  It was the only path and process that the Jewish people had in order to gain access to Almighty God.

Jesus changed all of that.  Upon His death on the Cross, the veil that separated the people from the Most Holy Place was torn in two.  In one divine moment access to the throne of God was opened to all people for all time. 

As we leave the old year behind and prepare to enter the new year ahead, let us consider what a wondrous privilege we have been given.  We no longer have to wait on anyone to enter into a direct, intimate relationship with Our Father in heaven.  Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, permanently opened the way for us to enter the Holy of Holies.

As we take advantage of our blessing, let us remember that it is pleasing to God when we enter His throne room.  But let us be sure to learn from the actions of the high priest in approaching the Most Holy Place.  As we approach Almighty God, let us enter His presence with awe and reverence.  Let us enter His gates with thanksgiving and with praise.  Let us seek personal cleansing and forgiveness through the confession of our sins.  

Let us pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Let us pray in accordance with the Holy Word of God.  Let us make a personal commitment to surrender to His will for our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us access to Your throne through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  We bless the name of Your Son for providing the pathway for us to have a personal relationship with You.  We pray, Lord, that Your Holy Spirit will help us to approach Your throne in the manner that is pleasing to You.  We ask that we be given the grace that we need to pay the price necessary to gain the intimacy that we seek with You.  We ask all these things in the name of our High Priest and Mediator, Jesus Christ.

Our Anchor, Firm and Secure

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

As we move toward the new year, let us follow the instruction of God's Holy Word and set our minds on things that are above in heaven where Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father.  Let us intentionally replace the images of sorrow, suffering, personal horror and overwhelming struggles continuing to pile up in the daily news from the world, and perhaps even in our own personal worlds, with images of goodness such as the the joyous images of the Christmas season that are fresh in our minds.  Let us recognize that our current reality is in God's future plan for us and not in today's news.  Let us grasp with hope and faith that God has a good and perfect plan for every broken person and for every painful situation.  Let us reorder our thinking so that the power of Heaven can be released in our lives.

Know that it will not be easy to take the higher path.  The pathway to fear and despair are easy roads directed downward by emotion and logic.  Certainly the world will be ready to mock us if we dare to take the higher road when our destination cannot be seen with the natural eye.  

Let us be strengthened by the knowledge that we are always secure in Jesus Christ no matter what is happening around us.  Let us rejoice in knowing that our final destination will be our testimony of God's faithfulness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessed hope and assurance that we have in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  We bless His name for He is our anchor, firm and secure.  We pray, Lord, that You will open our eyes so that we may see Your goodness in the dark world that surrounds us.  We ask that the Holy Spirit renew and reorder our thinking so that we may align our thinking with Your heart and Your kingdom purpose.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Hope that springs eternal, Jesus Christ.

No Earthly Feast is Enough

John 7:37

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

Jesus went with his disciples to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.  The feast began five days after the Day of Atonement at the time the fall harvest had just been completed. It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God’s continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness.  The celebration for the feast lasted for 8 days.  It was a grand feast by earthly measures.

On the last and greatest day of the feast, every man and woman would have surely filled themselves with food and drink and enjoyed and experienced all that the celebration had to offer them.  Yet Jesus knew that there would still be a hunger there that was unsatisfied.  He welcomed them to come to Him for the satisfaction that only He could provide.

As we stand here at the end of our year and our Christmas season, the same holds true for us today. God has protected us and provided for us as we have gone through yet another wild year in our out-of-control world.  We have just completed a season of celebration.  We have over-filled ourselves with food, drink, gifts and festive experiences.  Yet somehow we are not satisfied. 

Let us take our thirst and our hunger to the One who waits to satisfy us.  Let us learn to feast in the real provision of this holiday season, Jesus Christ.  Let us share our fullness of spirit with the world.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the provisions and protections that You have provided throughout the past year.  We bless the name of Jesus through whom all of Your grace, mercy and loving kindness has been released to us.  We confess, Lord, that we have filled ourselves on all the world has offered and yet we are still unsatisfied.  We pray that Your Holy Spirit will guide us and strengthen us as we learn to forsake the world and surrender completely to Your Son who invites us into His life.  May we live in the fullness and glory of His presence.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who supplies our strength, our power and our eternal satisfaction, Jesus Christ.  

Living Under Real Authority

Mark 1:22

The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority--quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

The Jews were astonished at the great truths that Jesus was teaching.  The nature and importance of what He was teaching was unlike anything that they had ever heard.  The teaching of Jesus was distinctly different from the teaching of the Scribes, who relied so heavily on traditions.  The manner in which He taught was also different.  He taught with such grace, such gravity and such majesty.  His teaching was rich in evidence and power.  He taught as if He had the authority to do so and needed to rely on no one else for the basis of His teaching.  He taught independent of all men, all tradition and the religiousity that preceded Him.  He taught fully dependent on His Father in heaven.

What made Jesus’ teaching distinctly different from the teachers of the law was that He taught and lived under the absolute authority of Almighty God.  Everything that Jesus did was based on the truth in God’s Word.  No wonder he stood out from teachers of the law who based their teaching on every other form of authority.  Some sought their authority based on the things that they had reasoned through their own logic.  Some sought their authority based on the traditions that history had revealed to them.  Some sought their authority based on the trending ethics and morals of their culture.  Some even sought their authority based on their emotion.  It is no wonder that the people were able to recognize the brilliance of Jesus’ teaching. 

Although we may never be teachers, we must decide under what authority that we will make our daily life decisions.  Shall we make our life decisions based on our own reasoning?  Shall we make our decisions based on what traditions teach us?  Shall we make our life decisions based on what is trending in our culture?  Shall we make our life decisions based on how we feel?  If we follow any of these false forms of authority, we will open ourselves up to short-term regrets and eternal risks.  

Let us make all of our life decisions under the only real authority.  Let us build and sustain our lives based on the absolute authority of God’s Holy Word.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending us the Truth, Your Son, Jesus.  We thank You for the amazing and life-changing doctrine that He delivered to us with divine authority.  We praise You for inspiring the authors of the Books of the Bible so that we might have the Good News of the Gospel for presentation throughout the ages.  We pray, Lord, that our lives will be living testimonies to the way, the truth and the life that Your Son secured for us on the Cross.  May the world around us be drawn to Your Son, Jesus, as they see us living under the divine authority of Your Holy Word.  We ask all these things in the name of the Witness to the People, Jesus Christ.

Submitting to the God in Whom We Trust

Romans 10:3

For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Most of the Jews at the time of Christ were more interested in an outward show of their piety than to submit to the new freedom and righteousness offered by Jesus.  Jesus offered two commandments.  Love God above all things and love thy neighbor as thyself.  Yet the Jews clung to their traditions.  The Pharisees followed 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions.  There was no room in their lives for the message of the Gospel for it was crowded out by their obstinance in sticking to their own man made laws.  Their lifestyles were dictated by their independence from God.

Move forward some 2000 years.  Our nation was born under a call for fierce independence from a government that wanted to control how individuals related to their Creator.  The early founders, while becoming fiercely independent of England, became fiercely dependent on Almighty God.  But over time, Satan has done his evil work in our nation.  Many individuals in America have become arrogantly and selfishly independent of God.  They have built their lives around self-manipulated lifestyles that require no God and they have fashioned laws to fit their choices.

As a nation, let us firmly grasp the way, the truth and the life that is Jesus Christ.  Let us pray for our leaders to make God's Word and His commandments the foundation of our legal system.  Let us once again look to Almighty God as the God in Whom we trust.

As citizens, let us keep His laws and observe them in our hearts.   Let us delight in the path we follow when we follow the Lord's commandments.  Let our lives become living testimonies of His righteousness. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for placing Your laws on our hearts.  We praise the name of Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.  We bless the name of the Holy Spirit who stands with us to incline our hearts toward the ways of Our Savior and not our own.  We pray, Father, that as You touch our hearts with Your laws that You will also touch the hearts of the leaders of this nation.  May we once again return to be a nation that has its trust in You.  May we once again be a nation whose laws are the same as Your laws.  We ask all these things in the name of the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ.

The Promises of the New Born King

1 John 4:9

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Christmas is the celebration of a spectacular supernatural event.  Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to this earth so that we might have eternal life through Him.  This event was one that could not be accomplished by the efforts of man.  Only God could orchestrate such an act of love and supernatural endowment.

There are scoffers around each Christmas season who try to deny the great gift that has been provided for all mankind to receive.  They try to logically dissuade others from having faith in the true story of Christmas.  Yet to do so, they must try to make others believe that the God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun and who upholds the entire universe itself will prove unable to fulfill His own promises. 

Is it possible that the One who hangs the world on nothing is unable to deliver on His promises to His children?  Does He not hold the winds and the clouds and the oceans themselves in His hand?  How can He fail His children?  We have every reason to be absolutely firm in our faith.

Let us celebrate openly and with great fervor the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Let us freely share the love that He has manifest in us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to live in this world so that we may be supernaturally endowed with His presence in our lives and we may become heirs to Your eternal kingdom.  We bless the name of Your Son, Jesus, who became poor so that we may have all the treasures of heaven.  We rejoice in knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us each day to provide us with the peace that only Jesus can offer.  We pray that as we receive these wondrous gifts that we surrender to the reign of Our Savior in our lives.  May our lives become our love gifts to You, Father.  May the world know us by our fervor for Our Savior.  We ask all these things in the name of Our New Born King, Jesus Christ.

Never Doubting the Provision of the Gift Giver

Matthew 18:3

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What a wonderful time Christmas is to a small child in our culture.  They go to bed on Christmas Eve eagerly anticipating the arrival of the gift giver.  They burst from their beds on Christmas morning knowing that they will find gifts with their names on them under the Christmas tree.  Many of the gifts will be there simply for their pleasure.  Other gifts will be there for their comfort and provision.  They receive them all with great joy.  All the while, they never doubt that the gift giver will provide for them that which they could not provide for themselves.

This is the type of reliance that God wants to see from all of us.  God wants us to rely on Him for everything without ever considering that we could provide for ourselves just as well.  Of course, the gifts that He gives to us are far more valuable than anything we could find under a tree.  Almighty God provides us with the gift of life.  He sustains our lives with every single breath we take.  Along the way, He sees that our pleasures, our provisions and our comforts are taken care of.  Then He provides the greatest gift of all – eternal life in His heavenly kingdom. All He ever asks from us is to accept His Son as Our Savior.  

Let us learn to respond to Our Heavenly Father like small children.  Let us run to Him for everything.  Let us seek the arms of our gracious Father whether we need comfort, provision or direction.  Let us rejoice in knowing that He has the power to provide whatever it is that we need or desire.  Most of all, let us completely trust in Him for the true treasures of His eternal kingdom.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings and the benefits that we receive as Your children.  We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to inherit Your kingdom and all of its provision and protection for all eternity.  We pray, Father, that we be renewed in our minds so that we may become as simple, as humble and as teachable as small children.  May we discard forever all the self-seeking lifestyles, distrust and deceit that we learn from the world.  May we walk in the excellence of Our Savior.   We ask all these things in the name of Our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. 

Born at the Right Time

Galatians 4:4

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was born when He was?  Mankind certainly could have benefitted from His arrival at any point in time.  So why was He born exactly when He was born?

Consider that Jesus was born at a time when the whole world spoke and understood one language.  The Greek language, which had been mandated during time of Alexander the Great, remained the prevalent language spoken throughout all of Rome’s conquered territories.  The early evangelists could travel to any point in the Roman Empire, deliver their message in Greek and know that their message would be understood.

Because the Romans had built a massive road system unlike anything the world had ever known, travel was relatively easy.  The early evangelists were able to get to any major population group within the Roman Empire.  To add to the ease of travel, unlike most other time periods before Christ's arrival, the Roman Empire quieted the warring factions.  Worldwide peace was established for over 200 years.  During this time frame, Roman centuries were posted along the major roadways to insure that there was no impediment to safe travel within the conquered territories.

As a final element of God's perfectly timed plan, we find that the Jews had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.  Even though there was no longer a central temple for the Jews, there were active synagogues built throughout the Roman territory.  These synagogues were attended regularly.  They made for easy access points to disseminate the Good News of the Gospel throughout the land.

With all these factors coinciding perfectly, it is remarkable how ideal the circumstances were for the rapid spread of the story of Jesus and His salvation message for all of mankind.  And it was all in perfect accordance with the many prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter.  The arrival of Our Savior was not only perfectly timed, it was a confirmation of the infallible nature of the Word of God.

Let us consider in awe that Almighty God was just as purposeful in selecting our time on this earth as He was in selecting the time for His Son.  Let us recognize that we were all created for this exact time and place in the history of mankind.  Let us rejoice in knowing that Our Father in heaven has a specific plan for our lives on this earth and with Him for all eternity.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus.  We thank You for giving each of us the gift of life.  We rejoice in knowing that You created each of us with a sovereign, gracious purpose for our lives.  We bless the name of Jesus who shed His blood so that we may be worthy to do the things that You have created us to do.  We exalt the Holy Spirit for standing by us so that we may overcome our weaknesses.  We pray for the strength to persevere in pursuing Your will for our lives and not our own.  May the fruit of our efforts be our gifts back to you this Christmas season and all the days of our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Our Burdens Prove Profitable in God's Plans

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

As Christians, we all love the promise of Romans 8:28.  We all take great comfort from the idea that all things in our lives are going to work together for good.  We are certain to be very disappointed, however, if we narrowly define "good" in a temporal sense and not in a spiritual sense.  Our frustration will be even greater if we fail to measure the "good" in our lives from an eternal perspective.

There is simply no question that God orders or allows everything in our lives.  To think that one iota of our lives can pass by without Almighty God being in control is heresy.  God created us and wants to use us for His eternal purposes.  He will control every component of the people, places and things in our lives in order to see that we are successful in fulfilling His eternal calling on our lives.  He will measure the good that He provides for us only from an eternal perspective.  If temporal goods help us meet our calling, they will be poured upon us.  If temporal goods become a stumbling block for us, they will be replaced by trials and affliction.  If our trials and affliction work for our eternal good, then God will consider them as a good things and He will allow them to be poured out upon us so that He may produce a glory in us that vastly outweighs the burden of our trials.

Just as the Father called His Son into service, so does He call us.  The good that God works in our lives will be reflected in the things that He brings to us in order to take us from darkness to light, from bondage into liberty and from the company of sinful men into fellowship with Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Let us recognize that Almighty God is in control of every single element in our lives.  Let us find the good that He has in store for us whether it comes from earthly provision or earthly burden.  Let us rejoice in the meticulous plans that He has for our eternal good.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for setting aside roles for us in Your eternal plans.  We rejoice in knowing that You will work out every single element of our lives in order that we may fulfill the purposes that You have created us to meet.  We pray, Lord, for the grace to be able to live with our focus on our eternal good and the eternal good of those around us.  May the Holy Spirit help us and strengthen us when we weaken because we cannot see the good that You are putting into place for us.  We praise Your Name because we know that Your way and Your work are perfect.  We ask all these things in the name of God incarnate, Jesus Christ.

A Void Only Jesus Can Fill

1 Corinthians 2:14

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Check out the news.  The foolishness of carnal men and women rejecting the things of the Spirit of God are rampant in our society. Carnal men and women look upon the things in the Bible as absurd and contrary to reason.  They find the truths in God's Holy Word to be weak and distasteful.  They are quick to ridicule anything having to do with Jesus and delight in bashing anyone who stands up for their Christian beliefs.

It is easy to see why Jesus said that it was so hard for the rich man to get into heaven.  In his comfort, the rich man feels no need for a Savior.  The rich man finds all of his satisfaction from the things of the world. Unfortunately for the rich man, he will soon enough find out that the cravings of his flesh will never be satisfied.  His flesh will always demand more than he is ultimately able to attain.

Fortunately for all of us, the Creator placed a void in our hearts that can only be completely and perfectly filled by Jesus.  Nothing of the flesh can bring the satisfaction that is derived from fulfilling the spiritual need that is within us. If we will recognize the folly in our carnal ways and surrender to Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will find satisfaction far beyond anything the earth promises or can deliver.  Only when we are inspired by the Holy Spirit to submit to the governance of the King of Kings, and not to the kings of the earth, will we receive the fullness of life that Almighty God planned for us.

Let us seek spiritual discernment.  Let us learn how to reject the empty promises of this world.  Let us flourish in our joy as we learn to live in the fullness of the indwelling spirit of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating a void in our hearts that only You can fill.  We bless the name of Jesus who died for our sins so that we can be deemed worthy to become His disciples and live under His Lordship.  We pray, Lord, for the strength and the wisdom to see the folly in the things of the earth.  May we live in the fullness of Our Lord, Our Master and Our King.  We ask all these things in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ.

Taking Up the Strength to Defeat the Enemy

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

In Paul's final letter to the Ephesians, he was making emphatic closing statements.  Paul sought to alert the Ephesians that they had a mighty foe that wished to come against them.  He made it clear that the battles that they would face would not be battles against flesh and blood, but battles against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Paul then emphasized to the Ephesians that they had all that they needed to stand firm against the enemy.  All they had to do was put on the whole armor of God.

In other words, Paul was making them aware of their choices.  They could choose to fight against the evil and iniquity in their lives through their own strength or they could choose to take up the strength promised to them by their Savior Jesus Christ.  Such is the choice that we have been given.

One of the basic principles of human existence is that God has given us free choice.  Even though He has a specific plan for our lives, He allows us to make our own choices along the way.  Knowing our frailty, God has given us the Holy Spirit to stand with us as we wrestle with all that the enemy brings against us.  God even promised that He will perfect His power in our weakness. 2 Cor 12:9

So why is it that we still wrestle with personal decisions?  These personal decisions that tend to overwhelm us can be made a lot easier to handle if we are willing to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in Truth and we are willing to forego the choice of navigating through the trial on our own.  

Let us choose to be strong in the Lord.  Let us be resolute in our desire to turn everything in our lives over to Him.  Let us rejoice in the victory that is promised to us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing the weapons that we need to carry us through spiritual warfare and the trials of every day life.  We humbly submit to Your power in our lives.  We ask that the Holy Spirit stand with us against the wiles of Satan so that we may oppose his schemes and resist his temptations.  We pray for the wisdom to understand that we cannot stand against our enemies alone.  May we become victors through Christ Our Savior.  We ask all these things in the name of the ever victorious King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Approved by God to Share the Truth

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The Bible is the infallible Word of God.  The Bible is a repository of God's truth.  The truth is held there for us to absorb and apply to our lives.  But we have to persistently study the Word of God to find the truth.  Or as the scripture indicates, we must rightly handle the word of truth.  To rightly handle the word of truth requires study and hard work.  It is good work but it does require industry, diligence and application. 

It is work that cannot be done without the grace of God.  The grace of God is extended to us as we strive to arm ourselves with the truth.  His grace provides the Holy Spirit to insure our understanding of His Word and to show us how to apply it to our lives.  Keenly aware of our need for His truth in our lives, Our Heavenly Father encourages us with the promise of comfort through our struggles when we seek His truth.  He then delivers on His promises by comforting us as He shines divine enlightenment on our lives even when we are going through the darkest of times.

Through yet another extension of His grace, He will use us to comfort others as we have been comforted.  We will find this play out in every area of our lives.  When we struggle with anything, we might as well look around because there will be someone near us who is struggling with the same thing.  As the Holy Spirit directs changes in our lives through the application of God's Word, we should prepare ourselves to comfort others with what we have learned and experienced.  As we receive revelation, we should be alert to passing the truth on to others in need.  It is all a part of rightly handling the truth.

Let us build ourselves up through the diligent study and application of God's Holy Word in our lives.  Let us look to comfort others with the divine comfort and inspiration that we have received through our right handling of His truth.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that Your Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, constantly drawing us to the way, the truth and the life that is in Your Son, Jesus.  We thank You that Your Word enlightens us and comforts us in our struggles.  We pray, Father, that the Word that we have received from You will be at work within us.  May that good work in us pour forth, as we become founts of the Living Truth for the thirsty that surround us.  We ask all these things in the name of the True Light and the Truth, Jesus Christ.

To Always Pray and to Not Lose Heart

Mark 2:5

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

As we examine God's Word, we find that Jesus never healed anyone physically without mentioning that their sins had been forgiven.  It is the will of God the Father that none shall perish.  It is consistent with our position as disciples of Jesus Christ that we focus our prayers on the needs of the unsaved people who surround us.  We surely may pray for their natural needs, but our responsibility as true intercessors calls us to pray first for their supernatural needs.  The proper prayers of an intercessor will always focus first on salvation and then on provision, just as Jesus focused on deliverance and then healing.

As we take on our intercessory roles for salvation, we need to know that often we will be on a long journey.  Jesus, who controls the timing of all things, understands that the journey can seem unbearably long to us at times.  He is well aware that in our weakness we tend to give up when we see those around us losing the battle to time.  Thus, in Luke 18:1, Jesus taught us "to always pray and not lose heart".  In doing so, He sought to give us confidence in knowing that all things are set and delivered according to His perfect eternal timing.  And He certainly sought to emphasize that He never drops any man from His salvation plan nor should we.

Let us seek deliverance first, then healing.  Let us come into agreement with the Father's will that no man shall perish.  Let us not lose heart when we find ourselves on the long journeys of intercessory prayer for salvation.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You giving us Your Son to instruct us how to pray in accordance with Your will for all men.  We ask for the supernatural inspiration to pray for all the people who surround us.  We pray for the fortitude to maintain our battle for their salvation even when it seems that the war is being lost.  We beseech You, Father, that You would show us how to bring our prayers into alignment with the plans that You have for those that we pray for.  We celebrate our roles as intercessors.  May You bless us, Lord, by allowing us to see the fruit of our labors.  We ask all these things in the name of the Deliver and Healer of all men, Jesus Christ.

Living in the Glory of the Triune God

John 17:22

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.

Jesus prayed that all of His disciples might be as one, united in the fullness of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  In this fullness, Jesus wanted all of His disciples to have the glory that He shared with the Father.  He wanted His disciples to have the holy character that He had.  He wanted His disciples to lead fruit-filled lives supernaturally inspired by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus knew and taught that this was all possible through Him.

Psalm 139 confirms that a life like the one that Jesus prayed for His disciples is possible for each of us.  Each one of us is wonderfully made by God.  Just as God created every aspect of the universe, He created each of us to fulfill a unique and wonderful element of His plan for all eternity.   Through His Son, he released capabilities to us that are beyond our imagination.

Our flesh will always limit us as we try to reach the awesome and productive place that is ours through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  We will only reach the fullness of our lives when we surrender completely to Our Savior so that He can give us the glory that was given to Him.  We are freed to become all that the Creator of the Universe planned for us to be when we let go of our carnal lives and grasp on to our supernatural lives through Jesus Christ.

Let us become one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  Let us fulfill the unique purposes that Our Father in heaven set aside for us before we were even formed in our mothers' wombs.  Let us rejoice in knowing that we will stand in the glory that Jesus has set aside for each of us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that we were formed in our mothers' wombs with the exact set of capabilities that You set aside for us to be able to serve You for all eternity.  We praise You that we were fearfully and wonderfully made in accordance with Your perfect plans.  We pray, Lord, that Your Holy Spirit will reveal to us the frailties of our flesh that grieve You, so that we may turn away from them all.  May we grasp the fullness of the way everlasting that You have provided us through Your Son.  May we be one with You just as the Son is one with You.  We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

How the Terrible 2's Impacts a Lifetime

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

A true disciple of Jesus is one that walks in the same anointed way that Jesus walked.  A true disciple follows His Master's example on a daily basis.  A true disciple is energetic and passionate about every task assigned by the Master.  A true disciple of Jesus Christ is one that denies self and takes up the Cross that Jesus has prepared for him or her.

During our toddler ages, we are already beginning to express our own individuality and independence.  It is during this time that most of us realize for the first time that we are our own person and can make choices for ourselves.  Unfortunately, one of our favorite words during these early ages is "no."  Our rebellious nature wants to reject all the good counsel of our parents in order to fully express our own independence.  This independent behavior has a tendency to carry over into our relationship with Almighty God.  We set a pattern early for ourselves which establishes the importance of our desires over loving authority.  We establish lifestyles in which our decisions are made based on the needs of our flesh and not on the desires of Almighty God for our lives.  Ultimately, we miss much that God has in store of us.

  

Let us shake loose from the independence that we have strived so hard to attain throughout our lives.  Let us learn to deny ourselves and surrender completely to the will of Our Savior.  Let us follow the path that Our Redeemer laid out for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace that You provide so that we are able to take up the Cross of Your Son and follow Him.  We thank You for Your patience with us as we learn to deny our sinful natures, our ungodliness and our worldly lusts.  We pray, Lord, for the strength to exercise the humility, zeal, patience and self-denial that the Cross demands.  May we carry out every duty for Your glory and for the gain of Your kingdom.  We ask all these things in the name of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Jesus Christ.

The Unblessed Path Versus the Blessed Path

Galatians 4:22

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.

Even though Abraham was approaching 100 years old and Sarah was approaching 90 years old, Almighty God promised that He would supernaturally open the womb of Sarah and upon the seed of Abraham He would build the nation of Israel.  But Sarah and Abraham lost faith in the supernatural promise, so they sought natural, manipulated means to help God's plan.  Sarah allowed Abraham to sleep with their pagan slave, Hagar.  Through the natural union of Abraham and Hagar, Ishmael was born.  Thirteen years later, God supplied the supernatural birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah.

Because God promised Abraham he would raise up great nations through him, God had to allow Ishmael to be a great nation.  But because Ishmael was the product of the natural process, there was no covenant with the nation of Ishmael.  In fact, God told Abraham that “Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers."  The conflicts in the middle east today are the result of Abraham taking matters into his own hands.

The only covenant that God honored was the one that was of the supernatural process that He had revealed to Abraham.  It was through the bloodline of Isaac that God built up the apple of His eye, Israel.

Let us take great care not to rush ahead of God when He has a plan for our lives.  Let us seek the measures that God has set aside for our lives.  Let us wait on the Lord for He will honor that which He blesses.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many promises that You have given us.  We rejoice in knowing that You have a special plan for each of us.  We pray, Lord, for the wisdom to wait on You. We ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us and instruct us in accordance with Your perfect will for our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the Keeper of Our Promises, Jesus Christ.

Finding Victory Over the Things That Torment Us

Galatians 5:24

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The works of the flesh are many and are manifest throughout the lives of all men and women.  Unfortunately, there is much in the urgings of the flesh that seems attractive to pursue.  If uncontested by the spirit, the affections and lusts of the flesh are the things that close the doors to heaven. 

The endless pursuit of life in the flesh leads to a constant and unavoidable destiny that is certain to be deviant from the way, the truth and the life that is in Jesus Christ.  Living in the flesh forms a path that is not compatible with maintaining a course of positive spiritual growth. Deterioration and destruction are inevitable.

Only by turning to Our Savior in order to pursue a life in the spirit, can we overcome the inherent flaws of our flesh.  Only by focusing on our relationship with Our Savior, instead of ourselves, are we able to avoid destruction.  Only by hanging on to the Cross of Our Savior are we able to put to death the desires of our flesh.  Only by surrendering completely to the will of the Father will we find supernatural victory over the things that torment us.

Let us cling to the indwelling spirit of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let us claim our victories over the passions and desires of our flesh that were crucified with Him on the Cross.  Let us celebrate the joy of living in the fullness of the presence of Our Lord.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing the sacrifice of Your Son so that we may live in the spirit and not in the flesh.  We praise the name of Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life.  We rejoice in knowing that we can overcome all the frailties of our flesh because of the victory that Jesus won for us on the Cross.  We pray for the grace to maintain a constant focus on Our Savior so that we may be freed from the stirrings of the corrupt nature that remains in our flesh.  Father, we seek the fullness of our lives in Christ so that we may bear much fruit for Your glory.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Crucified King, Jesus Christ.

One Single Offering for All of Mankind

Hebrews 10:14

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Under the law in the old testament, regular sacrifices were required to atone for sins.  The high priests served as mediators, offering up the blood sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people.  The people had no access to their own atonement for sin.  More importantly, they had no way of individually insuring that they would be acceptable to Almighty God.  This all changed when Jesus ushered in the new testament.  Under the new testament, the law was replaced by grace and all men were enabled to access their own atonement through one mediator, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  No man can get into heaven without recognizing the sacrifice of the precious Lamb of God.  No matter who we are or what we have, reinstatement with God the Father is only possible by accepting Jesus Christ as Our Savior.  No matter how vile, corrupt and sinful we may be today, we can receive the eternal life that God promised and made available to all men through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Salvation is not earned, but accepted by every man who calls on the name of Jesus as his Savior.  For the shed blood of Jesus has the power to wash away all that separates us from the Father.  There is no other way that is deemed acceptable.

Let us live in continuous thanksgiving for the One who exchanged His divine station in heaven for a lowly station on earth so that He could fulfill His Father's plan for salvation for all men.  Let us live in continuous praise for the Lamb of God who was the necessary sacrifice for us to be able to exchange our carnal station on earth for a sanctified place with Him in heaven for all eternity.  Let us boldly proclaim what He has done for us so that those around us may know Him and claim Him as their Savior.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your new covenant which established Your Son as the only sacrifice necessary to fulfill the law for all men to be deemed acceptable before You.  We exalt Your name for providing a way for us to receive the eternal inheritance that we could not earn on our own.  We pray, Lord, that we will always be mindful of the suffering of Our Savior.  May our lives reflect our thanksgiving for His sacrifice.  May our joy in Jesus Christ draw others to Him.   We ask all these things in the name of the precious Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

Becoming Spiritual Attorneys

Genesis 9:13

I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.

Almighty God provided the rainbow as a sign to all living creatures that He would never flood the earth again.  When we see a rainbow, we are certainly reminded of His covenant with us.  But why stop with the intermittent rainbow?  We can look at all of creation and be constantly reminded of the many other covenants and promises that Our Heavenly Father has set aside for us.  He has so many promises of provision and protection that are ours to claim.  We serve a perfectly gracious God that is bound to deliver to us the awards of His contracts with us. 

Unfortunately, we spend more time seeking the good things of the earth instead of the good things that God has in store for us.  While the good things we seek in life may indeed be things that any righteous person would deem good, they will fall short of satisfying us if they are not what God has in His will and plan for our lives.

The irony is that getting the good things from God is so simple.  All we have to do is abide in Him and we will be given all the good things that He promises us.  We need to seek the relationship first and He will provide all the things that He knows will satisfy us perfectly.

Let us become spiritual attorneys.  Let us work to discover every contract that Almighty God has agreed to on our behalf.  Let us strive to come into right relationship with His covenants.  Let us proceed to the courts of heaven and present our claims.  Let us rejoice as we learn to live in the fullness of His awards. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many promises that You have made to us through Your Holy Word.  We praise Jesus, who made it possible for us to receive all that You have set aside for us.  We humbly come before You, Father, to proclaim our desire to spend our lives seeking an intimate relationship with Your Son instead of seeking the things of this world.  We pray that Your grace be with us always as we learn to choose the good things of Your kingdom over the good things of this earth.  We ask all these things in the name of the fulfillment of God's covenant with us, Jesus Christ.

Divine Aid is Needed for Full Repentance

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Our merciful Lord bears with our wicked world.  He defers His anger as so many, all of us included at some level, turn to idolatry, superstition, heresy, disobedience, profaneness, immorality and general lack of reverence for Almighty God.  Through it all, Our Father in heaven is steadfast in seeking His will that none shall perish.  Having already sacrificed His Son to atone for our sins, He sends His Holy Spirit to set in us a desire to repent of our sins.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins so that we see the desperate need that we have to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ. 

Aided by the Holy Spirit to accept the atoning work of Our Savior, we are washed clean of our sins.  We then enter into a new period of repentance as we battle our flesh daily.  God knows that we must still deal with the corrupt nature of our flesh, so He provides the the Holy Spirit to stand beside us.  In our continuous battle against our sin nature, the Holy Spirit will never leave our side.  God's endless patience is evident.  

During this daily battle of sanctification, the Holy Spirit shows us our sins in an entirely different light.  Instead of just seeing our sins as the iniquity that damns us, we begin to see our sins in light of the pain and suffering that they caused and continue to cause Our Lord.  The Holy Spirit helps us take the agony we experience when we realize what we have done and turn it into sorrow and repentance as we consider our past, present and future sin.  The Holy Spirit then guides us into a deeper relationship with Our Savior.  Ultimately, the Holy Spirit strengthens us as we fall and leads us to victory over sin, sanctifying us for our eternal place of glory. 

Let us seek the Holy Spirit for the supernatural aid that we need to recognize and fully repent of our sins.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts to reveal those dark spots that we keep hidden even from ourselves.  Let us learn to live in the joy of a fully repentant life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect love and forgiveness as expressed through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.  We ask for Your forgiveness, Father, for our sins that sent Your Son to the Cross on our behalf.  We praise Your Name for the patience that You have with us as we continue to struggle with our sin natures.  We thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to aid and guide us as we battle against our flesh.  We pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will strengthens us to turn away from the darkness in our lives today so that we may turn toward the marvelous light of Our Savior for all eternity.  We ask all these things in the name of the Chief Cornerstone of our lives, Jesus Christ.