Full Surrender Is the Pathway to Strength

Matthew 26:42

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Jesus Christ, the only perfect man to ever walk the this earth, fell on His face, cried out to His Father in heaven and asked to be freed of His upcoming duty.  In the same overwhelming moment, Jesus fully surrendered everything to the will of His Father.  In this same moment, we saw the two wills of Christ, the human and the Divine.   Jesus could not turn from the supernatural plan that His Father had for Him, even though He knew how much it was going to cost Him in the flesh.  Jesus knew He was submitting to God's perfect plan for the salvation of all men.  

It is certain that we will find times in our lives when we are nearly overwhelmed by the thought of what is ahead.  Our flesh will be ready to give in to defeat.  It is precisely at these times that we must fall on our faces before Our Heavenly Father and surrender to His will for our lives.  At these times, there is no resource to us greater than our prayer for strength.  It is in these times that we receive the supernatural blessing that we need to obey God's calling on our lives. 

Our Father in heaven has given us life.  He sustains our lives everyday.  God, Himself, made the ultimate sacrifice by sending His Son to die for our sins, so that He could grant us eternal life with Him.  Our full surrender to the Father is the only appropriate response that we can offer to His calling on our lives.

Let us go to the Father in prayer for the strength that we need to surrender to His plan for our lives, especially when the cost to go on seems so high.  Let us rejoice in knowing that we will receive all that we need to overcome anything that is blocking our way to our destinies in Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us life in flesh, sustaining our every breath and granting us eternal supernatural life through the atoning sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.  We rejoice in knowing that the obedience of the Son to Your will paid the complete price for our salvation.  We pray that we will find all the strength that we need to completely surrender to Your will.  May we bear the fruit of Your will as we walk in obedience every day of our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the One without sin, Jesus Christ.

Becoming Stronger Than We Ever Imagined

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

The apostle Paul knew what it was to receive God's grace.  Through his great faith he delighted in his weaknesses, he delighted in the insults that were tossed his way, he delighted in his hardships and he delighted in his persecutions.  Paul knew the secret.  He rested on God's promises to perfect His strength in Paul's weaknesses, in Paul's trials and in Paul's tribulations.  

Our God in heaven is ready to do the same for us.  Our Heavenly Father promises to provide all that we need to overcome every hard thing that we face and to provide all that we need to gain victory over the evil that surrounds us.  He does not promise to take us out of the battle.  Just as He used Paul's thorn to keep him mindful of his needs in Christ, He will allow things in our lives to keep us mindful of how needy we are.

We will find victory when we learn to surrender like Paul did.  We will find peace in all circumstances when we recognize God's grace is sufficient.  We will become stronger than we ever imagined when we allow the grace of God to be manifested and magnified in our lives.

Let us cast all of our cares upon the Lord.  Let us trust in Him completely.  Let us exalt His name as we confidently wait on our victory. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the all-sufficient grace that You promise us.  We bless the name of Jesus who insured our victory on the Cross.  We rejoice in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who guides us, instructs us and strengthens us through our trials.  We pray, Father, that we will learn to have faith in You as Paul had faith in You.  We ask for the courage to surrender to Your Holy Spirit through all the trials that we face.  We pray that world will see and be drawn to the manifestation and magnification of Your grace in our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Mighty in Battle, Jesus Christ.

The Purpose and the Power of Prayer

Mark 9:29

And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Jesus taught us, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  He emphasized that this was the greatest commandment.  It is the highest order in the kingdom.  Our number one purpose on earth and in heaven is to love God, to praise Him and to bring glory to His name.  One of the foremost ways that we can meet the requirements of this commandment is through our prayers.

When we are engaged in work that we consider to be the work of the Lord, we can lose sight of the fact that the work is being done out of the loving relationship that we have with Our Lord.  If we let our relationship with God slip, He will withdraw the power that He gives us to do His good work.  He is far more interested in our relationship with Him than He is in the result of our work.  Our relationship with the Father is built and sustained through our prayer life. 

We may be able to manipulate some things in the flesh, but all the things that provide real kingdom value will not endure under the burden of broken fellowship with the Father.  Through regular prayer, we build on our relationship with Our Father and we insure that we are empowered to do the greatest works that He has called us to do, even to cast out evil.

Let us take our positions as anointed children of Almighty God.  Let us claim our authority as those who have been set apart to do the work of the Father in heaven.  Let us release our prayers to overcome all calamities, catastrophes and any hidden dangers that would attempt to come against us and our families.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect love in our lives.  We thank You for allowing us the privilege of returning our love, our praise and our worship to You through our prayers.  We bless the name of Jesus, who dwells within us, for making it possible for us to have victory over evil.  Father, we pray that all that we do is born out of the intimacy of our relationship with You.  We humbly ask for the grace to stay in constant fellowship with You through our prayers.  We beseech You to grant us the power over the evil in our lives and the lives of those that surround us.  May it all be for Your glory.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who has has victory over all evil, Jesus Christ.

His Glory Consumes the Darkness

Isaiah 60:2

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

This passage in Isaiah is regarded as prophetic in nature, speaking to the end of times.  It predicts the rise of Christianity out of the darkest of times.  The first part of this passage certainly defines our times and our society across the globe.  Oh, how sweet it will be when the Lord raises up the greatest revival known to mankind as He fulfills the latter portion of this prophecy.

Can things getting any darker?  The ignorance, immorality, idolatry, superstition, false doctrine and false worship that we see everyday are surely forms of a very thick darkness.  It seems as if light is unable to penetrate the darkness that continues to escalate and build around us.  The world has been shaken and people are broken.  We have all become victims of Satan's plans of destruction.

But rejoice, even though the evil one is ramping up his lies and deceiving ways, Our Lord has different plans.  He has promised to bring His glory to be seen by the world.  We will be covered by a consuming fire.  He will baptize us in a Holy Fire and everything will be different. Even though we will be experiencing darkness around us and tribulation in our lives, we will also witness Almighty God's presence in our lives in the midst of it all.  It is His glorious plan for us to overcome everything that comes against us.  It is His glorious plan that His consuming fire will be a purifying fire.  It will be a fire that cannot be quenched.  It will be a fire without end.  It will overcome darkness in ways that we have not seen in our life times.

Let us be aware of the working of the Holy Spirit in us and around us.  Let us prepare ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ for the greatest revival in history.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the abundant life that You have prepared for us as we surrender to the divine fire of Your Holy Spirit. We lift Your name up above all names as we come before You to seek the consuming fire that You have promised us.  We pray that Your purifying fire will burn the darkness out of our lives.   May our transformed lives bring light to the darkness wherever we go.  May our living testimonies draw many into Your kingdom.  We ask all these things in the name of the Living Flame, Jesus Christ.

Preparing for the Flow From Us

John 14:4

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Once we accept Jesus Christ as Our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us.  The Lord begins using us as vessels that carry the Living Water.

Before the Living Water can flow, we must be free of those things in our lives which would hinder the flow.  We must get into fellowship with Jesus Himself.  Without His fellowship, we are of no use to God as vessels of salvation.

As we submit to the Lord, we can anticipate that there will be trials in our lives.  Jesus Himself told us that it would be so as we followed Him. These trials that create brokenness in our lives will also create the cracks in the living vessel so that the Living Water can flow through unhindered.  If but one heart can be saved because of our brokenness, let us thank God for allowing our trials to occur.

Let us rejoice in knowing that the Lord delights in using us as vessels of His Living Water.  Let us endure our trials with joy as they prepare us to be worthy vessels. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for using us as Your vessels of Living Water.  We rejoice in knowing that through shed blood of Your Son, Jesus, and through the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit in our lives that You can use us, the sons of inequity, to be instruments of Your good work.  We pray for the aid of the Holy Spirit to build us up in Christ so that we can endure in faith all of our trials.  We ask, Father, that we may become free flowing vessels of Your redemptive work in those around us.  We ask all these things in the name of the Living Fount, Jesus Christ.

Standing in Our Joy Triumphant

Romans 5:2

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

One of the greatest gifts that we receive through faith is the ability to approach our death beds with peace and joy, not with fear and trembling.  Through our faith, we know that at our death we will be set free of every pain and challenge that life has brought to us.  Through our faith we know that we will spend eternity in the presence of Almighty God and we will be worthy to be there.  Through our faith, we know that what awaits us in heaven is beyond our imagination. 

This kind of faith is actually worked out in us on this earth.  This kind of faith by its nature must be tried.  This kind of faith is built up through all of the trials that we face seemingly alone.  This kind of faith is built up when we realize we were never alone.  We know we have this kind of faith when we can approach every trial in our lives with boldness, courage and confidence knowing that Jesus is always right beside us to carry us through.

Let us live every day confidently, knowing that we are not alone.  Let us approach every trial with boldness, knowing that Our Strength is always with us.  Let us rejoice, knowing that our place in heaven with Almighty God is prepared for our arrival.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the faith that brought us to receive Your Son, Jesus, as Our Savior.  We thank You for the faith to believe in Your Holy Word and reject all that contradicts it.  We praise the name of Jesus for standing by us as we enjoy all the blessings that You bring us and as we endure all the trials that life throws at us.  We pray, Father, for the grace and the strength to live every day of our lives in the conscious delight of who we are in Christ.  We ask all these things in the name of our joy triumphant, Jesus Christ.

Turning to God First

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Our faith comes into play whenever we encounter pain, conflict or disorder in our lives.  Our natural reaction is to try to fix everything ourselves.  All too often, we do not turn to God until we have exhausted all of our own failed initiatives.

God wants us to turn to Him first.  He wants us to grow into a place where we trust Him for everything, whether it be big or small.  We grow into this place through our relationship with Jesus.  The Psalmist David captured the relationship perfectly in Psalm 18:2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Let us believe that God is who He says He is.  Let us trust in His promises to reward those who seek Him.  Let our faith draw us near to Him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the endless fount of faith that you make available to us through Your Son, Jesus.  We praise Your name for the comfort that we enjoy because of the faith that we have in Your promises.  Lord, we ask for the wisdom to turn to You first in all things.  May You provide the grace for us to free ourselves from the need to try to fix everything ourselves.  We humbly ask that all of our earthly efforts be in obedience to Your will and plan for our lives.  We pray that through the love of Jesus all that we do will be as worship to You.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

Living in Accordance with Our New Hearts

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are able to do away with all that separates us from our eternal inheritance.  The importance of Jesus taking on all sin is that we can become worthy to stand before the Father in a righteous state.  But before we reach our eternal resting place in heaven, we begin to prepare ourselves for heaven by living in a new manner on earth.  As new creatures in Christ, we live each day by new principles, by new rules, with new brothers and sisters and with new ends in mind.  We become the workmanship of Almighty God, changed forever in character and conduct.

Through the marvelous gift of salvation, all of our sins are gone - nonexistent.  They have been taken away by the One who knew no sin.  The have been washed away by His shed blood.  Each one of us new creatures stand before the Father without blemish.  Each one of us in Christ stands before the Father is in the image of His own Son.  Each one of us is now the essence of everything good and the absence of anything evil.  We are worthy to dwell with the Father for all eternity.

Let us prepare ourselves for our eternal inheritance.  Let us strive to live here on earth in the fullness of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ.  Let us seek to be worthy of all that has been set aside for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating us in Your image, heirs to Your kingdom.  We ask forgiveness for all those things in our lives that make us unacceptable to stand before You and unable to accept our eternal blessings.  We praise the name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who took on all of our sin so that we may become righteous in Your eyes.  We pray, Father, that You will provide the grace for us to live in accordance with the renewed hearts given to us by Jesus.  May we live by new principles, new rules, new ends and in new company.  May our outward reformation be living testimony to Your kingdom.  We pray that those around us will seek the One who knew no sin.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb without blemish, Jesus Christ.

Made Acceptable to the Father

Romans 5:10

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

God is holy, holy, holy.  Sin cannot exist in His presence.  To have any type of sin remaining means eternal separation from the Father in heaven.  Thus, every person in heaven must be without sin.  There cannot be even the slightest stain.  Every person in heaven will be holy.

Jesus gave up His life for the atonement of all sin.  He died to save us from the penalty of our sin.  He died to work a great change in us.  He died so that we might be acceptable in the presence of His Father in heaven.

The Good News of the Gospel is that God provided the way for our complete cleansing through the death of His Son, Jesus, on the Cross.  It is the shed blood of Jesus that washes us clean and allows us to stand before the Father white as snow forever.  Our Heavenly Father required nothing from us except to accept Jesus as Our Savior.  Jesus did all that was required for us to stand before Almighty God.  Everything that was required was finished on the Cross.

Let us give thanks to Our Redeemer King who gave up His life on earth so that we might have eternal life.  Let us live in the fullness of the reconciliation that He provided for us with Our Heavenly Father.  Let us seek the Holy Spirit to help us live worthy and holy lives here on earth as we prepare for our eternal holiness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to have eternal access to Your heavenly kingdom.  We praise You.  We love You.  We bless Your name.  We rejoice in knowing that we will worship You forever.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us everything in our lives that is displeasing to You.  We ask for the grace to walk the perfect path of sanctification that You have set aside for us through the sacrifice of Your Son.  May we live in the fullness of the One who gave His life for us.  May we surrender daily to our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

No Quotas Have Been Assigned

Matthew 28:19

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

How many did you win?  How many did you sell?  How much profit did you make?  These are the clamorings of men and women who trying to measure their success against their perceived plans.

Sometimes it pours over into the things we do in service to Our Lord.  How many attended the 11am service?  How much did we collect at the offering?  How many responded to the altar call?  How many were baptized?  Man's desire to satisfy/gratify his own need is insatiable.

Man's desire to convert God's work to his own plan is a common practice.  Our Heavenly Father has a different plan.  Almighty God does not call us to results.  Jesus did not tell His disciples to go out and win souls.  He asked them to go out and teach the people about having a relationship with Him.

Jesus did not give His disciples a quota, nor does He give us one.  He simply asks that we teach the world around us about the relationship that we have with Him.

Let us go out and develop relationships with others so that they will be interested in knowing our story.  Let us be prepared to tell them about Our King and His saving grace.  Let us trust in the Lord to inspire our listeners to receive His eternal gift.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in knowing that it is Your will that no man shall perish.  We thank You for providing the way, the truth and the life that is in Your Son, Jesus.  We pray, Father, that You will use us to teach the world about Your wonderful salvation plan. We ask for the grace to set aside our own personal desires and plans so that we may fully submit to the perfect will and plan that You have for our lives.  Through the presence and power of Jesus in our lives, may we make disciples of others.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who shall have dominion, Jesus Christ.

The Peace, Power and Authority of Christ is Ours

John 20:21

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

In one brief statement, Jesus gave the disciples the peace that they needed to overcome the fear that had them gathered in a hiding place and the power and authority that they needed to be successful in their calling.  So it is for us.

It is so easy to be overwhelmed by all that the world throws at us.  It is so easy to become discouraged, even fearful of the outcome ahead of us.  It is so easy to withdraw to a hiding place where doing nothing seems comfortable.  Yet the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you,” are just as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago.

Are we giving back to the Lord as He has given to us?  He has given us the peace, the power and the authority to do what He has called us to do.  Much has been given to us.  Are we doing all we can do with what we have been given?  Surely we will not leave on the table the feast that He has set before us.

Let us set aside all fear and uncertainty.  Let us claim the power and authority that has been promised to us.  Let us go out boldly and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing all that we need to be good and faithful servants.  We rejoice in knowing that there is nothing in the world that can stop us from bringing to harvest the seeds that You have given us to plant.  Father, we pray that You give us the wisdom to see the bounty that You have planned for us.  We ask for the grace and the strength that we need to thrive under the power and authority that we have through our relationship with Your Son, Jesus Christ.  We ask all these things in the precious, holy and mighty name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Lives Are Our Salvation Message to the World

1 Corinthians 9:22

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Paul shared with the Corinthians his passion to carry out the good work of delivering the message of salvation to all men.  He emphasized that this required him to be a servant to all men, regardless of their stature or their spiritual state.  In doing so, he was also teaching them that carrying the gospel to all men was their calling also.

God calls people to all walks of life to insure that His gospel message is spread to the world.  He calls some to full time ministry, but most are not.  Most of us are called to traditional occupations and lifestyles where the Lord wants us to let Christ be revealed by the way we live and by the way we treat others.

God wishes for our messages of love, compassion and forgiveness to be the same whether we are in a boardroom or in a maintenance shop, whether we are in a health club or in a hospital, whether we are at a church function or in the visiting room of a prison.  He wants our messaging system to be on non-stop.

Let us surrender our lives to Our Savior.  Let us allow the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit to draw spiritual production from us within the structure of our natural lives.  Let us strive to have our living testimonies become pathways to salvation for others.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the perfect love, compassion and forgiveness that You pour out onto each of us.  We praise the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to become vessels of Your grace.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten us and invigorate us to carry the salvation message with us as we walk through our daily lives.  May we bear fruit for Your kingdom wherever our paths on earth lead us.  We ask all these things in the name of the Tower of Salvation, Jesus Christ.

Covered in the Sweet Aroma of Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, all of our triumphs are in Him.  All of our success, especially our success in leading others to the Lord, are reasons for each of us to rejoice.  In our joy, we must go forward in life, not covered in pride, but covered in the sweet aroma of His presence.

While it is a wonderful thing for us to proclaim to the world how Our Savior atoned for our sins and made us worthy to be heirs of the kingdom of Almighty God, our living testimony should be much more.  The world should be able to see the presence of Jesus in every single action we take and in every single word that we speak.  The world should be able to savor the experience of being near Jesus Christ just by being near us.  This should be especially true when we gain victory during times of trial and tumult.

Let us surrender to the power and the presence of the Lord in every battle we face.  Let us give Him the glory in every victory and share the sweetness of His presence with the world around us.   

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us conquerors over all things in this world.  We rejoice in the victories that we claim through Your Son, Jesus.  We ask that we be given the grace to overcome the arrogance and the pride that naturally come with victory.  We pray that in every victory that all praise, honor and glory will go to You Father, to Your Son and to the Holy Spirit.  May the aroma of the One who brought the victory be spread around the world as we become living testimonies to His presence in our lives.  We ask these things in the name of the Rose of Sharon, Jesus Christ.

Extending Mercy While Under Attack

Luke 6:28

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

The supercharged, divisive mindset that has been growing and covering our nation sure does stir up everyone's emotions.  Strike back!  Respond in defense!  Prove that I am right!  All of these are natural human responses to conflict.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to follow a different standard.  "Love thy neighbor as thyself" requires a supernatural response when we run into personal conflict.  We are called to express the love of Christ in each instance.  This may require having to forgive the person in the heat of the conflict.  Only our strength through Jesus Christ allows us to meet this standard.

On the Cross, Jesus prayed that His murderers would be forgiven by His Father.  Stephen, the martyred disciple of Jesus, in his dying moments also showed us the standard to which we are called as he asked for forgiveness for those who were stoning him.  To meet this standard of mercy, we need supernatural strength.   When it comes to facing the day-to-day conflicts in our lives, the supernatural grace of God is required.  Our human nature will be woefully insufficient.  It is through His grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we are able to consistently respond in a manner that reflects the discipline of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Let us be merciful just as Our Heavenly Father is merciful to us.  Let us bless those that hurt us.  Let us pray for those that have come against us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You loving us first so that we may love You and love those around us.  We thank You for the mercy that You extended to us through the redemptive blood of Your Son, Jesus, so that we may extend mercy to those who we come in conflict with us.  We thank You for forgiving us of our sins so that we may be able to forgive those who sin against us.  We pray, Father, for the grace and the strength to release to the world the overflow of the lovingkindness that You poured out on us. We ask all these things in the name of the Slain Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Our Place and Our Position in Heaven

1 Corinthians 6:11

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Once we receive Jesus Christ as Our Savior, we are washed clean of our sins and made acceptable to take our place before the Father in heaven.  We receive what we did not earn and certainly do not deserve.  It is granted to us through the atoning work of Our Savior. None is the result of our holiness.

Our holiness is the result of us allowing the life of Jesus to be manifested in our flesh.  Are we willing to let God do in us all that has been made possible by Our Savior?  Or are we resting content in the salvation that we have been granted without pressing into a relationship with the One who gave His life so that our salvation could be assured?

Both our place in heaven and our position in heaven are gifts from God.  Our salvation guarantees our place in heaven.  The measure that we put into our relationship with Our Savior determines our position in heaven.  How can we not strive to develop the most intimate relationship with Our Savior King?

Let us give thanks to Almighty God for the place in heaven that has been set aside for us by the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.  Let us press on beyond our salvation, seeking an intimate relationship with Our Savior through which we will be directed to do the works that we have been prepared to do by the will and plan of Our Creator.  Let us rejoice for the rewards that we will receive in heaven as a result of the good works that we have been inspired to carry out by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the eternal resting place that You have prepared for us.  We ask that we may receive the grace to fully recognize the perfect gift that we have been given and the unimaginable sacrifice that was required for us to be able to receive it.  We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will inspire us to choose to accept the fullness that is ours through Your Son, Jesus.  We pray that we will never be satisfied with our salvation alone, but that we will seek the highest level of all things that You have set aside for us.  We ask all these things in the name of our Most High, Most Holy and Most Righteous Lord, Jesus Christ.

Focusing on the Wrong "To Do" List

John 18:36

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Ok, where is that "To Do" list?  It's time to get on to today's tasks.  I have to dive into the challenges of this day.  Does this sound or feel familiar? 

The world is all about results.  Everything we are taught by the world directs us toward endless expenditures of our energy and our activities in an effort to produce something deemed valuable by the world itself.  We are constantly in motion taking on the demands of the world.  In our haste, we are focusing on the wrong kingdom.

Jesus' royal power and authority have no origin in this world.  His standing with the Father is in no way furnished by earthly force, fleshly ordinances, physical energies, material wealth or imperial armies.  The dominion of Christ the King springs directly from the throne of Almighty God.  Every good thing that comes to us and flows through us is a result of our relationship with One who sits at the right hand of the Father.

The Lord is all about process, not results.  As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to a process of building an intimacy with Our Savior.  From the depths of the relationship that we develop with Jesus, we will produce every good thing that we engage in under His dominion.  

Let us adjust our focus now.  Let us turn away from focusing on the production of things that our flesh demands and move on to producing for the kingdom of Our Lord while here on earth.  Let us become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day.  We thank You for every day that You have given us.  We rejoice in knowing that we will serve You here on earth and in heaven for all eternity.  We ask for the daily grace to focus on and bear the desired fruit on earth that has value in Your kingdom.  We pray that through our relationship with Your Son that our every activity will give You the praise and glory that is Yours alone.  We ask all these things in the name of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Letting Go of the World's Offers

Hosea 14:8

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

The choice to focus on and follow Jesus rather than the world becomes a very practical one.  Hosea clearly differentiates for us what our choices are.  He instructs that the Lord has no ties to the idols of the world.  He then points out that it is through Our Lord that that we gain the fruit of our lives. 

As we go through life, we deal with ordinary human stuff.  For most of us, the greater part of our days are filled with the labors that provide for us.  For all of us, the remainder of our days are portioned out for time with our families and loved ones, time for ourselves and perhaps time for service in our community.  All these things make up the fabric of our daily lives.

It is so natural to put all of our focus on the problems, the challenges and the opportunities that the world presents to us each day.  It is so easy to reach out to what we think we know and what the world has to offer in order to address the issues of the day.  Jesus asks us to take nothing from the world.  He asks us to draw on Him and His indwelling Holy Spirit for our strength and our guidance.  Where we should differ from the world as disciples of Jesus Christ is in our approach to our daily tasks.  Everything that we do each day should be dominated by our devotion to Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus should be our focus in all things.  What the world has to offer has to be considered of little value in comparison.  It is very likely that if we choose what the world has to offer that we will find ourselves fighting our way upstream with failure and sorrow as our destiny.  

Let us choose to focus on what Our Savior has to offer.  Let us rejoice as we benefit from the natural outpouring of His Spirit within us.  Let us give God the glory as the world comes to recognize us by our fruit.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing Your ways to us to through Your Son, Jesus.  We praise the name of Jesus for being the way, the truth and the life...for being all that we need in our lives.  We pray, Lord, that You will set us free from leaning on our own ways and the ways of the world.  We  pray that You provide us the grace and the wisdom to walk in Your ways under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  May we bear much fruit in the name of Your Son.  We ask all these things the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ.

The Model of Compassion

John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”

The compassion that Jesus Christ has for us is beyond our understanding.  His compassion goes beyond human capability.  His compassion extends to a level that only He, as the Son of Man and the Son of God, can personify.

His remarkable compassion was fully revealed to us on the Cross.  In His moments of agony and pain, as He was fulfilling all that He was called to do, as he was placed between thieves with soldiers gambling for His clothing, He called out to the Father, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."  In His compassion, He recognized the frailty of all men and extended His perfect love and forgiveness.

Then in the final moments before His death.  He made sure that His mother was cared for.  He took the time to model that even in our highest calling that we have day-to-day challenges in our lives that must be dealt with.  Who but Jesus, could exhibit such personal compassion at the same time that He was taking on the sins of the world?  

Let us be acutely aware of our obligations to our family as we undertake our callings as disciples of Jesus Christ.  Let us seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit to help us properly prioritize our works as we deal with our spiritual calling from God and our responsibilities in our carnal world.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your compassionate understanding of our frailty in the flesh.  We bless the name of Jesus who came and lived in the flesh so that we could see how to live both in our highest calling and in our day-to-day responsibilities of caring for our families, our loved ones and those placed around us.  We pray that we will be forever mindful of Our Compassionate Savior as we go through the trials of our lives.  May we extend the fullness of His compassion for us to the world.  We ask all these things in the name of the fount of all compassion and mercy, Jesus Christ.

Joining Jesus in Work Through Prayer

John 14:12

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Most of us will never set foot on foreign soils in an effort to win souls.  Nor will we step to a podium to stir a great revival.  So what are these greater works that we will do when we believe in Jesus?

The answer is certainly different for each one of us as God has created each of us with a unique plan for our lives.  In our own individual ways we will be called to be laborers in the field bringing light to the world of darkness around us.  We may be called to be ushers, parking attendants, babysitters, etc.  We may be called to serve the poor.  We may be called to lead a bible study.  Who knows, we may even be called to a ministry of healing and deliverance.  But in all of the various ways that we are called, there will always be one element of our works that will be the same and that is the work of prayer.

Jesus was our role model is this regard.  He never attempted any work without going to the Father first in prayer.  Prayer was one of His greater works as He went to the Father to have His power and His purpose released.  Now that Jesus is with the Father as Our Mediator, one could argue that prayer is the greatest work that we will do as we call on Jesus to go to the Father on our behalf.

Let us call on Jesus to go to the Father to have His power and His purpose for us released in our lives.  Let us faithfully seek the greater works that the Lord has set aside for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us vessels for Your perfect Light to be released in the darkness of the world around us. We bless the name of Jesus for showing us the way in which we should approach the purpose for our lives.  We rejoice in knowing that we can share in Your good work by accessing through prayer the power and authority of Your Son.  We pray, Father, that the greater works of the Son will be released in our lives as we seek You and surrender to Your plan for our lives through our prayers.  We ask all these things in the name of the Strength of Our Lives, Jesus Christ.

Grace to Overcome All Bitterness

1 John 2:2

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die for the sins of all of mankind.  In this one act, we see the perfect love and the perfect forgiveness of both the Father and the Son.  The advocacy of the Son is limited to believers, but the propitiation for sin extends as far and as wide and as deep as the evidence of sin in all people.  

When we receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as Our Savior, we are receiving the fullness of His perfect love and forgiveness.  We also receive the indwelling Holy Spirit who instills in us this perfect love and forgiveness to share with the world around us.  As it is with the Father and the Son, we are to withhold love and forgiveness from no man.  

With all the anger and bitterness that is spewed every day in our society, we should not withhold even the smallest portion of love and forgiveness from any man anywhere.  Our ability to love and forgive under all circumstances is what marks us as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Let us set aside the anger that the world stirs in us.  Let us refuse to partner with the bitterness that our flesh demands.  Let us live in the fullness of joy and peace that is only found through perfect love and forgiveness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the unlimited flow of love and forgiveness that comes from Your Throne. We bless the name of Jesus for becoming sin for every man so that we all could receive the eternal gift of salvation.  We pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we learn to become free flowing vessels of Your perfect love and forgiveness.  We ask for the grace to overcome all bitterness, anger and unforgiveness in our lives so that we may in no way hinder the provision of Your love to the world around us.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 

Choosing to Help God

Esther 4:14

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.

God had a unique will and plan for Esther's life.  He wanted her to be the instrument that He used to deliver His people.  He wanted her to know that He would bring favor for His people through her efforts.  But God would not make the choice for Esther, she had to make her own choice to follow His instruction.  If she did not follow His will, God made it known that He would find someone else who would be the instrument of delivering His people.

God was very clear in conveying the options to Esther.  What He did not say to her was, "Thanks, I could not do this without you." God can accomplish His plans without any help from us.  If we are not obedient in doing the things that He asks us to do, the loss is not His. He will find a replacement to do His good work because He loves to use His children to accomplish His work.  It brings Him great pleasure and glory.

But if we are not obedient to the things that He asks us to do, it is our loss.  The work that we do for the Lord is more about our sanctification process than the results of our work.  Who we are in Christ is defined by our obedience to His calling.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we can fulfill God's will and plan for our lives. Let us seek to join the Lord in His good work.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the privilege of serving You on this earth.  We rejoice in knowing that we bring You great pleasure and glory when we do Your good work.  We pray, Father, that You will open our eyes so that we may see the ways in which You are calling us to serve You.  We pray, Lord, that You will prepare our hearts to surrender to Your will for our lives. May all that we do be for Your pleasure and Your glory.  We ask all these things in the name of the Great King Over All the Earth, Jesus Christ.

The Patient Process of Releasing the Fruit

Exodus 2:11

One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.

Moses had a calling on his life and he knew it.  He just did not know how to handle it.  Although he was tuned in to his calling, he was not spiritually prepared yet to handle the assignment.  God took Moses through 40 years in the wilderness to prepare him for his God-appointed place among the Israelites.

We are all called to lead our families spiritually.  We are all called to lead others spiritually in some manner.  When the fullness of the calling hits, we soon realize how ill equipped we are for the work and how ill prepared those around us are to receive us. We have the vision and a limited understanding of what needs to be done.  But like Moses, we feel like we have been left out in the wilderness.  It seems as if God is ignoring us.

In actuality, the opposite is true.  God is fully and perfectly engaged in our lives.  His plan is to discipline us so that we are focused on Him and not on our vision.  When our focus is corrected, the fruit of the vision is released for the harvest.

Let us tune into the vision that God has for our lives.  Let us surrender to His work as He prepares us for our work.  Let us confidently wait on the perfect time in which He will release the fullness of His blessing into our lives. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfectly patient hand in our lives.  We thank You for taking us through our wilderness experiences in order to draw us closer to You.  We bless the name of Jesus who carries us through our discouragement. We praise His Holy Name as He releases the fruit of our lives when we are mature enough in our relationship with Him to handle the harvest.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Over All, Jesus Christ.

Almighty God Is Eager to Come Along Side Us

Genesis 5:24

Enoch walked with God;

"Enoch walked with God."  Good for old Enoch, but what about us?  Does it seem possible that at any given time that the ruler and creator of the universe would dial us up and invite us for a walk or we could dial Him and ask Him to join us for a walk?  In the flesh, it certainly seems impossible, perhaps even unimaginable.

While it all may seem illogical to us, it is absolutely within the plans that Almighty God has for each of us.  He is always ready to hear from us.  He is eager to come along side of us.  His line is always open.  The only issue is that in order to connect to God's line, we have to be on the same line.  We must disconnect ourselves from all of the lines of distraction in our lives.  This is hard work, but it is well worth the effort.  Profound peace and joy awaits. 

Let us begin the task of separating ourselves from the distractions of the world.  Let us devote every task, no matter how mundane, to the Lord. Let us treat all of our labor as sacred. Let us learn to stay in the presence of Almighty God throughout the day.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for granting us the privilege to be in Your presence.  We praise You for making Your throne accessible to us. We bless the name of Jesus for dying on the cross for us so that we are worthy to come before You.  We pray, Lord, that You would teach us how to shed the distractions of the world and make You the center of all that we do. May we all learn to rejoice in complete comfort in Your sweet presence.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Ever Present Lord, Jesus Christ.