The Inspiration, Instruction and Ingenious Leading of the Holy Spirit

John 16:8

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin and of God's righteousness and of the coming judgment.

Jesus instructed His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them after He departed the earth.  He let them know that the Holy Spirit would be their counselor.  He taught them that the Holy Spirit would convince them of their sin and reveal to them the penalty for sin that is required by a righteous and holy God.  He also let the disciples know that the Holy Spirit would be their comforter.  He taught them that the Holy Spirit would be with them to show them the need for their Redeemer and the value of the gift of salvation.

We received Jesus' teaching about the Holy Spirit in the Holy Word of God.  We have been taught through the Bible of the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiring us with the promise of Almighty God to forgive our sins if we confess them before Him and repent.  As we go through the process of asking for forgiveness, the Holy Spirit will remind us that the only reason that Our Heavenly Father can forgive us is because Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins and that had Jesus not become sin for us, Almighty God in His righteousness could not forgive our sin.

Let us praise the Lord for the work of completion that the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.  Let us celebrate anew each time that the Holy Spirit leads us to relish and savor the gift that we have been given.  Let us rejoice and give thanks each time that the Holy Spirit begins a new work in our hearts so that we may fully value the treasure that is ours through the Cross.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to convict us of the folly, fault and filth of our sins.  We thank You for the Holy Spirit who leads us to Your Son, Jesus.  We bless the name of Jesus for He is the only way that we can avoid the penalty of separation from You for all eternity because of our sins.  We pray, Lord, that we will be forever mindful and eternally thankful for the Holy Spirit that You have provided to be Our Comforter and Our Counselor.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Holy and Righteous Lord, Jesus Christ.

True Self Improvement is Done by Surrendering Self

Galatians 6:14

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Man throughout the ages has always tried to define what creates a better and more satisfying lifestyle.  From a secular standpoint, many different types of programs, processes and religions have taken turns being touted as the new thing that will change lives for the better.  But none of these have stood the test of time, nor will they ever.  In the end, the secular programs and processes are about as effective as New Year's resolutions.

No plan except the salvation plan of Our Savior has merit.  As the apostle Paul taught repeatedly, vain and carnal hearts will never come up with a plan that even approaches the way, the truth and the life that is offered to us through the Cross of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We can read every single book on how to improve ourselves.  We can attend every seminar that promises to make positive changes in how we live our lives.  Life changes that are instituted from any of these will produce nothing of real and lasting value.  No matter how much we believe that we have improved ourselves, it will not be sufficient.  Until our minds and hearts are changed supernaturally by the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit, we will only change the elements of this world.  Only through the Cross will we truly change and claim victory over the foolishness that the world offers and that our flesh demands.

Let us claim the promise of Our Savior to perfect His strength in our weakness.  Let us call on the Holy Spirit to guide us on our path of sanctification.  Let us rejoice as God reveals His plans for our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to give us victory over the weakness that is our flesh.  We rejoice in knowing that by accepting Your Son as Our Savior that we can overcome all of the trials and tribulations that the world offers to us.  We pray that we will be given the grace and the wisdom to see the folly that we will undertake if we arrogantly look to our own abilities to secure our future.  We ask that the influence of the Holy Spirit will keep us in humble submission to Our Lord and Savior at the foot of His Cross.  May we deny all riches, praises, honors and pleasures of the world in exchange for our renewed lives in Jesus Christ.  We ask all these things in name of Our Savior King, Jesus Christ.

Trusting In God's Perfectly Timed, Perfect Plans

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Through His love, His grace and His mercy, we are called to be servants of Almighty God here on earth and in heaven for all eternity.  We were created in His image for this purpose in order to bring Him praise and glory.  Being conscious of our own weakness, we should wait on and look to Our Master for our direction and our strength.

Our focus needs to be on God at all times.  We should be expectant that He will direct our ways and make provision for the fulfillment of our calling.  We should understand that He will set the limits of how high He is ready for us to go and He will set the timing of when we will get there.  We should recognize that He knows exactly what He has planned for our lives and the lives of those around us.

If we focus on our problems or our visions without including Our Heavenly Father in the process, we will set expectations for ourselves that are outside of God's will for our lives.  We will be setting ourselves up for burn out or for seeing results that are disappointing to us.  It is almost certain that we will not go as high as God had planned for us or that we will give up on our calling before it is fulfilled because we are not in tune with God's timing.

Let us make Jesus Christ the Master over our lives.  Let us seek the will of Our Master in everything that we do.  Let us lean not on our personal plans.  Let us serve Our Lord and Our King in accordance with the perfectly timed, perfect plans that He has set aside for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to be Your servants.  We rejoice in knowing that just as the slaves go to their master for their direction and all of their needs, we can go to You for everything in our lives.  We pray, Lord, that just as the slaves wait on their master before they do anything, we will learn to wait on the direction of Your Holy Spirit before we take on anything.  We ask that we learn to rely on Your hand, Almighty God.  May we reach the fullness of service that You have planned for us. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord, Our Master and Our King, Jesus Christ.

The Practice of Constant Thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

King David was given unimaginable riches to pass along to his son, Solomon, who had been chosen by God to build the temple.  As the riches were collected, all the people came together and brought the things that they could contribute to the building of the temple.  Think of the immense pleasure and satisfaction that David felt as he stood over this assembly.  He captured the moment perfectly.

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.   Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.  In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

As we leave the memories of the past Thanksgiving Day, may the gratitude that we felt and expressed extend beyond the table top into our lives everyday. May the world see our joy as we live in the fullness of the gift of salvation and the certain provision of a place in the kingdom of God for all eternity.

Let us fill our hearts daily with thanks and praise for Our All Sufficient Lord.  Let the world know us by our joy as we celebrate the unimaginable treasures that we have been given through the loving kindness of Almighty God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for every provision that we have been given on this earth.  We give thanks and praise Your glorious name for the eternal provision given through Your Son, Jesus.  We pray, Lord, that we will have thanksgiving in our hearts every single moment that we breathe.  We ask that we will find joy in the many riches that You have provided, especially in the joy that You have provided through the treasure that is our families and our friends.  May our joy and thanksgiving draw those around us to Your Son, Jesus, and the eternal provision that He holds for them.  We ask all these things in the name of One worthy of all praise, Jesus Christ.

Exchanging Our Contempt with Loving Care

Psalm 123:3

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

Every day the world around us seems to get more contentious and contemptuous.  Webster defines contempt as "feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn." We see dramatic outpourings of contempt in the news and throughout social media.  We certainly recognize the contempt that unbelievers often have for our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ.  As a result of the contempt that we encounter, hopefully we are quick to ask the Lord to open the eyes of those around us so that their scorn for us is replaced by a desire to learn from us the way, the truth and the life that we have in Jesus.  But is that the case?

When we are out in the world, how are we reacting to those that annoy us?  Are we taking an intercessory path or are we treating them with contempt?  Are we losing our testimony because of an ugly glare or quick nasty comment that destroys our message of salvation?  Are we leaving the world with a taste of our nasty attitude instead of the love of the One who we have accepted as Our Savior?

Let us be fully aware that the world is filled with contempt, but as Christians we are not of this world.  Let us refuse to be swamped by the cares and challenges of life.  Let us turn over the annoyances that we run into in the world and let God handle them in the courts of heaven.  Let us ask the Lord to give us discernment in all things so that we are known by our intercession and not by our criticism.  Let us exchange our contempt for others with our loving care for others.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy that You have extended to us so that we may be able to extend mercy to others.  We praise the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator who stands for us to correct every wrong and every injury as any good master would do for his slave.  We pray, Lord, that we will not faint under our trials in this world, but we will look unto the name of Jesus in faith and in prayer so that we may be vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness so that the world may know Him by our actions.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ.

Fueled by the Desire To Do the Will of the Father

John 4:34

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Jesus Christ spent every day of His life on earth fueled by the desire to fulfill the work that He had been given by His Father.  It was the Father's will that all of His children could become heirs to His kingdom in heaven. The sacrificial death of Jesus was required for any man or woman to be deemed acceptable to claim the inheritance that the Father had prepared for them.  Jesus took on the sin of all men on the Cross by divine decree.  It was the reason that He came to earth.  He faithfully completed the work that His Father gave Him to do.   

His unimaginable accomplishment was crowned by His own words, "It is finished."  Through His perfect life and His atoning death, He glorified the Father and opened the way for all men to become heirs to the kingdom of Almighty God.  

With His work complete, Jesus called on His disciples to join Him in fulfilling His Father's plan for mankind.  He warned them that they would suffer many trials in carrying out the Father's will in their own lives.  He explained that each of them would have to pick up their own crosses.  He encouraged them by telling them that He was going to provide them with a helper to give them the strength that they would need to bring the salvation plan to all men.  As it was with the disciples, Jesus is calling each of us to join Him in a lifetime of obedience to the will of Almighty God.

Let us cling to the Cross - the supernatural bridge that provides the only way to Our Father in heaven.  Let us pick up our own crosses to do what is necessary so that we may help the world around us find the way, the truth and the life that is Jesus Christ.  Let us be fueled by our desire to do the will of the Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die on the Cross to atone for our sins.  We exalt the name of Jesus who accepted His assignment on earth so that He might glorify Your name and open the way to heaven for all men.  We pray, Father, that we may glorify Your name by faithfully completing every good work that You have set aside for us.  In the name of Jesus, we ask for the grace to see and the strength to accept the things that You have called us to do so that others may see the way, the truth and the life that is Your Son, Jesus.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb slain for our sin, Jesus Christ.

All Aspects of Our Lives Are Ordained by God for His Glory

1 Peter 4:11

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 

God's glory should be the reason for all that we do.  Jesus is our model.  In every doctrine that Jesus taught, in every miracle that He performed, in every suffering that He endured and certainly in His death, Jesus Christ lived unto the glory of His Father in heaven.  He came to earth to do the work that the Father gave Him to do and He did it faithfully so that the Father would be glorified.

So too, we have all been called to serve Our Father in heaven here on earth.  Everything that we do is ordained by God.  Every portion of our lives, even our eating, drinking, walking and talking are all for His glory.  But beyond our daily utilities, God has created each of us to serve Him in accordance to the plan that He has for our lives.

Most of us were not called to be theologians or full time ministers.  Most of us were called to be secular laborers or laborers in our homes.  For some of us, aside from our daily labor, the Lord has placed a calling on our lives for some type of spiritual service such as teaching a Bible study, singing in the choir, visiting prisons or assisted living facilities, etc.  For most of the rest of us, our service beyond our daily labors may be quite simple service at the church we attend - child care, parking attendant, usher, etc.  Again, all of these things are ordained by God for His glory and all are held in high esteem by Him.  

Let us strive to find ways to join Jesus in doing the work of the Father.  Let us find pleasure in all works, no matter how big or small they may be.  Let all our works be done for the glory of Our Heavenly Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You allow the least of us in the least of ways to bring glory to Your name.  We rejoice in knowing that You have created us for this purpose.  We bless the name of Jesus who accepted His calling as Our Savior and fulfilled it completely to the end of His days on earth.  We pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will guide us and inspire us in finding all the ways that You have planned for us to serve You.  May our every act be consecrated by our holy motives to glorify You.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Glorious Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Natural and Supernatural Processes of Forgiveness

Ephesians 1:7

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

When we think of forgiveness, we usually think of it in terms of how it plays out in our natural interactions with others.  We may find it hard to forgive someone who has offended us, but we can usually find the mercy to forgive them under the right conditions.  They come to us and express sufficient regret and express a sincere desire that they will never do it again.  Conversely, we feel like we should be forgiven if we are willing to express our sorrow for the pain we have caused to another and we are willing to say we will not cause that harm again.  In the natural, among people of good hearts, this process works much of the time.

Almighty God looks at forgiveness in a different light.  He certainly requires the same natural interactions of forgiveness that we are familiar with.  For God to forgive us, He requires us to come before Him humbly and confess our sins.  For God to forgive us, He requires us to repent of our sins.  But Our Father in heaven also requires supernatural interaction.  Because of His holiness, we cannot approach Him with our expressions of sorrow and repentance unless we have accepted Jesus as Our Savior.  For Our Savior must first approach the Father as Our Mediator.  He must identify us as ones who have been cleansed by His atoning blood.  In the supernatural, under these conditions, this process works every time without fail.

Let us repent of every sin and iniquity in our lives.  Let us ask Our Lord to forgive us with true contriteness in our hearts.  Let us rejoice as we are washed clean of every blemish that separates us from Our Father in heaven.  Let us praise the name of Our Redeemer who saved us through the richness of His grace.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect, unconditional love and the mercy plan for forgiveness that You have provided through Your Son, Jesus.  We bless the name of Jesus for making it possible for us to come before You with our confessions and our desire to repent of our sins.  We rejoice in knowing that Our Savior stands before You as Our Mediator and that His atoning blood covers us so that we are acceptable to receive Your forgiveness.  We pray, Lord, that we will always be mindful of what it cost You to reinstate us in Your favor.  May the world around us see us in the light of Your favor and be drawn to Your Son to receive the same treasure.  We ask all these things in the name of Our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Taking Our Thanks Beyond the Thanksgiving Table

Nehemiah 8:10

And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"

Each year since the Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving celebration feast in the early 1600’s, a day has been set aside in this country to take the time to come together to give thanks for all that we have been blessed with as a nation and as individuals.  For followers of Jesus, it has been easy to give thanks and sincerely praise the Lord.  As His disciples, we truly have been blessed.  But more importantly, we have recognized/learned where our real blessings come from.  We have continued to recognize our blessings and the source of our blessings as we went through pain, trouble, conflict and trials during different junctures in our lives.  We may not have always been particularly happy about our circumstances, but we learned along the way that we could always find our joy and our strength in Jesus Christ.

On a national basis, the story is much different.  As our nation has become more and more secular, a large portion of the population has spent their lives seeking happiness without any understanding of the true joy of living for Christ. Non-believers have bought into the idea that they can control their own happiness.  It can be devastating to them when they realize that happiness is not something that they can create.  It can be crushing to them when they realize that their circumstances are not something that they have control over.  They have no place to turn when they hit their inevitable periods of pain, trouble, conflict and trials.

Let us take our thanks beyond the Thanksgiving table.  Let us take time each day to give thanks for the source of our joy, Jesus Christ.  Let us delight in Him.  Let us praise Him for what He has done for us, how He is still working in us and what He promises us for all eternity.   Let us show the world the powerful joy that is the source of our strength.  Let us show the world how His joy transforms us and motivates us to serve Him.  Let our joyful lives become a most appealing witness for a lost and hurting world.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many blessings that You have poured onto our lives through Your grace, Your mercy and Your lovingkindness.  We thank You for the trials that You have allowed in our lives which have deepened our trust in You.  We bless the name of Jesus who provided the way for our eternal blessings.  We pray, Father, that Your Holy Spirit will inspire us to take the joy that we have in Christ to share with those around us so that Your joy and gladness can be theirs for today and forever.  We ask all these things in the name of the Joy of the World, Jesus Christ.

Set Free From the Bonds of Slavery to Sin

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

In Ephesians, Paul taught that before we accepted Our Savior that we all once walked the course of the world, following the spirit that is at work in the lives of the disobedient.  Through the teachings of Paul and John in the Holy Word, we learn that Jesus is the only way that we can attain freedom from the slavery of sin that we have been born into.

It is through Jesus Christ that we have victory over our sins.  Once we have accepted Jesus as Our Savior, He comes to dwell within us.  With the presence of His Holy Spirit within us, we are set free from the bonds of slavery of sin.  Sin is no longer the ruler in our house, Jesus Christ is.

Because our freedom of choice is never taken away, our flesh constantly battles to take control over our lives and Satan constantly works to deceive us in an effort to make us slaves to sin again.  But Jesus Christ stands with us and, in accordance with His promises, He perfects His strength in our weaknesses and He provides victory over all evil.  He provides all that we need to overcome our sins.  

Let us seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we face the challenges associated with our walk of sanctification.  Let us choose to submit to the urgings of the Holy Spirit each time our flesh and the enemy try to take us off our pathway to holiness.  Let rejoice in our victory over sin through Jesus Christ as we strive to be holy as Our Savior is holy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect love that provided Your Son to free us from the slavery of sin.  We praise the name of Jesus for taking on all sin so that we may become heirs to Your holy kingdom.  We ask forgiveness for all the times that we have chosen to offend You through our sins.  We repent of these sins and ask for the fullness of the promise of Jesus to perfect His strength in our weakness.  We pray for the grace to surrender today and live forever as bond servants to Our Savior.  We ask all these things in the precious, holy and mighty name of Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ. 

The Responsibility and the Reward of Good Stewardship

Luke 16:10

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

While it is generally understood that this passage is about the poor money management of the underperforming steward, it also places focus on every resource that we have been given.  The message can be taken down to the very basic level of how obedient we are in carrying out even the smallest of tasks that the Lord has put on our hearts to do.

As a parent or employer, the assessment of how our children or employees carry out their tasks is the basis for our decisions concerning assigning them greater responsibilities in the future. As a good parent or good employer, we want the best for those under our care.  We want to see them succeed.  Because we view their position from a higher level, we know that we should only give them greater responsibility when they have shown that they are ready to handle it.

It is in this same way that Almighty God gives us more of anything, whether it be material things or greater responsibility.  Everything that we have belongs to God.  We only have the use of it.  He will only bless us to the extent that we have proven through our obedience that we are ready to handle more than He has already provided.

Let us learn service from the Son of God.  Let us go to the Father before acting on anything.  Let us carry out His will for our lives through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.  Let us gain much by being good stewards of what we have been given and by being obedient in the smallest of things.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving patience with us as we struggle to properly manage all that You have given us.  We ask forgiveness for the times that we have squandered the gifts that we have been provided. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in being good stewards of our blessings.  We rejoice in knowing that with every act of obedience that You are ready to graciously release more to us.  We pray, Father, that we will come to a place where we are obedient in every small thing that You place before us.  May our eyes be opened that we may see Your ways, and not our own, in all that surrounds us.  We ask all these things in the name of the source of all provision, Jesus Christ.

The "How" and "Why" Behind Our Efforts

1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

We are too often focused on getting everything we can out of life from a physical and material standpoint.  In fact, we are so focused on the material things that we often do not take a moment to consider God's perspective of what we are doing, how we are doing it, or why we are doing it.  Even in our ministries, we often get caught up in the numbers.  Our focus turns toward man's measurement of what we are doing and not God's.

In God's eyes, it is not about how much or how many.  God takes full responsibility for the bottom line.  What He is concerned about it is the "how" and "why" behind our efforts.  Are we leaning on Him for our accomplishments and not on our own abilities or the capabilities of the world?  Are we doing what we are doing for our own personal gain and recognition or are we doing it for the gain of God's kingdom and for His glory?

Our model for life is Our Savior.  Through His obedience, His suffering and His death, He lived to make intercession for us.  He lived in accordance with the will of His Father.  He lived to bring glory to His Father in heaven.

Let us repent of seeking what the world has to offer ahead of what God is offering us.  Let us get off the fence.  Let us focus completely on Almighty God in all things, big or small.  Let us bring honor to Our Heavenly Father with our every action.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us living proof of Your ways through Your Son, Jesus.  We bless His name for the way, the truth and the life that He revealed to us through His time on earth.  We pray, Lord, that You will prepare us to walk this earth in the same manner as Our Savior.  May we love You above all things.  May we seek You in all things.  May we love our neighbors unconditionally as we love ourselves.  May it all be for Your glory.  We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

Be Honored by Almighty God

John 12:26

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

How is it possible that Almighty God would honor His lowly creations from dust?  As unimaginable as it seems to us, it is settled in the kingdom of God.  The process for such an honor is locked into place for all eternity.  The steps are clearly defined.  Become a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Serve Him wherever and whenever He calls.  Be honored by the Father. 

Simple enough, right?  At least it would seem so.  But for most of us, we have some social hurdles to overcome.  We were raised to be fiercely independent.  That trait, while desirable in the carnal world, can have a negative impact on how we are able to build intimacy with God.  The true intimacy of a Holy Spirit lead lifestyle is not possible until we are able to completely surrender our lives to Jesus.

Anything short of full surrender to Jesus will lead to a life on the fence - half devoted to being a disciple of Jesus Christ and half devoted to the callings of the world.   When we are in that vacillating position, we are spiritually immature.  That is not the real life that God has planned for us.  God wants a spiritually mature life for us and from us.  He wants us to reach a place where we make every decision in life with discernment of the Holy Spirit.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to be fully committed disciples of His Son, conscious of our dependence on Him without regard to the trappings of our world.

Let us take full advantage of our salvation.  Let us become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.  Let us rejoice as we receive the honor that Almighty God bestows on those that become bond servants of His Son.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Son, Jesus, so that we can stay in constant communion with Him and receive grace from Him.  We rejoice in knowing that we receive honor from You when we follow Your Son and accept the gift of salvation that He offers.  We ask forgiveness, Lord, for all the times that we make decisions based on the world's standards and not Yours.  We pray, Father, that You will provide the grace that we need to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit only.  We ask for the strength and the wisdom to lay aside the trifling concerns of this life.  May we learn to exercise love, humility, patience, self-denial and resignation to Your will in the same manner as Our Savior did when He walked this earth.  May the eternal glory be Yours.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Refiner and Purifier, Jesus Christ.

Blessings According to the Choices We Make

Deuteronomy 30:16

If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Who does not wish to live and be blessed in the land where they dwell?  Almighty God placed these desires in all of our hearts and provided simple instructions for us to attain them - obey My commandments.

All simple and easy enough, right?  Well, our all knowing, sovereign God added an interesting wrinkle for us to deal with.  He gave us free choice.  He allows us to find the unique purpose and plan that He has for our lives through the choices that we make. Unfortunately, more times than we would like to admit to we make the wrong choices.  In the flesh, we are ill equipped to make the right choices all the time.

Knowing the inherent weakness in our flesh, our all loving and merciful God included an infallible resource to help us overcome our frailties.  He provided through our acceptance of His Son, Jesus, as Our Savior, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit provides us with supernatural assistance in making our choices. The Holy Spirit provides us with gentle urgings toward the path of obedience and clear stop signs when we are veering off the path.

As we learn to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit, our life choices come more into alignment with God's commandments.  The good and right way become more clearly defined in our minds and hearts. Ultimately, our choices will be the same as God's choices for us.  Ultimately through our obedience, we will experience the blessed life that God has set aside for us.

Let us rejoice in knowing that God has provided a Comforter to come along side of us to aid us in making our life choices.  Let us heed the urgings of the Holy Spirit as we position ourselves through obedience to receive all the blessings that Our Heavenly Father promises us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings that You promise us if we are obedient to You.  We confess our sins that separate us from You and repent of them so that the blessings that have been set aside for us can be released.  We rejoice in knowing that You have provided victory for us over our sins through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.  We bless His name.  We thank You for providing supernatural assistance for us as we make our life choices.  We pray that You will open our ears to hear the urgings of the Holy Spirit.  We ask for the grace to respond in obedience.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb without blemish, Jesus Christ.

The Bread of Life is Our Ever Present Power

Matthew 16:8

But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 

The bread of life, which is Jesus Christ, is within us when we receive Our Lord as Our Savior.  The living bread is ever present.  He is never removed.  He is always available to us and to those around us.  The only restrictor of the living bread is our own faith.

When we have no faith in the indwelling power of Our Lord, we build a hardened silo from which no provision can flow.  With little faith, we restrict what can be released from our lives.  With great faith, we can release an unlimited distribution of power, protection and provision into our lives and into the lives of those who surround us.

Jesus teaches in today's passage that doubt should never be an option for a believer under any circumstances.  Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die for us.  How could we ever doubt His presence and His power in our lives?  How could we ever fear with the King of Kings as our protector?  His countenance shines upon us and His grace is always with us.

Let us live in the triumphant belief of who Our Lord says He is.  Let our faith be not in ourselves, nor in the world, but in the One from Whom our salvation springs.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the Cornerstone of our faith, Your Son, Jesus Christ.  With His death on the Cross, we received victory over all evil.  We bless the name of Our Savior who made it possible for us to live our lives without fear.  May we live by the faith that we have been given.  We pray, Lord, that You will give us the wisdom and the strength to yoke ourselves to Jesus Himself.  May we learn to live in the fullness of the One who dwells within us.  We ask all these things in the name of the strength of our lives, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.

Walking As One with the Father and the Son

John 14:20

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Let us give full consideration to this passage which teaches us about our rightful place in the supernatural union with the Father and the Son.  We share in this miraculous union through our saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through this union, we partake in the same nature, the same perfections and the same glory as the Father and the Son.  

Let us also give full consideration to how this supernatural miracle should affect our lives.  As new men and women in Christ, the world should be able to see us in union with our Savior.  We should become identified by our obedience to God's commandments and the fruit that we bear from His callings.  Our lives should become expressions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been given to us through our union with Christ - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  In everything we do, we should share the perfect love and forgiveness that we received from the Father through the Son.  

At the same time, let us give full consideration to the supernatural reality that all that we see that is good that is being manifested in our lives is being worked out through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  Let us humbly recognize with absolute certainty that there is no possibility that our lives are the result of our own inherent holiness.  

Let us celebrate the union that we enjoy with the Father and the Son through the redemptive work of Our Savior.  Let us embrace the work of the Holy Spirit as He directs us on our path of sanctification.  Let us share the joy of our spirit filled lives with the world around us. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be Our Savior.  We rejoice in our new lives that we take on when we receive and accept the redemptive work of the Cross.  We pray, Father, that we may be emancipated completely from the darkness in our old lives.  May we walk in the fullness of the union of the Father and the Son as we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ.

The Faith That Withstands Trial

Genesis 22:12

He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

We are going to experience trials in our lives.  This is as certain in our lives as death and taxes.  Some of the trials will be small and some will be so big that we will nearly faint.  In each case, no matter the weightiness, the real test will be the test of our faith.

Who of us could have answered God's request to sacrifice a child like Abraham did?  It was his faith that allowed him to go.  Notice what Abraham said to the men who were with him before he headed up the mountain to the place of sacrifice.  "I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."  Abraham was resting on God's promise to make him the head of many nations.  Abraham knew that this was only possible through his son.  Abraham had the faith that in some manner God would provide a way through this test.

Trials and tests are God's way of drawing us close to Him and teaching us His ways.  It is through the trials and tests that our faith is built up so that we can become the person that God has intended for us to be.  God may not have created us to be a leader of a nation like Abraham, but He does have a specific plan for our lives.  We can only fulfill this plan by putting all of our faith in the One in whose hands we rest.

Let us put all of our faith in the hands of Our Creator.  Let us fulfill everything that He has set aside for us through our faithful obedience.  Let us rejoice as our bountiful faith releases God's supernatural plan for our lives. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for each trial that You allow in our lives.  We rejoice in knowing that we are resting in Your hands as we go through each of these challenges to our faith.  We ask, Lord, that we will have the faith of Abraham.  We pray that we will not turn away from any test that you set before us.  May our character and our faith be built up in accordance with Your perfect plans for our lives.  We ask these things in the name of the One upon Whom our faith is built, the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

The Promise of Comfort and Strength in All Things

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

When we are in full submission to Jesus Christ, we have prepared ourselves to allow the bountiful power of the Holy Spirit to be released in our lives and through us to the world around us.  At this juncture, we are capable of doing all that God has created and willed for our lives.  In this process, we have to learn that God is using us from His personal standpoint.  All that He asks is that we trust in Him.

Even when it seems to us that our lives are a tangled mess, there is always the wonderful hope in the promises of Almighty God.  Through His grace and His mercy, we will come through whatever trials that we see ourselves caught in.  

Let us find our comfort and our strength by listening for and responding to the urgings of the Holy Spirit.  Let us be diligent in listening and responding to the Holy Spirit.  Let us give the honor and the glory to Almighty God as our lives become productive and our fruit for the kingdom becomes plentiful.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the free grace and mercy that our hopes are based on.  We praise the name of Jesus, who is the fountain of all the good that we have hope for.  Father, we pray for the strength to overcome our doubtful minds that make us halting in our duties.  May You grant us the unwavering faith that we need to set aside our own self-reliance and to learn to trust in Your promises.  May we be comforted in our hearts as we await all the good things that You have already set aside for us and our loved ones.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who is the complete fulfillment of all of Your promises, Jesus Christ.

Strength is Ours When We Need It Most

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

With so much going on around us that we are troubled by, but have no control over, it is easy to become frustrated at our station in life.  With so much evil in the world today, it is very easy to become despondent and depressed.  But how is this so?

How is it that we do not now trust in that which has been recorded throughout history and is prepared for our understanding in God’s Holy Word?  How have we missed being enlightened to the ways in which Almighty God has been forever with us when we have the experiences of good men through their own observation and the God-inspired writings of His apostles and His prophets to instruct us?  How have we not learned that the Maker and Former of all things, who upholds, governs and judges all that is under His kingdom, never tires of providing for and protecting the creatures that He created for His own glory?  Why do we continue with our foolish frets and fears and not find peace in the storm when the One who vanquishes all that comes against us is always with us?

We should not be surprised at our weakness or lack of understanding.  God was perfectly aware that we were not capable on our own to cope with the torments of our own flesh and the attacks of the enemy.  Through His immeasurable grace He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.  For those that He knew were weak, He provided all the strength required for victory.

Let us gather up our strength in the Lord when we are challenged by the enemy.  Let us seek His might when we are being overwhelmed by the world and tormented by our own flesh.  Let us rest on His promises as we claim our victories over our troubles.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing all that we need to overcome this world.  We bless the name of Jesus who died on the cross so that we might have victory over all evil.  We rejoice in knowing that Your Holy Spirit is always with us to provide peace, comfort and strength through all trials.  Father, we pray that our hearts and minds are put to rest with the certainty of Your presence and Your promises.  May those around us be comforted by the peace that they see in our lives during times of trouble.  We ask all these things in the name of our ever-present Lord, Jesus Christ.

Equipped to Release the Power of God

1 Corinthians 12:6

There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

Spiritual gifts are bestowed upon us for the sole purpose of spreading the Gospel.  These gifts are freely given to us by Almighty God for the salvation of others.  When we try to teach, preach or evangelize by our own strength and capability, we will be unsuccessful.  The power is not in us.  The power is in the Holy Spirit that is within us.  We must let the Holy Spirit lead us and let the outpouring of the Holy Spirit be our product.

It is not our job to convert people.  It is our job to have people drawn to us by the way that we live our lives in Jesus Christ.  Even though our labors may be ordinary, if they are done as works of faith, labors of love and with persistent hope in Our Savior, the Holy Spirit will carry on and complete the work of Our Heavenly Father in His children.

Once drawn to us by our walk with Jesus, the people around us will have Jesus revealed to them as the way, the truth and the life. The supernatural work of salvation will begin through our simple natural acts of obedience to the Holy Word of God.  Through our living testimonies, those around us will be able to receive every good and perfect gift that Our Heavenly Father has prepared for them.

Let us surrender our lives to the work of Our Redeemer.  Let us learn to listen to and obey the urgings of the Holy Spirit as He directs us to minister to others.  Let us learn to wait with great faith and hope as the Lord prepares the hearts of those that He equips us to serve.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing Yourself to the world through the obedient works of Your humble servants who are so undeserving.  We thank You, Lord, for assigning to us various gifts, administrations and operations for us to carry out in the name of Jesus.  We rejoice, Father, in knowing that the world can learn of Your good and perfect gifts by observing the lives of those who have already accepted Your gift of salvation and are obedient to You in the ordinary things of life.  We pray, Lord, that Your grace will fill our hearts so that the world will know You.  We ask all these things in the name of the Captain of Our Salvation, Jesus Christ.

Good Stewards of His Presence

1 Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

We are vessels of the living water that dwells within us.  We are not the the stream or the rain shower that brings the precious water.  We are only the collecting places where the thirsty can come to be quenched.

We are the lanterns of the Light of the World.  We are not the sun or the moon that brings the precious light.  We are only the beacons that allow the light to shine into the darkness of the world around us.

We are the temples of Jesus Christ.  We produce nothing on our own, but we are the repositories of the gifts of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

We are conduits of the perfect love and forgiveness of Our Heavenly Father.  Nothing that flows from us is of ourselves.  It is all the perfection of Jesus Christ within us.  God could have chosen angels to deliver His message, but He chose weaker vessels so that His power might be glorified and His treasures might be shared with all men.

Let us prepare ourselves to receive and pass along every good thing that the Father has set aside for us.  Let us seek to be living founts of the goodness and loving kindness of Almighty God.  Let us be good stewards of His presence in our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us to deliver Your treasures to the world.  We rejoice in knowing that You have pulled us from the pit, cleansed us with the blood of Your Son, Jesus, and made us worthy to be lamps upon a hill.  We pray, Lord, that You will reveal to us everything in our lives that hinders the flow of Your gifts.  May we live in the fullness of Our Savior.  May all the glory be Yours.  We ask all these things in the name of the Living Water and the Everlasting Light, Jesus Christ.