Equipped To Do the Work of the Son

John 20:22

And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

It was the evening of the first day of the week.  The disciples, fearing the Jews after the crucifixion of their Master, were meeting behind locked doors.  With the appearance of Jesus, they were at once at peace.  But then a greater thing happened, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit.  All that had been gathered in the room in fear suddenly began a supernatural life which is unique to Christians alone.  They were sent forth to continue the work that Jesus had been sent to do by His Father.

As the New Year begins, how many of us are sheltering ourselves away from the world?  How many of us are letting our fears hold us back from doing the work that Jesus was sent to do?  Do we not recognize that the same power that was given to the early disciples is also given to us?

Let us begin our new year under the guidance of Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  He has been given to us to instruct us and empower us to do the work of the Father.  He has been sent to supernaturally strengthen us.  He comes along side of us to provide the power and protection that we need to overcome the enemy, the world around us and even our own flesh, all of which are trying to bring us down.

We can be sure that we will encounter some failure.  In all likelihood, our failures will come from the fact that we have turned once again to rely on our own strength.  We must be continously aware that our own strength will never be enough to meet the demands and challenges of this world.  Our strength must come from the Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that He gives us. 

Let us take hold of what has been promised to us.  Let us surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Let us commit to joining Our Precious Savior in doing the work of the Father in the new year.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit to come along side of us to be our counselor.  We praise the name of Jesus who defeated all evil when He died on the Cross so that we could defeat the evil that comes against us.  We pray that you will teach us to accept our utter failure without Christ.  Help us to realize our best will never be good enough until we are cleansed by the blood of Our Savior and receive His Holy Spirit into our lives.  Help us Father to build our lives on the Rock that is Jesus Christ.  May the Holy Spirit embolden and strengthen us to do the work of the Son.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

Have a Seat on the Buddy Bench

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

The buddy bench has shown up in children’s playgrounds at elementary schools.  It is a bench placed on the edge of the play area. It serves as a silent summons for help or support.  When a child needs a friend, he or she sits on the buddy bench. When a child feels left out or left behind, he or she sits on the buddy bench. When a child longs for a helping hand, a listening ear, an empathetic soul, he or she sits on the buddy bench.  This precious playground seat carries no stigma nor shame; it merely issues an unspoken invitation for comfort.

As we approach the new year, how many of us are already in need of comforting support?  As we find ourselves burdened by broken relationships, financial challenges or perhaps trouble at work, whom among us would not like to look up in the center of our day’s activities and see a buddy bench where we could go to find the aid that we need.

Fortunately for all of us, the buddy bench has been in place for us throughout our days on this earth.  In every challenging time or moment in our lives, we have the infallible mercy seat of Jesus Christ to turn to.  Our Savior King is waiting on us to turn to Him for all of our present needs.  His seat summons us to come with our burdens.  We are graciously invited to the mercy seat where grace reigns. We can go to His throne with boldness.  There is no stigma or shame in seeking His aid.  In fact, it is quite the opposite.  God is glorified when we go to His throne to seek the comfort of the Advocate that is there for us, Jesus Christ.

Let us go boldly to the mercy seat in our times of need.  Let us confidently accept the invitation to draw near to the Throne of Grace. Let us rejoice in knowing that our all-sufficient Lord is waiting for us to take a seat of comfort beside Him.

Let us also be mindful of those in the world that do not yet know Our Savior King.  Let us be ready to provide a buddy bench for them.

Prayer

Heavenly Father we thank You for the mercy seat that You have provided for all men.  We rejoice in knowing that we have a Comforter that waits to hear from us.  We bless the name of Jesus who insured that our every need will be met when He died on the Cross for us.  We come to you boldly and confidently to receive the merciful pardon of our sins, the grace that we need to purify our souls, as well as, all that is required for our daily needs.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Advocate, Our Comforter, Our King, Jesus Christ.

The Rush to Get Things Done

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

In our society, patience is a lost virtue.  Everybody wants satisfaction instantly.  Nobody is willing to wait on anything.  This may be especially true at the start of a new year as many of us have such strong intentions of getting our new year off to a good start.  Each of us is anxious to jump into the new year to get on with our perceived new paths to being more productive and more prosperous.

This rush to get things done is in direct opposition to how Our Heavenly Father works.  No single thing is done in His kingdom until everything is in perfect order for the perfect result.  This is especially true in our lives.  The Lord does not want us to advance until He has prepared us and our surroundings properly.  If we try to move ahead of God’s plan, we will meet heartbreak and disappointment.

From a human perspective, we can make a lot of good decisions in our lives without God.  We can also accomplish a lot things deemed good by the world without God.  We cannot, however, accomplish anything of real kingdom value without placing our reliance on Our Heavenly Father and waiting on Him to direct us through His Holy Spirit.  In order to be deemed good and faithful servants, we must learn to wait on the Lord in all things.  We must learn to wait on His grace and the working of His power in our lives.

Let us believe God to be who He says He is.  Let us learn to wait for God to open doors for us.  Let us learn to rest until He puts things in perfect order for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for working all things in our lives for our good when we trust in You.  We thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to be with us always to remind us to lean on You and not on ourselves.  We pray, Lord, that you will give us the patience to wait on you.  We ask that You show us how to be still in the valley as you prepare the mountain top for us and those that You have given us to serve.  We rejoice in Your faithfulness.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who did nothing without knowing He was operating in Your will, Your Son, Jesus.

Enlightened Beyond Our Capability

Galatians 1:15-16

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

As human beings, we all attain some level of learning, understanding and wisdom.  Too often, however, we are satisfied with gaining this insight through the counsel of men.  Is it possible that there is more for us to learn?  Is it possible for us to delve deeply into the riches and inconceivable perfection of Almighty God?  Is it possible for us to grasp the mind of the Lord?

All the head knowledge in the world cannot prepare us to fully understand the essence of Almighty God and His plan for the world.  Let us be aware that we are given the opportunity to be enlightened beyond our normal human capability.  Our Heavenly Father reveals the deepest mysteries through His Holy Word and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Our challenge is to let go of our reliance on the words of man and grab on to the living words of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

To expose ourselves to the treasures of the mind that await, we need to set aside quiet time if we want to hear what God wants to say to us.  We have to prepare ourselves through the reading and study of the Bible.  We have to find a time and place where we shut out the clamor of the world and just listen. 

Let us seek our counsel from the One who is waiting for us to welcome Him into our lives.  Let us ask Him to reveal all of His mysteries to us.  Let us go to him daily with a simple question, "Father, what do you want to reveal to me today?"  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are always with us, ever ready to speak to us and ever ready to hear our prayers.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in finding and setting aside a quiet time and place to study Your Holy Word and to commune with You each day.  Lord, may we learn to delight in Your Word and delight in Your presence.  We ask that through Your Holy Spirit that we learn how to experience the revelations of who You are.  Through Your grace, may we begin to understand all of Your wonderful mysteries.  We pray these things in the name of the living revelation of Your Word, Jesus Christ.

The Daily Life of Faith

Hebrews 11: 8

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance.  He went without knowing where he was going.

What an amazing example of living in faith is provided by the story of Abraham.  It was a great step of faith for Abraham to leave his family and his homeland in response to God’s calling on his life.  He did not even know where God was leading him.  Yet he faithfully followed the path that the Lord laid out for him.  And for his simple act of faith, he became the father of all nations.

Abraham was called out of his own country.  He was called away from his family.  He was called away from his father's house.  He was called from the only culture that he knew.  It is not likely that God will ask us to follow a similar plan as Abraham.  He is not likely to call us away from relatives, friends and acquaintances.  He is not likely to call us away from the neighbors and neighborhoods where we find our comfort.  In fact, it is quite likely that these are the places that He will call us to serve.  But just like Abraham, we can be assured that we will be challenged in some major way by our calling.

In challenging each of us, God will ask us to take simple steps of faith.  As we respond obediently, He will put before us the next step which usually will require a little more faith in Him and a little more of letting go of faith in ourselves.  We may not become a father of a nation by yielding to our calling, but we will surely gain more than we ever imagined.

Let us step out in faith when we sense the urging of the Holy Spirit.  Let us follow God's calling even when we are not sure where we are going.  Let us reap the harvest of our journey.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for having a unique plan for each of us.  We rejoice in knowing that the reward that You have prepared for us if we respond to Your calling is beyond our imagination.  We pray, Father, that you will give us the strength and guidance to follow the path that you have laid out for each of us.  Even though we may not know our destination, Lord, may your Holy Spirit keep us steadfast in our journey to stand before you in the image of Your Son.  We pray these things in the precious name of the author of our faith, Jesus Christ.

Our Future and Our Hope

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

What better way to start the New Year than to proclaim our hope promised to us in Jeremiah 29:11.  Hope in the promises of Our Savior will never fail us.  Hope in Our Savior will never disappoint us.  Hope in Our Savior will result in nothing short of us spending eternity in bliss under the glory of Almighty God in the company of the gathering of saints.

We should know that our hope and our future is not limited just to us as individuals.  We should claim this hope for our nation as well.  If we return to being a nation that puts its trust in God, as our currency declares for all to see, we will see our nation rise up once again to claim its seat as the most powerful nation on earth.  

But it all depends on where we place our hope.  Society would lead us to believe that our hope is rested in the men and women who are our elected officials.  They certainly play a role.  But as the promise of Jeremiah teaches, our hope is in the Lord who declares His good plans for us.  Yet in our society today, we find it often regarded as shameful to proclaim hope in Jesus Christ.  In Paul’s writings to the Romans, he prepares us for these times as he establishes that there is to be no shame in following and putting our eternal hope in Jesus Christ.  Who could have ever imagined that there would be a time when this teaching would be relevant throughout most of the Western world.  Yet here we are.

Christians are mocked daily on talk shows, news shows and entertainment shows.  To publicly stand for the very truths given to us by Our Heavenly Father makes us bigots, haters, etc.  Now more than ever, we are called to share our good news with the world around us.  The hope that we have in Christ is the only hope left for our nations.  

Let us wait not a minute longer to proclaim our personal and national hope in Jesus Christ.  Let us boldly claim His promise for our welfare and our future.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this new year that You have given us.  We thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom we need to see through false teaching and the strength that we need to stand against the lies that this world is trying to get us to accept.  We pray also, Father, that Your Holy Spirit will give us the courage we need to boldly present the “way, the truth and the life” that is in your Son, Jesus.  We ask all these things in the precious, holy and mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Finishing Well

Matthew 25:23

His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

The start of the New Year is often kicked off with many articles and speeches about new beginnings, new year’s resolutions and plans to start anew.  What if we focused on the finish instead of the start?  After all, when life comes to the finish line, who does not want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 

We work our entire lives for rewards here on earth, yet ultimately our greatest rewards will come in the eternal place that has been prepared for us by Our Savior King. Almighty God reserves special reward and special honor for that day when "each man's work will become evident" and "he shall receive a reward." 1Cor 3:13-14

These rewards are referred to as "crowns" that are being set aside for God's servants. The Bible speaks of at least five crowns:

• The imperishable crown awarded to those believers who consistently bring the flesh under the Holy Spirit's control. (1 Cor 9:25) 
• The crown of exultation awarded to those servants who are faithful to declare the gospel. (Phil 4:1,1 Thess 2:19-20)  
• The crown of righteousness awarded to those who live each day with eternity's values in view. (2Tim 4:7-8)
• The crown of life awarded to those who endure trials, loving the Savior all the way. (James 1:12)
• The crown of glory awarded to those who faithfully shepherd the flock. (1 Peter 5:1-4)   

There is no reward on earth that can compare to earning crowns from Almighty God that we can lay at the feet of Jesus when we enter our eternal homes.  There is no joy on earth that can compare to the joy of being in heaven with Our Lord.

Let us set our hearts on finishing well.  Let us place our earthly desires for rewards in proper relationship with our desires to have Almighty God recognize us for the evidence or our works as we put His kingdom first in all matters of the heart.  Let us make our New Year's plans around joining the joy of Our Master. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for setting aside special rewards for us in Your kingdom.  We thank you, Jesus, for making it possible for us to stand before the Father to receive our rewards.  Precious Savior, we long for the time when we will be able to place our crowns at Your feet and join You in Your joy.  As we move into our new year, may Your grace, O Lord, provide the wisdom and strength that we need to seek Your kingdom first in all things that concern us in this world. We pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire us to set our minds on finishing well.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.