Love and Prayer

Phil. 1:9-11

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Chris, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of Go.

 

The introduction to Philippians reveals a vital connection between love and prayer. Repeatedly Paul professed his deep love and concern for this body of believers: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you....It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart...For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ. This was not a love based in merely human emotion, but it was founded upon the affection of Christ. He loved them because of their partnership in the gospel from the first day until now...You all are partakers of grace, both in his imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. These believers received the gospel, embraced it, and allowed it to transform their lives. This response and commitment gave Paul great confidence that the God who begun this great work in them would continue to work until the day of His completion. What a blessing for Paul and what a blessing for the Philippians to hear!

 

It was out of this deep love that Paul's prayer was for them was shared with them. What a glorious idea to share a written prayer with those who are at a distance! First he prayed for their love to abound more and more. In essence never to stop growing! But this love was not just a shared feeling but one that was experienced in knowledge and discernment, a Spirit-taught and directed love. Secondly, he prayed that they would approve what was excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. How we need this! There are so many 'good' things that the world has to offer that believers often get sucked in without even realizing it. When the margins are completely filled with activities, no matter how good, where is the time for the excellent things? Believers must be forward thinking. Am I going to be pure and blameless if my margins are filled with the seemingly 'good' things of the world? Or am I trading in what is excellent for what is only good? Finally, he prayed that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. This Spirit-grown fruit takes time as does all fruit bearing. Has our fast-paced way of life made us impatient to wait for the growth and maturation processes? Such a prayer as this, we need to pray for ourselves and for each other. Do we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord enough that we would be concerned for their spiritual welfare? Do we express that love to one another encouraging and edifying one another?

 

Father,

Make my heart receptive to this prayer. As I grow my love for You, may I love others as well. Renew my commitment to pray for what is truly excellent.

In His name,

Amen

In Faithfulness

Ps. 119:75

I know, O Lord, that Your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

 

What a different slant to realize that in faithfulness God afflicts me just like He blesses me! Because I am God's creation, His hands have fashioned me to have meaning and purpose from His Word, the very Word that I hope in and rely on. God has promised me that all He does in my life is for my good and according to His purposes for me. That promise applies to blessings as well as afflictions. Since He is a faithful God, He must stay true to His Words, but His Word also promises me His steadfast love to comfort me. No doubt without affliction I wouldn't seek out His steadfast love and mercy. Afflictions take me to new ground with the Lord by reducing the power of my flesh and making it dependent on Him. As I delight in His Word, then the temporal loses its significance but perhaps not its pain. I am bound by this frail body of flesh, flesh which often betrays my spirit's desires, but He is there ready to forgive and love me. I pray my heart may be blameless through the power of His Word and His indwelling Son and Spirit.

 

Father,

Thank You for all the afflictions that Your have given me. I know that they are Your blessings in disguise and draw me ever closer to You. Give me Your strength and power to resist the weaknesses of my flesh and to saturate myself in Your Word. I love You, Lord.

In the name of the Son,

Amen



Trusting God

Ps. 119:71

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.

 

Nearly everyone agrees that trusting in God is essential for living the Christian life; yet the path to true trusting often comes at great cost. Such trust as this is not in the easy times where believers talk a good line and even praise God all the while proclaiming their trust. But really, are we trusting in God in those times? What's to trust for when we have all we need or when everything is going our way? But when the hard times come, the adversity, the illness, the financial woes, the inter-personal family problems, the wayward children, the job loss, and any number of things, where is our trust? Has our trust shifted to a chorus of 'why's' or 'I don't understand' sometimes resulting in blaming God and having a faith crisis? So sad when our God is so great!

 

Trusting Him in difficulty and adversity yields a heart of intimacy with God. It is in the rough patch  that we cling with all that we have! It is here we dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty! It is here He becomes our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we trust! God cares deeply about out holiness but our comfort is a different story. When afflictions comes, cling to Him and watch Him do wondrous things in our lives. It may not be visible in the physical, material world. Your disease will still progress. Your financial blunders may still be there, but your soul and your Spirit will be wondrously blessed. In the rough patch God reveals to us our true priorities. He loosens our grip on this world and places it firmly on Him. He opens our eyes to the spiritual blessing all around, blessings that somehow dim and even disappear when times are easy. With the psalmist, I can say, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.

 

Father,

Give me the strength to endure the hard times. Draw me ever closer to You. Loosen my grip on this world so that every day I might long more and more to be with You.

In Jesus name,

Amen





Husbands Love your Wives

Eph. 5:33

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

 

Marriage must follow the example of Christ and the church. As Christ loved the church, so should the husband love his wife. What kind of love characterized Christ and the church? 

• Sacrificial-loved her and gave Himself for her,
• Purposeful- so that He might sanctify her,
• Humble Servant- having cleansed her by the washing of  water with the Word
• Future Oriented-So that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,?
• Transformational- That she might be holy and without blemish.

In the same way, husbands should love their wives...

• Sacrificial- Husbands love their wives as their own bodies. For no one ever hated his own flesh...
• Purposeful-but nourishes and cherishes it, 
• Humble Servant- Just as Christ does the church, for we are members of His body.
• Future Oriented- Therefore a man should leave his father and mothers and hold fast to his wife,
• Transformational-and the two shall become one flesh.

This mystery is profound. Certainly, not only is it visible in the marriage relationship, but it is also for eternity in Christ and the church. The final word is: husbands love your wives. But it doesn't stop there. and let the wife see that she respect her husband. Respect is the response to such love as this!

 

Father,

Teach me a respectful heart toward my husband and the love he has for me. Give me a heart that is close to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Grieving the Holy Spirit

Eph. 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 

Paul states specifically how believers should live including what should no longer characterize their life. The Gentiles way of life included futility of mind, darkened understanding, alienated from life of God, hardness of heart, callous, given to sensuality, greedy to practice impurity, and corrupt deceitful desires. But when believers have learned Christ, their lifestyle must make a drastic shift, one that is easily recognizable.

 

 

Believers have been renewed in the spirit of their minds to put on the new self which is created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. How vastly different from the characteristics of the Gentiles! Certainly, believers should not be that hard to spot, yet for some reason they are. Life after Christ  means putting away falsehoods, speaking truth because we are members one of another, lack of anger, no stealing instead laboring, working honestly with hands all for the purpose of sharing with others. Notice it is not to amass money or possessions but to have a heart of giving! Corrupting talk must be replaced by talk that builds up and gives grace to those who listen. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ Jesus forgave you. If I consistently followed these verses, it would be very obvious that my life was not my own, but that I belong to Christ. Obedience here would negate grieving the Holy Spirit. What must it be like for the Holy Spirit to live in me when I am angry, harsh, and unkind? It grieves my heart as well, but sadly not in the moment when temptation is attacking my weaknesses. I am sealed by Him for the day of redemption. My life course is new and transformed, and I must live like I believe it. I must live like I am created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness because I am!

 

Father,

I bring my heart to You confessing many times I have listened to and acted upon my old, Gentile roots. Fill me with strength in my inner being so that I make right choices and resist temptation and the Devil.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

Eph. 4:11-13

And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry , for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

 

Spiritual gifts are for a specific purposes, that being said, those purposes are not to build human pride, make divisions in the body, or to draw attention to the one gifted.  Yet all three of things have happened repeatedly as a result of human pride, a pride that is so strong and devious that it can take something good and turn it completely around. By contrast, the purpose of the gifts was to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. Ministry, and being equipped for it, should be a pertinent focus for every believer as should building up the body of Christ. We are not saved to personally glory in our salvation, sanctification, gifts, etc.. We are saved to bring glory to the Giver of the gifts. I would think being obedient to His word would be of ultra importance!

 

My focus should be to dig into the word and do whatever is necessary for my equipping and then to go forward building up the body. If every member of the body is doing this, then all will be taken care of and no one will need to feather their own nest. When this is a reality, then all believers will be living in the unity of faith, the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Wow! What an end result! My eyes need to focus on growing into the measure of the fullness of Christ. Where is He? Where do I experience His fullness? He is indwelling me! Christ in Me the hope of glory. What a purpose for me!

 

Father,

This sounds so wonderful! Lead me into the path of mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Open my eyes to see what it means practically. Grow me so that I may minister wherever you lead me.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Christ in Me

Eph. 3:14-21

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

What a beautiful prayer! I pray this too. According to the riches of His glory may I be strengthened with power through the Spirit in my inner being for the express purpose of Christ dwelling in my heart through faith. His strengthening through His Spirit is all of grace!

 May I be rooted and grounded in love through saturation in His word so that I will have the strength to comprehend the love of Christ, a love that surpasses knowledge. It goes beyond the power of human understanding. It too is all of grace!

The love of Christ in me allows me to have the fullness of God! Grace is so rich! To God be the glory because He can do far more than I can ask or think according to the great power at work within me, the great power of the indwelling Christ and the empowering Holy Spirit.. More grace!! What amazing grace is this! Blessings beyond belief! A new life transformed and empowered by Him! What love is this!

Father,
My heart is full when I pray this prayer. You have given me so much!! Your Spirit, Your Son, Your grace, and Your Word. What love is this! Teach me how to make this a reality in my life. Grow me in Your love.
In His name,
Amen



Change of Course

Eph. 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Before Christ, where was I? What was my motivation for all that I did? I know it was a life of bondage and futility, one that I was helpless to change.

• dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked
• following the course of this world
• following the price of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience
• among who we all once lived in the passions of our flesh
• carrying out the desires of the body, and the mind,
• and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

 

What could change my course? How would this great gulf be bridged?  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive...It was His great love that sent His Son to take my place so that I might live in Him. In Him, I am...

• made alive together with Christ
• by grace I have been saved
• and raised me up with Him,
• and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
• so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward me in Christ Jesus.
• for by grace I have been saved through faith.
• And this is not my own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
• For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them.

Now my entire course of life is transformed from the flesh to the spirit, from the prince of the power of the air to the God of all creation, from my own works to works He has prepared for me, from slavery and bondage to freedom and untold riches of grace. Wow!!! It is all so personal. Jesus and the Father did this for me because I was chosen beforehand to walk in the works that He has laid out for me to do. I bless God for such a future!

 

Father,

Help me to be in constant communion with You so that I will be aware at every moment what these good works are. Guide me into all Your paths. I praise You for Your great love and for Your Son who bridged the gulf taking me from one domain and planting me securely in another.

In His precious name,

Amen

 

 

 



All in All

Eph. 1:22

And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all.

 

 

What a blessing to know that my Savior is the preeminent Christ! Paul's prayer in Eph. 1 prepares the believer's heart to understand this great concept, not only that, but it demonstrates how believers should pray for themselves and for each another.

• That God may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
• Having the eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you.
• what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
• and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe,
• according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ Jesus.

Amazingly, all things in this prayer are a gift from God the Father. Without His gifting of faith and grace I would understand nothing. Instead I know that wisdom and revelation are possible in Christ, that my heart can see an eternal hope and a glorious inheritance, and that I can experience His power and might working in my life. What a glorious gift! It is all because He worked it in Christ Jesus.

• When He raised Him from the death and seated Him at the right hand of God.
• When He gave Him a name that is above all names not only in this age but the age to come.
• And when He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

 

This is my Savior, my Jesus. How blessed I am! His name is precious to say, to think, to call, and to rely on. He does fill all and by Him all things consist.

 

Father,

Thank You for such a rich passage. Continue to open the eyes of  my heart to learn more and more about the hope, the inheritance, and His great power working in me.

In the name of the Pre-eminent One,

Amen

 



Blessed Be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Eph. 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

 

We bless Him for how He has blessed us! He has given me so very much!

• Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the World,
• that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
• In Love He predestined us for adoption as son through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will...
• to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He blessed us in the Beloved.
• In Him we have redemption through His blood,
• the forgiveness of our trespasses,
• according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us, in all wisdom and insight
• making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ.
• as a plan to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and earth.
• In Him we have obtained an inheritance,
• having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
• so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.
• In Him you also, when you heard, the word of truth, the gospel or of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
• who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

How much I have in Christ! It is mind boggling!! I can only humbly praise His name and bless Him constantly for changing my life so drastically. Through Christ, the Father has reached down, reconciling me to Him so that I, a saved sinner, might experience the riches of His grace. It must always and only be of grace because there is no way that I, a flawed and weak human, could ever earn such favor. It is all a glorious gift! What amazing grace is this!

 

Father,

I praise and bless Your name. You have given me Your Son and Your grace which have impacted my life so noticeably. I know that nothing I can do will ever pay back or earn in any way such great favor as this. You have blessed my life! I humbly surrender my all to You.

In the Name of the Son,

Amen

Bear One Another's Burdens

Gal. 6:2

Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

Come alongside and help carry the load! As believers we are not alone, instead we are part of a body, the body of Christ. Whether another believer is in a trial, great adversity, suffering, or even if they are caught in sin, gentleness and restoration should be the goals. When gentleness and love are missing, then pride and judgmental spirit take over. Believers begin to look down on others to elevate themselves. This is not the way of Christ! 

 

Reality check: Believers should be constantly on guard lest they themselves fall into a pit! When our eyes are judging others, they are not focused on our own hearts. Satan gains a foothold that allows him to take us down a slippery path all the while feeling righteous. Sadly, it is self-righteousness! Remember, God is not mocked. If someone sows to his flesh, he will reap what is fleshly. But God looks on the heart, the true man. It is in the heart that man can sow to the Spirit and reap eternal blessings. So let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Our eyes must be focused on the goal, on the prize at the end. I must not get tired but instead get renewed in my mind and spirit.

 

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. Paul lived constantly for Jesus. There was no other option for him. I too can only boast in the cross because it is through the cross that the world is crucified to me. It is through the cross that I have a home and a future. I am no longer my own but I belong to Jesus who redeemed by His blood and made me a child of God.

 

Father,

Make my heart one of kindness and gentleness. Give me a spirit of restoration and love as I grow in Your grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 



Walk By the Spirit

Gal. 5:16

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

 

 

Walking by the Spirit is not something easily understood by many Christians because it is such an intangible concept as is the idea of the indwelling Spirit. But in the latter part of Gal. 5, Paul gives some obvious, identifiable connections.

• For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. These two are at constant war. So to identify which is which, I would need to examine my desires. Is what I want feeding my flesh or my Spirit? Is it nurturing others or self? Is the result pride or humility? Answering these questions would definitely be a hard look and one that would take complete honesty. I must also understand the motives of the flesh. They are to prevent me from doing what I want to do. My flesh is weak and takes little persuasion so I must be constantly on guard, quick to confess and repent, and then go in the opposite direction.

 

• The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. The flesh manifests itself in definite ways, ways that reveal the true heart and motives. Do I see any of these actions in my life? If I do, then the flesh is taking control. Works of the flesh only come from the flesh! The Spirit does not reveal itself in fleshly activities. This is a warning! Wake up! Watch and pray! I cannot excuse any of the behaviors as justifiable or habitual. All of me must be all of Him!

 

• Then on the positive side, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law. Quite a contrast to the works of the flesh! If these qualities are mine and are growing in my life, then the Spirit is in control. It all seems pretty cut and dried. What do I see in my life? What am I allowing to control me? Am I growing in the ways of the Spirit? What are my true desires? Am I allowing sin because my walk is one of faith and grace?

 

• And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since I belong to Jesus. I must follow Him in all areas including crucifying the flesh. The time is already past for me to indulge the flesh. I now walk in newness of life, in resurrection power with the indwelling Jesus Christ. Am I going to drag Him through the muck of my flesh? What do I really want?

 

• If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. My walk and life must be in sync with my words and beliefs. My faith is not just a mind exercise, it is my whole way of life. I must be His totally, walking, living, thinking, breathing, feeling, in the Spirit! Every part of my life must be controlled by the Spirit. If not, then I am foolish! I am not living what I say. I am not obeying the clear commands of Scripture. I am not honoring my God or my Savior. He gave His all for me, what do I give to Him?

Father,

Open my eyes to see all that is in me. Reveal to me those hidden areas of self that seek to tear me down and hinder my walk in the Spirit. I surrender to You. teach me to walk in You.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Freedom

Gal. 6:12

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

 

Christ has freed us from the bonds of the law, hypocrisy, and legalism. In Christ none of these things count for anything. It is no longer a matter of what I do or how I appear to others, but it is a matter of heart. It is in the nature of man to want to do something because it feeds the flesh and pride, but Christ through grace has brought an end to performance-based religion. In Christ what matters is the heart, faith working through love. This gift of faith cannot exist alongside pride! Pride must be crucified to love through faith. How foreign this was in Paul's time, and strangely enough, it is still foreign to most people in my time. Achievement and performance are so important in my culture that loving as Christ commands is counter cultural. Love, humility, meekness, and patience have become words of weakness not strength. But does that negate the Word? No, I must serve others through love relying on the grace that only God supplies. Christ has given me the freedom to love and serve, but I must guard my freedom to ensure that I am living for Him and not for myself. How do I guard? To name a few things: Watch and pray, saturate myself in the Word, obedience to Him, and allowing Him to transform and renew my mind. I think it all hinges on submission and abandon. Giving up all that I am and have to Him.

 

Father,

Teach me to love others as You would have me love even in the midst of suffering. I love You, Lord and want to be wholly Yours.

In Jesus name,

Amen

. 

Praise the Lord!

Ps. 113:1

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!

 

This command is doubly emphatic! Praise the Lord, and again to the servants of the Lord, Praise the Lord. Praise is not an option! How should this praise impact His servants, those who believe and are chosen by God? Is my life enriched by praising God? 

• Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! Another exclamation point! Even His name is worthy of eternal praise. How exciting is that! The name of God is now my family name. His Son lives within me! I am an child and heir!
• From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Is there even one day or one night that the praise of God should not resound from our lips? No, but from a human standpoint, there are many days when praise is the last thing on our lips. But is that because  I am viewing the day from my point of view or from His? Is that because my world view has shifted from trust in a sovereign God to seeing only the heartache around me?  
• The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens! Supremacy of nations and glory unrivaled are His. He dwells above all that is earthly, flawed, and finite. His control is not known by facts but by faith, and even that faith is a gift! I must believe in Him and in His sovereign plan for my life.
• Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?  The answer is a resounding, No One! There is no one at all who compares in power and might, so why waver in trust. It makes no sense!
• He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Such great mercy! He loves the poor and the barren, those who are on the fringe of society. He can change the plight of their lives, not be aid, peace-keeping missions, or new innovative measures, but by a changed heart. A heart that only be changed by God!
• Praise the Lord! This is the final statement! In all and every circumstance, emotion, condition, etc., praise! Praise should be my default mode! It should be the attitude of all the words on my tongue.

Father,

Thank You for being such a great God, for loving me and saving me, for giving me salvation through Your Son. Keep my lips and heart always speaking words of praise.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Fear the Lord

Ps. 112:1

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.

 

What does it mean to fear the Lord? Fearing in this respect would have to do with acknowledging not only who God is, Creator and Sovereign Lord, but also His many attributes and His workings in the lives of man. He has put all things in place, and by Him they all operate. My life is totally His, first by rite of creation, and secondly by rite of salvation. He has created me and chosen me to be His child. For me to fear Him means that whatever comes into my life, I acknowledge as coming from Him. I can rest in the fact that He has chosen it for me. It means that no longer do I try and take control of my life in opposition to Him, but instead I surrender.

 

Fearing Him also means that I delight in His word. Not only is it my joy and my strength but it also is the depository of all that I know about God. When it comes to the Word, I must also submit and surrender. My life is no longer my own, but it belongs to my Savior. This resting in His plan and in His word takes the fear out of the unknown and out of life. I am not afraid of bad news, my heart is firm, I will not be afraid. Can there really be bad news if I am trusting in Him? Does surrender allow for bad news? What a joy is this life of surrender!

 

Father,

Thank You for teaching me more about fearing You. Help me not to be afraid of bad news. Keep my eyes ever focused on You.

In His name,

Amen

The Promise

Gal. 3:22

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

 

What a glorious promise is this! Before faith, I was imprisoned by sin, held there until Jesus came and made His promise a reality in my life. Jesus obliterated the old bonds and replaced them with son ship. I am a daughter and live by faith, and since I live by Christ, all the promises given to Abraham are mine as well! I am an heir according to the promise! My life is a fulfillment of the promises of God! They have become my bedrock, my refuge, my life, my substance, my all...What a blessing is His word! What a blessing are His promises! Since all this is true, what should be my attitude, my action toward the Word? I should feast on His word, finding the promises and clinging to them.

 

Father,

Open my eyes to see the power in Your word. Tighten my grip on Your promises.

In Jesus name,

Amem

The Curse Broken

Gal. 1:14

So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might received the promised Spirit through faith.

 

 

All who rely on the law are under a curse because the law demanded a perfection that no man can achieve. But in Christ, there is grace. Jesus, as perfection, was able to take the curse in our place. What love is this! The perfect Son of God came to earth to save and love me by taking my curse and leaving me His faith and grace. I am justified by faith, faith in the Son of God who gave me the blessing of Abraham so that I might receive the promise through faith. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. My heart is full of praise for such a great gift!

 

Father,

Continue to teach me to live and walk by faith. Thank You for sending Jesus to break the curse that enslaved me.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Faith-Life

Gal. 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

Just in case certain Jews, or in my days legalists, try and creep into the church adding rules and regulations to our faith-life, Paul gives a warning. Be aware! As Paul stated, even Barnabas was deceived by these people which gives all the more reason to know the Word and to live the Word! If I add anything to the gospel, any other step or act, I am making the crucifixion of Christ of no purpose. God forbid that I would ever do that!

 

Through the Christ, I have died to sin and live with Him in resurrection life. Yes, I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. There is the power to actually die, that is having Christ within me. I must mentally and spiritually count this as fact without any doubt. My flesh wants to doubt and bring me down, but NO, I am alive in Christ. This new life is by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. My new faith-walk must consume me and be focused completely on Christ who lives in me filling me with all His resurrection power! I must live for Him and grow into Him in every way.

 

 

Father,

I so know this in my head. Grow me into the reality of Christ living in me. Focus my eyes on faith and living for You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Reputation

Gal. 1:23

They only were hearing it said. He who used to persecute us in now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God because of me.

 

Paul was astonished at the Galatians because they had so quickly deserted the faith, the faith that is the only, one true gospel. Paul's words were so strong concerning the gospel that he declared if anyone else, himself included, preached another gospel, they would be accursed. How powerful is this gospel!

 

Paul did not seek man's approval in his preaching, but if he were trying to please man, he would not be a servant of Christ. The same is true for me. Anything that I do must be done for Christ alone! His reputation revealed the transformation of his life. He who used to persecute us in now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God because of me. How great would it be to have others say that they glorified God because of what He has done in me! This is my prayer that I would stand and stay true to the gospel allowing it to transform my life!

 

Father,

Build in me a reputation that brings glory to Your name. Give me Your grace and strength to stand firm to the gospel and to teach it.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Personal Examination

II Cor. 13:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you fail to meet the test.

 

Paul makes a similar point here as he did in Colossians 1:26-27, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Without truly understanding who Christ is and that He indwells each believer, obedience to the Word becomes a legalistic, Pharisaical duty, a duty that can be puffed up by the excesses of the flesh and enable any number of sinful responses. What a shocker if someone had perceived him or herself as saved but had never really lived in the power of Christ! It would all be in vain like the virgins who did not have their lamps lit. Their pounding and knocking and their attesting to all they had done in the name of Christ did allow them admission. Doing something in the name of Christ and through the power of Christ must be the same. They cannot be separated!

 

As I look at myself, I often think about living in the power of Christ. I know that I must examine myself in the power of the Holy Spirit and allow His great convicting power to have full sway. Do I remember constantly that He dwells in me? Is my grasp on my self-will and self-worth lessening? Am I bringing Him praise? Are my priorities in line with the Word? Am I quick to respond in obedience, or do I drag my feet offering more of a grudging obedience? Abandon and surrender must be my key words!

 

Father,

I surrender to You and abandon my selfishness. Convict me mightily whenever I began a path of fleshly indulgence. Unite my heart to fear Your name. Teach me Your truth.

Through the Indwelling Christ,

Marcy 

Weak Flesh

Mk 14:36

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

 

Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane reveals the true nature of sacrifice and sin, both equally heinous when mixed together. But before Jesus pleaded with the Father, he took Peter, James, and John with Him and asked them to watch because His soul was very sorrowful even to death. Such pain He was carrying! Going a little distance away, He fell on His knees asking the Father if it might be His will to take this horrendous cup away. As  He walked back to His friends, He found them sleeping. These men that had been His constant companions, companions who were supposed to care deeply about Him in His hour of great need, yet, no, it was not to be! Speaking to Simon, He asked a very pointed question. Could you not watch with me one hour? How frail is the flesh? What great weakness! How many times has my flesh taken over in the crucial hour of watching?

 

Speaking again, Jesus said, Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. There is the human problem: weak flesh! Jesus went to pray a second time and when He came back, they were asleep again. The text says, they did not know how to answer Him. What can any person say when the eyes of Jesus have revealed exactly who you are? When Jesus has exposed all pride and self-worth and reduced it to nothing? These three were the inner three, yet their actions were like those who followed at a distance. How heart breaking! What remorse and horrible memories they would have when all was said and done!

 

It happened again yet a third time. Jesus said, Are you still sleeping and talking your rest? It is enough; the hour is come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand. The time was up! For Peter, James, and John, prayer was over before it had begun. Their flesh had cancelled the communion. But praise God, there is amazing grace! Without it where would we all be???

 

Father,

I confess my weakness in prayer. How many times have I slumbered on when I should have been there with you? Strengthen me through Your grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Sufficiency

II Cor. 12:9-10

But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

 

Paul had much to boast about from a seemingly human standpoint. Education, social status, great heritage, and then of course his visions and revelations with the Lord. But he knew that if he boasted, he would be a fool. So he refrained from speaking about the great things that he had seen and heard. But God stepped in to help him by giving him a thorn in the flesh, a thorn to keep him from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. What did Paul get to see and hear? How glorious they must have been that God had to send him a constant reminder of his flesh! Certainly, greatness with God brings suffering.

 

God told Paul that grace was all he needed. Grace would lift him up when his thorn would drag him down. Grace would be his full and complete recourse. He would experience strength in weakness. Was Paul sore about this? No, he embraced it fully. In fact, he would boast all the more gladly of his weaknesses. What an attitude! All the more gladly...How would I describe my response to the hard times, the illnesses, the weaknesses? He knew that in this grace-filled weakness he would be covered in the  power of Christ. For Christ's sake, he could be content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Contentment is a far distance from endurance! Contentment speaks of peace, total surrender to the will of God. His response must be my response, For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

Father,

Thank You for these two verses. They have impacted my life so many times. Keep building within me contentment. Unite my heart to fear Your name, Teach me Your way.

In His name,

Amen

Sincere and Pure Devotion

II Cor. 11:2-3

For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

 

If Paul was afraid of this for the Corinthian believers who had just recently received the gospel, I think it must be a legitimate concern for us in out time and culture. How will Satan try and pull my thoughts away from my sincere and pure devotion to Christ? In this passage Paul was concerned about having a different gospel proclaimed to them, or having a different spirit from the one they received from Jesus. Today there are many gospels or interpretations of the gospel, how do I cling to the one true gospel? I must know it and be saturated in it. It must be the manual for my life! In it are the words of God Himself, and He has promised His Spirit who indwells me will be my guarantee, my seal keeping me until the day that Jesus comes back for me.

 

Sincere means without any flaws or cracks. My devotion must be seamlessly in love with Jesus and the Word. If I am sincere, I am holding nothing back. When someone or something new comes into my life, I must respond to them in sincere devotion to Christ. That means that my feelings or needs will not be more important than what He has for me to do that day. How do I keep my devotion pure? I can't allow any admixture of idolatry or self-worship. Every day is a new opportunity for others to see Christ in me. Devotion, purity and sincerity all speaks to me of 100% dedication to Christ. To be on this course means that hold nothing back and allow for no harboring sin no matter how justified I feel. I deal with sin immediately and completely. Jesus is more important that anything I might experience for feel.

 

Father,

Reveal to me when my devotion has become insincere and impure. Teach me more each day how Christ can live in me.

In Jesus name,

Amen



End of the Age

Mk. 13:26

And then you will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

 

The signs of the coming age are nearer each day. Many will come in the name of Jesus but for the purpose of leading others astray. There will be wars and rumors of war, and earthquakes and famines. All of nature will be signaling this cataclysmic event. What is the believer's response? Be on guard. But before all this falls into place, the gospel must be proclaimed to all nations. Believers will be taken to trial by family members and will be hated by all for His name's sake. But all this is prelude to the bigger picture, that is when the abomination of desolation stands where he ought not to be. When that happens, run and hide. The persecution will be like no other. Unless God had shortened the days for the sake of His elect, no one would survive. Again, more false prophets and christs will arise. Once again, what should believers do, be on guard. In those days, after the tribulation, the sun will not shine and the stars will drop from the heavens when the Son of Man will come in great glory in clouds with great power. Learn this lesson: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Concerning that hour, no one knows except for the Father. Once more, what is the believer's response: Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come...And what I say to you, I say to all, Stay awake. The message is clear. Believers are to stay awake and be on guard. Guard the state of their souls. Be prepared to meet Him. Don't think that there is plenty of time to serve the Lord later. Don't put off what needs to be done today. Serving and loving Jesus is a now experience not a future plan. There is no better time than the present!

 

Father,

Keep me ever alert and watchful. Teach me how to be on guard, to discern evil and deception, and to grow in grace and knowledge. Spread Your gospel to all those who have never heard.

In His name,

Amen

Abounding in Every Good Work

II Cor. 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

 

Paul continues writing to the Corinthians about their commitment to give a gift to the Christians in Jerusalem. The principle was and still is: Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Giving should be at the heart of every believer whether it is money (as in this example), time, labor, provisions, clothing, etc. However, the decision to give comes from the heart and not be mandated by the church.

 

In Chap. 9, Paul mentioned the Macedonians who gave out of their extreme poverty and let it flow into a wealth of generosity. How does a believer get a heart like this? How does one give even when they have nothing to spare? What keeps one from grasping so tightly what little or even how much they have? The answer is: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. It is all of grace! The Macedonians had experienced that great grace and had let it control their lives. It mattered not to them that they had next to nothing, but what mattered to them was that God could supply all they needed, and that freed them up to abound in good works. They had crossed over from personal management of their resources to God's managing of their resources. The end result was a harvest of righteousness! You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For this ministry doesn't merely meet needs, but it resounds in thanksgiving to God by the giver and the receiver. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift! What grace is this! How wonderfully grace knits believers together!

 

Father,

Give me a heart of generosity and giving. Teach me to live abounding in Your great grace. Thank You for this great inexpressible gift!

In His name,

Amen

Meeting Needs While Suffering

II Cor. 8: 9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.

 

 

Paul commended the Macedonia's for their generosity during a severe test of affliction. They gave above and beyond their means to relieve the suffering of other saints by giving themselves first to God and then to the needs of fellow believers. So likewise, as believers who excel in faith, speech, knowledge, and earnestness, we also need to excel in this act of grace not be way of command but by way of genuine love always remembering the grace of Jesus who gave up all riches for us so that through His poverty we could become rich.

 

If I am to remember what the Lord has done and follow in His footsteps that means serving while suffering. But in the case of the Corinthians, their abundance should supply the need of other believers. So whether I suffer a severe test of finances, disease, bad circumstances, family problems, etc. or whether I have an abundance of  finances, health, great circumstances, and wonderful family relationships,  I need to be meeting the needs of others.

 

Father,

Keep my eyes ever focused on You and Your great gift of grace. Help me to look outward to the needs of others and serve as You did. Give me the strength to depose selfishness in all its ugly manifestations.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Eternal God

Ps. 102:25-27

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but you will remain. they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but You are the same, and Your years have no end.

 

How permanent is God and how fleeting and helpless is man!  Without God what can man do? In this psalm his days are described in poetic terms but that does not erase the depths of despair. 

• His days pass away like smoke, and bones burns like a furnace.
• His heart is struck down like  grass and has withered.
• His groaning cause his bones to cling to his flesh.
• He is like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places.
• He eats ashes like bread and mingles tears with his drink.
• His days are like the evening shadow, and he withers like grass.

The psalmist feels that all of this is because Almighty God has thrown Him down. But even in the midst of  his despair, he knows how great and powerful God is. He wants God to look down on him and hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die. Why? So that the psalmist might declare the name of the Lord in Zion. There is no better place to come in times of despair than to the Lord. It is here man can acknowledge his finite being in contrast to God's infinite being. He can contrast His weakness to God's strength and His inability to God's perfect ability. He can place his life squarely in the hands of the Creator God for Him to do with as He desires. What a great example for me! When times are hard and news is bad, I must turn to my Creator God. It is only He that can put my life in perspective showing me the temporal nature of all that I often hold dear. He must be my shelter and refuge.

 

Father,

Take my eyes off what this world has to offer. Unite my heart with Yours so that I might be resting peacefully in all that You do in my life even in this disease.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Living Temple

II Cor. 6:16

For what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said, I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people

 

Paul appealed to the people not to receive the grace of God in vain. How would they know this? How can anyone know this? Most obviously, how a person lives reveals where their allegiance lies. Paul attested to the fact that he and his fellow workers had left no hindrances to their salvation. He had spoken freely to them but from a heart of love, and if there was anything holding them back, it was of their own doing. He asked them to widen their hearts, to open up a door of understanding between God and them, to see what the grace of God really entailed.

 

The crucial statement was made. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Is there any purpose whatsoever for righteousness to be partnered with lawlessness? Is there any way possible that light has fellowship with darkness? The answer was a resounding, No! Christ has no accord with Belial. In fact there is no portion that a believer shares with an unbeliever, and there is no agreement that the temple of God has with idols. None whatsoever! Receiving the grace of God in salvation drastically changes the life so much so that all allegiances and choices are changed. Perhaps what should be obvious is not. So Paul states it clearly. For we are the temple of the living God...The temple of God is within us so that when we muck around in sin and idolatry, we are profaning His temple, a temple that was redeemed at great cost.

 

God has promised that He would make His dwelling among us, not in a tent to be carted or in a glorious, ornate building, but instead in jars of clay. We have this treasure in jars of clay! He promises to walk among us, be our God, and make us His people. How close and intimate is this great grace! What should be our response? Paul answers this clearly so there is not any misunderstanding. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Confess, cleanse, let the Spirit work in sanctification and holiness. Live like I am the temple of God! Allow for no desecration, but instead walk humbly with my God.

 

Father,

Continue to teach me to live as a living temple. Teach me to walk intimately with You in fellowship and communion. Open my eyes so that I see sin creeping in.

In His name,

Amen