Month: April 2014

Eternal Life in Christ

Luke 23:31
For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?

As the women were weeping for the suffering of Jesus, He prophesied the terrible judgement that awaits those that do not accept the new life that He offers them.  He emphasized the message of His prophecy by using Himself as the standard against which judgement will be made.  

If He, who is pure and perfect in every measure and is the essence of life itself, had to suffer beyond the human capacity for pain and then die for our sins, why then should we, the driest of woods, not expect to die for our sins?  We can only escape the punishment for our sins and claim our inheritance as children of God by accepting the offer of eternal life through Our Savior.  Otherwise, we perish.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for providing the way, the truth and the life that is found only in Your Son, Jesus.  We praise the name of Jesus for all that He suffered on our behalf.  We rejoice in the inheritance that awaits us.  We pray that You will raise use us to be living testimonies to the new life that we have in Christ so that others may join us in our eternal places in Your kingdom.

The Enlightenment Received at Pentecost

John 16:12
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

Even the apostles were not ready to receive and understand all the teachings of Jesus.  Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, the flesh simply cannot handle what is meant to be revealed in the spirit.  It was only after Pentecost that the apostles could boldly proclaim the full gospel.

What a wonderful transformation when the Holy Spirit opens our minds to receive and understand the things that made no sense to us or had no value for us before.  In the blink of an eye, our blinders are removed.  Without even being cognizant of the process, we begin to assimilate truths that had been unavailable to us before.  Then, just as suddenly we are able to share them with those who have been prepared to receive them.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Wonderful Counselor that You have provided to guide and instruct us.  We humbly ask that You prepare us to receive all that the Holy Spirit has to teach us.  May we become willing vessels – ready to take on the fullness of Your living water and eager to have the living water pass through us to bring life and enlightenment to those around us.

Wisdom is Better than Knowledge

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Googling for information has become a regular habit for many of us.  We are amazed at what we can find and delighted in how the process often yields the exact information that we are looking for.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with this process, if used appropriately.  It provides us with knowledge that we do not have…fast.

But wait, there is a much faster source of knowledge that is instantly available to us without the aid of any man-made device.  Our Heavenly Father teaches us that all we have to do is ask and He will give us wisdom.  Wisdom, by the way, is much better than knowledge.  Wisdom provides insight into how we should use the knowledge that we have accumulated.  Wisdom from God deepens our insight into how we should apply our skills and our knowledge in ways that are pleasing to Him. 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have inspired others to provide us with knowledge to help us through our daily activities.  We come to You to seek wisdom, so that we may use our knowledge in ways that are pleasing to You and in ways that are used to bear fruit for Your kingdom and bring honor and glory to Your name.

Taking the Cup of Bitterness

Matthew 26:39
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus fully accepted His assignment of death on the Cross.  He knew that His sacrifice was necessary for the salvation of all men.  He knew that His death on the Cross was the reason He was sent to earth.  The thing that overwhelmed Jesus was the impending separation from the Father when He would take on the sins of all men.  Yet Jesus was fully obedient to the will of the Father for the good of all mankind.  And He was received in all His glory by the Father. 
According to this example of Christ, we must drink of the bitterest cup which God puts into our hands.  Even though our flesh will seek immediate relief from all trial in our lives, we must recognize and accept the will of Our Father as we go through our trials.  For, as God allowed the unspeakable trial of the Cross for Jesus because of the ultimate gain for all mankind, He allows each of us to go through our trials for our ultimate preparation to stand before Him sinless and to be received in glory by Him.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You allow the trials in our lives that prepare us to be received by You. We pray that You provide us with strength to overcome the weaknesses of our flesh as we face our trials.   May you give us the spiritual maturation to be able to take our cup of bitterness and rejoice in our submission to Your will and plan for our lives.   

Which Path Will I Take?

John 16:32
Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

The apostles and disciples of Jesus scattered as He began His journey to the Cross.  They returned to their homes and their old jobs.  Their faith was real, but it was not strong enough to stand up to the Cross.

Jesus calls us from different times and places in our lives, just as the apostles were called.  At some point in time, we will all be called to stand up for our faith.  In today’s anti-Christian environment, this challenge is more real than I ever imagined that it could be.  Will we scatter to our old lives when the trials reach us or will we surrender all to Our Savior?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that we have been called to follow Your Son.  Strengthen us in the face of the darkness that challenges us to stand up for our beliefs.  Complete Your work in us so that we have the courage and the faith to choose Your Kingdom and defend it against the world.

The Things that Make for Peace

Luke 19:42
If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

As Jesus weeped over Jerusalem, He spoke the words in Luke 19 to the Jews, who He knew would reject Him and His offer of salvation.  Because they rejected His offer, He transferred His offer to the willing Gentiles.

This principle is carried out in a different way in our daily lives.  Jesus prepares us to do His work and asks us to be obedient to His calling.  Sometimes He will give us simple urgings in the spirit to do something nice for someone, to pray for someone or to ask forgiveness from someone (to put that grocery cart back where it belongs – I’ve been convicted on that one).  If we accept His bidding, we will be given greater things to do for Him.  We will experience the peace and comfort that flows from serving Him.  If we do not accept His bidding, we will miss the peace He offers and we will miss a portion of the bigger plans that He has for our lives.  Sadly, He will move on to find the one who is willing serve Him readily.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to serve You.  We rejoice in knowing that You are pleased when we are obedient to Your urging.  We pray that You make us sensitive to the work that You call us to do.  May we find joy in even the smallest tasks.  May it all bring honor and glory to You.

Praying in Agreement with the Will of God

Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

In our prayer lives, we often seek the hand of God for protection and provision for ourselves, our families and those close to us.  Our Savior opened His arms for all mankind to benefit.  He wants us to do the same.  

In His ministry, Jesus often argued with the apostles because He wanted to be among those in the most need of His redemptive work, not those that were more socially acceptable.  Jesus wants us to intercede for the world around us, whether we feel drawn or repulsed by the ones that we pray for.  This is not natural for us, but His Spirit within us will help us to see the will of God in our prayer lives.

Prayer,
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have provided Your Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray and how to come into agreement with Your will for the lives of the people around us.  Be they far or near, be they friend or foe, Father, teach us how to pray for their needs. May You perfect Your strength in our weakness.