Month: September 2014

Changing Others Each Day

John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

The demeanor of spirit filled Christians is engaging to the observers.  Without the givers even knowing it, the smile or kind word that they deliver often becomes a day changing event for the receivers.  It is certainly within God’s provision that the simple event could even be life changers for the receivers.

Was this purposely done by the spirit filled givers?  Often times it was not.  More often than not, the gift of living water was delivered without the knowledge of the spirit filled givers.  The gift was simply a reflection of the indwelling of Jesus Christ.  

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to be vessels of Your blessings to others.  We praise You for shielding us from knowing about many of the blessings that we pass to others.  We thank You for keeping us from having our pride block the flow of the living water.  We pray that You will fill us with Your blessings for others and use us to change their lives forever.

Choosing to Live in the Favor of the Lord

Psalm 120:5
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

When we get to heaven, we will fully understand the perfect nature of Jesus Christ.  Until then, the depth and perfection of Jesus Christ is beyond our capability to comprehend.  That is why we are often inconsistent in relying on the Spirit of Jesus Christ within us when we are making decisions.  That is why we often make decisions in the dark instead of in the Light.

How many times have we said something like, “when I get a raise, I will be able to give more,” or “when my job eases up a little, I will spend more time in prayer,” or “when I feel better I will get more involved at church.”  We always seem to be searching for a more favorable lot in life before we give of ourselves.  We are not shortsighted, we are just wrong sighted.  We are dwelling in the world instead of under the favor of Our Lord.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing us with escape from the darkness that this world offers us.  We rejoice in knowing that we have the favor of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We cry out to You, Our Lord, for Your peace and Your holiness.  We pray that You will strengthen us to overcome the evil that surrounds us.  May we become light to the world around us.

The Standards of the Disciples of Jesus Christ

Matthew 7:16
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

Any company that is successful will have salesmen that reflect the established standards for representing the company and presenting the company’s goods.  The standards will include dictates for personal appearance, behavior and their passion for presenting the product.  Of course, their knowledge of the product must be exemplary and their ability to close the sale must be top notch.  And finally, at no time are they to have collusion with the competition.

If these are the world’s standards for good salesmen, certainly the standards for being a good disciple of the Lord are at least the same.  It is especially true that our behavior must reflect our discipleship and not the choices of our flesh.

There are two big differences, however.  The first is that we, as disciples, always have a helper in the Holy Spirit.  The second is that it is not our job to close the sale.  That is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the fellowship that we have with You through Your Son.  We bless the name of the Holy Spirit for instructing and guiding us in being good disciples of Jesus.  We pray that the world will be drawn to Your Son through our living testimony.  We ask that those that You have placed in our lives will be convicted by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Vessels of Our Heavenly Portions

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We are mere vessels on this earth.  Whatever we receive from the Lord needs to be released into the world.  Upon receiving His Light, we must let His Light flow through us to the darkness in the world around us.  Jesus taught that we are the light of the world and emphasized that no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but places it on a stand so that all can share the light.  It is our responsibility to allow others to be exposed to the Light that is within us. 

Upon receiving His Living Water, we must share what we have received with the thirsty amongst us.  To dam up the outpouring that we receive can actually damage us.  The vessel that receives and receives without pouring out will eventually burst or at the very least, fill to the point of being unable to receive any more.  Then upon being filled without flow, the vessel will become stagnant.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the blessings that You pour into our lives.  We pray that You will protect us from clinging to our blessings to satisfy ourselves.  May we freely take our blessings, whether they be things of this world or portions from Your heavenly treasure, and pour them out before You.  May the Holy Spirit guide us so that our sacrifice and our works are suitable and pleasing to You.  May the world receive Your Light and Your Living Water through us.  May it be for Your glory.

The Cooling, Calming, Refreshing and Cleansing of the Living Water

John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

By faith, we receive Jesus into our lives.  When we receive Our Savior, we receive His living water that can flow continuously from our lives if we are in submission to the Cross and not to ourselves.

The flow can manifest itself in many ways.  It can range from the smallest, unseen kindness to a magnificent production on the grandest of stages.  The flow is as a fountain of living, running water that is providing continuous streams that are all at once cooling, calming, refreshing and cleansing.

These streams have flowed from Our Redeemer throughout all time to every place and person.  These streams continue through us.  May we submit fully to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that God’s goodness may be poured out through us to the world around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for using us as founts of Your living water.  We praise You for the refreshing and cleansing that it brings into our own lives as we allow the waters to pass through us.  We humbly and anxiously submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We pray that we come into the fullness of the flow so that the thirst of those around us may be quenched as we are quenched.

Manifesting Holiness

1 Peter 1:16
Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Absolute holiness is the final product for the disciples of Jesus Christ.  We become absolutely holy when we go to meet Our Lord for all eternity.  Until that time, we can experience periods of holiness when our behavior is a reflection of the Holy One that lives within us.

When our behavior reflects the standards of our flesh, we move toward darkness.  Only by turning our focus toward The Light, can we manifest the holiness that God has given us through His presence in our lives.

We must be mindful of our holiness.  It is our duty and our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ.  Because the enemy is certain to come against us, we must trust in the grace of God for His holiness to be reflected in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the atonement that You have provided through Your Son which allows us to be holy, as You are holy.  We rejoice in knowing that we are in perfect union with You when we are abiding in Your Son.  We ask, Father, that the Holy Spirit will help us to be on guard against the sins to which we are inclined.  We pray that Your countenance shine upon us and Your grace be with us always so that we may turn away from evil and obey Your will in all areas of our lives.