Month: May 2016

Cleansing Through Confession

Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
In the flesh, it is very difficult to deliver a full confession of the sin in our lives.  We simply are not equipped to deal with self-condemnation without the aid of the Holy Spirit.  Our carnal minds are not able to fathom the real joy in the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ.
It is very important that we confess our sins and repent of them quickly.  We should not hold on to them for any reason – not even to punish ourselves.  We must take God’s merciful grace and cleanse ourselves of our sins.  We must recognize that Jesus Christ has atoned for all of our sins for all eternity.  To hold on to any sin, even its guilt, is to continue to unnecessarily suffer its destruction in our lives.
Once we have cleansed ourselves of our sins through confession, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and lift us to a new, higher level relationship with the Father.  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.  Psalm 32:1-2
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy and Your grace that has provided a way for us to be cleansed of our sins and freed from its destructive power in our lives.  We thank You Jesus for settling our sin debt for all eternity.  We exalt the name of Our Savior.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to uncover all of the sin in our lives so that we may quickly confess it with our mouths.  May we escape the darkness that has overcome us and live in the precious light of Our Redeeming King.  We ask all these things in the mighty, holy and precious name of Jesus Christ.

Our Faith Trumps Our Ability

Luke 9:61
Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
In the final passage in Luke 9, there are a number of verses which point out the costs of following Jesus.  In essence, each cost mentioned really applies to the type of excuses we will come up with to delay following what the Lord is calling us to do.
One of the most common excuses for many of us is “I am not capable or I am not ready to take on such a task.”  There is a faith gap that prevents us from believing that we can do what the Lord is asking of us.  We question the calling because it goes against our natural instincts.
Other common excuses seem to come from our friends and our family.  The world is eager to step in and divert us from any calling of the Lord.  It is remarkable how quickly those around us can cause us to step away from what God has ordained for us.
When we finally move forward with what God has asked us to do, we find out it never was about our ability nor about our worldly affairs.  It was about our faith in God.  When God calls us to do anything, large or small, we should leap into action with confidence in the One who called us.  It is through Him that the good work is done.  We are only instruments of His love.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us to be instruments of Your good work.  We rejoice in knowing that we can share Your love with the world around us in so many different and powerful ways.  We pray that You open our eyes and prepare our hearts so that we do not delay any good work that You have set aside for us.  We ask all these things in the name of the One that determines our steps, Jesus Christ.

We Are Commanded to Be of Good Courage

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Jesus spoke directly to the apostles before He left the earth.  He wanted the apostles to know that even though He would be leaving them in the flesh that He would still be with them in spirit.  He wanted them to understand that He would be with them always as He is with the Father always.  He wanted them go forward in peace, without fear, having faith that the victory was theirs through Him.  He wanted them to be empowered by knowing that He had already overcome all the tribulation that the world and Satan himself had to offer. Through His indwelling with them, they would have the power that they needed to endure all things.
And so it is with us.  When we accept Jesus as Our Savior, His Spirit indwells with us.  We become one with Him as He is one with the Father.  We receive all that the apostles were told that they would receive. 
Unfortunately, one facet of the things to come for us is the fact that we will face tribulation.  We will encounter the fierce opposition of the evil one and of those who represent him.  And we will certainly face the persistent opposition of our own flesh.  But Jesus wants us to be of good courage and hope for He promises to provide all that we need to overcome anything that is thrown at us.  When we surrender to Jesus, we have all that we need to overcome the temptations of Satan, the infirmities of our own flesh and the carnal offerings of the world.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we humbly come before You in thanksgiving for the power that You have granted us through Your Son, Jesus.  We pray that You teach us how to develop and enjoy our relationship with Jesus.  May we find our strength in Jesus, just as Jesus found His strength in You when He was in the flesh.  May our victories over our tribulations bring honor and glory to You, to Your Son and to the Holy Spirit.  We pray that our victories become living testimonies that will draw others to Jesus.  We ask all these things in the name of the Upholder of All Things, Jesus Christ.

In His Name All Prayers Are Answered

John 16:23
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Why is it that we do not have enough faith to believe in all the promises that God has given us through His Son, Jesus?  There is certainly an overwhelming amount of evidence to prove that God has power over all things.  Why can’t we believe in His simple promises to meet our every need and to work out all things for our eternal good?

The medium of access to the Father is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the mediator between Almighty God and man.  The sacrifice of the life of Jesus and His righteousness speak loudly in heaven.  The account of His blood pleases the Father, thus His mediation is powerful and guaranteed.  In His name, all prayers are heard and all blessings are bestowed.
When we fully surrender our lives to Jesus, we will have all the faith that we need to go boldly to the the throne of Our Creator.  We will ask for things with confidence in the power and the promises of Our Mediator.  We may find a number of things we do not fully understand, but we will never find our prayers unanswered.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We thank You for every blessing that we receive in His holy, mighty and precious name.  We pray for the wisdom and the strength to surrender all that we are and all that we have to You in His Name.  We rejoice in knowing that we will serve You for all eternity with never a need again.  We ask all these things in the name of the Mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ. 

Noah Teaches Us About Waiting on God

Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
Genesis 8:1 might seem to suggest that God had let His promises to Moses slip His mind for some period of time before He fulfilled them.  That interpretation would be inconsistent with who God is.  God had not forgotten Noah for He does not and cannot forget His promises to His children.
But it is quite possible that Noah, a man of extraordinary faith, may have been wondering if God had forgotten about him and his family.  Surely Noah had a few anxious thoughts when he and his family spent year upon year working on the ark with no sign of rain except the ridicule that was raining down upon them.  Surely Noah was getting a bit on edge after spending seven months on the waters before the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.   Can you imagine the anxiety waiting another three months before any other mountain tops appeared above the water?  Surely Noah was beyond frustration when the doves he sent out returned to the ark without having found a landing place.  But God in His faithfulness remembered Noah and the promises that He had made to Noah.  On the twenty-seventh day of the fourteenth month, God told Noah that he and his family could now go out from the ark.  Noah finally took his family and all the animals out to the earth that was perfectly prepared for them.
It seems reasonable to assume that Noah and his family surely wanted off the boat before it was time.  But God was not going to let them leave the boat until the earth around them was properly prepared.  As we go through life, our expectations often lead us to question whether God has remembered us.  We are simply placing our desires ahead of God’s perfect plan for our lives.  The God of Faithfulness never forgets us or His promises to us.  We must have faith in His perfect timing. 
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness to Your promises.  We rejoice in knowing that You will not let a single promise return void.  We pray that You will give us the grace we need to build our faith when we are waiting on Your perfect timing for our lives.  May we never doubt You.  We ask all these things in the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ. 

Kneeling Is Not Required

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.
Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing.  Is this possible?  Let us consider what prayer is.
Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant.  It may be formal or in the form of an outburst. It may be offered in secret or in public.  It may be a personal solicitation or it may be intercessory.
Prayer presupposes a belief in a God who wants to hear from us and wants to extend His perfect control over our lives.  Prayer is offered in reverence with a humble sense of inadequacy and unworthiness as we bow before the holy and righteous God of heaven.  Prayer is offered in thanksgiving for everything we already have been provided and are currently experiencing.  Prayer is rejoicing in every moment as we recognize the presence of Our Savior and the fullness of what He has done for us and is willing to do for us.
Prayer is recognizing that we have a daily and continuous need for the intervention of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As we start each day of our lives, we can be sure that we will encounter new trials and new challenges in our service, whether it be carnal or spiritual.  We would certainly be wise to call on the counsel and power of the Holy Spirit to aid us along the way lest we falter. 
If Jesus Christ is the foundation of our lives, prayer is as natural as breathing.  We are always needy.  We benefit considerably by being continually before the throne of grace.  Indeed, kneeling is not required.  We can pray without ceasing just by recognizing the constant presence of the One who longs for our attention.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise You for who You are.  We thank You for all that You have provided and continue to provide.  We submit to Your control over our lives.  We pray that You will teach us how to make prayer to You as normal and as regular as breathing.  May our lives be a continuous flow of our reverent acknowledgement of Your presence and power in our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Refuge in the Storm, Jesus Christ.

Building Walls to Protect Our Treasures

Revelation 3:2
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
The message to the church of Sardis in the book of Revelation was, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”  The people of Sardis were urged to wakeup and strengthen what remained of their relationship with God or they would see their relationship with God disappear.
Today we are often guilty of sitting back and watching as the enemy tries to destroy not only our relationship with God, but our relationships in our marriages, our homes and our extended families.  We need to wake up and strengthen these relationships through Jesus Christ.  These relationships were placed in our lives by Almighty God.  Just as Jesus Christ should be the foundation for our spiritual lives, these family relationships should be foundational elements in our natural lives.  
The enemy knows how important these relationships are to us.  He knows that if he can destroy these relationships that he can weaken our relationships with Our Father in heaven.  The enemy knows this well and does everything possible to “divide and conquer”.
Divide and conquer can be very subtle…at least at first.  Divide and conquer appears as meals eaten alone because the family is so busy.  Divide and conquer is going to bed angry with a spouse over a relatively unimportant issue.  Divide and conquer is skipping the family reunion because of some prior squabble with one family member.
We cannot be passive.  We must wake up and be constantly on guard to protect our relationships.  Our marriages, our homes and our extended families are treasures.  When conflicts occur, we need to move swiftly to repair the damages and rebuild what the enemy is trying to destroy.  We must be proactive in nurturing activities that keep the relationships alive.  We must build walls of protection that withstand the assaults of the enemy.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the treasures in life that You have provided through our marriages, our homes and our extended families.  We pray that You will provide us with the armor that we need to fight against the enemy that seeks to take away our treasures.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to make Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives so that we can build indestructible walls of protection around our treasures.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Sure Foundation, Jesus Christ.

Trusting in the One Who Keeps His House in Perfect Order

Revelation 1:18
I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Jesus Christ saying that He is the first and the last confirms His role in our time based world.  He brought our world into existence and He will usher it out when He brings in His eternal kingdom. By saying that He holds the keys to Death and Hades, He is confirming His proper deity and His covenant of grace and salvation for all.
When we have a relationship with Jesus Christ who created the universe and still controls every minute detail of its existence, how could we lack the confidence that He will overcome any person or evil in the universe that comes to harm us.  It just does not make sense to question His power and sovereign rule.  He is the head of His own house by Whom and for Whom all things were created.  He will keep His house in perfect order according to His will and perfect plans.  

Fear not!  Let us rest in the hands of the One who promises us His love, His joy and His peace through His victory on the Cross.  Let us trust in the One who closes the portals of hell and opens the gateways of heaven.  Blessed be His name.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we fall at Your feet in utter awe of who You are.  We proclaim Your Name above all other names.  We praise You and we surrender to Your power in our lives.  We exalt the name of Jesus.  May He lay His hand upon us in love and not in wrath or anger.  We pray that You will show us Your power in the struggles that we are currently experiencing.  May we find joy in our circumstances knowing that You have already settled the matters for our good for all eternity.  We ask all these things in the name Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

Experiencing the Infinite Power of the Glory of Jesus Christ

John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
This passage is part of the prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples prior to His eminent death and resurrection.  Jesus was confirming with the Father that His disciples and all of the new believers in the good news of the salvation story who followed Him in discipleship would join Him in glory for all eternity.
Jesus prayed that all that choose to follow Him would see the fullness of His grace and beauty.  He prayed that all His followers would see His standing with the Father on the grandest scale in heaven without the obstructive hindrances of the flesh.  He prayed that His disciples would experience the full capacity and infinite power of His glory.  He prayed that all of His disciples would join Him at the right hand of the Father for all eternity.
Jesus’ prayer to the Father in heaven provides us with the strength that we need to endure all that comes against us in life because we know there will be the ultimate victory in the end.  To paraphrase 2 Cor 4:8-9, we may be afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we may be perplexed, but not driven to despair; we may be persecuted, but not forsaken; we may be struck down, but not destroyed because we are one with Jesus Christ.  Our place in heaven has been secured.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come to You exalt the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Our Master and Our King.  We thank You Father that we may be one with Jesus as He is one with You.  We praise You as we receive in faith all of the promises that come with being a disciple of Your Son.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will keep us steadfast in all aspects of our discipleship.  We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

Entering the Joy of the Master

Matthew 25:21
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.’
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to join Our Master as He walks along side us in our journey toward sanctification.  We can be certain that we will encounter the following along the way:
  • Jesus will set our hearts to burning for Him as He opens the scriptures to us, just as he did for the two disciples when He joined them as they were walking on the road to Emmaus.
  • The Holy Spirit will reveal to us who we are without Jesus in our lives.
  • The Holy Spirit will convict us of the darkness in our lives and urge us to be obedient in changing our ways and helping others to change their ways.
  • Satan will attack us all along the way.  As we grow in Christ, the intensity of the attacks will increase. 

We can be just as certain that the victory is ours if we rely on the One who died for our sins.  We will enter into the joy of Our Master for all eternity.  Can you even imagine the joy that Jesus holds?  He is the essence of everything good.  He is the absence of anything evil.  He is perfect in every measure.  This is all ours when we stand before Him one day to take our place as His eternal servants.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son to redeem us from our sins and that You provided Your Holy Spirit to guide us along our path of preparation for receiving our place in heaven for all eternity.  We pray that Your countenance will shine up us.  We pray that Your grace will be with us always.  We pray that You will protect us from harm and evil.  We pray that You will protect us from the evil one and all of His temptations.  We pray that You will raise us up to be instruments of Your good work and vessels of Your perfect love and forgiveness.  May we stand before You one day and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  We ask all these things in the name of the Joy of the World, Jesus Christ.