Author: Charlie Brignac

I am forever a student of the Word and a disciple of Jesus Christ, finding life applications in Scripture. I write about Christian themes, including bringing others to Christ, the matchless name of Jesus and various spiritual concepts like a penitent heart and overcoming darkness. I focus on Christian teachings, personal faith and reliance on the Holy Spirit. I invite you to read through my daily writings. Think them out for yourself through your study of God's Holy Word. Pray on the meaning of the message. Then let the message come alive in your life.

The Lord is All About Process

John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Ok, where is that “To Do” list? It’s time to get on to today’s tasks. I have to dive into the challenges of this day. Does this sound or feel familiar?

The world is all about results. Everything we are taught by the world directs us toward endless expenditures of our energy and our activities in an effort to produce something deemed valuable by the world itself. We are constantly in motion taking on the demands of the world. In our haste, we are focusing on the wrong kingdom.

Jesus’ royal power and authority have no origin in this world. His standing with the Father is in no way furnished by earthly force, fleshly ordinances, physical energies, material wealth or imperial armies. The dominion of Christ the King springs directly from the throne of Almighty God. Every good thing that comes to us and flows through us is a result of our relationship with One who sits at the right hand of the Father.

The Lord is all about process, not results. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to a process of building an intimacy with Our Savior. From the depths of the relationship that we develop with Jesus, we will produce every good thing that we engage in under His dominion.

Let us adjust our focus now. Let us turn away from focusing on the production of things that our flesh demands and move on to producing for the kingdom of Our Lord while here on earth. Let us become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day. We thank You for every day that You have given us. We rejoice in knowing that we will serve You here on earth and in heaven for all eternity. We ask for the daily grace to focus on and bear the desired fruit on earth that has value in Your kingdom. We pray that through our relationship with Your Son that our every activity will give You the praise and glory that is Yours alone. We ask all these things in the name of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Balancing Work with Family Needs

John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”

The compassion that Jesus Christ has for us is beyond our understanding. His compassion goes beyond human capability. His compassion extends to a level that only He, as the Son of Man and the Son of God, can personify.

His remarkable compassion was fully revealed to us on the Cross. In His moments of agony and pain, as He was fulfilling all that He was called to do, as he was placed between thieves with soldiers gambling for His clothing, He called out to the Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In His compassion, He recognized the frailty of all men and extended His perfect love and forgiveness.

Then in the final moments before His death. He made sure that His mother was cared for. He took the time to model that even in our highest calling that we have day-to-day challenges in our lives that must be dealt with. Who but Jesus, could exhibit such personal compassion at the same time that He was taking on the sins of the world?

Let us be acutely aware of our obligations to our family as we undertake our callings as disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit to help us properly prioritize our works as we deal with our spiritual calling from God and our responsibilities in our carnal world.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your compassionate understanding of our frailty in the flesh. We bless the name of Jesus who came and lived in the flesh so that we could see how to live both in our highest calling and in our day-to-day responsibilities of caring for our families, our loved ones and those placed around us. We pray that we will be forever mindful of Our Compassionate Savior as we go through the trials of our lives. May we extend the fullness of His compassion for us to the world. We ask all these things in the name of the fount of all compassion and mercy, Jesus Christ.

Power and Purpose Released Through Prayer

John 14:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Most of us will never set foot on foreign soils in an effort to win souls. Nor will we step to a podium to stir a great revival. So what are these greater works that we will do when we believe in Jesus?

The answer is certainly different for each one of us as God has created each of us with a unique plan for our lives. In our own individual ways we will be called to be laborers in the field bringing light to the world of darkness around us. We may be called to be ushers, parking attendants, babysitters, etc. We may be called to serve the poor. We may be called to lead a bible study. Who knows, we may even be called to a ministry of healing and deliverance. But in all of the various ways that we are called, there will always be one element of our works that will be the same and that is the work of prayer.

Jesus was our role model is this regard. He never attempted any work without going to the Father first in prayer. Prayer was one of His greater works as He went to the Father to have His power and His purpose released. Now that Jesus is with the Father as Our Mediator, one could argue that prayer is the greatest work that we will do as we call on Jesus to go to the Father on our behalf.

Let us call on Jesus to go to the Father to have His power and His purpose for us released in our lives. Let us faithfully seek the greater works that the Lord has set aside for us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us vessels for Your perfect Light to be released in the darkness of the world around us. We bless the name of Jesus for showing us the way in which we should approach the purpose for our lives. We rejoice in knowing that we can share in Your good work by accessing through prayer the power and authority of Your Son. We pray, Father, that the greater works of the Son will be released in our lives as we seek You and surrender to Your plan for our lives through our prayers. We ask all these things in the name of the Strength of Our Lives, Jesus Christ.

The Ability to Love and Forgive

1 John 2:2
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die for the sins of all of mankind. In this one act, we see the perfect love and the perfect forgiveness of both the Father and the Son. The advocacy of the Son is limited to believers, but the propitiation for sin extends as far and as wide and as deep as the evidence of sin in all people.

When we receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as Our Savior, we are receiving the fullness of His perfect love and forgiveness. We also receive the indwelling Holy Spirit who instills in us this perfect love and forgiveness to share with the world around us. As it is with the Father and the Son, we are to withhold love and forgiveness from no man.

With all the anger and bitterness that is spewed every day in our society, we should not withhold even the smallest portion of love and forgiveness from any man anywhere. Our ability to love and forgive under all circumstances is what marks us as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Let us set aside the anger that the world stirs in us. Let us refuse to partner with the bitterness that our flesh demands. Let us live in the fullness of joy and peace that is only found through perfect love and forgiveness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the unlimited flow of love and forgiveness that comes from Your Throne. We bless the name of Jesus for becoming sin for every man so that we all could receive the eternal gift of salvation. We pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we learn to become free flowing vessels of Your perfect love and forgiveness. We ask for the grace to overcome all bitterness, anger and unforgiveness in our lives so that we may in no way hinder the provision of Your love to the world around us. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

God Desires Our Help

Esther 4:14
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.

God had a unique will and plan for Esther’s life. He wanted her to be the instrument that He used to deliver His people. He wanted her to know that He would bring favor for His people through her efforts. But God would not make the choice for Esther, she had to make her own choice to follow His instruction. If she did not follow His will, God made it known that He would find someone else who would be the instrument of delivering His people.

God was very clear in conveying the options to Esther. What He did not say to her was, “Thanks, I could not do this without you.” God can accomplish His plans without any help from us. If we are not obedient in doing the things that He asks us to do, the loss is not His. He will find a replacement to do His good work because He loves to use His children to accomplish His work. It brings Him great pleasure and glory.

But if we are not obedient to the things that He asks us to do, it is our loss. The work that we do for the Lord is more about our sanctification process than the results of our work. Who we are in Christ is defined by our obedience to His calling.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we can fulfill God’s will and plan for our lives. Let us seek to join the Lord in His good work.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the privilege of serving You on this earth. We rejoice in knowing that we bring You great pleasure and glory when we do Your good work. We pray, Father, that You will open our eyes so that we may see the ways in which You are calling us to serve You. We pray, Lord, that You will prepare our hearts to surrender to Your will for our lives. May all that we do be for Your pleasure and Your glory. We ask all these things in the name of the Great King Over All the Earth, Jesus Christ.

The Privilege of Being in the Presence of God

Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked with God;

“Enoch walked with God.” Good for old Enoch, but what about us? Does it seem possible that at any given time that the ruler and creator of the universe would dial us up and invite us for a walk or we could dial Him and ask Him to join us for a walk? In the flesh, it certainly seems impossible, perhaps even unimaginable.

While it all may seem illogical to us, it is absolutely within the plans that Almighty God has for each of us. He is always ready to hear from us. He is eager to come along side of us. His line is always open. The only issue is that in order to connect to God’s line, we have to be on the same line. We must disconnect ourselves from all of the lines of distraction in our lives. This is hard work, but it is well worth the effort. Profound peace and joy awaits.

Let us begin the task of separating ourselves from the distractions of the world. Let us devote every task, no matter how mundane, to the Lord. Let us treat all of our labor as sacred. Let us learn to stay in the presence of Almighty God throughout the day.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for granting us the privilege to be in Your presence. We praise You for making Your throne accessible to us. We bless the name of Jesus for dying on the cross for us so that we are worthy to come before You. We pray, Lord, that You would teach us how to shed the distractions of the world and make You the center of all that we do. May we all learn to rejoice in complete comfort in Your sweet presence. We ask all these things in the name of Our Ever Present Lord, Jesus Christ.

We Serve an On-Time (His) God

John 11:6
So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

In today’s world, everything happens at such a rapid pace. Almost any product can be ordered on line and delivered within one to two days. There are now some on-line delivery services that promise delivery of the new item within two hours. To stand in line for anything drives us up a wall. We simply have lost all patience with anything other than instant gratification.

The problem with instant gratification is that it often fails to deliver on the expectations of the moment. That shiny new toy that we were so excited about seldom fulfills all that we thought it would.

Unfortunately, we carry our need for instant gratification into our prayer life. When we find ourselves or our loved ones afflicted with pain or disease, in financial need or in a very dry place spiritually, we look to Almighty God for instant relief. He does not share our impatience. His timing is completely different from ours.

Our Father in heaven has every intention of meeting the needs of those that accept His Son as their Savior. His plans for us are perfect for us and our needs. He hears our prayers and He answers them. He does not rush to provide the answers instantly, even though He could. When His work of temporal or spiritual deliverance is delayed, it is only on hold for the right time and the maximum good for all. Just as it was for Lazarus and his family, He responds to our prayers with only the best for us and those around us, regardless of how long it takes.

Let us learn to lean on the promises of Almighty God with total faith. Let us know without any doubt that He will hear and answer our prayers. Let us rejoice in knowing that His response to our needs will be perfect for us and for those around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for always giving us what is best for us and not what we ask for and certainly not what we deserve. We exalt You for the loving kindness, the mercy and the grace that You extend to us endlessly. We pray, Lord, that You will show us how to wait confidently in faith for all that You have prepared for us and those around us. We rejoice in knowing that Your timing is perfect. We ask all these things in the name of the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus Christ.

Aligning Our Mindset with Christ

Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.

Jesus was well aware that the mindset of the individuals around Him was a critical determinant in their ability and desire to accept His teaching. Jesus knew that many of the people that He was trying to reach set up blockades to learning because they granted authority only to their logic, tradition, culture and emotional feelings. They would not accept the truth and authority of the King of Kings. Thus they closed the door on the truth in His teaching. Ultimately, He closed the door on them.

As parents, teachers or caretakers, we understand the joy and the pleasure of an obedient and respectful child. The obedient child’s constant compliance to our instruction melts our hearts. Their demeanor invites instruction. It is easy and very natural for us to give compliant and respectful children greater responsibility because we are confident that they will handle the responsibility appropriately.

So it is when we become new born babes in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Almighty God rejoices when we are obedient and we demonstrate our faithful compliance to His laws, His commands, His Holy Word and His callings on our lives. When we come to Him humbly and in awe of who He is, He rewards us with more knowledge, more wisdom and more responsibility in His kingdom.

Let us seek to sit at the feet of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, with the same eagerness as children sitting around a story teller. Let us be childlike as we delightfully soak in all that we hear. Let us be even more childlike as we learn to accept all the teachings of Jesus Christ in complete faith.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for receiving us as innocent babes in Christ. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible that we could stand before You in righteousness. We bless the name of the Holy Spirit who inspires us to come to You as expectant as young children who go to their fathers eager to learn about the world and anxious for their dreams to be fulfilled. We pray for the grace to please You in all that we do. We ask that You release to us the knowledge that we do not have and the wisdom we seek. May it all be for Your glory and the gain of Your kingdom. We ask all these things in the name of the Author of Our Faith, Jesus Christ.

Living by the Standards of Jesus

Romans 6:13
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

When we were born, we inherited a sin nature through the bloodlines of Adam and Eve. Through the grace of Almighty God, we were given the choice to keep the sin that separates us from Him for all eternity or receive the atonement for our sin provided by the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a choice that must be made. There is no place for indecision in selecting where we want to spend eternity.

When we accept Jesus as Our Savior, we are washed clean of all of the sin in our lives. Nonetheless, the sin nature remains. It then becomes the work of the Holy Spirit to lead us away from the iniquity in our lives and toward the eternal, holy resting place that we will one day find in the presence of Almighty God. Yet again with the grace of God, we are provided all that we need to overcome the sin in our lives. To receive the fullness of our eternal reward, we must measure every experience in our lives by the standards of Jesus Christ and not by our own standards. We must do right for the glory of God.

Let us seek the all-sufficient grace that we need to overcome the things of darkness that will perplex and distress us throughout our lifetime on earth. Let us walk in the strength of the Holy Spirit so that we may join Jesus in His good work for the Father. Let us rejoice and be encouraged, for in the blink of an eye on one glorious day, we will stand before the Father in the image of His Son and we will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we ask Your forgiveness for our sins. We rejoice in knowing that Your forgiveness is certain and complete through the redemptive work of Your Son, Jesus. We thank You for allowing us to atone for the sin in our lives through Our Savior. We thank You for the Holy Spirit who stands by us as we continue to struggle with our sin natures. We pray for the grace and the strength to repent and turn away from all the sin that the Holy Spirit reveals to us. May we become instruments of Your good works. May our bodies be used to do only those things that are pleasing to You, bring glory to You and bear fruit for Your kingdom. We ask all these things in the name of Our Holy Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

His Grace Sustains Us

Jeremiah 31:31
“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.

Jeremiah foretold of a time when the Lord would bring in a new covenant. This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ when he stepped down from His seat by the Father in heaven to accept His sacrificial calling on earth to be the Redeemer of all men.

When Jesus came to earth, He issued an invitation to all men to “Come to Me.” He established Himself as the way, the truth and the life. He did not make it mandatory to accept His invitation, but He did make it clear that accepting His invitation was the only way to become worthy to be in the presence of Almighty God for all eternity.

Because Almighty God knew our frailty so well, the benefits of accepting His Son’s invitation went beyond the eternal reward promised. By accepting His invitation, we were also extended the grace needed for sustaining us during our time on earth while we were preparing for our eternal resting place in heaven.

Our earthly benefit package includes, but is certainly not limited to:
• access to the unimaginable favor of the King of Kings
• the privilege of laying all of our burdens on Him
• the satisfaction of having our thirst for knowing our Maker quenched forever
• the treasure of being able to learn from Our Master all that is good and pleasing to Almighty God.
Why should we go to any other quarter to have our needs met?

Let us go to Jesus to receive the grace of God that comes through Him. Let us go to Jesus for the peace, comfort, joy and salvation that He holds in His hands. Let us respond without delay to His invitation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending us Your Son to reveal to us Your will and Your love. We bless the name of Jesus for providing the yoke that joins us to Him for the purpose of having all of our burdens lifted from us. We rejoice in knowing that we live in Your constant shadow protected from evil and supplied with our needs. We pray, Lord, that Your Holy Spirit will guide us to release all of our cares into the arms of the One who invites us to come to Him. We ask all these things in the name of the Yoke of Our Burdens, Jesus Christ.