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.

Living in the Fullness of the Light of Christ

Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

As light was the first work in the creation of the earth, so has light been the first work in the creation of new men or women in Christ. In both cases the light was brought forth to overcome the pre-existing chaotic darkness that existed.

Jesus is the light, the truth and the way. No darkness can exist in His presence. When we accept Him as Our Savior, He comes to dwell within us and the process of removing all the darkness from our lives begins. All of our sins are brought into the light by the Holy Spirit. Repentance is required. To do otherwise is to suggest that we are sufficient in our own ways. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins. We must recognize our unworthiness. We must recognize our need to be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb. We must fully submit to Jesus so that we will have the strength to turn away from the darkness, so that we may live in the light. This process will continue as long as we are in our corrupted bodies. It will not be completed until we stand before Our Father in heaven at His Throne.

From the beginning of time, darkness has been allowed to exist with light. When the new earth is perfected for all eternity and comes into place with the new heaven, the darkness will be put aside forever. When we take our place in God’s kingdom, the darkness in our lives will also be set aside forever.

Let us beseech the Holy Spirit to inspect us. Let us implore Him to reveal every bit of darkness in our lives. Let us repent of the darkness that is uncovered. Let us ask for the grace and strength that we need to learn to live in the fullness of the Light of Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for exposing all the darkness in our lives. We pray that we will fully submit to the cleansing process. May Your Light extend to the outer margins of our lives. May no element of our lives be untouched. We pray that the complete work of the Blood of the Lamb will prepare us to take our place in heaven for all eternity. We ask all these things in the name of the Great Eternal Light, Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Promise of Victory and Peace

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

When Israel had been under the hand of the Midianites for seven years, the Lord came to Gideon. He promised to bring Israel peace and victory over the Midianites. He asked Gideon to lead the way. Gideon questioned the strength of his people and he questioned his own ability to lead the people against the Midianites. After the Lord provided Gideon with a sign confirming His promise, Gideon led the Israelites in battle.

After the Lord provided the victory, Gideon built an altar to celebrate the victory and to praise God for His fulfilled promise of victory and peace. Gideon named the altar Jehovah Shalom to honor the one who brought the victory. Jehovah Shalom means the Lord is peace.

Jehovah Shalom is the name that we can call on when our faith is weak because our world is out of sorts or all odds seem stacked against us. What a magnificent gift we have in the promise of victory and peace offered by Our Savior. Jesus promises not any peace, but His peace. He promises us the same peace that allowed Him to face and overcome the tremendous unsettling in His spirit when He knew the certainty of His upcoming death and agony. Every unsettling event in our lives can be calmed simply by calling on the name of Jehovah Shalom for He promises us His peace.

Let us claim the peace that Jesus promises us. Let us show the turbulent world around us that there is peace in His mighty name. Let us draw others to Him because of the peace in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can be certain of peace in our lives even when turmoil surrounds us. We rejoice in knowing that the Prince of Peace is with us always. We pray, Father, that our faith will be strong in the face of all adversity. May we be steadfast in all that You call us to do. May we be certain to look to Your Son, Jesus, to be our rock and our foundation when we need to overcome our fear. We ask all these things in the name of Jehovah Shalom, Jesus Christ.

Successfully Balancing Life for the Good of All

Luke 7:30
But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

God’s plan for our lives calls for total surrender to Him. The enemy has a different plan. The Pharisees suffered under the hand of Satan as they rejected God’s plans in order to follow their own plans which they were deceived into believing were built upon many good things.

The enemy uses all the facets of our lives on earth as areas of distraction in order to keep us from full surrender to Our Lord. Our work, recreation, hobbies and even family activities can all be big areas of distraction for us. Ironically, the work that we do as a ministry to support the Body of Christ may also become a distraction that keeps us from digging deep into our relationship with Jesus Christ. All of these activities can certainly be deemed good in their own right and are likely extremely productive. That is why Satan is so successful in distracting us from God. Satan entices us to replace God with good things.

Like the Pharisees, as we pursue all these good things in our lives, we may miss out on the special things that God has set aside for us. Oneness with Jesus Christ is the only way for us to successfully balance all that we deal with in life. Jesus is the fulcrum. He balances our load by providing the right foundation for all that we do. When we stay in balance by following the urgings of the Holy Spirit, we can reside in a place of rest and satisfaction unlike anything that we can derive from our own plans.

Let us strive to make Jesus the foundation for everything in our lives. Let us seek to make Jesus Christ the center of all we do. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us to differentiate the good opportunities in our lives from the God opportunities awaiting us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for using us to carry out Your plans for us and those around us. We pray, Lord, that You will draw us into full surrender to Your Son. May we make Him the center of everything in our lives. We ask that the Holy Spirit will help us to discover the unique plans that You have for our lives. We ask all these things in the name of the One from whom all good things come, Jesus Christ.

Exchanging Earthly Treasures for Eternal Treasures

Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The young ruler, as he is often called, was given the directive to sell what He had and follow Jesus. It was a hard word for the young man to take. He walked away from all that Jesus had offered because he could not give up his earthly treasures in exchange for the treasures that Jesus offered to him.

For most all of us, God’s words do not come to us in such a direct manner as the words spoken to the young man. They do not come in clear audible context. God’s directives come to us in the faint internal whisperings of the Holy Spirit. We receive more of a gentle urging of the spirit rather than an anything audible. Nonetheless, we are challenged just like the young ruler to decide if God is the most important thing in our lives.

Maybe, unlike the young ruler, it is not our treasures that we are holding on to. Maybe we are holding on to a job that keeps us away from our family. Maybe we are holding on to an outside interest that keeps us out of church on Sunday. Maybe we are holding on to a habit that limits our ability to draw closer to God. Maybe it is simply pride that is keeping us from fully surrendering to Our Savior.

Whatever it is, it is clear to Our Lord what we are holding on to. In His loving kindness, He will insure that which we are clinging to is exposed. The Holy Spirit will reveal the things of the flesh that we are clinging to. The Holy Spirit will send us urgings that are designed to test our obedience. If we ignore the urgings, they will become weaker and weaker until they eventually cease. If we are obedient to the urgings, they will become clearer and clearer to us. God’s inspiration will become a greater part of our lives as we begin to seek the urgings of the Holy Spirit in all of our endeavors. Through the process of obedience and surrender, we will learn to walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things that we are placing above God in our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to show us any areas of lack in our spiritual walk with Christ. Let us submit to the urgings of the Holy Spirit so that we may live the abundant life that God has planned for us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us to Yourself through the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit. We praise You for providing the ever present Counselor in our daily lives. We pray that our minds and hearts will be receptive to all that the Holy Spirit brings to us. We ask for the strength to release the trappings of our flesh that are keeping us from surrendering fully to Your Son. May our obedience bring richness to our daily walk with Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our Treasure on earth and in heaven, Jesus Christ.

Entering an Eternal Relationship

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Mary Magdalene was a terrible sinner but she was forgiven from her past sins by Jesus as He cast 7 demons out of her. She accepted all that He offered to her. Following her deliverance, Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus as one of his followers. Based on what Jesus had done for her, Mary was brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond. She had a true relationship with her Savior.

On the other hand, when it came to doctrine, Mary was not well schooled. She certainly would have looked foolish if she had been challenged in doctrine by the Pharisees who were known for their knowledge of God. But with all their knowledge about God, they did not know Jesus. They did not have an intimate, saving relationship with Him. They did not receive what He had to offer to them.

The Holy Word teaches us that even the demons are profoundly knowledgeable about Jesus, but they do not know Him. They certainly do not have an intimate relationship with Him. Full knowledge of Jesus means nothing unless He knows us. The only way that Jesus knows us (as in accepts us into His kingdom) is if we have accepted Him as Our Savior. When we respond to Jesus’ voice and accept Him as Our Savior, then our relationship with Him springs forth for all eternity.

Let us go to the door and receive the One who knocks. Let us open our hearts to Him. Let us seek to have an intimate relationship with Our Savior King. Let us proclaim our relationship to the world so that others may know Him, too.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing us with a Savior. We thank You for sending Your Son to this world so that all could know Him. We thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to open our hearts so that we could receive Your Son as Our Savior. We pray, Father, that You will teach us how to go beyond our knowledge of who You are and move into a living relationship with Your Son. May Jesus become the center of all we do. May others come to know Him through our living testimonies. We ask all these things in the name of the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ.

Reaching the Fullness of God’s Plans for Us

John 15:2
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Jesus is the vine. Our Father in heaven is the vine keeper. We are the branches. Every branch is examined by Our Father. Every branch that is not producing fruit because it does not draw what it needs from the vine is allowed to wither away. Every branch that is producing fruit is pruned so that it may draw closer to the vine and its production may increase.

Because we are born with no attachment to the True Vine, we have no hope of bearing fruit. The Father in heaven is a wise husbandman. In His mercy and loving kindness, He provides a way for us to be grafted into the True Vine. Through His grace, He insures that we can draw from the essential elements of the Vine.

Nature provides a good example of this harvesting process. Most of the seeds that are planted in a cutting garden become beautiful flowers that need to be pruned regularly by the gardner. The regular pruning insures the health of the plants and stimulates additional growth and productivity for each plant.

So it is with us. We were given new life in the body of Christ by Our Savior. The Holy Spirit takes on the role of the gardner, pruning away all of the sin from our old lives so that we may grow in Christ and produce much fruit for His kingdom.

Let us submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us surrender to the pruning process that will allow us to reach the fullness that Almighty God has planned for us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for grafting us into Your kingdom through the sacrificial work of Your Son. We rejoice that You have sent the Holy Spirit to help us to overcome the sin that we inherited and continues to rise up against us as we seek to live as new men and women in Christ. We pray, Father, that You will provide the inspiration that we need to submit to the Holy Spirit and the strength that we need to stand against the enemy who comes to steal our fruit. Through Your grace, may we see a full harvest from ou

The Finishing Work of the Lord in Our Lives

Hebrews 12:5
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as Our Savior, the Lord begins His work in us. He promises that He will complete every good work in us. He also promises that He will discipline us as needed to get us to the way, the truth and the life that is in Him. He will leave no blemish untouched.

As the Lord works on us, we can think of ourselves as a piece of old furniture that needs refinishing. Our old stain is no longer acceptable at the place where we will be displayed. We need a new refined finish. Our new finish cannot be applied until all of the old stain is removed. The first part of our refinishing will be relatively easy as our old stain is stripped away. This first step, however, will reveal the depth of the old stain. This then leads to the tough part of the process. To get rid of the stubborn stain will require sanding, scraping, chipping and maybe even gouging. This tedious process will be repeated over and over until all the old stain is completely gone. Only when all the stain has been removed completely will our final finish be applied.

God has various ways of completing His finishing work in our lives. Sometimes it is by the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit, sometimes it is by our reading of His Word and sometimes it is by the spoken words of His ministers. Often He allows affliction and trials to bring us to acknowledge and confess our iniquities, to recognize our shortcomings in fulfilling our duties or to convince us of our folly in following our own nature. All of these things are done through His perfect love and forgiveness.

Let us humbly surrender to the finishing work of the Holy Spirit. Let us submit to the work of the Master, who is preparing us for a place in His house.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing us to join You for all eternity. We bless the name of Jesus for His precious blood that He shed so that we may be washed clean of every stain of sin in our lives. We bow before You, Father, in full surrender to Your good work in us. We pray that You take us into Your hands and prepare us to stand before You in the image of Your Son. We rejoice in knowing that we will be in service to You in Your house forever. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

Awaiting a Spiritual Growth Spurt

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The changing of seasons is very easy to observe in nature. The verdant green of summer season is followed by the brilliant colors of the fall season. The dying out and browning in the winter season is always followed by the spectacular new growth in the spring season.

So it is in our growth as Christians. The Lord allows us to go through trials and periods of distance from Him in our relationship with Him. We must take care not to judge our lack of fruitfulness during our dormant seasons of trial and rest. These dormant seasons are necessary for the emergence of our harvest. How we respond during these dormant periods will determine the size and the fragrance of the new bloom in coming our harvest.

The more we let ourselves die to Christ in the dormant seasons of our lives, the greater will be the produce of our harvest times. The more we let ourselves live in the flesh during our times of trial and rest, the lesser will be the produce of our harvest times.

Let us seek the Holy Spirit to help us understand our seasons so that we are preparing properly for the harvest. Let us strive to make ourselves ready for the coming harvest that Our Father in heaven has planned for us here on earth.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us seasons of growth in our relationship with You. We rejoice in knowing that You have planned for us to go through these growing seasons with the Holy Spirit as our helper. We pray, Lord, that when we enter into our dormant periods of darkness that we may learn to respond to the checks of the Holy Spirit as we battle against the attacks of the flesh. May Your strength be perfected in our weakness as we blossom in Your perfect light. We ask all these things in the name of the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus Christ.

Standing Confidently in the Storm

Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us. But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial. When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved? As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried. Let us be resolute in our faith. Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide. We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us. We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us. May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

Reliant on Almighty God After Suffering a Loss

2 Kings 2:12
And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Elisha had been forewarned that his master, Elijah, was going to be taken from him. Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him before he was taken away. Elisha asked for a double portion of the anointing that the Lord had placed on Elijah. Elijah said that this was a huge request, but if Elisha witnessed his master being taken away by the Lord then his request was granted.

Having gone through his final lessons from Elijah, Elisha saw Elijah taken away. Elisha now stood alone. In a show of extreme grief of having lost his master, he tore his clothes in two pieces. He knew that he would no longer have his guide and leader to rely on. But because he had asked for it, he was granted a double portion of the anointing that was held by Elijah. Elisha would now rely on God, not on his master.

As Almighty God prepares us to spend eternity with Him, He may allow the people around us who we have relied upon to be taken from us. It may be through death or through a broken relationship, but they will be removed in some manner. Our Lord may also allow our finances or our possessions that we hold dear to be taken from us. During these times, we must learn to rely on the Lord and not on the world around us. Until we come to the point that we are totally reliant on God, He is likely to continue to allow the removal of people and things from our lives until we totally surrender to His reign in our lives. Through it all, we will learn the comfort, the power and the strength of resting in the hands of the One that created us.

Let us turn to the Lord for the peace and the strength that only He can provide when a person, place or thing has been taken from us. Let us find our new direction under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we struggle with our change. Let us boldly ask the Lord to replace what we have lost with a double portion of His blessing on our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to rest in the comfort of Your hands as we go through our journey of surrendering completely to You. We praise You for Your loving kindness and Your mercy as You never forsake us as we struggle to find our way. We pray, Lord, that You will open our eyes so that we may begin to see all that You have prepared for us. We beseech You, Father, to grant us the fullness of the power and strength that You have set aside for us. We ask all these things in the name of Our Ever Present Lord, Jesus Christ.