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Confidently Carrying Out the Work Our Father Has Created Us For

1 Cor 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Everything that we have and everything that we are comes from Almighty God. To speak of ourselves as unworthy or incapable to do the work that the Lord has called us to do is an insult to the Creator. As the apostle Paul states in this passage, “His grace toward me was not in vain”.

In the eyes of Our Heavenly Father, through the blood sacrifice of His Son, we are seen in the image of the Son. We should carry ourselves and conduct our work for the Lord with the confidence of the heirs to His kingdom. The children of God should differ from the sons of men. We should live our lives by the standards that we are capable of through His grace and the presence and support of the Holy Spirit.

Only through our personal relationship with Our Redeemer can we let go the things of the world that are holding us in bondage. Only through submission to Our Lord, Our Master and Our King can we overcome our natural weaknesses and operate in the divine power of Our Creator for His good pleasure. Only by His grace can we become what He created us to be.

Let us steadfastly pursue the grace of Almighty God through our relationship with His Son, Jesus. Let us confidently seek and carry out the work that Our Heavenly Father has created us to do. Let us live boldly as heirs to His kingdom.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating each of us with a sovereign, gracious purpose for our lives. We bless the name of Jesus for shedding His blood so that we may be worthy to do the things that bring pleasure to You. We exalt the Holy Spirit for standing by us so that we may overcome our weaknesses. We rejoice in knowing that Your grace is not bestowed on us in vain. We pray for the strength to persevere in pursuing Your will for our lives and not our own. May the fruit of our efforts be for Your honor, Your glory and Your good pleasure. We ask all these things in the name of Your dearly beloved Son in whom You are well pleased, Jesus Christ.

When the World Tries to Change Our Understanding of What is True

Psalm 119:125
I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

Discernment is one of the greatest gifts that we receive from the Holy Spirit. It is surely discernment that allows us to function properly in this out-of-control world that we live in. Without discernment we cannot recognize what is true and what is false. With the enemy working overtime to make what is right appear wrong and what is wrong to appear right, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to provide the understanding that we need to make good spiritual decisions.

It is by the grace of God, and not by our experiences in life, nor in any human teaching that we are able to understand the Word of God. We have the necessary enlightenment of God’s Word through our prayers, our study of the Scriptures and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It is in this manner that God allows us to discern the gradual shades of evil that are introduced into to our lives everyday by the media and the humanist agenda. We have been subjected to small doses of re-written history and contrived teaching via the media until we wake up one day and we find that we have accepted things to be true that simply are not in accordance with God’s Word.

Let us seek the Holy Spirit to provide us with the clarity of mind to know the truth in all things. Let us live by and proclaim the statutes that God’s Holy Word teaches. Let us use our Holy Spirit inspired discernment to reject the errant messages being espoused by the world.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of discernment that You provide through Your Holy Spirit. We bless the name of Jesus who has given us victory over the evil that tries to change our understanding of Your truth. We pray, Father, that Your Holy Spirit will fill us with the understanding and discernment that we need to walk according Your statutes. May we seek Your truth daily. As we serve You, may the world know us by our living testimony to Your ways. We ask all these things in the name of the Word and the Truth, Jesus Christ.

The Gifts of Our Constant Companion – Holy Spirit

Romans 8:11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as Our Savior, we are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Spirit works in and through us to accomplish the will of God. His power leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do the work that God has set aside for us.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive all of His gifts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We are provided these gifts so that we may proclaim the Good News of the Gospel through our living testimony.

The Holy Spirit’s powerful indwelling is an amazing gift we should never take lightly. Because the Spirit of the Lord is within us, we also receive the powers that Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would receive by way of the Spirit of God resting upon Him. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that Jesus would be endowed by the Holy Spirit. “And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him–the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:2

Let us live in the confidence and the power that the Holy Spirit gives us. Let us use the wisdom and understanding we are given to perceive the truth that God reveals to us so that we are able to convey it to others. Let us use the counsel and might that we have been given to originate, plan and execute the work that God calls us to do. Let us take our new found knowledge and fear of the Lord so we are able to live our lives surrendered to Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gifts and the power that we receive through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We praise the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to receive this supernatural blessing that empowers us far beyond our natural capabilities. We pray that the influence and power of the Holy Spirit will be manifest in all that we do. We ask that we may be made fruitful vessels of the fullness of Your Holy Spirit working in our lives. We ask all these things in the name of Our Keeper and Our King, Jesus Christ.

Giving Thanks for the Greatest Blessing in Life

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

During our recent Thanksgiving holiday now gone by, we all took time to pause and thank our Heavenly Father for all of the love, protection and provision that we have enjoyed in our lives. We may have even been humble enough to give thanks for our salvation. But did we take time to consider and give thanks for the awesome gift of grace that we receive from Almighty God each day? With the Christmas season of gift giving rushing toward us, let us be sure to add the gift of grace to our Thanksgiving list.

The ever flowing grace of God is what makes all the other blessings in our lives relevant. Not one of us would even accept the gift of salvation if we had not first received the gift of grace. Our sinful, human nature without the grace of God is simply incapable of accepting the idea that a Savior is needed for entry into the eternal kingdom of God. The greatest blessing that we receive in life, for which we should give thanks every day, is the supernatural grace that we are provided which allows us to acknowledge that we are destitute without Our Savior and we are powerless without His presence in our lives.

With the cherished moments of our Thanksgiving holiday fading away, let us take the opportunity to give thanks for the supernatural gift of God’s grace. Let us always be mindful that only through the grace of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that our eyes are opened and our hearts are prepared so that we can see and accept the way, the truth and the life that is in Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we give thanks today for Your ever flowing gift of grace. We pray, Lord, that we will be acutely aware of how far we fall short of Your glory without Your grace. May our hunger for Your grace release the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May the Holy Spirit lift us up into the fullness of our lives in Christ. May the world know us by the fruit that we bear because of our acceptance of Your grace. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is the ultimate evidence of Your grace, Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Walking in the Fullness of Our New Life in Christ

Romans 6:6
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

The tree that gave its life, so that the formation of the cross was possible, allowed the Cross to meet its responsibility. Without taking the life of the tree, there would be no crucifixion story.

In a similar fashion, Jesus Christ gave up His life so we could meet the requirements necessary for us to be children of God. Without the taking of the life of Our Savior, there would be no salvation story.

Along the same lines, we put our old man to death so that we might shed the ways of wickedness, error and ignorance that are inherent in the will and understanding of our sin nature. By allowing our old man to be crucified with Christ, we take on our new lives in Jesus Christ in which we rely on Him for everything. Without us giving up the life of our sin nature, there would be no sanctification story.

Let us embrace the sanctification process. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to look into our hearts and reveal everything that the old man is trying to hang on to. Let us repent of everything the Holy Spirit shows us so that we may walk in the fullness of our new nature in Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the endless grace that You provide us so that we are able to accept Your Son as Our Savior and are able to submit to His rule and reign in our lives. We bless the name of Jesus who died for our sins to make it all possible. We praise the name of the Holy Spirit for preparing our hearts to receive Our Savior and for revealing the darkness in our hearts so that we may submit our old lives for crucifixion with Our Savior. We pray, Father, that You will empower us to go out to tell the world about our salvation story. May we bring honor to Your name, the name of Your Son, Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the Worthy Lamb, Jesus Christ.

The Treasure That is Ours Through the Cross

John 16:8
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin and of God’s righteousness and of the coming judgment.

Jesus instructed His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them after He departed the earth. He let them know that the Holy Spirit would be their counselor. He taught them that the Holy Spirit would convince them of their sin and reveal to them the penalty for sin that is required by a righteous and holy God. He also let the disciples know that the Holy Spirit would be their comforter. He taught them that the Holy Spirit would be with them to show them the need for their Redeemer and the value of the gift of salvation.

We received Jesus’ teaching about the Holy Spirit in the Holy Word of God. We have been taught through the Bible of the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiring us with the promise of Almighty God to forgive our sins if we confess them before Him and repent. As we go through the process of asking for forgiveness, the Holy Spirit will remind us that the only reason that Our Heavenly Father can forgive us is because Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins and that had Jesus not become sin for us, Almighty God in His righteousness could not forgive our sin.

Let us praise the Lord for the work of completion that the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. Let us celebrate anew each time that the Holy Spirit leads us to relish and savor the gift that we have been given. Let us rejoice and give thanks each time that the Holy Spirit begins a new work in our hearts so that we may fully value the treasure that is ours through the Cross.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to convict us of the folly, fault and filth of our sins. We thank You for the Holy Spirit who leads us to Your Son, Jesus. We bless the name of Jesus for He is the only way that we can avoid the penalty of separation from You for all eternity because of our sins. We pray, Lord, that we will be forever mindful and eternally thankful for the Holy Spirit that You have provided to be Our Comforter and Our Counselor. We ask all these things in the name of Our Holy and Righteous Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Way to Real and Lasting Self-Improvement

Galatians 6:14
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Man throughout the ages has always tried to define what creates a better and more satisfying lifestyle. From a secular standpoint, many different types of programs, processes and religions have taken turns being touted as the new thing that will change lives for the better. But none of these have stood the test of time, nor will they ever. In the end, the secular programs and processes are about as effective as New Year’s resolutions.

No plan except the salvation plan of Our Savior has real and lasting merit. As the apostle Paul taught repeatedly, vain and carnal hearts will never come up with a plan that even approaches the way, the truth and the life that is offered to us through the Cross of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We can read every single book on how to improve ourselves. We can attend every seminar that promises to make positive changes in how we live our lives. Life changes that are instituted from any of these will produce nothing of real and lasting value. No matter how much we believe that we have improved ourselves, it will not be sufficient. Until our minds and hearts are changed supernaturally by the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit, we will only change the elements of this world. Only through the Cross will we truly change and claim victory over the foolishness that the world offers and that our flesh demands.

Let us claim the promise of Our Savior to perfect His strength in our weakness. Let us call on the Holy Spirit to guide us on our path of sanctification. Let us rejoice as God reveals His plans for our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to give us victory over the weakness that is our flesh. We rejoice in knowing that by accepting Your Son as Our Savior that we can overcome all of the trials and tribulations that the world offers to us. We pray that we will be given the grace and the wisdom to see the folly that we will undertake if we arrogantly look to our own abilities to secure our future. We ask that the influence of the Holy Spirit will keep us in humble submission to Our Lord and Savior at the foot of His Cross. May we deny all riches, praises, honors and pleasures of the world in exchange for our renewed lives in Jesus Christ. We ask all these things in name of Our Savior King, Jesus Christ.

Coming Into Alignment with God’s Timing

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Through His love, His grace and His mercy, we are called to be servants of Almighty God here on earth and in heaven for all eternity. We were created in His image for this purpose in order to bring Him praise and glory. Being conscious of our own weakness, we should wait on and look to Our Master for our direction and our strength.

Our focus needs to be on God at all times. We should be expectant that He will direct our ways and make provision for the fulfillment of our calling. We should understand that He will set the limits of how high He is ready for us to go and He will set the timing of when we will get there. We should recognize that He knows exactly what He has planned for our lives and the lives of those around us.

If we focus on our problems or our visions without including Our Heavenly Father in the process, we will set expectations for ourselves that are outside of God’s will for our lives. We will be setting ourselves up for burn out or for seeing results that are disappointing to us. It is almost certain that we will not go as high as God had planned for us or that we will give up on our calling before it is fulfilled because we are not in tune with God’s timing.

Let us make Jesus Christ the Master over our lives. Let us seek the will of Our Master in everything that we do. Let us lean not on our personal plans. Let us serve Our Lord and Our King in accordance with the perfectly timed, perfect plans that He has set aside for us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to be Your servants. We rejoice in knowing that just as the slaves went to their master for their direction and all of their needs, we can go to You for everything in our lives. We pray, Lord, that just as the slaves waited on their master before they did anything, we will learn to wait on the direction of Your Holy Spirit before we take on anything. We ask that we learn to rely on Your hand, Almighty God. May we reach the fullness of service that You have planned for us. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord, Our Master and Our King, Jesus Christ.

Joyfully Celebrating Our All-Sufficient Lord

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

King David was given unimaginable riches to pass along to his son, Solomon, who had been chosen by God to build the temple. As the riches were collected, all the people came together and brought the things that they could contribute to the building of the temple. Think of the immense pleasure and satisfaction that David felt as he stood over this assembly. He captured the moment perfectly.

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, may the gratitude that we feel for the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord extend beyond the table top into our lives everyday. May the world see our joy as we live in the fullness of the gift of salvation and the certain provision of a place in the kingdom of God for all eternity.

Let us fill our hearts daily with thanks and praise for Our All Sufficient Lord. Let the world know us by our joy as we celebrate the unimaginable treasures that we have been given through the loving kindness of Almighty God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for every provision that we have been given on this earth. We give thanks and praise Your glorious name for the eternal provision given through Your Son, Jesus. We pray, Lord, that we will have thanksgiving in our hearts every single moment that we breathe. We ask that we will find joy in the many riches that You have provided, especially in the joy that You have provided through the treasure that is our families and our friends. May our joy and thanksgiving draw those around us to Your Son, Jesus, and the eternal provision that He holds for them. We ask all these things in the name of One worthy of all praise, Jesus Christ.

Letting God Handle Our Annoyances in the Courts of Heaven

Psalm 123:3
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

Every day the world around us seems to get more contentious and contemptuous. Webster defines contempt as “feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.” We see dramatic outpourings of contempt in the news and throughout social media. We certainly recognize the contempt that unbelievers often have for our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. As a result of the contempt that we encounter, hopefully we are quick to ask the Lord to open the eyes of those around us so that their scorn for us is replaced by a desire to learn from us the way, the truth and the life that we have in Jesus. But is that the case?

When we are out in the world, how are we reacting to those that annoy us? Are we taking an intercessory path or are we treating them with contempt? Are we losing our testimony because of an ugly glare or quick nasty comment that destroys our message of salvation? Are we leaving the world with a taste of our nasty attitude instead of the love of the One who we have accepted as Our Savior?

Let us be fully aware that the world is filled with contempt, but as Christians we are not of this world. Let us refuse to be swamped by the cares and challenges of life. Let us turn over the annoyances that we run into in the world and let God handle them in the courts of heaven. Let us ask the Lord to give us discernment in all things so that we are known by our intercession and not by our criticism. Let us exchange our contempt for others with our loving care for others.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy that You have extended to us so that we may be able to extend mercy to others. We praise the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator who stands for us to correct every wrong and every injury as any good master would do for his slave. We pray, Lord, that we will not faint under our trials in this world, but we will look unto the name of Jesus in faith and in prayer so that we may be vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness so that the world may know Him by our actions. We ask all these things in the name of Our Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ.