Tag: commandments

The Power and the Presence of the Living God in Our Lives

John 14:20
In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Let us give full consideration to this passage which teaches us about our rightful place in the supernatural union with the Father and the Son. We share in this miraculous union through our saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Through this union, we partake in the same nature, the same perfections and the same glory as the Father and the Son.

Let us also give full consideration to how this supernatural miracle should affect our lives. As new men and women in Christ, the world should be able to see us in union with our Savior. We should become identified by our obedience to God’s commandments and the fruit that we bear from His callings. Our lives should become expressions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been given to us through our union with Christ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In everything we do, we should share the perfect love and forgiveness that we received from the Father through the Son.

At the same time, let us give full consideration to the supernatural reality that all that we see that is good that is being manifested in our lives is being worked out through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us humbly recognize with absolute certainty that there is no possibility that our lives are the result of our own inherent holiness.

Let us celebrate the union that we enjoy with the Father and the Son through the redemptive work of Our Savior. Let us embrace the work of the Holy Spirit as He directs us on our path of sanctification. Let us share the joy of our spirit filled lives with the world around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be Our Savior. We rejoice in our new lives that we take on when we receive and accept the redemptive work of the Cross. We pray, Father, that we may be emancipated completely from the darkness in our old lives. May we walk in the fullness of the union of the Father and the Son as we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ.

Sharing in Jesus’ Delight in Pleasing the Father

Psalm 40:8
I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

When David spoke of his desire to follow God’s will for his life, he was patterning himself after Jesus. Jesus did nothing without giving full consideration to the will of the Father. Both Jesus’ and David’s hearts were set on pleasing the Father. Each complied cheerfully.

If we start a new exercise regimen because we want the quick body changes “guaranteed” in the rave reviews, we may find ourselves struggling to maintain the new regimen for any extended period of time. On the other hand, if we start the new exercise program because we have a passion for a happier, extended life to enjoy with our loved ones, we are more likely to get into the new regimen eagerly and consistently because of the higher purpose that drives our success.

When we seek to be faithful in following all of the commandments with the single purpose of avoiding sin, we are certain to struggle because our purpose is not high enough. We must find our passion in the higher purpose of establishing our covenant with Jesus not with the law.

Let us seek to know Jesus so intimately that we can enjoy His peace, His beauty, His mercy, His loving kindness and most of all share in His delight in pleasing His Father in heaven. Let us learn to count it as joy to give up the things of the world for the glory of Our Heavenly Father.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son to come down from heaven to fulfill the law. We bless the name of Jesus for His perfect obedience in doing Your will. We ask that the Holy Spirit will help us to set our hearts upon Jesus instead of upon the law. Oh Lord, we pray that we may take up our crosses daily with the same delight and pleasure that Jesus did when He fulfilled Your will for His life. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

Living in Christ, Not in This World

Psalm 119:19
I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

God’s commandments have been given to us. They are not new and there is no revised edition. The Lord’s commandments have been the same for thousands of years and will be the same as long as time exists. They are pure enlightenment, so needful for our journey in time on this earth.

Along with His commandments, Our Heavenly Father also has given us His inerrant Holy Word to confirm His guidelines for our lives. There is nothing hidden from us except what we manage to hide from ourselves. We have allowed our fellow man to take the laws of Almighty God and hide them from us by replacing them with the laws of fallible men.

The laws of fallible men invariably turn toward tolerance of things that are not pleasing to God and these same laws are used to pressure one another into accepting wrongful behavior as truth. We must guard against becoming citizens of this earth and foreigners in God’s kingdom. In this day and time, we must dare to be strangers in our own land.

Let us follow the commandments and the inerrant Word provided to us by Almighty God. Let us guard against being drawn into the thinking of those who wish to deviate from God’s plan. Let us live in Christ and not in this world.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing the way, the truth and the life that is revealed to us in Your Holy Word. We bless the name of Jesus who is the Word made flesh. Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit may direct us to repent of the things in our lives that are not pleasing to You. We ask for the strength to turn away from these displeasing things and the grace to turn toward all that is pleasing to You. We beseech You that all of our faith will be in Jesus Christ and not in the world. As we surrender to Your will, equip us, Lord, to reveal Your kingdom to those around us. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is with us until the end of the age, Jesus Christ.

The Manifestation of Christ in Our Lives

John 14:20
In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Let us give full consideration to this passage which teaches us about our rightful place in the supernatural union with the Father and the Son. We share in this miraculous union through our saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Through this union, we partake in the same nature, the same perfections and the same glory as the Father and the Son.

Let us also give full consideration to how this supernatural miracle should affect our lives. As new men and women in Christ, the world should be able to see us in union with our Savior. We should become identified by our obedience to God’s commandments and the fruit that we bear from His callings. Our lives should become expressions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been given to us through our union with Christ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In everything we do, we should share the perfect love and forgiveness that we received from the Father through the Son.

At the same time, let us give full consideration to the supernatural reality that all that we see that is good that is being manifested in our lives is being worked out through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us humbly recognize with absolute certainty that there is no possibility that our lives are the result of our own inherent holiness.

Let us celebrate the union that we enjoy with the Father and the Son through the redemptive work of Our Savior. Let us embrace the work of the Holy Spirit as He directs us on our path of sanctification. Let us share the joy of our spirit filled lives with the world around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be Our Savior. We rejoice in our new lives that we take on when we receive and accept the redemptive work of the Cross. We pray, Father, that we may be emancipated completely from the darkness in our old lives. May we walk in the fullness of the union of the Father and the Son as we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ.

Making God Our First Priority

Mark 10:22
Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The rich young man came to Jesus to inquire how he could inherit eternal life. The young man proclaimed knowledge of the commandments and his complete compliance to the commandments, assuming this to be enough. Jesus responded, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The young man could not part with the things of this world. He chose the world over the kingdom of God.

Our Heavenly Father has nothing against our possessions or our money. Abraham, Moses and David all had great wealth. Yet they all did what God asked them to do. They placed their relationship with Almighty God above all else. They used their wealth to help meet the needs of their people so that God would receive the glory.

At some point in our walk as disciples of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will inspire us to surrender all that we are and all that we have to Jesus. Nothing less will be acceptable.

Let us make a love offering to Jesus. Let us surrender everything to Him and to His rule and reign in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the provision that You have given us. We exalt Your name for the endless flow of Your blessings in our lives, most of which we take for granted. We pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire and strengthen us to lift up Your name each day above all the things of the world. We ask, Father, that You prepare our hearts to surrender all that we have and all that we are to You. May we freely part with the provision that You have given us to meet the needs of those around us. May it all be for Your glory and the gain of Your kingdom. We ask these things in the name of the One who calls us to follow Him, Jesus Christ.