Tag: disciples

The Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives

Acts 9:17
So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

And in an instant, Paul not only received his physical sight, he also received the filling of the Holy Spirit. Thus, he received wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge of God and a holy reverence for God. All of these gifts came on him at once. His vision of who He was in Christ, along with all of its associated power, served to allow him to replace the evil man that he had become with the new, righteous man that he was to become.

From this passage, we learn that for those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior that we become new men and women in Christ, just as the sinner and prosecutor of the early church, Saul, became the new man Paul. As new men and women in Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to us to reveal the lies of this world. The power of the Holy Spirit within us allows us to become new creatures who proclaim the Good News and serve as conduits of God’s love.

But do not miss the second message of this passage. There would have been no conversion for Paul without the obedience of Ananias to got out and deliver the message of God, even though He questioned the righteousness of the one that he was called to minister to. We must be careful not to withhold the message of hope from anyone because we feel they are not worthy.

Let us make ourselves seekers of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us learn to overcome the world through the power of Our Wonderful Counselor. Let us make ourselves deliverers of the truth to others who God places around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the anointing that we receive as disciples of Jesus Christ. We pray that You will open our eyes to the things of the world that are creating ignorance and pride in our lives so that we may turn away from them. We ask that You release the gifts of the Holy Spirit into our lives so that we may see the vision that You have for our lives and be empowered to go out as messengers of hope in the world that surrounds us. We pray that our hearts are prepared to view every person as worthy to receive the Good News that we possess. We ask all these things in the name of the One who rescues those whose spirits are crushed, Jesus Christ.

Surrendering to the Rule and Reign of Jesus Christ in Our Lives

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.

Standing on the Word of God

John 6:67
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

After teaching a particularly difficult lesson, many of the early disciples that had been following Jesus turned away from Him. At that point Jesus inquired of His apostles, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” If the apostles had chosen to walk away from Jesus because His teaching was too hard, where would the church be today? Fortunately, the apostles were grounded in the way, the truth and the life that was Jesus Christ. They chose to stand firm. They went on to build the foundation of the Church for the benefit of all mankind.

Today, pastors and evangelists are being challenged to answer the same question that Jesus presented to His apostles. Unfortunately, too many of them are quick to create new standards when their beliefs are different from the clear directives of God’s Holy Word. The arguments presented by these misguided pastors and evangelists seem so eloquent and enticing. Their teachings provide a pathway that seems easier and more attuned to our fleshly desires or, at the very least, is more compliant with what we are willing to tolerate. Unfortunately, these errant teachers who have decided to listen to the world, instead of the inerrant Word of God, are destroying the foundation of the Church.

We must decide how we will answer Jesus’ question. Are we going to walk away from His Holy Word and seek out and accept our own new version of Scripture? Are we going to choose not to follow God’s Holy Word as it is written? In effect, are we going to walk away from Jesus because His lessons are too hard for us to follow?

Let us stand with the apostles. Let us stand with Our Lord, Our Master and Our King, Jesus Christ. Let us cling to the inerrant Word of Almighty God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have provided Your inerrant Word for us to follow. We pray that You enlighten us. We ask that You open our minds so that we may understand the exact standard to which You are calling us. We beseech You that You may perfect Your strength in our weakness so that we may be steadfast in following the way, the truth and the life that is Your Son, Jesus. We ask all these things in the name of the Rock upon whom we stand, Jesus Christ.

Learning to Pour Ourselves Out in Service to Others

Matthew 20:28
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus Christ, The Son of God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords came to earth as the Son of Man. He gave up all of His royal rights to become a servant of every man. His servanthood was so complete that He gave up His own life and He separated Himself from the Father in order to take on all of our sins so that we might have life with the Father.

Once we claim our eternal inheritance as children of God, we accept that which we do not deserve and could not possibly earn except through the grace and mercy of Our Savior. When we recognize that Jesus Christ served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness and our sin, we should exhaust ourselves serving all men for His sake.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, should we not follow the model of Our Master? We should be in constant communion with the Father, just as Jesus was, so that we can determine the will and plan that Our Heavenly Father has for our lives. We should then be servants to all men in accordance to the will and plan that the Father reveals to us.

Let us model the servant heart of Jesus for the world to see. Let us draw those around us to the Son of Man through our living testimonies. Let our modeling of the life of the Son of God be what draws those around us to Our Savior King.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to be bond servants in Your kingdom. We praise the name of Jesus who came as Son of Man to show us the model for living in accordance with Your will. We come before You to proclaim how unworthy we are of all that You have set aside for us to do in service to Your kingdom. We bless the name of Jesus who has made us worthy servants through the shedding of His blood. We pray, Father, that You fill us with the power of Your Holy Spirit so that we may pour ourselves out to all men. May the hearts of those around us be prepared to receive what we have to offer in the name of Our Savior. We pray all these things in the name of Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Joining Jesus in Doing the Work of the Father

John 14:31
But I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

What an succinct invitation that Jesus offered to His disciples, “Come let’s be going.” He offers us the same invitation to join Him in doing the work of the Father.

We cannot possibly find a better model for life, nor a better partner for our work, than the only man who lived without sin. And what was it that this man without sin did? He loved His Father and He did what His Father asked of Him. Then He asked others to join Him in His work.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are asked to be obedient to the Father as He was. We are asked to share the Gospel as He did. We are asked to suffer for the sake of the kingdom as He did. We are asked to fully surrender to the will of the Father as He did. We are asked to find others who will join in the work of the kingdom, just as the Son of Man did. In doing so, we join Jesus in doing the work that the Father called Him to do.

Let us be obedient to the call of Jesus. Let us join the Son of God in doing the Father’s work. Let us show the Father and the Son how much we love them by joining them in their good work.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so that we are empowered to show the world how much we love You. We bless the name of Jesus for surrendering His life to You so that we can surrender to You. We thank You, Father, for the privilege of joining Your Son, Jesus, in His work. We pray, Lord, that You will raise us up as instruments of Your good work. We ask that You use us as vessels of Your perfect love and forgiveness. We seek the wisdom, grace and the strength to be able to gather others to unite with us in union with Our Savior. We ask all these things in the holy name of One who invites us to join Him, Jesus Christ.

Believing in the Fullness of Our Redemption

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

The words in Luke 4:18 were spoken by Jesus himself in the synagogue. He was confirming all the things that the Scripture said that He was anointed to do on earth. Later, before He left them, Jesus told the disciples that they would be able to do and should do more than He did. He let them know that where they were weak in the flesh that He would send the Holy Spirit to perfect His strength in their weaknesses. As Jesus instructed His disciples, He was also instructing us. All these things have been set aside for us as well.

How shortsighted we are when we accept Our Savior’s invitation for salvation, but do not believe in the fullness of our redemption. Not only did Our Lord come to redeem us from our sins, but He also came in His power and grace to free us from all the bondages of this world. Though we may currently suffer in the flesh, He released us into the world with freedom and joy in the spirit so that the world may know Him through our living testimonies.

The fullness of our redemption is not just for our own benefit. We have each been anointed in different ways to do all the things that Jesus Himself was called to do as the Son of Man.

Let us boldly seek the Holy Spirit to guide us in joining Jesus in carrying out His work for the Father. Let us experience the fullness of our redemption. Let us allow the world see the love and power of Jesus through our daily lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for anointing us to do Your good work. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to receive our anointing. We rejoice in knowing that the Holy Spirit dwells within us to insure that where we are weak in our flesh, we will be made strong in Christ. We pray, Lord, that You show us how to take claim of the fullness of our redemption. Whatever our current situation may be, may we take on the joy and comfort of Your completed promises. May we find peace knowing that Your power is working in us. May the world see the anointing that is upon us because Our Savior is within us. We pray all these things in the name of our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

Accepting Our Calling as Disciples of Jesus Christ

Acts 9:4
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

Saul thought he was doing everything right. He was on fire for his spiritual cause. Unfortunately for Saul, his cause was grounded in his own reasoning without a foundation of faith in Jesus and without the direction of the Holy Spirit. Saul rightfully could claim an “A” for effort. But he was not being accused by Jesus Christ for his efforts, he was being challenged for the self-driven misdirection of his efforts.

Just like Saul, all of us will face a day when the Lord challenges us. As with Saul, Our Lord has grounds to accuse us. While Jesus may not have grounds to challenge us for persecuting His church, He probably will have a strong case for challenging us on the grounds of our obstinacy in following our own will and not fully surrendering to the call of Our Lord on our lives.

While Saul surrendered his old life and became Paul, the apostle, we may have hung closer to our old nature than the new one that Jesus has for us. While we may not have been strongly challenged yet, at some defining point, like Saul, we will all be strongly and directly challenged by Jesus to denounce our old lives and accept our calling as His disciples.

Let us set aside our own plans. Let us seek God’s plan for our lives. Let us submit to God’s plans for our lives with the same fervor that Paul did.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us to Your Son. We praise You for setting aside a perfect plan for our lives in Your kingdom here on earth and in heaven. We rejoice in knowing that we will serve You for all eternity. We pray, Lord, that we will not be directed by our own ambitions, but be led by Your Holy Spirit. We claim Your promise that through Your Holy Spirit, Your strength will be perfected in our weakness. We beseech You, Father, that You grant us a double portion of Paul’s fervor for proclaiming Your Good News to the world. We pray these things in the name of our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

The Bible Made Easy to Understand

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Why would we miss the opportunity to seek the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives? He has been sent to us by the Father in the name of His Son, Jesus. There is no consultant on earth with those credentials. Why would we seek others or rely on our own thinking when such a resource has been given to us?

No matter how intelligent we might be, the teachings of the Bible will remain a mystery to us without the influence of the Holy Spirit to aid us. Our understanding is no better than the early listeners to Jesus’ parables who “did not have ears to hear”. We cannot be disciples of Jesus Christ without the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is the work and business of the Holy Spirit, to teach, interpret, and explain all things to us which Christ had taught to His disciples. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to make the Bible plain and easy to for us to understand. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw us to and instruct us in all things necessary for salvation. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to prepare us to teach what we have learned to others.

Let us seek the fullness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the meaning of the Holy Scriptures and how we should apply them to our lives. Let us prepare ourselves to share what we have been taught with others.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to be Our Helper, Our Comforter and Our Guide on our journey of sanctification. We pray that the Holy Spirit will instruct us in all things necessary for our salvation. We ask, Lord, for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives help us to interpret Your Holy Word. May Your teachings become easy for us to understand and apply to our lives. May the Holy Spirit show us how to share this precious gift with others. We ask all these things in the name of the power of God in our lives, Jesus Christ.

Uncovering a Greater Understanding of the Mysteries of Heaven

Mark 4:34
He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus used examples of everyday life events to explain kingdom principles to the crowds. Often the crowds did not understand. His disciples did not understand either. So Jesus would take His disciples aside and reveal the truth to them.

Jesus does the same with us. He reveals His truths to us through the everyday events in our lives. Much of which we do not understand because we do not truly understand ourselves. At least, not until we are willing to go to Jesus and spend time with Him alone. At these times, His Holy Spirit will reveal to us all that has been hidden from us because of our own spiritual immaturity or sinfulness.

While the treasures of the kingdom are present in the world, we often over look them or simply take them for granted. It is important that we set aside a private time with Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, we will be led to a larger knowledge of Jesus and a greater understanding of the mysteries of heaven. Thus we will be furnished with all that we need to fulfill the work that we have been created to accomplish on this earth. If we are negligent in setting aside time alone with Jesus, we may miss His treasures all together.

Let us plan private time to sit with Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Let us call on the Holy Spirit to help us develop this intimacy with Our King. Let us rejoice in knowing that He is waiting to hear from us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing Yourself and Your treasures in this world. We praise the name of Jesus who represents the highest order of Your benevolence to all humanity. We pray, Father, that you will draw us unto Yourself so that we will seek Your Holy Spirit to guide us into precious, private time with Jesus Christ, Our Savior. We ask, Lord, that You reveal all of Your truths and mysteries to us as we learn to build an intimate relationship with You. May we fulfill everything that You have set aside for us. We ask all these things in the name of Our Master and Teacher, Jesus Christ.

A Supernatural Strength Unique to Christians Alone

John 20:22
And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

It was the evening of the first day of the week. The disciples, fearing the Jews after the crucifixion of their Master, were meeting behind locked doors. With the appearance of Jesus, they were at once at peace. But then a greater thing happened, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. All that had been gathered in the room in fear suddenly began a supernatural life which is unique to Christians alone. They were sent forth to continue the work that Jesus had been sent to do by His Father.

As the New Year begins, how many of us are sheltering ourselves away from the world? How many of us are letting our fears hold us back from doing the work that Jesus was sent to do? Do we not recognize that the same power that was given to the early disciples is also given to us?

Let us begin our new year under the guidance of Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He has been given to us to instruct us and empower us to do the work of the Father. He has been sent to supernaturally strengthen us. He comes along side of us to provide the power and protection that we need to overcome the enemy, the world around us and even our own flesh, all of which are trying to bring us down.

We can be sure that we will encounter some failure. In all likelihood, our failures will come from the fact that we have turned once again to rely on our own strength. We must be continously aware that our own strength will never be enough to meet the demands and challenges of this world. Our strength must come from the Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that He gives us.

Let us take hold of what has been promised to us. Let us surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us commit to joining Our Precious Savior in doing the work of the Father in the new year.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit to come along side of us to be our counselor. We praise the name of Jesus who defeated all evil when He died on the Cross so that we could defeat the evil that comes against us. We pray that you will teach us to accept our utter failure without Christ. Help us to realize our best will never be good enough until we are cleansed by the blood of Our Savior and receive His Holy Spirit into our lives. Help us Father to build our lives on the Rock that is Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embolden and strengthen us to do the work of the Son. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.