Tag: kingdom of God

A Life of Trials Prepares Us for Our Place in the Kingdom of God

Genesis 41:40
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

The Pharaoh gave Joseph great power and responsibility in his kingdom. He proclaimed Joseph to be his equal except in the final level of authority. In a sudden change of condition, Joseph went from imprisoned slave to a ruler of great standing.

So it will be for us one day as we take our places in the kingdom of God. We will escape our carnal lives where we are enslaved to sin. We will then stand before God in the image of His Son with the same glorified body. We will be given the power and responsibility to rule and reign under the authority of Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Joseph went through many trials and tribulations in his life that prepared him to rule over Egypt. None of it was easy, nor was it brief. Joseph went from the pit to the prison to the throne room all under the hand of Almighty God. All of it was necessary for Joseph to be able to handle all that he would be given by the Pharaoh.

So it is with us. We have a lifetime of trial and tribulation. God uses all of it to prepare us for our place in His kingdom. We will grow in wisdom and discernment just as Joseph did. All we have to do is submit to the will of God in our lives, just as Joseph did.

Let us follow in Joseph’s footsteps. Let us take hold of the vision that God has given us for our lives. Let us trust completely in Our Lord as we encounter challenges that would seem to deter us. Let us work our way obediently along the pathway of sanctification that the Holy Spirit has laid out for us. Let us rejoice in knowing that one day we will rule and reign with Jesus at the Throne of Almighty God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing a place for us in Your kingdom. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to be rescued from the prison that is this earth. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us into submission to Our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we learn to lean on Him in all things. May we learn to live under His absolute control. May we claim our rightful places in Your kingdom. We rejoice in knowing that one day we will escape our slavery in this world to become bond servants of the King of Kings for all eternity. We ask all these things in the name of our mighty and holy King, Jesus Christ.

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.

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.

Considering God’s Perspective on What We are Doing

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

We are too often focused on getting everything we can out of life from a physical and material standpoint. In fact, we are so focused on the material things that we often do not take a moment to consider God’s perspective of what we are doing, how we are doing it, or why we are doing it. Even in our ministries, we often get caught up in the numbers. Our focus turns toward man’s measurement of what we are doing and not God’s.

In God’s eyes, it is not about how much or how many. God takes full responsibility for the bottom line. What He is concerned about it is the “how” and “why” behind our efforts. Are we leaning on Him for our accomplishments and not on our own abilities or the capabilities of the world? Are we doing what we are doing for our own personal gain and recognition or are we doing it for the gain of God’s kingdom and for His glory?

Our model for life is Our Savior. Through His obedience, His suffering and His death, He lived to make intercession for us. He lived in accordance with the will of His Father. He lived to bring glory to His Father in heaven.

Let us repent of seeking what the world has to offer ahead of what God is offering us. Let us get off the fence. Let us focus completely on Almighty God in all things, big or small. Let us bring honor to Our Heavenly Father with our every action.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us living proof of Your ways through Your Son, Jesus. We bless His name for the way, the truth and the life that He revealed to us through His time on earth. We pray, Lord, that You will prepare us to walk this earth in the same manner as Our Savior. May we love You above all things. May we seek You in all things. May we love our neighbors unconditionally as we love ourselves. May it all be for Your glory. We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

Receiving the Honor that Almighty God Bestows on Jesus’ Disciples

John 12:26
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

How is it possible that Almighty God would honor His lowly creations from dust? As unimaginable as it seems to us, it is settled in the kingdom of God. The process for such an honor is locked into place for all eternity. The steps are clearly defined. Become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Serve Him wherever and whenever He calls. Be honored by the Father.

Simple enough, right? At least it would seem so. But for most of us, we have some social hurdles to overcome. We were raised to be fiercely independent. That trait, while desirable in the carnal world, can have a negative impact on how we are able to build intimacy with God. The true intimacy of a Holy Spirit lead lifestyle is not possible until we are able to completely surrender our lives to Jesus.

Anything short of full surrender to Jesus will lead to a life on the fence – half devoted to being a disciple of Jesus Christ and half devoted to the callings of the world. When we are in that vacillating position, we are spiritually immature. That is not the real life that God has planned for us. God wants a spiritually mature life for us and from us. He wants us to reach a place where we make every decision in life with discernment of the Holy Spirit. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be fully committed disciples of His Son, conscious of our dependence on Him without regard to the trappings of our world.

Let us take full advantage of our salvation. Let us become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice as we receive the honor that Almighty God bestows on those that become bond servants of His Son.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Son, Jesus, so that we can stay in constant communion with Him and receive grace from Him. We rejoice in knowing that we receive honor from You when we follow Your Son and accept the gift of salvation that He offers. We ask forgiveness, Lord, for all the times that we make decisions based on the world’s standards and not Yours. We pray, Father, that You will provide the grace that we need to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit only. We ask for the strength and the wisdom to lay aside the trifling concerns of this life. May we learn to exercise love, humility, patience, self-denial and resignation to Your will in the same manner as Our Savior did when He walked this earth. May the eternal glory be Yours. We ask all these things in the name of Our Refiner and Purifier, Jesus Christ.

All of Our Triumphs are in Him

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, all of our triumphs are in Him. All of our success, especially our success in leading others to the Lord, are reasons for each of us to rejoice. In our joy, we must go forward in life, not covered in pride, but covered in the sweet aroma of His presence.

While it is a wonderful thing for us to proclaim to the world how Our Savior atoned for our sins and made us worthy to be heirs of the kingdom of Almighty God, our living testimony should be much more. The world should be able to see the presence of Jesus in every single action we take and in every single word that we speak. The world should be able to savor the experience of being near Jesus Christ just by being near us. This should be especially true when we gain victory during times of trial and tumult.

Let us surrender to the power and the presence of the Lord in every battle we face. Let us give Him the glory in every victory and share the sweetness of His presence with the world around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us conquerors over all things in this world. We rejoice in the victories that we claim through Your Son, Jesus. We ask that we be given the grace to overcome the arrogance and the pride that naturally come with victory. We pray that in every victory that all praise, honor and glory will go to You Father, to Your Son and to the Holy Spirit. May the aroma of the One who brought the victory be spread around the world as we become living testimonies to His presence in our lives. We ask these things in the name of the Rose of Sharon, Jesus Christ.

Allowing the Fruit of the Holy Spirit to Flow Through Us

Matthew 5:48
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples, He knew full well that they were incapable of being perfect. He was asking them to consider the manner in which they represented Him. He wanted their behavior to distinguish them from others in the world around them. He wanted them to be living examples of the good character of the representatives of His kingdom.

We are most comfortable in life when we are around people we like. We also feel comfortable when we are asked to do things that we know that we are capable of doing successfully. In these times of ease, our personality and our capabilities often shine and our performance appears to be nearly perfect, at least from a secular standpoint. While this type of behavior is certainly good, it generally will not separate us from the secular crowd. We are likely to rely on our own strengths, resulting in us just blending into society without reflecting the presence and character of the One who dwells within us.

On the other hand, when we are challenged by our circumstances and we purposely follow the perfect example of Jesus and draw on Him for our strength, our behavior as His representatives will draw the others to Our Savior. When we seek and allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to flow through us, the world around us will see us modeling the life of Our Savior and be drawn to Him.

Jesus commands us to make it our duty to desire to press forward in grace and holiness, so that we may conform ourselves to His example under even the most difficult circumstances. He desires for us to be perfect like the Father.

Let us lean on the Son of God as our model and submit to His indwelling Spirit in our lives. Let us strive for the perfection that He is calling us to. Let us draw the world to Our Savior as they see us modeling Jesus Christ in our daily lives regardless of our circumstances.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Son, Jesus, to be our perfect model for life. We thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to guide us to follow Jesus’ example. We rejoice in knowing that our obedience will result in the fruit of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the world around us. We pray that we may exhibit unusual love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as we are being taxed by our situations. May You receive all the praise and glory, Lord. We ask all these things in the name of the perfect Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

Adopting an Eternal Perspective

Revelation 21:2
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Most of us were taught to set goals and to develop step-by-step plans to reach our goals, so that the end of our lives will be joyful and satisfying. For many of us, attaining the goals that we set for ourselves has become the driving force that directs the course of our lives. Thus are the ways of man.

In God’s supernatural world, things are totally different. Goals are not set for this world, because God did not create this world to be about our accomplishments. God created this world to prepare us for the eternal life that we will spend in heaven for all eternity. Everything we go through here on earth is part of the process that God puts us through or allows us to go through in order to prepare us for life in new Jerusalem.

We go up to new Jerusalem, not to fulfill our own purposes, but to fulfill the purposes that Almighty God has for us. We are being prepared to go to a place where all things are new. There will be no trouble or tumult. The new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state. It is a holy church without blemish and we will be there fully prepared for our place at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Let us prepare ourselves for our new lives in the kingdom of God. Let us surrender to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. Let us repent of the things that the Holy Spirit reveals to us. Let us be obedient to the things that the Holy Spirit urges us to do. Let us rejoice in our new lives in Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing a place for us at the wedding feast of the Lamb. We praise You and worship You for providing a way for us to be made acceptable to take our place at this great banquet. Father, open our eyes that we may see Your perspective of what our lives are meant to be. We pray that you show us how to set aside all that this world offers in exchange for the eternal life that we will spend with You for all eternity. We ask all these things in the name of the True Bread of Heaven, Jesus Christ.

Resting in the Joy of the Lord

Matthew 6:34
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God has a perfect plan and purpose for our lives. He commands us not to fret or worry about our circumstances. He promises that He will work out all things for our eternal good if we seek first His kingdom. It is His plan that we come to Him daily with our prayers so that He may give us the strength we need to overcome our trials and so that He may set a hedge for us against the temptations that will be flung our way.

We must seek to find hope and joy in our circumstances as we learn to trust in God to fulfill His promises in our lives. We should avoid seeing ourselves trapped by our worldly trials. Instead, we should seek the comfort and peace of seeing ourselves gripped firmly in the hand of God – the only secure place in the universe.

Let us rejoice in the Lord Our God. Let us trust in His promises. Let us seek all that He makes available to us through His Son, Jesus. Let rest in the joy that is provided for those that trust in the Lord.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the author and finisher of our lives. We rejoice in knowing that Your hand is always upon us as long as we abide in You. Teach us, Father, how to look past our troubles in this world and look to the source of our solutions, Jesus Christ. We pray that our focus will always be on Our Savior and not on our problems. We ask all these things in the name of Our All Sufficient Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Promise of Love, Joy and Peace

Revelation 1:18
I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

When Jesus Christ proclaimed that He is the first and the last, He confirmed His role in our time based world. He brought our world into existence and He will usher it out when He brings in His eternal kingdom. When He proclaimed that He holds the keys to Death and Hades, He confirmed His proper deity and His covenant of grace and salvation for all.

When we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, who created the universe and still controls every minute detail of its existence, how could we lack the confidence that He will overcome any person or evil in the universe that comes to harm us. It just does not make sense to question His power and sovereign rule.

Fear not! He is the head of His own house by Whom and for Whom all things were created. He will keep His house in perfect order according to His will and perfect plans.

Let us rest in the hands of the One who promises us His love, His joy and His peace through His victory on the Cross. Let us trust in the One who closes the portals of hell and opens the gateways of heaven. Let us bless His name as we rejoice in His power over our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we fall at Your feet in utter awe of who You are. We proclaim Your Name above all other names. We praise You and we surrender to Your power in our lives. We exalt the name of Jesus. May He lay His hand upon us in love and not in wrath or anger. We pray that You will show us Your power in the struggles that we are currently experiencing. May we find joy in our circumstances knowing that You have already settled the matters for our good for all eternity. We ask all these things in the name Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.