Know His Power

John 1:1-5 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Light Shines!

In the beginning was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Living Word. He was with God in the beginning, and he is God. He is our creator God who made us. He is the one who gave us the breath of life, and he is the one who gives us spiritual new birth, too.

Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through him. He is The Life which is The Light of all mankind. He shines in the darkness (in wickedness, sin). And, his truth and his righteousness shine in the darkness. And, the darkness cannot overcome Jesus Christ or his righteousness and holiness. Amen!

No matter how hard Satan works to defeat Jesus and His Word and us, his servants and messengers, he will not succeed in overcoming the Light which offers Life to all people. For, greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Satan is a defeated foe, for Jesus already conquered him.

John 1:6-14 NIV

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Why He Died

Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the Light. He is truth! And, He is righteousness! And, John testified concerning him.

John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, to prepare people’s hearts to receive him as their Messiah and Lord. He was sent to make a straight path for Jesus. He was sent to tell people the truth about their sins and of their need to turn away from their sins and to walk with God in holiness.

Jesus Christ, although he was God, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, and was born as a baby to a human mother, with God as his Father. So, while he walked this earth he was fully God and fully man. He took on human flesh and suffered as we suffer and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet he did not sin. He remained perfect.

Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth so that he could become our sacrificial Lamb given for our salvation from sin. Although all that he did was righteous, good and just, he was hated by many, and thus they put him to death on a cross. But, God was in that. This was his plan for us to be saved from our slavery to sin so that we can now live to his righteousness.

For, to receive Jesus is not mere words we say, nor is it to merely acknowledge his existence or to accept the idea that he died so that we could be delivered from hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. To receive him means to accept his will for our lives, and to take ownership of what he did for us on that cross. And, that means that we die to sin so that we can live to righteousness, for this is why he died (1 Pet. 2:24).

John 1:15-18, 29-31 NIV

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

He Takes our Sins Away

It is clear here that Jesus Christ existed before he ever was born as a baby on this earth. For, John the Baptist was physically born before Jesus, and yet he stated that Jesus was before him.

God so loved the people of this world that he gave Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, to die and to be resurrected from the dead in order to give us life in himself and to free us from our slavery to sin. Whoever believing in him has eternal life with him (John 3:16). And, believing is present tense and continuous, and it endures to the end.

Believing, as well, comes from God. It is a gift from God even that we should be able to believe in him. And, believing is divine persuasion as to our need to turn away from our sins and to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience. So, if persuaded by God, we thus die with him to sin and we are resurrected with him to newness of life in him. Amen! All to the glory of God!!

God’s grace to us, though, is not liberty to continue in sinful practices. The whole purpose of Jesus’ death on a cross was so that we would no longer walk according to the ways of our sinful flesh, but so that we would walk according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God in our Lord’s ways.

For, he didn’t die merely to forgive us our sins, but to obliterate sin from our lives. He died, too, that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. So, we are to give our ALL to Him!

Shine Jesus Shine  

By Graham Kendrick

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness, shining

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us…

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4

Tuesday, July 31, 2018 – Lord Jesus, help us all to understand the power of the cross in what you did for us, and what that means for us, that we might know that power in our daily walks with you and live in freedom from sin’s grip on our lives. In your name I pray these things. Amen!

Blessed

Matthew 5:1-4 ESV

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Did You Know?

When you heard the gospel preached or taught for the first time, did they tell you what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, i.e. how that should impact your life? Did they tell you what you are actually saved from? Did they tell you that, although God’s grace is a free gift, that it has requirements?

Did you know that the free gift of God’s grace is the power of God in our lives to be free from the control of sin over our lives and to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness? And that we have this power because Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God) shed his blood on a cross for our sins? And that we can live for him because he rose again from the grave victorious over our sin and over Satan?

Or, did they lead you to believe that faith in Jesus Christ was a mere acknowledgment of who Christ is and what he did for us, or that it is a mere confession of him as Lord and Savior, or that it is a mere acceptance of his blood sacrifice for our sins as payment for our sins?

Did you know, or were you told that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness? Were you informed that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means you die with Christ to sin and that you are resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness? Were you also informed that faith in Jesus Christ means to turn from our sins and to follow Jesus Christ in obedience?

Or, were you led to believe that you don’t have to repent of (turn from) your sins and that you don’t have to obey Jesus Christ with your life? And, were you taught that God’s free gift of grace means you do nothing?

Did you know that you can’t mix with the world and adopt the customs of this sinful world and live for your own self-pleasure and have part in God’s eternal kingdom? Do you know that the Lord’s Day is every day, and that faith in Jesus Christ means we give him everything? Do you understand that if you make sin your practice and you live for your flesh that you don’t have eternal life with God, even if you profess faith in Jesus Christ?

For, the free gift of God’s grace to us is that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. His grace to us instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await his soon return.

We will reap what we sow. If we sow to please the sinful nature, from that we will reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. So, humble yourselves today, weep and wail over your sins, call on God, turn from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ to follow him in all of his ways.

[See: Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 6:35-66; Jn. 10:27-30; Ac. 26:16-18; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; & 1 Jn. 1:5-9.]

Matthew 5:5-6 ESV

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Meek, Not Weak

Meek does not mean weak spiritually. It does not mean we don’t stand for anything, or that we never speak the truth in love, or that we don’t say what we know is going to offend people, so that they will think well of us. We have to care more about other people and what they truly need than we do about ourselves and what they will think of us.

True meekness exercises God’s strength, in his power, under his direction and guidance, in love, and with grace, in order to tell people the truth, so that they can be rescued from their bondage to sin and walk in holiness, peace, joy and in freedom from their chains. True meekness stands on the Word of God and does not compromise with the world so that the world will like us, or so they will think we are “nice.”

Jesus was not “nice.” But, he was kind, loving, gracious, merciful and forgiving. Yet, he also told people the truth even if they hated, rejected and persecuted and killed him in return. And, we need to follow His example. For, he is the true picture of what meekness looks like.

And, we need to be among those who are ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not among those who hunger and thirst for the pleasures this world has to offer, and not among those who are hungering and thirsting after the lusts of their flesh.

Sexual immorality and impurity should not be part of our lives, nor should hatred, slander, cheating, stealing and lying. And, we should not be entertained by others’ sinful pleasures, either.

If we truly hunger and thirst after righteousness, like we do after food or after entertainment, or after sports or whatever else might consume our hearts, minds, attention and affections, then we will live godly and holy lives pleasing to God, and we will not be living for the pleasures of this world.

God has called us to be a holy people separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being made to be like Jesus. We are not to make friends with the world of sin. We are not to love the pleasures of this world.

Do we know what this looks like? Do we understand the reality of this in our lives? Yes, we will be considered weird, crazy, out of touch with reality, not normal and religious fanatics and legalists, and we will be pressured into conforming and compromising in order to fit in, but we must not! We, as followers of Jesus Christ, must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and we will be filled!

Matthew 5:7-9 ESV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Pure in Heart

Mercy is not soft on sin. It is not mercy to pacify sin or to give someone a pat on the back and help them to excuse away their sin or to not feel guilty. It is not mercy to try to help people feel better about themselves while they are engrossed in willful sinful practices, either.

Yes, mercy is compassionate, kind, forgiving and sympathetic, and not condemning or revengeful. But, true mercy helps to set the sinner FREE from sin. It does not leave the sinner still wandering in sin so as not to OFFEND him or her.

Also, we are to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers. Do you know the difference? A peacekeeper makes many compromises in order to keep peace between people so as to avoid confrontation at all costs. A peacekeeper will not say what will offend people nor will they tell people the truth about sin and judgment and repentance and obedience, because they know that will upset people, and then people will get angry with them or reject them.

A peacemaker, on the other hand, will speak the truth in love, and will tell people the truth about sin and judgment, etc., because the only true peace that we will ever know is peace with God, and that only comes through repentance and obedience to our Lord in yielding to his Lordship over our lives.

A peacemaker is not argumentative or combative, but he or she will not avoid controversy if it means telling people what will save their lives and deliver them from hell. Jesus was a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper.

When we are pure in heart, meaning we are unadulterated by the world of sin because we are committed to holiness and purity, then we will have the right mind about these things, for we will be thinking more about what is truly best for others than we think about what others will think of us.

Matthew 5:10-12 ESV

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Persecuted for Righteousness

When we stand for what is right, and we speak the truth in love, and we share the truth of the gospel, because we truly care about people and about their lives, we will be hated, rejected and persecuted as Jesus was.

Many of those who will hate and persecute us will be those who are living for the flesh, so they will find our lifestyles an offense to them. They will not want to be around us, and/or they may try to bring us down with them and try to persuade us to compromise our faith in order to be more “normal” and like everyone else.

Misery likes company, so the ungodly may tempt us to compromise truth and convictions and to not obey our Lord but to spend our time instead on the pleasures of this world so that they will have company in their sin, and so our righteousness will no longer be an offense to them. But, we must know the truth and resist temptation to compromise truth and purity.

But, when we do stand strong in our faith, Satan and his hordes will come against us. If they can’t get us to compromise with them, then they will seek to destroy us in other ways. They will lie about us, gossip, slander and try to destroy our reputations so that others will not listen to anything we have to say.

But, we are not to let that destroy us or our faith, for Jesus said that if we follow him that we will be treated as he was, so we should rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of His Name.

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Hymn lyrics by William Williams, pub.1745

tr. by Peter Williams, pub.1771

Music by John Hughes, 1907

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but Thou art mighty;

Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,

Feed me till I want no more;

Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,

Whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,

Wondrous are Thy works of old;

Thou deliver’st thine from thralldom,

Who for naught themselves had sold.

Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer

Sin and Satan and the grave,

Sin and Satan and the grave.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,

Bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan’s side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee;

I will ever give to Thee. Amen.

*copyright status is Public Domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1q5-oVYyDI

Monday, July 30, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus. Give us courage, Lord!

The Same Matters

Philippians 3:1-3 ESV

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh…

Not of Ourselves

God is not interested in religious performance. He is not impressed by religious rituals and ceremony. He does not want what WE are willing to sacrifice for him. He wants us wholly surrendered to him, with our all on his altar, as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. THIS is our true worship of him! He wants us dead to sin and living to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

So many people want to pick and choose what they will give to or give up for God while they withhold their hearts from him. They have the appearance of godliness while they deny its power in their lives. For, they follow man-made religion rather than Jesus Christ. They still live by the flesh rather than walk by the Spirit. They may be “good deed doers,” but they are the ones calling all the shots, and making all the decisions, rather than them being yielded to the Lordship of Christ and allowing him to direct their paths.

Many of them are following these “dogs,” i.e. these false teachers of the faith who lead people to believe that we can create our own version of the Christian faith and practice, to please our own flesh, and that God will be pleased with us no matter what we do. These “dogs” can either be those who add on to God’s grace or they can be those who subtract from his grace, and who try to win God’s approval via self-made worship of God.

For, whether you are a legalist adding things on to the gospel, which God does not require or approve of, or you are a libertine who removes God’s requirements from the gospel, it is still man-made flesh-driven religion and NOT genuine heart transformation born-again faith at work in the lives of those who adhere to these human-based gospels.

For, true faith in Jesus Christ involves us dying with Christ to sin and self so that we might live with Christ to him and to his righteousness. Thus, we have nothing to boast about, because this does not come from ourselves but from the Lord who supplies all that we need to live godly and holy lives pleasing to him. So, all the glory belongs to God, and not to ourselves!

Philippians 3:7-11 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Counted as Loss

Whatever we have in the flesh that we may try to glory in is worthless in God’s sight. It has no eternal value and it will all pass away. No human based religion, whether it is adding to grace or subtracting from grace, amounts for anything for our eternity. And, please note that if you take away from God’s grace, by removing the requirements of the gospel, that it is the same as adding externals to God’s grace. It is still works-based salvation because it is still of the flesh, and not of God; not of His Spirit.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by Jesus and the NT apostles, is death to sin and living to righteousness. If we walk according to the Spirit, and by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity. BUT, if we walk (in daily practice) according to our flesh, to please our flesh, we do not have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of divine judgment and the fires of hell.

[See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Pet. 2:24; etc.]

So, the gospel requires that we count our flesh, and the glory of our flesh as nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ, our Lord, in all his fullness. Whatever we have gained in our flesh, we count as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus and walking by his grace, in his love. We need to have this attitude that we count everything of this world and of our flesh as rubbish in order that we may be found in Christ, not having self-righteousness, but having the righteousness of Jesus Christ being lived out through our daily lives, as we daily yield to Jesus Christ as our ONLY Lord.

Philippians 3:12-16 ESV

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

We Press On

When we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, we are born again of the Spirit of God to new lives in Christ Jesus, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See: Eph. 4:17-24). We are forgiven our sins, delivered from the pit of hell, indwelt with the Spirit of God, given the hope of eternal life with God, and we begin our spiritual journey with Christ.

But, our salvation from sin is not a one-time event, then we live how we want, and one day we get to go to heaven. Our salvation becomes our new lifestyle. The old has gone. The new has come. Now we walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, to please our flesh. Daily we die to sin and self, and daily we follow our Lord in obedience, and daily we put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us. For, our salvation is a process of sanctification in our lives until our Lord Jesus returns to take us, his bride, to be with him for eternity.

Thus, we are always learning, always growing, continually maturing, and putting sin to death, by the Spirit. And, we are putting on Christ, becoming like him in his death, being willing to suffer for the sake of his name and for the sake of his gospel. But, we live in flesh bodies, and we are subject to weakness, so God takes us as clay in his hands and he is continually molding us into his likeness. Also, we won’t be complete until Jesus returns for us.

So, daily we forget our past failures which have been repented of, if they have been, and we move forward in our walks of faith with our Lord, trusting him with our lives, listening to what he teaches us, and doing what he says. If we fall, we pick ourselves back up via repentance and renewed faith and commitment, and we trust the Lord to help us to walk with him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives.

We don’t walk in failure, mind you, for we must be moving forward, and holding on to what we have attained, for the Christian life is a process of changing, growing, maturing, and being molded by God into his image.

Shine Jesus Shine 

By Graham Kendrick

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness, shining

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4

Saturday, July 28, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross and being resurrected from the dead that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Thank you for your grace which gives us all that we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to You. Help us to remain faithful to You.

Perfecter of Faith

Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Our Eyes on Jesus

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are delivered from darkness (sin) and we are brought into God’s wonderful light (truth, righteousness). By the Spirit of God, sin has been put to death in our lives so that we can now live to Christ and to his righteousness in the power of the Spirit now living within us. By the Spirit we can now walk in victory over sin and in godliness, living holy lives pleasing to God. For, sin is no longer our master. Jesus Christ is!

Nonetheless, we are clay vessels in the Potter’s hands. We still live in flesh bodies which are subject to weakness. So, daily we must die to sin and self. And, daily we must, by the Spirit, be putting to death the misdeeds of the flesh. And, daily we must put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, too. And, daily we must walk according to the Spirit and follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his instructions to us.

So, we must cut out of our lives everything which hinders our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord, whatever that may be. A hindrance is anything which leads us into sin or that which prevents us from hearing the Lord clearly and walking in his ways and in his truth, being and doing what he has called us to be and to do. It is anything which pulls us away from our pure devotion to Jesus Christ, and that distracts us from doing what our Lord says. And, that can be as individual as we are.

We are also to forsake all sins, for sin easily entangles us and prevents us from following Jesus Christ with our lives. Sin is a great hindrance to walks of purity and righteousness. But, the goal here is not just behavioral modification. The goal here is heart transformation. Jesus died that we might die to sin, but he also died that we might live to righteousness. So, we put off the sin and we put on Christ and his righteousness (Eph. 4:17-24).

And, Jesus Christ is our example as to how we should resist Satan and flee temptation, and how we should draw near to God in full assurance of faith. He resisted sin to the point of shedding his blood on a cross, taking our sin upon himself so that we might be delivered from our slavery to sin and live to his righteousness. And, he did this for the joy of our salvation. And, he did so while enduring great hostility from sinful humans who were opposed to him and his message.

For, when we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, and we walk in the fear of the Lord, honoring and valuing our Lord, and obeying his commands, we will serve as a threat to Satan’s kingdom, and he will hotly pursue us in order to destroy us. Yet, we must not give in to his temptations or to his threats against us, but we must continue to follow our Lord with our lives with ever increasing faithfulness and persistence, so that we can run the race of life which God has marked out for each one of us to run in all purity and holiness.

Hebrews 12:4-11 NASB

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

For Our Good!

In order for us to remain faithful to our Lord in resisting Satan and fleeing temptation and walking in holiness and purity, we must live spiritually disciplined lives – all in the power and working of God’s Spirit now living within us. So God, who loves us, allows situations in our lives or brings circumstances into our lives in order to prune us, to correct us, and to move us away from giving way to our flesh, and to move us towards yielding to the Lordship of Christ in our lives on a daily basis.

The Christian lifestyle, in other words, is a life of daily spiritual discipline, of resisting Satan, fleeing temptation and drawing near to our Lord in fellowship with him and in yielding to his will and purposes for our lives. And, this is so that we do not go back to living as we did before we trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, but so that we keep growing in our walks of faith, being made into the likeness of Christ.

Yet, when our Lord reproves us, prunes us and purifies us, it is for our good, that we may share in his holiness, becoming like him in his death to sin. It is that we might live lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin and separate unto God and to his service. And, it is that we might be far removed from sin so that we can walk in the ways of the Lord, being his hands and feet and the light of his love and grace to the world around us.

When we respond correctly to difficult circumstances in our lives, by calling on God in our misery, seeking his face and his will, turning from any known sins in our lives, and following him wherever it is he leads us, then that discipline is able to do its work in our lives in changing us, renewing us in our faith, and in God using us to minister his love and grace to others so that their lives might be transformed by the power of God’s Spirit, too.

Hebrews 12:12-13 NASB

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Strengthen What is Weak

So, because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on a cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, we should follow the instructions in this passage of scripture with regard to resisting Satan and fleeing temptation and forsaking all sinful practices and cutting out of our lives all things which serve as hindrances to our walks of faith. And, if we are serious about doing this, the Lord will make clear to us what those things are.

Then, we should run with great perseverance the race (the walk) that God has set out for us, which is a walk of holiness, purity and righteousness. We do this in the power and working of God’s Spirit within us, but only as we cooperate fully with his work of grace in our lives.

We must not hold on to any willful sins, but we must yield daily to our Lord’s leading in our lives. And, we must go wherever he leads us and do and say whatever it is that he commands us to do and to say. We must respond to his promptings by yielding to Him in everything and by saying “No” to ungodliness and worldly (fleshly) passions (lusts). We must not make any path for sin to have its way in our lives or to excuse it away, but we must be willing always to obey our Lord in every way.

So, not only must we be in the Word of God daily, learning what it says, and then doing what it says, but we must also not be doing what is counterproductive to a godly life. We can’t take in the junk of the world into our minds daily and think that it will not impact our thinking, attitudes and behaviors. It will! We can’t watch what is sensual or seductive and expect to have minds which are pure and holy. So, we have to clean out the old junk out of our lives and minds so that we can walk in purity and in the ways of the Lord.

So, what is the Lord leading you today to cut out of your life? For me, I believe it is food that my body does not need or that is bad for it. I need to better discipline my eating. It is hard to do some days when we are traveling or staying with other people or we are going here and there and are not home much, which describes our lives of late. So, I need to get a handle on that, and as much as is within my control, I need to do a better job of disciplining my eating habits so that they are where I believe God would have them to be.

I want to not have anything in my life which will hinder my walk of faith, and I want to make straight paths for my feet so that I may not falter in doing what God has called me to do, so I pray that the Lord will reveal to me any weak areas of my life which need to be strengthened, and that I would obey him in everything, not holding on to anything which may hinder me from obeying him fully and being used of him in the lives of others.

Shine Jesus Shine  

By Graham Kendrick

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord and let there be light

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4

Friday, July 27, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for this passage of scripture and that you love us enough to discipline us so that we will walk in your ways.

Things Not Seen

Hebrews 11:1-2 NASB

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

Things Hoped For

What do you hope for? Yes, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have the hope (the promise) of eternal life with God, and heaven as our eternal home. This kind of hope is not wishful thinking, though, but confident assurance based on God’s promises to us in his Word. We know that this world is not our final resting place, but that one day Jesus will return and he will take us to be with him forever, and there will be no more crying or pain or sin. Amen!

But, what do you hope for in this life, while you are still on the earth? What do you have faith in God for, based upon his Word, that you have not yet seen take place? But, that could take place during your lifetime on the earth? Perhaps you are praying for the salvation of a loved one, or for revival of the church, but your prayers have not yet been answered. Yet, you wait patiently for the day when they will be answered.

And, so you persevere in doing what God has called you to do, and you wait on God to do what he said he would do. And, you believe him that his Word will not return empty, but that it will accomplish what God desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. Your work for the Lord, done in faith, under his guidance and direction, will produce fruit for the kingdom of heaven and will result in lives changed by the power of God’s Spirit.

Hebrews 11:4 NASB

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

We’ll Have Rivals

Cain and Abel were both sons of Adam and Eve, so they were brothers. Cain brought a sacrifice to God of the fruit of the ground, whereas Abel brought an offering to God of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And, God approved of Abel’s offering but not of Cain’s. So, Cain was jealous of his brother, and he was angry, and so he killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4).

When we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, and we walk in fellowship with him, by faith, and we forsake our lives of living for sin and self, and we serve our Lord with our lives, we will have enemies (rivals), even within our own households, within our own families, and even within the gatherings of the church.

For, those who are not walking with the Lord and who are living to please themselves, but who still want God’s approval, may find us an offense because our lives are a reminder to them that they are not doing what they ought to do, and that God is not pleased with them.

So, they may even be jealous of our relationships with Jesus Christ and they may even be angry with us because we are walking in righteousness, and so they may persecute us and mistreat us and even try to bring us down in order to ease their own consciences or in order to seek revenge. But, we are not to fear them or what they might do to us, but we are to keep on serving the Lord and walking by faith, and we will be blessed of God.

Hebrews 11:7 NASB

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

For the Salvation of Lives

There are many warnings in scripture given to God’s people, including within the New Testament, given to the church. And, we would do well to heed those warnings and to take them to heart. For, they are there for our good, to let us know that if we follow a certain course that there will be specific consequences. We need to know this so that we don’t go the wrong way, but so we go the right way.

Also, as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which all believers in Jesus Christ are to be, we are to share those warnings with others for their good so that they don’t follow the wrong course and pay the consequences, but so they follow the right way and experience the blessings of God in their lives as a result of faith in Jesus Christ.

And, it is out of reverence for our Lord and for His Word that we share these warnings with others and we share what the Word of God teaches with regard to sin, judgment and salvation. We do this, too, for the salvation of human lives. And, we do this by faith, believing that God will accomplish his purposes through what he has called us to do, and that it will make a difference in people’s lives. Even though presently we may not see the results we would hope for, we continue, believing God for changed hearts and lives, knowing that He will do what he has promised.

Hebrews 11:8-10 NASB

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Not Knowing What

Sometimes God calls us to go places we have never been before, either to literal physical places or to unfamiliar circumstances. And, we may have no idea what is going to face us when we get there. But, we step out in faith, and we go, because we believe Him, because we trust Him, and because we love Him and we want to do what pleases him.

Where he leads us may provide for us no financial security or any kind of security which this world has to offer. In fact, what may be awaiting us is hardship, difficulties, more rejection, more pain and more sorrow. And, yet we go, because we know God is leading, and we know he is going to work this all out for good, and that He will change people’s hearts as a result of our faithfulness.

We are willing to leave all this world has to offer us behind in order to follow our Lord wherever he leads us, because this world is not our home, and because we have an eternal perspective, and our focus is on the kingdom of heaven and not on accumulating wealth and possessions.

Hebrews 11:13-16 NASB

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

A Better Place

There are no guarantees that we will see what we hoped for while we are still living, though. We may work for the Lord for many years and see little fruit for our labors, and it may be after we leave this earth that the harvest comes. Yet, we can be confident that God will use what he had us do for his purposes, for his glory, and for the salvation of human lives, whether we see the fruit of our labors in this life or not.

The thing of it is, if we are truly following the Lord, and we are working for him, in doing what he has called us to do, that should be reward enough. Just knowing that God called us, that he chose us, and that he is using us, even when we can’t see how, should bless our lives, and should give us peace and assurance that good will come from it all. And, thus we should continue to walk by faith, believing that all God has promised He will fulfill.

Always we should keep our focus on what is eternal, not on those things which are going to pass away. This is not to say that we should take no pleasure in anything of this world, for the Lord gave us food, music, nature, colors, taste, sight, hearing, and touch, etc., so that we can enjoy them. We can enjoy a symphony or a sunrise or sunset, or the beauty of nature, or a song or a poem or a drawing. But, these should not be our gods.

But, in all that we do, we should live our lives for the glory of God and for the advancement of his kingdom and the salvation of human lives, and this should be our primary focus. And, we should walk by faith and not by sight, doing what God has called us to do, even when what we hope for is not yet visible. For, this is faith. And, that faith will be rewarded.

Shine Jesus Shine  

By Graham Kendrick

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord and let there be light

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4

Thursday, July 26, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for everything!

Blessings of Grace

Psalm 119:57-64 NASB

The Lord is my portion;

I have promised to keep Your words.

I sought Your favor with all my heart;

Be gracious to me according to Your word.

I considered my ways

And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

I hastened and did not delay

To keep Your commandments.

The cords of the wicked have encircled me,

But I have not forgotten Your law.

At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You

Because of Your righteous ordinances.

I am a companion of all those who fear You,

And of those who keep Your precepts.

The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord;

Teach me Your statutes.

My Portion

God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – is everything to me! He is the air that I breathe, my sustenance for life, my sunshine, my joy, my peace, my satisfaction, and my purpose and direction for my life. He is my father and my brother. He is my friend and my master. He is my closest companion and confidant. He, too, is my husband, and I am his bride.

Because He is all of this and so much more, and because he loved me enough to give the life of Jesus Christ (the Son) on a cross to die for my sins, so that I could be free from slavery to sin and free to walk in his righteousness, I love him. And, because I love him, I serve him, and I walk in fellowship with him, and in obedience to his will and to his ways.

I am not perfect. None of us are. But, I walk in his love and grace. And, his Words are precious to me! I love to sit at his feet (figuratively speaking) each day and listen to him speak his words to my heart. And, my heart’s desire is to do what he says, to go where he sends me, and to say whatever it is he gives me to say, no matter how scary that may be sometimes, because not everyone has faith. We do have enemies.

But, I love the fellowship of those who also walk in your love and in your grace, dear Lord, and who honor, value and respect you, who also walk in obedience to your instructions to our hearts. And, I honor, value and respect them for their walks of faith, for their perseverance in suffering, and for their love for you and for others who are also your servants and messengers. I love my times of fellowship with the body of believers in Jesus Christ!

Psalm 119:65-72 NASB

You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word.

Teach me good discernment and knowledge,

For I believe in Your commandments.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep Your word.

You are good and do good;

Teach me Your statutes.

The arrogant have forged a lie against me;

With all my heart I will observe Your precepts.

Their heart is covered with fat,

But I delight in Your law.

It is good for me that I was afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.

The law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Good Discernment

Don’t we all need discernment? We all need to make right judgments every day. We need to be able to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, best from better, and truth from fiction (lies). We need to be able to perceive when we are being lied to or tricked or manipulated so that we don’t fall into other people’s traps. As well, we need to be able to see danger ahead and to heed warnings, so that we don’t blindly fall into sin.

Sometimes, though, we don’t make the right choices. Sometimes we don’t heed the warnings. Perhaps it is because we think we know better. We think we know ourselves, but sometimes we are deceived. And, thus we may go the wrong direction, and the Lord may have to bring us back. If we don’t respond to his promptings, he may use some divine discipline to get us back in line. And, that discipline will get our attention and will lead us to call on God, to repent of our sins, and to renew our walks of faith in Jesus Christ.

When we are revived and our faith renewed in strength, our love for our Lord and for His Word is also strengthened. And, instead of ignoring the truths of God’s Word or making excuses for why we can’t obey, or for why we think we don’t have to obey, our desire now is to obey his every word, holding nothing back from him. We want to know his Word, not so we can win arguments, but so we can DO what it says!

But know this!! When we are walking in fellowship with our Lord, and we are taking in His Word, and we are following our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will and to his ways, we are going to be opposed. It is a given! We will be gossiped about, slandered, mocked, made fun of, thought crazy (out of touch with reality), rejected, despised and forsaken by friends, family and by some believers in Christ, too. But, we are not to fear them, for our God is completely sovereign over all that he has made. So, trust Him!

Psalm 119:73-80 NASB

Your hands made me and fashioned me;

Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

May those who fear You see me and be glad,

Because I wait for Your word.

I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous,

And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

O may Your lovingkindness comfort me,

According to Your word to Your servant.

May Your compassion come to me that I may live,

For Your law is my delight.

May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie;

But I shall meditate on Your precepts.

May those who fear You turn to me,

Even those who know Your testimonies.

May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,

So that I will not be ashamed.

Comfort Me, I Pray

When we are despised, rejected, persecuted and abandoned by friends, family, neighbors, and even by fellow Christians, it will hurt. The “bullets” don’t just bounce off our chests like they do in fantasy. If we are loving and caring people, with the passion and compassion of Jesus Christ, and we have tender hearts towards other people, then when we are mistreated we will feel it. And, we will cry out to God in our pain and suffering, with tears streaming down our cheeks, and we will pray for his mercy and comfort.

I know that I went for a long period of time in my life without any true Christian fellowship, or with very minimal fellowship, but with lots of opposition, persecution, false judgments, and rejection. And, it was rough! And, it hurt! But, God was my support and my supply through it all, and he kept reminding me that he was my husband, and my friend, and that he would supply all that I needed. I know that he allowed this in my life to strengthen me, and so that I would resolve to follow him no matter what, and so I would not be easily persuaded to cave to peer pressure.

I know that I prayed often for true Christian fellowship, of the kind mentioned in the scriptures. I cried out to God often about this. But, what I often found was called “fellowship,” but it had more to do with just eating lots of food and talking about everything but Jesus Christ, even about how one could bypass the law because of who he knew, or how we could cheat on this or that or lie about this or that, but not fellowship in the Spirit where we encourage one another in our walks of faith. It was more conversation about the pleasures of the world than the joy of serving our Lord Jesus.

But, then the fellowship came, and with it many new friends in Christ Jesus who also love the Lord with all their hearts. And, we encourage one another in our walks of faith, and we speak the truth in love to one another to spur one another on to love and good deeds, and so we won’t be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. And, we function as the body of Christ ought to function, with every part doing its work so that we can all be built up in our faith and in our relationships with Jesus Christ to maturity in Christ. And, so I praise the Lord for the fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, and how that blesses and strengthens my heart each day, but my dependency is still on my Lord.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee  

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown

Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er

To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

Daily walking close to Thee,

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

*copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Ks49apflE

Wednesday, July 25, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for your love and your grace, for your care for me, and for blessing me with Christian fellowship. Amen!