Remember His Words

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” And they remembered His words. (Luke 24:5-8)

 

There is nothing more important for us to believe than Jesus died and rose victoriously from the grave. That fact is the most important truth of all because it transcends history and opens the door to eternal life for those who believe. If we keep this in mind, we will stay focused on Jesus, overcome every enemy, and thrive even in trying times. Our faith will not fail in the crucial hour, because it is based on the glorious truth that Jesus is alive, and now He lives in us!

 

And they remembered His words.

 

We must make a determined practice of calling to mind the words of our Lord. The difference between heaven or hell coming to bear in our lives are the words that come to mind when we are tested. Encouragement or discouragement? Light and life, or darkness and death? Earthly wisdom or godly counsel? The choice is ours.

 

Are we developing the disciplines of the Spirit by prayer, worship, and meditating on the Scriptures? Be sure to take the Lord's instructions to heart and to receive and believe His words. Let God’s words be the words you remember, and the words you obey.

 

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You. (Psalms 119:11)

 

Let's Pray - Lord, may we remember Your words in the crucial hour. Whenever we are perplexed, may we harken back to Your words. We look only to You. Amen.

Wait for Him

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;" (Acts 1:4)

The Lord instructed His disciples to wait. Wait for what? Wait for who? They were to wait for the Holy Spirit, who would come upon them and take up residence in them. The Kingdom they were to receive would not manifest around them, but in their hearts and minds. Only then would they be fit to be witnesses to Him, to make up His Church, and to show the world His glory. They could not earn or purchase this Kingdom. They could not discover or invent it. They simply had to wait for it and wait they did! We, too, must wait. 

Many have gone out into ministry without waiting, only to find that they do not have the "stuff" it takes to endure and complete the work. That is because no man or woman is sufficient for the task apart from the commission and power of the Holy Spirit. Oh, we can do church, preach, meet, and perform all the duties and tasks one might expect of a minister or a church; and there is more than enough dead religion in the world to prove that point.

 

If the Lord is going to work through us, we must first wait, receive the Holy Spirit, and then go forward in His strength. Jesus will give us the power to do what He commands, and that power is ours in the Spirit, and in Him alone. We may not like to wait, and we may not want to wait, but woe to us if we do not wait. 

 

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! (Psalms 27:14)

Let's Pray - Lord, may I not move until I am filled and sent by Your Holy Spirit. Then I will be a witness to Your glory and grace. Thank you for every opportunity to bless Your name. Amen.

Rejoice in This

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20)

 

It is unwise to want great things on this earth, especially great  “Christian" works. Jesus was not concerned or impressed with any of those things, and He did not want His disciples to be either. They were to be focused on their relationship to the Father, just as Jesus was. The greatest thing a saint can do is to be found in Christ. Life in Christ is the paramount thing, so let us rejoice in Him and Him alone!

 

God's love is not like ours; it is not based on emotion or affinity, but it is holy, and that is a different kind of love altogether. His love is righteous and pure, and it is perfectly and exclusively expressed in Jesus. Any understanding of love not founded in Jesus is counterfeit and illegitimate, for Jesus is God, and God is love. The Father loves all that pertains to His Son, and nothing else, and we make a grave mistake to think He loves anyone or anything apart from Jesus.

 

For those of us who love the Lord, our names are written in heaven, and in blood — the precious Blood of the Lamb. That is why we rejoice in Him alone, and we will continuously do so until He returns.

 

Let's Pray - Precious King, it is a joy to be found in You, to be led by You, and to glorify You. That is why I live, and that is why I rejoice. In Jesus, Amen.

A Heavenly Kingdom

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

The disciples still did not get it. Even after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, they were still clueless about the kingdom of God, and it showed by the question they asked. They did not yet understand that the kingdom they would inherit is not of this world, but a heavenly kingdom. Even today, many Christians are trying to set up heaven's rule on earth through their activities, strivings, and religion; but the Lord desires to place His Kingdom in our hearts, if we will receive it. That is where He looks to rule. Does He rule in your heart?

 

Those who are close to Jesus are prepared spiritually for the challenges and opportunities before them, and they faithfully and patiently carry out the will of God on the earth. It is not for us to know times and seasons, but to know our God, and His abiding presence gives us the power to walk wisely in the world. 

 

That is what it means to be His witnesses, and our lives are the undeniable proof that His Word is true. Yes, the King is alive, the Kingdom is restored, and it has taken up residence in us. Long live the King!

 

Let's Pray - Father, give me eyes to see and ears to hear heavenly things. Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

A Better Plan

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." (John 16:7)

There were things that Jesus' disciples could not do while He was with them. Had Jesus remained on the earth, the Holy Spirit would never have come to abide with them and dwell in their hearts. They would not have received the power and ministry of the living Christ, and they would have never taken their eyes off Him to see the needy souls all around them.

 

Still, it did not seem right to them that Jesus would leave. After all, He promised never to leave or forsake them, and He always keeps His promises — yet He was going away. They did not realize He was preparing their hearts to be the temple He would dwell in by His Spirit. He would come again; this time to dwell within and remain forever.

 

Sometimes it seems we have been left in this mean and cruel world to fend for ourselves, but that is not true. Jesus has gone to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit, and now He is present throughout the world in our hearts and His church. While He was on earth, His presence limited to His physical body — but through us, Jesus is everywhere, and the Gospel is preached everywhere we go.

 

Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of God; and yet, He is alive and well on earth — that is, in us who have His Spirit. That is the advantage Christ spoke of when He said it was best that He went away, so that He could send His Spirit, who will never go away.

 

If He abides in our hearts, His love abounds through us, and there is hope for this dark and desperate world. That is the Good News, and that is God's plan. His plan is a good plan. 

 

Let's Pray - Father, thank You for the gift of that Holy Spirit, who is given to me as a guarantee of all You promised me -- life everlasting. In Jesus alone, Amen.

Begotten of Him

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (1 John 5:1)

Believing God's Word is the most important thing we will ever do. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and the faithful saint is filled with the joy and Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will overcome the world, all its temptations and lusts, and all preoccupation with that which is perishing, because we are settled and focused on our new life Jesus. Faith points us upward and forward, and God gives us the power to live victoriously, to love our brothers and sisters, and to rejoice in His goodness.

 

Jesus is the only obsession a saint can afford to have. We must not be overtaken by a passion for ministry or souls, and we must be careful lest we are overwhelmed by the desperate plight and needs of men. Remember, "The poor you have with you always . . ." 

 

Our faces must be set like flint toward the Savior, and we must refuse to get lost in the futility of the world around us. Remember, Jesus has not only set us free from sin, but from the pervasive powers of darkness that exercise sway in the world system of things. Ours is a new and better world, and a new and better focus; that is, the Kingdom of God which has come and lives within us. We are the ones "born of God," who set our minds on things above, not things below. We are the ones who believe.

 

Let's Pray - Dear Father, I believe! Help me to believe even more. I want all the benefits of trusting in Christ. Amen.

Your Own Affections

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. (2 Corinthians 6:12)

In other words, you cannot go any farther with God until you lay your life down. This is where formal Christianity goes to die. Instead of dying to ourselves and learning to see things as our Father sees them, we cling to our selfish, religious views of God and miss the relationship available to us when we humbly surrender to Him. If we hold on to our preferences and prejudices, we limit what the Lord can do in us. Help us, Father.

 

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)

 

The Christian life is one of freedom and creativity. The Holy Spirit will show us things we never imagined unless we limit Him with our own knowledge and agenda. Any day might be the day the Lord teaches you a valuable truth that changes everything. But if we cling to the old, the new thing is lost to us.

 

There is always much more to know than we know, much more to see than we have seen, and much more to be than we have been. So, the Spirit desires to bring us to a place of unbroken fellowship and deeper understanding; a place where we are unrestricted. That is what it truly means to be free. 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, thank You for the freedom to say, "No," to myself. I want to love what You love, see what You see, and agree with You at every turn. Thank You and Amen.

Looking Unto Jesus

. . . looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) 

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

Jesus could not be distracted, nor detained, nor detoured. His brief time on earth was ending, and though that end would be tragic and painful, it was the will of the Father; not something to be avoided, but to be endured. Jesus was focused on that which only He and the Father could understand, and that focus was Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a microcosm of the Christ-rejecting world, obsessed with its own darkness, deaf, blind, and oblivious to its Savior and its salvation. It was there, and only there that the Son of Man would present Himself one final time, only to be betrayed, arrested, beaten, spit upon, tried, condemned, and cast outside the city gates to be crucified with murderers and thieves; to be buried and, hopefully for some, forgotten about. He knew all this, and yet, He was determined to go to Jerusalem, to die for our sins, and save our souls. This is the awesome Christ we serve! To God be the glory.

Let's Pray - Lord Jesus, may we never lose sight of the price You paid to save us. We will praise and glorify You forever. Amen. 

A Different Spirit

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted —you may well put up with it! (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. (Matthew 10:34) 

 

The peace that Jesus brings is not peace as the world understands it. Jesus is the dividing line between all that God accepts and all that He rejects. The sword Jesus speaks of is the Gospel which separates believers from unbelievers, saints from sinners, light from darkness, and life from death. The sword is the Cross, which separates the children of God from the children of the devil, and those who go on to fullness in Christ from those who are complacent. Our walk with Jesus will make us very few friends in this world, but it will make us genuine friends of God. 

 

Some in the church have succumbed to the temptation to mix enterprise, academia, and lofty sounding "wisdom" with the simple message of the Gospel. While many are drawn to these sideshows for a time, nothing can satisfy the soul but Jesus, and every man must come to God through the atonement, the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ — there is no other way. Their attempts to soften the Gospel produces weak Christians who do not know the Lord or walk in the power of His Spirit. Yet, the Lord knows those of us who are dedicated to Him and His Word, and we do not receive a watered-down Jesus fit for public consumption!

Let's Pray - Precious King, please forgive us for sharing a compromised message, which isn't the Gospel at all. May we boldly proclaim Jesus and nothing else. Amen.

Less is More

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 1:13)

We have been set free to forgive, forget, to mature, and press on in the strength and power of Jesus Christ. It is a shame for a Christian to be stuck in yesterday’s activities and relationships. When we are pursuing and serving God in His house, in His Word, and in the prayer closet, we will receive the power of the Holy Spirit who sets us free from the bondage of old things and equips us for what lies ahead. Remember, the Lord is doing a new thing, and you are that new thing. Step into the new.

 

We suppose the Lord is going to do and show us new things all the time, but He will not. Why should He, when He knows we will bring old relationships, habits, and concerns into the new season? That was the egregious error Paul warred against in the early church. Men supposed the church should hearken back to the Old Testament economy and their obsession with Judaism and national Israel. They looked to shackle the Body of Christ to the Law of Moses, and the Holy Spirit would have none of it. Even today, men tout legalism and Zionism as New Testament concepts, but that is simply a refusal to put away childishness and come into God's fullness — and all the fullness of God is in Jesus Christ.

 

May the Lord help us grasp the fact that spiritual maturity is not found in things we add, but things we put away.

 

. . . but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

 

Let's Pray - Lord, I am determined to put away childishness. Draw me to the maturity You want from me. I want to be fully grown in Christ. Amen.

Is That All?

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5) 

Before we were saved, we were obsessed with the world, its affairs, and all manner of worldly things. It mattered what others thought and said about us, how well we were liked, and whether we were accepted. But once we looked into the face of Jesus Christ, we saw what God values, and nothing mattered anymore but Him. That is how you know a true Christian; their life, speech and actions have a heavenly fragrance about them. God's love flows through them all the time because He abides in them and with them. These are the ones who have come to Jesus and overcome the world in Him.

 

"You mean, all I have to do is believe? I do not have to follow laws and rules, give myself to religious rituals and heroic feats of sacrifice?" No. All you and I must do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God, God Himself, who came in flesh to destroy the works of the devil and redeem those who receive Him. This is the Good News, and we must be sure to accept it in its fullness and simplicity — nothing added or subtracted. Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead and the complete Message and Messenger of God. He has overcome the world, and we are overcomers in Him. Amen!

 

Let's Pray - Father, I choose the simplicity of faith in Jesus with nothing added and nothing taken away. Thank You that all the fullness of God dwells in Him alone. Amen.

Believe in the Son

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

Every true believer has come to God on the terms set before us in Jesus, and our relationship to Him hinges on the choice we make to take Him at His word, and to let Him have His way in our lives. We are not naturally born into God's kingdom, but we are born again in the Spirit. Those who have laid down their lives and received His life are the only ones who can claim to have life. That life doesn't start when we die and go to heaven, but heaven is ours now, and the earmarks of eternity are evident in us today.

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) 

Do not spend your time trying to prove the existence and goodness of God to those who do not have faith. They cannot hear you or believe your testimony, simply because they do not have the faith necessary to do so. No amount of wisdom, intelligence, reasoning, miracles, mighty works, or even one being raised from the dead and ascending to the heavens will move the faithless man one inch closer to God. God's children are those who have received the gift of faith -- those who simply believe God and believe in His Son. May all others come to believe as we have, and may they come to believe before it's too late.

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of salvation and faith in the Man, Jesus Christ. I pray that You will use me to share the Gospel and to see many sons and daughters come into Your Kingdom. Amen.

Adding to My Faith

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith . . . (2 Peter 1:5) 

Now, of course, we cannot add anything to the work done by our Savior, Jesus Christ. He lived a life of service and sacrifice, He was tempted in all respects without sinning, He shed His sinless blood for our sins, He rose victoriously from the grave, and He ascended on high to His rightful place with the Father. When Peter says, "add to your faith," he is speaking of the spiritual maturity that is "added" to us when we walk by faith in God. If we give the Holy Spirit our attention, He will begin to progressively display the sweetness and holiness of Jesus Christ through us; and that is the unmistakable sign of a living, growing, and productive faith.

 

We cannot claim to have true faith apart from Christlikeness. Living faith is proven by Christian character. Character is the virtue developed in us when we learn to apply the Word of God to our lives and circumstances one opportunity at a time. We obtain true Christian character through a growing willingness to measure our works, our speech, and our motives by the standard of the scriptures; and the Spirit will educate and perfect us down to the smallest detail. As He does, the measure of Christ in us increases to the point of identification — "For to me, to live is Christ . . ." (Philippians 1:21)

 

Remember, only Jesus Christ pleases the Father, so let the measure of Christ increase in you daily. Add to your faith.

 

Let's Pray - Lord, I want to have an ever-growing belief in the Son of God and His sovereign work in my life. I will apply myself to the work You set before me diligently and thoughtfully. In Jesus alone, Amen.

Believe That He Is

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith is so important to God that He refuses to interact with us on any other basis. Faith is the dealmaker and lack of faith is the deal-breaker in our life with God. It is the choice to hear, believe, and act according to what the Lord says and who He is. Faith is the only capacity we have that allows us to see Him clearly and serve Him acceptably. Faith is the work that God needs from us, and only the work we do by faith will survive the fiery scrutiny of a Holy God.

 

Faith is the determination to seek a God who is invisible. That is where the true work of the Spirit lies — the invisible realm. Faith is counter-intuitive, and it requires that we believe God's promises even before they happen. Faith alone develops our spiritual eyes and ears, and it elevates us to a realm where all things are possible, if we just believe. God promises to reward those who seek and serve Him faithfully.

 

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." So, go ahead and take God at His word — ask, seek, and knock. Exercise and increase your faith. Your reward and your Rewarder await.

 

Let's Pray - Thank You, Lord, for imparting faith to me. Increase my faith daily, and I will present myself for Your service and Your glory. In Christ alone, Amen.

Witnesses to Me

". . . and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) 

The servant of God must avoid anything that takes his focus off Jesus Christ. Yes, there is much work to do, so many meetings to attend, so many events to plan, and so much enterprise in Christian ministry today. There are many who need our help, many hungry mouths to feed, so many who are thirsty, so many who are poor and naked, and so many who are lost and broken. Yet, Jesus did not instruct His disciples to focus on any of these things, but to go to Jerusalem and wait. Wait for what? To do great spiritual feats and exploits, revivals, to start great movements, and plant churches? No! ". . . but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me . . ." That is the essence of service to God — waiting on His power to be an effective witness.

 

Sadly, so many go out to do things for God who have never waited on Him and never received the power of the Holy Spirit! "Be witnesses to Me . . ." — not great and wonderful ministers, but witnesses to a great and wonderful God.

 

Remember, "witness" is not a verb, but a noun — a witness is not something you do, but someone you are, and only the Holy Spirit can make you a witness to Christ. While the world cannot see God Himself, they should clearly see Him in you, His true witness. Wait on God and let Him be seen in you today.

Let's Pray - Father God, may we be perfect reflections of Your Son today. May men surely know that there is a God in heaven, because of the saints they meet on earth. Amen.