Saved by Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

 

The successful Christian life is not found in our usefulness, giftedness, or anything we can obtain by our efforts. Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from above, and nothing of any eternal weight rises from us to heaven. Without the Holy Spirit, none of us are good — no, not one. God is not increased or enriched at all by anything we can say or do for Him, and He is God whether we believe or acknowledge Him. The only thing we have to offer is a sacrifice of praise, and even the ability to do that is a function of God's grace. We have been saved by grace, we remain in Him by grace, and He will receive us up into glory by grace. So, none of us should boast, but all of us should worship.

 

Rejoice in your salvation today. Spend your life loving, believing, worshiping, enjoying, and glorifying Him. Relax and lay down your burdens because His grace is sufficient for you. His grace is amazing.

 

Hallelujah!

 

Let’s pray –Lord, we rejoice in the power of Your name, and because of Your great love. Thank You for the Blood of the Lamb shed for us, so that we might be saved and sanctified in Christ Jesus. Yes, we will rejoice and be glad! Amen.

Shine Your Light

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Wherever the Holy Spirit dwells there is light, and He dwells in believers. We are Spirit-filled, and others get the opportunity to see the Lord by the light of our presence. The world is a place of spiritual darkness, so we must be prepared to stand out every place we go. How well Jesus is seen in the world depends entirely on us, and we glorify Him when we surrender to His will, love one another, and walk in the light as He did. It is simple; we shine, people see, God gets the glory.

 

The Lord is looking to expand the work of Jesus in the earth, and that expansion must first take place in those surrendered to Him. Even a little darkness is unacceptable to God, and we grieve the Spirit by allowing any sin or smallness of heart whatsoever. Every root of bitterness, grudge, or unsavory attitude must be brought kicking and screaming to the Cross, where we can exchange them for the strength and sweetness of our Savior.

 

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

 

Neither can there be any darkness abiding in you. Come to the Lord about this matter today. Your light is dawning.

Let’s Pray – Father, please give us Your Spirit so we can stand for You before all men. We are honored to be representatives of heaven, and we want to see You glorified in the earth. Thank You for making us Your children and calling us the light of the world! Amen.

Believe Without Seeing

Blessed are those who have not seen and have yet believed. (John 20:29b)

. . . while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 (2 Corinthians 4:18)

 

Faith is God’s precious gift to us, and it embraces what is most important — the things that are not seen. The Word teaches we are most pleasing to God when we walk by faith, not by sight. Therefore, we are not defeated or overcome by life's difficulties, because we have made the choice to look to the Lord and not our circumstance. “God said it, so I believe it!” That is faith, and faith alone pleases God.

 

Faith is imperative, because there is far more to the Christian life than what we can see or own. That is why an overemphasis on earthly prosperity and material success is an affront to all Jesus taught. God is not preparing His children for success, or breakthroughs, or prosperity, or even ministry. God is preparing us for heaven, and nothing else. His perspective is eternal, and so must ours be.

 

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

(Luke 9:25)

 

If we are prepared for the return of Christ, we will also be ready for everything and everyone we meet in this life. However, we can be dressed for earthly success, having all the trappings of blessings and prosperity, and be thoroughly unprepared to meet our Lord.

 

May the Lord keep us from accepting worldly standards, and may He increase and reward our faith.

 

Let’s Pray – Father, I choose to walk as if I already have everything I need and desire, for I believe You are my Provider. I will rejoice and say, “Thank You!” —  for You have done great things in my life, and I know You will continue to do so! In Jesus alone, Amen. 

Born From Above

That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)

 

We had no choice in our natural birth, but we are born in the Spirit strictly by choice. We must choose to believe in Jesus, and we confirm that choice by walking in the Spirit He imparts. Then, our life takes on the fragrance of heaven, and we become the “salt of the earth," because we are the people who make this otherwise bland and sinful world palatable to God.

 

God is Spirit, and as His children, so are we. His family is not natural, but spiritual. God's family is like no other family, for it is not respective of bloodlines or DNA. No human action or interaction can bring anyone into His family, but only the Cross of Christ and the Atonement He provided there. The finished work of Jesus is the only door to the Household of Faith, and we enter on our knees and no other way. That is the difference between being born of the flesh and the new birth. Natural birth opens the door to the world, but the new birth opens the door to forever, and the wise person steps through the door. Jesus is that door.

 

So, think deeply on this, my friends. The consequences are eternal.

 

Let’s Pray - Thank You, Lord, for making me a child of the King. I am forever grateful to be called by Your Holy Name. Teach me to worship You in spirit and in truth. I gladly give you my life, and I consider it my reasonable service. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Come and See

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:46) 

The entire New Testament can be summed up in one word, “Come.” Are you surrounding yourself with people of faith, people who encourage and challenge you to “Come and see”? Our faith is always strengthened by the example of those who follow the Lord closely. When we seek Him, we will find Him, for Jesus is anxious to reveal Himself to all who search Him out.

 

Let us be careful not to take other roads, look to human solutions, and harken to earthly powers. May we remember that the answer to everything that truly matters is Jesus. God is teaching us to turn to Him first, and when we do, He will give us the ability to see life from His perspective. Truly, our spiritual maturity is measured by how quickly we come to Jesus, and how well we have learned not to trust in ourselves. Our lives are to be a continual "coming," and we will flourish when we do. So come. Leave all behind and just come. “Come and see.”

 

Let's Pray – Father, I come to You today, and I know I will find You if I search with all my heart. I humble myself in Your sight, and I ask You to remove the scales from my eyes, so I can see clearly and draw near to You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for bringing me to the Father through Jesus the Son. Amen.

Capture Every Thought

 . . . casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Thoughts are strange things. They can come at any time, from any direction, and lodge themselves in our consciousness without invitation or permission. Those thoughts can become our gods unless we learn to at once capture and judge them by the Word. Is your thought life subject to God's Word, or have you made God subject to your thoughts, your

intellect, your take on things, or your take on Him? Think about it . . . no, pray about it!

 

But He (Jesus) turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of." (Luke 9:55)

 

Just because we think or believe a thing does not make it so! We can be far off base in our thoughts because we have embraced a popular or personal point of view — one that just happens to set well with our own temperament. Christians have too often joined themselves with men, words, and works that were never crucified with Christ; therefore, they are known by their politics and opinions, but not by their love. The Holy Spirit will have none of that, and if we allow Him, He will take us by the hand and lead us into all truth; and that truth is found only in Jesus. So, bring your thoughts captive to Christ, leave them at His feet, and He will give you His mind in return.

 

But we have the mind of Christ. (1Corinthians 2:16)

 

Let’s Pray – Lord, please forgive me if I have put You in the box of my own limited understanding. The entire universe cannot contain You, and neither can my intellect. Give me the mind of Christ today, and expand my horizons. Help me to see what You see and to agree with Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Speak Kind Words

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6)

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

 

Our words reveal what is in our hearts. When our hearts are settled on our God, we will speak blessings and encouragement, and our speech will be like morning dew and evening rain on the dry and thirsty ears that hear us. Let your speech be a blessing today, and let the world hear Jesus in you.

 

When I speak poorly, it is a sure sign that there is something ungodly seeking to find a foothold in my heart. So, I must take the spade of God's Word and dig out every root of bitterness, every offense, and every point of darkness the Scriptures reveal.

There is absolutely no room in my heart for that which does not glorify the King, because God is light, and His children are the light of the world.

 

Therefore, our words should bring life, light, and peace to every conversation. The Holy Spirit has shed the love of God in our hearts, so let us speak kind words that reflect His presence. Others are listening. God is listening.

 

Let’s Pray – Father, place the words of Jesus in my heart and on my lips. I will set a guard on my tongue, that my words would be seasoned with salt, building others up, not tearing them down. Be pleased with my speech today. Amen.