Monday, February 29, 2016

MAJOR IN PRAYER

Eph. 6:18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

Let’s admit it; we don’t pray at all times and on every occasion. Most of us are quite the opposite. We crowd praying into our lives the best we can, but we don’t do a very good job of it. Some of us feel guilty about it when we think about it, but many of us don’t.

Most of us know what prayer is, but I would like to suggest some other thoughts for you to consider. Prayer is our reaching up to God. It is our embracing God in our lives. It is the desires of our heart for God. It is the soul crying out in need for God. It is a time in which we align our will up with God’s. It is a time in which we become broken and humble before God knowing we cannot do anything apart from Him. It is what we do in life to honor Christ. Prayer is an attitude of the heart seeking to live a godly life. It is an attitude of praise and thanksgiving before God. All that we do in and through Christ ought to be an act of worship, a sweet aroma ascending to the throne of God.

Prayer is done through the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Spirit that guides our prayer life. It is the Spirit that puts our thoughts and words into words that move God to act. It is the Spirit who empowers us and enables us to labor in prayer for others.

We must never let down our guard when it comes to prayer. Satan will do all he can do to keep us from praying. He tries his best to discourage us from praying. His greatest fear is that we would pray and not give up. He knows that prayer is our life connection to God. He knows that when we pray persistently God’s work in us and in the world will be done.

Prayer should be a major part of our lives, not an add-on. It should characterize who we are. Stay alert and pray much; pray for Christians everywhere. Satan is persistent in trying to discourage and defeat Christians everywhere and we can help one another in a powerful way by praying for each other consistently.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

EQUIPPED FOR WAR

Eph. 6:13 Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.

If we don’t use every piece of God’s armor to resist Satan, we don’t have anyone to blame when we stumble and fall. God has provided for us ample resources to ward off all of Satan’s blows. The ability of God to help us is not the problem, we are the problem. We simply do not utilize the resources God has provided for us. We don’t spend the time in the Word we need. We don’t pray earnestly before God in repentance and need. We don’t believe that God can or will help us. We don’t spend time in fellowship with other believers who can encourage us and help us. We pay little heed to those who have already been through our battles and have come through them victoriously.

It doesn’t take much intelligence to know that if we refuse the help God provides for us we are not going to be able to stand firmly on righteous ground. We are going to grow weak and sin against God. We cannot resist Satan on our own power. The forces of evil are way too strong for us to withstand.

We are constantly engaged in a spiritual war. We cannot escape it. The world is Satan’s playground. If we are not in the war to win, we will lose. Our only hope is to stay close to the heart of God, feasting on the riches of grace, putting on the full armor of His provision for us. Without a determined commitment to overcoming the evil all around us and that which creeps into our hearts, we will never know the victory that is ours in Christ.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Eph. 6:10-12 A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

It is so easy to minimize the warfare that is going on in our souls and in the world. Just because we can't physically see it happen, we tend to ignore it. It is not easy to live in victory in Satan's world! There is never a time on earth in which there is a ceasefire. Satan does not need sleep like we do. He is always on the prowl seeking whom he may devour. We immediately become easy prey when we let down our guard and try to live within our power and strength.

Only the Lord has the power to overcome Satan. Only the Lord can send Satan away in defeat. We must put on all of God's armor if we are going to prevail. We dare not leave any of what God provides for us behind. We need His righteousness, Word, fellowship, wisdom, and purity of heart. We need to stay continuously immersed in Christ and never leave His protective care.

The forces of evil are everywhere and they are way more than we can handle on our own. Don't ever underestimate the power and evilness of Satan, and never overestimate your power and strength to fight him.. You will fall into sin every time you encounter temptation on your own.

Don't underestimate the power of the Lord to help you. He is able to deliver you from whatever Satan throws at you. In Christ you will overcome your temptations to sin every time. In Christ, Satan cannot harm you. In Christ you will find protection for your soul.

Friday, February 26, 2016

WORK WITH ENTHUSIASM

Eph. 6:7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

I worked for many years, mostly in factories. It is safe to say that very few people that I worked with worked with enthusiasm. Most people worked out of necessity and did not have a good attitude about their work. They did their jobs and eagerly went home. Their hearts were not at their work and often it showed in how much they worked, the quality of their work, and their attitude while working.

For the believer, it should not be that way. We should be setting an example for the world when it comes to what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and our attitude while we do it. I understand that very few people see their work as exciting and a good part of their day, but we should see things differently than the world. We should be thankful for the jobs we have and the abilities we have to do them. We should thank the Lord that we have health to work. We should be thankful that we live in a place where we can work for ourselves and our families instead of forced labor for others. We should consider our work to be opportunities to share Christ with non-believers. We should strive to show the world what a difference Christ makes in us through how we work and our attitudes about it.

As believers, we need to do all we do for the Lord and not for man. When we are driven by trying to please people we will always fall short. When we strive to please the Lord, it affects all we do. We need to see Him as worthy of our best efforts. We owe Him everything and our lives need to reflect it.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

HOW WE LIVE MATTERS

Eph. 5:15-17 So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Only a fool would live a life contrary to a life he knows to be true from God. If we believe that God has spoken to us in His Word and that it is unchangeable truth, it makes absolutely no sense at all to ignore it and do what we want to do in life. Wisdom would tell us to be careful how we live in light of what God tells us. It is a very dangerous thing to jeopardize our souls by ignoring God’s clear instructions on how to live.

We need to make the most of every opportunity we have to learn how to live out our faith through His Word. We need to always seek to discover more about ourselves so we can align ourselves up with God’s standards. We need to see ourselves in need of more and more knowledge from Him.

We need to make the most of every opportunity we have to do good. We live in very troublesome times. Evil is everywhere and it's getting more and more of a stronghold in the public arena. It is imperative for the sake of souls that we don’t mess around and pass up opportunities we are given to bring Christ into the mix by doing good.

We need to give careful thought to what the Lord wants us to do. It is so easy to mess up our opportunities by acting in ways contrary to the Lord’s desires for us. He knows best what we can and should be doing. We should always strive to understand our role in life. The only way we will gain an understanding is for us to spend time in fellowship with the Lord in prayer and in His Word.

If we seek out the Lord, He will open the right doors for us. He wants us to best utilize our lives. He made us to fulfill a particular role in life. Wise is he who finds out what his role is and does it. There is no greater peace and joy in life than to be doing the good God has given us to do.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

WHAT PLEASES GOD?

Eph. 5:10-11 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.

How hard are you trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord? How much thought do you give to your living as a child of God? If you are trying to please Him, where are you looking for answers? Are you waiting on the Lord for your answers or are you listening to other voices?

God makes it very clear in His Word what pleases Him. He does not lead us into confusion. We are to live holy lives before Him. We are to let Him expose our sinful thoughts and actions and do away with them. We are to direct our attention to Him. Jesus is to be the focus of our thoughts and living. We are to have no part in the worthless deeds of the flesh; they are sinful in origin and an abomination to God. When we encounter sin, we are to rebuke and expose it, not cuddle up to it.

It is a very difficult battle to fight. No matter how strong we become in faith, we will never outgrow our need to stay focused on Christ. Satan knows our weaknesses and he will expose and exploit them until we die. Don't slack off. Always try to find out what pleases the Lord and then do it. Shun evil. No matter how much pressure you may feel, don't take part in that which is sinful. You know what is sinful and what isn't. God doesn't leave you in the dark. Develop a desire to always please the Lord and you will never be in doubt. Let the Spirit expose and rebuke sin wherever He finds it so you won't fall into its snare.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

LET JESUS CHANGE YOU

Eph. 5:8-9 ...For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Your hearts were once full of darkness, you just couldn't help yourself. Once you lived in sin, a lot. You did it naturally. It was the desire of your heart. You weren't ashamed of what you did. In fact, you considered those who didn't sin weird. You lived and enjoyed the momentary pleasures sin brought to you. Your heart was full of darkness. There simply wasn't any room for God's light to shine in.

But, Jesus came knocking on your heart's door and you let Him in. Your eyes were opened and you came to realize that you could no longer live in the life of sin. Jesus showed you the consequences of sin and you no longer wanted it. Your desires changed from wanting to sin to not wanting to. The more you let Jesus shine His light on your soul, the more you wanted to please Him. Your heart became full of light instead of darkness and there simply was not any more room for sin.

And, this is the way it should be. When we walk in the light of God's written and living Word, the more our behavior changes. It becomes obvious to all by the way we live and talk that we are indeed children of God. God in us produces only that which is good, right, and true.

If you are struggling with sin in your life, the problem is not the Lord's inadequacy to help you or change you. He is more than able to do that which He has promised! The problem is your willingness to let Him change you. In some way you are holding back from the Lord control over your sinful desires. We are all guilty of doing it, but that is no excuse for sinning. We must let the Lord access to every room of our hearts so that His light can dispel the darkness.

We must strive to resist sinning by letting the Lord be Lord of all of our lives. He cannot be your Lord until he is Lord of all your heart. Will you let Him by Lord?

Monday, February 22, 2016

NO EXCUSE FOR SIN

Eph. 5:6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him.

There is absolutely no excuse for sin. There never has been and never will be justifiable reasons to sin. All sin is an abomination to God. He hates it and will judge all who live in it. We live in a day in which sin is not looked upon as that big of a deal. So often, we gloss over it and give it very little thought. We seldom seek forgiveness because we justify ourselves in our own eyes. This is especially true of those of us who live in grace. We have convinced ourselves that since our sins are forgiven we no longer have a need to seek forgiveness when we sin against God.

I believe we have taken way too much liberty in this area. I believe that we should be concerned about our sins. We should have humble and repentant hearts before God. God is holy and we should respect Him as holy. We should never get to the point where we do not see ourselves in need of cleansing and forgiveness.

It shows great disrespect for the holiness of God when we get careless about sin. Jesus died because of sin. He died to make us holy before God. How can we say that His death on the cross is meaningful to us when we act as if it doesn’t matter? We are all guilty of sinning against God. We will struggle with sin until we get to heaven. We will win and lose some battles. No one can escape the need for repentance. Our attitude should always be that of a needy soul before God. We need Christ to purify our hearts. We need to have genuine sorrow over sin. We need to confess our sins to Him. And when we do, He is faithful and just and will forgive us for ALL our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness.

When was the last time you confessed any sin to God and sought His forgiveness?

Sunday, February 21, 2016

FOLLOW GOD'S EXAMPLE

Eph. 5:1-3 Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.

In a perfect world, children follow the example set before them by their father. They do it because of their love and respect for him. Their father lives a life worthy to be followed. Their father daily shows his love for them by his protection of them and providing for their needs. He interacts with them. He gives his children no cause to doubt his faithfulness and dependability.

Unfortunately we live in sin and our fathers are not ideal. Some are good men and some are bad. All are imperfect and do and say things that are not to be imitated. A good father will treat his children in a loving way and is humble enough to ask for forgiveness when he messes up. There are many things children can emulate in a good father’s life, and some things they need to ignore or improve on in their own lives.

God is our perfect father. There is nothing about God that we should not emulate. He is our perfect example and we should always strive to be like Him in love and character. We should treat others the same way the Lord treats us in love. He gave His all for us. He gave us dignity and honor by considering us worthy to die for. He stays with us through all the ups and downs of our lives and never abandons us when we act in an unlovely way towards Him.

When we love each other in the way Christ loves us, God is well-pleased with us. Our lives become a sweet aroma before Him. Are you a sweet aroma before God or, do you stink up the place?

Saturday, February 20, 2016

LIKE CHRIST IN LOVE

Eph. 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

It all has to go if you want to live life pleasing to the Lord. It has to go if you want to be found to be righteous in God's eyes and make it to heaven when you die. Your attitude must no longer be evidence of sin in your heart. You must get rid of all those things which tear down. You must rid yourself of all that destroy not only others, but your soul as well.

Instead of evidence of sin in your heart, you must show Christ in your heart. You must show by the way you treat others that Christ has changed you. A child of God simply cannot treat others in a destructive manner. We must be loving and encouraging. We must build others up and show them much grace. We must not harbor ill feelings towards others, but instead strive to love one another just as Christ loves us.

We must treat others as Christ treated us. He forgave us of much sin. He does not hold our sins against us. He no longer deals with our past sins because they are no more as far as He is concerned. We need to be the same way towards one another. We need to forgive those who have wronged or hurt us. We need to not hold those things against them. We need to bury those things in the past where they can no longer affect our relationships. Only in Christ can we do it.

A child of God becomes like Christ in love. He loves and acts graciously towards others. He does not let what has been forgiven be a factor in the present. He strives always to embrace those of the faith and live at peace with others. Getting even is a long forgotten agenda. He strives to always embrace everyone in godly love.

Friday, February 19, 2016

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!

Eph. 4:29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

I am appalled at how some professing Christians speak. They use the language of the world without little thought or regret. I have heard some use the Lord's name in vain as a normal part of their speech. I have heard Christians speak unkind words towards others with little regard for their feelings. I have heard far more discouraging and demeaning words come from the mouths of believers than I care to admit. I have heard some pastors use curse words in and outside of the pulpit. There seems to be little thought given to what we say or how we say it.

We are reminded in today's text to watch carefully what comes out of our mouths. Our speech reflects what is in our hearts. What we speak should be good and helpful words. We are to encourage others in their understanding and walk instead of discourage them. We are to let the Spirit of God control our hearts so that what comes out of our mouths will be good and not evil. We must also realize that what we listen to affects us. What we hear is implanted in our minds and easily becomes part of our speech.

What we say not only reflects what is in our hearts, it impacts those who hear us for either good or evil. Let us determine today to honor the Lord with our speech. Actions may speak louder than words, but words can destroy whatever good we do.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

AN ANGRY SOUL

Eph. 4:26-27 And don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

An angry soul makes for a miserable life. When one lives in anger, there is no longer the ability to enjoy the simple beauties of life. Anger distorts thinking to the point where no good is seen. The desire of the heart becomes revenge (and even hatred) instead of reconciliation and love. In place of mercy there is a passionate desire for vengeance. Anger controls the mind and passions of the heart and does not allow reason to be heard. An angry heart shuts God out.

It is never a good thing to allow anger to fester and grow. Living in anger destroys the capacity of heart to connect with God and others. When anger rears its ugly head, we must nip it in the bud; we must not let it take root in us beyond the moment. The longer we hold on to it, the more irrational we become and we soon becomes slaves to it. Don't let Satan have a foothold over you. Deal with whatever causes you to get angry even before the sun sets on your day.

If it is impossible to be reconciled to someone before the sun sets, be reconciled to God and deal with the wrong the next day. If you let the Lord take away the poison of your heart, you will be able to deal with the issue with reason and regain control over your life. Nothing is worth losing your soul over, and if anger is left unchecked, it can easily destroy it.

Do you have an angry heart today? Isn't it about time that you let the Lord have your anger? Tell Him what it is that is making you so angry. Tell Him what you want to see happen or do because you are angry. Tell Him how your anger is affecting your life. Confess your anger as sin, because that is what it has become. Ask the Lord to forgive you and take your anger away and give you His peace in its place. Ask Him to fill your heart with His love and give you the strength and resolve to deal with the situation positively and not negatively. If you do these things, your heart will once again be restored with God and man.

Oh, and by the way, don't be surprised if you don't want to do it. It will probably be one of the last things you want to do. But, it is what you must do if you are going to live right before God. It is obedience to God's Word and to not do it is further rebellion against God.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Eph. 4:21-24 Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true.

If you are reading this, you have heard about Jesus and you know that He is God who came into our world as man to die on the cross for our sins. You know that He was resurrected from the dead and is now in heaven seated at God's right hand as Lord of life and that He is coming again to take the church out of the world into heaven.

Therefore, you must act on what you know is true. You must get rid of all that is evil in you. You must not live like you did before you got to know Jesus. You cannot be who you were; you are a new creation in Christ. Jesus takes away our sins; He does not tolerate them. He lives in us to make us holy before God. Everything about life without Christ is rotten; it is full of lust and deception. If you are still like that, you are not a child of God.

If you are a true child of God, it will be obvious to you and everyone else. Your nature now is rightous, holy and true. You will be godly in nature. You will be known for the new person you are, not the old person you were. Everything about you is different. You will see life differently; you will live life differently. You will no longer live to promote and please yourself; you will live to promote and please Christ.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

JESUS, LORD OF THE CHURCH

Eph. 4:16 Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Notice that it is under the Lord’s direction that the body of Christ grows. So often we neglect this important truth. Many of us like to lead. We like to be the one giving directions, calling the shots. We like to be responsible for the building up of the body. We like the attention we get from being leaders and not followers. However, no church will ever grow properly when man is doing the leading. If your church leader is not being clearly led by Christ, then your church will never become the church Christ created her to be.

Under the Lord’s direction, every part of the body fits perfectly because the Lord created each part to fit. There is no useless part of the body. Each one of us is given a role to play in the church. The work we do is special because we are perfectly suited to do it and because our role is essential for the well-being of the church. When each of us does what we were created and fitted to do, the church is healthy and grows.

What is true of the local church is also true of the universal church. It is hard for us to grasp, but it is something that must be grasped. Each part of the church family is important. Each part has a role to play. Each part must seek to be led by Christ to fulfill her role. When each part comes under the authority of Christ, great things begin to happen in the world.

What we struggle with is getting ourselves out of the way and letting the Lord lead us. It is a battle we will fight until Jesus comes, but fight it we must. There is only one Lord and it is not us. The sooner we accept this truth, the better off we will be. The love of Christ cannot fill His church until the church lets Him be her Lord.

Monday, February 15, 2016

GROW UP!

Eph. 4:11-13 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

No one who is called to serve the Lord gets to where they are going without the Lord leading them there. It is the Lord who places us where we need to be. It is the Lord who gives us gifts and abilities according to our uniqueness. It is the Lord who determines who needs to do what, where to do it, and when. We can take no credit for what the Lord does!

The Lord does not place us in positions of service without a reason. Each of us has an important role to play in the building up of the church body. Regardless of the visibility of our role, we are an essential part of what God is doing to raise up a people who are mature and fully grown in the Lord.

The Lord's agenda for the church is unchanging. He is working to make us one in Christ in our knowledge of Him. His agenda is to grow us up so that we can be at our best and do our best to reach our world for Him.

One of the greatest battles the Lord has to fight in the church is our resistance to what He is doing. We don't want to grow up. We like not having to assume the responsibility of spiritual adulthood. We like it when others have to carry the load we should be carrying. We take offense when it is suggested that we need to grow up. If this is you, all I have to say to you today is, GROW UP!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

ONE BODY IN CHRIST

Eph. 4:4-6 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in all and living through all.

This message should be shouted out in every church that proclaims the Gospel message. It is a message that needs to be proclaimed over and over again. It is a message that must be learned and lived. Yet, it is a message that simply is not lived.

There is but one body that is consisted of every believer in Jesus Christ. There are not many bodies; there is but one body. No matter what label we give ourselves, we are all one in Christ. Christ is not divided and He does not favor one church body over another. There are many churches, but only one true church. Every believer is a part of the one true church body.

Our oneness in Christ ought to keep us from playing the many different games we play in the name of Christ. We have no right to look down on other believers' ways of worship and service. We have no right to think that we are better than others. We have no right to talk down other church bodies who are proclaiming Christ and His Word. We have no right to alienate ourselves from other church bodies we are uncomfortable with. We are all one in Christ, all members of the body of Christ.

A divided church is Satan's delight. We need to stop focusing on what divides us and start focusing on what unites us. We should be lifting up Jesus, proclaiming Him as Savior and Lord, and serving Him. We will not make a difference in addressing the world's problems until we do. Let us join together in Jesus' name and be the salt and light of the world we are in Christ.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

LIVING A WORTHY LIFE

Eph. 4:1-3 Therefore, I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

Paul was in prison for serving the Lord. He knew the price he paid for being a faithful servant was steep, yet for him, it was well worth it. He knew the realness of God’s presence and blessings and longed deeply for the church to have the same connection to God he had.

The great need every believer has is to live a life worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus. Jesus should be our motivation for godly living. He is holy, without fault in any way. He is the fullness of God within us. We claim to have Jesus in our hearts so He should influence every aspect of our lives. We should take on His nature and cease to display sinful characteristics.

We should be godly in our relationships. Instead of fault-finding, arguments, jealousies, and using others for our personal gain, we should be supportive, kind, gentle, patient, forgiving, loving them, even as we are loved by Christ.

We should always strive for unity in fellowship. We should be more about maintaining peace than we are own agendas. Satan is bent on dividing the body of Christ so that we will be rendered weak and ineffective in our witness for Him. We need to resist his efforts and always strive to be one in Christ for the glory of Christ in the world. In order to do this, we must sacrifice our pride on the altar for the sake of Christ. Pride is the number one cause of division within and among churches. Unity in fellowship is possible if we determine together to keep Christ as our Lord in all things. Peace is a reality for all who keep their eyes focused on Christ alone.

Friday, February 12, 2016

DON'T HINDER GOD

Eph. 3:20-21 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

First of all, all glory belongs to God. When we ascribe to people greatness and praise, we are robbing God of His glory. We can appreciate what others do and say, but let us be careful that we don’t go beyond that.

It is by His mighty power at work within us that He is able to do anything in us and through us. It is not us or anything we do that accomplishes the work of God in us. Our efforts alone are wasted energy. We must always recognize and acknowledge the hand of God in all we do.

He is able to do far more than anything we could ever dream possible, if we were to but let Him loose in our lives. We hinder what the Lord will do by our lack of faith and by our unwillingness to let Him work freely in us. We hinder His work in us by not letting go of many things that are baggage to our souls and weigh us down.

We hinder God when we doubt His ability to do what we can’t see or imagine. We say we believe in a God who can do all things, but in practice we don’t live it. We confine God to our comfort zone. We fail to really believe in God’s unrestricted power. We so often fail to tap into the resources available to us because of our lack of faith.

May the Lord increase our faith and give us willing hearts so that He can do greater things in and through us. May our lives be a display of His mighty power and may He always be lifted up and glorified through us both now and forever.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

GOD LOVES YOU!

Eph. 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fulness of life and power that comes from God.

It is my prayer for you today that you experience the love of Christ. I pray that you will know that Jesus loves you. It is my hope for you that no matter what you may be going through in your life that you know you are loved by God. It is so easy to become so entangled by the circumstances of life that we lose sight of the fact that we are loved by God. I want you to know that Jesus loves you. He really does. I want for you today that you be overwhelmed by the realness of His love. I want for you that you never doubt the fact that not only did Jesus love you from the cross, He loves you from His throne in heaven.

There is no understanding the magnitude or depth of His love. We cannot begin to fathom just how great the love of God for us is. It is so overpowering and overwhelming that no one can understand it. All we can do is enjoy it.

It is my prayer for you today that you take a bath in His love, that you let it soak deeply into your soul and that you let it permeate everything you do today as you live amongst men. God’s love is a fact and not a feeling. You are loved unconditionally all the time. You are loved in a way that no one else can love you.

It is my prayer that you will open your heart up wide today and let the love of God for you flood your soul. It is then, and only then, that you will discover the fulness of life and power that God has for you.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

GOD'S LOVE FOR US

Eph. 3:18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
It takes power, the power of God at work within us, for us to get a grasp on how great God’s love for us is. It is only as we live in Christ faithfully that we begin to understand that we are loved by God. God’s love for us surpasses anything else we have ever known before. It is broader, longer, higher and deeper than we can ever fully grasp.

The wonder of God’s love is that there is more than enough of it for everyone who has ever lived or shall live to be saved. There is no human being who is beyond the desire of God to love them and save them. How can it be? How can God love all humanity equally? How can God love each of us adequately? I don’t know, but He does.

The more we experience the love of God for us, the more we come to realize that we cannot contain or measure His love. There is no time ever in which God does not love us. He loves us during the good and bad times of our walk with Him. He loves us with great understanding. He loves us no matter how we might fail Him. He loves us and is willing to display His love for us in a multitude of ways.

Man’s love is fickle. It is unreliable and can easily be offended. Man’s love is so often dependant on the love of others. We love those who return our love. We treat with kindness those who are kind to us. It is not that way with God. He loves us with no strings attached. He loves us and went out of His way to prove it when He went to the cross and died for our sins.

Let your heart not be troubled today; God loves you. Let not the treatment of others bother you today; God loves you. Let not your heart be afraid of what lies before you; God loves you. Let not your heart despair because of the rejection of others today; God loves you. He loves you beyond measure. He always has and He always will.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

JESUS, AT HOME IN YOUR HEART?

 

Eph. 3:17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.

What an awesome prayer! It should be a prayer that we all live by. What a huge difference it would make in and outside the church if we were all to be led by this pray.

It is my prayer for you today that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart. There is no greater joy in life than to know the realness of Christ in the heart. Our greatest need is for the Lord to have more and more of our heart’s space. The more Christ rules our hearts, the more like Him we become and the more capable we are of living a life pleasing to Him.

It is my prayer that you know how to trust the Lord in all things. I pray for you today that you will let go of those things that hinder you in your walk with the Lord and simply trust Him to watch over and take care of you. I pray that you will discover that the Lord never fails to keep His promises to those who trust in Him. I pray that you will never doubt God’s love for you and His desire to always do that which is good for you.

I pray that your roots will go down deep into the soil of God’s love. Dear friend, there is no greater contentment you will find in life than that of growing deep in God’s love. You will never discover the riches of heaven until you abandon your ties to earth and go all the way with the Lord. I pray that you will daily feed your soul with the things of God and that you will strive to always stay close to Him in fellowship. The deeper you go in His love, the more satisfaction you will find for your soul and the more you will admire and appreciate our wondrous Lord.

Monday, February 8, 2016

STRENGTH FROM THE LORD

Eph. 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources, he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

There are ample resources in heaven to help you get the strength in spirit you need to handle whatever you face in life. God is able to help you become the spiritual giant that you are not now. He is able to help you stand steadfast and true no matter what Satan may throw at you. He is able to redirect your thoughts to Him and get your mind off of the things of earth that hinder you. He is able to change the desires of your heart so that you will long for the things of God and not the things of the earth. He is able to help you live in the present with an eye for your future instead of your past. The Lord can strength you where you are weak in faith. He is able to make you strong so that you can be an effective witness for Him in the world.

The issue is not God’s ability; the question is our willingness to let Him. The Lord will not work in us to make us strong against our will. He will not do anything for us if we don’t give Him permission to do so. Our natural tendency is to resist the work that God needs to do in us to make us strong.

Lord, we confess that we often settle for so much less than what we could have from you. We often stop short of taking advantage of Your resources. We tend to be content with just enough to get by. Please forgive us for our shortsightedness. Lord, we need to be more bold in our living and witness for you. We need to be more bold in our resistance to
Satan and his allurements to sin. Lord, we are weak and need more strength. We need to depend more on You and be willing to let the Holy Spirit have full access to our hearts. Lord, help us to be all that we need to be in order for us to live in victory over our sins. Lord, strengthen us for our journey of faith today and all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

APPROACHING GOD

Eph. 3:12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome.

If you have a high regard for God in His holiness, you may also have a fear of coming into His presence. It is very clear that God is holy and will never allow sin into His presence. He condemns all who live in sin and can never embrace them in righteousness. It should cause us much fear to approach God when we are not holy.

However, Jesus came and did for us what we could not do. He made us holy so that we could approach God. When He forgives our sins, He replaces our sin with His righteousness and holiness. He makes us approachable to God. We have nothing to fear as we approach God as long as we live in Christ. Only with Jesus standing between God and us are we able to draw near to God. Anyone who tries to enter into the presence of God without Christ will be turned away long before they ever draw near. God cannot have anything to do with a sin-infested heart.

When we approach God with Jesus as our Savior, God welcomes us gladly. He reaches out for us and embraces us in His love. We come under His protective care and forever find our pleasure in Him. All may approach God, but not without Christ, the forgiver of our sins and our wisdom, righteousness and holiness before God.

Notice that when we approach God in Christ, He gladly welcomes us into His presence. Wow, what a wondrous thought! Want to make God happy? Live in Christ. Honor Christ in all you do, strive to please Him, serve Him faithfully and seek to resist sin in your life and God will be very pleased with you.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

JESUS, THE CORNERSTONE

Eph. 2:20-21 We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

The church is God's house, the place where Jesus dwells. It is a place of comfort and security. It is a place where the soul is refreshed and nurtured. It is a place where we can relax and just be ourselves away from the eyes of the world. It is a place where we have fellowship with those who mean the most to us, the ones we truly love. It is a place where we are family.

The church is built on the foundation of all those whom God sent to guide and instruct us in the way of holiness. The apostles and prophets were people who were sent by God to blaze the trail of faith. They served as examples to follow. They were deep people of faith. Jesus is the cornerstone. He is the one who holds the house together. We who believe are totally dependent on Him. Without Him, we would crumble and fall.

God puts us together and we become one. God takes very special care to place us where we belong. He makes each of us differently to serve the purposes He has for us. He is the architect of the master plan, to make us holy. It always has been God's desire to make us, the church, holy. In fact, no one who is not holy is a part of the true church. Are you a part of God's church today?

Friday, February 5, 2016

JESUS IS LORD

Eph. 2:19-22 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's holy family. We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

If you are building your life on any other foundation other that Christ, your life will crumble and fall apart. There is nothing you can do to make yourself strong enough to stand up against God. You will never be able to atone for your sins by living a good enough life. There is absolutely nothing you can do to keep God from sending you to hell unless, you accept Jesus as your Savior. Jesus makes us a part of God's family, citizens of heaven. Jesus makes us suitable houses for God to live in on earth.

And by the way, Jesus is not just our Savior, He is our Lord. We cannot separate the two. Jesus is both Savior and Lord. We often times don't seem to get it. We open the door to our hearts and profess Jesus as Savior and we stop there. We often think that it is good enough, but is it? What makes us think that Jesus has a split personality? He is both Savior and Lord and when He is in our lives our lives must show it. God's people are a holy people and they only become holy as they allow Jesus to become their Lord.

We often treat Jesus as if He were holding onto our lives by a thread. We want Him to hang around for the sake of our souls, but we don't want Him to interfere in how we live. Dear friend, it doesn't work that way. Like it or not, if Jesus is your Savior He is going to mess with your life. He is going to make His presence felt and change you. You can't have it your way. Jesus is Savior and Lord, the foundation upon which we build our lives and are found to be acceptable and pleasing to God.

Is Jesus your LORD today?

Thursday, February 4, 2016

WE ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE

Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We are God’s masterpiece. Several things come to my mind when I think about this wonderful truth. We are the best of God’s creation. We are not an accident of His handiwork, but much thought and energy has gone into making us. We are created to be put on display; God wants all to see what He has done. Great care has gone into making us just right. We are created to bring God honor and glory. We are His and not anyone else’s. We are wonderfully made.

Accept who you are. God knows why He made you the way you are. You, or others, may not understand the whys, but it’s not necessary for us to know. It is enough to know that God knows. He lovingly made you and if you can accept that and allow Him to have control of you, you will know great peace and happiness with you. God has a plan for using you in your uniqueness and it is good what He desires to do in and through you.

We are created anew in Christ. We are not like what we once were. We have a fresh start in life, no longer bound by the things which once bound us. We have a new identity so that we can fulfill His purposes for our lives.

We are created in Christ with a purpose, to fulfill God’s predetermined plans for our lives. What God has planned for us to do is good. We are not created to do nothing, but to be busy serving Him. No one who sits idly and does nothing for the Lord is living in obedience to Him. It is good to be actively serving the Lord.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

UNDESERVED SALVATION

Eph. 2:8 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
It is God who saves you. He is the one who speaks to your heart and convinces you that He loves you and desires a relationship with you. It is God who takes the initiative and draws you away from sin into His holiness and love. It is God who opens up your eyes to see you through His eyes. It is God who causes you to feel the guilt and shame of sin. It is God who gives you the opportunity to be saved. It is His special favor towards you.

There is nothing that we can do to help God save us. He only allows us the freedom to accept or reject what He has done for us. He rejects all efforts on our part to earn our salvation. He did everything there was to do to make it possible for us to be saved. God's provision is perfect. Because He loves us He offers us salvation with no strings attached. It is His gift to us.

Don't ever get the idea that you deserve it, that for some reason you are worthy to be saved. It is an idea that is straight from hell. We are all sinners worthy of only hell. No one can ever be otherwise. We are born that way and it is only by God's special favor towards us that we can change.

"Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. I do not deserve it. I don't understand why you chose me to be saved. But, I am so grateful you did. Lord, don't ever let me take my salvation for granted. Don't let me forget how precious and wonderful it is to be saved. Lord, don't let me live like a fool and act as if my salvation wasn't important to me. Lord, remind me often of just how blessed I am to know you as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

CHRIST OVER ALL

Eph. 1:22-23 And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ who fills everything everywhere with his presence.

All means all. Christ has authority over all things. He has authority over all of creation, all of the demonic world, all of heaven, all of the church. There is no authority besides Him, no power equal to Him. God put all things under His rule. He did it for the benefit of the church.

There is enormous power available to us, His church, that we have never tapped into. With Christ's help, we can overcome anything, including all the demonic forces of hell. In Christ there is sufficient power for every believer to live in victory over sin. In Christ there is sufficient power for us to penetrate the darkness of the world and make a huge impact on it. There is power for us to stop Satan in his tracks. There is power to be a real difference maker in lives all around us. There is power to do whatever the Lord lays upon our hearts to do, and to do it well.

I wonder what would be different in the church, in the world, if we were to be so surrendered to Christ that His power could be released through us. I wonder what would happen if enough of us would say from the depth of our hearts, "I surrender all" and live like we mean it.

There is coming a day in which Jesus will exercise His authority and subject everyone to Him. Every knee will bow before Him in all creation, every knee on earth, every knee in heaven, and every knee in hell. He will be lifted up and acknowledged as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let us not wait for that day to come. Let us be vessels wholly surrendered to Him now and see what the Lord can do in and through our lives.

Monday, February 1, 2016

GOD'S POWER IN US

Eph. 1:19 I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him

First of all, we should be a people of prayer. We should be praying for one another so that we can be all that we should be in Christ. Life would be so much easier for the believer if everyone would be praying for someone in the church. We all need the prayers of others.

Secondly, we have such limited understanding of the incredible power of God within us. We are so often reserved when it comes to tapping into God’s power. We hesitate to step out boldly in power because we fear failure. We know in our minds that great power exists in us, but our hearts don’t fully grasp it. We fail to be as strong and effective in our walk with the Lord because we don’t let His power be released in us. Also, we sometimes hold back from letting the Lord have His way in us because we fear success. We don't want to be moved out of our comfort zone to do great things for the Lord.

I don’t know what it would look like in our lives if we were to have greater faith and let the power of God flow through us. I am sure that things would be different for most of us. I also know that there would be a lot of abuse, people manufacturing a semblance of power who really don’t have it. But, isn’t it worth the risk? If we were to tap into the power of God more, I do believe that we would grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Lord. It would enhance our desire to be the holy people of God He commands us to be.

The power of God is governed by the Spirit of God. The more we are controlled by Him, the more we will be able to do in and through Christ. If you lack God’s power at work in you, it’s time for you to surrender your all to the Spirit of Christ and let Him rule your heart.