High Calling of God

God did not leave us defenseless on the earth. He gave us His Word and His Spirit to comfort and guide us, to give us wisdom and to help us to order our steps (Psalm 119:133).

He teaches and inspires us, and gives us His life and skill for living (Philippians 1:6). Each word in scripture encourages our soul and feeds our spirit. We can actually feel it filling us with faith and determination to press on toward the prize of His high calling (Philippians 3:14).

The high calling of God is to walk in His Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25). We enter into God's rest and entertain only those fruitful thoughts which lead to repentance and Godliness (Hebrews 4:10-11; Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

Paul exhorts us to press on to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). Our confidence is not in our flesh, but in the Spirit of God (Philippians 3:3). We complete His Kingdom work for which He called us, before time eternal (2 Timothy 1:9).

God fills us with His Spirit and His presence which provide us with everything we need to do His will and to find joy in our tribulation (Esther 4:14; Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 3:5-6). By His Spirit we abound in hope and He fills us with His joy and peace (Romans 15:13).

His steadfast love never ceases and His mercies are new every morning; therefore we can keep our hope fixed on Him (Lamentations 3:21-24). If God is fighting for us, nothing and no one can remove us from His loving presence or prevail against us (Romans 8:31-39).

Prayer:

Father God, You are our God and You guide us through each moment of our life, even the day of our death (Psalm 48:14). You listen to the prayers of Your Saints as we delight our self in You (James 5:16). As we focus our mind on You, we keep our trust in You, because You put Your desires in our heart as we press toward the goal of Your high calling (Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 37:4).

Even in our trials and tribulation, we find rest for our soul as we remained yoked up with You. You make the negative events of our life easy and light, because You carry them with us (Matthew 11:28-30). You do not give us fleeting peace as from the world, but lasting peace which keeps our hearts from being fearful and insecure (John 14:27).

Thought for the Day:

We often needlessly suffer in this world because of our choices, which cause us to vere away from the will of God for us; but we can do everything which God calls us to do, because He gives us strength to press toward the prize of His high calling. - Philippains 4:13

Trusting in God's Word

We can trust in God's Living Word - sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Symbolism in the Bible speaks to us about the truth of His Word and the perfect timing of God's plan for all of mankind.

For instance, Jesus - our perfect sacrificial Lamb - was crucified on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year (1 Corinthians 5:7). That was no accident.

This is the exact day and time that the Passover lambs are slain as a memorial of the Jew's deliverance from the death angel while in Egypt.

Christ's sacrifice makes us fully acceptable and totally pleasing to God by washing away our sins and giving us Christ's righteousness. His Word gives us faith to believe in Him.

The Word informs us that God's Spirit renews our mind and character, establishing in us the fruit of His Spirit and the character of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:3-10). Seeing our identity in Christ improves our self-image and deepens our union with Him.

Christ in us makes us the light of the world, a city high on a mountain top, which is impossible to hide (Matthew 5:14). However, this also means that any sin in our life is instantly visible and damages our witness for Christ.

Our words and actions affect our testimony either positively or negatively. That is why we are exhorted to keep our self unspotted by the world, and God's Word helps us to do this (James 1:27).

God's Word also makes us realize that Satan only has power over us if we give him something to devour (1 Peter 5:8). If we submit to God and resist the devil, he has to flee from us (James 4:7).

Trusting in God's Word gives us peace of mind, the security of faith, and hope for tomorrow. His precepts and prophesies give us solid ground on which to stand in this world of shifting sand.

Prayer:

Father God, life on this earth is scary and unpredictable, debilitating and demoralizing, full of pain and suffering. If we had to live without You and Your Word, our hearts would fail us for fear (Luke 21:26). Yet, trusting in Your Word gives us strength within, which permeates all of our decisions and fuels all of our actions.

As we walk in Your Spirit through every moment of every day, there is no guesswork to consider, no mistakes to reap from and no mishaps for which You have not already prepared us. Thank You for not leaving us on earth without Your Word to comfort and encourage us.

Thought for the Day:

Criticizing the Word of God is human arrogance at its worst; only the wise will believe in His Word and trust in its insights. - 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 10:17

The Blessings of God's Law

God did not give Moses the Law in order to restrict and burden the people with too many rules to keep. He gave the Law as wisdom and enlightenment of how we can live a healthy life in body, soul and spirit. Our Heavenly Father developed the Law in order to protect us from our self and from people who desire to perpetuate evil on others. The Law also leads us to our need for Christ (Galatians 3:24-26).

As we read His Word and meditate on His Law, God uses these words to caution and instruct us during our daily life. This keeps us from breaking the laws of our nation and ending up in jail, it stops us from contracting illnesses from other people, it prevents us from getting enslaved by addictions, it averts disasters in our personal relationships, etc.

God will circumvent His law in certain cases when He divinely intervenes in the circumstances of our life. For instance, if two cars are heading toward one another on a collision course, God can send His angels to prevent a wreck. We usually reap what we sow in life. Although because of God's mercy and grace, He often protects us from our own, or someone elses choices (Galatians 6:7; Isaiah 63:7-9).

In addition to His Word, God also uses His Spirit to speak to His Saints and to direct our choices (Proverbs 3:5-6). However, if we are not committing our way to the Lord and walking in His Spirit, then we will often harvest the results of our humanistic decisions. As we walk in God's will instead of our own, we are filled with peace and joy, and our life is much more fulfilled.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your Law, which gives us the wisdom to live productive and blessed lives. You do not want us to make our plans and ask You to bless them. Instead, You want us to hear from You and to accomplish the works You created us to do (Ephesians 2:10). In order to hear from You, we need to quiet our body, ignore the thoughts and emotions in our soul, and focus on Your still, small voice communicating with us through our spirit. Show us Your ways, and teach us Your truths as we wait on You all through the day (Psalm 25:4-5; 27:11; 86:11).

Thought for the Day:
There is no conflict between the law and promises of God; the law shows that we are all controlled by sin, but those who believe in Christ will receive God's promises. - Galatians 3:21

Spiritually Alive

 

What is revival? Why are people always praying for revival? How does revival occur? Revival is a movement of holiness in the church brought on by the Spirit of God. The Spirit will inspire an individual to call out to God in prayer, or to attend a church service or to respond to the gospel message shared by one individual to another. The Spirit moves in the hearts of the people to desire more of God. It is up to us to respond to His gentle nudging.

Only those devoid of their own agenda and living in submission to the Spirit will experience revival. Only people who are spiritually alive can comprehend the truth of Spiritual concepts. Spirit-filled preachers and teachers explain God’s Word in such a way that everyone can understand it and receive it with open and repentant hearts. Then, when these new Believers read the Word, the Spirit quickens it to them as well.

Preaching opens up the Word of God by using Biblical references to explain each point. Those under conviction by the Holy Spirit may feel remorse for their ungodly behavior; however, they also feel the joy of God’s healing deep within their soul. Resentment and anger fall away. An abiding peace envelops them. We come to appreciate the conviction of our sin, because it proves that God loves us and is working to perfect us.

Jesus’ work on the cross is bigger than any sin we could ever commit. He is waiting with open arms to absolve us of the penalty of our sin, and to fill us with His Spirit; so we will have our own personal, daily revival. We obey God’s Word rather than the traditions and dictates of men. He becomes our stronghold in times of trouble. Even in our affliction, we take refuge in Him, because He delivers us out of them all (Psalm 34:18-19; 37:39-40).

Prayer:

Father God, we wait patiently for You, because we know You will always turn and hear our cries. You lifted us out the pit of despair, from the mud and the mire of life in this world. You set our feet on the Rock of Christ. Many in today’s environment will see the conditions of this world and put their trust in You for their salvation (Psalm 40:1-3). You will never disappoint them.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ puts a new song in our heart. – Psalm 40:3

 

Jesus, Our Example

We can enjoy life with the realization that we are united to Christ as securely as a branch to a vine (John 15:5). He supports us with the constant and consistent supply of His Spirit. He loves us unconditionally and gives us His peace and joy, as we yield our fears to Him. We are filled with the fruit of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), as we humbly submit to the work of His Spirit in our life. We can do nothing from our human skills and wisdom, we are totally dependent upon our Father, just as Jesus was while He lived on this earth (John 5:19-24).

We crucify our desires and depend upon God’s Spirit each moment of our day. As we trust Him, Jesus makes us a partaker of His anointing and authority. The name of our Lord is glorified in us, and we live in Him, according to the grace God gives to us (2 Thessalonians 1:12). Christ entrusted us with His ministry, gives us His wisdom and leads us by His Spirit to accomplish our Father’s will on the earth. His life flows out of us to enable us to live for Him.

As we study the life of Christ, we see how the Father wants us to live in this life. Jesus was always doing our Father’s business, and so should we. No matter what our vocation or where we live, we can always find someone to share the gospels with. It may take time to build a witnessing relationship with them; but we can always take the time to shower friends, relatives, associates and neighbors with the love of God. Living the gospel often negates the need to use words.

As we rest in our union with Him, He gives us strength to perform everything He calls us to do (Philippians 4:13). We quiet our soul of life’s chaos and listen instead to God’s Spirit. We seek no worldly advantage, other than what He provides. As we abide in Him (John 15:7), God reveals Christ through us to those around us. We are an example of Christ in our thoughts, words and deeds. We walk in the works, which God prepared for us to do before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We center our life in Christ, not only in thought, but also in word and deed. We live in His grace and holiness, and He frees us from slavery to sin and corruption (Romans 8:2). We walk not after the fleshly cares of this life, but we follow the leading of God’s Spirit as we pursue the spiritual realm. His love leads us ever deeper into His divine life. We become one with the Father, just like Jesus.

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for loving your Saints with Your unconditional acceptance. Help us to learn from the life of Christ the way to dwell in Your love, mercy, peace and joy. As we grow in Your grace, we realize that there is no advantage in life apart from Your life abiding in us. You perfect our faith by your love, and then we prove our faith by living in the works You prepared for us to do (James 2:22; Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

If we abide in God’s love, we will keep His commandments, even as Christ did with His life. – John 15:10

A Gift from God

The Bible is the perfect gift from God that gives us everything we need to live a fulfilled life in a godly manner, through our knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter1:3). The Word of God is the sharp, two-edged sword of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). The profound revelation of the nature and wisdom of God written within its pages builds our faith and guides us through life. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us His truth (2 Peter 1:20-21). We can feed our body with the grain of the earth, but our spirit needs the nourishment that is found only in the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). 

The Bible allows us to recognize what is wrong in our lives by correcting us and teaching us the right course of action to take. It equips us with everything we need for success (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Since the Bible endured through the centuries of time and because it is such an encouragement to us, it gives us hope (Romans 15:4). Believers do not draw our nourishment from secular advice, but from the Spirit and the Word, which give us true life (John 6:63). The Word of God is full of life-giving power. It acts as a surgeon’s knife and dissects our innermost beliefs and feelings and exposes our true motives and desires (Hebrews 4:12).

As Believers, we come to the Father and make Him our home. If we neglect the Word, it proves that we do not love the Lord (John 14:23-24). If we love the Lord, we will cherish His Word. If we continue in God’s Word, we prove that we are His disciples. We learn the Truth, and His Truth sets us free (John 8:31-32). We meditate on the Word night and day, so we can carefully live what it teaches. This discipline allows us to flourish and thrive in life (Joshua 1:8). The wonderful words of the scripture build our faith and teach us about our inheritance as the Bride of Christ (Acts 20:32; 2 Corinthians 11:2).

Even Jesus used the Old Testament verses. After His forty day fast in the wilderness, He defeated the devil by quoting scripture and standing upon God’s Word (Matthew 4:11). Our finite thoughts often confuse and throw a shadow on the wisdom of God’s truth. Even doubts, which Satan whispers to our mind, cause us to wonder at times. However, these are counteracted by the comfort, direction, rebuke, instruction and admonition, which we receive from the Bible. We can trust in the absolute truth of God’s Word. Even when we are not aware of it, God is working behind the scenes to prove to us the truth of His goodness and His faithfulness to His children.

The writers of the Bible refer to it by many different titles:

The Book of the Lord (Isaiah 34:16)
The Law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2)
The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:25,44)
The Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17; 11:13; Acts 13:15)
The Scripture of Truth (Daniel10:21)
The Scripture (Mark 15:28; John 7:38; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Scriptures (Luke 24:27,32; John 5:39; Acts 17:11)
The Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2; 2 Timothy 3:15)
The Lively (living) Oracles (Acts 7:38)
The Oracles of God (Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; I Peter 4:11)
The Promises (Romans 9:4-5; 15:8)
The Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)
The Old and New Testament (Luke 22:20; 2 Corinth 3:6-15; Hebrews 9:15)
The Word of God (Mark 7:13; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12)
The Word of Christ (Colossians 3:16)
The Word of Life (Philippians 2:16)
The Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15; John 17:17)
The Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16)
Gods Word and Statutes (Psalm 119:16)
A Lamp unto our feet, Light unto our path (Psalm 119:105)
(Partially taken from: The Dake Annotated Reference Bible)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we stand upon Your Word. We use it as a lamp to light our way in this dark and dreary land in which we live. It gives us courage, peace and strength to do Your will with our life. We want to thank You for not leaving us alone on this earth, and for giving us Your Spirit and Your Word to encourage us and to give us hope.

Thought for the Day:

God's Word is alive; and the more you read it, the more it empowers your life.