Fellowship with Our Father

 

 

We have nothing that God needs, but everything that He wants. He desires fellowship with us as His Saints (1 John 1:3). We often forfeit this privilege because our thoughts and behavior grieve God’s Spirit and block our communication with Him. Under the guise of grace, we wallow in our sins. However, true repentance cries out to God for forgiveness and restores our relationship with Him once again (1 John 3:9).

 

If we live in association with darkness and sin, we cannot have fellowship with the Father of light (1 John 1:6-7; James 1:17). The more we associate with our Father, the better we get to know Him and to walk in His light, as children of the Light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). In God, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). From our fellowship with our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding joy flows into us (1 John 1:3).

 

God’s light reveals our areas of weakness and presents them to us in a whole different light (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer see sin as acceptable, but as abhorrent and disgusting. We confess our sins, and He is faithful and merciful enough to forgive us of those sins (1 John 1:9). He gives us His limitless power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of our human limitations (2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:9).

 

Another benefit or our relationship with God is our fellowship with His Body (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are here to bless and care for one another (Philippians 2:4; Romans 12:10). We cry and rejoice with each other, pray for and with one another, and exhort, admonish and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We have purpose and guidance in this life.

 

Prayer:
Father God, even in the darkest night of any trial You are in the midst of it with us, loving us from the inside out, giving us wisdom and making everything work our for our good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). Remind us to encourage one another and to pray for each other as Your Body. Show us the seeds of Your miracle in the midst of every tribulation.

 

Thought for the Day:

What mankind calls liberty and grace, God’s holiness calls rebellion and iniquity. Sin breaks our fellowship with our Father.

Abiding Peace and Joy

Read: Luke 6: 27-31

“Bear with each other (and yourself) and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another (or yourself). Forgive everyone (and yourself) as the Lord forgave you.” - Colossians 3:13  

Bitterness rises from woundedness deep within our soul, and can be rooted years back into our past. Pride is one lie that guards the secrets of our past. We do not want to admit to ourselves, nor to anyone else, the things that others did to us. We block these memories from our conscious mind, and we build a wall of pride and sometimes anger all around them. We falsely believe that these strong, negative emotions will protect us from any past, present and future hurt.

 

What these negative emotions actually do, however, is to block our soul from receiving the fullness of the love that God has for us now. Until we forgive ourselves and others, Satan gains the advantage over us. If we refuse to forgive, we give Satan permission to control that part of our soul, and to inflict his demons on our body and spirit as well. He holds us captive and the fruit of the Holy Spirit cannot manifest in that area of our soul. (2 Corinthians 2: 10-11; Hebrews 12: 16)

We do not need anger and pride to protect us when we have the King of kings as our mighty stronghold and fortress. As we put our trust in Christ, we live in abiding peace and joy ~ not only in our spirit, but deep within our soul as well. If you do not have this peace, then ask God for it. Do not allow Satan to deceive you with his lies. (Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 30:15)

When we have the King of kings hovering over us and sheltering us under His wings, we can forgive past hurts, and put future hurts into proper perspective. We can look for the seed of a miracle in every negative circumstance, because God promises to work all things, even the bad things, out for our good. (Romans 8: 28)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to forgive ourselves and others and to release them to you. We have no need to extract vengence on our own. Vengence is Yours, and You promise to repay each one according to his own works.

Thought for the Day:

The Bible never commands us to like someone. God only requires that we allow HIM to love the person through us.

The Process

Read: Romans 12: 1-2

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." - Ephesians 2:8

A whole new world opens up to us once we ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and to be our Savior. We were formerly unbalanced, self-centered and myopic in our thinking. Now, however, He sets us free from the bondage to self (Romans 6:22). This is called Justification. It is a free gift, which we do not earn, and which happens the instant we surrender our life to Christ. Glorification is also a free gift. We receive an immortal body the moment we see Jesus (1 John 3:2). In between these two significant milestones, we walk out the life-long process of Holiness.

In this progression of Sanctification, Jesus conforms us to His image (Romans 8:29).  All He asks of us is that we live a life worthy of this calling we receive from Him (Ephesians 4:1). We accomplish this by reading the Bible every day, by attending Bible studies at our local church, by worshipping with other Christians on Sunday morning, by talking to God all day long, by consulting Him about His will for us moment by moment, by telling other people about Him and by loving Him with all of our heart.

As we draw nearer to God and give Him our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), He fills our life with peace that surpasses anything we have ever experienced before in our life (Philippians 4:7). His joy supplies our strength. His love flows over us like a waterfall and infiltrates all of our human relationships. Most importantly, He opens the door for us to enjoy eternity in His presence.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You set us free and gave us Your new life. We are now a new creation. Help us not to be double-minded by continuing an unbalanced walk of having one foot still chasing worldly pursuits (James 1:8). Give us singleness of purpose and help us to surrender to Your will in everything we say and do.

Thought for the Day:

Live a life worthy of God’s calling by surrendering to His will and accessing His power to live according to His purpose for our individual lives (Philippians 2:12-13).

Restoration of All Things

Read: Zech 10:6-9

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you. - Joel 2:25

I started my adult life with a handsome husband. We soon entertained an adorable family of three precocious children. As they grew, God also gave me a meaningful career. To top it all off, He provided an attentive Pomeranian pet. I counted all of these gifts as abundant blessings for which I thanked God daily. Over a period of five short years, however, these treasures were stripped from my life.

My children went off to college or moved away from home. I lost my vocation as a teacher and mentor for at risk children. Then, as if things could not get any more dismal, my husband of twenty-two years told me that he saw no option for us but divorce.

I soon stood alone in half of a duplex with a portable dishwasher, a single recliner and a couch that did not even match, a few bookcases, some furniture my dad made for me over the years and an empty king-sized bed. My Pomeranian was my only true remaining treasure. Since I ended up working three jobs to pay my bills and to build up a nest egg toward retirement, I eventually even lost my cherished dog, when I gave her to a lovely family across town with small children whom she adored.

It is interesting to note in Joel 2:25 that God declares that He is the one who sends this army of figurative "locust" into our life. He uses them to strip us of everything, which we hold precious and which we believe that we cannot live without. One by one, they slip through our fingers like chaff in the wind. We sink deeper by the day into a pit of gloom and despair, until one day we gain the courage to look up into the light of His face.

Somehow as one day drags into the next, we stop struggling to regain the life we once knew. We throw our soul upon God’s mercy and grace, and we trust Him to do what is best for us. We find our strength, our joy and our hope centered in Him alone. Once we are stripped of every ounce of our “self” and we cast all of our cares upon Him, then He starts to restore everything that He allowed Satan to strip from our lives.

Over these last several years, God gave me the inner strength to realize that He and I can meet any trial life throws my way. He also restored to me a new loving husband, multiple grandchildren, a fulfilling ministry, a quaint cottage home full of beautiful furniture and another gorgeous Pomeranian that distinctly resembles my little, lost treasure.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I have learned to never take for granted one of Your precious gifts. I trust You with every detail of my life and I look to You for Your guidance and wisdom for each moment that remains until I finally see You face-to-face.

Thought for the Day:

When all is lost, look up…your redemption draws near.

A Joy-filled Life

Read: Hebrews 12:1-11

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:9

There are so many depressing events in our lives today. It is very hard to have peace and joy on a daily basis. That is why I love to read Paul's letter to the Philippians. I am encouraged by so many of his words.

Look at just a few:

• "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (1:6).
• “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (I:21)
• “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (2:13).
• “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection” (3:10).
• “Forgetting what lies behind and pressing toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal" (3:13-14).
• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (4:6).
• “The God of peace will be with you” (4:9).
• "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" (4:13).

Paul suffered more persecution than I will probably ever experience; yet, he found contentment in the midst of it all. He lived one day at a time. He kept His focus on Jesus rather than on his circumstances. He learned contentment in every situation. He trusted God as his supply and strength.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, never let me live as just a hearer of Your Word, but help me to practice Your precepts as well. Draw me ever closer to Your heart each and every day.

Thought for the Day:

Loving God with your whole body, soul and spirit produces a joy-filled life.

With All Your Heart

Read: Ephesians 3: 14-19

“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

I noticed that seeking the Lord is a lost art in today’s society. Most people search for God half-heartedly. They only give Him a few moments between events in their busy schedule. The only ones who truly connect with Him, however, are those who seek Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength.

God wants us to experience Him in a spiritual way, which far exceeds any superficial, intellectual knowledge. He wants to fill us through our entire body, soul and spirit with all of His fullness, until we experience the richest measure of His presence and are flooded by His Spirit. 

It is only when we love the Lord with every ounce of our being that we can reach this level of Divine infilling. With this unreserved devotion come His blessings, the inheritance of eternal life, and true joy, peace, and contentment on this earth.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, restore us to fellowship with Your heart. Let us enter into Your presence each and every day, as we give You full access to our spirit, soul and body.

Thought for the Day:

God desires a personal relationship with each of us, and He is only a prayer away.

Hope Deferred

Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there’s life and joy.” - Proverbs 13:12 (TLB)

Depression often accompanies a time of disappointment or discouragement. We watch our hope dwindle away and our heart sinks into the quagmire of despair. A lost job, a failed relationship, a wayward teen, a child lost to tragedy or war, frustration with our government, the world’s environmental deterioration, the failing economy, disillusionment in the church’s leadership and so many other life events contribute to our mood. I know there is hope in Jesus, but sometimes I just cannot sense God’s direction for my life. I struggle to make a connection, yet He remains aloof.

At times like this, God knows there are worst gales of adversity ahead. He utilizes His silence to draw me closer. Like the tree planted by the water, I sink my roots deeper into Him. I follow the Psalmist’s example by encouraging my soul (Psalm 42:5). Only under the shadow of His wings do I find true and lasting peace. My only secure hope is in God. I praise Him, for He alone is the source of my comfort and joy.

PRAYER:

Lord, help us to remember that happy are they who have the God of eternity as their provider, and who keep their hope in You. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

I put my hopes and dreams in the Lord’s hands. I know they are safe there.

Our Destiny Hangs in the Balance

Read: James 3:10-12

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

Living Godly lives requires that we focus on living holy lives. However, in today's society with all of the glitter and glitz, it is so easy to get sidetracked. We start out by dabbling in sin, but we end up as sin’s slave. Holiness and sin cannot dwell together in the same person. There is only One Way to obtain freedom from this addiction to the world. That is through the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us. He will permeate and perfect us until we live for God alone, in the abundance of His righteousness, peace and joy.

Sometimes, the weeds of this world threaten to choke the very life from us. There is hope, however. The Master Gardener promised that in the end, He would separate the chaff from the wheat and burn the counterfeit in the eternal flames of hell. The difference between the chaff and the wheat is found in those who are not only convicted of sin, but who are also actually converted from sin and who live transformed lives. 

Prayer:

Lord, never allow any love for the world to dilute our love for You. Keep us unspotted from the world and overpower us by Your love.

Thought for the Day:

As we conform to the image of Christ, our spiritual identity will insure our eternal destiny.

Transformation

Read: John 16:20-22

“To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.” Isa 61:3 (TLB)

This morning, I thought about many things that bring joy into my life: butterflies in my garden, a humorous story, scenic beauty, receiving a desire of my heart, a tender and meaningful interaction, life-long friendships and miraculous moments. I used to find it hard to feel joyful, because God created me with a melancholy personality. However, over my lifetime, God’s Holy Spirit replaced the negative, pessimistic aspects of my personality with the fruit of His Spirit.

He replaced hatred with love, discontentment with peace, irritation with patience, criticism with gentleness, backbiting with goodness, worry with faith, pride with meekness and depression with true joy as His Spirit guided me moment by moment throughout the day.

What do the words of the fruit of the Spirit mean? Love is affection for others; Joy is exuberance about life; Peace is abiding serenity; Patience is a willingness to stick with the task; Gentleness is compassion from the heart; Goodness is kindness that pervades our entire being; Meekness is humility in service; Self-Control is living a life guided by the Spirit of God; Faith is trusting that God knows what He’s doing.

Prayer:

Lord, rebirth in me a new heart and regenerate Your spirit within me. Amen.

Thought for the Day:

God is in the transforming business.

A Personal Rapture

Read: 2 Corinthians 2: 2-4

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

We all know that just prior to the Great Tribulation on earth, Jesus Christ will return in the clouds to “rapture” His Saints. He will escort us to Heaven where we will receive rewards for our spiritual works on earth and then participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb as the Bride of Christ.

With this in mind, I contemplated the recent passing of several of our church members. I realized that the soul and spirit of Saints who pass through the veil of death, experience their own personal, instant “catching up” to the throne of God.

I thought about verses such as Luke 16:22 where the beggar died and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. Also, 2 Corinthians 5:8, reminds us that we are confident and willing to be absent from the body, because we know that we shall dwell forever in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord considers the death of His Saints as a precious time (Psalm 116:15). Luke 20: 36 assures us that we shall never die again and that we will be like the angels and live as sons of God. God is our guide even in death (Psalm 48:14) and He raises us up in new life after death, where we shall dwell with Him forever and ever. This encourages me to know that even in death, the righteous have a refuge in the Lord.

Thought for the Day:

"A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth." - Ecclesiastes 7:1

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, draw to Your heart the family members and friends of those who pass through the veil of death.  Fill their hearts with Your love so fully that they will feel no other emotion. Allow Your peace that passes all understanding to wash over them as a waterfall as they find their refuge under the shadow of Your wings. Help them to realize that their strength and comfort is in Your joy. Give them clarity of thinking as You lead them beside the still waters and restore their souls. In Jesus' name and for Your glory. Amen. 

Fellowshipping with Our Father

Read: John 14:16-21

“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” - 2 Corinthians 6:16

As my sister-in-Christ walked on the beach, she fairly fainted with excitement over her upcoming trip to her best friend’s home. In the next moment, the Lord stated a clear fact to her. “You are more excited to spend time with her than you are to spend time with Me.” This thought reminded her of Mark 12:30, "Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

Amazingly, the God and King of the universe desires companionship with His children. So much so, that He sent His Son to die for us, and His Spirit to dwell within us.

How much time do we spend fellowshipping with Our Father? How much attention do we give to the monumental fact that the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of us? Our busy schedules usually prevent this from happening.

Therefore, now is the moment to prioritize our time and to exclude all of our useless endeavors (1 John 1:6). Then, whatever crowds out or competes with our affections for Him can be demoted to its proper place in our life.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we desire to walk in Your presence each moment of our day and to live our lives as a praise to You. Fill us with your peace, joy and contentment. Draw us ever closer to Your heart.

Thought for the Day:

Blessings are not earned, but awarded.

Eternal Weight of Glory

Read: James 4:13-15

“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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Heb 12:2  KJV

I grew up and then married into homes with conditional love. I strove for half of my life to win approval from those I loved. The only way I survived emotionally was to realize that God’s love is not only a free and unconditional gift, but that it also lasts forever.

Life on earth is merely a single breath when viewed in the scope of eternity. Why do we strive so hard to find success in this temporary existence? Having an eternal, rather than a material view of life allows us to live in circumstances much less than perfect and still have abiding joy. We learn this lesson from Jesus. He endured death on the cross by focusing on the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

Prayer:

Father, we pray that You teach us to abide in You and to see our circumstances through Your eyes. Help us to let go of the riches of this world in order to attain the treasures of heaven.

Thought For The Day:

Christians who accomplish the most in this present world are those who think more about the next.