Authentic Worshipers

God is looking for authentic worshipers who will live for Him by His Spirit and in His Truth (John 4:23). He wants to raise up an army united in Christ, not a bunch of Lone Rangers doing their own thing.

As we allow the nature of Christ in us to infiltrate every area of our life, we decrease so that He may increase (John 3:30). We serve God by His Spirit moving within us and through us (Philippians 2:12-13; Act 17:28).

When we come to truly understand that we are dead, and that our life is now hidden with Christ in God, we live in God’s power, which works in and through us (Colossians 3:3; Galatians 2:20).

God will use our body, soul and spirit by His Spirit to work in the lives of people we encounter each day. He will give us His words to speak to them that we cannot possibly know in our human capacity.

This opens doors for us to witness to people and to bring Christ into their life, so that He can change their heart, lives and circumstances for their good.

We put no confidence in our fleshly abilities; and we do not boast in our own accomplishments, because we achieve all things through Christ in us (Philippians 3:3; 2:12-13).

Sinful mankind, who are lost in pride, arrogance and the exploitation of others, consider their own needs more frequently than anyone else’s (Romans 12:3). However, God brings everyone down to the same level through the grave (Isaiah 14:15).

Our eternal destination is determined by our earthly beliefs. If we live for self, we reap corruption; if we live for Christ, we reap eternal life and serve God as Authentic Believers (John 3:16-18).

Prayer:

Father God, it is not difficult to sustain a constant relationship with You as our living Lord. Every moment of our day is authentic worship to You. Living with honor and respect for You gives us a secure life with protection from lasting harm (Proverbs 19:23). Even negative circumstances turn around for our good (Romans 8:28).

You give us everything we need to live in contentment through a genuine Godly life (1 Timothy 6:6). You are our strength and shield. We trust in You with all of our heart. You fill our soul so full of joy that we spontaneously burst forth into songs of praise and thanksgiving to You (Psalm 28:7).

Thought for the Day:
Christ in us gives us joy in tribulation (Romans 5:3), hope in devastating trials and loss (Romans 15:13), and a bright vision for our future (Jeremiah 29:11).

God's Promises through Generations

The good things in life are often the enemy of the best things in life. We pursue worldly gain and pleasures and reject God's free gifts of Salvation, love, mercy, peace and joy.

We relegate Jesus to a holy man or a good teacher, and we have no interest in living according to His principles. We reject the concept of the absolute truth of God's Word.

Living according to the lies of Satan and the dictates of the world, we are controlled by a false system of philosophies where we are each a god unto our self. We pride our self in doing things our own way.

Thankfully, the arrogance of our humanity diminishes for many people as we experience God's presence. We realize His power, His role as our Creator and His promises through the generations to return to establish His Kingdom on the earth.

We lay down our worldly pursuits and idols, and earnestly work in the calling He prepared for us before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 2:10). He sets us free from the power of spiritual darkness in His Kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13).

God gives us His Spirit to dwell within us, and we enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son. We receive His eternal promise of everlasting life, and His Spirit teaches us the truths of God's Word (1 John 2:24-27).

God reveals Himself to us by His Spirit and His Word. He gives us boldness to stand for Him in this sinful and perverse world in which we exist. We stand in faith in His faithfulness.

His presence in us is certain. He is our dwelling place for all time (Psalm 90:1-2). We behold His beauty, meditate in His temple and abide in the house of the Lord all the days of our life (Psalm 27:4). 

Prayer:

Father God, in these last day, Your grace keeps us close to You, wrapped in Your mercy and love, rocked in Your everlasting arms. We dwell in Your presence now and forevermore. You are our eternal hope of salvation, sanctification and glorification. We exalt Your name in righteousness and live in faithfulness to Your Word and Your Truth.

We praise You for Your generous works for the children of men and the promises You make and keep throughout every generation (Isaiah 25:1). Thank You that we are no longer slaves to sin, but partakers of Christ's righteousness; and for freeing us from the law of sin and death by the law of Your Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ offers us His gift of rebirth, sanctification, His own presence within us and eventually glorification when we see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2

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

Struggling to Survive

At the root of sin and degradation is pride and rebellion. These often stem from unresolved conflicts in our past. We hide our pain behind a veneer of self-reliance in order to avoid further injury.

We do not want to take a chance on being vulnerable again. Struggling to survive, we choose self-absorption and arrogance instead of living a life of humility and self-sacrifice.

We live within the parameters of our sinful nature and set our mind on what our flesh desires (Romans 8:5). Our spirit is dead in sin and we cannot help our self (Ephesians 2:1).

Even church attendees who claim Christ as their savior play along with worldly culture, advice and popular demands. They came under conviction at one point, but their life was never converted.

Political correctness, religious pluralism, humanism and other new age lies color our concept of holiness. We take the path of least resistance and follow the crowd.

We lack discernment, spiritual understanding and perception. Caving in to the struggles, strain and stress of everyday life, we turn away from Biblical wisdom, God's love and devotion.

Jesus is the perfect example of a humble, yet powerful life. He said that no one could take His life until He was ready to lay it down (John 10:18). By following Jesus' example we truly convert from hedonism to holiness.

Jesus illustrates for us that the Lord is our portion, provider and protector as we obey His Word. We seek His face with our whole heart and God is gracious to us according to His promises (Psalm 119:57-58).

Prayer:

Father God, we invite Your Holy Spirit to cleanse our thoughts, heal our memory, calm our fears, and direct our goals and plans. We trust that in our pain and suffering, You are working out Your will and purpose for our life, giving us opportunities to share Your love and to bear fruit for Your Kingdom.

Teach us discernment through our life experiences; heal our raw emotions of discontentment, loneliness and anxiety; give us hope to overcome anger, unforgiveness and bitterness; and help us to walk in Your will with faith for each moment of our day.

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit wants to direct the details of our day, so let's step aside, stop obsessing and trust and obey; there is no better way to enjoy the joy of the Lord.