Tag: holy-spirit

What would it look like for the Holy Spirit to be at work in the ministry of a particular congregation? Acts 17:11

Acts 17:10-13 New American Standard Bible

Paul in Berea

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, [a]and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, [b]for they received the word with [c]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them believed, [d]along with a significant number of  prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

How do we know if a preacher is doing a good job?

Do we say the preaching is good because it says what we want to hear, or is it good because we hear what the Bible teaches?

Sometimes our understanding of the gospel can grow narrow or get watered down, and we can fail to embrace the whole counsel of Scripture.

Sometimes in our efforts to protect ourselves from deception, we can close ourselves to new insights from Scripture.

Paul and Silas were bringing to the Jews in Berea a new interpretation of the person and mission of the long-awaited Messiah.

They taught that Jesus was the Messiah, that he suffered and died for the sins of the world–and, indeed, for the sins of the Bereans as well.

Instead of resisting or discarding what they heard, the Jews in Berea examined the Scriptures in close detail in order to know if Paul and Silas’s interpretations were true. They had used their available Scriptures as their standard for truth.

Question: What would it look like for the Holy Spirit to be at work in the life of a particular congregation?

In other words, if the Holy Spirit was truly present with us and active among us, what signs or evidences would we see of his presence and activity?

Some would look for passionate singing, people raising their hands in worship, maybe even people bowing down during worship.

These folks would cite a phenomenon like the 2023 “Asbury Revival” in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Best I can tell, the predominant feature of this revival was a prolonged worship service where an ever-changing group of students refused to leave the chapel.

Others (of a more charismatic stripe) would look for some kind of wild activity like people running the aisles, people speaking in tongues, or people laughing hysterically.

Some in this group would look for signs and wonders, people being slain in the Spirit, prophetic words, and dramatic healings.

Still others in this group would expect exorcisms and encounters with demons.

To be clear, my question is less based on experience, more based on Scripture.

Based on the biblical teaching about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, what would we expect to see, hear, and experience if the Holy Spirit was truly at work in a local congregation.

I think Scripture points us to at least 7 realities.

The people of God will be focused on the Word of God. 

Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” who would help the disciples remember the things Jesus taught (John 14-16).

Luke tells us the early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).

Paul clearly says that the only people who can receive the truth of God are the people who have the Spirit and are taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:11-16).

Most importantly, the Bible itself claims to be authored by the Holy Spirit working through human authors (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Make no mistake, when the Holy Spirit is at work in a church, the Children of God will be hungry – not for dreams and visions and words of prophecy – but the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.

People will feel deep, genuine, abiding conviction of sin. 

In John 16 Jesus spoke plainly about his “going away” so that the Helper could come to the disciples.

Speaking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised, “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)

Only the Holy Spirit can work conviction that is deep, genuine, and abiding.

In contrast, man is quite capable of manipulating shallow, manufactured, temporary feelings of remorse.

Paul talks about this very issue in 2 Corinthians 7 when he contrasts “godly grief” that is brought about by the Holy Spirit and “worldly grief” that only ends in death. When the Spirit is at work in a congregation, the people in that congregation will experience “godly grief” that leads to repentance and life.

The miracle of regeneration will result in conversions. 

In the Old Covenant, the prophet Ezekiel looked forward to the day when the Spirit of God would remove hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36).

He looked forward to a day when the Spirit of God would bring life to those who were hopelessly dead in sin (Ezekiel 37).

That hope was brought to fruition in the work of regeneration (John 3).

Jesus told Nicodemus that no one would see the kingdom unless they were born again, and he explained that this new birth was the work of the Spirit of God.

The new birth is God’s work (1 Peter 1:3), and it is a work that God brings about through the preaching of the Word of truth (James 1:18).

Left to ourselves we are dead in sin, but the miracle of regeneration gives us life that leads to faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10).

When the Spirit is at work, blowing like the wind and granting new birth, people who are dead in sin will be converted and saved.

The people of God will fix their eyes on Jesus. 

All too often, churches that boast about the work of the Holy Spirit have their eyes fixed on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, however, clearly told his disciples that it was the work of the Holy Spirit to glorify the person and work of God the Son – “He will glorify me,” Jesus said (John 16:14).

This focus on Jesus fits perfectly with Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 where we learn that the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us in sanctification.

That is, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to conform the people of God to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29).

This is why Paul can say “for those who love God all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28).

It’s also why the author of Hebrews can confidently call the people of God to fix their eyes – not on the Holy Spirit – but on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

When the Spirit is at work in our midst, he will call us to look to Jesus.

The people of God will be serious about killing sin. 

Romans 8:13 is one of the most challenging texts in all of Scripture – not because it’s hard to understand, but because of the call it places on our lives.

Paul says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

This isn’t legalism or Phariseeism or works-based-salvation.

Paul has laid those charges to rest in Romans 3-5.

Paul here is simply explaining what will happen in the life of a person who has trusted in Jesus and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

They will kill sin.

Paul’s teaching here in Romans 8 is echoed in Galatians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6.

Believers will walk with the Spirit and not according to the works of the flesh.

Believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and their lives will increasingly reflect the holiness of the Spirit.

Rest assured, those who are experiencing the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit will be serious about obedience, discipleship, and holiness.

The people of God will be passionate about missions. 

After his death and resurrection, Jesus spoke the words we commonly know as “The Great Commission” …

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

How is it that Jesus, who was going away and ascending to heaven, would be “with” his disciples to the end of the age.

Clearly the book of Acts indicates that the promised presence of Jesus became a reality in the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28 reminds us that the precious promise about Jesus’ presence is directly tied to the clear command to make disciples.

Thus, those who enjoy the presence of Jesus through the person of the Holy Spirit will be people committed to making disciples of all nations.

The people of God will long for the return of Christ. 

Throughout Romans 8, as Paul talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification, Paul also points us forward to the future hope of Christ’s return, the resurrection of our bodies, our heavenly inheritance, our final glorification.

Paul points to this future hope in Romans 8:11, reminding us that the Spirit who dwells in us now will raise our bodies in the future work of glorification.

He also points to this hope in Romans 8:17, when he talks about the Spirit’s work of assuring us of our adoption and our future inheritance – an inheritance that will be ours when we are “glorified with him.”

Paul circles back to this point in Romans 8:26-30 where he begins by telling us the Spirit helps us in our weakness and concludes by talking about the certainty of our future glorification.

When the Spirit is at work in a church, that church will long for the return of Christ and the glorification of believers (Revelation 22:20).

We are also challenged today to embrace the wide truth of the entire Scriptures.

The people in Berea, as our text explains, carefully examined the Scriptures to make sure Paul’s teaching was true.

Smart people need to be wise people, and wise people need to be listened to, talked with, questioned, and accepted if what they are saying is the truth.

Have we made God too small?

Have we limited our understanding of Scripture to only the most familiar parts of the Bible?

Have we placed more confidence in our tradition than in the living Word of God?

What is the foundation of our faith and practice?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit …

Praying …

Psalm 119:105-112 New American Standard Bible

Nun

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am exceedingly afflicted;
[a]Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.
108 Be pleased to accept the [b]voluntary offerings of my mouth, Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 My [c]life is continually [d]in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your Law.
110 The wicked have set a [e]trap for me,
Yet I have not wandered from Your precepts.
111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Divine Vandalism: And the moment arrived and the Sun stopped shining, and then suddenly the curtain of His temple was shredded into two halves. Luke 23:44-46

Luke 23:44-46 New International Version

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As Jesus’ ministry progressed, one of the great concerns of the Jewish religious establishment was that He had, it appeared, claimed that He would destroy the temple and raise it again in three days (John 2:19).

Indeed, this was one of the main charges brought against Him (Mark 14:58).

When Jesus was on the cross, then, passersby’s mocked, spit and ridiculed Him, shouting, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!” (Matthew 27:40).

But there He remained, hanging on the cross, in the darkness.

And then, in the midst of the darkness and the upheaval of the crucifixion, all of a sudden something completely mysterious and utterly unexpected happened: it was God Himself desecrated the temple, earthquake shaking its foundations.

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two,” Luke tells us.

This was the very curtain that hung in the temple to symbolically bar the way into God’s presence.

It was the great sign that imperfect people could not be in the same space as the holy God.

All through the Old Testament, anyone who had presumed to come into God’s presence without observing the ceremonial cleansing rituals and making the necessary sacrifices had died (for instance, Numbers 3:2-4).

But now, suddenly, as Jesus was on the very verge of death, this symbol of restrictive exclusivity was destroyed right down the middle.

By destroying it, God declared that the old priestly ritual for entrance into His presence had been abolished and the barrier of sin dividing humanity from their Maker had been obliterated.

There is no longer any need to keep our distance from God. Instead, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

Our access to God isn’t restricted to a temple or a church or any other building, nor must it be through a merely human priest or a guru.

No, 2,000 years ago God broke into history of humanity to establish, directly, unhindered access to Himself through Jesus.

Now there is “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

The temple curtain being torn in two was divine vandalism on our behalf!

You don’t have to be sidetracked by priests and rituals anymore.

They can be nothing but pointless. Instead, you can come to God, just as you are, confident of divine welcome and mercy and help, all because of Jesus.

A Confident Christ Dies

Luke 23:46-49 New International Version

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

In his words from the cross, Jesus demonstrated that he knew how to live, because he knew how to die.

We hear it in the first word he uttered in this saying: “Father …” Then, in effect, the faithful Son confidently declared, “I’m coming home!”

In those days, the words Jesus used were often taught to children as a bedtime prayer: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (see Psalm 31:5).

They signify entrusting all of one’s being to God for safekeeping. (Psalm 23)

What a comfort it is to be able to entrust our whole lives and all our joys and concerns to God!

And Jesus said these words not secretly or silently but with a loud voice.

He was saying, in effect, “Father, I’m coming home. My mission is complete. I love you. I trust you. As always, I commit my spirit to you.”

Doing the same, we can live and die in the confidence of knowing we will go home to our Father when he calls. We can say confidently, in words adapted from an old confession, “My ‘only comfort in life and in death’ is that I belong … to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ’” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 1).

Jesus ended his time on earth with confidence in the Father.

Can you and I step up our faith, hope and love to do exactly that too?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

31 1-2 I run to you, God; I run for dear life.
    Don’t let me down!
    Take me seriously this time!
Get down on my level and listen,
    and please—no procrastination!
Your granite cave a hiding place,
    your high cliff nest a place of safety.

3-5 You’re my cave to hide in,
    my cliff to climb.
Be my safe leader,
    be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps;
    I want to hide in you.
I’ve put my life in your hands.
    You won’t drop me,
    you’ll never let me down.

6-13 I hate all this silly religion,
    but you, God, I trust.
I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;
    you saw my pain,
    you disarmed my tormentors,
You didn’t leave me in their clutches
    but gave me room to breathe.
Be kind to me, God—
    I’m in deep, deep trouble again.
I’ve cried my eyes out;
    I feel hollow inside.
My life leaks away, groan by groan;
    my years fade out in sighs.
My troubles have worn me out,
    turned my bones to powder.
To my enemies I’m a monster;
    I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.
My friends are horrified;
    they cross the street to avoid me.
They want to blot me from memory,
    forget me like a corpse in a grave,
    discard me like a broken dish in the trash.
The street-talk gossip has me
    “criminally insane”!
Behind locked doors they plot
    how to ruin me for good.

14-18 Desperate, I throw myself on you:
    you are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,
    safe from the hands out to get me.
Warm me, your servant, with a smile;
    save me because you love me.
Don’t embarrass me by not showing up;
    I’ve given you plenty of notice.
Embarrass the wicked, stand them up,
    leave them stupidly shaking their heads
    as they drift down to hell.
Gag those loudmouthed liars
    who heckle me, your follower,
    with jeers and catcalls.

19-22 What a stack of blessing you have piled up
    for those who worship you,
Ready and waiting for all who run to you
    to escape an unkind world.
You hide them safely away
    from the opposition.
As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,
    you silence the poisonous gossip.
Blessed God!
    His love is the wonder of the world.
Trapped by a siege, I panicked.
    “Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.
But you heard me say it,
    you heard and listened.

23 Love God, all you saints;
    God takes care of all who stay close to him,
But he pays back in full
    those arrogant enough to go it alone.

24 Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.
    Expect God to get here soon.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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We have a Future in God’s Kingdom: Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded. 1 Peter 1:13-16

1 Peter 1:13-16 The Message

A Future in God

13-16 So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

The Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Training to become a pilot involves hours and hours of intense preparation.

Some of this training takes place in flight simulators where the intensity is high enough to induce sweating and stress. Why are pilots subjected to such rigorous training? So they can learn to make the right decisions when it really matters!

When it comes to our Christian purity, it is too often the case that people will fall into sin because they try to make vital decisions in the heat of the moment.

That, under no circumstances, just won’t cut it. If we are going to maintain purity, we need to pray for choices in advance and on the basis of God’s word.

This is why Peter tells us to prepare our “minds for action … being sober-minded.”

The King James Version translates this verse, “Gird up the loins of your mind.”

In other words, we are to prepare ourselves to keep control of our minds—to get a grip of our thought processes—figure out what Paul calls – Self Control so that we’re able to run wisely after what is good and flee, far from what is evil.

If we do not prepare our minds for action, then we will be easily seducible and prone to highly questionable impulse control, poor decision making, tragedy.

We will tend to make difficult, life-altering decisions in the heat of the moment when our emotions are engaged, our lustful worldly desires are shouting at us.

But a life of purity does not happen by accident; it is a conscious act of absolute determination prompted by God’s Spirit, guided by His word, prayed for over and over again, being patient with the Holy Spirit, then enabled by His power.

We need to make a commitment to purity, as the psalmist did when he said,

“I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules” (Psalm 119:106).

Psalm 119:105-112 The Message

105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going;
    they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back
    from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
    put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
    teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
    but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
    but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
    what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
    I always have and always will.

I sincerely pray that you will make your commitment before it’s too late.

And here’s a suggestion for the kind of commitment to make: determine to live in the center of the narrow way, not on the edge.

The young man in Proverbs 7 who fell prey to the temptation of a “forbidden woman” was living on the edge; he was “passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight” (Proverbs 7:5, 8-9).

Proverbs 7:5-12 The Message

Dressed to Seduce

7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
    treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
    My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
    etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
    Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
    that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

6-12 As I stood at the window of my house
    looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
    I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
    then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
    the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
    she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.
Brazen and brash she was,
    restless and roaming, never at home,
Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,
    hanging out at every corner in town.

The Bible’s lesson is clear:

yield not to the obvious temptation

don’t get yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There is nothing to be gained from living on the edge when it comes to purity.

Make your commitment before the temptation confronts you, so that when the evil day comes, you will be ready to say, “No, I already made that decision.”

Keep your life in the center of the narrow way and determine to stay there.

On the day when Christ Jesus returns and by grace His people stand around His throne, none of us will say that the pursuit of holiness was not worth the effort.

Transformation Takes Our Effort and Perseverance

Romans 5:4-5 The Message

3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

We often prize the wonders of ability.

The decathlon, marathon and triathlon athlete have amazing physical abilities.

The Ivy League scholars have phenomenal capacities, learning, mental abilities.

But if they don’t stick to it, put abilities to work, they won’t accomplish much.

If we want change, we have to be willing to work hard, harder, hardest hardcore for it. If we don’t put in enough effort, we won’t bring any truly positive change.

Authors who have written a stack of books will tell you that the very top secret ingredient was the effort it took for them to get up earlier each day to write.

Great inventors will boast of, relate to, the failed efforts it took to bring an idea to its finished product. Sports figures will tell you to practice, practice, practice.

The Christian life is 100 percent God’s work. The resurrection of Savior Christ runs through our veins. But the Christian life is also 100 percent human effort.

Peter urges us to first gird ourselves, prepare our minds for action. The Greek expression here literally means to pull up one’s robe and get ready for action.

Then Peter instructs us to persevere all the way to the end through self-control.

We have to set aside very strongest of armor that does not, and never will fit us, set our prayers upon Jesus, continue to be obedient through responsible effort.

The Christian life is absolute hard work from beginning to end.

Transformation takes our disciplined mental powers, willpower, and our steadfast and authentic and genuine commitment 100 octane to our bibles.

Galatians 5:22-24 The Message

22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

But thankfully even our best finite, temporary, human efforts, are a gift of God.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 1 The Message

1 How well God must like you—
    you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,
    you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,
    you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.

2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
    you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
    bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
    always in blossom.

4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked,
    who are mere windblown dust—
Without defense in court,
    unfit company for innocent people.

6 God charts the road you take.
The road they take leads to nowhere.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Yes! We CAN ALL Know God! “Cease striving and KNOW that I am God.” Psalm 46

Psalm 46 The Message

46 1-3 God is a safe place to hide,
    ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
    courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
    the tremors that shift mountains.

    Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
    this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
    God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
    but Earth does anything he says.

7     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
    He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
    breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
    loving look at me, your High God,
    above politics, above everything.”

11     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father.

We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us.

Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. 

God longs to be known by you.

He longs for you to make time to simply seek his face and get to know his personality, the nature of his love, and the availability of his presence.

You don’t have to live without a real, revelatory knowledge of God’s heart.

You don’t have to live with the uncertainty of whether you are cared for, provided for, and loved.

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God proved his longing to be known by us. Jesus took on flesh not just so he could save and redeem us, but so he could usher in a better, truer revelation of who the Father is.

In John 17:3 Jesus says, 

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” And later in verse 26 Jesus prays to the Father, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” 

Jesus came that we might know the love of the Father. He came that we might have communion—continuous unhindered relationship with our Creator.

Through Jesus you’ve been granted eternal, real access to your heavenly Father. And in the Holy Spirit you can search the deep places of God’s heart and grow in restored relationship with him. 

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says:

For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

God has made the way for you to know his heart.

You can know him in infinitely deeper and more transformative ways than you can know even your best friend or spouse.

The Holy Spirit, God himself, dwells within you and longs to reveal the “deep things of God” to you.

All that’s left for you to do is have faith in God’s ability to reveal himself when you seek him and set aside time to know the heart of your heavenly Father.

May you make time to do exactly that today as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what Scripture says about the knowability of God’s heart. 

Let God’s word fill you with faith to seek deeper relationship with your Father.

“For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26

2. Ask God to reveal an aspect of his heart that you need to know. 

Ask him how he feels about you in this moment.

Ask him to reveal just how near and loving he is. Rest in his presence.

3. Thank God for how available he is to you. 

Worship him because he’s paid the ultimate price simply for you to know him.

As you pour out thankfulness on him, watch as he pours his presence out over you.

What a tragedy it is to not take full advantage of what Jesus paid so high a price to accomplish. What a waste to live this life as if God isn’t fully with us, fully for us, and fully available to us. He couldn’t make the way to his heart any clearer.

The Holy Spirit dwells within you as close to your heart as he could possibly be.

Knowing God is as simple as acknowledging how close, available he already is. bolde

May your life be changed, inspired, empowered, emboldened by the light of the highest possible knowability of your perfect Shepherd, loving heavenly Father. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:54-56

Acts 7:54-56 New International Version

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Stephen was known “as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5).

He was one of the first leaders chosen in the early church to help with providing food and other needs for others.

Stephen is also described as “a man full of God’s grace and power,” and the religious leaders who opposed the early church “could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (Acts 6:8, 10).

Those leaders hated Stephen so much they had him ­arrested and put on trial.

Then, when he was asked about the charges against him, Stephen gave a long sermon about God’s faithful work in history through his prophets, even though the people of Israel were often unfaithful.

God even sent his Son, Jesus, to be the Righteous One, the Messiah, but these very leaders had murdered him (Acts 7:1-53).

When Stephen preached all that, the religious leaders became bitterly furious, and they dragged him out to stone him to death.

But Stephen looked up and saw Jesus in heaven, and he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he asked, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

Stephen, the first martyr, suffered great violence and died for his faith in Jesus.

And although he was brutally and publicly killed, his stunning example inspired many others to speak out and live for Christ.

And by the power and wisdom of the Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ has built his church to, without thinking twice about themselves, reach out and serve people so that it brings the very same saving message of God’s love to the world today.

Our 21st Century Response: Looking Towards Heaven

Acts 7:54-56 The Message

54-56 At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”

Stephen only had eyes for God whom he saw in all His glory with Jesus standing at his side.

Stephen unhesitatingly exclaimed, not giving thought to his own life which was about to come to a violent, murderous end, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”

Looking Towards Heaven: Jesus in the Honored Place

Acts 7:54-56 GOD’S WORD Translation

Stephen Is Executed

54 As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious. 55  But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God’s glory, and Jesus in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. 56 So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne!”

What is heaven like?

Media attempts to capture what heaven is like, such as “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” and the classic movie “A Matter of Life and Death,” plus many more.

However, these representations are fashioned by Hollywood with little based on truth, falling short of scriptural facts.

To truly see a glimmer of heaven, we look to the Bible to give us glimpses of it through the eyes of those who have beheld it, including Stephen, who saw it as he was being stoned to death, and the rich man looking over from Hades.

As well as the Apostle John, who received a personal tour of heaven.

Looking Toward Heaven

So how do we look toward heaven based on what God’s word reveals to us?

The following are seven things Scripture reveals to us.

1. Jesus paid our way to heaven.

1 Peter 3:18 explains,

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”

Heaven is our eternal destination because Jesus paid our way through His death and resurrection.

2. Heaven requires an RSVP to God’s Invitation.

Matthew 7:21 explains that

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Entrance to heaven requires our response to God’s invitation.

Those who do not accept His call to Salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ will not be able to enter.

3. Jesus is in heaven.

Like Stephen saw in his open vision of heaven, Jesus is standing at the right hand of God. 

Hebrews 9:24 describes,

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”

4. Heaven is open to us.

Many television and film depictions of heaven show big, closed pearly gates with Saint Peter holding a clipboard and pen, checking to see if the souls lined up have their names listed on God’s VIP list to get in.

But what we find in God’s word reveals just the opposite. Heaven is open to us.

The Apostle John describes in Revelation 19:11, “I saw heaven standing open…”

Unlike earthly portrayals, when we receive Jesus as our Savior, heaven is open to us, and there is no uncertainty about whether or not we are welcomed in.

5..Heaven has room for us.

We can be assured that there is room for us in heaven because Jesus has prepared a place for us.

In John 14:2-3, Jesus describes His preparing room for us.

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”

6. Treasures await us in heaven.

Jesus told us that heaven will hold treasures for us that will not ever fade away.

In Matthew 6:19-20 He urged,

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

7. Angels will escort us to heaven.

Like Luke 16:22 describes, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.”

Like the leprous beggar Lazarus, who was carried unto heaven, our first-class transportation is already pre-arranged.

As believers in Jesus Christ, angels will escort us to heaven.

Our Heavenly Vision

Acts 7:54-56 Revised Standard Version

The Stoning of Stephen

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.”

His life is brought to this one crucial moment. 

Stephen is up against the world that looks to its own created ends. 

But he is only moved by the Spirit of God. 

He looks above the clatter and distractions. 

He is given a vision of the Son standing by His Father´s side. 

He shares what he is shown. 

The angry world will not want to hear it. 

The expression seals his fate. 

His walk here is through. 

They take him out to do away with him. 

Can we see a trend here? 

Is this the way it is for those who are given a Heavenly vision? 

Do they no longer fit in this world? 

Will Heavenly insight end our earthly walk too? 

If it does, should we care?

A Christian today may or may not be given a vivid look into Heaven. 

But we all can have an outlook which sets us apart. 

We can have our eyes tuned to see the Son. 

We can look up above all the business and clamor of our day. 

We can look to God and to Jesus by His side. 

It may cut many ties we have in this world. 

It may not make many people happy here. 

But could this Heavenly insight bring forth its fruit in time?  Could a more intense focus upon our Savior set us on the course that brings us unto Him?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let’s pray:

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Dear Father, Thank you that, because of Jesus, we can look towards heaven, knowing we have been given the gift of eternal life. Our hearts are deeply grateful to Him for paying our way with His own blood so that we may come to be with You. We look forward to living in the place Jesus has prepared for us and receiving the heavenly treasures that await us. Like Martyr Stephen, give us a vision of heaven so that in our distresses, we might look up rather than at the troubles on the earth below. Help us to lead others to look towards heaven, too, by inviting them to accept the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Give us a clearer vision of our Savior now!  Let us gaze upon Your spender and glory!  Help us see past our surroundings and keep our eyes searching for the Heavenly Vision!  Let focusing our sight on You be our highest goal today we pray! In Jesus’ name, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! amen.

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There is Something Indelibly Special About The True Faithfulness of God! Numbers 23:17-20

Numbers 23:17-20 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 Then he took up his [a]discourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless;
When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today we’ll spend some quality time simply stirring up our affections for God.

God has designed us to see him, to know his character and to let the truth of his goodness lead us into deeper relationship with him.

Augustine wrote, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

In seeing God for who he is our hearts are naturally stirred to find rest in his goodness.

Today, may your heart be stirred at a revelation of God’s wonderful character.

Numbers 23:19 Amplified Bible

19 
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19 describes a foundational aspect of God’s character, being his faithfulness.

Scripture says, 

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” 

As believers, we constantly, need a continuous revelation of God’s faithfulness.

Being able to fully trust God is the beginning of living an abundant life.

If you don’t fully believe that God is faithful to lead you into the best possible life you could live, then you surely won’t seek out his will, trust him with your possessions, or be able to fully enjoy his presence.

God’s word promises us in Numbers 23:19 that God is perfectly faithful, steadfast, and true. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” 

Philippians 1:3-6 Amplified Bible

3 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, 4 always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you, 5 [thanking God] for your participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news [regarding salvation] from the first day [you heard it] until now. 6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

Romans 8:28 promises, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

God is wholly faithful to you.

No matter what you do, he will be there for you.

His faithfulness isn’t dependent upon your works.

All he requires is a willing heart to bring about the incredible fruit of the Spirit in your life.

You aren’t meant to live life apart from the knowledge of God’s faithfulness.

You aren’t meant to live with the weight of doing life on your own.

Man may fail you, but your God will not.

Family and friends may not be there when you need them, but your God will always be there for you.

Where do you feel on your own?

In what ways do you need a fresh revelation of God’s faithfulness?

God is unchangeable and unchanging.

Unlike men who can do an about-face, alter their opinions, break their promises, modify their plans, and speak lies with the twisted tongue of the serpent, the Lord our God is immutable.

God is perfect in all His thoughts and trustworthy in all His ways, unlike men who often distort the facts, twist the truth, and are easily tossed about like waves on the sea, God’s counsel is steadfast, His promises are sure, His Word is dependable, and His Truth lasts from one generation to another.

With God, there is no vacillation and no shadow of turning.

The book of Numbers clearly states the unalterable truth: “God is not a man. He does not lie, and does not change his mind.”

The passage then continues with a series of rhetorical questions which demand NO as an answer:

“Has He ever spoken and failed to act?” NO!

“Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” NO!

Malachi also addresses this issue by stating: “I am the Lord, and I change NOT.”

If God has said it, He will certainly do it.

God has set out His plan of the ages within the pages of Scripture, and God’s purposes for those that trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are steadfast and sure.

We have the assurance of God Himself, that His Word is to be trusted, for God has placed His Word above His holy Name.

The Lord of truth will never go back on His Word, for He is the God Who does not change and Whose Word is worthy of all acceptance.

There can be no shadow of change in His decrees, for God is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness; and the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Praise God despite the instabilities and uncertainties of this world, and in spite of the faults and failings of men, the Word of the Lord is sure, His decrees are unalterable, all His promises are all ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Heaven and earth may pass away, but the Word of the Lord stands fast forever, for God is not a man He should lie, nor is he the son of a man He should change His mind.

He is the Son of the unchangeable and unchanging God.

Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

He promises to be absolutely true to you.

He promises to absolutely see you through any situation you find yourself in. 

Isaiah 54:10 says, “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” 

Faithfulness is foundational to the very character of God.

God’s steadfast love for you is more sure than the very ground you walk on.

So respond to God’s faithfulness today.

Let his promises steady the parts of your life that feel unsure.

As you step outside today, take time to look at the world around you.

Think about the things you’ve put your trust in.

And remember, God promises that his faithfulness will outlast anything your eyes can see.

May your affections for him be stirred today.

May you respond to his faithfulness with your own.

And may you experience the love and joy of a Father who loves you perfectly and completely.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Guided Prayer:           

1. Meditate on God’s promise to be faithful to you.

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

2. Now reflect on your own life. 

Where in your life do you feel unsure?

What situations seem to toss your emotions around like a boat in the middle of a storm?

Where do you need a firmer foundation today? Matthew 7:24-29

3. Ask the Spirit for a revelation of God’s faithfulness in those areas. 

Ask God to help you trust in his promise of faithfulness.

Ask him how he plans on bringing peace to those areas that are disturbing you today.

Listen to him as he speaks.

Not only does God promise you his faithfulness, but he will actually reveal to you how he is working in your life.

You can ask him for his plans, and he will show you!

You can ask him how he feels about you and your life, and he will tell you!

Within his promise of faithfulness is the promise of his voice.

You will hear him speak today if you open your heart, listen to the Spirit and be alert for God to speak through whatever avenue he chooses.

Your heavenly Father loves you.

Spend your day establishing the foundation of his faithfulness in your own life.

And experience a life lived in the abundance of God’s assurance and peace.

I praise You, O Lord, for You are our trustworthy God and never-changing Savior. Thank You for the truth of Scripture and for the assurance that Your Word will stand fast for ever. Thank You that You will never let me down, despite my own faults and failings. In the name of Jesus, I pray that I may become more and more like Him, as I submit to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life. Alleluia! AMEN.

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Habits of Faith: BFF Friendship and Daily Praying with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-28

Romans 8:26-28 English Standard Version

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[b]  for those who are called according to his purpose.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Bible teaches us many things about the Holy Spirit as a counselor working alongside and within us, convicting us of sin and guiding us to full life in Christ.

And in our Romans 8 reading today we learn of a specific way in which the Spirit ministers to us being The Holy Spirit helps us to pray, even prays for us.

In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul is seeking to encourage his readers in the face of discouragement.

Paul urges his readers to keep concentrating on the glory that lies before them in Jesus Christ.

Wait and hope, Apostle Paul goes on to say, because the fullness of all that God has promised will come, and that day will be glorious!

As hope helps us to keep going in times of great difficulty, so the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray.

When we pray, we don’t always have the words to express what we think or how we feel.

In fact, some of our deepest needs and desires can’t even be expressed in words.

Paul calls these “wordless groans.”

But the Holy Spirit “intercedes”—or, more literally, goes between—on our behalf.

He intercedes for us before God.

He helps us pray.

Keep hoping and praying.

And while you’re hoping and praying, be assured that when you have longings deep in your heart that you can’t even fully express, the Holy Spirit presents your needs directly to God the Father, who hears and answers all our prayers.

Our Friendship with the Holy Spirit

At salvation you were given the gift of God himself, the Spirit of Christ, dwelling within you. 

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” 

And with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, friendship with God has been made available to greater depths than you can imagine.

He longs to spend time with you like a friend.

He longs for you to know how he feels, what he thinks is best and your heavenly Father’s heart for you.

Scripture teaches us a lot about the character of the Spirit. 

Acts 13:2 teaches us that the Spirit speaks: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” 

In Ephesians 4:30 we learn that the Spirit feels emotions like grief: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Romans 8:26-27 teaches us that the Spirit is our Helper and prays for us: 

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” 

Friendship with the Spirit is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.

He speaks to us, is emotionally invested in our lives, helps us in our weakness and prays for us when we don’t have the words.

So great is God’s love for you that he sent his Spirit to dwell with you.

So great is his desire for continued relationship with you that, in his grace, he has given you himself as a constant companion.

Another important characteristic of the Spirit, however, is that he will not force relationship on you.

He speaks when you listen, he gives you revelation as you open your mind to receive it, and he leads you as you ask for his guidance.

The Spirit is full of incredible power but also incredible meekness and humility.

He is both powerful and respectful.

If you ask for a deeper friendship with the Holy Spirit, you will find he is the best friend you have ever known.

Take time as you enter into prayer to get to know the Holy Spirit like a friend.

In his book The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer writes,

“Religion, so far as it is genuine, is in essence the response of created personalities to the creating personality, God.”

The Holy Spirit has a personality.

He has likes and dislikes.

He feels, thinks, enjoys, likes, suffers, and desires. May your time in prayer be filled with new levels of friendship with the Spirit of God dwelling within you.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

1.Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness to you. 

Take time to acknowledge his presence.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

2. Give thanks to the Spirit for who he is. 

Thank him for his presence in your life. Thank him for his desire to speak to you, lead you, help you and pray for you.

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” Acts 13:2

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

3. Now ask the Spirit how he’s currently feeling. 

Ask him his perspective on anything in your life or the world around you.

Listen and pay attention to any inclination you feel brought to mind.

Perhaps even take the time and make the effort to journal what he says.

Remember, friendship with the Spirit is like any other friendship in that it develops over time.

Like a new friend, you must get to know his character and personality.

Spend time just talking with him, listening to him and allowing him to work in your heart and life. He is an incredible gift given to you.

He is your gateway to experiencing the things of God. Walk in relationship with him, go forth, follow his guidance, make a new best friend in the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, thank you for interceding on our behalf. Give us hope and help us to pray. We trust you, we heartily welcome you into our atmosphere in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: First Things First, to Remain True to God, Continue in His Grace With All Your Heart. Acts 11:23

Acts 11:19-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Church at Antioch

19 So then those who were scattered because of the [a]persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way [b]to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began  speaking to the [c]Greeks also, [d]preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The [e]news about them [f]reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off [g]to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and [h]witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with [i]resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable [j]numbers were [k]brought to the Lord.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”[1] 

1 William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1773).

In the life of the early church, it was the persecution of the congregations in Jerusalem—the only churches on earth at that point—that caused the gospel message to reach further and faster than would have happened without those first Christians being forced to flee their city.

As the believers were scattered throughout the cities of Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, the gospel was spread to the “Hellenists”—the Greeks—in the region, and we read in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles that many came to believe.

However, we also read that when news of these Gentile conversions got back to the church in Jerusalem, it was not immediately welcome.

Up until that point, the gospel’s expansion had been almost entirely among the Jews-now the word was coming back that Greeks were becoming Christians too.

This confronted the church with a new development that they were not quite ready for.

What was happening?

Should they smile at it or frown over it?

Who could they send to handle an encounter such as this?

It should not surprise us that they chose to send Barnabas.

While not everybody in the church can cope with new, different opportunities, Barnabas was an encourager and a man who recognized God’s redeeming work in others, even when it was surprising or strange (see Acts 9:26-28).

Sure enough, Barnabas recognized that what had happened to the Hellenists was the work of the Lord, and he expressed gladness at the display of God’s grace, encouraging the new believers with the exhortation we all need: to just continue in the grace of and to remain resolute, true to God with all our hearts.

If we have lived our lives attempting to channel the Spirit of God into our own little concrete trenches, having determined that this way or that place is the only one in which God will work, we should reconsider what God’s Word says.

As God always continues to expand His kingdom and always pours His Spirit out upon the people we least expect to be included in it, we have the opportunity to respond with the kind of resolute enthusiasm that Barnabas here exemplified.

While the gospel message is unchanging, our world and times are changing constantly-yet God always continues to call people to Himself “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).

We should always expect Him to surprise us—to work in ways we had not predicted and in a time-frame that is always going to be different from ours.

And when He does, we need to be ready to be like Barnabas, “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), rejoicing in the new works of God, always ready to be a part of them, and always encouraging others to continue in His grace.

The Lord’s Mysterious Powerful Hand

Acts 11:19-21 English Standard Version

The Church in Antioch

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists[a] also,  preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

The Jewish leaders hoped that by persecuting the church of Jesus Christ, they would extinguish people’s faith in him.

But persecution caused the Christian faith to spread like wildfire.

Believers who were scattered did not leave their faith behind in Jerusalem.

Wherever they went, they talked about their newly found faith in Jesus Christ.

And we read that by the Grace of God – “a great number of people believed.”

What was the reason for this widespread growth of the church?

Our reading for today, Acts 11:21 says that “the Lord’s hand was with them.”

The same is true for us today.

The mission of the church is to spread the good news of Jesus all over the world.

But how do we do that?

In whose name and whose power are we trying to win the world for Christ?

Today we too often put so much emphasis on programs, facilities, strategic planning, other church-growth strategies we often forget the most important “strategy” in evangelism, church growth: it is the power of the hand of God.

How can we expect lasting results if our presentation of the gospel is based on our own strength and planning?

Only if we resolutely choose, we decide to live and directly, steadfastly serve our neighbors under the power of the Lord’s hand can we be effective tools of God.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, as we come before you today, we ask that you open our eyes to see the encouragement and grace that you have bestowed upon us. May we be filled with gladness and joy as we witness your love and mercy in our lives. We pray that you would give us the strength and courage to remain steadfast in our faith, with a total purpose of heart to always remain near to you. Help us to seek you in all that we do, and to trust in your guidance and wisdom. May we be a light to others, sharing your grace and love with those around us. We ask all of this in your holy name, Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: Does God Expect Us to Believe in Ourselves? Exodus 4:10

Exodus 4:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c]slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [e]send the message by whomever You will.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Perhaps we have heard of Roger Bannister.

For years, experts said that it was impossible for a human to run a mile in less than four minutes.

And they appeared to be right, that is until 1954, when a young medical student proved them all wrong.

They had told him his heart would explode, but young Roger didn’t believe that.

He believed he could, and even had a special pair of lightweight leather shoes made to help him run.

When the shoemaker asked him how long he would need them, he responded “not very long…less than 4 minutes!”

That’s the power of believing in yourself!

You won’t always hear it from the pulpit, you wont always hear or have it taught in any bible study but I deeply believe that God expects each of us to develop a healthy measure of self assurance, self-confidence, self esteem, of self worth.

When God spoke miraculously from a burning bush and called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, listen to how the aged Moses first responded:

Exodus 4:10 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c]slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.”

Exodus 4:13 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [a]send the message by whomever You will.”

We might think God would be impressed by those humble responses; that Moses was showing himself to be truly humble. But we would be wrong!

The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.

Exodus 4:14 New American Standard Bible 1995

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [a]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

Why was that? Because he didn’t believe in himself, even when God clearly did.

Exodus 4:11-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.”

God expected Moses to have faith that God is all he needed to succeed; and God likewise in these modern times expects us to respond in faith and belief as well.

When we don’t believe in ourselves, we are diminishing and questioning the quality of God’s handiwork.

Psalm 139:14-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 I will give thanks to You, for [a]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [b]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

It’s not a sin to believe in yourself; it’s an expectation of the Creator God who formed you in His own image and likeness, filled you with His Holy Spirit, and has perfectly equipped you to perform every good work created for you to walk in. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:1.)

In truth, we ought to believe it is a sin to not believe in yourself!

There are many Christians who think they are being humble, but they are simply listening to the voice of the adversary.

They are deceived about their identity in Christ, thinking they are just inadequate, insignificant, and therefore unable to succeed.

And because they see a predominance of failure in their future, such a measure of failure they don’t, wont even try to do the things God has called them to do.

In order to develop the faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), we should first look into God’s mirror at ourselves and hear His voice on the matter:

James 1:22-25 New American Standard Bible 1995

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [a]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [c]an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in [d]what he does.

When you read and meditate on God’s Word, you will learn to hear the voice of God speaking to you, giving you a true picture of who you really are in Christ:

1. Understand That We Are All Originals and Unique

Ephesians 2:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [a]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 New Living Translation

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

What is a masterpiece?

The very best work of an artist!

It also describes a piece of art that earns recognition; a work of genius, one of a kind.

In other words, you are not an accident or an experiment, you are a work of genius that deserves recognition.

Anything that is a duplicate does not have the same value as an original, and does not qualify as a masterpiece.

What’s the point?

In order for you to truly believe in yourself, you need to celebrate your God created uniqueness as His masterpiece!

Allow your significance and originality to define you, not confine you.

Discover your uncommon message born from your unique purpose and begin to increase the significance of that message.

Since you are God’s creation and not an accident, your very existence on this planet is proof that the world needs that special something that God gave to you – so celebrate it, as God does – and never compare yourself with anyone else.

When you compare yourself against others, your self perception will become skewed; you will either get an unrealistic sense of inferiority, or an equally unrealistic idea of superiority – neither of these circumstances is ever true.

Your measure of success is not how you are doing compared to someone else, it’s how you are doing compared to what God intends for you to accomplish!

2. Understand That You Are Priceless

Many people think that the value of a work of art is determined by what others will pay for it.

There is some measure of truth in that, but I think the better understanding is that the true value of a thing is determined by what the master artist is willing to sell it for!

If someone is offered millions, even billions, for the purchase of a particular piece of art, say the Mona Lisa, and yet says, Sorry, not for sale, never for sale, then that item is actually absolutely priceless to them.

And here is the truth about us – when sin entered the world, Satan’s deception stole us away from our Father, the Master.

But there is even more deeper truth we can witness to from Peter who lost all of his confidence in himself when he refused to publicly acknowledge being with Jesus in the courtyard three times, looked into Jesus’ eyes and so betrayed Him. (Matthew 26:69-75)

Then Peter got his confidence back as he shared some very intimate time with the resurrected Jesus by the seashore. (The Love Motivation – John 21:15-17)

Peter admonished the followers to “Prepare your minds for action, be sober in spirit and fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, to not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, … but like the Holy One … be holy yourselves also in all your behaviors …” because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

God does not lack any confidence in Himself and neither did Jesus, His Son.

Peter recognized that self confidence which Jesus publicly exhibited as he wrote to the Jewish followers the ultimate ransom required for our return would be our testimony, the testimony of the priceless blood of the Son of God himself:

1 Peter 1:13-19 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [c]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As [d]obedient children, do not [e]be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but [f]like the Holy One who called you, [g]be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not [h]redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

In other words, God said to the enemy… we are all priceless and not for sale! 

Yes, we are all a 100% priceless, original creation.

When we start seeing ourselves as such, we will too start believing in ourselves!

3. Understand We Are Each Bursting with Potential

Potential is a dormant ability, reserved power, untapped strength, unused success, hidden talents, and uncapped capability -it’s all you could ever be, including what you have yet to become and the things you have not yet done.

It’s the length of your reach, before you have begun to stretch; it’s how far you can go, before you’ve even started to pack for the trip, topped off the gas tank!

Potential is unexposed ability and latent power, and you are overflowing with it.

Moreover, you are all full of max potential the Kingdom of God is desperately waiting to experience.

John 14:10-14 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

How can we begin to understand and access our potential?

Realize the potential of a thing is related to its source.

We know that a tree can never be more than a tree, because it comes from a tree; a dog can never be more than a dog, because it comes from a dog, etc.

In other words, the potential of a thing is directly related to its source.

In fact, it is the source of a thing which ultimately determines the capacity of its potential.

Fortunately, the book of Genesis tells us who our source is:

Genesis 1:26-28 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [a]sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [b]sky and over every living thing that [c]moves on the earth.”

Knowing this then, that the potential of a thing is related to its source, and that our source is God, we know that our potential is actually unlimited because our source is unlimited!

To access your potential, you must stay connected to your Source!

A grape vine is an interesting plant.

The vine, which is the thick wooden part running from the ground up the pole, is the only part of the plant that contains life ability.

None of the life of the plant is found in the branches, or those little green tendrils on the side with the grapes hanging from them.

If you were to break one of those green branches off and plant it in the ground, it would wither and die because there is no life ability in it.

Each small branch depends on life flowing up from the vine, to survive.  

And as Jesus said:

John 15:5-7New American Standard Bible 1995

5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he  bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

In order for us to realize our full potential, we must stay connected to our Source – God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit – otherwise yes, we will all fall short.

But if we stay connected, we can indeed accomplish much.

That’s who we are.

As odd as it may seem to the natural mind, the fact is we are a child of Almighty God, and we have each been created with the potential to do powerful things.

When we are connected to the Source, we have our Heavenly Father’s ability on the inside of us to do every good work He has destined for each one of us to do.

4. Understand What God Sees Is Completely True

God doesn’t see like man sees.

God sees the diamond in the rough, the potential amidst the problem, the prize at the bottom of the cracker jack box.

It is not what you or anyone else sees that actually matters, but what God sees.

He sees the end from the beginning of our lives, knows our potential even when we’re not acting like it, are faithless, are off track, or have no track record at all!

When we focus on these temporary things, we have a hard time believing in ourselves and in also accepting that we are what God sees and says we are.

But the fact is – God knows better! He knows exactly who He created us to be.

And that’s the message we will get when we look into the mirror of God’s Word.

God always believes in us, and therefore, we must also believe in ourselves.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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When God Is Doing Something New, and We’re Still Stuck in the Old Stuff. Isaiah 43:18-19

Isaiah 43:16-21 The Message

16-21 This is what God says,
    the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
    who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
    they lie down and then can’t get up;
    they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the sunbaked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to praise me.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Sometimes… truthfully, more often than we I believe actually realize, God is wanting to do, reveal, something “new” and yet we’re still stuck in the “old.”

It’s hard at times.

To let go.

It is not so hard at times … refuse to give up any control over what we value, even if what we have valued so highly has pretty much all of lost its shelf life.

Of what’s familiar, and what we know, of what has always worked best for us.

It seems easier to stay “comfortable,” to stay in control, or give the illusion of staying in control, to just keep going with the flow, so not to mess anything up.

But then “new” happens, and it often sends us spiraling, on one big, long loop.

For those adrenaline junkies who 100% love change – “new” is mostly exciting.

For those who don’t like change and 100% resist it- “new” is mostly stressful.

Your home, your family, or workplace if you’re like most, or anyone who thinks and believes far more differently than you is probably a mix of those two traits.

But here’s what I love about God.

Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

He always thinks and always works far outside our own finite box of thinking.

He doesn’t always work in the ways that we would have chosen for our “new.”

If we had to have a “new.”

He always sees the big picture.

He always knows what He’s doing.

He always works behind the scenes of life that unfold our every day, in the unexpected places where we can’t always see or understand all the “why’s.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-13The Message

6-10 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That’s why we have this Scripture text:

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.

But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

So we can trust…that He has our best in mind.

That He’s got our back.

He’s with us right now.

And He’s secured our future too.

Sometimes our “new” comes out of great blessing, new opportunities.

And sometimes it comes through great pain, huge loss.

People move, life happens, decisions are made, many change jobs, kids grow up, and there are times we might go through some really tough struggles.

We may even start to feel cheated.

Like life is unfair.

But it still breathes this truth: God is not finished with our lives yet.

We are still here.

And on a never ending basis, He has great purpose in all that we walk through, even in every life change and season.

Whether we recognize it or not, we’re rubbing shoulders everyday with people that we needed to meet in our “new,” however hard that new thing might be.

We can rest in His care for us.

He knows.

He sees.

He works in ways we do not always “get,” but there’s a special place of peace in our knowing, in our acknowledgment that we don’t have to try to control it all.

By these ancient yet still relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 God says we can let go – of the need to figure it all out, and the striving to make things happen.

We can trust Him.

Our future awaits, and there’s still good around the bend. God has more in store.

Intersecting Faith and Life – The Joy of Forgetting

Isaiah 43:18-19 Easy-to-Read Version

18 So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, 19 because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land.

Do you like new stuff?

Many of us do.

Part of the excitement for kids as they open presents at Christmas or on their birthday is that they’re getting something new and hopefully more exciting.

Older family members may get excited about new clothing, a new vehicle, or new tools for the workshop, even the fresh smell of new carpet in their home.

Yes, we like new things.

But, and it bears to be repeated that it’s also possible to get stuck in the past.

Some of us may have a nostalgic hope that we can recover the “good old days,” and others of us may be locked face to face with a past we simply can’t ­escape.

Maybe we feel stuck by the circumstances of a broken home, made bad financial choices, stuck on sins we now regret, or of an injustice that has been done to us.

Though Christians do not and should not ­ever ignore the hardcore lessons of their past, Isaiah 43:18-19, faith in Christ always challenges us to look forward.

Our goal is not and should not be exclusively “change for the sake of change,” as if instantly new things by themselves could give us 1% hope and fulfillment.

But these ancient yet always relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us of the only One who brings lasting change: “I am doing a new thing!” God says.

Take a photograph of the old stuff and frame it because we can each find joy in forgetting our past only when our future rests on the change Christ works in us.

Philippians 3:13-14 The Message

Focused on the Goal

12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

The years are gone, finished, past.

We cannot reclaim them nor can we undo them.

We cannot, should not rest on the great distance those years have brought us.

If and when tomorrow dawns, and we exercise our lungs to breathe, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord.

It is God’s gift of a new day Let’s journey forward, knowing our God already inhabits the future, promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.

Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we can experience the joy of forgetting our sinful past (Philippians 3:13-14) pressing on as new people in Jesus Christ.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

God of all Creation, God of new beginnings, thank you for a fresh start in Christ. Help us to leave behind our sin and to live joyfully for him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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