Abraham was an intercessor. He was concerned about people he didn’t even know. The following passage takes place when the Lord told Abraham about His plans to judge the cities around Sodom.
Genesis 18:22-24
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”
There was a Bible scholar, Dr, Joseph Parker, who had some insightful things to say about the intercession of Abraham. He made four observations (I will put them in bold type) that I think are very applicable to the church today.
1. “God holds inquest upon the moral conditions of cities.” I believe that even though we, as individuals, live under grace, God treats cities and nations differently. Many times a city will sow injustice and reap disaster. That’s why I call all believers to pray for the USA. As a nation we cannot keep telling God to keep out, and then expect Him to protect us from catastrophe.
2. “God is accessible to earnest human appeal.” That is the basis of intercession. We need to be spending quality time in prayer for our families, friends, neighbors, and officials. That’s when we see the miraculous happen. When God’s people join with God in His work.
3. “The few can serve the many.” Sure, there are very few Christians that take the call to prayer seriously. Just look at the difference in attendance between a church dinner and a prayer meeting. The fact is, it doesn’t take a lot. God only looks for a few committed intercessors who are willing to “stand in the gap” for those around them.
4. “Human prayers fall below Divine resources.” One thing I know beyond a doubt – our prayers never even scratch the surface of God’s ability. From our perspective the task looks so daunting. The problem seems insurmountable. Yet to God, it is a simple thing for Him. He specializes in the impossible. Our prayers don’t even come close to challenging Him.
Answer the call to intercession. Our cities and nation are in desperate need of a move of God. Be on the cutting edge of the Lord’s work. Cry out to Him and see His power manifest in our lifetime.
Tags: Abraham, Bible, calling, Christian, church, devotion, disciple, encouragement, God's will, intercession, intercessor, intimacy, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, Sodom, sowing and reaping, victory
1Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, hope, and love – they are the three things that the Bible says will be with us eternally. Too often we think about them in spiritual terms. We get the idea that these are just good feelings that Christians should enjoy. Like they are wonderful gifts that should be tucked quietly away in our hearts.
NO WAY!!! Faith, hope, and love are the sparks that ignite our ministry before God. There are three different things that happen as a result of their influence on us.
First, faith produces our work. That word literally means your assignment. It is the task that God has given you. As you go before God in faith, He gives you grace for the calling He has placed upon your life. Faith causes you to stand in your assignment.
Then comes love – it prompts us to labor. That word means to use up your strength in performing a task. Without the love of God, we will never pour ourselves into the calling He has placed upon us. We are called to work with all of our strength. Without love, that will never happen.
Finally, hope inspires endurance. It’s easy to start out strong, but it’s how we finish that matters the most. Hope is the biblical word for expectation. If I do my part, then I can expect God to show up and do His part. That’s what keeps me going even when I don’t feel like it. Hope gives you the endurance to persevere to the end.
Let faith, hope, and love give you more than just a warm feeling. Let them spur you on to accomplishing your destiny in the Lord’s Kingdom.
Tags: assignment, Bible, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, endurance, expectation, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, hope, labor, love, ministry, prepare, strength, victory, work
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
There was a preacher in the early 1900’s by the name of Adelaide Pollard. She had a traveling ministry that was quite successful. But, she desired to do more. She wanted to take a missionary trip to Africa – that was her heart’s desire.
In order to fulfill this dream, she tried to raise the support needed to send her there. In spite of all of her efforts, the money was just not coming in. The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. It was almost to the point of depression.
One night she decided to attend a local prayer meeting. As she was there, Adelaide began to listen to the prayers going up to the throne of God. One in particular caught her attention. It was a simple request spoken by an elderly believer.
“It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your way in our lives.”
When the would-be missionary heard those words, they arrested her. She couldn’t shake the grip of the Holy Spirit speaking to her heart through them.
Later on, when she was home, Adelaide read the words of Jeremiah chapter 18, speaking of his trip to the potter’s house. Suddenly it all came into focus for her. It wasn’t about the money or the trip to Africa, but about God’s will for her life. That night, before she went to sleep, she had the entire hymn written.
This is a lesson that we all need to learn, as believers. It is not our agenda that is important. Our goal should be to let God have His way in our lives. After all, we are His people, He has redeemed us. And, it is His plan that will ultimately bring about the victory in our lives.
Go before God with this attitude today. It is not about my will, but Yours, Lord.
“Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still.”
Tags: Adelaide Pollard, Bible, calling, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, have thine own way Lord, Holy Spirit, holy worship, hymn, missionary, overcoming, prayer, prayer meeting, presence of the lord, trust, victory
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
There are some blogs that I really enjoy reading. This one I just had to copy.
The following is reblogged from Truth Pressure. Originally Posted 4-30-2012
Self discovery is a powerful thing. Finding out who you are in Christ is THE most powerful revelation you can attain after salvation.
Most of the Apostle Paul’s writings were focused on helping believers understand who they are in Christ.
In Christ you have been repositioned, relabeled, renamed, re-categorized, and redeemed. You have a new family, a new status, a new nature, a new purpose, and a new destiny. You have a new heritage, a new identity, with new rights, new power, new authority, and new responsibilities. The old is passed away, and all things are new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The New Testament reveals the model of who we are supposed to be, what a living church should look like, and yet, if you search the earth you find very few bodies of believers living up to that model. Why? I believe that it stems from an identity crisis.
We, the church, don’t really know who we are. We don’t understand our heritage and the royal bloodline that we were birthed into when we made Jesus the Lord of our life. Jesus emptied himself of all His kingly privilege and power and LIVED HIS LIFE for us … then he GAVE HIS LIFE for us. Now He wants to live His life through us as the KING of KINGS!
We must awaken to the marvelous truth, that Christ is not in the heavens only, seated at the right hand of the Father, but Christ is in us. Our main function in this life is to manifest Christ to the world in all His glory. It is Christ’s body that validates Christ to the world. Without His body reigning in life as a king the world will be limited to only hearing about Christ instead of experiencing Him. There must be a SHOWING FORTH as well as a TELLING ABOUT. To Show Forth the kingdom we must function in the authority that has been given us.
1 Peter 2:9 ~ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Romans 5:17 ~ For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 5:10 ~ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 1:6 ~ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The life that Christ lived qualified Him for the death that He died …. and the death that He died qualifies us for the life we now live … as Kings and Priests unto our God. Are you living like a King, with a King’s authority and resources? That is available to YOU AND I.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, in Christ, Jesus Christ, kings and priests, new creature, overcoming, self discovery, testimony, victory
Isaiah 55:12-13
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”
We have the power to transform our world. It would be an amazing thing if we could see this verse happening as we going about our daily tasks.
I have mentioned that I enjoy hiking on the Appalachian Trail. There is a portion of this trail in Pennsylvania that traverses a barren, polluted wasteland. It became that way because of the carelessness of man’s industry. Nothing grows there, and you cannot drink the water. You just want to get through it as quickly as possible. It is an ugly scar on the earth.
What a joy it would be to see it blossom with new life before our very eyes. Unfortunately, the literal fulfillment of this verse will have to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth.
The good news is that there is another way to bring this verse to life. We can fulfill this every day in the area of our attitude. That is what makes all the difference in our outlook. It can change our whole view of the world around us.
If we are always looking for problems, disappointments, and sorrows, we will see plenty of them in this world. But, on the other hand, if we are looking to see God’s Spirit at work, opportunities for ministry and things to praise God for – this attitude will transform our world. We will see it change from thorn bushes and roadblocks to myrtle trees and singing mountains.
Transform your world today. Renew your attitude in the presence of the Lord. Let Him realign your focus so that you see His goodness and grace, instead of your problems.
Tags: attitude, barren, Bible, blossom, calling, Christian, devotion, disappointment, distractions, encouragement, faith, focus, goodness, joy, opportunity, outlook, overcoming, pollution, praise, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, sorrow, transformation
1 Samuel 9:3-4
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
This sounds like a pretty boring passage of Scripture. All we see is Saul, wandering in the wilderness, looking for some lost donkeys. Did you ever have a day like that? It just seemed like you spent the day spinning your wheels and nothing was accomplished.
I’m glad that’s not all there is to the story. As Saul worked at this seemingly mundane task, God worked out His plan. The Lord used this boring day to orchestrate a meeting between Saul and the prophet Samuel. Little did Saul know that Samuel was looking for a king for the nation of Israel. It was through the searching for lost donkeys that Saul met Samuel and was soon anointed king.
You may think you are only working in an office, or keeping a house clean, or attending a class. God, on the other hand, may have more in mind for you than you think. Keep your heart and your eyes open. Maybe He has a meeting planned for you during the day that will change the direction of your life. To prepare for this “divine appointment”, all you can do is stay focused on Him, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
Allow the Lord to prepare you for the day ahead. You must seek His wisdom for the days that are before you. Only the Lord has access to the map that will lead to your destiny in His will. Only when you seek His guidance will you be ready for whatever He has in store for you.
Tags: Bible, boring day, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, divine appointment, donkeys, encouragement, faith, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, overcoming, prayer, prepare, spinning your wheels
Joshua 14:10-12
“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
You would think some young soldier spoke these words. The hill country of Israel is rough terrain. It was especially tough because they had to battle fierce giants for the possession of it. But Caleb, the man who spoke up, was 85 years old. That’s not the perception we usually have of “Senior Citizens.”
I am glad that there is no age limit in the Kingdom of God. We need to see that we will not be put out to pasture when we reach a certain age. God can and does use anyone who is willing – no matter their age, background, or weaknesses.
This is a great principle to lay hold of. It does give us some responsibilities, however. Knowing that we are useful to God throughout our entire lives, we must harden our faith now. We must be prepared so that when we reach our elder years, we will continue on spiritually stronger than when we started.
Take the time this day to establish the path of your life in the direction God has for you. Commit your future to the Lord and purpose in your heart to finish the race strong. If you’re already an elder in the body of Christ, don’t look at yourself as a has been. The type of work that you do for the Lord may change, but you are still a vital part of the Kingdom of God.
Tags: age limit, Bible, calling, Christian, church, devotion, disciple, elder, elderly, encouragement, faith, faithful, God's faithfulness, God's will, later years, mountain, overcoming, prepare, senior citizen, strength, useful
Isaiah 5:1-2
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
God wants His people to produce fruit. If we are to truly be fruitful, then we need to see the production of fruit from God’s perspective. To make this clear to us, I want to take a little trip back in history. So, ask yourself what God’s ultimate purpose was in choosing Israel. According to this section of Scripture, God made a great investment in Israel. He took a lot of care in it’s development.
Only the choicest vine stock was used. Men of faith and courage who were not afraid to believe God and step out on His Word alone. Men like Abraham, Moses, and David were used to plant the roots of faith deep in the soil of God’s promises.
The Lord cleared the field for them. He brought them to the land of promise and caused their enemies to melt before them. He gave them cities they didn’t build, crops they didn’t plant and wealth that was merely placed in their hands. He did more then they could have ever asked or imagined.
It was the winepress, however, that spoke of Israel’s purpose. All of the above blessings came with an expectation on God’s part. The only reason for a winepress is the pressing of grapes. God expected Israel to yield a crop of good fruit. He wanted them not only to walk in His blessings but to show forth the ways of God. The only logical reason for planting a vineyard is in the expectation of a harvest.
This is where both Israel and the church often miss it. Many seem to be under the impression that bearing fruit is optional. “I’d like to see some fruit in my life”, is their lament, but to God that’s the main reason of redemption. We need to learn the lesson that Israel missed.
God wants the world to see the result of His work in our lives. That is what the fruit of the Spirit is all about. We need to let them shine forth from us. That is what will attract people to God more than all of our fine sounding arguments.
Allow the Holy Spirit to produce in you, the evidence of a changed life. Be fruitful for the Lord.
Tags: bearing fruit, Bible, calling, Christian, Christian witness, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fruit, fruit of the Spirit, fruitfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, prepare, results, vine, vineyard, winepress
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
About a year ago, I bought my wife a GPS unit to help her get around. It is amazing to think that there are satellites circling the earth that can pinpoint your location to within a couple of feet.
She used to always call me when she was lost and needing directions. Now, by using the unit, she always knows where she is and how to get where she is going to. She even knows how long it will take to get there.
It is comforting to know that thousands of years before this technology was developed, God was already guiding His people. The Holy Spirit is more accurate than any GPS unit. He can keep us on track throughout all the twists and turns of life.
There is one requirement, however. With a GPS unit, you have to look at it from time to time if it is going to benefit you. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. He wants to be your guide. But if you never spend time with Him, you will never hear the words of direction you need to navigate through life.
Spend some time today with the best guide in existence. Quiet your heart in the Lord’s presence. Let His voice become plain to you. Listen for the guidance you need for the road ahead. Then rejoice in Him for the Holy Spirit who is always with you.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's voice, God's will, GPS, guidance, heart, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, lost, path, prayer, presence of the lord
Luke 24:1-2
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
I just noticed this gem in the Scripture for the first time. I was reading my Bible this morning and the words seemed to jump out at me. The women who had followed Jesus’ ministry were very faithful to Him. They worked to support the ministry while He was alive.
When Jesus went to the cross, they were devastated. But, they continued to serve Him the best that they could. This verse says that they prepared spices for His body. Because Jesus’ crucifixion took place so close to the Passover, they were not able to go through the normal embalming process when He was placed in the tomb. It was only after the feast was over that they could proceed with it.
This was quite a bit of work on the part of these women. It involved grinding the spices to a fine powder. Then they had to crush a resin in a mortar and pestle. Only after this was done and the spices mixed, could they go to the tomb.
The problem was – all that work was for nothing. Jesus Christ had risen from the dead! Embalming spices were not necessary. The Holy Spirit started to speak to me about our walk with God.
How often do we give up on something – a plan, dream, or ministry – because it doesn’t seem to be working. We just want to put it out of its misery. So we go through all the work of preparing for its demise. Then, to our surprise, God supernaturally brings life to it again.
We need to remember that we serve a God who can raise the dead. Never give up on a God-given dream. It may go through a “death cycle.” But, God is not bound to how things appear on the surface. Don’t waste your time preparing for defeat, when the Lord’s plan is for your victory. Let Him have the final say in your situation.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, cross, defeat, devotion, encouragement, faith, giving up, glory, God's faithfulness, God's will, Jesus Christ, overcoming, preparation, prepare, problems, restoration, resurrection, strength, victory
The Spirit and the Word 