Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”
At one point in Jesus’ ministry, His disciples came to Him with a question. They understood the power of Christ was based upon His prayer life. They wanted to learn how to walk in that kind of intimacy with God. So, they came to Jesus for His word on the matter.
Of course, the Lord was more than willing to show the disciples the starting point for a rich relationship with God. Yes, I said starting point. The so called Lord’s Prayer is not the ultimate prayer we can offer. It is the first baby step that Christ gave to His followers so that they might walk the path of prayer.
This short glimpse into the realm of prayer is the foundation for all of the things we converse with God about. It is so rich in truth that I will have many future posts dedicated to this teaching of Christ. But for now, I want to talk about the focus of this prayer – the One to whom it is addressed.
OUR FATHER! Some of the most amazing words in Scripture. Jesus didn’t say, “My Father.” He called God “Our Father.” This is something that the people of God need a fresh revelation of. The God of Heaven, Creator of the universe, Savior of all mankind, allows me to call Him “Father.”
There is a lot of blessing tied up in that name. He is not a god far off and unconcerned with our needs. Our Father cares about us, no matter how great or small the matter we bring before Him. He is not a god looking for a reason to destroy us for any little fault. Our Father loves us and wants the best for us – leading us with His hand of mercy and grace.
Spend some quality time getting to know our Father today. Meditate upon this all encompassing truth. Let it reshape your prayer life so that it is something you look forward to each day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, fellowship, God's faithfulness, God's love, intimacy, Jesus Christ, Lord's Prayer, Our Father, prayer, prayer life, prepare, presence of the lord, relationship
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
A lot of people are going to churches to “worship” today. How much of it is truly worship? What is worship?
Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
There is a chorus by Hillsong –
“Standing here, in Your presence, thinking of the good things You have done.
Waiting here, patiently, just to here Your still small voice again.
Holy, righteous, faithful til the end, Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and Friend.
I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are – Jesus!”
This is the essence of worship. Not clapping, shouting, preaching or praying. It is simply standing in the presence of a holy God and acknowledging who He is. Most of the time worship is done in silence.
Praise is public and exciting. Worship is one on one with the God of the universe. It is where I humble myself before Him and offer Him the glory that is due Him. The Greek word used for worship in the New Testament literally means to lean forward like you do when you are about to kiss someone.
It is a time of intimacy with God. Worship is coming into the presence of God, and meeting with Him spirit to Spirit. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo, Sunday morning experience. Press into that intimate place with God. Truly enter the spirit of worship and let your inner man find the fulfillment you were created for.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's love, Hillsong, holy God, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, Sunday morning
Psalm 95:3-6
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Everything we see in all of creation is the Lord’s. Every mountain, valley, and stream is the work of His hand. It is the incredible variety of the Creator, however, that amazes me. Sometimes when I am driving, I see all the mountains on the horizon, yet no two look the same. Each one can be recognized for its own individual features
Not only that, but the Lord knows each one intimately. Every tree, every trail, and each animal are well known to Him. He created the entire majestic realm of nature for His good pleasure, yet He provides this bounty for our enjoyment as well.
It’s easy to feel close to God when in the presence of His handiwork. When we look at Creation through the eyes of the spirit, it becomes a reflection of the Creator. It gives us insight into the awesome power and love of our God.
Take the time today to thank the Lord for the beauty of the earth. Thank Him that He has allowed us to share in the wonder of it. As you approach the throne of Christ, remember that all the wonders of Creation are but a dim reflection of His eternal majesty.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, creation, Creator, devotion, encouragement, faith, glory, God's love, God's power, hand of God, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Jesus Christ, joy, majesty, mountain, nature, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, stream, valley
Revelation 7:17
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This is one of the most interesting Scriptures. The Lamb who is also a Shepherd. What a great illustration of the Christ who took on our weaknesses. He is worthy to lead us, since He has walked where we live.
Christ is our perfect Shepherd. He knows the paths of our lives. He understands the best route to take. He knows when our soul needs rest, refreshment, and nourishment. We must learn to trust Him daily for our every need. We must trust His plan for our lives if we want fulfillment.
I want my life to count for something. Only under the guidance of the “Good Shepherd” will that come to pass.
If I follow the Lord’s plan for my life, then He will lead me to the right places along the way. Yes, sometimes the road will be difficult. But He also knows the rest stops as well. He will bring us to places of refreshment and restoration that we need if we are to make it to the end.
I must learn to trust in His plan for my life. He knows the way a lot better than I do. Once I can acknowledge that, life gets so much more fulfilling.
Whether you have in the past or not – place your life at Jesus’ feet today. Let Him work it out to His glory. Put your expectation in Him to bring you to your destiny.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, God's faithfulness, good shepherd, guidance, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, path, presence of the lord, protection, trust
John 5:28-29
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
Yesterday’s post talked about Christ as the Giver of spiritual life. But, right along those lines, Christ is also the Giver of resurrection life. In this verse He is giving us insight into His Second Coming. Actually this is the first time Scripture records Him speaking about His return.
Many people who teach about the end-times don’t even bother dealing with this passage. If you think that way, then you’ve missed the whole point. Because this is the first recorded incident in Jesus’ ministry where He mentions the end-times, that makes it important. No, He doesn’t say a lot about it, but what He does say is at the very core of our belief in the Second Coming.
Jesus explains that there is a day coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and will come out – those who have done good will rise to live; those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. Unfortunately, we usually miss this key. It is the foundation stone for everything else that you will learn about the Second Coming of Christ. Everything else that Jesus teaches builds on this.
The cross is our starting point. We come along about 2000 years later. What Jesus is talking about in this passage hasn’t happened yet. The dead are going to rise and there is going to be a time of judgment with the result being either eternal life or eternal condemnation.
We don’t know when it’s coming, but there will be a resurrection day. As far as the disciples were concerned, it wasn’t new to them. Jesus didn’t start with some new doctrine that they had never heard before. You find teaching on the resurrection in the Old Testament. Job testifies, in chapter 19 of his book, that he knew about the day of resurrection.
Even in the Old Testament, believers understood that God was not going to leave His people in the grave. The Pharisees themselves, as a group, believed and taught that one day God would bring about the resurrection of the dead.
The only thing that was new in His teaching was the fact that it will be the voice of Christ that causes the dead to rise. I’m sure that the Pharisees had some choice thoughts on that subject. We, however, are given a foundation upon which to build the rest of the teaching on the return of Christ.
It is the Lord Himself who is our resurrection. It is His voice who will call us from our graves to a place of victory. This is a day we can all look forward to as believers. Knowing this, we can live our lives in the hope that only springs from victory over death. We don’t have to worry about the future. We are safe in the arms of the Lord.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, end times, glory, graves, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus Christ, Life Giver, protection, resurrection, return of Christ, second coming, victory
John 5:24-25
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
It’s obvious that Jesus is talking about spiritual life here, because He says, “has now come”. It was not future, but was being fulfilled in the days that Jesus walked the earth. He was really giving the Pharisees a slap in the face because of their self-righteousness. They were the dead people (spiritually) that Jesus was talking about. He was basically telling them, “Wake up! You’re dead and if you want life, you must believe and obey my words.”
It was time for them to hear and live. Jesus loved them and desired that they would pass over from death into life. Unfortunately, their pride kept them from accepting Christ for who He was. Even today pride is one of the biggest hindrances to the move of God in the church.
I think a big part of our problem is not knowing the real issue. We think that our choice is between God and the devil. We either look at it that way or make it a choice between good and evil. The fact is that neither of those choices are what the Lord put before us. The real choice He gives us is life or death. As a matter of fact, there may be a “good” thing that I do too often, and it results in bringing death to my spiritual walk.
As long as I lower the standard by “trying to be good,” I will never attain to the abundant life in Christ. I must seek to let allow the life of Christ to shine through me. That is what will lift me up to where I should be.
Jesus makes an important point here. It is the basis of our hope and trust in Him. Christ is the Life Giver. This is the foundation for everything else. We must go to Him if we really want to live pleasing to God.
Spend time with the Life Giver today. Let the Holy Spirit impart to you the life that only He can give.
Tags: abundant life, Bible, choice, Christ, Christian, cross, dead, devotion, disciple, encouragement, God's love, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, life, Life Giver, resurrection, spiritual life, victory, wake up
2 Peter 1:17-18
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Peter is remembering back to a time when he and two other apostles received a special revelation up on a mountaintop. Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes, taking on the glory that was His from eternity past. He became robed in the majesty that was His before the foundations of the world were established. Peter calls that place the “sacred mountain.”
Where are your sacred mountains? Where are those special places where God’s Word to you changed your life? With me, I remember kneeling next to a bed at a Christian summer camp. There was also a time where God spoke to me about entering full-time ministry. There have been many such times that I can look back on.
The problem I have is that my memory is so short. It is easy for me to forget these deep encounters with God. Unless I record them, I will eventually lose the impact of my meetings with Him. I need to take the time to record these life-changing moments in my journal.
In yesterday’s post I talked about the need to record things. It is especially true when we have life changing encounters with God. These are times that must be kept for our future. To remind us of what we heard. So that when the trials and challenges come, we will remember why we are taking this road. It keeps us on track, spiritually speaking.
It is important that we find a way to remember these special times. Make sure you keep a journal and record your encounters with the Lord. Years later you will be grateful that you did.
Tags: Bible, changed life, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, glory, God's faithfulness, God's word, Jesus Christ, journal, journaling, mountain, mountaintop, presence of the lord, remember, revelation, testimony, transfiguration
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
Spending time with the Lord is always an adventure. You never know when or how God will speak to you. As you seek the Him, you will find more and more that He will speak to you, filling you with revelation. You will hear from Him concerning your personal walk with Him, your home life, your ministry, your career, etc. He may tell you new ventures to launch or old things to cut out of your life. The point is, whenever you hear a clear word from God for your life, write it down!
So often we miss out on God’s best because we forget what we heard, or we alter it along the way. It is good to be able to look back in a journal and see the conversations we’ve had with the Lord. Make a point to have a journal with you as you spend time with the Lord – and use it to record what you have learned.
Keep your eyes and ears open. God will speak to someone who is prepared to listen. Keeping a journal shows that you value the voice of the Lord. If you have never tried it, begin today recording what you learn in your private times with Him. The rewards are well worth the extra effort.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, forgetting, God's will, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, journal, journaling, overcoming, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, record, remember, writing
Ephesians 3:17b-19
…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
In this verse Paul is letting us in on a prayer that he frequently sent up to God. It is an interesting prayer because in it Paul is praying for power.
A prayer for power – I’ve heard a lot of those. God’s people are always praying for power. We want the power for healing and miracles. We want the power of the Lord to increase our finances and give us influence with those in authority. We all want the life changing, victorious power of the Holy Spirit to be at work in us. What exactly was Paul’s desire for the power of God to do in their lives?
It is actually something that I never hear the modern church pray for in regards to power. He wanted the supernatural power of God so that they could grasp the love of God. That is how absolutely beyond our experience this love is. It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to grasp it.
So, in short, I cannot love God without knowing God. (God is love) I cannot know God and His love without His power at work in me. He has to reveal His love to me. Why is that so important?
Paul is clear as to why he wants them to know God’s love in a supernatural way. So that they may be filled with the fullness of God. Another interesting thought…I have heard many believers pray for the fullness of God’s power in them. Yet, I never heard them pray for the power to understand and know His love. Maybe that’s why the church in America is not where it should be. We want power without love.
Christ is our example. Power and love in perfect unity and balance. That is what we must seek. Press in to the power. Seek the power to grasp the love of God. Only then will you be truly equipped to walk in the fullness of what God has for you.
Tags: authority, Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, encouragement, established, faith, filled, fullness of God, glory, God's love, God's will, healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, miracles, overcoming, power, prayer, presence of the lord, rooted, victory
The Spirit and the Word 