Forgiveness!
“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT
Jeremiah is God’s voice, speaking about the promise of the LORD’s new covenant that he will make with his people. Of course, knowledge of God’s “instructions” started with the prophets and others who spoke for God in Biblical times and starts with the Bible and people who speak for God now. However, knowledge is not nearly enough. We need to be empowered and transformed by the Holy Spirit of the living God who will place God’s instructions on our hearts and make them a part of us. As important as the scriptures are, the Spirit who inspired them is also the one who is essential for us to understand and live the intent of scripture. The Holy Spirit will inform, transform, and conform God’s people to be like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). This promise of a new covenant also runs throughout the New Testament, but the work of the Spirit in this covenant is especially emphasized in John chapters 14-16 as Jesus promises the Comforter or Counselor or Advocate or Helper or Friend (depending on your translation). It is also emphasized powerfully in 2 Corinthians 3, which is probably a spiritual reflection about the fulfillment of God’s promise recorded by Jeremiah. Read 2 Corinthians 3 after reading today’s verses from Jeremiah. Rejoice that we have this promised time of grace and divine presence available to us in the Holy Spirit!
Almighty God, I rejoice in the sacrifice of Jesus and the work of your Holy Spirit to bring your promise of a new covenant alive in our day. I ask that the Spirit’s power, his force, his grace, be at work in me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
This World Needs Jesus.
My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
and wait in hope for my arm.
Isaiah 51:5 (NIV)
God’s promises stand through the ages. He has fulfilled them in many different ways. He has punished evil nations, he has redeemed Israel according to his promises, and he has sent Jesus as Savior and redeemer. But most importantly of all, Jesus stands at the edge of history waiting to return and bring full redemption for God’s people and salvation for those everywhere who long for his return.
Sovereign Lord,
I see so much injustice in the world
and I long for truth, righteousness,
and justice to triumph.
While I long for the return of Jesus,
my heart also breaks for the many
that do not know Jesus
and for those who are
in rebellion to your will.
I don’t know what to ask
other than that your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
and may the triumph
of your will begin with me.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Help me to change.
- Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
— John 6:68
When Jesus asked his disciples if they would leave him like everyone else had, Peter’s response is powerful and great. He knew where truth originated! He had heard the voice on the Mountain saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; listen to him!” He had seen Jesus’ words change reality and destroy barriers to God’s love and truth. Indeed, he knew that there was no one else who had the words of eternal life! So who are you listening to?
Almighty God, thank you for making Jesus so accessible to me. Jesus helps me see the full extent of your love. Jesus helps me more completely understand your message about wanting to redeem me and make me your own. I want to always come to Jesus for truth, grace, refreshment, and hope. There is no other one that I want to be my Lord except my crucified Savior, Jesus. Today, Father, gently confront me in those areas where I have yet to fully yield to your Son’s lordship in my life. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
The Promise and the Presence
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.” – Acts 2:36-39 NLT
A promised gift of the new movement of God prophesied in Scripture is the Holy Spirit. We often focus on the forgiveness of our sins, and clearly, this forgiveness is a great blessing of grace won by the sacrifice of Jesus. This blessing is for all who confess Jesus as Lord and Christ, trust his sacrifice to cleanse them from their sins, and are baptized into his name. But there is another gift that is just as precious: God’s holy presence placed within each of these cleansed, redeemed, and newly adopted children of God. This presence, this gift, is the promised Holy Spirit. We must never, ever, underestimate this gift that Jesus has poured out on us and placed within us (Titus 3:3-5).
Father God, I recognize the very many great gifts that you have poured into my life. Today, however, I am overwhelmed by your grace and mercy. You sent and sacrificed Jesus for my sin. You raised Jesus up and conquered the power of death. And now, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to cleanse me, indwell me, empower me, transform me, and ultimately bring me to you. Thank you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Staying on Task …
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)
In a universe so incomparably vast, in a world so marvelously diverse, we can be paralyzed by our insignificance and impotence in the face of such staggering enormity. But in moments of simple faith, we can be calmed by our reverence and dependence upon the Creator and Sustainer of such wonders and find great comfort that our lives are in his hands. Christians and the church must engage in the business of sharing Christ so souls can be rescued. As long as we are silent and passive, the ways of the world prevail. Some are timid because evangelism seems so dangerous… belonging to Christ has always been so. Jesus said, “The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me.” John 15:21 NLT
Almighty and wondrous God, thank you for knowing me even though I can’t begin to comprehend your glory. I need your love, care, protection, blessing, grace, forgiveness, and presence. Without you, I have nothing of lasting significance. Help me to share his message of faith with someone today. Please be near. In Jesus’ name I humbly ask. Amen.
Taking a bite out of sin…
A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.
John 13:34-35
How do you recognize Jesus’ followers? How do you find Christians? Jesus said they love each other just as he loved the disciples. In the immediate context this means he is willing to give sacrificially and extravagantly by dying for them at the cross, and he is also willing to love selflessly and practically by washing their feet. His ministry reveals he will do almost anything in between extravagant and practical. Imagine if we all read the Gospels and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed his love to his disciples!
And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 5:5
It’s hard to believe that there is an endless supply of anything! But the promise of this passage, even in its context of suffering and difficulty, is that we have an endless supply of love as the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with love. This love is as big as God and is supplied by the Holy Spirit’s living inside us as followers of Jesus. We can receive and be blessed by God’s love, and we have the power to love others out of God’s deep reservoir of love.
Father of Compassion and God of all grace, I thank you for teaching me to love
through the example of Jesus. Thank you for your powerful grace that is given to me through your Spirit and enables me both to receive your love and to love others as Jesus did. May my life reflect this powerful gift in both good times and hard times. May my words and actions reflect his love toward your people today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you. In the name of Christ, my Great Example, I pray. Amen.
Give the gift of prayer…
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
— Romans 15:30 NIV
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts to give us hope and endurance (Romans 5:5; Colossians 1:9-11). So it shouldn’t surprise us that the love we have from the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for others in their struggles. Praying for others, what is sometimes called intercessory prayer, is a great gift empowered by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. In today’s verse, Paul wanted this Spirit-led and love-driven prayer to focus on his desire to proclaim Jesus, something we’ve focused on for several days. However, this Spirit-led and love-driven kind of prayer can be offered for anything that another brother or sister in Christ needs. Let’s remember that the love we feel for others and the intercession we are given by the presence of the Spirit are there as gifts to equip us to pray for others!
Today, Father, I want to pray for a number of folks on my heart who face struggles of all kinds. Some are family members… some are friends… some are faithful servants of your kingdom doing your work in hard places… some are grieving… some face tough times… some are making hard decisions… some have family struggles… some have great opportunities they don’t want to miss… some are overcoming addictions… and there are many others. Please hear my prayer for them today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wait for the Promise
[Jesus said,] “You’re the first to hear and see [the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messiah]. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until [the Holy Spirit] arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.”
— Luke 24:48-49 MESSAGE
“You’re the witnesses!” Jesus wanted his closest followers to know that they had experienced some things that were world-changing, and they were the first ones to witness these things. Their mission would be great, but they would receive power to help with that mission. That power would equip them and enable them to be witnesses to the world. The power that they were promised is the Holy Spirit. And that Holy Spirit, dear friend, is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside Jesus’ followers today! The early disciples waited for Jesus to send that power at Pentecost, and we are living reminders of that promise being fulfilled and that power being real. Two thousand years later, people across the oceans, from a multitude of cultures, call Jesus Lord because the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming is true — in New Testament times and in our own!
Father, please forgive us for not believing in the power you have made available to us in your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for pouring the Spirit out on us when we gave our lives to you. Now, I ask that you open our eyes and our hearts to see and believe that this promised source of power to witness to your work is available to us today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Power to Save
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
— 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NIV
When the good news of Jesus is preached, the Holy Spirit is at work making the message powerful. The “demonstration of the Spirit’s power” may refer to miracles that accompanied the preaching of the message of Jesus (Hebrews 2:1-4). However, in the context of today’s Scripture, Paul is primarily focusing on a greater truth: The message of a crucified Savior doesn’t appear to be wise and persuasive by human standards of wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 2:1-3), yet the Holy Spirit is active in the telling of the story of Jesus. The Spirit’s work in the message of the cross gives it seemingly inexplicable power to reach into people’s hearts and call them to Jesus. Nevertheless, for those of us who know the Holy Spirit’s work, this power really is not inexplicable; it is a reminder of God’s grace to give us not only the gift of Jesus but also the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the gift of Jesus!
Words cannot express, dear Father, how precious your love is to me. I realize that everything that I am and have in Jesus is the result of your grace. I believe that my future is secure because of that grace and because of the blessed Holy Spirit who is in me and who helps convict, correct, and console me. I thank you for such grace, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Truthfully…
But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT
I love Paul’s challenge to Timothy to be faithful to what he had been taught and to remember why he could trust what he had been taught. Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture can make us wise, give us faith, correct us, teach us, prepare us, and equip us in two important ways: (1) through a Spirit-filled mentor or parent, and (2) through the Scriptures themselves, which he describes as holy and inspired (God-breathed or Spirit-inspired). The Scriptures’ power lies in the words the Spirit inspired and the people who show the transforming influence of the Spirit at work in their lives. Why wouldn’t we be eager to let the “sword of the Spirit” (God’s word, Ephesians 6:17) be at work in our lives?
Almighty God, thank you for speaking to us in words. As I place myself under the guidance of the words of Scripture, dear Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit uses them to form me into a person who is increasingly more like Jesus each day. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.
My Hope
The post, dated August 6, 2017, features a message accompanied by a video link. It reflects on a time when the author’s hair still retained some color, suggesting nostalgia and a change over time. The video likely complements this sentiment, offering a glimpse into their past.
Message from August 6, 2017 when my hair still had some color!
Properly Equipped
Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17 NIV
The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and the Spirit helps us understand the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). God’s message of truth is much more than just the words of mere mortals; it is God’s will given by his Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:8). Scripture has its origins in the Spirit of God, even though it was proclaimed by human messengers (2 Peter 1:19-21). In other words, I must not neglect the Scriptures as the word of God. They must be allowed to teach, rebuke, correct, train, and equip me to live the life of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I must allow the Spirit to use God’s word to convict me and work on the attitudes of my heart as I am trained to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 4:12-13; Hebrews 5:11-14). Another important thing that catches my attention today is that I must “take” God’s word. I must intentionally choose to pick it up, use it, and depend upon it, inviting the Spirit to lead me in the way of God!
Holy God, thank you for giving me your word in Scripture. Thank you for pouring out your truth through human messengers inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the work of the Spirit to convict and enlighten me through your word. As I seek your will in your word, I ask today that the Spirit be active and lead me in the way you want me to go. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
No More, No Less… Enough!
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
— 2 Corinthians 12:9
Today’s Word
While other preachers in Paul’s day were parading and bragging about their credentials, Paul refused to get into such self-centered contests to prove he was the most impressive of Jesus’ disciples. Even though he had the religious education and Jewish pedigree to silence his rivals, he preferred to acknowledge the areas of his weakness where God triumphed over his limitations. God had taught Paul that heaven’s power was most on display in Paul’s weakness, like Jesus’ power over the evil one, which he demonstrated through the cross — the ultimate sign of weakness (Colossians 2:12-15). God demonstrated his power through what Paul did in his weakness so the glory could go to God! Let’s be careful about determining someone’s ministry worthiness based on his or her resume or reputation. Instead, let’s honor people in whom God’s grace has triumphed through their weakness!
Our Prayer
Almighty and loving Father, thank you for sustaining and enabling me to serve you in ways I would never have dreamed of doing. Please help me serve you faithfully as I depend upon your grace in my weakness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Purchased of Blood
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies,
we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more,
having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
— Romans 5:9-10
Today’s Word
Jesus did more than die for our sins; he lives as our resurrected Lord. So, since God emptied heaven of the Son, had him die on the cross for our sins, and then raised him from the dead to save us, imagine what God has in store for us now that he has saved us! We have only seen the beginnings of God’s love for us, and even though what we have seen is amazing, God will do more than we can ask or imagine for us through the power and presence of our resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that he gives us (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Our Prayer
Holy Lord, we look forward to the day we get to see you and experience your grace in all its glory when we meet Jesus in that glory. Please inspire us to be courageous and confident when facing challenges in the future. We want to live faithfully and victoriously before others, knowing Jesus is alive forever for us. Father, we believe that the best of what Jesus wants to do in us and through us lies ahead, so use us to your glory. In Jesus’ name, we know we are forgiven as we pray confidently and anticipate our future glory with him. Amen.
Think About It…
Has it ever occurred to you that the Bible
doesn’t ever just say that God loves us?
Instead, it says:
“God demonstrates his own love for us in this…”
(Romans 5:8).
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son…”
(1 John 4:10).
“For God so loved the world that he gave…”
(John 3:16).
For God, love is more than an emotion or intention. True love — redemptive love, God-styled love — is defined by actions and the emotions that launch those actions! Jesus showed God’s love for us by sacrificing everything for us. He did it when we most needed it. He demonstrated God’s love for us while we were sinners, powerless, ungodly, and even enemies of God!
Our Prayer
Father, thank you for loving us. We love you for what you’ve done. We love you for who you are. We love you for your promises. We love you for your faithfulness. Most of all, dear Father, we love you because of Jesus, who showed us how much you love us. Please empower us to show our love by serving and giving to others as Jesus did for us. In his name, we pray. Amen.
At a loss for words?
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
— Romans 5:6-7
Today’s Word
Christ died for the ungodly. That’s us! We were included in this reality before Jesus! Christ died for me, you, those you love, and even those who do not love you. Without Jesus’ sacrificial death and God’s amazing grace, we could never save ourselves by our deeds or make ourselves fully righteous. Jesus did for us what we could not do: he lived a perfect life and died a horrible death to pay off the debt of our sin — something we did not have the power or resources to pay. He did it for us, not because we were good enough to be worthy of his sacrifice, but because we could never do enough to be found worthy without him!
Our Prayer
Loving God, we thank you. Sacrificial Savior, we praise you. Holy Spirit, we live through your power. Words cannot adequately and fully express our thanks for the gift of your grace that cost you so much yet means so much to us. We give all honor, glory, and praise to you, GOD, our Father who sits on the throne, the Lord Jesus Christ who went to the cross, and the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live transformed lives. We pray this based on the authority of Christ Jesus, whose grace makes us worthy to come into your presence, dear Father, and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ken Crawford 