Category: living by faith

[To the apostles, Jesus said,] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Everywhere! That pretty much covers the world, doesn’t it? The amazing thing is that this ragtag bunch of disciples, who were nobodies from nowhere, did it. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they began a movement that has endured time, cultural differences, geographical distances, persecution, martyrdom, apathy, and misunderstanding. When the power of the Holy Spirit animates and motivates Jesus’ followers, they are compelled to care about all peoples and share the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth!

Loving Father, I know you want all people to experience your love for them in Jesus. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in me, convicting me of my prejudices, calling up compassion for the broken of the world, propelling me to reach out to people around me, and moving me to give up myself and my resources to share the message of Jesus wherever I can in the world. I pray this for your glory and in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

[Jesus said,] “John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
— Acts 1:5 MESSAGE

“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, …” (Acts 1:4 NLT). These were Jesus’ words to his closest followers. Now we understand why. When John the Baptizer came, he spoke of one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:7-8). Soon after Jesus ascended back to heaven, the kingdom of God would break into the world with fresh power. In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit is given to every true follower of Jesus. The early disciples stood on the edge of Pentecost and the beginning of a new movement of God that would sweep up all sorts of people into his kingdom. And we are part of that great movement. We, too, are filled with this same Holy Spirit. Jesus still calls us to live out the good news of God’s kingdom in our world by the power of the Holy Spirit… and to do it now!

Father, thank you for your plan: the call of Abraham, the leadership of Moses, the heart of worship in David, the faithfulness of the prophets — all who worked, led, and spoke through your Spirit and pointed to your great work to redeem the world and create a people who reflect your character and compassion. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, please form us — please form me, those I love, and all of Jesus’ disciples — into the people who live your will in the world. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
— Philippians 2:3

Humility is recognizing who God has made us to be and using that recognition to serve and redeem others. Living in humility as Jesus did, we don’t just practice the golden rule, but we go one step better — we treat others better than we would treat ourselves. Are we instructed to do this because we’re unworthy or unfit? No! Jesus was worthy and glorious, but he chose to treat others better than himself when he sacrificially gave himself to redeem them. It’s a high standard. It’s a hard standard. It is not for wimps. But it is ultimately glorious.

Almighty God, thank you for adopting me as your child and making me holy and precious to you. Please help me to see myself as you do, and then, as one of your precious children, empower me to serve others in ways that help them see your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

…you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
— 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Jesus is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let’s unpack those church words. Righteousness — the ability to stand before God and be declared free from guilt. Holiness — the character and nature that reflect the glory and sanctity of heaven. Redemption — the gift of freedom bought at great expense. Christians aren’t perfect? Hmmm! We know this is true. But, because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, we also know that in God’s eyes we’re righteous, holy, and redeemed. That, dear friend of Jesus, is what we call amazing grace!

How can I thank you, wise and merciful Father, for the gift of Jesus? Your love in formulating the plan to send him, your sacrifice in having him become mortal, your agony when your own creations murdered him are too wonderful for understanding. But in my heart I do know that you did these things because of your loving grace and I want to thank you and praise you forever. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

We proclaim him [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
– Colossians 1:28

The life of Jesus is transformational. The resurrection of Jesus is transformational. The Gospel of Jesus is transformational. Jesus’ gift of the Spirit is transformational. The proclamation of Jesus is transformational. The work of Jesus is transformational. In other words, Jesus is the key, the center, the hub, and the heart of what we do and why we do it. Paul also reminds us that Jesus Christ is our goal.

Father, please forgive me. I confess that in my zeal to help others, I have sometimes lost sight of Jesus’ power to change their lives and relied on my own meager resources. As I seek to know Christ more perfectly and as I seek to be more like Christ in my daily character, please use me to lead others to him and to be like him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the name above all names, I pray. Amen.

See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
— Deuteronomy 1:21

A word of encouragement is indispensable at the start of a new journey, especially when the journey demands your leadership. Joshua is no longer second chair. He is no longer the backup to all-pro Moses. Now it is his turn to lead. The people he leads have only known the leadership of the incomparable Moses. How will he lead? He will lead trusting the promises of God and without fear or discouragement! How is this possible? Because the real leader of God’s people hasn’t really changed! God is still God. His word is still true. His promises are still trustworthy. His might is still all-powerful.

Father God, as I face increasing responsibilities and greater challenges, remind me of your promises, allay my fears, strengthen my resolve, and lead me by your will. May the victories in which I participate always bring glory and honor to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
— Romans 1:20

What an incredible world we live in! The expanse of space is humbling. The majesty of the mountain peaks takes away our breath. On and on we could go, describing all the beautiful, magnificent, and awe-inspiring wonders of the universe. The variety, the order, the symmetry, and the unexpected all testify to God, the Genius behind it all.

O LORD, Almighty God, your works of creation astound me with your incredible sense of majesty, grace, wonder, awe, and beauty. Thank you for making your fingerprints so clearly seen in our incredible world. In Jesus’ name I praise. Amen.

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
— Isaiah 1:17

“A man’s got to take care of himself!” Yeah, we do have to be responsible folks. But, part of being responsible, part of being blessed — at least as God sees it — is to care for others, to stick up for the disadvantaged, and to intervene when someone else is being exploited. After all, we are our “brother’s and sister’s keeper!”

Remove the heart of selfishness, O God, that keeps me from caring for the downtrodden, abused, forgotten, and broken. Give me your eyes of concern and Jesus’ heart of compassion to see them and minister to them. In his name, the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”

We are called to be spiritual people — holy, righteous, faithful, and compassionate like our Father in heaven. But our own efforts fail at achieving these spiritual characteristics. We need the power and presence of Almighty God at work in our lives to purify and sustain us in our desire to live to honor our Father. So God in his great mercy gave us the gift of new birth and the right to be born of God (John 1:12-13). This gift is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is at work in us through our faith and baptism (Galatians 3:26; Acts 2:38-39). The Spirit cleanses us and makes us holy no matter our past sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The Spirit lives inside us and identifies us as children of God (Romans 8:9). The Spirit powerfully works to conform us to Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Conforming to Jesus is certainly something that we could not accomplish by our own abilities. We celebrate the Father’s work in us through the Holy Spirit who has made it possible for us to be born anew and to live for Jesus (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7).

Thank you, Father of mercies, for the work of the Spirit to cleanse me and give me new birth into living hope as I seek to live the way of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
— Titus 1:15

Rust stains, grass stains, blood stains, chocolate stains… stains that are real nightmares in the laundry room. They don’t just leave a stain on the surface of the fabric, but they also leave a residue that infiltrates the fibers of our clothes. Evil is that way. We must not kid ourselves. Evil corrupts and leaves a residue that corrupts everything it touches, including the hearts of otherwise decent people. That’s why we are urged to stay far away from evil and avoid its very appearance. That’s also why Jesus died: to not only overcome the Evil One, but to also clean away the stain and its residue.

Father, guard my path and give me good Christian friends who will help guard my life from evil. In addition, dear Father, please help me as I seek to share the cleansing and liberating power of Christ with those around me who are caught in evil’s destructive and deceptive grasp. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.