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.”
— Acts 1:8 NLT

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.

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.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
— Psalm 1:3

We have become accustomed to instant service and rapid results. Waiting for a few minutes in a fast food line is stressful for many people. We know what we want and we want it NOW. Some kinds of earthly delight can feed our hearts for a short time, but when difficulties come, our hearts will wither in the drought. Delighting in the LORD and in his will for us, however, provides us with ongoing and ever-fresh joy. Out of this lifestyle comes both short-term and long-term benefits and a resiliency that withstands life’s worst droughts.

Dear God, Holy One of heaven, I do find my delight in you and your ways and find refreshment in your abiding Spirit. Please give me the wisdom to seek your will every day of my life. 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.

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.

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 any new journey, especially when the journey demands your leadership. Joshua is no longer second chair. He is no longer the backup guy and enforcer for the plan to make Israel a great nation . 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? The exhortation to “fear not” can be found in the old and new testaments of the Bible 365 times…. a reminder for every day of the year. God is still God. His word is still true. His promises are still trustworthy. His might is still all-powerful… this  hasn’t really changed. God is the real leader of all of his people. FEAR NOT!

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.

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.