Tag: Rev. Dr. Ken Crawford

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
– Psalm 51:11

This desperate cry is from King David to God in his deep sorrow for his sin with Bathsheba and his cry for God’s forgiveness. The king before David, Saul, had blatantly disobeyed God and sought to rationalize his sin. God took his Holy Spirit from Saul. So David’s cry is understandable: in the Old Testament, God’s Spirit didn’t come to dwell in his people permanently.

However, I believe that the New Testament teaches that when the Holy Spirit comes into a person at his or her conversion, this gift of the Spirit is permanent. They can grieve, quench, resist, and ignore the Spirit’s influence, but God doesn’t take the Spirit away from them. Jesus promised that the gift of the Spirit would be with us forever (John 14:14-16). Paul talks about nothing separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus in the context of a chapter focusing upon the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:37-39).

We shouldn’t have the concern David voices as followers of Jesus in whom the Holy Spirit lives. Instead, when we hear David’s heart-wrenching cry, we need to be reminded of two things. First, we need to be thankful for this precious gift of God’s presence within us to be with us until we return home to the Father (Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 2:2). Second, we need to be reminded of the hurtfulness of sin to the Spirit of God living within us and commit to honor God with what we do, think, and say (Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Father God, I cannot fully comprehend the wonder of you coming to live inside me through your Holy Spirit. I commit to live my live more aware that every breath, every thought, every action is part of my worship to you as the Temple in which you live by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
– Proverbs 23:22 (NIV)

“Honor your father and mother.” This is basic to God’s plan for our lives. When families are built within God’s covenant of grace, respect and obedience by children toward their parents is a blessing to the children! As adults, we preserve the dignity of our parents and teach our children important life-lessons when we honor and respect them appropriately. Let’s not get swept up in our era of parent-bashing. Let’s bless our parents in ways that honor God. If your parents were ungodly or abusive, find older folks in your church family for your emotional and spiritual support, while in as many ways as is possible treat your physical parents with honesty, respect, and integrity.

Loving Father and eternal God, thank you for my parents — physical and/or spiritual. Bless them with what they most need to find their way home to you. Give me wisdom to know how best to show my love and respect to them. Most of all, Father, please help them to see that my love and character come from you. In Jesus’ name pray. Amen.

[God] said, “Without question these are my people, children who would never betray me.” So he became their Savior. In all their troubles, he was troubled, too. He didn’t send someone else to help them. He did it himself, in person. Out of his own love and pity he redeemed them. He rescued them and carried them along for a long, long time. But they turned on him; they grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them. – Isaiah 63:8-10 MESSAGE

When we rebel against God, when we ignore his mercy and grace, when we do not do his will, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Immoral behavior and social injustice in Isaiah’s day grieved the Holy Spirit. Paul also said that the way we use our speech and the ways we treat and interact with others could grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:29-31). The key message from God that I hear in this passage is powerful and plain: When I sin, when I am not compassionate, and when I am careless with my words, I am not just breaking the will of God, but I am also breaking the heart of the Holy Spirit of God.

Loving Father, Gracious Son, and Abiding Holy Spirit, please forgive me for my reckless words and rebellious behaviors that break your heart and wound your people. Amen.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
– Isaiah 61:1 NIV

God’s servants in every era, including now, are empowered by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit produces holy fruit in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23), shapes their hearts, and guides their efforts toward ministry that conforms to the heart of God: He sends them to bind up the broken, bring freedom to those in captivity, and proclaim release from darkness for those imprisoned. We can get an idea of the way we are yielding to the Spirit’s leading when we see what resonates in our hearts and what our hands find to do as ministry!

Almighty God, make my heart yearn for what you long to happen. Guide my hands to do the work that you want to be done. Open my eyes to see those who need to receive your mercy. Move in me powerfully with your Spirit to conform me — heart, soul, mind, and strength — to your holy and compassionate will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the LORD. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.” – Isaiah 30:1 NLT

In the time of Isaiah, God’s people were in a very difficult predicament politically and militarily. They saw making alliances with foreign governments their only hope for survival. Why is it that we, the people of God, so easily forget that God is our only hope for survival — not military might, not financial strength, not alliances with other people or other governments. The problem is that we don’t live directed by the Spirit. Galatians 5 reminds us that we are to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), to be “led by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:18), and to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Eight centuries before Galatians was written, Isaiah was challenging God’s people to live this way, and they ignored him — and even more importantly, they ignored God — bringing disaster upon themselves. I wonder if we are listening to him today?

O Father, King of Glory, I surrender my heart to be influenced, led, and directed by the Spirit so that I can produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life as I walk in step with the Spirit’s will in my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

O land, land, land,
hear the word of the LORD.
Jeremiah 22:29 (NIV)

What is absolutely essential for our country and our people to experience revival? First, the Spirit or God must move in a mighty way. Second, the people must open their hearts to hear and respond to the Word of the Lord. So let’s commit to pray together, all over the world, that our people will open their hearts to the Spirit and the Word of God. May our confessions of faith endure in Christ.

Holy and Almighty God, please move powerfully in our day to bring revival. Open the hearts of the peoples to your truth and enable those who proclaim your Word to speak your truth with power. Please use me to help make a difference in the lives of those around me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. – Romans 12:3

Pride does go before a fall! Try balancing these two truths: “I must not be prideful, but I must understand just how much God values me.” It’s not easy. Satan can use our self denigration, what I call the worthless worm syndrome, to discourage us and keep us from using our gifts and knowing our value to God for Kingdom work. On the other hand, pride takes God out of the picture and attributes any contribution to God’s Kingdom to us and not to God. To be both bearer of the image of God and part of fallen humanity is more than a theological issue; it is the daily struggle of being a disciples. But we maintain the proper balance by praising the One who made us his child and adopted us into his family.

Holy Father, as your child, redeemed at the cost of Jesus’ life, I know I am loved and valuable to you. I know you have given me abilities and gifts to use for your glory and to bless your church. But Father, I do not want to ever think that my abilities are somehow tied to my superiority or work. I know you have given me the gifts, abilities, and experiences that have shaped me, so please empower me to your glory. But Father, I never want the glory that is achieved from your gifts to puff me up or rob from me the realization that I am what I am, I have what I have, and I do what I do, because of your grace and your generous gifts. May I ever be your humble but valuable child at work in your Kingdom. I pray in the name of Jesus, my older brother and your Son. Amen.

Choose you this day
whom ye will serve . . .
as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
– Joshua 24:15

In America, every year July 4th brings with it fun, food, family and friends, and fireworks—all as a celebration of national freedom.  But even with all the celebrating and fun, many Americans are still caught in the web of bondage on a mental, emotional, relational, financial, vocational or spiritual level.  Most often, we ourselves create the chains that bind us by making poor or sinful choices. The longer I live, the more convinced I am that life is a series of choices, each choice has a consequence, and we must live with the consequences of our choices.  In order to have true freedom in your life, then, you must make wise choices.

Father God, you are the one who gives us freedom to make choices and pursue actions that can either be good or harmful to ourselves and others. On this sacred day of freedom, we thank you for the opportunity to live in a great nation that has all of the resources to help a hurting world. Help us to choose the people and nations with whom we will share our blessings. Freedom in Christ does indeed set us free! In his name, amen.

Sovereign God, help me discern today what my life is intended to fulfill in your plan. Thank you for loving me and promising to walk beside me every step of my life. I live trusting that you will never forsake me and committed to never forsaking you. In the name of your faithful Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.