Philippians 1:27
“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” The Lord sends people into our lives for a reason. Sometimes for encouragement during a trial you are facing. Sometimes so you’ll learn a lesson about whom you can trust. Sometimes for counsel to help you make the right decision. Sometimes for strength to continue despite the enemy’s attack. Sometimes so you won’t feel alone. And sometimes, because you need someone to strive together with for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Someone you can earnestly contend for the faith along side. A friend in life. A friend in the ministry. Side by side. Every once in awhile God crosses your path with people that you can “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind” together. Those kindred spirits with whom our hearts are knitted that can only come by the Lord’s provision and grace. Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Whether you have one or several, be thankful for those people in your life. They are invaluable to your life and to the ministry that God has called you to do for His glory. Sometimes they have been there for years before you realize how much they have invested in your life. Sometimes they come right when you are at the end of your rope and willingly hold the rope of your life to allow you to climb back up. Sometimes they just show up beside you to encourage you to keep pressing on, and it seems as though they had been there your entire life. These are the ones who encourage you when your head hangs low. These are the ones who fill your life with fun and laughter. These are the ones who keep you accountable. These are the ones who make coffee taste sweeter. These are the ones who stay to help clean up or finish the project. These are the ones who through silence can make the best conversation. These are the ones who rebuke you gently when you have gone astray. These are the ones who remind you of what is important. These are the ones who lead by example. If you are lacking someone to strive together with, ask the Lord to send you someone. He wants to show us His love by the encouragement of others. God wants us to come to Him for every single thing we need in our life. Whether you strive together hand in hand daily in ministry or miles or oceans separate you, God has placed these kindred spirits in your life to remind you how much He loves you and knows exactly what you need. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Who are you “striving together” with for the Gospel? Thank God for them today. Seek to be a blessing to those around you for you never know when another kindred spirit might cross your path. Bible Reading: Job 1-2 | I Peter 1 | Psalm 12
0 Comments
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” We are new creatures in Christ Jesus. Our faith in His substitutionary sacrifice has transformed us. II 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.” This new creation as “his workmanship” occurs as an internal transformation that happens gradually. We cannot contribute to this work, for it is only God Himself Who must do the work by His grace. We were dead in our sin, and He quickened us together with Christ to make us alive unto His marvelous grace by His unfailing mercy and love. We are saved by His grace through our faith in His finished work on the Cross. It is nothing we have done, but He is the Gift through which we obtain eternal life. If we could contribute or obtain this new life on our own, He knew we would boast about our achievements and successes. Instead, He freely gives us the choice to make to receive Him through faith or reject Him through unbelief. We are not saved by works, but He desires us to work for Him so that others may see what a difference He has made in our life – a complete transformation. If our faith has no works associated with it, how will others see Christ in us? Because He has made us “a new creature” we are able to perform good works for His glory. He desires for us to walk in these good works so that Christ Jesus will be glorified. What are we doing for His glory today? Bible Reading: Esther 9-10 | James 5 | Psalm 11 Romans 1:17
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” From the moment we receive Christ as our Saviour to the moment He calls us home to Heaven to spend eternity with Him, our relationship with God is all about faith. Our faith should grow as time passes, meaning the longer we are saved the more our faith should increase. There is none righteous outside of the Blood of Jesus Christ and the more we strengthen our relationship with Him, the more faith we will have in Him. We have no righteousness of ourselves; our righteousness is found in Him. Philippians 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He gives us the faith to believe in His finished work on Calvary, and He gives us faith along our journey. Hebrews 12:2-3 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” We cannot please God without faith. From start to finish, our lives must be filled with faith in Him. As we seek Him, He will give us more faith to continue on our journey in accordance with His will. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” We only have one life to live for Him, and without faith we will surely fail. Our time is running out. Will we not choose to serve Him by faith? He promises to reward us when we seek Him by faith. Ask God to strengthen your faith today so that you can please Him. Seek to do His will, and search the Scriptures for the direction you need to follow Him. Choose to live a life of faith. Bible Reading: Esther 7-8 | James 4 | Psalm 10 Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” We live in a day and hour where many want a form of godliness, but when tested their faith fades into the darkness. Despite the persecutions and tribulations that the Apostle Paul faced, he remained unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If he could be unashamed, so can we. Paul knew the difference that the Gospel had made in his life and he wanted to share it with everyone he could. When we realize the difference that the Gospel has made in our lives, we will want to tell others. We must proclaim the Gospel with boldness. Ephesians 6:19-20 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Just as Paul felt as if he ought to speak boldly of the Gospel, so should we. Do we have a desire to proclaim the Gospel? The very eternities of those around us hang in the balance if we keep the Good News to ourselves. We must be bold because the Gospel has life changing power. “for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” Your life and eternity was changed when you believed the Gospel and put your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The power of the Gospel transformed your life. Are you willing to share that same life changing power with someone else? Choose today to be unashamed. Bible Reading: Esther 5-6 | James 3 | Psalm 9 Psalm 126:5-6
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” A seed must be sown into the earth in order to produce fruit. The “precious seed” that the sower bears here is none other than the Word of God. We see this in Luke 8 as Jesus tells the parable of the sower. If we are to sow effectively there must be some tears. We must have a burden for the lost, but also we must be a partaker of the sufferings of Christ to be more like Him. Though it is painful now, when we sow in spite of the tears we will one day have our sadness turned to tears of joy. Reaping the benefit of suffering, of sowing in tears. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Our sorrows should not prevent us from sowing the Seed. For there is no doubt that we will one day reap what we have sowed, and we will not be empty handed. John 4:35-36 “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” When we sow a Seed we may not reap immediately, but we have done our job. Bear the “precious seed” of the Gospel. Sow with tears knowing that God’s Word will not return void. Let God give the increase. I Corinthians 3:6-8 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” Bible Reading: Esther 3-4 | James 2 | Psalm 8 Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Sometimes in order to get back on track to the ending we hoped for, we have to go back to the beginning. A clean slate. A fresh start. We all need to start over sometimes. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Isn’t it wonderful to know that even after we are saved God is faithful to forgive our sins? Our relationship cannot change when we mess up. Once we are adopted into the family of God, He will always be our Father. The setup of adoptions today in America is based upon this Biblical fact. A father and mother can rewrite their wills to legally exclude their own biological children if they choose to; however, when an adopted child is welcomed into the family, they can never be excluded. The adopted child has full rights to the Father’s inheritance. When we have sin in our life we are still God’s children, but our fellowship with Him is broken. Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” David knew what it was like to be out of fellowship with the Lord. He wrote Psalm 51 after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sins involving Bathsheba & Uriah. The Lord got ahold of David’s heart and showed him his need for forgiveness, so David wrote these verses asking for a clean heart and restored fellowship. Psalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” If you have broken your fellowship with the Lord, you can have it restored today. Read this chapter as if it is your prayer to God, and like David you can be given a clean slate. God is waiting with His faithful open arms of forgiveness if we would only confess and ask. Bible Reading: Esther 1-2 | James 1 | Psalm 7 John 15:16
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” He chose us. Why? Because He loves us! I John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” He chose us before He even created us, and gives us the choice to accept Him or reject Him. He chose to give us free will because He wanted us to choose Him. He had a purpose for us from the foundation of the world, and He still has that same purpose for us today. He chose us and has enabled us that we should go and bring forth fruit for His glory. This is why it is so imperative that we as the branches stay connected to the Vine. Our purpose is to spread the Gospel and bear fruit. Not a temporary fruit, but a fruit that will remain. This alludes to a true & genuine faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that He paid on Calvary so that we could be His children. If you feel fruitless today it is not too late! There is still time to bear fruit for His glory. He tells us we just need to ask… “that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Bible Reading: Nehemiah 11-13 | Hebrews 13 | Psalm 6 John 15:4-5
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” A branch is nothing in and of itself. When it is broken off from the vine, it loses its strength and ability to produce any fruit. To be fruitful Christians, we must abide in Christ. We must depend upon Him, and we must commune with Him. The Vine never leaves the branches. If a branch becomes unfruitful it is because it has broken away from the Vine, its Supplier and Sustainer. It is absolutely necessary that the branch remain connected to the Vine. A branch cannot produce any fruit without the Vine, and it cannot survive without the Vine. II Corinthians 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” Without Him, we can do nothing. - John 15:5 But through His strength, we can do all things. – Philippians 4:13 Remind yourself today that as a branch, you must stay connected to the True Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. Take time to abide in Him, for without Him we can do absolutely nothing. Bible Reading: Nehemiah 9-10 | Hebrews 12 | Psalm 5 Isaiah 30:18
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” Even when we have a different timetable for our lives, the Lord wants us to wait on Him and His timing. We often get impatient and wonder why the Lord is making us wait, but have we ever considered if we are making the Lord wait? He waits for us to see our need of a Saviour and repent of our sin. He waits for us to serve Him. He waits for us to confess our sin and restore our fellowship with Him. He waits for us to forgive those who have wronged us. He waits for us to trust Him. He waits for us to take a step of faith. He waits… Are you making the Lord wait? What are you waiting for? The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah had other plans. God showed him mercy despite his disobedience waited for Jonah to go where He called him to go. In order to get Jonah’s attention, God sent a storm. When the storm didn’t get his attention, God had his shipmates throw him overboard. When that didn’t work, God sent a great fish to swallow him up and give him time to realize what he needed to do. What might God have to do in order to get your attention of what He wants you to do? The Lord is Longsuffering. “And therefore will the LORD wait” 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Lord is Gracious. “that he may be gracious unto you” God gives grace even when we don’t deserve it. Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” The Lord is Merciful. “that he may have mercy upon you” Psalm 103:8 “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” He is waiting. Decide today to do what He has laid on your heart. Bible Reading: Nehemiah 7-8 | Hebrews 11 | Psalm 4 Psalm 27:14
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” When we do not have a clear yes or no in answer to something we have prayed and asked God for, we have two choices: proceed with caution not knowing the Lord’s will, or wait. Our flesh wants action, but waiting involves being still without movement or proceeding ahead. Waiting is hard, but beneficial because it allows us to rely on God. Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” David knew firsthand what it was like to wait. He was chosen to be king of Israel, but had to wait many years before he ascended the throne. Think of what all transpired while David waited for his time to come. A selfish tyrant held the very title David knew would one day be his, and this same man sought David’s life on more than one occasion. Saul’s actions forced David to hide in caves fearing that his days were numbered; yet, he knew God had promised him that one day he would be king. His many days of waiting allowed his character to be shaped in such a way that he was later called “a man after God’s own heart”. What character is the Lord shaping in you while you wait? David could have chosen to be angry and discouraged in his days of waiting; but instead, he allowed God to use the waiting period to shape him into the man God wanted him to be. While he waited he was confident and expected the Lord to come through for him. He would not have been the same if it had not been for the trials and period of waiting that God chose to give him. Waiting can produce confident expectation that God will provide. Though we may get discouraged, we can use the waiting period to allow God to create within us a confidence that only comes from trusting Him. While we wait, we can use our time wisely by spending it with our Saviour. Time spent with the Lord is never wasted. Ask Him to give you grace in your times of waiting. Use your time of waiting wisely by spending it in His presence. “Waiting requires sitting at the feet of our Saviour and exchanging our timetable for His.” June Kimmel Bible Reading: Nehemiah 5-6 | Hebrews 10 | Psalm 3 |
Archives
January 2021
Philippians 4:17Copyright © 2020
Delight Thyself Design Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. |