GOD'S WILL

Dear Friends, we will be away for the next two weeks on a trip to Washington, DC with a senior citizen’s group. Your prayers for our travels and health will be appreciated. We have had two very busy months and look forward to the time away. Go to Church if able; pray for the Pastor and teachers. May we all be found doing the will of God if the trumpet sounds and we rise to meet the Lord? Long for it, pray for it and be busy ushering it in for it is the will of God for us. We wish for you a glorious Resurrection Sunday. To God be the glory. david

GOD’S WILL

Jesus didn't call us and save us only to follow Him; He called us to be Him. He called us to continue and to ultimately complete His ministry work here on the earth. In order for us to be successful in accomplishing this, He gave us His Spirit and His authority to do what needed to be done. Jesus wants us to experience the same baptism and empowering He received from His Heavenly Father. He wants us to willingly accept this enlightening and empowering because he wants us to have the same relationship to the Holy Spirit He had while He was on the earth. For us to do this, we must be willing to embrace and submit our will to the will of God.

When the people heard Jesus teach and witnessed His miraculous acts they knew He was different. He came to do the Will of God rather than cater to the will of man. Whenever we do the will of God it will be obvious to others and to ourselves; evidence of the transforming power going on within us. (John 7:17; Romans 12:2; Mark 3:35)

One of the greatest witnesses we can have in the world today is to do the good works purposed for us by God. This type of behavior is in stark contrast to the behavior of the world. Godliness is the behavior of godly people and it has the power to silence the ignorant talk of foolish men and women who live as the enemies of God. (1 Peter 2:15)

When we are asked why we live the way we live, we can respond honestly that it is a work of grace; a work of sanctification that enables us to relinquish our will to God in order to live a life that is honorable to Him. (1Thess 4:3-5).

God has a purpose and plan for each and every one of us. By submitting our will to Him we allow the Holy Spirit in us to fulfill that purpose and plan.  Remember the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray? Within it is a line that reveals the ultimate objective our goal God has for his creation. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:9-13)

I share the following hymn with you along with my prayer that each of us will willingly embrace the Will of God and His Will, will become our will.

I Surrender All

1.All to Jesus I surrender;                                                                                                                                all to him I freely give;                                                                                                                                         I will ever love and trust him,                                                                                                                               in his presence daily live.

(Refrain)

I surrender all, I surrender all,

all to thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

3. All to Jesus I surrender;

make me, Savior, wholly thine;

fill me with thy love and power;

truly know that thou art mine.

(Refrain) 

PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS

Priesthood of Believers

Hebrews 13:15  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Dear friends, when we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask Him to forgive us of our sins, we become a child of God.  We should willingly serve God because we are part of the priesthood of believers and one of the chief functions of a priest is to offer sacrifices to God. While the type of sacrifices the Old Testament priest would have done is different from the sacrifices performed by a New Testament priest, they are still important to be done.

The first and most important sacrifice to be done by a believer is the sacrifice of self. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) We are to willingly die to self and live for Jesus Christ, serving Him and doing what He would have us do. This is obviously the most difficult sacrifice for any follower of Jesus Christ to make, but once we make the sacrifice of self, the other sacrifices are much easier for us to do.

The second way in which we as believers can offer a sacrifice to God as a part of our priestly duties is in our finances. It is in being generous toward God where we discover the joy of giving. It is the believer’s responsibility to underwrite the cost of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad. Once the financial need is made known the Holy Spirit will place within the spirit of the believer a compelling desire to help meet the need. A good example of this is found in   2 Corinthians 8:2-5 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. Years ago I heard the following statement and it stuck with me: “If God doesn't have your wallet, he doesn't have you.” Throughout my years of ministry I have found this to be true.

The third sacrifice we can make as believers is to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb 13:15)   This sacrifice of praise would be to use our lips to confess the name of Jesus, our voices to sing His praise and taking time in our prayers to offer praise to Him for His great love, mercy and grace. Sacrifices of praise can be done in worship services, Bible studies, our personal quiet time with the Lord or at times when we have an opportunity to share our faith with others. We use our lips to offer a sacrifice of praise whenever we bless rather than curse; when we speak the truth rather than a lie; when our walk matches our talk.

The fourth sacrifice we can make as believers is “to do good and share with others.” (Heb 13:16) You may not have been aware of it, but when you visited that person in the hospital or when you paid a visit to that person who was lonely, the one who is easily forgotten, you were performing a priestly duty. You are doing something that pleases God.  J. Vernon McGee, a powerful preacher of the Word said, “If Christianity does not walk in shoe leather it is no good at all.” We are the hands, heart, feet and voice of Jesus here on earth. As His priest He wants us to perform the same priestly sacrifices He performed while He was on the earth. And after all, He is still here. He is found in you and in His church.  You, as priest of His Church, write the check, write the note, bake the cookies, make the phone call, knock on the door, invite, spend time with, and more importantly pray for those whom God has placed around you and need His tender priestly care; “for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  From one priest to another, may God richly bless you, david

NOW THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE

Now This Is Eternal Life

John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Eternal life is more than an endless existence. Eternal life is to know God; to know Him in such an intimate way you want to spend eternity with Him. There is only one way to acquire this type of intimacy and that is through His son Jesus Christ.

Jesus died and shed His blood so we could be forgiven of our sins. Sin separates us from God and keeps us from having a meaningful, loving relationship with Him. Sin results in alienation from God and if we remain in our sins we cannot have a personal relationship with God. Once our sins have been confessed and we have asked Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior our sins are forgiven and we are able to respond to the love of God and become a member of His family. Not only are we forgiven and welcomed into God’s family, we are given the gift of eternal life. What a wonderful gift that is!

The Scripture quoted above reveals an important definition of what eternal life really is...to know the only true God and Jesus Christ, His Son. To know God gives the highest meaning to life. It is the most personal, intimate relationship we will ever experience, in this life and for eternity. We were created to enjoy a loving relationship with the Creator God; to walk and talk with God in perfect unity; to love and be loved by Him. Sin separated us from this relationship. Jesus removed the barrier of sin through His death on the cross. His work of redemption gives us a second chance at real life and brings us back into a personal relationship with God the Father. God is not a god or one god among many; He is the ONLY God. The choice to believe or not to believe in Him is a choice we must all make. It is a decision we make individually; no one else can make it for us. If we don’t place our faith in Him we are lost.

In our unsaved condition we cannot know God. Millions of individuals are walking around this planet seeking the meaning of life, and it grieves me to say, they are looking in all the wrong places. The reason Jesus came to the earth was to save us, forgive us and redeem us. He showed the depth of his love by His willingness to die for sinful man.He didn't have to, He chose to in obedience to the will of God the Father. 

Entering into a relationship with God through His Son is the starting point. As we walk together our relationship grows sweeter and sweeter. We look forward to spending eternity in heaven.

How about you? Have you discovered the true meaning of eternal life? If the answer is no, get to know Jesus! To know Him is to know the Father and to know the Father is to know the real meaning of eternal life. david

THE PERSON WHO TOOK JESUS'S PLACE

The Person Who Took Jesus’s Place

John 16:7  But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

It is difficult for us to understand how the disciples would have felt when Jesus told them He was going to leave them. He not only said He was going to leave them, He told them it would be for their good. These disciples had left their families and their jobs to take up with this itinerant preacher, going from town to town proclaiming the coming of the Messiah who would usher in the Kingdom of God. His words were persuasive, His miracles never before seen. He had turned water into wine; miraculously healed lepers; fed thousands with a few fish and a few loaves of bread; restored sight to the blind and enabled the lame to walk. He stilled the raging sea and brought the dead back to life. They believed He was exactly who He claimed to be, the only begotten Son of God, the Savior of the world. And now He was going to leave them and He was telling them it was for their good He was going.

How could this be possible? Who could take His place? The name of the One coming reveals the uniqueness of His replacement. He would be the Counselor, the Comforter, and the One who would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He would be the Spirit of Truth and would guide all who believe in Christ into all truth. His actions and revelations would bring glory to God and always exalt Jesus Christ.

The Counselor Jesus is talking about is the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26) He is the Spirit of power, the Spirit who teaches, the Spirit who lives within us and guides us. He is the One who opens our spiritual eyes and ears and baptizes us into Christ at the point of our salvation. He is the power of our resurrection and searches all things, even the deep things of Christ. He is the Spirit behind our being born again, our becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus. (John 14: 26; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:11; Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Titus 3:5)

Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, brings relief in the midst of our distress and supplies wisdom in the midst of our confusion. He is our Intercessor, the One who reconciles us to God.

It is this third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised would come to take His place. Jesus knew what His disciples needed and what we modern-day disciples need to be able to live faithfully in a righteous and holy relationship with Him. What a wonderful God, what a wonderful Savior, what a wonderful Holy Spirit Jesus sent to fill the void of His absence. 

Here beloved is the “good news:” all who belong to Jesus have His wonderful Holy Spirit living within them. He is in the process of transforming us to the image of Christ. Hallelujah!  My heart aches for this work of the Spirit to be completed soon. As the chorus of the beautiful hymn says, “Oh to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thy art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness, stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. 

How grateful we should be to Christ for the giving of His Holy Spirit. david

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God."

Why do you think the angel’s message to Mary concerning the birth of Elizabeth’s child in her old age was important? Mary needed to be encouraged. She had just been told that she was going to give birth to a son and she was to name him Jesus. Mary’s response was, “how will this be…since I am a virgin?” What the angel revealed to her seemed to be impossible. God knew this would be Mary’s response so he sent an angel, a messenger, to strengthen her faith. Mary would have known Elizabeth, a relative of hers, wanted children but she also knew she was beyond normal childbearing age. If Elizabeth was pregnant it would be the result of a miracle performed by God. If God could work such a miracle in Elizabeth’s life, He could work a miracle in her life. The angel’s message strengthened her faith and gave her confidence that she could trust God to do the impossible.  Mary’s response to the angel is the response of faith; “I am the Lord's servant…May it be to me as you have said."  

The angel’s message to Mary is also recorded for our encouragement and the strengthening of our faith. All of us need to be reminded of the sovereignty and power of God. Listen to the angel’s message, “nothing is impossible with God."   Do we believe it? Does our life reflect it? Is this our faith position? When we face trying times; when there appears to be little or no hope and the counsel of others has little to offer, do we hear the Lord speaking to our hearts saying, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

The day we believe this truth is the day we begin to grow in our faith and understand the power of Jesus over all things. With Jesus there will always be hope; even in light of the reality of our weaknesses, whether they are physical, emotional or spiritual. We can draw strength and assurance and comfort in His presence for nothing is impossible with Him. We can rest in His peace and draw from the blessings He makes available to us through His indwelling presence. Is it easy to do? No! Is it doable? Yes!

When this truth is ingrained into our hearts and minds, when it really becomes ours, it will revolutionize our thinking. It will enable us to focus our attention on the sufficiency of Christ rather than the insufficiency of self. We can face our inabilities without shame because we know when we are weak, Jesus will be our strength. When we are shortsighted, Jesus will expand our vision through His living Word. When we need direction Jesus provides us with spiritual ears to hear Him speak to our hearts His blessed truths. Friends, our God is able. His power and sufficiency to save is available to all of us. All we need do is ask. When we need to be encouraged it would be wise to remember the comforting words spoken by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

On a personal note: when I become anxious, the Holy Spirit reminds me, I am to be anxious about nothing. Rather than spending time being anxious I can spend time in prayer, asking God for the peace of His presence. And dear friends, when I am obedient and allow the peace of God to wash over my spirit, I can offer a prayer of thanksgiving from my heart; a prayer to Him who is able to do more than I can imagine for God is at work within me. (Phil 4:6-7; Eph 3:20-21) What a Wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!

While sitting here writing this devotional the Lord brought the following hymn to mind. I share it with you in the hope it will bless you as it blessed me. I looked up the lyrics on the internet and discovered that I could not only read the lyrics but I could also listen to it being played on a piano. As I read and listened I had a wonderful time of worship. The words are so meaningful. They are truly like a balm to my soul. The web address is as follows if you choose to go there: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/334. You may need to cut and paste it in the address bar.

1.      A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
  A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
  Where rivers of pleasure I see.

o    He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
  That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
  And covers me there with His hand,
    And covers me there with His hand.

2.      A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
  He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved,
  He giveth me strength as my day.

o    Chorus

3.      With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
  And, filled with His fulness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God,
  For such a Redeemer as mine!

o     Chorus

4.      When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
  To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
  I’ll shout with the millions on high.

o     Chorus

Lyrics:  Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915)

Music: William James Kirkpatrick(1838-1921)

God bless you all. Who knows the next time we see each other we may be dressed in His brightness, meeting Him in the air. We will shout together to His praise and who knows it may be one of Eleanor’s favorite words we will shout in honor of our King: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen!

david