We Experience the Spirit Through Faith

 

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:5)

Every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul said, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9). The Spirit came to you the first time when you believed in the blood-bought promises of God. And the Spirit keeps on coming, and keeps on working, by this same means.

So Paul asks, rhetorically in Galatians 3:5, “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” Answer: “By hearing with faith.”

Therefore, the Spirit came the first time, and the Spirit keeps on being supplied, through the channel of faith. Whatever he accomplishes in and through us is by faith.

If you are like me, you may have strong longings from time to time for the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in your life. Perhaps you cry out to God for the outpouring of the Spirit in your life or in your family or church or city. Such cries are right and good. Jesus said, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

But what I have found most often in my own life is the failure to open myself to the full measure of the Spirit’s work by believing the specific promises of God. I don’t mean merely the promise that the Spirit will come when we ask. I mean all the other precious promises that are not directly about the Spirit but, perhaps, about God’s provision for my future — for example, “My God will supply every need of yours” (Philippians 4:19). God’s Spirit is supplied in an ongoing and powerful way precisely through specific acts of faith in specific promises for specific situations. Do I trust him right now to do what he has promised to do?

This is what is missing in the experience of so many Christians as they seek the power of the Spirit in their lives. The Spirit is supplied to us “by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5) — not just faith in one or two promises about the Spirit himself, but about all the soul-satisfying presence of God in our future to do for us, and be for us, whatever we need.

Proud Works vs. Humble Faith

 

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’” (Matthew 7:22)

Consider the difference between a heart of “faith” and a heart of “works.”

The heart of works gets satisfaction from the ego-boost of accomplishing something in its own power. It will attempt to scale a vertical rock face, or take on extra responsibilities at work, or risk life in a combat zone, or agonize through a marathon, or perform religious fasting for weeks — all for the satisfaction of conquering a challenge by the force of its own will and the stamina of its own body.

The heart with a works-orientation may also go in another direction and express its love of independence and self-direction and self-achievement by rebelling against courtesy and decency and morality (Galatians 5:19–21). But it’s the same self-determining, self-exalting works-orientation — whether it is being immoral or mounting a crusade against immoral behavior. The common denominator is self-direction, self-reliance, and self-exaltation. In all of this, the basic satisfaction of the works-orientation is the savor of being an assertive, autonomous, and, if possible, triumphant self.

The heart of faith is radically different. Its desires are no less strong as it looks to the future. But what it desires is the fullest satisfaction of experiencing all that God is for us in Jesus.

If “works” wants the satisfaction of feeling itself overcome an obstacle, “faith” savors the satisfaction of feeling God overcome an obstacle. Works longs for the joy of being glorified as capable, strong, and smart. Faith longs for the joy of seeing God glorified for his capability and strength and wisdom and grace.

In its religious form, works accepts the challenge of morality, conquers its obstacles through great exertion, and offers the victory to God as a payment for his approval and recompense. Faith, too, accepts the challenge of morality, but only as an occasion to become the instrument of God’s power. And when the victory comes, faith rejoices that all the glory and thanks belong to God.

GOD HAS TIMED EVERYTHING IN OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 10, 2022.

SUBJECT: GOD HAS TIMED EVERYTHING IN OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE! 

Memory verse: "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”. (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 1.)

READ: Ecclesiastes 3 vs 2 - 8:

3:2: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

3:3: A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time dance;

3:5: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6: A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

3:7: A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

3:8: A time to love, and a time to hate; A time to war, and a time of peace.

INTIMATION:

God has a plan and purpose for all people, and for all things. He provides circles of life, each with its work for us to do. Times for the good, and times for the bad. All these are from God and are purposed by Him in His perfect plan and timing. Although we may face many problems that seem to contradict God's plan, these should not be barriers to believing Him, but rather opportunities to discover that without God, life's problems have no lasting solutions! 

Timing is of essence in the journey of life. All the experiences listed in those verses in the passage we read today are appropriate at certain times. These verses express a divine order of things into which one must plug his or her life in order to enjoy the contentment that comes from knowing that God has all things under control. The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God's timing. This can lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead without His advice.

In life you never arrive; you are always on the road toward your destiny. The process of becoming the you God sees is hard work in the vineyard of God. It is the end result of hard work, many trials and tribulations, and, of course, triumph and victories. Though omnipresent and omniscient, God is mindful of every individual of His creation. We might be concerned that our understanding of the awesomeness of God might lead us to believe that He is indifferent to the details of His creation, and thus might overlook individuals. But God even knew each of us while we were still in our mother’s womb, before we were even taking form. 

God’s timing is inherent in your becoming the person God ordained you to be. You are forever in the process of becoming the person you will be. The word “becoming” implies the direction you are taking in your personal spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development. Life is a journey: it's not a destination. Every ending is a new beginning to your future, and every beginning is an ending to your past. Endeavor to continuously be taking the bold steps forward in your journey of “becoming,” and toward your glorious destiny. A step out of the way is costly and requires greater efforts to step back on the way.

It's obvious this is unachievable without Christ. By our own abilities, we will always crash. The Bible notes it in First Samuel 2 vs 9, "For by strength no man shall prevail." It's only God that makes all things possible with us. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4 vs 13). It is the power we receive in union with Christ that sufficiently helps us to do God's Will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it. 

Prayer: Abba Father, show me the path of life that I may work in it. In Your leading and timing I am assured of the lines fallen to me in pleasant places, and my arriving at my destiny, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Six Ways Jesus Fought Depression

 

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Matthew 26:37)

The Bible gives us an amazing glimpse into the soul of Jesus the night before he was crucified. Watch and learn from the way Jesus fought his strategic battle against despondency or depression.

He chose some close friends to be with him. “Taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (Matthew 26:37).

He opened his soul to them. He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38).

He asked for their intercession and partnership in the battle. “Remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

He poured out his heart to his Father in prayer. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39).

He rested his soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

He fixed his eye on the glorious future grace that awaited him on the other side of the cross. “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

When something drops into your life that seems to threaten your future, remember this: The first shock waves of the bomb in your heart, like the ones Jesus felt in Gethsemane, are not sin. The real danger is yielding to them. Giving in. Putting up no spiritual fight. And the root of that sinful surrender is unbelief — a failure to fight for faith in future grace. A failure to cherish all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.

In Gethsemane Jesus shows us another way. Not painless, and not passive. Follow him. Find your trusted spiritual friends. Open your soul to them. Ask them to watch with you and pray. Pour out your soul to the Father. Rest in the sovereign wisdom of God. And fix your eyes on the joy set before you in the precious and magnificent promises of God.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FEEL PURPOSELESS IN LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 09, 2022.

SUBJECT : WHAT TO DO IF YOU FEEL PURPOSELESS IN LIFE! 

Memory verse: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  (James 1 vs 5.)

READ: Second Corinthians 13 vs 5: 

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

INTIMATION: 

Sometimes life’s circumstances make one feel as nothing is working rightly in his life. Consequently, he feels that his life has no purpose. Even though you feel like you are wandering without any true purpose, that doesn’t mean you are lost. You can regain your sense of purpose and discover what God has for your life. As a Christian, once you are not living a life centered on Christ, you are not leading a purpose driven life for God. Here are 6 ways to discover God’s purpose for your life.

(1) GO TO GOD IN PRAYER.

In God all things consist. He created you and predetermined the purpose(s) you are to serve. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and direction. If you don’t know what you are doing, pray to God. He loves to help. You will get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought, and you will have what you have asked.

That is incredibly good news. God wants to give you a purpose. He wants to bestow divine wisdom on you. It’s not like God is holding out on you to make you miserable. He desires you to have a joyful, ambitious, purposeful life. Ask God for purpose and expect Him to give it to you.

(2) MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD.

The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your search for God’s purpose is to start digging into scripture. Now, you won’t find any verses that tell you to become a doctor or painter, but you will begin to understand the heart of God. Psalm 119 vs 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God’s world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.

(3) DETERMINE YOUR GIFTS AND STRENGTHS.

God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’mare an exceptional dancer or a wise counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe you’re great at organizing people and getting things done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the things you are already good at. This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you are going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.

(4) DETERMINE YOUR PASSIONS.

What is one thing or those things you are particularly passionate about? Really, this can be anything. Business, art, economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you love to do?

Determining your passions often helps you figure out what God has called you to do. It is often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your passions? That may be God’s purpose for you.

(5) BRING OTHERS INTO YOUR LIFE.

There is security in the counsel of many. Two heads of counsel are always better than one. One person’s perspective and understanding is severely limited; he or she may not have all the facts or may be blinded by bias, emotions, or wrong impressions. Proverbs 11 vs 14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your purpose is through others. A caveat needs to be made here. Your counselors should be people you trust. Whether this is your professors, parents or friends, it needs to be people who have your back and want the best for you. You want wise counselors to help you find God’s purpose for you.

(6) TAKE A SOLITUDE RETREAT.

Sometimes it can be incredibly helpful to get away from it all and take some unhurried time to think, pray and journal. You don’t have to spend a week in the woods for this to be effective. Even just a day away from the hustle and bustle can be hugely rewarding.

During these retreats, allow yourself to simply be still. To ponder. To ask God for direction and listen for His voice. This doesn’t need to be complicated and doesn’t require any elaborate rituals. Hebrews 11 vs 6 is a reminder that God always rewards those who diligently seek him. He is not hiding in the dark, trying to keep His will hidden from you. He wants to guide you.

(7) ABOVE ALL, PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD.

Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you are not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering. But you can trust God to lead you where He wants you to go. As Psalm 23 vs 2 - 3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” As you go about your daily tasks, God is working in your life in ways you may not know or even notice. We must not close the door on what God can do. Events do not occur by luck or coincidence. We should have faith that God is directing our lives for His purpose. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I know that the ways of a man is not in himself, and by strength shall no man prevail. Without You I can do nothing. Determine my steps that I may walk according to Your predetermined purposes for my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Saving Faith Loves Forgiveness

 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Saving faith is not merely believing that you are forgiven. Saving faith looks at the horror of sin, and then looks at the holiness of God, and apprehends spiritually that God’s forgiveness is unspeakably glorious, beautiful. We don’t just receive it; we admire it. We are satisfied with our new friendship with such a great, forgiving God.

Faith in God’s forgiveness does not merely mean a persuasion that I am off the hook. It means savoring the truth that a forgiving God is the most precious reality in the universe. Saving faith cherishes being forgiven by God, and from there rises to cherishing the God who forgives — and all that he is for us in Jesus. This experience has a tremendous effect on our becoming forgiving people.

The great act of purchasing our forgiveness is past — the cross of Christ. By this backward look, we learn of the grace in which we will ever stand (Romans 5:2). We learn that we are now, and always will be, loved and accepted. We learn that the living God is a forgiving God.

But the great act of experiencing our forgiveness goes on forever into the future. Our joyful fellowship with the great God who forgives lasts forever. Therefore, freedom for forgiveness, flowing from this all-satisfying fellowship with the forgiving God, lasts as long as we do.

I have learned that it is possible to go on holding a grudge if your faith simply means you have looked back to the cross and concluded that you are off the hook. That’s why I have been forced to go deeper into what true faith is — not just a relief that I’m off the hook, but also a profound satisfaction with all that God is for me in Jesus. This faith looks back not merely to discover that we are off the hook, but also to see and savor the kind of God who offers us a future of endless reconciled tomorrows in fellowship with him. Satisfied fellowship with such a forgiving God is crucial for our being forgiving people.

SIGNS OF NOT LIVING IN GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 08, 2022.

SUBJECT : SIGNS OF NOT LIVING IN GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE! 

Memory verse: "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  (Psalm 16 vs 11.)

READ: Psalms 17 vs 5: 

17:5: Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. 

INTIMATION: 

We have known that everything got started in God, and finds its purpose in Him. God has His reasons for creating the world. He has a purpose for creating all that are in the world, and determines the purpose to be served by all He created. All these are tailored to the form and nature of our Creator—our God is a God of purpose. To live purposefully in this life, we need to understand why we are created, and brought into this world by the Creator. Discovering that purpose makes life worth living, and you make the best of life here on earth.

There some key signs that you may not be living in the fullness of God’s purpose for you. 

As a Christian, once you are not living a life centered on Christ, you are not leading a purpose driven life for God. then we will understand how we can glorify God in all things. In this way, we can lead a purpose driven life for God. We will discuss here six signs that you don’t have much purpose in your life.

(1) YOU ARE BLATANTLY LIVING IN SIN.

Sin is a reproach, it is a revolution against God. If you’re blatantly disobeying the Bible, you’re not living in God’s purpose and you will certainly experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. This sign is quite straightforward so we don’t need to spend too much time here.

(2) YOU FEEL UNFULFILLED IN LIFE.

If you go about your days experiencing little fulfillment, you may be wandering from your God-given purpose. Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding, meaningful, purposeful things. From a job that taps into your skills and passions. From a relationship that involves giving and receiving. From hobbies that are invigorating instead of mind-numbing. Yes, you’ll have to do certain things that are boring and unfulfilling, but if you’re entire life is gray, you probably need a change.

(3) YOU LACK JOY AND EXCITEMENT.

If you wake up every day filled with apathy or dread or total boredom, you are probably not doing what you were meant to do. God has created you uniquely, has really good things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5 vs 22). Undoubtedly, there will be difficult things you encounter that require patience and persistence, but overall you should have a sense of joy and excitement that fills your days, your work and your relationships.

(4) YOU ARE NOT COMMITTED TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

You are not committed to what you are doing.  You always have the feeling of pointless work. You go to the office, clock in, do your job, then go home and collapse in front of the television. You work for the weekends and for retirement. All true joy you experience comes from things outside of work, from hobbies or friends or side jobs. If this kind commitment is what you feel at what you are doing, you may need to rethink where you are headed.

(5) YOU FEEL TRAPPED.

When you have the feeling that you are stuck in you life’s pursuit, then there is a problem. You earnestly desire a change but also feel totally stuck in your life, that is s almost certainly a sign that you are not walking according to God’s purpose. Those who are stuck want to go in a particular direction but don’t know how to get there. So they spin their wheels, feeling endlessly frustrated but unsure of how to make the frustration end. Do you feel trapped?

(6) YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION.

If you don’t know God’s purpose for your life, you constantly feel a sense of aimlessness. You feel as though you are wandering from thing to thing without any forward progress. Nothing excites you and you don’t have any specific goals you are working toward. Unlike the Israelites, who wandered for 40 years yet still had a goal (the Promised Land), you don’t even have a goal in front of you. That is an obvious sign you are not living in accordance with your God’s given purpose.

Prayer: Abba Father, I know that the ways of a man is not in himself, determine my steps that I may walk according to Your predetermined purposes for my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!