For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do
what pleases Him. - Philippians 2:13
As pointed out in the post “We Call Upon Your Name”, All who call upon
the name of the Lord receive the way to freedom and even victory over death.
This day with God, let us call
upon His name and just like in the song One
Desire by Hillsong have one request and that is to be devoted to His Way.
To obtain the power the Spirit
offers, let us have one desire; to call upon the name of the Lord for all of
our days. To desire to hear His Word, see Christ at work, and bring the Good
News to others.
A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. - Proverbs
16:9
Pointed out in the post “The Purpose for the Law”, salvation and
sanctification are not obtained by keeping a list of rules but in knowing
Christ. The law reveals right and wrong, initiating accurate thinking and
self-discipline for the purpose of obtaining the intangible qualities of
Christ.
Without God’s principles and the
example given to us in Christ, we wouldn’t have much. Like this song points out
Me Without You - TobyMac, we have
all we need to become a champion for God.
Since we have a plan to direct
our steps today, let us believe that we have a better shot at getting things
done. Let us believe that things will fall in place and we will end up getting a
lot more done than we ever thought we could.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins. - Colossians 1:13-14
The post “Instrument of Righteousness” was about
yielding to God and using this as the catalyst to ultimate victory in life. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate
yourself in yielding to God’s will and being used as an instrument of righteousness?
You have a role to play because
you have will and will is more important
than skill. Choose to be on God’s side for He is always right.
In the song My Victory by Crowder, one point made
is how the Cross which was meant to kill was used to bring victory for you and
me. To step ahead, let us think about what the enemy uses to attack us with.
Let us think about ways to turn it against the enemy and use as a means to
bring victory to many lives today.
Teach us to number our days aright. That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
- Psalms 90:12
Explained by Paul in the post “Right Standing”, Abraham could not boast
before God or claim his due because it was by faith and not by works that God
did amazing things through him. The priority was more faith because it is
etched eternally into God’s account. What if instead of working at building up
an account like a bank account or a 401K account, we used more of our time to
build up kingdom wealth.
Faith is like uncut diamonds
that are improved and made into bright gems for a useful life. One way to build
up this eternal faith account is to capture thoughts from sermons or Bible
Study, and from experiences that we go through or those we know go through.
Another way to build up eternal faith is gathering inspiration from music or
photos just like this one: Oceans (Where
Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United.
Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where
there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need
it. - Hebrews 4:16
The main point as written in the
post “The Greatest Sacrifice Ever” is that God’s
Plan for us makes it much easier today because of what Jesus Christ did on
the Cross for our eternal victory.
We can be a great person but
without Christ, the victory is out of reach. I remember watching the NFL
induction ceremony when Brett Favre was inducted into the Hall of Fame. With
all his greatness, few people know that he is leader in one negative stat. As a
quarterback, he had the most interceptions.
We all make mistakes but we can
turn mistakes into a victory if we take in the lessons learned. Because of the
grace of God, blessings can be received even from our past mistakes. Take
inspiration from today’s video: Your
Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher and believe you have all you need to build
for an amazing future.
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more
and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. - Psalm 100:4
As written in the post, “Promise is Fulfilled” explained is how the
law and the promise is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. We have ups and
downs in life. There are times where the future seems gloomy but then in a
moment, something can inspire us to keep going. It may be something you read,
it may be something you see like a sunrise or sunset, or it might be a song you
hear.
Christians believe the ultimate
reward is salvation. The law in the Old Testament is not set aside. Instead, it
is followed more clearly through the promise fulfilled in Christ. This day,
know that Christ is Holy and by accepting Christ as Savior, you have what is
needed to be perfect in God’s eye.
There is no need to get uptight
about things in life. Today, make a decision to let it go and trust that everything
will work out. The focus for today is to enjoy each moment so as we begin,
receive inspiration from this song O Praise
Him by David Crowder Band.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
Written about in the post “Connection to the Vine” are two ways of
thinking about salvation. Paul’s way of thinking is that faith in Christ as the
Son of God is how we are justified and not by observing the Old Testament law.
We face difficulties on a daily
basis … a family member is sick, a rough day at work, trying to balance work,
home, and school work. When we face these difficult days, accepting Christ and
being connected to the Vine is how we receive the power to make it through.
As emphasized in the song I will Trust in You by Lauren Daigle,
the power received through Jesus can move the mountains, part the waters, and
provide a victorious future.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in
whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn
of my salvation, my stronghold. – Ps 18:2
In sharing the post “Delivered from Enemies”, noted was how David
faced difficulty but spread his wings in faith to be lifted to a new level as
God fashioned a bright future for David.
We all face difficulties in
life. I once read about actor Sylvester Stallone who not only was the lead
actor but also wrote the script for all the “Rocky” and “Rambo” movies. Before
hitting it big with the movie “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone went through
homelessness as he struggled to make ends meet as a writer and actor.
If going through a trial in your
life or just having a down day, take inspiration from this video: Lift Me Up by The Afters.
Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others,
faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. - 1 Peter 4:10
What should you do when people
don’t understand or accept God’s message? One idea written about in the post “Discover What You Do Best” is to discover your
God given strengths and use them so that people are able to make an association
between the Good News and their needs.
Let us
pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify
another. - Romans 14:19
Christianity is the most
adaptable movement there is, allowing individuals to accommodate other’s
attitudes and convictions without compromising principle. Christianity is built
for the individual and is flexible yet distinctly substantiated by belief in
Christ.
Unfortunately, we are so caught
up in a time when being politically correct is all that matters and not
offending people is the main objective rather than following the path laid out
for us.
Yet this day, let us remember
that Jesus died for all. Let us not judge but edify. My hope is that this video
will inspire this thought for us today: Jesus,
Friend of Sinners – Casting Crowns.
Working with computer systems,
many times things don’t go as they should because one piece is missing. Like a
recipe, all the ingredients must be there and applied like the instructions
tell you.
One time, I was setting up this
system and doing some testing but I just couldn’t figure out why the bar code
was not printing on a document we send out through our mail machine. Eventually,
after spending some time going through all the pieces and asking for a fellow
worker to go through it with me, we found one piece of code that was missing.
When this code was included, everything worked.
You might have that missing
piece for someone that may make their life easier and this might make all the
difference between helping them have a good day or a bad day. The words you say
or the ideas you give can make all the difference and we need all kinds of
people on our team, especially in our complicated world in which we live today.
Here is a video using a country
song and the students of a Jr High to explain the importance of all kinds of
people. A good team, good school, or good company requires all kinds of people
working together; using individual skills to help lead to success. Enjoy
today’s video: All Kinds of Kinds –
North Park Jr High – Miranda Lambert.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind
and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! -
Romans 15:5-6
Sometimes we
face challenges in life that seem overwhelming. That’s when knowing that with
God, everything is possible can keep us heading in a positive direction. We can
pray about the challenge, make accurate decisions, gain momentum, and meet the
challenge head on.
In the
post Healing Power, I wrote about Peter
receiving the power through Christ to heal a paralytic man named Aeneas and
bringing a disciple named Dorcas back to life. The amazing power of God was
made known and many turned to the Lord.
These were
two of the great miracles found in the Bible but the greatest miracle of all is
eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. We serve an awesome God … enjoy today’s
inspiring video: Awesome God by Michael W. Smith.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works within us. - Ephesians 3:20
The post Association contained some written thoughts from the study of Genesis 14. A lesson
learned was that the people we associate with are so very important. Lot was
near the sinful city of Sodom and because of this association; he lost all his
possessions and was taken captive. On the other hand, Abraham was where God
wanted him to be and with the people He wanted him to be.
Being around a negative environment can cause great damage in societies.
Think of societies that begin to break down. Respect for people breaks down,
respect for authority breaks down, and respect for keeping the surroundings upright
breaks down.
Like in Genesis 14, the area became a crime riddled wasteland and wars broke
out. What once was the place to be, near prosperous activity and growth became a
devalued area not because of location but because of the lack of integrity
around it.
We need today more people of integrity like Abraham who promised God not
to take the spoils of war. He kept his promise when he refused to take anything
from the king of Sodom. Here is a video that inspires integrity:Search me Lord – Gaither Vocal Band.
Show me Your ways,
Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God
my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5
