He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Ephesians 4:11
The way God distributes gifts in His church is wonderful. We don't all have the same abilities. No two people are alike. As we all use those gifts to build up the church, it is wonderful.
No one can rightly boast about their abilities because those abilities are gifts. As such, we should be sure to use those abilities, not for our own gain, but for the good of those around us.
Lord, thank You for the gifts that You've given me. Help me to realize that it's nothing that I've done. Help me to always remember to use my abilities for Your glory and for the good of others. I want to be able to come to the end of my life and be able to say that many people have been blessed by my life. Most importantly, I want to have Your approval on my life and my accomplishments.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Unity of the Spirit
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:3
This verse begins by telling us that it will take diligence. This is not something that comes automatically. Our fallen nature causes us to tend toward disunity. Having the Holy Spirit in our lives causes us to tend toward unity and oneness. What a blessing! He calls this phenomenon "unit of the Spirit." The body of Christ is one. God the Trinity is one. As Christians, we are all called to a walk of following God.
Since we are all one, we will relate in the bond of peace. There should not be fightings and divisions among believers. We all have a common bond, and that should bring about peace in our lives.
Lord, I ask You to indwell me fully. Help me to experience this unity in my life. Forgive me where I've allowed arguing, selfishness, dishonesty and disrespect destroy that unity that You desire for me life. I ask that You would give me true love for my brothers and sisters in the Lord, and that beautiful unity would be the result. I want to be a part of Your plan to unify the body of Christ!
Ephesians 4:3
This verse begins by telling us that it will take diligence. This is not something that comes automatically. Our fallen nature causes us to tend toward disunity. Having the Holy Spirit in our lives causes us to tend toward unity and oneness. What a blessing! He calls this phenomenon "unit of the Spirit." The body of Christ is one. God the Trinity is one. As Christians, we are all called to a walk of following God.
Since we are all one, we will relate in the bond of peace. There should not be fightings and divisions among believers. We all have a common bond, and that should bring about peace in our lives.
Lord, I ask You to indwell me fully. Help me to experience this unity in my life. Forgive me where I've allowed arguing, selfishness, dishonesty and disrespect destroy that unity that You desire for me life. I ask that You would give me true love for my brothers and sisters in the Lord, and that beautiful unity would be the result. I want to be a part of Your plan to unify the body of Christ!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
My Eulogy (Part 4)
This is the final post in a series inspired by two men who have inspired me. I was recently listening to a podcast by Andy Stanley where he referred to a challenge that he read in the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the book, Mr. Covey challenges readers to write out what you would like people you know to say at your funeral: your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss, your coworkers, and etc. The reason for this, is that you must decide what you want to be before you decide what you want to do.
Today, I am sharing what I would like to have my coworkers say about me:
Daryl was someone we will miss a lot. He worked hard and enjoyed what he did. He was unselfish and was willing to take the difficult part of the job. He was dependable and we could always count on him keeping his word. He was always open new ideas or criticism. He didn't feel threatened by the success of people who worked under him. He encouraged growth and was quick to delegate in order to give people new opportunities and skills. He had little time for seniority. Instead, he felt that we each should be promoted based on our strengths and performance. He always kept the company striving for continuous improvement, and he led by example. He was always humble and led by serving. His greatest leadership role model was Jesus. His goal as a leader was to make himself unnecessary. As he accomplished this goal and promoted more people to "take his place," he gave more and more of his time to missions, church and other good causes. He didn't work as many long hours as some of us because he valued his family very highly. He believed that there should be no difference between personal values and business values, and he lived out his personal values every day at work. In relating to customers and coworkers, he was always honest and transparent. Because of this, he earned the trust of everyone around him. Because he "worked himself out of a job" and surrounded himself with people who stood for the values he did, things will continue to flow smoothly at work. Yet, we will always remember his legacy and miss his inspiring leadership.
Wow, these posts sound like a lot of bragging! That's not at all what I want them to be. These are my goals, and by God's grace, I want to continue to refine them throughout my life. I want to reach the ones that are right and eliminate the ones that are not.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
My Eulogy (Part 3)
This post is the third in a series inspired by two men who have inspired me. I was recently listening to a podcast by Andy Stanley where he referred to a challenge that he read in the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the book, Mr. Covey challenges readers to write out what you would like people you know to say at your funeral: your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss, your coworkers, and etc. The reason for this, is that you must decide what you want to be before you decide what you want to do.
Today, I will write what I would like to have my parents say about me:
Daryl was our first child and he came with a very strong will and a stubborn streak. He was our most difficult child in many ways, especially when he was younger. Yet, as we guided his strong will and determination, it became an asset to him and a blessing to those around him. We enjoyed relating to him and even through his teens, we had a good relationship with him. We didn't always agree with his decisions, but he was always respect and willing to talk with us. We were blessed again as he brought a wife and grandchildren into the family. He is a dedicated dad is raising his family to glorify God. He and his family have given much time to helping poor people and reaching out to tell people about Jesus. His life has been a blessing to us and to those he touched.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Destroy Not Him for Whom Christ Died
http://media.shalombiblefellowship.com/Destroy%20not%20Him%20for%20Whom%20Christ%20Died.mp3
This was the message that I heard at church last Sunday, and it so inspired me! If only more Christians could live like this, far fewer people would be disillusioned by the faith. I want to do my best to relate to people I disagree with in a loving, redemptive way. It's a long listen, but it's well worth it.
This was the message that I heard at church last Sunday, and it so inspired me! If only more Christians could live like this, far fewer people would be disillusioned by the faith. I want to do my best to relate to people I disagree with in a loving, redemptive way. It's a long listen, but it's well worth it.
My Eulogy (Part 2)
This post is the second in a series inspired by two men who have inspired me. I was recently listening to a podcast by Andy Stanley where he referred to a challenge that he read in the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the book, Mr. Covey challenges readers to write out what you would like people you know to say at your funeral: your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss, your coworkers, and etc. The reason for this, is that you must decide what you want to be before you decide what you want to do.
Today, I will write what I would like to have my children say about me:
Dad loved God, he love Mom, he loved us and he loved to have fun. He was unselfish and generous. He put a lot of effort into his job, but he was never too busy or to tired to spend time with us. He involved us in the family business, but he wanted us to feel free to pursue something else in life if that's what we preferred. He didn't begrudge the money that his family cost. Yet, he was frugal in his spending. He loved to teach us life skills, and Mom and he gave us a balanced education that was a good preparation for life. He taught us and showed us how to give to those in need. He strongly encouraged us to give several years of voluntary service while we were in our upper teens. As we grew older, he allowed us to make many of our own decisions and rarely forced us to follow his wishes. Yet, when he did speak, we nearly always respected his wishes. He believed that his job was to work himself out of a job. So, he trusted us to make our own decisions (and face the consequences) early. He didn't micromanage our lives, but he was always there when we needed him. His goal was to have us be able to grow beyond where he was. He didn't want to hold us back in any way. Honesty and integrity were his rule of life, and he earned the trust of everyone around him. Dad wasn't perfect, and he readily admitted it. Yet, we wouldn't have traded him for anyone else. If I can be a dad like he was, I will be pleased.
Today, I will write what I would like to have my children say about me:
Dad loved God, he love Mom, he loved us and he loved to have fun. He was unselfish and generous. He put a lot of effort into his job, but he was never too busy or to tired to spend time with us. He involved us in the family business, but he wanted us to feel free to pursue something else in life if that's what we preferred. He didn't begrudge the money that his family cost. Yet, he was frugal in his spending. He loved to teach us life skills, and Mom and he gave us a balanced education that was a good preparation for life. He taught us and showed us how to give to those in need. He strongly encouraged us to give several years of voluntary service while we were in our upper teens. As we grew older, he allowed us to make many of our own decisions and rarely forced us to follow his wishes. Yet, when he did speak, we nearly always respected his wishes. He believed that his job was to work himself out of a job. So, he trusted us to make our own decisions (and face the consequences) early. He didn't micromanage our lives, but he was always there when we needed him. His goal was to have us be able to grow beyond where he was. He didn't want to hold us back in any way. Honesty and integrity were his rule of life, and he earned the trust of everyone around him. Dad wasn't perfect, and he readily admitted it. Yet, we wouldn't have traded him for anyone else. If I can be a dad like he was, I will be pleased.
Friday, January 18, 2013
My Eulogy, (Part 1)
This post is the first in a series inspired by two men who have inspired me. I was recently listening to a podcast by Andy Stanley where he referred to a challenge that he read in the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the book, Mr. Covey challenges readers to write out what you would like people you know to say at your funeral: your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss, your coworkers, and etc. The reason for this, is that you must decide what you want to be before you decide what you want to do.
Today, I'll begin with my wife:
I met Daryl when we were both in our upper teens and our friendship grew very slowly. After a few years, we started dating, and he slowly began to win my trust by always being faithful and dependable. Sometimes he felt impatient with me or disagreed with me, but we learned to communicate and work through the difficult times. The longer we were married, the better we learned to communicate and work as a team. As we had children, he learned to value family time and relationships. He also learned what it means to be a servant leader. He learned humility, unselfishness and patience. He was generous with his time and money. He was wise in managing business and finances and was willing to help other people who asked his advice. He also learned the value of having and being a mentor. He learned how much God loves him and this was the key to him loving those around him with unconditional love. Together, God led us through some times when we needed to learn to lean on Him completely. Our faith grew as God answered prayers, opened doors and performed miracles in our lives. God has led us on an incredible journey and I'm so glad I could share it with Daryl.
Today, I'll begin with my wife:
I met Daryl when we were both in our upper teens and our friendship grew very slowly. After a few years, we started dating, and he slowly began to win my trust by always being faithful and dependable. Sometimes he felt impatient with me or disagreed with me, but we learned to communicate and work through the difficult times. The longer we were married, the better we learned to communicate and work as a team. As we had children, he learned to value family time and relationships. He also learned what it means to be a servant leader. He learned humility, unselfishness and patience. He was generous with his time and money. He was wise in managing business and finances and was willing to help other people who asked his advice. He also learned the value of having and being a mentor. He learned how much God loves him and this was the key to him loving those around him with unconditional love. Together, God led us through some times when we needed to learn to lean on Him completely. Our faith grew as God answered prayers, opened doors and performed miracles in our lives. God has led us on an incredible journey and I'm so glad I could share it with Daryl.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Showing Tolerance
showing tolerance for one another in love,
Ephesians 4:2
What does it mean to show tolerance? How should a Christian show tolerance? Is there every a time that we shouldn't show tolerance? What does tolerance look like in everyday shoe leather? The Amplified Bible says it this way, "patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another." Strong's Concordance defines tolerance as "to hold up, bear with." We should be patient with the weakness or mistakes of those around us. We need to give them the benefit of the doubt. We should be more harsh with ourselves than we are with others. Tolerance doesn't mean that we overlook sin. Instead, it means that we forbear with people who have different opinions than we do. It means that we accept and love people for who they are. It's easier to tolerate some people than others. Sometimes tolerance is the hardest to show to those we love the most. Yet, it's important to show tolerance for everyone.
Lord, help me to be tolerant and forbearing with everyone just as You were when You lived here on earth. Help me to hate sin, and yet be tolerant of people who have differing opinions. Help me to know the difference. I want to live like Jesus did.
Ephesians 4:2
What does it mean to show tolerance? How should a Christian show tolerance? Is there every a time that we shouldn't show tolerance? What does tolerance look like in everyday shoe leather? The Amplified Bible says it this way, "patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another." Strong's Concordance defines tolerance as "to hold up, bear with." We should be patient with the weakness or mistakes of those around us. We need to give them the benefit of the doubt. We should be more harsh with ourselves than we are with others. Tolerance doesn't mean that we overlook sin. Instead, it means that we forbear with people who have different opinions than we do. It means that we accept and love people for who they are. It's easier to tolerate some people than others. Sometimes tolerance is the hardest to show to those we love the most. Yet, it's important to show tolerance for everyone.
Lord, help me to be tolerant and forbearing with everyone just as You were when You lived here on earth. Help me to hate sin, and yet be tolerant of people who have differing opinions. Help me to know the difference. I want to live like Jesus did.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Me, Worthy?
I...implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Ephesians 4:1
We have a high calling. How can we really be worthy of if? Christ has come to earth and died to save us. Can we really be worthy of that? We are called to live like Jesus did. Can we really do that? No, not on our own. But, with the power of Holy Spirit living within us and the blood of Jesus to cleanse and justify us, by the grace of God, we are perfect. We can be worthy. Praise God!
Hurray, this is post number 500. Please stay with me so that we can make it to 1,000!
Ephesians 4:1
We have a high calling. How can we really be worthy of if? Christ has come to earth and died to save us. Can we really be worthy of that? We are called to live like Jesus did. Can we really do that? No, not on our own. But, with the power of Holy Spirit living within us and the blood of Jesus to cleanse and justify us, by the grace of God, we are perfect. We can be worthy. Praise God!
Hurray, this is post number 500. Please stay with me so that we can make it to 1,000!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Superlative Palooza
Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
Ephesians 3:20
We sometimes struggle to believe that God can or will do what we ask of Him, but here Paul says, that God can do beyond what we ask. Not only that, He can do abundantly beyond it. As if that weren't enough he says that God can do "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." Paul could not use enough superlatives to describe God's ability. In addition, God wants to do these things for us. All we need to do is ask in faith with the guidance of Holy Spirit, and all that power will be at our disposal.
I am only beginning to learn to take advantage of all that power. I want to grow in simple faith believing that God will move mountains for His glory and my benefit.
Ephesians 3:20
We sometimes struggle to believe that God can or will do what we ask of Him, but here Paul says, that God can do beyond what we ask. Not only that, He can do abundantly beyond it. As if that weren't enough he says that God can do "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." Paul could not use enough superlatives to describe God's ability. In addition, God wants to do these things for us. All we need to do is ask in faith with the guidance of Holy Spirit, and all that power will be at our disposal.
I am only beginning to learn to take advantage of all that power. I want to grow in simple faith believing that God will move mountains for His glory and my benefit.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Rooted and Grounded in Love
Rooted and grounded in love
Ephesians 3:17
What does it mean to be rooted in love? It means that our actions are motivated by love. Our thoughts are based on love. Our spirit dwells in love. Our relationships are characterized by love. It means that when someone mistreats us our response is love. When someone sins, we relate to them in a loving, redemptive way. When someone offends us, we forgive and love them anyway. Our life is ruled by the love of God. Why, because He loved us while we were sinners and rescued us from sin so that we could love and live for Him. When we bask in that love of God, we will naturally love those around us.
Lord, thank You for Your unmerited love. Help me to be rooted in love so that I can bless You and those around me.
Ephesians 3:17
What does it mean to be rooted in love? It means that our actions are motivated by love. Our thoughts are based on love. Our spirit dwells in love. Our relationships are characterized by love. It means that when someone mistreats us our response is love. When someone sins, we relate to them in a loving, redemptive way. When someone offends us, we forgive and love them anyway. Our life is ruled by the love of God. Why, because He loved us while we were sinners and rescued us from sin so that we could love and live for Him. When we bask in that love of God, we will naturally love those around us.
Lord, thank You for Your unmerited love. Help me to be rooted in love so that I can bless You and those around me.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Confident Access
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:12
Isn't it amazing, that through the blood of Jesus we can come boldly to the throne of grace. Jesus has brought back our relationship with God so that we can come directly to Him and ask for what we need. This verse lists one requirement: faith. We need to believe in God and the provision of Jesus. We need to believe that God will answer our prayers as we allow His Spirit to guide us when we ask.
Lord, thank You for Your provision to allow us to come boldly to You. Thank You that You love us enough to care and listen to us. Thank You for the many times when You've listened to us and answered our prayers.
Ephesians 3:12
Isn't it amazing, that through the blood of Jesus we can come boldly to the throne of grace. Jesus has brought back our relationship with God so that we can come directly to Him and ask for what we need. This verse lists one requirement: faith. We need to believe in God and the provision of Jesus. We need to believe that God will answer our prayers as we allow His Spirit to guide us when we ask.
Lord, thank You for Your provision to allow us to come boldly to You. Thank You that You love us enough to care and listen to us. Thank You for the many times when You've listened to us and answered our prayers.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
The Least of All Saints
To me, the very least of all saints,
Ephesians 3:8
If Paul was the least of all saints, what am I? I believe that he was not referring to his position in the church. Rather, he was acknowledging that without Christ, he was nothing. Everything that he had done in his life was only through the power of God. So it is for me. I can do nothing without God. Yet, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The more we realize how weak we are and how strong, loving and generous God is, the more we will be blessed. I have seen God's power heal people miraculously. I have seen people delivered from spiritual bondage, but it is all God's power and none of mine. All God wants us to do is ask in faith believing that He will answer. Then, we need to give God all the glory for what He has done.
Thank You, God, for Your power in my life. Thank You for healing and deliverance. You desire us to live in freedom, and You give us the power to do so. I want to always remember that I am nothing without You. Help me to daily rely on Your power only. Because, when I rely on myself, I only live a life of drudgery and failure instead of freedom and victory.
Ephesians 3:8
If Paul was the least of all saints, what am I? I believe that he was not referring to his position in the church. Rather, he was acknowledging that without Christ, he was nothing. Everything that he had done in his life was only through the power of God. So it is for me. I can do nothing without God. Yet, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The more we realize how weak we are and how strong, loving and generous God is, the more we will be blessed. I have seen God's power heal people miraculously. I have seen people delivered from spiritual bondage, but it is all God's power and none of mine. All God wants us to do is ask in faith believing that He will answer. Then, we need to give God all the glory for what He has done.
Thank You, God, for Your power in my life. Thank You for healing and deliverance. You desire us to live in freedom, and You give us the power to do so. I want to always remember that I am nothing without You. Help me to daily rely on Your power only. Because, when I rely on myself, I only live a life of drudgery and failure instead of freedom and victory.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Jesus Is Our Peace
He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
Ephesians 2:14
Paul was speaking about the hatred between the Jews and Gentiles that existed in His day. The Jews despised the Gentiles and looked down on they. They felt that they were better because they were God's people and obeyed the law. The Gentiles disliked the Jews and their haughty attitude. They thought that their rituals and beliefs were ridiculous. Now, God was calling both Jews and Gentiles to be a part of the same church. This did not always go so smoothly because not everyone was willing to lay down the hatred and prejudice. However, Christ wanted to bring peace between these two groups of people, and He's still doing it today. He wants to bring peace into our lives, families and churches. May we always let Him do that for us.
Ephesians 2:14
Paul was speaking about the hatred between the Jews and Gentiles that existed in His day. The Jews despised the Gentiles and looked down on they. They felt that they were better because they were God's people and obeyed the law. The Gentiles disliked the Jews and their haughty attitude. They thought that their rituals and beliefs were ridiculous. Now, God was calling both Jews and Gentiles to be a part of the same church. This did not always go so smoothly because not everyone was willing to lay down the hatred and prejudice. However, Christ wanted to bring peace between these two groups of people, and He's still doing it today. He wants to bring peace into our lives, families and churches. May we always let Him do that for us.
Monday, January 07, 2013
God's Great Love
God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Ephesians 2:4
God's mercy is rich beyond our imagination. The human race turned against Him and followed Satan. Adam and Eve gave up their close communion with God in order to chase a lie of Satan. Yet, God Himself came to earth to day for us to restore that relationship (Praise the Lord)! Why did He do it? It was His love for us. This verse call it His great love. That love is something I want to learn more about. I often struggle to accept that God loves me unconditionally. It doesn't depend on anything I do. He loved me before I could love Him. He created and fashioned me with love. He has a detailed plan for my life. It's up to me to live loved. I need to accept that love and realize that there is nothing I can do to earn it. My duty is to live in that love and work out His plan. As I surrender my life completely to Him and follow His leading in my life, I can give Him a meager return on the investment that He has made in me. He desires a personal relationship with me. Why, I cannot really understand. He has done so much for me, and I have done so little for Him. It must be His great love!
Lord, help me to accept and revel in Your love. Help me to realize that I don't deserve it and I can't earn it. Help me to stop trying to be worthy on my own. Help me to just accept Your love and rely on Your power in my life. I surrender my life completely to You. I ask You to show me anything in my life that is not surrendered, and I ask You for the humility and trust to give it up to You. I know that praying this kind of prayer can result in You asking me to do some very difficult things, but by Your grace I'm ready to face whatever is ahead as long as You are with me. Thank You God.
Ephesians 2:4
God's mercy is rich beyond our imagination. The human race turned against Him and followed Satan. Adam and Eve gave up their close communion with God in order to chase a lie of Satan. Yet, God Himself came to earth to day for us to restore that relationship (Praise the Lord)! Why did He do it? It was His love for us. This verse call it His great love. That love is something I want to learn more about. I often struggle to accept that God loves me unconditionally. It doesn't depend on anything I do. He loved me before I could love Him. He created and fashioned me with love. He has a detailed plan for my life. It's up to me to live loved. I need to accept that love and realize that there is nothing I can do to earn it. My duty is to live in that love and work out His plan. As I surrender my life completely to Him and follow His leading in my life, I can give Him a meager return on the investment that He has made in me. He desires a personal relationship with me. Why, I cannot really understand. He has done so much for me, and I have done so little for Him. It must be His great love!
Lord, help me to accept and revel in Your love. Help me to realize that I don't deserve it and I can't earn it. Help me to stop trying to be worthy on my own. Help me to just accept Your love and rely on Your power in my life. I surrender my life completely to You. I ask You to show me anything in my life that is not surrendered, and I ask You for the humility and trust to give it up to You. I know that praying this kind of prayer can result in You asking me to do some very difficult things, but by Your grace I'm ready to face whatever is ahead as long as You are with me. Thank You God.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Greatness of His Power
the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Ephesians 1:19
God's power is incredible, unmatched and incomprehensible. There is no person, power or spirit that can stand up against Him. He is invincible. Even more amazing is the fact that He gives that power to us. It says, "the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." So, it's only available to us as we believe in Him and surrender our will to Him. Let's tap into God's amazing power every day!
Ephesians 1:19
God's power is incredible, unmatched and incomprehensible. There is no person, power or spirit that can stand up against Him. He is invincible. Even more amazing is the fact that He gives that power to us. It says, "the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." So, it's only available to us as we believe in Him and surrender our will to Him. Let's tap into God's amazing power every day!
Friday, January 04, 2013
God Lavishes Grace on Us
the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
Ephesians 1:7
God gives so freely to us! He has unlimited richness in grace and He chooses to lavish it on us. We don't deserve it. We didn't ask for it. He just makes it available. He lavishes it on us. All we need to do is choose to accept it.
Lord, thank You for lavishing grace on us. Help us to openly accept Your free gift. I want to receive it with joy. I want to live in love for You and in Your approval. I want to dedicate my life back to You in thankfulness for everything You've done for me.
Ephesians 1:7
God gives so freely to us! He has unlimited richness in grace and He chooses to lavish it on us. We don't deserve it. We didn't ask for it. He just makes it available. He lavishes it on us. All we need to do is choose to accept it.
Lord, thank You for lavishing grace on us. Help us to openly accept Your free gift. I want to receive it with joy. I want to live in love for You and in Your approval. I want to dedicate my life back to You in thankfulness for everything You've done for me.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
He Chose Us
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.
Ephesians 1:3-4
God chose to give us salvation. Why? We didn't ask Him for it. We weren't worthy of it. It's because he chose us. The next verse says, "In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," When were were dead in sins, he chose us, loved us and made a way for us to be saved. Now, it's our job to accept that love, and allow Him to wash away our sins and be made new people in Him. As we accept Holy Spirit into our lives, we can live a life of victory in Him.
Lord, thank You so much for choosing us when we were unworthy, sinful and unlovely. Thank You for making a way for us to become new in You, washed clean from sin. I pray that I may be someone who can share Your love and help other people find this cleansing and freedom in You.
Ephesians 1:3-4
God chose to give us salvation. Why? We didn't ask Him for it. We weren't worthy of it. It's because he chose us. The next verse says, "In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," When were were dead in sins, he chose us, loved us and made a way for us to be saved. Now, it's our job to accept that love, and allow Him to wash away our sins and be made new people in Him. As we accept Holy Spirit into our lives, we can live a life of victory in Him.
Lord, thank You so much for choosing us when we were unworthy, sinful and unlovely. Thank You for making a way for us to become new in You, washed clean from sin. I pray that I may be someone who can share Your love and help other people find this cleansing and freedom in You.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Faithful in Christ Jesus
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 1:1
Paul addressed his letter to the "faithful in Christ Jesus." Is that something he could have said to me? Am I always faithful in Jesus? Do I stick close to Jesus even when it's hard? That's the way that we can have the power of the Holy Spirit. When we stay close to Jesus, and connected to the Vine, then we can have the power to live right.
Lord, help me to stay close to You. I want to have Your power flowing through my life and out into the lives of those around me. I want to feel Your love for me. I want to share that love with my family, friends and coworkers. I want to be a force that draws other people closer to You.
Ephesians 1:1
Paul addressed his letter to the "faithful in Christ Jesus." Is that something he could have said to me? Am I always faithful in Jesus? Do I stick close to Jesus even when it's hard? That's the way that we can have the power of the Holy Spirit. When we stay close to Jesus, and connected to the Vine, then we can have the power to live right.
Lord, help me to stay close to You. I want to have Your power flowing through my life and out into the lives of those around me. I want to feel Your love for me. I want to share that love with my family, friends and coworkers. I want to be a force that draws other people closer to You.
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