Beyond Ourselves

Recently I babysat our young grandson. After a fun time at the airport watching airplanes, we headed home.  On the way, I heard a soft voice from the back seat. “I miss Poppy.”  Smiling that he missed Keith who wasn’t able to join us, my thoughts turned to the importance of relationships – family ones, but also heavenly ones. I wonder, do we miss Jesus on days we don’t hang out with Him? Yes, miss Jesus because our normal routine is to spend time with Him reading our Bible and praying. If this is a new concept to you, consider how wonderful it would be if you were so close to Jesus you missed Him if you didn’t spend time with Him every day. Having daily time with Jesus doesn’t have to be hard. Sign up and begin your day with my daily devotional 365 Days of Praise. Experience an increasingly close relationship with Him. Never miss Jesus.

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Ha! If you know me, you know I’m not giving advice about how to be perfect because I’m anything but that. If you’ve ever hung your head in shame because of sin, I can relate. If you ever feel horrible about something you did or said, I’m with you.  It’s easy to get discouraged when we know the right thing to do and don’t do it. In those times it helps to remember God’s words to us in 1 Peter 5:10. “…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen, and establish YOU.”  Whew! God will PERFECT us. We can’t become perfect through our human effort.  Are we responsible for cooperating with God? Yes.  We’re to renew our minds according to the Bible.  We’re to learn how to prayerfully walk by Christ’s Spirit. The next time we sin, rather than simply walk around with our head hanging low, let’s take hold of the Bible and put our minds to it. Let’s ask God to perfect our walk with Him and others.

Lord, thank You for not only calling us to Your eternal glory but for also taking it upon Yourself to PERFECT us. We love You and give You praise!  

“…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  1 Peter 5:10

Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect“?  Or has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect except Jesus. However, and this is big, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather they’re signals for areas where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change. For instance, in  Matthew 5:48, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh guys, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect.”

Heavenly Father, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us as we intentionally walk by Your Spirit.  

Are you concerned for a family member or friend who refuses to trust Jesus for salvation? Are you worried they’ll die apart from Christ? If we’re concerned for the unsaved, it’s for good reason. This world isn’t all there is. Standing on earth, there’s life beyond the clouds we can’t see just as there’s life below the oceans we can’t see. Yes, all people are alive after they pass through this life – either in Christ’s presence or apart from Him for eternity.  Jesus implores us to take the way to heaven – through Him. So, what do we do if an unsaved friend or family member refuses to turn to Christ? We align ourselves with the Lord, who we’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 is “not slow about His promise, but is PATIENT…, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God is PATIENT. Keep praying. Keep looking for opportunities to speak the truth in love.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being PATIENT. Help us be like you – patient and prayerful.

Are you familiar with Jesus’s teaching, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” Matthew 7:7? Ask means to call for, to request of someone. Jesus teaches us to request of the Father what we need. But Jesus not only teaches us to ask God for desired needs, He also asks God for things. In John 14:16, Jesus told His disciples,”I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), that He may be with you forever…”  Who is the Paraclete?  He’s the Holy Spirit (Helper) who is with us forever. Studying the Greek definition of the word “Helper, Paraclete,” ummm – helps.  Consider the following definition of Paraclete:*

• Someone summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid
• One who pleads another’s cause before a judge, counsel for defense, an advocate
• Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after His ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom

It’s staggering when we think of the magnitude of God’s provisions for us. Our Heavenly Father not only took it upon Himself to send His Son to save us but also sent the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be an abiding divine presence within us. We never walk alone.

To learn more about the Paraclete, theHoly Spirit, and how to discern His voice, click HERE.

Heavenly Father, Son, and Paraclete, the blessing of Your Presence is something we will only fully realize when we are in Heaven. Thank You, Lord!  

*https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3875&t=NASB

Has anyone ever given their life so that you could live? Countless stories were told of that happening when first responders rushed into the Twin Towers to save lives on 9/11. But what about you? Has anyone ever heroically, intentionally jumped in front of a car to save your life or pulled you to safety from flood waters only to be swept away?  If they have, no doubt you cherish them for what they did for you. Perhaps you have honored their memory in some way. In 1 Corinthians 5:7 in Paul’s letter to the believers in Corinth, he reminds them that they should be living in a Christ honoring way since Christ gave His life so they could live. Paul’s words hold true for us, too. He writes, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover also has been sacrificed.”  Christ. Our. Passover. Christ being the Passover is a reference is to the passover lamb that was slain as a sacrifice for sin. Paul is rebuking the believers because rather than being a Christ honoring church, they allow immorality. Rather than mourn over sin, they permit it. Paul is spinning their heads (and maybe ours) back in the right direction.

• Someone has DIED because of our sin and immorality: Jesus. How can we think accepting what He died for is okay?
• “Clean the sin from your life,” Paul urges.
• Demonstrate our love, honor, and respect for the Christ, our Passover Lamb, by living righteously for Him.

Paul isn’t the only one who urges believers to stop tolerating sin. In Revelation 2:20 Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality…” Are we individually or as a body of believers tolerating sin for which Christ died? If so, we must repent. We must learn what it means to live by His divine nature rather than our old sinful nature. We must begin today knowing that the time of His reappearing is near.

Christ, our PASSOVER, forgive us when we live for what You died for – our sin.

How old were you when you first heard John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life”? It’s an incredible invitation to every person in the world. Think about it!

• God so loves the world that He took action to save us.
• God sacrificed His Only Begotten Son on our behalf.
• God invites everyone to believe and be saved.
• God promises the gift of eternal life to those who believe in Jesus.

Pray fervently for any unsaved person you know to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved. Pray for eyes to see opportunities God is giving you to share Him with others.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus Christ. Stir us to draw closer to You and to share You with others. We love You and thank You for the incredible gift of the forgiveness of our sins and salvation in Christ. 

Which are you? Tight lipped or open lipped?  In other words, are you reluctant to speak and don’t reveal much about what’s going on inside of you? Or, are you more open lipped and let what you’re thinking and feeling readily come forth?  No doubt James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak when we’re angry. But what about in relation to praising God? In this case we are to be like the psalmist, who prayed in  Psalm 51:15:

O LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.

Are we grateful? Are our hearts flooded with God’s goodness?  I hope so. Even when there seems to be nothing for which we can praise Him, we can open our lips and praise Him for His presence with us, His provision for us, and His purposes He will bring forth.

Develop a mindset of gratefulness. Fill your heart with praise. Open your mouth and let your praise flow to God. Pray, “LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

LORD, thank You for who You are and for all the incredible ways You have worked in our lives, are working, and will work. You are worthy of our praise day and night. OPEN OUR LIPS so we declare Your praise. 

Record your daily praises in Prayers of My Heart journal.

Do you want to praise God, but don’t know how? If so, HERE’s help.

Isn’t it great that as Christians we can continually learn and grow? For instance, when a person turns to Christ for salvation, they may think the word “judgment” will in no way ever again be used in reference to them. However, the Bible describes different kinds of judgments.  First Peter 1:17 speaks of God judging believers’ works. “If (since) you address as Father the one who IMPARTIALLY JUDGES according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth…” Interesting, huh? Although we’re not saved by works, God judges how we conduct ourselves after we’re saved.  Peter reminds us that God is an impartial judge and that we should live in a way that shows reverence for Christ. Peter gives examples of what this looks like.

• We fervently love one another from the heart, 1:22
• We put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander, 2:1
• We grow in respect to salvation, 2:2
• We proclaim the excellencies of Christ, 2:9
• We keep our behavior excellent, 2:12
• We follow in Christ’s steps, 2:21
• We are harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead, 3:8-9
• We keep our tongue from evil and lies, 3:10
• We turn away from evil and do good; seeking peace, 3:11
• We keep a good conscience, 3:16
• We live for the will of God, 4:2
• We live in the Spirit according to the will of God, 4:6
• We’re hospitable to one another without complaint, 4:9
• We use the gift God’s given us to serve one another, 4:10
• We cast all our anxiety on God, knowing He cares for us, 5:7
• We resist the devil, firm in our faith, 5:9

In other words, believers are to represent the excellencies of Christ. How are we doing? If you’re like me and are convicted about one or more in the above listing, realize that God loves you and patiently calls you to repent, learn from the past, and rise to serve Him. What a loving Father!

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are impartial and that You call us to new life through Christ’s empowerment. May we represent You well.