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DAY 6 SEPTEMBER 18, 2015
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"I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST;
IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME;
AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH
I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD,
WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME."
(Galatians 2:20)
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RAISE UP THE STANDARD!
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1b, 2)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 6:53-58
Our souls cannot live without Christ. In our reading this morning, Jesus continued His discourse on the necessity of feeding on Him as the Bread of Life. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you" (v.53). Apart from Jesus Christ we have no life in us; we are as dry, dead bones wasting away, and in desperate need of revival (reference Ezekiel 37:5). I believe it was Oswald Chambers who said, "To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing from making a man alive; man can do the one, God alone can do the other." Only God can give us life, and make us alive in Christ!
To "eat His flesh" and "drink His blood," means we are to have faith in Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). He offers us redemption and eternal life, but we must believe in Him, so that these nourishing morsels become life to our soul. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). It is not enough to just look upon Christ and Him crucified, we must also believe on Him; we must trust in Him and feed upon Him, so we will be filled with the eternal, abundant, irrepressible life He purchased for us. It is one thing to have knowledge of God, it is another thing to acknowledge Him. Our Father in heaven wants us to be completely dependent upon Him - to find our strength and support in Him. To do this we must live upon the "man"-na He has sent to us from heaven to become our life. We have no spiritual life in us if we do not hunger and thirst for the One who eternally lives.
Our spiritual life comes from faith in Christ alone. The benefit of this new life is the oneness we experience with the Lord. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (v.56). Intimacy with Christ is God's greatest priority for our lives. We achieve this by responding to the Lord as He has required of us: by feeding on His eternal promises just as we would eat our bread or meat, or drink from our cup today. The Lord has come to save us from sin and this world, which is devouring our flesh, and to give us His life, so that we can live abundantly for, and eternally with, Him. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). The evidence of the spiritual life is found in a person who delights in the Lord; whose desire is for Christ alone. Fasting is a wonderful discipline of the Christian faith which affords the believer the opportunity to quiet and conquer the flesh, so that we can truly live on Christ alone and live for Him during our pilgrimage in this world. "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me" (v.57). As we continue in our journey up the mountain to that higher standard of spiritual life, let us not be deterred when the hunger pangs take over and the flesh begins to cry out; rather than responding to the flesh as we would normally do, let us instead let the Spirit lead us to the One who said, "My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed" (v.55), and feed upon His richer and more satisfying morsels which will nourish our life with the abundance of His love, joy, peace, and grace.
Heavenly Father,
"You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound."
(Psalm 4:7)
Thank You for stirring this spiritual appetite within,
and for silencing the cravings for the world.
I no longer live because Christ lives in me,
and His Word is all that will satisfy my soul;
they have become the joy and delight of my heart.
Awaken this hunger within Your Church
and give us the pleasure of bringing many
hungry souls to Your table where they
too can feed upon the Bread of Life
and find eternal satisfaction and nourishment.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read Romans 14:17
Jesus used food as a metaphor for spiritual life, and also as a means of discipline to cause His people to become more fully dependent upon Him. "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3b). Achieving intimacy with God is a discipline that is learned; our hunger for God does not come as naturally as our hunger for physical food. The spiritual benefits of feasting on God's Word are not always immediately and visibly realized the way devouring an "In-and-Out Double Double" is at satisfying our physical cravings. The Lord does not want His children to suffer; what He wants is for us to be surrendered. However, when we come to His table full of ourselves already there is little room left for Him to fill us. Our times of fasting allow our Lord opportunity to empty us, so He can make more room for Himself. "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30).
Our Lord has gone to prepare a home for us in heaven, and when He returns we will enjoy glorious fellowship with our Bridegroom at the great wedding supper of the Lamb (reference Revelation 19:7-9). It will be a time of feasting like we have never known! "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples..." (Isaiah 25:6a). At that great feast we will be a Bride prepared: "...and His bride has made herself ready. Fine line, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)" (Revelation 19:7b, 8). Our time of feasting and fellowship while we live on this earth is meant to be used as a time of preparation. The Lord is most concerned with the inner spiritual life of His people. He wants us to walk in the victory we have over sin and flesh that He conquered for us on the cross, and to live a godly and peaceful life that will lead men to holiness (Hebrews 12:14); therefore it is vital that we focus on feeding the one appetite which will lead to righteous and holy living "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking; but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17).
All the abundant spiritual blessing to help us walk "holy and blameless in His sight" are ours to be enjoyed today (Ephesians 1:3-4). The benefits of the eternal, abundant life are supplied through the gift of the Holy Spirit. How blessed we are that when we "hunger and thirst for righteousness" we have the guarantee that we "will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Let us pray and ask that the Holy Spirit might instill within us a growing appetite for those things which please God, and a surrendered will and obedient heart to seek after those things. As we dine on our spiritual meals each day, let us ask the Lord to take control of our schedules and order our day around His plans and the purposes so that we can be fully nourished in Christ, and also share His rich delicacies with those He wants to strengthen and encourage each day. Let us take time at His table to bask in the beauty of His Presence and delight in every tasty morsel of His Word He places on our plate today. "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:24-25).
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.Not many of you were wise by human standards;not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,so that no one may boast before Him.It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus,who has become for us wisdom from God -that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.Therefore, it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.' "(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
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RESTORE PRAISE!
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)
Evening Devotion: Focused on His Praise - Read Psalm 149
One of the greatest privileges we have been given as believers is the fellowship and communion we experience with the Lord in prayer. So often we come to the Father in prayer to submit our requests, rather than simply enjoying the quiet solitude of His presence. Jesus came to open the way for us to have a living and loving union with the heavenly Father, and His desire is that we remain in Him. "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).
The greatest impact we have in the world will be because of the investment we have made in abiding in Christ in His Word, and in fellowship with Him in prayer. To pray properly and effectively we must know His Word, and we must believe what He has taught us. God's Word adds fuel to the altar of prayer and keeps it aflame. "The Word of God and Prayer are inseparable - the power of one is dependent upon the presence of the other."
As we meditate on Psalm 149 this evening let us offer the Lord praise for the powerful weapon He has placed in our mouths and in our hands (Reference Hebrews 4:12). "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver" (Isaiah 49:2). Let us wield this mighty weapon on behalf of those in our lives who need God and His truth, healing, encouragement, understanding, answers, forgiveness, freedom, and salvation. The greatest thing we can offer anyone in need, is our prayers. Our most powerful prayers are those that have been activated with the promises of God's Word. When God's children pray He hears and acts on behalf of those whose lives He wants to transform and touch. He has chosen us to become channels of His grace. When we pray we access His grace and pour out His blessing upon the lives of those He has divinely intersected our path with. May we make the most of every opportunity to bring those in need to the throne of grace, where they may be touched by the One who is the answer to all their needs. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). "Praise the LORD.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
His praise in the assembly of the saints.
For the LORD takes delight in His people;
He crowns the humble with salvation.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands." (Psalm 149:1, 4-5, 6) Billy Graham has said, "If there be any tears in heaven, it will be over the fact that there were so many answers to prayer that few bothered to ask." May we come before the altar, rending our heart and shedding our tears, as we labor fervently in prayer and intercession on behalf of the Church, the Bride of Christ, that she would be awakened to unceasing prayer in this hour of great need in our nation and around the world. "Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 1:3).
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