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DAY 38 OCTOBER 20, 2015 _____________________________________________________________
"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!
"To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious Presence without fault and with great joy - to the Only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 24)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 14:15-24
Jesus had just explained to His disciples that they would do greater works than He had done. He assured them that His work would continue through them; and He would make sure they were clothed with power adequate for the task. Everything they would need to advance His kingdom in the world would be accessible through prayer. All they had to do was ask. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14). Beloved Christian, we have access to the Father in Jesus' name. All the wealth, power, and comfort of the kingdom is ours for the asking. If we have Jesus, we have everything we need. He is our faithful Mediator who knows exactly what we need; and He accesses our gifts and graces in the same manner He has prescribed to us, through prayer. "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth..." (vv. 16, 17a).
As Christians, ours is a spiritual life; therefore it is necessary that we would have one who could guide us in the spiritual way. Jesus called the Spirit of truth the Comforter, and He would be sent to us as a gift from the Father through the prayer of the Son. The Spirit would be with us, and within us, permanently, to guide us into all truth and to comfort us in our work in a world that cannot see the Spirit at work. "...whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (v. 17). The world cannot see Him, but we have fellowship with Him daily. What comfort and peace should be ours as believers who have the Spirit of Christ to comfort us and bring us into communion with God. We live because Christ lives, and He lives in us. He has filled our hearts with His love and our lives with His light, and we can see what the blinded world cannot see. "He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (v. 21b). Our eyes, our hearts, our lives have been opened to receive the infinite, abounding love of the Father. He has made His home with us and it should be our everlasting joy and delight to love and obey Him. "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will come to him and make Our home with him" (v.23). This morning, as we sit at the feet of our Lord and pray for our hearts to be open to more of His love, may we meditate on Jesus' love for the Father and His obedience to His will which has given us new life. Let us offer up a prayer of gratitude for the greatness of His love, and pray for a deepening love for Him which will lead to a life of obedience. When we do we will find great rest in His love as He makes His home with us. How blessed we are for the fellowship we have with Him. May our obedience only strengthen that divine and eternal bond! "We know we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys the Word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John 2:3-5). Heavenly Father, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3) Thank you for the presence of Your Holy Spirit who daily guides me into Your truth. There is no place I'd rather be, than spending time in Your Word and learning Your will for my life and Your purposes for Your Church. The more I grow in the knowledge of You,
the more I realize how great the responsibility is
to share Your truth with those who have not experienced that privilege. Help me use the gifts You have given me to strengthen Your bride so she will be dressed and ready when our Bridegroom arrives. May I speak Your truth in love, and help those who are in need. Help me to not grow weary, but be willing to come alongside a weaker member who may have failed, but who You desire to be restored and strengthened.
May life give evidence to the Comforter who dwells in me.
May Your body be a strong and mighty tower that the world will run to in its' time of need, and find the help they are looking for by opening their hearts to believe. "Now to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ... to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Romans 16:25, 27)
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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 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
When Jesus was baptized at the beginning of His earthly ministry the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove (reference Matthew 3:16). His baptism provides for us a beautiful picture of what is in store for all believers at the moment of salvation when we, also, are baptized by the Holy Spirit. When we place our trust in Christ the Holy Spirit places the believer into the body of Christ. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). At this point of conversion our new life in Christ begins through the power of His Holy Spirit. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).
Because we are one "spiritual" body in Christ, God's purpose for us is unity. Likewise, just as the physical body is made up of many body parts to help the body function properly, the body of Christ is made up of many members who are necessary to make the body function as it should. The diversity of the Body of Christ is seen in the working of the gifts within the church. Each part is necessary for the Body to continue to grow and minister. "But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body" (v.18-20). Every member of the body is important for it to function properly. In addition, each member does not function independently but as a unit. "...but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it" (1 Corinthians 12:25b, 26). God calls us to care for one another, and He has given each of us a special gift, or gifts, to help build up the other members of the body. When every member of the body is healthy the entire body reaps the blessed benefits.
God has distributed His gifts to His body according to His perfect plan for each local congregation. God has a purpose for each local congregation, and has given them exactly what they need to accomplish His will, in His way, and in His time. "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end..." (1 Corinthians 1:7, 8a) It is important that we develop and exercise our own individual gifts in the local body that we have been divinely appointed to so that body can be made strong. If we don't use the gifts we have been given in the place we have been called to we can weaken the body and hinder its' effectiveness. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (v.27).
We have been baptized into the body of Christ, and now that we belong to Him we need the daily refreshment of the living water of His Word, provided by the Holy Spirit, to help us become a spiritual healthy and productive member of His Body. May we take the time each day to focus on becoming spiritually fit and healthy, and to pray for all the members to recognize the weakness and lethargy that exists in the Body because we have neglected our necessary nourishment of the Word of God. Let us pray for the weaker members to be strengthened in Christ (Romans 15:1-2), and ask the Holy Spirit to stir up the spiritual appetite in the Church to hunger and thirst for righteousness, so that we might be filled with spiritual power, wisdom, insight, and understanding (Matthew 5:6). How desperately we need healing in the Body of Christ today - our remedy is found in prayer. May we pray without ceasing and seek the grace we need to build each other up in the love of the Father so we will be a strong, vibrant healthy body that can minister in the power and love of Christ to the world that has the deeper need!
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you,
we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill
you with the knowledge of His will
through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
And we pray this in order that you may live
a life worthy of the Lord
and may please Him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work,
growing in the knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power
according to His glorious might
so that you may have great endurance
and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints
in the kingdom of light."
(Colossians 1:9-12)
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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 112
God has given us His life so that we can bring His life and truth to the world. He has provided us His Holy Spirit so we can be filled with His truth and walk victoriously in His Way. His desire is that we would be strengthened in His power and through His Word each and every day, so we can be a source of encouragement and comfort to the other members of His body. As we meditate on Psalm 112 this evening, let us praise our heavenly Father for the blessed gift of His Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. May we dedicate time each day to nourishing the spiritual life within by giving our attention to the Word of God and prayer, so we can access the knowledge, grace and power we need to keep walking the Christian walk with our eyes fixed on Jesus and fulfilling His purpose for our lives. This time of prayer and fasting was meant to be a season of emptying of ourselves so we can be filled with more of life of Christ, that He might make us a powerful force of truth in this land. "His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed" (v.2). Let us pray fervently these last few days of our present journey together, that we would be the generation that seeks His face and makes His name glorious in all the earth! He is worthy!
"Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in His commands.
His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.
The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing."
(Psalm 112:1-10)
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