Power of God in Us

 Eph. 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

We recently lost power to our house during a windstorm. The energy transformed into electricity gave light in our house when darkness came. It provided power to the fans that blew warm air through our home, and kept the refrigerator compressor running to keep our food from spoiling.  Without the power, we were left in the dark to make the best of it. Power is defined and demonstrated in various ways. It can also be seen as the ability to overcome or command a situation. Jesus said, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” What was this power? Why would Christians need to have this power? The work that God has given each one of us is not done with human ingenuity or power. We offer God ourselves as an empty vessel to be used by Him. He fills us with the power given to us by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of the Kingdom. God is able to exceed abundantly all that is needed when we allow HIm to work in us. Without His power, we are like a house without any lights, we wander in darkness trying to figure things out through our human means. God gives us power to live a life of holiness. There is power in the blood of Jesus. He gives us power to be witnesses to a world lost in darkness. Power to pray that the Holy Spirit will convict men and women of sin. For the Christian, the power to overcome trials, tribulation, and hardship. The power works in us as we open our heart to God believing that He is able to do all things according to His purpose. 

Holding Fast- 50 Years

 Revelation 3:11
 Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

It was 50 years ago today that I took hold of a new life in Christ. There have been times in the last 50 years that my hands have trembled, and my grip was not always as tight as it should have been. Saved in a church that held strong against the trappings of the world and adding a few of their own rules and regulations, I have navigated through life asking the Holy Spirit to lead me, on the path of right living. 50 years later, at the age of 65, I still find myself navigating through life, shunning that which is evil and embracing that which is good. Holding fast to that which is clearly given to us in God’s word. Holding fast to Jesus, who is the only way to the Father. Holding fast to the promises of God’s word. Holding fast to my faith and belief that God is a rewarder for those that diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6) My eyes are set on that which is above. I’ve come too far to turn back now. He is the author and finisher of my faith. 
I started this journey as a young teenage boy of 15, and believe that God brought me to a body of believers that desired to live holy lives in this present world. Some were in bondage to their man-made rules, but many sincerely desired to please God in the way they lived. I hold fast to the teaching of a life of holiness. I find it to be a good way to live. I don’t hold fast to rules, but I do hold fast to God’s commandments that help and guide the way I live and the rules I keep. Those who have let go of God’s word will someday fall on their knees to confess that He is Lord of all. The temptation to let go and accept the way of the world and its “woke” ideas will cause the crown of God to fall from our head. We must hold fast to Christ, let our light shine in this dark sinful world, and don’t let anyone or anything take it away.

Worship Him

 Psalm 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Worship is demonstrated in our willingness to bow our hearts to him in praise and adoration. He loves to hear our lips praise Him and give HIm glory. He is so good and is worthy of our worship. But worship goes beyond the uplifting of our voices and hands to Him. We worship Him in true holiness when we live our lives in harmony with His word. The way we live says more about our worship than the words that come from our lips. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” Words are meaningless if they don’t come from the heart of love. A true love for God and others. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” The golden rule, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” is the heart of true worship.From a heart that loves God will come the uplifting voices of praise to Him. It is good to praise Him morning, day and night with our voices. He loves the worship of his people when they come together collectively to worship HIm. Let our voices be heard, but more importantly, let our lives worship Him in the beauty of living holy and blameless in Him.

Sins Not

 1 John 3:6

Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins hath not seen him, neither known him.

This is a Bible standard that many people have problems with. How is it possible for us humans to live everyday without committing sin. We were born sinners and it appears to be a part of our nature. John must have been living in a different culture where it was more conducive to live a holy life. There is no doubt that our nature is deprived and humanity has been scarred by the fall of Adam and Eve. ( Genesis 3). It is not possible for us to live a life without sinning. All have sinned, and come short of God’s expectations. But God, through Christ the spotless lamb of God, the sinless God-Man came to us to give His life so that this sin nature could be removed. It does not make us impermeable to sin, because we still have a free will, but it provides us access to God. We were alienated from God and now abide in Christ, the sinless one. As long as we remain in Him, He provides the grace and power to overcome sin. We no longer are transgressors of the law, but we are made a new vessel of honor. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, through sanctification that we live each day without committing willful transgression. We are still human and prone to error in the human, but our hearts can be made perfect through the blood of Christ, purifying our hearts by faith.

Being a Saint

Ephesians 4:11, 12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The calling of God to ministry has more than one purpose. All are called to be a witness to a lost world without Christ, to let our light shine in a world that is full of darkness. But there is more to ministry than reaching the lost for Jesus. The ministry of edifying the body of Christ for the purpose of establish believers in the faith and sound doctrine. All that follow Christ are made saints of God. The ministry of perfecting the saints is to draw followers of Christ closer to God, to put their faith in Christ to practice, to live a life of holiness and godliness. Achieving the title of “Sainthood” in our day is reserved for those who have demonstrated a life set apart from the world and have manifested the love Christ in every aspect of their lives. In this sense, we all that are sanctified strive to be saints. Obtaining “Sainthood” is a life long process, but living a life of a saint is a daily choice to live a holy life.

Crucify the Flesh

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Living the Christian life in this world goes contrary to the fleshly appetite of sinful human desires, in this case, the lust of the flesh. This goes beyond human need for food, shelter, love and self esteem. Such sinful desires are base in unbelief and the aggrandizement of self. Life is center around pleasing and satisfying the wants of the flesh. We are all born with this nature to sin. At some point in our lives we become responsible for the our actions that stem from this nature. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory (pleasing) of God. That is the reason Christ came. To provide a way for this sin to be forgiven. Because Christ died, we can come to Him and lay our burden of sin at the foot of the cross. They who are now in Christ come to see that they now must surrender their life in full consecration to the will of God. The nature of sin has been crucified, put to death, and the Christian no longer are masters to the sin nature. The Holy Spirit comes to the believer, as He did on the day of Pentecost and fills the heart, cleansing and empowering the Christian to walk in the Spirit to manifest the fruits of the Spirit. Our lives no longer are dictated by our sin nature, but by the Spirit that dwells within us.

An Honorable Life

1 Peter 2:12 “ having your way of life honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”-

Life of honesty is a life living truthfully. A truthful life is an honorable life. We are ambassador for Christ, representing the Name of Jesus to the world that lives in darkness. The lifestyle we live is to honor God and glorify Him. We our now part of the royal priesthood, a child of God by adoption, and made an heir of His riches. The desire of a true believer is to honor His Father and to avoid anything that would dishonor Him. Peter instructs us to avoid fleshly lust or desires that war with the soul and fight against that which is holy. Flee from sin, and avoid the appearance of evil. We are to seek righteousness and holiness in our life. We are still human with many short comings, but our motive to live holy for God can always be pure. Satan hates God and will attack that which He loves. When we dishonor God by the way we live, Satan wins and we lose. Let us take heed that we seek always to honor God and live a honest life. 

The Chastening of the Lord

Heb 12:5b, 6a ““My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”-

We all live in vessels made of clay, subject to human frailties and bodies that are imperfect. We are quick to jump to conclusions and make imperfect judgments. We have habits from a life of sin that often lead us to make wrong decisions in life. We seek to love God and do his will, but sometimes come short. In prayer, the Lord speaks to us and disciplines us for our lack of falling short. God desires us to live a life of holiness, one that is righteous and pleasing to Him. He knows us better than anyone else and knows are weakness and areas that we need to work on. If we are dealing with sin, we need to confess it to Him and continue to walk in obedience. But, God also want to make up better Christians, and that often requires us to learn hard lessons and a willingness to admit that we can make mistakes that can affect our spiritual life.

Called to Teach

Matt. 28:19 “ Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”-

God has called all of us to be teachers. To dispense of information that is essential to living a life that will secure eternal life. Jesus came to give His life to redeem us from our sins and sin nature. He also came to show us the way we should be living. Learning to live a life of holiness is a process that does not happen over night at an altar of prayer. Yes, we yield our hearts in full submission, but learning requires that we be taught to observe what is right and holy. As we walk with God, we begin to see that we also need to be teachers of His word. As teachers, we not only tell and instructed other in the Way, but we show others the way by the way we live. The greatest teacher is seen by example. “Show how to do it, and I will follow”. Let us feed on His word, that we may be ready to give an answer to anyone who will ask. If we live for God, He will never leave us, even when life comes to an end.