Uniquely Gifted (and other devotionals)

Uniquely Gifted 

I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 1 Corinthians 7:7

Our generous Heavenly Father uniquely gifts His children for His glory. It may be the gift of service, encouragement, teaching, mercy or administration. Regardless of one’s role, all gifts are necessary in the Body of Christ. One may quietly serve as a prayer intercessor behind the scenes, while another may boldly proclaim truth in front of the faithful. Yes, the Lord specially equips individuals for His good works. God’s gifting is His distinctive stamp of value on each one of us.

What do you do well? How can you discover your sweet spot of service for your Savior Jesus? One way is to develop the abilities that come naturally for you and engage in activities that energize you. The Spirit wires you in a way that brings both of you pleasure when you exercise your gift. For example, a generous giver finds great joy in giving and an evangelist is ecstatic when they share the gospel. An administrator is not content until everyone and everything is in its place.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

You may be an analytical thinker who loves crunching numbers, managing data and interpreting trends from both. Your gift of linear deduction is critical for business, finance and engineering. Perhaps you are great with people. People love your company because they sense you know, understand and care for them. Thus, your ability to network, convene and lead others is valuable for accomplishing a big vision or executing a strategic initiative. Yes, steward well God’s gift.

Moreover, seek to marry your passion with your giftedness. For instance, if you love to see someone encouraged, use your gift of writing to convey God’s love to their hungry heart. If you love children, use your ability to nurture and train as a conduit for Christ’s truth. If you love sports, use your teaching gift to lead athletes in Bible study. If you love travel, use your aptitude for business to help entrepreneurs here and abroad. Be who God has uniquely gifted you to be!

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:6).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, use my gift from You to bring you glory. Marry Your gift with my passion.

~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~
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Acts 16:14

Whose heart the Lord opened.

In Lydia's conversion there are many points of interest. It was brought about by providential circumstances. She was a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, but just at the right time for hearing Paul we find her at Philippi; providence, which is the handmaid of grace, led her to the right spot. Again, grace was preparing her soul for the blessing-grace preparing for grace. She did not know the Saviour, but as a Jewess, she knew many truths which were excellent stepping-stones to a knowledge of Jesus. Her conversion took place in the use of the means. On the Sabbath she went when prayer was wont to be made, and there prayer was heard. Never neglect the means of grace; God may bless us when we are not in His house, but we have the greater reason to hope that He will when we are in communion with His saints. Observe the words, "Whose heart the Lord opened." She did not open her own heart. Her prayers did not do it; Paul did not do it. The Lord Himself must open the heart, to receive the things which make for our peace. He alone can put the key into the hole of the door and open it, and get admittance for Himself. He is the heart's master as He is the heart's maker. The first outward evidence of the opened heart was obedience. As soon as Lydia had believed in Jesus, she was baptized. It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken heart, when the child of God is willing to obey a command which is not essential to hissalvation, which is not forced upon him by a selfish fear of condemnation, but is a simple act of obedience and of communion with his Master. The next evidence was love, manifesting itself in acts of grateful kindness to the apostles. Love to the saints has ever been a mark of the true convert. Those who do nothing for Christ or His church, give but sorry evidence of an "opened" heart. Lord, evermore give me an opened heart.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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1 Thessalonians 5:24

Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.

Heaven is a place where we shall never sin; where we shall cease our constant watch against an indefatigable enemy, because there will be no tempter to ensnare our feet. There the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. Heaven is the "undefiled inheritance"; it is the land of perfect holiness, and therefore of complete security. But do not the saints even on earth sometimes taste the joys of blissful security? The doctrine of God's word is, that all who are in union with the Lamb are safe; that all the righteous shall hold on their way; that those who have committed their souls to the keeping of Christ shall find Him a faithful and immutable preserver. Sustained by such a doctrine we can enjoy security even on earth; not that high and glorious security which renders us free from every slip, but that holy security which arises from the sure promise of Jesus that none who believe in Him shall ever perish, but shall be with Him where He is. Believer, let us often reflect with joy on the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, and honour the faithfulness of our God by a holy confidence in Him. May our God bring home to you a sense of your safety in Christ Jesus! May He assure you that your name is graven on His hand; and whisper in your ear the promise, "Fear not, I am with thee." Look upon Him, the great Surety of the covenant, as faithful and true, and, therefore, bound and engaged to present you, the weakest of the family, with all the chosen race, before the throne of God; and in such a sweet contemplation you will drink the juice of the spiced wine of the Lord's pomegranate, and taste the dainty fruits of Paradise. You will have an antepast of the enjoyments which ravish the souls of the perfect saints above, if you can believe with unstaggering faith that "faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."

~Charles Spurgeon~

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Conviction for the Believer

Romans 1:24-25, Psalms 23

Recently I spoke to a heartbroken woman. Her father was dying, and he was cold toward his family and God. He desired no contact and refused to discuss any spiritual matter.
But God is able to reach anyone—even someone hostile to the faith. Consider the apostle Paul’s conversion! Yet Scripture also teaches that the Lord eventually gives people over to the hardness of their own hearts. There may come a point when He no longer draws them by revealing their need for a Savior.
The situation is different for believers, though. When we, in our humanness, continue to sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us so we’ll get back on track. At that point, we can humbly repent and follow Him or ignore His voice and continue to sin. If we persist in error, our Father will keep calling us back. But the danger is that our hearts may become desensitized and eventually we may cease hearing His warning.
Thankfully, we are children of God, and He loves us too much to let us remain in a sinful pattern. Though chastisement and conviction are never pleasant, He knows our travelling down the wrong road results in much greater heartache. The Lord is a shepherd, using His staff and rod to lovingly bring us to green pastures.

On the Christian journey, there will be temptations to stray, falsely promising to satisfy longings. Stay closely connected to Jesus through prayer and Scripture. Be listening so you can obey immediately when He calls you to change course. In the long run, living God’s way brings the greatest joy.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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The Power to Forgive

There are times when we need to forgive someone for something they have done.  On occasion it can seem so difficult…almost impossible.
But forgiveness is not an option for you and me as followers of Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness is an act of the will.  You can forgive.  In fact, Jesus said that we even need to love our enemies, those who may not want peace with us.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:44,
"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
How can you do that?  Because God has done the same thing for you.  In Romans 5:10 it says,
When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.
When you and I embrace salvation through Jesus Christ, that same love of God is poured out in our hearts. (See Romans 5:1 and 5).  As a result, we can forgive those who have wronged us.
Once you have forgiven someone, it can still affect your emotions.  I like what Corrie ten Boom shared.  She went through several sleepless weeks over something that someone had done to her.  She tried to forgive the person; but, still, when she would think about it, she would respond emotionally.
When she shared this with her pastor, he had her look up at the bell tower of the church.  He reminded her that the bell would continue to ring even after the person ringing it had let go of the rope.  But given a little time, the bell would slow down until it was silent.
It may take time for your emotions to settle even when you have let go of the rope.  Just let go of the rope and forgive.  You can do it!

~Bayless Conley~
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Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!—Ps 37:3

The word trust is the heart word of faith. It is the Old Testament word, the word given to the early and infant stage of faith. The word faith expresses more the act of the will, the word belief the act of the mind or intellect, but trust is the language of the heart. The other has reference more to a truth believed or a thing expected.

Trust implies more than this, it sees and feels, and leans upon a person, a great, true, living heart of love. So let us “trust also in him,” through all the delays, in spite of all the difficulties, in the face of all the denials, notwithstanding all the seemings, even when we cannot understand the way, and know not the issue; still “trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.” The way will open, the right issue will come, the end will be peace, the cloud will be lifted, and the light of an eternal noonday shall shine at last.

“Trust and rest when all around thee

Puts thy faith to sorest test;

Let no fear or foe confound thee,

Wait for God and trust and rest.

“Trust and rest with heart abiding,

Like a birdling in its nest,

Underneath His feathers hiding,

Fold thy wings and trust and rest.”

~L. B. Cowman~

Worthy Sayings From Great Christians

God never uses anyone greatly until He tests them deeply.
~J. C. Ryle~
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God gives us a vision. Then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience.
~Oswald Chambers~
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The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we finally hear Him.
~Unknown~
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Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as humility.
~Jonathan Edwards~
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Prayer is the most important conversation of your day. Take it to God before you take it to anyone else.
~Unknown~
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Worship is so much more than the songs we sing on Sunday morning, it is the life we live the rest of the week.
~A. W. Tozer~
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Our God is perfect in knowledge and power. If there were a point where God stopped, then God wouldn't be perfect. I would be embarrassed to go to heaven and look into the face of a God that didn't know everything. He has to know it all or I can't worship Him. I cannot worship that which is not perfect.
~A. W. Tozer~
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When we digest, absorb, and soak up the word of the Lord, it becomes part and parcel of our daily lives. It is our delight.
~A. W. Tozer~
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The person who has put his confidence in God has access to knowledge that the person who merely thinks and reasons cannot have. We are dealing with two realms - one realm is reason and the other is faith in God.
~A. W. Tozer~
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Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is the standard. 
~A. W. Tozer~
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God doesn't waste your failures, lossess, and pains. He uses them to make you stronger.
~Unknown~

Worthy Sayings of Great Christians

Christianity is so entangled with the world that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere.
~A. W. Tozer~
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America fights a battle that cannot be won at the ballet box. Her need is not the "new morality of the hour, but new morals based on the old laws of God.
~Leonard Ravenhill~
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The person who has met God face to face is not likely to be concerned about others think about him/her self. The man whose faith is always on the defensive must be always explaining the opposer or else brazenly defying him. The man of true faith does neither. He simply lives his life in God, and that life is its own justification.
~A. W. Tozer~
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A sinner does not decide for Christ; the sinner flies to Christ in utter helplessness and despair.
~Martyn Lloyd Jones~
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Religion makes us proud of what we have done. The gospel makes us proud of what Jesus has done.
~Unknown~
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The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts his sails!
~Unknown~
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The question is not "why would a loving God send anyone to hell." The question is "why would anyone choose hell over a loving God."
~Unknown~
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Those who spend their time looking for the faults in others usually make no time to correct their own.
~Unknown~
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There's no better teacher than the Holy Spirit and no better text than God's Word.
~Unknown~
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Lord, cleanse me of everything that breaks Your heart!
~Unknown~
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You can be sure that the Holy Spirit never enters a man and lets him live like the world.
~A. W. Tozer~
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Oh, that every Christian would remember that they are set as a lighthouse in the midst of a dark world, and would labor so to live that every part of them may reflect, and no side be dim.
~J. C. Ryle~

Shifting the Blame (and other devotionals)

Romans 8:3

(3) For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
New King James Version   

The context of Romans 8 is somewhat different than the context in Hebrews 8, but the principle Paul deals with is similar. Flesh in Romans 8:3 refers to people. The problem with the Old Covenant was not with its laws, but with one of the parties who made the covenant—"them" (Hebrews 8:8). Obviously, he refers to the people who made the covenant. They would not keep its terms!

This is confirmed by the Old Testament record, which shows that Israel never kept the Old Covenant except for brief periods of time. This is why there are so many references in the Old Testament to their being stiff-necked, being fornicators or adulterers, or filled with iniquity.

It was not that Israel could not keep the terms of the covenant but that they would not. God's intent in making the Old Covenant was limited. Israel should have been able to keep its terms. To think otherwise is to accuse God of being unfair in His proposition and having taken advantage of Israel's ignorance. Human nature is always looking for ways to shift blame.

We must be careful, or we might be guilty of doing the same thing under the New Covenant. We could say that it is too hard, and use our complaint as a justification for our failures and bad attitudes. Jesus anticipated this.

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, He gives five talents to one, two talents to another, and one talent to a third. The response of the person to whom He gave one talent is, "I knew that You were a hard man, and that You reap where you do not sow. And therefore I hid it" (Matthew 25:24-25). He is saying, "God, You were too hard!" He essentially shifts the blame to God. Jesus understood that human nature never changes: It always wants to shift the blame!

~John W. Ritenbaugh~

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His name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)

There is one all-governing fact which runs right through the ages. It is that Christ is in all the thoughts and ways of God. That is a statement that is comprehensive. Through all the ages, in all the thoughts of God, and in all the ways of God, Christ is central, Christ is supreme. Everything relates to Him, and everything connects with Him; Christ is the end, for Christ was the beginning. If we could stand by the side of God and see through God’s eyes, and become governed by God’s mentality, we should recognize that God has but one thought and that one thought is influencing Him in every one of His dealings with men, with nations, and with the world throughout all the ages. That one thought centers in His Son, Jesus Christ, and therefore the very essence of revelation, and the very heart of spiritual enlightenment is that you see Christ in all those thoughts and ways of God as they are expressed in His Word and in His activities.

If you ask: "What is revelation, what is it to have spiritual enlightenment?" The answer is this: that you are able to see in a living and ever-growing way God’s thoughts as centered in Christ. We could put that in another way, and say that you are growingly able to see Christ and His place and His meaning in this universe, that this universe is interpreted and explained in the light of Christ, and that everything in our own lives in God’s dealings with us, is connected with Christ in some way. If that is true universally, and if that is true sovereignly and providentially; if that is true not only in the whole history of things in this universe, but true in a special way in human life, it is true, perhaps, in the most essential way in the Word of God as the expression of God’s thought. So that revelation, spiritual illumination, is to see Christ in all the Word of God; not truths, not doctrines, but Christ.... The question then, that we ever need to ask, is: In what way does this or that lead us to Christ? In what way does this mean an increase of Christ, a knowledge of Him in a living and experimental way? We are looking for what is of Christ.

~T. Austin-Sparks~
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Fear or Faith? 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” 
John 11:25 

Recommended Reading Hebrews 2:14-15

The World Health Organization says that, in 2012, an estimated 56 million people died around the world from all causes. Doing the math that means approximately 153,425 died every day, or 106 people every minute. That’s more than one person per second dying. If you are wearing a watch, or can look at a clock that counts off the seconds, spend a few moments watching the seconds tick away and considering the reality of what all human beings face.

We know death is a reality; we know death is on the horizon. It is an unalterable fact of our existence. Usually, people are afraid of theunknown in life; knowledge is supposed to dispel fear. But when it comes to death, many people are afraid of the known. Even though death is known, many people still fear it because they don’t know what happens “on the other side.” Fortunately, we have the words of One who has been to death and back, One who conquered death. He promised that all who believe in Him would die physically but would live eternally.

Make sure today that your fear of death has been replaced by faith in Jesus’ promises.
~David Jeremiah~
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Flying the Flag of Joy
by Chuck Swindoll

Proverbs 15:13, 15

Solomon left us many statements about the value of joy in his book of Proverbs. Yesterday we read: "A joyful heart is good medicine, / But a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). Take a quick look at a couple more: "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, / But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken" (15:13); and "a cheerful heart has a continual feast" (15:15).

There is no more effective testimony of a changed life than a winsome spirit. The joy that oozes from that kind of person is contagious. Christians talk a lot about love and faith and hope, but we often fail to emphasize the value of joy. How strange! Especially since it appears next to the top of the list in the fruit of the Spirit, remember?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22–23).

If God handed out ribbons to those who bear the right fruit, those who demonstrate love on a regular basis would win the blue . . . and those who model joy would wear the red. Laughter that pours out of a joyful heart is one of the most delightful of all sounds on earth. God loves it!

As someone once said, "Joy is the flag flying high above the castle of the heart, announcing that the King is in residence there." (Read that again.)

So, let's lighten up. Let's allow ourselves to rest and relax more often during spontaneous segments of each day, filling those moments with a little fun. Let's stop suppressing our laughter (remember those "hips" from yesterday's devotional!). Let's remind ourselves that a healthy and well-exercised sense of humor is as much a mark of spirituality as being faithful in prayer and being committed to the truths of Scripture.

It's time to unwrap that flag, raise it to the top of the mast, and fly it high!

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Search the Scriptures!

(George Everard, "A Talk about the Family Bible" 1878)

The word Bible signifies Book; and when we call it the Bible, we mean that it is the Book of books--thebest Book, the wisest Book, the Book that will do us the most good of any in the world!

If all the other books in the world were destroyed, however great and irreparable the loss--if men still had the Bible, they would be far better off than if this were destroyed and all other books remained.

It is the Book that alone can tell . . .
  how sin can be forgiven,
  how temptation can be overcome,
  how trouble and sorrow can be met,
  how tears can be wiped away, and
  how death can be the gate of everlasting life.

It is indeed the best companion . . .
  for days of trial,
  for the day of sickness, and
  for the hour when we must part from all below!

Oh what a treasure is a well-read Bible! It is . . .
  a mine of gold,
  a hive full of honey,
  a field covered with a rich harvest. 
It is a tree of life, of which every twig bears precious fruit. 
It is an ocean full of pearls. 
It is a river full of the purest water of life. 
It is a sun whose beams warm and cheer the heart. 
It is a bright star that can guide the pilgrim through the darkest night. 
It is a granary stored with the finest of the wheat. 
It is a medicine-chest, from which we may find a remedy for every malady of the soul. 
It is a Mount Pisgah, from which we can view the promised land of Canaan. 
All this and much more, is the Bible to those who love to search it and explore the depths of heavenly wisdom which it contains.

Dear reader, whatever you forget, never, never forget to read something out of this precious Book day by day.The Scriptures warn against . . .
  the fear of man,
  the allurements of worldly pleasures,
  the snare of pride, and
  the temptation of doubt and unbelief.

Search the Scriptures! Whatever you have done hitherto, begin now to search them daily as for hidden treasures! 
Go deep into this precious mine. 
Ponder what you read. 
Compare one part with another. 
Compare the commands and precepts with your own daily life. 
Bring its promises to bear on your heart and temptations.

When we read the Scriptures, we should pay good heed to it. There are depths and heights in many of the simplest verses, that we can never reach. Therefore we ought to turn them over again and again in our minds. We must mark, learn, and inwardly digest them. A few verses or even a single verse well thought over, and still better, well prayed over--will bring more profit and help than many chapters listlessly or carelessly read!

Be Not Anxious (and other devotionls)

Be not anxious - Luke 12:11

So often through this discourse the Lord refers to anxiety. "Be not anxious how or what ye shall answer" (Luke 12:2). "Which of you by being anxious can add?" (Luke 12:25). "Why are ye anxious?" (Luke 12:26). There must have been a great strain on the crowds who listened to Him; and there was every likelihood of the strain becoming even greater for His disciples as the years passed on. So, also, the characteristic of our age is anxious strain.

But the heart of Jesus was always at peace. His life was calm amid the storms of life; as the coral-island, with its fronded palms and lagoons of still water, is peaceful amid the storm-tossed ocean, because of the protection of its reef. The surf breaks there, but does not intrude further. The secrets of Jesus were the perpetual presence of God in His soul, and His never-faltering faith in the loving, careful providence of God in all the experiences of His checkered life.

Can we not have this? We may if we are willing to pay the price. If we will resign or surrender our will utterly to Him; if we will tear down every vail that might hide His face, and throw open our whole being to His indwelling and use; if we will cease scheming, planning, devising, and fall back on the absolute care and arrangements of God; if we will learn to reckon on God as absolutely as on any resourceful human friend; if we will dare to believe that God holds Himself responsible for the sustenance and equipment for duty of all who absolutely seek His glory - then.

"Our lives shall be full of sunshine,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold up their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away."

~F. B. Meyer~

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 What is Double Minded? Part 1

"he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:8

James tells us not to be double-minded because we will be unstable in all our ways. No one wants to be unstable, so how can we prevent ourselves from being double-minded?

First, we have to define what it means to be double-minded. Thinking through decisions and weighing out the cost/benefit ratio is not being double-minded. That, instead, is called "counting the cost." In every decision we make, we need to count the cost; it is important to gather information and know the options first. This process can take some time, and for some of us, it takes too long when our thoughts become consumed by our choices. It is important to include the Lord during the "count the cost" process because if we have missed something, the Lord will bring to mind what we need to remember. But there is only so much information we can gather and there is only so much time that can be allotted for each decision. Continuing to extend the process; leads to second guessing (or being double-minded). Set a time limit to gather information and then make a decision. No looking back and no regrets. It is better to make a wrong decision than to make no decision. God can work together anything for good and we learn from every decision, the right and the wrong ones.

Another way to prevent double-mindedness is by asking the Lord for wisdom. Your goal should be to make a choice that will bless the Lord as well as be best for you. At the outset, do not jump to conclusions of what you think is best in pleasing Him. When I have done this in the past, I usually ended up being wrong. For some odd reason, I tend to believe that whatever is best for God is not what is best for me. WRONG! Or I want to believe that what is best for me has to be best for God—wrong again. Be open, be willing, and be in the Word. When we ask for wisdom, we are really asking for God to make His choices known to us. We have to be willing to listen. The only way I have learned to be willing to listen is by understanding that God's ways are best for me, regardless of what those "ways" may look like. He is a God of love and purpose, and His purposes are filled with love. We can trust Him. Pray and believe in faith that God hears you. James tells us to not doubt that it is God answering. Pray for faith to do what He has led you to do, despite your doubts.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

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He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. - Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. - As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The LORD our Righteousness.

II COR. 5:21. Isa. 53:6. I Pet. 2:24. Rom. 5:19. Tit. 3:4 7. Rom. 8:1. Jer. 23:6.

EVENING

I will be as the dew unto Israel.

The meekness and gentleness of Christ.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he began to say unto thern, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

HOS. 14:5. II Cor. 10:1. Isa. 42:3. Luke 4:18,19,21,22. Luke 22:61,62. Isa. 40:11.

~Samuel Bagster~

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The Names of Christ

Philippians 2:5-11

The Bible ascribes many different names to Jesus, all of which provide great insight into His character and person. Here are some from John’s gospel that I find particularly revealing:

The Good Shepherd (10:11) protects his sheep at all cost from predators. They know His voice and follow Him.

The Door (vv. 7-9) is the only way to enter heaven. Whoever enters through the “gate” of Christ will be saved.

The Vine (15:1-10) is the source of our spiritual life. When we stay intimately connected to Jesus, we bear fruit. If we do not remain in Him, we wither.

The Bread of Life (6:25-35) the only one who can truly satisfy our hearts. Jesus feeds our souls with sustenance that never leaves us wanting for more.

The Light of the World (9:5) shines His light through our countenance as a ministry and testimony to a dark world.

The Way (14:6) to happiness, peace, joy, and eternal life is Jesus Christ.

The Truth (14:6) of His revelation, as recorded in the New Testament, is the reason we can know as much as we do about God.

The Life (14:6) Jesus imparts to believers is powerful, effective, and fruitful, not only in eternity but here on earth as well.

In biblical times, Israelites would choose a baby’s name based on the child’s characteristics or a hope or prayer of the parent. The names given to Jesus tell a great deal about His ministry on earth 2,000 years ago. The scriptural names describing Him reveal who He was and is and will be for eternity.

~Charles Stanley~

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Gift of Strength; Peace to Bless
"The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace"   (Psalm 29:11).

David had just heard the voice of the LORD in a thunderstorm and had seen His power in the hurricane whose path he had described; and now, in the cool calm after the storm, that overwhelming power by which heaven and earth are shaken is promised to be the strength of the chosen. He who wings the unerring bolt will give to His redeemed the wings of eagles; He who shakes the earth with His voice will terrify the enemies of His saints and give His children peace. Why are we weak when we have divine strength to flee to? Why are we troubled when the LORD's own peace is ours? Jesus, the mighty God, is our strength; let us put Him on and go forth to our service. Jesus, our blessed LORD, is also our peace; let us repose in Him this day and end our fears. What a blessing to have Him for our strength and peace both now and forever! That same God who rides upon the storm in days of tempest will also rule the hurricane of our tribulation and send us, before long, days of peace. We shall have strength for storms and songs for fair weather. Let us begin to sing at once unto God, our strength and our peace. Away, dark thoughts! Up, faith and hope!

~Charles Spurgeon~

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Key #4 to Effective Prayer - Consistent with God's Will
By Janet Conley 

In order for your prayers to be effective, they need to be in line with God's Word and will. That is the fourth key to effective prayer.

This means you must have knowledge of God's Word.  In John 15:7, Jesus says,

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

If you abide in God and His words abide in you, your desires will line up with His will.  How important it is for us to know the Word of God!

As Hebrews 4 reminds us, the Word of God is living and active and powerful. It is spirit; it is life. It's not just pages on a piece of paper. And as you are in the Word of God, I believe the Holy Spirit will paint heaven's pictures, heaven's thoughts, and heaven's ideas on the canvas of your heart and your mind.

As you read the Word of God, you will have confidence in your prayers because you will have God's heart. And when you have God's heart, He is going to answer your prayers because that is what He desires.

I also want to point you to 1 John 5:14 which says,

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

His will, of course, is His Word.  So if you ask anything according to His Word, He will hear you. And if you know that He hears whatever you ask, you know you have the petitions you have asked of Him. 

This means you and I need to know what the Bible says so that our prayers will be answered. Effective prayers are those that are in line with God's Word and will.

~Bayless Conley~

The Fast I Have Chosen

The Fast I Have Chosen

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6 

I remember the first time I ever fasted. I spent most of the time looking at the clock and thinking about my stomach. But I have kept the practice of fasting regularly, despite the discomforts in my body. Throughout the years, I have committed to several different types of fasts and for different, yet specific, reasons. I have experienced mountain-top highs and dark-valley lows during times of fasting. I have learned that fasting in its essence is a time of cleansing and purifying, which means I spend a lot of the time confessing and repenting of my sins. When all is said and done; however, fasting has been one of the most powerful tools in my walk with Christ.

The main thing I had to understand very early in my experiences with fasting was that if I tried to do it on my own, then failure seemed to be the result. I have proclaimed fasts for reasons that were not from God. I have determined the type and the length of a fast, then seen it completely fall apart in my weakness. Now when I fast, I try to make certain that it is the fast God has chosen, otherwise, I end up feeling worse.

Today’s verse gives us an example of the type of fast God chooses for us. Fasting is an excellent weapon against the enemy’s strongholds and bondage in our lives. God appoints certain times of fasting for us to find freedom from wicked bonds and heavy yokes that burden us down. The question for us: are we willing to make the sacrifice for spiritual freedom? It is not easy, but it is so worth it. Are you struggling with an area of bondage? Do you feel burdened and cannot seem to overcome? Pray for clear direction as you ask the Lord to lead you in to a specific fast for your situation. He may impress upon you to fast from certain foods or television shows or daily activities. I believe God honors any attempt we make at fasting, whether it is a food fast or something else. I also believe that He needs to be involved from the very beginning; otherwise, we may ditch it earlier than planned. Pray about fasting and see what God shows you. This may be just the break you have been waiting for.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

Much Fruit!

Much Fruit!

George Everard, 1884

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing!" John 15:5

Not bearing evil fruit as a corrupt tree;
not covered with leaves, but having no fruit, as the barren fig-tree;
not bringing forth fruit unto himself, as Ephraim (Hosea 10:1);
not a bough with a handful of fruit or a single specimen, only enough to show the character of the tree.

No, not such should the Christian be — but as a branch laden with good fruit, weighed down with ripened clusters, sweetened by the glorious sunshine, and gladdening the heart of the Great Gardener, as He sees in it a rich reward for His toil and pains!

It is worth striving for. It is the noblest aim the Christian can cherish. Listen to the words of Christ, "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:8. That they should bear abundant fruit, is one great purpose of all God's dealings with His people. He wills not simply that they should be forgiven and saved, but that they should glorify Him by being fruitful in every good word and work. No created being can rise higher in aim and spirit than this. To bring glory to the name of Jehovah is the very highest object of angel and archangel before the throne.

To bring forth much fruit is, moreover, a sure pledge of discipleship. If the Christian does this there can be no room for doubt as to his hope in Christ. It will be manifest both to himself and to others that Christ is in him of a truth.

Nor should we forget that all true fruit is seed. In most cases the fruit but encloses and guards the seed which it carries within. This is true in the natural world, and it is no less so in the spiritual realm. That which we look at as fruit today, tomorrow will prove to be a seed of further fruit yet to be brought forth. Stephen's prayer for his enemies, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!" was the most precious fruit of Divine grace in the soul, reflecting the very spirit of His Master; but it became also a precious seed, bringing salvation to Saul of Tarsus and affording a blessed example to persecuted believers in all ages of the Church's history.

And there is still one further encouragement to Christians as to their fruitfulness. "Much fruit" brings much reward. A large and abundant recompense invariably follows. The soul is open to receive more of Heaven's richest treasures. It is gladdened by the ingathering of those who might otherwise have been left to perish. It has in the future the promise of a bright crown and of a more glorious inheritance!

Shall such then be our aim all through life? Shall it be our great desire to be like Joseph, "a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall;" to be such as Paul prayed that the Philippians might be, "filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God!" (Philippians 1:11)

It should be our effort day by day to bring to the Master, our basket of ripe fruit, and such as will glorify Him and receive His gracious approval. Shall we persevere in doing this through each successive month and year, so that when life closes we may praise Him for the grace that has made it blessed and useful indeed?

But how may this be? Bearing in mind the hindrances in the way, my own fickleness and proneness to turn aside, the temptations that surround me, the impediments in doing good which meet me at every turn — how may I still succeed in fulfilling the will of Christ, that I should bring forth much fruit?

I must ever remember that it is fruit which God seeks. It is fruit, and not merely toil or work in His service. There is something of a Divine perfection about fruit that is very different from that which comes merely of man's labor. It may be the peach with its exquisite bloom, or the cluster of grapes from the hothouse, or the bunch of berries from the garden. But it is God's own handiwork, and examined even beneath the microscope, it has a rare beauty and perfectness that is quite unlike the finest workmanship of man's hands. Thus is it with all true fruit in the kingdom of God. It is the outcome of the spiritual life which has been granted to the soul. It is the outgrowth of inward spiritual grace. It is an external manifestation of the Spirit of God abiding within.

Hence the main point always to keep steadfastly before me is the absolute necessity of a living union with Christ. It is the branch abiding in living union with the stem and root that alone can bring forth fruit. There is no possibility of any fruit at all without this.

One of the great leading truths of the Gospel is the word of the Savior, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

Let there be the least separation between the branch and the stem, let it be but the hundredth part of an inch, and at once the sap ceases to flow into the branch — and there can be nothing but withering leaves, fading bloom, decay and death!

Let us each put to our own hearts the following questions:

Am I indeed and in truth one with Christ?

Am I knit to Him in heart and spirit and life?

Am I so joined to Him by a living faith, that I can say, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His?"

Am I exercising a soul-reliance upon Him?

Am I trusting Him for pardon, strength, peace, and grace day by day?

Am I clinging to Him with all "the five fingers of my faith?"

Am I . . .
walking in fellowship with Him,
conversing with Him by prayer,
hearkening to His voice,
delighting to be near Him,
happy when doing His will?

In fact, is Christ a reality to me — my Savior, a Friend, my Shepherd, my Refuge, my Everlasting Portion?

Here is the central point in true religion:
In Christ — or out of Christ?
One with Him — or a stranger to Him?
A Christian in His sight — or only such by outward profession?

The true value of ordinances depends entirely upon this. Very precious are they when they are the expression of a living faith which unites me to Him who was once crucified but is now exalted, as my living Head, to the Father's right hand. In this case, they strengthen faith, and draw the believer nearer and nearer to Him he loves.

But very perilous are they when men put them in the place of faith; when men strive to satisfy conscience by the external rite or service — when secretly they know they are living far from Him. It is one of the great dangers of the present day.

A young person seeks all her happiness in the world. The theater, the society of the light and frivolous, the world in its various forms, is her idol — and there is no room for God, no room for Christ, no room for true, earnest piety.

But conscience demands a salve. So certain religious services are attended, and often Holy Communion is received; but all the time the door is locked against the Savior, and spiritual worship is utterly disregarded.

If I would bear fruit, it must not be thus with me — my religion must go heart-deep. Christ must be all my salvation and all my desire.

"Lord, let me live in Christ by saving faith,
Let me be His for yes, in life or death;
Oh, be it mine, as time's swift chariot flies,
Clearer to read my title to the skies!
Fully to follow You, from grace to grace,
Until You have made me meet to see Your face."
 

In bearing fruit, the first essential is to be in living union with Christ. And from this, follows the second, which is the constant, daily, hourly abiding in this union.

I would urge this upon myself and upon every believer. I must abide in Christ. I must not begin with Christ — and then trust in good resolutions. I must not take Christ as my Righteousness and my Atoning sacrifice — and then hope to become holy or fruitful in my own strength. I must not aim at doing anything whatever by my own natural abilities.

In Christ I must begin,
in Christ I must continue,
in Christ I must complete all that I undertake.

On Him I must exercise entire, unlimited, perpetual dependence!

I must rely upon Him for daily mercy, daily grace, daily keeping, daily upholding, daily power to think and will and work as I ought in His service.

I suppose Paul was one of the greatest fruit-bearers, perhaps the greatest, that the Church of Christ has ever seen. And what was the secret of his abundant work and labor of love? He rested upon the word of promise, "My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). He drank in motive and zeal and perseverance in toil — from Christ Himself. "I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me!" (Galatians 2:20).

Here was the key-note of his whole life. From first to last, he lived on Christ by faith. He . . .
fed continually on the Living Bread,
drank evermore from the Living Fountain,
abode in the love of Christ, and 
dwelt beneath the shadow of the Rock of Ages.

Nor can we otherwise be fruitful branches. We must ever by faith abide in Christ, and receive out of His fullness.

To maintain and strengthen this dependence, I must abide in Christ's Word. Each promise, each precept, each revelation of Himself or the Father, of sin or the world — I must reverently ponder.

I must abide in His love. I must not hide away from its bright beams in some dark chamber or cavern of world-hunting, or money-hunting, or pleasure-hunting. I must not let other things come in and make me forget that love which is the spring of all the peace that I enjoy. I must dwell upon it more and more until I can comprehend something of its height and depth and breadth and length!

I must keep Christ's sayings, and surrender my will entirely to His. He must be my Head of direction, as well as my Head of supply. I must obey Him implicitly, as well as trust Him to the uttermost. Anything of reserve or disobedience, or of rebellion against His will, or of grudging service — must interrupt the sweet harmony of faith and love, and hinder the closeness of fellowship with Him.
 

But while the main essential as to abundant fruitfulness is abiding in Christ, there are other PRACTICAL HINTS which ought to be remembered. Here is one.

The richest fruit is often found on low ground. The vines do not grow on the Alpine heights — but in the fruitful valleys of Italy that lie beneath.

In the fruitage of Christ's kingdom, the parallel is always true. You find the full supply, not on the hill-tops of pride and self-sufficiency, on the lofty summits of souls that glory in their own gifts or powers — but on such as have learned to be nothing and to glory only in the love and grace of the Redeemer. Where there is much humility — there will be much grace, and where there is much grace — there will be much fruit.

This fruit may be hidden from the eye of man. It may be a life of patient submission to the will of God in a very quiet sphere. It may be the meek endurance of pain during a long and wearisome illness. It may be a constant effort to do good in some difficult position, where few are the least aware of it. But wherever the Christian course is run in lowliness and humble dependence upon God — the Father's eye discerns the fruit, and He will not be slow to accept and own it.

This leads us to another point. The Christian must be well content to let the fruit he bears, be according to the will of God. I must not choose my own position, or murmur because my lot may be ordered of God very contrary to my own will. I might wish the fruit to be of a more showy kind. I might wish to occupy a prominent position, like a branch in a royal vinery or a wide-spreading mulberry-tree on a nobleman's lawn. I might wish to be a great preacher, or to build a Church, or to do something which would attract the world's attention. But God's will puts me aside — out of sight, as it were, in the back garden, in some quiet nook, unnoticed by the busy throng — and yet able there to be useful and to do something or be something which will not be without effect in the great battle between God and the devil.

If it is my supreme desire to he fruitful, I must not repine at the gardener's pruning-knife. The branch that bears fruit needs pruning, that it may bring forth more fruit. And very various in this respect may be the dealings of the gardener with the different trees, or branches, or fruit-producers in his garden. Unsparingly he may cut away the runners on his strawberry bed; or a whole armful of shoots he may cut away from the vine growing on the wall. While from other trees he may take away a portion of the new wood, or cut out a large branch to give air or room, or possibly dig around one of luxuriant growth and lop off some of its roots. But in wisdom and ripe experience, he deals with each as it needs.

So the great Gardener acts in His Church. The most precious of His trees and the most fruitful branches, often receive the most of His care, and the chastening may seem more frequent and severe. From some of His people, the little ones are taken away, and the domestic hearth left desolate — that out of the sore trial, the parents' hearts may learn more of Divine love.

With others, financial means are lessened, and losses in business come thickly — but the treasures in Heaven are rapidly increasing.

Then others know the burden of sorrow about an afflicted partner, or the anxiety to find work, or the lack of strength to do the work which lies ready at hand.

Ah, there is a great deal of root-pruning in the Lord's vineyard! Every fiber of the heart cries out in its misery and anguish — yet all the while He who wounds, waits to heal. Not joyous, but grievous is the trial: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it!" Hebrews 12:11. "He is the LORD — let Him do what is good in His eyes." 1 Samuel 3:18.

Would I be very fruitful? Then I must watch against the enemies that would rob me of the fruit!

If I forget to cover the peach-blossom, a frosty night may do mischief beyond remedy. The birds may nip off the young buds of the fruit-bushes. Insects may quietly mar and destroy the toil of many days. So that care and skill are needed to counteract these crafty little foes — or, in spite of all my pains, July and August may mourn instead of rejoice.

Just so in my service of Christ — there are perils round about me against which I need constantly to watch.

The chilling blast of a worldly spirit,
the frost of doubt and unbelief,
sloth and self-will,
selfishness and self-indulgence,
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eye,
the pride of life,
fretfulness and murmuring under trials,
over-anxiety about the future,
irritability and hastiness of temper,
love of man's praise — or fear of his displeasure
— any or all of these may come like the birds and insects in the garden and may spoil my pleasant fruits!

"From the by-ways of temptation,
Keep us, Savior, lest we stray;
Oh preserve us from the evil
Ever lurking round our way!
Let our path grow brighter, clearer,
Until it ends in perfect day!"

I must aim at using well each instrumentality of fruit-bearing. Each ability, each talent, must be carefully employed in the Lord's service.

And here one great principle comes in. The secret and hidden fruits, the virtues and graces that have their seat in the heart — are far the most precious in the sight of God!

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." When Christ speaks, in the Sermon on the Mount, of those fruits which bring with them such blessedness — how does He describe them? He refers mainly to those which have their root within. Blessed are "the poor in spirit," "the meek," "the pure in heart," "those who hunger and thirst after righteousness," etc.

And when Paul describes the fruit which marks the followers of Christ, it is mainly that which only the eye of God can fully discern. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Let these secret graces be most fervently sought and diligently cultivated. Let each believer long for the blessed Spirit, the Comforter, to work mightily within him, and to manifest His power in such a spirit of love, faith, meekness, holiness, patience and zeal — that he may be filled with all the fullness of God. For this let him wait and pray perpetually. Where this is granted, the fruit in God's sight will abound. Besides, all else will be sure to follow. No true fruit will be lacking, where the heart is as a garden watered by the Lord.

Then with this, every other gift is to be exercised. There is no doubt the inward and the outward life act and react one upon the other. Just as the trees are nourished in part by that which is taken in through the foliage — so the inner graces are strengthened by those good works which manifest them.

There must be the fruit of the eye. How mighty a power is this for strengthening and manifesting Divine grace! The books we read may greatly help us. Then the eye may convey a look of reproof that may check sin, or a look of kindness that may comfort one ready to faint. It may take in the need of a poor brother or sister, and thus a heavy burden may be removed.

There must be the fruit of the lips. Sweet in God's ear is the voice of prayer, praise, adoration, intercession. Precious in His sight is the faithful testimony borne to His truth, the pleading with sinners to turn from their evil ways, the tender considerateness which utters words of honey — healing balm, to soothe an anxious heart or guide a troubled one to Christ, the Fountain of life and peace.

There must be the fruit of the hand. It is no lost labor to perform deeds of self-denying toil, to work for those who cannot work for themselves, to ply the needle in making garments for the sick, to do a bit of household work to spare one whose health is weak.

Let the hand be stretched out in free, liberal, substantial gifts to the Lord's treasury. It was well said to some who were studying the anatomy of the hand, "The most beautiful hand, is the hand that gives." What endless good might be done, what waste places might be reclaimed both at home and abroad — if all Christians gave of their income a fair proportion of that which God has given them. Look down the lists of the annual report of any congregation — and what a slender, pitiful measure of help to Christian objects of the greatest importance is often rendered by those who could give ten times the amount without feeling it. Where the heart is warmed with the love of God and man — the hand and the purse will be open when the calls on every side are so great and urgent.

So too should every other power become fruitful in the Lord's service. There is none who need be idle. There is not a gift you possess, but may in some way be utilized in Christ's cause.

We need, too, more and more careful efforts to train the young of all classes in Divine truth. One of the most appalling calamities of the last few years was the trampling down of about two hundred little children in a public building at Sunderland. But to my mind there is something far worse even than this. It is the multitudes of little children in our land, who are in danger of being trampled down beneath the hoof of a cruel unbelief which will rob them of all the hope of a happy, holy, and useful life.

In our churches and in our mission rooms, in tents and in the open air, in workshops and by the wayside, by printed messages and by the spoken word, let us carry everywhere the Master's message, and while the door stands open, do our best to save the souls of our fellow-men.

Hence will arise fruit, the fruit of gathered sheaves, that we shall be able to bring to our Lord in the day of His appearing.

"Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." But how has it been with you?

What fruit has there been in the years that have passed?

What victories over old sins and temptations?

What breathings of true prayer?

What growth in the Divine life?

What increase of faith, hope, and charity?

What gifts laid upon the Lord's altar, which have cost you some actual sacrifice?

What earnest intercessions on behalf of friends or neighbors?

What deeds of kindness and tramplings upon self-will and self-indulgence in your own home?

What acts of thoughtful benevolence done for the sick or sorrowful? What habits of evil broken off?

What new habits of good by grace formed?

What resolutions made and fulfilled?

What souls brought back to the fold of the good Shepherd?

Then what about the future? If this present year is your last for fruit-bearing on earth — will it bring its testimony on your behalf? Shall it be the best and holiest you have ever spent, because begun and continued in lowly dependence on the great Helper?

When the book of your life is closed, never to be reopened until the great white throne is set — what will be its witness as to your profession of being a follower of Christ?

Among all the pictures in the Royal Academy of 1883 there was one home-scene that spoke most to my heart. It was called "The Last Look." A widow with her five children were gathered around an open coffin. For the last time they were looking upon the face of the one so dear to them all. No more will that sorrowing widow look on her husband's face, no more will those little ones look upon a father's countenance — until that great day when the grave shall give up its dead.

But unless Christ comes soon, the same position will be yours and mine, before many months or years have come. And when it is, when those who have dearly loved you gather around your coffin to take their last look of you — what witness will your life have left behind? Among any who have spiritual discernment, will there be a blessed certainty that you had indeed truly followed the Master? Will the remembrance of your whole course, be fragrant with a thousand evidences of the reality of your faith and love? Shall you leave behind in many a heart, a life-long witness in the truths they have heard from your lips? Will the whole spirit of your daily walk, be remembered as an unmistakable proof that your life was hid with Christ in God? Shall you still live on in . . .
the good you have done,
the souls you have evangelized,
the prayers you have offered, and
the blessings you have scattered around you?

As in the sight of that open coffin in which lies your own frame when the pulse has ceased to beat, and "Finis!" is written upon all you have ever purposed or performed — be honest with yourself, and be honest with God. Am I . . .
living for self — or for God,
fruitful — or unfruitful,
a champion in the Lord's army — or a lukewarm follower,
a diligent worker — or a drone in the hive,
a little spring of living water — or a spot of barren sand?

What are you?

What will you be?

Settle the question now, and walk worthy of your Christian name.

"Lord, let me live for Christ, and to His praise,
Spend and be spent for Him through all my days;
Oh, let each power of body and of mind
Some sweet employment, in His service find.

Oh, to be given wholly unto Him
Whose life-blood flowed the guilty to redeem!
Bought with so costly, with so rich a price, 
My all should be His willing sacrifice."