Tag: Holy Spirit

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Why Else Do It?

MAY 6

MATTHEW 6:1_Take heed that ye do not your alms before men…

Take heed is translated as pay attention! Jesus begins with a firm exclamation! Just as with the verilies, He’s about to reveal an important part of the salty-lit-up disciple life. You’ve sat at the feet of Jesus long enough by now to know this will be something different from the status quo.

The word alms here is translated as righteous. Does Jesus say pay attention so you don’t do righteousness before men? Jesus messes with your mind right from the get-go. Shouldn’t the whole purpose of righteousness be to do it before men? Why else do it?

Those committed to be disciples accepted the calling to be light. Shouldn’t your light shine before men? Isn’t its purpose to draw seekers into the presence of The Savior, The Great Balancer, The Great Hope, The Great Transformer, The Great Surgeon, The Great Healer? Your righteousness must be before men.

I hope you are hanging on for more clarification from Jesus as He teaches—I am! 

PRAYER

Jesus Teacher, I want to learn whatever You have to teach me. I want the truth to guide my life, and help me make right decisions. I want to heed the Holy Spirit’s insight. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                          

Christ wants me to pay attention to His teaching—I will!

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You're On Your Way!

MAY 5

MATTHEW 5:48_Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The Holy Spirit pleads for you in prayer. James 5:16 (KJV) “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Fervently praying attracts the attention of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pleads your prayers before God.

One of the loveliest things about your prayer life and the Holy Spirit is He understands – even when you are too overwhelmed to know what to pray.  Romans 8:26 (KJV), “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit can translate your groans and moans into prayers! Thank You, Spirit!

You serve an amazing God. He wants you to reach this kind of perfection. Let go of your own will long enough to succumb to God’s. Enter a supernatural realm … a realm of virtue and integrity.

Talk about being unique! Talk about being salt and light! If you reach the place where you look like your Father – you’re on your way to perfection.

This is a calling to courageous radicals who believe there is more to life than the physical.

PRAYER

Jesus Who Hears, I praise the Spirit who prays for me when I don’t know how. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                            

Christ hears all my prayers—He hears all my groans, too!

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Pattern Your Life After His

MAY 4

MATTHEW 5:48_Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus solves the whole right-and-wrong, love-and-hate, good-and-evil, thing by saying, “Be perfect!“ Yeah, right! Let me know how that works out for you!

Let’s translate the word perfect. In this verse it means full grown; to reach the character of virtue and integrity, complete. You may make mistakes, but perfection comes when you make a goal to work toward integrity. And more than that, a goal to become a radical, salty-lit-up disciple of Jesus. This kind of perfection is to become full grown in your love for Jesus, to pattern your life after His. To be complete in His love.

How can you get there? Jesus just spoke forty-six verses of a step by step plan that maps it out. If you choose this path, you won’t walk alone. You will enjoy the company of other radical disciples. You also have the treasure chest key, aka the Bible. You also have the Holy Spirit. 

The Spirit within you opens the door to wisdom and teaches you how to apply that wisdom to your life. Perfection, achieving integrity and virtue, is a natural byproduct of wisdom.

There’s one more point before this chapter ends. Don’t miss it!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Teach me how to find the path to perfection. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

 Christ is perfect in every way—He will teach me a way!

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Some Turn Away

MAY 1

MATTHEW 5:45_for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendest rain on the just and on the unjust.

I can’t say this too many times: God understands the kind of struggles we face in our earthly life. He knows our enemy, the devil, is subtle. God knows the devil’s power to deceive and to persuade. We face the devil daily. Without the Holy Spirit we don’t stand a chance. 

Courage and power are available for us. Power comes through the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants this for everyone, but some turn away. 

According to what Jesus teaches, God loves the evil and the unjust. He gives them a new chance every day the sun rises. God sends rain on the crops of the evil, the same as on the crops of the just. He gives the unjust the same chance He gives the just. That’s the kind of heart God has, but it’s not the kind of heart we have – unless we allow The Great Surgeon to operate.

If God rejected those who hurt Him as easily as we reject those who hurt us – no one would be saved.

As our heart begins to transform, we become shining lights to those searching for Jesus. Our saltiness will cause someone to thirst for truth – real truth.

PRAYER

Dear God, Teach me how to love the unjust. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

Christ’s heart cares for the unjust—He helps me to care!

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Know the Truth!

APRIL 30

MATTHEW 5:45_That you may be children of your Father which is in heaven…

If you listen to him, the devil will convince you the Christian life is too hard. No one can keep all these commandments. And there’s doom if you don’t!

The only way to keep from falling for the devil’s deceptions is to know the truth!

Christianity is not about keeping a bunch of laws. It is about a new, born again life with Jesus. Get into God’s family. Be confident that you are a child of your Father in heaven. Ask Jesus into your heart. You’ll automatically receive the bonus of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you. Any commandment/law keeping is the Spirit’s job.

How does that work?

Remember that open heart surgery? The Spirit changes your desires by creating in you a deeper love of Jesus and His teachings. Love is not about making yourself good. It is about the Spirit producing stronger desires for righteousness, and the desires for unrighteousness losing their grip. 

Psalm 23:3 (KJV), “… he [the Lord] restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” 

How do you get to the righteous paths? God leads you.

Why? For His name’s sake! 

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, Praise You for leading me where I need to go! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                              

Christ has the power to change me—He will do it!