Tag: Power

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Do What You Can’t

Daily Reading

Acts 14-15

Daily Thought

Paul and Barnabas arrived at Iconium and spoke of Jesus in the synagogue and many believed, both Jew and Gentile, “but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds” (Acts 14:2) and the city became divided. Those against threatened to stone Paul and Barnabas, so the disciples fled to Lystra, where they spoke again of Jesus, and did miracles, too. The people began calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes and worshiped them rather than the Savior they spoke of and the gospel of Jesus was drowned out by the people’s passion for their own Greek gods. The Iconium Jews, who had chased them out of their own city, caught up with them here and persuaded the crowd to stone Paul and so they did and dragged him out of the city and left him for dead, but he got right back up and went right back into the city. Like the Energizer Bunny, these disciples kept going and going, traveling from Derbe to Pisidia to Pamphylia to Attalia, finally to Antioch, where they ignored what the cities had done to them and “declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27).

Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, is the Savior of the world, and the disciples took the message out of Israel to city and nation, one after another. Like David against Goliath, it never dawned on the disciples they were too small to win the world, so they kept going and people kept believing and the good news of Jesus Christ spread “from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). If you decide you cannot do something, you will be right every time, so leave those decisions to God and do whatever he says. You will be amazed what gets done. 

Daily Prayer

My God, may I go as long and as far as You lead, and keep going because You keep leading. Give me the passion and boldness to enter open doors and knock on closed ones. May I burn with the memory of what Your salvation did to my life and fan that flame so Your fire for this world never dies within me.

Keep me encouraged and enthusiastic, faithfully living and speaking grace and truth, and trusting You for changed lives. God, I will stop listening to what I think I cannot do; rather I will listen to what You say I can!

Amen

Daily Question

What should you be doing right now that you don’t think you can?

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Great Things

Daily Reading

Acts 1-3

Daily Thought

You would think seeing Jesus alive would fire up the disciples, empower them to take the good news of Jesus to the world, but it didn’t happen that way. After Jesus rose from the tomb, the disciples locked themselves in a room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Jesus appeared to them and showed them the nail holes in his hands and his side where the spear had pierced him. One week later, the disciples were in the same room, doors locked again. Jesus showed up again, same routine. What happened after that? “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I’m going fishing’” (John 21:3), and off they went.

We are made in God’s image, but we are dead in our sin and we must be awakened. We, too, must rise from the dead and we don’t summon that life because we experienced an event, no matter how dramatic. Our batteries are not drained, they are dead; they cannot hold a charge. God must reach inside us and renew our life. 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ~Acts 1:8 

A short time later, the disciples were gathered together in a room “and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4), and it was then that a bunch of faint-hearted followers transformed into world-changing warriors.

Daily Prayer

Jesus, You said that we, Your followers, Your church, will do greater things than You did. I mean, You are the salvation of the world. Yours is the Name above all names. What could be greater? It is a wonderful humility to know it is not in our power to do great things for You, but through Your power in us great things will be done. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, we carry the message, the Good News of salvation to the world. Through Your power, lives are changed. That’s pretty great!

Father God, may I be faithful to follow Your Word, going to the world, in the power of Your Spirit, in the Name of Your Son, with the gospel of grace. I will be faithful to plant the seeds and water the soil and leave it to You, God, to make it grow.

Amen

Daily Question

What is it like to have the power of the Holy Spirit filling you?

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That’s Just Stupid

Daily Reading

Proverbs 19-21

Daily Thought

Proverbs speaks highly of this thing called the fear of the Lord: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). It persists throughout the book and is always a good thing, “the fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied” (Proverbs 19:23). Fear seems oddly out of place when we think of our God, full of love and grace and goodness. Why would we be told to fear? Good question, but try turning it around. Picture the guy standing tall and boasting, “I don’t fear God.” Well, that’s just stupid.

I remember December 1973, when Dad entrusted me with the keys to his brown 1963 Ford Galaxie. I loved that car! I was young, 16, and did not have a proper appreciation of two tons of steel and power and speed. And I drove like it. Now jump forward to July 2004, as I hand Abby, my first child, the keys to the family Suburban. As I put them in her hand, I feel the size, the weight, the speed, and the power. I understand, more than ever before, how fear can be a good thing. I hope she has some–it is where wisdom blossoms.

Peter had answered rightly, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:16-19).

The church has the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Our Father hands us the keys to his Kingdom. Consider the size and the weight and the power in our possession. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Daily Prayer

Great and awesome God, Almighty and Everlasting, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. That You even think about me is amazing, that You have saved me, adopted me into Your family, that I share in the inheritance of Your riches, that Your Holy Spirit has taken residence in me, that I am a child of God, welcomed to Your presence, forever a citizen of Your Kingdom. Wow. Thank You. I worship You. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.

May my life reflect Your glory.

Amen

Daily Question

What does it mean to fear God? Should you fear God? Do You?

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Great Things

Daily Reading

Acts 1-3

Daily Thought

You would think seeing Jesus alive would fire up the disciples, empower them to take the good news of Jesus to the world, but it didn’t happen that way. After Jesus rose from the tomb, the disciples locked themselves in a room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Jesus appeared to them and showed them the nail holes in his hands and his side where the spear had pierced him. One week later, the disciples were in the same room, doors locked again. Jesus showed up again, same routine. What happened after that? “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I’m going fishing’” (John 21:3), and off they went.

We are made in God’s image, but we are dead in our sin and we must be awakened. We, too, must rise from the dead and we don’t summon that life because we experienced an event, no matter how dramatic. Our batteries are not drained, they are dead; they cannot hold a charge. God must reach inside us and renew our life. Jesus said to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). A short time later, the disciples were gathered together in a room “and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4), and it was then that a bunch of faint-hearted followers transformed into world-changing warriors.

Daily Prayer

Jesus, You said that we, Your followers, Your church, will do greater things than You did. I mean, You are the salvation of the world. Yours is the Name above all names. What could be greater? It is a wonderful humility to know it is not in our power to do great things for You, but through Your power in us great things will be done. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, we carry the message, the Good News of salvation to the world. Through Your power, lives are changed. That’s pretty great!

Father God, may I be faithful to follow Your Word, going to the world, in the power of Your Spirit, in the Name of Your Son, with the gospel of grace. I will be faithful to plant the seeds and water the soil and leave it to You, God, to make it grow.

Amen

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The Mighty Men

Daily Reading

1Chronicles 9-11

Daily Thought

This is an account of David’s mighty men (1Chronicles 11:10). What follows are names and exploits of fierce warriors who stood beside David in battle. They gathered around when Saul was trying to kill David before he was king, and stayed with David once he’d gained the throne. Their devotion was such that, when David yearned for a drink of water, they broke through a Philistine encampment to draw from the well of Bethlehem. When handed the cup, David looked at the water, then at the men, and thought the price too high to quench the thirst of a king. They had risked their lives, and he would not drink it. “He poured it out to the Lord” (1Chronicles 11:18), an offering worthy only of God.

The movie “Blindside” begins with a monologue, “One Mississippi. Joe Theismann, the Redskins quarterback takes the snap and hands off to his running back. Two Mississippi. It’s a trick play, a flea flicker, and the running back tosses the ball back to the quarterback. Three Mississippi. Up to now the play’s been defined by the what the quarterback sees. It’s about to be defined by what he doesn’t. Four Mississippi. The year is 1985 and Lawrence Taylor is the best defensive player in the NFL.  There will be no Five Mississippi. Quarterback Joe Theismann never played another down of football.”

Lawrence Taylor knocked Joe Theismann out of football. Lawrence Taylor and his kind are the reason why Tom Brady gave cars to Patriots linemen at Christmas, why Saints linemen had vacations of their choice paid for by Drew Brees, why 49er linemen sported Rolex watches, gifts from Joe Montana. “Watches. Custom suits. Stereo systems. Sony Blu-ray players before they even got on the market,” Indianapolis Colts linemen show off gifts from Peyton Manning. “He takes care of his guys.” Tom, Drew, Joe, and Peyton are quarterbacks, the kings of their teams. The king does not become king, does not remain king, without his mighty men.

Except one king, the King of kings. In him, the roles are reversed, for his men and women become mighty because their King gathers around them. And, still, he showers his mighty with gifts and we lay them back at his feet in worship. 

Daily Prayer

My King of kings and Lord of lords, great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God, having finished the work of salvation and now reigns in heaven. You have called us to battle, to stand strong in Your grace, and to take Your Good News into the kingdom of darkness.

Jesus, may I be among those who, through no strength of my own, but by the power of Your Spirit, become mighty, bringing light into darkness, bringing life out of death and love to the lost and lonely. You are for me, none can stand against me.

Amen

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Measuring Up

Daily Reading

Numbers 11-13

Daily Thought

Twelve spies were sent by Moses to check out the land of Canaan, the Promised Land of God. They returned after forty days, with good news. The land was flowing with milk and honey. However, there was also bad news. The people were strong and their cities fortified. “There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them” (Numbers 13:33).

There would be, someday, another warrior of God thought too small for battle against a large opponent. First King Saul told David, “You cannot fight Goliath. You are only a boy.” Then David put on the armor, but it did not fit. If you are too small for the armor, you are too small for the battle. Finally, the big Philistine himself laughed at David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?”

The Israelites’ problem was someone thought they were too small for battle, but it wasn’t the Nephilim or the Amalekites or the Hittites or the Jebusites or the Amorites or the Canaanites. It was the Israelites themselves. “We seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers.” 

It never occurred to David to measure himself. He measured Goliath and he measured God. “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel” (1Samuel 17:45). 

“What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?”
~Romans 8:31 

So David killed Goliath with a slingshot. Then he cut off his head.

Daily Prayer

Awesome God, You reign from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love. You are the Almighty, the Everlasting, my Stronghold, my Shelter, my Fortress in time of trouble. You are my Savior.

My God is an awesome God. May I never rely on my own strength and may I never forget Your strength. I shall place my trust in it, in You, always. If my God is for me, who can be against me?

Amen