Joy, May 12, 2008
Joy, May 12, 2008 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance...
And you became followers ... of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence. 1Thessalonians 1:5-6, Acts 2:28, www.solascriptura.com
Father, Your words to us are unlike the words of the world. Your words enable us to change our lives and our eternal destination. Your words have life changing power. Even if we receive Your words while we are suffering, we know that afflictions are going to be replaced with eternal joy.
You have revealed the secrets and mysteries of life to us if we but read Your word. You would not have us remain as children, understanding only the milk of the word. Help us to come to You daily and to joyfully receive Your light into our hearts. We pray these things in Jesus' Holy name. Amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Prayer, May 11, 2008
Prayer, May 11, 2008 God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.
That Your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
Let the people praise You, O God; let all the people praise You. …pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Psalms 67:3, 1Thessalonians 5:17-18, www.solascriptura.com
Father, when You shine upon us You illuminate our hearts and You are a light unto our path. Help us never to go forward in darkness, without You, Your counsel, and Your love. Father, You give us light that Your word might go throughout all of the world. We praise You for equipping us to serve You.
We are asked to pray without ceasing. Teach us this day how to implement that teaching. Help us to include You in everything we do and think. It is Your will that we enjoy the fruits of Your Holy presence (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control), constantly. Our fleshly instincts take us in the opposite direction, too often. We seek to be like You, more and more. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Revenge, May 10, 2008
Revenge, May 10, 2008 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21 Jesus, we know that You personally taught Paul the wisdom that he brings to us. What a reassuring thing it is to find complete consistency between his words and Yours. Here we learn that when we are kind and gentle in the face of someone who is angry with us, it confounds them and our kindness, undeserved, actually disarms them. We take no credit for the fruits of the Spirit manifested in our relationships and we do not seek praise from men for being patient and full of self-control. Teach us today what it means to say, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me". Help us this day to overcome evil with good. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Mind of Christ, May 9, 2008
Mind of Christ, May 9, 2008 ... "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
"not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
"None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:8-13, www.solascriptura.com Father, we see that the old covenant, based upon the promises to Israel if they obeyed the law, was replaced by the new covenant. Why? You tell us that Israel did not continue in Your covenant. They sinned and You disregarded them. But thank you Father that was not the end, it was the beginning. You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to live for us and teach us and He died for our sins. Now every person lives under the new covenant, one in which You have placed Your truth upon our hearts. We no longer need to be taught by man, You are our teacher. We have equal status before You. If we but acknowledge our sin to Jesus and ask for His Light to shine upon our hearts, You have promised to remember our sins no more. Help us this day to rejoice over the new covenant, one which permits us to have the mind of Christ, in us. In His precious and Holy name we pray, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Law of God, May 8, 2008
Law of God, May 8, 2008 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Romans 13:1-4, www.solascriptura.com
Father, these words of Paul lead us to know that nothing that goes on in this universe is outside of Your control. An evil person would not draw his first breath if You did not allow it to be so and a king is not a king unless You have allowed it to be so. You have taught us that those in authority, who You have permitted to be in authority, are those we must respect and to the extent that we obey the laws of the land we will not be subject to the penalties of enforcement.
We also know Father, that if the governing authority asks us to deny You and to follow them that we are authorized to resist, even unto death. Help us to be good and to do good because we know we will be seldom punished for being obedient to those You have allowed to be in power. They, if they err in their leadership, can sometimes be voted against but more importantly, they answer to You. Give us a trusting spirit in knowing You are ultimately in charge and that You will love and protect Your children from evil consequences. Trials will come but we know You are the final authority. We pray for wisdom in this matter. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Prayer, Part 2, May 7, 2008
Prayer, Part 2, May 7, 2008 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. Psalms 5:1-3, 116:1-2, www.solascriptura.com Father, when we pray, we know that if we seek Your will for our lives, You listen. Help us understand that You desire to lead us and love us and that Your response to prayers for leadership in our lives is positive and our requests are welcomed. You know our needs better than we do! We are encouraged to pray early, Father, just as Jesus did so many times in the Scriptures. Praying about everything all day is Your stated will, but setting aside time with You each morning gives us an opportunity to start the day right, seeking Your blessings and direction. Father, we give so much time to activities that do not include You. Help us today to resolve to seek Your will, early each day, and to look up and know You are waiting for us to call to You. To whom else can we turn? In Your Holy name, we pray, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Peace, May 6, 2008
Peace, May 6, 2008 Flee... youthful lusts... pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 2 Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 12:14, www.solascriptura.com Father, some of us are far too old to still be pursuing youthful lusts. Will Satan ever stop tempting us? We know the answer. Not only will he persist and we also know that You permit the temptations to come. But, at the same time You promise to get us through the temptations of life, if we will but turn to You and trust You (Go to I Corinthians 10:13 and memorize it!). There will come a day when Satan is restrained and Your joy will reign in the hearts of men (The Millennium) and there will be an even better day when Satan and his allies are destroyed forever. Then, in heaven, we will find out what is like to enjoy Your peace, happiness and joy eternal. We seek Your Holiness here, today, knowing that if we are unholy, we will never stand in Your presence. Lord, bestow upon us Your gifts today that we may be like You, now and forever. We pray in Jesus' Holy name, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Courage, May 5, 2008
Courage, May 5, 2008 ... let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." Philippians 1:27-28, Romans 10:11, www.solascriptura.com Jesus, as Paul toured the area and preached he appealed to his listeners to be diligent, whether he was present with them or not. We know many did faithfully follow his teaching concerning You and some lost hope. Unlike Paul, who could only be in one city at a time, Your Spirit, Jesus, is everywhere. You are always present, always aware of our thoughts, actions and words. May we bravely proclaim You when we might be inclined to keep silent. Jesus, help us to be Your good and faithful servants, constantly. Empower, us this day, to access the depth of Your presence, Your support and Your love. You are, at the same moment, our Friend, our Lord and our Protector. Bless us as we seek to serve You this day. Amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Gods Children, May 4, 2008
God's Children, May 4, 2008 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 www.solascriptura.com Jesus, Peter, who was one of the most outspoken of the disciples, after he had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, became one of Your most effective ministers. He says that young people should be humble in the presence of their elders. Peter goes on to say that pride, the opposite of humility, is resisted by God. It is "under Your hand" that we are to be humble, not some self-imposed portrayal of humility. You promise to exalt the humble in due time, to lift us up. God, help us today to show our children that our humility, to the extent we have any, is simply a by-product of our commitment to You. Your concern for even our smallest needs humbles us before You. Bless us and our children and grandchildren this day, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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The Narrow Gate, May 3, 2008
The Narrow Gate, May 3, 2008 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6 www.solascriptura.com Father, You tell us that You chose us and that You choose to bless us with every spiritual blessing. You have adopted us. We are heirs to Your Kingdom. Here, Paul teaches us that we were predestined to be adopted as Your sons, by Jesus Christ, and that His will to do so gave Him pleasure. His grace to us brings glory to His name and He has made us acceptable in His sight. First, Father, we know that You and Jesus are as one and that our election, our predestination was known by You. You would not be omniscient if You did not know that we would respond to Your love for us, personally. You knew we would accept Your invitation, Your grace and mercy. Second, when Jesus came here, His life, His death and His resurrection became a pivotal event in history. Where men had been unable to fulfill the Law of the Old Covenant, You taught us, Jesus, that the New Covenant had replaced the Old. We now stand in the presence of the Father, not based on our obedience, but based upon our acceptance of You as savior. We can now stand in the presence of the Father, cleansed of our sin, as sons; sons that He knew would choose to have faith in You Jesus. Perfect! Amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Gods Gifts, May 2, 2008
God's Gifts, May 2, 2008 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;… James 1:5-7 www.solascriptura.com Father, James, the half-brother of Jesus, in the beginning, doubted who Jesus was in terms of His being the Son of God and so did the other half- brothers of Jesus. We know Peter denied Jesus three times. In all cases, these men brought the same sort of weakness to the table as we do. We were not always committed to receiving Your grace and we have not always loved Jesus and acknowledged Him as our Savior. But now, we have the opportunity to ask You to lead us by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can, in all humility and contrition, ask You for wisdom, for comfort, for forgiveness and for perfect fidelity to You and those You have placed in our lives. You offer us a stern warning that we "must believe and not doubt". Father, please help us with the doubts that sometimes come upon us. We feel so imperfect and at times very uninformed. Help us today to realize that is not our perfection that encompasses us when we approach You. We come to You in the righteousness of Jesus, cleansed by Him, led by Him. Help our belief in You to lead to higher levels of trust in You. Forgive us when we think You have abandoned one of us. You never leave our side. Help us not to doubt that fact! We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Bruce Caldwell
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Temple of God, May 1, 2008
Temple of God, May 1, 2008 ...do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 5:17-20 www.solascriptura.com O' God, we do pray for wisdom and discernment, we do pray for Your word to penetrate our hearts and minds. We do seek to fulfill your will for our lives. Here we are taught that being out of control, whether it is from alcohol or drugs, leads to dissipation. Most of us have seen the ugly effects being drunk or spaced out. What we need Father, is to learn from what we see and then to rely on Your Spirit within us to overcome temptation and to present our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Your admonition is completely positive when You tell us to speak to each other in psalms and spiritual songs, making melody in our heart, to You and to the world. When that happens, we simply give thanks to You, in the name of Jesus. What a perfectly natural response to joy, sent to us as a gift. When disappointments come, and they will not cease to come until we are with You, we do not have joy for the pain, but we are able to have joy as we endure the pain by accessing Your peace and comfort. We are Your temple, You will deliver us; of that we are certain. We pray for Your counsel in our lives in Jesus' name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
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