Friday, August 28, 2015

Restoration



RESTORATION

4th of 7 devotions in Labor Day Rest series

Acts 3:20-21

Acts 3:19-21:  “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.  He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.”
 
            This snapshot of restoration is victory for God’s kids before Jesus returns!

            God’s holy prophet, Jeremiah, links restoration to repentance in 15:19:  “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me.’” 

            Sin has ALWAYS been the problem!

            News flash:  People really don’t want to stop sinning.  They make the same mistakes over and over—never changing old habits or think differently.

            Restoration won’t happen until sin is destroyed for good.
            But how?

            Deciding to cooperate with God’s indwelling Spirit for transforming us into Christlikeness is a deliberate lifelong choice.

            Repentance starts up the power saw.  1) We must acknowledge sin.  2) We must confess guilt. 3) We must agree with God that the sin needs to stop.  4) Then we must turn away from that sin—and turn towards God. 

            Will you pray with me through the rest of this devotion? 
            Holy Spirit, guide the power saw to cut out sin from my heart.  Romans 6:6 says, “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”  (Good-bye old sinful nature).
            Ephesians 4:22 tells me why: “You were taught in regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its sinful desires.”
            Ephesians 4:23 prepares my heart “to be made new in the attitude of your minds.”  
            Ephesians 4:24 inserts “the new self, [Spirit of Christ], created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  

            I believe that my old sinful self is destroyed.   Now I agree that “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
(Galatians 2:20-21). 

Take Home Nugget

            Thank You for transforming me, Lord—freeing me from the chains of sin!  Help me to wear my new self of Christ and forget all sinful desires.  I welcome You to work in my life now to restore what I had lost, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praise God for setting you free from the chains of sin, beginning your restoration, and giving you rest!
           
Adapted from a ”Daily Grace Ministries”  devotion  by Joseph Prince. www.josephprinceministries@josephprince.org.  November 13, 2014.

J.D. Griffith




                   Written for http://www.Biblestudyforkids.com

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Nothing To Do



NOTHING TO DO

3rd   of 7 devotions in Labor Day Rest series

John 6:28-29
“Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works that God requires?’
Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’”

            Awed by miraculous healings the people witnessed Jesus do—then feed everyone in the multitude with two fish and five loads of bread—people wondered how they might also do God’s work.  God’s work sure must be hard labor!  This series hopes to show that God’s work is best achieved by rest. 

            Rest in Jesus.  Rest in Jesus’ finished work at the cross.  He does the work.  He’s the One who performs miracles. 
    
            Work is hard-wired in people’s DNA.  We’re satisfied after finishing tasks.  We also expect a reward of rest after a day’s work, not during it.  But God has a tendency to flip human reason upside down.
 
            I think that Jesus’ answer is just the beginning.
            Everyone needs to stand on a sure foundation.  God instructs belief in Jesus—the One He sent.  What could be a more firm foundation than standing on the sovereign Creator of the universe?  The Father holds up His Son and says, “Believe in Him.  Jesus came to show you who I am.  He fulfilled every law and prophecy.  His finished work on the cross is everything you need.”

            Now we’re growing!  Believing in Jesus sounds simple.  But believing in Jesus isn’t easy.  Jesus challenges us to believe in Him.  He says, “Follow Me.”  Then He adds, almost as an afterthought, “Deny yourself. …Take up your cross.”  (Luke 9:23).
            “Whoa, I didn’t agree to this!”  I hear you protest.
            Oh, but you did.  Spiritual growth is how people “work out salvation.”  Grow in Christ could have been Jesus’ expanded answer in the opening Scripture.  No one earns salvation.  Believers’ job is to simply rest and grow in Christ.
            The greatest miracle in your life didn’t happen by you trying to save yourself.  Simply believing in Jesus—Who died to forgive your sins and save you for eternal life is His miraculous work.  God’s kids have reason to expect other miracles from believing in Jesus.   
             
Take Home Nugget
             
            New Christians are often told that they must study the Bible, fast from eating, pray and love others.   But Jesus would simply say, “Believe in Me.  You and your household will be saved.  Believe in Me.  I heal your sickness, I provide you abundance, I restore your family.”  Check out the lesson linked below. 
           
            If you need a miracle today, there is nothing for you to do except to ask, then believe in Jesus for that miracle. 
           
Simply believing in Jesus is really that simple!

Adapted from a ”Daily Grace Ministries”  devotion  by Joseph Prince. www.josephprinceministries@josephprince.org.  June 2015.
J.D. Griffith

   




                   Written for http://www.Biblestudyforkids.com