Archive for July, 2012

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What is God’s fire extenguisher?

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Peace, July 31

 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

John 16:33, Galatians, 5:22-25, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, we know that having Your presence in our lives and hearts brings us peace. Yet, we do not always feel at peace. We sometimes say the wrong things, do the wrong things and think the wrong things. We know, Jesus, there is no peace in disobedience. Help us today to do Your will at all times, knowing that when we do, peace comes as a gentle breeze and encompasses us, even in the midst of tribulation.

Jesus, the fruits of the Spirit are always before us as measuring sticks. We either bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit or in failing to do so we experience a sense of defeat, brought on by our own mistakes.

You speak of those who follow You as having crucified the flesh. Jesus, the instincts of the flesh, which are the very opposite of the fruits of the Spirit, need to be extinguished and You provide the enabling power for us to do so.

We need to know that the fire extinguisher is always full and ready and that we are able to use it over and over and not run low on the resource of Your power. Help us, today, to not walk away from the victory You have provided. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Holy Spirit, Mind of Christ, joy, peace | 43 Comments »

Guilt leads to fear, wickedness to judgment.

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Courage, July 30

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

Proverbs 28:1, Proverbs 4, Proverbs 29:25, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Solomon teaches us something that is not always obvious. The wicked know they are being wicked and they are always looking over their shoulder, worrying about getting caught!

Those who love You prefer to seek You in righteousness and obedience and we know that when we do, we are comforted by You, not apprehended by the law.

The wicked applaud the wicked and in spite of the fact that each of them know they are sinning, they look away from Your impending judgment. Help us never develop a hardened heart, one that tries to dismiss You, God. We know, Father that even with the clear evidence that sin will be harshly judged, men and women ignore You and go on sinning.

Your word teaches us that eventually, on judgment day, they will drop to their knees and confess, they will be overtaken with fear and they will plead for Your mercy. We hear Solomon say “…whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe”. Help us trust You and to stop willfully sinning if any of us are doing so. Grant us Your mercy. Oh how we pray for Your mercy. We pray in Jesus’ Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Courage, Law of God, Perseverance | 6 Comments »

Will it be a fear filled moment when we stand in Your presence?

Sunday, July 29th, 2012

God’s Children, July 29

… as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8:14-17, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, we know that those who do not proclaim their love for You, will experience fear when You judge them. On the other hand, if we love You, we have a Spirit of adoption. You are our Savior, our Friend.

Your Spirit bears witness to our spirit, confirming Your presence. We may or may not be suffering for having declared our faith in You, but if we do, and it seems we will, we know that is confirmation of the fact that we are heirs with You. You suffered for us and if we suffer for You, we should consider it as an opportunity to bring glory to You.

Jesus, we never want to suffer but help us take the risks associated with declaring You before our family, friends and neighbors. It is our great privilege to do so. We pray in Your Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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To whom do we usually offer acclaim? Men or God…

Saturday, July 28th, 2012

The Narrow Gate, July 28

Professing to be wise, they became fools,
and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

 
Romans 1:22-25, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Here the Apostle Paul describes how some of mankind changed Your glory into images of man, birds, four-footed animals and creeping things. Since Paul wrote these words, men have invented additional images to worship.

Paul says, “You gave them up”; You allowed them to pursue their own form of worship wherein they idolized, worshiped and served things that you created, instead of You.

Father, help us today to examine ourselves and see if we are lifting up anyone or anything above You. Do we, in a sense, worship success, money, and acclaim (idolize) the achievements of others, more than You? Help us not to elevate anything or anyone above our relationship with You. We pray in Jesus’ Hoy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Which gift from God is most valuable?

Friday, July 27th, 2012

God’s Gifts, July 27

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Corinthians 4-7, 1 Corinthians 12-14, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Paul was addressing a divided congregation when he taught them these words. They were arguing over such things as which preacher was best, which gift was best and whether some were “in” and others “out”. We thank You for Paul’s straightforward teaching.

We see that there is one Spirit and when we have You in our heart, we are equal but our differences, in terms of gifts, remain. No matter what gift we have, we only have it because of You. Keep us from pride, especially the kind of pride that divides, elevating us to the level of judge.

Father, You do not ask us to abandon our personal identity and the gifts You have given us as we seek to serve You. You have said the opposite; the body of believers, the Church, is made up of different parts and it is the breadth of our gifts that contribute to the effectiveness of the whole.

We are truly one body, made up of many parts. Thank You Father for encouraging us to seek our gifts, our special callings, as we seek to serve You.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, God's Gift, Providence of God, Religion | 5 Comments »

Do I need to make some lifestyle changes?

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

Temple of God, July 26

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 www.solascriptura.com

Father, Paul reminds us that we are the temple of God. Your Spirit is in our heart and as we walk about, we are as a Temple among men. Paul teaches us that if we defile the temple that You will destroy us. That is pretty strong language!

What is it that we might do Father to defile the temple? That is a question that each of us needs to answer as individuals. If we were to make a list of things that we think “defile the temple”, what would our list include?

God, help us know what it is that You would have us stop doing. We pray for the Holy Spirit in us to give us the resolve to make any changes in our lifestyle and habits that are necessary. Give us an effective witness among those we meet, we pray. Help each of us to be Holy in Your sight; we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, God's Children, Humility, Law of God, Temple of God | 5 Comments »

The mystery of the Holy Spirit, revealed.

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Family Bible Study  www.solascriptura.com July 25

We are now in physical bodies. We have a spirit and Jesus made it possible, by his atoning sacrifice (taking our sins upon Himself), for our spirit to be united with His Spirit. Since we know all physical bodies will die it is important to know that our spiritual selves do not die. Our spirits will live on, either separated from God or joined with God. If we make the choice to join our spirit with His Spirit, then from that time on we have the gift of the Holy Spirit (this is a choice God calls us to and one He knew we would make because He is omniscient, he knows all things including every action and thought of every person from the beginning of time and for eternity).

What is the Trinity? It is sometimes difficult for us to know whether to pray to God, to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit. When you pray do you tend to say “Father” or “Lord” or “Jesus” or “Holy Spirit? Which is right? They are all correct because all are present all of the time awaiting your prayers.   John teaches us that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are “One”. “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” I John 5:7 NKJV

The Holy Spirit is an entity, sent by the Father and the Son to abide in us constantly and forever. It is this Holy Spirit in us that gives us the strength, courage and will to be like Jesus. It helps us love God with all our hearts, mind and soul and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Holy Spirit in you is an “eternal” condition. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19 NKJV

This next verse presents a preview, so to speak, of what God intends for each of us: “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV. When you are baptized in water you are following the example of Jesus and the Father will send the Holy Spirit to you as you declare your discipleship.

I speculate, but doves seem to always be around and I know the Holy Spirit is always present in me but the doves seem to be reminding me that He is present. I feel the same way about a gentle breeze. Have you ever felt the presence of the Spirit in the comforting caress of the gentle breeze? Listen to the words of Jesus: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 NKJV

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 NKJV. Do you know that God sends the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you? Discuss times that you felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. How can God be omnipresent, constantly in you and around you? Jesus called the Holy Spirit the comforter, helper, teacher, counselor, the Spirit of truth, dwelling in you. You are no longer an orphan! (John Ch. 14 & 15)

Core Christian Value: There are three that bear witness in heaven: The Father, The Word and The Holy Spirit and these three are one. Jesus is the Word, the Light sent from God, the Holy Spirit, sent.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Family Bible Study, Holy Spirit, Providence of God, Religion | 28 Comments »

Why might God be postponing your death?

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Heaven, July 24

 …now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

Phillipians 1:20-24, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Paul, who once was a notorious persecutor of Christians, following his miraculous rebirth, became one of Your trusted communicators, more effective than he may have ever expected.

Here he makes it very clear that his life is dedicated to serving You and that his death will be gain, not loss. We sometimes fear death but we are being taught that being with You will be better and permanent. You have prepared a place for us and You will draw us to You in the twinkling of an eye.
 
Father, none of us want to die before our appointed time and none of us will. The day of our departure is known by You, controlled by You and here we learn that being with You will be far better than any place that we could be.

Paul’s final sentence explains his motivation for living on, for continuing to serve in this place. It is his witness that he wanted to sustain and here, two thousand years later, we are still listening to that which You led him to share. We too have some time left and we too want to use it as a witness of Your love in our lives. Sustain our witness, we pray, in Jesus’ name.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, End Times, Forgiven, God's Gift, Heaven, Providence of God, Religion | No Comments »

Does it seem your heart is tatooed, indelibly, with sin?

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Forgiven, July 23

…forgive all my sins.
Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.

Psalm 25:18, Psalm 25:20-21, www.solascriptura.com

Father, when King David asked you to forgive all his sins, he meant all. That includes thoughts and actions of every kind which he knew displeased You.

We too, Father, have committed sins of every imaginable type. There is no way we cannot be ashamed but we know from other references that David trusted You to remove his sins from him as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against him again.

We sometimes feel our sins are too indelibly marked upon us to have them  removed by Your simply saying so. Yet, if that was not true Your mission would have served no redemptive purpose.

That fact being accomplished, in the case of a repentant believer, we too can say, “let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you”, unburdened and without blemish. Help us today to understand Your expectations better and better. Sanctify us we pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Courage, Forgiven, God's Gift, Hope, Prayer, peace | 34 Comments »

What is wrong with fitting in? You know; get along, go along.

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Salvation, July 22

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Romans 10:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, www.solascriptura.com

Father, This topic of Salvation is both pivotal and challenging. The scriptures leave us no “wiggle room”. We are either in Your Holy hand, being cared for, for eternity, or we remain what we may have considered a safe distance. Father, we know You would rather have us hot than cold in our Spiritual life and that you detest a lukewarm response. Detest, seems like too strong a word but Revelation 3:16 says it so graphically as to not need repeating.

Your counsel Father is to have us not conform to the world’s standards but instead to look to Your eternal standards for direction. Father, it is not easy to conform to Your expectations all of the time. We pray for wisdom and discernment in our daily lives so our witness may be seen as a positive thing, not a negative thing, by our friends, family and co-workers.

Father, we do want to join with believers everywhere and to be able to say “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me”. It is truly a miracle that You have allowed us to take on Your Spiritual nature, at times. Help us to get to that point more and more often. Sanctify us, this day, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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