Posts Tagged ‘Spirit’
Friday, May 10th, 2013
Revenge, May 10
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, www.solascriptura.com
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
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 3395, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: anger, Christ, gentle, Jesus, patient, self-control, Spirit
Posted in Christianity, Religion, Revenge | 18 Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
Temple of God, May 1
…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
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: dissipation, drunk, Father, heart, hymns, Jesus, Lord, melody, singing, songs, Spirit, Temple, understand, unwise, wine
Posted in Christianity, Forgiven, Holy Spirit, Perseverance, Prayer, faith | 8 Comments »
Friday, April 19th, 2013
Joy, April 19
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies.
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
1Thessalonians 5:16-22, www.solascriptura.com
Father, in 5 sentences, Paul teaches us the basics in the exercise of our faith. We are equipped by You to rejoice always, in good times and in bad times. It is Your Holy presence with us and in us that enables us to raise our eyes and hearts to you when everything around us seems to be a severe weight upon our shoulders.
We often fail to pray unceasingly but here we see it is Your will that we never stop acknowledging Your presence in every small and every large event of our lives. Not a hair falls from our head that You do not notice. Help us observe You with equal attention and ask You into every circumstance of our lives.
We do not always give thanks when we are being challenged but again, it is Your will we do so because You are allowing us to be tested. We do not enjoy the test but we do look forward to an eternal victory as You lead us through what sometimes feels like an unsolvable problem.
We know that to quench the Spirit is to remove You from the situations we encounter. Father, we acknowledge that absent the presence of the Spirit, we are depending upon ourselves. In such cases we are going it alone. We pray that is never the case.
Father, despising teaching is the path of a self centered, self directed person. Help us learn from the prophets and from You Jesus. Your word is truth and it abides forever.
Help us this day to abstain from evil, to flee from it, never to gaze upon that which is sinful. It feels so good to do the right thing and we feel so weak, so impotent when we allow sin to fill our mind and our eyes. We feel tricked by Satan, the great deceiver, when we entertain sin. We simply want to be as You Jesus. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: abstain, Christ, despise, evil, God, Jesus, pray, prophecies, quench, rejoice, Spirit, test, thanks
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Hope, Prayer, faith, joy, peace | 11 Comments »
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
Prayer, Part I, April 18
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness.
Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous.
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead.
Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.
I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah
Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
Psalm 143:1-7, www.solascriptura.com
Father, we know that King David and others suffered as they sought to fulfill Your expectations. We seldom suffer as we seek to do Your will. Perhaps we are less overt in our efforts and we are spared suffering because we do not engage in the battle. Help us this day to run the risk of being persecuted as a result of our declared love for You.
We do not seek persecution Father, but if it comes as a result of our efforts to serve You, so be it. Strengthen our resolve to be Your person in the midst of a sinful world and allow Your enemies to become as was always intended, Your children.
Give us love and wisdom in our witness. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: darkness, dead, distressed, enemy, faithfulness, judgment, Lord, meditate, muse, persecuted, Prayer, Psalm 143:1-7, righteousness, servant, soul, Spirit, supplications, thirsty
Posted in Christianity, Holy Spirit, Hope, Prayer, faith | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
God’s Gifts, April 9, 2008
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:9-11, www.solascriptura.com
Father, here Peter points out an important fact; we have received gifts. We sometimes doubt that is true but help us remember the times in our lives when a person said something kind to us or commended us and how we never forgot it! Father, each of us has had someone compliment us or tell us something we really enjoyed hearing.
We know that “flattery” is wrong so help us not offer insincere compliments. Peter says we should speak using the very words of God, words of assurance and comfort. Help us today to lift the spirit of another person by using Your word as a key element of our praise.
Father, You have taught us that if we say, “God has really blessed You with great talent” that it is much better than saying, “You have it all man, You da man!” We are so vulnerable to praise. Remind us today that, we brought nothing into this world and no matter how cool we are, we will take nothing out. Our only hope is in You.
Father, help us today as we praise You for our gifts and exercise them to Your glory. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: comfort, flatter, flattery, hospitality, Spirit
Posted in Flattery, Humility, faith, wisdom | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
Prayer, Part I, March 26
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; in You I take shelter.
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant
Psalm 143:8-12, www.solascriptura.com
Father, if King David, a man after Your own heart, said, “teach me, lead me, revive me”, we surely want to look to his example and do the same. Our lives are so full of decision-making opportunities from very minor things to life-changing things, that we confess we need Your direction, Your counsel.
We are knocked about by evil influence and angry people. Our souls are troubled and our faith is tested by the circumstances of our lives. Help us O’God to know that You are present, every moment and give us peace as we go about Your business this day. We say “Your business” because our lives ultimately have no enduring meaning if we do not seek to do Your will.
Show us today what we can do to draw nearer to You and surely You will draw nearer to us. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: deliver, enemies, Lord, lovingkindness, Prayer, Psalm 143:8-12, shelter, soul, Spirit, teach, trust, uprightness
Posted in Christianity, God's Children, Hope, Inspirtation, Prayer, faith, peace | 192 Comments »
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
Courage, March 20
… I …, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Ephesians 1:15-21, www.solascriptura.com
Jesus, this is the perfect prayer that we should offer for each other. Paul says he continues in prayer for these children of God. Can we do less? Help us today to focus on praying for each other and to encourage each other in the faith.
Paul says witness of who Jesus was and why He matters in your life. His name is above every name! We pray that His name and our Lord’s Holy name is only spoken in fear and reverence. Forgive those who believe Your name, O’ God, is an exclamation point. How Father did we become so irreverent?
Have mercy on the souls of those who are disobedient, we pray. Amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, Courage, enlightened, Ephesians 1:15-21, faith, Father, glory, God, Jesus, Lord, love, power, prayers, riches, saints, Spirit, thanks, wisdom
Posted in Christianity, Courage, God's Gift, Hope, Inspirtation, Perseverance, faith, salvation, wisdom | 14 Comments »
Monday, March 18th, 2013
The Narrow Gate, March 18
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:11-14, www.solascriptura.com
Jesus, again we hear the word “predestined” to describe what is the reality of a born-again believer, One that You knew in the beginning would turn to You, trusting You, depending upon You in even the smallest things.
You teach us here that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is Your seal upon our souls, our guarantee of an inheritance so indescribably perfect that we can not even visualize it.
How are we to know that the seal of the Holy Spirit is upon us? Your word answers that question in so many ways but it seems to always come back to this verse: “You shall know them by their fruits.” If we say we love You, let our thoughts, choices and actions confirm that truth. Help us, this day, to seek You, to learn from You and to experience Your presence and friendship, all day. We are Your “purchased possession”. Is there anyone else we would like to commit our future to besides You?
We pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, counsel, Ephesians 1:11-14, gate, glory, Holy, inheritance, Narrow, praise, predestined, promise, purchased, purpose, salvation, Spirit, trusted
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Law of God, Perseverance, faith | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013
Forgiven, March 12
… Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:6-7, www.solascriptura.com
Father, we have learned that “Abba” is translated as Daddy, a term of endearment we use to express love and trust. Has anyone that has embraced a child not understood what a privilege it is to be as “Daddy or Mommy” to a child? There is nothing more tender than a child absorbing the love and embrace of their father or mother.
This scripture teaches us of Your love. It is a scripture that says we are no longer slaves, but we are Your children, You are our Father, who tenderly loves us. You say we are heirs to Your throne because Jesus has cleansed us and we are now encapsulated in His purity. We do not come into Your presence Father on our own merit. We are only able to enter into Your presence because we have been regenerated from sinner to son, from failures in the flesh, to sons and daughters able to radiate Your love.
When we see the purity of our children, our babies, we see a picture of how we appear to You. Innocent, even though guilty, cleansed even though we need daily renewal. Bless us as we seek Your perfection. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, Father, Forgiven, God, hearts, heir, slave, Son, sons, Spirit
Posted in Christianity, Forgiven, God's Children, Holy Spirit, Religion | 45 Comments »
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
Providence of God, March 5
… the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:26-28, www.solascriptura.com
Father, these are wonderful verses, the kind we ought to memorize. Thank you for interceding for us with feelings and words we can not even express. We do become impatient as we wait upon You. Increase our faith, we pray. You are Omniscient, we are extremely limited by contrast and yet You call us saints.
This day Father, remind us that all things do work to the good for those who love You. You see what we can not see and you lead us in paths toward Your goals for our lives. Such intercession is too marvelous to fully grasp. Give us faith, every moment of every day to experience Your Holy presence, Your leading. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: God, groanings, hearts, helps, intercession, mind, pray, Providence, saints, Spirit, weaknesses
Posted in Christianity, God's Gift, Holy Spirit, Providence of God, faith | 54 Comments »