Great Men of the Bible Series: Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1-2)

Though Nehemiah held a prestigious position in the Babylonian court, his desire was to be in Jerusalem. Hanani had reported that Jerusalem’s walls were broken and the gates destroyed, and Nehemiah knew that meant invaders could easily destroy what was left in Jerusalem. As long as his people in Jerusalem lived in danger his heart would remain broken. As a result, Nehemiah immediately mourned, wept, and prayed. The Lord answered Nehemiah’s prayer. He had permission to go to his homeland, with provisions to carry along the journey for the building project, and security to give them safe passage.

Nehemiah was a great leader and motivator of God’s people. He overcame opposition to get the job done. He knew it was going to take time and effort so he counted the cost (Luke 14:26-33). What seemed to be an impossibility (Nehemiah 1:3; 2:13-14, 17; 4:2) turned into a great miracle (Nehemiah 6:15). When we’re taking a project for God, we understand that not everything is going to go as we would plan. In fact, there is going to be opposition from within your own people and from outsiders. At all times, the enemy was present and persistent (Nehemiah 6:4-5). Vision always attracts criticism. Critics will always resist change. Critics associate with other critics. Critics fail to see God’s hand in the work. You know you’re doing the Lord’s work when opposition comes.

More than thirty times in the book of Nehemiah you will find the word repair. They were repairing something that had been built at one time. They were taking the rubbish (the scraps) and rebuilding them. Notice: Just as God takes those pieces of our life that we have broken or messed up and He repairs them and puts them back together again. Each of us has a mission in the Great Commission and that is building lives within the body of Christ for the glory of God. We see this every day, lives totally ruined by sin. In the ministry, we are taking old broken lives, homes, and hearts and letting God put them together. We are rebuilding lives as Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. There will be areas of your wall that have to be maintained. There will be parts of your life that are much stronger than other parts, while some areas are hurting and injured and in need of repairing. Since constructing a wall is a continual maintenance, it is something you must continually work on. If you neglect the maintenance it will break and once the wall is broken your protection is gone. May we continue to work faithfully even when unbelievers argue. Keep in mind, we are working for God, not the enemy.

PRAYER: Father, I want to be a good and faithful servant when I stand before Your throne. Thank You Lord that in Your grace You have sustained me. Help me not to strive in the flesh instead of resting in You and letting Your Holy Spirit live and work through me. I pray for strength as I labor that I would not get weary. Help me to love people the way You do. In Jesus name, Amen.
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Great Men of the Bible Series: Andrew (John 1:41-42a)

John 1:41-42a, He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.

Although his name is Andrew, he is most often referred to as “the brother of Simon Peter” (Matthew 4:18; 10:2; Mark 1:16; Luke 6:14; John 1:40; 6:8). Although he often stood in the shadows of his popular brother Peter, God had a specific plan for Andrew. He was a fisherman by trade (Matthew 4:18). He was a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35, 40). John had been telling his listeners that the Messiah was coming. One day John pointed to Jesus and called Him “the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). From that very moment, and from this time on, Andrew left the family fishing business to follow Christ (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16-18). He was one of the first two disciples to follow Jesus (John 1:36-37). God had a plan for Andrew's life, and he followed Christ until the day he died.

It was Andrew who was the first to be called by Christ and who would bring Peter to Christ (John 1:41). Whenever we read about Andrew doing something, it is him bringing someone to Christ. He would go home to find his brother Peter to lead him to the Lord. NOTICE: Later, Peter would preach and reach three thousand souls for Christ? Peter would perform miracles? Peter would write two books in the New Testament? Andrew would not do any of these things, but he knew a man who had potential and if Christ saved this man, he could do great things. Andrew had a part in it. He remembered the day he said to his brother, “We have found the Christ”. Everything Peter did for the Lord Andrew had a part in.

In John 6, we see the feeding of the five thousand. While the rest of the disciples were making excuses as to why they could not feed the five thousand; Andrew found a young boy who was willing to offer his lunch to Jesus. To Andrew this boy was not a varmint; he was valuable. Andrew didn’t know how or why, but he knew if he could get this lad to Christ, that Jesus would use him in a big way. The history of the church is the history of people leading people to Christ. Many tend to underestimate or overlook the potential of some. They have a habit of downplaying them with the questions, “What can they do or amount to?” True, Andrew lived in the shadows of his popular brother Peter, but he was never insignificant. In fact, he was a tremendous blessing to others. Some day, when we’re in Heaven, we’ll be surprised by the greatness done by those we never heard of.

Winning people to Christ involves effort (Luke 15:4). Sinners need the Lord and it helps for them to see Christ’s love manifested in and through us. What is the Lord leading you to do right now? Do you often compare your life with someone else's life? If so, you have your focus off target. God had a very specific plan for Andrew, and it was a different plan than God's plan for Peter. That being said, God has a very specific plan for you, and it is different than His plan for others. So, don't compare your life with others; compare it with God's will. Fulfilling the Great Commission should be a priority of every believer (Matthew 28:18-20).

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, what could You do in and through my life if I was one hundred percent completely willing to do what You called me to do. Help me not to get distracted, discouraged, or disappointed in Your work. May I never get lukewarm in Your service for souls. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Great Men of the Bible Series: Timothy (II Timothy 2:1-2)
 
II Timothy 2:1-2. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
 
Paul never had a biological son, but he introduces us to his dearly beloved spiritual son, Timothy (II Timothy 1:2). In the two letters that follow, it becomes clear that no mere biological relationship could exceed that which he felt for this son in the ministry. He traveled with Paul on missionary journeys. He spent time in prison. He was the recipient of two letters written from Paul. He pastored the church at Ephesus. Their mutual love for Christ and His kingdom surpassed any human bond earthly paternity could forge.
 
Timothy, a young man who grew up in a home without a Christian father (Greek gentile), but with a godly mother and a godly grandmother; and this young man became a major influence for the cause of Jesus Christ in the first century. His name was Timothy. His name means “One who honors God”. How did a young man from the city of Lystra, a mystical place given over to idol worship, develop into such a great leader for the cause of Jesus Christ? He was raised by a godly mother and grandmother. There had been three generations of genuine faith in Timothy’s family: first, his grandmother Lois; then his mother Eunice; and now finally Timothy himself.
 
Paul's second letter to Timothy is full of encouragement. He goes on to instruct young Timothy to study hard, endure hardship, preach the Word, and remember what he had learned. When we are young, we ache with desire to accomplish our dreams. We often run the race as if we are the only ones within the boundaries of the course. As Paul passed his baton to Timothy, so must we equip others through encouragement to do the same.
 
The greatest way to honor those who have invested in you is to continue in their work. Paul invested his life in equipping young men for the ministry: John Mark, Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Philemon, Titus, and perhaps others. Paul poured his life into Timothy, Timothy. Timothy honored Paul and Christ by continuing that which had been faithfully entrusted unto him. He charged Timothy, II Timothy 2:2, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Paul visualized a faithful finish for Timothy, one that would impact future generations with the truth. He committed himself to others, who taught others, who ultimately taught us—right down to this present hour.
 
Many people have sacrificed for you and have invested in you, make them proud. To find, to fulfill, and to finish the course the Lord has chosen for you is the greatest honor you can bestow upon them. A good reputation is critical no matter what a person chooses to do (Proverbs 22:1). Regardless of how you started in life, you have the opportunity to develop a good reputation that can be well spoken of by those around you and in the end to finish well (Acts 16:2).
 
PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I have been blessed by the ministry of people who have investing their time in me. LORD, help me to always honor those who have invested their lives in me as I journey on the path you have chosen for me. In Jesus name, AMEN.
 
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Great Men of the Bible Series: Gideon (Judges 7:2)
 
Judges 7:2 Therefore, the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
 
Shortly God would perform one of the greatest miracles of all time through just 300 committed men. What heroes they remain today, thirty-two centuries after the event! God called upon a young farm boy named Gideon and gave him the assignment of taking on the Midianites. God intended to deliver Israel from the hands of Midian at the hands of Gideon. However, He also intended to make it very clear who gave them the victory. Lest Israel, in pride, take credit for their deliverance; God would make clear it was He who delivered them.
 
God shows His might when the odds are against us. The tougher the game, the greater the glory—to God. God wants glory not to satisfy a thirst for praise and adoration, but to build faith in our lives by lifting our focus beyond ourselves to Him. God will purposefully create difficult situations to prove Himself to us.
 
God makes men and women great who put Him first in their lives and seek Him with their whole heart. Perhaps the key comes when we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us. Gideon saw himself as a farmer, but God saw him as a warrior, a mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12). Gideon had never heard such words.
 
However, there are times when God makes the situation seem worse in order to show us and others, His power. Take Gideon for example. The Midianites with an army of 135,000 had come upon Israel to destroy it. The Bible says they were like grasshoppers for multitude and as the sand of the sea. When Gideon called for troops, 32,000 men responded. The odds ratio was about one Israelite for every four Midianites. While this was a decent number of people, they were still incredibly outnumbered.
 
However, God told Gideon that there were too many for Him to give Israel the victory. The reason was because He didn't want Israel to think they had done it. They were greatly outnumbered, but if God gave them the victory, they would have thought they did it themselves.
 
God told Gideon to let the fearful return home, and he was left with only 10,000 troops. However, this was still too many so God then reduced the number down to 300. We would think 32,000 against a multitude compared to the sands of the sea would be a miracle, and 10,000 men against that many would surely show God's power, but God wanted to make a point by using only 300 men armed with pitchers, torches, and trumpets. He made it clear to Israel, the Midianites and Amalekites, and everyone else who heard the story that God did it. The odds were now at one Israelite for every four-hundred and fifty Midianites.
 
God can do the same thing in our lives. It always seems that God has a strange way of fighting battles. God wants us to trust in Him even when life is hard and it seems all odds are stacked up against us. Maybe He wants to use you to show that He is still mighty. Gideon’s impossible odds of victory highlight the fact that even if you are small in number, when you join with God, you become an unstoppable force for good.
 
PRAYER: Lord, May I have the courage of Gideon to believe that though I am weak, in you I am strong. Too often through the eyes of the flesh, I see my battles bigger than You. Help me to trust in You and see them as You see them.  There is never a problem I encounter that is greater than You. In Jesus name, AMEN!
 
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Great Men of the Bible Series: Moses (Numbers 12:1-3)

Numbers 12:1-3, And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Moses was a great spiritual leader who had wilderness experience and an admirable spirit. Moses went from herding sheep to herding a very large flock of God’s people. He walked with God and had God's power upon his life, yet, he was criticized continuously. Excellence does not give you immunity from criticism, especially spiritual excellence. Christ was the epitome of perfection, but was still slandered and criticized by men. NOTICE: If you serve the Lord, criticism will come, from carnal Christians and unsaved people. Some of the most painful criticisms will come from those who are closest to us, family and friends. Moses' older brother and sister are protesting at him.

This first complaint is a diversion. This happens many times with people. Discernment is needed to see the real problem at hand. The real problem is not Moses’ wife. The real problem is in Numbers 12:2. It was the position, or the rank, that was sought. Miriam and Aaron rejected God’s authority over them and they wanted more prestige. This comes after God put His spirit on seventy men. These two folks were left out of this anointing of God. They felt threatened and were jealous. They tried to destroy Moses in order to gain power and position. This tactic is practiced today, unfortunately, even in the Lord’s churches.

Some believe that meekness is weakness. However, meekness is actually strength, or power, under control. Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Meekness is an attribute of the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 45:4; Matthew 11:29; 21:5; II Corinthians 10:1). Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew 26:53. Jesus had the authority to pray and immediately call twelve legions of angels. Meekness is the ability to keep your tongue in control when being attacked by unjust criticism. Meekness has faith to trust God to vindicate you. Meekness is humbly yielding oneself to the will of God and His ways. Meekness is necessary for salvation (James 1:21). Moses (the meekest man on earth) demonstrated this attitude in his life.

Moses never strikes back at them or seeks revenge. He lets the Lord deal with them and humbly submits to Him. Moses’ meekness is both vertical (towards God) and horizontal (towards man). In Numbers 12:13, Moses prays for them rather than rejoicing at their judgment. As children of God, we are to display a meek attitude towards the Lord, His Word, and toward others (Titus 3:2).

PRAYER: Father, thank You for the true example of humility that is seen in the life of Jesus. Draw me into the spirit of meekness and show me through Jesus how to live in love every day. Lord, lead me in humbleness. Help me to clothe myself in humility that people would see Jesus in my life. Teach me, I pray, to live as Christ lived, in the power of the Spirit and to Your praise and glory, In Jesus name, AMEN!

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No Other Blood…No Other Offering (Hebrews 9:12)

Hebrews 9:12, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

The blood of Christ is in Heaven today! Just as pure and powerful as when it flowed from His wounds on Calvary. His blood was not an ordinary blood, but was the blood of God in which He purchased the church (Acts 20:28). Jesus entered into the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle in Heaven with His own blood and offered it before God the Father, the works of His sin-atoning sacrifice as the sinner’s Substitute. Jesus gave not only the ultimate sacrifice but the final sacrifice. Because once Jesus offered himself there was nothing further that needed to be done. Praise God that we have the perfect and complete sacrifice in Jesus! There is no greater love that has ever been shown that compares to what Jesus has done for us.

Jesus' entrance into Heaven with His own blood perfectly fulfills the Old Testament typology of the Levitical High Priest's work in Leviticus 16. On the Day of Atonement, the priest had to come into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle with a blood offering from an animal. In Christ's case it was His own blood which He shed at Calvary. His blood was shed, not spilled or lost. He sprinkled it on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. In the Old Testament, the priest in the Tabernacle went into the Holy of Holies once a year, however, it was not eternal. But Heaven’s only High Priest, Jesus Christ’s offering, was once and eternal. When our Saviour cried, ‘It is finished’, He fully accomplished the redemption of His people. The death of Christ effectually secured and guaranteed the eternal salvation of every born-again believer. Everyone who trusts in Him for salvation will never be condemned because they are completely forgiven of all sin. “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Colossians 1:13-14). God charged our sins to Christ, Christ nailed them to the cross and His blood washed them away (I Peter 2:24). Christ’s blood provides complete access into the heavenly Holy of Holies.

He stands before God the Father on our behalf. Those for whom Christ shed His blood are forgiven because they are completely freed from the curse of the law (Romans 8:1; Galatians 3:13). When Christ was made to be sin for us, He was made a curse for us. When He died under the curse of the law for us. Removing our sins, He removed us from the curse. Where there is no sin there can be no curse. Believers have been completely justified by the death of Christ. Justification is received by faith, but it was fully accomplished at Calvary. Christ was ‘delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification’ (Romans 4:25). Because He obtained eternal redemption for us, our salvation is secure in Him and it is something we can never lose (John 3:36). To be justified is to be cleared of all charges, to be just as if I had never sinned. No charge will be laid against God’s elect, because God has fully justified us in Christ (Romans 8:33). And all who were crucified with Christ will be with Christ in Heaven. When Christ died as our Substitute He arose and ascended back into Heaven as our Representative before God (Ephesians 2:4-5). All things are done by His power and authority (Matthew 28:18). Praise God for the finished work of Christ!

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I thank You for sending Jesus, Your only begotten Son to pay my sin debt. He gave His all for me and has allowed me access to You in Heaven. Help me to share this joy I have with others. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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Having a Mind of Prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17)

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Roger Babson, in an after-dinner address, made the following statement: "Prayer is the greatest unused power in the world, and faith is the greatest undiscovered resource." Faith is a grasping of Almighty power; the hand of man laid on the arm of God; when the things impossible to us become the possible, O Lord, through Thee.

Most of us have learned throughout the years that we must schedule a prayer time with God. This is a great practice—because if we don’t plan to visit with the Lord, then it will get quickly swept away in the busyness of our day. He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day. — John Bunyan. I cannot emphasize the importance of prayer enough. It is the means by which we make our supplications known unto the Lord.

“Praying without ceasing” doesn’t mean that one must pray every minute of every day. That would be impractical. It means to be regular, faithful and steadfast in your prayer life. It carries the idea of consistency. We ought to always be in an attitude of prayer and communion with the Lord. We should always be in the mindset of prayer, even if we’re not physically on our knees or mouthing the words. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing.” God's people are to be a praying people.

I fear that we often reserve prayer for church services, at meal time, or at the close of the day, but we need to be consistent and continual in prayer. Andrew Murray made this observation: “Prayer and life are inseparably connected. Which has the stronger influence over you, prayer for 5 or 10 minutes, or the whole day spent in the desires of the world? Let it not surprise you if your prayers are not answered. Learn this great lesson: my prayer must rule my whole life.”

What is needed to live such a life of prayer? The first thing is undoubtedly an entire sacrifice of one’s life to God’s kingdom and glory. If you try to pray without ceasing because you want to seem religious and good, you will never succeed. Yielding ourselves to live for God and His honor enlarges the heart and teaches us to regard everything in the light of God and His will. We automatically recognize in everything around us the need for God’s help and blessing, and an opportunity for His being glorified.

Paul’s exhortations were: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . for all saints; and for me” (Ephesians 6:18-19) and “Continue in prayer…withal praying also for us” (Colossians 4:2-3). To forget oneself—to live for God and His kingdom among men—is the way to learn to pray without ceasing.

The devil is in constant conspiracy against a preacher who really prays, for it has been said that what a minister is in his prayer closet is what he is, no more, no less. Don’t abandon your daily prayer time but work to cultivate a constant conversation with God throughout your day. Stop during moments of stress and ask for His strength.

Praise Him during victories. Intercede for friends, loved ones, or co-workers facing trials. To see our prayers answered, we must seek to get beyond the five or ten minutes in the morning and make our conversation with God an all-day event. Prayer is such an important matter that we are instructed to operate with a constant attitude of prayer.

Questions to Consider:
What choices can I make today that will help me to focus on praying without ceasing?
How does knowing that I am a “watchman” when I pray affect what I am praying about?

Points to Ponder:
Prayer and sinning will never live together in the same heart.
Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.

Prayer: Father, with my whole heart I praise You for this wondrous life of continuous prayer. Father keep me abiding and walking in the presence of Your glory, so that my prayer may be the spontaneous expression of my life with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Finding Purpose (Psalm 32:8)

Psalm 32:8, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

One of the most common questions people ask me is, “How do I know God’s will for my life?” God has a plan and design for your life. You are not a leaf that fell by chance to be scattered by the wind. Scripture says the steps of a good man are “ordered” by the Lord. (Psalm 37:23).

What a blessed promise from God! God has promised to instruct us and guide us in the way we should go. Notice: This guidance is by His omniscient eye. Psalm 73:24 and Proverbs 3:5-6 point to the same promise. God knows and sees all far better than we and He is pleading with us to follow His instructions. Unfortunately, every day many reject His guidance.

Joy and fulfillment is ultimately only found in that one goal. Everything good comes from knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. The starting place for that kind of joy begins with kneeling before Him as Lord of your life. God’s will for you is to be a Christian. I Timothy 2:3–4, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. God’s will for you to be Spirit-filled. Ephesians 5:17–18, Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Being Spirit-filled is not an emotional experience or high. It is not fasting and praying. Being Spirit-filled means to be completely submitted to the authority of Scripture in your life.

Everyone searches for meaning and fullness to life. The Bible teaches that the purpose of life is to know Christ and to make Him known. Daily seek to fulfill God's purpose for your life. Every day ask God to help you accomplish your life's mission. Pray for opportunities to fulfill that purpose by asking for boldness to tell others of His love. God has a unique plan and purpose for your life. Seek to fulfill His purpose for your life every day.

People need a plan in their life. God has that plan, and He is pleading with us to find, to follow, and to fulfill this purpose. How do we receive this direction from the Lord? Here are at least three ways the Lord instructs us in the way that He is leading us.

1. God uses His Word to instruct us.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). In the darkness of our uncertainty, God uses the light of His Word to direct our steps.

2. God uses His Spirit to instruct us.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Corinthians 2:12). There are some things in life that we will not discover any other way than the Holy Spirit teaching them to us through personal study and the preaching of God’s Word.

3. God also uses godly counsel to instruct us.
“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” (Proverbs 19:20–21)

Prayer, Father, I am deeply grateful today that You are willing and ready to assume Your rightful place in my life. As my Creator, only You understand the detail and destination of my life is such a way that I can trust You completely. Teach me to do that in a big way and then renew it each day as I live for You. Thank You for making all this possible through Your Son Jesus who saved me and in whose footsteps I can follow. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Jesus Christ, the Believer’s Life (Colossians 3:1-4)

This mornings devotion is an excerpt from a Leadership Study. You can view this current study in its entirety by visiting this sites Leadership link.
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Colossians 3:1-4, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

While this world offers us little hope or assurance, we know that we are not dependent upon the world in this life, or the life to come. All those who are born again have been resurrected a new creature in Christ. We do not live in and of ourselves. Christ is our life. We are complete in Him. We stand in need of nothing that our Lord is unable to provide. We face no trial or adversity that is beyond His sovereign control. Death may one day claim our mortal body, but then we will live as never before. Our existence is not dictated by, or tied to, this world in which we currently dwell (Galatians 2:20).

A plastic surgeon noticed some curious things about the patients whose faces he operated on. For some, the operation resulted in instantaneous and lasting changes in their personalities. People who had been self-conscious about some blemishes became confident and sociable after the problem was fixed. But in spite of successful surgeries, there were others who insisted that the surgery made no difference at all. The doctor would show them before and after photographs, but the people still insisted, often heatedly, that their faces were no different. They refused to accept the truth and went on living just as they had before, dominated by their previous disfigurement, which no longer existed. Their lives were not changed because they didn’t believe the truth about the change that had taken place. As Christians, we’ve been given much more than a face lift. We have died to our old lives and have been raised up to new life in Christ. All that is true of the risen Christ is now true of us. Now we must continually keep seeking and setting our minds on the things above, where our true life is hidden with Christ in God. As we live in light of our new identity in Christ, we will win the battle against sin. Our identity is not found in what we do, but in Who we belong to.

In order to develop a heavenly mindset, we must also understand our future in Christ. Whatever we think about the future will affect how we live today. This heavenly mindset is developed through constantly thinking on our future in Christ (Philippians 3:20-21). For this reason, Satan is always after our minds. He realizes that if he can turn them away from heavenly things, he can turn us towards earthly things. According to Proverbs 23:7, what a person really thinks is what a person is. The earthlier we think, the earthlier we become. Satan is after the believer’s mind concerning the future. Satan understands that anybody who has this hope purifies themselves (I John 3:2-3). What you think about the future affects how you live today. This is why Satan is always attacking our thought life. He wants us to live like the world instead of living like a citizen of heaven waiting for our coming King.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, thank You for loving me and accepting me in Christ. Help me to live for You and to share Your message of salvation with others. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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The Finished Work (John 17:1-4)

This mornings devotion is an excerpt from a Bible Study. You can view this current study in its entirety by visiting this sites Bible Study link.

John 17:1-4, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

A preacher closed a sermon with these words, "Virtue is so attractive that, if she were to become incarnate, and walk the world in human form, men would fall down and worship her." The pulpit of that church was occupied the same evening by another preacher, a humble evangelical man, who loved the gospel of a crucified Redeemer. He preached Christ crucified, and at the close of his sermon reminded the congregation of the statement made in the morning by the previous preacher, and then added, "I am sorry to say that Virtue did once walk the world in human form, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and men, instead of falling down and worshipping Him, crucified and nailed Him to a tree."

John 17 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, and certainly one of the most treasured. Some have referred to it as the "Holy of Holies of Sacred Scripture." This is Christ’s final public prayer to the Father before He went to the cross. In this prayer, Christ gives an account of His performance. Despite the opposition on earth, Jesus’ will was to glorify God.

Jesus set His glory aside when He came to earth as man (Philippians 2:7). On the cross, Jesus glorified God by revealing how much God loves us. Without the cross, we could never understand how much He loves us (John 3:16). The reason Jesus was ready to be glorified is simply stated: He had finished the work God had given Him to do. In doing the work God had given Him to do, He had glorified God on earth. "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). This is the prayer we all should want to be able to pray when it comes our time to die.

Jesus prays to His Father that He has glorified Him during His earthly presence. His example remains for us today. He finished the work God gave Him to accomplish. He spoke to His disciples three years earlier, His very ‘meat’ was to do “the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). He now had. Again, He has left an example for us. He finished His work. So should we. The only way a person can glorify God on earth is to do what God says. If a man is interested in glorifying God, he will obey God. Now the most important thing that you could do, that I could do, that anyone else could do would be to do what God wants us to do. Just as God had a purpose for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, He has a purpose for you as well.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, though I often struggle, help me to never lose sight of doing Your will. Your Son loved me us enough to die for me, the only reasonable thing that I can do is present myself a living sacrifice. Your will is good, perfect and acceptable. And Lord, we know through prayer, we'll find it. May You have Your own way. In Jesus name, Amen.

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