Category: Jesus Christ

Men of Prayer

~ A Prayer Life ~ 6 Comments

“What the Church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men – men of prayer.”

~ E.M. Bounds

Prayer Life Pause: Lord Jesus, grant Your church more people of prayer. May it please You to fill all of our hearts with a desperate hunger and thirst for You that can only be filled by deep, earnest and faithful prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

All Are Welcome

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“The cross of Jesus displays the most awful exhibition of God’s hatred of sin and at the same time the most august manifestation of His readiness to pardon it. Pardon, full and free, is written out in every drop of blood that is seen, is proclaimed in every groan that is heard, and shines in the very prodigy of mercy that closes the solemn scene upon the cross. O blessed door of return, open and never shut, to the wanderer from God! How glorious, how free, how accessible! Here the sinful, the vile, the guilty, the unworthy, the poor, the penniless, may come. Here too the weary spirit may bring its burden, the broken spirit its sorrow, the guilty spirit its sin, the backsliding spirit its wandering. All are welcome here.”

~ Octavius Winslow

Prayer Life Pause: Dear Lord, thank You for welcoming me into Your presence. I bring all my burdens, sorrows and guilt and lay them at Your feet of forgiveness. How glorious You are! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excellent Grace

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

~ Romans 8:1

One of the most glorious truths of the Gospel is that faith in Jesus Christ removes the sin guilt we naturally incur. That is, by nature, we are children of God’s just wrath and rightful condemnation (Eph. 2:3). The penalty for sin is nothing less than eternal separation from God and condemnation for sin. Yet, the good news is there is hope! Those who “are in Christ Jesus” are cleansed, justified, sanctified and delivered from such a terrible condition. We are those who no longer “walk” [that is live] according to the flesh [in sinful ways] but we can be those who walk according to the Spirit [that is in faithful humble living unto God]. And it is the same to whom Jesus promised eternal life (John 3:16). May we praise the Lord for His excellent grace!

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause – Father, thank you for saving me from my sins. Now please help me to live according to Your will and Spirit each and every day. In Jesus’ name,. amen.

Be Free

~ A Prayer Life ~ 4 Comments

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

~ John 8:36

I love music, but I never learned to play an instrument. Yet, one of my favorite pastimes is listening to music. And though I never personally learned to play a guitar, the drums, a saxophone or piano, I can certainly appreciate the amazing talent, commitment, hard work and devotion that goes into mastering one of these or many other instruments.

Though I love music, I am not free to make music on my own. At least, not through instrumentation. Those who first train on those instruments, and take lesson after lesson for years, are the ones who are free to produce the wonderful sounds of rhythm and harmony who others, like myself, are not free to make on our own. In other words, it is only through the confining discipline of submitting oneself to the rigors of apprehending the musical instrument that one is truly free to play whatever they choose.

Likewise, it is only through submitting yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ that one becomes spiritually free. Until then, we are in bondage, in bondage to sin and confined to the limitations of our own sinful nature. Limited in our freedom to spiritually enjoy the richness of Christ. It is by discipline, apprehending, and submitting oneself to God that one truly tastes freedom.

The world will try to offer you it’s version of freedom. But it is a false freedom. It will seek to entice you with freedom from discipline, from responsibility, and from accountability to God and others. But this is not real freedom. Like the concert pianists who only through years and years of disciplined training is he free to play whatever he chooses, it is only through discipleship to Jesus that spiritual freedom ever comes. Freedom to love, serve and honor the Savior. But, once Christ sets you free, be assured dear friend, you are free indeed.

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Father, help me to experience the freedom and joy that comes from turning from worldliness and living and serving my Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Full of Grace & Truth

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

~ John 1:1-14

Prayer Life Pause: Father, help me to receive and embrace Christ as my Light that He might shine through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Certainly Not!

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”

~ Romans 6:16

Those who would use the grace of God and the gift of eternal salvation as license to sin understand neither grace nor salvation. Though sadly, I fear many, practically, do just that. We rationalize our sin. We think to ourselves, “I’m saved, I go to church, I’m a basically good person – surely God won’t count this sin against me”. And yet once this kind of depraved thinking has crept into our hearts and minds, then just about anything is free game at that point.

Should we think because we have tasted the wonderful grace of God it’s ok to go back and drink the bitter waters of sinful living? The Scriptures are clear: Certainly not! Some translations render that phrase “God forbid!”. The grace of God is freedom, but it is freedom from sin and strength for holy living and faithfully serving the God and Christ of our salvation. Grace is license, not to sin, but to serve. What then? Will you use the grace of God to sin or to serve?

Prayer Life Pause: Father, help me to walk away from sin and to walk more in Your grace each and every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~ apl

The Eternal Prize

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

Christ our Lord would so deign,
down to man He humbly came.
To seek and save that which was lost,
and all at such a dear high cost.
Yet love would not let Him stay,
aloft in heav’n while we had strayed.
By faith in Christ now You may rise,
and reach the blessed eternal prize.

~ apl

Light Brings Life

~ A Prayer Life ~ 4 Comments

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”.

~ John 1:4

Light brings life. As each new day dawns, so does the vibrant moving, growing, bustling, and stirring of life everywhere. In many ways, it is the bright warmth of light that grants us the motivation, desire and inspiration to carry on with our day. The same is true of our spiritual life. In Christ is life, because He is the light of the His people which spurs us on towards greater faith and good works. Jesus is the source of all true, noble, righteous and principled deeds born in the Christian life. To the Light goes all the glory (Jn 8:12). Have you placed your faith and hope in the One who brought light into this dark world? Have you come out of darkness into Light? Does your life reflect the light of Jesus? Remember, it is light that brings life.

~ apl

Having Done All, Stand

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.”

~ Acts 26:6

The Apostle Paul understood what it meant to be judged for his faith. This man who once mocked, ridiculed and persecuted Christians now stood under the same judgment of others he once stood over. Paul had come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and knew it had been promised and prophesied by God to their forefathers in Israel. Yet, the majority of the people were still blinded to this truth and self-righteously judged those who had come to confess and believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16)

If you are judged by others for your faith in the Lord Jesus, stand firm (Phil. 4:1). Stand in humility and grace as a living testimony to the loving salvation purchased for you by your Savior. Cling to the hope that even those, like the Apostle Paul, who once judged others for their new-found faith, can be won over by the Gospel of Christ and the mercies of God seen through your faithfulness even in the most difficult of circumstances caused by the judgments, mocking and ridicule of others. And having done all, stand (Eph. 6:13).

~ apl