Passage of the Day: 2nd Corinthians 3: 12 - 18 … 4 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit.
My Journal for Today: Today’s passage, another from the enlightenment of God’s Spirit via the Apostle Paul, is a wondrous truth revealing the advantage that post-Pentecostal Christians have over the believers of the Old Covenant. As Paul proclaims, we of the New Covenant dispensation have the wondrous indwelling Rabbinical teaching ministry of the One Who is co-equal with Christ (see verse 18 above), the Holy Spirit, Who allows New Testament Christians to come with spiritually unveiled faces (see verses 12 – 13) to God’s Throne of Grace for His unmatched teaching grace. Now, we, as humans, come to the Throne with differing degrees of completion or enlightenment as we are transformed into Christlikeness with, as Paul says, “ever-increasing glory.” But we only have the veil of darkness covering our hearts when we choose to return to self rather than surrender to the Savior’s enabling and enlightening grace through His Spirit.
As John MacArthur writes in today’s devotional from his book, Strength for Today, we who believe in Christ as our Messiah and who actually reflect on the essence of Christian discipleship, live a life of worship where we are continually at the foot of The Master Teacher as He molds us by His Spirit into His own image through His Spirit. What a Mentor we have; and what a wondrous class we Christians have with the Perfect Teacher with His New Covenant being unveiled for us. I know I seem to use terms like “wondrous” repetitively; but this is not hyperbole. It is “wondrous, extraordinary, and mysterious” all wrapped up into the beauty of being a New Covenant Christian. And anyone who humbles himself in repentance and faith to receive Christ as Savior and Lord can live every day, by choice, in this “wondrous” realm of life surrendered in Christ at His foot, learning to be like Him.
My Prayer Today: O, blessed Spirit, teach me all that is Christ! Amen
Showing posts with label enlightenment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enlightenment. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
September 25, 2011 … The Need for Understanding
Passage of the Day: John 16: 12, 25 … [Jesus speaking] … 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. … 25 Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.”
My Journal for Today: It’s quite apparent that the original twelve Disciples were, at times, overwhelmed and cloudy, to say the least, by the teachings of their Master and the One Whom at least eleven of them, at the time He spoke the words of today’s highlighted passage, believed Jesus to be The Messiah. And when Jesus taught in figurative sayings or language (as in John 6: 35 or 6: 53 – 58 or 8: 12), His followers were perplexed. It was not until these men were indwelt by the Holy Spirit, after Jesus’ resurrection, did their light of understanding come on. And all one has to do to confirm this is to note Peter, the impetuous and wayward follower before Pentecost, the one who denied Christ before His death; and then we see Peter, the Apostle who became the steady-as-a-rock disciple after Pentecost, the one who could lead so many to Christ and the one who became the brilliant, Spirit-inspired preacher, pastor, and leader of the early Church. And what was the difference of Peter before and after Christ had ascended into heaven? You guessed it … the light of insight, edification, and power provided by God’s Spirit [see Acts 1: 8, also the words of Jesus to His disciples].
And while I certainly don’t compare my own mind to the depth of clarity displayed by Peter after Pentecost, I can well compare myself in my pre-Christian days to his impetuous nature as he balked in fear, running from who he really was in Christ. Yet, how I view and interpret God’s word now as compared to my pre-Christian days is like day versus night. Before I came to know Christ as my Savior/Lord, when I was an angry “agnostic,” God’s teachings, even when I took courses in the New Testament as literature in college, were unrevealed to me. It was like being in a fog and not having a clue as to my direction. However, now, with the Spirit’s guidance, God’s word draws me out of the fog of life, ever being a beacon that points me from the darkness into the light [as described in Psalm 119: 105].
Where would you be without the guiding light of God’s Spirit and the clarity provided by His word? Yes, even the Christian can be clueless, unless he/she surrenders and uses the Spirit-enlightened truth of Scripture to light the path of life. The darkness of this world can be overwhelming; but thankfully God has provided His Light of Scripture and the Person of His Spirit as our beacon to make it through the storm clouds of this life. May we, who know Christ as The Messiah and Lord, draw heavily upon God’s Spirit to shine a light on our path (again, please see Proverbs 3: 5, 6 and Psalm 119: 105, which I do hope you have deeply seated in your heart).
My Prayer Today: You, precious Spirit, give me all understanding, my Lord. Amen
My Journal for Today: It’s quite apparent that the original twelve Disciples were, at times, overwhelmed and cloudy, to say the least, by the teachings of their Master and the One Whom at least eleven of them, at the time He spoke the words of today’s highlighted passage, believed Jesus to be The Messiah. And when Jesus taught in figurative sayings or language (as in John 6: 35 or 6: 53 – 58 or 8: 12), His followers were perplexed. It was not until these men were indwelt by the Holy Spirit, after Jesus’ resurrection, did their light of understanding come on. And all one has to do to confirm this is to note Peter, the impetuous and wayward follower before Pentecost, the one who denied Christ before His death; and then we see Peter, the Apostle who became the steady-as-a-rock disciple after Pentecost, the one who could lead so many to Christ and the one who became the brilliant, Spirit-inspired preacher, pastor, and leader of the early Church. And what was the difference of Peter before and after Christ had ascended into heaven? You guessed it … the light of insight, edification, and power provided by God’s Spirit [see Acts 1: 8, also the words of Jesus to His disciples].
And while I certainly don’t compare my own mind to the depth of clarity displayed by Peter after Pentecost, I can well compare myself in my pre-Christian days to his impetuous nature as he balked in fear, running from who he really was in Christ. Yet, how I view and interpret God’s word now as compared to my pre-Christian days is like day versus night. Before I came to know Christ as my Savior/Lord, when I was an angry “agnostic,” God’s teachings, even when I took courses in the New Testament as literature in college, were unrevealed to me. It was like being in a fog and not having a clue as to my direction. However, now, with the Spirit’s guidance, God’s word draws me out of the fog of life, ever being a beacon that points me from the darkness into the light [as described in Psalm 119: 105].
Where would you be without the guiding light of God’s Spirit and the clarity provided by His word? Yes, even the Christian can be clueless, unless he/she surrenders and uses the Spirit-enlightened truth of Scripture to light the path of life. The darkness of this world can be overwhelming; but thankfully God has provided His Light of Scripture and the Person of His Spirit as our beacon to make it through the storm clouds of this life. May we, who know Christ as The Messiah and Lord, draw heavily upon God’s Spirit to shine a light on our path (again, please see Proverbs 3: 5, 6 and Psalm 119: 105, which I do hope you have deeply seated in your heart).
My Prayer Today: You, precious Spirit, give me all understanding, my Lord. Amen
Thursday, September 08, 2011
September 8, 2011 … The Spotlight Stays on Christ
Passage of the Day: John 15: 26 … "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
My Journal for Today: In these words from Jesus to His confused disciples the night before His passion unfolded, … He spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit; and we read a clear specification of one of the ministries of “The Counselor,” … that of putting a spotlight on the preeminence of Christ. About this in his Strength for Today devotional for this date, John MacArthur writes, “How foolish it is for any of us who profess Christ to then follow Him by looking to our own strength rather than to that of His glory.”
In today’s verse from the Upper Room Discourse, as in John 16: 14 – 15, Jesus clearly lays out the illuminating ministry of His Spirit, “The Comforter” or “The Advocate,” … Who would bear witness to God, the Son, and to glorify God, the Father. And this would imply that we must do all we can in developing our relationship with God’s Spirit to allow Him to illumine our Lord and Savior so that we can be freed from the sin-binding magnetism of Satan, the world, and our own deceitful hearts (see 2nd Cor. 3: 16 – 17). Surrendering to God, the Holy Spirit, as Paul stated in that passage to the Corinthian Christians, causes the veil of deceit to be taken from our eyes; and we can see Truth for Who HE is – and that, of course, is Jesus!
More than once in my devotional journaling this year, I have returned to the words of that old hymn … [and as I write/type this on this lovely morning, I’m listening to Alisha Dishong sing her luscious version to me through my earphones from my I-tunes playlist on my computer] …
Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
So, any time we are able, as Christians, to move away from self and clearly see the Savior in this life, it is because God, the Holy Spirit is shining Christ’s light more clearly on our lives or path. After meditating on the truth of Ps. 119: 105 [and if you don’t know that one by heart, I charge you to go back and meditate upon it], you’ll understand why I open God’s word unto my life as often as I can – most certainly daily! - to give me direction and why I pray so often in the Spirit as I do here …
My Prayer Today: Precious Holy Spirit, shine Your light brightly, Lord; help me to see You and my Lord clearly! Amen
My Journal for Today: In these words from Jesus to His confused disciples the night before His passion unfolded, … He spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit; and we read a clear specification of one of the ministries of “The Counselor,” … that of putting a spotlight on the preeminence of Christ. About this in his Strength for Today devotional for this date, John MacArthur writes, “How foolish it is for any of us who profess Christ to then follow Him by looking to our own strength rather than to that of His glory.”
In today’s verse from the Upper Room Discourse, as in John 16: 14 – 15, Jesus clearly lays out the illuminating ministry of His Spirit, “The Comforter” or “The Advocate,” … Who would bear witness to God, the Son, and to glorify God, the Father. And this would imply that we must do all we can in developing our relationship with God’s Spirit to allow Him to illumine our Lord and Savior so that we can be freed from the sin-binding magnetism of Satan, the world, and our own deceitful hearts (see 2nd Cor. 3: 16 – 17). Surrendering to God, the Holy Spirit, as Paul stated in that passage to the Corinthian Christians, causes the veil of deceit to be taken from our eyes; and we can see Truth for Who HE is – and that, of course, is Jesus!
More than once in my devotional journaling this year, I have returned to the words of that old hymn … [and as I write/type this on this lovely morning, I’m listening to Alisha Dishong sing her luscious version to me through my earphones from my I-tunes playlist on my computer] …
Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
So, any time we are able, as Christians, to move away from self and clearly see the Savior in this life, it is because God, the Holy Spirit is shining Christ’s light more clearly on our lives or path. After meditating on the truth of Ps. 119: 105 [and if you don’t know that one by heart, I charge you to go back and meditate upon it], you’ll understand why I open God’s word unto my life as often as I can – most certainly daily! - to give me direction and why I pray so often in the Spirit as I do here …
My Prayer Today: Precious Holy Spirit, shine Your light brightly, Lord; help me to see You and my Lord clearly! Amen
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