victory

Luke 10, 1 Peter 5

^{Lk 10 17} When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!"

 ¹⁸ "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! ¹⁹ Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. ²⁰ But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven."

Question:  Does that delegated spiritual authority apply only to the Apostles or to every believer?

^{1 Jn 5:4} For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. ⁵ And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

I don't know exactly what that victory looks like, but I think it is a lot more aggressive against the enemy than our congregation demonstrates.

Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and that He is your Son.  I believe that you are mysteriously one with Christ and the Holy Spirit, in a way that I can't understand.  Lord, I want to trust you with childlike faith.  Please use me, Lord.  Please pour your love and life through me, and show me what an appropriate exercise of Christ's authority looks like.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, my Victor!  Amen.

living in fellowship

Luke 7, 1 John 2

²⁴ So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. ²⁵ And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. ... ²⁷ But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. ²⁸ And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Do I really know Him, or do I just pretend to talk to Him?  Do I talk with Him, or do I just talk at Him?  Do I enjoy spending time with the Father, Son, and Spirit?  Or, would I rather watch television?  Do I know His heart?  Do I know what He wants and likes?

From these verses it seems like I should have a conversation with God all day long, and all of my life happens in the context of my conversation with Him.

Heavenly Father, you are good and kind, and your love is so amazing that Jesus died to take away the sins of the WHOLE WORLD!  Lord God, I want to fellowship with you today.  I want to live in fellowship.  I want to want to be with you more than anything else in this world.  I want to love you with all of my heart, soul, and spirit.  I want my conversation with you to control my attitude and response to everything that happens today.  Lord, please give me grace to see you and obey you.  May you be honored by my lifestyle; not because of my righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Righteous.

global warming

Luke 5, 2 Peter 3

The Lord is perfect in His Justice:

^{2 Pt. 3:7} And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. ... ⁹The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. ¹¹ Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, ¹² looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

How are we supposed to respond to that?

¹³ But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. ¹⁴ And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵ And remember, the Lord's patience gives people time to be saved.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience.  Thank you for your love.  I praise you because you are perfectly righteous.  I am humbled that you have spared me from your holy wrath.  Lord, please show me the things in my life that grieve you, and deliver me from them through the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

wilderness

Luke 4, 2 Peter 2

Interesting correlation:

^{Lk 3:2} Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. ³ Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

^{Lk 4:1} Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ² where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. ... ¹⁴ Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. ¹⁵ He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

I think there is something to this wilderness business.

Heavenly Father, please help me seek you.  Lord, I want to hear from you, and if that means going out into the wilderness, then so be it.  Holy Spirit, please fill me and use me.  May I teach your truth and demonstrate the authority of Christ, to the glory of God.  I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

majesty

Luke 3, 2 Peter 1

I love it when my two chapters pair up like this:

^{Lk 3:21} One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."

^{2 Pet. 1:16} For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes ¹⁷ when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." ¹⁸We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

What struck me was "his majestic splendor".  I wish I would focus on the majestic splendor of Christ instead of myself and the complications of this world.

I applied for three faculty positions today: Penn State, UT El Paso, and Clemson.  I think I will apply to some others within a month or so.  I pray that the Lord will lead us where He wants us and that we will be obedient to follow Him.

The Lord put me on the bus with Herb this morning.  We had another great conversation about Jesus.  Herb just finished reading Matthew, and he didn't like all of the stuff about judgment.  He said it seemed like Jesus was threatening everyone with hell.  I told him that the default state for all of us is going to hell because we are all sinful.  I told him that the Perfect Justice and Holiness of God is reconciled with His Infinite Mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Herb said that he liked the Old Testament, but he doesn't know what to think about the New Testament.  I suggested that he read the book of Hebrews next because it refers so much to the Old Testament (and because it clearly explains the atonement of Christ!).

Heavenly Father, I praise you.  Lord Jesus, I praise you.  Holy Spirit, I praise you.  You are glorious and majestic, and your love never ends.  Please draw me close to you, speak to me, and lead me to follow you.  Lord, I love you.  Please pour out your love on Herb and bring him to faith in Jesus Christ.  Lord, please continue to give me opportunity to share the love and light of Jesus Christ.  I pray in the majestic name of Christ.  Amen.

worship

Mark 16, 1 Peter 3

The fundamental purpose of all of creation is to worship our creator:

^{Mk. 1619} When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.

^{1 Pet. 3:15} Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. ... ²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

My worship is so shallow and insincere.  I am more focused on my daily/weekly responsibilities than the One who created me and sustains my life.  Should not my every waking thought be meditating on the Lord and His goodness toward me?  Isn't the Resurrection of Jesus Christ sufficiently amazing to preoccupy my conscious for the rest of eternity?  Why then, am I so focused on the temporary things in this brief age?  How do I train my heart and mind to consistently and fervently worship Christ my Creator and Savior?  Then it would be perfectly natural for people to inquire of my obsession with God and His love for us.

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my pathetic worship.  You deserve so much more.  Please forgive me for the idolatry that plagues my daily life.  May you be the one true God in my life.  Dear Lord, please take me to the next level with you.  Jesus, I want to know you, hear your voice, love you, worship you, and obey you.  Holy Spirit, I want to continually walk in your presence, continually bearing your fruit, continually shining your light.  Lord, please soften my heart; make my conscious tender to want you and know you above all else.  Lord, may I genuinely be hungry and thirsty for you.  Please empty me of my self, and fill me with you, Lord.  You are so wonderful and beautiful.  Your kindness is impossible to understand.  Lord, please change my life so that I am clearly worshiping you.  I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

holiness

Mark 14, 1 Peter 1

^{1 Pet. 1:15} But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."

I used to think that "being holy" was all about righteousness.  The goal of living holy lives is not to gain more righteousness, but to be more like Christ - His Character, His Spirit.

Heavenly Father, please make me a holy man.  Lord, please help me raise my son to be a holy man.  May you be honored as you continue to change me from the inside to be a holy man.  I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood purchased my redemption.  Amen.