Called to a Godly Life

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Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. --1 Peter 1:8 What’s your definition of a holy life?  You might be surprised to find out that God is not only holy; God is happy! And when we talk about living a holy life, we are talking about living a life full of energy, life, power, and joy. As our verse for today says, we have “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory”! That’s a joy that’s so incredible you can’t even express it!  It is because of salvation through Christ. So when I talk about holiness, I’m not talking about being pious or religious. Rather, pure holiness is a beautiful expression of the very character of God.  We are separated unto God that we might live positive, joyful, exuberant lives… as well as disciplined and dedicated lives. The upward call of every Christian is to live with a purity of heart and a purity of life that comes from the soul and is unpolluted because the presence of God is there. You and I have been called to live a godly life… no exceptions.  And it all begins with our minds.  According to Proverbs 23:7, “As [a man] calculates in his soul, so is he.”  Have you ever thought about how so many of our spiritual struggles begin when we allow our minds to wander aimlessly? Today, I want to encourage you to make sure your thinking is controlled by the grace of God.  Exercise self-discipline.  Second, eliminate anything that weakens your mind or distorts your thinking or your judgment.  Third, stay focused on the purposes and plan of God.  And fourth, continually put your future hope in God. These four things will help you keep your mind focused on what is good, true, and right! KEEP YOUR MIND FOCUSED ON THE JOY OF GOD…AND THE HOPE OF YOUR SALVATION TODAY!

 

Prayers God Will Hear

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.”

Nehemiah 1:5–6

When Nehemiah got the news of the dangerous conditions in the undefended city of Jerusalem, he wanted to do something about the problem. There were many human obstacles in the way of him being given permission to leave his post and rebuild a conquered capital, but Nehemiah knew how those could be overcome. Before he did anything publicly, he devoted time to prayer and fasting. He knew God’s power was the only thing that could accomplish the task. And at the beginning of his prayer, Nehemiah focused on making sure things were right between him and God as He confessed his sins, and those of his nation.

There is enormous power and unlimited resources available to us through prayer, but when our relationship with God is not what it should be, that power is cut off. God told Israel through the prophet Isaiah: “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15). We should keep short accounts with God—promptly confessing sins rather than allowing them to linger. Before we ask God for what we need, we should ensure that our fellowship with Him is clear. We have no reason to expect answered prayers from God if we harbor sin in our hearts.

Today's Growth Principle: 

When we accept God’s invitation to come to Him in prayer, we should also accept His invitation for a close personal relationship with Him, unhindered by unconfessed sin.