Bread of Life, JIL

“ Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”  Romans 7:6

Living by the law set forth by God turned out to be very hard.  As sinful creatures it is hard to stay perfect according to the letter of His law. There were struggles to uphold it which led to sin and repentance. The law was a covenant between God and the Israel which offered blessings and guidance, while also revealing many limitations of human nature.  The law provided social and moral guidance showing them how to live with each other and how to conduct their society.  However, the Lord gave a new way to become obedient to God, the Holy Spirit.

 Living in the Spirit is an active pursuit of obedience to God with spiritual growth and a rejection of sin.  Living in the Spirit is being led by the Spirit, surrendering to His guidance, and aligning one’s life with his will.  The fruits that we produce are those of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  In essence, living in the Spirit is about aligning one’s life with God’s will, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power, leading to a life of obedience, holiness, and spiritual fruitfulness.  PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all.” Psalm 65:3

To be pardoned is to be officially forgiven for a crime or an offense by a governing authority. This forgiveness releases the individual from any remaining punishment and restores them back into good graces. There is no greater authority than the God who created the heavens and the earth. It is sometimes hard to understand just what happened when Jesus was sent to this world to die for our sins. He took upon himself all of the sins that each of us have and he paid the price that was required for a complete and unconditional pardon. We all have the opportunity to have a pardon from our God. However, it does come with a sacrifice from us. We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and believe. The pardon that we receive will immediately release us from any upcoming prison sentence. Instead of being sentenced to hell we are given the opportunity to live eternally with our God in heaven. All of our rights with our Lord are restored and our sins are forgotten, to never be revisited. If you have not been pardoned, then it is time to have a visit with Jesus. Ask him to come into your heart, accept him and believe! Your pardon is waiting on you. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Luke 11:13

I remember when I was a child I would always ask for something huge when my birthday would roll around. I always had high hopes that I would receive these gifts, but I also knew that money was always a factor, so my high hopes were always brought back to earth. However, my parents always tried hard to get the best gifts they could for all their children. Our God is a loving God, and he tells us in Luke 11:13 that if we ask, we will receive the Holy Spirit. He is willing to give us the greatest gift possible if we just ask. With the Holy Spirit we will have a guide in our life. Our guide will show us the way along the path during our travels. He will help us to better understand the ways of our God. He will provide us with wisdom so that we can conquer and overcome the obstacles in our lives. There are no returns. Our God is not that kind of God. He loves his children and does everything to keep them safe and to keep their lives on this earth successful. I cannot understand why anyone, who has received from the Lord, would ever want to return a gift, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has no restraints in his giving, and we should receive our gifts with praise and thanksgiving. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“He saved us not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5

After we have received the Lord as our Savior, God tells us that he sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. Galatians 4:6 tells us, ” And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba Father!’ ” When the Holy Spirit lives within us He develops a deep and personal indwelling. We begin to reflect his standards in our lives and our actions come from love. We begin to lose fear and develop faith. We are better able to understand the ways of God. We better understand that our purpose is to spread the salvation message. We begin to show within our own lives how we depend upon God to direct us and control our ways. Our focus is on God and our lives in the world become secondary. When God takes up residence in us, we are totally aware of his actions and his abilities, which far exceed anything we could even imagine in the world in which we live. The Holy Spirit continues to remind us of God’s power and strength and just how much he loves us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets.”  1 Corinthians 2:10

As we open the Word of God each day there are things within its pages that we may not clearly understand.  Without the Holy Spirit we would never be able to obtain the understanding that he provides us.  It is through the Holy Spirit that God allows his wisdom and thoughts to be better understood.  We must, however, understand that this understanding does not come to us magically.  Our God is not into magic.  He is into truth and the deliverance of his mighty promises for our lives.  He is into compassion, love, salvation, healing and forgiveness.  It is important for us to communicate our thoughts and needs to him through prayer.  If we want to better understand what He is telling us we need to pray those desires.  It is then up to us to carefully listen to the Holy Spirit for the answers he gives.  The Holy Spirit brings a closeness to God that we have never experienced before.  He is able to help us to see God’s ways and to understand his word.  He is able to bring God’s love into our being as he lives in each of us. It is through the precious Holy Spirit that everything is thoroughly searched and shown to us.  It is through the third person of the Holy Spirit that our spiritual eyes are opened, and we are able live our lives hand in hand with our Father in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I bring you the Good News and offer you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God so that you might be pure and pleasing to him by the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:16

When the Holy Spirit moves in, he begins to help us clean our house.  He helps us to get rid of our bad habits.  He helps us kick out the things that draw us down in life.  He replaces sadness with gladness and fear with faith.  He points us in the correct direction with the final step being to enter the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit prepares us for that important moment when we meet Jesus’ face to face. We must be attentive and listen carefully to his words.  The Holy Spirit is our leader, our protector, our guide and our preparation for eternal life.  PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!  

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.” Romans 8:11

Wow!  What a powerful thing, to have the Holy Spirit to live within us.  There was a time in my life when I smoked a lot. Before I quit, I was smoking up to three packages a day.  When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I began to read the bible consistently and Romans 8: 11 stood out to me.  I fought hard to come up with reasons to continue smoking but the one thing that started me on the path to a non-smoker was this scripture.  If the Holy Spirit was residing within me then I was subject to keep it clean in his presence.  The same principle applies to our language, our eating habits and anything else that deals with our bodies.  The Holy Spirit resides within us to help in our lives and give us the strengths we need in order to overcome our weaknesses.  It is important that we sweep our house clean each day and keep the Holy Spirit’s presence a pleasant one. PRAISE THE LORD I ALL THINGS!

There should be no doubt that God is gracious.  Throughout the scriptures we are given examples of his wonderful deeds for those who were in great need.  We should  understand that our God is one who loves beyond our understanding.  The grace that he bestowed upon each of us included the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus Christ.   The grace of God includes his extension of kindness and his assistance to each of us.  His grace is not because we deserve it but because of His and character and free will.  God’s grace is intertwined with salvation. Salvation is offered through the death of Jesus and is an act God’s great character.  He loves us and wants us to be saved, healed, and forgiven. It is up to us to get to know him on a more personal level and begin to trust him for who he is and for all of the love he has for each of us.  The bible tells us that if we pray to him, he will answer.  He is always faithful, and you and I should be always faithful in our relationship with him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in you.”  Psalm 25:5

Have you ever gone to an amusement park and rode a roller coaster?  If you have, then you know the ups and downs and the twists and turns you will go through.  Life is much like a roller coaster. There will be twists in the road and decisions to be made.  There will be large hills to climb with much effort to be had. It is in those times that we may need help.  Jesus is that help. He is the one who is our safety net.  He will give us the assurance that if we fail, he will be there to catch us.  He will always show us the way.  He will help to straighten out the twists in the path and make the hills a little easier to climb.  We must be able to reach out to Jesus in a moment’s notice.  Jesus is the one who saves us!  There is no other. Life is a roller coaster.  when things go off the rails we need help and that help is Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and tell people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

As the Holy spirit encompasses our lives, He gives us power to work on God’s behalf. When we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, he helps to take away fear, doubt and worry by giving us confidence, strength and wisdom.  He helps us in truth and allows us to discern God’s will and gives us the strength to live in accordance with His principles.  He emboldens us to stand firm in our faith, resist temptations, and to boldly proclaim the bible.  He gives us the confidence, strength and desire to witness on behalf of Jesus, sharing his salvation message.  He cultivates the power of joy, love and peace within us.  In essence, he helps us to grow in maturity in Christ Jesus and his holiness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13

The Holy Spirit is the guide that helps us through life.  He is with us in our ups and downs.  As we listen carefully, he will lead us in all of the truths of Jesus.  We will reflect his nature to others.  Our lives will outwardly align with God’s character as we display all of his ways and teachings.  The Holy Spirit helps us to stay focused as he guides us through our struggles and helps us to represent our Lord in our good times as well.  He takes us to places within God’s foundation that we have long forgotten.  If we just listen and be doers of his word, our guide will show us all of the ways of God and keep us on the same page.  PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

The next few days we will be reading and learning about the powerful workings of the Holy Spirit. We will take one step at a time, so each day, for the next seven days, will be concentrated on one subject.

The Holy Spirit teaches us. He is a constant reminder of the things taught by Jesus. John 14:26 tells us: “But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative- and by Counselor, I mean the Holy Spirit- he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.” We are always learning. The Holy Spirit has been sent to remind us through his teaching of the things that Jesus himself has taught us. When we get into trouble he will remind of the actions that Jesus wants us to take. It is wise to listen very carefully as we are constantly reminded of the ways of God. Just as being in a classroom we are to stay focused, listen and be doers. He continually teaches us right from wrong and helps us along the path when our faith falters. His lesson plans will daily show us the way we are to think, talk, act and believe. It is with the strength of the Holy Spirit that you and I become stronger in the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes- the Jews first and also the Gentiles.” Romans 1:16

” It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:17

There are many Born Again Christians who are ashamed to tell others of their experience. When accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior you have made the biggest decision in your life. Your life changes because you invite Jesus in. He knocks and you allow him to enter. When we accept Jesus, our thoughts begin to change as well as our attitudes and ways of life. Our language goes from cursing to blessing and our focus goes from worldly to spiritual. When this happens, the bible becomes real, and we begin to understand that it is not just a book we are to read, but it is the Lord talking with us. He is showing us how to live, speak, love, care, and bless those around us. We are to be happy to be a part of his spiritual army and should not be ashamed to tell others about our experience. You see, if we don’t allow others to understand what our conversion was all about then there will be millions who will miss the opportunity to get to heaven and live with God eternally. Let us never be ashamed to tell others about Jesus. Our message may be a lifesaving experience for whom we tell. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9-10

There are so many in the world today that believe they know God when in reality they do not. Some believe that going to church will get them to heaven. The are others who believe that since they read the bible on occasion, they must be believing Christians. Still others believe that once they are baptized, they are saved. That is not how Romans 10 describes the salvation actions that must be taken. If you have not truly bowed your head and ask Jesus to live in your heart, then the time is now. Please recite out loud the following the following salvation prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

“I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to give me life. I know you are the only way to God. So now I want to quit disobeying you and start living for you. Please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and make me yours. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. I accept you as my Lord and Savior! In Jesus Name I pray Amen.”

Welcome to the family of God! Praise the Lord in all things!

” Then the men asked, ‘ why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and that he would rise again on the third day.’ ” Luke 24:5-7

When Jesus came to this earth, he came with a mission and a purpose to fulfill.  He came to save you and me from certain death, with no hope after death but hell itself.  On Good Friday he died a horrible and humiliating death, one that you and I could never withstand.  He was placed in a tomb as though dead and buried.  However, as 1 Peter 3:19-20 tells us, he was on his way to preach to those who disobeyed God long ago, when God waited patiently while Noah was building the boat. The final step of his journey took him to set at the right hand of God the Father in heaven where all of the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him.  It is because of you and me that he took this journey.  Easter is a day that we celebrate his rising and remember that it is he who allows us to live.  HAPPY EASTER!   

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

The fruit of the Spirit are not just qualities of character, but rather the outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in our lives. As we live our lives through the Holy Spirit our actions will be a sharp contrast from those of the world. The world produces immorality, idolatry, hatred, anger, jealousy, doubt. worry and fear. The Fruit of the Spirit produces love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. There is a stark difference in the actions from each. As a follower of Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. With that filling we receive our instructions on how we are to live our lives. Although all have ears to hear not all will listen and follow instructions. To win the world for Christ we must listen and do. We must take action and be a part of what God wants. Not being a doer will allow us to be overcome by the huge wave of indifference from the world. As we continue to pray each day, read his word, and consistently praise him with all of our heart, we will be able to get closer to our Lord and become a part of him. His words will begin to fill us with the love, peace and joy that reflects the true nature of our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“God’s word is living and active, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

It is quite natural and inevitable, that if we spend sixteen hours daily of our working hours in thinking about the affairs of the world, and five minutes in thinking about God- this world will seem two- hundred times more real to us that God. – Dean Inge

As human beings we spend most of our waking hours with thoughts about this world. Our work, our family and/or our time of rest and relaxation are centered on the world, and what we can do to make our lives more beneficial to us. Our lives are lived under the rules and the regulations of the world, and our thoughts and words are obedient to those rules and regulations. The time we spend with God varies, depending on our daily schedule, but God is fortunate if he hears from us before we go to bed, and then, he usually hears our complaints, wants, and needs rather than a conversation that includes praise for his great promises for our lives. I believe that what Dean Inge has pointed out is very real. Our attention goes to the things of the world that we can see, feel and hear directly. Due to these things, the world becomes real to us. However, our eternal life is also real. As we begin to spend more time with God, the spiritual world becomes more and more real to us. We become more attentive and more sensitive to the words spoken to us from our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ ADD TO YOUR FAITH GOODNESS; AND TO GOODNESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND TO KNOWLEDGE, SELF-CONTROL, AND TO SELF-CONTROL, PERSERVERANCE, AND TO PERSERVERANCE GODLINESS, AND TO GODLINESS, BROTHERLY KINDNESS, AND TO BROTHERLY KINDNESS, LOVE. FOR IF YOU POSSESS THESE QUALITIES IN INCREASING MEASURES, THEY WILL KEEP YOU FROM BEING INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” 2 PETER 1:5-8

Becoming an effective carrier of God’s Word is work. It takes faith, belief and trust on our part in order to show others the way Jesus lived his life. Being effective is much more than just reading the Word and then laying the bible down until the next time we read it. It takes effort and action on our part to make it come alive. It takes trust in God to deliver us out of troubled situations. It takes strong faith to believe things unseen by our own eyes. It takes courage, understanding and wisdom to help us rise up, with risen hands, to praise our Lord and to lay our prayers at His feet, and then turn around and leave those prayers with Him. It takes sacrificial, selfless, and unconditional love, just as Jesus has for us, to believe, receive and to dedicate our life to Him. To be effective we must be involved in the truth. We must pray often, pray hard, praise the Lord with our might, and believe we receive! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. ” Colossians 2:6

” For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Walking with Jesus signifies a life of discipleship that is characterized by obedience, faith, and a close relationship with Christ.  As we walk daily in his truths we follow his teachings, training ourselves up in his values, and seeking his guidance within our lives. Taking a daily walk with our Lord allows us to grow more like him. We build upon our faith, and we begin to trust in his power and guidance.  Walking with Jesus is not a one-time event. It is a continuous journey of growth in our faith and character. As we walk with Jesus we are going in the same direction. We begin to drop our old ways and take up the new. Our lives begin to reflect his characteristics, and we grow stronger each and every day. Our lives become living examples of the bible and how Jesus wants us to live.  PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS! 

“Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parent’s sins? ‘ It was not because of his sins or his parent’s sins, Jesus answered. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us.’ ” John 9:2-4

“Then Jesus said,’ I entered this world to render and to show those who think they see that they are blind.’ ” John 9:39

We are all born with a purpose. Some of us live longer lives on this planet than others. There are those who are stillborn. There are those who are born and at a very young age are taken to heaven. There are those who live on this earth who are huge in age. There are those who live in poverty and those who live lives of wealth. There are many questions, especially when we lose those so young or when we see those so needy and others of great wealth. What we must try and remember is that God has a plan. Each person born, no matter how long they live upon this earth or their position in life, is taking a journey with a purpose that will have an effect on others in this life. The power of God is in each of us. How long our journey will be on this earth is not up to us but up to God. Our job is to carry out our tasks that have been assigned to us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

As a person living on this earth, I sometimes forget just how important my God in heaven is to me.  Philippians 4:7 and Romans 5:1 reminds me that he provides me with the ability to have peace in any situation I confront.  I am reminded in Psalm 23:3 that he guards my heart and mind and leads me into paths of righteousness. Philippians 1:6 and Psalm 107:9 confirms to me that he gives me confidence and satisfies my soul.  I have been chosen as His; received salvation; been adopted as His child; been forgiven; received insight into the things of the Spirit; received the power to serve God and do his will; received the gifts of the Spirit; and received the hope of living forever with Him. Without my God in Heaven, I am nothing, but with my God I am everything.  PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!  

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Faith and trust are everything when we are trying to live in a good place here on earth. Without faith we cannot know Jesus. Without trust we cannot receive the promises he has stored up for us. We all know that our destination is eternal life with God in heaven. However, God has put us in this world for a reason. There is a reason for everything God does, and you and I must do our best to obey his every command. Many years ago, God led me to the following information that has helped me tremendously in my walk with Christ. It has helped me to live in this world knowing that I am here for a reason and that if I follow the ways of Jesus, I will be able to accomplish my role. I was led to understand that if I follow these steps, I would be able to live my life in my wealthy place here on earth.

1. Discipline yourself to diligently listen to God.
2. Don’t listen to the worldly system.
3. Keep your eyes on God’s Word and be a doer and not a hearer only.
4. Love God and all of God’s people.
5. Walk in love, remembering that God is love.
6. Stay away from covetousness.

Many of you may already know these things and are doing them in your life. As we focus on God, our lives here on this earth become our wealthy place, as we able to overcome our anxieties and fears, and accept God’s promises for our lives with open arms. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Trying to find your way in complete darkness is very difficult. You can get turned around; you may confront things that you cannot see, or you may find yourself tripping and falling. God has given us a light so that we don’t have to stumble around trying to find our way. All we have to do is find Jesus and begin to know him. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we begin to know him intimately and on a personal level, we no longer are lost in the darkness but instead we begin following the light of the world. Jesus is our Savior, our healer, our eyes and our ears. He leads us through life helping us along the way. With Jesus we are able to handle surprises that may pop up along our journey. He is always just a prayer away. Problems never disappear but there is no reason to try and solve them on our own. There is no struggle too small nor one too large. Our Lord is always willing and ready to allow our faith to become stronger each day, and as it grows so does the peace in our lives through our faith in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ Sing to him; yes, sing his promises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek him.” Psalm 105:2-4

When we go to a restaurant and order our favorite foods, we try to take our time and enjoy them. We all pay hard earned money for what we receive. It is important to be satisfied and enjoy our food as well as the pleasant surroundings of the restaurant. When we do, we often tell others about the establishment, and in doing so, create more customers for them. Our salvation was expensive. Jesus paid the heaviest of prices by giving his life to take away our sins and to offer us salvation that will get us eternal life in heaven. We should savor the sacrifice. We should sing our praise to him and exult his name. We should shout out his wonderful deeds to the world around us. It is important that we spread his message and allow others to take advantage of what Jesus has offered us. Let us all enjoy the presence of our Lord, praise him and give him the thanks for all he does. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!