Category: Be Inspired

When is the last time you really sat and thought about “change”? Do you want the world to change? Do you want a political, religious, or social ideology to change? Or do you simply wish the restaurant closest to your home would change their menu? It seems we can all sit down and have a serious conversation about the “things” that we wish would “change.” Have we ever considered that when we hold onto what we wish would change, we may be doubting what we as Christians would call “God’s love”? Let me explain.

When Jesus spoke intimately to his disciples, he told them that “apart” from him (severed from him) “we can do nothing” (John 15:5). The context of the passage is speaking of one who is “bearing fruit” through “abiding” in Jesus. What does it mean to bear fruit? Have you ever considered that it may mean we have to change? Change what, you may ask…the answer is everything must change. This brings us to the word “abiding.” What if we used the words “depended on,” or “believes in,” or “intimately relates with and trusts” in place of the word abide? That political or social or ideological reality that is driving us crazy must be experienced in this life as we “abide in Jesus.”

Have we ever considered that change for us as humans means that we must learn something that we don’t already know, accept it, and then apply it in our lives; in other words, we “change”? Or we must accept that what we thought was right may not be right at all. So, we must unlearn while we learn something new. All of this happens as we abide in Jesus.

Let’s take it further. If he stated that we can do nothing unless we abide in him, could it be the ideas about change mentioned above actually cannot happen according to God’s will in our lives unless we relate to, trust, believe, depend on completely, with all our heart and mind, in the abiding relating of Jesus? This may be the case.

So, as we think about the changes we wish to see in others and in the world, let us be reminded that they too, those “other” people, can do nothing unless they are abiding in Jesus. And, we have no control on when the “light bulb” comes on in another’s life. Accepting this reality may be the hardest thing we have to accept and change in this life.

PRAYER: Lord, give me the faith to believe that you are in charge and intimately wanting all to be saved. Even the ones I fear, and I believe to be the enemy. Let your love dwell in me, Holy Spirit, because I accept that if I don’t trust that your will is based in love, I can do nothing.

 

 

By Mark Mounts, Pastor

“We are united to Christ who is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, and participate in the risen Humanity of Christ so that we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.” ― T.F. Torrance

Click the image below to download the December Prayer Guide and join us in corporate prayer and communion.

 

Do you ever get flashbacks from your past?

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the past. My wife, Averil, was on the Wawa Ontario Facebook page and someone posted a photo of the 1964 grade 1 class at Sir James Dunn elementary school.

Apparently, someone found it in a shed and posted it on Facebook to see if anyone could identify the students in the photo. I instantly recognized many in the photo as I was one of those students (third row from the bottom, third person from the left).

Talk about a flashback!

As more and more Facebook users look at that photo, more people are being identified and if the person has their own Facebook page, it is interesting to see where they ended up now that they are in their 60s.

Looking at that photo is like seeing those 6-year-olds frozen in time.

But time goes on, doesn’t it? It never stays still.

I was reminded of this fact when I read this passage from Hebrews:

“Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever” (Hebrews 7:23-24).

While the high priests of Jewish fame could not continue to represent the people because they were trapped in time and own their mortality, the writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is able to make intercession for us for all time.

As one who depends on him, I find encouragement from this truth, especially when time is such an enemy in our lives.

Prayer: Jesus, give us a glimpse of your reality and give us an ability to rejoice that you are Lord even of time.

 

 

By Bill Hall
National Director, GCI Canada

“To walk with Jesus is to walk with a slow, unhurried pace. Hurry is the death of prayer and only impedes and spoils our work. It never advances it.” ― John Mark Comer

Click the image below to download and print the November Prayer Guide and join us in praising the Father for the incredible work he has included us in, as we join together in corporate prayer and communion.

 

Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them. So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God’s presence in heaven itself. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice. The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect.” (Hebrews 7:23-28 MSG)

“No Excuses” can have a lot of meanings, many of which point to the negative thinking that keeps us from embracing our whole self. Our team can beat their team, no excuses! You promised you would do this, no excuses! There was plenty of time to study for this test and you still failed, no excuses! But what if we redeem this phrase, or rather, we recognize God’s redemption of “no excuses”?

Instead of believing ourselves to be failures when we give excuses, as if we have kept good things from happening because of our excuses, what if we remember Jesus’ perfect success for all humanity? Jesus is our High Priest, and the author of Hebrews reminds us Jesus has “done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice” (emphasis added). There is no excuse that can overpower, reverse, break, or destroy what is complete in and through Jesus. Are you tired, stressed, sad, or angry? Jesus has still done it and is still “absolutely, eternally perfect” AND right by your side. You’ve missed church because it didn’t feel right? Jesus has still done it, is still “absolutely, eternally perfect” AND is calling you to participate with him. The bigger your excuse, the stronger you may experience God’s nudge to join him in his work. The moment (however many we need in a day, week, or year) we recognize that our excuse doesn’t stop God and doesn’t have to stop us is the moment we experience Jesus’ triumph over our imperfections and his strength in our weakness. The next time you have an excuse for not doing something, don’t count it as failure, but as an opportunity to rely more fully on God in the midst of your heartache.

Precious Lord, we thank you for the knowledge and reminder that you have done it all! There is nothing we can do to mess up your perfect plan and redemption, which is complete in Jesus Christ. No lie or excuse told to us from the enemy can keep us from participating with you. Strengthen our hearts and minds to more fully give even our excuses into your hands. Amen.

 

By Carrie Osborne, Pastor – Chillicothe, OH

Once, we too were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:3-7, NLT

People often ask why we are the way we are. Why we allow people to do things to us and still forgive them? Are we weak? Are we people pleasers? Are we insecure? No! The contrary is true: we choose to turn resentment into forgiveness, hatred into love, fighting into peace because we have been there, done that and saw that it does not pay. Moreover, when we came to our senses and changed our ways, God graciously forgave us.

We were in every way as sinful and evil as those people are to us, but we were forgiven because of God’s mercy. How dare we withhold that mercy from others? The same kindness and love God showed to us when we were the offenders is what we are to show to those who wrong us.

Dear Lord Jesus, please help us to be a conduit of your love and mercy. Help us to extend what we have received from you to others. Lord, let it be a witness to the world and a sweet-smelling sacrifice to you. Please receive our thanksgiving in Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

By Margaret Musekwa, Webmaster
Riviera, South Africa

Join us in praising the Father and praying for one another in this season. Click the image below to download and print the October Prayer Guide, as we celebrate how God is working in and among our congregations.

As another year in the Christian worship calendar draws to a close, The Revised Common Lectionary directs us to the book of Hebrews. Though this epistle addresses a situation involving Jewish Christians in the 1^st century, it offers all Christians in all times important Christ-centered instruction, carefully and methodically making the case that Jesus is our “all in all.” Note the book’s introduction:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

These words get straight to the author’s point: Jesus is God’s ultimate and authoritative revelation—God’s final Word. As God’s Word, Jesus is God, Creator, Priest and King.

Jesus is God. Unlike the Hebrew prophets, Jesus is not a mere man—he is God’s Son, the “radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3a) – a phrase that would be understood by Jewish-Christian readers as a reference to the Shekinah glory – God’s manifest presence in the tabernacle/temple. This statement is saying that Jesus is to God (the Father) what the rays of the sun are to the sun – inseparable – one in the same, though distinct. Here we have an oblique reference to God’s triune nature – one essence, yet more than one person. Jesus, the divine Son of God, is the “exact representation” –the “exact imprint” – of God. Jesus is the exact representation of the very substance (essence) of God. Only Jesus could honestly say, “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). When we see Jesus, we are seeing the glory of God (John 1:14).

Jesus is Creator. As God, Jesus is the one through whom God “made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2b). Not only were all things created by Christ (God’s Word, John 1:1–5), Christ upholds (sustains) all things (Hebrews 1:3b). Jesus is the God of creation and providence who sustains and guides this universe to its divinely ordained destiny.

Jesus is Priest. Jesus is also God’s priest who, alone, provides purification for sins (Hebrews 1:3b). This priestly aspect of Jesus’ ministry is explained in Hebrews 7–10. Jesus not only creates and sustains the universe; he redeems it so that it may fulfill its created purpose – relationship with God.

Jesus is King. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he “sat down” (Hebrews 1:3b), indicating that his work is complete. His place of sitting is “at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” –the place of greatest honor. This is a dramatic symbol of equality with God the Father, for no created being could ever sit at God’s right hand.

As Hebrews begins, we learn that Jesus is superior to all other servants of God who have ever appeared. It is no wonder that the Father said, at the hour of Christ’s transfiguration, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5).

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for sending us your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for being our God, our Creator, our Priest and our King. You are for us all of these, we need no others, we worship no others. Jesus, you are, indeed, our all-in-all. Lord, may we join you, by the Spirit, in your worship of our Father. As we come to the end of this year of worship, may we continue to fix our eyes on you, sharing in your life and love. Amen.

 

By Ted Johnston, US Southeast Regional Support Team and faculty member – Grace Communion Seminary

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:10-12

We’ve all made mistakes. Accidentally knocked something off a shelf in a store or gotten in an argument that landed us in hot water in school or work. If you’ve been fortunate in those moments, you’ve had a parent, friend, or supervisor who was willing to stand up for you when you were falling short.

It’s not the easiest thing to look past the heat of the moment when we fall short. Perhaps we’ve had thoughts like, “How could I be so _____?” You fill in the blank. It can be easy for us to let our faults define who we are in our minds. Thankfully, if we’re blessed to have good friends or coworkers, they can remind us (and those who could punish us) that our mistakes are not who we are.

Praise God that he sees beyond our sin and loves us. Let us be reminded that our God is the God who chooses to take upon himself the sin and death we earned and give us his own life.

In this way God gave us an example of what love is.

So how do we apply this to our lives?

We should do the same in loving others even when it’s difficult.

Let us pray.

Great God, thank you for your perfect love and sacrifice that bought my freedom. Help me live into the truth that is your love for me. Guide me as I love those around me in my daily life.

Amen.

 

 

By Andrew Rakestraw
GC Next Leader, Southeast US

 

 

We are at a time now where we pray for God’s blessing to add new life and younger members to the body of Christ, and especially to our fellowship. Several verses in Psalm 85 resonated with me. In verses 4 & 6, we read, “Restore us again, God our Savior…Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

As Tim Keller writes in his devotional in The Songs of Jesus: “This psalm is a blueprint for how to respond when your church community declines…. We must also cry out to God in prayer that he ‘show us’ his unfailing love (verse 7). Revivals always involve a fresh ‘seeing’ of the Gospel of grace – grasping it theologically and knowing it experientially. Finally we must wait on him, listening faithfully to his Word” (page 208).

We have experienced a spiritual revival in GCI, and we rejoice in Jesus our Saviour. There has been a “fresh seeing of the Gospel of grace.” We have been waiting on God and listening faithfully to his Word. Despite the enormous problems associated with this pandemic, we haven’t seen a major turning to God by our populations yet.

This prayer is certainly needed at this time. Restore us again, revive us again! Despite all the problems that we see around us, God is still on his throne, and no evil is beyond his capacity to work out to his purpose and glory in the long term. We wait patiently on him.

Paul’s prayer in Eph. 3:14-21 is one that can be a regular part of our prayer life as well:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

This is the way to true revival and restoration: relying on God and his Spirit to fill us with his love, so that we stand strong in the faith, and that we live worthy of the high calling he has given to each of us. Our heartful prayers are heard on high, and God will answer in his time and way.

Prayer: Our Father, we thank you for your grace and love, and leading us to Jesus. May your Spirit restore us again, renew our hearts, and revive us each day, to your honour and glory. Amen.

 

By Bob Regazzoli, Pastor
Carina, Australia