....pattern

Many times, God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to "swallow us up." This season in our spiritual growth is a "holding pattern". We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.

God put Jonah in a "holding pattern" because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interferences, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A few of God's holding patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but you are not yet healed, you are in a holding pattern.
2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.
3. When you have been praying for a loved one to return to God, and they have not come back yet, you are in a holding pattern.
4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.
5. When the doors slam shut before you can even knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. Like Jonah, we cannot run from God, because there are no mountains that are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden from Him.

We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting, and remember three things:

   1. The pattern has a purpose.

   2. The pattern has a plan.

   3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, "I love you."

....always

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."Matthew 28:20

One of the last promises Jesus made was, though He was returning to the Father, He would always remain with us...to the very end! The presence of God is with us right now! He is as near in our most decorated centers of worship as He is when we are on the bus or alone in our car; "never will I leave you" Hebrews 13:5.

One of the great blessings most believers miss today is that our Heavenly Father is much closer than we realize: "If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" Psalm 139:8-10. 

He is VERY near, and His great desire is that we would join Him in an intimate and worshipful fellowship in whatever circumstances our day may bring.

We fellowship with our Creator by continually communing with Him throughout the day, whether in deep prayer or simple conversation. We must present EVERY thought, word, and deed at His feet as our absolute best offering of love. 

When impure thoughts or our deceitful tongue pulls us away, we should immediately turn, ask His forgiveness, and return to His presence. As impossible as this may seem, this is the worship God desires - and the worship He deserves. We ought to adopt this as our lifestyle today and continue until He takes us home.

His presence is available to every believer! 

Some jobs or home environments may pose a challenge, but He has promised to be with those who desire to walk with Him, regardless of the circumstances. Let's be determined to bring Him glory and honor, and love Him through ALL we do, say, and think. 

Let's be determined that for all our remaining days we will worship and live in His presence. 

- steve trexol

......start

 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

 

From a human standpoint, there was no way the disciples were ready for such a task. Yet before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave these final words to them: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” 

Their faith was weak. They had failed in their public witness and their private faith. Simon Peter, their acknowledged leader, had openly denied the Lord. So, how could they ever go and change the world?

They would do it with the power of the Holy Spirit, which they would have soon. Jesus was saying, “With the power that I am going to give to you, you will have power to share your faith, power to speak up and be counted, and power to turn your world upside down.”

The same power that was available to the first-century church is available to the twenty-first-century church as well. Speaking on the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said, “This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God” Acts 2:39.

So, where do we start? It’s a daunting task to think of going into all the world and preaching the gospel. But how about this? Go into all your world and preach the gospel. You don’t have to cross an ocean; you can simply cross the street.

How about starting with the people who live near you? How about starting with members of your family, your coworkers, or the students on your campus? 

Just start where you are.

If you want to reach the world, then start with your world.

- greg laurie

.....step

 “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. ”

—1 Peter 2:2

It’s always amazing to watch a baby grow. Babies start with milk for nourishment, then move to baby food, and then are fed digestible adult food. And eventually they graduate to feeding themselves.

Growing up is a process, and we must nurture babies to maturity.

In the same way, when we come to Christ, we’re spiritual babies. The apostle Peter wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2 NKJV). At first, we need spiritual milk. Then we move to baby food, and then we consume food served in bite-sized pieces, which is called a sermon.

But the goal is to learn how to feed ourselves and prepare our own spiritual food, which means that we learn to study the Bible for ourselves.

However, some Christians have never taken the next step. They haven’t grown up spiritually. Although they’ve been Christians for quite some time, they never have really matured.

The writer of Hebrews said, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God” (6:1 NKJV).

It’s called growing up spiritually.

Paul wrote that God gave us leaders in the church to help us mature and to equip us for the work of ministry. But he also said, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:14–15 NKJV).

There is more to living the Christian life than receiving forgiveness for our sins and the assurance of Heaven. Are you growing up spiritually?

.....proctetion

"My heart says of You, 'Seek His face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek."  Psalm 27:8

The armor of God is only available to those who diligently "Seek His face!", to those who have given Him the totality of their life through a submissive faith in Jesus Christ. The armor of God is not a self-help formula to keep us protected and focused as we advance in the world's system; it's a covering of protection God provides as we enter into His presence and are reminded of His truth, faithfulness, and majesty.

Getting dressed for battle is therefore never a spiritual checklist or routine set of prayers. We receive His armor - in effect, He dresses us - as we humble ourselves and come before Him in prayer with a heart that desires to follow wherever He leads. Our Heavenly Father will never let us enter our daily battles without proper protection if we are diligent in seeking Him; "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" Psalm 34:10.

How often should we seek Him? Well, how often do we wish to be naked when the enemy attacks? Getting dressed is not a one-time Salvation event nor even just a first thing in the morning event. We must put on His armor and keep it on throughout our day by developing the priority and habit of constant communion with God; "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. His protection against the enemy comes only as we enter and remain in His presence.

The attacks will surely come, but they need not be feared if we are properly dressed. Let's learn to walk and minister in this world without ever leaving the presence of the Lord. Let's seek Him in all we do and live each moment with the protection of His armor.

- steve troxel

.....clay

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."2 Corinthians 4:7

God has chosen to entrust this message of forgiveness, this "ministry of reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:18, this most valuable treasure, to us - common jars of clay! In Paul's day these jars were very ordinary vessels, easily chipped or broken, and often flawed. How beautifully appropriate!

Our flaws actually serve a purpose in God's plan, for our jars of clay show that the message which shines in and through our life is from God and not from us. When we truly place our faith and trust in Jesus, we are forever changed: we become "a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

The new has come, and the new is different - but "the new" is definitely not perfect!!

Paul himself was far from perfect: "Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" 2 Corinthians 11:29. But Paul had been clearly taught by Jesus that his weakness served the purpose of bringing the ultimate glory and honor to God: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9.

This does not mean we should make light of sin or give less than our very best. But we must begin to view our weaknesses as opportunities to depend more on God and to keep our focus more on Christ. As we trust Him more, His power will be made perfect in us.

This also means that the flaws which inevitably surface in those around us are also part of God's plan. These flaws afford us the opportunity to demonstrate grace, forgiveness, and love. One day when we are taken to be with Jesus we will be made perfect; but for now, for the rest of our days on earth, we are ALL jars of clay. 

- steve troxel

....sanctuary

"When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me - till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood." Psalm 73:16-17

Many issues in our life simply cannot be resolved through our human understanding and reasoning. We often try to make sense of events in the world, or in our particular situation, only to discover there are no easy answers or solutions. But no matter how confusing our life may become, we must always remember we are a child of God - a child of the Creator of the Universe! "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth" Psalm 36:6.

Our Heavenly Father does not function according to a set of human rules. He is not confined by our understanding of time or space, and He is certainly not guided by our set of values; "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways" Isaiah 55:9. 

We must give God all of our mind as we seek to understand Him through His Word and study how He has moved throughout history; but we must also give Him all of our heart as we worship Him despite what we see, think, or feel. Only in the sanctuary of worship will we begin to truly understand.

We must come to our Heavenly Father with a heart-felt belief that being in His presence is more important than anything else in the world; "Whom have I in Heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You" Psalm 73:25. This type of passion allows us to draw near and begin to see the disconnected pieces of our life fit neatly into God's perfect plan.

Let's return to the place where He is everything we desire and all we really need. Let's worship Him with all our heart and begin to understand His wonderful plan for our life. Let's once and for all open the door and enter His sanctuary!

....answer

When you pray continually about a concern, don't be surprised at how Christ answers.

Paul prayed to visit Rome so he could teach the Christians there. When he finally arrived in Rome, it was as a prisoner.

Paul prayed for a safe trip, and he did arrive safely - after getting arrested, slapped in the face, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake. 

God's way of answering our prayers are often far from what we expect. 

When we sincerely pray, God will answer - although in his timing and sometimes in ways we do not expect.  

....full

The consistent message through all of God's Word is that He is calling us back to a restored relationship with Himself - a relationship which is only possible through faith in Jesus. We enter in by His loving grace, but His expectation for this relationship is that, through faith, we give Him ALL of our heart.

If we desire this restored relationship with God - if we desire to truly "find" Him - then our heart must be fully devoted to Him; there can be no rivals or competing affections which pull us away. When Jesus was asked to name the most important commandment, He replied, "Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" Mark 12:30. All means ALL - no cheating or deceiving!

Our Heavenly Father desires that we give Him our love honestly and completely; "You must have accurate and honest weights and measures. For the Lord detests anyone who deals dishonestly" Deuteronomy 25:15-16. It's foolish to think we can cheat God and withhold even a small portion of our heart, for in doing so we ultimately cheat ourselves.

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

God has promised to bless those who come to Him with a true and uncompromising faith in Jesus. His blessings include the right to be called children of God, as well as the inheritance of eternal life. But His blessings also extend to our days on earth as we receive the gifts of true joy, peace, and contentment.

When we understand the concept of true blessings, it should not be surprising that the measure we receive from God is directly related to the measure we use to give back to Him. Our blessings graciously flow as we give Him our worship and obedience, as we desire to walk in His presence and praise Him with every breath.

Our dealings with God become dishonest and deceitful when we expect a full measure of His blessing of peace, clear direction, or even assurance and freedom from doubt, and yet we cheat Him with every measure we return. Let's be restored and truly receive the full measure of His blessing. Let's enter into His presence and, each and every day, give Him the full measure of our heart.

- steve troxel

 

.....belief

Salvation can never be earned; it is a gift to those who believe. However, we must understand what it means to believe and what changes will occur when we believe. "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder" James 2:19. A saving belief is much more than just acknowledging God's existence or even the existence of His Son - even the demons believe this!

Belief in Jesus is never simply an intellectual understanding. Belief implies a humble surrender. We will never "look to the Son" unless we first recognize our eternally lost condition due to sin; and we will never truly "believe in Him" for salvation until we accept our complete inability to save ourselves. A drowning man will never reach up for help until he first understands and accepts his need to be rescued.

To be rescued, we must believe so completely that we abandon all other "rescuers" and cling to the only One who can truly save; "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple" Luke 14:33. Giving up everything cannot save us, but true belief gives up all other sources of hope. It also reveals the trivial nature of our worldly attachments and creates an understanding that everything belongs to God. We see our life as lived for Him and desire to do ALL for His glory.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ... In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."James 2:14,17

Belief must produce a change in our life or we know it is not a true belief - it is nothing more than dead intellectual understanding! At the moment we truly believe, we are "marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" Ephesians 1:13, and we become "a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

Belief creates change through the work of the Holy Spirit!!

If we lack the evidence of a changed life, we must not focus on creating the change. This type of change becomes self-righteous "filthy rags." Rather, we must return to the cross and place ALL our trust in Jesus, truly believing He has paid the penalty for our sin and has granted us passage through the narrow gate to eternal life. As we completely turn over control to our Heavenly Father, fruit and good deeds will abound. Our life will be forever changed, but only when we begin with a belief that saves.

- steve troxel

.....secure

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws." Ezekiel 36:26-27

When we truly believe in Jesus, we enter into a covenant and God transforms our heart by His Spirit; "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" Ephesians 1:14. At that moment we are "sealed for the day of redemption" Ephesians 4:30. And when we enter into His saving covenant, we are purchased with the blood of Jesus: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price" 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

We are still called to continue in the faith, but God has promised we WILL continue; "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 1:8. He is the giver and sustainer of eternal life; "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish" John 10:28.

We are called to love God and continue to love Him with all our heart. This calling is clear! Let's remain within His arms of love, and trust that as we do, we are eternally secure.

.....crucified

Our new life begins with faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin. When we are "born again," we cross from an eternal death to an eternal life; "whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" John 5:24. 

Sin caused our condemnation and required our death, but Jesus took our sin and received sin's punishment. When we identify ourselves with Christ, we also identify with His death; "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Romans 6:3.

True salvation requires that we are "baptized into Christ," which means we completely identify with His life and sacrifice on the cross. He was put to death for our sins and has crucified the old sinful nature of all who believe; "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20.

The old nature has been crucified - it is dead! Granted, we often attempt to bring that comfortable old nature back to life and allow it to war with the things of the Spirit, but the old nature can no longer take control - it can no longer win!

This understanding will bring a glorious victory and freedom. The life we live in this body is not our own, we have died with Christ; "The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" Galatians 6:14. And if we have died to the world, the world cannot harm us and should not cause us to fear. But our new life is much more than the identification with His death. The purpose of being crucified with Christ is so we can also be resurrected with Him and live a resurrected life.

"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection."Romans 6:4-5

We have not been crucified so we can simply wait to be taken out of the world. The new life we have received ought to set us free - free from the pulls of this world, free from the world's definition of success and failure, free from the concern of how others evaluate our life, and free to live each day for the glory of God.

Our lives should be a witness to the power of the gospel. If the gospel message resides in our heart, then we have been empowered to change the way we live today! We have died to the power of sin and been made alive to the contented joy of Christ. Let's demonstrate the power of the gospel by living a life which is both crucified and resurrected.

- steve troxel

.....laboring

As we are "crucified with Christ" Galatians 2:20 and live "united with Him in His resurrection" Romans 6:5, we begin to view more and more of our life through the eyes of God. What we once saw as critically important begins to fade; and what we once neglected, we now begin to see as beloved by our Heavenly Father.

We can no longer build according to our old set of priorities. In fact, when we truly come in full submission to the cross of Jesus, we find we can no longer build anything according to our own design or in our own strength. We discover we must make God the Master Builder of every area of our life or we are wasting precious time, energy, and resources.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Psalm 127:1

Our life goes by so fast, and our eternal vision is so very limited. Many of us are frantically building our castle and have failed to see we are building with sand which will crumble with the swell of the next tide. We may be struggling to build in our marriage, children, parents, job, school, friends, or even our ministry. But if we are expending great effort without results which are pleasing to God, we must honestly ask the question: "Who is doing the building?"

Even if our effort meets with apparent success, we must ask the same question and relinquish controls to God. Our greatest projects, if built in our own strength, will one day pass through the fire and be consumed; "the fire will test the quality of each man's work" 1 Corinthians 3:13. The standard of quality is determined by God, not man! It will be a sad day if we find we have spent a lifetime building that which is consumed by fire; "he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames" 1 Corinthians 3:15.

In order for God to properly build, we must first submit to the refining He desires to accomplish. He will mold us into the likeness of His Son as we are fully devoted to loving Him, learning His Word, and applying His Truth as the absolute foundation of our life: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" James 1:22-24.

God is not just the best solution, He is the ONLY solution worth pursuing. Heavenly Father, help us to not waste another moment of this precious life you have given. Help us see where we have taken too much control and give us the strength and courage to turn over ALL to You. 

Dear Lord, work through us to build what will last for eternity, help us to stop laboring in vain! 

- steve troxel

.....compassion

As we open our hearts to minister to those around us, we soon discover we live in an imperfect world full of sickness, heartache, and frustrations. Many of us (many more than we realize) are facing trials which are sometimes quite severe. When we are finally invited into someone's private world and allowed to hear of their pain, it can be difficult to know what to do or say.

As we grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, we learn of His truths: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. We understand and usually have some actual experience with God's loving plan and purpose. But there are times when this type of advice - even this type of truth - can be a little cold and fail to comfort or draw someone closer to God.

While it's absolutely true that God will use our pain and suffering for His glory and for our ultimate good, it may not be the first response someone needs to hear when they enter a difficult trial. We must learn to be sensitive to the more immediate need.

When Lazarus became very sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus but He did not come until after Lazarus died. Mary fell at Jesus' feet and cried: "Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have died" John 11:32. At that moment, Jesus did NOT begin preaching "Rejoice in the Lord always!" Philippians 4:4. There would be other opportunities for sermons, other opportunities to speak about faith and trust, but in this moment the need simply required compassion.

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled...Jesus wept."John 11:33,35

The Creator of the Universe wept! From the beginning of time, Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead; He knew many lives would soon be changed through this miracle. Though good would ultimately come from this pain and sorrow, these were real people who were grieving: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" John 11:5. 

In this time of greatest need, Jesus took time to show He truly cared and understood their pain.

The world is in great need of the healing power of Jesus Christ. Sin has caused separation from God and left many lives in a mess. As we minister through encouragement and the truth of God's Word, we are called to do so while "speaking the truth in love" Ephesians 4:15. But love does not exist outside of a relationship. And in a loving relationship we will often best demonstrate God's truth by listening and providing comfort with a Godly compassion.

- steve troxel

.....healing

"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?'" John 11:40

God had prepared a miracle which would cause many others to believe and bring glory and honor to His name: "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me...I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me" John 11:41,42. 

Jesus then proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead! "Lazarus, come out!" John 11:43.

We've all been in bad situations which have caused us to cry out and wonder why God didn't just make things "right." Why didn't He remove the enemy, restore our finances, or take away the hurt? And how many times have we become burdened by the apparent injustice in the world; "I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...surely in vain have I kept my heart pure" Psalm 73:3,13.

God has the ability to "fix" every situation, but His plan is so much more - though I confess I do not always understand the process. His plan is for us to know Him and His glory; to trust Him and grow while being strengthened through every trial; to continue to be "conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29. His plan is to prepare us for an eternity in His presence.

We must trust God to refine and strengthen our faith, even if by fires which He did not cause! No matter what trials we face, we must trust that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Romans 8:28.

- steve troxel

....consistent

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32

God loves us so much that He gave us His absolute best; "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. This love assures us He will give exactly what we require to become sons and daughters who glorify His name. God will not give up on a project which cost Him the life of His Son; "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" Philippians 1:6.

When we give God our life through faith in Jesus, we must also trust He will not allow the fire to get hotter than we can stand or the load heavier than we can bear - He will never leave us nor forsake us Hebrews 13:5. 

Let's trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and then focus on what is eternal as we give Him a lifetime of consistent trust.

.....warmed

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

2 Peter 1:4 

In 1703, John Wesley was born into the “family business.” Rev. Samuel Wesley was the rector (administrator) of the Anglican church in Epworth, England. John and his younger brother Charles were raised to go into the ministry just as their father had. 

For John, that career path almost didn’t happen. In 1709, when John was still five years old, the rectory where his family lived caught fire and the lad was trapped in an upper bedroom. A parishioner, standing on another man’s shoulders, rescued John from the fire. Later, Wesley would refer to himself as “a brand plucked out of the fire,” quoting Zechariah 3:2. 

In 1720, Wesley became a student at Christ Church college in Oxford, graduating in 1724. He was ordained the following year and eventually served as a parish priest in London. He went to America in 1735, along with Charles, to serve the new settlement in what is today’s state of Georgia, returning two years later. Throughout this period, Wesley often just went through the motions of his religion. 

He saw the Moravians, German pietists, during his voyage to America and marveled at their faith and dedication. He could preach and see people come to faith in Christ, but he lacked assurance of his own salvation.

 

On the evening of May 24, 1738, John Wesley’s life was to change forever. That morning, he’d read the words in 2 Peter 1:4 and noticed similar phrases elsewhere in Scripture. That evening, Wesley attended a meeting in the Aldersgate. At about 8:45 p.m., as the speaker read from Luther’s treatise on the book of Romans, God’s love broke through: “While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” 

Wesley’s pastoral career took a different direction after Aldersgate. He preached personal holiness, brought forward the Arminian teaching that a saved person could be lost, and attracted followers who in turn preached the Wesleyan message throughout England and beyond. The lad literally “plucked out of the fire” lived a life that God used to change the world. 

Reflect: 

How has the desire for holiness affected your life and approach to faith? Find a “great and precious promise” from the Bible and memorize it today.

- doug batchelor  

.....rock

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

In this wonderful mountainside message, Jesus taught about Salvation; "enter through the narrow gate" Matthew 7:13, but He also taught extensively about basic Christian living - what Paul referred to as being "in step with the Spirit" Galatians 5:25. Jesus said that both the foolish and the wise man heard His words and set out to build a house, but only one man followed God's design, and only one house remained standing after the storm.

Salvation is never earned by "doing," but true believers will strive to be obedient to what Jesus taught; "If you hold to My teachings, you are really My disciples" John 8:31. We are obedient because our heart has been transformed and His Spirit now compels us to follow; "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands" 1 John 2:3. We may stumble and sometimes fall, we may even become frustrated at the frequency of our falls, but if we are a child of God we will continue to get back up and move toward obedience because of who we are in Christ!

Each of us have been given a choice on how to build our life: our way or God's way. We must allow our Heavenly Father to become our Master Builder, and, as His plan unfolds, we must learn to trust Him with ALL our heart. He promises to work through us to build something eternally beautiful that will weather all storms. 

But His promise is only applied as we faithfully allow Him to build our life upon the rock of obedience.

- steve troxel

......vessel

"Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."James 3:11-12

Are we trying to walk on both sides of the fence? Do we maintain our "Godly" activities alongside our "ungodly" activities? Do we praise God and discuss Biblical issues during certain portions of the week and then lust after the world during the other? If so, beware! The ungodly will soon overtake and totally consume the Godly...and we won't even be aware it's happening. If we're not careful, we will one day look at what consumes our attention and say, "How did I come to this place in my life? When did I leave God's path?"

The good news is we have been given the Holy Spirit as the Great Purifier. If we make the time to carefully listen, He will "guide us into all truth" John 16:13. If we submit to His leading, He will strain, sift, distill, and refine until all that remains is the fresh and the pure.

Purity does not come by separation from the world, it comes as our heart is wholly separated unto God. We have been planted amongst the weeds of the world and there we will remain until the day of the great harvest Matthew 13:24-30. 

But while we must live and minister among the things of this world, and while we can certainly be thankful for some of God's worldly blessings and provisions, we must never give our worship to the things of this world: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" 1 John 2:15.

Jesus has made us into a new vessel and asked that we be filled with what is pure and holy. Let's stop mixing fresh and salty water, Godly and ungodly devotion. Let's commit every area of our life (without compromise!) to our Heavenly Father and glorify Him in all we do by becoming a vessel of purity.

- steve troxel

......beginning

“Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. ”

Revelation 3:3

Was there a time in your life when you were stronger spiritually than you are now? If there was, then you can return to that place again.

Think for a moment about what you did when you were a younger Christian. You probably read your Bible every day and had a prayer life. It’s likely that you were a regular at church and that you shared your faith. Do you still do those things?

Sometimes we have a breakdown in the basics of the Christian life, and we wonder what’s going wrong. It isn’t a mystery. We need to get back to doing those things again.

Jesus’ words to the church in Sardis: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again” Revelation 3:1–3.

This is a picture of a church that needed to come back to life—to awaken and get back to its roots. And this is what we all want to do. But it starts individually.

If you want to see a revival, then you need to do revival-like things. It doesn’t matter whether you feel it; just do it. Emotions will catch up. Don’t wait for a big encounter with God or some emotional experience. That may happen, or it may not. To have a personal revival, you need to go back to the basics in your walk with Christ.

We can talk all day long about a spiritual awakening in the world. 

We can talk all day long about revival. 

But it starts with each one of us.