If Any Man Is Willing
It has been said that the "will" is king in the realm of the Spirit. Why? Central to prayer is the petition that the will of God be done. Basic to Christ's devotion to the Father, was "...not My will but Thine be done." Fundamental to receiving guidance from God is to grasp Jesus' words: "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall KNOW..." (Jn. 7:17) To know freedom, and blessing, by the grace of God the will is to be submitted to the will of God.
God's Everlasting Gospel
The Gospel of God is good news, because it declares the intervention of a holy and perfect God into the circumstances and lives of men, in order to save them. The Gospel is not only a story of Jesus, the Son of God, the Anointed One of God, having come to pay the price for all the sins of men, but it is a declaration of the faithful power of God to save the sinner from perishing, giving to him today eternal life by the Spirit of God.
Wholehearted Devotion To Christ
Why is the believer called to be wholly devoted to Christ? It is because of the worth of His Person. The fact that God is holy sets Him apart from all that is of this creation, so that we might worship and serve Him. There has never been a greater love than that of God for fallen man, and never the proof of it as the giving of Christ to be man's sin bearer. Is God not then infinitely worthy to be worshipped and served?
The Power In Singing
Singing is not only an expression of faith, but one also of joy. The cause of singing to God is remembrance of His love and goodness. And yet, in the act of singing by the Spirit of God, there is a power in it, one that overcomes lesser things. Singing with a thankful heart is well-pleasing to God.
The Imperative Intervention Of God
The need of man, in his helplessness and hopelessness, is a call to God for His intervention. Much like the wind which we cannot see, the Spirit of God is given to the individual soul and life, to meet needs which God alone can meet. God made this relationship through Christ so that man could truly know Him. All things are possible to God in answer to faith and prayer.
The Compassionate Approachableness Of Christ
How much does God, revealed in Christ, desire to reveal His compassion and love towards us? We have but to look at the cross and discover something of this love. Christ, by the Spirit, is always seeking to draw out our hearts to Him, so that in fellowship with Him, we might know Him increasingly.
The Christian's Liberty
There is a wondrous liberty which belongs to the Christian, and it is not only that which is seen in one's deliverance from the power of sin, but the introduction into a life by the Spirit of God. Christ died to set us free from sin, but also, to bring us into a place of great joy and peace. It is as the believer walks with Him in thankful, joyful fellowship, that Christ's liberty is known.
God's Revelation To The Church
The mystery hidden from the ages, but now revealed to the living body of Christ, the church, is the truth and reality of "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Because of this blessed union with Christ, the Spirit of Christ dwelling in every believer, the believer is complete in Christ, having been blessed with every blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. There is no need inward or outward which He is not willing and able to meet today.
The True Preacher
The greatest Preacher of all time was, and is Christ. He came in a lowly manner, proclaiming an everlasting message of redemption and salvation. His words were accompanied by the power and authority of the Spirit, being led and enabled to proclaim with perfect accuracy, and truth, an eternal message of Life. This perfect preacher, clothed in humility, filled with compassion, would seek the lost to save, and the rebellious to win. A perfect Preacher, He preached a perfect message for all time. Who will hear Him?
The Prayer For Time
Time is a gift of God, a gift which possesses great possibility to glorify God, and increasingly come to know Christ more deeply. Just the realization that God has created time, and man to live in it, is evidence that God has a reason for it. He has provided it, and certainly He has a purpose, plan, and provision for it. In His time, He brings light out of darkness, peace out of conflict, freedom out of slavery, and redemption out of lostness. May God give us grace to fill up the time which He has given us with that which is well-pleasing to Him.