In step

[RiverOL]

Miraculous Change

For the grace of God has appeared—Titus 2:11-12

For us men to truly, in our hearts, want to repent of our sins, repent of our screw-ups—for us to truly want to turn our backs on our old selves, on the self-indulgent men we’ve been—we’ve got to first trust that we can change, that we can become new men, if we do. I mean, we’ve been the way we are for a very long time, so it’s understandably hard to trust that there’s new life available, right here, right now—life that’s God-connected, God-filled, and God-honoring.

So . . . can we trust it? Well, yes and no. On our own, new life is not available, and it never will be. On our own, we’ll remain our old selves until we die. Though we might want to become better men, we’ll only become worse. That’s what’s behind Paul’s frustration: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). To just “man up” sure sounds good, but it doesn’t work. We’ve all tried it and it’s never enough, not even close. But with God’s help we can become new men. With his help we can become his men. And, he can’t wait to help. He’s wanted to for a very long time. He can’t wait to lend us his superpower called grace: the divine empowerment to do right, to do what we, by ourselves, cannot.



Jesus’ story is the greatest story the world’s ever known. It’s the story of a father and son, working together, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to do massive, miraculous things. It’s your story too. Trust that he can change you. Allow that trust to fuel your willingness to confess and repent and obey.

 

[RiverOL]

Gabriel's Journey
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
(Luke 1.11-13)

Reflect:
The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah whilst he is on duty in the temple, informing him that his prayers had been heard. A while later, Gabriel also appears to Mary to tell her that she also will give birth to a son (Luke 1.31). Gabriel’s first appearance was to Daniel almost 500yrs before to speak to him of the Messiah’s birth. Interestingly, each time Gabriel appears – whether to Daniel, Zechariah or Mary, his appearance is overwhelming and he reassures them not to fear.

Respond:
Does the possibility of encountering an angel today thrill you with excitement or overwhelm you with fear?


Midday Meditation:
Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs."
(Francis de Sales)

Evening Reflection:
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honour and glory and blessing!”
(Revelation 5.11-13)

 

[RiverOL]

The kindly rain
Matthew 5:38-48
"... your Father in heaven ... sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (v.45)

The word "kindness" in Scripture is used more of God than of anyone else. William Barclay says: "It is something of a joyous revelation to discover that when the King James Version calls God good, again and again the meaning is not just moral goodness but kindness." The goodness of God is not something we need shrink away from in fear, but something that draws us to Him with cords of love.

This does not mean, of course, that God is indifferent concerning our sins and moral violations; it means that He is so warmly disposed toward us that He has provided through the Cross a way whereby our sin can be forgiven and forgotten. In the Old Testament, especially the Psalms, the expression "loving kindness" is often used. A little boy explained the difference between kindness and loving kindness like this: "Kindness is when your mother gives you a piece of bread and butter; loving kindness is when she puts jam on it as well."In the New Testament, however, a content has gone into kindness which has made the adding of the word "loving" unnecessary.

The Moffatt translation brings out this thought most beautifully when it says: "Treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). Not merely the same actions, but the same spirit in the actions as was in Jesus. This shows kindness to be more than just actions -- but attitudes. I can think of no better definition for kindness than this -- kindness is treating others the way God has treated us.

Prayer:
Father, just as you let Your kindly rain fall on the evil and the good, help me to rain kindliness on everyone I meet today -- regardless of who or what they are. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
—Psalm 119:11 NKJV
For many people, obedience to God takes a backseat to their human cravings: power, praise, wealth, gluttony, sexual exploits, or addictions. The Bible teaches that even Jesus “faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT) Christ was victorious over temptation from the Enemy, because He relied on the power of the Word. (Luke 4:1-3)

Before Jesus’ ministry had even begun, He was led into the wilderness for 40 days of temptation by the devil. While each of the devil’s temptations included the word “IF…,” each of Jesus’ replies was based on Scripture: “It is written…”
How well do you know the Word of God? Do you take time to read it…study it…meditate on it…and then do what it says? God has given you this powerful weapon so that you can defeat Satan’s lies and live in victory. There’s no other way to continually abide in His favor.

 

[RiverOL]

Mary's Journey to Elizabeth
Morning Encounter:
Read:
A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
(Luke 1:39-45)

Reflect:
Perhaps Mary needed to find someone who would understand her situation, and fortunately there was such a person. So with haste she journeys to her relatives. Their miraculous babies provide a connection between Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth, despite her age is pregnant with a baby much longed for. Mary is young, still a virgin and with a pregnancy she didn’t plan! Elizabeth’s pregnancy is a blessing and delight, signalling her re-entry into society. Mary’s pregnancy carries all kinds of misunderstandings and potential for exclusion from society.

Respond:
Our journey of faith in God is never straightforward. There is at times great mystery. How do you relate to this today?

Midday Meditation:
'Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.'
(Philip Yancey)

Evening Reflection:
When we were children,
we thought and reasoned
as children do.
But when we grew up,
we quit our childish ways.
Now all we can see of God
is like a cloudy picture
in a mirror.

Later we will see him
face to face.
We don’t know everything,
but then we will,
just as God completely
understands us.

For now there are faith,
hope, and love.
But of these three,
the greatest is love
(From 1 Corinthians 13)

 

[RiverOL]

What this sad world needs
Proverbs 19:20-29
"What is desired in a man is kindness ..." (v.22, NKJV)

Now that we have put into the word "kindness" the content of Jesus -- "treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus" -- we must now consider how to develop and grow in kindness. Ella Wheeler Wilcox has said:So many gods, so many creedsSo many paths that wind and windWhen all that this sad world needsIs just the art of being kind.

Human kindness may be important, but supernatural kindness is even more important. It is what "this sad world needs." The importance of kindness is seen by the fact that an act of kindness lingers on in the memory. Once, when about to step on to the platform of the Colston Hall, Bristol, to speak to a large audience and feeling a little weighed down by personal circumstances at the time, a few ladies who represented an organization called "Women Aglow" handed me a little box in which was a beautiful flower.

Along with it was a message: "We love you and are praying for you." That kindness and the spirit that prompted it stood out like a star on a dark night. I have never forgotten it and will never forget it. It will live on within me until the day I die. If kindness can minister such comfort and encouragement, then how imperative it is that we ask God to ripen this fruit within us. Of the many things surrounding Paul's shipwreck on Malta, Luke recalls in particular that the "islanders showed us unusual kindness" (Acts 28:2).

Prayer
O Father, help me to demonstrate the fruit of kindness this day so that somebody, somewhere, may use it as a light to lighten their darkness. In Christ's Name I ask. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. —Mark 10:45 NIV
Humility was perhaps one of the most difficult traits Jesus had to teach His disciples. One day the Twelve engaged in a heated debate about which of them was the “greatest,” and Jesus later used this as a teachable moment: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35 NIV)

In the next chapter of Mark’s gospel, the subject came up again when James and John asked if they could sit on His right and left hand—the seats of honor—when Jesus came into His glory. (See Mark 10:35-45.) The other disciples were upset by the audacity of the two brothers in asking this, prompting Jesus to challenge all of them again: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all”. (vs. 43-44)
This is the surprising pathway to true greatness and favor—the path modeled by Jesus

 

[RiverOL]

Jesus' Journey
Morning Encounter:
Read:
In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.

From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.

Everything that was created
received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.

The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.

God sent a man named John,
who came to tell
about the light
and to lead all people
to have faith.
John wasn’t that light.
He came only to tell
about the light.
(John 1:1-8)

Reflect:
Unlike Matthew and Luke who introduce us to Jesus through genealogies and birth narratives, the author of John’s gospel speaks of the ‘Word becoming flesh.’ The opening statements echo the ‘In the beginning’ of Genesis. He is the same God who created the universe. References to life, light and darkness continue to draw on key themes from Genesis. This Word that was God also took on humanity and lived amongst us. More literally Jesus ‘pitched his tent’ among us. Previously God’s presence had been confined to tabernacles and the Temple – now God takes us residence through the Spirit in his people.

Respond:
Light some candles and read these amazing words from John 1 a few times.

Midday Meditation:
‘The incarnation is a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers... Until we too have taken the idea of the God-man seriously enough to be scandalized by it, we have not taken it as seriously as it demands to be taken.’
(Frederick Buechner)

Evening Reflection:
Light of the world, You step down into darkness.
Opened my eyes let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you.

And here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you're my God,
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days,
Oh so highly exalted Glorious in heaven above.
Humbly you came to the earth you created.
All for love's sake became poor.

 

[RiverOL]

The great peril of the saints
Matthew 25:31-46
"... whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (v.40)

How does kindness grow in us? It depends on how deeply we live in God. Some Christians set out to be kind but kindness which is the fruit of the Spirit is not the result of self-effort but comes from abiding in Christ. The Christian abides in Christ and the fruit grows and ripens of its own accord.

The kindest Christians are those who have no ambition to be kind and hold no such thought. This is not to say that they do not desire to be kind, but they do not try to manufacture their kindness. Consumed with a longing to be more like Jesus every day, their thought is not on their personal sanctity but on how they can reflect their Lord. They come across as people who were so self-forgetful that it could be said of them what was said of Samuel Barnett of Toynbee Hall: "He forgot himself even to the extent of forgetting that he had forgotten

."The great peril of the Christian life is that we may become selfish in our consuming longing to be unselfish. Only as our roots go down daily into God through prayer and meditation in His Word can we be kept secure from the temptation to focus on growth for its own sake -- rather than for His sake. The person whose kindness is an appetite for praise gives up when the praise does not come. And they give up more quickly still if people say: "What are you getting out of this yourself?" The Christian whose kindness flows out of his relationship with God never gives up. He just can't help being kind.

Prayer
O Father, help me to spend time with You so that in the legislature of my heart, You may write the law of kindness. Help me to come under its sway forever. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
—Psalm 85:6 ESV
Revival is within us, waiting to be stirred up as it was in the disciples on the Day of Pentecost! Revival is not merely a church service with big crowds, enthusiasm, repentance, or great worship.

If we define “revival” as simply a state of being revived, quickened or filled with God’s presence, and not split hairs over the word, we can say that Christ lived on earth in perpetual revival. He was filled with the presence of the Father. That’s why when He saw a widow’s grief (see Luke 7) at the loss of her only son, Jesus reached out and touched the dead boy, who instantly sprang to life. That’s revival!

Revival is something that happens to Believers when they get “fed up” with being fed up, get hungry and thirsty for God, and won’t settle for anything but Him.
God has decreed an End-Time manifestation of His power and glory that will shake the world and take us beyond Pentecost, beyond mere “revivals.”
God will take us beyond these because He will take us beyond ourselves.

 

[RiverOL]

The essential flavoring
2 Corinthians 6
"In purity, understanding, patience and kindness ..." (v.6)

Nothing else we do can atone for a lack of kindness. Many people excuse themselves for a lack of kindness by pointing to the things they do for someone -- "I am working my fingers to the bone for him." Yes, but the fleshless fingers will not atone for unkind words and attitudes.

Even ministers who work hard but lack this essential kindness are no exception. Paul lists well over twenty-five things in the passage before us that are marks of a true servant of God, and notice how he puts "kindness" right in the middle of them. At the center of all his "proofs" is kindness. I do not think it is by chance that this virtue of kindness is also the middle virtue of the nine fruits of the Spirit. Without kindness, there is no virtue in the other virtues. This one puts flavor in all the rest -- without it, they are insipid and tasteless. So to grow in kindness is to grow in virtues that are flavored with a certain spirit -- the spirit of Jesus.

It remains a fact, however, that multitudes of Christian people are not kind. Some eminent Christian leaders have not been as eminent in this fruit of the Spirit as in others, and have worn their halo a little askew. Many are stern and unfeeling. They grow hard with sinners. Disciplined as they are in virtue, they become censorious and critical and their passion for righteousness makes it hard for them to show tenderness to violators of God's law. Jesus upheld God's laws more than anyone -- yet He was called "the Friend of sinners."

Prayer
My Father and my God, although I never want to lessen the gravity of sin, I do want to be a person who shows tenderness to those who are enmeshed in it. Help me become that kind of person. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

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That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…
—Philippians 3:10 KJV
At the age of 32, everything I’d worked so hard to achieve came crashing down. I was working nonstop, 16-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, thinking I had to “keep up the pace for Jesus.”

As I soon discovered, my problem wasn’t physical, it was spiritual. I had tried to live my Christian life in my own strength and found that I couldn’t. No one told me that a minister could be afraid or have insecurities, so I had hidden mine. But they were not hidden from God, and they eventually overcame me.
What I didn’t understand was that having the fellowship and suffering of Christ in my life meant being willing to admit everything that I wasn’t. I was afraid to admit this, for fear of rejection. But then Christ revealed to me who He was.

The fellowship of His sufferings is acknowledging what we are not. God doesn’t leave us there. He takes what we are not and infuses us with what He is—Lord and Redeemer, Savior and Deliverer, Rescuer and Provider!

 

[RiverOL]

The Source of Joy
Morning Encounter:
Introduction:
Happy Christmas! Today is a day of celebration as we reflect on the wonder of Jesus coming to earth. We are past the shortest day of the year here in the UK, but the dark winter will be with us for some time longer. The good news is that for a Christian, joy is not weather dependent. It is not dependent on anything other than the reality of Jesus and his Spirit within us. Stay with us this week, as we explore the joyful Christian life.
Read:
The true light that shines on everyone
was coming into the world.
The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.

He came into his own world,
but his own nation
did not welcome him.
Yet some people accepted him

and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
They were not God’s children
by nature or because
of any human desires.

God himself was the one
who made them his children.
The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.

From him all the kindness
and all the truth of God
have come down to us.
(John 1: 9-15)

Reflect:
The darkness of our world is very real and very pervasive. Evil people do evil things; there is corruption, injustice, pain, and depravity everywhere you look. What possible reason do we have to be joyful in the face of such horror? In the same way that the sun is the source of our planet’s daylight, Jesus is the source of our joy. He is “the true light that shines on everyone.” His glory and his love pierce the inky blackness of our world; his birth, his death and his resurrection give us unshakeable grounds for joy.

Respond:
If you can, light a candle (if you can’t, just put your imagination to work). Reflect on the imagery of light and darkness used by John to capture what the incarnation means. What is the connection between light and joy?

Midday Meditation:
“In our natural state we pray to God to get things. We may believe in God, but our deepest hopes and happiness reside in things as in how successful we are or in our social relationships...For most of us, he has not become our happiness…When we discover that we have been mired all our lives in forms of self-salvation…we turn to Christ…Being delighted in him and delighting him become inherently fulfilling and beautiful.”
Tim Keller, Prayer

Evening Reflection:
'The plainest reason why the Son of God is called the Word, seems to be, that as our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent in order to reveal his Father's mind to the world… The light of reason, as well as the life of sense, is derived from him, and depends upon him. This eternal Word, this true Light shines, but the darkness comprehends it not. Let us pray without ceasing, that our eyes may be opened to behold this Light, that we may walk in it; and thus be made wise unto salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ.'
(From Matthew Henry’s commentary on John 1)

 

[RiverOL]

Deep down goodness
Acts 10:34-48
"... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and ... he went around doing good ..." (v.38)

We come now to the sixth fruit of the Spirit -- goodness.

Most commentators agree that it is the hardest fruit to define as the word "good" is used so widely that it can mean nearly everything and nearly nothing. In some circles, for example, a man is regarded as "good" if he simply keeps out of the hands of the police, while in other circles "goodness" consists of being "highly respectable."The New Testament use of this word (Greek: agathosune) is meager -- apart from its use in Galatians 5:22, it appears on only three other occasions (2 Thess. 2:17, Eph. 5:9 and Rom. 15:14). So it is not easy to pinpoint the real meaning of the word. It is the view of most writers and Bible commentators that supernatural goodness is not just doing good things (though it includes that) but it is essential goodness -- goodness in the inner parts.

This deep down goodness, like kindness, is first an attitude before it becomes an action. In fact, some commentators are of the view that it is more non-verbal than verbal -- it is evidenced not so much in words as in one's whole demeanor. And it is a goodness which unconsciously proclaims itself. One feels it as an aura around its possessor. Its radiations are so powerful that it is doubtful whether anyone could be near to it and yet be unaware of it. Many, especiallynon-Christians, might not be able to describe what they feel in the presence of this "goodness," but they would feel something. And that something is the character of Christ flowing in and through one of His followers.

Prayer
O Father, how I long to be the channel and not the stopping place of all Your blessings to me. Let this grace, as well as the others, be seen in me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

We know that, when He [Jesus] shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. —1 John 3:2 NIV

The eyes of God and the spotlight of heaven continually search for hungry hearts willing to surrender to the Person of Jesus Christ and thirst to be with Him.
Christ has determined that we will rule and reign with Him. It’s His mission, and not just when we get to heaven, but on this present earth.

Satan’s two greatest goals are (1) to convince you to live the Christian life yourself, in your own strength, and (2) to make you believe that you must be “worthy” and “righteous.”
Trust today in the One who can quench all the fiery darts of the Enemy, no matter the circumstances, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Satan has no power over us when we allow the Person of Jesus Christ to live through us.

 

[RiverOL]

Choose Joy
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.
(Philippians 4:4-9)

Reflect:
Joy is not a feeling in the way happiness is. Paul here gives some very practical instructions about how, through discipline, we can live joyfully. Firstly, we must live prayerfully, and take our anxieties to God. Secondly, we must develop a habit of gratitude and thankfulness.Thirdly, we must allow the gift of God’s peace to lead our feelings, and not let our feelings dictate our thoughts and beliefs. Fourthly, we must take control of our minds and set them to thinking in edifying and God-honouring directions. Joy is not out of our reach. Joy is something we choose.

Respond:
Today Lord, I choose joy. Today I choose to hold firm to what I know to be true- that you are good, that you are loving, that you are with me. Give me your peace and fill me with your Spirit. Amen.

Midday Meditation:
'Nothing happens automatically in the spiritual life. Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge, and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.'
(Henri Nouwen)

Evening Reflection:
'If we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us? What decisions and partings will it demand? To answer this question we shall have to go to Him, for only He knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ who bids us follow Him, knows the journey’s end. But we do know that it will be a road of boundless mercy. Discipleship means joy.'

 

[RiverOL]

"Secret death"
Romans 6:1-14
"Because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (v.7)

We are seeing that "goodness" is essential goodness -- goodness in the inner parts. William Sangster, in my view, comes closest to grasping the content of this sixth fruit of the Spirit when he says: "Goodness is the impression a Christian makes as he moves on his way, blissfully unaware that he is reminding people of Jesus Christ." Perhaps we can get no nearer to a definition of supernatural goodness than that -- reminding people of Jesus Christ. But note the words -- "blissfully unaware ..." A Christian is largely unconscious of this fruit at work within him, for it is not something he tries to manufacture but something that flows out of his deep relationship with Jesus Christ.

George Muller of Bristol, the man who cared for so many stranded orphans, was said to demonstrate the fruit of "goodness" to a remarkable degree. Dr. A.

T. Pierson says in his biography of the great man that one day, Muller was pressed to share what he considered to be the power behind his ministry, and he surprised his questioner by talking about his secret death. "There was a day," he said, "when I died; utterly died" -- and as he spoke, he bent lower until he almost touched the floor. He continued: "I died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved of God." In those who manifest the fruit of goodness, one thing is always clear -- they have "died" to their own interests and have returned to "live" for Christ's.

Prayer
Gracious and loving Father, help me also to "die" to my own interests so that I might return and live for Your interests. Whatever I need to bring me to this place, lead me toward it -- today. In Christ's Name I ask it. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Which Type of Man Are You?

. . . my God, in whom I trust—Psalm 91:2

One type of Christian man trusts that what Jesus teaches is true . . . but only on an intellectual level. This man appreciates a good sermon, but then goes away and lives out the moments of his life in ways that make it indistinguishable from the lives of those who do not trust Jesus at all. This type of man doesn’t trust Jesus with his life, and so lives “like a shrub in the desert” (Jeremiah 17:6). There is another type of man, though, one who chooses to trust the truth of Jesus deeply, authentically, and practically. This type of man lives the moments of his life in ways that are markedly different than they’d be otherwise . . . because of his trust.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream . . .” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

When we trust Jesus—when we actually live like we trust him—we then come to life. When we live like we trust him, we become spiritually strong and healthy and fruitful, like trees planted by the water, and we begin to move into the full lives that God dreamed about so long ago (John 10:10; Ephesians 1:3-6).



Which type of man are you? What are you doing in your life that distinguishes you as a follower of Jesus? What are you doing that you’d never do, but for your trust in Jesus? If your answer is “nothing” or “not much,” then it’s time now, brother, to begin. Do something practical that demonstrates your trust. Whatever you do, it need not be clever or complex. Just use the two great commandments as your guide (Matthew 22:37-39) and do something . . . today.

 

[RiverOL]

The Joy of the Trinity
Morning Encounter:
Read
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
(John 15:9-17)

Reflect
This is part of what Jesus said to his closest friends during their last meal together before he gave himself up to be executed. It is a remarkable insight into his relationship with the other persons of the Trinity, a relationship that we as his friends are invited to enter. As they are in each other, so we can be in them and in them is love and joy. If there was such a thing as the meaning of life, this is it.

Respond
As Jesus first spoke these words to his disciples, hear him speak these words also to you. You are loved, you are welcomed, you are invited to keep company with the Trinity today.

Midday Meditation:
“We pay a lot of money to get a tank with a few tropical fish in it and never tire of looking at their [beauty] and marvellous forms and movements. But God has seas full of them which he constantly enjoys…All of the good and beautiful things from which we occasionally drink tiny droplets of soul-exhilarating joy, God continuously experiences in all their breadth and depth and richness…God is the most joyous being in the universe.”
(Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy)

Evening Reflection:
'There’s just something remarkable about watching your child thoroughly enjoy himself. Time and time again I find, to my surprise, that it’s so much more fulfilling than actually enjoying an activity of my choice. It’s the greatest insight I’ve ever had into why God might have created us in the first place. What pleasure God must get from seeing us when we’re at our best, when we’re enjoying all that we’ve been given (and forgetting to complain about what we feel we lack). What joy it must give God when we experience delight.'

 

[RiverOL]

Two divergent views

Galatians 2:11-21
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me ..." (v.20)

Paul tells us about his "secret" death in the passage before us today. In the main, there are two divergent views on this passage. One view is that Paul is referring here to the teaching he expounded in Romans 6 -- that when Christ died at Calvary, we all "died" in Him, but because He came back from the dead we must now apply ourselves to appropriating that resurrection power and allow it to work in us to overcome self and sin. They say Paul's statement about being "crucified with Christ" has reference to that. Others take the view that Paul is referring to a specific experience in his life, following his conversion, when his "old man" (the carnal nature) "died" to self-interest and self-concern. Thus, the "old man" being crucified, the Christ-man rises in his stead.

Personally I see truth in both these views. Sanctification is a process but it can also be a crisis. Many Christians can testify, as did George Muller, that even though they were applying the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in their lives day by day, there came a moment or a period when they experienced a critical putting to death of the ego. Not everyone, it seems, is brought by the Spirit to experience sanctification as a crisis, but it is significant that most of the saints whose lives are marked by a high degree of holiness testify to such an experience. Let your heart be open to God on this matter today and listen to what He might say to you. Perhaps this could be the day on which you die a "secret death.''
Prayer:

My Father and my God, I choose what You choose. If today You choose to lead me into a deeper understanding of how to "die" to my self-interest, then I choose to follow. Guide me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.