Brothers and Sisters, I want to remind you that one of the main purposes of the Church is: the Building Up and Encouragement of the Saints.
Edification for the Sanctified!
I want to remind you that you’re saved. You’ve been bought by the Amazing, Atoning Blood of Christ Jesus.
You are His. And He is yours. We have security as long as we are walking with Him (Even if we’re sometimes clumsy).
But what you might not be so sure about today is your way forward.
If life has left you wearied and worn, you’re probably tired of trying. And honestly, just plain tired.
I know I am sometimes. We all feel it. And for many people, it’s getting harder to find a good enough reason to get out of bed some mornings.
If you are finding yourself discouraged and overwhelmed—and if you are yearning for certainty that you belong to Jesus Christ—I’m here to tell you that there is a real and realistic way to Recharge - Refresh and Renew the Newness Already In You.
The newness in you—that new creation that God made within you the moment you believed in Christ Jesus and was washed with His Atoning Blood in the waters of baptism. That righteous you—called out of a world of darkness to live in His marvelous light!
The Real You. Christ In You.
God Breathed these Words to Us, Newley Reborn Children of His:
“And do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
God is pleased to prove His good, acceptable (pleasing to Him), and perfect will in you.
And I can tell you from personal experience that He likes to start early.
God is a morning person, it seems. And each new morning is a brand-new opportunity for Him to get your attention.
If you can, make the time to meet with Him early—before the responsibilities and hassles of your day begin to pile up. I know. It’s not easy to discipline ourselves to make this kind of change if we’re used to plowing into our day (and our social media accounts) right after the alarm goes off.
But we Need to. We really Need to.
There’s a world that you are in, but you are not a part of all around you that wants you to conform to its altered and ungodly version of reality. And you’re going to need a Renewed Mind (a Christ-centered attitude) to deflect the compost that will most certainly be flung your way.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17
Loving God is directly connected to keeping His commands. And Jesus, as He fulfilled God’s law perfectly, boiled it all down to just two:
Loving God with all of our being
and
Loving our neighbor as much as ourselves.
Pretty simple, right?
But if we’re honest with ourselves, we realize how difficult it is to consistently and faithfully do even these two seemingly simple things perfectly. Put these two simple laws against the silhouette of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. God, in His perfect wisdom, knew we could not save ourselves even with only two simple laws, and those seemingly simple laws become less insignificant.
Please understand: Through what Jesus Christ did on the cross, paying the penalty for our Sin, Jesus spiritually perfected us. But our flesh has to live in this world. And our flesh isn’t perfect yet.
Life comes at us!
People come at us!
And at the end of the day, we realize that we have made some grievous mistakes.
In our words. Our actions. Our attitudes. And if we managed to get through the day without completely blowing it in these areas, there’s always our thoughts! …..
Ahhh, we are toast, right?
Thankfully, God understands. And He didn’t leave any of us Christ-followers to our own demise. He has purposely sent His Holy Spirit to teach us and to reach us with everything we’ll need— With A Daily Diet of His Truth.
But we need to make the time and take the time to listen.
The Holy Spirit is as real as each new day, and He is waiting for us to find that quiet place, where we get an opportunity to hear His still, small voice.
The more time you spend with Him, the easier it gets to tell the difference between your own thoughts and His. He is the Spirit of Truth the world doesn’t know Him, and cannot receive. (Jn 14:17)
But you can. Each and every new day that you arise—and meet with Him.
A New Day for the Light to Break Through the Darkness
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
If you were anything like I was, your old self wasn’t pretty. You may have ridden high for a while and thought you were doing just fine without God.
But now, you and I know the truth: our old world filled us with folly.
Satan takes fragile people and makes them believe they are not in any great need. Or in any danger.
Darkness is deadly—claiming the lives of its victims daily.
But Christian, you are not in darkness. And that shouldn’t be the way your day begins or ends.
God’s magnificent LIGHT breaks right through the darkness of your world. A light that penetrates and illuminates the heart of any true believer in Christ Jesus!
A light that is so capable and able to take the old you—who fought and feared or faked your way through life and transformed you into that new, living, and loving creation that God is faithfully molding you to be.
“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:13-17
It was a pivotal moment in human history as Jesus breathed out a powerful prayer to His Father in Heaven. He spoke tenderly of each of His disciples—those who were alive then and to every believer who has lived since His monumental sacrifice upon the cross.
Jesus prayed specifically that we would not simply be taken out of this world, but rather, be kept from the evils of this world.
But how can you or I expect to be guarded from such evil? We simply can’t be victorious in spiritual warfare on our own—no matter how frequently or fervently we pray and proclaim.
We must do it God’s way.
And what is God’s way?
Jesus prayed
“Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.” (Jn 17:17)
We are to be sanctified (set apart—in every aspect) through His Word.
God’s strong and stable words of truth are absolutely imperative for any good soldier of the cross heading out to these daily battlefields that we call “life.”
So, dig in, brothers and sisters. Feast Upon His Holy Word. And don’t leave home without it.
The Power and Potential of Your Prayer Time
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. “But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:11-12-16
You wake up in the morning, pray about your day, and open your Bible.
Are you distracted with everything you need to do that day?
Do you have this nagging doubt in your soul that this will accomplish anything? And do you wonder if your sleepy prayers are even getting through?
Your enemy would like you to believe that they aren’t and that Bible study and prayer are just a waste of your precious time.
Don’t Allow Those Lies to Pull You Away
This is your time—of LIGHT. Your redeemed time. Your sanctified time—set apart for Him.
There is no possible way that this is a waste of time. In fact, this moment is the most important action of the day that you will take.
Listen to the One who knows you best. Your sleepy prayers are not duds. And God’s word isn’t any less powerful just because you are behind on your Bible reading plan.
Don’t focus on your words, your feelings, and your failures in the spiritual disciplines. Simply allow God to set the tone for the day as you are led by His words. A day that will be influenced by what you will be proclaiming in faith, according to His Truth. Agree with that truth you know to be true—despite what you may feel.
Then, as you begin your day, continue to stand on that firm foundation of what He has revealed to you in His Word. God has drawn and rolled out the blueprints of His will for your day because you have allowed the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.
And God’s Light of Truth will prevail in power—throughout the circumstances of your day—exposing and dispelling any lying, unfruitful works of darkness that the enemy may present to you.
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:22-25
God’s great compassion. God’s great gifts. God’s perfect portion is given to those who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and partake in such wealth and provision. They are new every morning!
So be on the receiving end of His glory, and start your day with a healthy heart—one that is full of the Holy Spirit and Truth. Come boldly into His throne room of Grace and grab onto His mercy.
It’s going to require some faith on your part to believe that God is actively working on your behalf in this very fallen world. Your Bible declares that your eternal home—your actual home—is in Heaven. Christ Jesus is now seated in this heavenly place, interceding for you.
So, as you place your hope anew in the Lord, ask Him to help you keep these truths in the forefront of your mind. He will enable you to walk by faith, no matter what you may see around you.
Praying Your New Day into Focus
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Undoubtedly, our failing world is steadily passing away, as is every human being. Physically, each one of us is losing the battle.
But the Apostle Paul brings us an amazing word of comfort and clarity amidst a blurry storm of confusion: Although our outward life is surely passing away, our inward life, in Christ, is flourishing—as it finds the Father’s will in each new day that we live.
Any troubles that you are going through can’t possibly compare to the wondrous glory that will one day greet you. So don’t allow yourself to become discouraged by what you see, feel, or hear in these moments of time—these temporary tests and trials.
You possess a reality that cannot yet be seen but only believed in by faith: God’s approaching kingdom—eternally yours, in Christ Jesus!
By acknowledging this in prayer aligns your mind for the day ahead.
“We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For God's Spirit says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
In those life-giving, soul-strengthening moments of your first waking hour—while the world is still quiet enough to hear God’s still, small voice—you come boldly into the throne room of God, being led by His Spirit, as He leads you in how you might pray.
As you bask in the serenity and greatness of this gentle encounter, what you pray is making a real impact on people’s lives. Whether it's your neighbors or strangers halfway across the world. Your obedience in living up to who God says you are in Christ Jesus will surely and steadily bear much fruit.
Because you see, today is truly the day of salvation. And not only for others but for yourself, as well.
To be “saved” and set free from your own way of thinking. To be stopped from taking some wrong course of action that you might have otherwise taken if you hadn’t prayed and lingered for a while in God’s presence.
Truly, God will save us from ourselves, if we will let Him—and allow Him to speak His truth into our brand new day.
“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God,in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
“For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16
Be wise enough to remember that the enemy of every soul on the planet is watching you, waiting for the opportunity to trip you up any way he can.
So begin your new day on God’s terms.
Grab on to His mercy. Reclaim our spiritual ground. And stand upon the promises in His living Word. Line up your thinking with your heavenly position.
Remember Christ’s prayer to His Father? Not that we should be taken out of the battle, but that we are kept from the evil one. So claim your rightful place in God from the get-go.
Can you feel the expectation of this new day?
Awaken To Receive Your Assignment
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Praying your day into focus may sound like silly nonsense to some folks.
But you are not “some folks.”
You are the new person that God Almighty has created anew for Himself to be His servant. You are a carrier of the Light in this dark world. You are the new you, with a new and living language—a messenger of hope and Truth to a lost and confused world. It is a high calling, and it is your daily assignment—if you trust God to perform it, both in you and through you.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is God’s own mission and ministry of “reconciliation.” The restoration of sinners, leading them into God’s favor, through Christ Jesus.
I can’t emphasize this enough: You are the new creation of God!
The enemy (and all of his minions) are so old-school. They don’t have anything new—just the same old deceptions and fear-mongering “battle strategy” they’ve been working and reworking since day one.
But you are the very newness of life itself, in Christ Jesus. Bought and bled for. A new creation, never to be the same. And you have open access to the mighty, truth-telling Holy Spirit within you every day.
Each one of us must realize that rediscovering our new selves in Christ Jesus is essential.
Not just for our own survival and victory, but for the many who still yearn for that word of true hope instead of disillusionment. For the many who so need that Light of Truth to shine into the darkness of their lives.
Starting your day with God’s purpose in mind properly aligns your mind and heart with the One who is drawing you into His own perfect will.
And it makes you quick to agree with God’s loving, life-giving assignment to you. YOU, His highly favored, new creation.
Start Now
“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
Tomorrow morning, as we open our eyes to a new day—let’s not pick up our phones. Let’s not begin plowing into our daily tasks.
Let’s give our King first place in our lives by putting Him first in our day.
Let’s put off the world and all it pretends to be. Let’s put off any corruption that comes our way or that one thing we may be holding on to.
Let’s be renewed in our minds. Let’s put on the new man—who was created by God in righteousness and holiness. Let’s be intentional about that, and let’s believe it.
Everything true and wonderful that His mercy brings is waiting there for us. Our reality. Our Light. Our Truth. Our focus. Our assignment. Right there—in those first and formative moments of each and every new day.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting. And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
If you find yourself here today, recognizing your need for God’s mercy as a sinner and ready to turn away from a life chasing the fleeting pleasures of this world, I encourage you to take a vital step forward. If you’ve never devoted your life to Christ through Christian baptism, consider this your call to action. Come and feel the profound cleansing of your sins. Accept the incredible gift of God’s Spirit living within you, sealing your eternal soul as one of His cherished children.
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