Christ is ALL: by Andrew Murray

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Colossians 3:11

Christ is all—in the eternal counsel of God, in the redemption on the cross, as King on the throne in heaven and on earth. In the salvation of sinners, in the building up of Christ’s Body, in the care for individuals—Christ is all.

Every hour and every day, this knowledge provides comfort and strength to the child of God. You feel too weak, too unworthy, too untrustworthy. But if you will only accept the Lord Jesus in childlike faith, you have a guide who will supply all your needs. Believe the word of our Savior in Matthew 28:20: “And be sure of this: I am with you always,” and you will experience His presence each day.

However cold and dull your feelings may be, however sinful you are, meet the Lord Jesus in secret and He will reveal Himself to you. Tell Him how miserable you really are and then trust Him to help and sustain you. Each day as you spend time in His presence, let this thought be with you: Christ is all. Make it your goal: Christ is all—to teach me to pray, to strengthen my faith, to give me the assurance of His love, to give me direct access to the Father, and to make me strong for the schedule of the day.

Lord, I accept You with childlike faith, trusting and believing Your Word. Reveal Yourself to me. Show me Your ways. Lead me in Your truth. You are my Everything, all I will ever need! Amen.

Where the Battle is Won or Lost: by Oswald Chambers

"If you will return, O Israel," says the Lord… —Jeremiah 4:1

Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.

I should never say, “I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test.” Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.

In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory.

The Strength of the Christian: by Andrew Murray

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 6:10

Since we as Christians have no strength of our own, where may we get it?  Notice the answer: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Paul had spoken of this power in the earlier part of Ephesians (1:17–20). He had prayed to God to give them the Spirit that they might know the greatness of His power which He displayed when He raised Christ from the dead. This is the literal truth: The greatness of His power which raised Christ from the dead works in every believer. We hardly believe it and much less experience it. That is why Paul prays that God would teach us to believe in His almighty power. In Ephesians 3:16–17, Paul asks the Father to strengthen them by His Spirit, that Christ might dwell in their hearts. And then in verse 20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Read over these scriptures again and pray for God’s Spirit to make these words real to you. Believe in the divine power working in you. Pray that the Holy Spirit may reveal it to you. Appropriate the promise that God will show His power in your heart, supplying all your needs. It is clear that much time is needed with the Father and the Son, if you would experience the power of God within you.

Father God, teach me to never doubt Your almighty power. Strengthen and encourage me in my faith so I stand in confidence, knowing You are able to accomplish more than I could ever ask or hope. Amen.

Holiness through Belief: by John Eldredge

When [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Matthew 14:30

When Jesus found Peter on the boat, He didn’t commend Peter with His authenticity. “Wow, Peter, I love how honest you were with your doubts, sinking in the ocean. So many people will be able to relate to that.” No, He rebukes him for doubting.

Not only does doubt make you fit comfortably within the culture, but it also excuses you from having to act. If you were convinced that people actually did go to hell unless they knew Christ as Savior, you would have to be far bolder about sharing your faith—and wouldn’t that be awkward at work? So take notice just how convenient doubt is for you. Motives are at play here. Doubt is not a virtue or humility. Doubt is unbelief. Jesus wants you to get past it, not embrace it, for heaven’s sake.

I raise this up because it reflects the times. You are urged in Scripture not to let the times infect you. You breathe this present cultural air; you take in its assumptions. But you’re after something far more genuine: the beautiful holiness of Jesus.

Truth Sets You Free: by Henry Blackaby

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.      John 8:32

God’s truth never restricts you; it always sets you free! Are you discouraged? Is there a sense of bondage in a particular area of your life? A lack of victory over a certain sin? A harmful addiction? It is possible that you do not yet understand a truth about God that can release you.

If you feel powerless to meet the challenges before you, take encouragement from the promise of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If you are defeated by circumstance, hold on to the truth of Romans 8:28 that God can work your most difficult situation into His good. If you are enslaved to a particular sin, work the truth of 1 John 1:9 into your life, which promises that if you confess your sin, God is faithful to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. All of these truths await the Holy Spirit’s implementation into your life.

It is one thing to know about the truth. It is yet another thing to experience the truth of God being worked out in your life. God’s truth will have no effect upon you unless you accept it and believe it. Perhaps you have already read and heard accounts of God working mightily in the lives of others. But have you allowed God to implement those truths into your life? What truth about God would you like to be experiencing in your life? Ask Him to implement that truth into your life today.

Enjoy Him: from Jesus Always by Sarah Young

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Psalm 27:8

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

  To enjoy My Presence more fully, you need to think less and less about yourself. This is not an arbitrary demand; it's the secret to living more abundantly. Self-forgetfulness is a delightful way to live! 

   Try to become aware of how much time you spend thinking about yourself. Take a look at your mind's contents. Though your thoughts are not visible to other people unless you choose to share them, I see

each and every one. When you realize your thinking is unworthy of Me, make every effort to change the subject. If you're struggling with a self-centered idea that recurs again and again, try connecting it to a

favorite scripture or a brief prayer. This forms a bridge for your

attention - away from yourself and toward Me. For example, praying "I love You, Lord can quickly direct your focus to Me. 

   If you have to repeat this process many times, don't be discouraged. You are training your mind to seek My Face, and this endeavor is pleasing to Me. Seek Me, beloved, and live abundantly.

Amos 5:4

This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

Your Real Life: by TA Sparks

You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

It is a tremendous thing to live in this dispensation when the Lord, though having acquired the rights of the universe, of the whole creation, by His Cross, is specifically concentrated upon the treasure now, to get it out of the creation. "The kingdom of heaven (it should be in the plural, the kingdom of the heavens) is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid...." The Lord is doing a secret work in relation to the Church. It is always a dangerous thing to bring what we conceive to be the Church out into a conspicuous place, and make a public thing of it. The real Church is a secret, hidden company, and a hidden and secret work is going on in it. That is its safety. When you and I launch out into great public movements, displaying and advertising, we expose the work of God, and open it to infinite perils. Our safety is in keeping where God has put us, in the hidden, secret place with Himself....

All the way through this life we have to learn the change from what is, after all, ourselves in relation to God, to what is God Himself in us. There is a great deal that is of ourselves in relation to God, and I expect there will be in some measure right to the end. There is still something of our minds at work on God's things. We may be thinking that they are God's thoughts, God's mentality, but there is still much that is of our human mind, the mental make-up of ourselves in relation to the things of God, and we shall always find that God's mind is other than that, and we have to give place to new conceptions of the Lord.