Craig's Living H2O

September 30th - "Simplify"

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called into one body; and be thankful."
Colossians 3:15

As a general rule, peace should be a distinguishing characteristic of the believer's life. Certainly we all have seasons of great trial and turmoil; yet even in the midst of trouble, we find His peace to master our fears. Our peace is sometimes lost, simply by the excess baggage that we are carrying through life. If peace is not an overriding condition of your life as a whole, assess your life. What can you jettison from your life to win back your peace? You must "let" the peace of God rule in your heart. The things in your life that keep your life in turmoil should be abandoned, if at all possible. A simpler life with contentment and peace is worth far more than a life with all the glitter and the stress that comes with it.

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."    Colossians 3:2

September 29th - "Completion"

"We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose I also labor."    Colossians 1:28-29a

Christ brings completion to the whole of man, body, soul, and spirit. In Him every aspect of your life finds it culmination. Without Him, life is only partial lived, empty of the most important part. No man, woman, boy or girl is complete without Jesus and therefore the Apostle Paul writes, "That we may present every man complete in Christ." This was his life's work and this is to be the life work of every believer, the primary aim of every parent, and the very reason we exist. Let us all be busy about the Master's will.
 
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."    Acts 17:28

 

September 28th - "Letting Go"

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ."    Philippians 3:7

Have you been brought to the place where you willingly count everything you have gained as loss for the sake of Christ? The true Christian path is a journey requiring our letting go and leaving behind all encumbrances that hold us back on our pilgrimage home. We think we need so much more for the journey than we really do. All along the way Christ will pry our hands off of those things we clutch and hold most dear. Everything we are, or possess, is to be held open-handed before Him. Christ must truly be all we need, if He is to take His rightful throne in our life.  It is only when we let go of everything, and give our all to Him, only then, do we truly discover that Christ really is all that we need. He is our full provision for everything pertaining to this life, and the life to come.

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."    Philippians 4:19

 

September 27th - "The Book of Remembrance"

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."      Malachi 3:16-18

Are you in the book of remembrance? Do you meet the qualifications?

September 26th - "Vigilant Soldiers"

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."    Ephesians 6:10-11

As a member of God's family, you are to be a vigilant soldier on behalf of His eternal Kingdom. Your allegiances are first and foremost to Him. You bow your knee to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He deserves your utmost effort, your highest acts of courage and bravery. "BE strong, therefore, in the strength of His might." Put on your armor today and stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Remember, You are not fighting alone! All of heaven and its hosts are backing you up.

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"    Hebrews 1:14

September 25th - "Now"

"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace."    Ephesians 3:6

I love the word "now."  Personally, patiently waiting for something is not my idea of fun. In fact, I have never heard anyone ever say, "I love it when I can go sit and wait in the doctor's office." No, now, is a great thing! I am so thankful that we are not waiting for Christ to make a way for us to come into His family; He has already made this marvelous amazing provision. It is done now! We who were far off have been brought near, adopted into His family, by the blood of Christ. We, hopeless orphans destined for an eternity without hope, without God, have been brought near to God into His very bosom.  Since Jesus has already done this, renounce any fear, worry, and unbelief in your life, "for He Himself is our peace!" NOW!

September 24th - "The Love of Christ"

"And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."    Ephesians 3:19

The love of God surpasses knowledge. It is greater, deeper, and wider than human reason and logic. The love of God is limitless, eternal, and beyond the confines of time and space. When you have seen further than the Hubble Space Telescope photos of space, you still haven't found its end. And yet the Apostle Paul prays that you and I will be "filled up to all the fullness of God."  Oh that our love capacity would grow, that we would be "filled up" with His love, and then poured out to a withered world.

 

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."    I Corinthians 13:7-8b

September 23rd - "3-D Glasses"

"To preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ."    Ephesians 3:8b

Don’t you just love the sound of that? "The unfathomable riches of Christ." You and I both know that this has got to be really good! Yet why do we have days when we worry if our Heavenly Father will really take care and provide for us? We worry because we mostly see in only one dimension. For the most part, the very real spiritual world we all live in, is hidden from our eyes. Yet when we daily read and meditate on the Word of God, we get the same benefit as when we put on 3-D glasses in a 3-D movie. Suddenly, everything comes to live; we can see a world we never saw before. Do you have your 3-D glasses on? You must slip them on each and every morning if you are to see the spiritual world, as you should. Not reading and meditating on God's Word daily is like opting out of wearing the glasses in a 3-D movie. Who would do that? Without the glasses, you are going to miss out on the best part! “The unfathomable riches of Christ” can never be realized without the glasses, so pick up your Bible today and slip the glasses on.

September 22nd - "Children of the Promise"

"In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles."    Galatians 3:34

Every promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob becomes applicable to every believer the moment that they receive Christ as their Lord and Master. When our lives do not resemble the blessed life that they enjoyed, we must wrestle with God, as Jacob did, to get our blessing. I wonder how many forfeit the provision and the blessings of the Lord simply because they stay too busy, to preoccupied, to wrestle with God in prayer and intercession. These provisions are for us now, on this earth, and in the life to come. Christ died "in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham" would come upon you. Think of how much He suffered to make this available to you. NOW!

"And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise."    Galatians 4:28

 

September 21st - "Adoption"

"Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir."   Galatians 4:7

What amazing words! We have been taken out of slavery, out from under the evil mastery of sin and made a son. To have been set free from sin would have been amazing enough, but we have been adopted into the family of God. Now adopted, we have been granted full privileges as an heir. My children don’t think twice about going into my refrigerator for food. They don’t even think to ask about such things, because they are my children. It is their right. You have been made an heir of God if you belong to Christ. So start acting like a son or daughter of God by entering into His storehouse that is open for you. If you don't belong to Christ, you're missing out. What are you waiting on? Accept Jesus as you Lord (Master) today!

"To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."    Ephesians 3:6