Work of God

 Guest Blog by Gary Riedel

SCRIPTURE; John 6:29  Jesus answered them; This is the work of God; That you believe 

in Him whom He has sent!

OBSERVATION: This is so fundamental to the Christian faith and our very salvation.

Jesus paid the price but by the power of the Spirit it's up to us believe what God through Jesus has done for us.

APPLICATION: So many times we are so tempted to feel like we need to earn our salvation. After all, our country was built on the "work ethic." We've been taught we need to work for what we need and want. However grace and salvation are another matter, the best explanation for this topic is found in Ephesians 2:8,9,10. We are saved by grace through faith but we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus which God has before ordained that we might walk in them. God is the author and finisher of our faith and our salvation. He gives us works to do to bring praise and glory to His Holy Name and to further His Kingdom on earth! 

PRAYER: Gracious Father, I give you thanks and praise for your plan of salvation and for Your plan for our lives. May we forever trust You and follow Your Word. In Jesus Name, Amen 

Let God's will be done

Event: Paul Journeys to Jerusalem
S – Scripture
Acts 21 v. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "The will of the Lord be done."
 
O – Observation

Thy will be done. We need to recognize God's will and follow it. Paul's friends begged him not to go to Jerusalem, but in the end Paul recognized that it’s His (God's) will, so he followed it. Do you realize that we pray for this every time we say the Lord’s prayer? Matthew 6 v. 9-10, "Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by the name. Thy Kingdom come, THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in Heaven." What is God's will for us? After all, Jeremiah 29 v 11a, "For I know the plans I have for you." His plans may not be your plans. He may want you to be in various positions in life. But this much is true regardless of where you are, the will of God is this for us. Romans 12 v. 1b, "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
 
A - Application
Am I following God's will for my life?   
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Thy will be done.    Love Will.

Image by Carabo from Pixabay 
 

Realize and understand your destiny!

Event: Paul Journeys to Jerusalem S – Scripture
Acts 21 v. 13 Then Paul answered, " What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

O – Observation
Holding fast to one's destiny. Paul did not waiver even though he knew he was going to face imprisonment and death. He could have worked to find a way out of this or try to avoid it. But instead he stood the course. Perhaps he knew what happened to Jonah when he tried to avoid doing God's plan for him. (God ultimately  got Jonah to Nineveh, just took a little sightseeing detour along the way!!) So it holds for us. We know that we will all die. We know that God puts us in various stations in life. Paul states in Philippians 4 v. 11b, "For I have learned, in whatever state I am to be content." Remember our destiny is to live forever with Jesus.
 
A - Application
Do I realize and understand my destiny?
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Help me to hold fast to my destiny in you.    Love Will.

Photo by Danica Tanjutco on Unsplash
 

God's words will come true!

Event: Paul Journeys to Jerusalem 

S – Scripture
Acts 21 v. 11 And coming to us he took Paul's girdle and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, "So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
 
O – Observation
Prophecy. Stating what’s going to happen. The Old Testament is chock full of Prophecies. I think of Psalm 22 v. 1a, "My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me."  22 v.7a, "All who see me mock at me." 22 v. 16b, "they have pierced my hands and feet." 22 v. 18, "They divide my garments among them, and for my raiment thy cast lots." Wow. Those words were written 100's of year before Jesus was ever nailed to a cross. Eerily, prophetically, exactly as it happened. In this verse a Prophet told Paul what was to happen to him. (It happens as stated.) The last prophecy to be fulfilled is Jesus return to Judge the living and the dead. Prophecy. It will happen.
 
A - Application
Am I aware of Jesus last prophecy? How does that impact my life?
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Thanks for revealing the future so that I might be prepared.    Love Will.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay 
 

Have a plan for Life's transitions

Event: Paul Journeys to Jerusalem

S – Scripture
Acts 21 v. 5 And when our days there were ended, we departed and went on our Journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were outside the city; and kneeling down on the beach we prayed and bade one another farewell.
 
O – Observation
Transition. Season. There will be several times in our lives when we move on from one station in our lives to another. College to real world. Single to married. Moving from city to city. Job to Job. This verse is all about transition. Paul leaving to head to Jerusalem. A place where he knew would be a place of conflict. A couple of things to learn from how Paul handled the transition.  1)Involve everybody, (wives and children came too) after all, there are relationships. 2) Prayer. Involve God. Have him be there with you on your next steps.
 
A - Application
How do I handle transitions?  
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Help me to make my transitions smooth.   Love Will

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash
 

Help the weak!!!

Event: Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
S – Scripture
Acts 20 v. 35 In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

O – Observation
Helping the weak. It’s what we need to do. Helping the weak first and foremost recognizes that you yourself has already been blessed by God, since you are in a position to help the weak. Which means that you are able to. Thanks be to God!!! Then in typical God-o-noimcs, a person that is already blessed will be blessed even more by giving to the weak. "It is more blessed to give than receive." Helping the weak is a reflection of love. 1 John 3 v. 17-18, "But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heat against him, how does Gods love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth,"
 
A - Application
Am I helping the weak?
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Thank you for my blessings. Guide me to bless others in your name.   Love Will.

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay 
 

Remember - You are God's!!!

Event: Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

S – Scripture
Acts 20 v. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
 
O – Observation
Commend to God. Linked to God. Bound to God. Family of God. It does two main things. 1) Temporary - builds you up. Knowing that you are part of God's family gives one amazing confidence to face the world. Even when bad things happen. Job said it quite well when he lost everything. Job 1 vs. 21b, "The Lord gave, the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord." 2) External - Inheritance. Heaven. A place where there will be no more tears, of hunger of pain. 1 Corinthians 2 v. 9, " What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him."
 
A - Application
Do I recognized that I am "Commended to God?"  
 
P - Prayer
Jesus, Thank you for building me up and my inheritance.   Love Will.
 

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