Category: devotional

Conviction

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“But if I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see me no more; of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16: 5 – 11)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

In this scripture Jesus contemplates the future arrival of the Holy Spirit (the indwelling of God that exists within the heart of every believer; sent to mankind after Christ’s ascension into heaven.) According to the Lord, this powerful spiritual entity convicts the world of sin. What then is conviction? Conviction is the recognition of guilt and subsequent expression of remorse that accompanies any evil act or ungodly behavior. Although conviction is emotionally taxing, when experienced by a believer, this shameful imposition is far more helpful than harmful. God uses conviction to shape and mold our behavior. Guilt then leads us to abandon sin and embrace repentance; thus making us more like our Creator.

Sociology professor Anthony Campolo recalls a deeply moving incident that happened in a Christian junior high camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, mimicking way. One night his cabin group chose him to lead the devotions before the entire camp. It was one more effort to have some “fun” at his expense. Unashamedly the spastic boy stood up, and in his strained, slurred manner—each word coming with enormous effort—he expressed a simple phrase, “Jesus loves me—and I love Jesus!” That was all. Conviction immediately fell upon those junior high students. Many of them began to cry. Revival had gripped the camp. Years afterward, Campolo still meets men in the ministry who came to Christ because of that testimony.

Like those young campers, God is still using conviction to create conversions and to strengthen and edify those who already believe. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the lines between right and wrong are no longer blurry; they have been redrawn; making God’s will easier to understand and obey. When we do something sinful or unjust, we are chastised by the Lord; corrected and driven to repentance and purification. Like any good Father, He is training us; molding and shaping us into a more ideal image; the image of His perfect Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we always seek after the Lord and never ignore our convictions.

“Lord Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might recognize and experience the convictions that You have placed upon our hearts. Give us a willingness to change and the ability to understand Your will and to be transformed by it. If we have grown dull or become stubborn, may we rediscover a passion for accomplishing Your will. You truly are an awesome and amazing God. To You belongs all the glory and honor. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you!

Sanctification/Pruning

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 1 – 5)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus uses an agricultural illustration known as pruning to explain the biblical process referred to as sanctification. Pruning is the practice of cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems to promote healthier and more fruitful plant growth. Similarly, sanctification entails removing any decaying or unproductive practices from our lives. After making an initial decision to repent and to embrace the faith, we are then grafted into Jesus Christ (the vine through which all of our spiritual nourishment is delivered.) Despite repenting from our most egregious sins (adultery, drunkenness, fornication, and idolatry, etc.) we remain a work in progress. Over the course of many weeks, months, and even years, God prunes us; trimming away the remaining segments of our existence that are unfruitful (usually the lesser sins, such as impatience, selfishness, and pride, etc.) Through this process of sanctification we become more like God; which enables us to win many souls for His glory.

This process of sanctification is remarkably similar to the purification of precious metals. Within a refinery, the raw materials are placed into a kiln and heated until they melt. The dross, or worthless impurities separate from the metal and rise to the surface; this thin layer is then skimmed off, leaving the purified metal beneath. Without this continuous process of heating, melting, and skimming, purification could never occur. As additional impurities are removed from the molten ore, a more precise reflection of the metal worker appears in the smooth, pure, surface beneath. We too are being sanctified each day; an ongoing process of purification that causes God’s reflection to become clearer in our lives, and more apparent to those around us.

When we repent and believe in Christ, our lives are immediately transformed. And yet, although we’ve been reborn, we must also undergo a process of sanctification. Over time, the thorns and dead branches that prevent us from being a precise reflection of God are removed. As the Vinedresser, the Lord is the one who accomplishes this pruning. Only He has the power to mold us into the image of His Son. May we lay down our own selfish wants and desires to be transformed by God, that we might become even more fruitful.

“Lord Heavenly Father, continue pruning us every day. Trim away the dead and unfruitful portions of our lives, that we might more efficiently spread the Gospel to others. May we relinquish control and allow You to transform our hearts and minds. Give us the courage to step out in faith and be bold; that we might produce much fruit for You. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Personal Testimony

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

‘Now as Jesus passed by he saw a man who was blind since birth […] He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” Therefore they said to him “how were your eyes opened?” He said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received my sight.'” (John 9: 6 – 12) Later, in an attempt to discredit Jesus, the Pharisees demanded that the man born blind testify before them. The Pharisees told him to “give God the glory. We know that this man is a sinner (referring to Jesus).” He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9: 24 – 25)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The blind man in this scripture provides us with a simple example of how we can share our own personal testimony with others. His response to the pharisees is direct and concise; consisting of three primary components. First, what his life was like prior to meeting Jesus; second, how and where, and in what manner he interacted with Christ; and finally, how his life was transformed by this encounter. “That though I was blind, now I see.” For some, sharing their personal testimony can be difficult, intimidating, and even frightening. However, sophisticated words and eloquent speeches are often unnecessary; we don’t need a degree in theology to properly evangelize. Instead, our personal witness is sufficient; we need only explain what it was like before we met Jesus, how we received salvation, and what our lives are like now. We were all once dead in our sins, but are presently alive in Christ Jesus.

Stories of radical conversion are extremely powerful and can prompt many to put their faith in the Lord. For example, near the end of world war 2, one of Hitler’s bodyguards was a man named Kurt Wagner. He adored the crooked leader and revered him as a god. And yet as the allies moved in, Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker. Kurt’s faith in the Feuhrer was shattered and he was planning to commit suicide. While going for his final cup of coffee, he picked up a discarded gospel tract and read it—first carelessly, but then with great interest. As the result of reading this Gospel tract, he sought out a Godly Pastor who led him to Christ. Kurt was immediately transformed. Upon receiving Jesus as his Lord and savior he became a new creation. This once evil and hardened man had become a peace-loving man. He eventually became the Pastor of two churches in Frankfurt, Germany. His miraculous conversion and subsequent testimony have become influential examples of the power of God’s redeeming grace.

Like Kurt, as believing Christians we also have a personal testimony to share; a witness of what God can accomplish in the lives of those who have once walked in darkness, but have seen the light. He can take broken things and make them whole; He can heal minds and transform hearts. In fact, there is no limit to what God can do when someone becomes a willing vessel. Many of us have met Christ at some point and have been transformed by Him. The record of this event and our subsequent rebirth is a powerful way to spread the gospel. When we are out in the community, may we have the tenacity to tell others what God has done for us; how our lives have been changed, and how they too can be reborn. This is our personal testimony; and it is simple and powerful.

“Lord Heavenly Father, give us the courage to share our personal testimony with others; that You might receive all of the glory and honor. May we desire to tell our fellows about how you have transformed our lives. May they see Your unending joy in us and hunger for Your salvation. Give us opportunities to witness to others, to evangelize, and to spread the gospel message. Fill us with your compassion and love; steady our minds and soften the hearts of those who might hear our words; that they being blind, may also com to see. We love you Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!