by George Runyan | Jul 6, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
For the believer in Christ, there should be no question about the ultimate fulfillment of God’s government. E. Stanly Jones said, “Every man is built for the Kingdom. Even the most hardened sinner, and intransigent violator of God’s law is constitutionally structured to relate to God’s Kingdom,” (What on Earth Is the Kingdom of God? by W.A. Young, Jr., page 115). Because we were created in the image of God, there is no rest outside of His Kingdom or Government. Saint Augustine said, “You made us for Yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You.”
In Matthew 6:10, Jesus was helping His disciples understand the centrality of His message concerning the kingdom of God. “Your kingdom come” is not a request for some future event, but it is what the Father had begun in Christ during His earthly life. The disciples were seeing the kingdom of God beginning to be established in the Earth as they experienced life with Jesus. God’s will was realized in the cross as the Lord freely gave His life for lost humanity. The Day of Pentecost brought the fulfillment of what the Prophets had been looking for, God living in the person of a human being on earth. It was what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his forgotten dream which Daniel revealed, described, and interpreted. He saw a stone cut out of the mountain. A stone which grew until it became large and smashed the feet of the image. This was a prophetic picture of God’s kingdom being established in the earth and overcoming all other kingdoms on earth (Daniel 2:44-45).
The kingdom of God came in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God grew as believers received the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God continues to grow in the earth as believers surrender to God’s will and to His kingdom purposes. The nations are hearing the message today. God’s kingdom is growing in the earth. Repent and submit to the king. If you do, the blessing of heaven will come. If you refuse, God’s judgment will overcome your plans.
The emerging of the kingdom of God and the will of God being done in the earth is the future for all humanity. God’s kingdom will not be overcome by any other kingdom, as has been the experience of the nations throughout history. Will you permit the Holy Spirit to rule in your life today and walk in His favor?
Father, I choose to live under Your kingdom purposes. I thank You for Your grace that has led me to surrender to Your appointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please use me to declare Your governmental rule in the earth.
by George Runyan | Jul 5, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Peter 2:13-14 – Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and the praise of those who do right.
The Lord set us free from the dominion of sin and Satan’s kingdom. Our “independence,” does not mean we are free to do anything we want or to be independent of God ordained authority. Jesus redeemed us to the Father’s divine order. The government of God, must start in our personal life. It must start with our personal submission to authority. It must start with our understanding that the government of God is imperative in our lives. When we were born again, we were born into government. We were born into a kingdom; we were born into the realm of King Jesus and His delegated authorities. To fully recognize King Jesus, we must also recognize His delegated authorities.
We need to grasp that the government of God in the earth is the realm of our highest joy (The Government of God by Ern Baxter, page 15). True joy is not found in one’s “independence” but in submission to God’s government under Jesus in the Holy Spirit. God the Father governs our lives through His settled Word, through our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, through submission to His delegated spiritual leaders, and the authority structures in the earth as stated by Peter in our verses for today.
Many of God’s people try to walk independent of the authority that others carry. True joy comes when we submit to the laws of the land (see Romans 13:1-7), when we learn how to submit to one another in the Lord (see Ephesians 5:21), and when we receive God’s true leadership (see Hebrews 13:17). Paul establishes that “Righteousness, peace, and joy is in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). For many, independence means “I am in complete control of my life.” Each one must take responsibility for their choices in life and then deal with the outcome of those choices. For the kingdom of the God-minded person, submission to God’s appointed authorities brings true and lasting peace and joy established in righteousness.
Father, I confess that my life belongs to You. Your King, the Lord Jesus Christ purchased my salvation and set me in Your kingdom. I choose to submit to Your will and to the order of Your kingdom in the earth. Holy Spirit, guide me and establish me in Your government.
by George Runyan | Jun 29, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Acts 1:8 – You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
By this time, the eleven disciples had walked with Jesus for over three years. I say eleven, because Judas, after betraying Jesus took his own life. Many others followed Jesus as well. 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us that over 500 brethren saw Him at one time after His resurrection. Acts 1:15 records that one hundred twenty disciples waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father of which Jesus had spoken.
Days after the resurrection it is recorded, “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). These disciples were seeking to obey Jesus’ command to “wait” by preparing for the promise of the coming Holy Spirit. It is evident that they did not know what to expect, but they prepared the best they could to receive what the Lord had promised.
After the resurrection, when the disciples encountered the risen Lord, they did not recognize Him (Luke 24:31-32). The years in which they had walked and lived with Jesus were an encounter with the Lord in the flesh. Now, they were experiencing Him in the Spirit, and they did not really know Him (2 Corinthians 5:16). We have not known Christ after the flesh. We have only known Him by the Spirit. Although we, as they, were born of the flesh, it becomes quite a challenge to learn to respond to the Holy Spirit as He leads us in becoming a “new creation” person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It is important for us to prepare for the Lord’s presence. Many just assume He is present around us. I believe that He is present in our daily lives, but He wants to show Himself to us in ways we have not known and cannot imagine in our rational mind. These disciples “devoted themselves to prayer.” They devoted themselves to searching the Scriptures about what was happening. They sought to set some things in order in preparation for the coming Holy Spirit. Notice, the Scriptures state that, “they were of one mind,” as previously mentioned.
Father, help me to prepare myself for what You want to accomplish in and through me. I ask for You to help me prepare my heart and lifestyle for what You are planning. Give me an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying today to the church. Father, I pray for Your people to be of one mind in their willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to accomplish the Father’s will.
by George Runyan | Jun 28, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Isaiah 40:31 – Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
Waiting can be one of the most difficult areas of life. I admit that I am not a good waiter. I want to know now. I want to get the job done. I want to resolve the problem sooner than later. Learning to dial down and just simply wait on the Lord will produce great benefits. As we learn to wait on the Lord we will become sensitive to His timing. As we wait upon the Lord, we will receive greater knowledge to accomplish the task before us. As we wait upon the Lord, less of our energy is required and more of His life is received.
Waiting does not mean just standing around with nothing to do. Life in Christ is a dynamic relationship. A life of prayer, studying God’s Word, and sharing one’s faith is a full time activity. Waiting means to be watching for opportunities to serve Christ and His purposes. I am asking the Lord to help me learn to wait on Him throughout the day. The other day I needed a little fuel for a project. I went to two nearby stations, neither sold diesel. I then went to one a little farther away. As I was pumping the fuel, a man came up to me. He was cordial and I knew he needed money. He told me of his need and showed me a severe physical problem. I knew it was a God moment. I prayed for him and then gave him a little money. I am waiting on the Lord for revival, but here was an opportunity to share God’s love and perhaps be used to start a revival in this man’s life.
Isaiah says that waiting will produce strength. I see many people that look older than their age. Their strength has faded. God’s people who wait upon Him seem to age much better. Isaiah also declares that those who wait on the Lord will soar like an eagle. The eagle allows the currents to move it along. It is not stressed over food or nesting. It keeps its eyes open, looking for the prize. When we allow the current of the breath of God to carry us, there is a rest we experience. Stress is set aside and new energy is given to us. It is the energy of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah further encourages us when he says, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. When I ran cross country in my high school days, I experienced what was known as “the second wind.” After the first mile, a new energy would begin to fill your body. You established a stride and breathing becomes easier. As one learns to run and walk in God, the same results take place. Rather than hard labor you enter into a stride, a place of resting in His strength. Finally, Isaiah asks the Lord to teach him to wait. Waiting is not automatic. We must learn how to wait on the Lord. Waiting is found in one’s intimacy with the Father. In other words, it is time spent in His presence.
Father, teach me to wait upon You. I choose to spend time in Your presence. I ask for Your strength to fill my life in order to do Your will throughout my days.
by George Runyan | Jun 27, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 14:16 – I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth.
The Holy Spirit is the One given by the Father and the Son to help us apply the Word of God. The word “Helper” could be translated Counselor. We should not need a human counselor because we have both the Holy Spirit and the “Counselor’s Manual,” the Bible, to instruct us. As we read and apply the eternal principles recorded in the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is present to help us by giving counsel. It is the Holy Spirit that breathes life on the Word and causes us to have understanding. Sometimes that understanding comes through others. Counsel can come through life experience. Other times, counsel can be given by a trained individual, such as a pastor or a licensed counselor. Our main source of counsel should be God’s Word and our relationship with God’s Holy Spirit.
One of the most powerful scriptures is found in 2 Timothy 3:15. Paul instructs Timothy by reminding him that from a child he had known the sacred writings, which are able to give wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ.
First, we must know the writings of Scripture. Wisdom comes as a result of knowing God’s Word. It is that wisdom which leads to salvation, not only eternal life, but wisdom that delivers and helps make us free in this life, by helping to transform our thinking. Biblical thinking helps to produce peace and joy found in the Holy Spirit. Many are bound up in their relationships with others. This freedom enables us to relate properly to others. Many are in bondage economically. The wisdom that the Scriptures give us about handling money will cause one to be stable financially. These and many other life- relating topics are covered by the 2 Timothy 3:15 verse.
I have found it helpful to make up lists of biblical principles that I study and memorize to apply in my life. The book of Proverbs is one of the great portions of Scripture that instruct us in every type of situation life can produce. For years, I would read a Proverb a day. I would meditate and memorize verses that stood out as I was reading a particular chapter. Try it for a month and see how much wisdom you will gain and how many bad experiences you avoid.
Father, thank You for the counseling book You have given me. I recognize that I need Your Holy Spirit to help me understand the Scriptures. I ask in faith for the Holy Spirit to help me apply Your eternal principles of truth in my daily life.
by George Runyan | Jun 26, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 5:39 – You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life.
Life is not found in the Scriptures, but in Christ, “the living word” of God. Jesus tells the religious leaders that the Scriptures “testify” about Him. The Scriptures are the testimony of our great God and king. They record His will. In the Old Testament, an innocent animal was sacrificed in order for the covenant to be exercised. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself gave up His life. Jesus freely offered His body as an acceptable sacrifice to God. His life was seen as acceptable to God because He was the perfect human sacrifice. He gave Himself totally to His Father’s will, fulfilling all that the Scriptures testified to. As John 5:40 instructs us, Jesus is the only one that can give eternal life.
Searching the Scriptures is a vital discipline for any believer. How else can we know God’s thoughts? Paul instructed Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). A more modern translation such as the NASB states “present yourself” rather than “study.” The studying of the Scriptures is an important way of presenting one’s self to God. We must be diligent about learning God’s Word beyond Sunday school lessons or church sermons. It is wonderful to learn about how God met with others, but even better experiencing God meeting with us. The Scriptures lay a foundation of faith so we might experience God in our daily lives.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day took pride in their knowledge of Scripture, but refused to yield to the One to which the Scriptures testified. Many today take pride in their knowledge of God’s Word, but refuse to allow the Holy Spirit access and control of all they think and do. The Holy Spirit is God’s source for the life of Christ. We must search the Scriptures to learn of God’s will for our lives in how we should respond to the Godhead, how to respond to family, how to respond to other believers, and how to respond to the world. All are necessary understandings. But we must press into Christ through fellowship with the Holy Spirit to know life. It is He that is an ever-present help in time of need.
Father, place in my heart a love for Your Word. Strengthen me to “present myself to You by studying Your Holy Word. I come to You that I might have life and that abundantly. You and You alone are my source for life.
