THE ORDER OF GOD’S KINGDOM

by | Jun 30, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan

Mark 9:35-36 – If any wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.
In Jesus’ statement to His disciples, and to us now, He establishes the order of God’s kingdom. This is in direct contrast to the systems of the world. In the world, the order is to do whatever you must to succeed and get to the top. This is an attitude which is directly related to the problem of sin and evil. Men, ever since the fall, have striven for authority, control, and domination. These are major struggles in the human experience.

The solution is found in Christ. Headship begins with a benevolent Heavenly Father who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. This amazing favor flows from God’s Throne to earth. True authority originates with God. God sends to all humanity His “Obedient Son.” Because of Christ’s obedience to the Father’s authority, the kingdom of God is established in the earth. The authority of God is reigning in a Man. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

PREPARING FOR THE LORD’S PROMISES

by | Jun 29, 2014 | 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. READ MORE – CLICK THE TITLE ABOVE

LEARNING TO WAIT ON THE LORD

by | Jun 28, 2014 | 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. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE

THE WORD OF GOD IS MY COUNSELING MANUAL

by | Jun 27, 2014 | 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. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

by | Jun 26, 2014 | 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. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE