Tuesday, April 23, 2013

ABBA!

Suggested Reading: Galatians 3-4

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Looking up the stairs from the Chapel of Saint Helen in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, you can see hundreds of crosses that have been carved into the stone walls.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: Galatians 4:6

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

What a great change! We were enemies of God, but have become His friends…and more than friends, we have become children of God. As His enemies, we deserved His wrath. Instead, He has shown us His infinite love. We deserved to be punished, separated from Him forever. Because of His initiative, the opposite has happened. We are welcomed into His Kingdom as members of His family.
In these chapters, Paul explains an astounding change. The Galatian believers have come from being slaves — slaves to sin and from trying to obey God out of a sense of duty — to being heirs of God. In reality, they have the rights, privileges and freedoms of sons and daughters of the King. We have these same rights. Therefore, we can call God, “ABBA, DADDY!” If we struggle with this, consider praying the prayer written in our Prayer for Today…

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, I pray for the Spirit of Your Son to fill me now. I pray in faith believing that You are now keeping Your promise to me. The promise of the Spirit was given to me by Jesus Himself when He said, “How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:11-13). I’m asking, Abba Father, and You are more willing to give of Your Spirit than I am to receive. Therefore, I am receiving the Holy Spirit at this very moment. I praise You! I thank You! I worship You! Hallelujah! Glory to Your Holy Name! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As a child and in my early teens, I would go forward to the altar at church from time to time, asking Jesus to come into my heart and to write my name down in His “Book of Life.” I was confident that He did this at the time. However, when I did something that I knew was wrong, that confidence was gone and I would give up until the next time I came forward to kneel at the front. We called the bench in front of the pulpit “the penitent form.” Sometimes it was called, “the mourners bench.” Of course, I knew I was to be “penitent” and I was to “mourn” over my sins. It was not until I was 16 that I realized that I truly am a child of God by faith and faith alone. I believed that even as my human father would not ever cease to be my father, even so God, my Father, my Abba, would not ever take an eraser and rub my name out of His Book. The day after I fully believed that, I went down to the creek behind my sister’s house at Shady Nook, just outside of Pembroke, Ontario, and quoted over and over John 6:37. Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out.” I came to Him! He does not lie! Therefore He does not cast me out. He receives me! What freedom and confidence that fact has given me right up to this day over 60 years later.

Yours for believing Ephesians 2:8-9 (our next New Testament book after we read 1 & 2 Kings): “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast,”

David

 

15 thoughts on “Tuesday, April 23, 2013

  1. Wow! Powerful, David! Since Christ took all of our sin upon the cross (both past, present and future sin), we now live an exchanged life in His righteousness. Christ has cleansed us and has saved us, if we believe on Him and Him alone for our salvation. May we all know the true significance of the verse that you repeated to yourself David, in that moment at Shady Nook, John 6:37 ; and may everyone know the goodness of not having to strive for one’s own salvation. Christ has set us free! Here’s another great verse from John’s gospel :

    John 8:36
    So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

  2. Thank you for this reminder of our son/daughtership with our Father in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives! To be a spiritual creation by ONE seed in Christ, born of the Father through Mary. Have a great day to all!

  3. Wow, wow, wow! What a powerful message, this morning, David! Thank you for your gifted words. My heart is so filled up with love that my eyes are tearing over. It is not often that I don’t have words. We are saved by the love of our Saviour! We are free from the sins of this world! We have everlasting life! Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

    Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.
    Praise Him, all creatures, here below.
    Praise Him, above ye heavenly host.
    Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

    “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from…. the Father.” James 1:17

    • Dear David, I am blessed and encouraged by your blog EVERY day. Thank you for being such an obedient servant to The Lord and sharing your insights with us. You are such a committed follower, I have grown through your whole ministry for MANY years. With love and prayers.

  4. A powerful message today, David. I need to read this passage and comments more than once to get it into my spirit. Here’s another verse that is written on my journal for today which also confirms what your testimony…being confident of this, that he who began a good work inb you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Philippians 1:6). That’s for you, David and for all who are in Christ Jesus. Praise His Holy Name!

  5. What a privilege it is to call God, Abba Father!!!
    Grant o Lord that we may please you in our daily lives, thoughts, word and deeds.
    Looking forward to the daily blogs, and the beautiful pictures. Blessings to all.

  6. Praising God that through The Lord Jesus Christ…..I AM SO GLAD I AM PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!!

    Thank you once again for this powerful scripture. REJOICING in this day that The Lord had made.

    Blessings fellow bloggers!

  7. What more is there to say blog buddies – you have said it all!!!! I say AMEN to all the comments today. Blessings to all today.

  8. Good morning to all; We have been using 100 words .ca as our devotional for about six months and very much enjoy it. We appreciate all the comments. Thank-you David for your faithfulness to Jesus and His great commission. We are praying for you for health and for strength.I know that you would have greatly enjoyed George’s earthly celebration on his reaching his heavenly reward. We were blessed by yesterday’s comments and pictures. About 25 years ago a young Constable by the name of Ron Mostrey was posted in our Town. He and his wife attended our local church for about 2 years. God has greatly promoted you and we congratulate you. Fellow bloggers we need to daily remember to pray for Ron as he has a huge responsibility in this position. We are blessed to have a Christian in authority over the RCMP. Praying God’s richest blessings to you Ron and your family . Bob and Karen.

  9. thank you david for your words this morning just what i needed. continued prayers and blessings to you, your family and fellow bloggers

  10. To God be the Glory Great things He has done ,Amen. I am so Blessed by all
    your comments, and Scriptures, I thankyou so much David. M. and all you
    Bloggers….R..

  11. Thank you David M. for yet another beautiful reminder of how full of mercy and grace our Lord is and how we can trust in His promises to us when we come to Him. I think of that great hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness!

  12. Dear David,Dear Norma Jean,

    How wonderful to enjoy your 100 Words David. You have never been out of prayers since 1979. We continue to believe for you total healing as you fight the “biggest battle” of your life.

    We are now living in Victoria,BC and continue to believe that the Lord will allow us to produce artwork that will glorify Jesus and what He has done for all of us. We just found our diary for 1986 and the glorious time we had with you andthe “Healer” painting at the “Pavillion of Promise” and its auction on the “100 Huntley Street” program in October of 1986. People we pray with continue to be blessed by this wonderful image of Jesus the “Healer”. To Him be all the glory!! Keep up the good fight!! Thank you David and Norma Jean for all that you have done for us and the Kingdom.

    Love and blessings, James and Joy

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