01/01 John 3:6
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.
NEW YEAR
We can claim new life in Jesus Christ. You know someone that needs to hear about your new life. There is no such thing as a secret Christian. Purpose to make this year the year that you faithfully share your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by word and deed with everyone you meet.
01/02 Romans 6:8
And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life.
PARTNER
You and I are partners together with Christ. Yes, we will have eternal life in heaven with Him. But eternal life is life like the Father has. It is quality not quantity. Our new life is for this moment. The Lord has a plan for our lives and will equip us to accomplish His plan. Let’s focus our minds and hearts on serving Him this year!
01/03 Ephesians 3:1-2
I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles. As you already know, God has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles.
WHO
People count with Jesus. All people no matter where they are or what they have done. Humanity is fragile and smeared through and through with sin. Jesus died so that we might have the gift of freedom from sin. He paid the price for every single person. You and I are called to share from our hearts what Jesus is doing in us to every one that we meet. Our sharing will be in word and in deed. So that no one may be lost.
01/04 Ephesians 3:3
As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me.
CALL
Paul’s call and our call is from God Himself. His will is not hidden and His plan is revealed in Jesus. You know that person that has been mean, evil, wicked and bad to you? Christ died for that person. The call to each one of us is to take our life seriously and see our value. When we begin to understand that we are about God’s business we will develop an attitude of gratitude and an iron will that refuses to let the world write worthless across our life.
01/05 Ephesians 3:4
As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ.
STUDY
Go to God’s Word every day. Read His Word as though your life depended on it because it does. Listen as He speaks to you. Let His Word reveal your life to you. His Word will infuse you with wisdom and knowledge and give you the power you need to live the life the Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ, has given you.
01/06 Ephesians 3:5
God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.
SECRET
Jesus is God’s secret plan. His good news has come to man. We are partners together with Him in proclaiming His coming and His sacrifice. His grace gives each one of us a chance to partake of a quality of life like God’s right here and right now. The world cannot defeat us because the victory has already been one. Jesus is Lord.
01/07 Ephesians 3:6
And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus.
PLAN
God so loved the world that He gave His only son that each one of us have the opportunity to ask God to save us. We are wonderfully privileged with access to the gift of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. We ask Him for forgiveness and He promises us that He will forgive us. God’s free gift is salvation and He would that everyone be saved.
01/08 Ephesians 3:7
By God’s special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
GO
We do not have to wait to tell others about Jesus. We do not have to be specially trained to tell others about Christ. Just as a little child exudes that which creates joy you and I can simply tell of the joy we have in Christ. Once we were lost now we are free. Once we were dead in our trespasses and sin and Jesus has removed that burden from us. We are new creatures in Christ. The Lord Jesus speaks to every fear and shortcoming that we have felt. Tell others about what He has done in your heart and life.
01/09 Ephesians 3:8
Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
TELL
Life is to be lived. When Christ is in control of us He will speak through our hearts and change what we do and say. Once we were self centered and egotistical and everything we did had us at the center of it. In Christ we have a new freedom. We bend the knee to Jesus and rise to serve Him. Our service claims control of us and permits the Lord to use us. We simply tell others about the Lord we love.
01/10 Ephesians 3:9-10
I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. They will see this when Jews and Gentiles are joined together in his church.
UNITY
The only unity available for mankind is in Christ. Jesus brings all races of humanity together. There is no superior group; likewise there is no group that is inferior. We are one in Christ. The church does not bend to the will of lost humanity. The church proclaims Christ and Him crucified, dead and risen to a dead and lost humanity. Accepting the gift of forgiveness in Christ and coming into the family of God binds us together in Jesus.
01/11 Ephesians 3:11-13
This was his plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome. So please don’t despair because of what they are doing to me here. It is for you that I am suffering, so you should feel honored and encouraged.
LIFE
Life is real. It can be and often is tough and disappointing. When we partner together with Jesus to live our lives under His control and serve Him we do not bypass the reality of life. Instead we are equipped to live our life with abundance. Jesus will walk every step with us.
01/12 Ephesians 3:14-15
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
GRATITUDE
We are free in Jesus. We have inestimable value and worth in Christ. His plan for us is good. Hallelujah in Jesus we are free. Christ has come and joy is present. His peace and power guides us every moment of every day. His life equips us to give our lives so that all may hear His good news. Come Lord Jesus.
01/13 Ephesians 3:16
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
STRUGGLE
The battle for our salvation is won. The struggle for growth in Christ is our daily work. People count with Jesus and people are always where our struggle is the greatest. Pray for wisdom in all of your encounters with people: at home, at work, at play. Pray especially those hard to get along with people that the Lord would bless them and equip you to deal with them. When we pray for others the Holy Spirit will give us spiritual eyes that will enable us to change. In life the goal is not to change others but in fact to change ourselves. The Holy Spirit will strengthen you daily in your journey of faith and growth.
01/14 Ephesians 3:17
And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.
TIME
It takes time to become like Jesus. In fact it takes a lifetime. With that in mind begin today to organize yourself to be controlled by Jesus. We do this by daily quiet time, daily prayer and daily studying His word. The Word of God is active and alive and works in us to enable us to hear the Master’s voice.
01/15 Ephesians 3:18
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
TODAY
His love is absolute. Stop right now and think for just a moment of the one that you love the most. It is important for us to remind ourselves of how we love others and what about them makes us love them. Now, think about how Jesus loves you with a complete, total and all-knowing love. Jesus is our best friend. The Creator of the universe desires time with us.
01/16 Ephesians 3:19
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
HURT
Jesus knows all about us. He also knows that when we come into the family of God we still live in a lost world. This world is a tough place and we will often face the pain of life. The fullness of God is that spiritual activity emanating from God that pulls us away from the horrors of this world into the reality of the spiritual realm. We know that when we face this world that the Father is reaching into our hearts and mind and filling us full of himself so that we can be what he created us to be: ourselves!
01/17 Ephesians 3:20
Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
GROWTH
We struggle with growth. We grow because the Lord Jesus is in us and filling us with his wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding so that we might serve Him and live aright. We receive His power when we ask for it and always get more than we ask for. Our knowledge is of such a limited scope the Lord is ahead of us equipping us for what is next even while we are dealing with what is now. Spend time with Jesus and He will prepare you for the future.
01/18 Ephesians 3:21
May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.
PRAY
We are to pray for the church. We are to pray that all might know Jesus. More than we realize our lives are absolute. Our commitment for the things of Christ is in the process of becoming absolute. One day we will stand before Jesus and see the Lord in His absolute glory. Today pray. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. Pray that you might be what the Lord created you to be. This is the day for joy and peace. This is the day for confidence. Pray.
01/19 Ephesians 4:1
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
CALL
Jesus is seeking us. His seeking is that all might be saved and they we might be saved. We are unique and special. The life we are given is worthy and valuable. If I recognize my value I will begin to see others value. Recognition of value creates within us courage to grow and be of use. We are most useful when we see ourselves as Jesus sees us: beloved of God and of immeasurable value and worth.
01/20 Ephesians 4:2
Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
WORTH
Our value is built into us by the Father. Knowing that we can look at others the same way the Father looks at us: with love. When I love someone I am in a position of bestowing grace upon them: giving them what they need and do not earn. When I live graciously I grow exponentially. Sowing is a spiritual discipline that will benefit each one of us beyond our ability to comprehend. One of the specific things that graciousness does in us is to stretch our spiritual souls that we might be filled to an even greater extent by the Holy Spirit.
01/21 Ephesians 4:3
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
PEACE
Peace is a gift from God. I ask for peace and live peacefully. Peace creates unity. If I am peaceful and give peace to others I become partners together with others. The result is that we are all seeking the benefit of others. As we live in peace we are better equipped to tell others about what the Lord is doing in us. As we proclaim Jesus by word and deed we are seeking that others might know Him and have His peace.
01/22 Ephesians 4:4
We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
JESUS
Jesus is central for our faith. Jesus is the lynchpin that brings the spiritual realm to us. We are in the family of God and we live here on earth as His children united in Christ. This unity is not based on our work nor is it based on our victory but in fact is based on the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. Our future is to be with Jesus in eternity. But, because of what Jesus has done and the victory He has won we are one in the Spirit now.
01/23 Ephesians 4:5-6
There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.
JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything. We have everything we need in Jesus. My life is directed by Christ. My work is empowered by Jesus. The results of what we do depend on Jesus. Jesus is Lord and we can trust Him.
01/24 Ephesians 4:7
However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ.
GIFTS
Our gift is not to make us feel superior to others. It is an obligation for service given to us by Jesus. The greater our gifts the greater our obligation to do what Jesus calls us to do: serve Him. The world elevates the gifted. The world rewards the gifted. Jesus uses our gifts to accomplish His purpose in the world. But his gift to us can only be used when we give it to Him for His use. We do, we are, we become, we are victorious in surrender. Bend the knee and let Jesus have your life today.
01/25 Ephesians 4:8
That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”
USABLE
Jesus has a plan for our life. His plan is perfect. He gives us the gifts we need to accomplish His purpose. Jesus knows what we are going to face and He will use our gifts to accomplish His goals today. We are to be about our master’s business.
01/26 Ephesians 4:9-10
Notice that it says “he ascended.” This means that Christ first came down to the lowly world in which we live. The same one who came down is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that his rule might fill the entire universe.
ABLE
Jesus knows with full experiential knowledge what we face each day from the world. The world is always seeking to enslave us and to use us. Jesus is seeking to use us to help others. The world focuses on our gift and separates us from others by fooling us into celebrating our gift. Jesus knows what we will face and calls us to give up ourselves and exercise His gift for others. His rule will fill the universe as we serve Him.
01/27 Ephesians 4:11-13
He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
UNITY
Jesus makes us whole. As we grow towards Christ likeness we participate in His work of unity. Becoming more like Jesus outfits us to help others in their journey of growth. Becoming more like Jesus means that we are about His work of equipping enabling others to become an ever greater part of the activity of His family.
01/28 Ephesians 4:14-15
Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
HEAD
Christ is all and in all. His indwelling spirit gives us wisdom to live our lives. He guides us to the truth and equips us to live truthfully. As we mature in Christ we are equipped with His power and strength to live solid, Godly lives and not be overthrown by the world.
01/29 Ephesians 4:16
Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
WORK
We are to be ourselves. Jesus makes us whole and He is the one who made us. I love my life and I love Jesus. We have what we need and we don’t need what we don’t have. We are His creation and He is our joy and life.
01/30 Ephesians 4:17-19
With the Lord’s authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They don’t care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.
LIFE
Resolve to let Christ have control of your mind and heart. When we give Him our attitude and our fear He will give us light and life. I Claim who you are and forget what you cannot be, for He has a special plan for you. Claim life. Claim His presence. Claim joy. Jesus is alive and He lives in you.
01/31 Ephesians 4:20-22
But that isn’t what you were taught when you learned about Christ. Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.
CHOOSE
The world seeks to destroy our choice. Jesus gives us the right and power to choose how we will live. Will I live in strength and peace? Will I claim the right to make good and wise decisions for my life? Can I find the power to do the right thing all the time? Yes, in Christ we find everything we need to live an abundant life.
