Tag: set apart
Set apart to preach!
Scripture reading for March 22nd: Galatians 1, Psalm 58, Proverbs 27
Galatians 1: 11-16 “For I would have you know, brothers, that the Gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when He Who had set me apart before I was born, and Who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, . . .”
Paul had a unique encounter with the risen Christ. He learned the Gospel, not from men, but from Christ Himself. He described it as a ‘revelation of Jesus Christ.’ Paul had persecuted the church, imprisoning those who followed Jesus and he even stood in agreement with their death in the case of Stephen. He felt that he was doing God a favor in his zeal for the traditions of Judaism. But Jesus appeared to him, and revealed His calling and the purpose of his life. Jesus set him apart–before birth! Jesus called him by His amazing grace, offering him forgiveness of sins and showing him eternal life. Jesus sent Paul to preach to the Gentiles and confirmed the Word with signs and power. Ask our Lord to confirm your calling and His plan for your life today. Jesus is our great reward!
Psalm 58:10-11 “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on earth.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your calling and setting me apart to preach Your Gospel. Thank You for those, like Paul, that spoke truth into my life and lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the trials and testing that have deepened my faith and trust in Your love and goodness. Empower me today to fulfill Your will and purposes for my life and in those to whom you send me.
Proverbs 27:21 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.”
Prophetic Instruction through Holy Spirit
Scripture reading for May 2nd: 1st Samuel 18-19, 1st Chronicles 3, Psalm 59, Acts 13
Acts 13:1-4 “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”
The early church had certain gift people who were listed by name and called prophets and teachers. In this passage of Acts, Luke lists two of these men, Barnabas and Saul, who were prophetically called out during a time of worship and fasting and set apart for a mission. This mission had already been revealed by the Holy Spirit to both Saul and Barnabas but was now confirmed to them and the entire church body at Antioch. The church then prayed and fasted and then laid their hands on these men and sent them off on their assignment to reach lost people in places where the Gospel had not yet been preached. The Holy Spirit is Who is really speaking the Word of God to those who need it through those He chooses. God’s work is accomplished in God’s time and way in spite of opposition or dangers for God is with them.
Psalm 59:16-17 “But I will sing of Your strength; I will sing aloud of Your steadfast love in the morning. For You have been to me a Fortress and a Refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to You, for You, O God, are my Fortress, the God Who shows me steadfast love.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophesy and prophets. I offer my mind, body and tongue to be used by You to speak Your Truth and fulfill Your sacred work. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and wisdom today to speak Truth even in the face of persecution or rejection. I worship You and honor Your Holy Name!
1st Samuel 19:23-24 “And he (King Saul) went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?””
Thankful for Angelic Messengers!
Scripture reading for March 10th: Judges 13-17
Key Scriptures: Judges 13:3-5 “The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.””
God sent an angelic messenger to an Israelite woman and her husband to prepare them to give birth to a son who would begin to deliver Israel. She was barren but God would bring this blessed son who would be set apart from conception to serve God’s purposes!
Rejoice in angelic messengers: God uses angels to deliver special announcements to His people. “But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for He will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” (Luke 1:13-15)
God has a plan for each person!
Scripture reading for August 5th: Jeremiah 1-6
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) This scripture and others in the Bible indicate that God knows each person before they are formed in the womb! Ephesians 1:4 states that God chose us to be in Christ before the creation of the world! God knew everything before anything visible was even created! We are more significant than we might think to God and He has a plan for each of us!
Jeremiah was appointed by God to be a prophet. Prophets listen to God and then speak His thoughts and word to people God wants to talk to. God doesn’t do anything by way of judgment without warning people by the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7) When God spoke to Jeremiah he was only a child. God told him not to worry about his youth and inexperience, but to speak the word of God.
God promised to be with Jeremiah and deliver him. When any prophet spoke the word of God, it always brought some kind of response. God used His Word through the prophet to uproot and tear down or to build up and plant. (Jeremiah 1:7-9) God’s decrees often brought conflict that caused the need for His deliverance!
God gave Jeremiah a vision of an almond tree and asked him what he saw. The almond tree was the first tree to bloom in the spring in Israel and it was watched by all the people as a sign that spring was coming. God promised Jeremiah that He would watch over His word to bring it to pass. (Jeremiah 1:11-12)
I believe that as we read through the Bible, God will speak to us about our time and day! Listen closely for God speaking to you and confirming His call. He wants each of Jesus’ followers to share God’s Word and live by faith in it. He will watch over it and bring it to pass! We have a calling planned by our Father God before we were formed in the womb!
Holy separation from the world!
Scripture reading for September 3rd: 2nd Corinthians 6:14-7:7
When one is reconciled to God and is filled with God’s love, the things of this world lose their attraction. The Holy Spirit begins the work of sanctification. This word ‘sanctification’ means being ‘made holy’ or ‘set apart’ for God. The Holy Spirit helps us to separate ourselves from the worldly influences and ways that we had before salvation. When we become a ‘new creation’, the old things pass away and new things come that are from God. (2nd Corinthians 5:17-18)
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16a) Paul urged the Corinthians to not be yoked with unbelievers. He asked them questions with an obvious answer of ‘none’ or ‘nothing’ to emphasize their need to maintain separation and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
They were now the temple of the living God. God lived in them and called them to be a holy and separated people! God wanted to be their Father and they would be called ‘sons’ and ‘daughter’s’ of God the Father. They would be known as the people of God. These promises of God were “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ Jesus! (2nd Corinthians 1:18) These promises should motivate believers at Corinth and everywhere to perfect holiness in reverence for God.
This process of holy separation is initiated by the Holy Spirit living in us. He is the Spirit of Truth who reveals Christ to us. He convicts of sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment. He reveals to us all that we are and have through our relationship with God in Christ. (1st Corinthians 2:10-12) As we study the word of God, we are also required to do our part in a response of faith. We put off the old ways of the world and put on the new ways of the Spirit.
“Do not be yoked with unbelievers!” Paul’s instruction and questions were for self-examination. Take a moment today and ask yourself the questions Paul asked. Are there unbelievers who are influencing you because of close associations? Take Paul’s advice today!
Set apart before the womb!
Scripture reading for August 3rd: Jeremiah 1-6
When does life really begin? Some say life begins at conception while others say it begins when the fetus is able to maintain life on it’s own outside of the womb. Others say that life begins at a live birth. God tells us His perspective!
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) This scripture and others in the Bible indicate that God knows each person before they are formed in the womb! The New Testament states that God chose us to be in Christ before the creation of the world! (Ephesians 1:4) God knew everything before anything visible was created! He has a plan for each of us!
Jeremiah was set apart by God for a specific mission: “prophet to the nations.” Prophets listen to God and then speak His word to people. God doesn’t do anything by way of judgment without warning people by the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7) God spoke to Jeremiah when he was a child. God told him not to worry about his youth and inexperience, but to speak the word God gave him.
God would be with Jeremiah and deliver him. I don’t know about you, but if God told me that he would deliver me, I would be asking what I would be doing that called for deliverance! God was going to use Jeremiah to uproot and tear down or to build up and plant. (Jeremiah 1:7-9) These activities would bring conflict that caused the need for God’s deliverance!
God gave Jeremiah a vision of an almond tree. The almond tree was the first tree to bloom in the spring in Israel and it was known among the people as a sign that spring was coming. God spoke to Jeremiah through that vision that God Himself would watch over His word to bring it to pass. (Jeremiah 1:12-12)
Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets! This book speaks clearly to us about our time and day! Listen closely for God speaking to you and confirming His call. Let Him show you how He has watched over His word for your life and future. It will revolutionize your faith and daily walk! He knew you before you were formed and has a plan!
Set apart before the womb!
Scripture reading for August 5th: Jeremiah 1-6
When does life really begin? This debate has been going on in our nation for a number of years. Some say life begins at conception while others say it begins when the fetus is able to maintain life on it’s own outside of the womb. Others say that at birth life begins. What does God’s word indicate about this question?
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) This scripture and others in the Bible indicate that God knows each person before they are formed in the womb! Ephesians 1:4 states that God chose us to be in Christ before the creation of the world! God knows everything before anything visible was even created! What amazing insight into each of our lives! We are more significant than we might think to God and He has a plan for each of us!
Jeremiah was set apart by God for a specific mission before he was ever born into this world. Jeremiah was appointed by God to be a prophet. Prophets listen to God and then speak His thoughts and word to people. God doesn’t do anything by way of judgment without warning people by the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7) When God spoke to Jeremiah he was only a child–we are not sure of his age. God told him not to worry about his youth and inexperience, but to speak the word of God.
God promised to be with him and deliver him. I don’t know about you, but if God told me that he would deliver me, I would be asking God what I would be involved in that called for deliverance! When any prophet spoke the word of God, it always brought some kind of response. God used that word to uproot and tear down or to build up and plant. (Jeremiah 1:7-9) These activities bring conflict that sometimes cause the need for God’s deliverance!
God gave Jeremiah a vision of an almond tree and asked him what he saw. The almond tree was the first tree to bloom in the spring in Israel and it was watched by all the people as a sign that spring was coming. God spoke to Jeremiah through that vision that God Himself would watch over His word to bring it to pass. (Jeremiah 1:12-12)
Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets! I believe that as we read through this book God will speak to us about our time and day! Listen closely for God speaking to you and confirming His call. Let Him show you how He has watched over His word and is still watching over it to bring it to pass. It will revolutionize your faith and daily walk.