Minimizing Myself to Maximize God's Power

[S] Luke 9:3, 6, 24 --
3 And He said to them, ``Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

[O] Dr. Luke recorded Jesus' teaching about minimizing what I have in order to maximize God's presence and power (v.6).  The statement: "Take nothing for your journey ... do not even have two tunics" challenges me who has so much stuff and gathers even more to feel secure about my future as well as doing God's ministry.  These disciples who "took nothing" in their missionary journey reached the surrounding areas bringing God's power of healing everywhere.

[A] The focus is not necessarily having less, but making room to fill more of myself in God's power through the filling of the Holy Spirit.  This passage convicts my heart to re-examine to see how reliant I am on God's sole providing power to carry out His ministry in and through my life vs. relying on my own provision because the former will let God produce amazing results while the latter will end up with most toys of my own but not much fruitful in God's eyes.

[P] Dear Jesus, even though very difficult, I want to "take nothing" on this journey of my life with You so Your power may transparently flow through touching others.  Please hear my prayers.  In Your name.  Amen.

Returning in the Power of the Spirit

[S] Luke 4:13-15 --
13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. 14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

[O] This passage is loaded.  Jesus defeated the devil's temptation and returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and we see the result of when we do God's ministry in the power of the Spirit -- spreads wider and wider (Acts 1:8).  And unlike the worldly popularity, Jesus went right back to teaching God's word in synagogues and doing that was praised by all.  In light of all this, the devil has only retreated until an opportune time to strike again and again.  I believe that opportune time is when we try to carry out His ministry in my own strength and power.

[A] As part of the church leadership, this fundamental way of carrying out God's ministry challenges me because when we're up against some tangible and difficult obstacles in ministry (i.e., the devil's temptation), it is very easy to be discouraged and get down to doing things "my way."  However, after Jesus deflected the devil's attacks, He returned in the power of the Spirit.  So, I need to make sure that I overcome these obstacles with the power of the Spirit and doing just that spreading wider, not how great my plans have been executed.  As we have a challenging situation in our hands now, I need to take this passage to heart.

[P] Dear Jesus, You know very well where we are now, in fact, You allowed us to be in this situation so that our faith in You will grow and to rely only in You and not our own strengths and wisdom.  Please continue to encourage us and to unite our hearts to move forward.  I pray for my pastor and his heart to be uplifted by the indwelling of Your Spirit.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.