Relational Spirituality

grapevine1How do we activate the promises of God?

You can’t use a credit card until you activate it, you can’t be protected from COVID until you take the vaccine--it requires faith. Faith is recognizing God is greater than our situation, greater than our worries, our fears, greater than our sin. Our role is to put ourselves--including all of these--on the altar before him, acknowledging that he is our redeemer, trusting that he will overcome, and rejoicing that he cares for every aspect of our lives. Psalm 1 reveals what is required to activate those promises: looking to God for answers first, and trusting that his way will keep us safe. What are the promises? That God will uphold us, renew us, never leave us, be our firm foundation, meet all our needs, but more than anything, He will not allow anything to separate us from His love. Praise the name of the risen king, God who is truly with us! Emmanuel!

What are we to do with these promises? How are we to use them? Pray them, ask our Father to make these real in our hearts. Lift them up and ask Him to open our eyes to their truth. Saturate our thoughts with these--say them to ourselves throughout the day. There is power in these words, Holy Spirit-enlivening power!

  1. Psalm1 (The Two Ways) 1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. 4 The wicked are not so,  but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Promises of God

  1. Nothing can separate us from God’s love: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;  we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35
  2. Uphold us: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
  3. Never leave us: The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8
  4. Meet all our needs: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19
  5. Renew our strength: But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
  6. Jesus has overcome: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33
  7. He makes a way: I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19
  8.  A firm foundation: When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2
  9. Rest for our souls: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29
  10. God will be near: Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
  11. Everything will work out for good: (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
  12. We are a new creation: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17
  13. Protection: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 
  14. Healing: He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 1 Peter 2:24
    1. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 1 Peter 2:24
  15. Prosperity and not harm: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11
  16. No condemnation: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
  17. Blessing: You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28:2-6
  18. Victory: No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37
  19. Our trials have purpose: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  - James 1:2-3
  20. Comfort: …Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:4-5
  21. Strength: “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  22. God will lead us: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8
  23. God will guide us: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
  24. Wisdom: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6
  25. Guarding our hearts and minds: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
  26. God will not let us fail: The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.  Psalm 37:23-24
  27. God will lead and teach us: He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Psalm 25:9
  28. God’s love is for us: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
  29. Mercy: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need Hebrews 4:16
  30. Good things: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows  James 1:17
  31. Our testing produces gold: But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.  - Job 23:10
  32. Eternal life: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
  33. Citizenship in heaven: But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20
  34. Jesus is coming soon: He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20

Reflections to Consider

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Relational Publications

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Relational Audio & Video

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Publications

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Relational Music

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Music

  • Jesus be the centre

    Center is a song that speaks of the essence of our life in Christ, and echoes the words the Christ Read More
  • I Lift My Hands

    A powerful hymn of adoration and praise Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir. This succinctly captures the joy of knowing our savior. Read More
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Relational Reflection

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Christ is a Great Savior: a review of the movie Amazing Grace +

    Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21 Read More
  • Wilberforce, Hollywood's Amazing Grace, Charlotte Allen +

    William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a Read More
  • Making Beauty out of Ugly Things: Grace by U2 +

    Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries Read More
  • The True Nature of Grace and Love: a movie review of the Soloist +

    The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist Read More
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