Establish

"Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You."

Psalms 119:38

God accomplished His word through Jesus' death on the cross, yet I continue to get in His way to accomplish His word in me. (Prayer: God, accomplish what you want from me, despite me!)

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Three

"so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Colossians 1:10 (NASB)

WALK, BEAR, & INCREASE!!! Here are 3 verbs given to us so that we can please our Creator! 

Walk: make your steps and decisions today the way Christ would!

Bear: do good works that produce true fruit and glorify God!

Increase: study His word and apply it today!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Qualified

"giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."

Colossians 1:12 (NASB)

To be qualified means to be recognized as certified for a particular job or title. WOW! Jesus recognizes me as certified to share in heavens glory. This is definitely something to give the Father thanks for! You are qualified!!!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Why

"Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?"

Luke 6:46 (NASB)

Jesus asked a question; a very important question. This question is a great evaluation tool for believers. The bible says to; ask, seek and knock. But, sometimes it seems like we want to; expect, receive, and wait instead! Obeying God is not a suggestion from His Word; it is an obligation to His Word! God deserves our best and we should do what He says because He is our Lord! Will you obey Him today?

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Send

"But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

Matthew 14:16 (NASB)

In this passage, Jesus' disciples try to conscience Him to send the huge crowd of people away to get food. But, Jesus isn't done with them and He tells His disciples to "give them something to eat." Remember this scripture the next time you pray for someone. Be willing to "give them something to eat", (per se) and see if God can use you to answer their prayers and not just send them away! 

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Boldness

"And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness."

Acts 4:31 (NASB)

Too many times our feelings get in God's way! We use excuses like, "sharing my faith is just not my thing" or "I don't have that kind of personality." But, God gave us His own Spirit! HIS SPIRIT!!! The holy, pure, unwavering and bold Spirit of God lives inside you!!! Do you believe it? Allow yourself to be bold because your Spirit already is!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Confusing

"but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:"

1 John 2:5 (NASB)

Some Christian phrases can seem confusing. For example, "in Him" this phrase can be found many places in the New Testament and can be a confusing statement. But, scriptures like 1 John 2:5 help us to define these statements. To be "in Him" means to keep His Word and in turn to be perfected in His love. Don't disregard the statements that seem confusing! This is where studying God's word makes a world of difference!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Set Free

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9 (NASB)

IF, IF, IF!!!  If we confess! Then and only then can and will He forgive us. Look even closer... He says He will forgive ALL unrighteousness! ALL, ALL, all of it! Christians, its gone! Your past is gone! Your free to live unbound to your present life! He let go of it, why don't you do the same! Confess it and be freed!!!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Discipline

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

Hebrews 12:11 (NASB)

My dad was a pro at swinging a belt, he had it down to an art. I hated the discipline at the time, but as an adult I am so thankful that his consistent correction produced a healthy outlook on life for me. God's discipline can come in many forms and I have experienced that His greatest disciple seems to be the act of allowing me to go through storms and difficulties. Although it may seem  like too much at the time, I can look back and see how I was trained to trust my Creator! What are you going through? Allow Him to train you and produce a peaceful fruit of righteousness.

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Unless

"So the other disciples were saying to him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

John 20:25 (NASB)

How many of us still do this today? How often do we "put God to the test?" When our faith hinges on the "unless" we can be assured that it is at that point we are faithless. "Blessed are those who believe and have not seen!" Do you need to ask God to forgive your unbelief and turn from a mindset like Thomas who gave God ultimatums? What if Jesus said, before He took our cross, "unless I see their faith I will not die for them." We would be eternally condemned! 

In His Grip, 

Ace Alexander

Walk

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." 

Galatians 5:16 (NASB)

The desire of our flesh is all too real! Our "flesh" is very alive and much more active in our lives than we will admit sometimes. Being aware of your "flesh" is important to understanding how we can walk by the Spirit. Becoming Spirit led is the very definition of not carrying out the desires of the flesh! Only through God's Word can we follow the Spirit's leading! 

Prayer: "God, show me Your leading in Your word!"

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Willing

"And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Matthew 8:2-3 (NASB)

Look what Jesus says in these scriptures. "I Am Willing!" Keep that in mind next time you pray for God to move in your life. But, remember the leper had to be willing to honestly ask Jesus if He is willing. Have you been that honest and transparent with Him? He Is Willing!!!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

World

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

1 John 2:15 (NASB)

It can be difficult to not fall in love with the world or the things in it. But, no one said being a Christian would be easy! Be conscious minded to not allow yourself to love the things of the world. Remember, when we love the world then our love for God is diminished! Choose God over earth!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Favor

"and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

1 John 2:2 (NASB)

To propitiate is to gain favor. Jesus has gained favor on our behalf with God the Father. We need favor with our Creator because He is sinless and perfect and we are tainted with sin. BUT, now we have been made new and regained favor through Jesus' blood! Thank Jesus today for being your propitiation! 

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Burden

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." 

1 John 5:3 (NASB)

The love of God is keeping His commandments. This is not just a reference to the 10 commandments. This is a charge to obey the teachings of Jesus. Even more, Paul tells us that keeping these teachings should not be a burden! 

God help me to not only obey your teachings but for it to not be a burden to me!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Sanctify

"For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification."

1 Thessalonians 4:7 (NASB)

Sanctification is a process that comes through God. But, it only comes when we make ourselves available and accepting to it. Our impure thoughts and motives will get in the way of our sanctification process. Remind yourself today to not get in God's way! Let Him sanctify you!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Yell

"What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops."

Matthew 10:27 (NASB)

YELL it!!! Christians, we are being taught God's word for two reasons...

1st - to change us from the inside out.

2nd - to share it with others so they can too be changed from the inside out. In Matthew 10, Jesus is teaching His disciples the meaning of discipleship. He directs them to proclaim what they learn from housetops. We need to yell what we are being taught from God's word! Or stay silent out of disbelief! What will you do? (Reply)

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Evaluate

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test?"

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NASB)

Everyday we examine ourselves! Think about it...

When you get ready, you examine yourself in the mirror to evaluate if your ready to present yourself to the world. Let God's Word be a "mirror" for you as you evaluate yourself spiritually. See if your ready to present your spiritual self to the world today!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Perfecter

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2 (NASB)

Just what I need! An Author and Perfecter! As the Author, Jesus is the One with the idea and the One who "wrote" what faith is all about. As the Perfecter, Jesus helps me perfect my faith. He has shown me faith on a Godlike level so that I can imitate His actions! Keep perfecting me, Jesus!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Worth

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Romans 12:1 (NASB)

The bible tells us to worship in Spirit and in truth. Here is how we worship in spirit... We must present ourselves as holy to God. Making the choice to stay away from sin is spiritual worship! You are communicating to God and yourself that His kingdom is worth your efforts. This tells God what His "worth" is to you. And His worth equals "worth ship" or " Worship!"

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Deep

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,"

Hebrews 6:1 (NASB)

We tend to focus and stay on the elementary teachings of Christ. But, this can be a hindrance to our spiritual growth. There is a reason adults don't have baby formula for dinner. And the same is true for keeping an elementary teaching in our lives. Challenge yourself to get a little deeper in God's Word! Study it, don't just read it! Fall in love with God's Truth!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Time of Need

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

Confidently, we can approach the throne of God by the graceful gift of His Holy Spirit. Think about it... our perfect and holy God has made a way for you and me to communicate to Him and to have access to His throne! Wow! And all this so that we may receive mercy and grace during our time of need. OUR TIME OF NEED!!! Thank you Lord for understanding my "time of need!"

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Peddling

"For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NASB)

I remember over 15 years ago, as a new Christian, I was going door to door sharing God's Word. I had memorized a visitation outline and felt like a salesman. I later exchanged the outline for my own personal story and it was only then that I began to see the result. God gave you and I a testimony! Lets use it! Find one person today (don't wait) to share your simple story with! Don't "sale it" just "tell it!"

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Bow

"So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:10-11 (NASB)

EVERY knee will bow! That's right! Even those who seem the furthest from God. It says, those in heaven, those on earth and it even says those under the earth. Not only bowing but CONFESSING! All this will happen to bring glory to God!!! Why wait? Bow down and confess His name today!!! Praise You God! You are holy and worthy!!!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Important

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

Nothing from selfishness? NOTHING? Ouch! I've got my work load for today! This scripture teaches that we must act in humility by placing others first.  It teaches us to look out for other people's interest along with our own! In fact, MORE!!!

 "God, help us to put those around us first today!"

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Press On

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:14 (NASB)

A few things need to be acknowledged concerning this scripture...

1. The call of God is a prize.

2. We need to set God's call as a goal in our lives.

3. We are expected to stand firm and press on toward this call.

Ask God to teach you how to comprehend and live these out.

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Carry

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

Galatians 5:16 (NASB)

If you are like me, there are times when you tend to carry out the desires of your flesh. We fail, we fall and we run from God's will at times in our lives. But, God's Word says that by walking by the Spirit we can keep from carrying out the desires of our flesh. Do you struggle sometimes? When your struggle arises walk away from it and walk in the Spirit. How? Place God's Word in front of you and talk to your Creator!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Need

"But whoever has the worlds goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"

1 John 3:17 (NASB)

When our brothers and sisters in Christ are in need, we are quick to say, "I will pray for you." But, how willing are we to open our hearts to them and be their answered prayer? When you pray for each other ask God how He can use you to meet their need. 

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Excersize

"for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

1 Timothy 4:8 (NASB)

It's very healthy to take care of our earthly bodies. Walking, running, working out, etc. are all great for us here and now but what about eternity? What about the health of ours and others eternal lives? Plan a workout routine with God's Word and begin exercising your godliness!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Puny

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;"

Romans 8:26 (NASB)

Be reminded today...

Our great prayers are not impressive to God and our weak prayers are not puny to Him. The Holy Spirit that lives inside of us is our translator. He communicates what our hearts desire are even beyond our brain's capacity. Thank Him today for interceding on your behalf!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander

Content

"But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either."

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NASB)

We must realize the sufficiency of what we have. Becoming content is not an "overnight" decision. We must wrestle and reason with it. We serve a God who is willing to reveal our discontentment to us and we can pray for His guidance. Have a blessed and content day!

In His Grip, 

Ace Alexander

Escape

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB)

Too often we linger around our obvious temptations. We, "test the waters!" Maybe our "water testing" covers up our way of escape. God is faithful and we need to be faithful to acknowledge His provision and not cover it up. Christian's, we need to become aware of our "ways of escape!" God help us!!!

In His Grip,

Ace Alexander