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