Are You Available?

Are you available? This sounds like a cheesy line used by men to get a girl's attention. But what if God is asking the question? Are we available to Him, for His purposes? Today I had a choice to make. I just bought a drink from a Subway restaurant situated inside a Walmart store, and I was maneuvering my way to my car, when a man and his son approached me. He asked, “Could you please give me some money so my family and I can eat?” I paused. I told him that I would not give him money, then I thought for a second and said, “But I can buy you some sandwiches from Subway.” He said, “Thank you, that would be great.”

While a gentleman was preparing the sandwiches, I ran into an old friend. She handed me money to help the man and his family. The man's name is Marty and his son's name is Isaiah. They are Christians, but Marty confessed he was backslidden. After I purchased the food, I walked him back outside. He told me a little of his story. He said he was on disability. He said he could not work because he had a severe attitude problem. I told him that the Lord could take care of that. I prayed for him there in the parking lot, and I believe the Lord brought deliverance to that man and his family. I believe he is a new man, because of the power of Almighty God.

We are just vessels that the Lord uses. We are nothing in and of ourselves, but the Lord can use us, if we are available. Let's purpose in our hearts to look for opportunities to make a difference in this world, to be lights in the dark places. Let's listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and obey. He will fill us with His Spirit, so we can bring the Bread of Life to starving souls.

If You Abide in Me

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7

Jesus gave many promises to us. In one of these statements, he said the Father would give us anything we asked for. His only condition was that we abide in him and that we allow his words to abide in us.

The Lord calls us to abide in his presence and in his promises. He desires that we cultivate a relationship with him founded upon obedience to his word. He desires for us to allow the Scriptures to transform our actions so that we conform to his image. As we do this, our desires begin to reflect his heart. Then, when we ask for a particular need to be met, he will grant us what we ask for.

Dear Lord,

Help me to hide your word in my heart. As I meditate upon your precepts and as I think upon your promises change me. I ask you to grant me the desires of my heart which contribute to your ultimate will for my life.

© Copyright 2008 Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

The Chair

It's a place of rest
Supporting the back
Cradling the rear

From this place we often work
We create, we study
From this spot we may close our eyes
For a time of reprieve

But He sits enthroned as Supreme Magistrate
He rules with justice, void of duplicity
We who belong to Him
Are seated with Him in the heavenlies
Only by the costly gift of grace
Since He paid the ransom for us
And one day we will judge with Him
Who sits – resting from creation's labor

© Copyright 2009 Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

The Gift of Christ's Righteousness

“He who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior have stepped out of darkness and into the kingdom of light (Col 1:13). The Bible says we have been made righteous through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. He took upon himself our sin and exchanged it with the gift of his righteousness. We are righteous not by our own holiness, but by the blood of Christ. We are clothed in him and have right-standing with the Father.

Our place in him is secure. Because of this, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy in our time of need (Heb 4:16). As we rest in the truth that we have been made righteous through the blood of Christ, the Lord will begin to cause his righteousness to affect our behavior. The work he has done within our hearts will progressively manifest in our outward behavior as we pursue our relationship with the Lord. This change will be wrought not through the sweat of self-effort, but through an ongoing faith in the Lord Our Righteousness.

Thank you Lord that you see me as righteous. Thank you for cleansing me of all my sin stains and thank you that I can now come boldly to your throne to worship you and to bring my requests to you my King. Lord, let me stand strong in the reality that I have been given the gift of your righteousness. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

© Copyright 2008 Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

The Knowledge of God's Love

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

The love of God empowers us; it inspires us to excel. When a teacher sees potential in a student and tells him that he has great promise in a particular field, the student is encouraged to take on new challenges and to expand his expertise in that field of study. When a mother tells her daughter that she is gifted in a certain area, the girl is motivated to cultivate that particular talent. Encouragement instills confidence in the individual.

Nothing can stop the believer who knows and understands God's love for him or her. Even in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances, the child of God can declare that he or she is more than a conquerer. Why? Because love dispels fear and causes us to overcome the hurdles of life (1 John 4:18).

David, the shepherd boy, defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. But these were not his only weapons. David had cultivated a strong relationship with his God. He knew the love of God like few did in his day. Because of that love, David had confidence to defeat the giant and to one day lead the nation of Israel. In Psalm 18:35 David declared, “You have also given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand has held me up, your gentleness has made me great.” There is a picture here of God stooping down to lift David up. This is what God does. He treats us with kindness and gentleness. He takes us just the way we are, and he stoops down to lift us up.

It is the love of God that turned a coward like Gideon into a champion, and it is the love of God that can transform our lives. Let's pray for God to unfold his limitless love to us. He will answer this prayer. Let's search the Scriptures for the unfolding of this truth. And accompanied with that revelation will come his transforming power. The Lord will show us what our gifts are. And his encouragement will instill within us a Christ-centered confidence. A confidence that can only come through the knowledge of God's love.

© Copyright 2009 Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

Forgiveness

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

Our Lord wants us to be free from oppression. When we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts, we experience a lack of fellowship with our heavenly Father, and we give the enemy an inroad into our lives. As born again believers, God has forgiven us of our sin, but unforgiveness keeps us from receiving the abundant life the Lord promises us. We become unable to experience His forgiveness.

When we choose to let go of the anger we have for another, we free ourselves. God commands us to forgive. We must remember that Jesus Christ forgave us of our wrongdoing against Him. He died because of our own sin. The Lord does not ask us to do something we can not do. He enables us. He gives us His love, and when we choose as an act of faith to forgive someone, He fills us with the love we need.

We may not feel merciful when we choose to forgive, but our faith is not based on feelings. Sometimes forgiveness is a process, but as we move in this direction of healing, God will bless us.

If you have been hurt by someone, but have not chosen to forgive, why not take time now to pray and forgive this person. What they have done may have been extremely wrong and damaging. God still commands us to forgive. This does not mean that we condone or approve of what the person did to us; it simply means that we no longer hold it against him or her. As Christ has forgiven us, we choose to forgive the individual. Included below is a prayer of forgiveness. Please offer this prayer to God if this applies to you.

Dear heavenly Father,

I am sorry for harboring unforgiveness in my heart. I know that what _________________ did to me was wrong, but I choose to forgive him/her. I trust that You will give me the love I need, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, to completely forgive _________________. Thank you for healing my heart and helping me to receive all the blessings You have for me. Lord, when negative feelings arise within me towards this person, I will choose again to forgive in Your Name. I ask you to bless _________________ and help him/her to know You and to walk with you in an upright way. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Abiding in Him

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

A branch draws its very life from the tree it is linked to. Nutrients flow from the trunk to every inch of the bough. Fruit can only be formed while the branch clings to the tree.

Apart from an intimate union with Christ, we are incapable of producing godly character. A lack of ongoing intimacy with Christ disables our effectiveness as witnesses to the world. But when we are linked to the Master through prayer, Bible reading, and continual fellowship with Him, we become vessels of His glory to a world lost in darkness.

If you find yourself lacking in this pursuit, the Lord would not want you to be discouraged. Instead, his desire is that you experience his love for you. He will help us all to take small strides toward this life of abiding. When we fall, he is there to pick us up. The Holy Spirit enables us to move forward in this discipline of continual dependence on Christ.

Dear Master,

I want to abide in you. I desire to draw my strength and character from your spiritual supply. I need to receive your life-giving grace all throughout my day. Help me to depend on you Jesus. I love you. Amen.

© Copyright 2008 Tom Toya. All rights reserved.