Author Archives: edmesser

Excellence

1 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 4

Hallelujah! I belong to you, Father. I have been bought by you with a price. I am no longer my own, therefore, I glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in my body. I flee sexual immorality.

My body is your temple, Holy Spirit. You are a gift to me from our father, and I am led by you and filled with your presence.

I am washed, and I am sanctified. I am justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by you, Holy Spirit.

So now I am free in Christ. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the power of any. My body is now for you, Lord, and you take care of my body. You raised up the Lord Jesus, and you will raise me by that same power

My body is a member of Christ Jesus. While I am in my flesh, I am on earthen vessel filled with the treasure of your spirit, Father, that the excellence of your divine power will witness to you and glorify you. It’s not me, Lord; it is you and the glory of the face of Jesus Christ!

Joyous

2 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 4; Galatians 6

Thank you, Father, that by your grace, through faith, and by the person of your Holy Spirit, I am born again. I am a new creature in Christ. You have claimed me and made me a servant of my Lord Jesus and a steward of your glorious mysteries.

Now I press on to be a faithful steward. I am living much more righteously than before you converted me, but that is not what justifies me.

You were the one who judges me, Lord, and I know to judge nothing before it’s time. When you come, Lord, you will bring a light to the things hidden in darkness, and you will reveal the councils of the heart. The real praise will come from you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Everything I have of value and use and virtue comes from you, Father, through the gift of your spirit and through the word of Jesus Christ, so I am humbled. I know I have no reason to be puffed up or to boast.

God forbid that I should ever boast in anything except in your cross, Lord Jesus. By you the world has been crucified to me, and I have been crucified to the world. In Christ, I am a new creature, and it is joyous. 

All Is Mine

1 Corinthians 3

Thank you, Father, for the people in my life who witnessed your gospel to me. They planted, and they watered, but it is your divine power that gave the life, the increase.

Now I am your temple, Father. Your Holy Spirit dwells in me. My foundation is Jesus Christ ‘s atoning sacrifice and righteous life. In faith, I build on that foundation with obedience, knowledge, endurance, and virtue.

I pray, by your grace, that my faith will stand the tribulation of life in this flesh, and that my faith will overcome the world, day by day, until you call me home.

Nothing and no one can defile your work in me, Father, for you will destroy them. For by your power, as a temple of your Holy Spirit, I am holy, and I am filled with a glory, who is your presence.

I am not deceived. None of this is about my wisdom or goodness. Instead it is all about your plan and provision for me. By your grace and mercy, all is mine. In life and death, in things present and things to come, I am Christ’s, and Christ is yours, Father.

My Heritage

Isaiah 54; 2 Corinthians 5; Isaiah 54

In my past, I have been afflicted and tossed by sin, and by the works of the flesh, but you, Father, chose me and called me and brought me to faith in Jesus and to repentance from sin. Now I have been redeemed, and my barren life has begun to be made useful to you, Lord God.

Now you have begun to build me into your glorious temple. There is beauty like rubies and crystals in my life. The people you have used me to minister your love and your word to are taught by you, and they will live in your great peace.

In Christ, you have established for me a perfect righteousness that is mine through faith. You made him who knew no sin to be sin for me, and I became the righteousness of God in him. So by Christ Jesus, you, Father, are pleased with me. I am your beloved. So now I am free from oppression, and no terror can come near me.

In some cases, you allow a spoiler to attack and to test, but I know that no weapon formed against me can prosper, and I know that any words that come up to accuse me, you will condemn. I am, by your grace, in Christ, your righteous servant, and your peace and provision and person is my heritage.

Always and Never

Isaiah 54

I sing, oh Lord, even though I do not seem to have done much good with my life. In my past, I have been sinful and wasted time and let folks down.

But now I sing and cry aloud. You say you will enlarge my life. You say I will be useful to you, that my descendants will inherit.

I do not fear, for you, Father, have taken my shame and my disgrace. You have put the shame and foolishness of my past behind us. You, Lord Jesus, have paid the penalty for my sins. You remember them no more.

You, Lord, have chosen me and loved me like a husband for his bride. You are the steward of all of my life. You are the Lord of Hosts, and you have redeemed me from destruction and hell.

There have been times when you have had to chastise me for a moment and discipline me for my sin, but with great mercy, you gather me back, and with everlasting kindness, you have mercy on me.

You have made a covenant with Christ Jesus, Father, and I am in Christ, so I know your covenant will last forever. Your mercy is always on me, and your kindness never leaves me. 

In Me and For Me and On Me

1 Corinthians 1&2; Colossians 1; 1 Corinthians 2

Good morning, Heavenly Father, I glory in you and in your work in my life. You have worked my will and my work to suit you. You have placed me in Christ, and Christ is wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for me.

Your wisdom, Lord, is your hidden wisdom, which you ordained before the ages, for your glory and for my salvation and sanctification.

In your scripture, you have made known the answer to the mystery, which is your placing of your Holy Spirit in man. A new spiritual birth. A new man, who is glorious, living in me, who will lead me and teach me and comfort me, and who will never leave me or forsake me. He is my sure hope of glory.

I have received your Holy Spirit, and through him and your scripture, I know the things that you have freely given me, Father. Your Holy Spirit reveals things to me and searches all the deep things in me and brings them into agreement with you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You know the great, living things of God, Holy Spirit, and you make them plain to me. By your person and presence in me and for me and on me, I have the mind of Christ. 

Many

Isaiah 53

Lord Jesus, I had gone astray. I had turned away from you and gone my own way. I was nasty and selfish. I was evil. I lied and broke vows. I hurt others physically and emotionally. I deserved punishment and death.

But, Lord, in your grace and mercy, you bore my grief. You were wounded for my transgressions, and you were bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement that should’ve been on me fell instead on you. You took the whippings that should’ve been on me, and somehow, through your mercy and love, my eternal “lostness” was healed, and I was reconciled to God, my father.

It pleased our father, to bruise you, Lord, because your perfection and righteousness were able to be a complete and perfect propitiation for the sins of me, and for all who would recognize their sin against God and confess and repent and receive you, Lord Jesus, as the payment for their justification, and who would make you the new Lord and the “forever” Lord of their life.

Yes, Father, you put Jesus to grief when you made his soul an offering for sin, but now he sees the seed, the many sons he has born into the kingdom.

By your labor and courage, Lord Jesus, many are justified, and hallelujah, I am one of them. Thank you, Lord, for your love, and for your life. I am yours, Lord, delivered, healed, and set free by your perfect atonement and your perfect life.

Whether I Live or Die

Roman14,6,8,&12; John 3&14; 2 Timothy 1

You, Lord Jesus, died and rose and live again. Thus you are the Lord of both the dead and the living. Whether I live or die, I belong to you, Lord.

My knee bows to you, and my mouth confesses that you are the Christ. You are God. You took on flesh and lived a righteous life. You suffered and died and paid the penalty for my sins. You imputed your perfection to me and thereby justified me and reconciled me to God, our father

You filled me with a measure of faith, so I believe. You grant me repentance to turn from sin and to return to you, the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul.

You, Holy Spirit, moved over me and in me. Now I am born from above, born this second time by the spirit. A new man, a divine man, now lives in me.

Today I reckon myself dead to sin and to my old man and alive to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My old man is crucified with you, Lord Jesus. My flesh no longer controls me, but now, day by day, thought by thought, your spirit leads me, and your living word fills my mind.

I am transformed. I am hidden with you now, Lord Jesus. The world has nothing in me. My joy is full. I live in your power and love, filled with your spirit, Lord.

Led and Fed

Romans 13&12

Time is moving along in your kingdom, Father. I am awake. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Hallelujah, I have cast off the works of darkness, and I have put on the armor of light.

I walk in your spirit, Lord Jesus, led by your spirit and fed by your word. I walk in holiness and contentedness. I walk in peace and rest. I commune with you, Lord Jesus, and I make no provision for the lust of the flesh.

As much as possible, I live peaceably with all men. I love my neighbor as I want to be loved. I abore evil, and I cling to what is good. I pay attention to others.

I am not wise in my own opinion. I often make mistakes, but I try to learn from them, Father. I seek after you and your spirit of wisdom and temperance. I seek to serve you, Lord.

I rejoice in hope. I am patient in tribulation. I am ceaseless in prayer. I am generous to the brethren, and I am given to hospitality. I love being your son and living in your family!

Gave To Me

Isaiah 40&46; Romans 11; Isaiah 46; Romans 8&5

I am joined together with you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I feed on your word. I drink your righteousness. I commune with you day and night. You renew my strength. I mount up on wings like an eagle. I run and I am not weary. I walk with you, Lord, and I do not faint.

I hear you, Lord. You knew me in the womb. You have upheld me since my birth. Now, in my old age, you are always with me. Even with my gray hair, you carry me. You made me. You bear me. You deliver me. I keep my eyes on you, Lord, and you save me, for you are Almighty God, and there is no other.

From you, through you, and to you are all things. You bring righteousness near and make it apply to me. You put salvation‘s way before me. You declare the end from the beginning. Your council stands, and you do what pleases you. You speak it, and you bring it to pass. You purpose it, and you do it.

For your purpose, you foreknew me. You predestined me to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus. You predestined me, and you called me. You justified me, and you glorified me. You poured out your love, in my heart, through your Holy Spirit, who you gave to me!