SCRIPTURE
(Revelation 1:3) "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."
OBSERVATION
John has been instructed to chronicle a prophetic vision for the seven churches scattered throught Asia. Inherant in the reading and application of these words is a blessing. The obvious blessing in John's life is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. As with most prophetic words with a judgement content, it is difficult to personally apply. John was not writing it to tickle the ears of his readers, but out of obedience.
APPLICATION
It is not enough to hear the prophetic words from God, they must be applied. That has never changed! Many people want to receive words of monetary gain or physical health, but there is a tendency to resist words that require personal sacrifice or a lifestyle change. Revelation literally means "the unveiling." God is about to expose what is, and what is to come. Are you listening?
PRAYER
God, cause my spirit to hear Your Spirit and give me understanding. Give disclosure of deeper insight into Your will for my life and how You want me to invest my life in others as time as we know it draws to its close.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Influence of Pride
SCRIPTURE
(IIIJohn 9&10) "I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church."
OBSERVATION
Believe it or not, there are those who have self-advancing motivations in the church. If you do not follow their direction you may stand the risk of verbal assault or excommunication. In this case, John says he will expose the deeds and identify the false accusations when he comes to them.
APPLICATION
It is important to weigh the words of a man with the truth of God's Word, and his love for God and the church. When there is a great focus on the leader or significant people within the church, the seeds of pride will begin to flourish. Pride comes before destruction.
PRAYER
God, keep my focus on You. May those who hear my audible words, sense the spiritual realm of Your kingdom.
(IIIJohn 9&10) "I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church."
OBSERVATION
Believe it or not, there are those who have self-advancing motivations in the church. If you do not follow their direction you may stand the risk of verbal assault or excommunication. In this case, John says he will expose the deeds and identify the false accusations when he comes to them.
APPLICATION
It is important to weigh the words of a man with the truth of God's Word, and his love for God and the church. When there is a great focus on the leader or significant people within the church, the seeds of pride will begin to flourish. Pride comes before destruction.
PRAYER
God, keep my focus on You. May those who hear my audible words, sense the spiritual realm of Your kingdom.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sit Up and Listen to Your Teacher
SCRIPTURE
(IIJohn 9) "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son."
OBSERVATION
John is warning his readers about those who appear to be believers but deny the diety of Christ and the supremecy of His teachings. To abide in something means to live in it and it in you. The teachings of Jesus have the power of eternal life, but are difficult to impliment in the natural man.
APPLICATION
It is possible to go to far by not keeping the teachings of Christ, or simply compromising or denying the power there of. If we deny or chose not to apply the teachings of Jesus, we deny relationship with God the Father. Refusing to apply the lessons taught by "the teacher" will cost you more than detention after school. We all need to sit up and listen to the teacher.
PRAYER
Lord, let Your teachings motivate my actions, and Your Spirit empower my emotions.
(IIJohn 9) "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son."
OBSERVATION
John is warning his readers about those who appear to be believers but deny the diety of Christ and the supremecy of His teachings. To abide in something means to live in it and it in you. The teachings of Jesus have the power of eternal life, but are difficult to impliment in the natural man.
APPLICATION
It is possible to go to far by not keeping the teachings of Christ, or simply compromising or denying the power there of. If we deny or chose not to apply the teachings of Jesus, we deny relationship with God the Father. Refusing to apply the lessons taught by "the teacher" will cost you more than detention after school. We all need to sit up and listen to the teacher.
PRAYER
Lord, let Your teachings motivate my actions, and Your Spirit empower my emotions.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Plans to Prosper You . . .
SCRIPTURE
Jeremiah 29:11-14 "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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."
OBSERVATION
Of course, everyone loves Jeremiah 29:11. We claim it because we all want to prosper and have hope and a future and not be harmed. However, we sometimes fail to continue on, to Jeremiah 12 and beyond. This is a conditional promise. We, first, must seek Him with all of our heart. We must call upon Him and pray to Him and He will listen to us. God promises that when we seek Him with all of our heart, He will be found, and He will bring us back.
When we step out of line of God's will for us; when we are knowingly disobedient, how can we expect God to prosper us? He is a loving Father who wants the very best for us. Sometimes the things we desire are not the very best for us. Sometimes the paths we choose, without first seeking His direction, are not the paths He would choose for us. There is a definite order to be learned here. "Call upon me", "come and pray to me", "I will listen to you", and "I will be found by you", and "I will bring you back".
APPLICATION
I'm going to memorize these verses in a different order, starting with verse 13 and 14, then proceeding to verse 11. Because I don't ever want to take God's promise for granted if I am living outside of his will or making decisions without first consulting Him. Now, when I need the comfort of Jeremiah 29:11, I will first ask myself if I'm living up to my end.
PRAYER
Lord above, thank you for the reminder to seek You; to call out to You; and to do it with all of my heart. Thank you for always having my best interest at heart. Let me not ever forget to make all choices that would line up with Your will for my life and the lives of my family. Amen.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 "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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."
OBSERVATION
Of course, everyone loves Jeremiah 29:11. We claim it because we all want to prosper and have hope and a future and not be harmed. However, we sometimes fail to continue on, to Jeremiah 12 and beyond. This is a conditional promise. We, first, must seek Him with all of our heart. We must call upon Him and pray to Him and He will listen to us. God promises that when we seek Him with all of our heart, He will be found, and He will bring us back.
When we step out of line of God's will for us; when we are knowingly disobedient, how can we expect God to prosper us? He is a loving Father who wants the very best for us. Sometimes the things we desire are not the very best for us. Sometimes the paths we choose, without first seeking His direction, are not the paths He would choose for us. There is a definite order to be learned here. "Call upon me", "come and pray to me", "I will listen to you", and "I will be found by you", and "I will bring you back".
APPLICATION
I'm going to memorize these verses in a different order, starting with verse 13 and 14, then proceeding to verse 11. Because I don't ever want to take God's promise for granted if I am living outside of his will or making decisions without first consulting Him. Now, when I need the comfort of Jeremiah 29:11, I will first ask myself if I'm living up to my end.
PRAYER
Lord above, thank you for the reminder to seek You; to call out to You; and to do it with all of my heart. Thank you for always having my best interest at heart. Let me not ever forget to make all choices that would line up with Your will for my life and the lives of my family. Amen.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Walking in the Light
SCRIPTURE
1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
OBSERVATION
John is sharing some of what the disciples learned from Jesus while He was with them. He contrasts the light, which is goodness against darkness, which is evil. Of course, God is the light. There is no evil whatsoever in Him. God is truth and holiness and purity.
John warns us against saying that we have fellowship with Jesus and and then living a life that does not practice it by walking in the darkness (i.e. living a life that contains evil).
As I think about God's light - His goodness, His holiness, His purity - it makes everything of this world seem dirty and ugly. Naturally, that is not the case however, I can use His holiness to weigh the things in my life that fall short of an existence filled with light. I can evaluate choices, people, situations, issues and decisions based on what would fall in line with God's light. If every decision I make is evaluated through these lenses, most should be very clear and meet with His approval.
APPLICATION
I need to base my thoughts, words and actions on whether or not they fall into the "light" or "darkness" category. Although the phrase WWJD (What would Jesus do?) is cliche and overused, it does apply. I prefer to think about how I would think, look and act if I were standing in the presence of God. My choices need to be pure enough to meet with His scrutiny at all times.
PRAYER
Father, I thank you for your Word. I will continue to pour your guidance and wisdom into my life and into the lives of my children. We will continue to seek Your "light" and eliminate any areas of darkness that may come our way. Please continue to remind us and convict us when we begin to go astray. Amen.
1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
OBSERVATION
John is sharing some of what the disciples learned from Jesus while He was with them. He contrasts the light, which is goodness against darkness, which is evil. Of course, God is the light. There is no evil whatsoever in Him. God is truth and holiness and purity.
John warns us against saying that we have fellowship with Jesus and and then living a life that does not practice it by walking in the darkness (i.e. living a life that contains evil).
As I think about God's light - His goodness, His holiness, His purity - it makes everything of this world seem dirty and ugly. Naturally, that is not the case however, I can use His holiness to weigh the things in my life that fall short of an existence filled with light. I can evaluate choices, people, situations, issues and decisions based on what would fall in line with God's light. If every decision I make is evaluated through these lenses, most should be very clear and meet with His approval.
APPLICATION
I need to base my thoughts, words and actions on whether or not they fall into the "light" or "darkness" category. Although the phrase WWJD (What would Jesus do?) is cliche and overused, it does apply. I prefer to think about how I would think, look and act if I were standing in the presence of God. My choices need to be pure enough to meet with His scrutiny at all times.
PRAYER
Father, I thank you for your Word. I will continue to pour your guidance and wisdom into my life and into the lives of my children. We will continue to seek Your "light" and eliminate any areas of darkness that may come our way. Please continue to remind us and convict us when we begin to go astray. Amen.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
PTL
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 105:1-4 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
OBSERVATION
As I read about Psalm 105, I learned that it was written to be presented to Israel during an annual religious festival. It was an exhortation to Israel to remember what the Lord had done for them since the covenant with Abraham and, in great detail, the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.
But, what I most loved about the chapter was the opening four verses. Can any of us not feel compelled to thank the Lord for what He has done in our lives? Are you not compelled to call on His name, sing to Him, praise Him, rejoice in Him when you recall his great blessings in your life? I reflect on what my life was like before Him. I sometimes even dare to imagine what my life would be like now without Him. That motivates me to present my undying gratitude and thankfulness to our mighty God.
The psalmist goes on to encourage us to 'make know among the nations what he has done" and to "tell of all his wonderful acts". I have personal stories of when God was with me through a difficult time or situation. I can recount physical and emotional healing in my life. Am I sharing that with others? He didn't bring me through those things just because He loves me. These experiences are to be shared so that He is glorified in the telling.
Lastly, I observe that we are to "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." I have got to take everything to Him FIRST. I will be in the middle of a situation or challenge and then remember that I can take it to God. And I tell myself, "That should have already happened, silly!". But . . . I am getting better.
What great verses - they have so much in them . . . worship Him, tell others about Him, seek Him!
APPLICATION
I'm going to refer to these verses occasionally to remind myself to keep my prayers balanced between worship and supplication. I want to spend more time entering into a time of remembrance of all that the Lord has done for me.
PRAYER
Lord, I praise You for who You are and all You have done for me. As I reflect, I see Your hand on my life at all times - guiding, protecting, disciplining, encouraging, teaching. Thank you, Father! I pray that I will get better at involving you FIRST AND FOREMOST in my daily challenges and opportunities . I thank you for Your Spirit and pray He will continue to fill me until You are spilling over onto others. I love you!
Psalm 105:1-4 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
OBSERVATION
As I read about Psalm 105, I learned that it was written to be presented to Israel during an annual religious festival. It was an exhortation to Israel to remember what the Lord had done for them since the covenant with Abraham and, in great detail, the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.
But, what I most loved about the chapter was the opening four verses. Can any of us not feel compelled to thank the Lord for what He has done in our lives? Are you not compelled to call on His name, sing to Him, praise Him, rejoice in Him when you recall his great blessings in your life? I reflect on what my life was like before Him. I sometimes even dare to imagine what my life would be like now without Him. That motivates me to present my undying gratitude and thankfulness to our mighty God.
The psalmist goes on to encourage us to 'make know among the nations what he has done" and to "tell of all his wonderful acts". I have personal stories of when God was with me through a difficult time or situation. I can recount physical and emotional healing in my life. Am I sharing that with others? He didn't bring me through those things just because He loves me. These experiences are to be shared so that He is glorified in the telling.
Lastly, I observe that we are to "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." I have got to take everything to Him FIRST. I will be in the middle of a situation or challenge and then remember that I can take it to God. And I tell myself, "That should have already happened, silly!". But . . . I am getting better.
What great verses - they have so much in them . . . worship Him, tell others about Him, seek Him!
APPLICATION
I'm going to refer to these verses occasionally to remind myself to keep my prayers balanced between worship and supplication. I want to spend more time entering into a time of remembrance of all that the Lord has done for me.
PRAYER
Lord, I praise You for who You are and all You have done for me. As I reflect, I see Your hand on my life at all times - guiding, protecting, disciplining, encouraging, teaching. Thank you, Father! I pray that I will get better at involving you FIRST AND FOREMOST in my daily challenges and opportunities . I thank you for Your Spirit and pray He will continue to fill me until You are spilling over onto others. I love you!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Blessed by Believing
SCRIPTURE
John 20:29-31 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
OBSERVATION
As I re-read this Scripture, I was reminded of my own personal search for answers about God. I wanted evidence - tangible proof that the Bible was irrefutably true. Eventually, God brought me to a place where I was to walk away or to step out in faith. Obviously, I chose faith.
So, as Jesus is proving Himself to Thomas, he tells the disciples that those who believe without seeing will be blessed. That's us! That's me! That is all current and future believers.
The last sentence of this passage made me realize what a huge responsibility the disciples must have felt . . . to tell others of what they had actually seen. And from those few who saw firsthand sprang forth a church of millions and millions!
APPLICATION
Now that the hard part is over (believing without seeing), it is now this disciple's responsibility to tell others so that they, too, can have life in His name.
I need to remember how I used to doubt, just as Thomas did, and apply those memories to how I am to approach telling others about Jesus. Our responsibility is no less than what was placed upon the original disciples. Of course, we can't do it without the Holy Spirit. But, with the Holy Spirit, we can continue to add to His church and more and more will have life in His name!
PRAYER
Father, thank You for offering me life in Your son's name. Forgive me for ever doubting yet knowing that I and many others would. You are compassionate and all-knowing even in dealing with stubborn individuals and "doubting Thomases'. Assist me, Holy Spirit, in reaching others who doubt the existence of an "unseen" God. May I be as bold, wise and convincing as John was.
John 20:29-31 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
OBSERVATION
As I re-read this Scripture, I was reminded of my own personal search for answers about God. I wanted evidence - tangible proof that the Bible was irrefutably true. Eventually, God brought me to a place where I was to walk away or to step out in faith. Obviously, I chose faith.
So, as Jesus is proving Himself to Thomas, he tells the disciples that those who believe without seeing will be blessed. That's us! That's me! That is all current and future believers.
The last sentence of this passage made me realize what a huge responsibility the disciples must have felt . . . to tell others of what they had actually seen. And from those few who saw firsthand sprang forth a church of millions and millions!
APPLICATION
Now that the hard part is over (believing without seeing), it is now this disciple's responsibility to tell others so that they, too, can have life in His name.
I need to remember how I used to doubt, just as Thomas did, and apply those memories to how I am to approach telling others about Jesus. Our responsibility is no less than what was placed upon the original disciples. Of course, we can't do it without the Holy Spirit. But, with the Holy Spirit, we can continue to add to His church and more and more will have life in His name!
PRAYER
Father, thank You for offering me life in Your son's name. Forgive me for ever doubting yet knowing that I and many others would. You are compassionate and all-knowing even in dealing with stubborn individuals and "doubting Thomases'. Assist me, Holy Spirit, in reaching others who doubt the existence of an "unseen" God. May I be as bold, wise and convincing as John was.
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