SCRIPTURE
Psalm 48:8 & Psalm 48:14
"As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever."
"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end."
OBSERVATION
Its one thing to hear about God and even to know some things about Him and about what He has done for others, but when you have your own first hand experience with Him, it will change you! Everything is settled in Him forever!
APPLICATION
I can look back over my life in Christ and recall even to today the things I see Him at work in. It causes me like the Psalmist to say "O God, I meditate on your unfailing love." and because not only have I heard about Him but I've actually experienced Him moving in my own life and the life of others around me it causes me to see Him. Nicole C. Mullen sings a song "You ask me how I know He lives? I know He lives because I spoke with Him this morning." He moves from being a God you've heard about to the God of your very own life and all its activity! Look at vs 14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end."
PRAYER
Lord, daily I am thankful for your unfailing love. That you have proved yourself in my little life. I'm thankful that it actually brings joy to you when you show yourself in our lives. Help me to lead others who have HEARD about you to places for them to SEE you and know you for their own. Help me and those who know you to remember and be thankful for all the times you show yourself and prove yourself, You are Our God and we love you!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
OBSERVATION
To have respect for the Lord is the starting place of wisdom. But it is not enough just to respect/fear, if you want a fullness of understanding you must follow His precepts. I know many people who are "God-fearing". They are good people and they tend to live good lives, but that is as far as their commitment to follow the Lord goes. There is something lacking, and it is the decision to put the Lord at the center of their lives.
APPLICATION
Sometimes we can forget to put the Lord at the center and we start to live "in the fear of the Lord" and we do the right things, but we haven't allowed His precepts — His ways — to inculcate themselves into our heart. Our lives are changed, but our hearts are not.
My desire is to walk in the fullness of wisdom — to fear the Lord AND to obey Him.
PRAYER
Lord, I have a tendency to get unbalanced in life. It seems so easy to emphasize one extreme over another, and so difficult to walk in balance. Before I know it, I end up somewhere I don't want to be. Help me to live a life that keeps you always right at the center. To keep my heart in tune with your commandments and to allow my behavior to flow out of that heart. Amen.
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
OBSERVATION
To have respect for the Lord is the starting place of wisdom. But it is not enough just to respect/fear, if you want a fullness of understanding you must follow His precepts. I know many people who are "God-fearing". They are good people and they tend to live good lives, but that is as far as their commitment to follow the Lord goes. There is something lacking, and it is the decision to put the Lord at the center of their lives.
APPLICATION
Sometimes we can forget to put the Lord at the center and we start to live "in the fear of the Lord" and we do the right things, but we haven't allowed His precepts — His ways — to inculcate themselves into our heart. Our lives are changed, but our hearts are not.
My desire is to walk in the fullness of wisdom — to fear the Lord AND to obey Him.
PRAYER
Lord, I have a tendency to get unbalanced in life. It seems so easy to emphasize one extreme over another, and so difficult to walk in balance. Before I know it, I end up somewhere I don't want to be. Help me to live a life that keeps you always right at the center. To keep my heart in tune with your commandments and to allow my behavior to flow out of that heart. Amen.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Only One is Worthy of All Glory
SCRIPTURE
(Revelation 4:11) "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."
OBSERVATION
John envisions the throne room of God and sees four living creatures and twenty-four elders around the throne. In this time and place they fall on their faces before Him and begin to chant how worthy God is.
APPLICATION
When we enter the throne room of God through our praise and worship, the focus should be all upon God and who He is. To focus upon ourselves and ask for personal needs in this time and place of worship and holiness is sacrilegious and out of order. To make personal requests here is to exalt yourself to a position of priority. There is no one, except God, who is worthy of all focus and attention. Don't pollute holy worship with self-gratification. There is a time to make your requests known to God, and there is a time to focus solely upon Him.
PRAYER
Lord, Your word says You know what I want and need even before I ask. I trust Your provision and desire to come to this holy place of total worship and focus on You alone. You are holy and righteous and worthy of all praise and honor.
(Revelation 4:11) "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."
OBSERVATION
John envisions the throne room of God and sees four living creatures and twenty-four elders around the throne. In this time and place they fall on their faces before Him and begin to chant how worthy God is.
APPLICATION
When we enter the throne room of God through our praise and worship, the focus should be all upon God and who He is. To focus upon ourselves and ask for personal needs in this time and place of worship and holiness is sacrilegious and out of order. To make personal requests here is to exalt yourself to a position of priority. There is no one, except God, who is worthy of all focus and attention. Don't pollute holy worship with self-gratification. There is a time to make your requests known to God, and there is a time to focus solely upon Him.
PRAYER
Lord, Your word says You know what I want and need even before I ask. I trust Your provision and desire to come to this holy place of total worship and focus on You alone. You are holy and righteous and worthy of all praise and honor.
Friday, August 29, 2008
What Made God Sick?
SCRIPTURE
(Revelation 3:15 & 16) "I know your deeds, that your are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
OBSERVATION
Another one of the churches that had compromised their walk with God was the church at Laodicea. These Christians had become lukewarm or complacent in their worship and service. God's desire is that they were either sold out for Him or not a follower at all. Their half-way commitment makes God sick, so to speak, to the point that he vomits them out of his mouth.
APPLICATION
Partial commitment is the seed bed for discontentment in any relationship. Setting conditions for our worship is not worship at all but a contractual agreement based on reciprical benefits. We must either serve God whole heartedly with no reservations, or not at all because God won't take second place in our life. That makes Him Sick!
PRAYER
Lord, I will serve You, and have no other god's before You. With all that I am I will give praise to You. I give You first place in my life.
(Revelation 3:15 & 16) "I know your deeds, that your are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
OBSERVATION
Another one of the churches that had compromised their walk with God was the church at Laodicea. These Christians had become lukewarm or complacent in their worship and service. God's desire is that they were either sold out for Him or not a follower at all. Their half-way commitment makes God sick, so to speak, to the point that he vomits them out of his mouth.
APPLICATION
Partial commitment is the seed bed for discontentment in any relationship. Setting conditions for our worship is not worship at all but a contractual agreement based on reciprical benefits. We must either serve God whole heartedly with no reservations, or not at all because God won't take second place in our life. That makes Him Sick!
PRAYER
Lord, I will serve You, and have no other god's before You. With all that I am I will give praise to You. I give You first place in my life.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Have You Lost The Way?
SCRIPTURE
(Revelation 2:2-4) "I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
OBSERVATION
John is writing this exhortation and addresses it to the church in Ephesus. He says they have endured alot, but they left their first love. Paul makes the point in I Cor. 13, that without love we amount to nothing. John warns the church that if they don't repent and return to His love, He will remove them.
APPLICATION
Paul writing to Timothy says all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching and training. I believe the contemporary church is guilty of leaving its first love and pursuing that which is politically correct. We must return to our first love and zeal for the cause of Christ or stand in judgement of being removed. Have we lost our way?
PRAYER
Lord, I repent of my overconcern for momentary security. Help me to be aware of the opportunities to love others for Your sake. Restore my first love of You!
(Revelation 2:2-4) "I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
OBSERVATION
John is writing this exhortation and addresses it to the church in Ephesus. He says they have endured alot, but they left their first love. Paul makes the point in I Cor. 13, that without love we amount to nothing. John warns the church that if they don't repent and return to His love, He will remove them.
APPLICATION
Paul writing to Timothy says all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching and training. I believe the contemporary church is guilty of leaving its first love and pursuing that which is politically correct. We must return to our first love and zeal for the cause of Christ or stand in judgement of being removed. Have we lost our way?
PRAYER
Lord, I repent of my overconcern for momentary security. Help me to be aware of the opportunities to love others for Your sake. Restore my first love of You!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Are You Listening?
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.
(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.
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.
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