November 29, 2017 They are just keeping me down!?!?!?!?

Reading: 1 Timothy 1 and Daniel 3-4

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:8-9a, Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners

Observation: When reading this it struck me on how often I have heard that, “The Law” is holding me back or holding me down. I hear about people wanting to rise up against the establishment because they don’t agree with The Law. Here it is saying that the law is not for the just. The Law (The 10 Commandments) were given to be a mirror to us so we could see the need for God and redemption. Most modern Laws that I know about (not being a lawyer) are based on The 10 Commandments (excluding the one about God being first in your life). The law is not there to show good we are but as a measure of how much grace we have been shown and how we can not measure up. Jesus summed up all the laws into two “Love God and Love your neighbors as your self” I know how hard it is to love someone who does you wrong, but that is what we are called to. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for all you have done and the opportunities you place before me each day. I thank you for your blessings and provision. I ask that you kelp me to learn to love as you love. 

November 28, 2017 This little light of mine

Reading: Philippians 4, Daniel 1-2 and Psalm 137

Scripture: Philippians 4:22, All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

Observation: As we read though Daniel today and were looking at his life being drug to Babylon and trained, Daniel remained a light for God. He asked to not be fed the kings food and when the king had a dream and God gave him the interpretation he pointed strait to the one who showed him the dream and the interpretation. Like Daniel, Paul remained a light when he was under house arrest in Rome at Caesar’s palace. Paul not only was given freedoms to preach and teach from a house he was places in as he awaited his trial with Caesar, it is said that many in the house of Caesar came to know God and embrace the Christ and his church though Paul. These members of Caesars house were such a part of Pauls life and ministry there when writing this letter to the church at Philippi he basically said “hey all my homies as hi too.” Weather we are in captivity, at our jobs, in our homes or on the street like Paul says, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:11 

Prayer: Father I thank you for all you have done in my life, the ups the downs you have been by my side even though I may not have wanted to acknowledge you. I thank you for my family and place them in your hands and seek your guidance in the next steps of my life. I thank you for the provisions and blessings you pour out on us each day and the strength to cary on. I ask that you remind us and help us to be the light you have created us to be to reach those around us.

November 27, 2017 The struggle is real

Reading: Philippians 3, Lamentations 4-5 and Obadiah 1

Scripture: Philippians 3:7, But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

This passage is one almost every Christian has heard and possibly quoted at some point. Even being a Christian most of my life and hearing this passage taught from time to time I admit that I both didn’t listen to it or didn’t understand what was being taught. Over the years during the time I walked away from God acknowledging him with my words and not my actions (something I still struggle with) I also saw that all the advantages and benefits in my career were because I was doing them myself and didn’t acknowledge God’s involvement in my life. Paul was a self made man in the eyes of the Pharisees he did everything right and was on the holy war against “The Way” and after God got ahold of him on the road to Damascus Paul learned that his past was nothing and got to see the benefits to living for Christ. Since God got back ahold of me and I stopped looking at what I have done and where I have gotten me and my family he has blessed me with more then I ever thought I would have and I am still working on giving it all back to him. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for getting my attention again and using the 2x4 to help me to struggle with my words and actions to aline in your love. I thank you for your love that you give that I can pour out. I thank you for your provisions and blessings each day I thank you for my family and again I place them in your hands. Help me to listen to the Holy Spirit and open myself to your leadings to touch those around me. 

November 22, 2017 Equipping of who??

Reading: Ephesians 4, 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-12, And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

The passage goes well with yesterday in that being stewards of grace and the Gospel we are not to be the Pew jockeys that so many churches have, we are to be disciples of Christ. When one becomes a disciple of something they leave their old life behind and go fully into whatever it is spending all their time and energy on it. We are called to be disciples. In this passage the saints mentioned are just those who believe and have accepted Christ so that is us. There are those of us who are called to teach, preach and shepherd but the church (individual congregations and weekly services) are not what we are to do to get through the week or just where we are to serve to be able to say we are serving God. Services are meant to be a time to worship and be equipped for ministry. 

In yesterdays reading and what I talked about was being the steward of Grace, That is our ministry being that ministry may take many different forms due to needs both within and outside the Church (body of Believers). I don’t want to be a pew warmer where all I do is attend church and maybe help out during services in some capacity, as we get equipped and grow in our walk we also need to open ourselves to hearing the Holy Spirit because he will show you opportunities to build up the body or plant a seed.

Prayer: Father I thank you for everything, without you there is nothing. I thank you for my family and friends who gather around me. I thank you for your daily blessings and provisions. I long to hear your voice more. I ask you help me to step out of my comfort zone and act upon the urgings of the Holy Spirit in my life, help me to plant the seed in my own life that it may become a tree that will produce many seeds. 

November 21, 2017 Make me a Colander!!!

Reaching: Ephesians 3, Ezekiel 31-32 and Psalm 45

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-2, 1For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 

For a long time and in many of the churches I have attended, other then talking about the great commission, we never really heard that those of us there had any other responsibility other then coming to services and serving in the church somehow. Paul here was reminding us that WE are the stewards of Gods grace, Matthew 18:18 tells us we have the authority to bind and loose. We have not been called to just be pew warmers and servants in the house. As stewards we are charged with the responsibility to properly distributing that grace. I know I am guilty of holding tight to that grace and not wanting to let it go, just like the love of God the more we pour out on those around us and share with the world the more he pours into us. Pastor Glen Eastman said it this way at a marriage conference a couple weeks ago, “What ever your cup is full of when it gets spilled will be what others see.” We need to keep our cups full of Love and Grace, and not let our cups get filled with the anger and venom that the world encourages us to hold onto. 

Prayer: Father I stand in awe of how you are able to touch other through the anger and venom in my life. I thank you for my family and place them in your hands. I thank you for the blessings and provisions you pour out on us even though we don’t deserve it. I ask that you help me to not place the anger and venom into my cup and to only put your love and grace there to pour out on others. Help me to be a mirror and a colander that your love and grace and just flow through me. 

November 20, 2017 May I reflect better

Reading: Ephesians 2, Ezekiel 29-30 and Psalm 147

Scripture: Psalm 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 

Ephesians 2:4-5, But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

Observation: This weekend at service one of the points my Pastor made was be encouraged by knowing who is in your corner, using the Scripture Romans 8:31. In conjunction with the Passages that I read today, Not only is he on our side fighting for us, but also he is out doctor. God wants to heal us, when you workout the reason they tell you to rotate through working different parts of the body is because when you work hard you are tearing down your muscles and they need a couple days to heal and become stronger. 

God dose not cause bad things to happen or someone to sin or be tempted, but he will use those things to strengthen your faith. I know that in my past I have blamed God for thing, and I have at times given the enemy too much credit that he did it. Life because of the fallen nature of the world will have hurts and trials trying to tear us down. We know the ending Christ has already defeated the enemy, God is on our side taking the hits when we can’t and healing us and using those pains in our life to strengthen us. Each trial and pain we have in our life can ether break or dull the mirror we use to reflect Gods love or polish it a little brighter.

Prayer: Father I am amazed how you use these trials and pains to draw us closer to you. I thank you for all the work you have done in my life and the gifts, blessings and provisions you pour out on us each day. I ask that you help me to be polished and strengthened by these trials and not just shatter under presser. 

November 15, 2017 Ooooh Look another Brownie Point

Reading: Galatians 3 and Ezekiel 19-20

Scripture: Galatians 3:23, Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 

I don’t know how many times I have fallen back into the mindset of living under the law and not by faith. I feel like my head naturally strives to gravitate towards the law, it’s black and white. I can look at the law and check off I have not done this or that so I’m good. Just as the passage says when I think that way I am a captive. I forget that God is not about a giant list of DOs and DON’Ts but he wants to walk with us and be in relationship with us. 

It’s not about who clean we are or how many brownie points we have earned (even though we can never really earn anything from God). Jesus came to the Earth to do what no one could do except him, He came to take upon himself the punishment we have under the law and through our faith in him and what he did we can be set free. Just as the thief on the cross had no ability to do anything except to have faith that Jesus was who he said he was and was still taken up into paradise. The only thing we need to do is believe and place our faith in Him. After that as we spend time with him just as when we spend time with friends we start becoming more like him. God wants to spend time with us and we have to allow it.

Prayer: Father, I am nothing without you, all things are possible through and by you Lord. I cry out Lord God be with me. I thank you for all things, My family, the provisions and blessings you pour out on us. I offer up my returning to the law to you father and ask for your help to walk in faith and not by sight or the law. Help me to Love as you love and to have pour out that love on others. 

November 13, 2017 I'm Not Worthy!!!!!

Reading: Galatians 1 and Ezekiel 15-16 

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:59-60, "For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 

Observation: Lately I have been struggling with knowing who I am in general and more over who I am in God and his plan for me. Over the weekend my wife and I attended a Marriage conference, at this conference things we brought into the light a little and on the drive home afterwords things broke loose and my mouth got me in trouble again. In that fight frustrations and fears were brought to the surface and I took a walk then went and had a talk with a friend to help me get it out. 

I may not have been turning my back fully on God but I was definitely not running toward him as I know I should. As I was in church serving as an usher a man that I have been talking to from time to time but have not felt close to came and ask how I was doing and told me that earlier this week He for the first time felt an urging to Pray for me and then during worship another man came and prayed healing over an issue that I have. 

Just as God told Ezekiel even though we may have walked away or turned away from that covenant that he gave us does not mean that he has forgotten. God has established an EVERLASTING covenant with us, that means no matter how we fail and fall on our face because I know we will He will hold up his end of the bargain even though when he made the deal he knew that he was getting the short end of the stick. 

Prayer: Father God, I am so unworthy of anything you have for me and I know that, that is the point. When you made Adam and Eve you looked down the line at each one of us and all we will do and chose to have your Son come and pay the price so that we could know you. I thank you Lord for all you have for me and the provisions and blessings that you pour out on us each and every day even when I’m even running the other way. I ask that you help remind me of your love, mercy and that you are thinking of me and want a relationship with me. 

November 7, 2017 This is hard Work

Reading: Romans 11 and Jeremiah 51

Scripture: Romans 11:6, But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Observation: The verse jumped out at me quickly this morning. There are times where is takes some time of contemplation and going over the reading a time or two to find what I feel God has for me. So often we feel or thing we have to do all these DOs and not to do all these Don’ts and I know I get bogged down in am I good enough or have I at least stayed away from things I shouldn’t do. There are even churches out there where they don’t teach grace but talk about the things you must do and avoid to get to Heaven. 

Application: This passage is a great reminder to me that I have a calling just like all believers do to be apart of spreading the Gospel, but it also is a reminder that God already has done the work needed to bring us back into a right relationship with him though the sacrifice. But just as Paul has said, we don’t sin more so that there can be more grace but those who have great sin there is great grace. 

Prayer: Father you amaze me in that you can use such a broken vessel to do anything to further your kingdom. I thank you for Lord for my family, both those of blood and those in the church. I thank you for all you have done for us and the provisions and blessings you give us each day. 

November 6, 2017 I ain't no preacher!!!!

Reading: Romans 10 and Jeremiah 39, 50

Scripture: Romans 10:14-15 And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 

Observation: Back when I first graduated High School and went to one year of Bible college I distinctly remember telling someone I was going to school with that I would never be a preacher. I told them my nerves would not let me do it. Now many years later after study and some Godly leadership I found that biblical preaching is not getting on stage and speaking to a large group of people but it is sharing the Gospel with those who have not heard and we are all called to do so. 

Application: So often we think that it’s not our job to “make the pitch” to these people who don’t know God, that Job belongs to the pastor. We may not have all the answers but we have the truth and the knowledge of what God has done in our lives. All we have to do is share that and offer to them the opportunity to become a christ follower. The pastor his job is to teach and equip us for the work of the Lord. The church is not the building or the gathering of people but it is the entire family of God who have come to the Father through the Son and his sacrifice on the cross. 

Prayer: Father I am amazed that you can use even me even though I know I fall on my face and don’t do things quite right. I thank you for each day you have given me and each day I have with my family. I thank you for you provisions and the blessings. I ask that you help me to open my heart to your leading and urgings so I can further your kingdom.