November 8th 2015 Have you overcome evil with good?

Reading: Romans 12, Jeremiah 52, and Ezekiel 1

Scripture: Romans 12:20-21, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Observation: These are some of my favorite verses, not that I feel I have lots of enemies but the idea that being nice to some one can teach them a better lesson then retaliating. The Old Testament and the world teach us to repay a wrong done to us with something equal, a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye.  The Gospel of grace is not just that we were given a great gift though the love of God though the sacrifice of his Son on Calvary, but also that we are to love and have grace for those around us. We are to fulfill the needs of all who are in need around us. I love the image that I have heard depicted by many different teachers and preachers of us passing out what little we seem to have to those around us and God sitting there with a great bag ready to fill our little basket so that we never run out.

Application: Not only are we to share what we have with those we like or have done us no wrong, but also to those who wish to hurt us of have wronged us in the past. Matthew 22:37-39 says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Your Neighbor is not just the one you like but also the one who hates you. I believe that this second command is the hardest command in the Bible, to love someone in this way is not the western touchy feely love, it is to put their needs above your own.

In our relationships we all start out with the western definition of love towards the person we are in that relationship with but once those first exciting months or sometimes years (if you are lucky) are over then you have to make the choice to put their needs before your own and that is true love. God calls us to have that love for everyone especially those who hate us, not that we can see ourselves as better then them but to allow God to work on their heart because God will heap those coals directly where they need to go so that his work will be done in their lives.

How Prayer: Lord we thank you again for another day to worship and seek your wisdom though your word. Lord I lift up our enemies to you and ask you to work on their heats though us, Give us the words to say and the strength to love them as you love them.

Jehovah Jireh - The Provider

It is interesting some times how we stretch ourselves so much, to keep up with the Jones, or make ourselves feel better about where we are, or even to impress people. This is a struggle almost every American has, we want more, and better things. Our society had become a disposable society, we don’t repair things we replace them. With this throw it away mentality that our world has moved into it is so difficult to know who provides for our needs.

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” Mathew 6:25-32

Jehovah Jireh The Lord will provide or God provides. In his word God tells us that we need not focus on the things of this world but focus on him and all the things we need, will be provided to us. As an American man it is something I struggle with so much. I struggle with having a hand-me-down car that needs work done to it; I fear that there will not be money to pay the mortgage on the house we just bought. But every month the car keeps working and getting me back and forth to work, the house payment is always paid and we have not gone hungry.

I am so blessed that God has brought a woman and church family into my life that has helped me see that God provides. As we continue to struggle with our human eyes and try to trust God for the bills and needs we have, we remind each other almost daily that, this house was given to us by God. The way that we found and the process that we went though getting this house could have only been orchestrated by God and knowing that he is the one that gave it to us. He will provide for us, and will make sure that this house is ours until its time for us to have something different.  God has and will provide for us.

November 7th 2015 Are you a tool?

Reading: Romans 11 and Jeremiah 51

Scripture: Jeremiah 51:20-23 ““You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider; with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer; with you I break in pieces man and woman; with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth; with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman; with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team; with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.”

Observation: I love this section of scripture where Jeremiah is telling both those in Israel and us today that we are the tools and weapons. In this sections he primarily talks about been the weapon of war breaking down the things that are agains God. 

Application: But we need to remember that as God's tools we are also to build up and take care of those around us. Not only are we spiritual warriors we are carpenters too. We go in and break down the strongholds of the enemy then rebuild with the Holy Spirit so that that we have a foundation on the rock of the word. 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you the great blessings you have poured out on us. Help me to see the task ahead of me and help those who need help breaking down strongholds and share the firm foundation of God. 

November 6th 2015 Where is your focus?

Reading: Romans 10 and Jeremiah 39, 50

Scripture: Romans 10:5, For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.

Observation: With whom Paul is writing, he is reminding them that the law being a good thing is not what is going to get them to heaven or the righteousness that God calls us to have. Our Righteousness is to come from by not by works. Many churches teach us that if we do enough of something that we can avoid purgatory or that God is an grumpy old man sitting in heaven waiting for us to screw up so that he can hit us with a lighting bolt.

Application: We need to remember that God is not looking for what we do and if we have done enough good deeds. God is looking for a relationship where you place him as number one in your life even above yourself, and for most men and Americans that is very hard to do. Self and money are the two biggest things in the world that get us to change our focus from God and his rich blessings he has for us. Therefore remember if you live by the law you will be judged by the law, but if you life by faith you will be judged by faith and by faith in Jesus our sins are covered and we put on the righteousness of God.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving us the great gift of your righteousness and the forgiveness of sin though our faith in your son Christ Jesus. Lord, we come before you asking for the strength to place the Idles of this world into the fire and focus on you only.

November 5th 2015 Where is my Righteousness?

Reading: Romans 9 and Jeremiah 34, 37-38

Scripture: Romans 9:30-32, “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone”

Observation: Paul here is speaking to Jews that are in Rome, most Jews at that time despised Gentiles (of witch I am one). They believed that they were God’s chosen people and they were, but though Jesus we have all been brought into the family and become sons of Abraham. So what Paul is saying here was the righteousness given to us though Jesus was given even to the Gentiles, even though they were not given the Law like the Nation of Israel. Then he tell us why Israel didn’t receive that same righteousness, a stumbling block, that stumbling block was a messiah that was to suffer and die. Israel believed and still believes that a Messiah is coming to set them free and will rule the nation.

Application: Their stumbling block does not have to be ours. We need to remember that Jesus come to this world to forgive our sins though his suffering and death, not just mine or yours but the entire world’s. This passage says that by faith the Gentiles received the Righteousness, our faith is not just that God exists, our faith needs to be that God can and will do what he promised and that though the death and resurrection of Jesus we are fellow heirs with Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for another day to get up and spread your word. Thank you for the wonderful family that you have given me and the blessings that you pour out on us every day. Lord, help us to have the faith you call us to have so we can be your righteousness. Guide us to your path that we may walk in your ways.

November 4th 2015 What's your covenant?

Today's reading was Romans 8 and Jeremiah 32-33. 

The scriptures that stood out to me today  was Jeremiah 33:20-21 "Thus says the Lord: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.” 

Observation: God has a covanant with us and there is no way for us to break that covanant. The first covanant was with Abraham when God told Abraham to get the animals. Then the covanant given again to the people of Israel after they came out of Egypt. Then later God promised that David will always have a son on the throne. All these promises and covanants that God made are conditional. The condition for getting forgiveness and being saved thought the new covanant in Jesus' blood is that we believe and accept him as our Lord and savor. 

Application: With the knowledge of the promises and covanants this passage is telling us God if faithful to keep up his side of the covanant as long as we do our part. Not that I am saying that this is a works based system because it's not. It's more like God tells us that we need to walk to a door with a lock on it and he will open it for us. That door will not open until we do our part and walk to that door. He is not going to unlock it and open it wide and wait for us to find our way there. Our application is not just that he is faithful but also that God wants to bless us and all we need to do is listen to that still small voice so that we can know where to go to find that blessing. 

Prayer: Lord, help us hear your voice and you direction for our lives. Your plans are so much greater then ours. I thank you for all the blessings that you have poured out on us thus fare and ask that you open our eyes to the promises and how to fulfil those promises you have yet to pour out on us. 

November 3 2015 Who's winning your war?

Today’s reading was Romans 7 and Jeremiah 30-31

The scripture that stood out to me today was Romans 7:15-20 “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”

Observation: For the longest time this passage was one of the most confusing passages I have ever read I thought for the longest time that Paul was going nuts or something. Over time and through learned friends I discovered that Paul is not crazy but he is talking about our two natures that are warring within us. The first being our fleshly nature, the feels good so do it nature. Second being our spiritual nature that longs to be with God and honor him with all we have and do. So when Paul says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” he is saying that he wants to do what he is called to do but he does not and to make it worse he does the things his fleshly nature wants him to do.

Application: We all know that things we are supposed to do, draw close to God, love, and share the Gospel, this are the things we want to do knowing the blessings of the Lord comes though obedience. We also like sin; it’s fun and feels good.  We are at war within ourselves wanting to serve the Lord our God, and we want to have fun and do all the things God said don’t.

Prayer: Lord, I come before you thanking you for the great blessings that you pour out upon us. Lord, I come before you humbly come before you seeking the strength to overcome the fleshly nature that you have a right standing with you lord.

November 2 2015 What are you doing in Exile?

Today’s reading was Romans 6 Jeremiah 28 & 29, and Psalm 17.

The scripture that stuck out to me today was Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

Observation: This is a great reminder from the Old Testament saying that we are to not seek our welfare but the welfare of where we are. This entire chapter of Jeremiah was talking to Israel about listening to false profits not sent by God. And that God will prosper Israel in exile.

Application: We are in exile, our home is in heaven with God and Jesus, and we have been sent to sojourn in a land that is not our own. That is why I see this scripture here so applicable to us today just as it was when Jeremiah spoke these words to the people of Israel. There were many at the time telling the people that within a few years they would be back home but Jeremiah rebuked them in the name of God and told them to build homes and plant gardens, take wives and have children, and finally take waves for your sons and give your daughters as wives. Jeremiah was telling them get comfortable you are in for the long haul.

We need to pray and build up the welfare of where ever you are. Call down blessings on the place you have been placed. Pray for the company you work for, pray for the leadership in you city, state, province, country, and the world. We need to be interceding for the world around us that God will be apart of the government.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the wonderful family that you have put into my life, both biological and spiritual. Thank you for another day to remember your love and share it with the world around me. Lord I lift up my coworkers and bosses who don’t know you I pray that I can be a mirror reflection your love to them and that your blessing will be on this company. I lift up my city, county, and stare governments Lord be with them in there choices and help them to see your path and not the one the world has for them. I pray for the US government open the eyes of all those involved help them to see your direction for this great country before the evil one completely destroys what this country was founded on.

November 1 2015 Are you sharing?

Today's reading was Romans 5, Jeremiah 21, 24, 27 and Psalm 86

The scripture that stuck out to me today was, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Romans 5:8-9 ESV

Observation: Like yesterday it's another day talking about the gospel of grace. Paul spends lots of time going over this. “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” Romans 5:15 ESV

Aplication: We need to beleive in our God and the gift he gave us. Once we have accepted God as our Lord and Jesus as our savor and accept the free gift of outr holy father. We are to step out and share the good news to other. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the great blessings you and poured out on each of us, thank you for jobs and families. Lord, give us strength to step out to those who need to hear about your love. 

October 31 2015 Are your sins counted against you?

Today’s reading was Romans 4 and Jeremiah 48-49

Scripture: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:7-8

Observation: I love how Paul uses their scriptures to point those he was writing to and us today to the love of God and the Gospel of Grace. Just a few verses before this we are reminded that Abraham’s righteousness was counted to him because he believed God’s promise to him that his decedents would be as numerous as the stars. Then jumps to several hundred years to David who wrote in Psalm 32 the scripture that Paul quoted in Romans 4. 

Application: Just as Paul quoted David’s Psalm we need to remember that we are blessed because of the forgiveness that Jesus brought us on the cross. We are the ragamuffin, we are sinners and lawless. God came to us when we were still sinners to forgive us and call us back into his loving kindness. We need to remember we are all sinners and are needing his forgiveness come and accept the forgiveness and love that God has for us.

Prayer: Lord, help me to daily take my cross and toss it at your feet and not take it up again. You have cut our chains and cast them away and we thank you for that. Give us the strength to walk away from those chains and not go back to the burden that you took on for us and said that you don’t remember what we had done. Lord I think you again that you have delivered us from the evil one and claimed us with all our ugliness.

October 30 2015 I'm a sinner are you?

Today’s Reading was Romans 3, Jeremiah 45-47, and Psalm 86

The Scripture that stuck out to me was Romans 3:22-24, “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

Observations: I am currently reading a book called The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. This verse in Romans is a foundation to the gospel that Brennan teaches, The Gospel of Grace. The Gospel of Grace is that we are ALL sinners but though the gift of Christ we have been brought into right standing with God.

Application: In case you are like I was for so long saying, “I am a Christian I go to church, my family are Christians. I know God.” But truly not understanding what it means to be a Christian. Christian was explained to me this way, first we have the word Christ witch comes from the Greek for Anointed One Jesus was anointed. Then “ian” was to refer to the “children of” therefore as Christians we are “children of the Anointed One” in Ephesians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” We are adopted as sons and daughters of God. In being Children of God Romans 8:17 says, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Therefore as Children of the Anointed One, all of us Jew and Gentile alike (of witch I am the latter) have no distinction at all in Gods eyes though Jesus. We need to understand the gift of grace and as a Gift we need to accept it.

Prayer: Lord, I come before you and thank you for adopting me as a son and making me an heir with Jesus. I long for the day when I can see your face. I pray that everyone will be given the longing to go deeper into your word and seek you and find your love throughout your word and will see your great gift that you gave us through your son Jesus.

October 29 2015 where is your Priorities?

Today’s reading was Romans 2 Jeremiah 26, 35-36

The Scripture that stood out to me today was Romans 2:21-22  “you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”

Today My Observation and application go together. This section of scripture is reminding us that we are to not judge others. Yes we are to keep from judging others but how does that look today. We need to not be those people who are one way at church, another at work, and still another when we get home. Getting to the scripture I focused on basically says what ever you are putting into your mind is what is going out of you. I know that when I teach others about something it always reminds me more how to do it. That is part of the reason I started this blog I get more out of teaching others then is do just reading the word.

I have heard many pastors say I’m preaching to myself. That is how I feel about every thing I put out there its not just for you this is what God is speaking to me about. We need to be focused on God, not just for a season or a class this needs to be a continual thing. God want to have fellowship with us. As we draw near to God he will draw near to us. When we have the faith in Jesus we can to tell the devil to flee in Jesus name and he must. We have dominion over this world.

Prayer: Lord, help us to put you in the heist priority; we need your help to seek you first every morning.  Lord, watch over us help us to not judge others, and creating a spirit of encouragement and love in each of us today.

October 28 2015 Can you see me now?

Today’s reading was Romans 1 Jeremiah 23 & 25

The scripture that jumped out at me was Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? Declares the Lord.”

Observation: I love how we get to see the sarcastic side of God some times. There are a few different places that I have seen it but my favorite is in Job 38 & 39 where God is answering Job’s questions with what I see as sarcastic rhetorical questions to help Job know his place, like Job we sometimes seed that too.

Application: What I’m seeing today is that God is reminding us that he is close to us always. As Christians we have his presence in us though the Holy Spirit. With God’s presences everywhere we can’t hide from God there is no secret place we can go that he can’t see us. In this that means we need to honor God with our lives no matter who is looking or not. It is so easy to get to the point where we are driving our car and someone cuts you off or just drives stupid and we start yelling at them, or we are home alone and we think hey I can get on the internet and look at things that are not what God wants us to be looking at. Remember that everything you do God is rite there with you doing it with you.

Prayer: Lord, we com before you today thank you for the great blessings that you have poured out on us and thank you for another day to worship and seek you Lord. We thank you for always being near and giving us your Holy Spirit to help anchor us in you. Lord we lift us our struggles with what we let out of our mouth and what we let into our hearts and minds though our eyes and ears. Help us to keep away from the things that cause us to fall.

October 27 2015 I don't get it.

Today’s reading was Acts 28, 2 Kings 24, and Jeremiah 22

The Scripture that stood out to me today was Acts 28:26-27 ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Observation: This scripture stood out to me because of the fact that I have seen it in many places. Starting where everyone quoted is in Isaiah 6:9-10, then the Gospels record Jesus saying it in Matthew 13:14-15 and Mark 4:12. When a scripture is repeated multiple times it shows importance. Then there is the fact that Jesus quoted it as well giving it that much more credence and weight.

Application: We need to be diligent about seeking the Lord, if we are not open to the word and are like so many people in this world who dismiss the word for one reason or another.  It is easy for us to fall into that way of thinking and find ourselves being those who the verse was talking about, hearing but not understanding. To be able to perceive we have to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit working in and though us as well as being intentional about our time with God and his word. Find a reading plan and a journal about what you are reading.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be intentional with our walk with you, help us to set aside time that is yours where we spend time in your word and speaking to you. Help us to find that constant communication with you though out our day.

October 26 2015 Are you listening?

Today’s reading was Acts 27, Jeremiah 19 & 20 and Psalm 146

The Scripture that stood out to me today was Acts 27:10-11 “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.”

Observation: We are called to share God’s love and insight to those around us. Paul tried to warn the Centurion from continuing the journey other wise there will be loss. Even though Paul told them that there would be loss if they continue the sailors convinced the Centurion that Fair Haven was not a good place to stay. I bet is sounded something like;

“Hey you don’t want to stay here, its boring and there will be nothing to do until spring when we can go again, But up in Phoenix there are lots of people and plenty to do over the winter. We ant to go 

there where we can find women to keep us warm.” 

That is how I read the Bible some times putting a human element into it. As they continued on they lost everything except their lives.

Application: We as God’s people need to listen and heed God’s warnings in our lives. Some times it’s a whisper in the breeze and other times it’s a 2X4 upside the head. Once we hear the voice of God we are also called to share what God placed on out heart. Before sharing always be sure to check what you are hearing against God’s word if it is from God then they will always support each other.

Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your voice and understand it. Give us the insight to verify what we are hearing and share it with those who need to hear you.