June 15, 2016 Don't make me do it!!!

Reading: Matthew 23, 1 Samuel 31, and 1 Chronicles 9-10

Scripture: Matthew 23:4, They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 

Observation: Jesus is talk about the Pharisees, the law keepers who tells everyone what to do and then does none of it. So many people today see the church that way, they see us with all these rules and regulations that we are to keep and see us stepping out of the front of the church and start swearing and smoking or having the Jesus fish on our car and speeding and cutting people off wail giving them the finger. 

Application: Jesus was warning us to not be those people, our commandments are love God, and love your neighbor. Very easy to say hard to execute. When loving others this is not the mushy feeling love this is the love of a father or mother, a love that says I will do anything for you exception nothing in return, it is putting someone else’s needs before your own.

Prayer: Father I thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to commune with us and help us to know you. I am in awe of your creation and love you more each day. I ask that you help us to love those around us and think of ourselves less. 

June 14, 2016 Laying it on thick.

Reading: Matthew 22, 1 Samuel 30, and 1 Chronicles 8

Scripture: Matthew 22:16, And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 

Observation: When the pharisees were trying to find something to persecute Jesus with they sent their disciples to ask questions of him but before they asked him a single question they were complimenting him and trying to butter him up so that he may slip up. Once they ask about paying taxes to Caesar Jesus blows them away with the idea of giving to Caesar what is his and giving to God what is his. 

Application: How often to we try to butter someone up to try and get something out of them or have you been the one who has been buttered up. I know I am guilty if trying to butter up my father or mother to get things and i may have even done it to my wife. I know my daughter is still to young to do it but she will be old enough to try it. This is one of the way Satin tries to take us out, Pride he will puff us up and make us think about ourselves more then others. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for your great mercy and the forgiveness you have poured out on us. I thank you for the provisions of each day and the blessings of my family. I ask that you open our minds and help us to see when our pride is being used against us and help us to keep a right mind of our selves. 

June 13, 2016 What are you producing?

Reading: Matthew 21, 1 Samuel 29, and 1 Chronicles 7

Scripture: Matthew 21:43, Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

Observation: I love how just after Jesus tells this story, these priests and Pharisees could tell that he was talking about them, they are the ones that are not producing fruit for the kingdom. These would have been very smart people, the Pharisees would be like our lawyers today.

Application: We need to listen to God, open our ears to his calling and his direction for our lives. God can use anything we do for his glory but we don’t have to make more work for him. When we listen and follow his calling our fruit will grow well. We can either be a seed that produces 30time, or we can be a seed that produces 100 times what God put into us. Are you good soil or good tenants, or are you giving God more work. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for your calling and the direction that is in my life. I thank you for the provisions of each day, the food and money needed for each day. I also thank you for my family and the joys and pains that come along with it. 

June 12, 2016 Are you a servant?

Reading: Matthew 20 and 1 Chronicles 6

Scripture: Matthew 20:26, It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

Observation: As these guys were trying to jockey for position with God and Jesus even to the point that their mother came in and said hay can these two have the seats of honor next to you in heaven, just as I feel like many in the church do today. I give this much or I serve this much. We have this mentality to want to out do those around us.

Application: We are to serve, we all have a calling to serve. That calling to serve will look different to each person because of each persons giftings. I had to read a book in school called The Servant by James C. Hunter, This book changes what I though of and pictured when thinking about a servant. This scripture reminds me of this book in that it teaches that to be great leaders and to have authority in life we need to be servants and serve those we lead. 

Prayer: Father I thank you that you gave us the example of putting others first and loving them into heaven. As we serve you though serving other we show your love to the world around us. I thank you for everything you have blessed us with and provide all we need.

June 11, 2016 I don't want to die!!!!!!!

Reading: Matthew 19, 1 Samuel 27-28, and 1 Chronicles 5

Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:19, Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."

Observation: As much as Saul was still trying to obtain God’s favor again casting out the mediums and necromancers after Samuel’s death, God will still not talk to him so seeking the services of a medium who brought the spirit of Samuel up so speak to him. I love that Samuel has the ability to just tell him as it is. In paraphrase “Saul you screwed up and you and your family will die tomorrow” 

Application: God is a Just God he will always go as he says. After the spirit of the Lord left Saul because he had disobeyed God he told him that Saul’s family would not remain in power and another king would arise. We are blessed today that Jesus as paid the price for our disobedience and we no longer have to be worried about being struck down, but we still need to continually strive to be within God’s will. and Gods will is that we love him and love our neighbors as ourselves, and to spread the Gospel though our specific Microphone that our situations and life experience have given us.

Prayer: Father I thank you for your great blessings in my life giving me the different microphones that I have in my life and the provisions that you give us. I thank you for the daily bread, you provide for our daily needs. I thank you for sending your son to die for us so that we can experience the grease and mercy that you have for us.

Jane 10, 2016 Do I have to?

Reading: Matthew 18, 1 Samuel 26, and 1 Chronicles 4

Scripture: Matthew 18:21, Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Observation: I don’t know how many times I have felt like I have given this person or that person enough grace and forgiven them enough. Yes I admit it is hard to forgive those who have wronged me. Back in biblical times and Jewish traditions seven was the number of completion, there are 7 days of creation, every seventh day and year was one of rest. So in Peters eyes my though of what was going though his head before asking this was probably something like, “I know I need to for give him a few times for wronging me but he cant expect too much so I will aim high and go for this powerful number of completion.”  

Application: When Jesus comes back and tells him 70 times 7, or in essence he is saying completely forgive them and then do it again, and again, and again until it become a part of who you are. Jesus is not saying forget what they did because that is his job that he did on the cross but to just forgive and have reconciliation. When there in not forgiveness someone is hurting and someone is holding a grudge, and a grudge is like having an unwanted guest in your brain or someone renting a room from your and not paying rent and you are ok with it. 

Prayer: Father thank you for separating our sins as far as the east is from the west and giving us the example of who to forgive. I thank you for taking care of me and my family always providing what we need and reminding us to rely on you each and every day. 

June 9, 2016 Get R Done!!

Reading: Matthew 17, 1 Samuel 25, and 1 Chronicles 3

Scripture: Matthew 17:4, And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

Observation: This story is another that makes me feel like I would have a lot in common with Peter. I always want to be doing and working and I could that in this passage instead of standing there and enjoying the presents of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, he wanted to do something he felt the need to make something tangible. In the ESV translation it used the word tent but in the KJV it says tabernacle, a place of worship before the temple was built. Peter wanted to build places to come worship each of these people.

Application: Just after Peter said this God the speaks up from the clouds and claims his Son again and tells these guys to listen to him. I like Peter am always wanting to do or speak or something and not very often do I sit down and try to listen to the Voice of God speaking to me. We need to take time away from continually doing and take a little time to stop and listen.

Prayer: Father I thank you so much for taking care of us each and every day you provide all things and you take care of each of us. I thank you that you are the one who gives promotion and leads us to green pastures. I ask you help me to stop and listen and open my heart and ears to your voice. 

June 8, 2016 Open Mouth Insert Foot!!!

Reading: Matthew 16, 1 Chronicles 2, and Psalm 87

Scripture: Matthew 16:22, And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

Observation: I love the boldness of Peter and the fact that as often as he puts his foot in his mouth and speaks without thinking God still used him very profoundly that The Catholic Church looks at him as the founder of the church and almost every depiction of heaven has Peter at the gates checking people in. I feel I am like Peter a lot in that I feel like I'm just looking for moments to open my mouth and insert my foot. Just moments before Peter had made the decoration that Jesus was the son of God and within the same conversation it appears Jesus said that to fulfill everything that must happen I need to be killed. I think at that point all Peter heard from Jesus (one of his best friends and traveling companion for 3 years) say I’m going to be killed. 

Application: I think any of us would say to our best friend “This will never happen to you” if the came to us and said they were going to be killed. What we need to be careful of is telling God he can’t or wont do something he promised us he would do. When praying for something don’t just “Please God do this if it your will” find scriptural promises and declare then in Jesus name. and thank him for fulfilling those promises even before you see them come about.

Here is a link to a list of promises http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Promises-To-Stand-On 

Prayer: Father I thank you for the provisions you have given me and the blessings that you pour out on me each and every day. I thank you for the prosperity that you are leading me towards and the 

June 7, 2016 Hey, why do we need Purple carpets?

Reading: Matthew 15 and 1 Chronicles 1

Scripture: Matthew 15:9,  in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Observation: This jumped out to me today, I’m not sure why but what came to me is that we so often get caught up in the traditions and doing things they way we have always done them, or doing things a certain way because someone said to do it this way and the things that many have had lots of meaning when they first started doing them are now some tradition that we may not know why we do them. 

Application: When Jesus said this he was speaking to people who had added in so much extra law to the original law that they may not know why it was set in the first place. I have seen this happen in churches before, where we always have to have communion this one way and if we don’t its not real or those other churches who do communion this other way are wrong. Our doctrine needs to come strait from scripture and be able to be supported. Love God and love your neighbors that is what we are called to.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for your great blessings and that we have the ability to come before you and spend time with you at your throne. I ask that you help us to release the traditions that are only there for traditions sake. Help us to form a bond with you that will grow us each day. 

June 6, 2016 How many words do you need?

Reading: Matthew 14, 1 Samuel 23-24, and Psalm 54

Scripture: Matthew 14:29, He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 

Observation: Growing up seeing so-called miracles and exorcisms on tv and in movies, and also hearing the big verbose prayers asking for healing or change in peoples lives. I grew up thinking things like you needed to be a real man of God like a pastor or priest to do miracles. Jesus gave each and every one of us the authority to heal the sick and lame, cast out demons and raise people from the grave. 

Application: Peter had the faith to step out on the water on one word, we have the entire scripture as witness to who Jesus is and that we have been given that authority to do what he did and greater things. If Peter that man who alway spoke before he though and regularly stuck his foot in his mouth, as meany of us do today, can take one word and step out in faith, let us Take up the word of God and step out in faith.

Prayer: Father I thank you for you word and your authority that was given to each of us. I thank you for your daily provisions things we need each day and some of the wants. Lord I ask that you help us to keep you word on our hearts and to have the faith to step out on what ever sea that is before us knowing that you will give us the power to walk on that water. 

June 5, 2016 Get out of the storm!!!

Reading: Matthew 13, 1 Samuel 22, and Psalm 52, 57, 63, and 142

Scripture: Psalm 57:1, Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

Observation: Right now I kinda know what David is feeling like. Sure I’m not being chased by a King that is hell bent on killing be because God took his anointing and moved it from the king to David. But today we are in the mist of a storm and we are needing to take refuge in the Lord.

Application: For me today this was a great reminder that we have that refuge in God, He is that cave in a storm or even just a small outcropping that is just enough to allow us to dry off and maybe build a fire so that we have that place to come back to. When there are large storms like what David was going though and me less so, you may still have to venture out into the storm to do something, from a survivalists point of view we still need food and water to survive not just the shelter. In this refuge of God we still have to go though the storm, or I have also heard them called fire, but either way God will do one of three things 1) Deliver you from the storm, 2) Deliver you though the store, or 3) Deliver you by the store. Meaning he may take this trial or storm from you just as Jesus asked in the Garden “if there be another way let this cup pass from me” God may just give you the strength and ability to get though the trial, and finally there may be a trial that will being you home to be with him in paradise. 

Prayer: Father, you are so wonderful and each day I stand in awe of the care you have for me and that you love each and every one of us so much you would send your son to die to be able to adopt us into your family. I thank you for the provisions that you pour our on us each day keeping food on the table and taking care of things we need. I ask that if it is your will let this cup pass from us, but if it is not give us the strength to walk in that will and face what is to come.

June 4, 2016 The tear collection of God.

Reading: Matthew 12, 1 Samuel 21, and Psalm 34, 56

Scripture:Psalm 56:8, You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Observation: It is so easy to think of God as this far off god like the Greek gods on Olympus or the Roman gods where ever they reside. I know that there are times where we feel closer to God then others and that is not due to how close God is to us but how close we are to him. 

Application: David was talking about how God knows everything about him his tossings, and that God has collected his tears in a bottle. We are so loved by God that he not only knows our name he knows the hairs on our heads and has wiped every tear and carried you though every hard time. 

Prayer: Father, I thank you for knowing me and my needs, wants and desires. I thank you for providing for all my needs and many of my wants and desires. I thank you for staying close to me even if i decide to try to walk away or get distracted my something of this world. 

June 3, 2016 Who is this guy??

Reading: Matthew 11, 1 Samuel 20, and Psalm 83

Scripture: Matthew 11:4-6, And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

Observation: John The Baptizer (Jesus’s Cousin) was sitting in prison hearing about all these great things that he was doing and John after preaching of the coming Messiah and knowing the scripture, Jesus basically has John’s people go back to him and tell him everything the profit Isiah said is being fulfilled in me. 

Application: I know it is easy to skip over the profits in the Old Testament because they are hard to understand and the don’t seem to make any sense to us. We need to stay in the word not just in the New Testament or the easily read stories of the Old. There are a lot of things in these prophesies that have been fulfilled but there are also lots of things that have not yet come about. The wisemen that came to see Jesus came because of prophecies and signs. We can watch and listen like them and prepare for what is to come and to share God’s love with the world.

Prayer: Father you are so amazing and I thank you for sending the profits before us to pave the way and show us what is to come. I thank you that you have also shown us that you are the winner of this war and we are part of your family.

June 2, 2016 They are coming to take me away!!!

Reading: Matthew 10, 1 Samuel 18-19, and Psalm 59

Scripture: Psalm 59:3,  For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord

Observation: I don’t know how David had time to write all these Psalms especially like this one are Saul’s men were searching for him and looking to kill him. David was writing this because he was in a place of needing to be delivered for a physical threat and there are those Christians around the world who need that same deliverance. 

Application: For most of us today that enemy is not a physical one but a spiritual one. The devil is doing everything he can to keep us from reaching others and rescuing souls from hell and his grasp. He can’t take our salvation or the salvation or others but he will do everything he can to steal divide and destroy any chance we have to help others. Come to Christ and you will have a war on your hands but the up side it we know how it ends. God Wins.

Prayer: Father I thank you for the lessons you have for us and the truths you teach us as we go though the battles, trials and struggles that the devil through our way. I thank you for the continual provision that you give us each day. You pour out such great blessings and I ask you to help us to see those blessings and run toward the battle that you have won.

June 1, 2016 You are the Brut Squad?!?!

Reading: Matthew 9, 1 Samuel 17, and Psalm 144

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:48, When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

Observation: Growing up I aways was in awe of how big Goliath sounded but not knowing how to compare the hebrew measurements to what I knew it seemed hard to grasp. over the years I have been shown things and found things that have helped me to understand how big he really was. 6 cubits and a span in about nine feet nine niches so this man would have stood 3 foot taller then me and David would have been a teen at that time and could have been 4 foot shorter then Goliath. With that hight he could have easily been 400 Lbs. then it talks about his armor and his chain mail being 5000 shekels would be about 125 Lbs then his javelin being the size id a weavers beam would be about a hands berth think so maybe 6-8 inches in diameter and most likely as tall as he was meaning it was close to 75-100 Lbs not including the spear head being another 600 shekels in weight or 15 Lbs. compared to David who was probable 5 foot 5 inch and 150 Lbs at age 14-15 (I’m guessing but being that he was not part of the war he was under 20) 

Application: With gaining a better understanding of the different between the size of David and Goliath I can understand why the Israelites were afraid of him and put even more awe in how much faith David had when he Ran into the encounter with Goliath. We have the authority in Christ to take out our own Goliaths in our lives. Take up your sling and stones and charge into battle.

Prayer: Father I thank you for giving us the same strength and power that you gave David and even more then what he knew. I thank you for the blessings in my life and those people you have place in it to do life with. I ask you to help us to remember that we have the power to take out the enemy.