March 10th God Shaped Hole

Reading: Exodus 38-39 and John 1

Scripture: John 1:38, Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

Thoughts: How do we answer the question “What are you seeking?” I know that during my life I  have had times that what I was seeking was just something to fill a hole that I didn’t know what shape it took. There was times for going to drugs, alcohol, and relationships to try to fill that hole. Later I learned that I know what fit in that hole. Growing up in the church I had the answer and after a time and going through hard times I took that God shaped puzzle piece and put it on a shelf, and proceed to try to fill it with things of the world. After about 12 years of running and not listening to what God had for me I herd him again. I finished Bible college 15 years after high school I have a wonderful God centered wife and family. I have one question, Do you know where Jesus is staying tonight?

Prayer: Father, I thank you for always seeking me and pursuing me. I am in awe of the love you have for me even when I place you on a shelf and walk away. I thank you for the provision and blessings you pour out on us each day and how you take care of us and touch our lives. I ask that you continue to open my eyes and ears to your purpose and your direction for my life.

March 9th Too Much, Too Much!!!!!!

Reading: Exodus 36-37 and Romans 16

Scripture: Exodus 36:3-5, And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do."

Thoughts: Many out there think I’m too poor to give or the rich can give, especially when it comes to giving to the church. The staggering numbers of 10-25 percent of a congregation tithes. After Moses lead Israel out of Egypt they asked for the donations to build the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle as elaborate and ornate as it and it’s furnishings were it was just a tent for God. Moses asked for a free will offering of all the things needed for building the Tabernacle and after a time the workers came to Moses and said, “We have too much” and Moses had to go to the people and tell them to stop giving. Where is giving heart that God calls us to have today. We (Americans) are one of the richest nations in the world. I know I struggle with the idea that I don’t have a newer car and I live paycheck to paycheck but God takes care of me and he is the reason I have the things I do. A loving family, a home and transportation to where I need to go. We are so rich and need to share that with other. God says to test him many times to in both the old and new testaments but the one that always sticks out to me is Malachi 3:10, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” As we give the 10th of what we bring in to God, He will make that 90% go further then we could make it go. Dave Ramsey and many others suggest Tithe, Save, then Live. My pastor also puts is this way “God First Life Second. Place God in the correct place in your life. God wants us to have an abundantly overflowing life with him. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for the wisdom and directions you give me with the finances and time. I thank you got placing people in my life that pour your love and wisdom into me and I get the opportunity to do the same for others. I long to share more then I need to live on, I ask that you continue to guide and give wisdom in how to give more and use less. As it have been said before all is yours God and we are the stewards of what you give us. Let us be the servant that grows your talents and not the one who hides it away.

March 8th I need to do what???

Reading: Exodus 34-35 and Romans 15

Scripture: Exodus 34:19-20, All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem.

Thoughts: As I read this passage in Exodus my first thought went to my children thinking about my firstborn is my daughter but it says to redeem the firstborn of your sons. Being reminded of the first portion of this passage, “All that open the womb” we all belong to God. Some of us have run away seeking the joy and experience of a lifetime that the world claims is out there. As we become redeemed by the Blood of Christ we will find a Joy that surpasses all understanding even in the mist of loss and difficulties. 

Prayer: Father I thank you redeeming me and the reminder all is yours. As the stewards of what you have given to me, I place my children, my family, and my finances in your hands you can do abundantly more with it then I ever could think of. I ask you open my eyes and ears to your direction and your purpose. 

March 7th Who is doing What?!?!

Reading: Exodus 32-33, Psalm 1, and Romans 14

Scripture: Romans 14:11-12, for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Thoughts: I need the reminder from time to time that one day the book of my life will be laid before God the Father and the accuser will be there pointing out all the evil I have done and every time I fell. I am great full for the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be be there as our advocate saying I took that, and image of a drop of Jesus’ blood dripping onto my book where my lists of sins are and them vanishing and transforming into the righteousness that we walk in each day in his name. We have been bought with a price that we can not afford. 

Prayer: Father you are the one true King, I am in awe of you and the love you have for me and my life. I thank you for the men you have brought into my life and the brotherhood and connection that we have. I thank you for the provision and blessings you give us each day and every hour. You are the rock. I ask that the boldness I need and the strength that is not in me for your purpose each day bubble up within me to declare your name and not hide who I am.

March 6th Who's in Charge here???

Reading: Exodus 30-31, Psalm 132, and Romans 13

Scripture: Romans 13:1, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Thoughts: This day and age I hear so many people complaining about the government. We must do our part and vote and be apart of the process. We are the hands and feet of the Lord and no one in authority has been placed there without God willing it. We can be apart of it and work under the authority that God has raised up or we can let the Lord’s plan work without us. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for the opportunities to be apart of your plan and that you have a place for me. I thank you for the provisions and blessings you pour out on me and my family. I ask that you help me to see you directions and plans for me and your family. I seek where you have for me to work and what you have for me to do. I seek your purpose for us. 

March 5, 2019 Remember Remember

Reading: Exodus 28-29 and Romas 12

Scripture: Exodus 28:9-10 and 12, You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.

Thoughts: This weekend we had a guest speaker and spoke about how we are to lift up and take care of; the depleted, the depressed, and the afflicted. As I came to this passage this morning about the making the priests’ Garments and the stones of remembrance. For us we are not just remembering the history of the faith and what God has brought them through but now what God has done for us and as a remembrance of where we came from and to help lift up people and to take care of those depleted depressed and afflicted people because we have been them at some point and we are to help them out. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for all you have done for us and the wisdom that you give us in times of need. I thank you for your provisions and blessings that you for out on us each day. You have set forth how the priests of old were to bear the names and remember and now that you have brought us into your family and made us priests we have been given the same burden and I gladly lift those in need up and point them to you. 

March 4th 2019 Grafted in

Reading: Exodus 26-27, Romans 11, and Matthew 28

Scripture: Romans 11:8, as it is written,  "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

Romans 11:24, For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

Thoughts: As we sit in opposition to God we will be left to our own choices and our own evilness. God is not going to force us to follow him. Just as Pharaoh started hardening his own hard to God’s word and later God hardened his hard, we if we run long enough we may be give the spirit of stupor. Not that we would be stupid or ignorant but we would no longer hear or feel God’s tugging on our hearts. As Paul spoke about grafting I am grateful that I am grafted into God’s family but I am also grateful that those who were in the family are allowed to be grafted back in. I am not part of the family/nation of Israel but Growing up in the church I had a faith and in my 20’s I ran from the Lord. I know the Joys of being regrafted into the family. 

Prayer: Father, I thank you that you are a God who pursues us and calls us into you. I thank you for your provisions and blessings that you pour out each day. I long to know you more and seek your plans and directions in the lives of me and my family. I ask that you touch the prodigals, have that still small voice speak to them that it is time to come home. Give us the grace and mercy to welcome them back and show them your love and not our own judgment. 

March 1st 2019 Where did all the good things go??!?!?

Reading: Exodus 22, Psalm 119:97-136 and Romans 8

Scripture: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"”Romans 8:15 ESV

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 ESV

Thought: I alway love to hear the reminder that even as a sinful wicked person God sill wanted me and opened the adoption to bring me into the family. It took me accepting that gift of adoption for me to be brought into the family. He wants us all to be in his family and none of us to perish but he will not force us to love or walk in his ways. 

Coming across the passage of Romans 8:28 I felt that the stigma against this passage. This passage gets over used and missed used in time of loss and time of struggle. We as Christians, so often when we see someone hurting will through this passage out to, “help the hurting person.” What we don’t understand is to none christians and those in pain can cause people to turn away from God because it can seem like God is spiteful or even a god that is vengeful. I don’t see this passage a way to try to comfort these people. This shows the nature of God. Just like in Job where Satin had to go before God to ask permission to do things to Job we are under God’s wings. Because we are living in a fallen world trials, tribulations, and loss will happen in our lives. It is not about God stopping all bad things from happening but it's about us following him through those trials, tribulations, and losses and allowing him to show us the microphone that those trials, tribulations, and losses give us to share his word. 

Prayer: Father, You are so wonderful and you show us the way. I thank you for the blessings and provisions you pour out each day. You are my provider and my strength in time of need. You are my Joy in the mist of the pain and trials. I ask your direction and your plain for all I do. Open my eyes to your purpose for me, my family, and the your ministry what you have for me. Lead me and light the next step.  

February 28, 2019 Dead to sin

Reading: Exodus 21, Psalm 119:49-96, Romans 7

Scripture: Romans 7:4 'Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. '

Thought: As a man continually being bombarded with the lusts of the flesh and striving to walk in the victory that God has provided through is Son. This passage is a great reminder that we need to be the living sacrifice and live as one who has died to our sins and have been raised to the new life. Walking out that Victory at times can be the hardest thing in our lives because even within that victory there are still struggles. For work I spend my days working with the public and driving. It would be easy to watching the scantily clad women or even those who where supper form fitting cloths. It would also be easy to get mad and upset at every inconsiderate driver out there who wont let you merge or feels that their time is more important so they rush ahead. We are all guilty of sin and all only know that sin because of the Law but we have been freed from that guilt through Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us step up and live in that victory. 

Prayer: Father, I love you and fall on my face before you. I thank you for taking my guild and raising me to walk in a new life. I thank you for your blessings and provisions that you pour out on us each and every day. Help me to release the hurt and condemnation the world and the evil one tries to heap upon me. Help me to walk in the victory you have for me. I also ask for your direction on my life, in my work, in ministry, and what the next step in your plan is. Here I am send me.  

November 4 Kryptonite 18

Reading: Jeremiah 32-33, Romans 8, Killing Kryptonite Chapter 18

Thoughts: In my last post I talked about churches that were not teaching all of the word and allowing known sin to remain among them. This is similar, like when Israel had Aaron build a golden calf and called it Yahweh, the name God gave Moses as his name. When we start watering down God’s word because the world around us is jaded and put off because we look no different then they do we are creating a false Jesus. We are to be in the world bu not of the world, when we worship this false or counterfeit Jesus we are becoming part of the world saying all these thing we are doing are fine because we are covered or however we justify that what is written is not what is meant. We need to be in the word and fully committed to the true Yahweh and not this counterfeit god that we build up.

Prayer: Father, you are God the Farther, Yahweh, King of kings. I thank you for being us into your family and sharing your name. I thank you for your provisions and blessings each day. I ask you help me to discern your word and your body. Help me to see if there is something amiss in your body. 

November 3 Kryptonite 17

Reading: Jeremiah 30-31, Romans 7, and Killing Kryptonite chapter 17

Thoughts: Are you being exhorted and brought up in the Word or is your paster just given to making their flock feel good. I am blessed by being a part of a congregation where we don’t skip the hard parts or the things that we don’t want to hear. There are churches out there that teach a Jesus but leave out some of the things God commands. Not only do we need the truth of what God did through the Son but we need to hear that if we are giving ourselves over to sin and allowing known sin to be apart of our church we will loose out on the power and just as Paul said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:30, “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” We need to be willing to call out in love when there is know sin in our church. We are one body in Christ and when one part of the body is hurt or is sick the entire body feels is and is affected. This is why Paul tells us to cast out those who will not repent and turn from their sin. Those who don’t repent need to be treated as unbelievers. We need to love them and help them to know the love of God but they are not to be apart of the Body of Christ if they are given to sin, not if the fall into sin because we all do that but have given themselves over to it. 

Prayer: Father, we thank you for bring us into your family and making us joint heirs with your Son. I thank you for your blessings and provisions that you pour out each day. I ask that you help me to be like Micaiah and only speak what you speak. Let your word and your love pour to overflowing in my life so that I share your love to all around me. 

November 2 Kryptonite 16

Reading: Jeremiah 28-29, Psalm 17, Romans 6, and Killing Kryptonite chapter 16

Thoughts: There have been times that my desires did not aline with God’s, like I mentioned before it was not a big turn from God but a let us aim a little off center. After complaining to God or just not listening to him long enough I would think I heard him so go ahead and do it. Just as God did with Israel and other individuals throughout the Old Testament. God will not tell us to do anything that is contrary to his Word but he will give us over to our sinful desires. Meditating on God’s Word will give us insight into who God is, What his voice sounds like and what his desires are. 

Prayer: Father, your ways are hight than mine, your thoughts are higher than mine. I thank you that we have the ability to tap into your will, thoughts and ways through your Son. I ask you to help me to know you and your voice and your will that I may follow you more closely. 

November 1 Kryptonite 15

Reading: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27, Psalm 33, Romans 5, and Killing Kryptonite Chapter 15

Thoughts:  "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus (John 8:31b-31a) Through God’s gift and love shown in the death and resurrection of his Son we have been set free. The ability to get to heaven is a perk in comparison to the freedom that God granted us. In our power we can not over come any of our sins. The sins deceive us and convince us that what we are doing is ok. For me is was not here go this other direction completely it was its ok that you aim is a little off don’t focus on it. Over time I found myself doing things I would have never done if I was presented with that option right off. I have been set free and I walk in that freedom. There are times that the consciences of what I did come back to me and cause me to stumble but we are free. When we abide and meditate on the Word we will be set free. Meditation has been given such a bad connotation over the years with the new age way of centering and grounding one self. The best way I have seen meditation is when it is explained by with a visual. Mediating on the Word is like a cow, goat, or more Biblical a sheep chewing the cud. Chewing the cud is when an animal will sit and chew on the same food for a long, long time, that is how we are to be with the Word. We are to chew on it go over it get every bit of nutrition out of it then go over it again. In that kind of meditation on the right things the things of this world, will fall behind us. Just as if we look at the sun we see no shadows, if we keep our eyes on the Son the shadows of this life will not be seen.  

Prayer: Father, You are so wonderful. I thank you for sending your Son so that I can have the opportunity to know you and come into your love. I thank you for the provision we get from you each day and the blessing that you have for us. I thank you for your guidance and the plan you have for me and my family. I ask that you help me to walk in your freedom and your strength. 

October 31st Kryptonite 14

Reading: Jeremiah 48-49, Romans 4, and Killing Kryptonite chapter 14

Thoughts: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. That thief is also our kryptonite when sin deceives us and we start slowly making our way to where the Good is seen as evil and the wrong is need as good (as in America today) we are unable to grasp or see What God has for us. I know that I struggle with lust and anger, I know that it is easy to covet things others have or are doing. I see friends going places I have only dreamed of going and doing things I want to do or having nicer cars. But then God reminds me of the things he is giving me and the blessings we have. I have a family of 4, we own a house with some land, we have two cars  and a motor cycle that work and have no payment on, we always have food and the things we need, yet I still want what others are doing and have. 

Prayer: Father you provide all and give us our hearts desires. I thank you for what you give us and I ask that your contentment grown within me.  Help me to be content with your will and direction for me and not long for what you are going other. 

October 30th Kryptonite 13

Reading: Jeremiah 45-47, Psalm 86, Romans 3, and Killing Kryptonite Chapter 13

Thoughts: In this chapter of Killing Kryptonite we see that the Kryptonite is known sin and willful disobedience. John also helps us to see that to worship God is to obey. It was pointed out that the first time Worship was used in the Bible was when Abraham said, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” That worship was not praise, singing, or bowing it was obedience. I know I struggle with listening to God’s voice at times but I have also seen miracles happen because I listened to what he said. When it comes to silence and listening to or for God’s voice I struggle, I want to fill the silence I want to move on to the next thing or bounce from thing to thing. Maybe its a learning disorder or the way I was raised or any other excuse you or I could come up with but that is also part of the reasoning for the title to this blog, God most of the time speak through the breeze and that still small voice deep down inside of us, but sometimes he takes out that 2x4 and will smack you upside the head to get your attention. One of the things I have to be carful of is the other voices I start letting in. In my job I am on the road a lot and because of going all over the state I have a hard time finding radio stations so I listen to podcast about many different things and interests, Geeky things, pop culture, movies and even sermons but are they beneficial. Like Paul said, “All things a permissible but not all things are beneficial.” I am looking at is my entertainment hindering my hearing from God. 

Pray: Father, you are so awesome, you provide all that we need and all that we could ever want. I thank you for all the blessings and provisions you give us each day. Help me to quiet myself and cut out the things that take me away from you. I want to know you and hear you more, in hearing help me to obey more as well in proper worship to you.