Confidence in God’s Direction

 Scripture:

”So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭27‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul was on route to Rome on board ship. There was a terrible storm that lasted a very long time. In the midst of the storm, Paul had a God experience where the Lord told him what was going to happen and that everyone was gong to make it. He told the non-believers on board, “take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Application:

I want to walk with God like the Apostle Paul. I want to hear God’s voice clearly and give confident direction to those around me of what God is going to do. In the midst of struggle, I want to be rock solid and to bring peace into troubled situations because I have a relationship with God that is strong enough to handle anything. 

Prayer:

Lord, I want to know Your voice and hear it clearly so I can give confident direction in every situation. I don’t want to miss anything You have for me, no matter what that may look like. Teach me to trust You more and to walk in step with Your Spirit. I want to know You at a deeper level and to walk in confidence of who I am and what You are doing. 

Teach me More,

Jeff

God’s Got a Plan

 Scripture:

”That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭23‬:‭11‬ NLT‬

Observation:

Paul was in the midst of defending himself before the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were treating him terribly and trying to find some way to prosecute him. It was very much like the Pharisees and Sadducees treated Jesus, looking for a way to trap Him. During that time, the Lord appeared to Paul and told him that just like he had been a witness in Jerusalem, he would also preach the Gospel in Rome.  God confirmed that things were not going to be easy, but that He had a plan for Paul’s life.

Application:

Sometimes God’s plans and our plans don’t seem to be aligning. I’m sure Paul had different plans for his life than being interrogated harshly by his own people, then sitting in prison for quite a while before being shipped to Rome for more imprisonment. God was working a way to get Paul to preach in Rome, as well as Jerusalem. The Gospel needed to be spread and God used the means He needed to in order to get Paul in the right place to be heard. Sometimes when we are going through some things we must realize that God has a plan that we may not understand right now, but if we remain yielded to Him, it will come to pass and His will shall prevail.

Prayer:

Father, I like the easy road that seems paved with success and blessing.‬ Your plans for my life may be difference than mine. When I don’t understand, speak to me. When I don’t see why I have to go through some things, speak to me. Speak to me like You spoke to Paul to confirm Your will for his life. Appear to me and show me what is to come. I yield my life to You. Keep me on track and encounter me as needed so I can understand what is going on around me. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Tangible Anointing

 Scripture:

”When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭19‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Paul was ministering the Gospel there were signs and wonders that followed his ministry. Here it says that handkerchiefs and aprons that touched his skin were taken to sick people and they were healed and delivered from demons. Paul had a tangible anointing that rested on him. When people touched Jesus, they were healed. When people touched Paul, they were healed.

Application:

When people touch my life, are they healed and delivered? I want my life to make a difference in the lies of those around me. I want them to be healed just because they came in contact with me. I want to walk in a tangible anointing that break yokes and removes burdens. I want God to flow and work through my life for His glory and the extension of His kingdom. I don’t want to minister for God, but with God.

Prayer:

Father, I want to work as one with You. I want Your presence and power to be revealed in my life at greater levels. Help me to walk in step with You each and every day. Teach me to do what You want done. Pour Your Spirit out upon a din my life. Here am I, use me for Your glory. I am Yours and Yours alone.

Your Son,

Jeff

Seek Him

 Scripture:

”“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭17‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage Paul is preaching in Athens, Greece. The Gospel had been preached in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and now it was being preached to the ends of the earth. God speaks through Paul here and says that His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and find Him, though He is not far from any of us. In other words, He is close, but we still need to seek Him.

Application:

God is everywhere all the time. He is omnipresent, yet He desires us to seek Him out. He longs for a people who will seek His face and want to know Him. It is like when you lose something in a room. You know it is right there close to you, yet you have to seek it. God is closer than we think, but we must pursue Him. He is with us all the time, but we must be aware of His presence. We must fulfill His desire, that we be a people who will seek Him out.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be a seeker of You. I want to spend my life seeking You and knowing more and more of You and Your goodness. Teach me Your ways and show me Your paths. Walk with me and let me hear Your voice. Show me how to respond in each and every situation. I want to live a life of holy pursuit.

Seeking You,

Jeff

Prove the Message

 Scripture:

”But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭14‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The apostles preached the Gospel in Antioch and the surrounding region boldly concerning the grace of God. God then backed up their words by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. The message was proved to be true by demonstrations of God’s power.

Application:

We need more of the power of God in our midst. I don’t want to just preach good messages, but messages that are endued with power from on high. I want to preach messages that are confirmed with signs and wonders. I don’t want to minister on my own, but backed by the Spirit of God who can prove the message is true. 

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, fill me with Your power. Help me to walk in step with You all the days of my life. Teach me to be more sensitive to your voice and let me be led by Your Spirit. Show me how to lead well. Back up what I speak with Your power and do miraculous signs and wonders once again to prove the message is true. Come Holy Spirit and move in our midst.

Your Forever,

Jeff

The Power of the Lord

 Scripture:

”The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭11‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This Scripture is so powerful because it is not talking about Peter, or Paul, but about scattered believers who began to preach Jesus wherever they went. As they preached, the power of the Lord was with them, and large numbers of Gentiles believed and turned. When the power of the Lord is present, it doesn’t matter if you have the apostles and bishops with you, people will come to Jesus.

Application:

We have moved from walking in power to making incredible performances in the Body of Christ. We go to extremes to get people saved. The early church simply preached Jesus and power followed, then people were convinced. I love doing every possible thing to grab an audience’s attention and help them understand God’s word, but if there is no power in it, it will not be truly effective. I want to walk in God’s power and not the wisdom of man.

Prayer:

Father, fill me with Your power. Let my teaching and preaching not be with words of man’s wisdom, but with Your power. Demonstrate Your power in and through my life so people will be truly converted and set free from all the powers of the the evil one. Teach me how to walk with You in deeper levels of faith. Let Your power always be sensed when I proclaim Your truth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

But Lord

 Scripture:

”“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!“ ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had told Ananias to go and pray for Saul. Ananias knew who Paul was and how he was persecuting Christians. His reply to God was “But Lord.” He had good reason, not to do what the Lord told him to do. He could have used the wisdom excuse, saying it was not wise to be going to pray for a man who was killing Christians. Nevertheless, Ananias did what the Lord told him to do, after a little convincing.

Application:

I know I have used the “but Lord” statement in my life on many occasions. As I enter the latter stages of life, I don’t want to miss out of what God is telling me to do, even if it doesn’t make sense or is dangerous. I want to be fully obedient and someone God can trust to do what He needs done in the earth. I want to walk in great wisdom, but I also want to walk in complete obedience. When they clash, I want to err on the side of obedience to God.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for loving me and working in my life. You are amazing! Thank You for lifting me up and setting me down in my motorcycle accident the other day. I still can’t comprehend how I ended up on my feet without a scratch. Your angels did something amazing to me. Help me to walk in obedience, when it makes sense and when it doesn’t.

Yours Forever,

Jeff