Scripture:
Jeremiah 23:29 "'Is not my word like fire', declares the Lord, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?'"
Observation:
Jeremiah is delivering the word of the Lord. He is in the process of speaking to false prophets who prophesy lies, things they heard others say, and simply make up things to say that sound good to the people. As he is speaking on God's behalf to the prophets, he adds these words about how God's words generally are; He says God's words are like fire and God's words are like a hammer. Fire burns up everything and a hammer destroys rocks.
Application:
God's words are not always the same. Sometimes they burn like fire and sometimes they crush like taking a hammer to a rock. They are always sent for a purpose. God's prophetic voice is not always going to say, "God is going to bless you and money will come to you and everything around you is going to be blessed". These type words are thrown around so much today. Seldom do we hear a word from the Lord that burns in us like fire or crushes us like a hammer. As for me, I want some fire and hammer preaching from the prophetic voice.
Prayer:
Father God, I want to hear Your words and deliver them accurately. I want to say what You are saying to this generation. I want to speak as a true voice for You. Help me not let my flesh in the way when it comes to the prophetic. Help me accurately declares what You are wanting to declare. Let it be like a fire and like a hammer.
Yours.
Jeff
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Where is Your Trust?
Scripture:
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the Lord says: 'Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts from the Lord'".
Observation:
Jeremiah says that people who trust in themselves or others are cursed. He says that when we rely on ourselves, we have turned our hearts from the Lord. God wants us to trust Him and look to Him for our wisdom, direction, fulfillment, decisions, etc. He wants us to look to Him with every detail of our lives instead of trying to work everything out on our own.
Application:
Most of what is done in our churches today is born out of human strength and human wisdom. We know how to increase attendance, raise funds, and do the work of the ministry. We have studied our demographics and figured out how to reach people best and how to hold onto them. We have turned our hearts from the Lord and are doing much of the work ourselves instead of looking to Him. We must turn our heart back to Him. It is His church and He will guide us into victory and not we ourselves.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to depend more and more on You. Teach me not to operate only on what I think is the next good move for our church, but help me hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Help me lead from Your voice instead of my head. I thank You for human wisdom, but Your wisdom far supersedes human wisdom. I want to do things Your way and not my way or a way I learned at the last convention.
Yours,
Jeff
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the Lord says: 'Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts from the Lord'".
Observation:
Jeremiah says that people who trust in themselves or others are cursed. He says that when we rely on ourselves, we have turned our hearts from the Lord. God wants us to trust Him and look to Him for our wisdom, direction, fulfillment, decisions, etc. He wants us to look to Him with every detail of our lives instead of trying to work everything out on our own.
Application:
Most of what is done in our churches today is born out of human strength and human wisdom. We know how to increase attendance, raise funds, and do the work of the ministry. We have studied our demographics and figured out how to reach people best and how to hold onto them. We have turned our hearts from the Lord and are doing much of the work ourselves instead of looking to Him. We must turn our heart back to Him. It is His church and He will guide us into victory and not we ourselves.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to depend more and more on You. Teach me not to operate only on what I think is the next good move for our church, but help me hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Help me lead from Your voice instead of my head. I thank You for human wisdom, but Your wisdom far supersedes human wisdom. I want to do things Your way and not my way or a way I learned at the last convention.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Saved to Serve
Scripture:
Jeremiah 15:19 "Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me; if you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them'".
Observation:
Jeremiah had been prophesying destruction and disaster on God's people because they had not served Him properly. They had done their own thing and ended up in terrible sin and devastation, yet they would not turn to God. If they had just turned to Him in repentance, He would have received them and blessed them mightily, but they would not. In this passage the Lord says that if they would repent, He would restore them so they could serve Him. He wants to restore them, not just for their sake, but that they may serve Him.
Application:
God saves us for a purpose. He saves us that we may serve Him. He rescues us so that we will live a life that pleases Him and share what He has done for us to the world so that they may know Him as well. We are saved to serve! Many times today we act like God is there to serve us and give us whatever we want. He does heal us, forgive us, cleanse us, etc., but He does it that we may make His name great in the earth. He saves us to serve Him and we must get back to seeing it that way.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to make You name famous in all the earth. I want to lift up your name above every other thing. Help me to serve You well while I am here on this earth. You saved me so that I could serve You. Help me to do it well!
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Jeremiah 15:19 "Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me; if you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them'".
Observation:
Jeremiah had been prophesying destruction and disaster on God's people because they had not served Him properly. They had done their own thing and ended up in terrible sin and devastation, yet they would not turn to God. If they had just turned to Him in repentance, He would have received them and blessed them mightily, but they would not. In this passage the Lord says that if they would repent, He would restore them so they could serve Him. He wants to restore them, not just for their sake, but that they may serve Him.
Application:
God saves us for a purpose. He saves us that we may serve Him. He rescues us so that we will live a life that pleases Him and share what He has done for us to the world so that they may know Him as well. We are saved to serve! Many times today we act like God is there to serve us and give us whatever we want. He does heal us, forgive us, cleanse us, etc., but He does it that we may make His name great in the earth. He saves us to serve Him and we must get back to seeing it that way.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to make You name famous in all the earth. I want to lift up your name above every other thing. Help me to serve You well while I am here on this earth. You saved me so that I could serve You. Help me to do it well!
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Monday, June 24, 2013
Senseless Living
Scripture:
Jeremiah 10:21 "The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered".
Observation:
Jeremiah is prophesying destruction that was coming. As he is prophesying, he throws in this statement that is very powerful. He basically says that the shepherds don't prosper and are senseless because they don't ask God about what they are doing. As I see it, shepherding probably wouldn't take a lot of hearing from God. It seems you would be trained and then do as you have learned. It doesn't seem like a difficult occupation, yet Jeremiah says they didn't prosper in it because they did not inquire of the Lord.
Application:
God is concerned about every detail of our lives. We may wonder why we work so hard and produce such little results. Does God really want to show us how to be prosperous? Does He understand our current jobs and positions? Does He understand my job? To these questions, the answer is yes! He wants to guide us in every area of life into a life of peace and blessing. Many of us think, God doesn't care about my job. It is just what I do, why should I seek Him about it? He wants to bless you and work is what results in blessing most of the time. Therefore He is very concerned and wants to guide us as work and in the mundane things of life.
Prayer:
Father, Help me not to live a senseless life. I look to You to guide me, direct me and show me every step of the way. I need you to show me how to live my life. You are my everything and I place my trust in You!
Yours,
Jeff
Jeremiah 10:21 "The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered".
Observation:
Jeremiah is prophesying destruction that was coming. As he is prophesying, he throws in this statement that is very powerful. He basically says that the shepherds don't prosper and are senseless because they don't ask God about what they are doing. As I see it, shepherding probably wouldn't take a lot of hearing from God. It seems you would be trained and then do as you have learned. It doesn't seem like a difficult occupation, yet Jeremiah says they didn't prosper in it because they did not inquire of the Lord.
Application:
God is concerned about every detail of our lives. We may wonder why we work so hard and produce such little results. Does God really want to show us how to be prosperous? Does He understand our current jobs and positions? Does He understand my job? To these questions, the answer is yes! He wants to guide us in every area of life into a life of peace and blessing. Many of us think, God doesn't care about my job. It is just what I do, why should I seek Him about it? He wants to bless you and work is what results in blessing most of the time. Therefore He is very concerned and wants to guide us as work and in the mundane things of life.
Prayer:
Father, Help me not to live a senseless life. I look to You to guide me, direct me and show me every step of the way. I need you to show me how to live my life. You are my everything and I place my trust in You!
Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Lord Worked With Them
Scripture:
Mark 16:20 "The the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it".
Observation:
Just before Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, He told them in verse 17 that "these signs will follow those who believe". He listed several things that would follow those who believe. In this verse, His disciples did as He said and He confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it. They went out to do His work and He worked with them. When we preach Jesus...He will work with us through signs and wonders.
Application:
Many times we feel like and even use the expression, "I'm working for the Lord". If we are ever going to advance His kingdom in the way He wants, we must stop working "for" Him and start working "with" Him. He worked "with" the early disciples and powerful things happened. When we work "for" Him, we are limited to doing what we can do in our own human flesh. When we work "with" Him, we have resurrection power working with us to accomplish His work. This seems like the logical choice. I want to work "with" the Lord and not just "for" Him.
Prayer:
Father, I want to get on Your agenda and work with You. I want Jesus to work with me like He did the early disciples. Help me to be more sensitive to Your Spirit. Teach me to work with You instead of for You. You are incredible! Thank You for showing this to me today.
Yours,
Jeff
Mark 16:20 "The the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it".
Observation:
Just before Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, He told them in verse 17 that "these signs will follow those who believe". He listed several things that would follow those who believe. In this verse, His disciples did as He said and He confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it. They went out to do His work and He worked with them. When we preach Jesus...He will work with us through signs and wonders.
Application:
Many times we feel like and even use the expression, "I'm working for the Lord". If we are ever going to advance His kingdom in the way He wants, we must stop working "for" Him and start working "with" Him. He worked "with" the early disciples and powerful things happened. When we work "for" Him, we are limited to doing what we can do in our own human flesh. When we work "with" Him, we have resurrection power working with us to accomplish His work. This seems like the logical choice. I want to work "with" the Lord and not just "for" Him.
Prayer:
Father, I want to get on Your agenda and work with You. I want Jesus to work with me like He did the early disciples. Help me to be more sensitive to Your Spirit. Teach me to work with You instead of for You. You are incredible! Thank You for showing this to me today.
Yours,
Jeff
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Keep Watch...He's Coming
Scripture:
Mark 13:35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back - whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn".
Observation:
Jesus is describing last days events to His disciples. He was telling them that He would die, be raised to life, ascend and would come back at a future time. He used this parable to describe what it was like. He said that the owner of a house, when he is going away, will put people in charge and a watchman to look for his return. Jesus was saying that He was going away for a while and would return...we need to be ready for that day.
Application:
Jesus told them to do one thing in this passage...keep watch. He wanted them ready and looking for His appearing. Years ago, we always wanted to live right because Jesus could come at any moment and we need to be living right when He returns. We wanted to be found living life His way instead of our own. Now, it seems people are not awaiting His soon return as much as before. It's like the church has gone to sleep on this issue. We need to wake up and watch...He's coming again! We need to be ready when He does.
Prayer:
Father, I want to be ready at all times. I want to be looking for your appearing. Help me keep one eye on the horizon looking for Your return and one eye on the harvest that needs brought in before You return. Help me live every day with passion and purpose, knowing Your return is nearer now than ever before.
Love You,
Jeff
Mark 13:35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back - whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn".
Observation:
Jesus is describing last days events to His disciples. He was telling them that He would die, be raised to life, ascend and would come back at a future time. He used this parable to describe what it was like. He said that the owner of a house, when he is going away, will put people in charge and a watchman to look for his return. Jesus was saying that He was going away for a while and would return...we need to be ready for that day.
Application:
Jesus told them to do one thing in this passage...keep watch. He wanted them ready and looking for His appearing. Years ago, we always wanted to live right because Jesus could come at any moment and we need to be living right when He returns. We wanted to be found living life His way instead of our own. Now, it seems people are not awaiting His soon return as much as before. It's like the church has gone to sleep on this issue. We need to wake up and watch...He's coming again! We need to be ready when He does.
Prayer:
Father, I want to be ready at all times. I want to be looking for your appearing. Help me keep one eye on the horizon looking for Your return and one eye on the harvest that needs brought in before You return. Help me live every day with passion and purpose, knowing Your return is nearer now than ever before.
Love You,
Jeff
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Faith and Forgiveness
Scripture:
Mark 11:24-25 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins".
Observation:
Mark 11:24 is a very popular scripture when it comes to faith. Faith says that when I pray for something, I must believe that I have received it, then I will have it. Jesus said whatever we ask for in prayer will be ours if we believe we have received it. When we pray, we must also believe by faith that it is already taken care of. After His incredible comment on faith, Jesus immediately told them that if they had anything against anyone, they need to forgive so that they can be forgiven by their heavenly father. When we are as serious about offense as we are about seeing God do great things, we will see great things. We must be people of forgiveness like Christ, then our faith will be much more effective.
Application:
Faith is seen when we thank God for something that hasn't happened yet. We must begin thanking God for the answer while the answer is still on the way. At the same time, we must make sure we are in right standing with people and be quick to forgive. Forgiveness and faith work together. If you have faith, but don't forgive, your faith won't take you very far. If you have forgiveness, but don't walk by faith, your prayers are not answered. These two are powerful and must be in our lives.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, I want to be a person of faith and forgiveness. Help me to forgive quickly when people hurt me. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Teach me more about faith! I want to see answers to my prayers and want nothing to hinder that. Help me eliminate all in my life that is not pleasing to You.
Yours,
Jeff
Mark 11:24-25 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins".
Observation:
Mark 11:24 is a very popular scripture when it comes to faith. Faith says that when I pray for something, I must believe that I have received it, then I will have it. Jesus said whatever we ask for in prayer will be ours if we believe we have received it. When we pray, we must also believe by faith that it is already taken care of. After His incredible comment on faith, Jesus immediately told them that if they had anything against anyone, they need to forgive so that they can be forgiven by their heavenly father. When we are as serious about offense as we are about seeing God do great things, we will see great things. We must be people of forgiveness like Christ, then our faith will be much more effective.
Application:
Faith is seen when we thank God for something that hasn't happened yet. We must begin thanking God for the answer while the answer is still on the way. At the same time, we must make sure we are in right standing with people and be quick to forgive. Forgiveness and faith work together. If you have faith, but don't forgive, your faith won't take you very far. If you have forgiveness, but don't walk by faith, your prayers are not answered. These two are powerful and must be in our lives.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, I want to be a person of faith and forgiveness. Help me to forgive quickly when people hurt me. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Teach me more about faith! I want to see answers to my prayers and want nothing to hinder that. Help me eliminate all in my life that is not pleasing to You.
Yours,
Jeff
Monday, June 17, 2013
Defiled From the Inside
Scripture:
Mark 7:15 "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them".
Observation:
Jesus is teaching about what the Pharisees had been teaching concerning cleanliness. They were really good at washing their hands, washing their plates and cups, etc. so that nothing unclean would enter them. They asked Jesus why His disciples didn't go by the regulations and Jesus made it plain to them that the inside was more important than the outside. He was telling them that their heart, soul and mind were more important to be clean than their hands. He told them that they were good at fulfilling man-made regulations, but that they had missed the point entirely.
Application:
Throughout our lives, we must always go back to doing a heart check. Sometimes we can be doing the right thing and doing it well, but if it is not the thing Christ wants us to be doing, we are being just like the Pharisees. We must keep the priority on what goes on inside instead of outside. We must desire our thoughts to be as clean as our Sunday church clothes. We must desire our hearts to be as pure as possible. We must maintain a pure heart and not just obey religious regulations.
Prayer:
Lord, search my heart today and show me the areas that need cleaning and care. Do an internal inspection and show me areas that need to change. Help me not to do things, even good things, that are simply out of obligation and man made rules, but to live by the Spirit who will guide and show me all truth.
Your Son,
Jeff
Mark 7:15 "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them".
Observation:
Jesus is teaching about what the Pharisees had been teaching concerning cleanliness. They were really good at washing their hands, washing their plates and cups, etc. so that nothing unclean would enter them. They asked Jesus why His disciples didn't go by the regulations and Jesus made it plain to them that the inside was more important than the outside. He was telling them that their heart, soul and mind were more important to be clean than their hands. He told them that they were good at fulfilling man-made regulations, but that they had missed the point entirely.
Application:
Throughout our lives, we must always go back to doing a heart check. Sometimes we can be doing the right thing and doing it well, but if it is not the thing Christ wants us to be doing, we are being just like the Pharisees. We must keep the priority on what goes on inside instead of outside. We must desire our thoughts to be as clean as our Sunday church clothes. We must desire our hearts to be as pure as possible. We must maintain a pure heart and not just obey religious regulations.
Prayer:
Lord, search my heart today and show me the areas that need cleaning and care. Do an internal inspection and show me areas that need to change. Help me not to do things, even good things, that are simply out of obligation and man made rules, but to live by the Spirit who will guide and show me all truth.
Your Son,
Jeff
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The Blessing of God
Scripture:
Isaiah 61:9 "Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed".
Observation:
Many times in my reading of passages like this, and there are many, I see that the blessing of the Lord is not as much about God's people being blessed, but about God blessing His people so that His name will be great. He blesses His people so that His name will be honored. He blesses His people so that the rest of the world will be jealous and want Him as their God. It seems like God blesses and prospers His people so mightily that the rest of the world will see it and turn to Him.
Application:
If God knows you will give Him praise and lift up His name, He will bless your socks off! God wants us to be people who give all credit for the blessing on on lives to Him. When He finds people who honor Him wholeheartedly, He unleashes the blessing their way. He does this because He knows that they won't take the credit themselves. God does bless His people and makes them a testimony of His goodness!
Prayer:
Father God, I ask you to let your blessing fall strongly on my life. I will tell everyone of Your goodness and will not take credit for myself. Bless the work of my hands. Bless our ministry. Bless our church. We want to declare to the nations how awesome our God is and we want to be a blessing to the nations. Help me do it.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Isaiah 61:9 "Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed".
Observation:
Many times in my reading of passages like this, and there are many, I see that the blessing of the Lord is not as much about God's people being blessed, but about God blessing His people so that His name will be great. He blesses His people so that His name will be honored. He blesses His people so that the rest of the world will be jealous and want Him as their God. It seems like God blesses and prospers His people so mightily that the rest of the world will see it and turn to Him.
Application:
If God knows you will give Him praise and lift up His name, He will bless your socks off! God wants us to be people who give all credit for the blessing on on lives to Him. When He finds people who honor Him wholeheartedly, He unleashes the blessing their way. He does this because He knows that they won't take the credit themselves. God does bless His people and makes them a testimony of His goodness!
Prayer:
Father God, I ask you to let your blessing fall strongly on my life. I will tell everyone of Your goodness and will not take credit for myself. Bless the work of my hands. Bless our ministry. Bless our church. We want to declare to the nations how awesome our God is and we want to be a blessing to the nations. Help me do it.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Radiant
Scripture:
Isaiah 60:5 "Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come".
Observation:
God is speaking here to Israel about a day coming when their oppressors will no more oppress them and when He will reign and rule as He has always desired. He speaks of a day when they will appear and be radiant, their hearts will be full of joy, and the wealth of the nations will come to them. This shows me that God's ultimate desire is to cause His people to be radiant with joy and financially blessed. He wants His people to make the rest of the world jealous.
Application:
When God is in complete control, His people are blessed. We must give God complete control of our lives and trust Him that His control of our lives will lead to radiance, joy and financial abundance. Our job is to live a life of complete obedience to the Lord in every area. We must also give Him praise when we are blessed. One of the purposes of His blessing is that we will declare His good deeds and provoke others to jealousy. Let's live radiant!
Prayer:
Lord God, I see here that You want to bless Your people abundantly and I'm ready for some of that. Help me submit my life completely to You and to trust that You are the one who will bring radiance and abundance into my life. You are amazing! Help me serve you better.
Yours,
Jeff
Isaiah 60:5 "Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come".
Observation:
God is speaking here to Israel about a day coming when their oppressors will no more oppress them and when He will reign and rule as He has always desired. He speaks of a day when they will appear and be radiant, their hearts will be full of joy, and the wealth of the nations will come to them. This shows me that God's ultimate desire is to cause His people to be radiant with joy and financially blessed. He wants His people to make the rest of the world jealous.
Application:
When God is in complete control, His people are blessed. We must give God complete control of our lives and trust Him that His control of our lives will lead to radiance, joy and financial abundance. Our job is to live a life of complete obedience to the Lord in every area. We must also give Him praise when we are blessed. One of the purposes of His blessing is that we will declare His good deeds and provoke others to jealousy. Let's live radiant!
Prayer:
Lord God, I see here that You want to bless Your people abundantly and I'm ready for some of that. Help me submit my life completely to You and to trust that You are the one who will bring radiance and abundance into my life. You are amazing! Help me serve you better.
Yours,
Jeff
Monday, June 10, 2013
No Weapon Forged Against You
Scripture:
Isaiah 54:17 "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord".
Observation:
God is speaking to Israel through Isaiah in this context as He is telling them that there will be a day when their enemies will be completely defeated and peace will rule. God does say here, though, that this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. God is saying that He will vindicate those who are His. Our job is to seek Him, love Him, worship Him, and serve Him, He then will vindicate us and we will not have to fight our own battles.
Application:
God loves us more than we can even fathom. He wants to be our everything. When we walk with Him in that manner, He will fight heaven and earth on our behalf. He will vindicate His servants and take care of them. He will make sure, as we trust completely in Him, that our enemies weapons are powerless and that His children walk in victory. Weapons will be used against us, tongues will speak all kinds of terrible things about us, but if we are servants of the Lord, we can expect Him to vindicate us. The other aspect of this is that when we take revenge, we have done His job for Him. He can do a much better job with our enemies than we can. We must trust Him!
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, Thank You for speaking to me this morning. I want to continue to run after You with all my heart and not be afraid of man in any way. I want my life to be controlled completely by You and not by the fear of man. You are my rock and I put my trust in You alone!
Yours,
Jeff
Isaiah 54:17 "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord".
Observation:
God is speaking to Israel through Isaiah in this context as He is telling them that there will be a day when their enemies will be completely defeated and peace will rule. God does say here, though, that this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. God is saying that He will vindicate those who are His. Our job is to seek Him, love Him, worship Him, and serve Him, He then will vindicate us and we will not have to fight our own battles.
Application:
God loves us more than we can even fathom. He wants to be our everything. When we walk with Him in that manner, He will fight heaven and earth on our behalf. He will vindicate His servants and take care of them. He will make sure, as we trust completely in Him, that our enemies weapons are powerless and that His children walk in victory. Weapons will be used against us, tongues will speak all kinds of terrible things about us, but if we are servants of the Lord, we can expect Him to vindicate us. The other aspect of this is that when we take revenge, we have done His job for Him. He can do a much better job with our enemies than we can. We must trust Him!
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, Thank You for speaking to me this morning. I want to continue to run after You with all my heart and not be afraid of man in any way. I want my life to be controlled completely by You and not by the fear of man. You are my rock and I put my trust in You alone!
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, June 7, 2013
Forget All That!
Scripture:
Isaiah 43:18 "But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do."
Observation:
In this passage, God is speaking to Israel through Isaiah concerning what God was going to do. He was reminding them of all He had done in their history. He was recounting for them the great things that He had done. In the midst of telling them all the great things He had done in the past, He stops and says, "But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do". He had done amazing things for them, but they were nothing in comparison with what was coming.
Application:
Sometimes, especially when we are in a dry time or a season when we don't see much happening, we look back at what God did in the past and tend to focus on that since we don't see Him doing much at this present time. God challenges us here to "forget all that" because it is nothing compared to what He is going to do in the future. Historical markers are good for us to be able to look back and see what the Lord has done, but when we spend too much time looking back, we can't look ahead. We must look ahead with expectation that God is going to do a new thing that is greater than what we have seen in the past. We must also believe it is coming.
Prayer:
Father, help me to be a forward looking person of faith who sees that You are going to do as greater than what You have done in the past. Help me not just tell stories about what You have done in the past, but to believe and trust You for great stories in the future. I know You are going to pour out Your Spirit stronger and that revival is coming, guide me into it.
Yours,
Jeff
Isaiah 43:18 "But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do."
Observation:
In this passage, God is speaking to Israel through Isaiah concerning what God was going to do. He was reminding them of all He had done in their history. He was recounting for them the great things that He had done. In the midst of telling them all the great things He had done in the past, He stops and says, "But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do". He had done amazing things for them, but they were nothing in comparison with what was coming.
Application:
Sometimes, especially when we are in a dry time or a season when we don't see much happening, we look back at what God did in the past and tend to focus on that since we don't see Him doing much at this present time. God challenges us here to "forget all that" because it is nothing compared to what He is going to do in the future. Historical markers are good for us to be able to look back and see what the Lord has done, but when we spend too much time looking back, we can't look ahead. We must look ahead with expectation that God is going to do a new thing that is greater than what we have seen in the past. We must also believe it is coming.
Prayer:
Father, help me to be a forward looking person of faith who sees that You are going to do as greater than what You have done in the past. Help me not just tell stories about what You have done in the past, but to believe and trust You for great stories in the future. I know You are going to pour out Your Spirit stronger and that revival is coming, guide me into it.
Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Who Can Instruct the Lord?
Scripture:
Isaiah 40:13 "Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counselor?"
Observation:
Isaiah asks a powerful question here as he refers to the awesomeness of God. It goes on to say that He weighs the islands in His hands and before Him all nations become nothing. He says the nations are like dust on God's scales. In today's language Isaiah says, "Who do you think you are telling an all-powerful God what to do and how to do it?" We are not God's counselor and He doesn't need our opinions.
Application:
Most of the time when we approach the Lord, we come to Him as people who think we know what is best for us. We have our list of what the Lord needs to do and how He needs to do it in our lives. We act like we know better than Him how to answer the prayers on our hearts and we have no problem telling Him how to do it. "Who can instruct the Lord?" is a powerful question. As a parent of teenagers I am beginning to see how God feels on this. As a parent of teens sometimes we see them making bad choices or doing things that, because of experience, we know a better way, yet they choose to do it their way thinking mom and dad are old and don't understand. Then they get into problems and call on us to bail them out when we tried to tell them and save them much headache. God wants us to trust Him with our lives. Instead of telling Him how He needs to answer our prayers, we need to come humbly before Him and ask Him to show us the way.
Prayer:
Lord, I don't want to instruct You. You laid the foundations of the earth and weigh the mountains in Your hands. You are my creator and without You I wouldn't even be alive. Help me to trust You more than I trust myself. Help me to humble myself and stop trying to tell You how to run things down here.
Your Son,
Jeff
Isaiah 40:13 "Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counselor?"
Observation:
Isaiah asks a powerful question here as he refers to the awesomeness of God. It goes on to say that He weighs the islands in His hands and before Him all nations become nothing. He says the nations are like dust on God's scales. In today's language Isaiah says, "Who do you think you are telling an all-powerful God what to do and how to do it?" We are not God's counselor and He doesn't need our opinions.
Application:
Most of the time when we approach the Lord, we come to Him as people who think we know what is best for us. We have our list of what the Lord needs to do and how He needs to do it in our lives. We act like we know better than Him how to answer the prayers on our hearts and we have no problem telling Him how to do it. "Who can instruct the Lord?" is a powerful question. As a parent of teenagers I am beginning to see how God feels on this. As a parent of teens sometimes we see them making bad choices or doing things that, because of experience, we know a better way, yet they choose to do it their way thinking mom and dad are old and don't understand. Then they get into problems and call on us to bail them out when we tried to tell them and save them much headache. God wants us to trust Him with our lives. Instead of telling Him how He needs to answer our prayers, we need to come humbly before Him and ask Him to show us the way.
Prayer:
Lord, I don't want to instruct You. You laid the foundations of the earth and weigh the mountains in Your hands. You are my creator and without You I wouldn't even be alive. Help me to trust You more than I trust myself. Help me to humble myself and stop trying to tell You how to run things down here.
Your Son,
Jeff
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The God of Angel Armies
Scripture:
Isaiah 37:36 "Then the Angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up in the morning - there were all the dead bodies!"
Observation:
When God wants to take care of business, He can take care of business. As the approaching enemy army was coming, God's people began to cry out to Him. When they cried out, He went into action by sending "The Angel of the Lord" who killed 185,000 men in a single night. The armies of heaven are nothing to be messed with. They are a powerful force that makes the enemy retreat.
Application:
Recently we have been singing a song that says, "The God of angel armies is right here by my side". I receive great comfort when we sing this song because I know the power of God's armies of angels. One angel took out 185,000 men in this story, yet God has armies of angels at His disposal and He is right here by my side. Peace comes when we realize the God of angel armies is right here by my side. We can know that the all-powerful God who can put His angels on assignment at any time and for any purpose, is with us and has us covered. That is amazing, yet true!!
Prayer:
Father, open my eyes to see Your hosts of heaven and to realize they are there to minister to and for me. Help me see how truly incredible Your are and to trust You more each day. Thanks for the confidence today in knowing that the God of angel armies is right here by my side.
Yours,
Jeff
Isaiah 37:36 "Then the Angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up in the morning - there were all the dead bodies!"
Observation:
When God wants to take care of business, He can take care of business. As the approaching enemy army was coming, God's people began to cry out to Him. When they cried out, He went into action by sending "The Angel of the Lord" who killed 185,000 men in a single night. The armies of heaven are nothing to be messed with. They are a powerful force that makes the enemy retreat.
Application:
Recently we have been singing a song that says, "The God of angel armies is right here by my side". I receive great comfort when we sing this song because I know the power of God's armies of angels. One angel took out 185,000 men in this story, yet God has armies of angels at His disposal and He is right here by my side. Peace comes when we realize the God of angel armies is right here by my side. We can know that the all-powerful God who can put His angels on assignment at any time and for any purpose, is with us and has us covered. That is amazing, yet true!!
Prayer:
Father, open my eyes to see Your hosts of heaven and to realize they are there to minister to and for me. Help me see how truly incredible Your are and to trust You more each day. Thanks for the confidence today in knowing that the God of angel armies is right here by my side.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Gushing Water
Scripture:
Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert".
Observation:
This is a part of a prophecy about God's people. He speaks of a time when the reign and rule of God is in full control. When God's kingdom comes in fullness, all are healed, joy springs forth, and water gushes forth in the wilderness. He makes all things new! When He is in full control, life is amazing. In Ezekiel 47 God speaks about this river that springs forth in the desert and brings healing everywhere it goes and produces incredible fruit.
Application:
Isaiah and Ezekiel prophesy about a gushing forth of water in the wilderness and the desert blossoming like a rose. In the Book of John, Jesus says that if we come to Him, springs of living water will gush forth from our inner-most being. When we are truly under the reign and rule of God, our spirit will gush forth with living water and bring healing everywhere we go. The river is in us, we must let it flow and unstop anything that has been stopping us up spiritually.
Prayer:
Father, I want living water to gush forth from my life and be a blessing to all around me. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit and flow through my life. Let your living water flow out of my life. Show me areas that need to change to open up the river. I want You to rule and reign over this region.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert".
Observation:
This is a part of a prophecy about God's people. He speaks of a time when the reign and rule of God is in full control. When God's kingdom comes in fullness, all are healed, joy springs forth, and water gushes forth in the wilderness. He makes all things new! When He is in full control, life is amazing. In Ezekiel 47 God speaks about this river that springs forth in the desert and brings healing everywhere it goes and produces incredible fruit.
Application:
Isaiah and Ezekiel prophesy about a gushing forth of water in the wilderness and the desert blossoming like a rose. In the Book of John, Jesus says that if we come to Him, springs of living water will gush forth from our inner-most being. When we are truly under the reign and rule of God, our spirit will gush forth with living water and bring healing everywhere we go. The river is in us, we must let it flow and unstop anything that has been stopping us up spiritually.
Prayer:
Father, I want living water to gush forth from my life and be a blessing to all around me. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit and flow through my life. Let your living water flow out of my life. Show me areas that need to change to open up the river. I want You to rule and reign over this region.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Monday, June 3, 2013
Thy Kingdom Come!
Scripture:
Isaiah 33:24 "No one living in Zion will say, 'I am ill'; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven".
Observation:
Under the fullness of God's rule and reign, there is healing for all and sin is gone. Isaiah was prophesying about a time when God would rule and reign in Israel again, when God would establish His kingdom there. Whenever God is in complete control, there is blessing, health, joy, peace, etc. He is good! When He reigns in Zion now one will say "I am ill" because sickness and disease will be done away with. He is the healer of all sickness and disease.
Application:
I long to live under the complete rule and reign of God. In His presence there is fullness of joy. When He rules, everything is so much better! Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". As for me, I want the kingdom of God to come stronger and stronger in the earth until we are caught up to live in the fullness of His reign and rule forever. I want to shout it out this morning, THY KINGDOM COME!!!
Prayer:
Father, let Your kingdom come in my life, my family, my church, my city and my world. Let Your will be done in my life, my family, my church, and my world. Help me be more aware of how to bring Your reign and rule more and more on the earth. I want to live in a place where you are truly in complete control.
Yours,
Jeff
Isaiah 33:24 "No one living in Zion will say, 'I am ill'; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven".
Observation:
Under the fullness of God's rule and reign, there is healing for all and sin is gone. Isaiah was prophesying about a time when God would rule and reign in Israel again, when God would establish His kingdom there. Whenever God is in complete control, there is blessing, health, joy, peace, etc. He is good! When He reigns in Zion now one will say "I am ill" because sickness and disease will be done away with. He is the healer of all sickness and disease.
Application:
I long to live under the complete rule and reign of God. In His presence there is fullness of joy. When He rules, everything is so much better! Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". As for me, I want the kingdom of God to come stronger and stronger in the earth until we are caught up to live in the fullness of His reign and rule forever. I want to shout it out this morning, THY KINGDOM COME!!!
Prayer:
Father, let Your kingdom come in my life, my family, my church, my city and my world. Let Your will be done in my life, my family, my church, and my world. Help me be more aware of how to bring Your reign and rule more and more on the earth. I want to live in a place where you are truly in complete control.
Yours,
Jeff
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