Comebacks

Scripture:

Judges 16:22  "However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off".

Observation:

Samson had failed God miserably.  He had broken almost of the laws of a Nazirite, which he was to fulfill all the days of his life.  He had slept with foreign women and was living a lifestyle that God wouldn't approve of.  As a result, he lost everything, was captured, blinded and became a workhorse for his enemies.  However, his hair began to grow again and his strength began to grow again.

Application:

Sometimes we get off of God's path for our lives.  Sometimes we make mistakes and do things we know we shouldn't do.  Usually this leaves us feeling that God could never use us again or work with us again.  The fact is, God is a loving and forgiving God.  You will real what you sow, but hair does grow again and God will still work with your life.  He hasn't given up on you totally.  No matter how you may have fallen away from God, He will draw you back and re-empower you to do His will.

Prayer:

Father, I pray for the person reading this who feels they have fallen too far for God to forgive them.  I pray they will realize that You are a loving and forgiving God and that their hair can grow again.  Resurrect hope for the person who has just about given up I pray.  Be with me today in all I do.  Walk with me and talk with me throughout this day.  Empower me to serve You well today.

Your Son,
Jeff

God is Sometimes Working When we Don't Realize it

Scripture:

Judges 14:3-4 "But Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, for she looks good to me'.  However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines."

Observation:

Samson told his parents that a girl of the Philistines looked good to him and they thought he just had hormone problems and was full of lust.  They wanted him to marry one of their people.  This girl was from the uncircumcised Philistines who were the enemies of God and Israel.  Apparently, there is no way this could be God, but God had a plan in all of this.

Application:

Sometimes God does things that don't make sense to us.  Sometimes He breaks His own rules.  He is God and He is allowed to do that!  It was wrong for Samson to marry a Philistine woman, but God wanted him to because He had a plan.  Samson's life was given to God from birth and God had his hand on Samson even when it appeared Samson was acting totally in the flesh.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see from Your perspective.  help me to see what You are doing in the lives of the people around me.  Help me not to judge without knowing what You are up to.  speak to me clearly Holy Spirit and guide my life.

Yours,
Jeff

Where is God?

Scripture:

Judges 6:13 "Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?  And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up our of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian'".

Observation:

God was speaking to Gideon through an angel and telling him to arise and defeat the Midianites.  The angel said, "The Lord is with you mighty man of valor", but Gideon didn't feel like a mighty man of valor.  He also didn't feel like God was with him.  Gideon experienced what all of us experience from time to time.

Application:

Often God's people feel exactly like Gideon.  They feel like God did great and mighty things in the past, but that He isn't doing those things today or that He does them for others, but not for them.  The fact is... God is with us!  Whether it looks like it or not, God is with us.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  Though it may not seem He is with us, He is.  It may not feel like He is with us, but He is.  We must remember that at all times, God is with us and we must act like He is.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in faith.  Help me to believe You are truly with me in every valley and every mountaintop.  You have done so much in my life, help me never forget the way You have delivered me and favored me over and over again.  You are amazing.  Increase my faith.

Your Son,
Jeff

Testing

Scripture:

Judges 2:21-22 "I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did or not".

Observation:

God had told the people of Israel to totally destroy their enemies and those who dwelt in the land the Lord was giving them.  They decided not to obey in that area and allowed their enemies to stay or only partially destroyed them.  God then used the thing they refused to do for Him as a test and as a reminder of their disobedience.

Application:

God doesn't want His people to walk in bondage.  He wants us to defeat the enemies of sin in our lives totally.  He paid completely for our freedom, yet many of us choose to still live in bondage because of disobedience.  We must walk completely in the liberty Christ has called us to.  What we don't defeat will remain a test to us throughout our lives.  We need to meet them and defeat them so they don't come back to haunt us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to completely obey Your voice.  Teach me Your ways and help me to live a life that pleases You in every area.  Help me defeat what needs defeated and not entertain things that will destroy me.

Yours,

Jeff

Provoked by the Spirit

Scripture:

Acts 17:16  "Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols".

Observation:

When Paul came into the city of Athens, the scripture says that his spirit was being provoked within him because of all the idols.  His spirit was sensitive to the spirit of God and he was feeling what God feels about the city.

Application:

I want God to let me feel His heart for my city and my people and my generation.  I want my spirit to be provoked by God to action.  To provoke really means to push until action is required.  When you feel the heart of God for the lost, you will be provoked to do something about your city.

Prayer:

Provoke me Lord!  Provoke my heart to action for You.  Provoke my spirit like You provoked Paul.  Move my heart for the things that move Your heart.

You are the best!
Jeff

Serving God's Purpose

Scripture:

Acts 13:36  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay".

Observation:

Paul is preaching the Gospel in this context and speaking of the resurrection of Christ and how God's Holy One would not suffer decay.  He was letting them know that David did suffer decay.  In saying this, he makes a comment about David, "after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep".  David fulfilled the purpose of God in his generation and then fell asleep.

Application:

I love this wording about David and I want it to be true about my life as well.  I want to serve the purpose of God in my generation, then fall asleep.  Life should really be about God's purpose in our generation and not our purpose.  So many today are looking for their purpose in life.  Let's look at fulfilling God's purpose in our generation and we will fall asleep very content one day.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let me fulfill Your purposes in the earth in my generation, then fall asleep.  Let my life serve Your purposes and not my own.  I thank You for Your blessing on my life and for all the wonderful things You have done for me lately, but more than anything else, I want to serve Your purposes.  Bless our missions convention this weekend as we look to expand what we are doing for Your purposes in our generation.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Mission of Jesus

Scripture:

Acts 10:38  "You know Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him".

Observation:

Luke, as a first hand witness of Christ, gives us his summary of the mission of Jesus and what it looked like.  He summarizes the ministry of Christ by saying He, "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil".  His missions summarized was, Go about, do good and heal oppressed people.  Sounds like a great mission statement to me.

Application:

Today we are consumed by missional questions and work hard to define and re-define our mission as a people and as a church.  This is all good and very important, but sometimes we lose the simple and make things way too complex.  What if our mission became very simple like Go, do good, and heal.  I think then God would be with us like He was with Jesus and we would see great things happen in the church.

Prayer:

Father, I need You in my life desperately.  I want to do Your will above all else.  Help me to simplify life and live a life that is truly pleasing to You.  Help me to go, do good and heal what is messed up by the devil.  Help me to restore things that are broken and messed up for Your glory.

Yours,
Jeff

Chosen Instruments

Scripture:

Acts 9:15  "But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel'".

Observation:

God chose Saul as His instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Saul was a persecutor of the early believers.  He was literally rounding them up like slaves when Jesus appeared to him.  Though he was persecuting the church, God chose him as a chosen instrument to become one of God's most powerful and influence leaders in the New Testament.

Application:

When God is going to choose someone to serve Him and carry His Gospel, He doesn't do a background check.  He chooses people that we probably wouldn't.  We must realize that God doesn't see things like we see them.  I wonder how many chosen instruments have been untapped because humans felt like they were not good enough.  God chooses who He wants and we must learn to deal with it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see as You see.  Help me not to be quick to judge who You can use and who You can't or shouldn't.  Don't let me bypass chosen instruments because they don't look like what I think they should look like.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fill the City

Scripture:

Acts 5:28  "'We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood on us'".

Observation:

The disciples had, quite shortly after the ascension, already been beaten and told not to speak any more in the name of Jesus.  They told the religious leaders who confronted them that they couldn't help but tell about Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.  Even when told not to, the disciples "filled Jerusalem" with their teaching.

Application:

May God's love and provision for us on the cross, cause us to fill our cities with Christ's teaching.  May the church of Jesus Christ begin to once again turn cities upside down with the Good News.  May revival so touch our lives that Christ's teaching fills our cities and overflows in the city streets.  I want to see cities shaken again for the glory of God.

Prayer:

Father, let revival come to Ashburn, VA.  Let the city be filled with the teachings of Christ.  Holy Spirit, pour out on my church and our region.  I ask you to revive the church and let her be filled with your power once again.  Let the signs and wonders of the early church be released again here in the last days.  Restore Your church to full power and let cities be turned to Christ as a result.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Agony of Death

Scripture:

Acts 2:24  "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to he held in its power".

Observation:

As Luke is recording his observations of what happened after Christ resurrected and was putting together a history of the early church, he declares to us that Christ put "an end to the agony of death".   It was impossible for death to hold onto Christ.  He was the firstfruits of the resurrection.  Because He was raised, we also will be raised.  The agony that death produces is gone forever for those who believe.

Application:

It was apparent that the apostles had no fear of death once they saw Christ ascend to heaven and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  The agony or fear of death was gone because they knew that if Christ resurrected, they also would live again.  Jesus had told them not to fear those who could you, but to fear the one who could put you into hell.  Now they were empowered to actually not fear death.  We, as believers, have nothing to fear in death.

Prayer:

Father, make the resurrection more real to me every day.  I want to live a life of no fear except for You.  Help me to understand that the agony of death is over and there is nothing to fear.  Thank You for raising Christ from the dead and giving me confidence that I can have eternal life.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Promises

Scripture:

Joshua 21:45 "Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

Observation:

Just before this passage, the Israelites had all received their inheritance of land in the Promised Land.  God gave them exactly what He told them He would give them.  He also gave them rest on every side and defeated all their enemies on their behalf.  He fulfilled His side of the covenant fully and completely.  God does what He promises.

Application:

God is a God who can be trusted.  His word can be trusted.  He cannot lie and He does what He says He will do.  All of God's promises come to pass!  Reading this strengthens my faith and increases my trust in the Lord.  He is the God who does what He says He will do.  He is trustworthy and we can depend on Him.  If He treated the Israelites this good and they didn't fully obey His word, He will also take great care of us, even when we don't deserve it.

Prayer:

Thank You God for being a strong foundation that can be fully trusted because You are fully trustworthy.  You fulfill Your promises with extreme detail!  Help me be more like You and to live a trustworthy life.  You are amazing and it is an honor to serve You.

Yours,
Jeff

Twisted Obedience

Scripture:

Joshua 16:10  "But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers".

Observation:

Israel was told to totally annihilate every group of people who lived in their Promised Land.  They were told to leave nobody living.  In many cases, like this one, Israel had a form of twisted obedience.  They subdued their enemies, but didn't totally wipe them out as God had told them to do.  The Canaanites in this verse, became forced laborers, but in the long run, the Canaanites were a problem for Israel for years to come because of twisted obedience.

Application:

God doesn't want us to take His commands, add our spin to them, then do what we want to do.  He is not pleased with partial or twisted obedience.  The things God speaks to us are not just suggestions, they are commands, not to be twisted into what we think they should be.  We need to fully obey like a Joshua or Caleb instead of twisting things around and partially obeying, which always brings problems down the road.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to obey You well and accomplish all You want me to.  Teach me to hear Your voice and see Your hand working so that I can follow precisely.  I want to speak with You as friend with friend.  I want to know You deeper each day.

Yours,
Jeff

Faith Brings Inheritance

Scripture:

Joshua 14:14  "Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully".

Observation:

When the Promised Land was divided among the tribes of Israel, there was one parcel given to Caleb, who was not one of the twelve sons of Israel.  Caleb received and inheritance among the twelve tribes when he personally was a Kenizzite and probably not even from one of the tribes of Israel.  He received inheritance he didn't deserve because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully and wanted to take the territory, believing full on that God would give it to them.  His faith gave him an inheritance he didn't even deserve.

Application:

God will go out of His way to bless those who are fully committed to Him and who will follow Him completely.  He is looking for those who will live by faith and trust Him completely.  Just like Caleb, we must fully follow the Lord and believe He is able to do what He says He can do.  We must be people who walk by faith and trust God completely.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  Help me to follow Your voice every day of my life.  Help me to never limit You by my small thinking.  Help me to believe You can do anything and that You will honor and bless my obedience.  You are the best!

Your Son,
Jeff

When God Fights

Scripture:

Joshua 10:42  "Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel".

Observation:

By the end of the chapter 12, Joshua had defeated 31 kings in the region of the Promised Land.  He was going through the land getting rid of every enemy.  Sometimes, four or five kings would get together and attack Israel, but Israel would defeat them every time because, "the God of Israel, fought for Israel".  When God fights on your behalf, the battle isn't fair.  He never loses!

Application:

The God of Israel has never lost His power.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He can still defeat every enemy and plunder everything that stands against us.  The thing to remember about Israel is that God fought their battles as long as they were doing as He instructed.  When they disobeyed, the blessing would stop and defeat would come their way.  Our goal should be to walk in complete obedience so that our God can fight our battles.

Prayer:

Father, I love You and appreciate You more than I show.  Thank You for all You have done recently to show me how much You love me.  You truly fight our battles and bring about victory.  You are my strength and my deliverer.  Help me to obey You more and better.   I know that obedience in better than sacrifice.

Yours,
Jeff

Seeking God's Counsel

Scripture:

Joshua 9:14  "So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord".

Observation:

The men of Israel made a covenant with their enemies when they came to them saying they had heard how Israel had defeated other peoples that were greater than them.  They said they feared the Lord and how the Lord had delivered His people in other times.  They gave themselves to be servants to Israel.  When Israel made a covenant with them, they did not ask the Lord's counsel.  They didn't ask because they knew what the answer would be and they liked the idea of having servants in the Promised Land.

Application:

Sometimes we don't ask God's opinion on something because we know what His answer will be.  We don't want to feel rebellious so we don't ask.  Sometimes, things can look like a great blessing to us, but if we inquired of the Lord, He may say no because He knows something we don't.  Even things that look good, may not be God's best for us.  We must seek His counsel in every decision in life.

Prayer:

Father, I want to stay in line with Your will and plan for my life.  Help me to be sensitive to your voice and help me to obey.  Remind me to seek Yours counsel on everything in my life.  I want Your direction, provision and reign in my life and not to simply lean on my own understanding.

Your Son,
Jeff

When God is With You

Scripture:

Joshua 6:27  "So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land".

Observation:

Joshua had become the leader of God's people and had just led them across the Jordan River and helped them destroy the fortified city of Jericho.  It was evident to the people that God was with Joshua and that they could trust his leadership.  This caused his fame to spread throughout the land.  When God is with you, it will be evident.

Application:

One of the greatest things someone can say about you is that "the Lord is with them".  As believers, we are to be one with the Lord, He in us and us in Him.  The evidence of this is that people will see God working in our lives and they will know that the Lord is with us.  When the Lord is with you, every battle is won and great victories are wrought.  We need to seek the Lord and earnestly desire that He be with us.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want evidence in my life that You are with me.  I want to walk with You, talk with You, be with You and live through You.  Help me to live a life that would cause You to want to walk with me.

Yours,
Jeff

Jesus Helps Us Believe

Scripture:

John 20:27  "Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing'".

Observation:

When Jesus resurrected from the dead and appeared to His disciples, Thomas wasn't there.  When he heard about the happening, he said he would believe Jesus had risen when he could put his hand in Jesus' side and see His nail pierced hands.  He was struggling with unbelief at this point.  Jesus didn't rebuke Thomas, but allowed him to see and touch, so that his doubts would go away.

Application:

Jesus doesn't mind us questioning at times.  He lovingly demonstrates to us His love and compassion and He helps us with our unbelief.  Once He helps us see the truth, He does expect us to believe from that point on.  He told Thomas, "Don't be unbelieving, but believing".  When we have doubts, we can approach Jesus and He will take away our doubts and show Himself to us, then He expects us to believe and walk in faith.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your Son Jesus and for loving us so much.  Thank You for not throwing us out when we have our doubts.  Thank You for caring about us enough to answer our questions and strengthen our faith.  You are amazing!

Your Son,
Jeff

Ask and You Will Receive

Scripture:

John 16:24  "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full".

Observation:

In this passage, Jesus was letting Him disciples know that He wouldn't be with them much longer.  They had walked with Him and talked with Him for 3-1/2 years.  They were with Him.  As He was approaching His death, He let them know that the Holy Spirit was coming to be with them and that they would need to ask "in the name of Jesus" at that point.

Application:

When we pray and say, "in the name of Jesus", we are invoking the power of Christ into the situation.  Jesus said that when we ask in His name, we would receive.  He not only said we would receive, but we would receive, so that our joy may be full.  Jesus wants us to be filled with joy.  We are filled with joy when we ask for things in His name and receive them.  He loves to bless us with that joy.  We must begin to ask "In His Name".

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, You are here with us at this point, pointing us to Jesus and bringing the power of God into the earth.  Thank You for always listening.  You are awesome!  Help me understand better and better what Jesus meant in this passage and so many like it.  Help me to believe like a child, that when I ask, I will receive simply because Jesus said I would.  Bring salvation, healing, and deliverance to You people this weekend, in Jesus' name.

Yours,

Jeff

Abide and Impact

Scripture:

John 15:4  "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me".

Observation:

Jesus told His disciples that He was going away and that He would not be with them forever.  He had just finished predicting His betrayal and even death.  Knowing He had limited time left with His disciples, I have to think He made some of His most important statements.  Here He gives them the key to life and ministry, "Abide".  He told His disciples that they had to remain in Him and He in them, then they would have great fruit.

Application:

When we abide, remain, stay, in Christ, we will impact the world around us.  We cannot do ministry or build the Kingdom on our own, apart from Him.  He said He would build His church.  Our job is to abide!  We are useless apart from Him, but with Him all things are possible.  We can't have positive impact on our world without Him.  We need to learn to abide and impact.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to abide in You continually throughout the day.  Help me to walk with You and talk with you and remain in You all day long.  Let my ear be attuned to Your voice and my heart obedient when I hear You.  I want to abide in Your presence all day every day and to be the person You want me to be.

Yours,
Jeff

Knowing Him

Scripture:

John 10:14  "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me".

Observation:

Jesus was telling the people in this verse that He knows those who belong to Him and that they know Him.  He talks in the context about sheep knowing the voice of the shepherd and follow him.  Here He compares Himself with a shepherd and lets us know that He knows us and wants us to know Him.  He is not trying to hide Himself from us, but trying to let us know Him.

Application:

Jesus said He knows His own and His own know Him.  I want to be one who knows Him.  I want to hear His voice and walk with the shepherd.  I want to follow Him completely and do whatever He says to do.  I know that He knows me... I want to know Him more and more every day.  I want to know Him like He knows me.

Prayer:

Closer Lord!  I want to walk closer with You.  As we remember your death, burial and resurrection this week, I want to know Your voice.  You raised from the dead and are alive forevermore.  Help me to clearly hear Your voice and to follow wholeheartedly.

Your Son,
Jeff