Scripture:
John 9:25 "He answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see'".
Observation:
These are of the words of the man who was born blind that Jesus healed and restored his eyesight. The religious leaders were trying to prove Jesus was not the Messiah and that He was not from God. They accused Jesus of being a sinner and sent from the devil, but the man's response was priceless. He replied to them that he didn't know whether Jesus was a sinner or not, but he did know that he had received his sight because of Jesus.
Application:
Sometimes we feel like we need to know all the answers before we go and witness for Christ. All we really need is our testimony. People can argue Scripture and history, but they can't argue with a personal testimony. They may not believe it, but they can't argue it. We need to share what Christ has done for us instead of arguing about who is right in their interpretation of God's word. We don't have to act like we know everything, we must need to know Jesus saved me and has turned my life around.
Prayer:
Father, let me shine for You today. Help me to share my testimony with someone today. Open doors for me to share my faith today and help me to be bold enough to go for it. Set the captive free today. Let Your words flow through me today and help me to serve You well.
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Coming to Jesus
Scripture:
John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst'".
Observation:
The crowds were asking Jesus who He was and if He would do something to prove who He was. They said that Moses gave the people manna in the wilderness and they were asking Jesus to give them a sign. He said He was the Bread of Life and that whoever came to Him would never hunger and whoever believed in him would never thirst.
Application:
We must come to Jesus to receive eternal life, but we also must continue coming to Him throughout our lives as our protector, provider, and our spiritual sustenance. When He said "whoever comes to me", it meant whoever comes and continues to come to me. We must continue to walk with Jesus and to come to Him with our needs. He is faithful, but we must continue to pursue Him.
Prayer:
Father, You send Your Son Jesus to show us the way to You. He said we must come to Him and we would never hunger and never thirst. Help me to be one who continues to come to Jesus throughout my life. Let me be a person who grows more and more in relationship with You as I grow older. I want to know You more each day, hence I come.
Yours,
Jeff
John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst'".
Observation:
The crowds were asking Jesus who He was and if He would do something to prove who He was. They said that Moses gave the people manna in the wilderness and they were asking Jesus to give them a sign. He said He was the Bread of Life and that whoever came to Him would never hunger and whoever believed in him would never thirst.
Application:
We must come to Jesus to receive eternal life, but we also must continue coming to Him throughout our lives as our protector, provider, and our spiritual sustenance. When He said "whoever comes to me", it meant whoever comes and continues to come to me. We must continue to walk with Jesus and to come to Him with our needs. He is faithful, but we must continue to pursue Him.
Prayer:
Father, You send Your Son Jesus to show us the way to You. He said we must come to Him and we would never hunger and never thirst. Help me to be one who continues to come to Jesus throughout my life. Let me be a person who grows more and more in relationship with You as I grow older. I want to know You more each day, hence I come.
Yours,
Jeff
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Without Measure
Scripture:
John 3:34 "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure".
Observation:
John is speaking about Jesus when he says, "He whom God sent utters the words of God". He continues on to say that Jesus gives the Spirit without measure. As John was introducing Jesus to the world as the Messiah, he also said that He gives the Spirit without measure.
Application:
Jesus gives us the Spirit "without measure". There is an unlimited amount of the Spirit of God. You can't measure it in any way. We must realize that we have been given the Spirit "without measure". We have all we need and more for any situation or problem we come up against. When we say "without measure", we are saying there is all we need and more than we need. We should never feel like we only have a little bit of the Spirit. We should ask God to fill us with the Spirit "without measure".
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, fill me with Your Spirit "without measure". I want to do the works of Christ in the earth and I can do nothing without Your Spirit. I want to do Your will in the earth and to extend Your kingdom. Fill me with Your Spirit that I can do the works of God. Help me not to limit You with my own thinking, but to walk in a measureless flow of the Spirit. Let it flow from my life like springs of living water.
Yours,
Jeff
John 3:34 "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure".
Observation:
John is speaking about Jesus when he says, "He whom God sent utters the words of God". He continues on to say that Jesus gives the Spirit without measure. As John was introducing Jesus to the world as the Messiah, he also said that He gives the Spirit without measure.
Application:
Jesus gives us the Spirit "without measure". There is an unlimited amount of the Spirit of God. You can't measure it in any way. We must realize that we have been given the Spirit "without measure". We have all we need and more for any situation or problem we come up against. When we say "without measure", we are saying there is all we need and more than we need. We should never feel like we only have a little bit of the Spirit. We should ask God to fill us with the Spirit "without measure".
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, fill me with Your Spirit "without measure". I want to do the works of Christ in the earth and I can do nothing without Your Spirit. I want to do Your will in the earth and to extend Your kingdom. Fill me with Your Spirit that I can do the works of God. Help me not to limit You with my own thinking, but to walk in a measureless flow of the Spirit. Let it flow from my life like springs of living water.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Face to Face
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 34:10 "And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face".
Observation:
Israel had many prophets, but none of them had the relationship with God that Moses did. Moses spoke with the Lord face to face. He had a more intimate relationship with the Lord than anyone who came after him.
Application:
I want to know God like Moses did. I want to know Him intimately. I want to hear His voice clearly and to walk in His ways. We should seek to know God deeper all the time. We should desire to know Him life Moses did. He is approachable and knowable, we just need to seek Him out.
Prayer:
Father, let me be a seeker of God. Let my life be a passionate pursuit of You will, plans and purposes. Help me to stay on track and to continue to seek You diligently all the says of my life. I am Yours and want to know You like Moses did.
In Pursuit,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 34:10 "And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face".
Observation:
Israel had many prophets, but none of them had the relationship with God that Moses did. Moses spoke with the Lord face to face. He had a more intimate relationship with the Lord than anyone who came after him.
Application:
I want to know God like Moses did. I want to know Him intimately. I want to hear His voice clearly and to walk in His ways. We should seek to know God deeper all the time. We should desire to know Him life Moses did. He is approachable and knowable, we just need to seek Him out.
Prayer:
Father, let me be a seeker of God. Let my life be a passionate pursuit of You will, plans and purposes. Help me to stay on track and to continue to seek You diligently all the says of my life. I am Yours and want to know You like Moses did.
In Pursuit,
Jeff
Monday, March 27, 2017
Abundantly Prosperous
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 30:9 "The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers".
Observation:
Moses was about to die and his leadership would then be turned over to Joshua. Before he passed from the scene, he let them know that they would inhabit the Promised Land, but they would turn away from God and end up under the curse instead of the blessing. Here he said that, when they turn back to the Lord, He would abundantly prosper them in every way.
Application:
God's covenant with Israel was really incredible, but it was totally based on their obedience to His Laws and ways. When they did what was expected of them and kept God at the center of their lives, He would "abundantly Prosper" them. We have a similar covenant with our Lord. He wants to bless us abundantly, but we must follow his voice and do what He says. Our abundant prosperity is directly proportional to our obedience to the Lord. Obedience to the Lord is crucial.
Prayer:
Father, help me to follow You wholeheartedly. Help me to gladly follow Your voice and walk in Your paths. You are amazing and I love You. Help me to walk faithfully before You. Bless my life, my family, my church, and my region. Let Your blessings flow! Let me "abundantly prosper".
Your Son,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 30:9 "The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers".
Observation:
Moses was about to die and his leadership would then be turned over to Joshua. Before he passed from the scene, he let them know that they would inhabit the Promised Land, but they would turn away from God and end up under the curse instead of the blessing. Here he said that, when they turn back to the Lord, He would abundantly prosper them in every way.
Application:
God's covenant with Israel was really incredible, but it was totally based on their obedience to His Laws and ways. When they did what was expected of them and kept God at the center of their lives, He would "abundantly Prosper" them. We have a similar covenant with our Lord. He wants to bless us abundantly, but we must follow his voice and do what He says. Our abundant prosperity is directly proportional to our obedience to the Lord. Obedience to the Lord is crucial.
Prayer:
Father, help me to follow You wholeheartedly. Help me to gladly follow Your voice and walk in Your paths. You are amazing and I love You. Help me to walk faithfully before You. Bless my life, my family, my church, and my region. Let Your blessings flow! Let me "abundantly prosper".
Your Son,
Jeff
Sunday, March 26, 2017
The Lord Does Prosper His People
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 28:11 "And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you".
Observation:
God made some pretty incredible promises to the people of Israel, but they were all dependent on them obeying His laws and following His ways. When they followed His completely, they were promised prosperity, abundance, open heavens, and everything would go well with them. If they disobeyed Him, they would experience His curses.
Application:
When we walk in obedience to the Lord God Almighty, we can rest assured that He want to prosper us in every way. When we walk in disobedience, we can expect to see things go wrong for us in every area as well. God did this as a covenant. He made promises for obedience that were incredible and punishments for disobedience. We need to walk in obedience to the Lord, then we can have the assurance that He will prosper the work of our hands.
Prayer:
Father, You promised blessing and prosperity for those who follow and obey You. Let your blessing fall on my life. Let Your blessing fall on my family. Let your blessing fall on the church I pastor. Let my life be truly blessed! I will declare Your goodness to the ends of the earth.
Yours,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 28:11 "And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you".
Observation:
God made some pretty incredible promises to the people of Israel, but they were all dependent on them obeying His laws and following His ways. When they followed His completely, they were promised prosperity, abundance, open heavens, and everything would go well with them. If they disobeyed Him, they would experience His curses.
Application:
When we walk in obedience to the Lord God Almighty, we can rest assured that He want to prosper us in every way. When we walk in disobedience, we can expect to see things go wrong for us in every area as well. God did this as a covenant. He made promises for obedience that were incredible and punishments for disobedience. We need to walk in obedience to the Lord, then we can have the assurance that He will prosper the work of our hands.
Prayer:
Father, You promised blessing and prosperity for those who follow and obey You. Let your blessing fall on my life. Let Your blessing fall on my family. Let your blessing fall on the church I pastor. Let my life be truly blessed! I will declare Your goodness to the ends of the earth.
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, March 24, 2017
The Lord Fights Our Enemies
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 "and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory'".
Observation:
When God's people were going into battle and the enemy was much larger and stronger than them, they were told not to let their hearts faint because the Lord our God was going to fight with them and give them the victory. Before the battle they were given the confidence they were not on their own, but that the Commander of the Armies of the Lord was with them and would give them victory.
Application:
When we face things that seem insurmountable, we must realize we have a Father who loves is and is more than ready and able to fight our battles. He is able to bring victory no matter how bad things look. So many times in Scripture God defeated the enemy on behalf of His people. We must learn to walk in the confidence that He will defeat our enemies every time as long as we are walking with Him.
Prayer:
Father, increase my confidence in You. Help me to realize that You have never let me down or failed me. Help me to realize in my hear of hearts that You are for me and that You will take care of me, no matter what goes on around me. You are truly a Good, Good, Father and I'm love by You. Thanks for fighting my battles.
Yours,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 "and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory'".
Observation:
When God's people were going into battle and the enemy was much larger and stronger than them, they were told not to let their hearts faint because the Lord our God was going to fight with them and give them the victory. Before the battle they were given the confidence they were not on their own, but that the Commander of the Armies of the Lord was with them and would give them victory.
Application:
When we face things that seem insurmountable, we must realize we have a Father who loves is and is more than ready and able to fight our battles. He is able to bring victory no matter how bad things look. So many times in Scripture God defeated the enemy on behalf of His people. We must learn to walk in the confidence that He will defeat our enemies every time as long as we are walking with Him.
Prayer:
Father, increase my confidence in You. Help me to realize that You have never let me down or failed me. Help me to realize in my hear of hearts that You are for me and that You will take care of me, no matter what goes on around me. You are truly a Good, Good, Father and I'm love by You. Thanks for fighting my battles.
Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Offer God Your Best
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 17:1 "You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God".
Observation:
God tells His people here that they can't sacrifice any animal with defects because that would be an abomination to the Lord. From this, it seems like God doesn't want our leftovers and the worst of what we have, but He want us to give Him the best. He wants us to offer excellent sacrifices to Him which will cost us something.
Application:
We have to be careful in life not to offer God our leftovers. He should be honored first in our lives. He wants us to give Him our best, not what is second or third best. When we make decisions, we should make sure they honor God and place Him first. We generally think only of ourselves and what we want rather than what is best for the Kingdom of God. When we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, all the other stuff will be added to us. Do we offer God our best or just what is leftover what we have done everything else we wanted to do?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for all the times I have done what felt good to me over what You wanted me to do. Help me to offer You the best of my life instead of the leftovers. Help me to seek You first instead of seeking things to satisfy my wants and needs.
Yours,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 17:1 "You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God".
Observation:
God tells His people here that they can't sacrifice any animal with defects because that would be an abomination to the Lord. From this, it seems like God doesn't want our leftovers and the worst of what we have, but He want us to give Him the best. He wants us to offer excellent sacrifices to Him which will cost us something.
Application:
We have to be careful in life not to offer God our leftovers. He should be honored first in our lives. He wants us to give Him our best, not what is second or third best. When we make decisions, we should make sure they honor God and place Him first. We generally think only of ourselves and what we want rather than what is best for the Kingdom of God. When we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, all the other stuff will be added to us. Do we offer God our best or just what is leftover what we have done everything else we wanted to do?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for all the times I have done what felt good to me over what You wanted me to do. Help me to offer You the best of my life instead of the leftovers. Help me to seek You first instead of seeking things to satisfy my wants and needs.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Consider
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 11:2 "And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm"
Observation:
As God's people were about to enter into their promised land, He wanted them to consider the Lord, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm. He wanted them to ponder about the awesomeness of the Lord God Almighty. He wanted them to consider what He had done and what He was capable of.
Application:
It is good for us to consider the awesomeness of God and all He has done for us. As we serve Him, we must remember to consider who it is that we are serving. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God who answered Elijah by fire. He is the God who wiped out enemy armies and gave great victory to His people. We must consider that the God we serve is all powerful, almighty, everlasting and that nothing we go through is beyond His reach and power to fix.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing! When I consider all You have done in my life, I am blessed. You have rescued me so many times, healed me, delivered me, protected me, provided for me and taken such good care of me. May I never stop considering all You have done for me.
Your Son,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 11:2 "And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm"
Observation:
As God's people were about to enter into their promised land, He wanted them to consider the Lord, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm. He wanted them to ponder about the awesomeness of the Lord God Almighty. He wanted them to consider what He had done and what He was capable of.
Application:
It is good for us to consider the awesomeness of God and all He has done for us. As we serve Him, we must remember to consider who it is that we are serving. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God who answered Elijah by fire. He is the God who wiped out enemy armies and gave great victory to His people. We must consider that the God we serve is all powerful, almighty, everlasting and that nothing we go through is beyond His reach and power to fix.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing! When I consider all You have done in my life, I am blessed. You have rescued me so many times, healed me, delivered me, protected me, provided for me and taken such good care of me. May I never stop considering all You have done for me.
Your Son,
Jeff
Friday, March 17, 2017
You Did not Believe
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 1:32-33 "Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go".
Observation:
Here God is reminding the people of Israel of the promises He made them and how they responded in unbelief. According to this text, God had gone before them in fire by night and a cloud by day, yet they didn't believe the word of the Lord when it came to defeating enemies and taking possession of the Promised Land. In spite of God doing everything He had done, the people still did not believe Him.
Application:
I have witnessed God do so many miracles in my life it is incredible, yet when things get in a pinch and I don't see a way out, I still believe my own report instead of His. I am guilty of not believing the word of the Lord so many times because I didn't think it was possible. I need to believe the word of the Lord instead of my own brain.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to lean on You and to trust You more and more every day. Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to live a life of faith and not a life of simply existing. You have given me much to do, help me to trust that You will bring it to pass. I need You!
Yours,
Jeff
Deuteronomy 1:32-33 "Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go".
Observation:
Here God is reminding the people of Israel of the promises He made them and how they responded in unbelief. According to this text, God had gone before them in fire by night and a cloud by day, yet they didn't believe the word of the Lord when it came to defeating enemies and taking possession of the Promised Land. In spite of God doing everything He had done, the people still did not believe Him.
Application:
I have witnessed God do so many miracles in my life it is incredible, yet when things get in a pinch and I don't see a way out, I still believe my own report instead of His. I am guilty of not believing the word of the Lord so many times because I didn't think it was possible. I need to believe the word of the Lord instead of my own brain.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to lean on You and to trust You more and more every day. Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to live a life of faith and not a life of simply existing. You have given me much to do, help me to trust that You will bring it to pass. I need You!
Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Drive out the Enemy
Scripture:
Numbers 33:55-56 "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them".
Observation:
When God steps in, He wants everything of the enemy cast out and destroyed. He told them that they needed to utterly wipe out their enemies and then possess the land. He wanted the enemies totally eradicated because He knew they would become thorns to His people later. He knew that whatever was left over of the enemy, would become a source of problems down the road.
Application:
When we come to Christ, we want to come to Him completely and not hold onto things from our past. We must get rid of the things of the enemy of our souls. We must evict Satan from our lives and pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If we don't evict the enemy, or we entertain the enemy instead of evicting him, it will destroy us in the long run.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing and I worship You. Help me to walk hand in hand with You and to eradicate anything of the enemy in my life. Help me to follow You completely and to be totally Yours. Teach me how to help others evict the enemy from their lives.
Yours
Jeff
Numbers 33:55-56 "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them".
Observation:
When God steps in, He wants everything of the enemy cast out and destroyed. He told them that they needed to utterly wipe out their enemies and then possess the land. He wanted the enemies totally eradicated because He knew they would become thorns to His people later. He knew that whatever was left over of the enemy, would become a source of problems down the road.
Application:
When we come to Christ, we want to come to Him completely and not hold onto things from our past. We must get rid of the things of the enemy of our souls. We must evict Satan from our lives and pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If we don't evict the enemy, or we entertain the enemy instead of evicting him, it will destroy us in the long run.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing and I worship You. Help me to walk hand in hand with You and to eradicate anything of the enemy in my life. Help me to follow You completely and to be totally Yours. Teach me how to help others evict the enemy from their lives.
Yours
Jeff
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
At the Command of the Lord
Scripture:
Numbers 9:23 "At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses".
Observation:
The people of Israel obeyed the Lord and followed Him as their leader, Moses, told them what God was saying. God spoke to all of them about when to move and when to stay by having a pillar of cloud and fire lead them. When the cloud would move, the people would move. When the cloud would stay, the people would stay, thus they were able to follow the Lord as a group.
Application:
God's people need to follow the command of the Lord. He still speaks and He wants to speak to us. The above verse tells us that they moved and stayed, at the command of the Lord. They followed the word of the Lord and the direction of the Lord instead of going out on their own and trying to lead themselves. We must live our lives following the command of the Lord, but first we must hear the word of the Lord, then be willing to follow.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, open my ears to hear Your voice. Open my eyes to see what You are doing and let me follow You wholeheartedly. Help me to move at Your command and stay at Your command. Let me know Your will in every area of my life and give me strength to follow completely.
Your Son,
Jeff
Numbers 9:23 "At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses".
Observation:
The people of Israel obeyed the Lord and followed Him as their leader, Moses, told them what God was saying. God spoke to all of them about when to move and when to stay by having a pillar of cloud and fire lead them. When the cloud would move, the people would move. When the cloud would stay, the people would stay, thus they were able to follow the Lord as a group.
Application:
God's people need to follow the command of the Lord. He still speaks and He wants to speak to us. The above verse tells us that they moved and stayed, at the command of the Lord. They followed the word of the Lord and the direction of the Lord instead of going out on their own and trying to lead themselves. We must live our lives following the command of the Lord, but first we must hear the word of the Lord, then be willing to follow.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, open my ears to hear Your voice. Open my eyes to see what You are doing and let me follow You wholeheartedly. Help me to move at Your command and stay at Your command. Let me know Your will in every area of my life and give me strength to follow completely.
Your Son,
Jeff
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Blessing
Scripture:
Numbers 6:24-27 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them".
Observation:
God specifically told Moses and told him to tell Aaron how to bless His people and how to put His name on the people of Israel. At the end it says, "and I will bless them". God makes a promise that when the priest blesses the people in this way, they will be blessed.
Application:
God's promises are amazing. He fulfills His promises when we do our part of the covenant. When we speak blessing, blessing will follow. When we bless people properly, blessing will flow. We need to be people who speak and release blessing instead of condemnation. We need to watch the words of our mouth and make sure we are blessing and not cursing people.
Prayer:
Lord, Your Word is powerful. Thank you for speaking to me this morning. Help me to speak and release Your blessing and to put Your name on the people You have entrusted to me. Let life and blessing flow from my mouth and let me speak what You want me to speak. Let my words be Your words.
Yours,
Jeff
Numbers 6:24-27 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them".
Observation:
God specifically told Moses and told him to tell Aaron how to bless His people and how to put His name on the people of Israel. At the end it says, "and I will bless them". God makes a promise that when the priest blesses the people in this way, they will be blessed.
Application:
God's promises are amazing. He fulfills His promises when we do our part of the covenant. When we speak blessing, blessing will follow. When we bless people properly, blessing will flow. We need to be people who speak and release blessing instead of condemnation. We need to watch the words of our mouth and make sure we are blessing and not cursing people.
Prayer:
Lord, Your Word is powerful. Thank you for speaking to me this morning. Help me to speak and release Your blessing and to put Your name on the people You have entrusted to me. Let life and blessing flow from my mouth and let me speak what You want me to speak. Let my words be Your words.
Yours,
Jeff
Monday, March 6, 2017
Praise Goes First
Scripture:
Numbers 2:9 "All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march".
Observation:
When God was setting up who would camp where for the people of Israel, there was a definite order to everything He did. God is a God of order. When it was time to move from one place to another, He placed Judah as first in line. Judah means "praise". When God's people were going to move from one place to another, praise went before them.
Application:
God loves our praise and worship. As His followers, we should realize that praise should go before anything we do. When God wants to move us from one place to another, we need to praise Him. Praise should precede everything we do and everywhere we go. We need to be a people of praise.
Prayer:
Father, let me be one who praises You. Let Your praise fill my mouth at all times. You are awesome and You go before me. You are worthy to be praised! Your praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Your Son,
Jeff
Numbers 2:9 "All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march".
Observation:
When God was setting up who would camp where for the people of Israel, there was a definite order to everything He did. God is a God of order. When it was time to move from one place to another, He placed Judah as first in line. Judah means "praise". When God's people were going to move from one place to another, praise went before them.
Application:
God loves our praise and worship. As His followers, we should realize that praise should go before anything we do. When God wants to move us from one place to another, we need to praise Him. Praise should precede everything we do and everywhere we go. We need to be a people of praise.
Prayer:
Father, let me be one who praises You. Let Your praise fill my mouth at all times. You are awesome and You go before me. You are worthy to be praised! Your praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Your Son,
Jeff
Saturday, March 4, 2017
God's Words
Scripture:
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away".
Observation:
Jesus had been talking about the last days and how they would know when they are here. He was warning his disciples to stay alert and to be looking up for His coming. He gave them signs of the times of the last days, then said to them that heaven and earth will pass, but his words would never pass away.
Application:
Jesus was saying that we could trust His words and rely on them, but everything else around us will burn one day. We must realize that everything on earth we put our trust in will eventually fail us, but God's word never will. our trust and reliance must be on Him and His words because they are faithful and true and will never fail. His word is more reliable than our own thoughts and plans. we must rely on Him and trust Him more and more.
Prayer:
Father, help me to trust You and Your words above my own. Help me to live by Your words and not my feelings. Teach me to walk with You, trust You, lean on You and follow You completely instead of leaning on my emotions, my will or my plans. I want to be completely Yours.
Your Son,
Jeff
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away".
Observation:
Jesus had been talking about the last days and how they would know when they are here. He was warning his disciples to stay alert and to be looking up for His coming. He gave them signs of the times of the last days, then said to them that heaven and earth will pass, but his words would never pass away.
Application:
Jesus was saying that we could trust His words and rely on them, but everything else around us will burn one day. We must realize that everything on earth we put our trust in will eventually fail us, but God's word never will. our trust and reliance must be on Him and His words because they are faithful and true and will never fail. His word is more reliable than our own thoughts and plans. we must rely on Him and trust Him more and more.
Prayer:
Father, help me to trust You and Your words above my own. Help me to live by Your words and not my feelings. Teach me to walk with You, trust You, lean on You and follow You completely instead of leaning on my emotions, my will or my plans. I want to be completely Yours.
Your Son,
Jeff
Friday, March 3, 2017
Persevering Prayer and Faith
Scripture:
Luke 18:7-8 "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Observation:
Jesus had been talking here about a woman who had her request granted because she continued to nag and beg and plead her case until the judge granted her what she wanted. Jesus was talking about prayer and coming to God in the illustration. In the same context where He talks about persevering and continually coming to God, He asks about finding faith on the earth when He comes.
Application:
In this passage, Jesus equated faith with continually bombarding heaven with our prayers until the get answered. Sometimes we think that real faith only asks once, then we must have faith to believe we receive it. Faith should cause us to continue to seek God until He answers our prayers. Faith doesn't give up or stop coming because it hasn't seen an answer. I want to walk in this kind of faith.
Prayer:
Father, increase my faith. Help me to walk by faith and to continue to press in to You, knowing that You have the answers I need. Help me not to pray and give up, but to continue in prayer until I see answers. Teach me to pray.
Yours,
Jeff
Luke 18:7-8 "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Observation:
Jesus had been talking here about a woman who had her request granted because she continued to nag and beg and plead her case until the judge granted her what she wanted. Jesus was talking about prayer and coming to God in the illustration. In the same context where He talks about persevering and continually coming to God, He asks about finding faith on the earth when He comes.
Application:
In this passage, Jesus equated faith with continually bombarding heaven with our prayers until the get answered. Sometimes we think that real faith only asks once, then we must have faith to believe we receive it. Faith should cause us to continue to seek God until He answers our prayers. Faith doesn't give up or stop coming because it hasn't seen an answer. I want to walk in this kind of faith.
Prayer:
Father, increase my faith. Help me to walk by faith and to continue to press in to You, knowing that You have the answers I need. Help me not to pray and give up, but to continue in prayer until I see answers. Teach me to pray.
Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, March 2, 2017
The Cost of Discipleship
Scripture:
Luke 14:33 "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple".
Observation:
Jesus here is talking about evaluating the cost and seeing whether you want to come and follow Him. He had just said that we must be willing to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. Here He takes it to another level and says any of us who "does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple".
Application:
Jesus paid the price for our sins, we pay the price for our discipleship. There is a price to pay in following the Lord. He paid an incredible price for our salvation by paying with His own life, but He also wants us to be willing to renounce everything we have in order to become one of His disciples. He wants us to live a selfless life of to be fully and completely His. He wants us to be ALL IN and for us to serve Him ALL OUT.
Prayer:
Father, help me to count the cost and find me willing to sacrifice all for You and Your kingdom. Help me to walk in step with Your Spirit today. Enable me to be a witness for You today. Let me hear Your voice clearer than ever. I want to know You and walk with You DEEPER than ever before.
Yours,
Jeff
Luke 14:33 "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple".
Observation:
Jesus here is talking about evaluating the cost and seeing whether you want to come and follow Him. He had just said that we must be willing to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. Here He takes it to another level and says any of us who "does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple".
Application:
Jesus paid the price for our sins, we pay the price for our discipleship. There is a price to pay in following the Lord. He paid an incredible price for our salvation by paying with His own life, but He also wants us to be willing to renounce everything we have in order to become one of His disciples. He wants us to live a selfless life of to be fully and completely His. He wants us to be ALL IN and for us to serve Him ALL OUT.
Prayer:
Father, help me to count the cost and find me willing to sacrifice all for You and Your kingdom. Help me to walk in step with Your Spirit today. Enable me to be a witness for You today. Let me hear Your voice clearer than ever. I want to know You and walk with You DEEPER than ever before.
Yours,
Jeff
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Entrusted
Scripture:
Luke 12:48 "But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more".
Observation:
Jesus had been talking about servants and their masters. He had been talking about a master entrusting things to his servant and what happens when the servant must be held accountable for his actions with the master's possessions. Jesus says here that those to whom much was entrusted, the master will demand more from. He says, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required".
Application:
I have been given so much in my life. I have health, strength, and I live in a free country where I can do anything I desire to do. God has blessed my life with financial blessings. God has given me great opportunities to build His Kingdom here and around the world. He has given me great people around me. When I get to heaven, I want to have done something great with all He has given me. I want to hear, "well done, good and faithful servant".
Prayer:
Father, You have blessed my life over and over. You have opened doors for me that have been amazing. Help me to produce what You expect from my life. Help me to be productive for Your kingdom. Help me to be effective with what You have entrusted to me.
Yours,
Jeff
Luke 12:48 "But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more".
Observation:
Jesus had been talking about servants and their masters. He had been talking about a master entrusting things to his servant and what happens when the servant must be held accountable for his actions with the master's possessions. Jesus says here that those to whom much was entrusted, the master will demand more from. He says, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required".
Application:
I have been given so much in my life. I have health, strength, and I live in a free country where I can do anything I desire to do. God has blessed my life with financial blessings. God has given me great opportunities to build His Kingdom here and around the world. He has given me great people around me. When I get to heaven, I want to have done something great with all He has given me. I want to hear, "well done, good and faithful servant".
Prayer:
Father, You have blessed my life over and over. You have opened doors for me that have been amazing. Help me to produce what You expect from my life. Help me to be productive for Your kingdom. Help me to be effective with what You have entrusted to me.
Yours,
Jeff
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