A Scroll of Remembrance

 Scripture:

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.”  ‭Malachi‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Malachi here tells of those who feared the Lord speaking together and God listened to what they said.  He goes on to say that there was a scroll of remembrance on which the names of those who feared the Lord and honored His name were recorded.  What we speak in private, God records in heaven.  if it is honoring to the Lord, our name gets recorded.

Application:

I want my name to be known in two places.  I want my name known in heaven and I want my name known in hell.  I want my name recorded in heaven because I have feared and honored the Lord above anyone and anything else.  I want my name recorded in hell because I have done everything I can to plunder hell and populate heaven.  I want to speak what honors the Lord.  I want my mouth to always speak what is uplifting to the Lord and His name.

Prayer:

Father, help me to fear and honor You above any person.  Help me to hear Your voice clearly who I can walk straight before You.  Teach me Your ways and show me how to respond and react in every situation.  Let my life bring You glory and record my name in heaven as one who honors and fears You above anything else.

Yours,

Jeff

What God Pays Attention to

 Scripture:

“Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.”  Malachi‬ ‭2:13-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Malachi describes God’s people crying out to Him with tears and weeping and groaning because He is not listening to their prayers.  God replies to them that He witnessed their vows to their wives and how they have not been faithful to them.  The next verse says that God hates divorce.  God is saying to them that He is not hearing their prayers because of the way they have treated their wives.

Application:

God pays attention to the vows we make to our spouses and how we treat them.  Peter says that our prayers can be hindered because we are not treating our spouses right.  We must see that God takes marriage very seriously and watches how we treat our spouses.  We are to guard our heart and remain loyal and faithful to our spouses.  When we make commitments, we must follow through because these are the things God pays attention to.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be the husband Cheryl needs and the father Joshua and Jordan need.  Show me how to love them well and to lead them well.  Guard my heart and show me each day how to love better.  I want to serve You well in my generation.  Let me be a man who lives by my promises and covenants.

Your Son,

Jeff

A Cleansing Fountain

 Scripture:

““On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.”  ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Zechariah tells us of a day when a fountain will be opened for David’s lineage.  It would be a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.  When Jesus came to this earth as a descendent of David, He opened up a fountain that cleanses from all sin and impurity.  His blood is that cleansing fountain that never stops flowing.

Application:

The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin and it is a continual fountain that never stops.  In other words, his blood is not for one time in our lives, but never stops cleansing us.  When we are in Him, we are purified continually.  Sin has no power over the child of God.  Sometimes it is easy to step into guilt and condemnation for not being a good enough Christian, not praying enough, not doing enough.  There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus because there is a cleansing fountain that continually cleanses us.  We just need to realize that and walk in it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see myself as You see me.  Help me to never stop coming to the fountain of life and forgiveness.  Let guilt and condemnation leave my life and let the blood of Christ continually cleanse me from anything that would try to condemn me.  Help me to live a life that pleases You in every way.  Let my 2021 be a year to walk with you at new levels.

Your Son,

Jeff

Ask for Rain

 Scripture:

“Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.”  ‭Zechariah‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Zechariah tells us to ask the LORD for rain in the spring because He makes the storm clouds.  He sends the rain and is in control of the heavens.  He can make anything a lush pasture.  

Application:

There are some areas of my life that I seldom take to God.  I know He is my provider, but I seldom ask Him for much.  He has the ability to bless and prosper my life, but I seldom ask Him for things that benefit me.  Asking for rain in the spring to a farmer is the same as asking God to bless us financially.  I need to begin asking God for His financial blessings in my life.  He has all powerful and ability to provide what we need.

Prayer:

Father, bless my life and take care of my family financially.  I want to be debt free and be able to purchase a home that will allow Cheryl’s mom to live with us.  At the same time, I don’t want to be so tight financially that we can’t do anything or go anywhere.  Help me to make wise decisions while you bless us financially.

Your Son,

Jeff

Start the Work

 Scripture:

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)”  Zechariah‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Zerubbabel And tells him not to despise the small beginnings of rebuilding.  It says God rejoices to see the work “begin” and to see the plumb line in his hand.  A plumb line is used at the beginning of a construction project to make sure the project is square and level.  Once the walls are erected, there is no need for a plumb line.  The observation here is that God rejoices when He sees His people start things.

Application:

God is pleased and rejoices when His people start things for Him.  The end of the verse talks about his searching eyes.  His eyes search for those with a loyal heart and also for those who will start things for Him.  Sometimes we feel like God wants us to do something, but we fail to start because we don’t have sufficient supplies or resources.  Sometimes the failure is not in doing something, but in starting something.  It takes faith to start something new and God rejoices when He sees faith operating in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be one who starts things for You.  When You put something on my heart, let me not stop the work by not starting the work.  Then help me to finish strong the things I start for you.  I want to do “everything” You ask of me in my lifetime and leave no project unstated.  Help me to be a starter and a finisher of all You put in my heart.

Yours,

Jeff

Humility and Righteousness

 Scripture:

“Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.”  ‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Zephaniah, at this point, has been prophesying the destruction of pretty much everything and everyone.  God was fed up with idolatry in every nation and was ready to strike them down like in Noah’s day.  Zephaniah tells the people to seek the LORD.  He tells them to follow His commands.  He goes a little farther to tell them to seek to do what is right and live humbly.

Application:

Humility is a quality that the LORD loves.  He is attracted to humility because the humble realize they can’t help themselves and need Him.  The proud feel they can live without Him and God hates that.  Doing what is right and living humbly are huge in God’s eyes.  These are the qualities God blesses and prospers.  I want to live a life of humility and do what is right, even when the whole world seems to be going the other direction.  

Prayer:

Father, my hope is in You.  I need You in my life every day.  I don’t want to face a single moment without Your presence guiding me and directing me.  Thank You for blessing my life and ministry.  You are amazing.  Thank You for helping us financially to get the Gospel around the world this year and do more for Your kingdom.  I amazed at Your goodness.  Pour out Your Spirit in 2021 as we do our best to proclaim Your Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Your Son and Friend,

Jeff

YET

 Scripture:

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”  ‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-18‬ ‭NLT

Observation:

Habakkuk made the right determination when he heard about what the LORD was about to do to‬‬ his people and the nations.  God was sending the Babylonians to punish the nations for their disobedience to Him.  When Habakkuk heard what was coming in the form of judgment, his determination was that even when all these terrible things happen, YET, he would rejoice and be joyful in the God of his salvation.  

Application:

When things are going bad all around us, we still have a choice in how we will respond to it.  Even when we see things drying up all around us and nothing going right, we can still rejoice and be joyful.  YET, means that when things are going bad all around, we can still choose to rejoice and be filled with joy.  We are not to be controlled by our emotions, our surroundings, or our situations.  We are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, who gives joy to his people.

Prayer:

Father, let me be conduit of Your joy and peace today.  Help me to rejoice as You would want me to.  No matter what happens around me, let me always be filled with joy.  Let Your joy consume my life.  Let me not be controlled by anything but You.  When things are not going well, I want to remain in joy.  Help me to live this way in Your Name.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Those Who Trust Him Get Close

 Scripture:

“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”  ‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In the midst of Nahum describing how terrible the vengeance of the LORD is towards His enemies, he describes how good God is.  He says that the LORD is a strong refuge, or place of safety when trouble comes.  He goes on to tell us that God is close to those who trust in Him.  In other words, God can be your best friend or He can be your worst enemy.  

Application:

I have found in my life that God is the best friend you could ever have.  He is amazing and thrives on blessing His children.  As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us.  He is always close to those who trust, rely, and look to Him for direction, provision and details.  He is a strong refuge we can trust to keep us safe then trouble comes.  I want to draw closer and closer to the LORD during these troubled times we live in.

Prayer:

Father, continue to work in my life to bring me closer to You.  I want to walk with You and talk with You as friend with friend.  You are my everything and I will serve You all the days of my life.  I belong to You.  Let nothing separate me from Your incredible love.  Let me walk with You in a deeper way and know You more each day.

Your Son,

Jeff

Life Goals

 Scripture:

“The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This passage and it’s context speak of Christ’s coming back to earth to set up His kingdom for His millennial reign.  When He comes next time, He comes in power and with great might.  He will rule the nations with a rod of iron this time.  When He comes, He will be followed by an army on white horses who are dressed in pure white linen.  Earlier in Revelation we are told the saints wear white linen, which is the righteous acts of the saints.

Application:

One of my life goals is to be in that army that rides on white horses and comes back to set up the reign of Christ on this earth.  I also want to be on the chain gang that chains Satan and locks him up for the thousand years.  Jesus truly is the King of all king and Lord of all lords.  I want to follow Him now and serve with Him then.  

Prayer:

Father, let my life make a difference for You and Your kingdom.  Wash me and make me clean.  Let my life speak of righteousness and let my linen garments be pure.  Help me to live in purity and power on this earth.  Guide me and teach me everything I need to serve You well in my generation.  Also, let me be on one of those white horses and on the chain gang as well.  I am so tired of Satan’s stealing, killing and destroying.

Yours,

Jeff

Endure Persecution

Scripture:

 “This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John the Revelator tells us here, in the middle of describing terrible judgements coming on the earth, that we must endure persecution patiently, obey God’s commands, and maintain our faith in Christ.  Our job isn’t to fix things that are going wrong at this point, but to endure, obey and maintain our faith.

Application:

As it becomes more and more clear that we are living in the Last Days, we must focus on what we were told in the book of Revelation.  We must focus on enduring, obeying and maintaining our faith.  God will give us the strength we need as we continue to pursue the right things.  Rather than overthrow, fight with all our might, etc. we are told to endure patiently.  Our goal is to maintain our walk with the Lord no matter what comes on the earth.

Prayer:

Father, help me to endure, obey and maintain my faith.  Teach me to walk with You in the difficult times we live in.  Show me exactly what I’m to do each and every day.  Let my life bring You honor in my generation.  Help me to demonstrate to others what it means to walk with You well.  Let my life count for You and Your kingdom, that’s what I live for.  Help me to fulfill everything You have planned for my life.

I am YOURS,

Jeff

Overcoming

Scripture:

 “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Just prior to this verse it says that the accuser of the brethren had been thrown down to earth.  It says he was the one who constantly accused the saints before this point.  When he was thrown down, those on earth defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and their testimony.  They were not afraid to die.  

Application:

If we want to defeat the accuser of the brethren, we must do it by the blood of Jesus.  The blood is powerful and is the only thing we can stand on.   Our own good works are not strong enough to defeat the enemy, but the blood of Christ is all-powerful.  Secondly, he is defeated by our testimony.  We need to share our testimony as often as possible.  When we testify about what God has done, faith is increased and the enemy is defeated.  Lastly, we must not be afraid to die.  Fear destroys too many Christians.  We have nothing to fear.  If we die, we go to a much better place.  Fear of death must lose its hold on us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to overcome the enemy every day.  Teach me to apply the blood of Christ and share my testimony.  Teach me to live a fearless life.  Fill me with Your Spirit and let me shine for You today.  Baptize me fresh in Your Spirit and fire.  Let my life be used for Your glory.  I offer myself to You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Worship in Heaven

 Scripture:

“They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.””  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

For many years I have been fascinated with the worship of heaven recorded in the book of Revelation.  It is so pure and focused in it’s language.  It is totally focused on God and not on how God makes me feel.  It speaks of the attributes of God and what He deserves.  John understood what worship really is and gave us a glimpse of what it will be like in heaven.

Application:

I want to worship on earth like I will in heaven one day.  I want my worship not to be focused on me and how I feel, but on the awesomeness of God.  I long to sing songs that attribute to Him the glory due His name.  Worship in heaven also is not increased or decreased based on how people feel, but on who God is.  I want to worship every day, good days and bad days.  I want my worship not to be based on my feelings or emotions, but on who God is.

Prayer:

Father, let me bring You worship that blesses Your heart.  Help me not to be controlled by my feelings and emotions, but by who You are.  Let me know You more so I can worship You better.  Help me to worship You based on what You deserve and not what I feel or don’t feel.  Help me to worship You in purity and with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Your Son,

Jeff

Who Is Worthy?

 Scripture:

“And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.””  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The angels, the living beings and the elders sing in heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered - to receive power and riches and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”  They understand the incredible sacrifice Christ made on the cross.  He was the only one in history worthy to be the sacrifice and He was the only who was worthy to receive worship.

Application:

Jesus deserves our very best worship, prayer, lifestyle, etc.  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice on our behalf.  He is worthy of anything and everything I can give Him.  I don’t own enough to offer Him for His sacrifice, therefore I offer Him my life.  I want to live a laid down life before my king.  I want to lay down my life and take up His.  He is the only one worthy.

Prayer:

Jesus, I lay my life before You.  You alone are worthy of all I have, all I am, and all I can do.  You are worthy of the best sacrifice.  You sacrificed Yourself so I could have life,  Received the gift of my life and let it be used for You and Your purposes.  Let every breath I breathe bring You honor and glory and praise.  Let my life lead others into relationship with You.  

Thankfully Yours,

Jeff

God’s Discipline

 Scripture:

“I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking hear through John.  He says that He corrects those who He loves and tells them to be diligent and to turn from their indifference.  God’s correction is not because He hates us or is angry with us, but because He loves us and wants us to be in a place to walk in His blessing.

Application:

When we are disciplined by the Holy Spirit, we are not being pushed away by God, but it is God drawing close to us and showing us what we need to do.  He disciplines us because He loves us.  He gets on our case sometimes because he wants the best for us.  When He speaks, we should do what it says and be diligent to turn from indifference and run towards God instead of remaining indifferent about our issues.

Prayer:

Father, help me not to run away from discipline, but to run toward You at all times.  Teach me to follow You with all my heart.  Help me to be quick to change when You speak to me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Confidence in your Calling

 Scripture:

“But as for me, I am filled with power— with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.”  ‭‭Micah‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Micah prophesied some really difficult things against Jerusalem and Samaria.  He stood boldly for the Lord and spoke what God was saying, which was some very difficult things.  Micah stood and said he was filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord.  He knew he was filled with justice and strength to be bold.  He was confident of his position and his assignment.

Application:

As God’s servants, we need to be confident of our assignment, our calling and our position.  We need to know who we are and how we are to respond to anything that comes our way.  There are many things the Lord has shown me, but I am not as confident in who I am in Him as I need to be in order to do what He has asked me to do.  I need to rest with my confidence in my calling and be more bold about it.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and I love You more each day.  Help me to walk in confidence in my calling.  I want to serve You well and walk in the places You want me to walk.  Teach me to hear Your voice daily and to be bold and confident in what You want to do.  Open my ears to hear what You are saying and enable me to hear Your heart and express it to Your people.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Heart for the Lost

Scripture:

“But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?””  Jonah‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jonah had gone to Nineveh, against his own will, because God sent him there to warn the people of God’s judgment coming upon them.  He eventually obeyed the Lord and then got mad because they repented and God relented from destroying them because of their contrition.  God gave Job an illustration and showed him that he had no right to be upset about what God had done.  The Lord closed with saying, “Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”   God loves lost people.

Application:

We should love lost people as much as the Lord loves them.  They should not feel our anger at what they are doing, but our compassion because they don’t know Christ.  There is a world living in spiritual darkness, and we are to be the light of the world.  God feels sorry for them, we should too.  God loves them, we should too.  

Prayer:

Father, let me love lost people as much as You do.  Help me not to see the things they do, but to understand they are spiritually blind and just need their blinders removed.  Let me feel sorry for the lost people around me.  Give me compassion for those who are spiritually lost.  Let my life help bring many lost people to Christ.  Let me have Your heart.

Yours,

Jeff

Build Each Other Up

 Scripture:

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,”. ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jude tells us here to build each other up in our most holy faith and to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe the two are linked together.  We need to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit so we can build each other up.  We can’t build others up when we are weak in faith.  We get strong in faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.

Application:

We live in some very difficult and trying days.  We need to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before.  We also need to build each other up whenever we have a chance in the most holy faith.  We should be faith encouragers, bringing hope to those who are struggling.  I want to build up more people’s faith than ever before.  Therefore, I need to pray more in the Holy Spirit.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to spend more time with You, praying in the Holy Spirit.  I want to be an encourager in these COVID 19 days we are living in.  Help me to keep a right perspective and to stay in prayer continually.  Fill me with Your Spirit to overflowing and help me to live in a manner that pleases You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Love and Obedience

 Scripture:

“Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”  ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John, the beloved of Jesus, tells us that love means doing what God commanded us.  He goes on to say that His command was to love one another.  In other words, love means obedience and obedience means love.  Therefore, we should be people who have love as a main characteristic of our lives.

Application:

John tells us in First John that God is love.  Jesus was love personified.  If we are in Christ, we are to be people who demonstrate the love of God in our lives.  We must learn to walk in the love of Christ.  I want love to pour out of me like it poured out of Jesus.  I want to love God and love people well.  I need to remember that love is obedience and obedience is love.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in love and obedience every day of my life.  You are incredible and I want to serve You well.  Help me to love like You love.  Enable me to love the sinner and the saint.  Teach me to love deeply and to demonstrate Your love to those around me.  Help me to love in a way that pleases You.  Show me when to confront and when to hold back.  Show me when loving means saying something and when loving means keeping my mouth shut.  Teach me Lord so I can represent You well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Worst Punishment

 Scripture:

“People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos was sent to deliver a message to God’s people who had strayed away from Him.  He was to tell them of the coming disaster if they didn’t repent and turn back to God.  He prophesied some really terrible things to God’s people and then closed that section with this verse above.  It was like the ultimate devastation was people looking for a word from the Lord and not being able to find it.  He equated not hearing the word of the Lord with the worst punishments possible.

Application:

We are blessed when we hear the word of the Lord and we should never take that for granted.  Not long after Amos prophesied this, there was 400 years of silence where there was no prophetic word from the Lord to Israel.  The heavens were closed from prophetic revaluation and his prophecy came true.  We need to take seriously the word of the Lord and seek it out more and more in our days.  We must pursue the Lord and hear His words ringing in our hearts at this hour.

Prayer:

Father, I want to hear Your words for my life daily.  I want to hear Your words for the church I lead.  I want to hear Your words for the nation I live in.  Help me to seek you more and more.  I want to know Your thoughts, your will, and Your desires.  I want to know You and Your voice more intimately.  Help me to know You better and better.

Your Son,

Jeff

Seek Justice and RIghteousness

 Scripture:

“Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos is crying out for Israel to return to the Lord.  He tells them what He requires as part of this return.  He tells them to hate what is evil and love what is good.  He tells them they need to be crying out for justice in their courts and perhaps then He would have mercy on them.  God desires justice and truth for His people. 

Application:

America is in this place right now.  I believe God wants truth and righteousness in our courts.  He desires righteousness in our dealings.  We need to personally turn toward God, truth, justice, and honor what is right.  As a nation, we need to seek truth and let justice roll down like a river.  We need integrity as a solid ground to stand on.  

Prayer:

Father, as much as it depends on me, let my life demonstrate justice and righteousness.  Help me to set an example for those around me of doing the right thing, even when that is difficult.  Let my nation turn from it’s deception and run toward justice and righteousness.  Let truth reign in America.  Expose every lie and deception and bring about Your will in our nation.  Turn us back to the Lord our God.

Your Son,

Jeff

Perfect Love Expels All Fear

Scripture:

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”  ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

I John speaks much of love and loving one another.  John tells us that GOD IS LOVE.  Therefore, if we say we are in Christ and God is in us, we should love one another.  If God is love and God is us, then fear cannot operate in our lives.  When God’s love is perfected in us, fear must leave.  Fear must be expelled from our lives and we the only way to do this is to understand God’s incredible love for us.

Application:

Fear is very real in our world today.  With the signs of the end times all around us, it is easy to walk in fear.  Even Jesus said that in these says men’s hearts would fail them for fear.  Even though Jesus spoke it, we don’t have to walk in it.  Even in fearful times, perfect love still expels fear.  I want to be so full of God’s love that fear has no part in me.  I want to walk by faith and not be controlled by fear.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let Your love fill my life.  Let Your goodness and grace consume me.  Help me to walk with You and love like You love.  Let my love expel all fear and help me to be fearless.  I want to serve You fully and not be afraid of anything that could come my way.  Let my love increase and my fears decrease.

Yours,

Jeff

Simple Faith

 Scripture:

“And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”  ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John has a unique way of simplifying everything about Christ in the book of First John.  In this verse, he tells us that Christ’s command is simply to believe and love.  We are told here to believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another.  These are the two most important items in the Gospel.  Simple faith is summed up in “Believe and love.”

Application:

Theologians take simple truths and make them much deeper than they really are.  I don’t believe God wanted to hide Himself or make things hard to understand.  God keeps things simple.  He wants us to believe in Christ and love one another.  That’s the heart of Christ’s teachings and John’s teaching.  We must demonstrate to the world what it means to believe and love one another.  

Prayer:

Father, let my life reveal to the world what belief and love look like.  Help me to exemplify a true walk with You and true faith to those around me.  Enable me to walk in simple truth and love people that way You do.  Teach me to live a life that demonstrates Your power and love flowing through a person to so Your will in the earth.  Let my life count for You.

Yours,

Jeff

The Outpouring

 Scripture:

““Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.”  ‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Peter told us this was being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, but I believe there is a double fulfillment.  I believe God is going to pour out His Spirit once again in powerful ways.  Notice when He does, that everyone is poured out upon.  Old, young, rich and poor.  God is no respecter of people.  When He pours out His Spirit, everyone is going to get wet.

Application:

I believe we are going to see on more great outpouring of the Spirit of God before things wrap up on this earth as we know it.  I want to align myself with the Lord and be about His business when He pours it out.  I want to be part of the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God the world has ever seen.  I am looking for it in my generation.  May my life be ready to flow with Him When He decides to move.  Until then, I pray and fast for the outpouring.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, pour out Your Spirit once again on all flesh.  Let us see the day of awakening and the day of Your power and goodness.  Align Your Church around the world and pour Your Spirit out on her.  Before the end of things as we know them, saturate Your Church with Your power and let the world see Your glory.

Your Son,

Jeff