Healing in His Rays

 Scripture:

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this last chapter o the Old Testament there is this word about the coming Christ. It says that for those who fear God, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His rays or wings. When Christ came, one of the primary things He did was to heal the sick. Multitudes were healed as He went from town to town. Healing was a huge part of the ministry of Jesus.

Application:

Jesus arose with healing in His rays or wings. He told us to go out to do what He did. Healing has always been part of the the world seeing the goodness of God. In Exodus God called Himself the God who heals. Healing is so controversial because sometimes we pray for people and they don’t seem to get healed. We must seek God and walk as one with Him. As we do, I believe healings will be more commonplace. I personally believe healings should be part of the normal believer’s life. Jesus died for our sins, but also for our healing according to Isaiah 53 and many other places.

Prayer:

Father, in this time of Coronavirus, I ask You to let Your healing power flow once again in this world. As the snake in the wilderness, let everyone who looks to You live. Let healing come to Your people and let them see that God is one who destroys the works of the devil and releases His blessing into His children. Let healings increase in our church, my family, and our community as we seek Your face. Heal You people Lord.

Yours,

Jeff

What God is Looking For

 Scripture:

““My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.” ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭2:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking to His priests and letting them know He is not happy with them offering defiled offerings and sheep that are not good. He tells them why Levi was blessed and served the Lord with favor and blessing. He says Levi had a covenant of life and peace, which required reverence and awe of God. He was not false in any way. He walked in peace and uprightness and turned many from sin. God blessed Levi because Levi walked with God and obeyed his covenant.

Application:

Although Jesus brought a New Covenant, which is a covenant of grace, I believe God is still looking for those who will serve Him faithfully and who walk in fear and reverence of Him. He is looking for those who ill speak true instruction and not just what fill fill seats and make people feel good. I believe God is looking in our day for those who are pure in heart and turn people from sin. I want to be that person in this generation. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to be the person You are looking for who You can bless and prosper. I long to fulfill Your will and to extend Your kingdom. Empower me to fulfill everything You have called me to do. Teach me to submit to Your will and not live just to satisfy my flesh. I want to be completely Yours in these last days. Let my life be consecrated more and more to You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Refines So We Can Be His

 Scripture:

“This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The Lord says here that one third of His people will be put into the fire to refine them and test them like silver and gold, which are tested and purified when heated up. He says that then they will call on His name and He will answer them so He can be their God and they can be His people. That’s always His goal.

Application:

God always refines and purifies His people. Then, we can purified and walk with Him. His desire is always the same, He wants to be our God and for us to be His people. That’s always been His endgame! He wants a people that are completely His. As for me, I will be completely His. I want to do His will above every other thing in my life. We must walk through testing, but must know the purpose.

Prayer:

Father, purify my life. Let me be completely Yours. I want to live a life that pleases You and bring You glory. Teach me to hear Your voice and to obey completely. Thank You for putting Your Spirit in my life to lead and to guide. You are awesome! Teach me to yield completely and let me excel in every test, trial, and temptation. Let me come out as pure gold in Your hands. I want to be fully Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

Strength and Security

 Scripture:

“I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Lord is speaking to Judah and letting them know that He was looking out for them and that He would once again bless them.  He tells them He will strengthen them and they will live securely in his name. God was letting them know that the season of discipline wouldn’t last forever, but that He would once again take care of His people and give them strength and security.

Application:

Our world today is looking for strength and security like never before. People are afraid of Coronavirus and so many other things going on around our world. We must look to God, who is out strength. He is the one who causes us to live securely in difficult times. He is the one who causes us to be strong when others are weak. May we realize that our God is greater than anything going on around us. 

Prayer:

Father, You are my strength and my security. My strength is not in myself, but in You. My security is not in my government, a vaccine, my job, my house, or anything else. My security is in You. My security is in You alone. You are my source and my resource. You are my everything. Help me to follow You closer and walk in step with You at all times. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

His People

 Scripture:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭8:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬

Observation:

Even after God’s judgment came on His people and He had them overthrown by surrounding nations, His passion for them never died. After a season, He said He was going to save his people from the countries they had been exiled to and bring them back to Jerusalem. There He would be show them His faithfulness and righteousness.

Application:

When God disciplines His people, it is for the purpose of bringing them back to Him. His desire is never to wipe them out completely, but to discipline them and help them to see the error of their ways. We must realize that God’s desire for us is to bless us with His faithfulness and His righteousness. Even when we are being disciplined, it is for the purpose of bringing us back so he can bless us and prosper us. His bottom line is that He wants to be out God and wants us to be His people. 

Prayer:

Father, I want You to be my God and I want to be completely Yours. I want to serve You well in my generation. You are my Lord and I love You with all my heart. You are amazing! You are my life and my joy. Thank You for loving me, caring for me, and for providing for me. Every good thing I have in my life is because of You. You are my everything!

Yours,

Jeff

Return To Me

 Scripture:

“Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Zechariah was prophesying to a people who had been in captivity for seventy years because of their disobedience. The Lord speaks up and tells them to return to Him and He will return to them. They knew that when God is on Your side, everything is going to work well with you and you will see great success. 

Application:

All the people of Judah had to do was to return to the Lord and He promised to return to them. When God is with you, you enemies will flee. When God is on your side, there is nothing that can come against you. Our goal should be to never walk away from God in any area, but to live as He wants us to at all times. If God is for us, who can be against us? When we position ourselves on God’s side, He fights our battles and defends our cause. We must align with Him though, and not Him aligning with us. It is our job to return to Him, then His part is to return to us. He waits for us to make the first move.

Prayer:

Lord, let me never stray away from You and Your plans for my life. Help me to walk in obedience to You in all things. Teach me Your ways and let me learn Your paths. Help me to live a life You can bless and prosper. I long to be one with You and to reflect Your glory to the world.

Your Son,

Jeff

Be Strong and Work… I Am With You

 Scripture:

“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” ‭‭Haggai‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks through Haggai about rebuilding the Lord’s house which was in ruins while the people built their own homes. Zerubbabel and Joshua got this word from Haggai, “Be strong…and wok. For I am with you.” Zerubbabel and Joshua were about to start rebuilding a destroyed Temple whose glory was going to be greater than it was before exile. God didn’t tell them He would do all the work. He told them to be strong and work because He was with them.

Application:

When God is with you, you can be strong and work hard to accomplish incredible things. If you do it in your own power, it will deplete you. The greatest words one can ever hear when they are embarking on a project are the words, “I am with you.” When you hear that from the Lord, you know everything is going to work out. On this Christmas Eve, we look at Emmanuel, “God with us” coming to this earth. In our day, God is with us, therefore nothing should be able to stand against us. 

Prayer:

Father, there is nothing I desire more than knowing that You are with me. When You are with me, no enemy can come against me. When You are with me, everything in my hand will prosper. You are my everything and I long to walk with You and in step with You. I long to accomplish Your will in the earth. My life is Yours. Give me the strength to work hard, but more than anything, be WITH me in all I do.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He Rejoices Over Those Who Follow His Ways

 Scripture:

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”” ‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Zephaniah had just prophesied the destruction of the world as we know it. He then turns to Jerusalem and his language changes. He saw a turning in Jerusalem, which would change the situation for the whole world. When God’s people turn to Him, He turns to them and blesses them. Jerusalem was told that God is with them and that God will take great delight in them. He goes as afar as to say that God would rejoice over them with singing. 

Application:

God is always as close as a prayer of repentance and turning back to Him. He longs to bless His people and to be their God. The people’s place is to return to Him, seek Him, and follow Him and His ways. When we do that, we can expect the blessings of the Almighty on our lives. He loves to rejoice over His people with singing and He loves to demonstrate His love and favor on those who are truly His. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing and I worship You this morning. You are worthy of praise and glory and honor. Your name is to be praised in all the earth. Let the nations praise You and honor Your name. Help me to live a life that pleases You and that You can delight in. I want You, not only to be pleased with me, but to rejoice in who I am. Let my life bring You all You are worth.

Your Son,

Jeff

Awaken This World

 Scripture:

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” ‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Habakkuk tells us that God is going to overturn those who trust in idols and nations that have done wrong.  He basically is saying that when God’s justice is released, the whole earth will know about Him. In other words, judgment is coming and when that happens, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. 

Application:

We usually use this verse out of it’s context. When we speak of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covering the earth, we usually think of revival. It will be an awakening, but it will be an awakening of people seeing the power of God as He judges the nations. Judgment day is coming and when it comes, the whole earth will see how awesome He is.

Prayer:

Father, as Habakkuk said in this book as well. In judgment remember mercy. Have mercy on those who claimed to know You, but are following their own paths. Let there come an awakening before the day of Your judgment when we see the goodness and power of the Lord before the day of justice. Pour out Your Spirit one more time. I see the signs of the end of all things around us, pour out Your Spirit on all flesh as You promised You would do. Let me be part of Your last days outpouring.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Lord is Good

 Scripture:

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” ‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Nahum starts off in this verse reminding us that the Lord is good. He is a refuge to us in our times of trouble. A refuge is a place we can hide and take rest. It says he cares for those who trust in Him. He wants us to put our trust in Him above every other things.

Application:

God is good and deserves the very best we can give Him. He is a place we can run into when we feel like we are under attack. He is my refuge. I need to trust God more and more in my life. I want to rely on Him completely, but I also tend to rely on my own strength, knowledge, wisdom, etc. He is good. He is trustworthy. He is amazing.

Prayer:

Lord, You are incredible and I give Your praise. You have done marvelous things, too powerful to comprehend. You have been my refuge through all these years. You are my hiding place when things are going bad around me. Thank You for caring for me and watching over my life. Thank You for blessing me over and over again. Thank You for everything You have done. You are the best and I love You!!!!

Yours,

Jeff

Actions, Not Intentions Are Rewarded

 Scripture:

““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Here at the end of the book of Revelation the Lord says, “Look! I am coming soon!” If it was true then, how much more true now? All around us last days events are unfolding. The headlines today are like reading straight from the books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The important thing here is that what we have done is what is rewarded.

Application:

We must live with the understanding that Jesus is coming soon. He will reward, not our intentions, but our actions. When He comes, the believers will be rewarded based on the things they have done here on the earth. We need to be people of actions, not just good intentions. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to live a life of action and do the things You want me to do every day. Help me to walk in step with You and to fulfill Your will. I believe wholeheartedly that You are coming soon and I want to be ready and want to complete every assignment You have for my life.

Yours,

Jeff

Patient Endurance

 Scripture:

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

John had seen what was coming on the earth in the time of the tribulation. He saw what happened to those who would not receive the mark of the beast. He told the Church that this calls for patient endurance on the part of God’s people. He also includes remaining faithful. 

Application:

I believe we are in the time of the end and that many of the things recorded in this book we will see in our lifetime. I believe we will be raptured before we have to see these things happen, but either way, this is great wisdom from John. We need to be prepared, whether through COVID, devastations, storms, etc. to demonstrate patient endurance while God is doing what needs to be done. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in patient endurance. Teach me to follow Your ways and show me what is coming. Help me not to be taken surprised with anything that is coming, but to walk in step with You and have a knowing of the times and seasons. I want to be in tune with You at all times.

Your Son,

Jeff

Not Afraid to Die

Scripture:

 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Satan, in this verse, is triumphed over by the blood of the Lam and by the word of their testimony. Also by them not loving their lives unto death. In bother words, these people who triumph over the enemy are people who are not afraid to die. 

Application:

The most dangerous people on the planet are those who are not afraid to die. When you have no fear of dying, you begin to live and enjoy life. Fear inhibits so much of our lives. We cannot give in to fear of anything except fear of God. We cannot be afraid of viruses, those who want to hurt us, or anyone else. In these last days, fear is going to play a big role in people’s lives. We are not to be a people of fear, but do faith in our God.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome and I love You with all my heart. Help me to serve You well in my generation. Let me live a life with on fear. I don’t want to get to heaven and realize I was held back from doing what You called me to do because of fear. Help me to fear You above every other fear. Teach me to live fearless of anything but You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Here Am I

 Scripture:

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

I love this picture of God’s throne room. There was a great multitude so large no one could count them. They were from everywhere, every tribe, every nation, every people, and every language. There are no limits on God. He is working globally even right now to bring this vision to pass.

Application:

God doesn’t just love Israel or the United States. He loves the whole world! His plans were never for small things, but that His love could be seen and felt in the entire earth. I want to be part of helping people from every nation, tribe and tongue to put on their white robes and help them learn to worship. I have always loved the nations of the world and God has blessed me to attract people from all nations, but I want to do more. I want to see this picture when I get to heaven and I give my life to it.

Prayer:

Father, the old song says, “Here am I, send me to the nations, as an ambassador for you, as an ambassador for You.” I say that once again this morning. Here am I, Lord. Use me for Your glory in the nations of the world. Here am I Lord. Do what You want in my life. Let my life help people from every people group, every nation, every tongue, and every sect find You and join me in heaven worshiping You.

Yours,

Jeff

Heavenly Worship

 Scripture:

““You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

John saw the throne room of God. He said that whenever the four living beings cry holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty, the 24 elders fall down and cry the above verse. This goes on continually as all of heaven erupts in worship of the Almighty God. He is the only one worthy.

Application:

We will fall on our faces in all out worship when we get the heaven, and will continue for eternity. We may as well start now. Now is dress rehearsal for heaven. We must learn to worship here on earth as we will worship in heaven. Revelation is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it gives these incredible pictures of what worship is life in heaven. May we live our lives as an act of worship before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Prayer:

Father, I declare this morning that You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by Your will they exist and have their being. You are worthy of it all. You are worthy of all the honor, glory and praise I could ever give You. Let my life give You great honor on this side of heaven and much more when I enter glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Hold On

 Scripture:

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking here and tells John that He is coming. He is told to hold on to what he has so no one will take his crown. 

Application:

Sometimes we simply have to hold on to the end. When you have done everything you know to do, hold on. When things haven’t gone like you wanted them to, hold on. When life gets difficult, hold on. We must hold on to Christ, no matter what goes on around us. Jesus is coming soon and we must not lose what we have while we’re waiting for His return.

Prayer:

Jesus, I’m waiting for Your return. My head is up and I’m looking for You to come soon. Help me to finish strong in these last days. Show me what I need to be doing. Show me how to prepare and to be ready for all that You will do. Help me to walk in step with You all the way through whatever is coming. I know one thing, I’m holding onto You!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Watching and Waiting

 Scripture:

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭7:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Micah says here that, “As for me, I watch in hope…I wait for God…God will hear me.” He was watching and waiting for god to hear his cries. He was convinced God was going to hear his prayers. He was waiting and watching for the breakthrough.

Application:

While we wait for the breakthrough, we must watch and wait. God answers prayer, just usually not when we want Him to. Our job is to pray in faith, then watch and wait. In God’s timing, everything that needs done will get done. Our position is watching and waiting, God’s response is moving heaven and earth in answer to our prayer.

Prayer:

Father, let me learn to watch and wait when I pray. I want to have an expectant heart. I want to live in the expectation that God is going to answer my prayers. I want to live a life of faith that pleases the heart of the Father. God, teach me to follow You well and to be an example in my generation of one who walk with the Father. 

Yours,

Jeff

Micah’s Purpose for Power

 Scripture:

“But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Micah speaks here and tells God’s people that he is filled with power, not to do signs and wonders, not to heal the sick or raise the dead. He says he is filled with power to declare to Jacob and Israel their sins. Micah was empowered by God to declare hard things that nobody wanted to hear. His following was most likely pretty small with a message like his, but he was faithful and empowered to do what God called him to do.

Application:

It is easy to ask God for His power to flow through our lives, but we always tend to align that with healing, miracles, signs and wonders. We tend to think only of His power to do great things, but what if sometimes He wants to empower us to do unpopular things? What is sometimes He wants to empower us to confront people’s sins? Are we willing to do whatever He calls us to do? That’s the question this morning.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, empower my life to fulfill Your purposes. Help me to be faithful to declare the fulness of Your word. Teach me to live how You want me to live. I want to be in the center of Your will at all times. I long to walk with You and convey Your message to the world. Empower me to do it, and let my ears be open to know what You are speaking.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Concern

 Scripture:

“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Jonah was complaining about Gods saving the people of Nineveh and also complaining about a plant that God made to give him shade overnight and then it withered overnight. God doesn’t like it when we complain and murder about what He is doing. Rather, He wants us to get on his agenda and do what He wants us to do. Jonah learned this lesson.

Application:

God doesn’t like it when we complain. He can have mercy on whoever He wants to have mercy and can send us wherever he wants us to go. His will and His desires take precedence over what we want or what we think. Like Jonah, sometimes we are more concerned about our own safety and welfare than the souls God is sending us to. God sometimes sends us into unique situations to declare His truth. This evening I get to preach a Christmas message at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC. I need to be concerned with what God is concerned with.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to always be concerned with what You are concerned with. Teach me to follow You well all the days of my life. Let me never miss an opportunity to advance or extend Your kingdom because of my personal feelings, desires, etc.

Your Son,

Jeff

With Great Joy

 Scripture:

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—” ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jude says here that God is able to keep us from stumbling and He is able to present us before Himself without fault and with great joy.  He saves us. He cleanses us. He prepares us. He presents us to Himself. He is the backbone of everything that happens in our lives spiritually. Our place is to walk in submission to Him.

Application:

God does the work, we step into His work by faith. We must learn to walk in obedience to the Lord in every area. I want to be presented before His presence, in person, with great joy! I want God to say, “There’s my son!!! I’ve been waiting on you.” Walking in alignment with the Holy Spirit is crucial and submitting to Him when we feel convicted in an area is huge. 

Prayer:

Father, You alone are able to present me to Yourself with great joy. Work in my life to bring about Your good pleasure. I want to live a life that pleases You, honors You, and make You look good. Help me to submit to Your will in all things. Lead my life. Guide my life. Show me the way forward each day. Bless my family and the church I lead and let them all serve You well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Full Reward

 Scripture:

“Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.” ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

John tells the Church to watch out not to lose what she had worked for. His desire was to see them fully rewarded. Apparently, from this verse, it is possible to lose what you have worked for in the Kingdom. Being fully rewarded means that there are partial rewards, or lesser rewards. It’s sad, but many have lived their lives and worked hard for the Lord, but in the end messed up and didn’t finish well.

Application:

God does reward our behavior and faith as a believer. We must watch over all we have worked for and stay in step with the Spirit at all times so we don’t lose our reward. We want our end game to be strong and to finish well in this life. I have given my life to the extension of God’s Kingdom on this earth. It would be terrible not to be fully rewarded because I messed up at the end. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to finish stronger than I started. I never want to lose my reward. Teach me to walk in step with Your Spirit and to never take a step out of Your will. Help me to be led by Your Spirit and not do what I want to do. I want my full reward. Thank You for leading me thus far. Thank You for blessing my life in so many beautiful ways. You are amazing!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Unnatural Favor

 Scripture:

““The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills,”‭‭Amos‬ ‭9:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God had been warning Israel through Amos concerning their punishment for their sins. He was prophesying some terrible things. Even in the midst of that, the Lord adds, “The days are coming when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes.” In other words, the amazing blessing of God will come again when Israel repented.

Application:

Even in in punishment, God is thinking about restoration. He is thinking about blessing His children. When He blesses, He blesses so much that there is almost continual harvest. As soon as the harvesters are going through, the planters are planting more. When God blesses something or someone, there is a harvest that comes fast and strong. We want to live under the blessing of the Almighty in continual harvest.

Prayer:

Lord God, let Your blessing be on my life. Let the harvest come while the planters are still planting. Let Your blessing be seen in the church I lead. Let Your blessing be on my family. Come and bless Your people. We will give You all the glory, honor, and esteem. You are the only one worthy. I pray for unnatural favor.

Yours,

Jeff

Seek God and Live!

 Scripture:

“This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live;” ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Amos tells Israel not to seek the gods of other countries, but to seek the Lord. He lets them know that there is life in seeking God. At the same time, there is death in serving other gods.

Application:

Life comes from seeking God. He infuses His life into our lives and we become strong when we seek Him. When we stray away and start operating independently of God, He is not pleased and will allow things in our lives to turn us back to Him. The answer for us is to seek God continually. As we seek Him, we receive life and not death. We receive joy and not sorrow. As for me, I choose life!

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of everything I could ever give You or do for You. Let me always be a God-seeker. Help me to never tire of seeking Your face, Your will, Your desires. Let me stay humble and stay hungry for You to move in my life. 

Your Son,

Jeff

God Raises Up Whoever He Wants and Can Trust

 Scripture:

“The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.”‭‭Amos‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

As Amos opens up, we get a quick description of this prophet. It simply says he was one of the shepherds of Tekoa. It then gives a timeline to when he prophesied and we realize that he had a vision about Israel two year before an earthquake. It doesn’t appear that he was part of the school of the prophets or had studied deeply. He was one of the shepherds.

Application:

When God has a word to deliver, He doesn’t look for the best, most professional, most well-trained, or the one with the biggest following. He chooses someone He knows He can trust to deliver whatever word He wants to be delivered. God doesn’t call the qualified, but He qualifies the called.  We need to look, not as much at people’s credentials, but their obedience and their heart.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Help me to identify and release those around me and under my leadership that are faithful, reliable, and have the right hearts. Help me not to lean on my own understanding, but to follow Your voice and take the steps You want me to take. ore than anything, I want to walk in step with You.

Yours,

Jeff

That is What We Are

 Scripture:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

John calls us God’s children and tells us that God has lavished His great love on us allowing us to be called that. He then says the words, “that is what we are!” What we are is not what we do. What we are is not the titles attached to our name or the achievements we have obtained. What we are is children of God because of God’s incredible love.

Application:

God lavished His love on us, calling us His children. We must realize that is what we are. We are His children. Everything in our lives should point to the fact that we are children of the Most High. We are His children. We have an inheritance. We are overcomers because of His great love for us and Him calling us His children. We are not orphans and we are never alone. We have family.

Prayer:

Father, I am Your Son. I want to know the depths of what that means. I want to understand all that entails in greater measure. I want to walk with You, look like You, speak like You and do what You are doing. I want to be one with You. Help me to live a life that represents You well. Teach me my Father. Explain oneness to me. I long to be one with You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Rend Your Hearts

 Scripture:

“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” ‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here through Joel about the locust army He has sent on the land. He is giving His people they way to stop the plague that was coming on His people from His own hand. The answer: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God.” He goes on to speak about how God is gracious and compassionate, slow the anger, abounding in love and how He relents from sending calamity. 

Application:

When problem arise around us over which we have no control, we must look to the Lord. We must search our hearts and see if there is anything unclean in them. We must return to the Lord with all our hearts in repentance and humility before Him. When God sees these things in us, He is faithful and just to forgive and restore. When we rend our hearts before Him, He will move heaven and earth to turn our situation around.  We must not run from God when we have done wrong, but run to Him.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome in power and righteous are Your ways. You are incredible and I worship You and You alone. Help me to know You more and more each day. Show me Your truths and lead me in the paths of righteousness. Let my heart always be in right relationship with You. You are my king and the Lord of my life. Live in me and through me I pray.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Slaves Preaching Freedom

 Scripture:

“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”” ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Peter, in this passage, is calling out the false prophets of his day. He says they are slaves of depravity while promising freedom because people are slaves to whatever has mastered them. In Christ we are free from all slavery and nothing should be able to master us, but we allow ourselves to be mastered by so many things around us. Paul says we should be mastered only by the master.

Application:

What things are in my life that I need to have control over? What areas of my life am I in bondage to? Before preaching freedom to others, I need to make sure I’m truly free in Christ. We can’t preach freedom while we are in slavery ourselves. We need to seek the Lord and ask Him to set us free and then walk in His freedom so we can preach confidently and passionately.

Prayer:

Father, help me to win the battles in my life where I am in bondage. Help me to make better decisions about what I allow to enter my body. Help me to lose weight and get in better shape. Let nothing be my master but You. I don’t want to be a slave preaching freedom. I want to be a free man liberating others from the slavery of the enemy.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wise and Discerning

 Scripture:

“Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

After Hosea had cried out for his people to return to the Lord and serve Him, he finishes his words to the nation by saying that those who are righteous walk in the ways of the Lord and the rebellious stumble in them. He says the wise and discerning will understand that God’s ways are the right ways. 

Application:

Wise people are not the smartest people with all the degrees and accomplishments of this world, they are those who seek the Lord and delight in Him. Discerning people understand the world around them and they understand the things of God. I want to be wise and discerning concerning the things that go on around me.  I want to be a leader who leads with wisdom and discernment. I want to know the ways of the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, teach me Your ways. Help me to walk with the wise and discerning. Let my discernment level increase, especially in these last days. Show me truth and make me ready to receive it. Teach me at a deeper level than I’ve known in the past. Help me to represent You well in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Hard Ground

 Scripture:

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Hosea gives God’s people a word from the Lord in this passage. His entire life had been in illustration of Israel’s cheating on their relationship with God like an adulteress would cheat on her husband. Here he tells them it’s time to sow righteousness and reap love. He tells them to break up their hard ground and seek the Lord until He comes and gives them righteousness.

Application:

There comes a time when we have to seek the Lord afresh in our lives. There are seasons where we grow hardened and do what we want without really seeking Him. We must realize that we are living in the last days and that our walk with God is the most important thing in the world right now. We must be hearing His voice and living according to His will at this moment in history.

Prayer:

Father, break up any hard ground in me this morning. Let my heart and life be pliable and usable for Your kingdom. Heal my body, which is fighting because of something I ate on mission for You in Dominican Republic. Enable me to walk according to Your ways and to seek You now more than ever. Let me not grow content with where I am, but draw nearer to You each day.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Love

 Scripture:

“The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Israel had walked away from the Lord and Hosea was demonstrating that through marrying a prostitute, who continued to cheat on him. In this passage, Hosea is told by the Lord to go and show love to the woman who had cheated on him as the Lord still loves the Israelites, even thought they continue to turn to other gods.

Application:

God loves His people. He continues to pursue us, even when we are straying away from Him. He always stands with open arms, waiting for His children to return home to Him. Even when we are unfaithful, He is faithful. He continues to search for ways to bring us back to Him. How much more should we want to be faithful to Him and walk according to His ways? We must return love with love.

Prayer:

Father, You love me with an everlasting love. Help me to love You back in the same way. May my life be lived in such a way that You can see my love for You and never have to doubt my love for You. Thank You for Your faithfulness, even when my faith struggles. You are amazing!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Restored

 Scripture:

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

This scripture is so powerful! Peter tells us that we will go through some difficult times, but that God will restore us, make us strong, firm and steadfast. He also adds that it was God who called us to HIs eternal glory and even allowed the suffering.

Application:

When we go through trying times, we must realize we are living in the last days and there will be trials of all kinds in this season. What we must focus on is that fact that God will deliver us from them all. He will make us strong, not we ourselves. He will make us steadfast, not we ourselves. The Christian life is all about walking in step with the Holy Spirit and doing what He wants us to do. When we do that, God will step in and do His part.

Prayer:

Father, You are my strength when I am weak. You are the treasure that I seek.  You are my all in all! When I fall down, You pick me up. When I am dry, You fill my cup. Receive glory and honor from my life. I commit myself to You for Your purposes. Help me to walk in step with You and fulfill everything You have planned for my life. I am Yours,

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Greater Worth

 Scripture:

“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Peter tells us that our tests and trials prove the genuineness of our faith, that it is greater than gold and results in the praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Proven faith is tested faith. What is not tested, has no real value.

Application:

We have to walk through some difficult times once in a while as a believer. We must endure suffering as a good soldier and learn to have a right attitude when we are tried.  Trials don’t mean we have done something wrong, they simply mean we are being tested to see what level our faith is at. We must learn to walk in obedience to God at all times and when trial and tribulations come, we must see it as testing and not judgment.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see testing how You see it. Teach me to walk according to Your ways and to fulfill Your will for my life. Show me how to endure suffering well and to pass every test and trial that comes my way. I am Yours and offer You my complete life, the blessings, the tests, the trials, and the victories.  All are Yours my King.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wisdom and Leading People to Christ Makes us Shiny

 Scripture:

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."

Observation:

Daniel says here that people who are wise and who lead many to righteousness will shine like the heavens and like stars forever. We are called to be wise and to lead others to Christ.  When we do this, we are going to shine.

Application:

This works both directions, when we shine, people are attracted to us. When those people turn to righteousness, we shine more. It is like a circle of influence that grows larger and larger. Our place i to shine the love of Christ everywhere we go.  This is wise, and leading people to Christ should be a normal part of our lives. In both cases, we shine more.  We should be going from glory to glory, from shining to greater shining.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are good and Your mercy endures forever! Your faithfulness reaches the sky and Your love never ends. Thank You for working with us this week in the Dominican Republic. We have seen Your glory and Your goodness. Let those who came to Christ this week grow and develop.  Let Your kingdom extend here more and more with each passing day.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Supernatural Strength

 Scripture:

"Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 'Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,' he said, 'Peace! Be strong now; be strong.' When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, 'Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.'"

Observation:

Daniel was weak after some spiritual encounters he had.  He said, just prior to this, that he felt very weak, with no strength, and that he could hardly breathe. God sent the angel who touched him and immediately he received peace and strength. 

Application:

When we have worked hard and ministered with all our heart, God can send an angel to give us strength, or He can do it without one. The point is that God is able to give us supernatural strength when we have become exhausted from spiritual work.  One moment in the presence of the Lord and we are rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to keep on going forward for the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, I feel weak and tired from this ministry trip I have been on this week in Dominican Republic. I need supernatural strength today. Fill me with Your power and strength.  Heal my voice, which is weak from preaching. Empower my body and bring Your supernatural strength to finish the race well. Touch my team today and give them all they need for Your purposes.

Forever Your Son,

Jeff

Exceptional Qualities

 Scripture:

"Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom." Daniel 6:3

Observation:

Daniel lived in Babylon and served under three kings. He was a captive who was taken into a foreign king's training program and became one of the king's wise men. Daniel excelled before the king and everyone else. Though he had to learn the language and wasn't in his own country, he had exceptional qualities that made him stand above the rest.

Application:

Excellence gets the attention of leaders. Daniel had an excellent spirit and did everything, even serving an ungodly king, with all his heart and did it extremely well. God wants to raise us up to the place of influence for His purposes, but He needs some of His people to rise up and live excellent lives that will influence others. We need to do everything we do with exceptional service and detail.

Prayer:

Father, help me to live an exceptional life. Teach me to walk before You in a way that is appropriate and that brings You glory and honor. Let my life be a life of obedience and excellence in every area. Help me to lead well the people You have entrusted to me. Make an impact on our team this week in the Dominican Republic.

Your Son,

Jeff

Let God’s River Flow

 Scripture:

“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭47:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel had a vision of a river flowing from under the threshold of the Temple. It started small, but got deeper as it went away from the Temple. That river was to bring life wherever it goes. Along the river is what the above verse references, fruit trees that bear fruit every month. The fruit was food and the leaves were for healing. God’s river produces food and healing wherever it flows.

Application:

Jesus said we should have a river of living water flowing from our lives. We have the Spirit without measure and He wants to flow out of our lives like a river. The problem is, we don’t really believe that and walk in it. Our lives should produce fruit constantly and bring healing wherever we go because God’s river flows in and through our lives. I need to seek the Lord and ask Him to let His river of life flow through my life at greater and greater levels.

Prayer:

Lord God, Let Your river flow in my life. As I go to The Dominican Republic tomorrow, let Your river flow there in every service.  Bring healing, life, and freedom to everyone we come in contact with. Let Villa Verde never be the same. Let the children’s center we built there provide fruit for the community and healing as well. 

Yours,

Jeff

Moving Forward

 Scripture:

““ ‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭46:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel here tells us about worship at the Temple of God.  He basically says whatever entry you come in, you must go out the opposite entryway. If you came in the South Gate, you are to leave the north gate. 

Application:

When we come into God’s presence, we should never leave the same as when we came in. When we encounter the Lord, we should be transformed and leave the place different than when we came in. There may have been some practical application for this, but it makes a spiritual point. We must never leave church the same way we came. We should exit through a new gate, going to new places. You can’t experience God and go back to where you were.  There are new things God has for us, so we must keep on moving forward.

Prayer:

Father, I ask You to help me to never leave Your presence the same way I came into it. Change me. Modify me. Let me go to new territories and do new things instead of going backward. I like forward progress. Help me to lead others well into new places in You.  Teach me not to look back, but to always look forward and keep moving forward.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Glory

 Scripture:

“and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel saw the glory of the God of Israel. He says of the Lord, “His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” Similar language is used in the book of Revelation many, many years later. It is a powerful thing to see the glory of the Lord and how awesome God really is. 

Application:

God is worthy of the greatest glory and honor we can give Him. When we see Him as He is, our hearts are captivated by the sound of His voice and the radiance of His glory. God is worthy of us dedicating our lives completely to him. When we see Him in His glory, we realize how powerful He is and how He can take care of our greatest problems and issues with one word. We need to spend time gazing on His beauty and His glory.

Prayer:

Father, You are great and glorious. Help me to see You as You are. You are all-powerful and all-knowing. You know the end from the beginning and You know every step along the way. Help me to hear Your voice and see what You are doing. Help me to live a life that pleases You and bring You honor. You are truly worthy of my very best.

Your Son,

Jeff

Forget Your Shame

 Scripture:

“They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭39:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks through Ezekiel here about Israel’s return to their land after the season of deportation and exile. He says “they will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land.” He lets His people know that discipline lasts for a season, but that blessing will come again.

Application:

God’s heart is always for us to return to Him when we have strayed. He desires to bless us immensely, but we have to be in proper alignment with Him in order for it to happen. As we turn our hearts to Him in humility and obedience, He will always respond by taking away the shame of our disgrace and replacing it with blessing. God doesn’t get glory out of our shame.  Shame is used to bring us back to God, but is stops there. When we are walking with Him, shame disappears.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for always loving me and sharing Your word with me. Thank You for teaching me Your heart. You are faithful and don’t desire to punish anyone.  You simply desire for us to walk according to Your ways so You can then bless us and prosper us. Help me to listen to Your voice and respond at all times. Let me live a life that pleases You and builds Your kingdom. Bless our trip to Dominican Republic this week.  Let Your glory cover that nation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Heart Surgery

 Scripture:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26-27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

 In this passage, Ezekiel is speaking to Israel, who had been far from God and had been punished by God fro their disobedience. He tells them when they return to the Lord, He will give them a new heart and spirit. He will remove a hard heart and give them a heart of flesh that is pliable and moldable. He would go as far as to put His own Spirit within them to move them to follow His ways. God went to extremes to help us follow Him completely.

Application:

God did everything possible to give us the ability to live for Him. He paid the price of His own dear Son so that we could have His heart and His Spirit within us. We cannot live a life of disobedience to Him in any area. We must yield to this loving and faithful God who would go to great extremes to give us what we need in order to follow Him well.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious! You are amazing and I honor You today. Help me to follow You completely and with my whole heart. You have made a way for me to serve You well and fulfill Your will.  Help me to yield to it and not resist God, but assist God in walking out Your will in my life.

I’m Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Desire and Our Commission

 Scripture:

“Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭33:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God says here through Ezekiel that He “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” God doesn’t like to judge or condemn people to destruction. He would much rather see them saved so He can bless them. He doesn’t get a thrill out of sending people to hell.  He would much rather they be saved.

Application:

Currently, God has chosen to work through His body, the Church. We must have His heart and desire what He desires. Our job is to speak on His behalf, “turn! Turn from your evil ways!” We have been commissioned to herald His message to the ends of the earth. We must proclaim the Lord and his heart until He comes again. We shouldn’t want anyone to ever go to hell because that’s not God’s will.  Therefore, we have to speak up and share His love for them.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing.  I love Your heart for people and how you don’t take pleasure in the death of the wicked. I love that You have grace on those who turn to You. Help me to spread Your word long and far. Enable me to get Your message to the ends of the earth. You are valuable and don’t delight in anyone’s death. Fill me with that same Spirit.  Pour out Your Spirit in our revival services this weekend!

Your Son,

Jeff

God is in Charge of Who is in Charge

 Scripture:

“I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men— the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭32:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this part of Ezekiel, God was speaking through the prophet about the destruction He was going to send to all the nations that did not follow Him. He says that He will cause Egypt’s army “to fall by the swords of mighty men - the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt.” God sends a word to Egypt that they are going to be destroyed by a ruthless nation, and it was His doing.

Application:

I recently watched a video series called, “Thriving in Babylon.” It is based on the story of Daniel thriving in Babylon, even when it was a very ungodly culture.  In this series, the speaker said, “God is in charge of who is in charge.” God can use whoever He wants to bring about His purposes and will sometimes use a ruthless, pagan nation to do His work. God uses the ungodly sometimes to accomplish His will, but He is still in charge. We must learn to submit ourselves to Him and serve Him with all our heart. We also need to learn to trust Him completely because He can overthrow any government or people group.  He is all-powerful!

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and I love You more every day. Help me to realize that You are in charge of who is in charge. Teach me to trust Your workings in the earth. Right now the world has been in a pretty cray season. Help me to know confidently that You are in charge of who is in charge. Have Your way in the nations, but protect Your people. Let us turn to You more and more each day and be cleansed from our unrighteousness.

Yours,

Jeff

Restoration

 Scripture:

““ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’ ”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭28:25-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God has been speaking through Ezekiel concerning the different nations He was going to punish an dhow He was going to destroy them. Here, the Lord speaks of gathering Israel from where He scattered them and blessing them. He says He will then punish their neighbors, but His people will live in peace and blessing. There was a time for their judgment, but God always has a time for restoration.

Application:

God disciplines His children, but He is always focused more on their restoration than their punishment. His goal is always the same, “Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.” God wants us to be completely His and to live as He plans and desires us to live. When we walk in His ways, we are blessed in every way.  When we do our own thing, He will bring discipline us, but always with restoration in mind. He is the God of restoration. When we are going through difficult times, we can always look to God for restoration.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and I love You with all my heart. You are my strength and my deliverer. You are my shield and defense. You are the one who restores me when I mess up. Thank You for never giving up on me. Let me live more like You desire today and throughout my life. Let my life reflect Your glory and make You look good instead of bad.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

The Time Has Come

 Scripture:

““ ‘I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking to Jerusalem and Judah about the sins they have been committing for a very long time.  They had walked away from God and were following idols made by their own hands. They were serving the gods of the other countries around them, but had broken their covenant with the living God. The Lord speaks and says, “The time has come for me to act.” 

Application:

There is a time God gives His people to repent and turn to Him. His heart is always to bring about repentance when we get off track, but there is also a limit. There is always a time in God. Here, we see a time for judgment. Sometimes we see a time for restoration, but God always has a timing. We must seek the Lord and follow Him closely so we can know the times and season God is working in. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to know Your voice and see what You are doing in the earth. You have a plan and there is always a time involved.  Help me to know the timings of God. Show me things to come and help me to discern what You are doing in our nation and around the world. I know there are set times for certain things. Reveal more and more to me. I want to know Your timing.

Yours,

Jeff

Gap Standers

 Scripture:

““I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭22:30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel was prophesying about the destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria because they had known God, but turned toward the idols of the people of the land they dwelt in. Ezekiel called them prostitutes who had  given themselves to idols, etc. In this verse, we see that God looked for someone among them who would stand in the gap and build up the wall, but He found no one.

Application:

When God looks to destroy a city, a nation, etc. because of their sins, He looks for someone who is building a wall and standing in the gap. If He finds someone, He won’t destroy the place. Sometimes He will remove that person and then allow His judgment to fall. The job of the intercessor or prayer warrior is to stand in the gap, knowing that our nation has sinned terribly against God. We are called to build a wall and stop the hand of God from bringing judgment. 

Prayer:

Lord, I know the US has many, many intercessors who haven’t bent the knee or bowed the head to the ways of this world. We are a messed up country, but there is still a remnant who have not turned to the enemy and who are crying out to You day and night. Hear our prayers from heaven and rend the heavens and come down. Come down in all Your power and might. Come down and rescue Your people. Save souls. Move is power my God. Bring an awakening to this nation.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Repent and Live

 Scripture:

“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Ezekiel and tells His people that He is gong to punish them for their disobedience and their following the practices of other gods. He speaks judgment, then you hear His heart. This comes through every time you hear the Lord speak of His judgment. He doesn’t take pleasure in disciplining His people.  He would rather we just repent and live, but He will do what it takes to get us in right position with Him.

Application:

God is not a mean God who takes pleasure in hurting people or disciplining them. I know as a father I hated disciplining my sons.  I would rather they just live right and me not have to go there, but I knew it would help them if I disciplined them.  My desire to help them be better was stronger than my desire to feel good. Therefore, I disciplined them. God would rather not bring discipline into our lives, but will do it to keep us on track. 

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercy endures forever! You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. This week we have revival services in the church. Pour out Your Spirit. Let people come to Christ. Let bodies be healed. Let people be filled with Your Spirit. Come Holy Spirit and Rend the Heavens. Let Your presence be upon us this weekend.

Your Son,

Jeff

Recapture Hearts

 Scripture:

“I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’”‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭14:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Israel had turned strongly against the Lord and His covenant. They had prostituted do themselves with other gods and had sinned greatly, to the point of sacrificing their own children to these other gods. God is talking here about His punishment for them, but even in that He says, “I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel.” God is always about bringing His people home to Him.

Application:

God will go to great lengths as seen in Ezekiel and Jeremiah, to turn His people back to Him. He will use whatever is necessary to get hearts to turn back to Him. His purpose, though, is never just to punish His people, but to draw them back into relationship with Him so He can bless them once again. God acts to capture our hearts. We need to respond when He captures our hearts. We need to return to Him with all our hearts when He moves in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to be the person You want me to be. You are incredible! Let me hear the whisper of Your voice and let Your hand be upon my life for Your purposes. Help me to represent Your heart to this around me by seeking all ways to bring them back to You.

Yours,

Jeff

An Undivided Heart and a New Spirit

 Scripture:

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭11:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God says here that He will give His people an undivided heart and a new spirit.  He says He will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. He longs for a people who will be completely His, not for pride purposes, but because He wants to bless them and show them the benefits of serving Him.

Application:

When Jesus died, this heart was made possible in His death and resurrection.  We can now live out this verse by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to ask God to give us an undivided heart and a new spirit.  I want my heart to be pliable and flexible to become all God wants me to be.

Prayer:

Father, I give You my heart. Cleanse it. Make it new. Help me to walk with You in deeper levels. Teach me Your word and help me to live it out each day. I want to know You in the fellowship of your suffering and the power of Your resurrection.

Your Son,

Jeff

Prophetic God Encounters

 Scripture:

“In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭8:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel records here about an encounter he had with the Lord. He was in his house with the elders of Judah and the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on him there. The Lord began to show him things to come and judgments that would come on Israel and Judah.  I love the words, “the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.”

Application:

I desperately want “the hand of the Sovereign Lord” to come on my life. I love prophetic God encounters and I know I’m not suppose to seek signs and wonders or encounters, but I love when God shows up strong in my life in a very personal way. I love those times in His presence when He overwhelms me with His goodness and His power. I want to know Him, walk with Him, work for Him, and flow with Him at all times. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I long for Your presence and power to com upon my life in greater dimensions. I love those times when Your Spirit has come upon me in the past and showed me things. I open my life to You completely Lord. Come and speak to me for Your servant is listening. Show me things to come. Show me what needs to happen in each situation. Show me Your glory. You are incredible and I love to encounter You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Then They Will Know

 Scripture:

“The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. “ ‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Israel had sinned terribly and forsaken their covenant with the Lord. They had walked away from Him and His ways to do their own thing. Just prior to this verse, God was explaining how terrible it was going to be for them because they had walked away from Him.  At the very end of a series of awful judgments you hear the heart of God, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Application:

Throughout the entirety of Scripture I see one overarching theme. God wants to be our God and He wants us to be His people. He wants the world to know He is God and will do anything, including sending His own Son to die on behalf of the world so they will know He is the Lord. He will execute judgment, so that they will know that I am God. His heart is for us to know Him, not to punish us for disobedience. He wants us to know and fear Him.

Prayer:

Father, may You never have to bring judgment into my life so I will know You are God. Help me to always walk in step with You and honor You at all times.  Guide me today and allow me to represent You well. Live big in me Lord and help me to fulfill Your will in the earth.  Help me to multiply what You have put in my hand.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Heavens Were Opened

 Scripture:

“In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The book of Ezekiel starts out with an introduction of Ezekiel and he tells his story. He was among the exiles by the river when the heavens were opened and he saw visions of God. Wow! What a way to open a book of prophetic words to a nation far from God. I would love to know in more detail, what he saw and what open heavens look like.

Application:

We are having revival services next week entitled, “Rend the Heavens” where we are asking God to rip the heavens open and come down in power and great might. We are crying out for the presence of God to come in greater levels to heal our land. Great things happen when the heavens are opened and we want them open in our region. We are starting with three days of fasting to “Rend our Hearts.”

Prayer:

Father, rend the heavens and come down. Speak to us as friend with friend. I long to encounter You once again. I long for Your presence and Your power to flow strongly in our gatherings.  Help me to walk with You and to obey Your voice at all times. Let me be more sensitive to Your Spirit and fulfill all You have for me, for my family, and for the church we are blessed to lead.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Obedience When I Don’t Know Where I’m Going

 Scripture:

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Abraham was asked by God to go to a place He would show him. He picked up his family and started heading to a place he knew nothing about and didn’t even know where it was. All he knew was that God would show him. This is faith. No wonder he is called the father of faith.

Application:

My question today is, “Will I obey the Lord when His commands are fuzzy and unclear? Will I follow the Lord when He doesn’t give me all the details? I want to say yes, but I know I sometimes wait for the details before heading off to a place I know nothing about. I want to truly be a person of faith and obedience.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to follow You well, as Abraham did. Teach me to trust You, even when You don’t give me all the details. Enable me to follow You closely and to do what You say, whether I agree or not. Help me to live in step with You and Your will for my life.

Yours,

Jeff

Hold Unswervingly

 Scripture:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews has been talking about Jesus sacrifice cleansing the heavenly temple and that He paid the price once and for all of sin. Then he speaks the words, “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Because of all He has done for us, we should hold unswervingly to our hope

Application:

We must not swerve from the hope we have because Jesus is faithful. When we are faithless, He is faithful.  When we are hopeless, He is faithful. He is faithful, no matter what we are going through. Rather than run away from God when troubles come, we should run to Him and hold onto Him for our lives, literally.

Prayer:

Jesus, You paid the price to make a way for us.  You paid for our sins and were sacrificed on our behalf. How could I not trust You? How could I not serve You with my whole heart? You are incredible and You cleansed the heavenly temple so we could enter with Your own blood. Help me to hold unswervingly to You and Your sacrifice.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faithfulness Always Wins

 Scripture:

“He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews was describing Jesus at this point. He had talked about many awesome things concerning Jesus, but here he says Jesus was faithful to the Father just like Moses. When God wants to honor someone, He calls them FAITHFUL.

Application:

Sometimes faithfulness is not something we think of as a characteristic that is incredibly important, but it is absolutely important to God. Faithfulness means you do what God asks you to do faithfully. Faithful usually is not used when describing something you love to do, but something tedious that you continue to do for a long time. Faithfulness is an attribute God is attracted to. When He comes, may He find us faithful.

Prayer:

Father, let my life exemplify faithfulness. Help me to never get ahead of You, behind You, or out of Your will. Teach me be faithful in every area of life. Enable me to do what You ask, nothing less and nothing more. Help me to see Your will for my life and to serve faithfully in whatever season I am in. I want to be like Jesus and Jesus was faithful to the one who sent Him.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Reigns Forever

 Scripture:

“You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Lamentations is Jeremiah laments the fact that Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon. After four chapters of lamenting, and right at the end of the book, he writes this verse. He had complained and whined all he could whine, then came back to who the Lord is. His throne endures all generations and He never changes.

Application:

We need to realize that God is who He says He is. He is the eternal, all-powerful, God! He does reign forever and ever. Our best play is to humble ourselves before Him and walk in His paths instead of our own.  We have seen the goodness of God for so long that we have forgotten the severity of God. We must remember that He is love, but He is also justice and righteousness.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are amazing! You love and generosity is beyond comprehension. Your justice and righteousness are also without compare. Help me to view You correctly as the lover of my soul, yet the one I will stand before in judgment one day. Help me to represent You well to those I speak to.

Your Son,

Jeff

Hope in God and Wait Patiently for Him

 Scripture:

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:25-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The Book of Lamentations is a book of laments that Jeremiah cried out to the Lord because his people were taken away to Babylon. God had empowered the Babylonians to come and capture His people and to empty Jerusalem of its treasure. In this verse Jeremiah comes back to the goodness of the Lord and tells us that God is good to those whose hope is in Him and to the one who seeks him.

Application:

Even in punishment and struggles, God is good to those who seek Him and whose hope is in Him. He is always compassionate on those who turn to Him in their struggles. No matter how bad it gets, He always hears a repentant heart. We are to wait quietly for His salvation and to put our hope and trust in Him. As we do that, He will rescue us every time.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to wait upon You patiently. Teach me to represent You fully and completely. Show me how to keep my hope alive, even when things look really bad around me. Show me each day the steps You want me to take. Open the right doors and close the wrong doors in my life. I want to be in the center of Your will at all times.

Yours,

Jeff

Charge it to Me

 Scripture:

“So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” ‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1:17-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing here to Philemon, asking him to received Onesimus back as a brother instead of a slave. Onesimus had apparently run away at some point from being Philemon’s slave. He tells him to welcome his former slave as he would welcome himself and if he had sone anything wrong, charge it to Paul. Paul was asking to pay any debts Onesimus had because he was now a brother instead of a slave.

Application:

When someone turns to Christ, they are a new creature. He that was a slave is no longer a slave, but a brother in Christ. Paul’s words, “charge it to me.” Are so important. When we are helping people, sometimes we are going to have to go the extra mile and say, “charge it to me.” Love helps people and pays a price to show that. I don’t believe in being used by people, but there is a time to help people at your own expense. We must decipher when to do that.

Prayer:

Lord, as usual, I ask You to give. Me wisdom and guide me to make right decisions and to treat people as You would want me to. I want to be led by Your Spirit more and more each day. Help me to help others and to treat them as You want me to treat them. Let me be a direct reflection of how You would treat people on this earth. Help me to value what You value.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Lost Sheep and Shepherds

 Scripture:

““My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭50:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Judah had been in Babylonian captivity and Jeremiah is prophesying destruction on Babylon. Even though Babylon was empowered by the Lord to punish Judah, the Lord will punish them for doing it. God always looks out for His own, even when He is punishing them. 

Application:

God is always looking to restore His people who have strayed away from Him. In this passage, He says the shepherds, He entrusted their care to, have led them astray. As a shepherd in the modern sense, I don’t ever want to lead people the wrong direction. I want to hear what the Lord is saying and deliver the right word and lead people in the right direction. May it never be said of me that I led people astray, away from God’s will for their lives.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for blessing me in so many ways. I take very seriously my walk with You and I ask You to help me stay in check in every area of my life. Let my life reflect Your well and lead people the way You want them led. Teach me to walk with You and fulfill Your plans in the earth. I am Yours. Use me for Your glory.

Your Son,

Jeff

Restoration in Punishment

 Scripture:

“I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the Lord. “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭49:38-39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

These two chapters in Jeremiah speak about the destruction of Amon, Edom, Damascus, etc. but at the end of each judgment that is pronounced on them, something similar to the above is spoken.  God says to them, “I’m going to judge you because of what you have done, “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come.” God always follows judgment with blessing.

Application:

The heart of God is to bless the nations. He desires that all come to Him and follow Him.  When they don’t, He will bring judgment, but after judgment He always pronounces blessing. God will allow hard things in our lives because of disobedience, but His heart is always to cause us to repent so He can bless us again. He loves to bless His people, but needs us in repentance and humility so He can do it. 

Prayer:

Lord, I want to live in Your blessing and see the day of good things. Thank You for Your incredible blessing in my life. You are amazing and I love serving You. Help me to walk in obedience to You at all times and to be a pleasure to You through my life. Help me to serve You well and to represent you correctly. Let my heart be on fire for You all the days of my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

Mouth Obedience or Life Obedience?

 Scripture:

“Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah was told by a group of people to go and get the word of the Lord because they were ready and willing to obey His word. They knew that obedience would bring blessing.  They said with their mouths that they would follow whatever the Lord spoke through Jeremiah, but when it actually happened, they didn’t obey.

Application:

I call these guys mouth obedience people. They say with their mouths that they will obey whatever the Lord says, but when it comes to actually doing it, things change. We must never be people who obey with their mouths, but not their lives. It is better not to make an oath than to make one we are not going to keep.  God would rather have us actually obey Him resistantly than to say we will obey and then not do it. 

Prayer:

Father, help me not to be a lipservice person, but to obey You in all things. Teach me to not say yes and then change my mind. Empower me to live the life You desire for me. I am Yours. I belong to You. Lead me. Guide me. Show me the way forward and give me the power to always say yes with my words and with my life.  Forgive me for the times I have said yes to You and then not come through.

Your Son,

Jeff

Obey the Lord

 Scripture:

““They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.”‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭38:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah is having a conversation with the king about the Babylonians coming against them. He told the king that if he would obey the Lord, by doing what he told him to do, it would be well for him and his life would be spared. If he didn’t do what Jeremiah was saying, his life was in grave danger. Jeremiah knew he was speaking on the Lord’s behalf and that obedience was the only answer.

Application:

Obedience is the only answer. When we obey the Lord, we can expect Him to fight our battles and take care of us. When we refuse to listen to His voice and do only what we want to do instead of seeking His will, we will always make a mess of things. God still speaks and we must listen for His voice, As we respond and obey His voice, it will go well for us.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to follow Your voice and to do what You tell me to do. Thank You for leading me daily. I want to be a vessel in Your hands that You can use for Your purposes in the earth. I offer you my life. Lead me, guide me, and show me the path I should take at all times. I simply want to obey You completely.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Discipline

 Scripture:

“Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Jeremiah about the people of Judah and you can hear the heart of God ringing out about His heart. He longed for His people to repent and turn from their ways, so that He could forgive them and bless them. He was planning to allow their enemies to triumph over them, so that they would turn to Him and He could forgive them and restore them. God’s heart in discipline is always to cause us to return to Him so He can forgive us and restore us.

Application:

Hebrews tells us that those who the Lord loves, He chastises. He does this simply so we will turn from what we are doing wrong and run into His arms of love and forgiveness. When we mess up, God is not trying to punish us for our sins, He is simply trying to get us to turn back to Him and to trust Him.  His long game is always to bring us back so He can forgive us and bless us. He doesn’t revel in seeing us suffer. He simply wants us to depend on Him and trust Him.

Prayer:

Lord, You are incredible and I appreciate You more every day. Help me to see your discipline correctly. Help me to see that Your desire is always to bless me and help me, but in order to do that, I need to turn away from things You don’t want for my life and turn to You with all my heart. Help me to always be responsive to You. I never want to walk away or go in a direction that You don’t lead. I want to walk in step with You the rest of my life and to see Your good hand revealed.

Yours,

Jeff

God Blesses His People

 Scripture:

“I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the Lord.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had been prophesying about the terrible time to come.  This was the word of the Lord, but the Lord never leaves us there. He always has a plan to bring us out and bring us into the place of His blessing. He longs to bless His people with abundance and bounty. He just needs His people to follow His ways.

Application:

God desires to bless us. He longs to have a people that are His own so He can be their God and they will be His people. He longs to have a people He can bless with abundance and pour out His favor upon. He simply needs people who will follow Him wholeheartedly. Our place is to follow Him with everything we have. His place is to bless us with abundance and bounty. When we do our part, He will do His part.

Prayer:

Farther, let my heart be faithful to You and Your kingdom. Let me live a life of obedience to everything You put in front of me. Help me to do Your will above every other thing. Teach me to hear Your voice and follow completely. I long to walk with You at a deeper level. I’m Yours Lord. Do in my life whatever You desire.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Restorer

 Scripture:

“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭30:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God is the God of restoration. In this passage, He has told Judah that they are going into 70 years of captivity in Babylon, but that  He would bring them back afterwards and restore them to their land. Even in God’s punishment, He is always thinking restoration. He always brings back to a place of order and blessing when we follow Him.

Application:

When you feel like the enemy is winning and things are going terrible, you can rest assured that God knows and will step in to turn the situation around. There are times we need to go through things, but we can know that God is always thinking about restoration. When things get bad, instead of thinking about how to get out of it, maybe we should simply trust that God will restore us because that is His nature. We should trust the God of restoration.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in confidence daily that You are the restorer of everything the enemy takes from me. I thank You for restoring everything around me. Thank you for restoring my health, my life, my family, my finances, my city, and my world. Thank You for restoring health to Sister Anne this morning. God of restoration, restore everything that is missing or broken in my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

When God Relents

 Scripture:

“Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭26:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Judah has been walking away from God and His ways. Jeremiah and others had been calling them out and telling them. To repent or tragedy would come from God. Here God tells them if they will reform their ways and actions, that God will relent of what He had planned. 

Application:

Prophetic words are always conditional with God. If he prophesies that we are going to go through hard times, if we repent, He will change that outcome. His heart is for us to change. When we change, our outcomes will also change. God cannot help but know what we will do, but He doesn’t control it. He tells us where our actions will lead, then tells us to turn. If we turn, He cancels the bad things He had in store. His job is to convict, our job is to repent.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to live a life that You can bless. I don’t want to be a rebellious child, but one that listens the first time when You speak. Teach me to follow Yours ways.  Show me the path each and every day and help me to stay on it. When I mess up, warn me and I will repent. 

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Options

 Scripture:

““Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah was continually bringing hard words from the Lord to the people. It seemed he never had good news to tell them because they wouldn’t repent of their many sins. Here, the Lord tells the people, “I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.” God gave them two options, which He generally does. 

Application:

God usually gives us more than one option. He then allows us to choose life or death based on the the decisions we make. From the beginning, God us given mankind a will and options. We can serve Him or we can’t. We can choose Him, or choose the enemy. God gave us a free-will and we have to use that free-will wisely in following Him. We can do our own thing and not even consult the Lord in our decisions, or we can ask the Lord to guide us to make the right decisions. He wants us to lean on Him instead of just doing things on our own.

Prayer:

Father, life would be much easier if you controlled us like robots, but You have given us a free-will. You have blessed us with decision-making abilities. Thank You from trusting us with that, even though it backfires often. I want to always choose You and choose life. Help me to always take Your option. I never want to be out of Your will. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Delivered for a Purpose

 Scripture:

“The Lord said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The Lord here is speaking to Jeremiah about His people. He tells Jeremiah He will deliver him for a good purpose. God told him that He would make his enemies plead with him in times of disaster and distress. God has the ability to do anything He wants to do. He can cause your enemies to walk in disaster and distress, while He delivers you from their hands.

Application:

As God told Jeremiah He would deliver him for a good purpose, so He speaks to us today. God delivers us, not just to deliver us, but He has purpose in everything He does. There is a purpose why we are born again. There is a purpose we are in the family we are in. There is a purpose why God stepped into our lives. He has a purpose and a plan for each of us. Our place is to find out what that purpose is and walk it out while He defeats our enemies.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to walk in my purpose and destiny. Help me to discover all You want me to do in my life. Let my life be lived for Your purposes and let me do everything You have prepared for me to do. Teach me to follow You closer each day. Let me fulfill the purposes of God in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Prophesying Lies

 Scripture:

“Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭14:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah hears from the Lord about the prophets who are prophesying what the people want to hear instead of what the Lord is truly saying. God says that these prophets were not sent by Him and that they are prophesying false visions, divination, idolatries, and delusions of their own minds. He goes on and says these same prophets will die by the same things they are saying won’t happen. God doesn’t like when His people put words in His mouth and say it is Him.

Application:

We need to be very cautious when we speak on God’s behalf. God doesn’t take it lightly when He is falsely represented. We must seek the Lord and honestly hear from Him or be silent. To speak on His behalf when He hasn’t spoken is dangerous territory. Of course His word never changes and we are safe when we are rightly preaching the Bible, but when we step into prophesies not in the Scripture, we must know we are hearing from the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, help me to accurately represent You at all times. Help me to hear Your voice clearly and convey Your message appropriately. I love to speak prophetically, but I don’t want to do it out of my own flesh or my own thoughts. Thank You for the incredible gifts of the Spirit. Help me to walk in them well and to say what You are saying. I don’t want to prophesy lies.

Yours,

Jeff

Mighty in Power

 Scripture:

“No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had been decrying Judah for their sins of idolatry. He constantly was condemning them for believing in gods they had made with their own hands. At this point, Jeremiah begins to worship the true and living God. He says God is great and His name is mighty in power.

Application:

No matter what goes on around us or what happens in these last days, we must always remember that our God is mighty in power and that He is great. There is nothing too difficult for God! He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all I could ask or imagine. He is faithful, trustworthy, and powerful! We need to know in this season where it seems the enemy is getting some victories, that our God reigns and nothing happens without His knowledge.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to trust You more each day. Help me to live a life that knows Your mighty power and your outstretched arm. Teach me to walk in faith, knowing who You are, even when things around me are not favorable. Give us wisdom concerning Coronavirus and politics. Help me to preach what You are saying and not just what is popular politically. Let me truly be led by Your Spirit.

Your Son,

Jeff

Listen When He Calls

 Scripture:

“While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭7:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God was rebuking Judah for their constant sins of looking to and worshiping other gods. God here is speaking to them through Jeremiah and telling them that while they were serving other gods, He was calling out to them to turn from their ways, but they did not answer. God was trying to draw them back to Himself, but they weren’t hearing Him.

Application:

We must learn to constantly be attuned to the Spirit of the Living God. When we walk away and start doing other things and not putting Him first, His voice will be silenced. We must continually seek the Lord and do what He says. If we don’t, we are open to all kinds of deception and wrong thinking. As God’s people, we must hear His call.

Prayer:

Father, let me always be in a position to hear Your call. When You speak, I will move. When You call, I will follow. Help me to live as ONE with You and let me obey every word You put in my spirit. Teach me to hear Your voice clearly. I want to finish strong Father. Teach me to always hear and answer Your call.

Forever Yours,

Jeff