Friday, December 31, 2021

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

Thursday, December 30, 2021

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

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

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

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

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

Monday, December 27, 2021

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

Saturday, December 25, 2021

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

Friday, December 24, 2021

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

Thursday, December 23, 2021

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

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

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

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

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

Monday, December 20, 2021

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

Saturday, December 18, 2021

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

Friday, December 17, 2021

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

Thursday, December 16, 2021

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

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

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

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

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

Monday, December 13, 2021

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

Sunday, December 12, 2021

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

Saturday, December 11, 2021

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

Friday, December 10, 2021

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

Thursday, December 9, 2021

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

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

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

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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

Monday, December 6, 2021

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

Saturday, December 4, 2021

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

Friday, December 3, 2021

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

Thursday, December 2, 2021

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

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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