Honor the Lord

 Scripture:

“But for you that honor my name, victory will shine like the sun with healing in its rays, and you will jump around like calves at play.”  ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Malachi speaks for the Lord in this passage and says that those who honor His name will have victory shine like the sun with healing in it’s rays. It goes on to say that they will jump around like calves playing. Honoring God is crucial to those who call Him Lord. 

Application:

God wants to be honored with our words, our lives, and our actions. He wants to be honored, or placed first, in our lives. He is looking for a people who will honor Him by honoring His word and His ways. We need to live lives that bring honor and not dishonor to the Lord our God. When people see my life, will they honor my Lord?

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring Your honor, not just in my words, but in my life. Empower me to live a life that honors You, Your ways, and Your word. When worldly people see my life and lifestyle, let them bring You honor. Help me to represent You well in my generation. We need revival in America. We need an awakening in our country. As I do my best to honor You, pour out Your Spirit and heal this land.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Covenant

 Scripture:

“I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi. I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name.”  ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God blessed Levi and continued His agreement with him. It says here that God blessed him with a full life and Levi did his part by honoring and respecting God’s name. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. God does His part and we do our part. 

Application:

Today, many people feel that God’s covenant is one sided, He loves us and blesses us no matter if we ever do our part or not because of His amazing grace. Covenants are always two sided. They are agreements about how people will live relationally. Covenants are never one sided, where one gets all the blessings and does nothing. We need to walk in covenant with God if we want His blessings and covenant means we have some things we need to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in covenant with You and not just expect Your blessings on my life because You love me so much. Help me to do my part in our relationship. I don’t just want Your blessings, I want to walk with You in agreement. I want to live according to Your ways. I want to live a life that You want to bless and that brings Your honor and praise. Let my covenant be real and pure.

Your Son,

Jeff

Tested

 Scripture:

“Then I will purify them and put them to the test, just as gold and silver are purified and tested. They will pray in my name, and I will answer them. I will say, “You are my people,” and they will reply, “You, Lord, are our God!””  ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God declares over His people that after judgment comes, He will purify them and test them like gold and silver are purified and tested. When He tests them, He will say,, “You are my people.” And they will reply, “You, Lord, are our God!” Sometimes God will test us and allow us to go through the fire, then wants to know if He can still be our God and we be His people.

Application:

When we are tested by the Lord, it is not to judge us, condemn us, or punish us. It is to see whether we will run to Him or not. He wants to know that He is our God, no matter what comes our way. He wants to know that we are His people, even when we are being tested. We must mass each test by reply, “You are my God and I will serve You.”

Prayer:

Father God, help me to respond well to the tests that come into my life. Let my response always be that You are my God and I will serve You with all my heart. When I’m tested, let me come out as pure gold. Let my heart remain right with You, even in dark times. You are truly my God and I will have no other gods before You.

Yours,

Jeff

Mercy and Unity

 Scripture:

“So I became a shepherd of those sheep doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep dealers. And I gave names to the two sticks I used for tending the sheep: One of them was named “Mercy” and the other “Unity.””‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Zechariah here and tells his that He became a shepherd of those who were going to be slaughtered. He used two sticks to shepherd them, “Mercy” and “Unity”.  In other words, The Lord was going to shepherd those who had no hope and He was going to lead them with mercy and unity. They rebelled and He ended up breaking the sticks in frustration. God’s heart was to lead with mercy and unity.

Application:

Mercy and Unity are leadership lessons that can go a long way. When leading people, we need to be merciful with those who are not meeting our expectations. We also need to do our best to keep unity on our team. This balance is difficult, but it was God’s way of leading and I want it to be my way of leading. Unity brings God’s commanded blessing and mercy is at the heart of God always. 

Prayer:

Father, let me lead with mercy and bring unity within the ranks. Help me to walk in mercy and grace and follow Your example. Teach me to bring unity. Help me to be a unifier of people and one who demonstrates being merciful. I want to represent You well and do things Your way. Help me to do it well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Justice

 Scripture:

“So once again, I, the Lord All-Powerful, tell you, “See that justice is done and be kind and merciful to one another! Don't mistreat widows or orphans or foreigners or anyone who is poor, and stop making plans to hurt each other.””  ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here through Zechariah and tells His people that they need to walk in justice, be kind, and merciful to each other. He tells them not to mistreat widows, orphans, or foreigners, or anyone who is poor.  God hates injustice and can’t bless when we look down on others. When we take care of the poor, the widow, the orphan, etc. God will take care of us. 

Application:

The poor, the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, the homeless, etc. are always the ones God wants us to take care of. Jesus said, “When you did it to the least of theses, you did it to me.” How we treat the poor and broken is how we are treating Jesus. We want to treat Him well. Therefore, we must be about the business of taking care of those in need without judgment.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to see justice as You see justice. Help me to walk with You closely enough that I can sense what You are feeling. I want to make You happy and bring joy to You. Help me to see the hurting like You see them. Help me to walk in justice and never have imbalanced scales. Teach me to live like You desire Your children to live.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Not My Strength… GOD’S

 Scripture:

“So the angel explained that it was the following message of the Lord to Zerubbabel: I am the Lord All-Powerful. So don't depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit. Zerubbabel, that mountain in front of you will be leveled to the ground. Then you will bring out the temple's most important stone and shout, “God has been very kind.””  ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

Zechariah makes this powerful statement of the Lord to Zerubbabel. I have never read this in the CEV. He says, “Don’t depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit. Zerubbabel, that mountain in front of you will be leveled to the ground.” God first reminds him, “I am the Lord All-Powerful.” Then He tells him, not to depend on his own strength, but on God’s. 

Application:

Sometimes we get over confident and think we can defeat enemies with our own power and strength. Our hope is never in ourselves, it is in God. I need to be reminded once in a while that God has my back and will defeat those who are against me. I must never look to what my resources are because God has unlimited resources. What I can’t do with my power and strength, is nothing for the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk at a new level of trust with You. You have always taken good care of those who are Your own. Teach me this year to work WITH You more and FOR You. Help me to not waste my strength on things You are going to do supernaturally. Let me live at a greater level of trust than I have ever known before.

Your Son,

Jeff

Sensitivity to the Spirit

 Scripture:

“Everyone, be silent! The Lord is present and moving about in his holy place.”  ‭Zechariah‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Zechariah was sensitive to the presence of the Lord. While he was prophesying, he told everyone to be silent because the Lord was present and moving about in his holy place. His spiritual alert system said, “God is moving in the house.” And he went with the flow. 

Application:

I want to walk in that level of sensitivity to the presence of the Lord. I have said this year that I no longer want to do ministry FOR God, but WITH God. I want to know His presence. When His presence comes into a gathering, I want to work with Him. When He is moving in a certain way, I want to go with the flow. I long to see God move and want to make room for that instead of controlling services with my plans.

Prayer:

Father, make me more sensitive to Your presence and Your voice. I long to see You move without hindrance. I long to see Your glory fill the room. I want to be led by Your Spirit and not my plans. Help me to learn how to flow with You at new levels. I want to walk hand in hand with You and touch lives together. I want to do ministry WITH You, not just FOR You.

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

God First, All Else Second

 Scripture:

“that the Lord All-Powerful had said to them and to the people: You say this isn't the right time to build a temple for me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses, while my temple is a pile of ruins? Just look at what's happening.”  ‭‭Haggai‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks through Haggai here and tells His people that they have built for themselves nice, big, houses, but haven’t thought about building a place for Him. He explains that this is why their money is not blessed and their land is not blessed. In other words, when we take care of God’s house first, everything else is blessed and there will be more than enough.

Application:

Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” As a believer, God doesn’t want to be an afterthought. He wants to be the center of our lives. He wants to be the one who leads us. He wants our lives to center around Him first and foremost, then we can live in His blessing. When we take care of God’s priorities, He will take care of us. God is looking for people who think about His will and kingdom first and foremost.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of honor and praise. Help me to build Your house before I build mine. Teach me to keep my priorities in proper alignment. I want to extend Your Kingdom. Help me to do that, and then bless my house and take care of my family. I put You first. Be glorified in my life. Help me to do Your will. Make me sensitive to Your voice and let me see what You want to do in al situations. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Make God Celebrate

 Scripture:

“The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.””  ‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Zephaniah is speaking destruction of the whole world because of their idolatry and disobedience to God Almighty. He then sees a turning of nations back to God. Once that happens, they are promised that the Lord wins victory after victory and He is always with you. He celebrates and sings over you with His love. God’s anger and wrath is real, but as soon as His people repent, He sings over them with love. He longs to be with a people who are completely His.

Application:

God rejoices over those who serve Him faithfully. He sings and celebrates those who follow Him with their whole heart. His covenant is for those who will serve Him. When nations in the OT didn’t follow Him, He would bring destruction, but as soon as they would turn to Him, they would see blessing. I want to be on the side of God’s blessing, not His judgment. I want to walk in obedience and blessings all the days of my life.

Prayer:

Father, let my life be completely wrapped up in following You. Let me live a life of obedience to the Lord Almighty. I want to see Your goodness and blessing overtake my life. I want to see victory after victory day after day. I want to make Your heart happy. As I walk with You, heal Cheryl and Mom today of Covid and let us see the day of Your goodness.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faith and Patience

 Scripture:

“At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting— it will happen!”  ‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God says here that we can trust His word. If He says something will come to pass. It will come to pass. If he promises something, you can depend on it. The problem is usually a problem of timing. His timing is not our timing. One day with the Lord is like a thousand years. Therefore, we seldom understand His timing. 

Application:

When God speaks… It will happen! Our job is to wait until it does. What God speaks in our lives, in His word, or through someone else, will come to pass if it was from Him and if we do our part. We just have to wait longer than we want sometimes to get on His timing and off of ours. Patience is one of the godliest traits a person can have. Patience with the plans and purposes of God for our lives can be frustrating, but when we leave it to God, He is incredible at bringing everything to pass as He said He would.

Prayer:

Father, give me faith to hear Your word and act on it. Give me patience to wait for Your promises to be fulfilled. You always come through, just not always on my timetable. Help me to surrender, not only to Your will, but to Your timing in my life. I am Yours. Help me to remain in that place until You move.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

TRUST

 Scripture:

“The Lord is good. He protects those who trust him in times of trouble.”  ‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Nahum speaks a word of truth here in the midst of his railing against Nineveh. He reminds God’s people that the Lord is good and that He protects those who trust in Him in their times of trouble. God protects us when we run to Him. 

Application:

God always does His part of the covenants He makes with us. We have to do our job. We must trust Him in times of trouble, then He will protect us. If we don’t trust, He doesn’t have to protect. Trust means that we walk in quiet confidence, knowing God has our backs and we will come out victorious. God is good and trustworthy. The question is whether we will trust Him when we are in trouble.

Prayer:

Father God, You are trustworthy. You are faithful. You are good. Help me to trust You more. When my heart is overwhelmed, remind me to trust You. Teach me to walk in trust at all times and know You have everything taken care of. Teach me to trust You with my family, my church, and the world around me. 

Your Son,

Jeff

NO MORE!

 Scripture:

“He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

As John is finishing the book of Revelation and recording everything he has seen, He states that God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His people and there will be NO MORE death, suffering, crying, or pain.. He continues by saying, “These things of the past are gone forever.” When we enter the New Jerusalem, there will be NO MORE sin, sickness, disease, crying, suffering, or pain. They will be gone forever.

Application:

We have to endure things like they are here on a sin-affected earth for a season, but one day, if we serve the Lord well in our generation, we will live once again in a place where there is no crying, suffering, pain, war, famine, pestilence, etc. For God’s people, this world of suffering we are in now is not permanent. We must live eternity focused lives because, no matter how bad it gets here, one day it will all be NO MORE.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of all my praise and worship. You are incredible and have great things planned for Your people. I can’t wait until the NO MORE comes. I can’t wait till there’s NO MORE sickness, sin, pain, suffering, disease, etc. Thank You for giving us hope that this evil world is not our permanent dwelling place. Thank You for the blessed hope. I can’t wait to see that day!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The End of the Devil

 Scripture;

“Then the devil who fooled them will be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur. He will be there with the beast and the false prophet, and they will be in pain day and night forever and ever.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

This scripture tells us the final end of the devil, who has tormented this planet for thousands of years. Eventually, after the Millennial reign of Christ, he will be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur. He, and his buddies, will be in pain day and night forever.

Application:

When we are in heaven for eternity because we followed Christ, Satan will be in a burning hell forever.  He has deceived since Adan and Eve, and will continue as long as he can. His end is already known, so he is trying to do as much damage as he can for as long as he can before he faces the wrath of God. When it comes to eternity, we want to be on the right side. 

Prayer:

Father, I don’t understand why You don’t punish the devil sooner, rather than later, but I trust You and know You have a plan. You are incredible and in the end, You win!!! I want to be on the crew that casts the devil into the lake of fire. He has tormented and brought sickness and disease and every bad thing to this earth. It is good knowing in the end that we win and You are victorious. I look forward to seeing this play out.

Your Servant,

Jeff

Sweet Bitter Instead of Bitter Sweet

 Scripture:

“When I went over to ask the angel for the little scroll, the angel said, “Take the scroll and eat it! Your stomach will turn sour, but the taste in your mouth will be sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. The taste was sweet as honey, but my stomach turned sour.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭CEV

Observation:

There was a scroll in heaven and John was told to take it and eat it. He was told that this scroll would turn sour in his stomach, but it would be sweet in his mouth. He took it and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey, but turned his stomach sour. 

Application:

The Word of God is rich and sweet. I love reading it every day and doing these SOAPs. It also has an effect on you when you read it. Sometimes you’re going to read things you really don’t like and it will go sour. Sometimes, as we digest the Word, it changes us on the inside, creating internal sourness. Sometimes the Word of God will bring conviction that we are not all we thought we were and that we need to change. In any case, the Word of God is sweeter than honey, but can turn things sour in your belly as you live it out.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know Your word more and more. I want to hear Your voice and walk with You at a deep level. As I open Your word, speak to me and let it taste like honey. Let me also feel the conviction of the Spirit when I read Your word that challenges and changes me. I want to grow into Your likeness and image. Work in me every day and let me devour Your word.

Your Son,

Jeff

Heaven on Earth

 Scripture:

“After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands,”. ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

John saw this vision of worship in heaven. First I see the crowd cannot be counted. Second I see they were from every race, tribe, nation, and language. Third I see they wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. This description is a beautiful picture of the extent of God’s kingdom. When we get to heaven, there is no fashion comparisons, we all wear white robes. When we get to heaven, there is no segregation, everyone was gathered “together” around the throne.

Application:

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..” In heaven, countless people are worshiping. We must reach more people if earth is to reflect heaven. In heaven fashion goes out the window. We must not judge people by their clothing or look, but by their heart. In heaven, there is no segregation. We must never allow racism or comparing by ethnicity in our lives on earth. We must love our brothers and sisters deeply on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Help me to make earth look more like heaven. Empower my life to make a difference and to help bring change. I want earth to look more like heaven as You taught us to pray. Let my family, my church, my ministry, always extend Your kingdom and make earth look more like heaven.

Yours,

Jeff

The Price for the Nations

 Scripture:

“Then they sang a new song, “You are worthy to receive the scroll and open its seals, because you were killed. And with your own blood you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.”Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

This verse tells us the reason Jesus was found worthy to open the scroll and the seals was because He was killed and with His own blood He bought people from every tribe, languages, nation, and race. When Jesus paid with His own blood, it opened all the people of the world to follow God and be His children. Every nation is represented and every nation must be reached.

Application:

Jesus paid for our salvation with His own blood and His own death on a cruel cross. We can never take this lightly. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He paid for my soul with His own blood. That’s a high price to pay and I need to give Him all of me from a thankful heart. I owe Him my very life.

Prayer:

Jesus, You paid the ultimate sacrifice, and with Your own blood You purchased people from every tribe, language, nations and race. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for raising me. Thank You for giving all for me. You are incredible! I love You Lord. I give You my life this morning afresh. Use it for Your glory and the extension of Your Kingdom. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Our Claims May Not Always Be True

 Scripture:

“You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don't know how bad off you really are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

John writes here to the church of Laodicea and tells them that they claim to be rich and successful, and to have everything they need, but they don’t know they are really pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. There is a huge difference between what they thought, and what God thought about them. 

Application:

We must walk in reality and ask God to reveal Himself to us daily. I don’t want to see the Lord and have Him say to me, “You thought you were pretty good, but you were miserable.” I want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” I don’t want any surprises when I see Jesus face to face. I want to live a pure and open life that God can correct at any time.

Prayer:

Father, have Your way in my life. Show me where things are not right. Help me to walk in step with You at all times. Keep my feet on Your path. Show me how to respond in each and every situation. Let me live a life that pleases You. Walk with me. Talk with me. Show me Your heart. Open the treasures of Your wisdom and let me walk in it. 

Yours Always,

Jeff

All Nations Will Come Before Him

 Scripture:

“People of many nations will come and say, “Let's go up to the mountain of the Lord God of Jacob and worship in his temple.” The Lord will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him.”  ‭‭Micah‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

In this passage, Micah declares that in the last days, people of MANY nations will come and worship the Lord in His temple. It says the Lord will teach His law to them and they will obey Him. Here, Micah prophesies first that there would be a temple in the last days, which we see an emphasis on right now. We also see people from all nations coming to worship there, which has always been God’s heart. This will come to pass, I believe soon.

Application:

This is yet one more sign that we are living in the last days. As these things come together, we must realize that God is in control, even when it feels like the world is out of control. Certain things must happen for these prophesies to come to pass, but we can rest assured that we are in good hands. God always lifts HIs people out before He sends judgment on the earth.

Prayer:

Father, as a last days believer, help me to remain in You more and more as the say approaches. You are worthy of all I am and all I have belongs to You. Show me every day what to do. Show me who to speak to. Show me how to respond in each situation. You are worthy. Help me to fill heaven and earth with believers in You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Blessed for Obedience

 Scripture:

“Descendants of Jacob, is it right for you to claim that the Lord did what he did because he was angry? Doesn't he always bless those who do right?”  ‭‭Micah‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Micah was preaching death and destruction to Judah, who once walked with God and followed Him completely. He was telling them to turn around and follow the Lord once again, but they were not listening. He ended one section saying, “Doesn’t He always bless those who do right?”

Application:

When we do right, we can expect God’s blessing on our lives. It is seen throughout the Bible. When God’s people live the way He wants them to live, they are blessed by Him. Sometimes we see evil people prosper and do well in life. Sometimes good people never seem to get a break, but I will err on the side of being the one who does right and lives a God-honoring life.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You honor and praise. Let my life be one that does right at all times. I want to live a life You can bless and trust. Let Your goodness and favor rest on my life. Bless everything I do and let me represent You well in my generation. Teach me to walk in obedience all the days of my life. 

Yours Completely,

Jeff

Concern for the City

 Scripture:

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell right from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don't you think I should be concerned about that big city?” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jonah didn’t want to preach to Nineveh because they were the enemies of his people, but God had a heart for Nineveh. When Jonah complained to God because the city repented and He stopped His judgment, the Lord told him, “Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city?” Cities far from God are still on the heart of God and we must be willing to go to them.

Application:

God is concerned about cities and nations that have no witness for Christ. He is concerned about populations that have opposed Him for generations. God loves people! It is who He is. He loves to see people turn from their wicked ways and follow Him, whether they are Jew or Gentile. If God so loves the world, we too should so love the world. May God give us concern for the city He sends us to.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You more and more. Let me have Your concern for the cities You have sent me to. Let me feel what You feel for the people of this region and in all regions You open for me to go to. I want to represent You well. Let me have Your concern for populations that are far from You.

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

Praise and Worship

 Scripture:

“Offer praise to God our Savior because of our Lord Jesus Christ! Only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in his glorious presence. Before time began and now and forever, God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Amen.” ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jude closes out his letter by telling the people to offer praise to God because of Jesus. He continues by saying that only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in His glorious presence. He closes by saying that God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Jude was a worshipper.

Application:

Reading the verse above, it is clear that God is the one who makes us holy, cleanses us, lifts up our countenance, and is worthy of glory, honor, power, authority, and all praise! I want to live my life as a worshiper of YHWH. I want to be a lifelong worshiper, who keeps me from falling and presents me as pure in His presence. I want to give God the honor He deserves for all He has done in and for my life. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, teach me to live a life that pleases You. Let my heart be pure and my life bring You honor. Cleanse me from anything that would hinder Your work in my life. Show me the way of righteousness and reveal Yourself to me in deeper and deeper ways as I age. I want to know You more and more. You are the source of everything I need and You deserve my very best life.

Your Truly,

Jeff

Obedience and Love

 Scripture:

“Love means we do what God tells us. And from the beginning, he told you to love him.” ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

I love this use of speech. Love means we do what God tells us, God tells us to love Him from the beginning. It equates love and obedience. It also says, Love obeys and obedience is loving God. You cannot separate love and obedience when it comes to the Lord.

Application:

Our society has dramatically changed. Everyone wants to do what is right for them. Everyone wants their own truth. There is a general sense that obedience is bondage and we should only obey what we understand. God doesn’t operate that way. He doesn’t ask if we feel good about what He asks, He demands obedience, even when we don’t understand why or feel good about it. With God there is only one answer, “Yes Sir”. No other responses are worthy of what He has done for us. His command to us, “Love”. Love God and love others. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to love well and to walk in obedience every day of my life. Teach me to follow You well. Empower me to love and You love and to live as You live. I love You and want to serve You well in my generation. Teach me to hear Your voice and respond to Your call at all times. You are my everything. 

Yours,

Jeff

Overwhelming Harvest

 Scripture:

“You will have such a harvest that you won't be able to bring in all of your wheat before plowing time. You will have grapes left over from season to season; your fruitful vineyards will cover the mountains.”Amos‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Amos here and prophesies about Israel. He had been speaking about how He was going to destroy they for their disobedience, but here He says that, after He punishes them and brings them back, they will have such harvest that they will still be harvesting when the sowing needs to happen. He told them they would still have grapes left from season to season. It shows a time of great blessing.

Application:

God will discipline those He loves. He always has the intent of them being disciplined and coming back to Him so He can bless them. This passage speaks of the incredible harvests of those who serve the Lord faithfully. We can rest assured that God is able to bless His people in ways we can’t even imagine. He has the ability to do what we could never do.

Prayer:

Father, teach me Your ways and let me understand You more and more. Teach me to sit at Your feet and learn of You. Help me to follow hard after You. Bless my life as I obey You. Let me see the day of your overflowing blessing. I ask You to bless my family, bless my church, and bless my region. Let me see financial breakthrough in my life. Release me from all debt.

Your Son,

Jeff

Creator and Sustainer of the Universe

 Scripture:

“But the Lord created the stars and put them in place. He turns darkness to dawn and daylight to darkness; he scoops up the ocean and empties it on the earth.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Amos declares that God created the stars and put them in place. He goes on to say that the Lord turns darkness to dawn and daylight to dark. He even scoops up the ocean and empties it on the earth. In other words, God is the creator and sustainer of everything in the universe. 

Application:

This verse should give us confidence that there is nothing impossible for our God. He is all-powerful. He is the creator of the universe, therefore, He can take care of my little needs when I am in covenantal  relationship with Him. We must live our lives by faith, knowing that God can take care of everything we come against. 

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of all my praise. You are incredible and I love You more each day. Heal my body today from all sickness and help me to walk with You as friend with friend. I long for Your presence. I long for You touch in and upon my life. I want to work as one with You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Ordinary People Become Prophets

 Scripture:

“Everyone is terrified when a lion roars— and ordinary people become prophets when the Lord God speaks.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭CEV

Observation

Amos says here that ordinary people become prophets when the Lord God speaks. In other words, when God has something to say, He will use anyone and everyone who will declare what He is saying. He doesn’t look for titles or positions. When God has a message to send to His people, He will speak through any available messenger.

Application:

I want to live in a place of readiness for whatever the Lord says to do. God doesn’t only use apostles and prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. He uses whoever will speak on His behalf and accurately represent Him. Our job is to live in a place of readiness to hear what He is speaking and be willing to convey what He is saying.

Prayer:

Father, Here am I. I open my life to You for Your purposes. Once again, here I am. I lay my life and future in Your hands. Use my voice to speak Your words. Use my hands to touch people in need. Use my feet to go where You want me to go. Use my ears to listen to the voice of the broken. Use my life for Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Praying God’s Will

 Scripture:

“We are certain God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

John says here that we can be certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases Him. Put another way, maybe sometimes our prayers don’t get answered because we are asking for something that is our will instead of God’s will and what he wants. 

Application:

The ultimate goal of prayer should be communion with God, not getting our prayer needs met. Intimacy with God allows us the hear His heart and pray for what He wants us to pray. When our prayers are mostly about us and what we think God needs to do for us, we are missing the mark. God wants us to know Him, not just as a Santa Clause, where we put in our list of what we want, but where we pray for what God desires.

Prayer:

Father, help me to pray in a way that honors You. I want to pray effectively. I want to know You and Your heart on every matter. I want to pray according to Your will, but I need to know Your will in order to do that. Teach me to hear Your voice and spend more time with You. I want to know Your heart.

Yours Truly,

Jeff

Never Too Late

 Scripture:

“The Lord said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating.”  ‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here through Joel and tells His people, who were far from Him, “It isn’t too late. You can still return to me with all your heart.” God saw His people and knew the remedy for their problems, He just needed them to start crying and mourning and fasting, and return to Him with all their heart. 

Application:

I think of America, a country that once served the Lord and honored Him to the best of their ability. I can hear the words of the prophet coming through to this country, “It’s not too late! You can still return to me with all your heart.” With God, it’s never too late. Right up to the point of judgment He leaves the door open for repentance and turns back to Him. If we don’t respond, judgment will come. If we respond and humble ourselves, we can avert the coming disaster. It’s never too late with God! 

Prayer:

Father, I know there is a point when You give a people over to themselves and judge them. Right up until that time, You have always sought for a way to avoid judgment. I realize, I don’t represent all of America, but I run to You with all my heart and I ask You to let more and more Americans cry out to You. Let more and more Americans turn their lives to Christ. Pour out Your Spirit on this nation before judgment starts. Let us see one more great awakening.

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Invitation

 Scripture:

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness.”  ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Peter tells us here that God has already given us everything we need to live a life that pleases God. That leaves us without excuse. He goes on to say that God gave it to us by His own power when He invited us to share in His wonderful goodness. We have been invited to share in God’s goodness. What a powerful thought.

Application:

This verse leaves me excuseless. God has given me everything I need to live how He wants me to live. I need to accept His invitation and share in His goodness. If I have been invited somewhere, I just need to RSVP and let them know I’m coming. I need to let God know I want to share in His wonderful goodness. Only God can do this. We can’t do it on our own. As for me, I’m accepting the invitation.

Prayer:

Father, I accept Your invitation, paid by the blood of Your Son. I want to live a life that glorifies Your name and that You can work through. I want to live a life that pleases You and You have already given me what it takes to do that. Thank You for preparing the way for us, now help me to stay on the path and work more intimately with You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Walking WITH the Lord

 Scripture:

“If you are wise, you will know and understand what I mean. I am the Lord, and I lead you along the right path. If you obey me, we will walk together, but if you are wicked, you will stumble.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Hosea has described the anger of the Lord for His people because they have run after other gods and ton remained in Him. At the end of the book, God says if they know and understand what God means, then God will lead them along the right path. He goes on to say that if they obey Him, they would walk together with Him, but if they are wicked, they will stumble.

Application:

No matter what, I want God walking with me. I want Him on my side. I don’t want to do life on my own. I want God to walk with me into every situation I face. I want the Lord on my side, not matter what is going on. I want to walk and work WITH God, not FOR God. I want to walk as ONE with Him. My job in this is simply to obey Him and do what He asks. 

Prayer:

Lord, You are the only one worthy of my worship and my praise. You are incredible and there is none like You. I long to walk and to work with You and not only for You. Let my heart walk in obedience at all times. Speak clearly to me Father and I will obey. Show me the way forward and I will respond. I am Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Lord God All-Powerful

 Scripture:

“God's name is the Lord, the Lord God All-Powerful.”  ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

This simple scripture I so powerful. Hosea is speaking on the Lord’s behalf to the people of Israel and trying to pull them back to God and away from their sin and idolatry. God speaks through him this simple phrase, “God’s name is the Lord, the Lord God All-Powerful.” Those words say it all.

Application:

If we also serve The Lord God All-Powerful, then we are in good hands and hands that we can trust. He is able to do far more than we can ask think or imagine. I need to live my life like I serve the Lord God All-Powerful and like He has my back There is nothing too difficult for Him. He is able to change everything in our lives in a moment if we simply trust Him. I want to live a life of faith, believing the Lord God All-Powerful is on my side.

Prayer:

Lord God All-Powerful, You are incredible and all-powerful. Help me to live every day like that is true. Eliminate debt from my life. Help me to live an overcoming life. Teach me to walk in faith and not by sight. Enable me to accomplish everything You put me here to do. Show me the way forward and I will follow. Heal my shoulder and heal Cheryl of all infection today. You are the Lord God All-Powerful and I love You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Return to God and Get Rid of Pride

 Scripture:

“I am the Lord, their God, but in all of their troubles their pride keeps them from returning to me.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here through His prophet Hosea. He tells Israel that He is their God, but even though they are going through troubles, their pride keeps them from returning to Him. Pride stops people from coming to God for help and turning from their own ways to the ways of God.

Application:

God always resists pride and always responds to humility. When we mess up and do what we want to do, we must be willing to humble ourselves and repent and turn from our ways and submit to God’s ways and God’s plan for our lives. We must never think we can do what we want to do and ignore God’s ways and God’s word. He hates our pride and responds to our humility with grace.

Prayer:

Lord, You are worthy of all I have and all I am. You are my Lord and my God. Help me to walk humbly before You all the days of my life. Teach me to honor You in every way. You are the only wise God and I want to follow Your ways. Turn me from leaning on my own wisdom. Forgive me for not seeking You more. I need You in my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Return to God, He Will Bandage Our Wounds

 Scripture:

“Let's return to the Lord. He has torn us to shreds, but he will bandage our wounds and make us well.”‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Hosea cries out to the people, “Let’s return to the Lord.” He knew that things were not well and that God was not pleased. Therefore, he told the people to return to the Lord. He went on to say that the Lord had torn them to shreds, but if they returned, God would bandage their wounds and make them well. He understood that God was their hope.

Application:

When we sense God’s displeasure with our lives, we must run to Him, not away from Him. When we have messed up, we don’t hide from God, but run to Him because He is super faithful and will always received those who come to Him, even after they have messed up. Even when we are the problem, God will bandage our wounds and make us well. God heals, even self-inflicted wounds.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to never run away from You, but to run to You whenever I mess things up. Teach me to humbly submit myself to You, knowing You are the healer who can and will make all things new.Thank You for Your faithfulness to Your people and Your faithfulness to me. You are incredible. Help me to be more like You each day.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Trouble Valley Becomes Hopeful Valley

 Scripture:

“I will return your vineyards, and then Trouble Valley will become Hopeful Valley. You will say “Yes” to me as you did in your youth, when leaving Egypt.”  ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Reading different translations, one can see different interpretations of words. Usually, in this passage, it says the valley of Achor will become hopeful. I never realized Achor meant trouble. In other words, the valley of your trouble can become the valley of your hope. God can turn any situation around and bring hope into troubled valleys.

Application:

There are times when trouble comes. There are good times and bad times, we must remain faithful in the good and in the bad. Our walk with Him can never be based on how good He is taking care of us at the present time. If we remain faithful to the Lord, we can know in our hearts that troubled valleys will turn into hopeful valleys if we just remain faithful. God still turns things around for those who follow Him wholeheartedly.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Teach me to have faith in the midst of trouble valley and to know that hopeful valley is coming. Help me to remain positive and trust You when it feels like things are not going the way I think they should. When trouble comes, let me have confidence in You and Your ways that hope is also coming.

Your Son,

Jeff

Use Your Gifts Well

Scripture:

 “Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well.”   ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Peter tells us here that each of us has been blessed with one of God’s gifts and that we should use them in serving others. He adds, “use your gift well.” God wants us, not only to use our gifts, but to use them well for His purposes. 

Application:

We should never serve God half-heartedly. He is worthy of our very best. When we serve Him and others, we must do it with all our hearts. We should strive to enhance the gifts God has given us and grow them as well so that when He returns He can see all that we have done with the gifts He gave us.

Prayer:

Lord God, You have blessed me with gifts. Help me to use them well and with a right heart. Let my life be used for Your glory and honor. Let me bring Your praise with how I serve You and others. Help me to serve well and use the gifts You have given me well. I one to extend Your kingdom more and more with my life. Open the right doors, close the wrong doors, and let my life count for You.

Yours,

Jeff

Obedience

 Scripture:

“The Lord watches over everyone who obeys him, and he listens to their prayers. But he opposes everyone who does evil.””  ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Peter says here that the Lord watches over those who obey Him and He listens to their prayers. He stands in direct opposition to those who do evil. In other words, if you want God to take care of you and hear your prayers, they must be coupled with obedience to Him. 

Application:

We must be focused on obedience to God at all times. We must read His word and listed for His voice. We must then obey what we hear. That is the simplicity of serving God. When we live for ourselves we will end up in evil and God opposes evil in every way. Therefore, we must seek the Lord and do what He says, plain and simple. There is nothing like living in obedience to the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, you are worthy of my obedience and my life. You are awesome and there is none like You. Help me to walk in obedience to Your written word as well as Your spoken word. Let me hear Your voice clearly and walk accordingly. Help me to fulfill everything You desire in my life. I am here for Your purposes and not my own. I live for You. Be the center of everything in my life. I am Yours.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Shining in the Last Days

 Scripture:

“Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine forever like the stars.”  ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Daniel here about the end of days. He tells him about the difficult times that will come in the last days, then tells him, “Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led other to please God will shine forever like the stars.” Apparently, in these last days, those who are wise and leading others to God will shine in the darkness.

Application:

We should always seek God for wisdom and guidance. We cannot live without Him and His wisdom and empowerment. There is no doubt we are living in the last days, or at least at the beginning of sorrows. Now is the time when God’s people are going to shine. We must give ourselves to wisdom and help others follow Christ, then we will shine in this dark generation.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible and I love You so much. Teach me to walk with You and not lose step. Help me to keep my eyes on You at all times and to pursue what You want over what I want. Lead me, guide me, protect my family, and help me to lead Your people closer to You. Let my life be lived to bring You glory and honor. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Be Brave and Strong

 Scripture:

“The angel touched me a second time and said, “Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong.” At this, I regained my strength and replied, “Please speak! You have already made me feel much better.””  ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭10‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Daniel had some awesome visions and interactions with God and his angels. He saw things that were thousands of years in the future and God revealed to him the things that would happen at the end of time. When the angel interacted with him, he said, “Don’t be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong.” Even though he was a powerful man of God, the angel told him not to fear because God things highly of him.

Application:

We know God thinks highly of us and has blessed us with His grace and mercy, but we usually struggle to receive His love and walk in it. As the angel told Daniel to be brave and strong, we can be brave and strong because the same God that spoke to Daniel, still speaks to us. I want to seek God more and walk in His awesome revelations. I long to encounter the Lord as Daniel and Ezekiel did.

Prayer:

Father, I offer You my life. Speak to me. Show me things to come. Let me understand the times and seasons I am living in. Show me the future and how to prepare Your people for it. Teach me Your word and reveal truth to me daily. Let me walk in step with Your Spirit and help me to live life well as Your child.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

When God Shows Himself to the World

 Scripture:

“He rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles. Daniel's God has rescued him from the power of the lions.”” ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

King Darius was tricked into making Daniel spend the night in a den of lions by some jealous advisors. He didn’t want to do it, but they used his own decree against him. When he went to the lion’s den the next morning, he found Daniel untouched by the lions and told his people what the Lord had done for Daniel. He also told them they were to worship Him as God.

Application:

God can show Himself strong to kings and rulers, no matter how bad we think they are. He can demonstrate His power and cause them to turn if He wants to. The ungodly king here was describing Daniel’s God by saying, “He rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles. Daniel’s God has rescued him from the power of the lions.” May God work so strongly in our lives that the world around us sees His goodness and decides to serve Him.

Prayer:

Father, live big in and through my life. Teach me to walk with You at higher and higher levels. I want to know You and to see Your power demonstrated in such a way that it cannot be denied by rulers, authorities, or anyone else. Show Yourself to the leadership of my country.

Your Son,

Jeff

Gifts of the Spirit at Governmental Levels

 Scripture:

“The king said, “Now I know that your God is above all other gods and kings, because he gave you the power to explain this mystery.””  ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭47‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Daniel was first and foremost a man of God. He was also exiled to Babylon and serving their king as a wise man. He was elevated because of the favor of God on his life to a place where he could prophesy to the king and explain the king’s dreams to him. God had him in the right place at the right time for the king to see God’s incredible power and wisdom.

Application:

Sometimes we feel like the gifts of the Spirit are only for church settings, but here is a beautiful passage where God gave Daniel the dream and the interpretation for the king to save lives. God used a person to speak to a king on matters only the king would know about. God speaks to kings and he speaks through people. I need to avail myself more and more to the Lord to be used in the gifts outside of the church walls and where people need to know that God is real.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I offer myself to You for Your purposes. Speak to our government officials and leaders. Let Spirit-filled people have answers nobody else has to demonstrate Your glory to our governmental leaders. Use me to operate in Your gifts in church and outside church to extend Your kingdom farther and farther. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Endurance by Testing our Faith

 Scripture:

“You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.”  ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

James says here that we need to learn to endure by having our faith tested. When our faith isn’t tested, we are not learning to endure. He completes his thought by saying we become completely mature by learning to endure everything. 

Application:

Enduring something implies that the something you are enduring is not fun or easy. Endurance is going through things that last too long. In this case, it is having our faith tested over the long time and in difficult situations. Sometimes we teach faith like the way out of suffering, sometimes faith is the way THROUGH suffering. You can’t learn endurance without becoming like Christ, who endured the cross for our sakes.

Prayer:

Father, let me have a good perspective of endurance. Help me to live life well and be faithful in good times and in bad times. Teach me to walk the faith walk with endurance and therefore become more mature every day. Strengthen my faith when endurance is needed.

Your Forever,

Jeff

The Blessings of Obedience

 Scripture:

“Only priests who are descendants of Zadok will receive a share of this sacred land, because they remained faithful to me when the Levites and the rest of the Israelites started sinning.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭48‬:‭11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is showing His people which parcels of land each tribe would get as they came back into Israel. This one verse speaks of the descendants of Zadok receiving a share of sacred land “because they remained faithful to me when the Levites and the rest of the Israelites started sinning.” They were blessed above all else because they didn’t start sinning when everyone else did. They remained faithful to the Lord and the Lord blessed them for it. 

Application:

I want obedience to God to he the hallmark of my life. I want to please the Lord by doing what He tells me to do. I want to walk in His blessing because I chose to obey when others were falling away. I thoroughly believe that obedience brings blessing and I want to demonstrate it with my life. I desire to live a life that God can trust and God can bless.

Prayer:

Father, help me to serve You well in my generation. Help me to live like Zadok and his descendants. Empower me to live a life that bring You honor and that obeys You at all levels. Teach me to walk with You and to spread Your goodness around the world. Show me everyday how to live and empower me to follow You well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Don’t Leave the Same Way You Came

 Scripture:

“When my people come to worship me during any festival, they must always leave by the opposite gate from which they came: Those who come in the north gate must leave by the south gate, and those who come in the south gate must leave by the north gate.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭46‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel was given a unique command from the Lord concerning worship at His temple. He said that during any festival, the people who come to worship must come in to worship, must leave on the opposite side. If they came in the north gate, they need to leave the South Gate, etc. it doesn’t give us any further clarity on this or any purpose we can see.

Application:

There are some practical reasons, like traffic flow, that this may be about. It could be so that people have to go through the entirety of the space in order to leave the opposite side of the temple. In the church world when I was young, we always heard, “you won’t leave here like you came in Jesus name.” I was reminded of that when I read this today. It could be a spiritual reminder that after meeting with God, you can’t go back the same direction you were going before. Paul said, “letting go of what is behind and pressing on to what is ahead in the upward call of Christ Jesus.” Maybe we should leave church in a different direction than when we came.

Prayer:

Father, let every encounter with you leave me changed, transformed, and going a new direction. Help me to never walk out of Your presence the same way I went in, but to move from glory to glory and from faith to faith. Teach me  how to forget the former things and walk into the new things You have for me daily.

Your Son,

Jeff

Bowing - The Only Response to God’s Glory

 Scripture:

“Then the man took me through the north gate to the front of the temple. I saw that the brightness of the Lord's glory had filled the temple, and I immediately bowed with my face to the ground.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭44‬:‭4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel, in this passage, was taken to the temple of the Lord, and he saw the brightness of the Lord’s glory had filled the temple. His response to the Lord’s glory was to immediately bow to the ground in worship. He was in awe of the presence of God and his actions showed it.

Application:

When we truly encounter the strong presence of the Lord, there is only one action that comes to mind, we must bow before the Lord God Almighty. He is awesome, and His glory demands our respect, honor, and submission. When we get a glimpse of the awesomeness of God’s glory, worship will always follow. Humility and bowing is the only response to God. Pride has no place when God’s glory is revealed.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty. Help me to honor You with my life. Let me never take Your presence and Your touch for granted. Thank You for walking with me. Help me to walk humbly before You all the days of my life and let me live in Your presence forever. I long to see Your glory. I long for Your presence in my life. Teach me to walk worthy and pour out Your Spirit in my life. 

I’m Yours,

Jeff

The Lord Watches Over His Temple

 Scripture:

“a wooden altar. It was one and a half meters high and one meter square, and its corners, its base, and its sides were made of wood. The man said, “This is a reminder that the Lord is constantly watching over his temple.””  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭41‬:‭22‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel saw this temple and was told to measure it. He recorded the measurements precisely and described the temple thoroughly. At the end his vision he described an altar just outside the holy place and said of it, “This is a reminder that the Lord is constantly watching over his temple.” The altar was put there to remind people that God was watching over them in that place. 

Application:

In the New Testament, we are the temple and this verse reminds us that as God’s temple, He is always watching over us. He never sleeps nor slumbers. God is always watching over His children. We can have confidence that God is always watching, protecting, guiding, leading, He is always trustworthy and we can rely on Him. This text is the reminder that God watches over his temple and He watches over His people.

Prayer:

Father God, my protector. My rock. My deliverer. You are my everything. Help me to trust that You are watching over my life at all times. Thank You for all You have done for me through the years. Thank You for always watching over me and keeping me safe. Thanks for healing me over and over. You are amazing and I love You Father.

Your Son,

Jeff

When God Blesses Us in Spite of Us

 Scripture:

“so tell the Israelites that I am saying: You have disgraced my holy name among the nations where you now live. So you don't deserve what I'm going to do for you. I will lead you home to bring honor to my name and to show foreign nations that I am holy. Then they will know that I am the Lord God. I have spoken.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Israel and Judah at this time were in exile and under God’s punishment for not honoring Him and worshiping other gods. He tells them that they have disgraced His name and they don’t deserve grace and mercy, but that in restoring them, the foreign nations would see that He is holy and they will know He is the Lord God. God was going to use Israel to demonstrate His goodness to the foreign nations around them so they could see His goodness.

Application:

God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is higher and sees things differently. Sometimes we think we deserve God’s blessing and that’s why He blesses us. He may bless us in spite of us, so that unbelievers will see His goodness. Sometimes His blessing has nothing to do with us or our goodness, but so that others may believe.

Prayer:

God, I don’t want to be blessed in spite of my weaknesses. I want to be blessed because I serve You with my whole heart. I don’t want You to prosper me in my wrong doing, but because I lived life Your way. Help me to follow You closely and to walk in Your ways. I do long for Your blessing, but for the right reasons.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Purpose of Punishment

 Scripture:

“When I'm through punishing Egypt, you will know that I am the Lord.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭30‬:‭19‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The more I read the Old Testament, the more I realize that, no matter what God does, blessing or cursing a nation or a people, it is always so that, “you will know that I am the Lord.” God wants to be honored as king of all kings. He wants to be acknowledged as the king of the universe and the most powerful God. He desires a people who will worship Him.

Application:

I am seeing more and more that God desires a people who will fear Him, obey Him, and worship Him. When that happens, He will bless them incredibly so that those around them can see that He is the Lord. When we make our lives about Him, we will walk in His blessing and favor. When we fear Him, obey Him, and worship Him, we don’t have to fear others or fear the future. We can live the abundant life.

Prayer:

Father, You are awesome, holy, righteous, and mighty. You are majestic and powerful! You are my everything and I want my life to honor You, worship You, and fear You. Help me to live in such a way that love for God and fear of God work together to make my life sold out to You. I want to be completely Yours. Take my life as an offering and let it be used for Your glory.

Yours,

Jeff

Even in Weakness, He Will Make You Strong

 Scripture:

“Ezekiel, when Egypt is defeated, I will make the people of Israel strong, and I will give you the power to speak to them. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have done these things.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭29‬:‭21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Most of the book of Ezekiel is God talking about destroying Israel because of their disobedience. He also judges the surrounding nations, but says He will use the other  nations to bring judgment on Jerusalem. In the midst of all of the judgment speech, here is god saying, “I will make the people of Israel strong, and I will give you the power to speak to them.” 

Application:

Even when we feel far from God and that He isn’t happy with us, you can count on the fact that if you will humble yourself before Him and repent, He will turn things around for your good. You may go through some difficult times, but God will bring you out every time if you remain faithful to Him. Even Ezekiel, who prophesied all the destruction, is told that he will be given the power to speak again after being shunned and hated by the people for his bold prophecies.

Prayer:

Father, Your heart is always to bless Your people. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for moving me and caring for me so much. Thank You for turning every bad situation around for something good as I continue to follow You. Help me to hear Your clearly and walk up rightly. Teach me to hide your words in my heart. Teach me to follow You completely and to fulfill Your purposes. 

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

When Obedience Hurts

 Scripture:

““Ezekiel, son of man, I will suddenly take the life of the person you love most. But I don't want you to complain or cry. Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God asked some extremely difficult things of Ezekiel. His sermon illustration were real life illustrations, using his own life. In this instance, God killed Ezekiel’s wife and told him not to cry or mourn because it was an illustration of what was coming and how Israel was to handle the loss. God asked Ezekiel an incredibly hard thing, and then told him not to mourn about it., but to use it as a message to Israel.

Application:

Sometimes in life, God will ask difficult things of us. Sometimes He will ask us to do things that make no sense to us, are dangerous, or very difficult. The bottom line is, sometimes obedience hurts. Sometimes we have to go through some things that are not easy. We can’t run from God during those seasons, but run to Him because on the other end of obedience is always blessing. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to always say yes to You. Help me to walk in obedience, even when obedience hurts and makes no sense. Teach me to suffer with Christ as well as reign with Him. Teach me like Paul to be content in all things because my contentment is not found in my surroundings but in Christ. You are my all in all.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Message of Jeremiah

 Scripture:

“You will be humiliated in the eyes of other nations. Then you will know that I, the Lord God, have done these things.”  Ezekiel‬ ‭22‬:‭16‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

As I read through Jeremiah once again, it jumps out to me that God continually speaks through the prophet  explaining how He was going to destroy His people so that they would realize what they were doing and turn to Him. God took credit for some terrible things. He said He would humiliate His people because of their sins, then people who know He had done these things. 

Application;

Sometimes God uses nations as examples of walking with Him. God raises up and tears down nations and leaders. He is always working in and through nations. He blesses nations that honor Him and He allows trouble for the nations that won’t honor Him. The message of Jeremiah, and the message to us is, turn back to God and He will hear you and restore You, but you must repent and turn to Him with all your heart.

Prayer:

Father, turn the United States around. Work in this nation Lord. We have repented for years and humbled ourselves as Your body. The nation continues to go astray farther and farther, yet there is a righteous remnant. Work through Your remnant to bring revival and awakening back to this country. Turn the hearts of this nation back to You Lord.

Yours,

Jeff

God Desires to Bless, but We Must Obey

 Scripture:

“When I bring you home from the places where you are now scattered, I will be pleased with you, just as I am pleased with the smell of the smoke from your sacrifices. Every nation on earth will see that I am holy,” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭20‬:‭41‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God does this through his prophets in the Old Testament. He will declare the terrible punishment that is coming and how displeased He is with His people. He will tell them they are going to be conquered, but then He always turns it around and says, “I will be pleased with you…Every nation on earth will see that I am holy.” His heart is always to bless, but He needs His people to walk in obedience so He can bless them.

Application:

God’s desire is to bless His children, but He needs them to walk in obedience so He can do that. When we walk in obedience, He blesses our lives. When we walk in disobedience, there will always be struggles. God desires to show the nations His blessings, but He needs us to walk in obedience to His word. Like a true father, He doesn’t enjoy disciplining His children, but will do it so we will grow and turn to Him with all our hearts later.

Prayer:

Father, help me to respond to You every time You speak to me. I want to know Your word and Your heart better and better as I age. I long to know You more and more. Teach me to walk with You in the secret place. Help me to live a life that pleases You in every way. I want to walk in Your blessings, not your discipline. 

Your Son,

Jeff

No Idols

 Scripture:

“Now, Ezekiel, tell everyone in Israel: I am the Lord God. Stop worshiping those idols I hate so much and come back to me.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here to Ezekiel about the condition of the people of Israel. He declares over and over before and after this passage how unfaithful Israel had been and how punishment was coming to them. In this particular passage God tells them to stop worshiping those idols He hates so much and come back to Him. In other words, you can’t serve God and idols.

Application:

God despises idolatry. He hates when His people worship, lift up, or follow, other gods, possessions, or anything else. He wants His people to live their lives dependent on Him and Him alone. In our lives today, we tend to look to ourselves, our money, our achievements, etc. and they become idols because we listen to them, seek for them, and pursue them rather than seeking and pursuing God Almighty. We need to purse God a love every other thing.

Prayer:

Lord, I don’t want to live with any idols in my life. I don’t want anything to be a close second to my relationship with You. Show me areas that I allow things into my life that You don’t want. Help me to hear Your voice clearly and respond when You speak. I am Yours and Yours alone. Let my life reflect Your glory and let it bring others to You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Don’t Misrepresent the Lord

 Scripture:

“Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the prophets of Israel who say they speak in my name, but who preach messages that come from their own imagination. Tell them it's time to hear my message.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Ezekiel and tells him to condemn the prophets of Israel who preach messages from their own imagination. Ezekiel was sent to call out the false prophets who were speaking on God’s behalf but misrepresenting Him. God doesn’t like it when people say they are speaking for Him, but speaking what they want instead of what He wants. 

Application:

We, as ministers, need to be cautious when delivering the Word of the Lord. We need to make sure we are speaking out of the will of God and not out of our own flesh. We must seek the Lord and speak what He desires instead of what we think will bring people in the door. I need to be willing to lose people in order to speak what God wants spoken.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let my life bring You honor and praise. Help me to hear Your voice and convey Your message. Teach me to listen before I speak and to communicate what You want, how You want. Teach me to be effective at communicating Your message to Your people. You are the best and I want to represent You well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Four Faces We Need

 Scripture:

“Each of the winged creatures had four faces: the face of a bull, the face of a human, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The winged creatures in Ezekiel’s vision had the faces of a bull, a human, a lion, and an eagle. These faces reappear in the book of Revelation. History calls them the tetramorph. Ancient artists have painted these as well. Many scholars refer to the Gospels the same way; as the same from creatures. It is a beautiful way of looking at God.

Application:

As a follower of Christ, we are suppose to follow His example and live as He lived. We can summarize how He lived with these creatures. The bull is a humble worker, a servant. The human shows us Christ came to earth to relate to man. We should never be too proud to lower ourselves and serve others. The lion speaks of strength and confidence. We should be as courageous as a lion. The eagle is a majestic animal with incredible vision. We should be people who understand our position of royalty and have vision to lead God’s people.

Prayer:

Father, You are awesome and I love You so much. Help me to live a tetramorph type of life. Enable me to serve and lead with dignity and royalty. Help me to always walk in authority and have vision for God’s house. Teach me Your ways and help me to be more like You each day.

Your Son,

Jeff

Treat Others Well

 Scripture:

“Even your king and his officials will lose hope and cry in despair. Your hands will tremble with fear. I will punish you for your sins and treat you the same way you have treated others. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The past several chapters have been God speaking to Israel and Judah about the terrible destruction He has planned for them because of their disobedience to Him and His Word. In this passage, the Lord says that He will punish them for their sins and treat them the same way they have treated others. He say, “then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Application:

One of God’s ways of punishment is that He allows to happen to us what we have done to others. We say things like, “What comes around goes around”, or, “you reap what you sow.” Even in the New Testament, Jesus says things like “as you forgive others, I will forgive you.” How we treat others is really important to God and He will treat us like we treat those around us. When we treat others well, God will treat us well.

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of all honor, praise, dominion, power, might and strength. Take my life and use it for Your glory. Help me to love people well. Enable me to treat others as I want to be treated by You. Help me to love like You love. You are love and I want Your love to flow through me. Teach me to live a life that pleases You and brings honor to Your name.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Obedience to the Calling

 Scripture:

“Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel’s calling from the Lord was not very positive. He was called to speak to a country that was in rebellion and God was telling him that they probably wouldn’t listen to them, but at least they will know God sent a prophet to them. From the beginning he realized he wouldn’t have a big following.

Application:

God doesn’t always call us to “great” things in the world’s eyes. Sometimes our calling is to obey God, when He doesn’t have an agenda that we would be proud of. Sometimes God will call you to do little things instead of big things. We always equate obedience with big thing. Sometime obedience is doing the little things that God needs us to do. Maybe our obedience is better seen when He asks us to do things that will make us unpopular instead of popular.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in obedience when that feels good and when it doesn’t. Teach me to be faithful when its a big event and when it is one person. Help me to be faithful whether I am seeing the results I would like to see or not. I want to keep my eyes on obedience, without worrying about effectiveness as much.

Yours,

Jeff

Try to Live at Peace with Everyone

 Scripture:

“Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us here that we should try to live at peace with everyone and to live a clean life. Basically he is saying that we shouldn’t be trouble makers or live lives that cause people to distrust us. 

Application:

Living at peace with everyone is not an easy task. Some people are hard to live with and want to point out every problem around us. We are told not to focus on those things, but to live a clean, and pure life. In other words, we should live a life that people don’t have to question whether we are true servants of Jesus or not. We are to be a peaceful people, not argumentative or unruly.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be a peacemaker. Help me to live a quiet and peaceful life where I can point people to You. I need You more every day. As the world is more and more at odds with each other, help me to live from a place of peace and to walk in Your Spirit at all times. I want to serve You well and live how You want me to live in this difficult age.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Hope and Trust

 Scripture:

“We must hold tightly to the hope we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us here that we have to hold tightly to the hope we say we have because we can trust the one who made the agreement with us. We have hope in Christ, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

Application:

Our part of this is to hold tightly onto our hope. God’s part is to do what He promised He would do. We have an agreement sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ. He made the covenant, agreement, and He will be faithful to it. Our job is to hang on to hope, while He works the process. Our second job is to trust the one who made the agreement. Hope and trust work hand in hand. If I trust someone, I can put some hope in the future because I know they will do what they say. Our hope is not in flesh and blood, but in the righteous blood of Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of everything in my life. You laid down Your Son for me. You allowed Your Son to be pierced and shed His blood so I could have a better agreement or covenant. Thank You for loving me. Help me to trust You more every day. Help me to hold tightly onto my hope in Christ and His work. Help me to never fear or lack trust that You will do what You say You will do. Teach me to be a man of faith.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Word

 Scripture:

“God's word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

This verse says it all and doesn’t require much commentary. God’s word is alive and powerful! It can go places and do things that seem impossible, but that’s the power of one word from God. When God speaks…things happen. 

Application:

God’s word is powerful, but we must allow it to work in our lives. We must learn to walk in obedience to it and follow it as a guide for our lives. It is not just another book. It is filled with power to change lives. I need to appreciate the Word of God more in my life. 

Prayer:

Father, You sent us a love letter. Help me to read it, study it, chew on it, and digest it into my life. Help me to appreciate Your word more and more. Let my heart, mind, and soul be filled with Your word at all times. Let me be more controlled by Your word, than my own feeling, thoughts, or ideas.

Your Son,

Jeff

Bring us Back and Give us a Fresh Start

 Scripture:

“You will rule forever, Lord! You are King for all time. Why have you forgotten us for so long? Bring us back to you! Give us a fresh start.”  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah cries out here, after all the sorrow he had seen in his people under the judgment of God. He declares that the Lord rules forever and is King for all time. He asks why God has forgotten them and asks God to bring them back to Him and to give them a fresh start. This is all God needs and His desire for every nation.

Application:

As Jeremiah cried out to the Lord, we must cry out, “Bring us back to You! Give us a fresh start.” God rules and reigns in the heavens and on the earth. Nothing bypasses Him. His requirement of us is that we worship and honor Him by living as He desires and not as we desire. As a nation, we have turned away from God and declared that we don’t need Him. We must cry out as a nation, “Bring us back to You and give us a fresh start.” 

Prayer:

God, I ask You to draw the United States back to You and give us as fresh start. Cleanse this nations Father and let her rise again fro the ashes of walking away from You. Pull this nation back to You Lord. We know You are working and we ask You to accelerate the process. Let us see revival and awakening in the United States. Let us see a massive and quick turning to You so You can bless this nation once again.

Your Son,

Jeff

False and True Prophets

 Scripture:

“Your prophets deceived you with false visions and lying messages— they should have warned you to leave your sins and be saved from disaster.”  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Many of the Old Testament prophets were not accepted because they had strong messages telling Israel and Judah to turn away from their sins and repent. False prophets always were accepted because their message sounded and felt better. Here Jeremiah says that the false prophets deceived God’s people with false visions and lying messages when they should have been warning them to leave their sins and be saved.

Application:

False prophets were called out in the Old Testament for telling the people only what they wanted to hear instead of what God wanted them to say. We need to hear from God clearly before we communicate on His behalf. I don’t want to be a false prophet. I want to clearly communicate what God is saying to those under my care. I need to hone in on God’s voice, hear what He is saying, and communicate it accurately.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are high and lifted up. You are majestic and powerful. You are glorious and omnipotent. Your greatness can never be exceeded. Your love is unfathomable. Your faithfulness is unfailing forever and You are good! Help me to accurately speak on Your behalf. Help me not to sugarcoat what You are saying, but to declare clearly what You want to speak. I don’t want to tickle ears. I want to change the world.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faith and Love

 Scripture:

“Philemon, each time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God. I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all God's people.”  ‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Paul writes here concerning Philemon and his reputation. Paul remembers him well and thanks God for him. Paul apparently continued to hear of his faith and his love for all God’s people. Philemon had quite a reputation for serving God well in his generation. 

Application:

When people remember my life, I want them to remember my faith in God and love for God’s people. I want to live a life that honors God and blesses God’s people. I want to represent Him well in my generation. Loving God and loving people is the bottom line of the Gospel and the Kingdom. When we do that well, we are building God’s kingdom well.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring Your praise, glory, and honor. Help me to live well and represent You well. Teach me to love You and love people well. Show me each day what You have for me. Open doors that need opened and close doors that need closed in my life. I am Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Deals with Nations

 Scripture:

“An enemy will attack and destroy Babylon. It’s soldiers will be captured and their weapons broken, because I am a God who takes revenge against nations for what they do.”

Observation:

God speaks through. Jeremiah here concerning Babylon, who He used to destroy Judah. He says judgment is coming on Babylon for doing what He made them do. He says here that God takes revenge against nations for what they do. 

Application:

Today is just a revelation that God deals with nations for what they do, not just individuals. In the end, God will judge nations as sheep nations and goat nations. God punishes nations for what their leaders do concerning Him and His people. We always see God as our personal God, which He is, but He also deals with nations.

Prayer:

Father, have mercy on the United States. Forgive us for walking away from You and Your ways. Come and heal this nation. Send revival and turn her around so she may serve Your purposes again. Move in our elections and transform the U.S. I pray. Bring forth and awakening before judgement comes.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Even in Punishment, God Reminds us of His Restoration

 Scripture:

“But I promise that someday I will bring your people back to their land.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭49‬:‭39‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this verse, God is speaking through Jeremiah to the nation of Elam, but these words could be said about each nation He pronounces judgment on. He always declares the terrible things that are going to happen to these nations surrounding Israel, then He ends with, “But I promise that someday, I will bring your people back to their land.” He doesn’t just promise His own people to bring them back, but He promises the surrounding nations He is punishing.

Application:

God promises, even His enemies, that He will bring them back after punishment. His goodness has no bounds and His faithfulness can be trusted. We must realize the incredible love and forgiveness of God Almighty. Even when we disappoint Him and do wrong, He always forgives and restores. He simply needs us to turn to Him. I don’t want to ever take advantage of God’s love and mercy. I want to live for Him completely and fulfill His will all the days of my life.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Thank You for always bringing people back and restoring them. Thank You for being with us on this trip to Bolivia. Bring us home safely today and let us continue to shine for You. My life is Yours, Lord, do with it what You want. I want to walk in obedience to You all the days of my life. 

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Patient Restoration

 Scripture:

“Israel, don't be afraid. Someday I will bring you home from foreign lands. You and your descendants will live in peace and safety, with nothing to fear.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭46‬:‭27‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah, once again, has been blasting God’s people and the nations surrounding them with words of punishment for not following Him. Even in His punishment for their disobedience, you hear the heart of God coming through here. He tells Israel not to be afraid because someday they were coming home and their descendants will live in peace and safety. 

Application:

God’s punishment doesn’t last forever. He is a God of restoration. Even when we legitimately mess up, God is looking forward to our repentance because He wants to bless us, protect, us and bring us peace. Even in judgment, the heart of God is restoration. We should never take advantage of this aspect of God, but we should realize and honor Him for the incredible mercy and grace He has with us.

Prayer:

Father, You are faithful to Your people, even when You need to punish them. You never give up on us. You have been patient with me and merciful to me when I didn’t deserve it. Help me to walk in confidence that Your plans for my life will come to pass as I continue to follow You. Bless our team in Bolivia. Bless my family today. Bless the church I and enable me to pastor it well. Let strong disciples come from that place.

Yours Son Forever,

Jeff

Fear of God Over Fear of Man

 Scripture:

“But Azariah, Johanan and some other arrogant men said to me, “You're lying! The Lord didn't tell you to say that we shouldn't go to Egypt.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah’s ministry was full of this kind of response from the people. He would prophesy and they would tell him they didn’t believe what he was saying. In order to be faithful to communicate what the Lord wanted, Jeremiah had to speak some very difficult things. He was faithful and didn’t change his message, even when the people thought he was lying, and treated him terribly.

Application:

Sometimes delivering God’s word is not easy. Sometimes it requires obedience, even when people get mad at you, walk away from you, or speak evil of you. We are not there to obey the people, but to obey God. I can’t fear what people think, but obey what God says at all times. I need to care less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Prayer:

Father, You called me into ministry, not any man. You ordained me, not any man. Help me not to ear what man can say to me, but to fear You alone. Help me to be influenced more by You than by anything people want to hear. Help me to preach faithfully in this itching ears generation. I want to speak on Your behalf, but I need Your words to be clear to me. Open my ears to hear You.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Takes Care of the Faithful

 Scripture:

“I was led away in chains along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem who were being taken to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan was the officer in charge of the guard, and while we were stopped at Ramah, the Lord caused him to set me free.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had prophesied for a long time to Judah. He had been imprisoned, gone hungry, and thrown in a well where he sunk into the mud because of his prophetic words concerning the destruction of Judah. At this point, the people of Judah were being led away in chains, just as he had prophesied, and the commander of the guard let him go free. Jeremiah attributed this to the Lord.

Application:

When you honestly and faithfully serve the Lord and speak what He says, He will make sure you are taken care of in the end. Jeremiah had to go through some extremely difficult things, but God always brought him through. He had to endure some bad stuff, but God always made a way of escape. Because Jeremiah was faithful in prophesying what the Lord had said, he didn’t have to suffer the same punishment as the rest of the people.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to walk faithfully before You all the days of my life. Teach me to walk in Your ways and to hear Your voice. I’m listening Lord. Make Your will known. Show me what to speak, teach, preach, prophesy, and I will deliver Your words. I fear You more than I fear any other thing.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Obedience Brings Blessing

Scripture:

“from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me!  Jeremiah‬ ‭35‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God was speaking to Jeremiah and showed him an example of the type of obedience He delights in. The Rechabites were told by their ancestor never to drink wine, and generations later, they still don’t drink wine and continue to obey him. God said that He had spoken over and over to His people but they wouldn’t obey Him. God didn’t even say if drinking wine was good or bad, just their obedience to their ancestor was fantastic.

Application:

God loves when His people submit to Him and obey His word. When we live according to His ways, He blesses us. When we live according to what feels good to us and what everyone else is doing, we are in trouble. God is looking for some people with a backbone, who will stand up and obey Him, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Prayer:

Father, you are incredible and worthy of our worship. You are also worthy of our obedience. Let my life be a life of obedience to the will of God, no matter what the cost. Minister to Pastor Abel, who was sent home from Bolivia because he didn’t have a Visa stamped. Minister through us today here in Bolivia as we reach out to kids and then have a revival service tonight. Let my life bring You honor today and every day.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wholehearted Worship

Scripture:

“You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you and accept your worship. Then I will gather you from all the nations where I scattered you, and you will return to Jerusalem.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬ 

Observation:

God has spoken through Jeremiah clearly that Judah is about to face devastation and would be taken away to Babylon. That had already started when Jeremiah said these words. He told them that in the future they would once again worship God and God would accept their worship. Then God would bring them back home and their day of punishment will turn into their day of blessing.

Application:

Sometimes God is just waiting on us to turn toward Him with all our heart. We must learn to obey the Lord in the good times and in the bad times. Our worship must be from pure hearts and with all our hearts. Worshippers always have the heart of God because they are after Him and His will at all times. Living a life of worship has great dividends.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of all my praise and worship. Help me to worship You in spirit and in truth, but also with all my heart. I love to sing, dance, celebrate and honor You with all my life. Be glorified by our team going to Bolivia today. Pour out Your Spirit on the people there. Let Your name be exalted in that nation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Response is Everything

 Scripture:

“Then the leaders continued: No one put Micah to death for saying that. Instead, King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord with fear and trembling and asked him to have mercy. Then the Lord decided not to destroy Jerusalem, even though he had already said he would. People of Judah, if Jeremiah is killed, we will bring a terrible disaster on ourselves.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭26‬:‭19‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When there was an uprising against Jeremiah for speaking of Jerusalem and Judah being destroyed, they threatened to put him in prison for his words. The rebuttable was that when Micah preached a similar message, King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and asked for mercy and the Lord decided not to destroy Jerusalem at that time. They pointed out that the response of the king was drastically different, and it made the outcome different.

Application:

Our response determines our blessing. When the king listened to the word of the Lord, he, and his nation were blessed. When the king didn’t respond to God in humility, God’s judgment was going to be released. Our goal should be to always have a quick response when God call us out. We need to humbly submit ourselves to Him and do as He says. Then we will walk in His favor and blessing.

Prayer:

Father, There is none like You. Help me to have a responsive heart at all times. Help me to walk in humility and respond when You speak to me personally or through others. Help me to listen and respond well when You call. Let my response always be the one that follows You completely. Guide my steps every day Lord.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fire and Hammer

 Scripture:

“My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭29‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking in this passage to Jeremiah about false prophets. He says that false prophets were speaking out of their own minds and not speaking on His behalf. He told Jeremiah that their words were powerless, but that His words are a powerful fire and a hammer that shatters rocks. In other words, a real message from God is powerful.

Application:

When God really speaks through an individual, the words He speaks are a powerful fire and a hammer that shatters rock. When we speak a true prophetic word from the Lord, it has the power to destroy whatever is going on. It can burn or it can blast. A true word from the heart of God is incredibly powerful. We must seek the Lord until we have a message from the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, You are great and You are gracious. Let Your word be in my heart like a fire and a hammer. Let me not speak my own words, but truly words from Your heart. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be holy and pleasing to You. Let my words be set on fire from heaven and smash the enemy’s plans like a hammer.

Yours,

Jeff