Increase My Faith

 Scripture:

“Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Don't you have any faith?” But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, “Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey him!”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:25‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus was in a boat that was caught in a storm. His disciples were afraid and came to Jesus. He spoke to the wind and waves and commanded them to be stilled. Immediately, it was calm and they were safe. The disciples couldn’t believe what they saw and said to each other, “Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey Him!”

Application:

The things that make us sacred are nothing for Jesus to take care of. If He can speak to the wind and waves of the sea, he can speak to the problems in my life and bring about change. He is able to do exceedingly above and beyond what I can even imagine. Jesus changes everything in the lives of His people. I want my faith to rise above every fear in my life and to trust Christ more and more each day.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are awesome and I love You more all the time. Help me to never walk in fear, but to know in every circumstance and situation, that You have everything under control. Let Your peace fill my life and let me live a life of faith and confidence in You and Your word. Teach me to walk in You ways. Increase my faith!

Your Son,

Jeff

Baptize Me With Your Spirit and Fire

 Scripture:

“John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When John the Baptist spoke to people about Jesus, he told them that he was nothing compared to Jesus.  He went on to say that he baptized with water, but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. I’m sure people didn’t know what to think when he said that. 

Application:

When we think of what Jesus came to do, our mind naturally goes to salvation from our sins, which is a part of what He came to do. The one who knew Him really well and understood what was happening, said He came to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. We must never back down from the baptism with the Holy Spirit. It was a primary reason Jesus came to this earth. When John introduced Him to the world, this is what he said. We must see Him as savior, healer, baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and as soon coming king.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are worthy of all I can honor You with. Help me to see You as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.  Let more people be filled with the Holy Spirit this year than any other year of my life. Help me to lead people to You and lead them to being filled with Your Spirit. Empower me to help others to receive this powerful gift You died to give us. Fill me, and fill those around me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Heads Held High

 Scripture:

“I am the Lord your God, and I rescued you from Egypt, so that you would never again be slaves. I have set you free; now walk with your heads held high.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26:13‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

God is wrapping up His laws in the book of Leviticus here and reminds His people that He is their God and He reminded them that He had rescued them from Egypt.  He told them that He set them free so they would never again be slaves. Lastly, He tells them to walk with their heads held high. Slaves never walk with their heads held high because they feel like others are looking down on them.

Application:

We have been set free from the power of sin and death. The enemy loves to put us down and try to make us feel like we are bad people who don’t deserve anything. He loves to try to put our heads down in shame, but Jesus came to break the power of sin and death and to set us free from this evil taskmaster. We can now walk with our heads high because of what Christ has done for us. We don’t have to cower and feel like we are barely accepted by God. We are His children and He accepts us as we are. We can’t take advantage of Him for that, we must follow Him completely, but with our heads held high.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Thank You for reminding me to hold my head high and to walk with confidence in my relationship with You. You paid the price for me to walk in victory. Help me to lead a life You would be proud of. Help me to live in complete obedience to You at all times. You are my everything and I appreciate You this morning.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Sabbath

 Scripture:

“You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship. This law will never change.”  ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭23:3‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Lord speaks clearly about taking a Sabbath because the Sabbath is holy and belongs to Him. It had a two-fold purpose, Sabbath was to rest and to worship. He also said clearly, “this law will never change.” Did He say that because He knew under grace, that we would destroy this Law and not observe it?  Sabbath is extremely important to the Lord and it should be important to us.

Application:

I am trying to learn to take Sabbath more seriously in my own life. I want it truly to be a time of rest and worship and not a day to catch up on all the chores that need done in the house. I desire to make this day a special day for the Lord and I to meet together and commune as friend with friend. I need to get better at this discipline and implement it fully into my life and routine.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and You are worthy of all my worship. You are worthy of my very best worship. Help me to observe a true Sabbath each and every week. Give me to strength to stand up for what is right in Your eyes and to not give in because there are things others have put on my schedule. Teach me to observe Sabbath well.  I look forward to meeting with You in worship and rest.

Yours,

Jeff

Take Care of the Poor and the Foreigner

 Scripture:

“Don't strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the Lord your God.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19:10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The Lord, in giving His Law, always remembered the poor and the foreigner. He said that when Israel gathers in the harvest, they are to leave some behind for the poor and the foreigners who live among them. God is a generous God who takes care of the poor.  When we make God’s priorities, our priorities, we will see his blessings. 

Application:

The poor and the foreigner are always on God’s mind. He wants a generous church that takes care of those who are less fortunate. We must live according to what the Bible teaches instead of what we think concerning things like this. We must do what honors God over what feels right to us. It is easy to forget about the poor or to think, they need to go get a job. What we do for the poor, we are doing to the Lord. We must never forget that.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in step with Your Spirit. Enable me to live a life that pleases You in every area, including how I treat those who are less fortunate and the foreigners around me. Teach me to love like You love. Show me how to treat people as You would treat them. Empower me with Your love and Your Spirit. So I can demonstrate Your goodness in the earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Blood is Sacred

 Scripture:

“Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭17:11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Lord tells Moses why he needs to take the sacrificial system so seriously.  God had just made some very clear demands about how, where,  and when to sacrifice animals to Him. In this quick verse, He tells why, because “Life is in the blood”. It looks says that “I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own.  In other words, you owe blood for your sins and transgressions, but I am providing a way for yo not to give your own blood, but the blood of animals.

Application:

Sin requires blood.  It requires a sacrifice of a perfect animal that represents the person who has sinned or done wrong. When Jesus came, He offered the perfect sacrifice for our sins and transgressions. He gave perfect blood that would pay for every sin. Stronger than the blood of bulls and sheep, His blood could cleanse everyone for every in ever committed. When Jesus died, the sacrificial system was done away with. Blood is sacred to God and the blood of Jesus should never be taken lightly.  We live our lives, knowing that an incredible price has been paid for our sins.

Prayer:

Jesus, all I can say is thank You. Thank You for allowing Your precious blood to be spilled so I could be forgiven of my sins. Thank You for the ultimate sacrifice. Help me to live a life of appreciation for all You have done for me. You are incredible! I appreciate Your sacrifice and want to honor You with my life. Come and work in and through my life to accomplish Your great plans.

Your Son,

Jeff

Our Sin Affects Others

 Scripture:

“When any of you are unclean, you must stay away from the rest of the community of Israel. Otherwise, my sacred tent will become unclean, and the whole nation will die.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭15:31‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God was speaking to the people of Israel and giving them commandments that they must follow. Of course these are pre-Christ and are under the Law, but there is always a reason for anything God does. In this passage it tells us that if anyone is unclean, they needed to stay away from the rest of the community of Israel or else God’s sacred tent could be contaminated and the whole nation would die. This is really strong words.

Application:

Specifically, this text is referring to sexual things, but the idea is that unclean people spread things to each other and then the whole church becomes unclean and from there it says the whole nation would die. When the church can’t meet because of pandemics, sicknesses, uncleanness, etc. it affects the whole nation. When we have sin in our lives, or uncleanness in our lives, we should deal with it because it will affect those around us.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to understand all of this. I know that sin is like leaven and it affects the whole loaf. I ask You to take me deeper in my understanding of this and the power of living righteously. Help me to convey Your word accurately and to live accordingly. I want to serve Your purposes well in my generation. Show me things I need to change. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Our Obedience, His Fire

Scripture:

 "The Lord sent fiery flames that burned up everything on the altar, and when everyone saw this, they shouted and fell to their knees to worship the Lord." Leviticus 9:24

Observation:

When Aaron and his sons did what the Lord had told them to do in preparation to become priests in His Temple, the Lord sent fiery flames to burn up everything on the altar they had prepared. Everyone saw fire fall from heaven and fell down to worship.

Application:

God asks us to walk in obedience and when we do, He confirms His word with signs following. When we do our part, God does His. When we offer God exactly what He is looking for, He will pour out His fire that proves to people that we have walked in obedience to Him. Our job is to do exactly what the Lord says, His part is to answer with fire. Together is spells revival!

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to follow You completely and obey You in every area of my life. Let my life be a pleasing aroma to You. Help me to live in step with Your Spirit and to live a life that You can bless. Thank You for confirming Your word in my life in the past over and over again. Let it never stop. Let Your fire fall on my sacrifice.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fresh Fire Daily

 Scripture:

“Change into your everyday clothes, take the ashes outside the camp, and pile them in the special place.”Leviticus‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The priests were commanded to never let the fire on the altar go out. They were to put sacrifices on it and let them burn all night, but not let the fire go out. They were commanded to take the ashes each morning outside the camp and pile them in a special place.

Application:

When I think of ashes, I think of yesterday’s fire. I want my relationship with God to always be fresh and alive.  I want to abide continually in the vine.  In order to do that, sometimes we have to take out the ashes of yesterday’s fire. I do notice in the passage that it was a special place. We should honor what God has done in the past, it will always have a special place, but I want fresh fire on the altar of my life. I don’t want to ever live in yesterday, but in today and tomorrow.

Prayer:

Lord God, let my walk with You always be fresh and never get stale. Show me how to take out the ashes of yesterday’s fire and put them in a special place in my memory, but to live in the present every day with Your fire continually burning inside me. Teach me to walk in step with You at all times and to fulfill Your desires in the earth. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Give God the Best

 Scripture:

“If you sacrifice a ram or a goat, it must not have anything wrong with it.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here through Moses concerning sacrifices and offerings that will be presented to Him for whatever reason. Basically, He tells Moses that anything that is sacrificed to Him must be flawless.  He did this with pretty much every animal that would be used as a sacrifice.  God make it clear that He wasn’t interested in receiving our leftovers or the things that we don’t want. He wants our very best.

Application:

Though we are no longer under the Law because of the blood of Jesus, we can see here how important it is to God that we offer Him our very best. Today, we are not bound by animal sacrifices, but we do offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice according to Romans 12. We should always offer God our very best and not settle for just serving Him.  We should seek for excellence in all things so that we honor the Lord and make Him look good. Everything we do for God and with God, should be done with a spirit of excellence. We want to offer Him our most valuable sacrifices, not our least.

Prayer:

Father, help me to recognize this principle in Scripture and walk it out well in my life. I don’t want to give You my leftovers. I want to give You all of me and my very best offerings. You are worthy of my very best! You are worthy of my most significant sacrifice.  You are worthy of it all. Empower me to live before You in humility and righteousness.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Lord Was With Them

 Scripture:

“Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.”  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:20‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

After Jesus had died and resurrected, He sent out His disciples to the ends of the earth with the Good News of his resurrection. They preached “everywhere” and “the Lord was with them”. God did miracles to prove that their message was true.  The thing that stood out to me this morning was that “the Lord was with them.” When Jesus is WITH you, miracles will happen. 

Application:

I never want to preach on my own, I want the Lord Jesus to be WITH me as I preach His message. It’s one thing to preach FOR Jesus, but I want to preach WITH Jesus. I want the resurrected Christ to be with me when I preach His word. Miracles happen naturally when Jesus is in the room. Everywhere He went, miracles happened. When we preach about Him, He comes and miracles follow. I want to preach WITH Christ and not just ABOUT Christ.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, come and fill me with Your Spirit. Come and be with me when I preach Your word.  You presence changes everything and I long for Your presence.  You came back to life and I love for You to come and work with me to accomplish Your purposes. I want to know You more and more and become a better representative of Yours to the ends of the earth. As I preach, come and be WITH me.

Yours,

Jeff

Faithful to the End

 Scripture:

“Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.”  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:13‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus was telling His disciples here that things were going to get really bad in the last days. He told them that everyone was gong to hate them because of Him.  He finished by saying that they would be saved if they were faithful to the end. They were going to have to endure some really difficult stuff like their own family turning against them, but they needed to endure.

Application:

In last days living, endurance is crucial. It is those who endure to the end that are saved. We will have to endure some really difficult things in our day and hour. We see the world being prepared right now for Christ’s return, but we also see things getting difficult around us. Our job is to remain faithful to the end. Faithfulness wins the day in the end and that is where Jesus needs to find us, faithfully doing the things He wants us to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be faithful to the end. Enable me to endure whatever hardships are coming and let me be prepared to live for You and die for You. Teach me to follow Your truths and live according to Your ways. You are my shield, my protector, and my friend. Bless my family, my church, and let my region see revival.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Serving and Sending

 Scripture:

“But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave.”  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:43-44‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told His disciples that His kingdom is reversed from the kingdoms of this world. He said that in order to be great, you should be the servant of all the others and if you want to be first, you must be everyone’s slave. This is totally opposite of the world’s way of thinking. Serving others is the greatest thing you can do in God’s kingdom.

Application:

We should live our lives, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. Our goal must be to serve others instead of seeking to have a position of authority so we have others under us. We must live this way and make others a greater priority than ourselves. I want to serve and send others instead of just goin myself. From this point on in my life, I want to be more about serving and sending than about going myself.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to be a better servant of others. Help me to recognize gifts and be ready to serve others. Teach me to hear Your voice and to accomplish all You want me to in my life. Show me how to serve and send well. Teach me to be a good spiritual father who has sons and daughters doing Your work all over the world. I’ve been saved to serve. Help me to do it well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Who Is This?

 Scripture:

“Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!””  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:41‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus and His disciples were on a boat in the middle of a bad storm and Jesus was asleep.  They woke Him up and asked Him to do something because they were going to die. Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves and they stopped.  He then rebuked their lack of faith. Their response was, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!” They realized His power and we afraid.

Application:

We must be people who realize the power of the God and of walking in the Spirit. May they say of us, “Who is this?” Because of the mighty acts of God that flow through our lives. I want to see God’s hand move stronger and stronger in my life.  I long to see God do things that the world can’t understand, can’t comprehend, and can’t argue with.  I long to see God move in such a way that the national newscasts feature what God is doing that is undeniable.

Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit and move in our midst once again. Heal the sick.  Raise the dead. Deliver the oppressed. Let the captive go free. Come mighty God and move in my nation once again in undeniable ways. I long to see You move and for Your glory to fill the earth.  I long for Your name to be lifted high so all can see. I long for the unexplainable miraculous power of God to work around me.  Come Lord God and move in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Protected

Scripture:

 “He stayed there for 40 days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.”  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:13‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

While Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, there were also wild animals out there for the 40 days and nights. In this passage, it tells us that Jesus was out with the wild animals, but that angels took care of him.  We see angels taking care of Daniel when surrounded for a night by lions. Here we see Jesus protected by angels from wild animals. God uses angels to protect His people.

Application:

I know of several times when angels have interacted with me and protected me, but I wonder how many times they have intervened and I had not idea. I know angels have taken care of me over and over again, but I never acknowledged it unless it was 100% clear that it was angelic interaction. I want to know when I’m interacting with angels and God is using them to protect me. I want my eyes opened in this realm.

Prayer:

Father, open my eyes to see the many times angels have interacted on my behalf. I know of some of them, but reveal to me their activity in my life. Open my eyes to see what is happening all around me in the spirit world. Help me to not take your protection detail for granted in my life. You are amazing and keep Your people protected at all times.

Your Son,

Jeff

Follow His Voice

 Scripture:

“No matter where the people traveled, the Lord was with them. Each day his cloud was over the tent, and each night a fire could be seen in the cloud.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭40:38‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When everything was ready for the tent of meeting, the Lord came down with His awesome presence and filled the Tent.  It was so strong that Moses couldn’t enter at first. When it eased off, there remained a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that stayed over them and guided them. When the cloud moved, the people picked up everything and began to follow the cloud. God made following Him very easy at that time because they could see with their eyes.

Application:

Although we don’t see a pillar of cloud or a pillar of smoke, God is with us. We know this because of His word.  His word is trustworthy, valuable, and never lies. We never have to fear being abandoned by God because He said He would never leave us nor forsake us. We walk by faith, they walked by sight. Although we don’t see a cloud, we can discern His voice guiding us now by the Holy Spirit. We must learn to cherish His voice and follow closely.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You led Israel by a cloud and fire. Lead my life with Your voice. Give me direction each and every day. Show me the way forward every moment.  Empower me to lead Your people well. Show me how to fulfill Your will for my life. Guide me in the paths of righteousness. Let my life bring Your praise and glory an honor. You are my incredible God and Father. I love You with all my heart!

Your Son,

Jeff

God Gives What and Who We Need for His Purposes

 Scripture:

“The Lord has given to Bezalel, Oholiab, and others the skills needed for building a place of worship, and they will follow the Lord's instructions.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭36:1‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Bezalel and Oholiab, and others, were skilled in certain areas of building and artisan work. God made sure that those who were in the congregation had the skills required to build His meeting place. It says God gave them the skills they had for building Him a great place to be worshiped. God puts into the body those who are necessary for the building of the body.

Application:

I need to learn to trust God more and walk in oneness with Him. I need to trust that He has the resources to do what needs to be done and that He has already provided everything we need to build Him a place. When we abide in Him and His words abide in us we can ask whatever we want and it will be done for us according to the words of Jesus in John 14. I want to be better at abiding and then at trusting Him to provide everything necessary to do what He tells me to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to abide in You and let Your words abide in me. Let Your words become part of me. Teach me Your ways and let me encounter You today. Thank You for touching my life yesterday, complete Your work in me today. Help me to run to You and not away at all times. You are my everything.  Help me to walk in confidence that You have already provided everything I need to fulfill Your work in the world.

Yours,

Jeff

Who God Is

 Scripture:

“Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When God met Moses on Mt Sinai, for the second time, He told Moses who He was and described Himself as “merciful and very patient…showing great love and I can be trusted.” This is God’s self revelation to Moses. It demonstrates who He is and how He works with His people. God wanted us to know He is merciful, patient, shows great love and can be trusted.

Application:

We must see God with these four characteristics. We must understand that He can be trusted with our lives. We need to realize that He is truly merciful when we mess things up.  He is very patient with us when we feel like we have done wrong. He is incredibly loving and we must realize that doesn’t change due to our actions. He can be trusted more than any person we could compare Him to. God is incredible and we must see Him for who He is.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I bless You this morning. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for being patient and merciful with me. Thank You for being someone I can trust with my whole heart. You are my everything and I love You more each day. Help me to live with confidence in all four of these areas. I want to know You more and more.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Stay at the Tent

 Scripture:

“Then they would bow down because a thick cloud would come down in front of the tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, just like a friend. Afterwards, Moses would return to camp, but his young assistant Joshua would stay at the tent.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:9-11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Moses had come down the mountain after being with the Lord and receiving God’s commands. The people were already in sin by making an image and worshiping it. Moses had a tent he called “The Tent of Meeting” where he would go to meet with God to see what He wanted to do with His terrible people. This verse speaks of Moses going into that tent while all Israel watched, but it adds that Joshua would stay at the tent after Moses would return to camp. Joshua must have hungered for the presence of God. His lingering in the presence of God may be why God chose him to lead into the Promised Land.

Application:

We shouldn’t be in a hurry to leave the presence of God. We need to spend time in God’s presence. In His presence we receive all we need. I am on a retreat this week in Florida for that purpose. To linger in God’s presence, to hear His voice, and to learn to live in that manner. I long for the presence of the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, we have set aside this week to meet with You and to learn about spiritual and emotional health. Help me to glean what I need to hear Your voice more clearly and to know what You are doing at all times. Teach me to walk according to Your ways. I am Yours. I want to be in Your presence and remain there.

Yours,

Jeff

Because of Who I Am

 Scripture:

“Because of who I am, the tent will become sacred, and Aaron and his sons will become worthy to serve as my priests.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭29:44‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, we see God giving the Law to Moses. When it comes to preparing the Tabernacle, the vessels, the offerings, etc. do was very detailed about what they were to do and how it was to be built. It is believed that it is an exact duplicate of what is in heaven. Anyway, God tells Moses that the tent and Aaron and his sons, will become worthy and sacred “because of who I am.” Even though God was laying out the Law to be observed, it was still Him that makes people holy, not obedience to the Law.

Application:

I tend to be a stickler for the rules. I like to know what is expected of me and what I am suppose to do, but sometimes that can lead into legalism and works-based salvation. God has always made people holy and sacred, not by the works they do, but because of who He is. He is holy, worthy, righteous, and mighty. Everything we need for life and godliness is in Him and Him alone. Because of who He is, I am holy. Because of who He is, I am righteous. Because of who He is, I am justified.  All my hope is not in myself and my obedience to the Law, but it is in Him.

Prayer:

Father, I understand the theology of this, but in my daily life I tend to be a people pleaser and a God pleaser that wants desperately to make You happy. Help me to  walk in confidence in my walk with You and not confidence in my flesh. You are holy and because of You, I am made holy. Let this sink into my heart more and more and let me not have confidence in my works, but in who You are.

Your Son,

Jeff

Let It Shine

 Scripture:

“Command the people of Israel to supply you with the purest olive oil. Do this so the lamp will keep burning in front of the curtain that separates the holy place from the most holy place, where the sacred chest is kept. Aaron and his sons are responsible for keeping the lamp burning every night in the sacred tent. The Israelites must always obey this command.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭27:20-21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is telling Moses exactly how He wants the tabernacle and its furnishings to be made.He says in this verse that Israel should use the purest olive oil on the lamp stand that is where the Ark of the Covenant would dwell. He said He never wanted it to go out and that Aaron and his sons were responsible to keep it going. God wanted to make sure there was always light to get into the holy place where He would meet with Moses.

Application:

We no longer need a Temple or Tabernacle to enter into God’s presence.  He is with us 24/7 and accessible to us continually, but we should look at verses like these and realize the importance of being able to enter into God’s presence. We should appreciate even more what Jesus has done for us when the veil of the Temple was torn in two. God never wanted to oil to run out or the lamp to go out because He wanted someone to have access at all times. We have access, may we use it often and always keep a pure heart so the entrance isn’t junked up with the things of this world.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to follow Your ways and to live as You want me to live. Help me to keep my pathway to You clean and unobstructed. Help me to keep the light burning and never let it go out. Fill me with Your Spirit continually and let my life shine for You. Help me to never run out of oil, but to live on an abundance of Your goodness and love. Take everything away from me that would hinder Your light from shining.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Little By Little

 Scripture:

“Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23:30‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here to Moses concerning and giving a word for the people of Israel. After they came out of Egypt, He was going to lead them into the land He had promised them.  It was full of the Hivites, Hittities, Jebusites, Canaanites, etc. In this passage God was telling His people that when they enter the land not to get upset because all the land is vacated and they can just walk in and take over. He told them that would cause more problems.  He told them ahead of time that little by little they would inherit everything that was coming to them.

Application:

Little by little isn’t in the modern English vocabulary. We want it all and we want it NOW. Sometimes we think we are ready for what God is calling us to, but He says if we step into it now we couldn’t handle it. Maybe God wants to move us little by little into His destiny for our lives. We need to learn patience and obedience. I don’t want to move ahead of God in my life, even if I know the destination. I want to walk in step with the Holy Spirit at all times.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, LITTLE BY LITTLE, show me Your will and desires for my life. Help me to win the little victories instead of looking to conquer everything at one time. Help me to see the value of small victories instead of seeing that things are not moving at the pace I would like them to. Enable me to walk in step with You at all times and never leave Your side.  I want to accomplish much in my life, but I don’t want to do anything outside of Your will and Your timing.

Yours,

Jeff

Worship, Sacrifice, and Blessing

 Scripture:

“Build an altar out of earth, and offer on it your sacrifices of sheep, goats, and cattle. Wherever I choose to be worshiped, I will come down to bless you.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:24‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Moses in this passage about how He will relate to Moses and God’s people. The Lord tells him to build an altar and offer sacrifices, “Wherever I choose to be worshiping, I will come down to bless you.” In this passage it you can’t really tell if God is saying “wherever we worship, He will come bless us” or if the focus is on the “place” He chooses and the blessing is attached to the place. Either way, we see worship and sacrifice connected with God blessing His people.

Application:

Worshipers and those who sacrificially serve the Lord are blessed people. When worship costs your something, God is honored and chooses to bless. The greatest worship comes in the most difficult times. I want my worship to get the attention of God and to bring about His blessing on my life. I want to live a life that God can bless in whatever ways He chooses. 

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You honor, praise, glory, and worship. I don’t just want to worship to get Your blessings, but because of who You are. I long for more of You and desire to walk in step with You every day of my life. Teach me to follow You well and live a life of obedience. Help me to deal with what needs dealt with and bring You honor.  Let my praise and worship be from a pure heart, but I do want You to bless my life, my family, my church, and our region.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Lord Gives Me Victory

 Scripture:

“Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord Gives Me Victory.””  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭17:15‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

As Moses was leading the people of Israel through the wilderness, they encountered the Amalakites. They went to battle against them. The Lord told Moses to hold up his staff, which God used to do powerful things. As long as the staff was raised, the Israelites won. He had to get others to help him hold up the staff because it was too heavy, but he held it until Israel won the battle.  Afterward he built an altar and called it, “The Lord Gives Me Victory.” He knew where his victory came from and gave God all the glory and honor.

Application:

We must learn that it is God who fight on behalf of His own people. It is He who gives us the victory in our lives and not we ourselves. As long as we realize where our victory comes from, we will see victory, but when we begin to take credit for our victories, God will allow us to be defeated. Our goal must be to follow the Lord and do as He says. Then and only then, we will see victory in our lives, our families, our church and our world. It is God who gives us the victory and we can’t credit ourselves, our works, our discipline, or anything else. When God gets the praise, battles get won.

Prayer:

Lord, You have given me so many victories! You are the God who never fails and is never defeated. Help me to walk in humility and fear before You all the days of my life. Teach me to always give You the honor and to lean on You at all times. You are my rock and my salvation. Every good thing in my life comes from You. You are my everything and I love You with all my heart. Lead me Holy Spirit and help me to follow You well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Waymaker, Miracle Worker

 Scripture:

“Our Lord, no other gods compare with you— Majestic and holy! Fearsome and glorious! Miracle worker!”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

After God had opened the Red Sea for His people to leave Egypt, and the Egyptian army had been drowned in the Sea, Miriam sang a song.  This is a part of that song. She says that no other gods even compare with our God. He is majestic and holy! Fearsome and glorious! Miracle worker!. Wow! SHe understood the power of the God they were serving and wrote about it. 

Application:

Just as Miriam saw God as majestic and holy, fearsome and glorious, and a miracle worker, so we must see Him as He is. There is no other god with His power. No other god can save and rescue people like our God. He is worthy of my very best praise and worship. Who He is makes me want to give Him my life and trust Him with my future. He is incredible and I want to serve Him better each day. He is truly the waymaker and the miracle worker.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible!  Miriam saw that in her generation and I see it min my generation. From generation to generation, You never change. You are the same God who opened the Red Sea for Your people and who drowned the Egyptian army in the water. You are able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above what I can ask, think, or imagine. You are incredible. Help me to trust You more and to follow You completely. Help me to bring others to the realization that You are incredible as well.

Your Son,

Jeff