Rivers of Living Water

 Scripture:

“Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭7:38‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus stood up among a bunch of people who were against him and told them to have faith in Him and they would have living-water flowing from deep inside of them. He was talking about the Holy Spirit that was coming. In the midst of people antagonizing Him about who He was and who sent Him, He dropped lines like this.  Awesome stuff!

Application:

I don’t want to just live life, I want a river of life flowing out of me at all times. I want a life-giving flow to come out my my spirit to those in need. I want the Holy Spirit to pour through my heart and into the lives of those around me. I don’t want to dam up the river, but to let the river of God’s Spirit flow in and around my life. 

Prayer:

Lord, let Your river flow from my life! Fill me to overflowing and let it overflow onto everything around me. Let my spirit be so connected to Your Spirit that we operate as one. I long for oneness with You. Let the river that flowed through you, now flow through me. Let nothing in my life hinder You from flowing in Ghana as we go this week.  Let a strong river flow there this week to bring life to the entire region.

Your Son,

Jeff

Come to Jesus

 Scripture:

“Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.” ‭‭John‬ ‭6:35‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus talks here about coming to Him and receiving life. He says that those who come to Him will never be hungry or thirsty. He gives life!

Application:

In this passage, we see that Jesus tells us that we must come to Him.  That’s our role in this process. His role is to give us life and take care of our hunger and thirst. When we live by faith in Christ, we are complete and satisfied in Him. In Him, we are fulfilled. In His, we are nourished. I need Jesus more today than ever before. 

Prayer:

Jesus, fill me with Your living water and your bread from heaven. Help me to press into You more and more. Empower me to do Your will int he earth. I want to walk with You and talk with You. I want to walk in divine fellowship at greater levels.  Teach me how to come to You more often and to live on full because of walking with You.

Yours,

Jeff

Condemnation or Salvation?

 Scripture:

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

IN speaking about Jesus, John says that God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. He didn’t come to exclude people, but to include people. He didn’t come to kick people out, but to bring people in. He didn’t come to push people away, but to pull people into the Kingdom.

Application:

Religion pushes people away from God and separates people from God, Jesus pulls people to Himself and brings people to the Father. As a representative of Christ on the earth, I must always keep in mind that my job is to pull people into the kingdom, not push them away with condemnation and guilt. I want to see people saved, not condemned.

Prayer:

Father, let me be a person who gets people saved, not condemned. Help me to pull people to Christ and not push them away. Empower me to live and love people the way Christ did. Let Your Spirit dwell in my in life in fulness. I want to represent You well in my generation.

Succession

 Scripture:

“Before Moses died, he had placed his hands on Joshua, and the Lord had given Joshua wisdom. The Israelites paid attention to what Joshua said and obeyed the commands that the Lord had given Moses. Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Before Moses died, he placed his hands on Joshua, his son in the Lord who had walked beside him for a long time. When Moses knew he was going to die, the laid hands on his spiritual son and prepared him to lead God’s people well. Because he did this, the people didn’t argue who was to be next.

Application:

Succession planning is really important in life and ministry. Before we leave the scene of leadership, we need to have a plan.  Great leaders don’t just lead during their time, they prepare for their replacement so their influence can remain.The saying, “There is no success without a successor” is so true. I need to always be working with someone who can take over things when I move from the scene.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be a spiritual father who is always preparing people to replace me. I pray that when it is time to go from this post, there will be many qualified and ready to lead. Take my life and leadership to another level. Teach me to lead well and to invest my life in those who want to grow.

Your Son,

Jeff

Success in Daily Work

 Scripture:

“The Lord will make you successful in your daily work.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

As God’s people were about to move into the Promised Land, He let them know that their success depended fully on their obedience to Him and His ways. God promised His people that if they would follow Him completely, they would be blessed by Him. He would make them successful in every arena. Even their daily work would be blessed by God. If they didn’t honor Him, the He would curse everything they had.

Application:

I want to live under God’s blessings and never His curses. I want to walk out my covenant with Him as he desires and not what is convenient to me. I want to live fully surrendered to Him and blessed by Him. I believe God blesses obedience and I want to see more of that blessing in my life.

Prayer:

Father, You are one who blesses obedience to You and Your word. You are faithful and reliable and Your word is true. Help me to live a life You can bless. Let me see the abundance You promise for those who are in covenant with You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Leave it for the Poor

 Scripture:

“If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the Lord will make you successful in everything you do.”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭24:19‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is giving directions to His people as they are about to possess the Promised Land. God loves the poor and always provides for them.  Here, it says to leave some of the crops for the foreigners, orphans, widows, and the poor. He says that He will make them successful in everything they do if they take care of the poor. The blessing of the Lord is always on those who take care of the poor.

Application:

The more we take care of the poor, the more blessed we will be, I have watched this principle over and over through the years. Organizations that feed the poor are always blessed and see miraculous provision. Ministries that care for the poor, always have more than enough. God blesses those who remember the poor and struggling of society.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to be a blessing to those who are struggling. Show me what I can do to help the poor. Open my eyes to see what You desire for me. Thank You for Your incredible provision. Help me to lead others well and to demonstrate this concept to those around me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Alongside

 Scripture:

“The Lord your God will fight alongside you and help you win the battle.”” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭20:4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Moses was telling the people of Israel about life after they went in and conquered their enemies in the Promised Land. As they entered the land he told them they had to defeat every enemy and totally annihilate those living in the land. He then adds this verse. “The Lord your God will fight ALONGSIDE you and help you win the battle.”

Application:

God fighting ALONGSIDE of us means that we still have to fight. God was letting His people know that they were still going to have to face their fears and fight, but that He would deliver their enemies into their hands. There are times when we can stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord and there are times when we will have to fight for our promises. There are times when we have to face things we don’t want to face, but we can be confident that God is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us.  He will fight alongside of us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for fighting alongside of me. This year, my prayer has been closely related to this. I don’t want to do ministry FOR you, but WITH You. I want to walk in step with You and accomplish all You have for my life. Show me daily how to work with You and to do exactly what You want done in the earth. Give me an ear to hear what You are doing. I want to serve alongside You.

Stay in the Word Daily

 Scripture:

“Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the Lord with fear and trembling and not think that he's better than everyone else. If the king completely obeys the Lord's commands, he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:19-20‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Here the Lord tells Moses that each day the king who they appoint to rule must read and obey God’s laws so he will learn to worship the Lord with fear and trembling. It is also to keep him humble. If he does that, he and his descendants will rule for many years. God wants leaders to constantly be in the Word so it can humble them.

Application:

The word of God is powerful. When we stay in it daily, it will change our lives. The Lord knew that kings would have power go to their heads and He knew that reading God’s word each day would keep them humble and fearing the Lord. We must realize that the Word of God is alive and powerful. We must learn to cherish our time in the Word because, if we walk in it and do as it says, we will prosper in life.

Prayer:

Father, help me to stay hungry for Your word and Your Spirit. I want both. I want to be filled with Your Spirit to overflowing and to know Your word and stay in it daily. Feed me daily from Your Word and Your Spirit. Help me to stay in step with You at all times. I want to lead well in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Be Happy to Help the Poor

 Scripture:

“You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the Lord will make you successful in everything you do.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭15:10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When God is laying out His laws to the people of Israel, He tells them to make sure they take care of the poor. The poor are always on the heart of God. He says we should be happy to give the poor what they need. God tells us here that when we take care of the poor, they Lord will make us successful in everything we do. That’s a good trade.

Application:

He says here, not just give to the poor, but to be happy about giving to the poor. Actually, it is a ver rewarding feeling to take care of someone who is poor. We should honor the poor as those created in the image of God and give them dignity while helping them with a smile. Our job is to take care of the poor, and be happy about doing it, then the Lord’s job is to bless us and make us successful.

Prayer:

Lord, here I am again, offering You my life. Help me to never look down on the poor, but to lift them up and help them as I am able. Teach me to be happy when giving to the poor. Help me to do everything I do with a right attitude. I want to represent You well in my generation. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Completely Faithful

 Scripture:

“You must be completely faithful to the Lord. Worship and obey only the Lord and do this with fear and trembling,”. ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the people of Israel were getting ready to go into the Promised Land and God told them that they must be completely faithful to Him. They were told to worship only the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt and not to worship the gods of the lands they were going to overtake. God was telling them that He wanted to bless them, but that he could only bless them if they walked in obedience to Him.

Application:

When we come to God, we come to Him on His terms, not ours. We can’t live however we want and honor Him. We can’t just bring Him into our lives with our other gods. We must forsake all and come to Him completely. He wants nothing above Him in our lives. He want to be first and foremost, then He will bless us.

Prayer:

Father, let me live a life that You can bless. Let my life be completely God-honoring. Be glorified in all I say and do. Teach me to follow You completely and in every area. I am Yours. Help me to keep You first throughout my day every day. Help me to hear Your voice constantly and clearly so I can follow well.

Your Son,

Jeff

When Prayers Get Answered

 Scripture:

“But when all this happens, don't be proud! Don't forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and that it was the Lord who set you free.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God told the people of Israel that He was going to help them defeat all the peoples in the Promised Land. He said that nothing would be able to stand against them as long as He was with them. He then reminded them in this verse not to be proud when things start going right. He told them to remember that God brought them from being slaves and set them free. 

Application:

Sometimes the real character of a person isn’t seen until they start seeing some level of success. When success starts coming, will you remain humble or will pride get into your life? Moses remained humble all the days of his life and God used him mightily. Humility is one of the most godly character traits of a real man of God. Knowing that every good thing in my life is not my doin, but God’s doing. When God blesses us, we must remain humble and give Him all the glory.

Prayer:

You deserve the glory, and the honor and the praise for any good thing in my life. You are the source of every good thing in my world. Thank You Lord for taking such good care of me and blessing me. Without You in y life, I am nothing and can do nothing. Apart from You, I have nothing. You are my everything and I love You Lord. Be glorified in my life!

Your Son,

Jeff

Love and Obey

 Scripture:

“But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

After the Lord had given His people the Ten Commandments, He was reminding them about how to live in the Promised Land as they entered it and conquered it. He told them if they loved Him and obeyed His laws, He would be kind for thousands of generations. 

Application:

Love and Obedience are crucial to our walk with God. Our love for God will cause us to want to obey Him in all areas of our lives. Love for Him will cause you to draw near to Him. Once you are near to Him, you want to obey Him. Love is great and the church has focused on it so much over the past couple decades, but He also demands obedience and our love should bring us to a place of absolute obedience to the purpose and plans of God.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in love and obedience. Let my love for You increase day by day and let my obedience level increase as my love increases. Help me not to evaluate the things I believe You speak to me, but to step into the things You are calling me to do. I want my ears open to Your voice at all times so I can obey well what You are speaking.

Your Son,

Jeff

Just begun

 Scripture:

““Our Lord, it seems that you have just begun to show me your great power. No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭3:24‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Moses was preparing God’s people to go into the Promised Land, where he wouldn’t be able to go. He cried out to the Lord some awesome words when he realized he wasn’t going to be able to enter. After 40 years in the wilderness, Moses confessed that God was just beginning to show him The Lord’s great power. After witnessing the plaques in Egypt, God feeding and giving drink to 3 million people daily in the wilderness, Moses realized he was just beginning to see God’s power.

Application:

When we think we have seen it all, we haven’t even begun to see the extent of God’s incredible power! No other god can do what He does. I’ve witnessed God do some pretty amazing things in my lifetime, but I realize that it is nothing compared to what he is capable of. We must live with this kind of faith. We must believe that God has just begun to show us what He is made of. When we think we’ve seen it all, God has some amazing surprises up His sleeve.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible and Your power is incomprehensible. Your glory is beyond our imagination! You are awesome and I appreciate all You have done for me. You have blessed me. You have brought me through so many things. You have delivered me so many times. You are faithful and true. Help me to walk in the faith and belief that You have just begun to work in my life and ministry.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Encouragers

Scripture:

 “Instead, I will let Joshua your assistant lead Israel to conquer the land. So encourage him.”” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭1:38‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Moses was told by the Lord that he would not get to enter the Promised Land because of his disobedience when told to speak to the rock. It actually says just above this verse the that Lord was angry with Moses because of the unbelief of God’s people as well. Anyway, God told Moses to ENCOURAGE Joshua because he would lead Israel into the Promised Land.

Application:

In English, to encourage, literally means or put courage into someone. Just as Moses put courage into Joshua, we should put courage into the people around us as they try to accomplish what God is putting on their hearts. I want to be an encourager. I want to put courage into people to accomplish all God wants for their lives. Barnabus was an encourager in the Bible and I want to be one today. I want to put courage into my spiritual sons and daughters.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be one who encourages others. Let my life put courage into the lives of those around me. I am Yours and want to help people live courageous lives. I want to live a courageous life as well. Teach me to never be controlled by fear, but to live by faith at all times.

Yours,

Jeff

Whatever God Commands

 Scripture:

“The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, “We are your servants and will do whatever the Lord has commanded.”  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭32:31‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The tribes of Gad and Reuben didn’t want to go into the Promised Land, they wanted the land on the other side of the river. Moses told them that if they wanted that particular land, outside the land that was promised to Israel, then they would build it, leave their wives and kids there while they went in to help conquer the rest of the land Israel was promised, then they could go back and live in the land they wanted. Their response was awesome, “We are your servants and will do whatever the Lord has commanded.”

Application:

The best response to God is always, “We are your servants and will do whatever the Lord has commanded.” No other reply works with God. Our place is not jus to tell Him what we want like a Genie in a bottle, but to do whatever He tells us to do. I believe that God knows better how to run my life than I do. I want to live in submission to Him and His will at all times.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me Your ways and let my life response always be, “I will do whatever the Lord has commanded.” I want to walk in Your favor and to fulfill Your will above all else. Help me to walk in step with You and bless my life. I desire Your blessing in every area of my life. Let our church start to see some really nice wins.  Let people meet Jesus.  Let people be healed, delivered and saved. Help me to extend the Kingdom.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Keep Your Word

 Scripture:

“When one of you men makes a promise to the Lord, you must keep your word.” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭30:2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Lord is laying out His expectations from the people of Israel. He tells His people that if they make a promise to Him, they must keep their word and do what they said they would do. God takes making a vow or a promise very seriously.

Application:

God wants us to only promise things we can do. With the Lord, it is better to underpromise and over-perform than to over-promise and under-perform. As believers, it is crucial that our word is trustworthy and that we be people who do what we say we are going to do. God takes it seriously and we must as well. 

Prayer:

Lord, help me to follow through on my promises. Help me to not make promises, to You or others, that I cannot keep. Teach me to be a man of my word and to follow through on things I say I will follow through on. Let my yes be yes and my no be no. I’m Yours Lord. Help me to honor You well with my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

Depending on Others

 Scripture:

“But Joshua must depend on Eleazar to find out from me what I want him to do as he leads Israel into battle.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭27:21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God spoke to Moses about Joshua taking over as leader of His people. As the Lord was telling him what to do, He said that Joshua must depend on Eleazar to wind out what I want him to do. God chose to work with a team instead of putting all the power into one person’s hands. He wanted Joshua to know he needed someone else in order to accomplish the will of God.

Application:

God put us in a body and we need every part of the body to function as God intended. The power of the kingdom is best expressed through a body of believers who are each doing their part. Just as God wanted Joshua to know he needed Eleazar, He wants us to know that we need others. We cannot do God’s work apart from God’s people.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are powerful, majestic and incredible. Your ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Help me not to lead Your people alone, but to realize this is meant to be a teamwork endeavor. Help me to see the value of others being on the team and having major roles.

Yours,

Jeff

What God is Saying

 Scripture:

“Balaam answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23:12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Balaam didn’t really want to tell Balak what the Lord was saying to them. Balak had brought Balaam to curse Israel, but instead, each time he blessed Israel.When Balak got mad at him for not cursing Israel, his response was, “I can only say what the Lord tellls me.”

Application:

This is a great phrase for ministers to cling to. We need to seek God until He gives us a message for His people and we need to only say what He is saying to His people. I have always wanted to declare the word of the Lord accurately and on time. Now, more than ever, because we are in the last days and things are happening all around us, I feel we need to speak what God is speaking. I need to tune in and hear what He is dong and saying to His church.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, give me ears to hear what You are saying in my generation. Give me eyes to see what You are doing around me and around the world. More than anything, help me to walk in step with You each and every day. I want to fulfill Your purposes in my life. I am Yours. Use me for Your glory.

Yours,

Jeff

Complete Obedience

 Scripture:

“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭20:12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God had spoken to Moses and told him to speak to the rock in the wilderness and water would come out from it. Rather than speak to the rock, Moses decided to hit the rock. God honored him in bringing forth water from the rock, but God punished him for doing it his way instead of God’s way. God said that Moses refused to believe in His power, therefore he wasn’t going to get to go into the Promised Land.

Application:

There are consequences when we try to do things our own way instead of doing what God says to do. When God speaks, we must do our best to do exactly what He says. I don’t want to miss the Promised Land because I didn’t do what the Lord was telling me to do because I liked the dramatic impact of doing it my way.

Prayer:

Father, help me to do things Your way and not my own. Show me how to serve You well in my generation. Teach me Your ways and let me know Your thoughts. You know the desires of my heart. You know I long to do Your will above all else. Reveal Yourself to me more and more I pray.

Your Son,

Jeff

Calling

 Scripture:

“The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick.” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭17:8‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God wanted the people to see His plan for how the priests and Levites would function. He wanted people to be aware that there were some who were set apart for service and ministry and that not everyone and anyone could function in those roles. He told Moses and Aaron to take the walking sticks from the 12 leaders of the 12 tribes and put them in the Holy Place.  The next morning, Aaron’s rod had budded, proving he was different and was called to stand before the Lord.

Application:

Ministry isn’t for everyone. It is not something we choose to do. It is a calling from God. It is His choice and not our own. he separates those He wants for His purposes. When we step into ministry for the Lord and He hasn’t called us to do it, we will be offering strange fire to the Lord.  He has ways of doing things. The church has begun to ordain pretty much anyone who wants to be a pastor or leader. We use Peter’s words about us being a royal priesthood and chosen generation to justify that anyone can serve in ministry. As for me, I want to do what God wants me to do and answer his call, but I don’t want to offer strange fire that God didn’t call for.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to discern Your voice each step throughout my life. Help me to never step in places You haven’t called me to be. Help me to walk in submission to Your will and Your desires. I don’t want to minister, serve, or work apart from You. Be the center of my life and everything I do. I don’t want to work FOR You, I want to work WITH You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Faith

 Scripture:

“So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭14:9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When the 12 spies came back from investigating the Promised Land, 10 of them gave a bad report of how big the people were and how they would be defeated if they went into the land.  Joshua and Caleb came back saying let’s go at once and take the land. Here, they tell the people they have no reason to be afraid because the Lord is on their side so the enemy won’t have a chance.

Application:

This is the story of faith. Faith sees God as bigger than any obstacle in front of us. Faith doesn’t look at problems, but possibilities. Faith says you can do it when by all human reasoning you can’t. We must learn to be people of faith. We love the stories of the people of faith, but we don’t like to live them out. I want to be a man of faith, who does what the Lord says, regardless of how crazy it may appear.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith! Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to see opportunities where others see impossibilities. Help me to walk in step with You and to accomplish all that You want me to do in this life. Show me the path to great faith. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Helping

 Scripture:

“Joshua was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Joshua became the leader of Israel after Moses went away. Here it says that Joshua was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. This little phrase is so powerful! Joshua’s eventual position of leadership came because he was Moses’ helper or servant. This brought him in proximity with a man of God. His service was recognized and Moses knew he could be trusted because of his service.

Application:

Before we lead others, we must learn to be servants. There is usually some very trying times when we are young where we are tested and tried. Later in life, when we pass the tests, we are brought into place so leadership and influence because we can be trusted. I need to be faithful in the little things and diligent to do the will of God so He can entrust me with more.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible and it is an honor to serve You. Help me to lead well and to pass every trial and test. Help me to live according to Your ways and set an example for those who follow me. Empower me to be the spiritual father I sense You are calling me to be. I want to do it well for Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Accountability

 Scripture:

“Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the Lord had commanded.” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭8:20‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites, all held the Levites accountable and made sure they did everything the Lord had commanded them. It was entrusted to them, but they still were accountable to the people to make sure it was done the way God wanted it done.

Application:

I struggle with holding people accountable. I don’t like to make people feel uneasy or uncomfortable. I don’t like to put pressure on people, but here I see them holding the Levites accountable before the Lord to make sure they did everything right. They say what not what is expected gets done, but what gets inspected gets done. I’m not a very good inspector. I need to work at holding people accountable to do what their expectations are.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to conquer the fear of man and what they think about me. Help me to hold people accountable for their own good and the good of the Kingdom. Teach me how to love and confront in all areas. Show me how to practice loving accountability.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Blessing

 Scripture:

“I pray that the Lord will bless and protect you, and that he will show you mercy and kindness. May the Lord be good to you and give you peace.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6:24-26‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God gave this blessing to Aaron and his sons and said that when they bless God’s people, they will be blessed. It is a simple, yet powerful prayer. In Deuteronomy there is another one very similar and God says He will put His name on the people when this is prayed over them.  When we do things God’s way, we get God results. 

Application:

Doing things God’s ways, gets God’s results. In 2021 we began singing this blessing over our people in the church every week at the end of the service. Last night we had our annual business meeting and you could see the results of financial blessing on our people.  Our people have been blessed and prospered incredibly in the past year. When God blesses you, you are blessed!

Prayer:

Lord God, let Your blessing fall on my life, my family, my church, and my region. May the Lord bless His people and protect them.  May He show them mercy and kindness. Mat the Lord be good to them and give them peace. I pray this in the name of Yeshua.

Blessed by God,

Jeff

The Great Turning

 Scripture:

“They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem,” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:47‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Jesus had died and resurrected from the dead.  He was about to ascend to the Father and told His disciples that people in every nation needed to be told to turn to God to be forgiven, starting in Jerusalem. This command was the last command of Jesus and is still being lived out today.

Application:

We must be about our Father’s business. His business is souls turning from sin and turning to God. I believe now, more than ever, we must be about the business of helping people turn to Christ. In turning to God, they will be restored, healed, delivered, etc. In my heart, I believe 2022 will be a year of many turning to Christ with all their heart.

Prayer:

Lord God, let Your church arise and shine with Your glorious light. Empower Your people to preach Your Gospel with anointing and power. Teach me to declare Your word appropriately and to bring lost people back to the Father, I want to fulfill this commission of  Jesus. Let multitudes turn to way from sin this year and let them turn to God.

Yours,

Jeff

Last Days Preparedness

 Scripture:

“Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:36‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told His followers to watch out and keep on praying that we will escape all that is going to happen. He goes on to say we should pray that the Son of Man will be pleased with us. In this passage He was talking about how bad things would get in the last days.

Application:

We are most definitely living in the days Jesus spoke about in this passage.  We are seeing the prophecies of the Bible unfold right before our eyes. As things get worse and birth pains come, we must pray for escape and for God to be pleased with us. God is pleased when we live a life of obedience to Him. We must go beyond just praying and live a life that pleases God and that causes Him to want us to escape what is coming.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I see the signs of the times all around me. The news is filled with prophetic things happening in our world. I know You are coming soon to get Your people. Help me to keep my head up, looking for Your return. Help me to live a life that pleases You daily. Help me to be doing what You call me to do when You return.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Humility vs. Pride

 Scripture:

“Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told a story here to get a message across. He spoke about two men who went to the Temple to pray. The religious person prayed and told God what a good person he was and he was thankful he wasn’t like this sinner next to him. The tax collector knew he was a bad man who didn’t deserve to be there praying. He cried out to the Lord to forgive him because he was a filthy person and he knew it. Jesus said this man walked away forgiven and clean because he humbled himself.

Application:

When we lift ourselves up, God will put us down. When we realize we are sinners and hopeless before God in our own righteousness, we are in the place of humility where God can bless us and raise us up. Jesus spoke much about humility instead of religious pride. We must walk in humility, then He will lift us up. We should be more concerned about our pride than just about anything else because it hinders God from working in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in humility before You. You are my source and my strength. You are the one who I trust and who orders my steps. Lead me today. Help me to today to accomplish everything on my plate.  My plate is full, but somehow help me to finish everything in a quick manner.

Your Son,

Jeff

Humility Wins

 Scripture:

“If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”  Luke‬ ‭14:11‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told a story here about being invited to a feast and sitting at the big seat. He said if you take that seat, someone more important may come in and you will be asked to take a lower seat, but if you humble yourselves in the beginning, you may be elevated to a higher seat. He was saying it is better to take the lower place and be lifted up than to take the higher place and put sat down. Humility is a quality that God loves.

Application:

As believers and Jesus followers, our heart must be always to serve and not to be served. We should be looking at how we can promote others instead of trying to be promoted ourselves. I want to see others go farther and do more than I could ever do. I need God’s help and humility to take next steps.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, empower me to live a life that pleases You and that serves others. Help me to see others as more important than myself. Teach me Your ways. Let me walk in true humility and live like Jesus lived. Teach me to walk humbly before You Oh Lord.

Your Son,

Jeff

Faithfulness

 Scripture:

“Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master owns.”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:43-44‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus tells His disciples here about faithfulness and promotion. When He comes back, will He find us being faithful in what He left us to do? He says here that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. In other words, when we are faithful in the little things, God will make us ruler over much more.

Application:

Our goal should be faithfulness over promotion, leadership, advancement, etc. It is faithfulness that Jesus is looking for in our lives. When we are faithful in the little things of life, God will make us ruler over much. Faithfulness isn’t determined by how we do the big things, but how we treat the little things. When He gives us a job to do, we must be found doing what He asked us to do, then He will entrust more to us. 

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to live a life of faithfulness. Help me to live doing the little things You have given me to do. Teach me to focus on doing little things well and allowing You to take care of everything else. I want to be trustworthy in Your kingdom. When it needs done, may I always be willing to say yes to You. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff