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