God Doesn’t Want Leftovers

 Scripture:

”You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.“ ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks through Malachi here about the offerings His people were bringing to Him. When something is offered to God, He doesn’t want our leftovers, He wants our very best. People were bringing stolen animals and crippled and sick animals as sacrifices to God and He was very upset about it. 

Application:

God would rather us not offer and offering than to offer something that has no value or costs us nothing. A sacrifice is called a sacrifice because it costs something to the one bringing it. God wants the firstfruits and the best of everything we have. When we offer God our very best, He blesses and multiplies what we have. When we offer less than our best, He doesn’t want it. Our worship must cost us something.

Prayer:

Father, help me to provide you something that is valuable and that costs me something. Help me to offer You sacrifices that are valuable to me and to You. Let my offerings always be sacrificial and worthwhile. In my life and ministry, help me to never give you someone else’s sacrifice, or stolen sacrifice. Help me to give You the best of what I have. Remind me of this often.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Cry of God

 Scripture:

”I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”“ ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Zechariah about the last days. He says there’s a group that He will bring through the fire to make them pure. He says He will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. He says they will call and He will answer and say, “These are my people” and they will say, “The Lord is our God.” This is the day God has been waiting for since the beginning. Everything in the Bible leads this way. God has always wanted a people who would be His and He would be their God.

Application:

We have the beautiful ability to answer the cry of God’s heart. When we come to Him and tell Him we want to be purified and refined. When we tell Him that we want to be His people and for Him to be our God, we answer the cry of God from the beginning. He has always looked for a people who would be His completely. We should give Him that before the last days are fulfilled. 

Prayer:

Father, You are my God and I will be completely Yours and Yours alone. I want to serve You well in my generation. Purify me and cleanse me from anything You want me cleansed from. Empower me to answer Your cry for a set apart and purified people. I long to please You and to walk according to Your ways. You are amazing and Your love is eternal. 

Thank You,

Jeff

Ask the Lord

 Scripture:

”Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.“. ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Zechariah speaks here and tells God’s people to ask the Lord for rain in the spring because He makes the storm clouds. It says that God will answer their prayer and give them rain showers. The thing that stood out to me this morning was that the prophet said to ask for rain.

Application:

James says that we don’t receive because we don’t ask, or we don’t ask properly. Zechariah says that we need to ask for rain in the Spring. I know I am guilty of not asking the Lord for things because I tend to just trust He will take care of them. Sometimes I feel like He knows my needs so why should I ask? In the Spring, I expect rain, but probably don’t pray for it unless something is wrong and there is a drought. God has been teaching me to ask specifically.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk with You in step and do what You want me to do. Show me when to ask and when to simply believe. I ask You this morning to provide financially for Word of Life, Hearts for the Harvest and for the Jacob family. Heal my back and touch Cheryl physically. I ask You for the nations as my inheritance and the ends of the earth as my dwelling place. Teach me to ask for things that I take for granted.

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Values

 Scripture:

”“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.“ ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Many times throughout Scripture God tells us what He wants from His people. He is huge on justice, mercy, and kindness. He hates oppression of underprivileged people. He hates disunity. God always defends the defenseless. He wants His people to represent His ways to the world. He doesn’t like cheating, lying, or favoritism.

Application:

We need to be people who represent our God well in the world. We should emphasize what He emphasizes and judge how He would judge. We know the things God hates and we should avoid them at all costs. Cheating, lying, perverting justice, oppressing the poor, are all big things to God. We must be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are faithful and good! Your love and kindness are incredible and I love You with all my heart. Help me to live how You want me to live. Let me always be fair and equitable. Help me to always exhibit blind justice and treat people equally whether they are rich, poor, or anything else. Help me to reflect Your values with my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Small Beginnings

 Scripture:

”Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)“Zechariah‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

Just prior to this verse it says that Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the Temple and that he would eventually rebuild the Temple. The Lord speaks through Zechariah to tell the people not to despise small beginnings because God was going to do what He said He would do. A foundation is just the beginning. It takes a long time, but needs to be done right so that the building can be strong. Foundations seem to take forever and can be frustrating because it doesn’t appear that anything is happening.

Application:

In life and ministry, we can’t get too frustrated with small beginnings. Everything that is big started small. Very few things start big. They generally start small. We must learn to not give up because there doesn’t appear to be much traction and movement when we start things. We must learn that godliness with contentment is great gain. Our job it to walk in obedience to God. His job is to bring growth and development.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never despise the day of small beginnings. Help me to keep my eyes on You and not on how fast others grow and develop. Help me to trust You more each day. I am a growth oriented person and want to see growth. Help me to not get frustrated when things don’t grow as quickly as I would like. You have a plan. Help me to trust You more to bring Your plan to pass.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Many Nations!

 Scripture:

”The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.“ ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Lord speaks here after 70 years of captivity in Babylon for His people, and says that Jerusalem should shout and rejoice because He was coming to live among them. He goes on to say that many nations will join themselves to the Lord and become His people as well. He says He will live among them and they would know that Zachariah was the real deal.

Application:

When the end finally comes, God’s people Israel, will be joined with people from many other nations who have joined themselves to Him. God’s intention from the beginning was to bless Israel and cause all the other nations to be jealous and turn to Him because of how He worked with Israel. It seems at the end that God will judge sheep nations and goat nations. Jesus told us to go and make disciples of the nations. In Revelation we see the nations worshiping and parading before the Lord. God loves all nations and wants to see national repentance. I want to be part of seeing nations discipled.

Prayer:

Father, You said “ask of Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession.” I ask You this morning for the nations. I ask You to use my life to extend Your kingdom to every nation on the earth. When the parade nations comes in Revelation, I want to see faces that are there because I went and declared Your goodness. Use me for Your purposes.

Yours,

Jeff

Protection in Obedience

 Scripture:

”Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.“ ‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Zephaniah prophesies about utter destruction coming and declares here that God’s people should be humble and follow His commands. He tells them to seek to do what is right and to live humbly because maybe the Lord will protect them in the day of His anger. He gives them very little hope because of their disobedience, but their only hope was humility before God and doing what is right.

Application:

There is protection in obedience. God doesn’t punish the righteous with the wicked. When we humble ourselves before Him and repent, He finds a way to spare us from punishment. We live in a generation that wants to do whatever they want to do, but God says we must humble ourselves and turn from our ways and follow His ways. Our job is to humble ourselves and follow God’s ways, then trust that He will protect us.

Prayer:

Father God, You are incredible and I love You with all my heart. You have blessed my life throughout the years abundantly. You have taken such good care of me. Enable me to please You with my life. Let me walk in complete submission to You and Your ways. Empower me to walk humbly before You and to live a life that bring You praise and glory. Work in and through my life. I am Yours. 

Your Son,

Jeff

I Am Doing Something

Scripture:

”The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.“ ‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

Habakkuk was complaining to God about his people and how justice was gone, the wicked outnumbered the just, the courts were not trustworthy, and people were full of anger. God’s response to Habakkuk was awesome. He said, “I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if you were told about it.” What was God doing? He was raising up the Babylonians. God let Habakkuk know He had a plan.

Application:

Nothing takes God by surprise! He always has a plan. In our country, we feel like it can’t get any worse and that people have ruled God out of their lives, but God has a plan… He is doing something! We must pray that God will move in our generation, but we can also stand confident, knowing God sees, understands, and He is doing something. Right now, as bad as things look around us, God is doing something. Our job is to find out what He is doing and be part of it.

Prayer:

Almighty God, nothing takes You by surprise. Help me to realize that, in the midst of all the bad I can see around me, that You are doing something. Open my eyes to see You working in my day when injustice seems to be everywhere. Thank You for reminding me this morning that You are doing something in the United States. You are moving in our world. Help me to trust You more and be part of what You are doing.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fear God

 Scripture:

”In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed. Who can stand before his fierce anger? Who can survive his burning fury? His rage blazes forth like fire, and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.“ ‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The entire book of Nahum is a rant from God about His plans to destroy Nineveh. Nahum declares that in God’s presence the mountains quake and the hills melt. He says that God’s rage is like fire and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence. Most theologians don’t like to say it, but God gets angry with those who rebel against His ways and refuse to acknowledge Him. His anger is nothing to mess with. Right now we see His great grace and mercy, but His wrath is incredible. 

Application:

I want to live on the side of God’s grace and mercy. I don’t want to see His wrath. I would say I have a healthy fear of God. Some feel like God is so loving and kind that the wrath verses must be thrown out or explained away. I believe God can be loving and just. Powerful and merciful. In my preaching and teaching, and in my life, I need to remember to present the fulness of God. I need to respond to His love, but also be aware of His wrath. I want to live with a healthy fear of God. Some say that fear of the God is more like respect. When I read the OT, I personally am afraid of the God spoken about here.

Prayer:

Father, than You for loving me and blessing my life. Thank You for Your love and mercy. Help me to accurately reflect You to others. Help me to communicate accurately concerning who You are. Teach me, that I may teach others. Take me deeper in You and in understanding You. I want to know You more and more.

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s End Game

 Scripture:

”I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.“ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Throughout the Scriptures, one can hear the heart of God desiring to be with His people, for them to be His people and for Him to be their God. Since Adam’s sin in the Garden, God has desired to be with His people once again. He created man for fellowship with Him and He won’t rest until that fellowship is restored completely. He sent His Son to bridge that gap, but His desire is still to walk with His people as He did with Adam.

Application:

We will one day walk with God and talk with Him as Adam did in the cool of the day, but we now have access because of Jesus Christ. Right now, we need to learn to walk with Him in fellowship, which we have because of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to walk in step with Him now, knowing we will one day be in His actual presence as Adam was.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and Your kingdom will never end. You are faithful and You are true. Help me to learn to walk in step with Your Spirit. I want to be led of You and to fulfill Your will for my life each and every day. Lead me step by step and day by day. Let me know Your voice and help me to obey it when I hear it. I want to fellowship with You now. I long to see You face to face, but that will have to wait. For now, let me hear Your voice and do Your will here and now.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He Will Rule the Nations

 Scripture:

”From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.“ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Jesus returns, He won’t be like a suffering servant this time. He will come with fire in His eyes and a sword in His hand. Out of His mouth will come a sharp sword that will strike down nations. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a wine press. When He returns, He’s not messing around. He will establish His kingdom and rule and reign on earth.

Application:

Right now we live between two realities. The kingdom is already, but not yet. We have a deposit guaranteeing what is to come, but then we will have it in its fulness. We should live in this current life, knowing one day we will rule and reign with Him. We should live with eternity in mind. He will one day rule the nations and we will rule with Him. We must never give up. Never slow down, and never retreat. Our God will fight for us. We may have to endure for a season, but finality is coming.

Prayer:

Father, Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in my life. Help me to live according to Your ways. Show me how to live now so I can walk with You later. Help me to see You as the victorious one now. Teach me to focus on what You want, and not what I want. I want to be part of establishing Your kingdom rule and reign on the earth.

Yours,

Jeff

Endure Persecution Patiently

 Scripture:

”This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.“ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse tells us that God’s holy people will endure persecution patiently. It says they will need to obey God’s commands and maintain their faith in Jesus. God’s people are always purified in the fires of persecution. We must realize that persecution has been around since Jesus and persecution must never cause us to walk away from Him.

Application:

As believers, we must learn to endure difficulties and not just try to escape them. We are to endure patiently, waiting for His return. We do this by obeying His commands and maintaining our faith. We maintain our faith by investing in it through the Word and prayer. We must stay vigilant in prayer and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit every day. He will lead us through whatever we must endure.

Prayer:

Lord, in these last days, I want to serve You well and walk through whatever is coming with faith and obedience. Help me to stand strong and say what needs said. Help me to endure difficulties with patience. Teach me to obey You, no matter how I feel or what is going on around me. I want to represent You well in my generation. 

Yours,

Jeff

Still They Would Not Repent

 Scripture:

”But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.“. ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭9‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This is a sad verse, but a very real verse. It is speaking of people who live through the great tribulation and see the wrath of God. They will see incredible demonstrations of the power of God, yet they will still not repent of their sins and turn to Him. Our natural mind makes us think that anyone who witnesses the worst part of the tribulation would turn to Jesus and repent, but some never will.

Application:

As a minister of the Gospel, I want everyone I encounter to come to Christ. I want to see people understand God’s goodness and blessing and turn from their sin, but some people never will. Even when they see the wrath of God on sin, they will continue in it and not repent. As we enter the Last Days, we must realize that, no matter how many signs God gives people, some will still not repent and turn to Him. Our job is to present Christ to people, they must repent and come to Christ.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious! I worship You and bless Your name. You are high and lifted up and Your glory is incredible! I want the world to know You and repent of their sins. I also know that not everyone will turn to Christ. Give me understanding and strength to deal with people who won’t repent no matter how much You demonstrate Yourself to them. Let my friends and relatives repent and turn to You. Let me see more and more repentance as You prepare for Your return.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He is Worthy

 Scripture:

”And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”“ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse describes worship in heaven. There were millions of angels, the four living beings, and the elders, were singing in a mighty chorus, “Worthy”. They cried worthy because He had overcome. They said He was worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. They were saying that He is worthy of everything that could be given to Him. 

Application:

When we say “worthy” we are saying that the object that is worthy has great worth. It is valuable! We must make sure our worship describes the worth of God Almighty. He is worthy of everything we can give Him. He is worthy to be worshiped by millions of angels, saints, living beings, and elders. He is worthy of our very best worship. We need to ascribe to God the glory and honor due Him and to declare He is worthy of it all.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies are forever. You are everything to me! You are my life and You are worthy of everything I can bring You. You are worthy of my very best. Help me to offer You only the best of my life. Help me to never give You worthless worship, but to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Let my worship be biblical and true.

Your Son,

Jeff

Obeying to the End

 Scripture:

”To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!” Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭26‬, ‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking here to John and tells him that those who obey Him to the end will receive authority over the nations. It will be the same authority Jesus received from the Father. They will also get the morning star! WOW! This is quite a promise from Jesus concerning those who obey Him to the end and are victorious. 

Application:

God rewards obedience with authority over nations. When we walk in obedience to His will in this life, we will reign and rule with Him in the Millennium as well as for eternity. Our job here and now is to obey until the very end and to be victorious in this life. I guess the victorious are those who obey to the end. The simple fact is, we must do what he wants us to do on this earth while we have time. Eternity will then take care of itself.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to finish strong in my life and to obey to the end. I want to live a victorious life that bring You praise and honor. Help me to walk in victory over everything that is not of You. Help me to conquer every thought and to submit completely to Your will. I live for Your purposes. Empower me to obey to the end.

Yours,

Jeff

As For Me

 Scripture:

”As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.“. ‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Micah here tells us his personal way of looking at the destruction he had been prophesying. His position was, “I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.” Powerful words of faith and trust in God. He began the section by saying “As for me…” 

Application:

As we live in these last days and we see so much stuff happening all around us, we need to say like the prophet, “As for me…”. We need to make a determination that no matter what happens around us, we sill stand for the Lord and wait confidently for His salvation and deliverance. With wars and rumors of wars, and famines, earthquakes, viruses, etc. going on around us, we must confidently know that God will save us and hear us. 

Prayer:

Father, as signs of the times are all around us, help me to keep my eyes on You and to wait confidently for You to save me. I know Your justice requires action and the earth is groaning awaiting the revelation of the sons of God, but in the process of time let me walk in confident peace, knowing that Your rescue is coming. When the earth seems to be going crazy, “As for me…” let me walk in Your peace and confidence.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Itching Ears

 Scripture:

”Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!“ ‭‭Micah‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Micah speaks powerfully as a prophetic voice of the Lord to the people of his day. He is calling our prophets who are speaking what people want to hear instead of what the Lord is saying. He calls out preachers who preach about the joys of wine and alcohol because that makes the people feel good. 

Application:

Just as Micah cries out in his generation for a pure word from the Lord instead of trying appease people’s itching ears, God is looking for people today who are not afraid to preach about sin and judgment. It is easy to get into the trap of wanting people to like us and what we have to say. It feels good when everyone leaves church feeling good about themselves, but has God’s word truly been delivered? I need to communicate what God is saying, whether it sounds and feels good or doesn’t.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to speak what You are speaking. Enable me to hear Your voice and declare Your truth. I don’t want to preach to tickle people’s itching ears. I want people to hear from You and live. I want people to hear Your voice in mine and respond to Your call. Empower me to speak truth at all times, even when it offends people.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Use My Obedience and My Disobedience For Your Glory

 Scripture:

“Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.”  ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Jonah disobeyed the Lord and ran the opposite direction, it affected the men on board the ship he was on. When the decision was made and Jonah was thrown overboard, the wind and storm stopped immediately. The sailors saw this and vowed to serve the Lord and sacrifice to Him because of His great power. Even lost people can see the hand of God in our lives and decide to follow Him.

Application:

First, we must walk in obedience to God the first time and not run the other direction. Secondly, we must ask God to use every circumstance in our lives to bring people to Christ. Even Jonah’s disobedience brought people to the Lord. We need to offer our lives to the Lord for His purposes. I want to be used of God in obedience, but I want God to move, even when I’m running the other direction.

Prayer:

Father, I offer You my life once again this morning. Use me to bring glory to Yourself. Use my obedience. Use my disobedience. Use my life to bring glory to Your name. Let me always go the direction You are calling me. Let me become the man You want me to be. Help me to obey first and ask questions later.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

FULL Reward

 Scripture:

“Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.” ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John writes and tells us to focus on love above everything else. He says here that we should watch out so we don’t love what we’ve worked hard for… so that you receive your FULL reward. If there is a FULL reward, there must also be a partial reward or no reward. Hebrews tells us God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

Application:

In the context, John is speaking about loving people because God is love and loves people. Could it be that we lose our reward when we don’t love like we should? As for me, I don’t want to lose any reward I have coming to me. I want to receive the fulness of what Jesus died to give me. I want to represent Him well on the earth. I need to love like Jesus loved and thereby receive my FULL reward.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to love well. Help me to love as You love. Let Your love flow through my life and let people feel loved when they are around me. As You have loved me, help me to love others and to represent You well. 

Yours,

Jeff

Repairer of Damaged Walls

 Scripture:

““In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory.” ‭‭Amos‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos, like most of the OT prophets, prophesied destruction for the people of Israel. He spoke of God’s anger and wrath for their unfaithfulness. He told them they were going to be deported into another land and destroyed. Then God, like He always does, came back through and began to prophesy about rebuilding Israel with greater glory than ever before. Whenever God tears down, He always has a plan to rebuild better.

Application:

When things go wrong in our lives and we mess up, many feel like God’s plans and purposes also die at that time, but God always has a plan for restoration. Just as He will rebuild Israel, He rebuilds His people. God will at times be harsh with us, but He also is already thinking of our restoration plan in the midst of His anger. We should never give up on God’s plans for us because He is faithful and will bring them to pass. We must be able to forgive ourselves and allow ourselves to be restored.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible! You are a repairer of the breach and a restorer of paths to dwell in. You never give up on Your people. Even in discipline, You desire restoration. Help me to reflect that in and through my life. Let me always look for restoration of people who mess up. Let me be a repairer of damaged walls like You are.

Yours,

Jeff

Do Good, Run From Evil, and Live

 Scripture:

“Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos is a powerful prophet who speaks the word of the Lord clearly and directly. He doesn’t mix his words, but says exactly what he hears. He tells God’s people to do good and run from evil so they can live. He declares that then they will have the Lord as their helper as they claim. In other words, God helps His people when they are pursuing Him and doing what it right and fair. 

Application:

God is a god of justice. He wants right scales and no falsehood. He wants His people to do right and treat people with respect and dignity. We must run from evil and pursue godliness with all our hearts, then God will meet us and be our helper. We can’t expect God to rescue us when we are serving ourselves and not Him. He saves those who are diligently serving Him and doing what is good and right.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercy is unfathomable. You are amazing and I want to serve You well. Help me to do good and run from evil so I can live in Your presence. I long for You and love Your presence. Teach me to follow Your ways and to pursue Your heart. I want to live in a way that You are pleased with and that brings You glory. Heal my back this morning Lord and take away the pain. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Agree With God

 Scripture:

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

I have heard this verse used so much when speaking of unity and the power of agreement. I have heard it used in marriage conferences, etc. The reality of this verse is that God was calling Israel to Himself because they had walked away from Him and His ways. They were worshiping other gods and doing their own thing. God was calling out to them and telling them to walk in agreement with Him.

Application:

This verse tells us in order for two to walk together they must agree on a direction. What God is saying is that He has set the direction and we must agree to walk according to His ways. We can’t be at unity with God and doing our own thing. We must be doing what God is doing and following His lead or we are walking in division. We are blessed when we walk in unity with God Almighty, but in order to do that, we must agree that His direction is the right direction.

Prayer:

Lord God, I want to walk Your direction. I want to walk in agreement with You all the days of my life. Teach me to know Your ways and live according to Your ways. Show me how to walk in agreement with You. I want to live a blessed life and an obedient life. The direction is set by You, help me to follow it well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Love Expels Fear

 Scripture:

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John tells us here that God’s love has no fear attached to it because perfect love expels all fear. He goes on to say that if we are afraid, then we haven’t experienced His perfect love. God’s love is incredible and will position us in a place of confidence and not fear. 

Application:

We need to bask in the love of God until all fear has left us. We need to be so in love with Jesus that we don’t fear death or any other thing. We must also ask ourselves the question, “do people fear me or love me?” Are we communicating fear or love? We are to represent our Father, who is love personified. The world should know we are His disciples by our love for one another. We must learn to love well if we are going to represent God Almighty.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to love like You love. Empower me to walk in Your love and let fear lose all hold on my life. I want to live a life free rom fear of any kind and full of Your love. I want to love freely and not be afraid of the pain it could bring. I want to forgive like You forgive. Help me to walk as You walk and to love as You love.

Yours,

Jeff

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 Scripture:

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”  ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John says here that we shouldn’t merely say we love each other, but should show the truth with our actions. Real belief is always turned into action. Loving God’s people with our actions is crucial for us as believers. We must demonstrate what we believe. Love is an action word and people can tell when we speak it. 

Application:

If love is action, then I need to work more on doing love than on speaking love. I need to show my love by what I do more than what I say. I need to think through and learn to speak with my actions more than with my mouth. 

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to love in actions and deeds instead of simply saying the words. Let my love for Your people be felt because of what I do, not what I say. You are love. Help me to love well and represent You well. I want to look more and more like You as I grow older. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

No Other Savior

 Scripture:

““I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As Hosea is finishing his prophetic words for Israel, the Lord speaks through him and says, “I have been your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no god but me, for there is no other savior.” What a powerful verse. God was saying that He brought them out and has always been their God, but He needed them to acknowledge that instead of worshiping other gods.He wanted them to know He was the only savior.

Application:

We can look to all kinds of things to save us, but only the Lord wants to be our Savior. Jesus means “The Lord saves” and we must look to Him as the one who saves us. I need to remember that it is the Lord who saves us and nothing and nobody else. Our trust and reliance must be in Him and Him alone. The older I get, the more I want to trust God instead of relying on myself and me plans and thoughts.

Prayer:

Father, let me trust in You as my one and only Savior. You are worthy and have been so good to me. Thank You for blessing my life and providing for me over and over again. You are amazing and there is no one like You. Help me to look to nothing and no one to save me but You. You are my everything!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Come Back to God

 Scripture:

“So now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Hosea cries out to God’s people for them to come back to God and to follow His ways. He tells them to act with love and justice, which are the characteristics of God. He then tells them to always depend on Him. In other words, Hosea tells Israel to get right with God and serve Him only and serve Him well.

Application:

Whenever Israel strayed away from God, He always longed for them to repent so He could bless them. He always drew them back to Him in every way possible before giving them over. When we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to repent quickly and come back into right relationship with God Almighty. We must not only believe, but also walk in love and justice.

Prayer:

Father, I want my life to be lived according to Your ways. Show me Your truth and help me to walk in it every day of my life. I long for Your presence. I long for Your touch. I love You and want to represent You well in my generation. Teach me Your way and convict me when I mess up. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Honor the Prophet

 Scripture:

“The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Hosea is crying out over the sins of Israel and he is declaring punishment for God’s people because they have rejected His ways. In describing them, he says that they lay traps for the prophets and bring hostility against prophets even in the house of God. Societies can get to the place where they will not only refuse to listen to the prophetic voice of God, but will be hostile toward it.

Application:

We live in a day when these things are happening once again in our nation. We have walked away from God’s ways and have done whatever we wanted. Today, a true prophet is not honored. They are rejected because they don’t say what the culture and society want them to say. We must honor the prophetic word and humble ourselves before God as a nation. We desperately need to hear the prophetic voice once again in the Unites States of America.

Prayer:

Father, I ask You to work in my nation and in the world as a whole. We need You and Your ways once again. Let people humble themselves before You and let Your word go forth in every nation. Help me to walk in truth and not be deceived by the times we live in. Show me Your word and help me to follow You closely at all times.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Know God and Demonstrate Love

 Scripture:

“I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”‭‭ Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Hosea what He wants Israel and Judah to know. They had been prostituting their walk with Him and worshiping other gods. He was telling them He wanted them to show love, not sacrifices. He said He wants them to know Him more than He wants burnt offerings. God’s desire is for His people to know Him and walk with Him more than follow the rules.

Application:

God is more interested in our love for Him and knowing Him than He is with sacrifices and rules and regulations. Jesus was a rule breaker, but a lover of His Father. We need to realize that God is more impressed with how we love than He is with our discipline. We need to make our lives more about knowing God and showing love than about obeying all the rules. God wants our hearts.

Prayer:

Father, make me real. Teach me to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Show me how to love You well and to know You more intimately. I want to walk with You and to know You at a deeper level. Show me Your ways and Your desires. Teach me Your truths and let my life bring Your praise.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Face Down Worship

 Scripture:

“Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭44‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel had many encounters with God. He always feel on his face when in the presence of God. Usually an angel would stand him back up, but his reaction was always to go face down before the Lord. He knew how to respond to the glory of the Lord.

Application:

We must learn how to react to the glorious presence of the Lord. When we encounter Him, our reactions should be face down worship. It seems like this is the reaction throughout the Bible. Face down worship is where I want to be. I love to worship the Lord and be in His presence, face down on the floor. There is something very special about that act of humility toward God.

Prayer:

Father, I want more and more encounters with You. Teach me to react with face down worship when I sense Your presence. I want to worship and serve You well and with the utmost respect for Your presence. Move in our midst here in Argentina. Come Holy Spirit and work in and through our team.

Completely Yours,

Jeff

Last Days Preparation

 Scripture:

“When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see.”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭39‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here about bringing Israel home after a long period of time and restoring them. This is a continuation of the valley of dry bones and the word concerning Gog. In our generation, we have witnessed the coming home of Israel to its homeland. We have witnessed God working on behalf of His people Israel in special ways. Truly Israel is blessed by God. One day, all nations will see its glory. Until then, there will be fighting.

Application:

We must realize we are living in the last days prophesied about thousands of years ago. We have witnessed Ezekiel 37 and are preparing for Ezekiel 38-39. The time of the return of Christ to rule and reign is coming upon us quickly. We must work for the Lord while there is time. The day is coming when we cannot work anymore. Now is not the time to be selfish, but to live for God’s purposes.

Prayer:

Father, use me in these last days for Your glory. Work with me and through me for Your purposes to be established. Thank You for choosing me and calling me. It is a pleasure to serve You and Your kingdom. Help me to keep my eyes on eternity and bring as many to Christ as possible before He comes again. Move in Argentina this week as we have come to establish Your Kingdom here in greater measure.

Yours,

Jeff

Israel in Prophecy

 Scripture:

“I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

In this passage, Israel was nothing but dry bones that were very dry and with no life in them. God said He would resurrect them and breathe life into them again. This passage was fulfilled when Israel became a nation again in 1948. This morning’s passages are so clear that in a distant time, today, God would restore Israel. In chapter 38 it talks about Gog coming down and invading them. This could happen any day in our world right now.

Application:

We must be ready for the fulfillment of all things. God said Israel would be scattered and dead, but that He would restore her. I also see in these passages a new Temple being rebuilt. Now is the time to work on God’s behalf and do what we must do for His kingdom. Time is short and things are heating up for the coming of our Lord. We must remain ready at all times. Until He comes again, I want to be about my father’s business.

Prayer:

Father, pour out Your Spirit here in Argentina as we have come to proclaim Your Good News. Heal the sick, deliver the oppressed and let many turn to Christ. Work with us this week as we continue to give our all for Your purposes. Flow through us and revive this nation for Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Hated Now, Respected Later

 Scripture:

““And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the Lord.””  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭29‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel had been prophesying terrible things for Israel, Judah, and all the surrounding nations. I’m sure everyone hated Ezekiel for his words from the Lord, they were almost never good. He faithfully obeyed the Lord, no matter how unpopular he became. Now, Israel has revived and the world is looking to the words of Ezekiel to see what is next and respecting his prophetic words. 

Application:

Sometimes God gives us hard things to do. We must remain faithful to complete the assignments He gives us, whether people like what we have to say or not. Real fruit is determined much later. The words that are not accepted now, will be proven true later, and everyone will respect your words. Our job is to be faithful, whether people want to hear or not, and leave the results in God’s hands.

Prayer:

Father, help me not to live by sight, but by faith. Let me accomplish Your will with my life. Teach me Your ways and let me accurately teach Your word. Let me always fear You over fearing any person. Let me finish my days strong and faithful to all You have commissioned me to do.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

We Are His Temple

 Scripture:

“and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God was trying to wake up Israel and told them He was going to destroy them if they didn’t turn back to Him. In this passage, I see God saying He will defile His Temple, the source of their security and pride and the place their hearts delight. The Temple, in their day, was the place that housed the presence of God Almighty. The Temple gave them peace and safety. Similarly, the presence of God, which now resides in us, bring us peace, safety, and security.

Application:

The Israelites felt that everything was going to be okay when they saw the Temple. Today, God’s presence within us should give us comfort and confidence that everything is going to be okay. God no longer lives in a man made temple, but in the hearts of His people. We must remember that when things get difficult. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, there is nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Your presence is heaven to me. Let me always know and walk in Your presence. Teach me to function in this world with Your presence around me and in me. I long for You and want You to lead me, guide me, and direct my steps. I am Yours. 

Yours,

Jeff

Then You Will Know

 Scripture:

“You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭23‬:‭49‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had been prophesying about Israel and Judah continuously through Jeremiah and now Ezekiel. He was telling them that judgment was coming for their sins. God spoke through the prophets about the judgment coming if His people didn’t repent. He told them He would do terrible things to them, but then always ends with, “then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.” God longs for His people to know Him as Sovereign Lord.

Application:

God wants us to know He is Lord over all. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at once, God! He longs for His people to walk with Him in covenant and to bless them, but walking with God is all about obedience. When we walk in obedience, we are blessed. When we do our own thing, God is not honored. Better to know Him as Savior now than to know Him as judge later. He doesn’t have to do anything else to make Himself known to us. We know, and therefore, we must live accordingly.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, Sovereign Lord, let my life bring You glory and honor. Teach me to listen and respond now instead of having to be taught later. I don’t want You to have to do anything to show me You are Lord. You are Lord, and I want to serve You well. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Repentance and Realignment

 Scripture:

“Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is crying out here to Israel telling them to put their rebellion away and find a new heart and a new spirit. His reason, He doesn’t want them to die. He wants them to turn back and live. God disciplines like a good father, He hates to do it, but He will do it if necessary. His goal is our blessing, but we have to align with Him ways to receive His blessing.

Application:

When we mess up, we simply have to turn back, or repent, and live. God loves it when His people admit their sins, and turn away from them. When we realize there is anything in our lives that displeases the Lord, we need to be quick to repent and turn to God. He longs for us to make things right because He longs to bless us. He just can’t until we are doing things His way according to His covenant.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome and powerful! You are majestic and glorious! You are everything to me. Be with me today. Walk with me and talk with me today. Empower me to flow with You on our trip to Argentina. Speak through me. Work through me. I give myself to You completely today. Be glorified in my life. Eliminate anything that pulls me away from You. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

God Always Reaffirms His Covenant

 Scripture:

“And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16‬:‭62‬-‭63‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel had been prophesying death and destruction to Israel and Judah for their many sins. In this passage we see a turning from punishment back to blessing. God told them He would reaffirm His covenant with them, they will repent and be full of shame, and He will forgive them. God’s heart is always for restoration.

Application:

Even when God allows us to go through terrible things because of our mistakes, He is always looking forward to our return to Him. He waits for us to cry out to Him. He longs for us to depended on Him and trust Him. He has to let us go through things to teach us, but His heart is always on restoration. We must learn to be the same. If God’s heart is always for restoration, our heart should be as well.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are high and lifted up and Your glory is incredible! I love You and worship You today. Teach me Your ways and help me to live according to them. Help me to always seek restoration when people mess up. Help me to always see the day of renewal and blessings instead of just what is happening at the current moment. 

Your Son,

Jeff 

False Prophecy

 Scripture:

“Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ even though the Lord never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies!” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Ezekiel is full of words against the prophets who are not prophesying accurately. In this passage, he says that prophets were saying, ‘This message is from the Lord,” even though God never sent them. He goes on to say that they even expect God to fulfill their prophesies. The rest of the chapter speaks of God’s judgment on those who claim to prophesy, but don’t really have a word from God.

Application:

It is dangerous to prophesy out of our own spirit. When we speak prophetically, we must seek the Lord and deliver what He wants us to speak, whether good or bad. Sometimes God has blessings for people and announces it through a prophetic word. Sometimes God has judgment coming and needs to tell the people their sins so they will repent and turn to Him. We must be ready to deliver both types of words and not just the positive ones.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to know Your voice clearly and accurately. I want to prophesy with laser focus and my words to be directly from You. You only back up what You speak. Let me speak Your words, and Your words only. Teach me to hear clearly and prophesy accurately because I want to represent You well, whether what I have to say is popular or not. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Provoking God’s Anger

 Scripture:

““Have you seen this, son of man?” he asked. “Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger?” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭8‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Ezekiel in this passage about the sins of the people of Judah. God asks Ezekiel if it was nothing for His people to be walking away from Him and worshiping other gods. God says they were provoking His anger through the worship of other gods. I see hear how deeply the Lord loves us and wants us committed to Him and Him alone. He is a jealous God and doesn’t want to share His people with any other gods.

Application:

We need to see out sins and mess ups how God sees them. When we walk away from Him and His ways, He sees it as us provoking Him, thumbing our noses at I’m and committing detestable sins. God hates sin and disobedience and we must live our lives with this in mind. We love to talk about the love of God, but we are to also have a healthy fear of God.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You honor. Help me to live in such a way that You are pleased. When I get off going my own direction, put me back of course. Teach me to follow Your ways and to know Your heart. Let my life be lived for Your glory. I want to live a life You are pleased with and that You bless.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Then You Will Know

Scripture:

“The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

The entire chapters of today’s reading were filled with God declaring judgment and pain and suffering on His people Israel. Over and over He declares judgment on them, then declares, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” He is basically saying, “I don’t want to do this, but since you are going your own way and doing your own thing, I will let you but it won’t end well. His desire would be that they would simply serve Him and trust Him and know that He is the Lord, then none of this would need to happen.

Application:

God simply wants His people to do what they know they should be doing. He wants a people who listen. To His decrees and live according to His laws. His desire is to bless His people, but we must act like His people and live His way. There is nothing to fear when we are serving God completely and with our full hearts. It is when we don’t acknowledge Him and live to serve Him that things start going crazy. The answer is quick and complete obedience. 

Prayer:

Father, I hear Your heart in this and many other passages. You heart is found repeated over and over, “then they will know that I am the Lord.” I know You are Lord. Help me to serve You well. Work in my life, my family, my church, and my region. Use my life for Your glory and let my life bring Your honor and praise. May You never have to say, “then you will know I am the Lord.”

Speak What God is Saying

 Scripture:

“You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious!”  ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When God called Ezekiel, God’s people were in captivity due to their unfaithfulness to the Lord. God wanted to bless them, but they wouldn’t obey Him. In His commission to Ezekiel, God tells him that he must give them messages from the Lord, but that won’t listen. The Lord then tells him that he must deliver the messages whether they listen to not, because they were not going to listen. He was called to deliver messages from God that nobody was going to listen to.

Application:

We all enjoy a pat on the back and to be told that we preached a good message. We like to preach and teach things that make people feel good. Ezekiel was told to deliver messages nobody was going to adhere to. God gave him a backbone of steel so he would continue, but he had to be obedient to God and not please man. We need to have that level of respect for the Lord. We need to deliver the messages He gives us, whether others think it is right or not.

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of it all. You are great and glorious. I love You with all my heart. Help me to follow You well and to deliver whatever messages You put in my heart. Let my heart be Your heart and let my mouth be Your mouth. Teach me to fear You over any man or woman. Let me be a faithful messenger, delivering Your word to whoever You place in front of me. Bless our upcoming trip and let multitudes come to Jesus.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Hospitality

 Scripture:

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us here that we need to show hospitality to strangers because sometimes we are entertaining angels and don’t know about it. We must be cautious with how we treat strangers. We should not be quick to judge from a distance when we don’t know people. We need to love and treat every person we meet with true hospitality and love, with no thought about whether they might be an angel or not. 

Application:

Treating people with hospitality is very important in our lives. We should live lives that make everyone feel welcomed and loved around us. We should treat strangers well and should do it from a right heart. People see Jesus in us through our actions and how we treat others. May we set a good example for people to see the risen Christ, working through our lives. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to practice hospitality well. Help me to never treat people in a wrong way, but to treat each person with dignity and respect. I want to make You look good in and through my life. I want my interactions with people to exemplify Christ. I want my hospitality to be at the highest levels. I want to serve You well in my generation.

Yours Always,

Jeff

Great Reward

 Scripture:

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us not to throw away our confident trust (faith) in the Lord. He continues by saying that faith brings a great reward to us. It appears from here that there are different levels of reward in the Kingdom of God. Great reward is what I’m after.

Application:

We can’t lose heart and give up on God at any point. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly apogee what we can ask, think, or imagine. Our job is to remain walking in faith. When we do, there is a great reward coming. We don’t serve God to get rewards, but the reality is that there is a reward system in heaven and I want a full and great reward when I see Jesus face to face. 

Prayer:

Lord God, I want to walk by faith and not by sight. Teach me to obey You at all times. Show me the way forward each and every day. I am Yours and I ask You to lead me daily by Your Spirit. Show me how to receive that great reward when I see You. I long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Prayers of Jesus

 Scripture:

“While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews says here that God heard Jesus, not because He was the Son of God, but because of His deep reverence for God. Jesus had a deep reverence for God His Father. He prayed with loud cries and tears to His Father, knowing God was hearing and would help Him in every situation.

Application:

God doesn’t play favorites. He hears everyone who calls on Him, especially when they have deep reverence and respect for Him. He also loves heartfelt prayers that are more like cries and pleading. We must come to God in desperation at times in deep reverence and respect for who He is. Then our prayers will be answered.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of my everything. You are my strength and my heart. You are my vision and my desire to. Teach me, show me, and lead me in paths of righteousness. Help me to pray effective prayers that are deeply reverential. Teach me to pray well and lead well. Help me in all areas to honor You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Power of the devil is Broken

 Scripture:

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus became human in order that He may break the power of the devil over humans. The author says that Jesus became flesh and blood so He could die and break the power of death and the power of the devil. God needed a perfect sacrifice to defeat the devil once and for all. He needed tat sacrifice to be God and man.  Jesus came and broke the power of death and the devil.

Application:

We must begin to believe what Jesus did for us and walk it out. The power of the devil has been broken, we give him too much credit! Jesus became human so we could also have power over the enemy. We must realize what God has done for us and worship Him at greater levels as well as live a life of faith.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to walk in victory over the power of the devil and death. Teach me to live in the power of the resurrection 100%. I want to walk in everything You died to enable in my life. Let the power of the enemy be broken in every are of my life. Physical, spiritual, emotional, etc. Bring wholeness to me and my family, and my, church, and community.

Yours Forever,

Jeff Jacob

More Than a Slave

 Scripture:

“He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.” ‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul writes this letter to Philemon concerning Onesimus, his former slave. Onesimus had met Paul in prison and became a follower of Christ. As a follower of Jesus, Paul felt he needed to go home and reconcile with Philemon so Paul sent a letter with him told him, “He is no longer like a slave to you, He is more than a slave, for he is a brother.” Paul was telling him that his former slave had met Jesus and now was more than a slave, he was a brother. Old things are passed away and everything becomes new.

Application:

When people come to Christ, everything is made new. There are still ramifications for things done before Christ, but as a believer, we must see people as more than their former state. We must see a new creation. We must receive them as brothers. Paul understood this well because he had been accepted by the people he was trying to kill before his conversion. What we were before Christ, is not who we are after Christ. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to see people like You see them. Help me to never judge people by their past, but by their relationship with You. Teach me to see more than a slave when I see people in Christ. Help me to see the new man instead of the old. Thank you for loving me. Help me to love and defend others as well.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Creator God

 Scripture:

“The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭51‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah was commissioned by the Lord to pronounce terrible disaster on Babylon in this chapter. In the midst of God railing against Babylon, there is a short reprise that gives praise to God. Jeremiah declares that the Lord made the heavens and the earth with His power, wisdom, and understanding. He is the awesome God, to be loved by His people and dreaded by His enemies.

Application:

I recently heard someone giving honor to the Universe for something that happened in their life. I was so bothered by that. Why give honor to the universe when You can have a relationship with the one who created the universe? I don’t understand people and where they get their thoughts. I have a close relationship with the God who can obliterate countries with one breath from His mouth. I serve the God who created everything we see around us and nothing is too difficult for Him. We must realize the awesomeness of the God we serve.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious! You are mighty and majestic! You are worthy of all glory and honor. I honor You today. You are my everything! Without You in my life, I am nothing. I submit to You this morning and want to walk in step with You every day of my life. Teach me to follow You well and to understand You more each day. You are incredible!

Yours,

Jeff

Justice and Mercy

 Scripture:

“I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Edom from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭49‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah in this passage concerning Edom. As He speaks to them, He tells them that He is coming against them and will chase them from Edom like a lion chasing a sheep. He then tells them He will appoint the leader He wants and lets them know that they can’t challenge Him or oppose Him because He is God Almighty.

Application:

Although we don’t like to see God as wiping out populations and taking over governments to make them do His will, we must read the Bible as truth. God is all-powerful and uses governments, leaders, etc. to enforce His will at times. Sometimes we forget that God puts up and God brings down. he is more in control than we give Him credit for. When God decides to execute judgment, look out! Our place is to walk in the fear of the Lord and to walk in obedience to Him at all times. If I err in life, I want it to be on the side of fearing God and living for Him to the best of my ability. 

Prayer:

Father, many don’t like to read about Your judgment on nations and Your justice. Many won’t read thing like we read today because it doesn’t seem to be the actions of a loving God. Show me Your love and justice. Show me your judgment and mercy. Teach me to know You more and more and to please You in all I do. I want to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done on the earth like it is in heaven.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Accurate Prophecy

 Scripture:

““But how can it be still when the Lord has sent it on a mission? For the city of Ashkelon and the people living along the sea must be destroyed.””  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭47‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah prophesies here about the city of Ashkelon and the people living along the sea. He says they must be destroyed. This sounds like the headlines from the last three weeks in the Israel/Hamas war. Quite literally, this is going on right now and is in the news every day. We hear the city of Ashkelon in the Gaza Strip next to the Mediterranean Sea. The Prime Minister of Israel has declared that Hamas must be completely destroyed.

Application:

God fulfills every promise He ever makes. Sometimes He does it immediately. Sometimes He predicts things that are generations in the future. If God said it…It will come to pass! We can rest confidently in the prophetic word of the Lord. Countless prophesies have come to pass already and many, many more are yet to come. Our place is the trust the Lord, who has all power in His hands.

Prayer:

Father, I yield my life to You. You are incredible and I love You immensely. You have been good to me for many years and I appreciate You. Help me to trust Your word more and more as I read it in the headlines. Help establish my faith in Your word. Teach me to walk in step with You every day of my life and to speak accurately on Your behalf.

Yours,

Jeff

Obedience

 Scripture:

“Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.””  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

A group of men approached Jeremiah and asked him to talk to the Lord on their behalf. They knew that obedience to God was a requirement for answered prayer so they said, “Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God… if we obey Him, everything will turn out well for us.” They knew that things always turn out better when we obey God and do what He says.

Application:

Sometimes we want God to do His part in answering our prayers, but we forget that we have a part to play. Obedience unlocks the blessing of God in our lives. We must be willing to do whatever He says, whether we like it or not. Obedience to God always brings blessing and answered prayers. Why should God answer our prayers if we are not faithful to do what He asks us to do? As a parent, I feel hurt when my sons ask for things, but don’t want to listen to what I have to say.

Prayer:

Father, empower me to walk in obedience to You and Your Word at all times. I don’t want to use You just to get things, but want to work together to make a difference in the world. Show me Your ways and teach me Your paths. Let my answer always be YES.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Desire of God

 Scripture:

“Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah records the thoughts of God in this passage. God says through Jeremiah that perhaps the people of Judah would repent when they hear how terrible it’s going to be, THEN I will be ABLE to FORGIVE them of their sins. God’s desire was that they would hear and repent so He could bless them. God wants to forgive us, but we must be willing to repent when we do wrong.

Application:

God desperately wants to bless our lives and forgive our sins and mess ups, but He works with us through repentance. His desire for us is blessing, blessing, blessing, but He needs us to repent of trusting things other than Him. Our place is repentance and a humble heart before God. His place is to forgive us when we mess up. When the two each do their part of the covenant, it is powerful and God’s will gets accomplished. 

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk with You. Teach me to know Your voice and to delight in Your ways. Help me to walk humbly before You all the days of my life. When I need to repent, let me do it quickly. When I mess up, let me quickly respond to Your voice. Show me daily how to walk in step with Your Spirit. I submit myself to You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Everlasting Love

 Scripture:

“Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.’” Jeremiah 31:3

Observation:

Jeremiah had been prophesying about God’s people being invaded and deported by other countries because of their sin and rebellion to God’s laws. In this passage, he shows God’s heart for His people. He tells them, that He has always loved them with a love that is everlasting. He says He drew them to Himself from the beginning. His place was love unending, their place was rebellion.

Application:

Before the foundations of the world were established, God loved us. His love is everlasting for those who are His. He will never stop loving us. He may need to discipline us, but never out of hatred, out of love. His love never fails, even when we fail. We can rest in God’s unfailing love. He loves us when we mess up and when we don’t. 

Prayer:

Father, Your love is amazing! Thank You for loving me and taking care of me like You do. You are faithful and I can rely on You, trust You, and depend on You. You don’t love me one day and hate me the next. Your love is reliable and trustworthy. Thank You for demonstrating Your love to me by sending Your own Son to die on a cross for me. You are worthy of my greatest love and devotion. Help me to serve You well in my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Accurate Prophecy

 Scripture:

“So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.””  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭28‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Here, Jeremiah says that a prophet who predicts peace when trouble is coming, must show he is right. The proof of prophetic accuracy is when those predictions come true. A prophet must be judged on accuracy, not emotion or feelings. Many people bring good words, but God is more impressed with conveying His truth than with people liking what we say.

Application:

The proof is in the pudding is a saying in the U.S. When prophecy is accurate, it will come to pass. When we judge a prophet, it must be on accuracy of predictions and not our emotions or feelings. We may not like what he or she is saying, but we must listen because of their accuracy. For me personally, I want to prophesy with accuracy. I want to be used by God in this gift stronger and stronger, and I want to see fruit of things happening that were predicted.

Prayer:

Father, use me in the prophetic ministry. I am Yours and I want all I do to bring Your glory. Help me to see what You are doing and say what You are saying. Help me to convey accurately, Your heart on things. I want to make You look good. I am Yours and all I have is Yours. Help me to live and walk with You and know Your voice.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

False Prophets

 Scripture:

“Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭27‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God was speaking through Jeremiah and telling all the nations they would have to submit to the king of Babylon. There apparently were other prophets who were saying it would never happen and that the king of Babylon wouldn’t conquer them. Jeremiah calls them liars and says not to listen to them.

Application:

We need to be cautious who we listen to. Today, there are thousands of voices competing for our listening. We need to be very sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit so we know what He is saying at all times. There are those who tell us only what we want to hear and not what God is saying. We must steer clear of them and listen for the voice of God for ourselves. 

Prayer:

Lord, give me discernment to know what is of You and what is not. So many today are sharing prophetic words about Israel, the Middle East, wars, etc. I want to know Your voice. Don’t let me be led astray by something that sounds good and right, but is not You. Keep my ears and eyes open to know what You are speaking and doing in the earth. Let me speak with accuracy what You want me to say to Your people.

Your Son,

Jeff

Prophesy Accurately

 Scripture:

“But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God was telling Jeremiah that the prophets were prophesying in His name, but they were really prophesying their own thoughts. God doesn’t like to be misrepresented. He is like us. He doesn’t like people to put words in His mouth that He didn’t say. He was very angry because of people prophesying what He never said to them and saying it was a “prophecy from the Lord.”

Application:

Prophecy is real and powerful. God uses it to communicate and confirm what He is doing in the earth. True prophets speak what the Lord is saying. Some people claim to be prophesying in the name of the Lord and on His behalf, but they are speaking from their own minds. We need to be careful with prophetic words and make sure it is God and not ourselves. We should not take prophecy lightly, but should realize when we prophesy that we are representing the Lord and we need to represent Him true and well.

Prayer:

Father, I love to speak Your prophetic words into people’s lives. Help me to hear clearly and prophesy accurately. Speak through me Lord. I want to accurately speak what You are saying in this generation. Speak Lord, Your servant in listening. Help me not to speak what I think, but what is accurately conveying what You want to say to Your people.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

The Mighty Warrior Beside Me

 Scripture:

“But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭20‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah declares here that the Lord stands beside him like a great warrior who will cause his enemies to stumble. He felt he could not be defeated because the Lord, the mighty warrior, was beside him. Jeremiah had to prophesy some very difficult things that made a lot of people mad, but he knew the Lord had his back.

Application:

God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is with us! We need to remember that when things are difficult. I need to remember that the Lord stands beside me at all times and He is a mighty warrior. Knowing this gives me strength to stand when things are falling apart around me. This weekend we have been singing, “This is how I fight my battles” a lot. The second phrase says, “it may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You.” God’s got us. He’s standing right there with us. Therefore, we can be bold.

Prayer:

Father, thank for walking beside me as a mighty warrior. You are the best and it is an honor to serve You. Help me to serve You well in my generation. Let me walk with You as close as possible. I want to know You more and more. Walk with me and talk with me. I’m Yours.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Cling to the King

 Scripture:

"As loincloth clings to a man's waste, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory - an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me." Jeremiah 13:11

Observation:

Israel and Judah had forsaken the Lord and were worshiping other gods. God confronts them through Jeremiah and tells them that they were created to cling to Him like a loincloth, but they wouldn't. He wanted them to be his glory, honor, and pride, but they chose differently and to be like other nations. 

Application:

We were created to cling to God with all our hearts. He loves it when we are clingy. He loves it when we look to Him to fight our battles and intervene in our lives. We have been grafted into the family of God and His desire for Israel and Judah is now His desire for us. We must cling to God like a loincloth clings to a person.

Prayer:

Father, help me to cling to You in every situation and never to try to work apart from You. I want to be as close as my skin. I long for Your presence, Your touch, and Your glory. I long to know You more intimately. You are my everything. Teach me to be clingy.

Forever Clinging to You,

Jeff

Boast in God and Not in Self

 Scripture:

"This is what the Lord says, 'Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!'"

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah here to His people. He tells them not to boast in anything but Him. Their wisdom, power, and riches, won't get them anywhere. Rather, they should boast in knowing and understanding the Lord, who is faithful, loving, just, and righteous. When we know and boast in Him, He will take care of us.

Application:

We should never boast about our accomplishments. We should only boast about the Lord. Without Him, we can do nothing anyway. He is the source of every good thing and not we ourselves. He is the one who blesses His children and not simply our hard work. God closed this section saying he delights when we honor Him. We must learn to honor God in all things in our lives. When we do, we will see the day of His incredible blessing.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You have blessed my life in so many ways. You are the source of every good thing in my life. You are incredible and I want to give you praise, glory, and honor. You are my all in all. My everything. Without You, I can do nothing. With You, I can charge enemy forces. I don't want to walk a single step in my life without Your guidance, protection, and provision.

Yours Truly,

Jeff

Superficial Treatments to Mortal Wounds

 Scripture:

“They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah to the prophets and priests of God’s people. He says that they offer superficial treatments for their mortal wounds and they assure peace when there is no peace. What God was saying was that, no matter how much your prophecy and preach, if people don’t align themselves with the things of God and live as He desires, they will not experience real healing and deliverance. Unless we change our behavior, we will never have peace and healing.

Application:

Life change is necessary for healing in many cases. Sometimes we are trying to rebuke the results of our poor decisions. As Pastor Garcia would say, “You can’t rebuke a harvest.” Our walk with God must go deeper than the superficial if we are going to heal mortal wounds. Our walk with God must provide peace in our lives before we can offer peace to others.

Prayer:

Father, I don’t want to give superficial treatments to people’s mortal wounds. I want to see real, true, healing that flows from Your throne. I want to see lives transformed by Your power. I don’t want anything fake or phony. I want You. Come and meet us this weekend at our staff retreat. Move by Your power in our midst. Heal our staff from mortals wounds and cause them to have real peace that only comes from You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Pride and Power

 Scripture:

“O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah is told here to confront the people of God and tell them to surrender their pride and power and to change their hearts before God. If they don’t, they could expect God’s anger to burn against all their sins. Pride and power are the roots of so many sins. God asks us to lay down pride and power and pick up humility and brokenness before Him. 

Application:

Pride and power must be rooted out of our lives. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. We must remain vigilant and not let pride and power seeking into our lives. When we feel like we can do life without God, we will fall every time. When we lean on Him for everything, we will succeed. We must learn to change our hearts and walk in humility and submission to the plans and purposes of God.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and I love You more each day. Teach me to follow You well all the days of my life. Help me to eliminate pride and power and learn to walk in humility and surrender to You and Your desires. Show me how to live well every day and let me help others to do the same.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Springs or Cisterns?

 Scripture:

““For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking to His people and tells them that they have abandoned the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns that can’t hold water at all. God is the fountain of living water that flows from His throne, cisterns are our attempts to hold water. God is looking for a people who remain committed to the fountain rather than try to build a cistern, a man made way of holding water.

Application:

God is the source of everything we need. When we try to build our own ways and make things happen without Him, we are building cisterns to hold something only He can give anyway. Our best attempts will never satisfy life a never ending spring. God is not interested in our ways, He wants us to be interested in His ways. His ways are better than ours. We can’t make happen in the flesh what God started in the Spirit. 

Prayer:

Father, take away any cisterns I have created. Jesus said we would have living water coming like a spring from our lives. I want to let the river flow and not try to create a manmade replacement. I want to be connected to the source of life at all times. Help me to stay in tune with You all the days of my life and not miss out on what You are speaking at any time. I want to finish strong in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Qualities of a Spiritual Father

 Scripture:

“Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.”  ‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing a letter to Titus here and giving him instructions on what to do and how to do it as a leader in God’s Church. He instructs Titus to teach the older men to exercise self-control, be worthy of respect and to live wisely. He says they must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. I see a challenge to older men to live lives that are respectful and worthy of respect.

Application:

As I get older and study spiritual fathering, these are things I need to have strongly in my life to father well.As a spiritual father, one must have self-control, wisdom, and life that is respectable. I must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. I need to exhibit these things to give fatherly advice and wisdom. I need to have these thing before I can give them away. 

Prayer:

Father, let me exude self-control, wisdom, and a life worthy of respect. Let me walk in sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Let these things flow from my life. I don’t want to lead anyone astray, but want to help put men on a solid foundation and show them how to live well. Enable me to raise up strong sons in the faith.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

WAIT for GOD

 Scripture:

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah cries out to the Lord here and makes a strong declaration. He says that since the beginning of the world, ears and eyes haven’t heard or seen a God like YHWH. He not only is powerful, but He works for those who wait for Him! No other God answers like God Almighty. No other god saves like YHWH. The only problem is, He doesn’t always do it in our timing. Sometimes He asks us to wait.

Application:

When we have don’t all we can do, sometimes we simply have to wait on God. God works on behalf of those who wait on Him. I need to learn to wait longer without getting frustrated. I need to learn to trust God when it seems He is taking His time. I need to learn patience and trust more in my life. I like to see things happen NOW, but God may want me to WAIT.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You AND Your timing. Teach me not to rush ahead of You or to think You are not going to come through. I know that with FAITH and PATIENCE we inherit the promises of God, but I don’t like to wait. Teach me to trust You completely and to wait for You to move instead of trying to move things myself. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Not WEAK Not DEAF

 Scripture:

“Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah commands us to listen because God’s arm isn’t weak and His ear is not deaf. God is all-powerful and hear the faintest cry we cry. His ear is attuned to His people’s voices and His arm is ready to defeat whoever comes against us. When we are in trouble, we must run to Him.

Application:

God reminds us here that He isn’t weak, but strong to save us. We must never see any situation as too much for God to handle. We must cry out to Him, knowing He hears and that He is able to do whatever needs done for us. Then we must walk in faith, believing He is working on our behalf.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more each day. Help me to realize that Your arm is mighty and strong, and that You will use it to defeat my enemies. I place my full trust and reliance in You. I know You hear me when I call. Help me to know deep in my heart that You are working at all times in my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Reflecting God’s Characteristics

 Scripture:

“This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭56‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks in this passage and says to be just and fair. He goes on to tells us to do what is right and good because He is coming to rescue us and display His righteousness among us. There are four key words for us to work on in this passage. We are to be just, fair, right and good.

Application:

God is coming to display His righteousness, but in the meantime, we are to display what is just, fair, right, and good. Our lives should be a representative of what is important to our God. I need to walk in justice and fairness always because I represent Him and He is just and fair. I need to focus on doing right and good to everyone around me because I am His representative. We are to reflect the character of God in our lives. I need to keep this in my heart throughout each day.

Prayer:

Lord, You are amazing and it is an honor to serve You. Help me to reflect You more each day with my life. Let me live a life of justice, fairness, righteousness, and goodness. Empower me to do the right thing always. I don’t meant to miss out on one thing You have for me to do. Show me the way forward and I will follow. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

JESUS - The Name Above All Names

 Scripture:

“But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”” ‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God tells Isaiah here that there would be a time when He would reveal His name to His people and they would come to know its power. He says that then they would recognize it was Him that was speaking to them. I see here the revelation of God’s name and power. The NT says Jesus as been given a name that is above every other name that can be named. There is power in the name of Jesus.

Application:

We must realize the power that resides in the name of Jesus. His name is above all names. His power is beyond comprehension. When we speak the name of Jesus, we speak a name that is greater than anything that can come against us. When troubles come my way, I need to speak the name that brings comfort and healing. When I face difficult enemies, I need to speak the name that can defeat any foe. I need to call on the name of Jesus more and more.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, thank You for blessing us and opening Your word to us. Thank You for allowing us to use the name of Jesus, Your Son. I speak Jesus over my family. Jesus over my church. Jesus over my region. Jesus over every part of my life. I speak the name that is above all names. Rule in my life Jesus. Defeat my enemies Jesus. Show me the way forward and make a way when things are difficult. I lean on the name of Jesus. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

JOY and GLADNESS

 Scripture:

“Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse tells us that those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return with singing and everlasting joy. Those who have been ransomed will have no sorrow or mourning, rather, they will be filled with joy and gladness. Although this verse is directed at Israel, it covers us also as having been ransomed, or bought back, by the Lord.

Application:

Sorrow and mourning are not our future. They will pass away when we are the children of the Lord and walk in His ways. Rather, we will be filled with joy and gladness according to this verse. Joy and gladness is a choice we must make. We are not in control of what happens to us, but we are in control of how we respond and whether we will walk in joy and gladness or sorrow and mourning. I choose JOY this morning.

Prayer:

Father, I am the ransomed of the Lord. You paid a great price for my salvation and I want to return to the joy of the Lord and away from sorrow and mourning. I choose YOU today and I choose JOY today. Fill me with the joy of Your salvation  and let my life shine for You today. Let my joy be contagious today.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Obedience to God

 Scripture:

“Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭48‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here to His children. He says to Israel that He wishes they had listened to His commands because then they would have peace like a river and righteousness like waves of the sea. If they had listened to God their country, and personal lives, would be much different. You can hear in this passage that God strongly wished they had listened because He wanted to bless them with peace.

Application:

God’s commands are not to hurt us, but so He can bless us. His commands are not to be seen as regulations that are demanded, but as a Covenant to be entered into with promises. His promise is, If you do things they way I ask you, I will bless you with peace and victory over every enemy. If you do things your own way, I can’t protect You and a fight your battles. Our obedience is the key that unlocks the blessings of Almighty God.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your word. It is truly a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Your promises are awesome and I appreciate each one. Help me to take care of my part of the Covenant of obedience. Teach me to follow Your ways with all my heart. Help me to live a life that pleases You by Your Spirit. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

DO What He Says

 Scripture:

“You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.””  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here through Isaiah and tells the people of Israel that they see what is right, but don’t do it and they hear, but don’t really listen. God isn’t impressed with us seeing and hearing what we should do. He is impressed when we DO what we see needs done and DO what we hear in His word.

Application:

It is important in our lives to follow James’ words when he said that we shouldn’t just hear the word, but DO the word because then we are deceiving ourselves. As a believer, I must be a person of action. I have to DO the things I know He wants me to DO and to speak the things I know He wants me to speak. I have to be a person of action and not just seeing and hearing. We must do what we see and hear or our seeing and hearing is in vain.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, forgive me for the times I have heard, but not done things You have asked me to do. Forgive me for the times I have seen what needed done and did nothing about it. Help me to be a person of action and to lead Your people well. Show me the way forward and help me to communicate to others the importance of being people of action. Let my life be a life of obedience to all You speak to me.

Yours,

Jeff