Look Deeper

 Scripture:

“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told those who were accusing Him of working on the Sabbath to look beneath the surface so they could judge correctly. The entire sermon on the mount looks beneath the surface. Jesus continually looked beneath the surface of people and saw the heart. Jesus said even our words flow from our heart. Everything is better understood when you look deeper than the surface.

Application:

I want to see how Jesus sees. I want to look deeper into people than just what is on the surface. I want to judge as He would judge and walk as He would walk. I want to live from the heart and not just outward things that can be observed. I want to look deeper into my own life and judge correctly. I want to see things how Christ sees things.

Prayer:

Father, help me to not look at the outside, but the inside. Help me to not judge the outside, but the inside. For me, help me to live from the heart and not just rules and regulations. I want to live the Spiritual-filled life You died to provide for us. I want rivers of living water to flow from my life. I want to walk in the Spirit without measure. Help me to look deeper!

Yours,

Jeff

Point to Christ

 Scripture:

““You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” ‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking here and says some powerful truths that change everything if I read it as he said it. He told the people that they searched the Scriptures because they thought the Scriptures could give them eternal life, but Jesus told them that the Scriptures point to Him. In other words, eternal life comes from Him, not simply the Scriptures. The Scriptures point to Christ. Later He says that Moses spoke about Him. 

Application:

When we read the Old Testament, we must read it as it points to Jesus. We must see Christ in the OT as much as we see Him in the NT. Jesus should be the focus, whether we are reading the Law and the Prophets or the Epistles. Taking it a bit further, our job in life is not to point people to the Scriptures, but to point them to Christ.

Prayer:

Father, help me to point people to Christ and not just to the Scriptures. Let Jesus be the focus of my life and ministry. I want to point people to Christ, where they can receive eternal life. Help me to represent You well in my generation. Help me to lead others to eternal life in and through Jesus. Let JESUS be the center of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Without Limit

 Scripture:

“For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.”  ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Speaking of Jesus, John says, He was sent by God and speaks God’s words. He goes to the next level and says that Jesus was given the Spirit without limit and that the Father loves Him and has put everything in His hands. Jesus is the focal point of all history. He came to the earth He created and wasn’t received. He should have been heralded as the Son of God, but was rejected by those who should have recognized Him. He had the Spirit without limit. 

Application:

I love the phrase used of Jesus here, “God gives Him the Spirit without limit.” I want to walk in the Spirit without limit. I long to see the hand of God move powerfully and without limit. I don’t want my life, my choices, my decisions, my actions, to put a limit on the Spirit’s work in and through my life. I want to eliminate anything that stops the Spirit from moving without measure or in a limited capacity.

Prayer:

Father, as You gave Jesus the SPirit without limit. I don’t want my life to limit Your Spirit from working in and through my life. Come Holy Spirit and work through me. Let Your will be done in my life. I surrender to You and ask You to fill me without limit with Your Spirit. I long for intimacy with You Lord. You are my life. You are my everything. I long for You.

Yours Forever, 

Jeff

Face to Face

 Scripture:

“There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭34‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse tells us that there as never been anyone like Moses because the Lord knew him face to face. Moses had encounters with God that were unmatchable. He walked with God and the Lord used Him to deliver His people from Egyptian slavery. God met him on the mountain and gave him the Ten Commandments chiseled in stone by the hand of God twice. He interceded between God and the people often. He had a unique relationship with God Almighty.

Application:

I want to know God face to face like Moses did. I realize God had a special relationship with Moses because of what He needed to do through Moses, but I long to have the clarity of conversation Moses had with God. I long to know the Lord deeply and intimately. I long to fulfill His will in the earth as Moses did for his day.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You, “Face to Face.” I long to know Your thoughts and desires. I know Your word and it has blessed my life, but I want to know You. I want to know Your voice. I want to know Your thoughts. I long to see You face to face and to know exactly what You desire from me and for me. I long to have stronger intimacy with You.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

God Can and Does Provide

 Scripture:

“For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the Lord your God.”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭29‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God reminded His people as Moses was about toe leave the scene and they were about to enter the Promised Land, that for forty years He led them in the wilderness without their clothes wearing out. They ate and drank every day. He provided everything they “needed”. They were upset because they didn’t get what they “wanted”, but God gave them everything they needed. God miraculously provided for them as they journeyed.

Application:

If God can feed a couple million people in the wilderness for forty years and He could cause their clothes and sandals to never wear out, He is able to take care of us. We can trust the Lord our God with our entire lives. He knows the details and He knows how to provide for those who serve Him and do what He desires.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust you more and more. Teach me to follow You completely and walk in Your ways. Help me to follow You completely. You are worthy of my very best. Enable me to serve You well in my generation. I want to be completely Yours.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Promises, Promises

 Scripture:

““When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.”‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God reminds His people here that when they make a vow to God, they should honor it quickly because the Lord demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows. He goes on to say it is sin to make a vow and not fulfill it quickly. God takes making vows to Him very seriously. He would rather us not make vows than to make them and not honor them.

Application:

When we are in bad situations, sometimes we try to make a deal with God saying something like, “if You will get me out of the this situation, I’ll work for You the rest of my life.” God would rather hear, “Lord I need Your help. I’m stuck and I can’t get out of this situation. I messed up. Please forgive me.” Rather than making promises we won’t fulfill, God wants us to come to Him in humility and ask for His help. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to let my yes be yes and my no be no. Help me to not make vows I can’t or won’t fulfill. I want to serve You well! Teach me to walk in truth and honesty. I want to walk with You at a deeper level. Let me know You more and more. Reveal Yourself to me I pray. I long for You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Fights Our Battles When We Follow His Ways

 Scripture:

“He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As God’s people were about to enter the Promised Land, He spoke to them to remind them they should never be afraid of their enemies. He told them never to lose heart or panic because He was going to be with them and would fight against their enemies, and give them the victory. God promised that if they obeyed Him, He would wipe out their enemies and they would have nothing to fear.

Application:

Fear defeats so many people in so many different ways. Fear causes people to never advance in life. God tells us that if we follow Him completely and follow His ways, there is nothing to fear because He will defeat our enemies. The question for us is simply are we following the Lord completely, if so, there is nothing to fear. God is greater than whatever we fear. The other thing we must remember is that battles don’t mean you are doing something wrong, battles remind us that the enemy is still around, but God is greater.

Prayer:

Father, I am yours. I want to live a life that is completely surrendered to You and Your kingdom. I want to be available for whatever You open up and ask me to do. Help me to never be led by fear, but by faith. Help me to see You as the one who fights my battles and defends my life. Teach me to trust You more each day. You are my everything and I want to serve You well.

Your Son,

Jeff

Time in the Word

 Scripture:

““When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This command was for kings who sit on the throne of Israel. They were to personally copy the Word of God on a scroll, then read it daily as long as they were to live. It says in doing this that they will learn to fear the Lord and obey all His decrees and instructions. Making your own copy of God’s word would take a long time, but it would really settle it deep into your heart.

Application:

Daily being in the Word of God is crucial to us as believers. If the king needed to read it daily, so do I. When we spend time daily in the Word of God and in prayer, we will learn to fear the Lord and obey the Lord is what this verse says. We need to understand the fear of the Lord more in our generation. Maybe reading the Word daily will get us there.

Prayer:

Father, You are high and holy. You are worthy of honor and respect, and praise. You are my everything. Help me to remain in Your word all the days of my life. Thank You for showing me how to do my Daily Wash. I love Your Word and want to take it in daily that I may live according to it. Teach me to love Your Word and to learn to fear and obey You Better. Guide my life each day.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Give Generously to the Poor

 Scripture:

“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.”Deuteronomy‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God, as He was giving instructions to the Israelites about how to live in the Promised Land, told them that the poor and the foreigner they would always have with them. He tells them here to be generous in giving to the poor, and to not be grudging about it, then the Lord will bless everything you do.

Application:

God has much to say about us taking care of the poor. Jesus did as well. We must never stop blessing those who are poor among us. Sometimes it is easier to judge people and why they are in the situation they are in, than to just help them or give them something. We want to feel like we are making a good investment and they have to go through training to be wise financially. We were never told that in Scrpture, we were told to give to the poor.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious and worthy of honor and praise. You are holy and righteous and deserving of my best. Help me to never look down on people because of their economic situation, but to take care of the poor and give to them as Your describe in Your word. Help me to walk this life the way You desire. I long for your direction. I long for Your instruction. You are the only one worthy of my praise.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Blesses Obedience

 Scripture:

““Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭11‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As God was preparing the people of Israel to go into the Promised land, He spoke clearly to them bout how to live when they got there. He gave them commands, then said if you follow the commands, I will work with you to destroy your enemies and make you prosperous. In this passage God tells them to carefully obey all His commands and He would drive our all the nations, though they are much bigger than Israel. 

Application:

When we submit our lives and our ways to the Lord and do things the way He says, He will drive out anything in front of us that the enemy has planned. When we do things God’s way instead of our own, we can expect God to prosper us and make us successful. Our job is to do what He wants. He then loves to provide and take care of His children.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious. You are my life, my strength, my all in all. You are my everything? Teach me to follow Your ways. Bless my life and drive out any enemy that tries of get in the way. Lead me in the paths of righteousness. Bless my life, my family, and all those around me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fear, Serve, and Love the Lord

 Scripture:

““And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.”Deuteronomy‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As God was about to take Moses after 40 years in the wilderness, He had Moses speak to the people about what needed to happen when they entered the Promised Land. He told the people the bottom line of their requirement, fear God, live in a way that pleases Him, and love and serve Him with all your heart and soul. That was His requirement. It remained the main requirement of Jesus as well in the New Testament.

Application:

Fearing God, serving God, and loving God with all our heart and soul is His requirement of us. When we keep this the main thing, He will work out every other detail. When we fear the Lord and desire to stay in His will at all times, He will allow us to walk with Him and He will work everything out. He longs for us to fear Him, serve Him and love Him. When we do that, He unlocks the blessings of heaven.

Prayer:

Father, keep me aligned wit you at all times. I want to walk in step with You every day of my life. Lead me into all You have for me. Show me Your will and I will walk it out. Teach me to fear You, serve You and love You well. When I stand before You, I want to hear well done.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Love Covenant

 Scripture:

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is reminding His people of His covenant with them. He had met with them when the fire of His presence was on the mountain. He reminds them that He indeed, is God and that He is that faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes love on those who love Him and keep His commands. In other words, when we love God and do things His way, He will lavish His love and faithfulness on us. 

Application:

God made us an incredible covenant, sealed with the blood of His own Son. When we live like He says and remain completely devoted to Him, we will see His blessing, which is unbelievable. He is faithful to do His part when we do our part. Living a life abandoned to God will bring about an amazingly blessed life.

Prayer:

Father, You know my heart and the reason I do what I do. I want to serve You well and do what You put before me. You are faithful and have always blessed my life. Thank You for taking care of me as I have endeavored to live according to Your plans and purposes. Help me to finish well and accomplish all You have placed before me. Help me to say yes to all You have for me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

His Special Possession

 Scripture:

“Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here to the people of Israel just prior to entering the Promised Land. He reminds them that He rescued them from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt and made them His own people, His own special possession. They were special in God’s eyes and He let them know that.

Application:

In the New Testament, we Gentiles can look back at Jesus and remember that God brought us out of our bondage and slavery of sin and Satan the evil task master. When He saved me, I became His very own and His special possession. I am treasured by God and must remember that. I am completely His. He paid the price for my freedom and my life belongs to Him. I am His possession and not my own.

Prayer:

Father, help me to realize how much You love me. You saved me because You loved me. You brought me out of sin and junk because I am Your special possession. I am Yours. My life is Yours. My future is Yours. My everything is in Your hands. Lead me and guide me every step of the way. Show me how to serve You well in and with my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Goes Ahead of Us and Fights For Us

 Scripture:

““But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Lord is speaking here through Moses to Israel. He reminds them of how He brought them out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness. He told them not to be afraid or shocked because the Lord was going ahead of them and would fight for them as they had seen in Egypt. 

Application:

God is reminding me this morning that He is the same God who did the powerful acts of the Bible. He is the same God who did impossible things in the Word of God and He can still take care of me today. I need to trust Him to fight my battles and to bring me into the place He wants me to be. I can trust Him because I know He loves me and wants the best for me. I want God to direct my life in every detail.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never walk in fear, but to know You are going ahead of me into every battle, problem, or trial I face. Lead me to Your desires for my life. I yield to You and declare this morning, “not my will, but Yours be done.” Open the right doors for me and I will walk through them. Close all wrong doors in my life. Let my life bring You honor and extend Your kingdom in every way. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Fight For Others Inheritance

 Scripture:

“We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the Lord, but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan.””  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭32‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The men of the Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, decided to stay on the East side of the Jordan River. Moses told them they would have to go in with the rest of the tribes and fight for them, then they could come back and occupy the territory to the East. They left their wives, children, livestock, etc. and went and fought with the rest of Israel, then came back to their own possession.

Application:

Sometimes our inheritance is found in helping others obtain their inheritance. When we help others do what they are called to do, God will take care of what He has for us. I also see here that we are to help our brothers and sisters fight their battles. Sometimes we have to risk our lives for those we love and help them fight their enemies, then we can enjoy our peace and prosperity.

Prayer:

Father, I long to be one with You. I long to walk hand in hand and heart in heart with You. Help me to never resist what You tell me to do, but to help others fight their battles. Help me to have a heart for teamwork. Teach me to value what is a blessing to others and to help others succeed.

Yours,

Jeff

Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep

 Scripture:

“A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.”  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭30‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God tells us here that if we make an oath or a pledge, we must never break it. We must do exactly what we said we would do. Jesus took it even farther and taught us not to even make vows but to let your yes be yes and your no be no. 

Application:

It is better to not make any promises than to make promises you don’t fulfill. Many times when we are in desperate situations, we make promises to God and vows to Him. We would be better off not to make those vows, but to simply obey Him in all things and walk in submission to Him every day. It is better to fulfill an unspoken promise than to not fulfill a spoken promise. We need to be cautious with our mouths and not tell people we will do what we are not able to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me not to make promises I can’t keep. Teach me to walk as one with You and to do what You are doing and not do what You are not doing. Help me to walk in step with you. As yesterday we read about Balaam, I want to speak only what You are speaking. Help me to hear clearly Your words and to speak clearly on Your behalf. 

Yours,

Jeff

Godly Zeal

 Scripture:

“In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭25‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Phinehas heard about sins being committed in Israel with other gods. One man publicly took a Midianite woman into his tent to have sex with her. When Phinehas heard about it, he ran into the tent with a spear and drove it through him and into her. He was zealous for the Lord and God honored his generations for it. Through that one act, he purified Israel.

Application:

God honors zeal. He loves it when His people demonstrate their love for Him in passionate expression. In zeal, David danced before the Lord. In zeal, Phinehas killed in honor of the Lord. God loves it when we are zealous for Him. If I’m going to err in my life, I want it to be because I was too zealous and not because I sat around and did nothing. 

Prayer:

Father, let zeal for the things of God consume my life. Help me to live passionately for You at all times. I want to never burn out, but to grow more zealous in my latter years. Like the old song says, “Don’t let my love grow cold…Light the fire again.” Let me be led by my love and zeal for You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Not For Sale

 Scripture:

“‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says!” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭24‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Balaam was asked to curse the people of Israel by Balak. He told Balak that, even if he gave him his palace filled with silver and gold, he would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord. In other words, Balaam was going to say what the Lord told him to say no matter what the cost and no matter how much people tried to give him to change that.

Application:

We should never be for sale for money, possessions, power, or anything else. As a minister, I must make sure that I deliver God’s word to people whether they like it or not. My job is to communicate what God is saying and not think about people’s giving or anything else. We cannot be bought out by anyone, but remain faithful to the Lord in all things.

Prayer:

Father, help me to accurately and rightly divide the word of truth. Help me to never be influenced by those who give money, resources, etc. I want to represent You well in my days and speak on Your behalf. Teach me to hear clearly, and speak clearly what You want to communicate to Your people. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Signs

 Scripture:

“Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.” When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬, ‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When people were complaining about their leaders and who could go before the Lord, He gave them an assignment. He told each of the twelve tribal leaders to take their staff and bring it before the Lord. The next morning, the one that budded, was going to be the one the Lord chose.The next day, they went into the Tabernacle and Aaron’s rod had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds. God made it clear who He had chosen.

Application:

God confirms His word and His will with signs and wonders. In the New Covenant, we are all called a kingdom of priests, but God does call certain individuals to certain ministries and we must discern that. Asking God to confirm your ministry with signs is not a bad thing to do. We are not to tempt the Lord our God, but we can confirm if we are hearing from Him clearly.

Prayer:

Father, You have given me many signs through the years that You are with me. You have blessed my life over and over again. You have always provided for my family and You have been good to me. I never want to step out of Your will at any time. Help me to follow You well all the days of my life. I sincerely want to do Your will. Open the right doors and I will walk through them. Shut the wrong doors and I will be content. Show me signs I am doing the right thing.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

A Different Attitude

 Scripture:

“But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.”  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Twelve spies were sent into the Promised Land to look around and bring back a report about the land. They were suppose to just see what was there and provide information. They went further and made the determination that the people were too big and the cities too hard to fight against. Ten spies decided it was impossible to inhabit the land. Joshua and Caleb were against them and knew that it the Lord said to take it, they could do it. Caleb had a different attitude. His attitude demonstrated his confidence that if God was with them, they could do whatever was necessary. He believed in miracles.

Application:

I want to live a life of faith and not allow doubt to govern my endeavors. I want to always say “yes” when the Lord says go. I want to say “yes” when the problems look insurmountable. I want to have a different attitude from those around me. I want to have an attitude of faith the believes God can do what He says He can do.

Prayer:

Father, let me have a Caleb attitude. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. I long to do Your will above all else. Help me to not to see the oppositions, but to see the potential. I want to observe life through Your eyes. Teach me how to do that. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Arise O Lord!

 Scripture:

 “And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!””  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Israel was wandering in the wilderness, the Lord would lead them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Whenever they would move forward, Moses would shout, “Arise O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered!” He knew that if he called on the name of the Lord, his enemies would be dealt with by the Lord. 

Application:

When we move forward in whatever the Lord is leading us to do, we should have a similar cry, “Arise O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered.” When I go on mission, I should be saying, Arise O Lord and let your enemies be scattered. This is a powerful statement. I want to see God arise in our generation. When we call on the name of the Lord, He hears and answers. We should lean on Him more.

Prayer:

Arise O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered in my life, my family, my church, my region, and everywhere I go. My faith and trust is in You and You alone. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to speak faith declarations. Lead me and let me hear Your voice clearly.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wait for God

 Scripture:

“Moses answered, “Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the Lord.”” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Moses didn’t know what to do, he would not proceed. He didn’t want to do anything out of God’s will or without God’s permission. This is a beautiful heart of humility and obedience to the Lord. Many people would just proceed as they plan, envision, etc., but Moses needed to hear from God.

Application:

In our lives and churches today, we pretty much do what we want, then ask God to bless it. We don’t wait for God to give the instructions, we simply proceed with what we think is best. We look to Scripture to know God’s overall will, then we build a strategy to accomplish God’s recorded will in Scripture. This is beautiful, but is it what God wants? Shouldn’t we go to Him first, then simply obey and do as He says?

Prayer:

Father God, I want to walk with You as Moses did. I want You to speak clearly to me. I love to hear Your voice and to follow Your path. I don’t want to build my church in my way, I want to build Your church in Your way. Help me to seek You for every step instead of simply doing the next thing everyone else is doing. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Vows

 Scripture:

““This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the Lord. They may also bring additional offerings if they can afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites.””  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Those who wanted to make a Nazarite vow for a period of time were told here that whatever they vow before God they needed to fulfill. They would go through a time where they couldn’t cut their hair, they couldn’t eat or drink anything from the vine, etc. They were set apart for a season to seek the Lord. They had to do whatever they vowed before the Lord.

Application:

Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, that we shouldn’t make vows, but rather let our yes be yes and our no be no. The bottom line is that God doesn’t want us to make vows that we can’t fulfill. He takes very seriously any vow we make. Rather than make promises I can’t and probably won’t keep, it is better to simply do what I say I’m going to do.

Prayer:

God Almighty, give me the strength to do what I say I’m going to do. Let my life be an example of simple obedience to the Lord. Help me not to make promises I can’t keep. Help me to be a man of my word. I want to represent You well and I ask You to help me in this area. Help me to fulfill what I say and live what I preach in Jesus name.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wrong Fire

 Scripture:

“But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.”  ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they burned the wrong kind of fire before the Lord. They offered it differently than the Lord had prescribed. The Bible doesn’t tell us here exactly what they did or didn’t do, just that the offered the wrong kind, or strange fire before the Lord. They didn’t give God what He asked for, but what they thought would work well apparently.

Application:

How much of what we do today in building the Church and the Kingdom of God, is being done in ways that are strange, or not what the Lord asked us to do? How often do I feel God want me to do something, then change it to fit how I see it working out best? I want to offer God what He wants, and not what I think He wants. I don’t want to build something that He is not part of the planning process.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to offer You what You desire and not what I think will work out best. Help me not to lean on the arm of the flesh instead of looking to You for everything. I don’t want to build something FOR You that You didn’t want. I want to build WITH You, exactly what You want. 

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

Serving God or Money?

 Scripture:

““No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking here concerning being enslaved to money. He says you cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. In other words, you can’t be controlled by God and controlled by money at the same time because they are oftentimes conflicted.

Application:

Money was meant to serve us, not for us to serve money. Money is a great servant, but a terrible master. When we serve God, He doesn’t want us in a position where we can’t obey Him because we are in financial problems. As believers, we are to live in such a way that obedience to God is primary, and we aren’t controlled by anything that could cause us to say no to God. 

Prayer:

Father, let me be financially free so I don’t have to think about provision for my family and can just focus on being obedient to You. Help me to live free from the control and slavery to money and debt. Show me how to walk in Your Spirit and not be controlled by money, or any other thing. I want to serve You well in my generation. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Bringing God Joy!

 Scripture:

“In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus told a couple stories about how excited people get when something lost gets found. He then tells the people that in heaven, there is more joy over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine righteous who haven’t strayed. Repentance and returning to God makes Him very happy. 

Application:

When we notice how happy the Lord is over one sinner who repents, we should make it our aim to bring as many lost people to Christ as possible. A good son in the house wants to bring joy to the owner of the house. When we bring people to Christ, He is honored and filled with joy. Therefore, we should live our lives bringing lost people back to Him. As for me, I want to reach more lost people this year than ever before.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to be part of bringing back lost people to You. I want to give of my life to bringing lost people home to You and the family. I offer You my life. Opens doors, anoint me, and appoint me to places where people need Jesus. Let conviction and repentance fall in every meeting I preach. Let lost people come back to Christ every time I minister.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Reading the Signs

 Scripture:

“You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭56‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking to His generation, especially the religious leaders, and He says to them that they know how to interpret the signs of the earth, sky and weather, but they don’t know how to interpret the present times. The sons of Issachar knew how to interpret the signs around them. God doesn’t want us unaware of what is going on, but we must learn to interpret the signs of the times.

Application:

There are signs all around us. Signs point to other things. Signs give direction and allow us to see what is coming. We must learn to interpret the signs of our times. There are wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in many places, families, pestilences and plagues globally. These are signs of the end of the age and we must be able to interpret them correctly. We can look at the signs of the last days in Paul’s letter to Timothy and observe that today our society is exactly what is described there. We must learn to be observers of the times and what it is pointing to.

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes and let me see clearly the signs You are placing in the world today. I hear of outpourings of Your Spirit around the globe, as well as all these other signs and I realize You are up to something. Help me to discern what to do in these days. Show me how to interpret the signs that are so evident around me. Take me to school and teach me how to interpret correctly the signs of this present age.and what they point to.

Yours,

Jeff