Mighty Hero

 Scripture:

"The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, 'Mighty Hero, the Lord is with you!' 'Sir," Gideon replied, 'If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?'"

Observation:

Gideon had an encounter with the angel of the Lord. The angel's first words were, "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you." Gideon immediately questioned everything that was happening. He saw his enemies, his weakness, and his inability, but God saw him as a mighty hero. 

Application:

Just like Gideon, it is easy to feel like God works for others, and He worked in the past, but will He work through me? We must realize that and recognize that God sees us how He created us, not who we think we are. Learning not to question God but to walk in obedience to Him is something every believer must do. We must learn not to question what the Lord sees in us. He created us and if He calls us to do something, we must be ready to respond without reservation.

Prayer:

Father, I offer You my life. Help me to see what You see in me. Teach me to walk in the way You desire me to walk. Teach me not to question what You want to do in and through me because I feel inadequate. Show me how to accomplish all You have given me responsibility over. Let my life be effective for You and Your kingdom. Establish Your kingdom here in Turkey and in Ghana and Togo, where we go today.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Victory in the Past Tense

 Scripture:

"The Lord answered, 'Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.'" Judges 1:2

Observation:

The previous verse tells us that after Joshua died, the Israelites asked the Lord which tribe should go first in attacking the Canaanites. God's response was "Judah." Judah means praise. It is the tribe that Jesus would eventually come from. This verse also states that God had given Judah victory over the land. Notice that He speaks it in past tense. He already gave the victory to Judah.

Application:

Sometimes in our walk with God, we need to give Him praise because, even though the answer hasn't come yet, He has already given us the victory. He is faithful and will do what He says He will do. We must begin to see our breakthrough and our victory in the past tense. It was finished and completed at the cross. We now step in and walk it out through faith. Every need we have was provided on Calvary. We need to step in by faith and walk it out.

Prayer:

Father, today I am in Istanbul, Turkey for an outreach. Let Your victory be implemented here. You have already won the battle and gained the victory for this nation. Let me believe You today in past tense. Help me to walk out Your will today as we reach out to people. Open doors and open eyes to the truth. Let the victory You already purchased, be implemented here and in Togo this week as we go there to build Your church.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Obedient to the Heavenly Calling

 Scripture:

““And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭26‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Paul is defending his actions before King Agrippa. He uses these beautiful words to describe his calling, “I was obedient to that vision from heaven.” He had just described his salvation experience and Jesus speaking to him about his calling. When Paul had an encounter with Jesus, he never wavered. He was obedient to what he was given to do, even if it meant imprisonment, riots, or even death. 

Application:

Many people today take their calling like an optional career choice. If our calling is an optional career choice, then we will never stand when things get difficult. As for me, I want to fulfill everything God has for me. I want to be obedient to the heavenly vision and not my own desires. I long to walk with God and do exactly what He wants me to do. I don’t want to leave anything undone that God wants me to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be obedient to the heavenly calling. Show me each day what You want me to do and I will follow You. I don’t want to step out of Your will for my own personal ease or delight. I want to run the race and finish the course You have ordained and laid out for me. I yield to you Teach me to follow You well.

Yours Sincerely,

Jeff

Finish the Work Assigned

 Scripture:

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

Paul was ready to go, live, preach, and die for the extension of the Kingdom of God. In this passage we can hear Paul’s heart. He says his life is worth nothing unless he finishes the work Jesus had assigned to him. He was deeply compelled to finish his work and take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We wanted everyone to know of the wonderful grace of God. 

Application:

I want to finish strong and complete my assignment. At the end of Jesus’ life He said that He had completed His work. Paul said similar things. I want to finish everything God has prepared for me in this life, then go see Him. I want to fulfill His will completely. I have no desire to retire and do my own thing some day. I was born for the Kingdom. I will live for the Kingdom. I will die for the Kingdom.

Prayer:

Father, my life is in Your hands. Life is meaningless for me unless I finish what You give me to do. Help me to complete every task and assignment You have for me. Help me to live every day full of purpose. Let me tell more and more people about Your goodness and grace. Show me each step in how to accomplish all You continue to give me to do. Give me wisdom and strength to finish every assignment.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

More Clearly

 Scripture:

“When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭18‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preaching. He was a powerful speaker and quite effective, but they pulled him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. He was speaking what he knew, but they came along and helped him understand even more clearly. 

Application:

In today’s church we don’t like the idea of someone being confronted about what they are preaching. We tend to just be quiet and let them say things that sound good, but are not quite accurate. A true spiritual father or mother will step in and say something. The church needs more spiritual fathers  and mothers who will step up and say something to help next gen preachers get their theology correct. Every preacher needs a spiritual father or mother they respect who is able to tell them when they are going the wrong direction.

Prayer:

Father, You are faithful and You are good. Help me to be a strong spiritual father to young ministers. Help me to help lead the next generation into truth and to explain the way of God more clearly. Let the end of my life be used to help explain the way more accurately and to be a father who help them stand on solid ground in declaring Your word.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

With Such Power

 Scripture:

“The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Book of Acts is full of references to the apostles and early church preaching and teaching with power. There was power to heal, save, deliver, and raise the dead. God’s power was very much part of everything that was going on . In this passage Paul and Barnabas preached with such power that a great number of Jews and Greeks became believers. It was not because of their reasoning or persuasive words. It was because of power.

Application:

God has been pulling me back to my heart and theme verse recently which says that I don’t come with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but with the Spirit’s power so their faith will be in God’s power and not the wisdom of man. I am hungry to preach with power, walk with power, pray with power, teach with power. I want to see God’s power flow once again in His church. I long to see great numbers come to Him, not because of my slick messages, but because of God’s great power. 

Prayer:

Father, empower me to preach Your word with signs following. When I speak Your word, let power fill the room. When I teach, let Your power confirm what I speak. I don’t want to operate apart from You and Your power. I don’t want to preach without Your power. I don’t want to pray without Your power. I need You. Come Holy Spiritual and empower my life and message. Let Your power flow through my life that people may encounter You in a real way.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Power Evangelism

 Scripture:

“The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭11‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This simple passage describes beautifully how God used the Early Church to win souls to Himself. There was something strongly backing up what the apostles said and did. It says, “The power of the Lord was with them…” A large number of people believed and turned to the Lord because the power of the Lord was present with them. It must have been apparent that God’s power was among His people. 

Application:

More than ever before, we need to power of the Lord to back up what we speak. When God’s power is in a place, people don’t need convinced that He is real and that He is powerful. I don’t want to speak about the Lord by my own performance, but by God’s power. It is His power upon a life that causes people to turn to Him. I want God’s power more and more in my life. I want people to know that the power of the Lord is present when I speak to them. 

Prayer:

Father, let Your power flow through my life. Confirm Your word with signs and wonders. Let this generation see Your power and Your glory. We need a strong move of God. Your church is trying hard to win souls through every means possible. I need Your power to be present when I minster, speak, pray, etc. I don’t want to try to mimic in the flesh what can only be done by Your Spirit. Baptize me once again with Your power. When we go to Turkey and Togo next week, fill me with Your Spirit and power. Use my life for Your glory.

Yours,

Jeff

Fear God and Be Encouraged by the Spirit

 Scripture:

“The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse expresses some things about the growth of the early church. First, it states that the church became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. Second, it grew larger with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. Fearing God makes you stronger and encouragement from the Spirit causes growth. We need both in today’s church.

Application:

We are good in the church today at encouragement, but weak in the fear of the Lord. We tend to swing like a pendulum back and forth. We need the fear of God to make us stronger and the encouragement of the Spirit to help us grow. I want to bring balance to the church of my day. I want to bring a message that balances the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Spirit, bringing a solid foundation that God can bless.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to grow stronger through the fear of the Lord. Teach me to walk properly in the fear of the Lord. Show me how to honor You better in this area. Also let me teach and preach the encouragement of the Spirit. Let Your Church become healthy again and let me be part of bringing that to fruition. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Signs and Wonders

Scripture:

“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.” ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

In the Early Church and in the ministry of Jesus, signs and wonders was normal when people were preaching the Gospel. The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. From the launching of the Church in Acts chapter two, healings, miracles, and wonders were part of the church of Jesus. 

Application:

The Gospel is powerful and should be confirmed with signs following. Jesus produced miracles, the apostles produced miracles, and I believe we should be seeing more miracles in our midst as the church of Jesus Christ. Miracles should follow the preaching of God’s word. Whatever is hindering the flow of the miraculous in my life and ministry needs to go. I want to be part of a true New Testament Church.

Prayer:

Father, confirm Your word with signs and wonders as You did in the beginning. Holy Spirit come and fill Your Church with power once again. I don’t want to conduct special marketing packages to get people interested in the Gospel, I want them to see Your raw power at work. I long to see You heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Confirm the word I preach with signs and wonders. Let Your Gospel have more impact in this region. Holy Spirit I need You!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Nothing Unfulfilled

 Scripture:

“Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭21‬:‭45‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse declares a very special statement concerning God’s people. It tells us that as they entered the land that He had promised them, not a single on of all God’s promises to the Israelites was left unfulfilled. Everything He spoke to them, He did! God is faithful to His word. He will do what He says He will do.

Application:

God leaves nothing undone. He does what He says He will do! This should give us incredible faith and confidence in Him. We must learn to trust God more and live a life of faith because we can trust the one who is faithful. We don’t have to worry about the things God has promised. He is faithful to bring to pass what he says He will bring to pass. My job is to align myself with His will and do what he asks of me. He then will do what He said he will do.

Prayer:

Father, let my life not be a hindrance to Your plans and purposes, but an asset. Help me to fulfill everything You have asked me to do. Teach me to walk in obedience all the days of my life. Help me to trust You more and more each day. I want to live a life Your can bless and prosper.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faith Confessions

 Scripture:

“So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Caleb was now eight-five years old. He had been into the Promised Land forty-five years earlier and saw the land. At eighty-five, he came to Joshua asking for the hill country the Lord promised him forty-five year earlier. There were giants in that area, but his response at eighty-five was that if the Lord was with him, they would drive the giants out of the land, just like the Lord said. He was standing on the word of the Lord forty-five years later with even greater faith.

Application:

I want to have the faith of Caleb as I get older. I want the faith to accomplish great things for God as I grow older. I don’t want to settle in and just take whatever is coming to me. I want to accomplish more in my latter years than in my former years. I want to be taking mountains full of giants in my old age, not settling down for a long winter’s nap.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith! Help me to never give up Your promises to me. Help me to stand in faith and believe You until Your word comes to pass. Let me accomplish everything You have prepared for me. Let me walk in step with Your Spirit that I may be empowered to excel in everything I do. Let my life bring You glory and honor as I surrender to You. Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in my life, my family, my church, and my community.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

When God Fights Your Battles

 Scripture:

“Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭10‬:‭42‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

This verse tells us that when God fights your battles, you will win decisively. Joshua conquered ALL these kings and their land in a single campaign because God was fighting for His people. Joshua and his army absolutely defeated decisively, every enemy in the Promised Land when they obeyed the Lord. Their obedience cause the Lord to fight their battles.

Application:

We like to fight our own battles, defend ourselves, prove ourselves right, etc. but God takes great joy in fighting our battles when we know we can’t win. When we walk in humility before our God ad obey what He says, He will fight our battles and all our enemies will be defeated. Humility and obedience always win with God. He delights in fighting our enemies when we are fully submitted to Him. He delights in blessing a people who are walking in obedience and faith.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I humble myself before You. Help me to serve You well and walk in Your ways. Teach me to know Your voice and obey quickly. Go before me and defeat every enemy. Provide land and buildings for Word of Life. Make provision for Your people as we follow after You. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in my life and ministry. Fight my battles I pray.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Keeping Courage

 Scripture:

“chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.”  ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Israel had just entered the Promised Land and had a massive victory by the hand of the Lord in Jericho. After that, Achan took some things from Jericho they were told not to take. He hid them and didn’t want anyone to know. Next they went to Ai and Israel was defeated because of Achan’s sin. This loss immediately paralyzed Israel with fear and their courage melted away. 

Application:

It is amazing in our lives how we can be doing so good and see the blessings of God. We can feel confident in Him, but then when one things happens, we are paralyzed with fear and our courage immediately goes away. When we are on the mountaintop, our faith and confidence is amazing, but one loss and our faith is shaken and our confidence and courage disappear. We cannot be led by our feelings, nor by our winds and losses. We must be led by our God and keep our trust in Him.

Prayer:

Father, don’t let me be swayed by outcomes or when things don’t go as planned. Help me to remain confident when I don’t see the breakthrough, rather than getting upset and losing confidence. Teach me to live in faith, no matter what is happening around me. Let my courage never melt away and help me to never allow fear to control my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

All Nations

 Scripture:

“He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭4‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Jordan River had just opened for God’s people to cross on dry ground. Joshua told 12 men to build a memorial out of 12 stones from the middle of the river. He wanted his people to be reminded of what the Lord had done for them in opening the river. It then says he did it “do all the nations of the earth might know the Lord’s hand is powerful.”Joshua wanted the whole world to know how powerful God was.

Application:

The heart of God from the beginning has been that all nations would know Him and follow Him and His ways. Throughout the Bible we see God favoring Israel, but constantly telling us His “why.” God’s “why” has always been so that all nations will see His goodness and turn to Him. God has always had a heart for the Gentiles. Paul’s mystery was that God had a plan all along for the Gentiles and not only for the Jews. I want my life to let “all nations” know the goodness and the power of my God. He is worthy of the whole world knowing about Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to love every nation as You love every nation. Let my church be in the position to do more in the nations to proclaim Your great name to all the earth. Enable and empower us to carry Your message to the ends of the earth. I want all nations to know Your glory! You are amazing and have blessed my life. I want the whole world to know what You have given me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Helping Others Win Their Battles

 Scripture:

“Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Joshua is speaking to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They had already received their portion of land on the east side of the Jordan River. Joshua and the rest were about to cross the river to go possess the land of promise and kick out all the enemies found there. Joshua told the 2-1/2 tribes that the fighting men from their tribes needed to go across and help everyone else fight, even though they already had their own property. They were to stay with the rest until everyone had their land, then they could go back to their own land.

Application:

When God blesses our lives, it doesn’t mean we don’t need to fight for others to inherit their blessings. Rest comes when everyone has their possession of land. Once we have grasped our promises by faith, we must help others into God’s precious kingdom. We are not saved to just inherit our promises. We are saved to help others inherit theirs as well. Serving and helping others is always something the Lord loves. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving me salvation, healing, deliverance, and freedom. Help me to walk with others and help them receive what I have been blessed with. Teach me to love others the way Your love others. Help me to not get lazy, but to continue to help doing the work of the Kingdom. Give me the strength to bring many into the kingdom before I see You face to face. Let me see the extension of Your kingdom through my life around the world. I give myself to You for Your purposes in my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

God‘s Not Afraid of Our Questions

 Scripture:

“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”” ‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to all His disciples, but Thomas wasn’t there at that time. He didn’t believe Jesus was alive when the other disciples told him. When Jesus appeared a second time, Thomas was there. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for his lack of faith. He simply told him to put his finger into the wound in His side and to look at His hands. Jesus wanted to increase the faith often Thomas, not make him feel bad.

Application:

Jesus isn’t afraid of our questions. He isn’t condemning us for our lack of faith. He allows us to have questions while following Him. Rather than rebuke Thomas, He simply confirmed truth for Thomas. He demonstrated the miracle instead of destroying him as a person. We need to know that it is okay to wrestle with our faith once in a while, God will confirm who He is in our time of questioning. God loves us enough to demonstrate His goodness to us. 

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith. Thank You for not rebuking me when I don’t understand things or walk in perfect faith and obedience. Help me to know Your voice and to do Your works on this earth. Let my faith increase and develop as I age. I want to walk more intimately with You in my senior years than in the past. Let me live a life that pleases You and that You can bless.

Yours Forever,

Jeff 

Finish the Work

 Scripture:

“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This simple verse says so much! Jesus, in His prayer tells the Father that He brought the Father glory on earth by completing His work. That work was given by God the Father for Jesus to do. He completed His assignments and was ready to give His life. The most important thing I see is that God gets glory when we do what He wants us to do. Our lives should bring Him glory and His glory comes when we obey Him and do His will.

Application:

Our lives should not be for our own glory, but for the glory of God. We bring Him glory when we do what he tells us to do. When we live according to God’s ways instead of our own thinking, He gets glory. When we operate from Scripture and not our own minds, He gets glory. The bottom line is that obedience to God bring glory to God.

Prayer:

Father, I want my life to bring Your glory. Help me to live a life of obedience at all times. Teach me to walk with You and to fulfill Your purposes and plans for my life. Open doors and make Your plan clear so I can walk in it. Show me Your ways and teach me Your paths. I want to fulfill everything You have for me and bring Your the greatest glory. Be glorified in and through my life! 

I Am Yours,

Jeff

Much Fruit

 Scripture:

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus, in this passage, is approaching His death, burial, and resurrection. He is going deep with His disciples about what is coming and how to live when it happens. He told them to remain in Him and they would be able to ask for anything they wanted and it would be granted. He also told them that producing much fruit makes them His disciples and brings glory to the Father. 

Application:

We must learn to abide, dwell, live, and remain in Christ at all times and all His words to remain in us as well. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and be led by Him. When we do, Jesus made some really powerful promises. I also see here that producing much fruit is important to God. I don’t want to settle for having a little fruit. I want to produce much fruit for the Kingdom. 

Prayer:

Lord God, let me abide in Christ and walk in the Spirit at all times. Let my life be consumed with the life of God. Fill me with Your Spirit and let me walk in step with You at all times. Let my life produce much fruit! Help me to be productive in everything I do. Let my life become more effective as I grow older. I want to bring glory to my Father. 

Yours,

Jeff

Know His Voice

 Scripture:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus said here that He was the shepherd and that His sheep listen to His voice. He said that they know Him and follow Him, therefore He gives them eternal life. They will not be snatched away from Him. Jesus compared Himself to a shepherd and said that they sheep know the voice of the shepherd. 

Application:

We are to be led by the Spirit and know the voice of the Lord in our lives. We cannot follow what we cannot hear. We must live to hear and do what the Father tells us to do. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Hearing His voice and following Him is crucial to our walk as believers. We are not to just follow His writings, but hear and follow His voice.

Prayer:

Teach me to hear Your voice clearly and to walk accordingly. I want to know the voice of my shepherd. I long to hear Your thoughts on everything I do. Speak clearly and open my ears to know Your voice. Show me Your ways and teach me Your paths. I want to work with You to build Your kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven.

Yours Forever,

Jeff