Justice and Love

 Scripture:

“Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.”‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This passages tells us about the incredible unfailing love of God for His people. Micah asks the question, “Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people?” Micah had just prophesied God’s wrath coming, but he also knew the love of God that never fails. He knew that God’s punishment will last a season, but His favor will last a lifetime.

Application:

We must be able to know God in all of who He is. He is justice and love combined. He hates sin, but loves sinners. He doesn’t overlook sin, but forgives those who come to Him. I want to know all of God’s characteristics, not just the good ones I claim in the verses I like. God is fear-invoking, yet full of love and compassion. He is awe-inspiring, yet cares about our smallest needs. He is incredible!

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You in all Your ways. Teach me to walk like You. Help me to represent You well. I want to know You in all Your ways, not just the ones I like. Teach me Your ways. I want to know Your heart clearer and clearer. Show me how to serve You well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Ministry for Personal Gain

 Scripture:

“You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the Lord is here among us.”” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to the rulers, priests, and prophets. He says they have made it all about the money instead of all about representing God. He says the rulers are controlled by bribes, the priests teach for a price and the prophets want pay. Ministry cannot be about money. It must be about the heart of God and doing what He wants you to do.

Application:

As a minister, my life must remain devoted to the Lord first and foremost. I cannot make decisions based on money, but on the will of God. My answer must be yes, Lord, yes, to whatever He speaks to me. I will stand accountable to the Lord one day, not for how much money I made, but for representing Him well and delivering His word with accuracy and conviction. I want to walk in humility and serve the Lord well in my generation.

Prayer:

Lord, let ministry never be about money for me. I do want to see Your blessing on my life because I want my family to see Your goodness. I want to leave a legacy and an inheritance to my children that they may see the blessing of serving God completely and totally. Keep my heart pure and let ministry never be for an offering or for personal gain. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

God’s Heart for the Nations

 Scripture:

“But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jonah was upset that the Lord had caused Nineveh to repent. He knew the Lord was going to do that, but didn’t want God to do it because he hated the Ninevites. God replied to Jonah’s disgust by asking him “shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” The heart of God has always been for people. 

Application:

When we experience the heart of God, we will weep for cities that don’t know Him. All people are on God’s list of those in need of Jesus and i need of someone to speak to them. God doesn’t want anyone in any city to walk in spiritual darkness. He wants the eyes of people to be opened spiritually and them to come to repentance. I want to be part of answering God’s cry for my city and for the cities of the world. 

Prayer:

Father, use my life to bring people to Christ. Help me to see the vast number of people around the world like You see them. Fill me with Your Spirit and let me reach more and more people in my latter years. I want to see more people come out of spiritual darkness and into Your amazing light. Let Loudoun County see the light of Your glory. Let those around me see the light of your glory. Let there be a revival of repentance and turning to You.

Yours,

Jeff

Without a Single Fault

 Scripture:

“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jude gives glory to God in this passage and tells us that He “is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” In other words, we can’t save ourselves or be holy enough, but God can bring us into His presence without a single fault because of Jesus Christ. God not only tells us not to fall away, but gives us everything we need to do so.

Application:

We need to know that when we put our trust and faith in Christ, He is able to keep us as we pursue Him. We need to walk in confidence that we have been cleansed from sin and are pure before God Almighty. We need to know our position in Christ. He has already overcome the world, therefore, we have also. If we remain in Him, we will be presented “without a single fault.” We must believe that the blood of Jesus truly takes away all our sins and their stains.

Prayer:

Father, Thank You for sending Your dear Son to die on my behalf. Thank You that my sins are blotted out and under the blood of Jesus. Thank You that one day I will come into Your glorious presence without fault. You saved me. You sustain me. You are the source of everything in my life and I worship You today. Help me to see myself as You see me.

Yours,

Jeff

Truth and Love

 Scripture:

“Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.” ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John says here that grace, mercy, and peace will continue to be with those who live in truth and love. Truth and love are powerful in the Kingdom. When we operate in them, we will see results in our lives. When we pursue truth and love, we will walk in grace, mercy, and peace.

Application:

Truth and love are the bedrock of the Gospel of Christ. As He walked in absolute truth and absolute love, we also must walk as He did. When we operate the way Jesus did, we will see powerful results. Truth is hard when it means confrontation for me. I like people to like me and that can cause me to settle for not being completely truthful. I don’t necessarily lie, but I avoid telling everything I know. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for convicting me with Your word today. Help me to walk in absolute truth as Christ did. Help me not to water down the truth, but to call it out. Let Your love flow through my life. Help me to love well. You are my example. Empower me to live as You lived here on this earth. I need You desperately.

Yours forever,

Jeff

The Blessing of the Lord

 Scripture:

““The time will come,” says the Lord, “when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine!” ‭‭Amos‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos had prophesied some very difficult things because of Israel and Judah’s disobedience to God. He then tells them of a day where they would return to the Lord and to their land and God would bless them because they were following Him. The Lord tells them that the fruit will be produced faster than they could harvest it and Israel would drip with sweet wine. There is a promise that, when they turn to God, He will prosper them and cause them to see growth and abundance.

Application:

When we are seeing lack and wondering how we are going to make it, we must examine our ways and see if we are truly walking in obedience to the Lord. If so, we can be assured that God does reward faithfulness and obedience to Him. Barren times don’t last forever. We must believe that when we serve God wholeheartedly, that He will cause His blessings to flow into our lives. I am looking for the day of fruit coming faster than we can harvest it. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to see Your blessing in my life, my family, my church, and my region. I ask You to let the fruit of continual obedience begin to come quicker than we know how to harvest it. I ask You to fill our church with new people coming to Jesus and being transformed. As I have obeyed the words You gave me, I pray for the day of Your blessing on our obedience. I look for the day of quick and strong growth according to Isaiah 54;1-3.

Your Son,

Jeff

Obedience

 Scripture:

““But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink wine, and you commanded the prophets, ‘Shut up!’” ‭‭Amos‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Israel and Judah about how they treated those who were fully committed to Him. He speaks against them because they made the Nazirites, who are in covenant to never drink wine, to drink wine. These people told the prophets to shut up. They didn’t want to hear what God was saying and therefore, God was coming after them for their disobedience. 

Application:

Disobedience to God and His principles is not a healthy choice to make. As believers, we don’t live our own lives and do what we want. We are in a covenant with a holy God. It is a covenant of love, but it is still a covenant of obedience. When we obey God, we see His blessings. When we disobey Him, we can expect things not to go well for us. Our place is a place of obedience and trust. We obey Him because we know He loves us and wants to bless us. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in obedience to You every day. Open my ears to hear Your voice and give me a heart of obedience in all things. I want to serve You well and walk in Your blessings. You are incredible and I want to reflect Your heart to Your people.

Sincerely Yours,

Jeff

Secure In Christ

 Scripture:

“We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This context of this passage speaks of sin and the believer. It says that God’s children don’t make a practice of sinning. It is no longer their nature to sin. The final words are so powerful because we see both God’s part and our part in walking this out. It says that God’s holds His children securely and the evil one can’t touch them. It also says, we don’t make a practice of sinning.

Application:

God wants us to know that we are secure in Christ and that our salvation is not a revolving door. God goes so far as to say that the evil one cannot touch God’s children. We have a powerful God who works with us to keep us on His path. We also have a part. We have to make a decision to follow God’s ways and not allow sin into our lives. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in a powerful Savior who loves us and protects us from the evil one.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for loving me, forgiving me, cleansing me, and keeping me close to You. Help me to hate what You hate and love what You love. Teach me to follow Your ways completely. Keep me from the evil one in every area. You are amazing and I appreciate You.

Jeff

Living Like Jesus Lived

 Scripture:

“But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John tells us here that when we obey God’s word, we show how completely we love Him. Our love should be demonstrated by obedience to God’s word. He continues to say those who say they live in God, should live their lives like Jesus did. Jesus lived in complete obedience to the Father in all things.

Application:

Obedience to God’s word is the thing that demonstrates, more than anything else, that we love God. We can say we love God with our lips, but when it is from our hearts, it will be demonstrated by obedience. Jesus lived in complete submission to the will of the Father. As He came to the end of His life and His crucifixion, Jesus asked the Father if there was any other way, then said, “nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.” Jesus lived to obey the Father and we must live like Jesus lived.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for Your Spirit that empowers me to live like Jesus lived. Thank You for the price Jesus paid so I could have eternal life. Help me to live like Jesus lived on this earth, in complete obedience to You. Show me the way forward and teach me to walk in full submission to You at all times. Let my life be used for Your glory every day and in every way.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

What God Says…Will Happen

 Scripture:

““Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.” ‭‭Joel‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse, in its context is speaking about Armageddon and the battle that will one day take place there as a fulfillment to Old Testament prophesy. When that is said and done, the world will know that The Lord is God and He will be with His people and He will be their God. At that point, Jerusalem, which has been conquered many times in the past will never be conquered again. 

Application:

What God says will happen, will take place as He has said. Sometimes His prophesies come to pass quickly and sometimes there are thousands of years, but His word always comes true. God is right now bringing His people back to the land He gave them so many years ago. They are growing stronger and stronger as He promised. Everything is lining up for the fulfillment of this passage. Jerusalem will be holy forever and never conquered again.

Prayer:

Father, Your word is powerful and it is true. So many prophecies have already come to pass. While we wait for ones like this to happen, we know Your will. You want the world to know You are God and You want to be with Your people. You want to be their God and for them to be Your people. Let me be part of restoring people back to You. Use my life to bring people back to You around the world. I am Yours. As we live in these last days, teach me to hear Your voice and to know exactly what to do in each and every situation.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

More Like Jesus

 Scripture:

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse tells us that God has given us some great and precious promises that enable us to share in his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption because of human desires. This lets us know that when we are born again, we receive a new nature, the nature of Christ. 

Application:

We have to live out of our new nature and not our old nature. God has given us great and precious promises. These are available to us, but we must walk in our new nature and not be controlled by our old nature. Fortunately, God has given us everything we need to accomplish His will for our lives. Our job is to follow the Lord and do what the Holy Spirit speaks to us. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to please You in this life more than anything else. I want my life to be used for Your glory. Help me to live out the promises You have given us. Teach me not to give in to the flesh, but to follow You completely and passionately. Teach me Your ways and guide my steps. Let my life bring You honor and praise. Let me live out of my divine nature and not my old nature. Make me more like You.

Yours,

Jeff

Forever My Source

 Scripture:

““O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Israel about their constant turning away from Him and serving other gods. He tells them to stay away from idols because He is the one who answers their prayers and cares for them. He tells them that He is like a tree that’s always green and constantly producing fruit. God wanted to be their source for everything they needed, but they continually turned to other gods.

Application:

God wants us to always turn to Him, not away from Him. We should never walk away from God or look to any other source for our needs. He wants to be a continual supplier for us. He longs for us to turn towards Him and not away when things get difficult. He wants to be our supplier. We must always run to Him and not to other means. He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible! You are faithful and strong. Your love and mercy is deeper than the sea. Help me to never look to any other source but You. You are all I need. Teach me to walk by faith. Bless my life and those around me. Bless Word of Life today. Bless the work of my hands and my family in every way. You are my source!

Yours,

Jeff