Build Each Other Up

 Scripture:

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,”. ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jude tells us here to build each other up in our most holy faith and to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe the two are linked together.  We need to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit so we can build each other up.  We can’t build others up when we are weak in faith.  We get strong in faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.

Application:

We live in some very difficult and trying days.  We need to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before.  We also need to build each other up whenever we have a chance in the most holy faith.  We should be faith encouragers, bringing hope to those who are struggling.  I want to build up more people’s faith than ever before.  Therefore, I need to pray more in the Holy Spirit.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to spend more time with You, praying in the Holy Spirit.  I want to be an encourager in these COVID 19 days we are living in.  Help me to keep a right perspective and to stay in prayer continually.  Fill me with Your Spirit to overflowing and help me to live in a manner that pleases You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Love and Obedience

 Scripture:

“Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”  ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John, the beloved of Jesus, tells us that love means doing what God commanded us.  He goes on to say that His command was to love one another.  In other words, love means obedience and obedience means love.  Therefore, we should be people who have love as a main characteristic of our lives.

Application:

John tells us in First John that God is love.  Jesus was love personified.  If we are in Christ, we are to be people who demonstrate the love of God in our lives.  We must learn to walk in the love of Christ.  I want love to pour out of me like it poured out of Jesus.  I want to love God and love people well.  I need to remember that love is obedience and obedience is love.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in love and obedience every day of my life.  You are incredible and I want to serve You well.  Help me to love like You love.  Enable me to love the sinner and the saint.  Teach me to love deeply and to demonstrate Your love to those around me.  Help me to love in a way that pleases You.  Show me when to confront and when to hold back.  Show me when loving means saying something and when loving means keeping my mouth shut.  Teach me Lord so I can represent You well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Worst Punishment

 Scripture:

“People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos was sent to deliver a message to God’s people who had strayed away from Him.  He was to tell them of the coming disaster if they didn’t repent and turn back to God.  He prophesied some really terrible things to God’s people and then closed that section with this verse above.  It was like the ultimate devastation was people looking for a word from the Lord and not being able to find it.  He equated not hearing the word of the Lord with the worst punishments possible.

Application:

We are blessed when we hear the word of the Lord and we should never take that for granted.  Not long after Amos prophesied this, there was 400 years of silence where there was no prophetic word from the Lord to Israel.  The heavens were closed from prophetic revaluation and his prophecy came true.  We need to take seriously the word of the Lord and seek it out more and more in our days.  We must pursue the Lord and hear His words ringing in our hearts at this hour.

Prayer:

Father, I want to hear Your words for my life daily.  I want to hear Your words for the church I lead.  I want to hear Your words for the nation I live in.  Help me to seek you more and more.  I want to know Your thoughts, your will, and Your desires.  I want to know You and Your voice more intimately.  Help me to know You better and better.

Your Son,

Jeff

Seek Justice and RIghteousness

 Scripture:

“Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people.”  ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amos is crying out for Israel to return to the Lord.  He tells them what He requires as part of this return.  He tells them to hate what is evil and love what is good.  He tells them they need to be crying out for justice in their courts and perhaps then He would have mercy on them.  God desires justice and truth for His people. 

Application:

America is in this place right now.  I believe God wants truth and righteousness in our courts.  He desires righteousness in our dealings.  We need to personally turn toward God, truth, justice, and honor what is right.  As a nation, we need to seek truth and let justice roll down like a river.  We need integrity as a solid ground to stand on.  

Prayer:

Father, as much as it depends on me, let my life demonstrate justice and righteousness.  Help me to set an example for those around me of doing the right thing, even when that is difficult.  Let my nation turn from it’s deception and run toward justice and righteousness.  Let truth reign in America.  Expose every lie and deception and bring about Your will in our nation.  Turn us back to the Lord our God.

Your Son,

Jeff

Perfect Love Expels All 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:

I John speaks much of love and loving one another.  John tells us that GOD IS LOVE.  Therefore, if we say we are in Christ and God is in us, we should love one another.  If God is love and God is us, then fear cannot operate in our lives.  When God’s love is perfected in us, fear must leave.  Fear must be expelled from our lives and we the only way to do this is to understand God’s incredible love for us.

Application:

Fear is very real in our world today.  With the signs of the end times all around us, it is easy to walk in fear.  Even Jesus said that in these says men’s hearts would fail them for fear.  Even though Jesus spoke it, we don’t have to walk in it.  Even in fearful times, perfect love still expels fear.  I want to be so full of God’s love that fear has no part in me.  I want to walk by faith and not be controlled by fear.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let Your love fill my life.  Let Your goodness and grace consume me.  Help me to walk with You and love like You love.  Let my love expel all fear and help me to be fearless.  I want to serve You fully and not be afraid of anything that could come my way.  Let my love increase and my fears decrease.

Yours,

Jeff

Simple Faith

 Scripture:

“And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”  ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

John has a unique way of simplifying everything about Christ in the book of First John.  In this verse, he tells us that Christ’s command is simply to believe and love.  We are told here to believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another.  These are the two most important items in the Gospel.  Simple faith is summed up in “Believe and love.”

Application:

Theologians take simple truths and make them much deeper than they really are.  I don’t believe God wanted to hide Himself or make things hard to understand.  God keeps things simple.  He wants us to believe in Christ and love one another.  That’s the heart of Christ’s teachings and John’s teaching.  We must demonstrate to the world what it means to believe and love one another.  

Prayer:

Father, let my life reveal to the world what belief and love look like.  Help me to exemplify a true walk with You and true faith to those around me.  Enable me to walk in simple truth and love people that way You do.  Teach me to live a life that demonstrates Your power and love flowing through a person to so Your will in the earth.  Let my life count for You.

Yours,

Jeff

The Outpouring

 Scripture:

““Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.”  ‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Peter told us this was being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, but I believe there is a double fulfillment.  I believe God is going to pour out His Spirit once again in powerful ways.  Notice when He does, that everyone is poured out upon.  Old, young, rich and poor.  God is no respecter of people.  When He pours out His Spirit, everyone is going to get wet.

Application:

I believe we are going to see on more great outpouring of the Spirit of God before things wrap up on this earth as we know it.  I want to align myself with the Lord and be about His business when He pours it out.  I want to be part of the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God the world has ever seen.  I am looking for it in my generation.  May my life be ready to flow with Him When He decides to move.  Until then, I pray and fast for the outpouring.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, pour out Your Spirit once again on all flesh.  Let us see the day of awakening and the day of Your power and goodness.  Align Your Church around the world and pour Your Spirit out on her.  Before the end of things as we know them, saturate Your Church with Your power and let the world see Your glory.

Your Son,

Jeff