Scripture:
Hosea 8:14 "Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire upon their cities that will consume their fortresses".
Observation:
All through Hosea, the prophet has been pronouncing judgments on Israel and Ephraim because they have turned from the Lord. As we come to Hosea eight, I read these words, "Israel has forgotten His Maker". They had built palaces and achieved many good things, but had forgotten who gave them the power to prosper. They had turned from God and relied on themselves and the gods of other nations. God had built that nation and He wanted them to serve Him.
Application:
God's people should always walk in humility and thanksgiving toward Him. Often, people serve God in their time of need and He delivers them, then they feel like they can handle things on their own and don't seek Him any more. God wants to be honored and esteemed as priority in our lives. Don't forget your Maker. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. Keep Him at the center of your life and you will continue to be blessed.
Prayer:
Father, teach me to keep You at the center of my life. My life belongs to You. You created me. You called me. You trained me. You are my source and sustenance. You are my life. Help me to never lean on self or others, but always on You for everything. Help me this year to walk closer to You than ever before. I want to hear the whisper of Your voice.
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
God's Awesome Grace
Scripture:
Hosea 6:1 "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds".
Observation:
Hosea had been talking about the judgment of the Lord that was coming on Israel for their hard-hearted rebellion against God. In the midst of the continual talk of destruction that is coming upon them he throws in this little interlude. He tells the people to return to the Lord and, even though he has torn you up, he will heal you. He understands that God always responds to a heart of repentance. He understood the grace of God.
Application:
God loves his children so much! He is amazing! Many times when we mess things up, we hesitate on coming to the Lord in humility and repenting. Hosea, though he knew the judgment of God, knew the grace of God as well. We must come to the understanding that God loves us and that as we turn toward Him, He turns toward us in love, not judgment. He waits for us to make a move, but He helps us make it, so that He may demonstrated His grace to us.
Prayer:
Lord, as You are quick to forgive, teach me to be quick to forgive. As You simply wait for your children to turn around, teach me the same. Your grace is amazing! You love for us is incredible. You are the best! Thank You for loving me, even when I make mistakes. Thank You for showing me Your love and grace.
Love,
Jeff
Hosea 6:1 "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds".
Observation:
Hosea had been talking about the judgment of the Lord that was coming on Israel for their hard-hearted rebellion against God. In the midst of the continual talk of destruction that is coming upon them he throws in this little interlude. He tells the people to return to the Lord and, even though he has torn you up, he will heal you. He understands that God always responds to a heart of repentance. He understood the grace of God.
Application:
God loves his children so much! He is amazing! Many times when we mess things up, we hesitate on coming to the Lord in humility and repenting. Hosea, though he knew the judgment of God, knew the grace of God as well. We must come to the understanding that God loves us and that as we turn toward Him, He turns toward us in love, not judgment. He waits for us to make a move, but He helps us make it, so that He may demonstrated His grace to us.
Prayer:
Lord, as You are quick to forgive, teach me to be quick to forgive. As You simply wait for your children to turn around, teach me the same. Your grace is amazing! You love for us is incredible. You are the best! Thank You for loving me, even when I make mistakes. Thank You for showing me Your love and grace.
Love,
Jeff
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
God's Incredible Love
Scripture:
Hosea 2:23 "I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God'".
Observation:
Hosea has been writing concerning Israel's unfaithfulness to God. He has said that they were like an unfaithful wife who cheats on her husband and leaves him. He talks about how much God hates it and will judge them for it, yet in the end he says God will show His love for them again. It says He will call them His people again and that they will say He is their God.
Application:
God never gives up on His people! Thank God for that. He continues to draw us by His Spirit to Himself and wants us to love and appreciate Him for it, but even when we mess up, He continues to offer us a better plan for our lives. He continues to love us when we are hurting Him. He continues to accept us and forgive us. His love is amazing. His faithfulness goes beyond description. His dream is to have a people who are fully consecrated to Him. i want to be that person.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing and Your love never fails. You continue to draw us even when we have failed You. You continue to demonstrate Your love to us when we don't deserve it. Help me to be more like You. Teach me to be as faithful as You are. Teach me to love the unlovable. Help me accept those who most have given up on. Let Your love flow through me today.
Your Son,
Jeff
Hosea 2:23 "I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God'".
Observation:
Hosea has been writing concerning Israel's unfaithfulness to God. He has said that they were like an unfaithful wife who cheats on her husband and leaves him. He talks about how much God hates it and will judge them for it, yet in the end he says God will show His love for them again. It says He will call them His people again and that they will say He is their God.
Application:
God never gives up on His people! Thank God for that. He continues to draw us by His Spirit to Himself and wants us to love and appreciate Him for it, but even when we mess up, He continues to offer us a better plan for our lives. He continues to love us when we are hurting Him. He continues to accept us and forgive us. His love is amazing. His faithfulness goes beyond description. His dream is to have a people who are fully consecrated to Him. i want to be that person.
Prayer:
Father, You are amazing and Your love never fails. You continue to draw us even when we have failed You. You continue to demonstrate Your love to us when we don't deserve it. Help me to be more like You. Teach me to be as faithful as You are. Teach me to love the unlovable. Help me accept those who most have given up on. Let Your love flow through me today.
Your Son,
Jeff
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The Word of the Lord
Scripture:
Amos 8:12 "Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it."
Observation:
Amos is prophesying about Israel. They had neglected the word of the Lord for so many years that God declared He would send a drought of hearing the word of the Lord. It was considered a punishment on Israel. God was saying how He would banish them from their land as exiles, that they would be defeated on every hand, and that the terrible things were coming because of their disobedience. Not hearing the word of the Lord was one of those punishments.
Application:
We are so honored to have Bibles everywhere in America. You can find a bible anywhere and most of us probably have several of them, yet they are not getting used enough. We have the word of the Lord, yet don't read it. We have become self reliant and act like we don't need the word of the Lord. If God's word was taken away from us, how much would we miss it? Do we properly honor the Word of the Lord? We must honor the word of the Lord and treasure it. It could be taken away!
Prayer:
Father, Let Your Word be alive to Your people. May we begin to read, listen to , and apply your word in our lives. Let me hunger and thirst for Your word. Teach me to dig through it like digging for treasure. Your Word is amazing and I thank You for allowing us to have it in written form. Show me more in Your Word. I want to go deeper.
Jeff
Amos 8:12 "Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it."
Observation:
Amos is prophesying about Israel. They had neglected the word of the Lord for so many years that God declared He would send a drought of hearing the word of the Lord. It was considered a punishment on Israel. God was saying how He would banish them from their land as exiles, that they would be defeated on every hand, and that the terrible things were coming because of their disobedience. Not hearing the word of the Lord was one of those punishments.
Application:
We are so honored to have Bibles everywhere in America. You can find a bible anywhere and most of us probably have several of them, yet they are not getting used enough. We have the word of the Lord, yet don't read it. We have become self reliant and act like we don't need the word of the Lord. If God's word was taken away from us, how much would we miss it? Do we properly honor the Word of the Lord? We must honor the word of the Lord and treasure it. It could be taken away!
Prayer:
Father, Let Your Word be alive to Your people. May we begin to read, listen to , and apply your word in our lives. Let me hunger and thirst for Your word. Teach me to dig through it like digging for treasure. Your Word is amazing and I thank You for allowing us to have it in written form. Show me more in Your Word. I want to go deeper.
Jeff
Thursday, December 23, 2010
While in my Chains
Scripture:
Philemon 10 "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains"
Observation:
Philemon's slave had run away and Paul, who knew Philemon, ends up leading the slave to Christ. In this story of Paul sending Onesimus back home and asking Philemon to receive him with love and grace there is a line that talks about Paul. He says, "whom I have begotten while in my chains". These words jumped off the page at me this morning. Paul was leading people to Christ while in his own personal chains. While in prison, he was preaching Christ effectively.
Application:
Today, we associate being in the will of God with having no problems. If we have any problems, we think we are out of the will of God. Paul had problems, big problems, yet in the problems, he was leading people to Christ. Most of us would say, "When I get out of this situation I'm going to share my faith". Paul said that in the midst of the problem, God is with me and I will lead people to Christ. Many times when bad things happen or when things are not going well in our lives, we feel we can't share Christ with others. Nothing is farther from the truth. In the midst of life's problems, we should be sharing the love of Christ with all around us.
Prayer:
Lord, I have not been to prison for my faith. I have not been persecuted strongly for my faith. Help me to lead people to Christ in every situation of life and not to allow my personal situations to stop me from demonstrating the love of God. While in my chains, I want to see You working in people's lives. You are the best!
Jeff
Philemon 10 "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains"
Observation:
Philemon's slave had run away and Paul, who knew Philemon, ends up leading the slave to Christ. In this story of Paul sending Onesimus back home and asking Philemon to receive him with love and grace there is a line that talks about Paul. He says, "whom I have begotten while in my chains". These words jumped off the page at me this morning. Paul was leading people to Christ while in his own personal chains. While in prison, he was preaching Christ effectively.
Application:
Today, we associate being in the will of God with having no problems. If we have any problems, we think we are out of the will of God. Paul had problems, big problems, yet in the problems, he was leading people to Christ. Most of us would say, "When I get out of this situation I'm going to share my faith". Paul said that in the midst of the problem, God is with me and I will lead people to Christ. Many times when bad things happen or when things are not going well in our lives, we feel we can't share Christ with others. Nothing is farther from the truth. In the midst of life's problems, we should be sharing the love of Christ with all around us.
Prayer:
Lord, I have not been to prison for my faith. I have not been persecuted strongly for my faith. Help me to lead people to Christ in every situation of life and not to allow my personal situations to stop me from demonstrating the love of God. While in my chains, I want to see You working in people's lives. You are the best!
Jeff
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Laboring Fervently in Prayer
Scripture:
Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bond servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God".
Observation:
At the end of Colossians, Paul is sending greetings to and from people and includes this simple statement about a man named Epaphras. It says of this man that he was "always laboring fervently for you in prayers". He wanted so badly to see God's people stand perfect and complete in him that he prayed fervently for it. It is one thing when Paul says something like this about himself, but when he says it about someone else, it must be a behavior he has seen many times.
Application:
I am convicted by this statement because I see a man that wants so badly to see God's people mature and complete that he labors fervently in prayer for it. To labor fervently in prayer is to pray "red hot" prayers and labor is work. I need to pray stronger prayers for the people I lead out of such a desire that they be complete in Christ. Recently, God has been asking me to pray stronger for His people to be "whole". I must step up to the plate and pray more fervently for God's people.
Prayer:
Father, don't let this verse slip away from me. Let it be said of me that he labored in fervent prayer for the people of Word of Life. Help me to pray red hot prayers for those You have entrusted to me. Teach me to intercede for them more effectively. Let them be whole and complete, lacking nothing.
Amen,
Jeff
Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bond servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God".
Observation:
At the end of Colossians, Paul is sending greetings to and from people and includes this simple statement about a man named Epaphras. It says of this man that he was "always laboring fervently for you in prayers". He wanted so badly to see God's people stand perfect and complete in him that he prayed fervently for it. It is one thing when Paul says something like this about himself, but when he says it about someone else, it must be a behavior he has seen many times.
Application:
I am convicted by this statement because I see a man that wants so badly to see God's people mature and complete that he labors fervently in prayer for it. To labor fervently in prayer is to pray "red hot" prayers and labor is work. I need to pray stronger prayers for the people I lead out of such a desire that they be complete in Christ. Recently, God has been asking me to pray stronger for His people to be "whole". I must step up to the plate and pray more fervently for God's people.
Prayer:
Father, don't let this verse slip away from me. Let it be said of me that he labored in fervent prayer for the people of Word of Life. Help me to pray red hot prayers for those You have entrusted to me. Teach me to intercede for them more effectively. Let them be whole and complete, lacking nothing.
Amen,
Jeff
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Power of the Cross
Scripture:
Colossians 2:15 "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it".
Observation:
Paul is in the middle of a discourse about baptism and our position in Christ when he comes out with this statement. He is talking about what Christ did through His death, burial and resurrection and connecting us to that through baptism and Him living in us, the hope of Glory. To disarm means to take away from an enemies arsenal. Through Christ's death, burial and resurrection, the spiritual forces of the enemy have been disarmed and Chris triumphed over all of them, therefore since Christ is in us, we have triumph over our enemy.
Application:
The power of the cross is amazing, but we must begin to really believe what Paul is saying here. As we identify with Christ, we have victory over the enemy and all his forces. Not in and of ourselves, but through Christ, we can walk in victory in this world. The power of the cross has already defeated our enemy, yet until we have this revelation, we remain constantly beat up by him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for speaking to me this morning. You are amazing! Thank you for helping me see the power of the cross over the enemy of my soul. Now help me retrain my brain to think right about my enemy being disarmed. Let me not give satan more credit than he is due and let me see more the awesome power of my God.
Yours,
Jeff
Colossians 2:15 "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it".
Observation:
Paul is in the middle of a discourse about baptism and our position in Christ when he comes out with this statement. He is talking about what Christ did through His death, burial and resurrection and connecting us to that through baptism and Him living in us, the hope of Glory. To disarm means to take away from an enemies arsenal. Through Christ's death, burial and resurrection, the spiritual forces of the enemy have been disarmed and Chris triumphed over all of them, therefore since Christ is in us, we have triumph over our enemy.
Application:
The power of the cross is amazing, but we must begin to really believe what Paul is saying here. As we identify with Christ, we have victory over the enemy and all his forces. Not in and of ourselves, but through Christ, we can walk in victory in this world. The power of the cross has already defeated our enemy, yet until we have this revelation, we remain constantly beat up by him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for speaking to me this morning. You are amazing! Thank you for helping me see the power of the cross over the enemy of my soul. Now help me retrain my brain to think right about my enemy being disarmed. Let me not give satan more credit than he is due and let me see more the awesome power of my God.
Yours,
Jeff
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