Scripture:
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."
Observation:
Jesus had just asked Zaccheus, a terrible person who robbed taxes from people, if He could go over to his house to eat. Jesus went into the house of this man that the world hated and was eating with him. Many didn't want Him to be around this aweful sinner, but Jesus said, "The Son of Man cam to seek and save the lost".
Application:
Jesus didn't just hang out in the temple only talking to those who were already converted. He hung out with absolute sinners and people the world hated. He was not afraid to be seen with criminals. The more we become like Christ, the more we will have a heart to seek and to save the lost. We must be about the business Jesus was about and should have the same heart as He had.
Prayer:
Lord, let me be a witness today to someone. Put someone in my path that needs You. Let me be about seeking and saving the lost. Let Word of Life seek and save the lost.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
More Blessed than Mary
Scripture:
Luke 11:27-28 "As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, 'God bless your mother - the womb from which you came, and the breast that nursed you!' Jesus replied, 'But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice'".
Observation:
Many people honor and esteem Mary for being the mother of the Lord. She is called "blessed" all over the world. In this verse, a woman is calling out about how blessed Mary is for being the mother of Jesus. Jesus tells her that those who put into practice the word of God are more blessed than Mary. We have the opportunity to be more blessed than Mary. WOW!
Application:
I notice in this scripture that it is not just those who listen to the word of God, bot those who put it into practice in their lives that are really blessed, and their blessing is more than Mary. We must work on being a people who put God's word into practice in our lives. There is a huge difference in hearing the word and doing the word. Those who do the word are blessed, those who hear the word are not. The key words are "put into practice".
Prayer:
Father, Let me "put into practice" the things I hear from Your word. I want to grow in You and in your word. I realize that those who put your word into practice are blessed exceedingly. Help me to put your word into practice and produce much fruit.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Luke 11:27-28 "As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, 'God bless your mother - the womb from which you came, and the breast that nursed you!' Jesus replied, 'But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice'".
Observation:
Many people honor and esteem Mary for being the mother of the Lord. She is called "blessed" all over the world. In this verse, a woman is calling out about how blessed Mary is for being the mother of Jesus. Jesus tells her that those who put into practice the word of God are more blessed than Mary. We have the opportunity to be more blessed than Mary. WOW!
Application:
I notice in this scripture that it is not just those who listen to the word of God, bot those who put it into practice in their lives that are really blessed, and their blessing is more than Mary. We must work on being a people who put God's word into practice in our lives. There is a huge difference in hearing the word and doing the word. Those who do the word are blessed, those who hear the word are not. The key words are "put into practice".
Prayer:
Father, Let me "put into practice" the things I hear from Your word. I want to grow in You and in your word. I realize that those who put your word into practice are blessed exceedingly. Help me to put your word into practice and produce much fruit.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wisdom
Scripture:
Luke 7:35 "But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it".
Observation:
Jesus is speaking about the generation in which He was living. We was saying how they really don't make sense. Then He comes across with this simple statement that grabbed me this morning. "wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it". This is a valuable nugget of truth with much depth in it. You can have the highest degrees available to man, but your life will show whether you have wisdom or not. True wisdom will be seen by all in the way you live your life.
Application:
We can say we have wisdom, but our lives will be heard more than our words. Wisdom is proved by our lives, not our speach. We must learn to walk in wisdom and apply it to our lives. The implementation of wisdom is crucial because it is how people know we are wise. When your life is well-ordered, wisdom is shown to be right because things always seem to work out better for you. The application of wisdom cannot be argued with. Prove it with your life, then tells others about it.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to walk with the wise. Help me to walk in wisdom and live a life that is wise. Help me to implement wisdom in every area of my life. Let my life speak louder than my preaching.
I Love You Lord,
Jeff
Luke 7:35 "But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it".
Observation:
Jesus is speaking about the generation in which He was living. We was saying how they really don't make sense. Then He comes across with this simple statement that grabbed me this morning. "wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it". This is a valuable nugget of truth with much depth in it. You can have the highest degrees available to man, but your life will show whether you have wisdom or not. True wisdom will be seen by all in the way you live your life.
Application:
We can say we have wisdom, but our lives will be heard more than our words. Wisdom is proved by our lives, not our speach. We must learn to walk in wisdom and apply it to our lives. The implementation of wisdom is crucial because it is how people know we are wise. When your life is well-ordered, wisdom is shown to be right because things always seem to work out better for you. The application of wisdom cannot be argued with. Prove it with your life, then tells others about it.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to walk with the wise. Help me to walk in wisdom and live a life that is wise. Help me to implement wisdom in every area of my life. Let my life speak louder than my preaching.
I Love You Lord,
Jeff
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sabbath Rest
Scripture:
Leviticus 25:21 "Then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years".
Observation:
In this passage the Lord is speaking about the Sabbath year. He said that His people should sow for six years and let the land rest the seventh year. The people were thinking, "How are we going to eat in the seventh year?" God said, I will command My blessing on the sixth year and it will produce enough for three years.
Application:
It is amazing that today this chapter was in my reading because today I am starting a Sabbatical, or, period of rest from ministry for the next eight weeks. In the past 10 years, I would not have been able to take a Sabbatical because I would have to worry how the church was going to survive and pay the bills while I was away. My board and I made a decision to do a Sabbath of rest for our pastors several months ago. God has provided supernaturally in the past four months and I am able to go away without the stress of wondering if the church will survive financially. We have literally seen this promise manifested in our church since we decided to honor Sabbath rest. God provides when we do what is Biblical and scriptural. He honors Sabbath rest.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for confirming once again how awesome You are and how Your promises never fail. You are amazing and I love You more every day! Let this time of Sabbath be honoring to You and let Your blessing continue to flow at Word of Life while I am away. You are amazing!
Your Son,
Jeff
Leviticus 25:21 "Then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years".
Observation:
In this passage the Lord is speaking about the Sabbath year. He said that His people should sow for six years and let the land rest the seventh year. The people were thinking, "How are we going to eat in the seventh year?" God said, I will command My blessing on the sixth year and it will produce enough for three years.
Application:
It is amazing that today this chapter was in my reading because today I am starting a Sabbatical, or, period of rest from ministry for the next eight weeks. In the past 10 years, I would not have been able to take a Sabbatical because I would have to worry how the church was going to survive and pay the bills while I was away. My board and I made a decision to do a Sabbath of rest for our pastors several months ago. God has provided supernaturally in the past four months and I am able to go away without the stress of wondering if the church will survive financially. We have literally seen this promise manifested in our church since we decided to honor Sabbath rest. God provides when we do what is Biblical and scriptural. He honors Sabbath rest.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for confirming once again how awesome You are and how Your promises never fail. You are amazing and I love You more every day! Let this time of Sabbath be honoring to You and let Your blessing continue to flow at Word of Life while I am away. You are amazing!
Your Son,
Jeff
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Be Holy
Scripture:
Leviticus 11:45 "For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy".
Observation:
In this passage I see the main reason God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt was so that He could be their God and that they may be His people. This has been His heart from the beginning. He wants to have a people who look to Him as God and who are his people. As the people of God, He expects His people to be holy even as He is holy.
Application:
God expects holiness in His people. He wants us to be completely His and for us to be like Him in holiness. We need more teaching and preaching on holiness today. The church found out that legalism was wrong and the pendulum swong to grace until most people feel they can live any way they want because God loves them and accepts them and their sinful lives. God does love us, but He also hates our sin and wants us to step away from it and avoid sin like the plague. He expects holiness from his people and we should give it to Him.
Prayer:
Father, You are holy and I worship You for that. I want to be a better reflection of who You are. Help me to walk in holiness and fulfill Your plans for my life. Be my God and let me be Yours completely. I don't want a legalistic list of do's and don'ts. I want holiness from the heart that love God 100% and loves my neighbors 100%.
Yours,
Jeff
Leviticus 11:45 "For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy".
Observation:
In this passage I see the main reason God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt was so that He could be their God and that they may be His people. This has been His heart from the beginning. He wants to have a people who look to Him as God and who are his people. As the people of God, He expects His people to be holy even as He is holy.
Application:
God expects holiness in His people. He wants us to be completely His and for us to be like Him in holiness. We need more teaching and preaching on holiness today. The church found out that legalism was wrong and the pendulum swong to grace until most people feel they can live any way they want because God loves them and accepts them and their sinful lives. God does love us, but He also hates our sin and wants us to step away from it and avoid sin like the plague. He expects holiness from his people and we should give it to Him.
Prayer:
Father, You are holy and I worship You for that. I want to be a better reflection of who You are. Help me to walk in holiness and fulfill Your plans for my life. Be my God and let me be Yours completely. I don't want a legalistic list of do's and don'ts. I want holiness from the heart that love God 100% and loves my neighbors 100%.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fire Always Falls on Sacrifice
Scripture:
Leviticus 9:23-24 "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces".
Observation:
In the previous chapters and reading you see the law concerning sacrifices. You see every detail of what a sacrifice and an offering are to look like. You saw the priests being consecrated and set apart for the work of the Lord. You saw great preparation and sacrifice in preparing to offer sacrifice to the Lord. When it finally happens, the fire of God fell on it and consumed it. The fire always falls on sacrifice and preparation.
Application:
As the priests of the Old Testament prepared themselves and sanctified themselves for the priestly ministry, so we must set ourselves apart for the Lord. We are called a "kingdom of priests" in the New Testament. We need to be set apart for the service of the Lord. We need to be set apart from the common pursuits of this world and offer our lives on the altar of sacrifice. When our lives are on the altar, the fire will fall. We must offer our lives continually to the Lord and then let His fire fall upon us.
Prayer:
Lord, I want Your fire to fall! I want to see your glory like they saw it in this text. We have worked and sacrificed in this region for 10 years now and our anniversary weekend is coming up. Let holy fire fall this weekend. Let revival start in our church this weekend. Consume the sacrifice and let your fire fall on the lives of our people and those who attend this weekend. I lay Word of Life on the altar this morning and ask You to let your fire fall on her.
Your Son,
Jeff
Leviticus 9:23-24 "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces".
Observation:
In the previous chapters and reading you see the law concerning sacrifices. You see every detail of what a sacrifice and an offering are to look like. You saw the priests being consecrated and set apart for the work of the Lord. You saw great preparation and sacrifice in preparing to offer sacrifice to the Lord. When it finally happens, the fire of God fell on it and consumed it. The fire always falls on sacrifice and preparation.
Application:
As the priests of the Old Testament prepared themselves and sanctified themselves for the priestly ministry, so we must set ourselves apart for the Lord. We are called a "kingdom of priests" in the New Testament. We need to be set apart for the service of the Lord. We need to be set apart from the common pursuits of this world and offer our lives on the altar of sacrifice. When our lives are on the altar, the fire will fall. We must offer our lives continually to the Lord and then let His fire fall upon us.
Prayer:
Lord, I want Your fire to fall! I want to see your glory like they saw it in this text. We have worked and sacrificed in this region for 10 years now and our anniversary weekend is coming up. Let holy fire fall this weekend. Let revival start in our church this weekend. Consume the sacrifice and let your fire fall on the lives of our people and those who attend this weekend. I lay Word of Life on the altar this morning and ask You to let your fire fall on her.
Your Son,
Jeff
Monday, June 13, 2011
Fire on the Altar
Scripture:
Leviticus 6:13 "A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out".
Observation:
On the altar of the burnt offering, the fire was never to go out. Daily, the priests would have to dispose properly of the ashes, bu the fire was never to go out. It actually says three times in six verses that the fire shall not go out. It must have been important.
Application:
The altar of the burnt offering was continually burning because there needed to be continual daily sacrifice for the nation. The fire produced smoke and incense created a beautiful aroma that went up before the Lord. Our lives need to be a continual sweet smelling incense to the Lord and the fire of God should never go out of our heart. We need to keep our daily devotional and prayer time alive and burning within us. Fire needs to be tended in order to continue. We have the ability to increase and decrease our fire level by adding the right stuff of offering our lives to the Lord. We must offer our lives on the altar of sacrifice in order to keep the flame burning.
Prayer:
Lord, never let my fire die. I want my life to be a sweet smelling incense of continual offering to You. Walk with me and talk with me. I offer you my life and ask you to receive this offering and bless it with your fire.
Sincerely,
Jeff Jacob
Leviticus 6:13 "A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out".
Observation:
On the altar of the burnt offering, the fire was never to go out. Daily, the priests would have to dispose properly of the ashes, bu the fire was never to go out. It actually says three times in six verses that the fire shall not go out. It must have been important.
Application:
The altar of the burnt offering was continually burning because there needed to be continual daily sacrifice for the nation. The fire produced smoke and incense created a beautiful aroma that went up before the Lord. Our lives need to be a continual sweet smelling incense to the Lord and the fire of God should never go out of our heart. We need to keep our daily devotional and prayer time alive and burning within us. Fire needs to be tended in order to continue. We have the ability to increase and decrease our fire level by adding the right stuff of offering our lives to the Lord. We must offer our lives on the altar of sacrifice in order to keep the flame burning.
Prayer:
Lord, never let my fire die. I want my life to be a sweet smelling incense of continual offering to You. Walk with me and talk with me. I offer you my life and ask you to receive this offering and bless it with your fire.
Sincerely,
Jeff Jacob
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