Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11 - BEYOND RECOVERY


S - Romans 11:11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.


O- Paul is speaking of God's chosen people who have rejected Him.


A - The Israelites are not beyond recovery.  And so then, neither am I.  I am not hopeless.  I see the freedom that lies in total devotion to God and I want it.  I want it enough to leave my old ways behind and to attain it for myself.


P - Lord Jesus, thank You that true freedom comes from You.  Teach me to walk in this freedom of recovery and provoke others to envy what You have given me so much that they want it for themselves.

Saturday, May 26, 2012 Prov. 1-3; Rom 7 S=Scripture; O=Observation; A=Application; P=Prayer “The Law Cannot Save” S – Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. O- Paul addresses the difference between the law and grace, the flesh and the spirit, and how the law cannot save us from death. A – We hear it all the time, “ I’m a good person, I don’t do this and I don’t do that.,” or “ I have a knowledge of what is written in the Ten Commandments and I pretty much follow them. “ and “I was raised up in Sunday School and know right from wrong.” These are all good things and we need to practice what we have learned from them every day, but the written word of the law although holy and good is not what saves us from the sins of the flesh. Its purpose is to reveal and make us consciously aware of the sin that is in our lives. It does not produce righteousness within us apart from the saving grace of Christ Jesus. By the law we walk in death, by grace we walk in newness of life. So, which will it be life with Christ or death without Him? I choose life! P – Father thank you for delivering us from the letter of the law through and by the saving grace of your Son who gave us newness of life to those who believe. Amen.

Friday June 25, 2012
1 King, 10-11;2 Chronicles 9
Romans 6

IT’S FREE
S-o 6:23  :For the wages of sin pays in death, but this bountiful free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.”

O-Paul is explaining that even though we are free from sin…that it no way gives us the permission to sin..

A- I love the word FREE…when I see a free sign on things I must check it out!  Well when I gave my life to Jesus He offered me the FREE gift of eternal life…how awesome is that?  This  does not give me permission to do my own thing…but should inspire me to do all I can for the Kingdom.

P-Thank  you God for the free gift of salvation, abundant life and eternal life.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 – 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalm 135; Romans 4 

S – Romans 4:4-5 (The Message) If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

O – Have faith that only God can make us holy. This is righteousness.

A – I know that apart from God I am nothing.  I can’t climb a mountain called “Holy” and reach this summit called “Kingdom of God.”  It is not by my efforts that I am saved from eternity in hell.  It is only because of God and who He is.  He loves me and He just wants to scoop me up in His big hand and transport me to His kingdom.  No climbing required.  Just faith that His hand is there.

P – Lord, I love You.  Thank You for Your gift.  I want to know You more.  Reveal more of Yourself to me, in Jesus’ name I pray.

Encouragement 101

Sunday May 20, 2012 – 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1

S:  Romans 1:12 (Amp):  That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

O:  As believers when we share our faith and struggles with one another we are both encouraged and comforted.

A:  I love how that works.  Whether you are the one imparting encouragement or the one receiving it – when two believers get real and share their victories and struggles with one another both are encouraged and both of them are blessed with renewed faith.  We were created to be relational beings.  It was never God’s intent for us to live solitary lives but to live real and out loud – to share our hurts and disappointments; to share our struggles and our victories.  Not pretending allows other people around us to pray for and encourage us.  We ALL need to be encouraged.  Take a risk.  Get real.  Share with someone else what you are going through.  Seek out someone today who you think may need encouragement and be an encourager.   Take a risk.

P:  Father God I love that you made me to need other people.  I surrender myself completely to you.  I lay down anything like pride that tries to prevent me from letting anyone see my insides.  Lord let me be me today.  The real me.  No pretending.  Let me encourage those who come to me with their needs and Lord let me be open to receive the encouragement of others who you place in my path.    Amen.

ACKNOWLEDGE

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1 Thessalonians 5

S - 1 Thessalonians 5:12 Now we ask of you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.

O - This is how we Christians should treat each other.

A - Acknowledge people for what they do.  Criticism flies so easily.  If I find it easy to find wrong and hard to find right in a person or thing or happening, then God tells me to check MY attitude.  I'm so grateful God doesn't do that with me.  He looks at me and sees the gold.  I need to do likewise.

P - Father God, I thank You for Your son, Jesus.  You dwell within me.  Help me to look around and see all things good that You created.

MY WORST ENEMY

S-Psalm. 55:3 “…I am distracted at the noise of the enemy…”

O-The Psalmist is crying out to God as he fears his enemies.

A-The Amplified Bible says I am distracted.  When things are not going well we can easily become distracted. We feel the enemy is out to get us.  In fact, many times we are our own worst enemy.  We take our eyes off of God and become distracted by our perceptions of the situation and allow them to become fact.  I feel like I waste so much time and energy when I do this.  The good I could’ve done is trumped by acting on my perception of the situation…ugh.

P-O Lord, please be my filter…help me to see clearly and not be brought down or distracted. Psalm 55:23b says “…But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You.

WATCH AND PRAY

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 2 Samuel 17; Psalm 71; Matthew 26

S - Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

O - Jesus is speaking to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His betrayal.  He knew what was coming.

A - My spirit is willing to do the right thing, but if I rely solely on this knowledge, I may fall when temptation comes to do the wrong thing.  I know I want to follow all of God's commands, but I must be ever on my guard and pray for strength to resist the enemy or else I may fall asleep and be overcome.

P - Lord, strengthen me to resist the enemy of my soul.  My one desire is to follow You and do whatever it is You ask of me.  Enable me, Lord.

Practice What you Preach

Sunday, May 6, 2012:  2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51 & Matthew 23.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

S:  Matthew 23:3 – So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach but they do not practice.

O:  Jesus is warning us to practice what we preach.

A:  In  Jesus’ day there were scribes and Pharisees who were the equivalent of our modern day church leaders.  They enjoyed positions of authority, the best seats in church, the ability to set the rules and regulations and programs of the church.  Jesus observed that rather than using their positions of authority to lead others into meaningful relationship with God; to encourage others in their service of the Lord or to help those in need they actually used their positions to make so many rules and regulations and programs that they actually ended up interfering with the ability of the people to enter into a meaningful relationship with God the Father.   These scribes and Pharisees spent a lot of time telling others how to live to please God but they did not expend any energy in their own lives trying to please God.  With any kind of leadership comes authority but also great responsibility – to practice what we preach; to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk.  First and foremost we are servants of the most high God.  Just as Jesus was.  This is what people should see when they look into our lives.  Not perfection; but a heart intent on serving God.   And as a follower I should watch and listen carefully before I decide to follow the lead of any other person – are they leading me closer to Jesus or away from Jesus? 

P:  Father God I thank you for the leadership of  all of the people that you have placed in my life.  Those who have led by wonderful example and those who have not.  Because I have learned lessons from both.    Father God my heart is only to serve you.  Forgive me if I have ever said or done anything that led another away from true relationship with you or interfered in their growth in you.  Use me Lord to lead people to you – not with fancy words but by loving you and doing my best to “walk the walk” all the days of my life.

Remembering The Name of The Lord Our God

Saturday, May 05, 2012, 2 Sam. 10; 1 Chr. 20;Ps. 20; Matt. 22 S=Scripture; O=Observation; A=Application; P=Prayer “Remembering the Name of the Lord Our God” S – Psalms 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” O- David and the Israelites are about to do battle. Their weapons aren’t as sophisticated as some who have the use of horses and chariots. David is taking this time to remind his men that all trust should be placed in the Name of the Lord. A- It is so easy and even natural, to place our trust in things that may be placed before us. Such as our trust in doctors to help us when we are sick, our 401k’s, 403b’s and Sep Ira’s for our financial well being, even our Social Security when we are ready to retire. It is good to have all of these things. David had his men, his weapons, and his strategies, but even though he had all these things, his absolute, irrevocable, undeniable trust was in the Name of the Lord. Am I saying we shouldn’t have doctors or savings plans? No, it would be foolish not to make preparations for our well being. We have learned throughout God’s Word, people prepared and made ready, but in the end, if their absolute trust wasn’t in the Lord, it was all in vein. He is our protector and provider and therefore our absolute hearts trust needs to be in Him and Him alone. When all else fails, and it may, the stock market could crash, all the knowledge that doctors hold may not be enough, our God will never fail us. He may not answer in the way we imagine, but His response to our pleas will always be answered and it will be the best answer to any given situation due to His great love towards us. Even though we don’t use chariots and horses for warfare any longer. Our trust should always be in the Name of the Lord. P- Lord I am thankful for all the things that bring us to a place of well being. It would be easy to trust that these things could keep us in a place of safety, but all of our preparation could fall short or be swept away. It is in You alone we place our soul trust and we will remember You and call on Your Name in our hour of need. .

DEAD DOG


S-2Samuel 9,8 And the (crippled) bowed himself and said “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?”

O-David had invited Jonathan’s son, who was lame, to take a place of honor at the King’s table with him to eat. This was an honor that David was bestowing on Mephibosheth because he was the son on Jonathan and grandson of Saul. Being crippled was a shameful thing in those days.  He responded by saying “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?”

A-Sometimes we forget who we are in Christ and we wonder how God could forgive or love us.  But the Word of God says that we are the redeemed of the Lord, the apple of God’s eye, sons and daughters of the Most High God and His heirs. WOW!  When we look at ourselves as DEAD DOGS we are discounting the fact that Jesus paid the price for us to be heirs with Him.

P-Lord help me to remember who I am in You.  Help me to live like the daughter of the King, and help me to have a grateful and loving heart.

VYING FOR POSITION

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 1 Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19

S - Matthew 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

O - Jesus is speaking about entering the kingdom of heaven.

A - By the world's standards, we should go after what we want in life.  If we want power, prestige, positions of importance we should knock others over to get there.  But, by Jesus' standards, those who want to be with Jesus in the highest place, need to go lower still.  It's about humility, it's about serving others first, not taking the biggest cookie.  It's about serving instead of being served.

P - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ixAbOO5qnE