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Monthly Archives: July 2012

Woven

31 Jul

Woven

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

The parable of John 15 is that of the vine. It speaks of the relationship between the vinedresser (gardener), the vine, and the branch. God is the vinedresser, Christ is the vine, and we are the branch. The verb abide is found 10 times in this parable. What is ‘to abide’ – to remain stable or fixed in a state (Websters). I have also read it in study described as a ‘state of being’, or to stay, or to sink in. But how can we abide in Christ? That word being a verb requires an action correct? That action is found in verse 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. The way to abide is action of obeying.

That action is found in the pursuit of God and the things of God, through prayer and His Word. His Word will begin to shed light into your life, and as your relationship begins to grow you will begin to understand His Will for your life. It is not a life of limitations, but a freedom from the bondages you have endured until He came into your life. God is glorified through you and your changed life because of the testament to others of that freedom and change by following His Word and His Will for your life. Your life will produce fruit as a result of His work through you.  8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

A disciple is a big scary word to some. Your heart has the ability to become a disciple, through the pursuit and abiding in Christ. When you set your heart to follow God, to truly draw near and make a change through the lens of the gospel of Christ, your life will never be the same. It will become a testament to the power of God, the glory of God, and you will truly want to share with others what He has done for you. A disciple simply lives a life of obedience of God’s Will and commandments in a pursuit of that relationship. The fruit is a byproduct of God’s work in their lives. Abiding is clinging to the Vine, and letting the vinedresser direct your path in life. That branch that is intertwined with that vine is your life as a person abiding in Christ.

 
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Posted by on July 31, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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We all have our ‘legion’ he has freed us from

30 Jul

We all have our ‘legion’ he has freed us from

Mark 5:18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

In Mark 5 we are told of the maniac demon possessed madman who Christ healed. He was possessed by a legion of demons (perhaps as many as 6000). His story of woe was one of torment by Satan’s demons and incredible strength. But the day Christ arrived everything changed. The man approached Christ and the demon’s knew Christ and begged for His mercy. They entered a herd of pigs, ran off a cliff and into the sea. An incredible thing to witness for many that did see it happen. They feared Christ and asked Him to leave.

The one who was delivered begged to go with Christ. This is the only one of Christ’s miracles where He told the recipient to go tell others what had happened to him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” In my study materials the title is, “How a Madman became a Missionary”. The man went into a area of ten cities (Decapolis) and began to share the miracle of change that Christ had performed in Him. He shared his testimony.

Your testimony may not be of a deliverance from demons, but Christ has done His miraculous work in you, and changed your life from the inside out also.  1 Corinthians 1:6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. Christ has produced a change, and that change should be evident in your every day life. You should articulate it in your words and your actions as a testament to His miracle in you. What you have experienced before and after in your life He allowed in your life. It all can be used in your testimony to encourage others of the miracle He can perform in their lives also. You too are a miracle living in God’s mercy and grace today. Spread the good news of His work for you to encourage someone today.

 
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Posted by on July 30, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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KP – Key Point

29 Jul

KP – Key Point

John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Christ had just healed a man that had been paralyzed for almost 40 years, then disappeared into the crowd. The man did not know who had healed him, but he was able to pick up his bed and walk. The Jews recognized him, and the only thing they could say to him was to scold him for breaking the Sabbath law of carrying his bed. Almost comically he replied to them “well they guy who healed me told me to carry my bed so I listened to him.” John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Christ warned him to not continue to live in sin.

The scriptures that follow in John 5 are where Christ is claiming His Deity as the Son of God to the Jews. The Jews not only don’t believe Him, but begin to plot to kill Him for these claims. Do you believe? Do you believe that God sent His only Son to earth; to walk the earth in human form, and die as a perfect sacrifice for your sin? There is not a separation between belief in God and the denial of Christ that will allow the gates of heaven to open for you. John 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. You cannot have one without the other. That is a false teaching that you will suffer for an eternity for.

Christ was speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper and He told them. John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” You must believe that God sent His Son to die for you. Acceptance and repentance are the keys to eternity you hold in your humble heart. Without the acceptance of His sacrifice and the repentance of your sins, the doors will be locked. You cannot worship God all your life and deny what He provided for you. But once you realize and accept it, you are eternally guaranteed it.

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Missed it

29 Jul

Missed it

Luke 11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread.

The past 48hrs have been a blur filled with quality family time on a quick road trip and packing in a lot in a short amount of time. I knew going into this I was not going to be able to have my alone time with God, or to write every morning like I do. I was ok with that. But yet as the day wore on I craved what I had missed out on.

If I can share one word of encouragement to anyone outside of Salvation, it would be to follow Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. It is such a large part of my testimony and where God really began to open my eyes and my heart. If you have all the worries of changing or understanding the things of God, if you will first seek God on a daily basis, all of these things shall be opened to you also. Seeking God on a daily basis is where you begin to experience true change in your life after Salvation.

Do you want to change? Do you really expect God to reveal great things to you with little effort? Start making a change tomorrow by spending some time alone with God in prayer and His word. I know I am looking forward to.

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Press on through it #2

27 Jul

Press on through it #2

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

It is ironic (not sure that’s the right word), how things work sometimes. Highs are followed by lows; the roller-coaster of life is full of ups and downs. Yesterday I wrote of “Pressing On”, and by early morning I was being challenged to. The woes of the struggles I face seemed to grow before me, and the mental games began. I believe I had an Olympic event in my head yesterday. But did I retreat to worldly comforts to ease the pain, or press into Christ?

I spent some time dealing with the issues head on. I spent some time alone. I spent some time with God. I did not retreat as my mind wanted me to, but faced the day. It is never easy, but God wants to help us in them; Satan wants to destroy us through them. The path only has two directions: Up or Down. The book of James speaks much about the trials of life and how to deal with them. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. God’s strength to pull you up through whatever you are facing is far beyond the ability He has allowed Satan to drag you down. But you must look up to tap into His power. If you hang your head, you are looking down.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Tough scriptures to read in a world filled with self seeking  pleasures and false prosperity gospels telling us if we have problems we lack faith. I wonder how they handle these scriptures? Life’s problems present you a direct opportunity to grow in your faith and grow closer to God. If you will see them as that opportunity, a new Light will be shed upon them. That Light in the darkness will guide you through them. Pick your head up and seek that Light in the tunnel of trouble you face, for that Light will dispel whatever darkness you face.

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Press on through it

26 Jul

Press on through it

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I have a customer God has placed in my path that has suffered the trial of cancer. It has taken away her joy of playing music, but not her faith. I saw her pre-surgery about six months ago, and again yesterday. We have prayed together both times. She is now cancer free, but her face is suffering from a lymph condition, leaving it partially paralyzed. She is scared, but she is also seeing God at work all around her. She shared great stories of people helping her and seeing God at work through it all.

I am a guy who pushes my limits in all that I do. I just don’t know how to do anything half-way. God has allowed me many tests of faith as a result of that  DNA to test my faith’s strength. If you say you believe, and your faith fails at the first problem; did you truly have faith to begin? God will never leave you, never put you out there to face anything alone. Whatever you are facing today, no matter how large or life changing it may be, He is there with you. Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Many times He may have allowed these things in your life to draw you closer to Him. We have a tendency to not see God at work around us when our life is full of blessings and all is well. We tend to forget that it all flows through His hands when we are being blessed. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

We are living in a world far from God that is glorifying sin in every media and walk of life. Satan is peaking in His limited power, and God is surely to return to claim all His creation. If you will truly keep your eye on eternity, the problems will become small you are facing now. What is bigger: Your problem or your God? Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  Keep your eye on the prize and press yourself towards the goal of eternity in paradise with no problems ever again. This too will have been temporary.

 
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Posted by on July 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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A Mystery

25 Jul

A Mystery

Ephesians 3:3-4 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

The word ‘mystery’ is used over 20 times in the New Testament, many times by the Apostle Paul. It is used in many different contexts, many times in the relations of Jews and Gentiles, but mainly on Christ and God’s grace that extends through Him. Many could not understand the principle of grace; of receiving a free gift from God they did not deserve or work for. That was a root of pride that still tugs people away today thinking they may have to earn God’s graces.

What is is about a ‘mystery’ that draws us? It is the unknown, the lack of understanding, the desire to understand from within. God has wired us that way and from that wiring we can either use the draw of that mystery to blaspheme or draw in to Him. We will never understand for our minds are too simple to grasp the things of God. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. To try to explain away what we cannot understand can become blasphemous against God. The strengthening of our faith in the lack of understanding is what is found in continually seeking the things of God. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. In study concerning Christ; I came upon this from Matthew Henry as a great summary to the mystery surrounding Him. “First, He who was manifest in flesh was God, really and truly God, God by nature, and not only so by office, for this makes it to be a mystery. Secondly, God was manifest in flesh, real flesh. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, Heb. 2:14 . And, what is more amazing, he was manifest in the flesh after all flesh had corrupted his way, though he himself was holy from the womb. Thirdly, Godliness is a mystery in all its parts and branches, from the beginning to the end, from Christ’s incarnation to his ascension. Fourthly, It being a great mystery, we should rather humbly adore it, and piously believe it, than curiously pry into it, or be too positive in our explications of it and determinations about it, further than the holy scriptures have revealed it to us.” Let the mystery draw you near, strengthen your faith, and to praise a Holy God who blessed you with the mystery of His work through His Son.

 
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Posted by on July 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Breakfast

24 Jul

Breakfast

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It is unclear who the writer of Hebrews was, but many think it was Paul, and it is also somewhat unclear of what group of people it may have been directed to. But the book of Hebrews has a clear message of salvation and atonement through Christ alone. Paul is trying to strengthen them in their faith, and encourage them to move forward with it.

When we are new to the faith, it comes with excitement, but sometimes that excitement passes and we never grow in our relationship. The growth of our faith is a never ending pursuit filled with zeal and intimacy with the Creator of the universe. This is only accomplished by spending time feeding on the nourishment He provides in His Word and prayer. John 4:32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” Christ was speaking of his labor of love for the will of His Father, and the joy and nourishment He obtained through it. That spiritual nourishment is available to you through seeking God daily and following His will for your life also.

A day that starts with God in His Word and prayer is the most important meal of the day. David puts in well, even in perspective of today’s society which is so far from God. Psalm 63:A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. Time consecrated to God every day is rewarded by Him with a spiritual nourishment to face the day. A new light is shed on the day through the power of His Word and the application you find for it daily in your life. The only way to grow, is to eat of it.

 
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Posted by on July 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Ya’ ain’t them kinda smarts

23 Jul

Ya’ ain’t them kinda smarts

John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This was Christ’s fifth resurrection appearance, and it was to 10 of His disciples (Thomas was absent) who were meeting secretly together to discuss many things. They were in fear of what had happened, and surely met to encourage one another and discuss their future plans. Christ had appeared in His risen form to them in a locked upper room. He had come to encourage and commission them for their future plans. John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Their faith and future were strengthened.

Christ breathed on them. His breath proved His life, and through His breath He gives life. This even points back to the beginning in Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to all the disciples as an enabler for their future ministries. The Holy Spirit is an enabler, and provides spiritual power to aide in the work of discipleship. This was not only a gift to the disciples, but also to you as a disciple of Christ.

If you are having trouble understanding the bible, is it because you are relying on your own wisdom to reveal it to you? These things are available only through the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Humble yourself, repent of your sin, and plea for forgiveness. Christ’s Spirit will come to dwell inside of you; revealing many things that you have never seen before. Your time here on earth will take on a new light, and you will be spurred to share as the disciples shared through the power of His Spirit. The give of the Spirit is for our time here, but yet the Salvation lasts an eternity. It is only gained through a humble heart, and not through our own wisdom.

 
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Posted by on July 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The Foundation

22 Jul

The Foundation.

 
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Posted by on July 22, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 
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