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Can you hear?

07 Feb

I am reading through the book of Acts with my boys at night. We read this scripture last night and talked about how awesome it must have been. This morning as I was waking up to my prayer was for God to give me a scripture this morning. I put on my glasses to watch the TV where we have Reflections on for awaking to every morning. It is a program that spools pictures of God’s beauty with scriptures inset. It was only a couple seconds later this verse was posted on the screen. I knew that was a word directly from God.

I found Reflections as a result of my New Years resolution to stop watching the news. We sleep with the TV on, and usually go to sleep and awake with the news. There could not be anything worse to put in your head last and first things of the day. I swear I am sleeping better. Go to sleep, and awake with God. I hope it will make a difference in your days too.

 

 

Can you hear?

Acts 2:17     And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

I am not brave enough to touch on the relation here to the “last days”, nor to touch on prophesy and visions. What I do wish to convey is our alertness to these things. Peter was preaching at the day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit was given, and 3000 were saved that day. He was quoting from the prophet Joel (2:28-32) in the Old Testament. There are many views on this prophesy being fulfilled completely at the day of Pentecost, and also only partially fulfilled with the remaining upon the second coming of Christ. This is a fascinating scripture to study. Where my question lies, is our awareness to these “signs and wonders” from God.

How much time do you devote to seeking out Him in prayer and His Word? More directly, how much time have you left over for Him? Your devotion to Him, is directly related to hearing from Him. When we dull our senses with all the static this world provides, we simply cannot get through the distractions to hear the still small voice of God. Elijah desperately wanted to hear Gods voice, and after an angel appeared, these were his instructions to him. “ He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;  and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it…” (1Kings 11-13). God is not in, nor can be heard in the chaos. He is in the silence of your time alone with Him.

 
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Posted by on February 7, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Pursuits

06 Feb

We ain’t perfect, we all sin, and we all wanna be a better person. We all try to do our best, but sometimes the world grabs a hold of us, and drags us back down. But even when all of that is going on, where is our focus? How do we conduct ourselves on a daily basis? Do you realize that your actions every day reflect how others may view Christ? If you profess yourself a Christian, and can make a sailor blush, or compromise your integrity whenever it benefits you, how does that make others view Christ? How do you think it makes Christ feel? He is living inside you, and wrenching at your gut when those things happen. The immediate satisfactions passes, and you realize what you have done…….that is called desires of the flesh.

 

 

Pursuits

Romans 8:13     For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Life here on earth is not eternal. Our flesh here was condemned by sin, and therefore will return to the dust from which it was created. But deep inside us lives our soul, where true life exists. Our soul was designed for eternity, and that is how we must invest our time here, in preparation for eternity. If we continue to live in pursuits of the things that only satisfy our fleshly lusts, we are not feeding the Spirit that dwell inside us. Verse 13 is speaking of death and life for eternity.

In the book of Colossians 3:5-10, it speaks of the these types of deeds that drag us away from Christ. The earthly desires that may deceivingly promise satisfaction. But when the Spirit resides in you, these earthly pursuits grieve the Spirit, and that is the conviction of sin that you feel. Romans 8:8,9 says So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Only God can change you from the inside out by His Spirit, that you receive when you accept Christ. You will begin to see things from a different perspective, and that perspective is now living inside you.

 
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Posted by on February 6, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Rest in today

05 Feb

I have been out here this morning trying to have my quality time with God, with no distractions. This morning our puppy has decided to make the distraction highlight reel. Every time it would get quiet, he did the best he could to change that. Somewhere through this devo I was like “why?”. The rest of it seemed to come easy once I realized I was going against what I was trying to convey here. Even in the simple circumstances like a puppy, I was taking my eyes off Christ, and focusing on the problem. I earnestly prayed, and “mysteriously” he has been quiet and probably asleep. God can even speak to you in the little things, it you use the power of prayer and truly seek Him with all your heart.

 

 

Rest in today

Jeremiah 29:11-13    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

We do not understand the ways of our Lord. Jeremiah was a prophet at this time sent by God. His people had were being held in captivity, and many false prophets had arisen leading them astray. Jeremiah was telling them to accept and not question their circumstances, and to make the best of a bad situation, but understanding it was God’s will for them to be there for 70yrs. He even told them specifically of these plans as a direct word from God.

Today we are led not by prophets, but by faith. Our faith is “ is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). We are saved “ by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).  Where you are at, at this present time, has all passed through God’s hands. He either designed, or allowed it, but He knew you would be where you are today before He created you. We cannot fathom it, but we can accept it, and rest in it if we have the faith to believe it. There comes a peace in understanding verse 11 above. Rest in that assurance, praising and seeking Him every day in every circumstance. Who are we to ask God why? Keep Christ as the center of your focus, not your circumstances.

 
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Posted by on February 5, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Fatherly Rebuke

04 Feb

Fatherly Rebuke

Hebrews 12:6    6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

Chapter 11 in Hebrews is the chapter of the heros of faith such as Moses and Abraham. It speaks of all those in the Old Testament that both suffered, and or persevered through their faith. Then as we go into Chapter 12, it speaks of the sufferings we may also face as a child of God.  “For consider Him (Christ) who endured such hostility….lest you become weary and discouraged” (vs.3). God is the perfect Father whom both will reward and discipline. He is truly our role model as fathers ourselves, but we simply cannot hold to His standards. We are more concerned with being our children’s friends, than our children’s parents.

Some come to faith, as a means of escaping the woes of this world. They have been told that once they become Christians, life will be easy. But if we accept that God is our Father, we must accept the rebuke of Him. Because He is just, He only could not rebuke perfection, and the only perfection that has walked this earth, was His Son, that was sent here to die for our sins. “But if you are without chastening, of which you all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not sons.” (vs. 8). That is a scary verse if you come to faith on those grounds, and continue to sin, living a life of ease without rebuke. Matthew Henry said “to go on in sin without a rebuke is a sad sing of alienation from God.” Proverbs 3:11-12  “ My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;  For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights”. Be thankful when God convicts you, and punishes you for a sin, for you have the security that you are a child of His.

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Chambers devotional w/ my comments on “The Call”

04 Feb

The Constraint Of The Call

“Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
1 Corinthians 9:16

 

Beware of stopping your ears to the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact; but that is not the call to preach, it is merely an illustration in preaching. Paul is referring to the pangs produced in him by the constraint to preach the Gospel. Never apply what Paul says in this connection to souls coming in contact with God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved because it is God’s sovereign work – Come unto Me and I will save you. Our Lord never lays down the conditions of discipleship as the conditions of salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Discipleship has an option with it – “IF any man. . . ‘

Paul’s words have to do with being made a servant of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated unto the gospel” means to hear the call of God; and when a man begins to overhear that call, then begins agony that is worthy of the name. Every ambition is nipped in the bud, every desire of life quenched, every outlook completely extinguished and blotted out, saving one thing only – “separated unto the gospel.” Woe be to the soul who tries to put his foot in any other direction when once that call has come to him. This College exists for you, and you – to see whether God has a man or woman here who cares about proclaiming His Gospel; to see whether God grips you. And be ware of competitors when God does grip you.

 

Oswald Chambers    My Utmost for His Higest

Commentary:

I missed yesterday’s writing, and just returned to it. As soon as I saw the title, I remembered this one, for it struck deeply. Ever since feeling ‘the call’ just over a year ago, I have learned many things. I have sought and received counsel from many peers and elders, and those that have felt the call. There is something that is hard to describe about it, unless you have experienced it. I have even been told that I didn’t get it, and that wasn’t ‘the call.’ Therefore I questioned it for a long while. But through consistent seeking of only God’s Will for my life, it has been confirmed from within.

My pastor’s advise has rang as the most solid. He simply said the best conformation it to just try and do anything else. In other words try to deny it, or even pursue it by what I felt was goods motives. God has the power to allow or deny your paths in life. He has the power to control what you futilely think you have in your grasp all along. What you may have placed in high regards, will no longer seem to matter. The intricate details of those pursuits that were before readily available, now seemingly disappear entirely.

The only thing that consumes you is to spread the Good News, and the glory of God. It is a fire that burns from deep within, and is all consuming. It is a fire that is the only place that you feel joy. It is how God molds you into what He wants you to be. “Broken bread and poured out wine.” Use me Lord…..use me.


 
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Posted by on February 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Pick a side

03 Feb

A great morning with God all over John 10. I lost total track of time since about 5am, and I wish I didn’t have to get the boys out of bed for school I love mornings like this when the Word is so living, you just don’t want to put it down. Thank you Jesus!!!

Pick a side

John 10:27-28   My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

So many times in the bible Christ is spoken as the Good Shepard, and we as His sheep. It was a great analogy in those times for many to understand. So much rests in these two verses. These are the promises that the Gospel summarized. How do we hear His voice? We must first believe, accept the free gift of Grace, and then continually seek Him. Once we begin to seek and honor our God by our loving pursuit of Him, His voice becomes clearer to us. Our faith should be as a sheep, based upon following only our Shepard. If we listen to the voice of another, he is a thief that has come to steal us away (John 10:1). Our following of Him is a representation of our faith in Christ whom we have placed our trust. His promise of eternal life and security are shown in “neither can anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Most everyone believes there is life after death. We all have a soul that resides in us. Most everyone wants to believe in a paradise, but few want to believe in a place like hell. There is, and there will be, a place of eternal torment for those that do not follow Christ. There will be an eternal life in Heaven for those that listen to the Good Shepard, and follow His voice. Free will is a decision that God gave you to make that choice, and your decision will last you an eternity.

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

A Speck

02 Feb

This morning I was still thinking about last nights lesson in Luke by Ed Gravely, and the reflections of how we all could fall into those traps of religion. I know that the term religion and the relationship are confusing to so many of us. I grew up thinking being “religious” was a good thing. But now I have come to understand that resting on what I would call “earthly wisdom” is not from God, but a tool of Satan that self glorifies, and does not preach humility and grace. We must understand that “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.  (Ephesians 2:8)

James 3:16-17   For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

James has been leading up to these verses by telling us of the power of our speech, and the hypocrisy that can come as a result of it. Do we tend to seek glory for ourselves in our desires and how we speak of heavenly things? Do we become puffed up as those that Pharisees in Christ day whom even missed the glory of God standing before them? But what if we all feel as though in some way we are resting on our wisdom? We feel that we know just enough, do just enough good works, for others to think we are a good person? That ‘just enough’ is self seeking as described above. That is earthly wisdom that forms around religion, and not reverent fear and relationship with Christ.

With Godly wisdom comes meekness. We begin to realize that we can do nothing alone, but it all  flows through Christ. We realize that He reveals to us a great mystery that is heavenly wisdom that comes with time. A humble reverence and awe develop and dwell in our soul that seeks revelation from God. When we receive these specks of wisdom, when He opens our eyes through our hearts, we should only glorify Him as the result. There is only one Way to gain this knowledge, and it is not through envy or self seeking.

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Stuff

01 Feb

Stuff.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Stuff

01 Feb

Stuff

1John 2:15-17    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We all want, and try real hard to get ‘stuff’. Our environment especially here in America (the land of the plenty), saturates our minds with the pursuit of our wants; I did not say needs. This pursuit has crept into the pulpits and the prosperity preaching of today. But even outside faith and religion, we must realize all our pursuits are vain, for we cannot take any of them with us.  God wants us to have joy in life here, but that He brings is not found in idealistic toil to gain a material possessions. The joy that He brings is an inner joy, that costs nothing, that no-one can steal or destroy, and will last an eternity.

I fell into the trap of material possessions, and idealistic pursuit of them. Once Christ entered in and changed me from the inside out, I realized how much value I had placed on the stuff. John is showing us here that all of these pursuits, simply draw us away from God. We invest all our time, all our resources into stuff that we will remain here when our time is gone. When we stand before God, and He asks us about how we invested our time on earth, what will our reply be? Place your heart, your joy, your eternal treasures in the only secure place in existence – Christ.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The beginning of OneMinuteMinistry

01 Feb

The beginning of OneMinuteMinistry.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 
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