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Searching for "might" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "25" to "50". (89 found)

2010-05-13 - Desire's Journey - Same Old Thing
Something worse than the fall of man (losing paradise) = getting used to it
  • Been there, done that
  • Life sucks, then you die
  • How is it going? "Same old thing"
How has life turned out differently from the way you though it would?
  • Friendship
  • Marriage
  • Children
  • Holidays
What if we were told that the future would be the same as today? It is hell

We have not solved the riddle of our existence
Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What is wrong with me?

It is possible to run away from the desire for years but we are desire - essence of the human soul

Our desire, if we listen, will save us from committing soul-suicide
Same old thing would not be enough
Life as usual us not the life we truly want
It is not the life we were made for

"All good things come to an end" is a lie

We abandon the most important journey of our lives when we abandon desire

Whatever we might gain, it is not worth it - Matthew 16:26


2010-06-30 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 1)

Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead
The return of spring brings such a relief and joy and anticipation
Might spring and summer may be nature way of expressing Jesus was trying to tell us?
Nature God's word to us also - Romans 1:20

Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable
Many Christians have some idea that heaven is an never-ending church service
And then our hearts sink
Forever and ever? That is it?

We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual"
We then turn to the present to find what life we can
We can only hope for what we desire

Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11
Where is out hearts? In our desires.



2010-07-20 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 7)
From the section about Jesus' trial in the dessert

3. Satan reveals his true self - Matthew 4:8-11

Satan: "You don't have to take the route of suffering"
"There are shortcuts, just give your heart away"

Jesus: "There are no shortcuts, my heart belongs to God alone"

Once we realize what a precious that heart's desire is, we must see that and guard it with all of our might
  • To neglect it is foolishness
  • To kill it is suicide
  • To allow it to wander aimlessly is disaster

We must be serious about our happiness

2010-08-06 - Waking Dead - At War (part 1)
The thief comes to only steal, kill, and destroy our life - John 10:10

God intends for you to have life but right now that life is opposed
The offer from God is life, but you are going to have to fight for it
The enemy in your life has a different agenda

We are a war
The sooner we come to terms with it, the better hope we have of making it through
We live in a combat zone - a violent clash between kingdoms
Where did you think all this opposition was coming from?

We are in the image of God - Genesis 1:27
God crowd us with glory and honor - Psalms 8:3-5

We were once more than we are now
Glory has been the object of a long and brutal was

Lurking in the Garden is the enemy
Unable to overthrow the Mighty One, he turned his sights on those who bore his image
David: You turn my glory into shame - Psalms 4:2

War is a central theme in the Old Testament
The Lord is a warrior - Exodus 15:2

OT Battle examples:
  • God goes to war to set his people free in Exodus
  • War to get to the promise land - Exodus 17:16
  • War to get into the promise land - battle of Jericho
  • Wars to keep the promise land - battles with Canannites, Philistines, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Midianites
  • Deborah, Gideon, David, Elijah goes to war


2010-08-11 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 2)

Myth tell us three truths, the second is:

2. There is a great struggle or quest or battle that is well under way

Christianity isn't about:

  • Going to Sunday school
  • Being nice
  • Holding car washs
  • Sending clothes to Mexico

As good as those things might be, this is a world at war
We live in a far more dangerous and dramatic story than we ever imagine

Reason we love these is because it is telling us that this is our most desperate hour

  • The Chronciles of Narnia
  • Star Wars
  • The Matrix
  • The Lord of the Rings

Without this buring in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days

Notice that those who have tried to wake up to this reality were ususally killed

  • The phophets
  • Jesus
  • Stephen
  • Paul
  • Most of the disciples in the Bible

Has it occured to you that someone is trying to shut them up?

 



2010-08-31 - Waking Dead - Our Story (part 1)
Our life is a story

We need someone to walk with us
God has given us the Counselor - the Spirit of truth - John 14:16-17
We need someone that makes thing clear and true
Not just an annual checkup but all the time

The purpose of the Christian life is that our hearts might be restored and set free
That is what Jesus came to do

All sorts of damage has been done to your heart
  • by sin
  • by others
  • by the enemy
At best, we have hope deferred that is making us sick - Proverbs 13:12
Even our laughter is out of heartache - Proverbs 14:13

We are told to trust in the Lord (Proverb 3:5) - it is second nature to worry
We are told to love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22) - that is very rare
The answers lie deeply in our heart

The heart of a man is deep waters, but a man of understanding draws him out - Proverbs 20:5

2010-09-06 - Waking Dead - Deep Restoration (part 3)
Chris came not only to pardon us but to heal us

Jesus can and wants to heal your heart.

What does that rouse in you?
  • Hope?
  • Cynicism?
  • Pride?
Without your heart you cannot hope to find God
The heart is God's dwelling place
If you ignore your heart, it is like looking for him everywhere but at home

It might be a surprise to you that Christ ask our permission to come in and heal

Behold, I stand at the door and knock - Revelation 3:20
He does not force his way in

There are sometimes rooms we have kept locked up
We must give him permission to come in there - ask Jesus for your whole heart back

2010-09-10 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 2)
The question is not are we oppressed but where and how we are

Why does every story have an enemy?
  • Little Red Riding Hood - wolf
  • Dorthy - Wicked Witch of the West
  • Neo - powerful agents
Every story has a villain because yours does

Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels - was hurled to earth - Revelation 12:9
Satan's mood? He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short - Revelation 12:12

He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life
We can go throughout our day and not even once wonder how the enemy might be attacking us
All we know is that we aren't enjoying that abundant life Christ talked about

Ignorance of spiritual warfare is the most native and dangerous thing a person can do
You don't escape spiritual warfare by choosing not to believe it exists or refuse to fight

The thief is trying to steal the life God wants to give - John 10:10


2010-09-15 - God is love

Preached by Richard Dixion on 1999-05-04

Psalms 25:10

  • Gratefulness: no arguments, no frustration, no complaining
Unconditional Love

Psalms 145:13

  • All he made - Did God make you?
  • We live in an unloving world
    • God is not like use
  • We make limits to our love
    • God does not stop
  • We all need unconditional love
Tough Love

Hebrews 12:4-10

  • God love is tough
  • Two kinds of discipline
    • Action - stops for the short-term
    • Heart - God way, deals with sin
  • Discipline - creates - discipline and gratefulness
  • Running away or running toward discipline?
  • He wants us to be holy, righteousness
  • Wrong thinking: I won't because I might get disciplined
  • Right thinking: I will, and I will be molded


His love is Transforming

Romans 12:1-2

  • What transforms you?
  • How are different than a year ago?
  • Living sacrifices?

2 Corinthians 5:3

  • How would you look if God transformed your life?
  • Do you know who are?
  • What would Jesus do different in your life?
  • God loves us the way we are
    • He refuses to leave us that way


2010-09-17 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 5)
The worldview has simply removed warfare as a practical category
We shouldn't be surprised - we can not see spiritual strongholds after we say they really don't exist

If you deny the battle raging against your heart, then the theif can just come and go as he pleases
Satan says there is not war

Lord Almighty = he who is sovereign over all the powers in heaven and on earth, especially over the armies of Israel
The God of angel armies
God is powerful and and in control but don't always think of of him taking up a sword and shield, breaking down gates to rescue us
Big difference: Joe the good man who is in control vs Joe the Naval Seal

2010-09-19 - Waking Dead - Setting the Heart Free
All spiritual warfare follows a simple pattern - James 4:7

Submit and resist
Submit ourselves to Christ and resist whatever has come against us or those we love
Their needs to "dailyness" to our walk

1. We have to choose to abide in Christ
Consecrate our whole body:
  • Body - Romans 12:1
  • Soul - Luke 10:27
  • Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:17
2. Then we need to cleanse our lives with the blood of Christ
Take our place under the headship of Christ
The faith of centurion, he understood authority - Matthew 8:10

Most sins fall under:
  • Pride - independence from God
  • Idolatry - Giving our devotion, fear, or any part of our heart to something other than God
We need to ask God to search our hearts so we might confess sin and agreements we have made

2010-09-29 - Contagious Christian - People Matter (part 1)
We might like the idea of having a spiritual impact on others, we won't take decisive action unless we raise our motivation level
The best way to do this is to have God's perspective on the matter

1. The way things are - Science
Anthropic principle - when we look at the world around us, the universe was somehow designed to support and nourish human life
  • Raise or lower the universe's rate of expansion by one part in a million, - it rules out the possibility of life
  • If the average distance between star was any greater, the planets would not have formed; any smaller, the planets orbits for life would not have occurred
  • The ratio of carbon and oxygen was different, we could not breath the air
  • Change the tilt of the earth's axis slightly, we would freeze and burn up
  • Any change in the distance from the sun or speed of rotation of the earth would result in unlivable temperature changes
Someone must have gone to a lot of effort to make things just right
We matter to God

2. The way things ought to be - Business
Business is turning to the "upside-down" approached
They refocus on they are there - to server their customers

Focus must be outside the church as well
It is easy to get entangled and ensnared in internal issues in our church that it is hard to remember the primary reason we remain on this planet - to reach out to other people

If we matter to God, then they'd better matter to us too

2010-10-02 - Contagious Christian - Benefits (part 2)
1. Adventure
God get great pleasure from sending agents into the world
It stretches us beyond our comfort zones and challenges us to take risks on the front lines
The Christian list is one of faith
Does this excite you? If no, it might be a sign that you've been playing it safe

2. Purpose
What is the purpose? God not wanting anyone to perish, but to come to repentance - 2 Peter 3:9
You will start anticipating that He might surprise you at any time with an eternity-altering opportunity

3. Fulfillment
We will start feeling a sense of fulfillment that transcends the realm of everyday human experience
What else could compare to being an instrument in God's hand?

2010-10-27 - Contagious Christian - Strength of Sacrifice (part II)
Second major way to sacrifice is money
The person on the receiving end of help always knows better what effect giving on other's lives

Sometimes the lack of things we need shows us the way to Christ
  • Humbles us because we have receive from others
  • Shows us the true disciples of Christ
It is truly more blessed to give then receive
What might happen if you loosened your grip on your material possessions?

  • Whose heart might open?
  • Whose attitude might soften
  • Who might get curious and start asking spiritual questions?
Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth - 1 John 3:18

2010-10-29 - Contagious Christian - Opportunities in Relationships
Developing friendships takes time and effort
We try to short-circuit the process sometimes by using the reason of there are too many people to reach

We are wise to start relationships on a natural, nonthreatening grounds
Then later, in the context of the relationship open up conversations to spiritual issues

Most of His interactions with the religious establishment involved challenging their attitudes

Jesus spent the majority of His time with those outside the religious establishment
He rubbed shoulders with tax collectors (thieves in that day), prostitutes, those with low spiritual reprobates
Because they mattered to Him and He wanted to lead them to the family of God
We love Him because He loved us first
Paul - "I have become all things to all men so I might same some" - 1 Corinthians 9:22



2010-11-06 - Contagious Christian - The Blind Man's Testimonial Approach
Blinded since birth, Jesus change his life by giving him sight
The first time he came in contact with an audience after his sight he was asked to explain what happen
The crowd was hostile but he refused to enter into a theological debate - John 9:25
"One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see"

He was born blind so that the work of God might be displayed in his life
God had been preparing this man to tell the story of his life and to point people to Jesus

Some people might not respond to a challenge or a debate but a personal account of someone's coming to faith can move them powerfully

Effective testimonies don't have to be dramatic
For some it would be difficult to relate to a dramatic testimony that may give them an excuse
Might say "People like that, need religion"

If you have a more dramatic story, ask God to lead you concerning how much detail and whom to tell it

2010-12-24 - Cross of Christ (part II)
Isaiah 53
  • Written about 700 years before Jesus, this chapter predicted what the Messiah would do at the cross and why. (Note: In Luke 22:37, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 53 and says it was about him.) Read entire chapter. Points of emphasis:
    • Verses 1-3 – despised and rejected
    • Verses 4-6 – pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; by his wounds we are healed. Suggestion: read this passage again putting in your own name.
    • Verses 7-9 – like a lamb to the slaughter; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. You may want to remind the person of the sins he/she described in earlier study.
    • Verses 10-12 – he is a guilt offering; but after the suffering of his soul, satisfaction (resurrection)
1 Peter 2:21-25
  • Why did Jesus die on the cross for us? So that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
  • This is our whole-hearted response to the cross.


2011-02-10 - Fearing God - Glorious Truth (part III)
Wisdom is commonly defined as good judgment
In the Bible, it also has a strong ethical content

Example
The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delights - Proverbs 11:1
Honest is the best policy in business
Biblical wisdom always factors God into the equation
  • Society might cut corners just enough so it won't hurt business
  • The person who fears the Lord strives to be honest all the time
  • God-fearing more concerned about pleasing God than what is good for business
Honesty is the best policy but its wisdom has the wrong foundation.
It is essentially self-serving

Example
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil - Proverbs 15:16-17
This kind of wisdom can only come from the Lord
All levels of our society base their supposed happiness on their ability to acquire the possession they want

2011-03-31 - Old Testament - Messianic Prophecy

Scriptures about Messianic Prophecy

  • Isaiah 52:13-53:12 - His form was so marred he no longer looked human
  • Genesis 22:1-18 - Abraham did not withheld his son, your only son
  • Psalms 16:8-10 - He will you let your Holy One see decay
  • Psalms 2:7  - Messiah will be God's Son
  • Genesis 12:3 - All peoples on earth will be blessed through you
  • Deuteronomy 18:15 - The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you
  • Micah 5:2 - From Judah will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel
  • Isaiah 7:14 - The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel
  • Isaiah 9:1-2 - Future: people walking in darkness have seen a great light
  • Isaiah 9:6 - a son has been given to us: Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace


2011-04-07 - Names of Jesus (part I)
Starting to read through the names of Jesus:
  • Advocate - 1 John 2:1
  • Almighty - Revelation 1:18
  • Alpha and Omega - Revelation 1:8; 22:13
  • Amen - Revelation 3:14
  • Angel - Genesis 48:16; Exodus 23:20,21
  • Angel of God's presence - Isaiah 63:9
  • Angel of the Lord - Exodus 3:2; Judges 13:15-18


2011-04-16 - Names of Jesus (part X)
The different names of Jesus found in the Bible:
  • Law giver - Isaiah 33:22
  • Leader - Isaiah 55:4
  • Life - John 14:6; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 1:2
  • Light of the world - John 8:12, 9:5
  • Lion of the tribe of Judah - Re 5:5
  • Lord God Almighty - Revelation 15:3
  • Lord God of the holy prophets - Revelation 22:6


2011-04-18 - Names of Jesus (part XII)
Jesus' names through out the Bible:
  • Mighty God - Isaiah 9:6
  • Mighty One of Jacob - Isaiah 60:16
  • Morning-star - Revelation 22:16
  • Nazarene - Matthew 2:23
  • Offspring of David - Revelation 22:16
  • Only Begotten of the Father - John 1:14
  • Our Passover - 1 Corinthians 5:7


2011-05-31 - Excuses - Gideon
Gideon

Judges 6:11-16

  • v6:11 - He was fearful. He was threshing in the winepress at the time when God needed men of courage to rise up.
  • v6:12 - “Mighty warrior” – God saw his potential
  • v6:14 - “Go in the strength you have” - do not worry, just do your best.
  • v6:15 - Gideon claimed he was too insignificant and unimpressive to follow or obey God
  • v6:16 - As with Gideon, God will be with you!
Gideon repented of his fear and excuses and rescued his nation from the enemy – powerfully and bravely!

2011-06-07 - Fearing God - Beyond Compare (part I)

Imagine the Red Sea waters divided - Exodus 14

Only a few hours you've experienced the highest degrees of fear, excitement, and relief.
When the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and put their trust in him - Exodus 14:31

To fear him is to trust him
The Israelites both feared the Lord and put their trust in him
Fearing God and trusting Him are not mutually exclusive
The Israelties were able to trust God because they experienced firsthand His awesome power to deliver them

God worked on their behave - power without love is terrifying, love without power is pitiable

The events of Exodus was not only to gain to glory Himself but to stimulate and increase the faith of the Israelites
They were in the situation they were in so they could only be saved by His mighty power



2011-07-06 - Mind of Christ - Heavenly Mission (part I)
A. Jesus possessed a firm belief that he had been sent by the Father into the world for the specific purpose of bringing the lost to salvation.

1. He believed that he was on a Heavenly mission in His Father’s behalf.
  • Luke 2:49 - "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?
  • John 6:38 - For I have come down from heaven
2. He believed that the purpose of this Heavenly mission was to bring the lost to salvation.
  • John 3:17  - God sent his son to save the world through him.
  • Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
  • Matthew 9:13 - I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners
  • 1 Timothy 1:15 - Jesus came into the world to save sinners
  • 1 John 3:5 - He appeared so that he might take away our sins


2011-07-20 - Mind of Christ - About Self (part VI)
The results of a self emptied life:

A. It enables you to seek the good of others above yourself:
  • Romans 15:1-3 - Bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves
  • 1 Corinthians 8:9, 9:12, 22 - Become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some
  • 1 Corinthians 10:24, 33, 13:5 - Not seeking my own good but the good of many,
  • 2 Corinthians 8:9, 12:15 - We become poor so other can become rich
  • 2 Timothy 2:10 - Endure everything for the sake of others
  • Philippians 2:3-4, 20-21 - Look at the interests of others


2011-07-22 - Fearing God - Beyond Compare (part II)
Another relationship between the fear of the Lord and trusting in him:

Psalms 33:19 - The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him and hope in his unfailing love
Verse starts out talking about the vanity of trusting in the army, own strength, or even of a horse

Why should we trust in him? Proceeding verse tell us

His mighty power in creation; His absolute sovereignty over nations
As we become convicted of His greatness, we will fear him - stand in awe of him - trust in him

We can not separate trust in God from the fear of God
We will trust Him only to the extent that we genuinely stand in awe of Him

The history of the Hebrews - how poorly they learned to fear Him
Psalms 78:32 - Through all the things God did; they did not trust him

God works everyday - one way we remind ourselves of his mighty acts is reading the historical sections of the Old Testament

2011-07-23 - Fearing God - Unfathomably Great
Scriptures often uses the word great or greatness to describe God's mighty acts

Moses refers to the Lord as a great and awesome God - Deuteronomy 7:21
Moses: the great God, mighty and awesome - Deuteronomy 10:17
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise - Psalms 96:4
Praise him for his acts of power, greatness - Psalms 150:2
Great is the Lord and worthy of praise - Psalms 145:3

God's greatness is infinite

However great we may perceive him, we still have not fully grasped it



2011-08-10 - Daughter Needs - Pushover Papa
Pushover Papa is a father who lets her get away with any thing
She is this cute little girl that can do no wrong

As the leader in your home, it is our responsibilty to sholder the discipline
Keep in mind discipline is more training and less about secondly to punishment

If your wife is reluctant to have you handle the discipline, it might be because:
  • You are too harsh
  • You are a push over
  • You are not training your daughter for the long term
A pushover pop loves his daughter in principle but hates her in practice
The Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes everyone he accepts as a son - Hebrews 12:5-6
If you are not disciplined then you are illegitimate children and not true sons

2011-08-18 - Fearing God - Transcendent Majesty
Isaiah 6 - Repeats Holy 3x - "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty"
Hebrew language uses repetition to show emphasis

From time to time Jesus frequently add emphasis using "truely, truely" - John 3:3

We never read:
  • Wise, wise, wise is the Lord Almighty
  • Powerful, powerful, powerful is the Lord Almighty
Why is God's holiness so exalted?
  • God's perfection separates him from His creation
  • Attributes of mercy, might, power, love, purity are all within the meaning of holiness
  • His holiness is not just one of a number of attributes but the sum of all of them
  • God's name is has adjective 'holy'  next to it more than all other qualifiers combined
  • First and last son in the Both magnify the holiness of God
    • Moses crossing the Red Sea - Exodus 15:11
    • Those victorious over the beast - Revelation 15:4


2011-09-20 - Proverbs on Integrity (part III)
#2. Integrity pleases God

Proverbs 12:22 - The Lord delights in men who are truthful

God hates lies and loves the truth. God has never lied.
  • Lying is against God’s nature (character)
  • His enemy (Satan) is the Father of lies (John 8:44)
Lies are apart of Satan’s character (its his weapon)
  • When we lie we are using Satan’s weapons
  • When we decide to tell the truth over lies we are choosing God over Satan
Choose to please God (tell the truth)


#3. Deception (lies) end in destruction

Proverbs 17:20 - A man of perverse heart does not prosper

Proverbs 19:5 - A false witness will not go unpunished

At some point our lies will find us out, it might not happen in this life but it will happen. - 1 Timothy 5:24-25

Acts 5 - Ananias and Sapphira lied not only to God but to the people (church)

Lessons:
  1. We should never make pack (agreement) to conceal the truth
  2. We should strive to please God (speak the truth) not Satan (lie)
  3. If you tell the truth you don’t have to have a good memory (lies create more lies)


2011-10-03 - Genesis 3 - The Fall of Man

Summary

The serpent deceived the woman; she and Adam ate from the tree. Man blamed woman, woman blamed the serpent. The earth became cursed, and God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden.

Observations

Genesis 3:1 - Did God really say
The first way Satan tries to get Eve to disobey God is to create doubt to what God said. Many times Satan does not even try to tell us to do a 180 turn (you might notice what is going on then) - just a slight detour to the right or to the left [Deuteronomy 5:32]. It does not take much to get us off course from the narrow road [Matthew 7:14].

Genesis 3:4 - You will not surely die
Another temptation Satan throws our way is doubt in his punishment or promises. He would love for us to believe we will be judged at the end of our lives [John 12:48].  "Live your life the way you want to" - Satan. He does not want you to remember the promises God has spoken to encourage us in our walk with him.

Genesis 3:6 - desirable for gaining wisdom
When struggling with sin, we often come up with "good" reasons why we need to sin. In this case, Eve comes up with a "spiritual" reason. She wanted to gain "wisdom" - we need to have wisdom in our daily lives, right? God does not always reveal everything to us and for good reason. We should start with fear of the Lord since it is the beginning of wisdom [Psalms 111:10].

Genesis 3:9 - Where are you?
Good question to ask ourselves all the time. Where am I in relation to God? We often "disappear" when we sin either physically or more likely mentally. When we look in a mirror [James 1:23-24], we are blinded and do not see our true selves. We don't want to deal with the underlying problems in our character - it will be paining and requires effort but in the end it is worth it.

Genesis 3:19 - dust you are and to dust you will return
If you need a reminder on humility, this scripture will help. We come from the dirt of the ground and we will return there someday. We need to seize the days we have - stop worrying about tomorrow [Matthew 6:34].

Personal Application

I need to be aware of Satan's tricks continuously. He does not want to be noticed. I need to pray and reflect on how I am living my life and find where Satan is getting me to deviate even a fraction of a degree. I need also examine my thought and find out they are out of line with God's Word. I will ask others what they see where I have taken a devour on God's narrow road.



2011-10-15 - Genesis 15 - Abraham Believed God

Summary

The Lord promised Abram an heir and many descendants. Abram believed. He was told that they would be enslaved but would then return.

Observations

Genesis 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD ... credited it to him as righteousness
Even though Abram had no kids for a long period of time, he believed the Lord would provide. He had this prayer for a long time - many, many days he prayed. But nothing. He he came face to face with God, He told him a son was coming and his descendants would be as many as stars in the sky. Abram chose to believe and his faith was credited to him as righteousness. How long do we pray before giving up?

Genesis 15:14 - I will punish the nation they serve as slaves
At the beginning of the chapter, God said he was Abram's shield [Genesis 15:1]. Here he expands on his promise - in the future, he will punish the Egyptians for making his people to become slaves. God will protect us. The judgement of our enemies might not come on our timetable, but it will come. We need to patient and be still, the Lord will fight for you [Exodus 14:14]

Personal Application

Sometimes I believe that perseverance is my strength but as I look at my prayers for the desires of my heart, I give up way easily. "But it has not happened in 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years" - I say. Abram waited until he was 100 years for his son to be born.



2011-11-04 - Mind Change - Challenge
Decide to enjoy the challenge.

If it is going to be there, you might as well enjoy it.

God is allowing it for some good purpose.

Like Jacob, don’t let go it until it blesses you.

James 1:2-4 - Consider trials a pure joy

2011-12-05 - Day 2 - Tested and Tempted
Matthew 3:16-4:11
  1. What happened to Jesus after his baptism? What should you expect after your baptism?
  2. How was Jesus tempted to question his relationship with God? God's plan for him?
  3. How has Satan tempted you with doubts/insecurity/fears since your baptism?
  4. How did Jesus use the Bible to fight temptation? How does the Bible expose Satan's lies?
Ephesians 6:10-18
  1. How might the devil scheme against you?
  2. What armor has God provided to keep you strong?
  3. What is our only "weapon" against Satan (vs. 17)?
Application: Expect to be tempted and decide to be open about your struggles. Talk with another Christian today about your temptations and pray together.

2012-02-08 - Ministry - One Thing
Mark 10:17-22

Can you imagine having a little one on one time with Jesus? What do you think you would ask? What would he say? If Jesus was to challenge you on something in your life, what do you think it would be? He did have a similar conversation with a rich man in Mark 10:17-22 and the rich man asked a pretty important question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responds with emphasizing obedience to the commands, and the rich man insists that he has been obedient to those Jesus spoke of. Then Jesus tells him, "one thing you still lack," he said, "go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." So, what was the rich man missing? What did he still lack? Was it a love for the poor? Was he not sacrificial enough? Was it that he loved money too much? I think he was simply ungrateful.

Study out the following passages and see for yourself if it something that Jesus might have to talk with you about in your one on one time today!
  • Romans 1: 21 - being ungrateful can be at the root to many sins in your life
  • Luke 7: 36-50 - those who are more grateful show a greater capacity to love.
  • Luke 17: 11-19 - the thankful are commended before God.
  • Psalms 50: 5-23 - note that the sacrifice that means the most to God is one of 'Thanks!'
Express gratitude to God and others today. Several times. You will open doors by doing this.

2012-02-10 - Ministry - The Shepherd's Touch
John 10:1-18

In verse 11 Jesus calls himself the good shepherd and says that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A shepherd is protective of his flock and a love for them. True shepherds do not want to lose even one single sheep. They stand between their sheep and danger. They are more concerned for the welfare of their sheep than they are for themselves. They are willing to go without so that their sheep might have their needs met.
The sheep are responsive to their master's voice. They trust him because of his heart for them. The world teaches us to look out for ourselves at the expense of others. It teaches us that we are the most important people and that our comfort and security comes first.

Finally, the measure of a shepherd's heart for the sheep will come when danger approaches. That is when the heart of the shepherd is the most exposed. Will the shepherd stay and fight and protect or run and hide and let the sheep fend for themselves?

What kind of "protective" phone call, card, or visit can you give to someone to keep them tied into the flock?
It doesn't take long to do something like this but the result will be everlasting.

2012-10-20 - Prayer of the Righeous - Singing to Me
Zephaniah 3:17
  • He has taken away our punishment
  • He has turned back our enemy
  • He is mighty to save
  • He rejoices over us with singing
The Lord rejoices when one sinner repents - Luke 15:10
Nature rejoices in God's presence - Psalms 98:7-8
God promises that nature will rejoice in our presence - Isaiah 55:12

Faithful servants are invited to come share in the master's happiness - Matthew 25:23

The very nature of heaven is to share the happiness of God for all of eternity

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22

Our prayer needs to be an outpouring of joy and thanksgiving before a joyful, singing God
He loves to hear us being happy
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song - Psalms 28:7

2012-10-29 - The Lost Life of the Heart
Our years can be consumed with service and business
But somewhere out there someone is saying, "There is something more"
We just assume it is our imagination
Then it speaks again, "Aren't you thirsty? There is something missing"
This feeling might feel disloyal to our routine and against the program we are following
We try to silence the voice with outward activity and redoubling our Christian service

You long to be in a love affair, an adventure with God. You were made for something more.

Samuel heard the voice of God calling to him in the night - 1 Samuel 3:4
It took him three time before he realized it was God
Rather than ignoring  the voice, Samuel finally listed

In our lives, we can become frustrated by our heart's continuing sabotage of a dutiful Christian life
But sometime at night, when our defenses are down, we still hear him calling us
In the morning, activities scream for our attention and think we have won the battle of the "flesh"
Satan loves to turn the truth upside down

We try to lose ourselves in:
  • Hobbies
  • Other short-lived romances
  • Addictions

We create distance between ourselves and others; even distance between ourselves and our own heart...

2013-03-21 - Prayer of the Righeous - Knowing God through His Word (part II)

Bible Study Disciplines

Mark up your Bible in to different themes:

Example subjects:

  • Blue = God's qualities
  • Yellow = Love
  • Green = Sin and righteousness
  • Pink = prayer and faith
  • Purple = Joy
  • Orange = evangelism and discipling
  • Megenta = the spiritual world

Might circle references to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit

Read the whole Bible every year

Foucused study on indivdual books and passages are good but it also important to have the broad picture of God's revelation ingrained in our hearts

Read the Bible everyday

Jesus lived on every word that came from the mouth of God - Matthew 4:4
The law required the kings of Israel to recopy and read out loud all the days of their lives - Deuteronomy 17:18-20
Bereans examined the scriptures every day - Acts 17:10-12

Memorize key verses

Memorizing scripture helps us to talk to God using quoted scripture (God's language) and keeps us pursuing righteousness
I have hideen tyour word in my heart so I might not sin against you - Psalms 119:11
Proverbs 22 advises to have the Proverbs ready on our lips

 



2013-04-16 - The Strength of Jesus (part I)

Four instances of Jesus' first impressions:

  1. Jesus' mastery of strength - John said there one coming mighter than I - John had face the greatest men of his day without flinching; John faltered and drew back when the man from Nazareth appeared
  2. Jesus' leadership of strength - Fishermen were left with such an impression, they left everything at once and followed him.
  3. Jesus' authority of strength - He goes into a synagogue and they were amazed at his teaching (as one having authority which had not been seen before)
  4. Jesus' power of strength - Miracles and healings by Him; people were surprised by His power

Jesus draws men to him because of his power

  • Crowd was so great at the seashore, they pushed him into the water
  • Hilltop suddenly became alive because of his presence
  • Every city he passed through, he turned upside down

Only a man of strength draws to him great masses of men

 



2013-04-19 - The Strength of Jesus (part II)

The people were ashtonished by Jesus

Who do I you say I am? They had to go to the grave in order to find a man to whom they could liken him

No man in Jesus' day was great enough to convey their idea of strength

Pilot was afraid of Jesus even though He was a poor unarmed peasant

Proof of His power was in the intensity of the hatred and in the intensity of love which he excited

You can not hate a weakling or a no body

He was so mightly that when men thought of him, they thought of God
The man who was nearest to him, saw him in a vsion after he was gone and said, "When I saw him I fell at his feet as dead" - Revelation 1:17



2014-01-25 - Bless Your Children

We need to boldly redefined success for them = “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” - Deuteronomy 6:5
It is not only how we define success for ourselves; this is how we are called as fathers to define success for our children and grandchildren.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

1. God’s Word must “be on your heart.”
Many children who leave the faith is because we did not see God actively working in their parents’ lives.
You can’t inspire them with truths you’re not living

Must always tell them how God is moving:

  • When God answers your prayers, tell your kids about it.
  • When He changes your heart or helps you overcome temptation, celebrate it with them.
  • When you face a season of suffering or persecution, let them see the strength of your faith.

Every day gives you fresh, new material for making your life with Christ a front-row experience

2. Training your children to love God must occur within the context of close relationships.

Talk about God is informal time:

  • Greeting your kids at the breakfast table
  • Sitting around the house
  • Having spiritually rich conversations in the car or at dinner

Making disciples of all nations begins with your own children  - it all starts with their hearts.

 



2014-05-30 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part I)

Summary

Abraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac.

Observations

Genesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way
God blessed Abraham, as he promised [Genesis 12:2], more than he could have asked or imagined [Ephesians 3:20] because of his belief that He would be faithful in his promises. In the investment world, it is about making a return on managed risk. Sometimes in Wall Street you can yield a good return with analysis. Other times, no matter what, you can lose large amounts of captial.  But with God, you can bank on his promises through faithfulness. There is no guessing and changing out mind, we just need to be faithful.

Genesis 24:4 - Go instead to my homeland
His son was nearing 40 years old and Abraham was old himself. He was looked to pass the torch on the next generation. Abraham again was faced with the challege of age-related life changes [Genesis 21:2]. The easy way to find Isaac a spouse would be to just look around the local area. The rational here might be "well, they do not follow God now but we can convert them later". This idea rarely works out and can cause much harm spiritually. Abraham chose again to be faithfully and to take the path less traveled. That path for his servant was 450 miles away to Nahor.

Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there
Abraham nor his son were going to leave Cannon. There must have been some faithful prayer involved to find a way out of this situation [1 Corinthians 10:13]. How was Abraham going to find a wife for his son in a different land without standing in the way of God's promise? For both of them to go would have been an express of their lack of faith in God's promise. Also, if Isaac went a alone, he may have not returned. If Abrham went a alone, Isaac may have found a wife among the Canaanites while he was gone. The solution was a highly improbable plan (without God) for Abraham was to send his servant to find his wife. This way would be at a high cost to old man Abraham because of amount of work extra work he would need to do to cover while the servant was gone.

Application

I am convicted by the way Abraham chose to approach challenging situations. He did not chose the easy way or the first way that sounded right. He chose to be faithful and had a conviction to allow God's promises to fulfilled in his life. I did not mediate and pray through the challenges set before very often. Many times I just say or do the first things that comes to my mind. Those are often thoughts of the easy way or only way to go about things. I need to think about the bigger picture when making  decisions.

Prayer

Praying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations.



2015-03-20 - Pragmatism

Abram and King Bera

I will not take a single thread otherwise you might say "I am the one who made Abram rich" - Genesis 14:22

Abram found himself in an uneasy alliance with King Bera (means "wicked") of Sodom

King Bera's adversaries routed his forces and captured Lot

Abram gathered some men and defeated Bera's ememies and resuced Lot

King said to "Let me have my people and you can keep the spoils" but Abram refused - Genesis 14:21

He did not want Bera or anyone else believing that anyone but God made him rich



2015-04-16 - Godly Enthusiasm

It is not by force nor strength but by my Spirit, says the Lord - Zechariah 4:6

Zerubbabel oversaw the reconstruction of the Jerusalem Temple

Over a period of 16 years, the people's enthusiasm for the project waned, leaving it unfinished

Zerubbabel felt a deep sense of discouragement over the stalled work

Zechariah came with a vital message - Don't depend on your own strength. depend on God and his ability to empower you for the task

Zerubbabel's faith was renewed - He had a renewed sense of enthusiasm, united the people, and got back to work

No worthy project is about human force or strength, it must be about his mighty Spirit

Do you think that you or someone else has the key to success?

Do you genuinely believe that God's Spirit holds the key to your success?



2015-04-27 - Pride

By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city - Daniel 4:30

Breakdown of how much we learn from our senses:

  • 1% - taste
  • 2% - touch
  • 5% - smell
  • 11% - hearing
  • 83% - sight

Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream and Daniel told him what it meant - the king's pride would result in a severe bout of divine discipline

Daniel begged the king to give up his pride so that God could relent

God had given Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to humble himself

God immediately accounced that the king would no lose his kingdom and be sent out to live a wild animal

Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way from taste and smell of grass since could not learn from sight

Are you teachable? When God speaks to you, take it to heart



2015-05-01 - On Track

Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? - Joshua 7:10

This tragic event illustrates the terrible ripple effect of sin

God gave crystal clear instructions ofr the invasion of Jericho

He promised the Israelites a crushing victory over the city and in return they would put aside for Him all the gold, sliver, and other valuable they would seize during the raid

Achan paid no attention to God's instructions

His sin had removed God's hand of blessing from the Israelite army and three dozen innocent soldiers died in the reulting unheaval

Even sin that might be reguarded as secret affects you and those closest to you

Where do you most feel the tug to stray?



2015-05-08 - Passionate Life

David danced before the Lord will all his might - 2 Samuel 6:14

Though a man can hide some things deep within his soul, passion isn't one of them

David was a man who expressed his passion though at times his passion got the better of him

Soon after David ascended to the throne, he immediately worked to reunite the kingdom of Israel

Through his efforts. the Ark was returned to its rightful place

David could not contain his enthusiasm, he danced for the Lord with all his might

Some questioned his motives, but David knew he acted out of deep love for the Lord

David had not reservations about appearing to acting foolish - he worshiped God with everything he had

 



2015-05-13 - Wise and Humble Leadership

He had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall - 2 Chronicles 26:16

It takes a man of true humility to keep his feet on the ground over the long haul when he is given power and authority over others

Uzziah, Judah's tenth king, was not such a man

His long and sometimes distinguished reign came to an unfortunate end because of his arrogant thirst for power

Uzziah expressed his arrogance by entering the sactuary though this job was reserved for his priest

Had Uzziah remained humble, he might have become one of the nation's greatest kings - instead, he spent his later years shut away from people in a leper colony

Do you understand your place in the big picture?



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