Quiet Times Search

Search Quiet Times via a keyword or string
Keyword(s):
Number of Studies:


Searching for "saw" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "25" to "50". (95 found)

2010-03-16 - To Live is Christ - Profit to Loss
If anyone want to talk about 'confidence in the flesh', Paul was ready to take them on - Philippians 3:4-7
Paul used the events in his life to show just how empty all human achievements in before God

Heredity reasons (how Paul was more than others but counted them a loss)
  • He was circumcised the first day it was possible (eighth day)
  • He was an Israelite
  • He was from the tribe of Benjamin (most honored tribe of all)
  • He was a Hebrew of Hebrews - carefully passed on Hebrew language to children
Hard work reasons (how Paul was more than others but counted them a loss)
  • He was extremely zealous - Galatians 1:14
  • He vigorously opposed the church
  • He was faultless in the eyes of others
He considered it all a loss = Greek: "the thinks that were gains to me, I counted loss"
If anyone had a right to glory in the flesh, Paul did, but he clearly saw that no one has that right

2010-03-24 - To Live is Christ - Mind Change
Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable - think of such things - Philippians 4:8-9

It is all about the focus
Focus on the mess or you can change your mind and focus on:
  • Who God is
  • What God can do
  • The changes he can make
  • The victory he will most certainly achieve
Paul is not hopeful on what direction the world is going
Jesus saw the increase in wickedness - Matthew 24:12
While pessimistic about the world's chances, he was totally optimistic about the future with God

You will have trouble in this world but Jesus has overcome the world - John 16:33


2010-04-05 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 5)
Christians who have no interest in helping the disadvantaged are not Christians at all - James 2:14-17

Jesus himself saw the crowds and healed them - Matthew 14:14
He taught that only those who reached out to the imprisoned, poor, hungry, and sick would be welcomed into heaven - Matthew 25:31

Mere belief is not enough; it is acting on the faith you have - James 2:18

Ask yourself, do these people believe? - Titus 1:15
Anyone who isn't a true disciple is an unbeliever - Titus 1:16



2010-05-01 - I am Innocent of the Blood of all Men (part 2)
Acts 22:6-21
  • Paul had an encounter with Jesus
    • Encounters with Jesus are significant
    • Paul understood he was living in opposition to Jesus - killing Christians (people following Christ)
    • Don't want to be on the opposite side of the battle from God
    • Where are you at today? Do you know?
    • Share
      • Grow up religious - Every Sunday - through High School
      • Ask to come to church, study the Bible
      • Saw life and heart wasn't matching; my sin was in opposition to God
      • Tried to make it personal - mean and angry (Hoping the standard would changed)
      • They were there to help
  • Paul had the humility to ask "What shall I do?" - v10
    • Paul had a heart of humility to be taught - Bible
    • Could have brought up his religiousness or accomplishments
    • Opened himself up to anything, Not "I'm sorry, won't do that again"
  • Paul was religious all this life and had the heart to immediately obey and be baptized - v16
    • Perhaps, God uses the life of Paul to prepare our hearts for surrender
    • What have you been holding on to instead of Jesus? What is stopping you?
We/your friend would like to share "the whole will of God".

2010-05-02 - Renewing Your Spiritual Passion for God (part 1)

Preached by Richard Dixson (1997-05-18)

1 Samuel 16:7

  • Worldly things look more appealing
  • The people saw the others with better things
    • Most important thing:
      • Everyone spends time to get ready
      • Do you spend more time getting ready for the outside appearance than your inward?
      • The heart is most important

Psalms 51:4-9

  • Being true to one's self
  • When our conscience violated things are not fun
  • Renew the steadfast spirit


Special Place for a special for a special friend

Psalms 63:2-4 - Remember God's Power

Psalms 63:6-7 - The night bed and protection from God

Psalms 91:4 - We are being attacked all the time

Psalms 63:8 - Confidence - God holds us up



2010-05-03 - Renewing Your Spiritual Passion for God (part 2)

1 Kings 19:1

  • Travels 150 miles to get way from Jezebel
    • It is amazing how far we get away
  • Lost gratitude
  • God doesn't give up
    • He sends angels
  • How to get back our spiritual compassion?
    • Go back!
    • Don't run from your fear
    • Don't just go through the motions
    • We are to face ourselves
Renewing your spiritual passion for each other

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

2 Corinthians 7:2-13

  • Challenges are need
  • They produce more reliance and faith in God


Renew Your Spiritual Passion for the Lost

Mark 5:6-11

  • Jesus saw their pain and their lostness
    • Broken marriages
    • Cannot control their children
  • We need to get into their lives
  • The will open up with your help


2010-06-10 - Jesus - the Zealot (part 1)

By Richard Dixon in 1999-09-26
    Zealot = a man who aims at overthrows
    Jesus mission was to overthrow Satan's ruling government over the earth
    1 John 3:7-8
    • Jesus came to destroy Satan
    • A zealot has a cause
    • What was Jesus' cause?
      • Save man from hell
      • Save man from himself
      • Save man from Satan
    Matthew 26:50-55
    • They saw Jesus as a renigade

    Cause worth living for

    Luke 9:25
    • What good is it?
    • What would you write down as things that you are trying to gain?
    • Living for Jesus is living life to the full
    Luke 10:10
    • Sometimes life is not fair
      • Through salvation (Judgement) comes fairness
    • We hurt ourselves with the question "WHY?"
      • Like we can demand an answer from God
    2 Corinthians 5:14
    • Love compels us not out of duty


2010-08-10 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 1)

Myth - sometimes thought of as not factual true
But a myth is a story which confront us with something transcendent and eternal; a way of seeing and knowing
A kind of story that wakes you up and you suddenly say - this is what my life is really about

Myth tell us three truths, this first one is:

1. Things are not what they seem

Examples of movies that show us this include: Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, the Matrix

Jacob saw earth in a whole new way in his dream - Genesis 28:12
He awakes more awake then ever, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it" - Genesis 28:16

Two followers of Christ did not even recongized Jesus as he talked with him after his resurrection - Luke 24:17-21
They were slow in heart to believe



2010-08-12 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 3)

Myth tell us three truths, this third one is:

3. In this desparate hour, we have a crucial role to play

Neo sees himself as Thomas Anderson, but he was the one
Dorthy see herself as just a farm girl from Kansas but Joan of Arc was also on the farm but saw much more

People in the scriptures that saw this:

  • Little boy slays the gaint
  • Loudmouthed fisherman who can not keep a job to lead the church
  • Sinful woman with a golden heart became a example of humility to the Pharisees

This eternal truth is the most difficult for us to believe
Our days are extraordinary but most don't see it this way
It is the 'veil of familarity' - you are not what you think you are

There is a glory to your life that your enemy fears

The one who knows what you could be, fears it
The whole world lies under the power of the evil one - 1 John 5:19

Things happen to you and we question why
There is a bigger story going on

If believe we have a crucial role to play and come to know it is true, everything would change



2010-11-01 - Contagious Christian - A Matthew Party
Like today, many of the religious and non-religious of Matthew's day did not have intersecting social circles

Some he planned a party for the religious and non-religious to come to - Luke 5:29
  • Matthew recently became a Christian
  • In those days, being a tax collector was a license to extort
  • He had not learned yet how to teach the gospel to people
  • Jesus was always moving a round, spontaneous
  • Solution throw a big party and invite Jesus and everyone else
  • Pharisees found out about it and were not happy with it
  • Did Matthew have second thoughts when he saw the interactions between the Pharisees and Jesus?
  • Jesus defended Matthew's party idea with explaining the sick need a doctor
  • Mixed groups are not only acceptable but essentials to God's redemptive plan
Learning from Matthew:
  • Be innovative and creative
  • Come up with a plan to be with more people
  • Pray hard and be willing to go out on a limb
  • Learn from mistakes and adjust accordingly


2010-11-03 - Contagious Christian - Finding the Approach
Besides talking to people you are ready know try contacting people you used to know
The curiosity factor comes into play
  • Because you contacted them out of blue
  • Both of you want to see all the changes that have happened since you last saw them
Call them out of curiosity and call them into fun
In the process, prayerfully watch for opportunities to share the way God has changed your life

There are also many opportunities where there people you would like to know
We all go to gas stations, stores, restaurants
With a little forethought, these errands can be turned into evangelistic opportunities
Change your thinking about the way you look at the employee who are serving you
These are people who matter to God and put in your path for you to meet
When we approach people with this attitude, with concern and respect - it is easy to get on a first name basis with them

2010-11-07 - Hunger for Christ
Preached by Mike Gross

Nearly 1 Billion people in the world do not get enough food
25,000 die every day because of starvation

Are you hungry?

John 6:22-28
  • Just witnessed 5,000 people being feed
  • They were looking for free food but in reality they had to work at it find it
  • The bread they needed was to spend time to know about Jesus - the bread of life
  • Are you searching for the right kind of bread?
  • The search and hunger for God does not end when we are baptized, it only begins
Proverbs 2:1-5
  • We need to find God like hidden treasure
  • God does not change but our viewpoint changes
  • Example - Engagement ring to a couple verse the a jewelery store owner
Food Poising

Mark 4:18-19
  • Money, worries, wasted time choke out our hunger for him
  • During the holidays this becomes a bigger issue
Hunger for the bread of life

John 6:28-40
  • They asked for a miracle but they had already forgotten about the miracle they just saw - feeding the 5,000
  • The work is to believe - it takes work to believe
  • NOT working to get salvation but we need to work at our salvation


2010-12-04 - Mission - Peter, From a Reed
Peter was a reed blowing in the wind who became a rock whom God could build great things
Jesus looked at Peter and saw what he could become
Perhaps for the first time in Peter's life someone believed in him and had a vision that he could be someone great

When we feel believed in, we feel loved
The only thing that counts if faith expressing itself through love - Galatians 5:6
God looks at us for what we will become - Jeremiah 29:11
Viewing our day to day struggles and failures as their growth process on the way to becoming what God wants
Peter was convinced of this It kept Peter coming back after his failures

When Peter was asked if he wanted to leave, he said 'Lord, to whom shall we go?" - John 6:68-69

Think of all of Peter's heartbreaking failures....
  • Stepped of the boat, only to sink - Matthew 14:31
  • Rebuked for his dullness - Matthew 15:15-16
  • Rebuked Jesus and got the rebuke of a lifetime - Matthew 16:22-23
  • Fell asleep when Jesus needed him most - Matthew 26:40
  • Denied knowing Jesus three times and wept bitterly - Matthew 26:75


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!

2011-06-02 - Excuses - Isaiah
Isaiah

Isaiah 6:1-8
  • v6:1 - He has an awesome vision of the awesome God.
  • v6:5 - “Woe to me!”
    • Isaiah saw God in all his glory
    • He realized his own lostness
    • He realized the lostness of everyone else.
  • v6:6-7 - Experiencing God’s forgiveness transforms our lives
  • v6:8 - Then and only then are we ready to go and spread God’s word
Isaiah too went on to have a tremendous impact on his generation


2011-06-05 - Fearing God - Peter feared
Peter and his partners had been up all night fishing - Luke 5:1-11
  • After Jesus' command/request, he said "because you say so, I will let down the nets"
  • It may have took a lot to do this:
    • Tired from fishing all night
    • A carpenter asking a fisherman to fish during the worst time to fish - during the day
  • Peter was elated at such a monumental catch - may have been the equivent of days or weeks worth of fishing
Did Peter try to immediately recruit Jesus as a fishing guide? No
Instead he was fearful: "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man! - v8

He saw Jesus' power over the fish in the lake - special because it was from his own trade
He recognized that he somehow was in the presence of God

Jesus said nothing about Peter's sin - Peter now saw who Jesus really was
Peter fell down before Jesus not because his sin but Jesus' deity

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



2011-06-17 - Mind of Christ - Discipleship (part II)
Three stages in discipleship (continued):

2. The convinced disciple
  • After miracles, disciples put their faith in him - John 2:11
  • Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name - John 2:23
  • Many Samaritans believed in him because of the woman's testimony - John 4:39, 41, 53
  • From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him - John 6:14, 25-27, 60-66
3. The committed disciple
  • Lord, to whom shall we go? - John 6:67-69
  • You are the Christ, the Son of the living God - Matthew 16:13-16


2011-07-08 - Mind of Christ - Heavenly Mission (part III)
Jesus employed at least five elements to accomplish this mission: (continued)

2. He earnestly longed for salvation of sinners.
  • Mark 10:21 - Go, sell everything you have and come follow me
  • Luke 13:34 - How often I have longed to gather your children together
  • Luke 19:41 - As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.
3. He kept his mind continually fixed on his objective.
  • John 9:4 - As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me
  • John 4:34 - For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God,
  • Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
  • Mark 1:38-39 - I can preach there also. That is why I have come


2011-08-19 - Fearing God - No Darkness at All
Note: The power when out when I was in the middle of this study

God is holy not only from his creation but from sin
Be holy, because I am holy - Leviticus 11:44-45

He is light and in him there is no darkness at all - 1 John 1:5
Not only is he the only one, God is totally pure.

Isaiah 6 set both God's holiness and our show the only appropriate response to it

When God's holiness, his transcendent majesty, and His moral purity....
Our reaction becomes a realization of our own insignificance
Even though Isaiah was considered righteous man, his holiness suddenly became "unclean" - Isaiah 6:5
The word "unclean" is significant because it is what the leper must cry out when they walk around - Leviticus 13:34
Isiah saw his sinfulness as moral leprosy

2011-08-21 - In Rememberence of Me
Jesus called the disciples to the Passover fest before would head to the cross to reflect and remember their time together

Luke 22:19-20 - Do this in remembrance of me

Why? because we forget both little things and big things

1. Disciples forgot while they were at the table -

v24 - Conversations they have had at the passover table:
  • Peter: Remember when walking on water
  • Thomas: But you doubted and fell into the water
  • Peter: Like you have any room to talk, doubting Thomas
  • James: Remember the transfiguration? Yeah, I was one of three disciples there. We saw Moses and Elijah.
  • Andrew: Yeah, you seem to miss the whole point when you fixated on getting them shelters
  • Matthew: We can take these guys anywhere
They had this lesson before (how many times?)
2. Peter forgot the very same day  the very same day and denied Jesus
v54 - He forgot that Jesus said and he had the power to raise the dead

I can relate:
  • Forgetting to the trash and why I was in the garage
  • Forgetting Juniper's shoes on the way to church
If  I can not remember the little things within the same few minutes, or hours - we need this time of communion
Our forgetfulness is not a reflection of its importance but a reflection our weakness in remembering

2011-11-19 - Getting Started (part I)
The first few weeks of your new life as a disciple are crucial. Satan is angry because of his loss and God’s gain and he will make an effort to get you off-track as soon as possible. (Revelation 12:7-12) This study will help you get off to a fast start and help you have the right focus to stay close to God and keep the devil at a distance.

Remember what has just happened
  • Romans 6:1-4 - You have begun a brand new life; you were born again (John 3:1-5)
  • Acts 2:36-41 - Every one of your sins has been forgiven and forgotten (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
  • Galatians 3:26-28 - The blood of Christ you received at baptism now covers and protects you.
  • Ephesians 1:13-14 - You received the Holy Spirit who gives you power (Romans 8:5-11)
  • 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 - You have been added to the body; enjoy your new family
Remember what got you to this point
  • Ephesians 4:17~24 - You humbled yourself and let others teach and challenge you – keep it up
  • Acts 19:17-20 - You were completely open with your sins – keep it up
  • Romans 6:17-18 - You obeyed the Bible teaching when you saw it – keep it up
  • Hebrews 3:12-14 - You spent good quality time with other disciples - keep it up


2012-01-17 - Ministry - The Heart of Gratitude
Luke 17:11-19, Psalms 100:4, 1 Thessalonians. 5:18

Jesus believed that if the heart of a man was healed and doing well, then that individual could really experience a complete healing from God. In Mark 2 the paralytic who was lowered through the roof by his friends in the middle of a crowded house for Jesus to heal did not hear the first words from the lips of Jesus, 'you are healed.' The first thing he heard was, "Your sins are forgiven." The obvious problem to everyone was his physical condition, yet Jesus saw the spiritual issues of the man's life and healed them first! The ten lepers came to Jesus and when he cleansed them only one came back, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, overwhelmed with gratitude! Jesus wondered where the other nine were, but proclaimed to the man, "Your faith has made you well." Even though the other nine were cleansed of their leprosy, did they really 'get well?' The one who returned was made well-he was filled with gratitude! Many of us have been baptized, yet how many of us are filled with gratitude?

Questions:
  • Could this heart of gratitude be so powerful as to really heal me, heal my faith, heal my marriage, and heal my relationships?
  • Who do I need to be grateful for and have not really told them lately?
  • When was the last time I had a family devotional expressing gratefulness for each one?
Name three people you are grateful for and why you are, then this week express this to them.

2012-01-29 - Ministry - The Reaper's Heart
John 4:31-38

Jesus gets satisfaction by doing the Father's will and by finishing his work. Wow. Often we can see the work of the ministry as toil and drudgery. Jesus derived joy and fulfillment from changing lives. The disciples saw the harvest of crops four months in to the future. Jesus saw the harvest of souls as always being ripe. We do not have to wait for the harvest of souls. It is always ripe and always ready. Are the reapers ready for it? The reaper is looking for a crop to reap. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of deciding we will be fruitful at a later date. The harvest will not wait.
Someone is going to reap souls.

Write down the names of five people whom you could help become a Christian. Have faith as you write the list.

 It takes work to reap a harvest. Are you prepared to do the work that it will take?

2012-02-03 - Ministry - A Righteous Response
Mark 11:15-17, John 2:15,16

How does Jesus deal with anger? I know many of us, consider Jesus' response to the temple being used for a marketplace as an example of righteous anger. However, I studied eight different translations and the scriptures never state "Jesus got angry. John records that Jesus "made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area. It is hard to imagine myself doing this without harshness and anger but I did not conclude that Jesus was harsh or mean. In Mark 11:17 it simply says that he next "taught them". In John, the disciples saw his actions as "zeal" and when confronted by the Pharisees he answered their questions with profound teaching. This was not a man out of control while responding to mistreatment of his Father's house. Jesus was very God-focused in the way he dealt with the emotion of anger. In Mark 3:5,6 the scripture points out that Jesus was angry "at their stubborn hearts" because they could not respond to his questions due to evil intentions in their hearts. Jesus was angry. How did he deal with it? Further study indicates Jesus combined anger with being/feeling: "deeply distressed. His next response was to heal a man with a shriveled hand and to teach us all an amazing lesson about how deeply God cares for us. WOW! I'm not like Jesus when I get angry, how about you?

Challenge:
  • Examine your heart and actions based on Jesus' example the next time you get angry.
  • Are you God-focused? Did you bring healing?
  • Did you care enough to control your anger and turn it into a victory for God by bringing teaching and discipling to the situation?
  • What could you have done differently to have Jesus' heart?


2012-02-09 - Ministry - Jesus Stayed Focused Amidst Challenges
Matthew 14:13-21

How do you respond to bad news? Do you get angry? Faithless? Hard hearted? Self-piteous? When John the Baptist's disciples came to Jesus to tell him that his predecessor and cousin had been beheaded (Mt.14: 12) Jesus "withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." When Jesus withdrew it wasn't to indulge in his emotions, but to call on his Father in heaven for the strength to handle pressure. Jesus didn't withdraw to escape the demands of the ministry. His dependence on God made it possible for him to deal with pain and still meet the needs of those around him. "Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." (Mt.14: 14)
It's a temptation for me - when I am feeling all the pressures from my life - to place limits on how much I love and serve others. Even though Jesus had just received news of his cousin's death, he didn't get irritated with the demands of the crowds. He healed their sick, then fed them. He didn't "send them away", as his disciples had suggested earlier. If we want to have impact like Jesus did, we must treasure our solitary time with God so that we can remain focused of the needs of others.

At some point today or this week, you are going to be confronted with a challenge to give when you really do not want to. You may have to stay up late, get up early, or give in an uncomfortable, inconvenient way. Respond with a spiritual perspective. Respond with compassion.

2012-02-11 - Ministry - Even While Suffering
John 19:17-27

As we read the passage, particularly v25-27, it is compelling the even in the throes of pain, Jesus is taking care of his relationships. It would have been easy for him to neglect this as he was busying suffering and dying. It is easy for us as we are in transition spiritually or physically to forget to care of our relationships. This can really hurt people make them feel as though we do not care. Why did not Jesus take care of all of this earlier? Why did he get this done before everything got more harried? The scriptures are silent on this but maybe Jesus wanted to see which of his followers
would remain near the cross right up until the end. Mary, formerly without her husband Joseph and now, witnessing the death of her eldest son, was sure to be hurting. Jesus saw in John the compassion and love that He knew his own mother really needed. I think he also knew that John would be for her the closest thing to her own son, Jesus. It is convicting about how much Jesus considered and thought about relationships, even while suffering on the cross.

Questions/Followup
  • Are you building and growing relationships?
  • Are they deepening through openness, prayer, and discipleship?
  • Pray for at least three people you want to build a deeper relationship with. Pray for them.


2012-02-18 - Fear of Failure - Letting Problems and Failures Build Your Faith
by Tracey Jones, San Francisco Church of Christ

Romans 4:18-22; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 5:1-6

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us. Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) I think as a non-Christian, I was the most anxious, controlling person in the world. I remember I would have almost every minute of my life planned out from beginning to end. Although it helped me to be disciplined and to achieve goals, it stopped me from letting people into my heart. I was always the strong one to my friends and family…"the rock". They saw all the successful things on the outside, but they didn't see the desperate, feeble person I was inside. When I began to work with people, it was very difficult for me,  because I had no control whatsoever over them. That lack of control began to crush me. Now I see that God is using my problems and failures to encourage me to grow. He is telling me the little that I know is not enough - I need to keep growing and changing and developing into the person He wants me to be. One decision I have made when I have problems in my ministry, marriage, or family is to pray about them and to commit them fully
to God. Now, instead of giving in to thoughts like “I can't change that woman's heart, I pray specifically about what I need help with and have confident expectation of what God will do. This has brought much more joy to my marriage, ministry, and life.

What is stealing your joy? Could it be that you are letting problems and situations dictate your life?

Decide today to commit those things to prayer and ask God to give you increasing character to deal with your life.

2012-02-27 - Fear of Failure - God Encourages Those Who Fail
by Yvonne San Juan - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ

1 Kings 19:1-9

Elijah felt like a complete failure. He was tired of running, alone, and so discouraged that he preferred death. Elijah had just been a part of a great victory where God demonstrated his power to the people and they saw rain for the first time in many years. He faced a new challenge as the Queen wanted to kill him, and he ran away. God didn't let Elijah fail; he encouraged Elijah with food and rest. God reminded him there were others that were faithful to God and Elijah was not alone. God enabled Elijah to keep on going when Elijah felt like he had had enough. Through failure, I have learned to call to God in prayer, and to be completely honest with Him, just like Elijah. I have also decided to be completely open about my struggles with my friends, and to not go through my failures alone. Also, reading about godly people who have failed in the Bible has given me hope and encouragement during the hard times that when I fail, God still loves me.

2012-10-03 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is Crawling (part II)
We think he could never accept us just as we are

Peter: Go away from Lord - Luke 5:8
When Jesus started getting too close, he was afraid

Legion: Ran from Jesus when he saw him - Mark 5:6
He was wearing a mask of anger and violence and self-destructive habits to hide the pain inside his hear

We feel too sinful to let him in
Our relationship suffer because we are afraid of rejection because of lack of closeness with God
He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand - Psalms 40:1-2

He is willing to get dirty and and get involved with the real you
Confession and humility you closer
He will not reject you no matter how dirty you are

Are you afraid of rejection to the point of finding it difficult to pray?

2012-10-15 - Prayer of the Righeous - Wiping Away Tears
When suffering hits us we can either drop to our knees in prayer or run from God
Paul chose to run toward God and saw suffering as an opportunity to rely on God - 1 Corinthians 1:8-9

Suffering is a language God understands
Jesus was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering - Isaiah 53:3
Because of this, he is able to help those who are being tempted - Hebrews 2:18

The gospel is the story of God's suffering
He made the world, the world reject him

Parable of the Talents tells the story of God's rejection - Matthew 21
When God was only left with the option of sending his Son, he did - Matthew 21:35-37
We murdered him and understood what it meant to not be whole

Because God has given men freedom to choose, there is suffering on earth
When we suffer, we have a chance to draw closer to God
There is unique bond between those who are suffering and comforter - Matthew 5:4


2012-10-17 - Prayer of the Righeous - Treasuring Us
We are jewels in the hand of God - Isaiah 62:3
He is rejoicing like the woman in the Lost Coin parable - Luke 15:9
Are worth much more than sparrows - Matthew 10:31

Like young people in love carving their names to profess their love, God has engraved you on the palms of his hand - Isaiah 49:16
He gave his own son in exchange for us - Isaiah 43:4
Who else would do this?

He world does always treasure us like jewels
  • They saw a immoral Samaritan woman, Jesus saw a lady who could change the city - John 4
  • They saw a demon-possessed Legion, Jesus saw a man who could change ten cites - Mark 5
  • They saw a impetuous pebble, Jesus called him the Rock - Matthew 16:18

God saw us for who we really were and yet treasures us like jewels in his hand.



2013-01-01 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part I)

God is a consuming fire who should be feared - Hebrews 12:29

He is God who wants us to love him and not idols - Deuteronomy 4:24

God is a blessed and only Ruler, king of kings and lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15

Our problem is that we think God is like us
My thoughts are not your thoughts - Isaiah 55:8

Societies throughout history have developed their own relgions based off God's which human resemblance:

  • Greek methoology is full of sinful gods
  • Hinduism feature gods who remind of ourselves

Our Father is without blemish or stain
In fact many can say, if God is like my father, I want nothing to do with Him

God appeared to Ezekiel in blazing fire and he fell facedown - Ezekiel 1:27-28
John saw Jesus with eyes of blazing fire and fell at his feet as though he was dead - Revelation 1:14-16T

The paradox of God: He says to not be afraid but at the same time to have a humble, contrite spirit - Isaiah 66:2
When a holy God confronts sinful humans, the only result can be fear and trembling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



2013-03-06 - Prayer of the Righeous - More Powerful Than We Can Imagine (part II)

Two different responses to God's power:

1. Moses doubted God's power to feed the 600,000 men
God asked His arm was too short - Numbers 11:21-23

2. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego faced the furnace
The were convicenced God would save them from it - Daniel 3:17-18
They saw Jesus' glory and he spoke about him - John 12:41

John the Baptist described God's power and man's insignifiance - Matthew 3:3

  • We are like grass that withers before the eternal God - Isaiah 40:7-8
  • We are a mist - James 4:14
  • The nations are drop in the bucket - Isaiah 40:14

Imagine trying to asking a clerk compensate for dust when weighing an item for purchase - it would be absurd

How do you current view God?



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



2014-12-11 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part III)

Summary

Rebebekah went back with Eliezer and she married Isaac.

Observations

Genesis 24:49 - Tell me yes or no, then I know what to do next
After sharing his faith in verses 34 to 48 about how God blessed his faithfulness, Abramham's servers did not want to waste any time - he wanted a straight answer on which direction they would choose. Sometimes it is difficult to get a straight answer but he did not want them to waiver in this very important decision. Sometimes we guard our hearts to share because we do not want to sound "too religous" but Eliezer just shared his heart and was not concerned about their opinons.

Genesis 24:50 - The Lord has obviously brought you here, there is nothing we can say
There is no reason to fight the Lord. When they saw what had happen before them, they were conveicted that the Lord was speaking to them that day. Eliezer was full of faith and excitement for what the Lord had done and he could not help but to share it with them that day.

Application

The God should be obvious in our lives. Do people see God in us and if so is it obvious or is there doubt in their mind? In order for me to reach out to others, my life needs to show Jesus. When I speak and invite others to church/Bible study does it come as a surpise or an invitation or extention of what I am already doing?

Prayer

Pray to be real with people and to share my faith without reservation. 



2015-03-14 - No-Compromise Faithfullness

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, The God whom we serve is able to save us - Daniel 3:16-17

Compromise can help you move ahead or it can lead to utter disaster

At time, they freely altered some things to please their Babylonians masters

But an order to compromise their commitment to God, they adamantly refused

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not need to discuss anything, there was no decision to be made

After the king saw how the three young men were saved, he sang a different tune - Daniel 3:28

Any choice to distance you from God, there is no compromise, the only answer is "NO".



2015-03-18 - Overcoming Inadequacy

ISAIAH

It's over, I am doomed - Isaiah 6:4-5

Isaiah looked into the mirror of God's perfection and saw his own inadequacy starting back at him

He knew he wasn't fit to serve God, much less stand in his presence

God sent an angel and tocuhed his lips with coal and pronounced his guilt removed and sins forgiven - Isaiah 6:6-7

Isaiah changed and boldly called out, "Here I am. Send me" - Isaiah 6:8



2015-03-25 - Hope

Jeremiah: Great is his faithfullness and his mercies begin afresh each morning - Lamentations 3:22-24

He surveyed th ruins of the once great city of Jerusalem

Jeremiah saw death and destruction all around and felt a pain we can only imagine

He found it within himslef to speak to his one Source of hope

Jeremaih recognized God had granted him life and could hope for better things from the hand of his heavenly Father

Where do you place your hope when you or loved ones encounter pain and difficulty?



2015-04-15 - Moved by What He Saw

This man truely was the Son of God - Mark 15:39

The solider had taken part in some of the most barbaric, brutal executions imaginable, but evertyhg seemed different this time

He oversaw Jesus' crucifixion:

  • Stood by as the nails pierced Jesus' hands
  • Listened as Jesus silently endured the angry shouting
  • Heard Jesus cry out in agony
  • Felt the ground tremble under his feet

This man of war who had a seared conscience and hardened heart, concluded this was the Son of God



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?



2015-05-02 - Passion for Justice

I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil -  1 Kings 21:20

Elijah courageously and steadfastly pronouned judgement on Ahab who conspired to have Naboth stoned to death

Ahab misused his position as king and Elijah confronted him face to face

Elijah had a passionate sense of commitment to God's justice

When he saw a terrible wrong commited to an innocent man, he could not stand by and do nothing

Are you willing to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves?



2015-05-10 - Cure for Disappointment

Didn't our hearts burns within us as he talked with us - Luke 24:32

If I look at myself, I am depressed
If I look at those around me, I am disappointed.
If I look at my circumstances, I am discouraged
But if I look at Jesus, I am constantly, consistently and eternally fulfilled

When Jesus died, as the disciples saw it, all hope for a better life was gone

At just the right moment, Jesus reveal himself to them

When he disappeared from their sight, he took with him the pain, despair, and disappointment

When you face situations that leave you feeling despressed, disappointed, and discouraged, look to Jesus



2015-05-11 - Shining Lamp

Full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God - Acts 7:55

Nothing prompts change likea man's courage in the face of potential personal loss. Stephen had that kind of courage.

Religous leaders hoped persecuting Christians would put a stop to this new religious movement, exactly the opposite happened

Stephen willingly died for what he believed in and he contributed greatly to the spread of the gospel message

At the scene of Stephen's murder stood a young Pharisee named Saul - the same Saul God miraculously converted

Stephen's courage and faith in the face of death apparently made a lasting impression

Pauls bold preaching would change the world forever - Acts 22:19-20

Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. Is your lamp shining today?



2015-05-23 - Influence from Within

Never before had there been a king like Josiah who turned to the Lord will all his heart and soul and strength - 2 Kings 23:25

Josiah did what was pleasing to the Lord's sight - 2 Kings 22:2

His background did not set him up for greatness - his father was a wicked king that drug Judah into idolity

For Josiah, it wasn't a matter of where he had come from but where he was headed:

  • He took the thrown at age eight
  • At 26, he instructed the high priest to begin repairing the temple
  • After hearding the lost book of the Law, he compared what he had heard with what he saw around him
  • Gathered the people together to renew their convenant with God
  • Had the humility and heart for God which led to the changes of others

Making a difference in the lives of people around you begins with changes within yourself



2015-05-25 - Suffering Servant

All of us have strayed away - Isaiah 53:5

Jesus Christ was the perfect example of that kind of giving

Isaiah saw this example of a humble, suffering servant from his own time

He depicts a man who willingly subjected himslef to unspeakable suffering on the behalf of others

How does Jesus' selfless giving motivate you? 



2015-06-08 - Letting Go

God intended it all for good so I could save the lives of many people - Genesis 50:19-20

Even after his brothers sold him into slavery, Joesph thrived in every situation because God oversaw everything that happened to him

God used Joseph's circumstances for His own purpose:

  1. For Joseph's good - not getting killed
  2. For saving his brothers and father
  3. For saving the Egyptians

God cause everything to work together for the good of those who love God - Romans 8:28

Have negative emotions or bound by an unfair past?

When you understand God cause use everything that happens to you for his purpose, those things begin to lose their grip on you



2015-06-24 - God's Presence

Don't make us leave this place - Exodus 33:15

He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone - C S Lewis

Moses had an acute sense of his need for God's presence;

Expereince brought him to this conculsion:

  • 40 years living in Midian
  • Faced down a stubborn Pharaoh
  • Saw God's power in freeing his people from salvary

None of these things could have taken palce if God had not been with him

As Moses was considering the trip to the Promised land, he did not want to take another step  further without the assurance of God's presence

The Promised Land without the Promise Giver didn't hold much promise

How much does the presence of God mean to you?



2015-07-03 - Righteous Anger

Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple - John 2:15

Jesus became angry times when he saw authorities have a lack of love and true faith in his heavenly father

He espcially got angry this time with the money changers who were greedy in their dealing with those pilgrims trying to purshase sacrificial animals

Jesus always directed his anger at things that stood in the way of God's purposes for mankind

Do you express your anger over the same kind of issues that angered Jesus?

When you become angry, ask yourself:

  • Is it for the right reason?
  • Is it for the right people?
  • Is it at the right moment?


2015-07-08 - Anticipation Rewarded

Holy Spirit reveal to him that he woul not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah - Luke 2:26

Humans are creatures of anticipation. Serveral studies show expectation of something good benefits our health and sense of well-being

Simon had lived a long life of such close fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit told him he would see the Messiah

A voice told him to go to the Temple, this was his day

When Simon saw baby Jesus, he knew immediately that this was the One he had been waiting for

Simon: Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people - Luke 2:29-31 



Next 25 >>