Quiet Times Search
Search Quiet Times via a keyword or stringSearching for "years" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "25" to "50". (93 found)
| 2010-03-18 - To Live is Christ - Know Christ Paul wanted to know Christ - Philippians 3:10-11 Did he not know him yet?
Paul knew about Jesus He was will aware that simply doing the right thing did not give him intimacy Do we really know Christ? To become like him in his death is become like him in life:
The spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you - Romans 8:11 |
| 2010-05-13 - Desire's Journey - Same Old Thing Something worse than the fall of man (losing paradise) = getting used to it
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 |
| 2010-05-17 - Desire's Journey - The Beast Within Years of living in an indifferent hostile world creates a deep sense of unsettledness with in us Battle of good and evil within us - Romans 7:20-23 Sinful desires are contrary to the Spirit They conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want - Galatians 5:17 There is a nagging awareness warning us not to feel our hunger too deeply or it will undo us We wouldn't want to do anything crazy or desperate We want what our unmet desire wants but our sinful nature wants what is contrary We try everything - TV, sex, relationships, drugs, etc - going one to another We don't know what we want because we're so unacquaninted with our desire We try to keep a safe distance between our daily lives and our heart's desire - because it causes us too much trouble Do we really want to open Pandora's box? Dare we awaken our hears to their true desires? Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Our dilemma is this: we can't seem to live with desire, and we can't live without it |
| 2010-06-05 - Desire's Journey - Ultimate Blow How are we to bet our arranging a good life in the face of death? Even after the fall, the wickedness of the human heart seems out of control So God set our years shorter - Genesis 6:3 Those left behind experience such pain
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| 2010-07-21 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 8) Losing all sensitivity - the dullness that most people accept as normal - Ephesians 4:17-19 A deadened soul requires a greater and greater level of stimulation to arouse it This is known as the downward spiral of any addiction TV today would be consider shocking thirty years ago This is why holiness is not numbness - it is sensitivity God wants to be our perfect lover but instead we seek perfection in human relationships and are disappointed when our lovers cannot love us perfectly The Law (Music sheet, if you will) is our help for guiding us Our instrument is out of tune from years of misuse We're not clear all the time on what it is we really want |
| 2010-07-31 - Desire's Journey - Keeping Heart (part 1) We have similar path we follow
Forgetfulness does not come against us like an enemy in battle formation It comes unnoticed We are warned about forgetfulness in the scriptures The pattern so predictable, we have come to expect it:
Be careful and watch yourself closely so that you don't forget the things your eyes have seen - Deuteronomy 4:9 |
| 2010-08-22 - Waking Dead - New Heart Most people assume the Cross is the total work of Christ The Resurrection is the epilogue of the real story If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith - 1 Corinthians 15:14 WWJD? Not wearing a cross necklace Church did not even began using the cross in a minor role symbol until 400 years after Christ Must become a witness with us of his resurrection - Acts 1:22 Proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead - Acts 4:2 Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus - Acts 4:33 Paul preached the good news about Jesus and the resurrection - Acts 17:18 |
| 2010-08-25 - Waking Dead - Glory (part 2) Your story does not begin with sin but with glory Bible does not start in Genesis 3 but Genesis 1 God is glorious You are his offspring, his child You bear his image When he made all His creation before man he said "it was good" Only after did he make humans did he say "it is very good" - Genesis 1:31 Your glory is greater than everything else made - oceans, mountains, stars, the universe Saints in the land are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight - Psalms 16:3 Those he justified, he also glorified - Romans 8:30 The fact that you don't see your good heart and glory is proof has effective the assault has been Lion King example It is time for the true king to come back and take over But Simba does not believe who he is His father was murdered and the enemy blamed it on him After years of loosing heart, Simba's father appears to him in a vision: you are more than what you have become The one who is in you is greater than the one in the world - 1 John 4:4 |
| 2010-09-01 - Waking Dead - Our Story (part 2) The enemy is after us from the beginning Joseph stands out from his brothers Instead of celebrating his glory, his brothers want to destroy it The worst blows typically come from family David full of faith and courage when he sees that on one will take on Goliath His older cowardly brother is exposed by David's bravery Older brother - "I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is" - 1 Samuel 17:28 The worst blows come from those who know us well Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him - John 7:5 His family came to bring him home because they think he has lost it - Luke 8:20 Sometimes the very thing that someone loves to do is the thing God has given them as a source of celebration We should check to see this is true before we turn it into shame How long will you turn my glory into shame - Psalms 4:2 What have you believed about your heart over the years? |
| 2010-10-07 - Contagious Christian - Attractiveness of Authenticity (part 1) Jesus knew the importance of perceptions Are you either drawing people toward a relationship with God or pushing them further away? - Matthew 5:16 How we conduct our daily lives has implications that reach all the way into eternity As part of the high potency - there are three qualities of being a Christian Authenticity, compassion, and sacrifice Authentic Identity When people are asked what qualities of person brother you the most - dishonesty usually is near the top of the list People are drawn to sincerity Avoid acting like more than you are or pretending you're less that what you are When following Christ - We renounce the sin in our lives but not the authentic identity we have One of the greatest mistakes a believer can make is to renounce or repress his uniqueness in a vain attempt to appear more spiritual Years of identity repression - you can totally lose your understanding of who you really are There are some who will never see Him for who He really is until they watch Him living uniquely in our lives The family of God is kaleidoscope of people with different gifts and temperaments We were fearfully and wonderfully made - Psalms 139:14 There is someone out there one step away from faith, they just need someone like you - your passion, personality, and interests |
| 2010-11-19 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part IV) Another illustration similar to the bridge analogy... Baseball Illustration If one wants to enter the All-Universe Hall must meet the following requirements for 5 years
To earn your salvation, you must do something similar - Romans 3:23 One missed law is guilty of breaking all of the laws - James 2:10 We need Jesus' sacrifice to reach God |
| 2010-12-24 - Cross of Christ (part II) Isaiah 53
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| 2011-01-01 - Discipleship (part I) Acts 11:25-26
Mark 1:16-20
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| 2011-05-30 - Excuses - Moses Moses Exodus 3-4
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| 2011-06-01 - Excuses - Jeremiah Jeremiah Jeremiah 1:4-8
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| 2011-07-30 - Fearing God - Control of Rulers Kings and emperors are reduced to nothing before God and are completely subject to His sovereign power - Isaiah 40:23 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; directs it where ever he please - Proverbs 21:1 He controls the destinies of rulers as well as their actions:
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| 2011-08-03 - Daughter Needs - Mr. Success (part I) Jephtah mother was a prostitute and was denied him any share of the estate Years later the Ammonites made war on Israel - it was the opportunity to have one big success He understood that the battle belonged to the Lord Made a foolish vow of saying - if he won he would sacrifice the first thing opened the door of his house - Judges 11:30-31 His one and only daughter can running out He could have renounced his foolish words but he simply wanted success more His pride prevented him to do so Jephtah's pride and drive to be respected were more important than the life of his daughter |
| 2011-08-26 - Fearing God - Mystery Too High God work contrary to how we would God wisdom is infinite; ours in finite We tend to assume we would understand if God would just explain We don't believe that "his understanding no one can fathom - Isiah 40:28 On the road to Emmaus, they said "they hoped Jesus was the one going to redeem Israel - Luke 24:21 They did not understand what God was doing even doing even as it was unfolding Unexplained setback may never be understood Paul planned to sail to Rome and Spain but ended up in jail for 2 years - Acts 24:27 Humility should be a hallmark those who fear God I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me - Psalms 131:1 |
| 2011-09-17 - Proverbs on Purity (part II) #3. Cling to what is Good Proverbs 7:1-5 - God's word will lead us to purity of mind There’s a saying, “Garbage in Garbage out”
#4. Avoid the temptation Proverbs 4:14-15 - Don't take the path of evil people. Don't live the way sinners do. Proverbs 4:25-27 - Don't turn to the right or left. One way to not give in to lust is to avoid it or flee from it. James 4:7 - Resist the devil, and he will flee from you Avoid the places that are tempting to you (wild parties, lustful parts of the city, TV shows)
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| 2011-09-27 - Proverbs on Advice - Advisors bring victory 2. Advisors bring victory Proverbs 11:14 - For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure Proverbs 25:12 - Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear We all want to succeed; we all want to be winners.
3. Without instruction, bad things happen Proverbs 19:27 - Stop listening to instruction my son and you will stray from the words of knowledge Proverbs 21:16 - A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead Sometimes were just think-headed (we know what’s best)
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2011-10-05 - Genesis 5 - Genealogies (part I)SummaryAdam's line was: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. Noah's sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth. ObservationsGenesis 5:2 - He created them male and female and blessed them Personal ApplicationThe challenge for me is simple: To finish the race [Acts 20:24] with great faith and perseverance. But not just to get by but to have a relationship with God that shines before others. When people talk about me, do they stop and mention my relationship with God like the Bible does with Enoch? What does God say about my faith? |
2011-10-06 - Genesis 6 - The Flood (part I)SummaryHumankind corrupted the earth with evil. God decided to destroy them. He told Noah to build an ark to be saved from the flood. ObservationsGenesis 6:5 - every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time Personal ApplicationIncrease my faith, Lord! I see Noah's faith to build an ark and I struggle to have faith today.The struggles I face today are not even a speck compared to Noah's troubles. Noah had great faith because he trusted God and what he said. That is what I need to do. |
2011-10-15 - Genesis 15 - Abraham Believed God SummaryThe Lord promised Abram an heir and many descendants. Abram believed. He was told that they would be enslaved but would then return. ObservationsGenesis 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD ... credited it to him as righteousness Personal ApplicationSometimes 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. |
2011-10-16 - Genesis 16 - Ishmael is BornSummarySarai told Abram to have children with Hagar. Hagar conceived, then ran away, but an angel sent her back. Hagar's son was Ishmael. ObservationsGenesis 16:5 - You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering Personal ApplicationI know I have experience times where I think I am doing what God wants but it really comes from my impatience or my selfish desires to see things happens the way I want them and when I want them. I need to just be patient and ask "is this the Lord will?". |
2011-10-17 - Genesis 17 - Abram becomes Abraham SummaryGod made a covenant with Abram and renamed him Abraham. He renamed Sarai Sarah and promised them a son. The men were circumcised. ObservationsGenesis 17:9 - As for you, you must keep my covenant Personal ApplicationI know I can one-sided and stubborn in my thoughts and sometimes in my relationships. When I get my mind set to do something, that is the way it is. This can be a strength in some situations but a very big weakness if I am contrary to God's thinking. I need to be humble and allow God to change my thoughts and my ways. |
| 2012-01-03 - Day 31 - Dealing with Discouragement The prophet Elijah had just experienced some tremendous victories from God: The destruction of 450 false prophets, and the first rainfall in 3 ½ years because of his earnest prayer. (See James 5:17-18) But then he got afraid and discouraged. 1 Kings 19:1-8
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| 2012-01-19 - Ministry - Remaining In Christ John 15 Remaining in Christ seems like an easy thing to do yet it challenges us as disciples. We have spent years finding our identity in the world, in success, in how others feel about us. We strive for a "good self-esteem." Instead, Jesus calls for us to have a "proper self-esteem" and a proper view of ourselves. This is found by remaining in Christ. We are called to be as intimately connected with Christ as a vine is with a branch. That connection brings fruit, change and answered prayer. We are to find our identity in Christ, not in ourselves. The call of discipleship is to abandon self, not to make ourselves better. Christ is better; we are lost and dead outside of Him. God wants us to get our spiritual identity from his Son. As disciples we are called to a Person, not to a program. To relationship, not to religiosity. We are called to Christ, not to Christianity. An interesting exercise to do would be to count how many times the expressions "In Christ" or "in Him" are used in the book of Ephesians, a great book on being "in Christ." Questions/Followup
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| 2012-01-20 - Ministry - Even Greater Things John 14:12-14 Ordinary men do great things. James 5:17-18 - Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. Heb 11:8-end of the chapter. Great men in the bible are noted for their faith. God recognizes, rewards, and replenishes faith. Life begins at today. Everyday is a new day. New goals, new dreams, new horizons, new victories, new life. Faith in God allows us to do greater things than we have ever done. Questions:
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| 2012-02-05 - Ministry - Touching Faith Mark 5:24b-34 This woman had been subject to a chronic disorder for 12 years of her life. Imagine for a minute the discouragement, doubt, devastation, and frustration of not being able to see this condition get better. In fact, it just got worse. Have you ever felt defeated about something in your life? Have you ever been discouraged for months about your marriage? Personal fruitfulness? Relationships? Then you can relate to this woman. One of the Satan's deadliest tactics is to keep people from being open about their lives. Sadly, many of us fall into this trap Satan has laid for us and we begin to live "double lives" in the Kingdom. We live a certain way in the world and a certain way at church. For a brief moment in her misery, she decided to have faith and touch him Jesus felt power leave him so he asked "Who touched me?" People stop, some get nervous, some put their heads down, some look at others. Everything is silent. The woman's conscience perhaps was pricked and she had a decision to make. She knew what she did and she knew what the right thing to do was. So she fell to her feet, trembling with fear, she told him the whole truth. But what she thought Jesus would do, he didn't do because he is not like you or me. She learned Jesus wanted to her to be open and tell the truth not because he wanted to scold her, admonish her, or even take the miracle back. He actually wanted to honor her. Question: What doubt or discouragement in your life is holding you back from being 100% sold out to God? Talk to your discipleship partner today about it. Getting "in touch" with it is the first step to change. |
| 2012-02-12 - Ministry - But Because You Say So Luke 5:1-11 Peter's faith was ebbing with the tide. No fish, no breakfast. After a frustrating night of fruitless fishing he was struggling to accept a carpenter's fishing tip to let down the nets yet again. Yet Peter softened his will to the Master's will and obeyed out of faith. He had no other reason to believe he would even get a nibble at the net. As the fish came in Peter got that sinking feeling of realizing the depth of his own sin. He deferred to Jesus and knew he did not deserve to be in the Master's presence. I am struck by Peter's decision to follow Christ's command to let down the net again even though years of experience and an empty-netted night begged him not to. Sometimes experience can breed cynicism because we are used to certain results and have formed certain expectations. Cynicism replaces obedience and robs us of faith. It gives us a reason to not have to believe because "we have been there, done that" and it has never work. Peter's humility is convicting and his responsiveness to Jesus is a powerful example. We can easily be deceived by experience that has result in fruitless and netted us nothing. Is your evangelism producing fruit? Maybe you are letting your nets down in the wrong place or in the wrong way. Find a new fishing hole. Consider reaching out to different kinds of people. |
| 2012-02-13 - Ministry - Are You Willing to Keep Praying? Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells this parable to show us something. The scriptures even go so far as to tell us exactly what that something is that we should always pray and not give up. Have you ever decided to pray about a specific situation and not stopped until it has changed? What if it took a year to change? Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Jesus says to never give up! Too often we get discouraged and want to quit-even on God-because something doesn't change. Maybe we haven't been fruitful for a while or we don't have a dating relationship yet. Maybe things have not changed in our marriage fast enough or our job situation is still not working out. Maybe we are just not changing our hearts the way we should. The answer is not to give up but to keep on praying. Jesus ends the parable questioning whether there would still be faith on earth when he returns. Our lack of prayer is a sign of a lack of faith! To keep praying and not give up is a sign of great faith. Write down three things you have quit praying about and recommit yourself to be faithful in prayer. Decide to trust. God and be in the kingdom for the long haul-no matter how many decades of prayer it takes!! |
| 2012-02-17 - Fear of Failure - Openness Leads to Success by Bernard Jones, San Francisco Church of Christ 1 John 1:5-9; Proverbs 28:13 One of my biggest fears as a disciple is being totally open with my life. I am afraid that if people know me they will not want to be around me. For the last two years I have been deceitful about the condition of my marriage, finances, and my life. This has led me to feel discouraged and despondent. Many times I tried to fix the problem by transferring balances on credit cards, discipling myself, etc. I did all this because I didn't want people to see the true me. Being in the ministry can be a temptation to pretend to be someone I am not. One decision I have made is to be completely open about everything that is going on. Like Proverbs 28:13 says, if you are open, you will prosper. Since I have become repentant, I have seen my marriage grow, have been personally fruitful three times, and have a plan to be totally debt free in four years. I have realized that when I am open and real, God can use me to do great things. Is there anything you haven't been open about? Make a decision to be open today so God can bring prosperity to 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. |
| 2012-10-29 - 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:
We create distance between ourselves and others; even distance between ourselves and our own heart... |
| 2012-11-05 - Unknown Romance Other than the official channels, he also speak to us through what happens to us Our inner story is audible early in the morning and the middle of the night - when the inner editor is off duty Our heart is captured by mystery - it was one of the great things about being a child As adults, we have learned to tell ourselves that it is naive, we need to move to more reasonable things He think we have outgrown it and it was just foolishness of a child Contemporary Christianity teaches us to mistrust this New Age heresy In all of our hearts there lies a longing for a Sacred Romance It will not away in spite of our years of ignoring it Romance couched in mystery is set deep within us We desire to be part of something larger than ourselves We have two deep desires:
It is the core of our spiritual journey Any religion that ignores it survives only as guilt-induced legalism, a set of propositions to be memorized and rules to be obeyed What does these desires have to do with God? Hasn't God left us with them to draw us closer to him? |
| 2013-01-25 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part III) When we pray, let us give God the respect he deserves A holy God requires us to be righteous
All the prayer in the world will not get through to God if it is not uttered from a pure heart
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| 2013-03-22 - Prayer of the Righeous - Intimate Prayer WHo is he who will devote himself to be close to me? - Jeremiah 30:21 God looks for people who will devote themselves to being close to him
Nehemiah had an intimate friendship with God:
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| 2013-08-27 - Hurtful Examples and Lies For some, hurtful things your father did and said to you over the years The question is whether or not you will allow it to hinder you or help you. We are to forgive like God forgives, completely - Ephesians 4:32 If you believe the same lies your father believed, you will also be bound by them. Truth doesn’t set you free if you only hear it and mentally understand it. Consider memorizing verses that stand against any lies you have believed. |
| 2013-09-07 - Man of Resposibility When did you become a man? Men are often unsure. Learning this can not only help us understand ourselves better but also help our sons become secure men as well. When Jesus was twelve years old and His parents accidentally left Him After this event, the Scriptures say that He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” - Luke 2:52 In the Jewish community today, when a boy reaches puberty (around the age of thirteen)
He may have become a responsible adult earlier than twenty, but by then he had no excuse. God calls us to an appropriate and excellent standard: His. To be a man is to fully own your roles as an adult, husband, father, employee, neighbor, and any other role you choose to undertake. |
| 2013-09-11 - Men Leave Childhood Behind We need to choose to let go of childishness and foolishness Clinging to childhood while growing into manhood is like trying to run in opposite directions at the same time aka the “Peter Pan Syndrome” Teen years are often wasted and fathers have become silent. Rather than initiating serious conversations with wiser men, they goof off with fools in sports bars Too many men want the freedoms, rewards, and privileges of manhood but only the responsibilities of boyhood Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ - Ephesians 4:14-15 Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature - 1 Corinthians 14:20 The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands - Isaiah 32:8 |
| 2013-09-12 - A Man Embraces Responsibility Men are happiest and at their best when they are responsible We must resolve to fully embrace all of our responsibilities before God Responsibility = you are being entrusted and empowered by a higher authority to care for something or someone The first thing God did after creating Adam, was to give him responsibilities. He placed him in the garden “to cultivate it and keep it” - Genesis 2:15 Sin makes men tend to resist responsibility, but embracing it is part of our manhood It is a relatively modern invention that establishes teen years as a moratorium on responsibility and prolongs childhood indefinitely. When a young man is passive and irresponsible, he greatly limits his freedoms, opportunities, and successes. Responsibility calls us to action and tests us. It reveals our character. The more maturity a man has, the more responsibility God can trust him with. Embrace responsibility! Love it. Live it. Teach it to your children. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward” - Luke 12:42-43 |
| 2014-05-02 - The Miracle of John's birth Luke 1:13 - Your prayer has been heard A priest’s intercession for the nation undoubtedly included a petition for the Messiah, Israel’s promised Deliverer and King. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe was ready to answer a prayer that had been prayed for hundreds of years, but He purposely chose a man who could pray an old prayer with a fresh heart. The prayer at that exact moment may not have been for a son. Zechariah could not possibly have known was how intimately connected would be his corporate prayer for the Messiah and his personal prayer for a son. Not becoming hopeless over a repetitious request can be terribly challenging. We need to continue to walk faithfully with God even though you are disappointed. Zechariah waited a long time for God’s answer, but when it came, it exceeded everything the priest could have thought or asked. Can you even imagine being told in advance of your child’s conception that he or she would bring joy and delight to you and be great in the sight of the Lord?
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2014-05-30 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part I)SummaryAbraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac. ObservationsGenesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there ApplicationI 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. PrayerPraying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations. |
| 2015-02-12 - Love Means Giving His love for Rachel was so strong that 7 years seemed to him but I few days - Genesis 29:20 True love has the power to transform burdens into almost nothing Jacob fell so deeply in love with Rachel that he would do anything to have her hand in marriage but he had nothing but time That is what real love does When a man genuinely loves his wife, his children, and his God - things become occasions of true joy because they benefit the one he loves How would you describe your love for God? |
| 2015-02-18 - A Difference Maker Hezekiah did what was pleasing in God's sight - 2 Chronicles 29:1-2 A strong sense of conviction motivates many men to dream of making a difference in their world This was displayed in Hezekiah's life as king He stood out as a real difference maker at a time of rampant idolatry. Hezekiah guided the nation in eliminating idol worship, repairing the temple, and reinstating the Passover feast He was one of the few righteous kings to rule over Israel or Judah during his 29 years Hezekiah lived God deeply and remained commited to turing his people back to the Lord Consider the people God has put in your life, what difference can you make in their lives? |
| 2015-02-23 - Mixed Reviews Jehu refused to turn from his sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit - 2 Kings 10:31 Fathers want their children to obey wholeheartedly both in spirit and in the letter of the law Jehu did some great things for God but he did not obey wholeheartedly
Half hearted obedience amounts to disobedience Sin is like yeast being mixed into a batch of dough |
| 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? |
| 2015-05-13 - 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? |
| 2015-06-03 - No Retirement Give me the hill country the Lord promised me - Joshua 14:12 Caleb and Joshua led a younger generation into the Promised Land, now Caleb was 85 years old He had not taken the land he was promised 40 years ago and he intended to see it fulfilled Caleb's courage sprang from his unshakable belief God keeps his promises Joshua had abolute faith in the reliablility of God's promises after being told to be strong and couragous because His presence - Joshua 1:9 What sort of hill country has the Lord set before you?
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| 2015-06-06 - Man of Hope Even when there was no hope, Abraham kept hoping of becoming a father of man nations - Romans 4:18 Hope - a sense of expectancy even when the circumstaces suggest packing it in and giving up At age 100 years Abraham still had no children Humanly speaking, Abraham had every reason to wonder if God had forgotten his promise Abraham remained convicted God would keep all his promises God blessed Abraham and his wife with a son - he became a father of many nations Those who trust in me will never be put to shaem - Isaiah 49:23 Has God given you an yet-to-be-fullfilled promise? Have you grown weary in waiting? |
