Jesus prays for my success

FOCUS

Luke 22:31-34
31 And the Lord said,[c] “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

THINK

Jesus prays for us. He prays specifically that our faith does not fail us. He knows we will be tempted and will be lead astray. Yet Jesus tells us that He has a plan for us. He instructs us to strengthen the brethren or the followers of Christ. Jesus knows what we will face. He prays for us to return to the faith and to do what we are purposed to do.

ACT

I need to have faith that Jesus will be with me every step of the way. I need to depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide me. Yet it us up to me to make the choices that affect my life. Jesus is pulling for me to be righteous, holy, faithful, good, self controled, have perseverance, godly, show kindness and love. Jesus wants me to do what I am put on earth to do.

PRAY

Lord, thank you for Jesus praying for me. Thank you that you want me to succeed. Thank you for the Holy Spirit guiding me. Thank you that you created me for a purpose and want me to accomplish that purpose. Lord, I pray that you direct me to that purpose. Give me the words to say and the actions to do. Protect me. I ask for your wisdom, discernment, knowledge, love, and power. Help my unbelief.

Confess Jesus to Man

Tim Tebow kneeling before a crowd of people.

FOCUS

Luke 12:8-9
I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

THINK

The person who professes to be a Christian and lives his life according to the commandments of God will be acknowledged before the angels of God. Imagine approaching the throne of God and He begins to tell the angels all about you. In the scripture you see the word confess which also means acknowledge. Acknowledge means to admit to be real or true and to show or express recognition or realization of. Just think God is going to admit what is real or true in your life and express that realization to His angels. How magnificent is that! Your praises will be sung to the angels.
On the other hand the person who denies knowing God before men will not be acknowledged before God's angels. It will be like God never knew you. Is that what you want to be denied before God. Not even to be acknowledged or recognized. How sad! The angels will never know you. That can all be taken care if you choose to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, develop a relationship with Him and acknowledge to people what God has done for you. Your reward will be in heaven. You can have a little bit of heaven here on earth. God can be your father.

ACT

I must tell others about God and what he has done for me. I must open up and reveal that I make mistakes, have problems, and need to rely on God more. I am weak, but God is strong. Are you?

PRAY

Lord, help me to be genuine, loving, kind and considerate. Help me to make the right choices and let your light shine through you. Use me. My heart is willing, but I cannot do anything without you. You are my all in all. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to others about YOU. Give me the words to speak and the actions to do. Amen.

Biblical Literacy

FOCUS

Psalm 73:5-7
5 He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
6 That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;

THINK

God has commanded man to teach his childen about God and his commandments. The children are then instructed to teach their children about all that God has done. This keeps going down the line of mankind. In May of 2010 Christianity Today reported that "Americans revere the Bible but, by and large, they don't read it." They also told us that "fewer than half could identify Genesis as the Bible's first book. Jay Leno and Stephen Colbert have made sport of Americans' inability to name the Ten Commandments—even among members of Congress who have pushed to have them posted publicly." First we have to admit that there is a problem. We can't recognize biblical references within the Bible itself. We need to see the whole picture of how the Bible relates from the Old Testament to the New Testament. We can't boil the Bible down to facts and figures, but we need to figure out how each book of the Bible meshes with the others. This calls for higher thinking skills and synthesis. In a church service we need to forget about time and allow the Holy Spirit lead the service. If it takes 90 minutes to get a point across, then the time needs to be taken. This is spiritual food we are talking about. We have been known to sit down at a physical meal and spend 90 minutes enjoying it. Why not take 90 minutes to enjoy spiritual food?

ACT

We need to first of all, find a church that preaches the whole Word of God. We need to take it all in. We need to read the Bible for ourselves before we even get to church. We need to do our homework and offer up prayers to God. We need to mediate on the Word. We need to memorize the Word of God. In short we need to put effort into our relationship with God. What will you do to change?

PRAY

Father, help us to be able to relate the teachings of God's Word to our children. Help us to be literate in the Bible. Help us to use the information to the glory and honor of You, O God. Amen.

 

Be Care Little Tongue

FOCUS

Proverbs 12:18
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

THINK

The tongue can do one of two things. It can destroy others. James 3:8 says "But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." We can do so much damage when that tongue is not held before words are thought through. On the other hand words can encourage. Another version of today's verse goes like this: "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (ESV). We need to say words that bring healing rather than words that destroy.

ACT

I must determine what my words are going to do to another person. I can speak with words of destruction or I can speak with words of encouragement. I alone have the power over my words. I must make the choice.

PRAY

Lord, I pray for the words that will encourage others today. I pray that you give me the words to say that will heal. Lord, I need you. I can't do this myself. Holy Spirit, I ask you to dwell with me today. Give me the words to say and the actions to do. By the blood of Jesus Christ, I claim this. Amen.

 

Ask, Seek, Knock

FOCUS

Luke 11:9-10
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

THINK

Keep on keeping on seems to be a phrase that can be associated with these verses. This is not just a one time experience. We need to continue to ask, seek, and knock. We need to keep growing. If we don't grow we become stagnant. God will answer. He said he would give to you what you ask. He said he would help you find if you only seek. He said he would open the door if only you knock. In order to receive, we must put our faith into action and do something such as ask, seek, and knock. Then we have to let God do His part. Let Him answer. The answer may not be what we are looking for, but it is an answer nevertheless.

ACT

Continually, ask, seek, and knock. That is what I can do. It is up to God to do the rest. Let God be God and do what God does best. He is all knowing, just, unchageable, holy, merciful, lonsuffering, impartial, and perfect.

PRAY

Lord, I ask, seek, and knock to know you better. Thank you that I can leave the rest to YOU. I need to abide in YOU and not of my own devises, for You are a God who answers prayer. Thank you. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" Don't put people down, unless it's on your prayer list "

Good or Evil

FOCUS

Proverbs 11:27
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

THINK

In the course of the day, we bounce from one situation to another. We don't take the time to think of the concequences. We just react rather than think things through. In this passage of scripture, we are encouraged to not just to look but to seek. Seek means to to go in search of, to try to find or discover by searching or questioning, to try to obtain, or to attempt. Are we truely searching and attempting to find the good in situations or are we content to simply react and be in the moment? If we seek, then we will find favor. What is favor? Favor is a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, and love. Here we are told that trouble will come to the person who seeks evil. Is that what we want? Do we want evil to be a part of our lives? Evil is the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin, the wicked or immoral part of someone or something: The evil in his nature has destroyed the good, harm; mischief; misfortune: to wish one evil, anything causing injury or harm. Evil can change your life into something you might not want to face.

ACT

I need to actively seek the good in situations and therefore find favor. If I actively seek evil, trouble will come to me. This is a no brainer. Seek good.

PRAY

Father, open my eyes that I may see the good in people and in situations. I desire favor rather than trouble to be in my life. Thank you for your protections. Amen.

Quote

" God is not moved or impressed with our worship until our hearts are moved and impressed by Him

The Great Physician

FOCUS

Luke 5:29-32
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees[a] complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Romans 3:10
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;

THINK

In this scripture, Jesus has gone to the house of Levi the tax collector to have a meal. Jesus is critizied by the scribes and the Parisees for having anything to do with tax collectors because tax collectors were known for being corrupt and taking bribes. Jesus tells them that a person who is well has no need of a doctor, but one who is sick needs a doctor. He further tells them that he has not come to call the righteous to repentance, but he has come to call the sinner to repentance.
If we look at verse 10 of Romans 3, we find that no one is righteous, so we all need to come to Jesus for repentance. It is marvelous to see how Jesus came to earth for you and for me. We are all unrighteous and need the blood of Jesus to atone for our sins.

ACT

We are all sinners and need the saving power of Jesus. Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins. So we need to make that decision to go and see the physcian to be healed of our sins and to be made well spiritually.

PRAY

Lord, I pray that sinners will be convicted to seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Stir them up so that the only peace they receive is the knowledge of Jesus as the One and only One who died on the cross for the sins of each and everyone of us. Amen.

 

Quotes

" Religion is hanging around the cross. Christianity is hanging on the cross. "

Renew the Soul

FOCUS

Luke 5: 15-16
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

THINK

In the prior verses, Jesus has healed a man of leprocy. Because of that healing, more people came to Jesus to listen to him preach and to be healed. He preached and he healed. More people came to him. Jesus was exhausted and needed to renew himself so he left the crowds and withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

ACT

When life gets too demanding, we need to renew ourselves. We need to retreat away from the cares and concerns of the day. This gives us an opportunity to reflect, pray, ask for answers, and feast on the presence of God. Our soul needs to be renewed so that we can glorify God in a manner pleasing to Him.

PRAY

Lord, thank you for that reminder that we all need to get away from the cares of life, reflect, pray, commune with You and let Your presence wash over us to strengthen and renew us. Amen.

Quotes

" Many people call themselves Christian, but without 'Christ' they are merely known as 'Ian'. "

Fear

FOCUS

Psalms 64: 9
All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

THINK

Fear is defined as "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm."    Fear can come in the form of
abandonment
being bad, corrupt, evil, defective
being controlled by others
being deprived
being harmed                                                                                                      
being incapable
being of no value, worthless
being unloved
being useless
change
conflict
death
defeat
diminishment, decline
disease
doing wrong
failure
fragmentation
hurting others
ignorance
incompetence
incorrect decisions
injury
insecurity
invasion of boundaries
isolation
lack
limitation
loneliness
looking stupid
loss
loss of connection
material loss
meaninglessness
no identity
pain
people
personal insignificance
possessiveness
poverty
public speaking
rejection
relationships
responsibility
self-exposure
self-expression
selfishness
separation
sexuality
shyness
success
unknown
vulnerability

When we face fear, we turn either of two ways. We turn toward God or we turn away from God. If we turn away from God, we are saying we can take care of the problem ourselves and thus we lie to ourselves. God gave us the ability to call out to Him in times of fear. We can talk to HIM through prayer. We can read the Bible. We can talk to others who have experienced the same kind of fear.
Or we can think that we can overcome fear in our own power. That is Satan's demons attacking us at our vulnerabilities or weakest points. We don't have the power to overcome. We may overcome for a season, but the real power comes from God. What are you going to do to overcome fear? Let God take control or let it up to the demons?

ACT

Reach out to God for help. He alone can help us overcome.

PRAY

Lord, I come to YOU and ask for Your power to overcome my fears. Help me to gain strength from YOU. I depend upon YOU for I am weak. I ask you for wisdom, discernment, and knowledge. All these things I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" Pray as if everything depends upon God. Act as if everything depends upon you "

God is...

FOCUS

Psalms 62:5-8

My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

THINK

In this passage the author, David, is talking to his soul. Soul, wait for God alone. Then the author talks about expectations. Expectations are expectancy, anticipation; hope, trust. My expectancy, my anticipation, my hope, my trust is from God. He is my rock and my salvation. God is the One to whom I go. As a rock, God is being dependable, unchanging, or providing firm foundation. God is all three things. God is my salvation because He provided Jesus as the atonement for my sins. God is my defense. He offers security, preservation, safeguard, support, advocacy, and justification. Because God is all of that,David will not be moved. I place my trust in God for my salvation and my glory. My glory is celebrity, dignity, distinction, eminence, exaltation, grandeur, greatness, honor, illustriousness, immortality, kudos, magnificence, majesty, nobility, praise, prestige, renown, reputation, splendor, sublimity, and triumph. God will supply all that. Man will not. From God, the author gets his strength. Strength meaning power, force, and might. God is also my refuge. This means God is a place of shelter, protection, or safety. Trust God at all times for all things. Trust is a certainty, belief, faith, assurance, and a confidence. Pour out your heart to God. Tell him all things that concern you. God will offer protection, safety and a shelter to get you through the situation.

ACT

Change the David to yourself. Talk to your soul. Reassure your soul that God will take care of you. He will offer you hope, trust, God is dependable, unchanging, providing a firm foundation, providing salvation. security, preservation, support, justicfication. Place your trust in God for salvation and God will give you dignity, distinction, exlatation, greatness, honor, renown,reputation, splendor, and triumph. From God you will also receive strength, power, force, and might. God will be the One to whom I run toward. I need to tell him of my concerns, troubles and needs. God will offer me protection, safety, and shelter to get through any situation that comes along.

PRAY

Lord, help me to be like David. Help me to put my trust in you. You will give me so much in return for my trust in you. It is amazing what you will do for me. Thank you for your love, concern, shelter, power, and might. I cannot live this life on earth without YOU. Amen.

 

Holy Spirit and Fire

FOCUS

Luke 3:14-17
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

THINK

John is preaching to the people. They thing he is the Christ. He assures them that he is not the Messiah. He tells them that he baptizes with water, but there is one that comes that will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will throughly cleanse just as a man cleans the wheat from the chaff. John uses the illustration of a winnowing fan. A winnowing fan involves throwing the mixture into the air so that the wind blows away the lighter chaff, while the heavier grains fall back down for recovery. Techniques included using a winnowing fan (a shaped basket shaken to raise the chaff) or using a tool (a winnowing fork or shovel) on a pile of harvested grain. The chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.

ACT

I need to ask the Jesus into my life to direct my life. Jesus will baptize me with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He will seperate me from the chaff in my life and let me live a life that is pleasing to Him. The chaff will be burned up in the fire of hell.

PRAY

Father, I ask for forgiveness for the things I have done today. I ask you to baptize me with the Holy Spirit and fire and to use me in a way that is pleasing to you. Thank you for all that you do for me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Talking donkey

FOCUS

Numbers 22:21-35
21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

THINK

The Lord uses any means to get our attention. In this story we see Balaam going with the princes of Moab on his donkey to see the King of Moab. The king wants Balaam to curse the children of Israel. The king is willing to pay for the curse and Balaam is willing to listen. God told Balaam not to go two times, but Balaam continues to listen to the king's messagers. Finally, God tells him to go, but not to curse the children of Israel for they are blessed. Balaam climbs on the back of his donkey to travel to see the king. On the way, the donkey sees an angel that only he can see. The donkey tries to stop the trip. Each time Balaam struck the donkey. During the third instance, the donkey speaks to Balaam and asks if he (the donkey) has ever disobeyed his master before. Balaam answers no and the Lord opens Balaam's eyes and he sees the angel for the first time. Balaam falls on his face before the angel. He tells the angel that he has sinned against the Lord. Balaam tells the angel if it displeases the angel, he will turn back. The angel tells Balaam that he can continue his journey but must only say what he is told to say.

ACT

When we are willful, we ignore the warnings of the Lord. We trespass into areas that we can not handle or get into situations that the Lord does not want us to have anything to do with. The Lord can use talking donkeys to get our attention to get us back on the path that we should have travelled in the first place. What is the Lord using to get your attention?

PRAY

Lord, I can get into so much trouble when I do not listen to you. I need to listen to you and obey your word. Thank you for being with me throughout my sin, my repentance, and my consequences. Amen.

Hypocrite or righteous person?

FOCUS

Proverbs 11:9
The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered

THINK

The dictionary says a hypocrite is " a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs." There are many people who pocess these qualities. It is sad. We believe a person is virtueous unto we are around them for any length of time. Then we begin to get signals that all is not what it seems. There is a slip of the tongue, raw language comes from their lips, gossip abounds or their actions speak louder than their words. If we are smart, we pray for them and then get out of their way. We don't want to be destroyed by them.
On the other hand if we are around a righteous person, we soon find out what they stand for. We want to be around them because they lift you up rather than destroy you. Who do you want to be around-a hypocrite or a rigtheous person?

ACT

Run away from the hypocrite and run toward a righteous person.

PRAY

Lord, I ask for your discernment to determine which traits a person pocesses. I desire to be around righteous person rather than a hypocrite. It is through the Holy Spirit that I will know the difference.

The Purpose

FOCUS

Luke 1:3-4
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

THINK

When we read the first chapter of Luke it is our tendency to rush through the first four verses so that we can read the account of Zacharias and Elizabeth. Let's take a few minutes and think about verse 3 and 4 of Luke 1. Doctor Luke is giving us the reason he chose to write about the life of Jesus. Doctor Luke is an historian as well as a medical doctor. He pays great attention to detail. Doctor Luke is a Greek Gentile who is telling the story to those who want to know about the Way and especially to his friend, Theophilus. He wants Theophilus to know that this account will be different from the other accounts because Doctor Luke has a very good understanding of the events in Jesus' life. Doctor Luke sets out to write an orderly account of the life of Jesus. He believes it is essential that his audience see the order of the events. Doctor Luke wants us to know these things so that we can have assurances that they really happened.

ACT

When we are given a task to perform, it is good if we can determine an orderly and logical way of performing the task. Doctor Luke's reasons could be our reasons as well. His approach to writing this gospel appeals to me because it is orderly and with research to back it up. Doctor Luke was able to interview people who were a part of the Jesus story. Details were not left out. He was able to piece it together so it was logical and told the story of the humanity of Jesus.

PRAY

Lord, when you give me a task to perform. show me how to do in a fashion that is logical and shows that I was able to back up my assertions with research and knowledge. Thank you for your leading. Amen.

A Man Pleaser

FOCUS

Mark 15: 15
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

THINK

We find in this passage that Jesus is lead before Pilate by the chief priests. They want to do away with the power Jesus has over the people of the day. So they ask Pilate to judge Jesus for stirring up the Jewish people to believe that Jesus is King of the Jews. Pilate wants to please the people. He tries to get the people to release Jesus. Instead they shout for Barabas to be released. Pilate has Jesus scourged and then crucified. All of this happens because Pilate wants to be a people pleaser.

ACT

Instead of pleasing man, I must please God. I must listen to the voice of God through reading the Bible, praying, listening to other God fearing people and finding the peace that passes all understanding. I need to please God and not find ways to please man.

PRAY

Lord, I want to please YOU rather than man. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear YOU. Amen.

The flesh is weak

FOCUS

Mark 14:32-42
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

THINK

We see in this scripture that Jesus brought the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. He takes Peter, James, and John with HIM. HE asks them to sit and watch while He goes a bit farther in the garden to pray. He doesn't tell them what to watch for. Jesus is troubled so HE prays to the heavenly Father. HE returns to the Peter, James, and John and finds them sleeping. Jesus says to Peter, "Simon are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray or you will enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Jesus goes away to pray again. Jesus returns to Peter, James, and John to find them sleeping again. Jesus pray for the third time and returns to the his three closest disciples to find them sleeping again. They did not know what to answer him. The final time Jesus tells them that the time has come to be betrayed. So Jesus goes to meet his betrayer.

ACT

Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to sit and watch and then he would go and pray. They could not follow his directions. Instead they fell asleep. We are so much like that. We may have a clear directive from God on what to do, only to fail to do what we are told. We can't follow through. We must change that action from doing nothing to doing what God has directed us to do.

PRAY

Lord, when YOU tell me to do something, help me to do it to the best of my ability. Lord, I depend on YOU. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. Help me to seek your face. Help me to depend on YOU for direction in my life and then to do it. I don't want to disappoint YOU. Amen.

Putting Others First

FOCUS

Mark 10:42-45
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

THINK

Prior to this passage we find James and John asking Jesus to be seated on the right hand and the left hand of Jesus in heaven. Jesus asks them if they "are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They reply that they can. Jesus goes on to tell them that those positions are not his to give away. The other 10 disciples murmmer against James and John. Jesus soothes them by telling them that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over those whom they are in charge of. It is not what the disciples are to do. They are placed here to be servants. The greatest one will be the one who is a servant to all. Jesus goes on to tell them that he did not come to earth to be served, but rather to serve and give his life for many.

ACT

Jesus wants us to be servants to others. That is not the western way. Our culture is one of me first. How can I get ahead and be successful? How can I make sure the one in front of me for a job misses out so that I can step in that "dream" job? So many questions-yet it all boils down to selfishness. How can we serve if we are selfish? This is not the way Jesus wanted us to live our lives. To live in accordance with the teaching of Jesus, we must serve others and not just one or two people, but all people. This takes an entirely different mind set. We must put others first.

PRAY

Father, I am selfish. Forgive me. Help me to overcome this sin and be aware of the needs of others. Lord, show me how to put others first in my life. Help me to love as YOU love. I need your discernment, wisdom, love, knowledge, and power to be the person you designed me to be. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

What will you do for others?

Let the Little Children Come to Jesus

FOCUS

Mark 10: 13-16
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

THINK

Jesus is telling us that children are important to HIM. Allow the little children to come to Jesus and know about HIM and experience a relationship with HIM. The kingdom of God is made up of children who know HIM.
My question is how do we do this when we allow abortion to kill so many unborn babies? If an unborn child dies, he or she goes right to heaven, but does not have that relationship with God that could have influenced this world for Jesus.
If the child lives and is not raised to know about Jesus, how can that child be an influence in this world for God? How can that individual know about God and enter heaven? It is much harder for an adult to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
Jesus blessed the little children. This blessing is better than anything we could ever do for our own children. It is a blessing for each child to know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Why would we want to deprive a child of this blessing? Are we too involved in our own little world that we don't care about our own children? We can give physical things to our chldren-food, shelter, clothes. How about spiritual things-knowledge of who God is, an opportunity to know Jesus and accept HIM as Lord and Savior, an opportunity to serve HIM and to influence others to God. How can our children do this , except they know Jesus on a close personal level?

ACT

As a son or daughter of God, it is my responsibility to make sure children have the opportunity to know Jesus. I can do that by example-living a life that is pleasing to God, by teaching children about Jesus-teaching Sunday School, teaching Bible School, coaching sports and including the things of God, transporting children to church, praying for these children, reading the Bible to them, providing a Bible for them to read, providing them time to ask questions, etc. We also need to support people who provide alternatives to abortion. There are agencies that encourage unmarried pregnant girls to deliver their babies. There are couples who would love to provide a home for these babies through adoption of through foster families. If I am called to this path, I need to follow through. We must support children so they can be blessed by Jesus.

PRAY

Father, I pray for the children. They need to be born so that they can know you in an intimate way. I pray for those who raise these children. Help them to include YOU in their provision of neccesities. The children need to know YOU in an intimate way. Thank you for what YOU do for these children and their parents.

OTHER NOTES

" Faith is personal, but never private "
Henk Eilander

Restrain Your Words

FOCUS

Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

THINK

Words can get you into a lot of trouble. If you gossip about someone, you are talking not about facts, but about things you may not know anything about. If you are negative in attitude and in the words you speak, you may cause someone to stumble and loose their direction to Christ. If you allow someone else's words to make you stumble, then you are taking your eyes off Jesus and you will sin. What is the solution?

ACT

Be very careful on the words that are used. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in what words to say to reach others for Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in what words to say to encourage others. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in keeping your eyes on Christ.

PRAY

Lord, I ask you to direct my words today. Show me what I am to say and to whom I am to say those words. May my words be a testimony to YOU. I want to bring glory to your name. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. Attitude is the single most significant decision I make each day "
C. Swindoll

Belief or Unbelief?

FOCUS

Mark 6:38-44, 52
38 But He (Jesus) said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about[c] five thousand men.

52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

THINK

Here we have the story of Jesus departing into the countryside to get some rest. The people follow him and want to hear more of his teaching. Jesus teaches about God to these people. After a good part of the day had been spent in listening to Jesus, the disciples ask Jesus how they are going to feed all these people because they do not have any food with them to feed all these people. So Jesus asks them to give him what food they do have. They come to Jesus with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus tells the disciples to have the people sit in groups. So the disciples instructs the people to sit in groups of one hundreds and groups of fifties. Jesus takes the loaves and fish and bless the food and breakes it apart. He gives the food fragments to the disciples to distribute to the people. So all the people ate and were full. Then Jesus had the disciples pick up the remains of the food in baskets. They picked up twelve baskets of fish and bread fragments. The disciples counted five thousand men. That doesn't include the number of women and children who were in attendance.
Verse 52 tells us more about this story. The disciples were there and saw the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with fish and the loaves. Yet we see that they hardened their hearts and did not understand how the miracle took place. They were right in the middle of a miracle, yet they did not understand it or put their trust in Jesus. How many of us are like that? We are in the middle of a situation and the Lord answers us in a miraculous way. Yet we do not acknowledge that the Lord had orchestrasted the miracle. Our hearts are hardened to acknowledge the source of the miracle. Are you able to use your spiritual mind or do you rely upon your carnal mind for answers?

ACT

We need to switch our minds from the carnal reality of this earth and look for our answers in God. The spiritual realm is where we find the anwers to how something miraculous happens. Are you willing to say to God," I don't understand how this happens now, I just know it happens because of YOU."

PRAY

Lord, help me to put a spiritual spin on things that happen to me rather than depend on my carnal mind. Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what you have for me. I put my faith in YOU and only YOU. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing "
Edmund Burke

Fear or Faith?

Mark 4:39-4139 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

THINK

We find in this passage that Jesus and the disciples were on the water. Jesus was sleeping and a great wind came up and tossed the waves and the boat around. The disciples are frightened and don't know what to do. Jesus woke and was annoyed that the disciples were so frightened, untrusting and downright crying out for help. Jesus immediately rebukes the wind by calling out, "Peace, be still." The wind ceased and a great calm was felt. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and says, "Why are you afraid? Where is your faith?" The disciples looked at one another and shook their heads, "Who could this be?"

ACT

Here were disciples that had been with Jesus a long time and they still feared the wind and waves. They couldn't quite get the idea that Jesus had control of the elements. They didn't put their faith in action. They panicked. How can we put our faith into action when we let the element of fear in our lives? We must put our trust in the Lord and ask that he will deliver us.

PRAY

Lord, be with us today so that we can put our trust in the Lord. Help us to get through each situation. Thank you for what you are going to do. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" God formed me, Sin deformed me and Christ transformed me! "

Wise or Foolish Children

Proverbs 10:1-2

1A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.

THINK

 

When a baby is born, family and freinds see many things. The baby may look like his father or mother. A nose may resemble the father's. They eyes may be the same as the mother's. As the baby grows up, the baby develops a personality. Again family and friends look for similarities in the personaility of the father and the mother with that of the baby. The father and the mother teach that child many things. Perhaps the child is inquisitive like the father or sensitive like the mother. Perhaps the child likes to do what Dad does or what Mom does. Whatever traits the child displays, they are usually traced back to the parents. No matter what anyone says, they are comparing the child to the parent to forcast who the child may turn out to be. Many parents take this to heart and try to shape and mold the child to display the best combination of their traits. This doesn't always work because the child has other influences that contribute to the shaping and molding of the child.

Many will say that the child's environment plays a part in how the child develops. Still others will say the experiences that a child has shapes his character. No two individuals have exactly the same experiences. Thus we are all differnet to a certain degree.

As a child grows the parents compares what choices that child is making to those that he or she would make. Conflict occurs. Parents has a certain way of perceiving a situation that differs from the child. Arguments and loud discusssions can ensue. The child is trying to learn various growing up issues for himself rather than to depend upon his or her parents for guidance. The son or daughter distance themselves from the parents to prove that they are growing up. Sometimes they are successful, but many times they fail and have to start over again.

As that son or daughter grows up into puberty, a father is glad or happy when his chld makes wise decisions. It is the mother who grieves when the child makes foolish mistakes. The father is proud when his son or daughter is wise. The mother grieves because all the nurturing in the world has not helped the child to make wise decisions. Instead the child makes foolish decisions.
Foolishness and wickedness profits no one. Yet if a child choose to make righteous decisions, his spiritual soul will be delivered from death.

ACT

 

Before a child is born, pray for the well being of the child's soul and a pliable personality that is attuned to God.

After the child is born, make sure you are setting an example that would please God. How do you know what pleases God? Read the Bible. It tells you many ways to raise a child in the ways of God. Pray for those around the child that they will be Godly examples as well. Pray for the relatives, grandparents, and friends to be holy as God is holy. Pray for the child's mother and father to be living testamonies to the glory of God. Put the child into the hands of God. God will protect, guide and direct.

PRAY

Dear Father in Heaven, I pray for each child born, that they will bring gladness to their fathers and happiness to the mothers. Let each child develop a sense of God's leading and obediance to God. Help that child to become a believer of Jesus Christ and thus glorify God.

OTHER NOTES

"Build your life on obedience to God's word and God will make you wise."



Faith in Action

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 2:1-5
1And again He (Jesus) entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

THINK

In this passage from Mark we read that Jesus in preaching in a house in Capernaum. He is being pursued by the crowd who want to hear him preach. There are so many people in the house that there is not even room in the house to stand. Jesus preaches and the crowd hangs onto his every word. No one leaves the house.

Then we see that four men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. They can't get into the house because of the crowd. They have carried their friend to the house where Jesus is preaching hoping and praying that Jesus can heal their paralysed friend. But they can't get near Jesus. They can't turn back, their hope was in the Jesus healing their friend. Imagine the diappointment if they couldn't succeed in their venture. The paralytic probably felt that he was doomed to never walk. The four men probably thought they had gotten their paralysed friend's hopes up only to have them dashed. How could they turn back now!

They looked around and became resourceful. One of the men may have spotted the outside stairs leading to the roof. Another man may have directed the others to take the roof apart. Another may have found something to use as a lever to pry apart the roof. Another man may have comforted the paralytic. It took a team working together to lower the paralyzed man through the roof to get close to Jesus.

When Jesus observed the scene taking place, He knew the paralytic was there through extraordinary means of his friends. They had faith that their friend would be made whole if they could get their friend close enough to Jesus to be healed. Because of that faith, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. Later on in the passage we learn that Jesus tells the paralytic to "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

ACT

We find in this passage that faith was seen in action when the four friends brought the paralytic to Jesus. When they could not get in to see Jesus, they didn't stop there. They went forward with their action. The climbed the steps, took apart the roof and lowered the man into the crowd around Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith in action, he turned his attention to the need of the paralytic. The need Jesus saw was the need for forgiveness then the need for healing of the body. This could not have taken place without the action of the four friends. Their faith was the catalyst for miracle to happen.

PRAY

Lord, help me to be that friend who helps those who need a touch from the Master's hand. Show me how I can put my faith into action. Let me be the hands and feet of those in need. Thank you for forgiveness and for healing the broken body. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

It takes action to put your faith in motion.

Will you be a fisher of men?

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.                  Mark 1:17-18

THINK

Jesus calls you into service for God wherever you happen to be. He called Simon and Andrew, his brother, to follow him and he would make them fishers of men. Remember when Jesus saw Simon and Andrew they were casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Now he is going to use that occupation as a metaphor for what they are going to do in the future. They will no longer catch fish, they will catch men. The fish would have been used for physical food. The men would be used to offer others spiritual food. This was a way to spread the gospel. When one man testifies to the goodness of God and the life changing events in his life, then another catches the fire to also have a relationship with God. Essentially that man becomes an instruement of spiritual food to nourish the souls of others.

ACT

Are you being asked to change direction in your life? Instead of casting into the sea for fish, you are being asked to cast your nets for people to hear the gospel. Are you willing to immediately put your nets down and follow Jesus? Can you let the Holy Spirit guide you in the changes that will take place. It took faith on the part of Simon and Andrew to put those nets down. That was their livelihood for them as well as their families. They had much to loose in the physical world but much to gain in the spiritual world. The answer seems to stem back to faith. Simon and Andrew had to have faith that this move in their occupation would be benefical to them and to their families.

PRAY

Lord, I don't know what plans you have in store for me. I know that I must have faith before anything spiritually can happen. I must put aside my fears and anxieties and do as Simon and Andrew did. Lay down my nets and follow the Savior. Help me to hear YOUR voice, O Lord, so that I may develop my faith in YOU and lay down my nets to follow YOU. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

It is easy to say this doesn't happen in this time and era, but we must have our ears open to God and listen to His voice. We must obey and then we will be put on the path that God had in mind for us all along. Don't you want to follow God's plan? Think of all the adventures you may be missing if you don't exercise your faith.

Let me be acceptable to YOU

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.            Psalm 19:14

Thoughts

Let the words that come out of my mouth be pleasing to God. Let me think on the words of the Lord, let those words go into my soul and bubble forth when I need them to buoy my spirit. Let my words and thoughts be acceptable to the Lord. The Lord is my strength and my redeemer.

ACT

I can be careful what words I use. I can read the Bible and pray. I can mediate and let the words seep into my soul so that I can use them when I need them.  What goes into my head will come out of my mouth.  Do I really want to be disrespective to my God?  Do I want to be disrespectful to my fellow man?  Do I want to be disrepectful to myself?  Words can uplift or they can destroy.  It is up to me to gurard my thoughts and my words.  I must rely upon YOU for You give me strength to face each day.

PRAY

Lord, let the words of my mouth and the mediatations of my heart be pleasing unto you, O Lord, for you are my savior and my redeemer. You give me strength when I am weak. I depend upon you. Amen.

God is our help and our shield

Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:20-22

Our soul waits and yearns for the Lord because He is our help in times of trouble. He is also our shield. He protects us from physical and spiritual danger. We should rejoice in HIm because we have trusted his holy name. We call out to you, O Lord, to have mercy on us just as we have hope in YOU.

Father God, thank you that we can come to you and we can wait upon You to help us in times of physical and spiritual trouble. YOU are our protector and our shield. Because of this we need to rejoice in YOU for we have trusted in your holy name. Lord, have mercy on us just as we have hope in YOU. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to talk to you in prayer. Amen.