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Monday, March 7, 2016

Philippians 2:13

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

App-God can work in so many places at the same time. It is quite amazing and indescribable how God is able to work. He is omnipresent all around the world all at the exact same time. He lives within us, around us, above us, with us and for us. He, living within us is a miracle itself. We have the exact same power living in us that had raised Christ from the dead. He has given us that power to live for Him and to fulfill His good purposes. God works in us all the time and through us. Being on the mission field, He is always present with us. He gives us strength day in and day out. He protects us from harm. He speaks through us during outreaches or through teaching. He gives us courage to step out in boldness and proclaim His name. He works through us to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. He guides us, gives us joy and speaks to us through His word and through others. He helps us become humble so that we may be better servants and He helps us and teaches us how we can become more like Jesus. He gives us freedom and the ability to continue forward and to push on. He calls on us one by one to serve for Him. We serve for Him, and He uses us to accomplish His work. Until His will be done.

Proverbs 14:29

“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

App-Isn’t it hard to be patient sometimes? You know when you are running late for work or a meeting and people are moving slow or there is traffic and you get frustrated and you start acting in your flesh. Or do you know the time when, (if you have kids) that your kids are pushing your buttons and they aren’t listening and you become easily angered and are quick to acting in your flesh. Do you realize that when you are quick-tempered, or quick to your flesh that you are now displaying folly? That you are now acting, in a sense, like a child. Isn’t it interesting how, we as humans, images of God can display such actions. What’s even more interesting, is that He continues to love us and to lift us up. What’s even more amazing is that He then died for us so that we can spend eternal life with Him in heaven which is an entirely different story to talk about. But on the other side we have, then, the option to follow what He has to speak to us about or what He asks of us. Whether we chose the eternal life or the life in hell, which living in eternal fire and working to the point of continually working even on your knees. Now, whoever is patient has great understanding. "He who waits upon the Lord will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31. Whoever is patient has a great understanding. You know when they said in elementary school about virtues, patience is one that I remember. Not sure why, just always has been. Patience is a powerful characteristic. Not only in the earthly world, but for the eternal kingdom.

Acts 20:24

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

App-Do you recall a time that someone had died for you and when they had died it had meant something? Not just a meaning that affected you emotionally but in a way that had saved your life from a serious situation? I can honestly say that I know someone that had died for me in a way that has saved me from hell. I can say that, that person that had died for me had given me my sight and given me freedom. I can say that He has given me the ability to fly and to fight against the powers of the evil one. I can say that He lives in me and loves me like His own child. I can say that He went through great pains to save me from hell and He did it simply out of love. I can honestly say that since He had died for me and loves me as much as He does, that I am willing to do whatever He asks me to do. Just as Acts 20:24 states, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me.” I am now willing to give my life to Him because He died for me first and He loved me first and has given me the opportunity to live. I am repeating those same words that the apostle John had written in the book of Acts. “My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” Now He has given us all a command, job, task or whatever it may be. He has set me on a race and I have started it. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2.

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

App- When’s the last time you have had true peace either within yourself or around you? I can probably say without doubting that you never have peace around you. How about that peace with inside you? I can say that every time I enter into God’s presence during worship in Church, walking in the doors of the church, during my devotions, really any time in His presence. Knowing that the all powerful is around me. The Great God Almighty that created me is standing next offers a great peace. Just to know that He is standing over me, next to me, beside me, whatever it may be I know that I can find real peace in His presence. When being in HIs presence I can always trust that those questions that can’t be answered now will be answered later. When being in His presence I can always be sure that I am loved. When being in HIs presence I am surrounded by His peace and comfort. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7. And we have been called in one body to be together and to be guarding our hearts and our minds against the powers of the evil one.

Psalm 37:4

"He who delights himself in the ways of the Lord, will be given the shown of his heart."

App-Isn’t that a delightful thing to hear? He who delights himself in the ways of the Lord, will be given the desires of his heart. I love to read that, hear it, see it happen. He who delights himself in the ways of the Lord, shouldn’t be that difficult. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He wants to know us and who we are. That’s all we have to do. He who delights himself in the Lord finds mercy. He who delights himself in the Lord finds grace. He who delights himself in the Lord finds strength. So many gifts and blessings freely given to us from Him. The first breath that you take in the morning when you first open your eyes, He has given to you. He wants that relationship so that Christ can say to His father, “I know him/her.” Matthew 10:32, "but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” When you begin to truly know someone you are less likely to deny them because that’s when you truly love them. Jesus has loved us first and that is why we love. He died for us because He loves us. "Will be given the desires of his heart.” Truly loving Christ and building that relationship with Him is life changing. Without a doubt. He has the power to live within us. That power that brought Him back from the dead can live within us if we allow it to. Asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit is all it takes. Asking to be a child of God is all it takes. He then has the power to soften your heart and He then will begin to change your life and the way you truly are. As He is softening your heart He will begin to change you. He will begin to show you the ways of your heart. He will put His burdens on your heart and begin to develop feelings for others and different parts of the world and love for others.

Isaiah 3:10-11

"Tell the righteous it will be well with them for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done. "

App-You know that narrow, righteous path that God calls us to walk on and to follow His footsteps? Its that path that is so difficult for human beings to stay on. That extremely narrow path that is spoken about through out the bible. Those that try their hardest to stay on that path to God can be spoken about being righteous. But who am I kidding, not is truthfully righteous. We are all humans. We sin through out the day. We then go to the Father and we are cleaned again and brought back on that righteous path. Without going to the Father and laying down our sins and taking responsibility for our sins and then confessing our sins, we can be made clean. The path of those that go to Christ for strength and guidance to stay on that path for as long as possible and renewed by Christ. Proverbs 4:18 "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” We bring Glory to Him and ask from Him for guidance and to be that light in our path. We then are able to shine for Him and pass on the blessings through Him.

Then when those who turn away from that narrow path and head into darkness become lost in sin and become blind. Woe to the wicked and disaster is upon them. Those that fall into the depths of the devil and lose sight of that narrow path. The path that they now walk is extremely wide and easy but full of disaster and empty handedness. They begin to hurt others and cause others to feel empty. They are controlled by the wiles of the devil and have a path of nothing. Proverbs 4:19, “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

It is a dark world and full of sin and the way of the righteous is worth every step. The mountains are huge and covered in bumps, but we never do it alone unless we choose to.

Proverbs 21:2

"A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart."

App-Do you remember the times when you get angry at someone and you go off saying a whole bunch of words that you don’t always mean to say? You know all those harsh words that you are saying to that person is coming from your heart. You hear those words, understand what they mean, and then go and use them. And being humans its hard to not repeat what somebody else says. Its hard to not speak your feelings being a human being. Being a human we have a tendency to speak our heart. We have a tendency to speak our feelings and our feelings come from how our heart feels. Now when you start speaking just in general to someone, you still have a tendency to speak form your heart. When those harsh words come out and have meaning being them, it is coming strictly from your heart. Now being a Christian, you know that God is judging your heart. Its hard to not say anything without having your feelings involved. Someone once told me that your heart is deceitful. It very much is and the devil will use that as a weakness to attack you on a daily basis. You can be thinking one thing but really want another thing. Whenever struggles come to me about something that has to do with my heart getting involved, I take it to God. If it is speaking to someone else, then I refer back to James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Be attentive in what somebody else is saying. Be slow to speak and you won’t have to deal with saying something that you didn’t want to or didn’t mean. And be slow to anger. Your anger can be blinding and the devil will use that left and right in your life.