A family moment
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
11-10-2009
Daily Bread 11-10-2009
Scripture: Mark 1: 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;h with you I am well pleased.”
Observation: That Jesus was loved before completing any work. God loved His son before He did anything.
Application: We are loved even before we have done anything.
Prayer: Dear Lord let me move out of a profound understanding of your love for me.
h Or my beloved Son
Scripture: Mark 1: 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;h with you I am well pleased.”
Observation: That Jesus was loved before completing any work. God loved His son before He did anything.
Application: We are loved even before we have done anything.
Prayer: Dear Lord let me move out of a profound understanding of your love for me.
h Or my beloved Son
Monday, November 9, 2009
11-09-2009
Daily Bread 11-9-2009
Scripture: Mark 1:4-5 4 John the baptizer appearede in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you withf water; but he will baptize you withgthe Holy Spirit.”
Observation: That Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit living with in us. The power of God is living with in us.
Application: I feel so limited at times. What is it I can do to really change anything? I forget that God is living in me and He is more than able to change me and change the world.
Prayer: Dear Lord wake me up to your presence living in me. Teach me about your presence and allow me to hear you. Amen.
e Other ancient authorities read John was baptizing
f Or in
g Or in
Scripture: Mark 1:4-5 4 John the baptizer appearede in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you withf water; but he will baptize you withgthe Holy Spirit.”
Observation: That Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit living with in us. The power of God is living with in us.
Application: I feel so limited at times. What is it I can do to really change anything? I forget that God is living in me and He is more than able to change me and change the world.
Prayer: Dear Lord wake me up to your presence living in me. Teach me about your presence and allow me to hear you. Amen.
e Other ancient authorities read John was baptizing
f Or in
g Or in
Thursday, November 5, 2009
11-05-2009
11-05-2009
Daily Bread
Scripture: 2 Samuel 2:5 Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
Observation: The scripture comes out of humility before God. The author equates good leadership with fear of God. It is an important to understand that leadership is a covenant to God that blesses the world. The Godless have no such covenant and are difficult if not impossible to deal with, and they bring no blessing to the world. This is a harsh idea.
Application: We are to understand that we should be humble before the lord to lead.
Prayer: Dear Lord, open my eyes to my lack of humility before you, teach me to love your people as much as I love you. Amen.
Daily Bread
Scripture: 2 Samuel 2:5 Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
Observation: The scripture comes out of humility before God. The author equates good leadership with fear of God. It is an important to understand that leadership is a covenant to God that blesses the world. The Godless have no such covenant and are difficult if not impossible to deal with, and they bring no blessing to the world. This is a harsh idea.
Application: We are to understand that we should be humble before the lord to lead.
Prayer: Dear Lord, open my eyes to my lack of humility before you, teach me to love your people as much as I love you. Amen.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Daily Bread 11-04-2009
Daily Bread November 4, 2009
John 18:37
Scripture: 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Observation: I notice that Jesus corrects the question that Pilate is asking. Pilate wants to know if Jesus is a King. Jesus then states the purpose that he came into the world. Jesus came “to testify to the truth.” Jesus came bearing witness to the truth. The interesting part of the testimony is that Jesus was not only witness to the truth He was and is the truth.
Application: Where is it that I get my example on a daily basis for how I live? Do my ways come from the world or for God? Jesus is the pure truth, how often do I look to His example in scripture as apposed to looking for my example from my own learned ways. Sadly all too often I learn from the world not the word.
Prayer: Jesus teach me and strength me to follow you and your witness in the world. Allow me to see the truth through you. Enable me to live in your ways, even when the world’s ways seem to be so expedient.
John 18:37
Scripture: 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Observation: I notice that Jesus corrects the question that Pilate is asking. Pilate wants to know if Jesus is a King. Jesus then states the purpose that he came into the world. Jesus came “to testify to the truth.” Jesus came bearing witness to the truth. The interesting part of the testimony is that Jesus was not only witness to the truth He was and is the truth.
Application: Where is it that I get my example on a daily basis for how I live? Do my ways come from the world or for God? Jesus is the pure truth, how often do I look to His example in scripture as apposed to looking for my example from my own learned ways. Sadly all too often I learn from the world not the word.
Prayer: Jesus teach me and strength me to follow you and your witness in the world. Allow me to see the truth through you. Enable me to live in your ways, even when the world’s ways seem to be so expedient.
Friday, October 9, 2009
10-09-2009
10-09-2009
Daily Bread
Scripture: And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Mark 8:27
Observation: Jesus was teaching the disciples. What are some of the possible things Jesus was looking for from the Disciples? Was Jesus concerned from a standpoint of what people thought about him? Was in an ego feeding time? No I think not. It may speak more about us as to who we think Jesus is. Are we looking for Jesus to be a good teacher, or the very Son of God?
Application: How I view Jesus has real applications as to if I see the world properly. It has applications as to if I have my faith in the right place. Is my it all faith in me, or faith of Jesus in me?
Prayer: Dear Lord, be the lord of my life. Teach me to walk in your ways, to have faith in your providence, give me your sight, your wisdom your daily bread, your body, so that I may be in the Body. Amen.
Daily Bread
Scripture: And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Mark 8:27
Observation: Jesus was teaching the disciples. What are some of the possible things Jesus was looking for from the Disciples? Was Jesus concerned from a standpoint of what people thought about him? Was in an ego feeding time? No I think not. It may speak more about us as to who we think Jesus is. Are we looking for Jesus to be a good teacher, or the very Son of God?
Application: How I view Jesus has real applications as to if I see the world properly. It has applications as to if I have my faith in the right place. Is my it all faith in me, or faith of Jesus in me?
Prayer: Dear Lord, be the lord of my life. Teach me to walk in your ways, to have faith in your providence, give me your sight, your wisdom your daily bread, your body, so that I may be in the Body. Amen.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Daily Bread 10-07-2009
10-07-2009
Daily Bread
Scripture:
Mark 8:
Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t’ you see the point of all of this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” They said, “Twelve.”
He said “do you still not get it?”
Observation:
I notice that the disciples did not get it. They seemed to never get it. Not getting it seems to have caused strife. Was the conflict driven by a loss of sight of who they were in the presence of?
Application:
Do I get it? Am I blind to what God is doing? Has sin in my life left me disconnected and unable to see God at work?
Prayer:
God restore my sight to what you are doing. Return me to your presence and fill me with a vision for you Kingdom. Let me not squabble about bread but let be aware of your presence and be about your presence. Cast me not from your presence but wake me up! Let me rest in your doing, let me be still and quite.
Daily Bread
Scripture:
Mark 8:
Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t’ you see the point of all of this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” They said, “Twelve.”
He said “do you still not get it?”
Observation:
I notice that the disciples did not get it. They seemed to never get it. Not getting it seems to have caused strife. Was the conflict driven by a loss of sight of who they were in the presence of?
Application:
Do I get it? Am I blind to what God is doing? Has sin in my life left me disconnected and unable to see God at work?
Prayer:
God restore my sight to what you are doing. Return me to your presence and fill me with a vision for you Kingdom. Let me not squabble about bread but let be aware of your presence and be about your presence. Cast me not from your presence but wake me up! Let me rest in your doing, let me be still and quite.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
10-06-2009
Daily Bread
Scripture:
Mark 8
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
Observation: I notice that the disciples were looking at their resources and Jesus was looking at the need.
Application: That I need to quit looking at what I can do in my strength and my resources and look to put God at the center.
Prayer: Dear Lord set me free from worldly thinking and set me free to be doing your work for your glory. I lift up my eyes to you who’s throne is in heaven. I look to your for my strength, my recourses, for the work I do is for my King. Amen
Daily Bread
Scripture:
Mark 8
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
Observation: I notice that the disciples were looking at their resources and Jesus was looking at the need.
Application: That I need to quit looking at what I can do in my strength and my resources and look to put God at the center.
Prayer: Dear Lord set me free from worldly thinking and set me free to be doing your work for your glory. I lift up my eyes to you who’s throne is in heaven. I look to your for my strength, my recourses, for the work I do is for my King. Amen
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Different Means
Different Means
While at UM ARMY this past week my assistance noticed that he had forgotten his cell phone charger. I suggested that he could use my cell phone charger but it did not work with his phone. (I kind of knew it would not work) Then we discussed how it seems that every phone has a different charger, and that it would be convenient if they all used the same charger. But alas, they don’t. So the solution was to purchase a new charger if we wanted his phone to work. It was a place where reality meets expectations. We could have spent more time complaining, or just purchase a new charger.
Often in trying to reach people with the gospel, we forget the principal that we are not all the same. Paul makes that point in Romans 12 and in several other places. That people are not all the same. I reflect on that idea as I thing that some people are reached by God through sermons, some though music, some through acts of kindness. Those differences are also reflected in the way we worship God.
We could spend a lot of time complaining about how everyone should be like us. And as the church we often we do. But does it make sense? That is does it make sense to spend time complaining? We need to realize that we are different and if we are serious about reaching people we need to understand how to reach people, not just expect them to be reached the way we are. The greatest evangelist ever Paul realized this principal. He spent time studying people so that he knew how to reach them. Paul did not expect people to only be reached by one method. He employed all means at his disposal.
What is the point of this whole article? We could spend time complaining about people who are not reached by God in the same way we are, or we could realize that it is just a reality, and be about the business of reaching people for God. One is a lot more fun!
While at UM ARMY this past week my assistance noticed that he had forgotten his cell phone charger. I suggested that he could use my cell phone charger but it did not work with his phone. (I kind of knew it would not work) Then we discussed how it seems that every phone has a different charger, and that it would be convenient if they all used the same charger. But alas, they don’t. So the solution was to purchase a new charger if we wanted his phone to work. It was a place where reality meets expectations. We could have spent more time complaining, or just purchase a new charger.
Often in trying to reach people with the gospel, we forget the principal that we are not all the same. Paul makes that point in Romans 12 and in several other places. That people are not all the same. I reflect on that idea as I thing that some people are reached by God through sermons, some though music, some through acts of kindness. Those differences are also reflected in the way we worship God.
We could spend a lot of time complaining about how everyone should be like us. And as the church we often we do. But does it make sense? That is does it make sense to spend time complaining? We need to realize that we are different and if we are serious about reaching people we need to understand how to reach people, not just expect them to be reached the way we are. The greatest evangelist ever Paul realized this principal. He spent time studying people so that he knew how to reach them. Paul did not expect people to only be reached by one method. He employed all means at his disposal.
What is the point of this whole article? We could spend time complaining about people who are not reached by God in the same way we are, or we could realize that it is just a reality, and be about the business of reaching people for God. One is a lot more fun!
Friday, February 27, 2009
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