Unfortunately I will stop blogging until next semester because I am overwhelmed right now with final assignments and papers. Also during the christmas break I will not be always able to access a computer all the time let alone the internet. See you next semester.

Merry Christmas

Jon

Friday: What Are We Living For?

Just a short thought for today:

Three years ago this winter I was on a snowboard trip with some of my buddies to a big mountain in Quebec, Canada. One morning before we hit the slopes everyone was running around getting things ready for a long day on the mountain when I picked up a well-known book called Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. I quickly flipped through the book hoping to land on a page and get something out of it that I could meditate on for the day. I found a page and slid my finger down about halfway and landed on these words:

"Life on earth will soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last."

Talk about God giving me something to meditate on! I read this phrase over two times and set the book back down to grab my board and went out to ride some powder! Funny thing is that I not only thought about those words all day, but even to this very day I am reminded of these words and I continue to wrestle with this very truth: My life is a vapor, only a short breath and then it will be gone. When I die all my possessions are gone and it's only a matter of time till the things I have done and who I am will be forgotten. The only things that will last are the things I have done for the glory of God. Nothing else will even be remembered. We need to live each day with the purpose of glorifying Christ and store up treasures in heaven where nothing will ever fade.

You Are a Vapor

Thursday: Pass the Salt Please!

Matthew 5: 23- "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt looses its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

As Christians we are called to be like salt in this world, meaning we are to have an influence in this world and on those around us. If we are Christians yet we aren't impacting those around us by what we say and how we live then we have lost our flavor. Matthew says that salt without flavor is worthless and should be thrown in the dirt. If we have no influence in our world today then what purpose do we have of following Christ. Or are we even following him by this point? Christ called us to go unto the ends of the earth proclaiming the good news, making disciples and baptizing them. If we aren't doing this then we aren't following Christ! We have lost our flavor.

Make a Difference!

Wednesday: Accepted

Today I just want you to stop and meditate on the following passage:

Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.


Ephesians 1:4-8

God loved you before he even made the world! YOU!

Tuesday: Am I Lukewarm?

Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

We have all heard this verse before and thought to ourselves that we're not lukewarm because we're not on the fence. We have chosen to follow God. However, what many people can miss is that these verses are found in a letter in Revelation that was written to the church in Laodicea. Yes, indeed this is written to Christians such as you and me. God calls us to be either hot or cold, to be either for him or against him, there is no in between. See Francis Chan writes, "Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part."Yes I know that Jesus may be a part of your life but is it just that, only a part? See a relationship with Christ is all you are for all he is! You cannot give him a part of your life and expect all he has to offer, it's a straight up trade.

God says that he would rather you be cold then lukewarm. This is not a figure of speech, God would seriously rather you be cold then lukewarm. If you aren't following God whole heartedly and you don't plan on changing then you are simply an imposter! Get in or get out! This is a difficult truth to swallow sometimes but we must make a decision. Give God ALL that you are!

Hot or Cold?
Choose.
Live it!

I apologize but over the break I am unable to reach this page on my home computer because we have terrible internet connection. I can still access the internet, but for some reason this is the only site that hasn't been able to work! Maybe Satan is fighting against us. Whatever reason this is be sure to remain in the Word and be diligent in prayer! I will probably be able to get back going again later this week because I will be in the city again. I hope and pray that you have enjoyed and benefited from this daily devotional. However, for the thanksgiving break please read any days you may have missed or reread other days that you were unable to spend the appropriate amount of time needed to allow God to show you something. Talk to you again soon I hope!

In the strength of Christ,

Jon

Friday: Your Faith Has Healed You

Matthew 9:29 "The he touched their eyes, saying, 'According to you faith be it done to you.'"

This is a time when Jesus healed two blind men. See they cried out to God to have mercy on them and Jesus replied by saying that it was their faith that had healed them. Do you ever wonder where you could end up if you lived by faith? I mean Jerry Falwell always said if money wasn't an issue and if you could not fail what would you do, who would you become? Honestly I want you to respond to this and write down what in fact you would do. Before reading any further comment on this post and tell me and others who are reading what you would do if you could not fail and money was not an issue.

What you just wrote is your passion! This is what you want to see done and what you long to do. The difference between this situation and the world we live in today is that money is an issue and we have a chance at failing in anything we do. See this is when faith comes into the picture. When you follow God you have your eyes set on him. If you are focused on God and seek him, doing what he you feel he has called you to do then you're not focused on failing or money. This is faith. Follow God wherever he leads you and trust him to provide for you a way.

You have a passion and you have a God you cares for you. Now you just need to start your journey. Why not go for it. Ask God to show you what it is he wants you to do and then just follow him wherever he leads you. I'm sure it may even have something to do with what you wrote down!

Dream BIG, follow God

Thursday: The Deadliest Weapon

James 3:7-12 "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."

Who are we to curse man yet call ourselves a Christian? God has created each person in his own image and he loves them very much. If we are putting others down or thinking of them as lesser then ourselves then we are insulting God. When we curse his creation we curse him. Who are we to even complain about what  circumstances we are currently in for God is in control of everything. We are to praise God in the good times and in the bad times. See as followers of Christ we are to praise God for who he is and what he has done. Worship should be a daily practice for us. Yet how can this be if we are cursing man and grumbling about our circumstances. James illustrates this by using a spring. A spring can't produce both salt and fresh water. The two are completely opposite. See if you have a glass of fresh water and you add even the slightest amount of salt water then the entire glass becomes salt water. See fresh water is only fresh when it is pure, without any salt. The same goes for our praises. We may worship God Sunday morning but if our actions are different during the week then our praise is done in vein which isn't in the slightest bit glorifying to God because then we are just going through the motions which can simply be self glorifying. Causing you to feel good or appear to be righteous.

Watch what you do with your tongue and how you handle it! You can either glorify God or dishonor him but you cannot do both. What are you going to do?

Tame you Tongue

Wednesday: A Choice We All Make

There are many stories that I hear of people standing up for Christ when a gun barrel is pointed at their head. There also stories that I have heard of people who rejected Christ in such a time. I have always thought to myself "what would I do in a situation like this." Many times I'm convinced there is no way I'd ever reject Christ, I mean it's only dying and besides I want to go to heaven, right?
Matthew 19:24 about a camel being able to fit through the eye of a needle being easier then a rich man being able to get heaven. Even when I read this verse I think to myself, although I am not rich compared to the North American standard, I would have no problem giving up my things for Christ. I mean do I really care about "stuff" that much?
See the thing is when we put it to the direct question, would I choose stuff or God? Do I choose life or God? You see, most of us would hopefully choose God, at least we hope we would. But I want to go ahead and challenge you to look at where you spend most of your time? I believe what Francis Chan when he says "where we will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting Him" (Crazy Love). Challenging eh! I really think that if we, myself included, take even a glance at our life we invest so much more into other things then we would into glorifying God. I don't mean that we ought to be in the Word for the majority of our time! What I am saying is that we need to take more focus off of ourselves and put our energy into serving God and serving others. Yes this does include being in the Word and praying, but there is so much more! We need to let love run our life, not just use it when we feel we ought to! So what if it costs us to help someone out, sometimes it will cost us a lot. We don't do things to get things, neither do we do things to be seen as a nice guy or gal. When ought to do things because we genuinely WANT to (not that it's pleasurable to pick up a hitchhiker or give someone money who needs it), we want to help others because we are serving God and giving a friend a hand by doing so. Sometimes it will cost us to give to God! I have a hard time with tithing when I'm at school! This is because I have no income, but that is NOT an excuse not to give back to God! We have no purpose of living except to glorify God and further his kingdom. Should we not live for God in ALL areas? Shouldn't God be in control of every area of our lives?

Just something to think about that God has really been challenging me with! There are times I'm good at these things and there are other times, lots of other times where I fail miserably!

Please search your heart and please don't rub this off as a " good idea!" Unless you didn't understand what I was talking about you are probably struggling with this as well, meaning that you need to change and live differently now then you were five minutes ago. Hey, I do to so you're not alone.

Tuesday: A Painful Adjustment

Matthew 18:9 - And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Now this is not a verse to take literally but there is a great principle that we can draw from this. What Jesus is trying to get across is that sin is a very serious matter and we would be better to experience life without our eyes then to spend eternity in hell with our eyes. It is important to understand that when something causes you to stumble you must get rid of it! So many times we think that we will be "good" and ignore the temptation, but nice times out of ten this doesn't work. See the things we may need to gouge out of our life can be certain friends, movies, music, and much more. The thing is if something causes you to sin GET RID OF IT because it will pull you away from God as sin is what separates us from him and it would be far better to miss out on a few worldly things then to miss out on eternal life!

Simply choose whom you will serve the world or God. Get rid of the other!

Monday: Never Take a Blind Leap of Faith

Ever hear the phrase "just believe?" I've heard a lot of Christians say to one another and even to unbelievers, "just believe." This seems to be the easy way out of a difficult question that we may be confronted with. I want to challenge you this morning on why I believe that a blind leap of faith is wrong. See when Jesus said, "...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified,..." he did not mean believe in me just because I tell you to. See if I (Jon) told you to believe in me I certainly hope you wouldn't because there is a major difference between me and Jesus. What is that difference? Well lets see, I will probably fail you and Jesus is guaranteed to NEVER fail you. If you "just believe" then really you can believe in anything. This is called blind faith and as a Christian this is wrong. Francis Shaeffer says, "'Keep quiet and just believe' may later lead to spiritual weakness, even if the person does become a Christian, for it will leave crucial questions unanswered." We can have a rational faith in Jesus because he has proven himself to be God. We know through the scripture that Jesus was who he claimed to be. Through out the entire Bible we see that God has always been faithful to his people, he loves us with a love greater then all else and he has promised to be by our side each and every day. Would I have enough faith in you to submit my life to you if you told me that, no and you shouldn't do the same with me either. But with God we know that he is God and we know that he is the only way to life and that he will never fail us.

If we look at Abraham and Isaac (Genesis : ) many people might think Abraham took a blind leap in sacrificing his son because they was no apparent reason for doing so except that God told him too. However, before Abraham was ever asked to sacrifice Isaac (which God did not allow to be consummated), he had seen God. God had remain faithful to Abraham. He knew that God existed and was trustworthy. Abraham's faith faith was based on rationality. See a "blind leap of faith" is totally separated from rationality.

Now there are obviously questions out there that we will never no the answer to but we don't walk away from God because we will never know whether calvinism or arminianism is right. We can have rational faith that God is still God even though there is some knowledge he has withheld from us in his word.

I challenge you if you don't know something don't just believe it blindly, research it, ask God to reveal it to you as there are some things especially the Salvation that you cannot afford to believe blindly. However, there are some thing that really don't matter a whole lot and don't change our relationship with God. These things we can simply trust God who has always been faithful that he has withheld certain knowledge from us for good reason.

Sunday: Follow Me

Mark 1:17,18 - And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.


Today lets just take a good look at how our relationship with our Savior is doing. Or is it even a relationship? See we can either be involved a religion or a relationship. Since the New Covenant we have been able to come before God whenever we want through the blood of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was crucified the veil in the temple was torn down the middle. (Mark 15:38 - And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom). This is HUGE when it comes to our lives today as Christians. See in the Old Testament no one was able to enter into the Holy of Holies (inner most part of the temple containing the Ark of the Covenant) except for the high priest once a year. Even still he had to come with blood from an animal sacrifice. Access have now been provided to God by the sacrifice of Jesus. Today the Holy Spirit dwells within us and we are able to have a personal relationship with God!
     
Many believers are following a set of rules in order to please God and live the "best" they can for him. See no where does it say in the New Testament, "do your best to make God happy and do so by following these rules." But Jesus does say, "follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." The thing is that Jesus has not asked us to follow a set of rules or laws, he has asked us to follow him! If you are earnestly following God then his desires will become your desires. Our walk isn't intended to be boring by having a life filled with rules. In fact if you follow God I can guarantee that your life will not be a bore.


So this week focus on following God and just God. Let him direct you and follow. Experience a relationship!


Follow Him

Saturday: Your Life is Based on Fear

1 Peter 2:17 - Honor everyone. Love brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

     This verse contains something that God laid on my heat earlier this year and I have been very convicted about lately. Fear God. Simple right? Wrong. It's not as easy as I have always thought it to be. I mean most  Christians understand that we are to fear God. Not that we are to be afraid of him as in scared, but in reverence and respect for God's power. You can even looks at it as not sinning out of fear for going against God and knowing there are consequences. I mean some of this I have been very good at. Whenever I liked a girl and especially since I have been dating my girlfriend I have been very careful of what I allow my eyes to see and my mind to think when to movies, internet, tv, whatever. This is because I have always been afraid that if I allow myself to lust then God would take away my girlfriend or even a girl that I had liked at the time. See God has every right to do so if we do not abide by his law. I have recently been exposed to an area of fearing God that I have failed at many times in my past.
     There are times when I fear people instead of God. What I mean is that when the way people see you becomes more important then how God sees you. When you wake up in the morning are you more concerned about living in a way that God will be pleased with or that your friends will be? The way you act, is it based on what others will approve of or based on how the Bible says you should act? I am also talking about trying to impress your Christian friends too! It's not that this is bad in itself especially if you have a good, solid group of friends. It's when it is put ahead of pleasing God then it is wrong. Anything put ahead of God is wrong. So if you are living based on what people think then you are fearing people instead of fearing God.
     Not sure whether or not you fear God or people? Think carefully about the following questions:


Do you care about how others view you? Do you act a certain way because of what people might think? How much do you care about what people think of you? How much of your life is affected by other people? (ask yourself the same questions only replace "people" with "God"


     Who scored higher, God or people? be honest. Now remember it's not wrong to care how others view you. It's when that becomes more important then how much you care about how God views you!


FEAR GOD

Friday: Today is not spelt "t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w"

Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

     God has given us the strength we need for each day. Each day he has provided us with new mercies sufficient for the troubles of that day. We are not called to worry about tomorrow, in fact we are called to do the opposite. By worrying about tomorrow we are either not have any faith that God will provide us with the strength we need for tomorrow or we are neglecting today's trouble to worry about tomorrow. This does not mean we are not to plan ahead. What it means is that God is ultimately in control and we have enough to worry about for today then to worry about what is going to happen tomorrow.

"Meet today's problems with today's strength.

Don't start tackling tomorrow's problems until tomorrow.

You do not have tomorrow's strength yet.

You simply have enough for today."

                               -Max Lucado

     If we had enough strength to handle our troubles several days in advance then we wouldn't need God. We would have no desire to meet with him every morning in order to hear from him and dedicate our day to him. This is why it is so important to meet with God on a daily basis, I recommend the morning. This is so that before you begin your day you can consult with God and commit the day which lies ahead to him. God has something to teach you each day. Why not meet with him and ask him what he has for you today.

Serve God one day at a time

Thursday: What It's All About

Romans 14:17 (CEV) God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit.

     What do we as Christians live for? Paul writes that the kingdom of God isn't about eating and drinking. In other words we don't get "saved" because our lives are going to become smooth sailing and simply be just one big party. In fact we should expect our lives to become difficult. Our purpose in the kingdom of God is to please him, to glorify his name in all that we do. This is why God has made us. We are to further the kingdom, make his name known unto the ends of the earth. This is the great commission.

     The kingdom of God is also about living in eternal peace. See when the Holy Spirit indwells us we are made whole. We no longer need to fear or worry about what is to come. We are able to surrender all we have to God and rest in the fact that he is in control and he watches over us. We may also experience happiness, yes. But even more we can have joy! A fulfillment within us that we may have joy in all we do because we have a God in heaven who loves us and cares for us. He longs to know us and he has reached out to us. He has prepared a way for you and for me to have life through Jesus Christ. No matter what winds and storms may come we are able to stand under the strength of our mighty God and know that he is in control of everything. Each day we must remember what in fact being apart of the kingdom of God is all about.

Live in peace and joy and please God in everything you do

Wednesday

Romans 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

    Faith. We talked about faith a couple weeks ago. Faith is faith, it is what you have faith in that counts! So as Christian we have faith in God, right? What does that look like? I mean does it simply mean we believe God exists? Or is it much deeper then that but you can't quite explain it. Does your faith breath? I mean think about it. Does you faith cause you to chew your nails off because times can become so crazy that it seems like everything should be spinning out of control but some how God pulls you through? I know my life is certainly not like that nine times out of ten. What's lacking then? I mean there's definitely something missing if we say we have "faith" and our life tends to remain level as we float through life. See faith is taking God at his word and believe me God says some pretty crazy things in the bible!
     See God says things like "Seek first the kingdom of God and these things will be given to you." So guess what happens if we have faith in God? We will believe what he says a do it. If I believe God, then I also believe what he says and if I believe what he says then I will put God first (seeking the kingdom of God first). Then everything else will fall into place just as God said it would (these things will be given to you).
     What about when God says, "in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path." This is your turn. We all have the major decisions ahead of us, marriage, career, etc. So if you want God to direct you where you are to go then you need to have faith that if you do what he says (acknowledge him in all your ways) that we will do his part and direct your life. This is when we become dangerous as Christians, actually taking God's truths to heart and when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit we are unstoppable. Figure that eh! Actually testing out what God says and instead to nodding our head to the idea of it and actually following through with our lives. That's faith! Faith is an action, doing it.

A little word from my buddies at nike: JUST DO IT!

live a little faith today

Tuesday

Matthew 28:20- Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

     God never intended for us to endure this life on our own. This is why he has given us the Holy Spirit. Ever move we make every thought we make God is there. We never need to fear, never need to worry because God is in control. The sooner you realize this the sooner you will move forward in your journey with Christ. If you try to manage on your own you won't go anywhere. How are we supposed to follow God if we don't ask him where he is going?
     In the good times and in the bad times God is there because he loves you and cares for you. He has a plan for you and will be with you every step of the way because he knows that we are dependent on him. So today remember when you need energy for the day or you need to settle a situation with your roommate, God is there by your side waiting for you to give him the wheel. So do it.

You are never alone

Monday

Psalm 73:26- My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my
                       heart; he is mine forever.

     My life has been very overwhelming the past month and continues to be throughout this semester. It has come to the point that I feel I am not able to spend the time I would like to with friends, I can't talk to my girlfriend as frequently as I would like, I'm unable to be studying God's Word just for enjoyment, I'm not being as dedicated of a prayer leader as I would like to be and so on. I mean I still have place for each of these in my schedule but I don't feel I have time to do as much as I would like to. Homework has reached a point where it essentially controls my time to the point where I can be putting in about 40 hours a week. I mean I love what I am doing! There's not much I'd rather do then study the Bible and create art! However, I have reached a point where I am so overwhelmed and I get tired but I still want to complete my projects to the best of my ability. Meanwhile still trying to balance a relationship with God, Kyla, friends, and being active and healthy and also having time to relax. My point is that I'm sure you can relate to what I have just told you. We all have times where we are so beat we almost don't know what to do. Have you ever felt like you accomplish so much but you never get closer to the end? That's where I'm at. My spirit has grown weak.
     Today I had to be reminded by my Heavenly Father that he alone is my strength. How else could I do it? Funny how the tougher times get the more tendency we have to take control of the situation instead of handing it to God. Today's thought is very straight forward but so beyond comprehension. When you are weak, your health is bad, you are at the breaking point, God is your strength. When you have nothing left to give, no energy in the tank, God lifts you up and fills you with his Spirit. Why I doubt I don't know because time and time again God has lifted me out of the depths of being incapable yet each time I think I need to do it on my own. We are never required to fight or even take a single step on our own. God has been our strength and will continue to be. Simply let him. You have three options, try to push through it, give up or give it to God.

You are weak
God is strong

Do the math!

Sunday

             This weekend my mind was brought back to Philippians 2:14-16 where it talks about us being a light in a twisted generation holding fast to the Word of God. But I began to think that we have two major influences in this world. First we have the influence of the world in which we as Christian are supposed to be a light to and we are not supposed to be of this world. The second influence is the Word of God. God’s word is so powerful that the truths within it are timeless. Meaning it is just as true today as it was two thousand years ago. God’s truth is everlasting, if not then it wouldn’t be truth would it? Now God Word and the world stand on two totally influences. The world stands on the presumption that you are most important and you can do anything you want. The more stuff you have the more fulfilled you will be. God’s Word stands on the truth that without Him were are helpless and bound for eternity in hell. However, He has provided His son the Lord Jesus Christ so that through Him we may have life and he is what fulfills us.

            The world is twisted and will continue to influence us as long as we are in the world. We will always be in the world as long as we live. Now God’s Word will only influence us as much as we are in the Word and surround ourselves with the Word. Just as Moses writes in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we are to surround ourselves with God’s law, if not we no longer have that influence in our lives and slowly begin to fall away from the truth. This is why it is so important to be in the Word each day. When we eliminate that, going to church weekly and even close Christian friends then only influence we have left is the world. This is why when people begin to become ineffective and weak in the walk it is a slow fade. Slowly people will eliminate these things from their lives. Be sure you keep these things close to your heart.

Saturday

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

            How many times do you feel ashamed to confess your sins because you feel like you are the only one who does that? “I mean God says he loves everyone and can forgive any sin, but surely no one has done what I’ve done, God couldn’t forgive that. I mean I’m such an idiot for what I did.” Or  “I’m trying so hard to follow God but temptation keeps getting the best of me and I feel like I can never overcome it.” If you can relate to the previous sentences then today’s verse is perfect for you. If not then this verse will still apply for encouragement!  Everyone should memorize this verse because it is encouraging and will help you to remember you are never alone!

            God says here through Paul that you will not go through temptation that is not common to man. Meaning the things you struggle with is something that is a constant struggle among many others. What ever you struggle with you are not alone. It is something that many people struggle with and it’s not anything that can’t be forgiven because unless you blasphemy the name of Christ your sin is forgiven by the blood of the Lamb. Your part is simply to confess it.

            The Second part is that you will never be tempted with anything that does not have a way of escape. It is not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to give in. If we had no way of escape then we would be forced to sin meaning that being tempted would be a sin. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness during his time on earth yet he did not sin. Therefore temptation cannot be a sin. See Jesus was tempted in order that he could live a perfect life enduring temptation just as we are tempted. If you were to be completely honest with yourself would you say there was ever a time you were forced to sin? What I mean is can you remember making the conscious decision to sin when you gave into temptation? As for me I can remember clearly every time I sinned it was because I choose deliberately to sin. God never leaves you hanging to fend for yourself. Be sure there will always be a way out whether it be simply saying no to going to a party or walking away from your computer there will always be a way to escape temptation. God never designed for us to battle through life on our own. In fact he provided us with the Holy Spirit to walk with us every step of the way.

God cares for you.

Friday

1 Corinthians 10:12

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

A man who stands as the base of the mountain has nothing to loose and everything to gain, yet a man who has reached the top must be wary lest he fall and loose his life. This can very much apply to our lie as followers of Christ. When we are standing at the base of our walk with Christ and we never decide to take the first steps to grow in Christ and further his Kingdom we have no impact on the world and therefore we are ineffective and the enemy doesn’t even need to bother us because we are no threat to him. However, when our faith becomes real and breathing we begin to grow and take God at his word doing al we can to further the Kingdom of God. This is when the enemy sees us as a threat and targets us to through us off balance and he will try to cause us to stumble to be ineffective. Point being that if you are at “rock bottom,” you feel like you don’t know where to go and the road is rough. Take heart and find your peace and protection in God for he is there for us in the valley’s of life even when things couldn’t be worse, God is there. When the enemy is attacking you be encouraged that you are seen as a threat. Newton’s third law says that for every action there is a reaction. Each step we take toward God the enemy will react and try to take you out. The closer you draw to God the stronger the enemy fights.

            If you feel like you are on mountaintops and accomplishing many things for God, you are closer then ever before to him and you feel unstoppable. I want to warn you to look out! You will face resistance if you haven’t already. Paul writes a warning for us in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter ten, verse twelve. This is a warning for those who are doing well in their walk. When you accomplish things big or small you become confident. The issue is what do you become confident in, God or yourself? We can sometimes meet obstacles, pray about it, overcome it and then give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. The moment you take your eyes off God is the moment you will fall. If you keep focused on him and not on yourself then you will be able to continue to grow and serve God with his help and provision. Paul writes, “anyone who thinks he stands take heed.” When a lame man is helped up by someone and thinks he stands on his own strength he will fall. However, if he realizes that he is standing under the support of his neighbor he will continue to stand. In the same way when we think we are who we are under our own strength and not the strength of God we will fall because our eyes will be lifted from God and we are not able to stand against the enemy on our own! However, if we realize this ahead of time and fix our eyes on God and realize that he is the reason we are who we are, the reason we are saints and no longer sinners able to enter into the gates of heaven, we will continue to stand.

            Always be careful that you don’t take over the drivers seat in your life. Let God drive your life and hang on!

Be on Guard.

Thursday: Be Still

Psalm 46:10a
Be still, and know that I am God.

     This was my verse for last year, if nothing else this verse kept me in check each and every day. When your schedule changes or you adapt to a new lifestyle you will find that the enemy will attack. This is because you are exposed in a way that a knight pieces of armor separates when he makes movement. See we are wired in a way that we all like some kind of schedule. Why else would we get upset when we catch a red light, miss our favorite show or even have a late lunch. Whether we like it or not our bodies adapt to schedules. So when we change up our lifestyle such as moving away from home, going to school, getting a new job, etc. Things like our daily devotional time is the first thing to go. Some times we are so busy in adapting to a new schedule we forget to stop and reflect on who God is and what he has done. This is what I struggled with last year. I took to heart this verse and it caused me to stop, slow down and let God take the lead again.
     We live such busy lives we can forget who God is. I mean most of us know who God is, I mean come on I even know him personally. But honestly sometimes we forget who he REALLY is. Our comforter, saviour, redeemer, friend, father, shepherd, lover, protecter, provider, our life purpose! Sometimes you just need to stop and reflect on God. Just dwell on who he is, what he has done and what he means to you. Worship God. Each day, if not several times a day we need to stop what we are tied up in and just be still, know who God is. The essence of worshipping God is knowing who he is.
     So today I challenge you to make it a habit to stop and just be still, whatever you are doing just stop and be still. Reflect on God and all his glory. Let this verse ring in your mind each day.

Be Still

Wednesday: Further the Kingdom

Sorry this is late today, I had a class at 7:40 then I had to catch a plane. I will also try to get the devo's from now until Sunday up before I head into the hunting camp because there will obviously be no service in there.

     Currently I am sitting in an airport waiting to board my next plane. I have flown before but for some reason I have really been thinking on this trip about how short my life may be and I have no idea when my Saviour will take me home to be with him. I may step onto this next plane and never get off. I could very well never see any of you again, never have a chance to talk to my friends and family and share with them the things God has laid on my heart, I may never have another chance to share the gospel with a sinner destined for hell. What kind of life have I been living? Have I loved people the way God loved me? Have I made the most of every opportunity to glorify God? Have I been seeking God with all of my heart? Here's a big one: AM I SAVED? Ask yourself these questions and spend some time to think about how the life you are living answers these questions.
     If you are a born again follower of Christ then you ought to be glorifying God in everything you do, as should I. I strongly believe that in ALL (every single thing) things we do we are to glorify God. See we are to be intentional in how we live. We can put ourselves in situations that can give us the opportunity to glorify God and be as effective as we can. We can also put ourselves in situations that will bring forth temptation. Yes temptation is out there and we will all stumble and fall, but the rubber hits the road when we decide whether or not to get back up. Think about that for a moment.....   You will stumble you can count on that! Will you decide to get back up again? Live with the intention to further the kingdom of God. Carry that with you as you go about your day today, "Live with the intention to further the kingdom of God." Let this statement affect how you live your day and then let it affect your week and then your life! You will notice a difference in how your life reflects the mediations in the first paragraph.
     You have one life and one death. In between you have many chances to point others to a life found in Christ alone. You must decide how you respond to these chances. You also must decide how you are going to live your faith. Are you going to coast, live lukewarm? (see Rev. 3:15-16). Or you can be hot and grow each day in the Word never being content in where you stand before God, always striving to be more like Christ. You must also live intentional here. I mean you can either spend time with God each day or not. If you want to know God more and draw closer to him taking advantage of every opportunity to know him better then you will find time each day to do it because it will be your first priority. I mean I struggle with this too at times. Your actions reflect your faith and if you require God as much as you require air to breathe then he will be FIRST in your life above all else. Your time with him will be more important to you then anything else in your day.

Breathe him in!

Tuesday

Proverbs 21:19
The horse is made ready for battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

     This is a verse that has been very humbling for me over the past year. Solomon who is a man of great wisdom writes down these words so that we might understand how much influence God has on our victories in life. Daily you and I are faced with decisions, trials and temptations. When we are faced with opposition we always prepare to fight. When a nation is about to go to war with another they always prepare an army for battle. Essentially this is common sense. Likewise everything we prepare for everything whether it be physically or spiritually. What we often miss is that no matter how we prepare the end result is up to God. What I mean is that an army on foot can defeat an army of cavalry when the Lord is on their side. God can upset the strongest nations and overturn the fiercest forces. God can turn any battle his way despite human effort. This can be seen many times through Israel's history in the Old Testament, such as David or even Jericho.
     We can prepare as much as we want when it comes to being the "perfect boyfriend or girlfriend", planning your bible study just right, getting all the answers for your upcoming test, etc. Know matter what you do to prepare it doesn't even come close to having as much effect as seeking God. Now this does not mean we do nothing about anything. We still need to prepare but part of preparing is submitting to God. Surrendering our life and situations into his hands. So prepare for your battle today, whatever it may be. Just remember your victory rests in the hands of the Lord God Almighty! How comforting is that? We prepare but our battle is ultimately up to God.

How does this change your approach to daily tasks?

How do we submit our battles to God?

Monday

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

            David realized that throughout his entire life God’s goodness and mercy was always with him. In the good times and the bad times God was there, he was both merciful and good to David. God is a never changing God; he is the same when we are in the valleys as he is when we stand on mountaintops. Meaning God is the same through the good and bad times. God is good and therefore he provides and protects us just as David has written in the earlier verses of this psalm. To conclude David says that that goodness and mercy God gives us will last through every day of our life. It will never fail. Be sure that if you put all your faith and trust in God he will NEVER fail you!

            The house of the LORD is referring to the tabernacle. Now to dwell in the house of the LORD forever is something that almost no one could do literally speaking. Only Levites who were priests in the Old Testament would ever be able to enter into the inner courts of the tabernacle. Now for a non-Levite this would be to have ready access to the sanctuary of worship.

Today our bodies are the God dwelling place and we are able to come before him at any time, wherever we are, no matter what we have done. What a privilege we have in Jesus! Today lets stop and reflect on God’s goodness and mercy. Let us lift up holy hands and praise him today. Thank God for his protection and provision, as it will never be lifted from you! Isn’t our God good!

A friend of mine once told me this and if you remember anything remember this: God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

Sunday

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

In verse five David switches from the Lords protection to the Lords provision. God cares for us in ways we don’t always see. God is our provider, providing our every need. The important thing to understand here is that God provides for our needs! Following God does not mean you become wealthy with riches; in fact it can be very much the opposite. God does promise to provide for our every need though! There are still times, many times that God will bless us with more then we need, but he promises to always provide for our needs. In the presence of our enemies means he is our provider even when our enemies are present as they are powerless. Despite the danger in David’s life the Lord has set out a table for him and provided for his every need.

            The picture of the Lord anointing David’s head with oil and causing his cup to overflow shows how much God really does care and provide for him. God Has provided for us in a way that we need nothing more then him alone to survive. This is a reflection to verse one when it says, “The LORD is my shepherd I shall not want.” The Lord is all we need and by his provision we need nothing more and shall not want anything more. The cup is a picture of what we need and the Lord fills not just until it is full, but overflowing! God loves you and wants to provide for you. Sometimes God only gives us what we require to prove to us we only need him and not the stuff of this world. Many times he will provide us with more then we need if we are able to allow him to be our God and not our stuff. Do you need help in this life? God is your provider so find rest in him and eat of the table he has prepared for you. Go out today thankful for what he has provided and dependent on what he will provide. We serve a mighty God!

How has God provided for you and your family in the past? (Remembering what God has done in the past is an encouragement to be dependent on him in the future)

What do you need from God this week? What needs to be provided for you? Are you trusting God for it? Do you know if he will take care of the situation? Have faith and take heart!   

Saturday

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

            Another blessing that the Lord provides us with is protection. David expresses in this section of the psalm that the Lord protects him even when he walk through the valley of death. David was a man who could attest to the fact that the Lord provides protection. David stared into the face (or his belly for that matter) of a giant who was feared by every soldier in Israel’s army while he was just a boy! He also fought lions and bears with nothing more then a sling. He spent much of his life running from a man who wanted to kill him and these are only a few of the times where David stared death in the face and yet God protected him. When David writes that the Lord will protect you even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death he means it!

            A valley with dark shadows keeps hidden any dangers that may be ahead lurking in the darkness. Any trials that we face and we can’t see the end of the tunnel or how the situation will turn out we have no need to fear. Now if I were to approach a deep valley full of dark shadows and I was alone I would be shaking in my boots and not stick around very long. We can respond the same way when it comes decisions in our life. Whatever form these valleys come in we can often turn and run the other way. These valleys could be a family issue whether it is a death or a split. It could also be being diagnosed with a deadly disease or having a ton of responsibility dumped on you all at once. Anything that you feel is impossible to deal with go through is a valley. When we reach a valley we have two options: push on or turn and run. When we run we accomplish nothing and never deal with the issue and will eventually have to deal with it later. The other option is to push on and endure the valley of death.

            As Christians we do not need to fear these times in our life because God never purposed for us to endure life alone. God is with us every step of the way we just need to trust him. Any man could have killed Goliath because it was not man’s ability that was to kill him; it was God’s power. David was the only one who believed that and that is why he was victorious. See the thing is the only difference between you and Billy Graham is that Billy is weak and finds his strength in God alone. God can only take over our lives when we get out of the way. Do not fear for God is with you and he protects you. Simply allow him to! Do not fear for God is with you!

            God has a rod and a staff to comfort us and protect us along the journey. A shepherd’s staff is a long stick with a hook on the end used to protect the sheep and pull them away from danger. The rod is used for discipline that also protects the sheep in the long run. There are times God reaches out and pulls us back from danger and other times where he lets us learn on our own.

            Put your trust in God, as he will never let you down even when you face death itself. Do not fear and trust.

What are some things in your life that cause you to fear the road ahead? How do you usually respond to these situations?

How are you going to surrender to God in the future?

Friday

Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

            “He restores my soul” implies that very simply that our souls need restored. You and I both can attest to the fact that we get weary. As humans you and I both require spiritual restoration. It is God who restores us, more then people, movies, and relaxing and yes even sleep. What happens when you become weary? Do you seek God for restoration?

A car is designed to run drive on gasoline, some on diesel. Now matter how nice or expensive the car may be if you drive it long enough it will run out of fuel and stop driving. At this point even leather seat, a sub and nice rims can’t help you out. If you buy a new CD or a new air freshener for your car it still won’t make it run. Even if you change the oil, or even rebuild the entire engine the car still won’t run because it is designed to run on fuel.

In the same way we have been designed to ‘run’ on God fuel. See God created us for his glory. Only God knows how and is able to restore us. It is also important that we understand that just as a car burns fuel we also burn energy and love by pouring into people through our own personal ministry. If a cup is full of holes then anything in it will completely drain out unless it is continuously being refilled. If you pour yourself out each day but you don’t go to God each day to refuel then eventually you will run dry and have nothing left to give. We NEED to meet with God daily in order to be restored. This is why I have created this daily devotion for you because I have been on the other side as I’m sure many of us have. This daily time with God is SO important. Guard it above all else in your day because I can promise you the enemy will try to dismantle you.

Not only does the LORD restore us but he also leading and guiding us in the right way (paths of righteousness). Just as a shepherd guides his sheep our shepherd guide us. God looses none of his sheep along the journey; instead he guides us along the right path. This is partly done for his reputation for being true to his character (his names sake). God provides us each with the fuel and the direction we are to follow. This is why we must seek God in all we do. God provides everything we need yet if we don’t seek him how are we to survive as Christians? I challenge you to allow God to mold you, shape you and send you on the path that he has prepared for you. However, this requires that you yield your life to God. You are going to need to give God more then just your time each morning. You need to give him everything you have!

What needs to change in your life in order for this to happen?

In what ways has God restored you in the past and how have you needed to be restored recently?

Thursday

Psalm 23:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

            Green pastures and still waters are peaceful places for nourishment and rest. When David says that God makes him lie down in green pastures he is referring to the times that God has nourished him spiritually. When you follow God and I mean to seek God with all your heart you will never be short of spiritual nourishment. God understands you inside and out, as he is your creator. He knows that you grow weary and become weak. If not you would have no need to rely on him. You and I both know that we get tired many times whether we be at work or at school, sometimes we feel like we can’t handle another day or another paper or an exam. Some times we can even reach the point where giving up seems like the next step. See God provides times of rest even if they don’t always come in the form of sleep. God provides us with new mercies for each day. His grace is designed for you and each trial you go through and each new chapter in your life. But why do we not always feel like this grace is there? Why do we feel like we are lying on the brown burnt grass rather then fresh green grass? See God provides rest for our souls but he doesn’t force it into our lives. As we have often heard, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. If you aren’t seeking God and allowing him to refuel you each day then our walk becomes a crawl and soon you will burn out. Not only does he provide you with green pastures but also still waters. God restores you spiritually. God provides you with forgiveness each and every day!

What area of your life have you had trouble giving to God lately? Had are you going to have to do differently to allow God to control this area?

Have you felt burnt out lately? What steps are you going to take in order to take full advantage of God’s mercies and nourishment?

Have you felt nourished spiritually this week? If no, how does this verse change that? If yes, why have you been nourished and what did you need to surrender to God in order to do so? Was it worth it?

Wednesday

Psalm 23:1

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want

David compares God to a shepherd because God cares for you as a shepherd cares for sheep. Sheep are helpless creatures that bleed and eat. If they are to survive they require a shepherd who is caring for them day in and day out. God is your shepherd; he cares for you and watches over you. If God is your shepherd what else could you possibly want? God is our comforter and our supplier. He gives us what we need when we need it. He has saved us from the depths of hell and he continues to watch over us. God is good! Remember, every thing, every situation that enters your life has first flowed through the hands of God. When you begin to realize this and put your trust in it you will begin to become strengthen whether it be though the times of achievement or trials and temptation. When God is the Lord of your life and become the center in which everything else revolves around then you will need nothing else to satisfy you. When God your Lord you have no reason to want the gods of this world such and drugs, alcohol, sex, fame and many others. However, if you call yourself a Christian yet you want other things and go to the world for pleasure and comfort you become an adulteress. Just as Hosea’s wife was unfaithful to him we can be unfaithful to God. This is when anything else becomes an idol in your life. Make God Lord of your life and serve him alone. God cares for us and when we seek him there is nothing else that can compare to his unfailing love. What else could we want?

Are you allowing God to be your shepherd or do you flirt around with the world? If yes, were you allowing God to be Lord of your life at this time?

What are you going to change today about your walk with God?