Monday, December 14, 2009

Day 330: Rom 4:1 - 7:25

Grace is always such an interesting topic of discussion because no matter what we say or do, it is always human nature for us to think of anything God offers as us something that we must earn or buy. God's grace is something that none of us could ever earn and yet each and everyone of us can have it. All too often, we find ourselves focusing on the part of grace that deals with us when, in reality, God's grace has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him. Some Christians tend to view God's grace as some sort of "get out of jail free pass," giving them a license to sin all they want. On the other end of the spectrum are the people who think that we must somehow earn His grace by doing as many things as possible right and avoiding doing anything wrong. The problem with both of these beliefs is that they are focussed on the recipient and not the giver. God offers us His grace not because of who we are or aren't, He offers is because of Who He is. And we can see that when we are truly living in the grace of God, the very grace that He gives will provide us with the strength and fortitude necessary to live Godly, righteous lives not in an effort to earn His grace, but as a direct result of the grace He has given.

- Father, I want to live my life in the light of Your grace. I know that there is no possible way that I could earn Your grace, all I can do is humbly accept it and allow You to make the changes in me that are necessary to live the life that You have ordained. -

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Day 329: Rom 1:1 - 3:31

The book of Romans can sometimes be a difficult book to read if you aren't prepared to pay attention and use your brain the entire time. Reading the first 2 1/2 chapters without continuing on with the rest of the book can be both discouraging and dangerous. What we have learned so far, and will continue to learn, is the fact that without the law, grace would mean very little. We have found ourselves living in a society exactly like the one described in this passage where people have attempted to remove right and wrong in an attempt to absolve themselves from any real responsibility. Unfortunately, ignoring a truth could never make it any less true, and in fact, our society's ignorance of the necessity of righteousness has not only proven ineffective at getting rid of it, but has actually done well to support and even prove the fact that we are a lost generation without the desire to obey God's Word. The discussion of law vs. grace can oftentimes be a very heated one, and it is abundantly evident in the fact that God has written an entire book of the Bible specifically on this subject, but we are beginning to learn that Jesus didn't come to simply destroy the law and make it completely useless, but rather He came so that mankind would finally receive the final piece of the puzzle that doesn't cancel the law, but completes its purpose in our lives.

- Father help me to live a life of righteousness without becoming a legalistic Christian. I realize that I have yet to fully understand this subject, but I pray that as I continue to explore the book of Romans, You will continue to reveal this beautiful contrast between grace and the law. -

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Day 328: Acts 27:1 - 28:31

You know, it's really difficult to read this passage of Scripture and not understand the point. Paul had a call from God, the devil tried to stop him by putting him right in the way of the storm, and God saved him from the storm so he could get to Rome. As easy as it would be to just end it here, I feel that would be cheating, so I will do my best to elaborate. God has called each and every one of us to do something great for His kingdom. Although the call on each of our lives may have the appearance of being more or less important, we must realize that we all play an integral part in advancing God's kingdom. And the truth is that no matter how important we may think it is, the devil always knows how important it is and will do everything he can to stop it. Regardless of who you are and what God has called you to, there is a storm in some form or fashion that the devil is trying to throw in your way, but you can take heart knowing that God will keep you safe if you will just trust in him. We must remember that even if everything around us falls apart and sinks to the bottom of the sea, God will always be there to keep our head above the water and if we will let Him, He will use the very same situation that we saw as a disaster and help us get to the place that He has called us to.

- Lord, help me to keep my faith in You when the storms arise. I know that You will always remain faithful and will save me from any storms that the devil might throw my way. You are the One I put my faith in and with You, I can never drown. -

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Day 327: Acts 24:1 - 26:32

I love this part of Paul's story because it is the perfect illustration of the fact that God can take any mess and make something amazing out of it. Paul had been in prison for quite sometime now, and yet his faith not only kept him alive and protected him, but God was able to use Paul's faith to elevate him to a platform that no other believer would have ever been able to preach from. It would have been so easy for Paul to just give up or say that he would tune it down a little just so he could be free, but Paul had his focus on something much bigger than himself. Paul wasn't concerned with his comfort or his "success" or his "ministry." He was focused on God and His will. Our lives are so short and it's so easy to get caught up in our own plans, our own desires, and our own "freedoms," but when we keep our focus on those things, we will never be able to see the enormous path that God has placed right at our feet. I would encourage anyone reading this to consider your current circumstance, and then take yourself out of it completely. Maybe your current circumstance has absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with giving God an opportunity to change the world around you. If Paul had only seen himself and his lack of "freedom," he probably would have never even considered the fact that thanks to his situation, he had the biggest platform that any believer could ever ask for.

- God, give me the level of perspective that Paul had while he was in prison. He had every opportunity to feel sorry for himself and focus on his problems, and yet he ignored all of that and used his so-called problems as a platform to preach Your Word. Help me to take myself out of the picture when I consider my current circumstances so that I can fully understand how You can be glorified through them. -

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Day 326: Acts 21:20 - 23:35

At times, Christians can have a very inaccurate idea that Christianity is a very clean and simple process. We sometimes tend to view Christianity as more of an escape from conflict and drama, but we can see through the life of Paul and so many other believers throughout history that Christianity is just the opposite. Unfortunately, that very fact is the reason why so many people fall away from the faith after only a few months. We as ministers of God's Word must stop "marketing" Christianity as some sort of "get out of jail free card," and start presenting it accurately with all of it's difficulties and conflicts. We can see in this passage that there was nothing comfortable about the situation Paul found himself in. He had been treating terribly by both of the groups that he had a right to say he was a part of. He had been abused, beaten up, yelled at, and accused and all because he believed in Jesus. And yet throughout all of it, he kept his eyes on the call that God had placed on his life and was looking forward to his opportunity to go to Rome. Just like Paul, we must learn how to look past our current circumstances and start thanking God for all of the blessings that will come as a result of the things we are experiencing now.

- Lord, I may not be comfortable right now, but I know that You have a plan for my life and regardless of what I'm going through or why I'm going through it, I choose to do it for Your glory because I know that no matter what, You will always bring us through to the other side if we keep our eyes on You. -

Day 325: Acts 19:14 - 21:19

It seems to me that the story of the sons of Sceva is a pretty accurate depiction of how many treat God's Word today. It's obvious that these men were not using God's Word in order to build faith or further His kingdom. They used His Word as a tool to get themselves a better place in life. We see this so often with musical artists, "Christian" organizations, and even pastors. Our society has programmed us to me always concerned about our own business and our own personal outcome and how far ahead we can get in life, and if we're not careful, we can allow these tendencies to take over our walk with God. We have to understand that although things might go well for us for a short period of time, when we are using God's Word for nothing more than our own personal benefit, it can and will eventually backfire and leave us just like the sons of Sceva - broken, ashamed, and forever an example of how not to utilize the Word of God.

- Father, help me to never be like the sons of Sceva and try to use Your Word solely for my own personal benefit. You have called me to things much greater than my own personal comfort and You have set goals for me that are much bigger than myself, and I know that The gift You have given me will only be blessed when I keep my eyes on You and live for something much bigger than myself. -

Friday, December 4, 2009

Day 324: Acts 17:1 - 19:13

It's very encouraging to see what Paul did regarding the ministry when he first arrived in Athens. We see in Chapter 17 verse 16, Paul had been waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive. As Paul waited though, he began to grow more and more upset about the evil idolatrous lifestyles that the people were living. So instead of waiting for the boys to show up so they could go to work, Paul took the initiative and went to work on His own. Paul could have very easily just waited around for the other two to show up before he went to work, but Paul understood that his call to preach the Word of God was dependent on nobody but himself. It is an undeniable fact that God has given each and every one of us relationships that either have been or will be instrumental in furthering His kingdom, but we must understand that although God has given us those relationships, we don't have to rely on anyone else to do the work that God has called us to do. If God has called us to something, we don't have to wait around for someone else to initiate it. God's call on our lives is dependent upon our obedience to Him and if we will obey, He will take care of the rest.

- Father, give me the strength to not rely so heavily on other people in my life to accomplish what You have called me to do. I know that you have placed those relationships in my life to help me, but I also know that You are the only One I need to rely on and my obedience to You will help me achieve all that You've called me to. -

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Day 323: Acts 14:14 - 16:40

This passage is a very great one to read after the previous group of scriptures because it is a very interesting contrast. In the last group of scriptures that we read, the devil was trying to halt the Word of God by using very intimidating external sources such as jails and powerful people in direct opposition to God's Word. In these passages, we see him try to stop the Word by much more subtle "internal" influences. The first internal influence we see in these verses is the use of religion to stop God's Word. Although the topic of circumcision for the Gentiles was a valid discussion, there was a very big possibility that the Word of God could have been stopped dead in its tracks if it hadn't been for the men of God who stood up and listened to the Holy Spirit rather than opinions. The other potential roadblock was the potential "church drama" between Paul and Barnabas and their opinions of John Mark. Although we don't hear alot of teaching regarding this part of the story, I believe it's an important part to consider because if you've spent any time in the ministry, I think you will agree that politics and drama can seriously choke out the Word of God if we're not careful. Thankfully, we can see that both of these situations were dealt with in a Godly manner, and once again, God's Word was about to spread farther and faster because these men of God were not willing to be distracted or deterred from what God had called them to.

- Lord, help me to be mindful of the more subtle "internal" influences that may try to sneak in and choke out Your Word. Help me to always stay focussed and remember that I'm not called to avoid conflict, but rather to utilize the conflict in a way that will advance Your kingdom. -

Day 322: Acts 12:1 - 14:13

I would venture to say that most people, after reading this passage, would be able to point out a handful of very specific "roadblocks" or deterrents to the ministry of Peter and Paul, and yet we can see very plainly that the things that could have very well stopped the Word of God just became fuel to the fire. I would venture to say that many of us would be very likely to give up when faced with being put into prison like Peter. And as sad as it is to say this, I can imagine that alot of us would probably just turn and go the other way if we stepped into a town where a demonic wizard was getting all of the attention. All too often, believers live their lives trying to avoid conflict and discomfort and yet we see hundreds of times throughout the Bible that conflict and discomfort are exactly what God's Word needs in order to flourish and spread like wildfire. I would encourage everyone reading this devotional to start considering the difficulties in your life currently and realize that they aren't there to stop you, they're there so you can break through them and experience the kind of victory that only comes from living a life devoted to God and His Word.

- Lord, help me to stop looking at the difficulties in my life as opportunities to fail, but rather look at them as opportunities to be an overcomer. Help me to remember that pressure and discomfort are a huge part of becoming stronger, and although I may not enjoy it now, I have been given everything I need to overcome and grow stronger in my walk with You. -

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Day 321: Acts 10:1 - 11:30

Upon first reading this passage for the first time, many people would have the same thought - If the angel came down to Cornelius to tell him that he needed to send for Peter, why couldn't the angel have just preached the Gospel to Cornelius right then and there and save Peter a trip? One thing that we must all understand about God is that He isn't nearly as concerned with efficiency as we are. Regardless of whether or not sending Peter all the way to Cornelius' house was efficient, it was absolutely necessary because, if you'll remember, Jesus didn't send His angels to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, He sent us, His followers. All too often, we as believers get so caught up in the irrelevant details when God is standing right there telling us what to do. God called ME to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature so that is exactly what I need to do. Sure, there are definite reasons that God made the angels and throughout history they have done some amazing things, but when it comes to spreading God's Word, He reserved that special job for His children.

- Lord, help me to listen closely to Your voice. Help me to not sit around and rely on someone else to do the job that You have called me to do. You are the reason I am here and Your voice is the only voice that I need to hear. Help me to be obedient to everything You have to say so that I can go out and accomplish exactly what You want. -

Monday, October 26, 2009

Day 320: Acts 8:1 - 9:43

I've always considered Ananias to be such a strong example of what it means to faithfully serve God no matter what. There are two very big points that I can't help but notice about this part of the story. First of all, Ananias apparently had such a history of obedience to God that God went ahead and told Saul that he would be coming before he ever even told Ananias. God already knew that he would do it, and in my opinion, God had to have known that because it wasn't the first time He had asked Ananias to do something difficult. The second, much more obvious point is the fact that Ananias was so in love with God that he was willing to risk his life to go down and pray for a man who had been known as a Christian killer. I don't know how you would have responded to that, but I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I would've had a very difficult time not just because of the fact that I might die, but human nature would tend to think that someone who had so violently ended the lives of so many children didn't even deserve to live, much less be healed of blindness. Just think, as instrumental as Paul was in the beginning of the Christian church, it all may have never happened if Ananias hadn't been faithful to do what God asked him to do.

- Father, teach me to be as obedient as Ananias. I know there have been times when I've ignored Your commands because it was too difficult or "dangerous," but continue to remind me that only You can see the real effects of my obedience and You can take care of the rest if I will just be faithful. -

Friday, October 23, 2009

Day 319: Acts 5:28 - 7:60

Among the many thousands who have died for the sake of Christ, I would dare to say that not a single one has ever been as widely known and preached as Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The story of Stephen is such an inspirational story that we can all learn alot from regardless of whether or not our natural lives are currently hanging in the balance. Something I can't help but notice about Stephen is his quick boldness to preach God's Word with absolutely no regard to what might happen to him personally. I can imagine many of us would probably begin to back-pedal and try to talk our way out of such situations, and yet Stephen was content to do what needed to be done so that he might have just as much of an impact, if not more, after death. It's God's will for each of us to have such a passion for His name that we would be willing to focus on Him first and our own personal lives second. We can all learn a little something about boldness from a man like Stephen, and I know that God will show us more if we will just ask Him.

- God, help me to be strong like Stephen even in the face of terrible adversity. Help me to not regard my life as my own, but remember that You are the One who gave it to me and the least I could do is be willing to give it right back to You. -

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Day 318: Acts 3:1 - 5:27

As grateful as I am that we live in such a time where we have so many technological and medical advancements, I sometimes wish I lived in Bible times where the line between true believers and non-believers was very sharp and defined. In today's society, there are hundreds of thousands of "Christians" who would say without hesitation that they would be willing to endure all sorts of punishment and torture for the sake of God's name, and they can say it without hesitation because they know chances are good that they'll never be in a situation where they have to prove it. We live in a society where "suffering" for His name's sake means feeling uncomfortable about sharing your faith or, God forbid, someone making fun of you for being a Christian. In our attempts to be more palatable and user friendly, we have blurred the lines of true Christianity to such a point that it is worth no more than a trinket that can be tossed around and used when most convenient. In the times of Peter and John and the rest of the Apostles, Christianity was the most inconvenient faith anyone could be a part of, and that in and of itself is what made their passion so much more evident. We as believers must find a way to get back to that point where we aren't happy unless we are suffering for His name's sake. We must learn to take all of the conveniences of this Christian faith that we have developed and throw them out the window. Of course, we are fortunate to live in a society where going to jail for our faith may not be as likely as other times in history, but that does not excuse us from the responsibility to take this message that He has given us to the ends of the earth and not stop until the last breath of air has escaped from our lungs. God has given us one life here on earth and He didn't intend for us to waste it making sure that we die comfortably. If we are meant to die, we may as well do it for the One who gave His own life for us.

- Father, set Your church on fire again so that they may have a true passion for Your name. Help us not to be caught up in our own desires and comforts, but consume every area of our lives with Your fire. Show us what it means to be true followers of You and give us the strength to not quit until we are standing before Your throne -

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Day 317: Acts 1:1 - 2:47

Every time I read Acts 2, I can't help but be amazed and inspired by what God did among His faithful servants. Among the most inspiring things is Peter's sermon that ended up converting 3000 people. So many times as a youth pastor, I try my hardest to think of clever, well-thought-out, interesting sermons that will be able to get my point across while remaining interesting, and although I've had the amazing opportunity to lead people to the Lord, I've never lead 3000 people at once. As ministers of this wonderful Gospel, we sometimes feel the pressure to dress it up and make it sound as good as possible to those listening. We throw in a few jokes and maybe put up a power-point presentation and yet oftentimes we end up focusing much more on the presentation than we do on the actual message. We can see in the latter part of Acts 2 that Peter didn't spend alot of time trying to formulate the perfect sermon or think of some clever things to say; he simply allowed himself to be used by God in the exact capacity that God desired. If we will just get to the place in our relationship with the Father where we are willing to let go and let Him do what needs to be done, He will accomplish the unthinkable through our hands.

- Lord, help me to just let go and allow You to work through me. You are the only One who can truly achieve all that You want me to do and I know that if I will surrender completely to You, You will take my life and utilize it to change this generation. -

Monday, October 19, 2009

Day 316: John 19:1 - 21:25

When we hear the term "crucified with Christ" we often think of being willing to simply die for Him. Although it is a very honorable and noble thing to be willing to die for something or someone, death was more of a relief during the crucifixion than anything. Being crucified with Christ is so much more than allowing the humanistic part of our nature to take a "bullet in the head." If Jesus had been willing to take a bullet to the head or even have his head cut off instantly, that would have been much easier, but love never takes the easy way out. True love is not only willing to die for the subject of its love, but it is willing to suffer and go through inconceivable pain if that's what it takes. If we are truly in love with the Father, we should be willing to not only die for Him, but we should be willing to live for Him in whatever capacity He requires without questioning or doubting. All too often we are more than happy to say that we would die for Christ because in our society, that promise will likely never be put to the test, but God wants more than our death, He wants our life and every single aspect of it.

- Lord, I want to be the kind of Christian that is willing to endure any and every level of pain and agony if that is what is required to be closer to You. You sent Your only Son down to this earth not just to die for our sins, but to live a life of controversy only to end it with the most horrific torture and agony available at the time. I don't want the kind of life that anyone can handle. I want to live a life that could only be possible by the strength that comes from knowing You and Your Word. -

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Day 315: John 16:20 - 18:40

Having grown up in a Christian home, it's sometimes difficult to read the story of the crucifixion through the same eyes as one who isn't familiar with it. If we read about anyone else in history standing firm and allowing himself to be captured, beaten, and ultimately crucified for doing absolutely nothing wrong, we would no doubt take a step back and think about how brave and courageous that person was, and yet when we read about Jesus doing it, it has the tendency to just sound like the average thing that He might do. It is imperative that we as believers remember that though Jesus was 100% God, He was also 100% man and He had to show the same amount of bravery and suffered the same level of pain that you and I would have. Jesus was able to stand firm and allow these things to happen to Him not because He was some super-human that couldn't feel pain, He did it because His love for His people was stronger than any pain that could ever come near Him. And as we learned in previous passages, not only will we be able to do those things, but greater things will we be given power to do! Once God has revealed His love to us and shown us how to really love those that He has called us to, we will have the power to stand up to anything that the devil throws at us because we can take heart in knowing that God will be glorified.

- Father, give me courage in every area of my life. Help me not to shy away from the dangerous encounters that the Devil might throw my way, but help me to face those situations head-on because I know that You have given me strength and You will be glorified in all that I do as long as I keep my focus on You. -

Day 314: John 14:1 - 16:19

In this passage, we read one of the most powerful quotes in the entire New Testament - "The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing, but even greater things." It's interesting because I'm not sure many Christians would directly disagree with what Jesus said here, and yet so many live their lives in direct defiance. So many times we read about Jesus walking on water or opening blind eyes or raising the dead and we find ourselves thinking things like, "Well yeah, He's Jesus. Of course He can do that sort of thing, but I'd be lucky if I could just get my own finances together." We say we have faith and yet our lives tend to be lived in opposition to His Word. Instead of trying to barely get by on our own, perhaps God wants us to live for something more, something greater. Jesus promised us that if we would trust in Him, not only would we have the power to accomplish the same things He did, walking on water included, but even greater things would He give us power to do. The way I see it, we could waste our lives focusing on how our own power can "improve" our lives, or we can put our trust in Him and allow His power to change the world through us.

- Lord, I want the power that You've promised me. Your Word says that not only will I be able to accomplish what You have, but even greater works will I be able to perform. Give me that kind of power, not so I can waste it on my own life to impress people, but so that I can bring Your Word to a hurting and dying world and change it all for You. -

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Day 313: John 12:1 - 13:38

In the beginning of chapter 12, we read about a woman who was focused on nothing other than worshipping her God. She wasn't concerned about appearances or people's opinions, or anything of that matter. All she was concerned with was worshipping Him. In this day and age it seems there are so many people out there who get so offended by those who are willing to act "undignified" in the church. In my experience and based on what I can understand, dignity is less a matter of action and much more a matter of the heart. If it came between acting "dignified" or showing our true love for our Savior, we would be fools not to throw off the constraints of religion and worship Him with reckless abandon. Our generation doesn't need to learn how to "straighten up" in the church, we need to learn how to throw everything else out of the window and focus on the only thing that really matters - Our Lord.

- Father, show me how to worship You in such a way that has absolutely nothing to do with me and everything to do with me. Help me to remember that it's not about making everyone around me happy or comfortable, it's all about making You happy and honoring Your name in all that I do. -

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Day 312: John 10:1 - 11:57

I've always liked the story of Lazarus because we are reminded of the importance of the fact that we cannot waste our time focusing on the problem, but rather put our focus on the solution. We read in this story that by the time Jesus showed up, everyone was focused on one thing - Lazarus' death. Twice someone even said to Jesus, "if you had been here, he wouldn't have died." But Jesus refused to be distracted by the current situation and made the decision to set His eyes on something entirely different - the solution. Jesus' ability to see beyond the problem to the answer is exactly what was necessary to turn the situation around for all of them. How many times in our lives have we allowed our focus to be placed on the problems in front of us when Jesus is standing there trying to show us the solution? It's not until we can learn to step back and look at the big picture that we will be able to move forward in the plan that God has for our lives.

- Lord, give me the strength to look beyond the problem and into the solution that You are showing me. Help me to not get so caught up in the problems of this life that I forget that You have the keys to every single situation that could ever prevent itself. You are the solution and if I will keep my eyes on You, I will never stumble. -

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Day 311: John 8:25 - 9:41

The question presented to Jesus at the beginning on chapter 9 is a very interesting one. Not only is it an interesting question, but it's also incredibly characteristic of our generation. So often people in the church waste so much of their time trying to lay the blame on someone or something. They blame sin, or the government or the very members of their own congregation for certain problems and yet they put forth no effort at all towards solving the problems. Generally speaking, there are hundreds or reasons why certain things could have gone wrong, but there are generally only a few solutions. Rather than standing around complaining about how messed up this world is, we need to step up and set our eyes on sharing the solutions. I believe that it is incredibly vital that we show lost people that continuing along their current path will send them to hell, but once we've pointed that out, it's our responsibility to share with them the information necessary to get on the right path. It would be silly to go to a doctor while suffering from a gunshot wound only to have the doctor tell you that you're wounded and then send you on your way. The doctor is not only responsible for informing you of the situation, but also remedying the situation so that you don't die. The point of this passage was not why the man was blind, but the fact that Jesus made his blind eyes see.

- Father, help me to not get caught up in figuring out why things are as bad as they are, but rather help me to keep my focus on fixing them. I know that Your Word can make the blind eyes see and that is what I am called to do. -

Day 310: John 7:1 - 8:24

Although some would initially associate Jesus with peace and happiness, we see in this passage that more often than not, Jesus was in the very center of what most would consider a controversy. Most immature Christians go throughout their lives trying not to step on anybody's toes or upset anybody because they have some sort of twisted, inaccurate "understanding" of how Jesus operates. But once we are able to set aside our preconceived ideas and truly study the Word, we can see that Jesus was not only involved in a great deal of conflict, but He was usually the very reason for the conflict. God did not send us out into the world to make sure that it always stays the same. He sent us out to change the world. God even refers to His Son in Isaiah 8:14 and again in 1 Peter 2:8 as a "Rock of Offense" reminding us that Jesus, and know we, were sent into the world to change it and save it whatever the cost. In all honestly, this entire point, as most in the Bible, can be boiled down to one word - Love. If you truly love someone, you should be willing to risk their own personal comfort in order to save their lives. It's time for the church to rise up and start caring more about this generation burning in hell than they are about how comfortable it is. When we cause controversy and offense as a direct result of our obedience to God's Word, we can take joy in the fact that we are doing our part to carry on the ministry that Jesus started here on earth.

- Father, give me the vision to be more concerned about the eternal state of those around me than I am about making them feel comfortable. I know that following You may cause some awkward situations to arise, but if those awkward situations are what is required in order to help same the souls of this generation, I will be more than happy to endure them. -

Monday, October 5, 2009

Day 309: John 5:26 - 6:71

The last part of chapter 5 is such a vivid picture of today's "Christian" society. They spend so much of their lives trying to develop new theologies and new "Biblical" concepts that they ignore the point of the entire Bible. The Bible was not simply a book written for us so that we might come up with new ideas and opportunities to fight with each other. God blessed us with His Word so that we would take it out into the world and preach it to every living creature. It seems to me that there are two general attitudes towards God's Word. The first is one of over-the-top religion in which nobody is brave enough to take the Gospel into the world because, after all, there's sin out there and if we get close to it, it might rub off on us and send us straight to hell. The other attitude is one of complete irresponsibility. Christians with this attitude live their lives using "grace" as an excuse to live like the world and chalk it all up to making people in the world feel comfortable so they're more likely to listen to what we have to say. What Jesus is saying in the last part of chapter 5 is that people waste way too much of their lives focusing on themselves and their own ideas of what true Christianity is when they don't even realize that it's that very attitude of selfish pride that will end up sending them to hell along with everyone that they failed to minister to. True Christianity and Godliness is not about what I can get out of it, it's about giving every single piece of ourselves away, and in doing so, we will find ourselves closer to God than we could've ever imagined possible.

- Father, help me to follow Your Word more closely not simply by reading it and studying it, but by living it every single day. Help me to not miss out on what You're saying to me because I'm to focussed on myself and my own agenda. Our agendas mean nothing without You. Give me the passion required to go out into the world and be a light that will guide each and every person I meet closer to You. -

My Apologies

Although I've accepted the fact that very few people (if any) kept up with my blog, I feel that it is necessary for me to write an apology for not finishing what I started well over a year ago. My original plan was to read the entire Bible over the course of a year and blog each day about what I read. I realize that this goal sounds unusually similar to a movie that recently came out, but I promise I thought of this long before the movie, haha. I am proud to say that I was able to finish my reading in one year, but sadly, I was unable to finish writing out this blog and sharing what God had spoken to me throughout my journey in His Word. I may not be able to go back in time and start back over in July, but I can pick up where I left off and finish what I started. If you haven't read my blog before, I strongly encourage you to check it out - not so that I might receive some sort of glory or recognition for saying something deep or clever, but so that God might be glorified in the words that I type and so that He might speak to your heart. I pray that God will revive a passion within my heart and yours to dig deeper into His Word and find out what He is saying to us each and every day. Thank you for reading and I pray that you will continue on this journey with me until the end.

-Ryan

Monday, July 13, 2009

Day 308: John 4:1 - 5:25

In so many places throughout the Gospels, we see the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day confronting Jesus regarding certain "rules" that Jesus had broken. Interestingly enough, it seems that every time they present Jesus with a rule that He had broken He managed to bring up some sort of example where they broke the exact same rule because it was more convenient to them. This is such a perfect picture of the way religion works. Religion sits and makes rules to keep people from doing certain things and yet there are always loop-holes for those who made the rules. If what you're doing is inconvenient, or offensive, or somehow irritating to me, I can find some way to accuse you of breaking a religious rule, but if I do the same thing I can always justify it by my intentions. Religion is always finding ways to justify the wrong that has been committed, but grace came down not so that the sins could somehow be justified but so that the ones committing those sins would be justified. And when we are justified, we no longer spend our time trying to figure out how we can get away with breaking certain rules, but we end up looking for new ways to live righteously so we can glorify our Father in Heaven!

- Lord, thank You for justifying me so that I can live a life in which the focus has nothing to do with rules and regulations but is all about You and making You happy. I live to serve You and through Your grace, I have both the strength and the determination to do it! -

Day 307: John 1:21 - 3:36

In John 3, we read the story about Jesus discussing the topic of salvation with Nicodemus. I've always found this passage interesting because it's such a good reminder of the fact that not everybody can understand our "Christian-ese" sort of speech. I remember when I was younger reading this story and thinking that Nicodemus must have been really dumb to not understand what Jesus was talking about. But as I've gotten older and had the opportunity to share my faith with so many other people, I've begun to learn that not everybody speaks the same language as those of us who have been raised in Church. When faced with this situation, Jesus didn't walk away disappointed or discouraged because Nicodemus didn't understand, He simply used wisdom from above to re-present it to Nicodemus in such a way that was easier for him to understand. We can take comfort in the fact that although we may not always now exactly what to say right off the bat, if we will be faithful to open our mouths, God will show us what we need to say in order to truly speak into the lives of those who we are ministering to.

- Lord, give me the wisdom necessary to minister to those in need of a touch from You. Help me know exactly what to say and how to say it so that they can hear exactly what they need to hear. Even if I don't know the language, You always do. -

Day 306: Luke 23:45 - John 1:20

In the first part of chapter 24, we read the story of the women looking for Jesus at the cemetery. As they get closer and speak with the angel, he says something that I think has so much power for our generation - "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" This question has so much relevance and could be used in so many different circumstances in todays' society but in this post, I would like to bring up a more controversial area where many seek life among the dead - church. I can't help but be amazed by the fact that even in today's "cutting-edge" "hi-tech" "progressive" society, so many groups of believers are stuck in a religion that has nothing to do with life in Christ, but rather has everything to do with a life of rules and traditions. Our Father is offering us a blessed relationship with Him full of life to the fullest, but we will never find it following a dead religion based on rules and traditions. If we are truly seeking the living, we must leave the cemeteries of religion and step into the life-filled glory of a true, living relationship with our Heavenly Father.

- Father, open my eyes to the life that You have to offer and give me the strength to refuse the death of tradition and legalism and to take hold of the life You offer through a genuine relationship with You. -

Day 305: Luke 22:30 - 23:44

One story that everyone seems to know to some extent is the story of Peter denying Jesus just before the crucifixion. It's sad to say, but most Christians read this story and they automatically shake their heads in disgust with Peter. How on earth could someone be so stupid as to deny their relationship with Jesus!?! The sad thing is, many fail to realize that the Bible isn't just a book of interesting stories, it's a mirror that shows us perfectly the reflection of the human condition and many times our own personal lives. Sure we may not vocally tell people "I don't love God," but denial can take many forms. So many believers out there live one life on Sunday and Wednesday and a completely different life the rest of the week. We go to church and worship one day and then take part in the sinful activities of the world the rest of the week as if we had absolutely no concern for our eternal well-being. God doesn't ask us to be consecrated to Him on certain days and then live however we want. If we are not living every single day in the light of His glory, then we, in fact, are denying Him even more so than Peter.

- Lord, give me the strength and resolve to live for You every day. Help me not to be so shallow as to think that I have to only use words to deny You. So many around us deny You with their lives each and every day and I will not allow myself to fall to that. -

Day 304: Luke 20:30 - 22:29

I love the challenging question that Jesus presents to the people in verse 41 of chapter 20. Although Jesus knew very well what the answer to His question was, it's so interesting to me that He chose to present a seemingly "un-answerable" question to those that were following Him. I believe the main reason he did that was so He could exercise their spirits a little bit and cause them to realize that there may still be plenty of things that they don't yet understand. So many Christians grow up in their faith believing that it's never appropriate to question God and yet we see here that God Himself was presenting a very difficult question about Himself. We must understand that questioning God is a vital part of growing in our relationship with Him. Just as Job finally found out, there are some things that we will never learn and revelations that we will never receive until we get in God's face and ask Him the difficult questions.

- Lord, help me not to be afraid or timid about asking You the questions that are on my heart. Help me to understand that there is a huge difference between asking questions out of doubt and asking questions out of a genuine desire to learn more about You. Help me to listen when You speak to me and help my faith to be strengthened by You. -

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Day 303: Luke 18:43 - 20:29

The first part of Luke 20 is a story that has honestly bugged me ever since I first read it. In this passage, The Pharisees came up and asked Jesus a pretty huge question. Rather than simply answering them directly, Jesus basically threw a similar question back at them which they couldn't answer. Then, rather than just blowing them away with an awesome answer to their question, He just tells them that He won't answer them and sends them on their way. It's pretty awesome to think of the king of confidence and surety that Jesus had to have to do that. I know most of us would probably have reacted much differently to those punks, especially if we had the knowledge and understanding that Jesus had. But we learn such a valuable lesson from this passage. Like I've said before, we often times feel the need to explain and defend and stick up for God's Word, but we need to simply realize that if we will be faithful to do what God says to do and say what He tells us to say, His Word will take care of itself.

- Lord, help me to remember that it's not my job to explain and defend Your Word to every single person that disagrees. I know that You are the only One who can change their hearts and You working in them will produce so much more than my "convincing" arguments ever could. -

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Day 302: Luke 16:18 - 18:42

In these passages, we read the story about the 10 lepers. Although there isn't a ton of focus put on this story throughout the Gospels, it's still a very important story to take note of. We see in this story a group of lepers coming to Jesus to be healed of their leprosy. Once Jesus heals them, they all go running back to their homes jumping up and down and celebrating the fact that Jesus healed them. However, only one of them was mature enough to go back to Jesus and thank Him for the amazing blessing that he received. We see that after this one came back to thank Jesus, He was told that not only was he healed like all of the others, but Jesus told him that he had been made whole! While the others we simply spared from having to deal with any future occurrences of the disease this man was actually made whole - meaning that any fingers or other appendages that had fallen off would be re-attached! Whenever God takes care of something for us, we oftentimes run off and just start living our lives again without giving a second thought to what God did, but if we will be faithful to come back and thank Him, we will oftentimes find out that the initial blessing was just the beginning and there is plenty more to come!

- Lord, help me to not just take for granted the initial blessing and turn from You the second I get what I want. I know that You want to bless us and make our lives whole and if we will be still and focus on You, You will have the full opportunity to do all that You desire in our lives. -

Day 301: Luke 14:1 - 16:17

We are reminded in this passage that we as minister of God's Word aren't just called to help maintain His chosen people, but more importantly, it is our job to go into the world and bring in those people who would normally be considered "unfit" for the church. Jesus brings up a very compelling point regarding the fact that we are similar to doctors. And when doctors are working, they're not spending all of their time dealing with and talking to people who are well, they spend all of their time working with and helping out the people who are sick. As much as we are tempted to fill our church services and Bible studies with good-looking, Bible believing, spiritual people who will make us look good, we must be aware that we need to bring in those who are hopeless and helpless. We need to bring those people in who would be headed straight for hell if it weren't for us. Those are the people we are called to and those are the people that we have to opportunity to rearrange their lives!

- Lord, help me to focus on those who truly need help and not just on the people that look good and will help me to be popular. Help me to understand that Your will is the only one that matters and so if You want me to spend all of my time bringing in the sinful people of this world, that's what I'm going to do! -

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Day 300: Luke 12:1 - 13:35

The concept of perspective is one that although so incredibly simple, can be such a difficult one for we as Christians to truly grasp. In the early part of chapter 12, we read about Jesus talking to His Disciples and others about the importance of taking everything into perspective and understanding that just because we feel like something is important right now, in comparison to the things that God truly considers important, it's nothing at all. So many Christians spend their entire lives chasing after pointless, fleeting goals such as money and comfort, but God wants us to always remember that He is our main focus and if we will keep our eyes on Him, He will add everything else to our lives and allow us to live in true blessings that only He can offer. We must remember that everything that we work hard for in the natural will be burned up and completely disappear, but those spiritual treasures that we build up in His name will never go away.

- Father, help me to store up treasures in Heaven and not simply riches here on earth. I know that it's Your will to bless me, but those windows of Heaven won't be opened until I'm ready to surrender everything I have to focus on You and seek Your face rather than Your hands. -

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Day 299: Luke 10:18 - 11:54

The story of Mary and Martha is an important one for Christians to understand. As Christians, it's so easy to forget why we're here and get focussed on "our ministry" rather than God. It's a difficult place to be because, honestly, the ministries that we are involved in are very important to God and to our walk with Him. The danger comes when we get so involved in our ministry that we ignore the very One Who we are ministering for. Ministry is a gift from God, but just as we learned yesterday, The Giver is always more important than the gift itself. God wants us to be diligent and work hard, but more than that, He wants His children to sit at His feet and allow Him to minister His peace and love into their hearts. And I promise you that if we will be faithful to keep our eyes and our hearts fixed on Him, He will help make it possible for us to take care of the responsibilities that He has given us so we can bless others with the blessings that He has given us.

- Lord, help me to be more like Mary than Martha. Give me the heart and the desire to sit at Your feet and not allow the distractions of this world to keep me from getting in Your Word and finding out what You are saying to me. -

Friday, June 19, 2009

Day 298: Luke 9:1 - 10:17

I've always thought that the story of the "Mount of Transfiguration" was always somewhat of a comically sad story. In some aspects it just seems funny because I can't help but imagine how goofy Peter, James, and John must have looked experiencing all of that amazing power, but it also has a sad connotation to it because we realize that despite the fact that these guys spend alot of time with Jesus and was with Him all of the time, they still didn't have a clue about what was going on. There are so many Christians out there today who get so caught up in the "circumstances" and the excitement of God moving that they completely ignore the fact that they are in His presence. Rather than getting all caught up in making some sort of monument by which to remember this exciting event, they should have directed all of their focus on their Creator and the only reason that they were even able to enjoy the experience in the first place. When our focus becomes God's hands and not His face, we will find ourselves in a place where neither is available.

- Lord, help me to seek Your face rather than You hands. You are an awesome God and although Your works are incredible, they would mean nothing if You weren't the working force behind them. -

Day 297: Luke 7:16 - 8:56

I love the encounter at the beginning of this passage that Jesus had with John's disciples. The disciples of John came to Jesus asking Him who He was, but rather than sitting there and telling them everything, He simply did what the Father told Him to and let the people judge for themselves. I believe as Christians, we often-times find ourselves in those situations where people are looking at us wondering who we really are. And it seems that all too often, good Christians decide to try to talk themselves up and somehow try to convince those around them that they really are something special. So many Christians waste their time doing those things when all they really need to do is shut up and let God do the work through them. God's Word is like a roaring lion and it's not our job to defend it, it's simply our job to let it loose and watch it do it's own thing.

- Lord, when I feel the urge to stand up and try to convince people of how special I am and all of the great things I will do, remind me that my job is simply to do Your work. And I know that if I will just keep my eyes on that, You will take care of the rest. -

Day 296: Luke 5:19 - 7:15

These days it's a very common theme that people should always talk about God's Word and keep their confessions positive and upbeat, but Jesus takes it one step farther than simply knowing and having a basic understanding of what the Bible tells us. Jesus encourages us to not only know what the Bible says, but to also know what to do to apply it to our own personal lives. As important as it is to know what the Bible says, we must LIVE what the Bible says in order for it to truly produce fruit in our lives. You know, if you think about it, the devil knows what the Bible says. In fact, the devil probably knows more about what the Bible says than most Christians do. The key is not so much about knowledge as it is about revelation. When we read God's Word, we need to ask Him to show us exactly what He wants us to see and in doing so we will not only learn the Words that He said, but the spirit of His Words will be burned deep into our hearts.
- Father, give me true revelation of Your Word so that I won't only know it in my head, I will have Your Word dee down in my heart where it will produce fruit and take me to the place where You have called me to be! -

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Day 295: Luke 3:16 - 5:18

I love this story in Luke 4 about Jesus being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness. One of the best examples we could ask for about being prepared is right here in this passage. There are so many Christians out there today who aren't even close to being prepared for the attacks of the Devil, but we see in this passage the way that we should all respond when he comes to us to tempt us. The devil loves to catch us off guard and it seems to me that the best time to catch anyone off guard is in the middle of a 40 day fast. Not only was Jesus out in the desert, he was starving and, no doubt, barely hanging on physically. And yet despite all of His physical disadvantages, He was still prepared spiritually to the point where when the devil came to Him with all these temptations and tests, Jesus was able to stand firm and throw the Scripture right in his face. Just as Jesus had the strength to do that, We also can fill our spirits with God's Word so when the devil does come and try to knock us down, we can stand firm in what God has promised us.

- Lord, help me to always be prepared for any attack that the devil may throw my way. Help me to hide Your Word deep inside my heart so that no matter what happens, I will always have what it takes to block the attacks of the devil and send him packing! -

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Day 294: Luke 1:63 - 3:15

The story of Jesus' parents finding Him at the temple "attending to His Father's business" is one of the coolest stories in the Bible. Interestingly enough, it seems there are many Christians today who seem to find themselves in the exact opposite situation. Our business should always be to attend to our Father's business first and foremost and yet there are alot of Christians who tend to put that on the back burner. When our Father comes looking for us, He should be able to find us in His presence attending to the things that He has called us to do rather than finding us minding our own business and trying to make our own little thing happen. And just like Jesus parent's seemed to surprised to find Jesus in the temple, others should never be shocked to find us putting our focus on God. In order to truly live a blessed life, we must all learn to put God first and attend to our Father's business before any other.

- Lord, I want people to find me in Your presence every time they come looking for me. Help me to keep Your business in the front of my mind and not let anyone or anything ever distract me from that. -

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Day 293: Mark 15:47 - Luke 1:62

Mark 15:15 - 20 is such a powerful passage because it is another version of the Great Commission from the end of Matthew. It's sad to think about how many people spend their entire "Christian" lives accomplishing and living for anything and everything except what is outlined in this group of verses. There are so many people, even in the ministry, who would view this charge as something that some Christians should do if they get a chance, but not necessarily something that we should all do. That idea is both ridiculous and blasphemous because Jesus never put a disclaimer or some sort of condition on the command that He gave us. He simply said ,"Go." Our job is not to sit around and try our best to help those who come to us, out job is to go out and preach the living Gospel to everyone we meet. And preaching the Gospel doesn't mean keeping your mouth shut and hoping that they see how "great" your life is. Preaching the Gospel means stepping out and vocalizing what God has done in you and what He will do in those around you if they will accept Him.

- Lord, help me to be obedient to Your Word and go into all the world and preach to all those I come in contact with. Help me to not shy away from what You have told me to do, but rather go after it with all my strength. You have given me a job to do and I will do it! -

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Day 292: Mark 14:31 - 15:47

In the beginning of this passage, we read about a subject that seems to be often-times overlooked because of the enormous story of the crucifixion. As Jesus was alone in the garden praying, he says some very interesting things to God. Initially, He tells the Father that dying on the cross was something that He really did not want to do. I think alot of times, people think that Jesus was some sort of crazy super-human that could handle anything without so much as flinching, but we're reminded in this passage that although He was 100% God, He was also 100% human. Jesus was tempted by the same things that we are and He definitely felt the same desires and emotions that we feel every day. The second important detail from this story is the fact that He told the Father, "Not My will, but Yours be done." Even in the face of certain death, Jesus had the level of faith to stand firm and tell the Father that He was willing to die if that is what He was called to. Sadly I know alot of Christians who aren't even willing to lay down one habit or make one small change in their lives for The call that God has on their lives. The Bible tells us that anything Jesus did, we can also do because we have the Spirit of the Most High God living within us. So instead of following our own will, God has given us the power we need to stand firm and have the faith to follow Him no matter what.

- Lord, help me to have the level of faith to honestly desire Your will over mine in any situation no matter what. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me and I know that Your faith working through me will produce all that You want it to produce. -

Day 291: Mark 12:27 - 14:30

It's difficult to read this passage without getting a very strong sense of urgency and that the end is coming very quickly. Of course, "quickly" seems to be an incredibly relative term seeing as how God doesn't even operate according to the same time-tables as we do, but nonetheless, every second that ticks away brings us just a little closer to the Lord's return. Whether His return will be in 10 seconds, 10 days or 10 centuries, we still must live our lives as if we are coming close to the end. God wants us to live our lives in such a way that we are ready for anything that comes our way. If we go throughout life believing that we have plenty of time left and always putting off things until tomorrow, we will never achieve what God has called us to do. We don't serve a god of yesterday or tomorrow. We serve the Great I Am; not the "I Was" or "I Will Be." We serve a God who lives in the present and the only way to live in the present is to live like today is the last today you will ever have.

- Lord, help me to not look back to yesterday and not put things off until tomorrow. For all I know, there may not be a tomorrow which means that it's my responsibility to be faithful to do what You are calling me to today. You are a God of the present and I chose to walk in the present with You. -

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Day 290: Mark 10:26 - 12:26

The story of Blind Bartimaeus is one of the more popular stories of healing in the Bible and it's also one of the more powerful stories. Many times when we read stories like this, we only focus on what God did and the power that He exhibited, but we never really take the time to focus on the faith of the people who received the healing. How sad would it have been if Bartimaeus did exactly what the disciples told him to do and just shut his mouth? Unfortunately, there are plenty of "believers" out there today saying the same things and crushing the faith of others in the exact same way. People say things like, "well, God just doesn't work like that," or "God only helps those who help themselves," and rather than bringing life and blessing, they bring doubt and curses on everyone around them. Rather than taking their example, we need to follow the example of Bartimaeus. Whether or not he felt like it, he ignored the comments of those around him and yelled even louder, and in doing so, he not only God Jesus' attention, but He got the blessing that he had been believing for!

- Lord, help me to take the example of "Blind Bartimaeus" and not allow the religious people around me to shut me up. When they do try to make me be quiet, give me the strength to cry even louder so that I can exercise my faith and get the blessing that You have promised me from the very beginning! -

Monday, June 8, 2009

Day 289: Mark 8:26 - 10:25

It's interesting that there are two separate references in this passage to children and Jesus' command for us to try to follow their examples. It seems like there are alot of Christians out there who seem to have a more "mature" view of Christianity and to be honest, they're going completely against what God has commanded. Of course, there are plenty of places where God tells us to mature and grow in His Word, but growing and maturing seems to oftentimes be confused with becoming calloused and cynical. All too often, believers allow the "logic" of the world to come in and drown out the faith in their hearts because they begin to learn how things "really are." Rather than letting our true faith in God be contaminated by the thinking of the world, we need to allow God to keep our hearts soft and continue to have the faith of a little child. God wants us to simply believe in Him without all of the pretense and conditions that this world seems to require. True child-like faith means putting everything else aside and simply trusting in Him.

- Father, give me the strength to have faith like a child. It's so easy in this day and age to get the ridiculous idea that we are supposed to have a more "mature" and realistic kind of faith, but Your Word tells us that we have only one responsibility and that is to have complete and total child-like faith in You. -

Day 288: Mark 6:31 - 8:25

Towards the last of this passage, we see a story that seems to be very characteristic of our generation. Twice just in this passage we read about Jesus performing a miracle that my brain cannot seem to even begin to understand. Once with a group of 5000+ and another time with 4000+ He took a miniscule quantity of food and multiplied it into more than enough food to feed the entire crowds. Jesus did these two miracles nearly back-to-back right in the presence of His disciples and yet we read that not long after He performed these miracles, His disciples were hanging out in the back of the boat worrying about the fact that they didn't have any food. We seem to live in a generation guilty of the exact same thing. God has and continues to offer such huge and incredible blessings to each and every one of us, and yet it seems that regardless of how deeply God has blessed us, if one little thing starts to go wrong, we fall into a panic and wonder if there's any way out. We must always remember that God is faithful and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He's provided for us once, He'll do it again. All we have to do is have faith.

- Lord, keep me in remembrance of all of the blessings that You've given me. Help me to not get caught up in my own petty little problems, but rather get caught up in Your glory and Your blessings. You are my Provider and all I have to do is believe that You are who You said You are and let You do what You said You would do. -

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Day 287: Mark 4:29 - 6:30

For this passage, I want to focus on a very small but powerful point from the story of the Gaderene Demoniac. It's so incredibly intriguing to me that amidst this powerful, excited story, we read towards the and that the people got mad and asked Jesus to leave. After the Son of God came to their area, delivered a man from satan's power, and showed the amazing strength of His Father in heaven, all the people could think about was their own shallow desires and possessions. We as Christians must remember that we can never make everybody happy. Regardless of how obedient we are to God's Word, there will inevitably be someone nearby who disagrees with our decision and is somehow disappointed with it. We have to understand that instead of living our lives to make people happy, the only One that we need to bend over backwards to please is our Heavenly Father. As long as God is happy with us, the entire world can be at our throats and it won't mean a thing.

- Father, help me to remember that You are the only one that we need to please. The world will always be able to find something to get upset about, but give me the strength to not let their opinions have even the slightest effect on how I respond to Your calling. -

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Day 286: Mark 2:1 - 4:28

I think it's very important to pay close attention to the relationships that Jesus had with the "sinners" of the day. There seem to be two primary schools of thought when it comes to relationships with unsaved people, and neither is at all correct. The first is that people read stories such as the one towards the beginning of Mark 2 and think that their job is to spend all of their time out in the world hanging out with sinful people in sinful places in order to be a "light" by simply having a good time with other people. The other is that we as believers are supposed to stay as far away from sinful people so as to not get contaminated with their disgusting sin. It's interesting because both of these concepts have a little bit of truth and a little bit of a lie. Just like everything else in this life, we must learn the very important lesson of moderation. The best example I could possibly give is the example that Jesus Himself gave us. Consider a doctor. How effective would a doctor be if he never even came near a sick person? Sure he could learn alot about conditions and come up with some really wonderful ideas, but without making contact with the people who have those specific conditions, he will never truly be able to help them. On the other hand, how effective would a doctor be if all he did was provide company for the sick people who came into his office? If all he did was "Be an example" to those sick people, not only would the sick never recover, but he would undoubtedly become infected by their own sickness eventually. We must understand that it is our job as representatives of The Most High to bring the solution to those with the problem, but we must also spend time with other believers so that we can learn and develop and grow in an environment that encourages that type of growth. Yes, spending time with sinners is imperative in order to share the Gospel with them, but spending time with believers is just as important for our spiritual man.

- Lord, help me to remember that oh-so important concept of moderation in everything I do. Give me faith to go out into the darkness and shine Your light, but also give me the wisdom to come back into Your light in order to re-charge and get ready to go back out for You! -

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Day 285: Matt 27:50 - Mark 1:45

I have to say that of all of the books of the Bible, I've probably read the book of Mark more than any other. I primarily love the book of Mark because I tend to think that it was written by someone who thought more like myself. The book of Mark isn't about thoughts or concepts or ideas, it's about action. Many people refer to this book of the Bible as the "action Gospel" and for good reason. I think that when we are spreading God's Word, there is definitely a place for discussing the deeper ideas and concepts of the Bible, but oftentimes, people get so caught up in the little details that they fail to present the point of the entire Bible - Jesus and His resurrection. I think we could all take a cue from Mark and remember that we must always keep the main thing the main thing. Rather than spending time trying to convince people of details that don't matter, we need to stand firm and present to them the real, powerful, living Word of God.

- Father, help me to be more like Mark in the way I present the Gospel to others. Rather than letting them know my opinions about irrelevant subjects, give me the wisdom to present Your Word in such a way that it becomes real and alive to all those who hear it. -

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Day 284: Matt 26:39 - 27:49

You know, the crucifixion story is a very difficult one to provide any sort of commentary. It's sad to think that so many people have trivialized and "churched-up" this story. They've made it into a very common fairy tale of a story. To be honest, I'm not even sure that our human minds can fully comprehend the scope of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I light of what God was willing to sacrifice for us, it really seems to reason that there may be alot more that we should be willing to sacrifice for Him. We complain if we endure one small trial or tribulation yet Jesus was able to say to the Father, "Not my will, but Yours be done." I think everyone when reading the story of the crucifixion should pray and ask God to give them a true revelation of what this story truly means. This is not simply another interesting story within a book. This is the very subject that defines the previous 77% of the book and makes possible the remaining 23%. The story of the crucifixion is more than just a part of the story, it's the point of the story.

- Lord, help me to understand deeper what it meant for Your Son to die on the cross for my sins. Although I may have somewhat of an understanding of what that means, give me a true revelation so that it will be real in my heart and alive enough for me to share it with everyone around me. -

Day 283: Matt 25:1 - 26:38

The second story in chapter 25 is one of my favorite in the Gospels because it deals with something that the average person wouldn't consider to be a topic that Jesus would cover. There are alot of people out there who seem to think that although Jesus is concerned with the big situations in our lives - eternity, witnessing, life-lone relationships - He doesn't care anything about the smaller more detailed parts of our lives such as money management. So many people go their entire lives trying to manage their money all by themselves and therefore they never seem to get their money in order because they don't hand it over to God. God wants us to understand that He is concerned about every single detail of our lives and He is willing to show us what to do no matter how small the task may seem. In reality, everything in our lives is made up of smaller details and a God who loves His children desires nothing more than to be included in every single detail.

- Father, help me to keep my trust in You regardless of how big or how small a decision may be. Let me remember that You love me which means that You care about every decision I make no matter how big or how small. Let me hear Your voice about the small things so that I'll be sure to recognize it when the big things come up. -

Friday, May 29, 2009

Day 282: Matt 22:46 - 24:51

It's always so interesting to see how Jesus addressed the Pharisees and how similar their lifestyles were to so many modern Christians. So often we see people claiming to be Christians who are nothing more than white-washed tombs. They live their lives trying to impress people with their "Christianese" language and all of their religious behaviors and contributions and yet they are completely dead inside. Although it is very important how we talk and communicate with each other and there is alot to be said about the way we behave and what we contribute to the kingdom of God, He is the One who should always be the focus of our life. It is not our responsibility to convince everyone in the entire world that we are Christians. It's our responsibility to live our lives as Christians which means putting Him first and allowing Him to bless us because we love Him and not because we can follow a bunch of rules.

- Lord, help me to stay as far away from religion as possible. You are and will always be the focus of my life and allowing my focus to be deterred and placed on something else is simply wrong. Thank You for giving me strength and showing me just how You want me to live. -

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Day 281: Matt 21:1 - 22:46

One of my favorite stories about Jesus comes in Matthew 21 when He went and kicked over the tables in the temple while the people were selling and cheating people. This has always been such a wonderful story because if there's ever a place in the New Testament that shows the fiery passion of Jesus, it's right here. So often people think of and refer to Jesus as some timid little sissy who never does anything to offend anybody and yet we see in this example that there's no way he could have timidly kicked over the tables and threw out the merchants. Jesus then explained to the Pharisees that that He came to be the "Rock of offense." Jesus said that He came so that those who stumbled on Him would be broken and those whom the stone falls on would be crushed. What He meant by all of this was that He came to shed light on all the sinfulness of humanity. As we go throughout our lives, we are not to simply ignore the worldly things going on around us and turn a deaf ear to the sins of this world. We need to take a cue from our Savior and let them all know what God really things of their sinful lifestyles.

- Father, help me to not be timid about Your Word. Give me the strength to take a cue from Jesus and stand up unashamed for the truth that You have shown me. Let me not fear what this world can do to me because You will always protect me as long as my eyes are on You. -

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Day 280: Matt 18:21 - 20:34

From this passage, I want to briefly touch on a subject that has long been somewhat of a controversy among believers - The story about a camel going through the "Eye of the Needle." Of course, some take this example as literally as it was stated implying that it is impossible for someone rich to enter God's Kingdom. Others, however, will teach that the "Eye of the Needle" was actually a gate in ancient Jerusalem or perhaps the gate into an inn intended to keep thieves out. Unfortunately, the latter 2 examples may not necessarily be able to be proven. Regardless of what the exact meaning of this phrase is referring to, I think that all too often, people get too caught up in trying to prove a point rather than simply learn from the point being made. Whether Jesus was referring to an actual needle or a gate, the likelihood of anyone entering the kingdom of Heaven on their own is absolutely impossible. It doesn't matter what we do, we could never enter into God's Kingdom on our own. God is the only One who can make that happen and I believe that is the point that Jesus was trying to make. It doesn't matter how strongly we desire it or how confident we are that we will enter His kingdom. Without God living in us and through us, all of our efforts are useless.

- Lord, help me to remember that it's not about my own personal desires or attempts to enter Your kingdom. You are the only Way for me to enter into Your Kingdom and I will put all of my faith in You! -

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Day 279: Matt 15:28 - 18:20

It's amazing throughout these passages the many references to faith that Jesus makes. There are so many out there who seem to think that having faith means following a certain formula or knowing some sort of secret that nobody else is aware of. Faith has nothing to do with formulas or secrets, but has everything to do with the deep unshakable belief that God will do what He said no matter what. Just like we saw the disciples attempt to cast a demon out of someone by emulating what they saw Jesus do on the outside, there are many believers out there praying certain prayers or doing certain things because they thing repeating the steps someone else followed will get them the blessing they need from God. We can follow every formula in the book, but if we don't have faith that God really will meet all of our needs, we may as well have not done anything. On the other side of the same coin, God isn't just sitting around waiting for us to have faith so He can just do all of the work for us. The Bible says that faith without works is dead. We must first have faith that God will do what He said, and then through that faith, we can act according to His Word and we will see the promises fulfilled in our lives.

- Lord, help me to be more of a man of faith. I know that Your Word says that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So I commit to listen to Your Word and get it deep down into my heart so that my faith will grow strong and I will see the fulfillment of all of Your promises in my life! -

Day 278: Matt 13:37 - 15:27

In this passage, I want to focus mainly on the treatment that Jesus got from His own family when he was ministering there. I would like to say that I could never be stupid enough to behave like those people did, but I would be willing to bet that I've been guilty of the exact same thing. It seems as though it is human nature to lose respect for those closest to us. When somebody we don't know tells us something serious, we straighten up and do what we're told, but when someone close to us tells us the same thing, we tend to shrug it off as if they have no idea what they're talking about. Of course, we as earthly humans usually do that because we are aware of some sort of mistake that the other person has made that we are aware of, but these people couldn't possibly be aware of any mistakes Jesus made because He never made a single one! Nonetheless, We need to learn to respect those closest to us when God uses them. We may be aware of their short-comings and mistakes, but if we truly love them, we must also be aware of the anointing that God has placed on their lives, and understand that He is willing to use anyone who is willing to be used.

- Lord, help me to never lose respect for those closest to me being used by You. Help me to understand that their past doesn't necessarily have an effect on the call You have on their lives right now, and that if You have anointed them and spoken to them, it's my responsibility to listen. -

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Day 277: Matt 12:1 - 13:36

In the middle of chapter 12, Jesus talks about people being 100% faithful. It's so awesome how God works because my wife and I were discussing this very same principle this afternoon. God has not called us to be "on the fence" about anything. We serve a God who is " all or nothing" and He expects His children to be the same. There are many believers out there who honestly have 80% of their hearts devoted to God and the remaining 20% to money. Sadly, the logical human would likely say that that is a pretty fair deal. But God very clearly states that if we don't trust in Him 100%, we may as well not trust in Him at all. God doesn't want part of our hearts, God wants every single ounce of our lives. We serve a jealous God and He neither deserves nor tolerates us serving more than one master. God's Word says that He would rather us be hot or cold, all or nothing with Him. So I encourage everyone to re-evaluate your trust in God and make the decision to put 100% of your faith in Him so that you will truly be His follower.

- Lord, light me on fire and give me what it takes to be an "All or nothing" Christian. Help me to serve only You and fix my eyes on nothing else. You are the only God I serve and I know that that is the only way You would ever allow it. -

Monday, May 18, 2009

Day 276: Matt 9:27 - 11:30

In chapter 10, Jesus outlines some very basic principles for us going out and preaching His Gospel. I know alot of people who have just gone out without a plan or any sort of guidelines and have tried to preach the Gospel. Although I wouldn't say that those people are totally wrong - I mean at least they're doing more than most for the Kingdom of God, I do believe that there is alot to be said for thinking things through and listening to God's guidance. We are all called to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature, but just as Paul didn't do the exact same things and go to the exact same places as Jesus, there are basic principles that we must follow, but then there are things that only God's guidance will be able to show us. God has not called me to repeat the ministry of someone else, He has called me to specific things that only I can accomplish. And yet those specific things will never be accomplished if I don't follow the basic principles lined out in God's Word. I supposed the point I am trying to make is that our lives of ministry require a certain balance between following certain rules and principles, and following whatever God tells us to do regardless of how difficult or crazy it may sound.

- Lord, help me to strike the proper balance as I go into the world to preach Your Gospel. I know that there are certain principles that I need to follow and help me to keep those in mind while at the same time keeping my heart open to receive all that You want to tell me. -

Day 275: Matt 7:1 - 9:26

I love reading about Jesus and His earthly ministry and seeing how often he shook things up. It's funny how religion tells us that Jesus never disturbed anything and that He always walked around making everyone happy and roses blossomed and bunny rabbits hopped around everywhere He went. But actually reading the New Testament opens our eyes to a completely different fact. Jesus stirred things up and oftentimes made people mad in the process. The immature Christian seems to think that Christianity is here to bring people together and make everybody happy, but the truth is pretty close to the opposite. Jesus came to separate once and for all His people from the rest of the world. We can find so many verses about separating the chaff from the wheat or the lambs from the goats. Jesus came so that everything the religious people did and thought would be challenged and put to the test. Jesus didn't come to blur the lines and make everybody equal. He came to challenge us and show us that we may in this world, but we are not of this world. Jesus requires out whole hearts and if we will give that to Him, only then will we truly live. We must always remember as believers that they will either love us or hate us, but they had better not ignore us.

- Lord, help me to stand firm for You. Give me the strength and power to stand up and do what You've called me to do regardless of what people think of me. Help me to remember that Jesus offended people all of the time not because His actions were wrong, but because they challenged everyone around Him to live a life of righteousness and unwavering devotion to God. -

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Day 274: Matt 5:1 - 6:34

Beginning in Matthew 5, we read one of the most famous sermons in the history of Christianity - the sermon on the mount. There is so much we can learn from so many perspectives by reading this sermon. I want to focus on the perspective of the minister. Now, I realize that there are some of us called to vocational ministry and some of us called to ministry within our secular jobs, but either way, the Bible commands us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature. This sermon is such an incredible example for us when ministering because Jesus does two things that we sadly rarely see from the pulpit at the same time - He encouraged the people, and He challenged the people. It seems like the usual sermon that we hear is only one or the other. It's either a sermon about butterflies and gumdrops and how God will bless anything and everything with no strings attached, or it's about how it doesn't matter who you are, you'll barely make it to heaven by the skin of your teeth and even now God is hanging you over hell just waiting for you to slip up. Of course, both of those examples may be somewhat exaggerated, but the point remains the same. Just like the New Testament and the Old Testament compliment each other so well, encouragement and challenge compliment each other and produce something that neither could produce on its own. Challenge without encouragement causes people to walk away feeling like they'll never make it, and encouragement without a challenge makes them walk away thinking everything is perfect and they don't need to fix anything. I believe as ministers, in whatever capacity, we are called to bring a balanced message to those around us so that they can be challenged to live a life of righteousness and be encouraged that God will give them the strength they need to live for Him!

- Lord, help me to remember balance as I speak Your Word to those you have called me to minister to. You have clearly demonstrated in Your Word that it is our responsibility to communicate what You want said to all of those around us. Help me to pay attention to You so that I can speak the right things to the right people in order to help them live the lives that You have called them to! -

Friday, May 15, 2009

Day 273: The beginning of the New Testament: Matt 1:1 - 4:25

Hearing the story of Jesus birth and having read this part of the Bible more than any other part, I've often thought of this story and how coincidental it was that all of these things worked out perfectly for Jesus to be born. Seeing as how I have failed numerous times at a daily Bible regimen, I usually started in the book of Matthew and made it until the book of Luke. Anyhow, after reading these passages a few times, I began to see a little more clearly. None of this was happenstance, God lined all of these details up for a purpose. It was no coincidence that even throughout the Babylonian exile, the royal bloodline between David and Jesus stayed alive. But although I had finally realized that God had orchestrated this phenomenal chain of events, I still hadn't quite grasped the reason. Sure God did all of this so that His Son could be born, but more specifically, He did all of this for us. For the past 4000 years, the people of Israel had been waiting and praying for their Savior and when God determined that it was time, there was nothing stopping Him. This story is such an incredible reminder that God will stop at nothing to take care of His children. God's desire was not so that He could send His son to do some interesting miracles and stir up the modern religious theologies. God sent His son so that you and I and everyone who will accept Him can be cleansed of their sins and live forever with Him in Heaven. We serve a mighty God and nothing in this world can get in the way of His awesome power!

- Lord, thank You for stopping at absolutely nothing to see to it that Your children are taken care of. There were so many obstacles that the devil put in Your way and in the way of those who were called by You, but You plowed right through them in order to accomplish all that You wanted to. Thank You for sending Your son and give us the same amount of resolve as we go out and preach the Gospel to everybody we come into contact with! -

Moving Forward

I know that this isn't the normal format that I have been using for the past 272 days, but I thought that moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament would be a good opportunity to briefly share what I have learned over the past 272 days. It's interesting because as dry and religious as the Old Testament may seem, I believe that we could never fully understand grace until we have learned the depth of the law. I realize that reading through the Old Testament one time doesn't make me anything close to an expert, but I know that I have definitely learned more over the past 272 days than I ever could have by reading any other book. I mentioned to someone yesterday that I had finished the Old Testament and he replied, "Wow, how did you make it through Leviticus?" It's funny to think that I was pretty apprehensive about reading through a book as formidable as Leviticus or a book as negative as job or as judgmental as Isaiah, and yet throughout every single book I've read, I've learned and documented something that the Lord has shown me. Sure there have been alot of repeat revelations and concepts that I have gone over more than once, but I believe that that in itself is something we can learn from the Bible. If a concept is listed once in the Bible it's important; if it's listed more than once, it must be really important. We've seen time and again throughout the Old Testament that God requires righteousness of His children. We've also learned that man cannot attain righteousness on their own. The people of Israel unmistakably illustrated the truth that no matter how "perfect" we are, we will always be in need of a Saviour. I believe that although stopping right now would still provide me with so many important Biblical principles and truths, it would also be an incredible waste of the last 272 days. Just as Hydrogen and Oxygen are very beneficial in and of themselves, when combined together in the right formula, you end up with something that may not necessarily be better than either of it's parts, but contains it's own life giving qualities that neither part could fully provide on its own. The Bible is not just a book about the living, it is truly a book that brings life to all of those who will commit their time and energy into studying. I have learned so much from the Old Testament and I cannot wait to see what light it will shed on the New!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Day 272: Zech 13:1 - Mal 4:6

The book of Malachi seems to be the perfect way to end the entire Old Testament. The words in this book are so incredibly relevant to the Church today. Sure there have been passages about how cursed the people will be who don't follow God and there have been passages about the body of believers that completely twists and distorts the Word of God, but I really like this book because it highlights a much more common (and just as dangerous) problem within the church - The trivialization of God's Word. So often it seems that believers think that it's the preacher's job to to really be concerned with the Bible and all I have to do is go every once in a while so I can hear a nice message and give God a tip. In the book of Malachi, God calls us back to living a life that is completely passionate about our Father in Heaven. It is not only up to those of us in the ministry to dig deeper into the Word of God. It is the responsibility of every single one on us as Children of God to devote our lives to getting closer to Him and going out into all of the world so we can spread the love and passion of our Lord to everyone we see!

- Lord, ignite that flame of passion in our hearts once again. Help us to burn brightly for You so we can take Your Word and Your love out into this dark loveless world. Show us how to love You with every fiber of our being and how to be passionate about You without any regard to how it will enhance our own lives. You are everything to us and we want to show You with our lives! -