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! -

Day 271: Zech 8:1 - 12:13

This book is such a great one to read because it paints the picture of Redemption with such vivid color and emotion. Obviously, Israel in this book is a picture of the believer and that just makes it that much more exciting. We know from these passages that God can and will cause His people to rise up and once again claim the blessings that He has promised us. Just like the people of Israel, modern Christians have turned their backs on God and started worshiping things that they have made with their own hands - including their own man-made religions. But God is calling us as a church to rise up out of the mess we've gotten ourselves into and rebuild His kingdom. It's not our duty to lie around in our own mess and hope to get pulled out of it. It's our duty to be obedient and rise up and if we will be faithful to do that, God will give us our place once again and will see to it that all who oppose us will reap all that they have sown!

- God, give this generation the strength and resolve to rise up and rebuild Your kingdom. Give us the passion to lift up Your name to all of those around us and declare that we are Your people and You are our God! -

Day 270: Zech 2:1 - 7:14

Oftentimes throughout the Bible, we see God speaking to His people through relatively cloudy and occasionally confusing visions. In the case of Zechariah, it would seem to have made more sense to some of us if God had just told him exactly what He wanted rather than showing him cryptic images and confusing metaphors. I think perhaps the reason God did this is because He didn't want Zechariah relying on his own intellect or opinions to influence what God was saying to him and through him. If God had just told Zechariah straight, there is a possibility that he may not have had as much faith in what was said and possibly assumed that it was "all in his head." But by God speaking in such a way to him, it forced him to not only listen carefully to every word, but also rely on God to explain the meaning of every piece. We must always understand that God's methods may not always make sense to our human brains, but they will always accomplish His will if we will let them.

- Lord, help me to be open to listening to You regardless of how You choose to speak to me. Help me to never put You in a box and always be willing to listen even if it doesn't make alot of sense at first. -

Day 269: Zeph 2:1 - Zech 1:21

Once again, our reading has spanned 3 different books of the Bible, but this time, I want to focus on the first book - Zephaniah. Whereas most of the books of prophecy have focused on the nation of Israel and the judgment placed on them and carried out by Babylon, this book focusses on basically the same concept, only on a much greater scale. The book of Zephaniah is focussed on Judgment Day at the end of time when God will judge all the nations of the world. This book focusses on many specific nations and explains what will happen to them, but of course we understand that the point is that justice will be served. Judgment Day is a very interesting subject that has been trivialized by modern media and religion. There are many Christians out there who have no concept of judgement day. It is our job to stand up and let our generation know that there will come a time when we will all stand before our Creator and give an account for what we have done. Fortunately, those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have out place in Heaven - and that is what we are responsible for proclaiming.

- Father, help us all to not lose sight of the importance of Judgment Day. Help us to live our lives with a sense of urgency that will push us towards doing everything we can to bring as many people into Your arms. -

Day 268: Nahum 3:1 - Zeph 1:18

In between the books of Nahum and Zephaniah, there is a little book called Habakkuk that contains some very interesting passages. Whereas most of those prophets have been speaking for God, Habakkuk is one of the few who recorded his discussions with God. The prophet was not particularly in agreement with God regarding Babylon invading and he was not too shy to express that sentiment to God. After he explained to God how he felt, he did something that is very important for us to take note of - he waited. That simple act of waitig may not mean a whole lot to you or I, but in doing so, he let God know that he wanted to hear God's answer. And guess what? God came and answered Habakkuk. So many times, we as Christians tend to let God know how we feel and then just walk away before He responds. In His response, God reminded Habakkuk that He was sovereign and whether or not Habakkuk understood, God was still going to make the right decision.

- Father, although I may not always understand or agree with the things You have said or done, give me the patience to wait on You and hear Your voice. I know if I will wait on You, You will speak to me and show me Your will! -

Day 267: Micah 5:1 - Nahum 2:13

The books of Micah and Nahum carry much of the same message but to two different groups. The book of Micah is yet another warning to people of Israel that they will be broken into tiny pieces and carried off as slaves to Babylon. Once again, we are reminded that we serve a jealous God and He demands our attention. Compared to Him everything else in this world is simply dead. And God is not afraid to allow us to focus on and desire those things that will end up giving us just what we've been working towards - death. God is the one and only way and by putting our focus on Him, we not only live in blessing, but we allow Him to rescue us from the only real alternative to life - death. As far as the book of Nahum is concerned, the prophet is speaking out against Nineveh and the rest of the nation of Assyria not because he hates those places, but because God called him to speak out against them and remind everybody that Assyria may be strong, but God is stronger and he is the only One worthy of our fear and respect.

- God, help me to always have the fear of God deep in my heart. Sure there are plenty of strong powers out there, but none can compare to our Lord God Almighty! -

Day 266: Jonah 2:1 - Micah 4:13

I always love it when it comes to the stories that I've known almost all of my life. In fact, this is one of those stories that everyone in the world seems to know regardless of whether or not they are Christian. Interestingly enough, although most people see this as a story of judgment - God judging Jonah; it's really more about God's mercy and Him withdrawing His judgment on Nineveh. It can feel somewhat repetitive reading story after story about the people of Israel being warned of God's wrath, ignoring it, and then repenting long after. It's very refreshing to hear about what happens when somebody heeds God's warning and is spared. Of course, there's also the fatally human, incredibly ironic side of the story that reminds us that God can use anyone regardless of how flawed they are. Jonah was saved from certain death inside the giant fish because he turned to God and yet he got so incredibly upset when God spared Nineveh because they did the same thing. We must understand that God is a just God and whether or not we agree with Him, His will will always be done.

- Lord, thank You for Your mercy and for reminding us that we don't have to die cursed as long as we are willing to turn to You. Help us to have Your compassion and be excited when the lost come back to You. -

Day 265: Amos 7:1 - Jonah 1:17

In this passage, I want to focus on the tiny book of Obadiah. I have to admit that I don't think I've ever actually read this book, nor have I ever had the slightest clue as to what it was about. The book of Obadiah seems to take a break from the usual curses on Israel for turning away from God and actually focusses on the Edomites and their unrighteous treatment of His people. Not, if you've been a Christian for any length of time at all, you know firsthand that God's people are a big target for ungodly people. Whether directly or indirectly, we have all experienced some sort of persecution for standing firm with God. If you haven't experienced that, then you aren't living the life that God desires of You; but that's another message altogether. The book of Obadiah reminds us that others will try and attack God's people, but God is always watching and He will see to it that those people will be treated fairly for the wrong that they've done.

- Lord, Help me to remember that vengeance is Yours and that You are watching out for Your children. If we will just put our trust in You, we can have faith that our tormentors will pay for the damage they have tried to do to Your name. -

Day 264: Amos 2:1 - 6:14

In the book of Amos, we see just exactly how God feels about religion. Humankind has perverted alot of things - sex, money, food, love; but possibly the most disgusting perversion of all is the perversion of religion. In the name of God and religion, people have waged unnecessary wars, come up with ridiculous rules, and manipulated countless people. God wants us to understand that He doesn't need nor does He even want our ridiculous religious traditions and habits. He wants our hearts. Sure, one He has our hearts, we will begin to develop certain habits and desires in order to follow His Word, but the second we take it upon ourselves to put our "religion above our God, He will puke us right out of His mouth.

- Father, help us to not get caught up and distracted by human religion. Remind us that Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship with our creator. Help us to remember that You don't want our rules and traditions, You simply want us to come before You and give You the only thing that is ours to give - our hearts. -

Day 263: Joel 1:1 - Amos 1:15

Joel is a very interesting and very "to-the-point" book of prophecy. Whereas most of the books have been more akin to the New Testament gift of Word of Wisdom - explaining what is going to happen and how; the book of Joel is more of the basic New Testament gift of Prophecy - solely for encouragement and exhortation. The book of Joel seems to be somewhat easier to relate to because it deals with issues that we could imagine happening to us much easier than a massive army taking our entire nation hostage. In this book, the people are faced with a terrible economic crisis. Fortunately, God came to Joel and gave him a simple message to deliver. Instead of focussing on the disaster and how much trouble they were in and how terrible it all was, Joel simply explained that their way out of this mess was to turn from their wickedness and follow God. He understood that if they would let Him, God would be more than happy to pick them up and heal their land.

- Lord, help me to remember that You are the only answer I need when it feels like my world is falling apart. Your love and Your power is more than enough to set me free from anything the enemy can throw at me! -

Day 262: Hos 9:1 - 14:9

The comparison between the children of Israel (or the modern-day church) and a prostitute is definitely not a new one. We've seen it in quite a few places throughout the books of the Prophets and yet it seems to stand out so much more in this book as a result of the real-world example given. However difficult it may be to accept, our generations has perverted Christianity just as much as they have sex, money, and "love." Our generation has turned a relationship with God into something as common as a prostitute's relationship with one of her customers. Sure, we may view God as one of our "premium" or "VIP" customers, but He has still been reduced to nothing more than an opportunity for us to feel good and maybe catch a blessing or two. God clearly states in this book that He will always love us no matter what we do, but that doesn't mean that He will take care of us. True love is focussed on the the other person and God is too much of a gentleman to force s to love Him back. Rather than living a life of spiritual prostitution, God is calling us all back to a life of purity and love towards Him so that He can bless us in every way imaginable.

- Lord, save this generation from living a life of spiritual prostitution. Help this generation learn and understand true love to the extent that only You can give. -

Day 261: Hos 3:1 - 8:14

Hosea is such an interesting book because God asks a man to do what would consider to one of the most difficult things in the world just to illustrate a very simple, yet very relevant point - God's love for us is in no way dependent upon our actions or even our own love for Him. I do plan on digging a little deeper into that point tomorrow, but today I want to focus on the part of this story that isn't that commonly discussed - Hosea's obedience. It's relatively easy for most of us to say something like, "Oh yeah, I would do anything God asks me no matter what," but I'm not convinced that anyone I know would be willing to marry a prostitute because God said to. All too often we as humans tend to take what God says and weigh it against our own loic. We need to learn how to be more like Hosea and understand that God can see much farther than us and rather than putting Him and His Word in our little box, maybe we should do what He says and trust that His will will be accomplished through our obedience.

- Lord, help me to be obedient to You Word regardless of whether or not it makes sense to me. Help me to remember that Your perspective is much higher than mine and You will never tell me to do something without giving me the tools to do it. -

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Day 260: Dan 11:1 - Hosea 2:23

It's very interesting to me that God chose to reveal thins regarding the end-times to people in all sorts of different periods in the Bible. The "end-times" has often been such a volatile subject because there are many who don't want to even think about it, and then there are many who are unable to focus on anything but, I think God bringing it up numerous places throughout the Bible is a good reminder for us that although that's not the only subject of the Bible, it is something we should remain mindful of. And no matter how we interpret the cloudy, shadowy subjects of the end-times, there is one truth that will always remain clear - the righteous will rise again to be with our Lord. Once again, we see the theme of Redemption. Even when death enters the picture and tries to end it all for us, God will be right there to pick us up so we may go to Heaven to spend eternity with Him!

- Lord, help me to keep the end-times constantly on my mind. Not so I can bring up unnecessary arguments, but so I can remember that I will end up with You when it's all said and done and my job here on this earth is to make sure everyone I come in contact with will be right there with me! -

Friday, May 8, 2009

Day 259: Dan 7:28 - 10:21

I love reading stories in the Bible about angels of the Lord coming down and helping guide God's people. I know that obviously the angels in this passage were unmistakably angelic being seeing as how Daniel fainted twice just at the sight of them, but I can't help but wonder how often God sends Angels to us and we don't even take the time to be thankful for them. We have seen in the Bible that God sends angels to us at times and we don't even realize who they are or what they are doing here. It's so amazing to think that our Father in heaven loves us and cares for us enough that not only would he be able to help us out, but He is willing to send His angels not so they can get something out of it or so He can get something out of it. God loves us enough to send His angels down to the earth so that they can stand beside us or cross paths with us and help us know and do what God has been calling us to do.

- Lord, help me to remember that I have always been entertaining angels unaware. Thank You for sending Your angels to come down and take care of us and help us to never take them for granted. -

Day 258: Dan 4:37 - 7:27

The second of the popular stories in this book is the story of Daniel in the lion's den. Honestly, the moral of the story is incredibly similar to the previous one, but I do have something a little different to talk about. There are alot of Christians who seem to take it very personally when someone talks bad about or mistreats them. They walk around all day long on egg-shells trying not to offend anyone or hurt their feelings. Then, when something happens and someone does get upset with them for following God, they take it personally and allow it to destroy them. Not once do we see Daniel crumble under the pressure and decide to give up. Daniel simply let those people try to do their worst to him and then stood by while they discovered that there was nothing they could do to him. Although there are things that people can do to us, nothing man could ever do could come close to matching the power that our Lord has.

- Father, help me to never fear what man can do to me. You are my Father and I know that as long as I'm in Your will, You will take care of me till the very end no matter what the world may try to throw at me. -

Day 257: Dan 2:27 - 4:36

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is one of my favorite stories in the Bible and definitely one familiar to anyone who's gone to church or children's church. We learn a very simple, very important lesson from this story. We as Christians should never be afraid to walk through the fires that this life comes at us with. So often we see people of God who are more concerned about self-preservation than they have ever been about advancing the kingdom of God. It's interesting to note that if these three men had just been obedient and blended in with the rest of society, they probably would've gone right on living and probably would've died comfortably at an old age, but the amazing work that God had called them to do would have never been accomplished and history may have been changed forever. If we will be faithful and be willing to say no to the things of this world and be willing to walk right into the fire, not only will God protect us, but He will walk right beside us. Notice that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made a difference, but they made it inside the fire, not on the sidelines. You may be in the fire right now, but just remember that maybe that's exactly where God wants you to be so you can do exactly what God wants to you to do.

- Lord, give me the strength to look to You through the flames. Rather than focusing on the heat and the fact that I'm in the middle of a fire, I choose to focus on You and the fact that You are the only One keeping me from burning alive. I know that if I will keep my eyes fixed on You, I will come out on the other side without so much as the smell of smoke on me. -

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Day 256: Ez 47:23 - Dan 2:26

We are now moving out of the major prophets and into the minor prophets, and I must say, The book of Daniel is one of my favorites. Right off the bat, we learn very important Biblical principles. In chapter one, we see a perfect example of God's call on our lives to be in the world, but not of the world. Interestingly enough, just today I read a blog by an amazing Christian artist about the importance of being a light in a dark world. There has long been controversy about whether or not Christians should ever spend time around un-Godly people. The obvious answer, in my opinion, is actually another question - How on earth could we possibly reach the lost if we aren't allowed to get near them? The conflict comes when believers think that the only way to reach the lost is to act exactly like them. If we are acting exactly like the person right next to us, what reason would that person have to ever want what we have if, in their eyes, we both have the exact same thing? We see in chapter one that although the 4 subjects of this story lived with the Babylonian elite and ate at their table, they set themselves apart by not partaking in the same diet. Whereas the logical person would assume that this behavior would have ostracized them from the people they were called to reach out to, we can see that God worked through this simple gesture and actually propelled them forward simply because they understood that being faithful to God was much more important that "fitting in."

- Lord, help me to be a strong representative of You to the world around me. Help me to not be afraid of going out into the world in Your name, and at the same time, give me the strength to stand firm and be an anchor for those around me to hold onto. I am called to go out into the world not so they can see how similar I am to them, but so that they can see that I have something to offer that they won't find in anyone but You. -

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Day 255: Ez 44:16 - 47:22

It's always important when people come back to God that they be reminded of their boundaries as Christians. It's so easy when someone comes back to Christianity to avoid talking to them about any obligations and just make sure that all they hear about is grace and mercy and forgiveness. Although those are all wonderful gifts from God, they're absolutely nothing if a believer doesn't rely on God to help him live a holy, moral life. In these passages, it almost feels like we've gone back to Leviticus and we're re-learning all of the rules again, but that's how it should be with one who is coming back to Jesus. They must re-learn how to live a Godly, Christian life. If they think for one minute that they can just pick up where they left off, they're wrong. God is not just concerned with our hearts, but He also cares about the way we live our lives.

- Lord, help me to find a proper balance between preaching Your grace and making sure that people understand the importance of living a Godly life. What some may see as legalism, help me to see it as an opportunity to live a life that is pleasing to You. -

Day 254: Ez 41:1 - 44:15

In this passage, we see the God is faithful to reveal to us the things that He wants to do in our lives even when we can't really see how it could happen. At the time of the vision that God is giving Ezekiel, The children of Israel have been in exile, the temple is crushed and it doesn't look like there's much hope for anyone. But God was faithful to show Ezekiel how things will end up turning out not just so he could have something to look forward to, but so that he would understand that the promises of God are true. We oftentimes go through situations where it seems like all hope is lost and there's nothing we can do about it. We just sit and mope about how difficult life is, but if we will just close our eyes and look through the eyes of the Father, we will be able to see what He truly wants to happen in our lives. We can't start walking if we don't know what direction to go in. And if we will surrender and give God control, He can show us where to go, how to get there, and what it will be like once we're there.

- Lord, I want to see what You have in store for me. I don't just want to see it so I can say "I told you so," I want to see what You have for me so I can begin preparing now so that when the time is right, I will be ready to drop everything and perform Your work. -

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Day 253: Ez 38:23 - 40:49

I always love seeing how differently God uses different people. Basically, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are about the same thing and yet we see three totally different presentations. In Isaiah, the prophet is very simple and matter of fact. He explains that the people of Israel did wrong, he tells them the consequences, and that about it. In Jeremiah, the prophet lets the Israelites know how stupid they have been acting and assures them very strongly that their horrible actions deserve even more horrible punishments, but I personally felt a great deal more emotion coming from Jeremiah than Isaiah. And then we are able to read in Ezekiel that God used a completely different tactic with this prophet. Instead of just repeating what God told Him, Ezekiel was able to see incredible visions and God performed amazing miracles to illustrate what he wanted the people to hear. Understanding this concept does alot to strengthen my faith personally. It's easy to see the way that one person's ministry is going and assume that mine should go the exact same way, but God wants us to remember that He works differently through different people and it's not our job to determine how He works, it is simply our job to allow Him to work in us and through us.

- Lord, help me to not put You in some sort of religious box. Help me to remember that You work differently through different people and my job is to simply open myself up and let You work mightily through me. -

Monday, May 4, 2009

Day 252: Ez 36:1 - 38:22

We find in chapter 37 one of the most unusual passages in the entire Bible. Ezekiel is sent by God to a valley full of dry bones. Bear in mind, these aren't simply dead bodies, these are people who have been dead for a really really long time and whose bones have been scattered and spread all over the valley. As God speaks, he tells the prophet to speak to the bones and command them to come together. And incredibly, all of the bones find their partners and begin rebuilding skeletons. Then as the skeletons come together, sinew and muscle and then eventually skin forms on top of the skeletons forming entire bodies! Now, in my opinion, we could stop right here and that would be an amazing feat, but God takes it one step further. God tells the prophet to speak and command life to enter the bodies. So again, as Ezekiel speaks, breath enters each and every body and forms an army of living breathing soldiers out of an enormous pile of bones! God wants us to know that he can work with anything as long as we're willing to use it. We may see times where it feels like all we have left is a heaping pile of bones, but if we will be obedient and listen to what God has to say, he can give us the power to command those bones to form an entire army ready to follow His orders.

- Lord, take this pile of bones that I have and make something of it that will further Your kingdom. Help me to not sit around moping about the pile of useless bones in front of me, and give me the power to speak life into those bones!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Day 251: Ez 32:32 - 35:15

Chapter 33 deals with the concept of the prophet being the watchmen for his people. In much of the same way, we as believers are to be the watchmen for our generation. God explains to the prophet Ezekiel that, as a watchmen, it's his sole responsibility to report to the people what he sees coming down the road. God explains further that if he sees death and destruction, but doesn't say anything to his people, he will be held responsible for their deaths. Inversely, if Ezekiel sees that death and destruction is coming for his people, warns them, and they just sit by and do nothing about it, when his people are destroyed, he will not be held liable because he fulfilled his responsibility of letting them know. In the same way, if we see that those around us are walking down a path that will destroy them, it is our responsibility to inform them of the error of their ways and help them get back on track. If we aren't faithful to do that, then we are just as guilty as if we had personally pushed them down that road.

- Lord, help me to be a watchman for You. Help me to be faithful and stand firm at my post so that I can be instrumental in rescuing those so close to destruction and helping people turn away from the terrible decisions that they may have otherwise made. -