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Moses said to the Lord, “If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.” Exodus 33:13 NLT
Why is it we’re more often than not concerned about our ways than God’s ways? The Bible is pretty clear about the differences. 'There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’ Proverbs 14:12 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 Knowing God’s ways doesn’t simply mean knowing what He does…it means knowing who He is; it is more than observation…it involves obedience. How about you? Do you want to know His ways? I do. Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
Suggested Readings Sunday - Exodus 33:12-23 Monday - Isaiah 55:9 Tuesday - Psalm 86:11 Wednesday - Psalm 27:11 Thursday - Psalm 25:4-5 Friday - Psalm 5:8 Saturday - Psalm 77:13 Prayer Father, “Teach me your ways, O Lord , that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.” Psalms 86:11 NLT Amen
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There are different things in life that help us recognize the activity…presence…power and availability of God.
When do we most often seek Him? When everything is going great? Or when needs arise and we face difficulties in life? Have you ever looked at a picture that at first glance the image is clear and visible, but then you’re told there is a hidden image inside the bigger picture? You look and look…adjusting your eyes, trying to see the hidden image; once you do, the more you look at the picture, the harder it becomes to see the original image. Think about how at times that’s how we live life. We go along caught up in the only image we can see at the moment…our circumstances. Maybe it’s difficulties…maybe it is simply routine living, and we fail to see God in the midst of our living. Is God hiding? No. We’re just so focused on what we are dealing with, we fail to see that God has been there all along. When God reveals Himself, or better yet, when we recognize His presence… …light shines in darkness …hope is renewed …help has arrived …perspectives change …the enemy flees …strength is found …promises are proven true …we see ourselves for who we really are…helpless and hopeless without Him. Are you looking for Him today? He’s here. Don’t miss Him. Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
Suggested Readings - Sunday - 2 Samuel 22:1-37 Monday - Psalm 18 Tuesday - Psalm 19 Wednesday - Psalm 20 Thursday - Matthew 6:25-34 Friday - John 15:1-17 Saturday - Revelation 3:20 Prayer - Lord, help me to be more aware of your presence, activity and power in my life. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me. Amen “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” Philippians 3:7-11
What does it mean to experience the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead?
The question is: where is your focus? Is your focus on Christ…is your hope, faith and trust in Him or in yourself or what the world has to offer? I choose to focus on Christ. How about you? I want to live in resurrection power. Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
Suggested Readings - Sunday - Philippians 3:7-11 Monday - Galatians 2:20, Romans 10:9-10 Tuesday - Romans 8:11 Wednesday - John 11:25-26 Thursday - 2 Corinthians 4:14 Friday - Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 Saturday - Ephesians 1:19-23 Prayer - Lord, Thank you for the victory of living in the power of the resurrection. I choose the freedom found in Christ…to stand strong through the power of Christ in me no matter what the enemy brings my way. “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” Amen A week to remember…
Why the change? There are many possible reasons, but one simple reason is that their words did not match their hearts. They possessed a casual faith…not a fully surrendered faith.
They had religion…they missed the person Jesus So how can we have a fully surrendered faith? How can we be real and sincere? How can we be consistent in all that we do?
Are you living in a fully surrendered faith? Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
Suggested Readings - Sunday - Luke 19:28-40 Monday - Matthew 27:11-26 Tuesday - John 15:1-8 Wednesday - John 16:5-15 Thursday - John 19 Friday - Luke 23:26-56 Saturday - Luke 24 Prayer - Father, I want to live a fully surrendered life to your will…your ways…your desires. Lord, I can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. Fill me…use me…guide me. Thank you Jesus for making this possible. Amen What does it mean to fear God?
It’s taking the mindset of a child who has tremendous respect and love for his father or mother and who dearly wants to please them. THE BELIEVER’S PERSPECTIVE 'We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence.” Job 37:23-24 As children of God, we understand this sentiment from the perspective of living under grace and mercy…not receiving what we deserve. THE WORLD’S PERSPECTIVE There is no fear…no reverence. As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.” Rom. 3:10-18 SO, HOW IS ONE’S PERSPECTIVE CHANGED? Whenever someone enters the presence of God, their perspective has the opportunity to change…yet it is still a choice they have to make. In order for our perspective to change we must: Recognize who God is…Realize who we are…Repent, which then results in: Reverence (fear)…Restoration…Revival “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” Isaiah 57:15 Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
Suggested Readings - Sunday - Proverbs 9:10 Monday - Job 37-38 Tuesday - Job 39-40 Wednesday - Job 41-42 Thursday - Romans 3:10-18 Friday - Isaiah 57:15 Saturday - Isaiah 8:13 Prayer - Lord, I love you. I fear you. I desire to please you. Father, I need your help in order to live all this out in a world that does not share these sentiments. Father, guide my heart…my thoughts…my actions…my spirit to please you in all I think, do and say. Amen “For you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. “ Philippians 1:5
We are all partners in grace. The word partner is defined as a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; a sharer. Grace is defined as favor, goodwill, mercy, clemency, pardon, and forgiveness. As born again believers we are born in a family of sharers of God’s goodwill…God’s Good News: Jesus. There are two passages of scripture that best answer the questions: who shares?…who do we share with?…where do we share?…how do we share? “Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”’ Matthew 28:18-20 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are partners in grace. Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
This Week’s Suggested Readings - Sunday - Philippians 1:1-6 Monday - Matthew 28:18-20 Tuesday - Mark 5:1-20 Wednesday - Acts 1:1-9 Thursday - Mark 13:1-11 Friday - Acts 8:4 Saturday - Romans 10:13-17 Prayer - Lord, as a partner in grace I want to do my part in sharing the Good News with others. Through your power, show me with whom…when…and how to share Jesus in your world this week. Amen 'For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.’ 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Our passage reminds us that God is in the changing business. God doesn’t expect us to change based on our own power or will, but has given us His Holy Spirit as His “Change Agent” in our lives. There are specific workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Change is a process that comes about when:
Each of these requires that we surrender to the conviction, instruction and encouragement of the Spirit of the Lord in our lives. Walk in the freedom of the Spirit and reflect the glory of the Lord as you are changed into His glorious image. Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
This Week’s Suggested Readings - Sunday - 2 Corinthians 3 Monday - Psalm 78:41 Tuesday - Romans 3:10-23 Wednesday - Ephesians 2:1-3 Thursday - 1 John 2:15-17 Friday - 2 Timothy 3:16 Saturday - Hebrews 4:12 Prayer - Lord, I want my life to reflect your glory. Father, use your Spirit within me to make me more and more like Jesus. Amen “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalms 104:33-34 NLT
I will... Sing to the Lord Praise my God Think thoughts that please Him …a lifelong commitment The heart of this message is your relationship with God. Singing to Him not just about Him. Praising Him as your God, and focusing your thoughts on what pleases Him. Life really should be all about Him. “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!” Psalms 98:1 NLT “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great.” Psalms 86:12-13 What are those things we can think about that will be pleasing to God? “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT Sing…Praise…Think I’m in…How about you? Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
This Week’s Suggested Readings - Sunday - Psalm 104 Monday - Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24 Tuesday - Ephesians 4:21-24 Wednesday - Isaiah 26:3-4 Thursday - Romans 12:2 Friday - Psalm 8 Saturday - Psalm 145 Prayer - Lord, I praise your name. You are my redeemer…my provider…my sustainer…my God. Father, help me to focus my thoughts on what pleases you. I sing to you a new song written on my heart by your Son. Bless you, Lord. Amen No matter what you are facing…no matter what you are going through…no matter the feelings of defeat that you may be experiencing…remember…
…You’re never alone. …God loves you. …God fights for you. …God is with you. Saying God will fight our battles means we do not have to anguish, be anxious, or be discouraged when bad things happen in our lives. When it seems a situation is hopeless or the matter at hand is too overwhelming, we may be tempted to doubt God. We must remember that no problem is beyond the scope of God’s sovereign care for His children. He has promised …
“For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’’ Deuteronomy 20:4 Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
This Week’s Suggested Readings - Sunday - Deut. 20:1-4 Monday - Daniel 6 Tuesday - 1 Sam. 17 Wednesday - Luke 7:36-50 Thursday - Exodus 14:14 Friday - Ephesians 6:10-18 Saturday - Nehemiah 4:14-23 Prayer - Lord, thank you for fighting for me. Forgive me when I lack the courage to trust you completely. Help me to find my strength in you as you calm my fears in the midst of the battles in my life. Amen Who is Jesus?
An important question to ask…present tense…not past Who is Jesus? The world needs to know the way…He is The world needs to know the truth…He is The world needs to know the life…He is Who is Jesus? He is…He is…He is the WORD “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Jn 1:1-5 NLT God’s Word says: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 Who is Jesus? He is my Lord. Who is He to you? Bro. Joe Questions for Reflection:
This Week’s Suggested Readings - Sunday - Mark 8:27-29 Monday - Hebrews 13:8-16 Tuesday - Matthew 12:22-37 Wednesday - 1 John 4:15 Thursday - John 16:36-37 Friday - Philippians 2:1-11 Saturday - Romans 10:9-10 Prayer - Jesus, You are my King…my Sustainer…my Redeemer…my Hope…my Peace…my Rock…my Mediator. I declare you to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me. Amen |
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