Today marks the beginning of 21 days of prayer and fasting. I've been through this several times now in my life and at the end I always try to figure out why I don't do it more. But there seems to be something different about this year. I'm not sure what it is yet but I feel restless in my spirit. Like something is about to happen...don't worry it's something good. I've redirected the focus of this blog. I think the name still fits because I need a "TURN" in my life. I'm weary of the same path I've been on for the last several years and I'm ready for a change of scenery. I need God to begin to "turn" me into the person He wants me to be. I feel a bit like the children of Israel who wandered around for years only to have God finally say "you've walked around this mountain long enough" then He gave them the direction to walk in. I'm deciding to let God make my "turns" this year. I read something today in Exodus 3:3 "Then Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
I guess I feel a little like Moses. I've been so distracted by other things that I've failed to realize that God is doing something great right beside me. Well no more...I'm going to stop what I'm doing, stop being distracted, stop being busy, stop being angry, stop being dissatisfied and start looking at God. I can feel the fire burning, it's time to TURN ASIDE AND LOOK!!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Monday, August 22, 2011
August 22
Job 4:1-7:21; 1 Cor 14:18-40; PS 37:30-40; PR 21:27
Corinthians - Paul deals a lot here with the order of a service. Verse 33 even states that "God is not the author of confusion..." Everything done in a church service should be to "edify" or encourage everyone there. There should be a balance in everything that is done. Verse 36-39 Paul does a little heart check with them. He asks them, did this all start with you? Are you the original people the gospel came through? He knows this isn't the case and thereby makes his point for them to stop trying to rewrite the gospel and how they think things should be done. What he is telling them to do are the commands of God, recognize that and listen.
Proverbs - When you fake being holy and bring a sacrifice to God it is disgusting to Him, especially when you bring it thinking you can fool God into blessing you because of it. God does not look at our outward actions alone, but sees into our heart and knows our every motive in what we do. If you are not pure in heart in your actions, it is not a pleasing sacrifice to Him. The point of sacrifice is to give with no expectation of anything in return. Jesus sacrificed His life for us before we were ever born. He gave it to restore a relationship.
Job 4 - Have you ever heard people say that sickness is caused by sin in that persons life? Read Job 4 and you will. The first of Job's "friends" speaks and this is his theory. Verses 7-8 are pretty clear as he says; "who ever perished being innocent?" "Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same." There is only one problem with his theory of why Job is going through all this...we saw the conversation between God and Satan at the beginning of the book. While this "friend" calls Job's walk with God and his righteousness into question, we already know that it is because Job was a righteous man that he is now under such attack. Be careful not to judge people's situations. I've been guilty of saying, well they could help themselves out of this situation but making some different choices. But honestly we have no idea what goes on in the realm of God.
Job 6 - Even in his pain, suffering and questioning. Even at his weakest point. There is something in Job that allows him to make a statement that I'm not sure he even realizes the power of...vs 9 "...That He (God) would loose His hand and cut me off." Even after he has lost everything but his own life, he realizes the only reason for that is because God is still holding onto him.
Often I think we have this impression that God has removed Himself from our lives because everything seems to be going wrong. Let me just say, you don't ever want to experience a day when God's hand gets removed from your life. Even at life's worst, God still holds you in His hand. Remember the deal God made with the devil? He told him, you can do whatever you want to do to Job, you just can't kill him. God held Job's life in His hand. God did not cause these terrible things to happen to Job, but He did allow it. But the bible also tells us that He will not allow us to go through anything that we can't handle. What happened to Job was devastating (understatement). But he overcame it and remained faithful. I don't get it all the time, why we are allowed to go through what we go through but I know and I BELEIVE that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are far greater than my thoughts.
Corinthians - Paul deals a lot here with the order of a service. Verse 33 even states that "God is not the author of confusion..." Everything done in a church service should be to "edify" or encourage everyone there. There should be a balance in everything that is done. Verse 36-39 Paul does a little heart check with them. He asks them, did this all start with you? Are you the original people the gospel came through? He knows this isn't the case and thereby makes his point for them to stop trying to rewrite the gospel and how they think things should be done. What he is telling them to do are the commands of God, recognize that and listen.
Proverbs - When you fake being holy and bring a sacrifice to God it is disgusting to Him, especially when you bring it thinking you can fool God into blessing you because of it. God does not look at our outward actions alone, but sees into our heart and knows our every motive in what we do. If you are not pure in heart in your actions, it is not a pleasing sacrifice to Him. The point of sacrifice is to give with no expectation of anything in return. Jesus sacrificed His life for us before we were ever born. He gave it to restore a relationship.
Job 4 - Have you ever heard people say that sickness is caused by sin in that persons life? Read Job 4 and you will. The first of Job's "friends" speaks and this is his theory. Verses 7-8 are pretty clear as he says; "who ever perished being innocent?" "Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same." There is only one problem with his theory of why Job is going through all this...we saw the conversation between God and Satan at the beginning of the book. While this "friend" calls Job's walk with God and his righteousness into question, we already know that it is because Job was a righteous man that he is now under such attack. Be careful not to judge people's situations. I've been guilty of saying, well they could help themselves out of this situation but making some different choices. But honestly we have no idea what goes on in the realm of God.
Job 6 - Even in his pain, suffering and questioning. Even at his weakest point. There is something in Job that allows him to make a statement that I'm not sure he even realizes the power of...vs 9 "...That He (God) would loose His hand and cut me off." Even after he has lost everything but his own life, he realizes the only reason for that is because God is still holding onto him.
Often I think we have this impression that God has removed Himself from our lives because everything seems to be going wrong. Let me just say, you don't ever want to experience a day when God's hand gets removed from your life. Even at life's worst, God still holds you in His hand. Remember the deal God made with the devil? He told him, you can do whatever you want to do to Job, you just can't kill him. God held Job's life in His hand. God did not cause these terrible things to happen to Job, but He did allow it. But the bible also tells us that He will not allow us to go through anything that we can't handle. What happened to Job was devastating (understatement). But he overcame it and remained faithful. I don't get it all the time, why we are allowed to go through what we go through but I know and I BELEIVE that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are far greater than my thoughts.
Monday, June 27, 2011
May 1st-2nd
1 Judges 13:1-14:20; John 1:29-51; PS 102:1-28; PR 14:15-16
2 Judges 15:1-16:31 John 2:1-25; PS 103:1-22; PR 14:17-19John 1:35-51 - I love how these men barely questioned what was happening.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
March 15
Num. 22:21-23:10; LK 1:57-80; Ps 58; PR 11:12-13kl
This is such a great story. Most of the time when people reference this passage they talk about themselves and joke "if God could use a donkey, He can surely use me." But what I thought of today was how often we see people around us as nothing but a donkey. (insert KJV here) Sometimes the people that aggravate us the most are the people that God has placed in our lives to speak to us. The question is can you recognize it instead of being angry at that person. How many times have you beat a person down with your words or your actions because they frustrated you? We need to pray to see God in everything around us.
On a side note...it didn't even seem to phase Balaam that he was carrying on a conversation with his donkey...whats up with that?
This is such a great story. Most of the time when people reference this passage they talk about themselves and joke "if God could use a donkey, He can surely use me." But what I thought of today was how often we see people around us as nothing but a donkey. (insert KJV here) Sometimes the people that aggravate us the most are the people that God has placed in our lives to speak to us. The question is can you recognize it instead of being angry at that person. How many times have you beat a person down with your words or your actions because they frustrated you? We need to pray to see God in everything around us.
On a side note...it didn't even seem to phase Balaam that he was carrying on a conversation with his donkey...whats up with that?
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Monday, March 14, 2011
March 14
Num 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; PS 57:1-11; PR 11:9-11
Num 21:4-9
Yet again the people complain about what they always complain about. They attack God, they attack Moses and what are the results. Death. Always death. And people wonder why they had to wander around for 40 years. It seems they were slow learners. God acts swiftly because He cannot allow rebellion to go unpunished. It struck me today when I read this...the answer to the people getting bitten by snakes was for Moses to build a snake and if people looked at this bronze snake they were spared. It struck me though that it doesn't say everyone did this, just that the ones that looked "lived." I don't know, it leads me to beleive that even in the midst of death, people still didn't listen and obey the word of God passed down through Moses. In this case they could see that it was working right in front of them and yet...only the ones that looked were spared. How many looked the other way and died. Makes me look at my own life and wonder if there are things God knows will lead to my spiritual death. He's given me the cross of Jesus to look at as salvation but how often do I look to other things or run around in pain having been bitten by "serpent" that is sin in my life. I'm dying inside but won't do what it takes to gain salvation from the pain. God help me!
Num 21:4-9
Yet again the people complain about what they always complain about. They attack God, they attack Moses and what are the results. Death. Always death. And people wonder why they had to wander around for 40 years. It seems they were slow learners. God acts swiftly because He cannot allow rebellion to go unpunished. It struck me today when I read this...the answer to the people getting bitten by snakes was for Moses to build a snake and if people looked at this bronze snake they were spared. It struck me though that it doesn't say everyone did this, just that the ones that looked "lived." I don't know, it leads me to beleive that even in the midst of death, people still didn't listen and obey the word of God passed down through Moses. In this case they could see that it was working right in front of them and yet...only the ones that looked were spared. How many looked the other way and died. Makes me look at my own life and wonder if there are things God knows will lead to my spiritual death. He's given me the cross of Jesus to look at as salvation but how often do I look to other things or run around in pain having been bitten by "serpent" that is sin in my life. I'm dying inside but won't do what it takes to gain salvation from the pain. God help me!
March 13
Num 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; PS 56:1-13; PR 11:8
Luke 1:1-25 It's kind of interesting the way Luke starts his account of the gospel. The story of Zacharius instead of Jesus. That's what I love about the gospels. Even though they contain so much of the same...each has it's own details. This account fascinates me. First of all, have you ever noticed the first thing angels say when they appear to someone? "Fear not." Apparently if you ever encounter an angel, it'll freak you out! Then Gabriel shows that he don't mess around. He delivers his message about them having a kid and Zacharius asks how this could be possible because his wife is "advanced in year." Try that one on your wives guys. Gabriels response? I'm an angel dude...I was sent from God...why would you question that your wife could become pregnant when you're looking at and having a conversation with an angel? (My paraphrase) Then he makes Zacharius mute because he asked a stupid question. Can you imagine if God made us mute everytime we doubted Him and asked questions we should already know the answers to? The world would be a much quieter place I think. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? I think that's hilarious.
Luke 1:1-25 It's kind of interesting the way Luke starts his account of the gospel. The story of Zacharius instead of Jesus. That's what I love about the gospels. Even though they contain so much of the same...each has it's own details. This account fascinates me. First of all, have you ever noticed the first thing angels say when they appear to someone? "Fear not." Apparently if you ever encounter an angel, it'll freak you out! Then Gabriel shows that he don't mess around. He delivers his message about them having a kid and Zacharius asks how this could be possible because his wife is "advanced in year." Try that one on your wives guys. Gabriels response? I'm an angel dude...I was sent from God...why would you question that your wife could become pregnant when you're looking at and having a conversation with an angel? (My paraphrase) Then he makes Zacharius mute because he asked a stupid question. Can you imagine if God made us mute everytime we doubted Him and asked questions we should already know the answers to? The world would be a much quieter place I think. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? I think that's hilarious.
March 12th
Num 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; PS 55:1-23; PR 11:7
Psalm 55 - really interesting Psalm. Basically a cry out to God by David over the betrayal of a close friend. Recently heard a really good message that related this psalm and showed why this betrayal was probably Jonathon. David's most trusted friend. Further proof that you really can find comfort for every situation in the bible. Here David is in turmoil because he was stabbed in the back by someone so close to him. It says that if it would have been an enemy that had done all these things, he could take it but being from a friend is unbearable. This is why we need to remember that we need friends that stick with us through thick and thin but ultimatly God is our rock that will never fail or forsake us. When everyone else betrays us, God is still there. I know that sounds depressing but really it's not. Because without God, I would never have survived the betrayals in my own life but with Him I was able to rise up and above the worst of despair.
Psalm 55 - really interesting Psalm. Basically a cry out to God by David over the betrayal of a close friend. Recently heard a really good message that related this psalm and showed why this betrayal was probably Jonathon. David's most trusted friend. Further proof that you really can find comfort for every situation in the bible. Here David is in turmoil because he was stabbed in the back by someone so close to him. It says that if it would have been an enemy that had done all these things, he could take it but being from a friend is unbearable. This is why we need to remember that we need friends that stick with us through thick and thin but ultimatly God is our rock that will never fail or forsake us. When everyone else betrays us, God is still there. I know that sounds depressing but really it's not. Because without God, I would never have survived the betrayals in my own life but with Him I was able to rise up and above the worst of despair.
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