Wednesday 7-29-09

Mark 12 & 14

I must be really dense but fortunately through my weakness the strength of God’s word can prevail! It’s been beautiful to see how God has been teaching me each day for the past several days about believing what he has said is 100% true, and acting in faith where he leads.

Mark 12:42-44 “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

The story we know as “The Widows Mite” and act of unreserved sacrificial giving of money to God. The widow believing her needs would be met gave all she had monetarily for the kingdom of God.

Mark 14:3-6 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.”

The woman anointed Jesus believing that he was worthy of that vial of perfume that would have taken a common man at least a years worthy of wages to purchase.

Mark 14:36 “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

Jesus believed that God the Father could have “take(n) away this cup from” him, because as he stated “all things are possible with thee.” However he also believed that God the Fathers will was the best possible thing for him and he willingly accepted it.

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Father I ask the same thing that the man in Mark 9 did… I believe, but help my unbelief… help me Lord to obey you wherever you guide me… make me teachable to all that have for me to learn… please Father help me to love you with all of heart, soul, and mind….

Monday 7-27-09

Mark 6

Mark 6:5-6 “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”

“He could there do no mighty work” The lack of honor and faith hindered Jesus from being able to do a truly great and mighty work in Nazareth. Unfortunately the same could be said of allot of churches and to many Christians I’m afraid.

“And he marveled because of their unbelief.”

Nazareth was Jesus hometown it wasn’t like they had never seen or heard of Jesus before; they knew what he could do yet they were still skeptical of him. They knew in their heads just how mighty and powerful Jesus was, but that still didn’t believe. I wonder if God can’t do a work in our lives sometimes because of our unbelief.

Sunday 7-26-09

Matthew 28

Matthew 28:16-17 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”

“but some doubted” Wow! These eleven men had been the closest humans to Jesus, they had eaten with him, talked with him face to face, left everything and followed him all over, they worshiped him, asked him questions from the heart, and even had the nerve to rebuke him, But when it came to believing what Jesus had clearly fortold them would happen some doubted him!

I really do wonder what this world would look like if every true believer in Christ had faith the size of a mustard seed. If we loved God and had had faith that we could give sacrificially of our money because Jesus would supply all of our needs, we could give our time to God knowing that he wouldn’t waste it, if we would give our lives to God because he would only do what was best with them. I wonder if God doesn’t look down upon us and say, what I could do with them if they only believed.

Saturday 7-25-09

Matthew 22

Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

I wonder how many problems would be solved if we simple loved God with all we had. Think about it if we loved God like he’s called us to we couldn’t continue in our sin (Matt 6:24) everything we ever would need would be supplied (Matt 6:33) the world would get evangelized because we would love others like ourselves (Matt 22:39) and because Jesus called us to (Matt 28:18-20).

When I read verse 40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” I believe God began to open the eyes of heart to begin to realize just how crucial a real love for God is. I don’t know how to exactly explain what or how my heart knew or believed for the first time except that God did the work and opened my heart to see his truths.

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Lord I know I don’t have a love for you that I need or want… Father would you give me a love for yourself so that you could be brought glory through my life…. Lord God please give a desire to know and love you, make my heart one that longs for you….

Friday 7-24-09

Matthew 19

Matthew 19:27-29 “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

Aren’t we just like Peter? I mean we go about the things God has called us to and our primary concern is about what were going to get out of serving God. I heard a sermon recently on Paul’s warning to Timothy about “entangling himself with the affairs of this world (2 Tim 2:4). To me it seems like Peter had that problem, he was entangled with what he could get out of serving God, instead of just loving God and forsaking his own selfish wants, and desires. I know just how short I fall from simply loving God completely and not entangling myself with what I can get out of serving God. How about you: do you get entangled with what you can get out of serving God, whether it be monetary gain or men’s applause?

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Lord help me to rely on your strength when I am tempted… Father help me to not entangle myself with everyday affairs… God please give me a love for you, so that I cannot serve the things of my flesh… Lord may I serve you out of love for you and not because of my selfish desires… Help me Father to walk closer to you each day…. Thank you for forgiving me even though I continue to sin against you…

Thursday 7-23-09

Matthew 12



Matt 12:33-37 “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Am I careful what words come out of my mouth? Am I consistently aware that God’s testimony and mine are on the line every time I open my mouth?

I don’t think I even realize how carefully chosen God wants our words to be. I mean in Vs 36 Jesus said “every idle word” not evil word but idle word I speak I would be held accountable for. (‘Idle’ – worthless, futile, not lasting) What God is saying then is that every word I speak that is about his kingdom, or in other words is idle or futile, I’m going to have to give an account for! I know I want my words to be about the things of God, and not worthless things! How about you, are you ready to give an account for every ‘idle word’ you’ve spoken and will speak?



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Lord cleanse my heart and make it anew that it would be wholly committed to you…. Help me not to waste my words on things that won’t last for eternity… Lord help me to love words that are spoken about you and the things that you love…. Father help me to grow in you and walk with you each day of my life…

Wednesday 7-22-09

Matthew 10

Matt 10:37-39 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” Jesus refers to a love that almost everyone can relate to: it is a love that is sacrificial, very forgiving, a love that will sadden your hearth when the loved one is sad, and will bring joy to your heart when they are happy. However Jesus said that if your love for him wasn’t greater, and more ferocious then the deepest love that you had, then you weren’t worth of him! I believe that God wants me to have a love for him that is so great nothing can compare to it, I think God wants me to have a love for him that is greater then I have for myself. You see when I’m thirsty I get myself something to drink, when I’m sitting there and am uncomfortable I’ll adjust myself until I’m comfortable again. If I’m really honest I love myself more then I’ll ever admit! However God wants me to have a love for him that is even greater then the love I have for myself!!

Matt 10:39 “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” If I give up my wants and plans for my life for what God has for me, then I get his life that he wants for me. I don’t know a whole lot but form what I do know I can very assuredly say this: that between God’s plans and my plans, I defiantly want God’s plans!

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Lord God please give me a love for you that I can’t even comprehend… Make me so sensitive the your spirits leading that it is though me are one… Help me to each day pick up my cross and follow you, immediately and completely…. Thank you for doing a work in me.. please don’t ever stop…. Thank you