Saturday 1-16-10

Job 36:11
11  If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

Here Elihu is rebuking Job telling him about how God blesses those who do good, and he goes on to say that the evil will be met with the sword and death. I believe Elihu was preaching nothing short of the prosperity gospel. True those who obey and serve God will spend their days in prosperity but that prosperity will not be money, house(s), car(s), or fame. The prosperity that the righteous will have will be in knowing Christ, not in worldly riches. The righteous will also spend their years in pleasures, the years they spend in pleasure will not be spent in a house on the lake, in a rocking chair, on the back porch as the sun fades away in the distant horizon. Those who obey and serve God will spend eternity in pleasure, for we will get to spend eternity knowing, and delving into the riches of who God is. I say with all honesty I cannot imagine anything greater then being with God forever.

Even as right now I am overwhelmed at the thought of heaven and all that will happen in eternity, there is a great heaviness that comes with all the joyful and splendorous thoughts. For at the same exact moment that I will be in God's presence enjoying him in all his glory. There will be billions upon billions of people who will be burning in a place of such agony and torment we call the place hell, forever separated from the most wonderful and precious treasure one could ever have.
Father may my every moment that I have upon this planet be spent as one who's treasure is not of this world. For there is no greater tragedy then to invest all I have in a place that is doomed for destruction. Lord God may you be all I long for from this moment forward until I graduate into eternity.

Please join me in obeying Christ's command in Luke 10:2 "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." 

May grace and peace be upon you,

Friday 1-15-10

Job 31:1 

1 ¶  I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

As I was reading this verse really caught me, I had read it and heard it before. However I began to think about what it really meant and what it should mean to me.

Here Job states that he made a covenant with his his eyes, so that he would not fall the prey of lust. Quite a noble and good thing to do, however this wasn't just some little promise to himself that he was going to break. A covenant back in those days was a very serious thing in fact back in Judges 11 a man sacrificed his daughter because of a vow he made with his mouth. I mention that to help me realize that covenants are important things and to help me understand the fullness of what Job is saying here. Job took a stand against sin before the temptation ever came, he reminds me of Romans 13:14 "make no provisions of the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."

This verse and really just chapter 31 in general challenged me in some ways. First it challenged me to take stock and make sure that I'm not living in any sin (not to say that I don't sin each day.. haha don't misinterpret what I'm saying). Secondly it challenged me to not become dormant in fighting sin, for there is much to be said about a man with integrity. Lastly it challenged me to put up hedges and barriers in my life that would help to keep me from falling into sins deadly grasp. 

Please be in prayer for Haiti, I am sure you know what has gone on there in the past few days. God has laid it on my heart to prayer for revival in that country through this tragedy. From the numbers I've heard the estimated deaths so far are, above 100,000. 80% of the people are Roman Catholic, and according to some facts I've dug up over half of the population practices voodoo.

God Bless,

Thursday 1-14-10

Job 23:10-12

10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

11  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

12  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

This is some beautiful and rich scripture. I just want to share a few observations:

1. Job attests to the fact that God is completely sovereign. Job said "he knoweth the way I take" it's not like God is just waiting to see what Job is going to do, Job states for a fact that God knows what Job is going to do. 

2. God allows suffering and persecution. Here right after Job states that God is sovereign he says that "he hath tried me". Job knows that it is God who allowed all this to happen, it's not as if God took the day off from being God and then everything just went wrong. In fact Job accepts the suffering stating that he "shall come forth as gold."

3. Next Job states clearly that God is the one who has kept him from evil. So here we see that God is able to keep and preserve those whom are his.

4. Here is what really gets me and convicts me, Job said that God's word was more important to him then the food he needed to keep alive. Here I think Job gives the principle that is very important to every Christian, that is this. That reading God's word is more important than reading anything else, talking with God through prayer is more important than talking with family or friends, taking joy and pleasure in God is more important than attempting to find happiness elsewhere.

Please be in prayer for Judson Masters, he had surgery earlier today to fix a cleft lip. From the last I heard he is doing well, however his arms are in constraints to keep him from messing with the wound/stitches/ect. Please pray that there would be no complications and everything would go smoothly as they take him home soon. Also pray that God would provide the rest of the money necessary for the Master family to be able to leave soon for North Africa.

Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,

Wednesday 1-13-10

Job 19:25

25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Job had practically everything taken from him, oxen, donkeys, camels, more importantly children, his status position, his wife (she didn't die but still), his friends. Job even said it would have been better if he had not been born, yet in the middle of all this I think he realizes that he hasn't lost his greatest treasure. his most prized possession was not lost in all this, in fact his greatest possession allowed all this to happen to him. In verse twenty-five he says that his redeemer liveth, even though all else failed him, even though God was allowing him to be persecuted (vs. 22) he still trusted that God was who he says he is. 

Job went through a lot, and yet even in the middle of the fire comes forth beautiful words. "I know that my redeemer liveth". My prayer is that when the storms of tribulation and trial come I will be like Job and even more so that I would glory in the fact that God is God! One questions plagues my mind.. is my most prized possession above all else Jesus Christ?

On my heart very much so at this moment is the Howeth family. Ethan Howeth came out of surgery several hours ago and from the last word I heard was doing well. However please continue in prayer for him, God has definitely performed a miracle in healing him this far however he needs prayer now more than ever. Also please continue to pray that all the financial needs will be met, God is more than able to provide!

Fight the good fight of faith,