Sunday, September 18, 2011
Luke 17:10
This morning I got a little bit earlier to pray and read my Bible. As I went for the walk, I am not kidding, I had a little bit of a mind set of "I am sacrificing sleep to be here God has to show up." Matthew 23:37 "And he said to them you love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength." Lord fix my heart and as I wake up tomorrow to go for a walk remind me that I am doing it to search after you and that I am an unworthy servant.
Luke 17:9
Luke 17:9
does he thank the servant because he did what he was commanded?
"I am sorry" and "thank you" are two words that mean a lot to me. I am not sure why but it seems that it is important to be noticed especially when you are doing something nice or good. However does a master thank his servant for the things that he is supposed to do? The answer is obviously no. So what will Christ, my master, say to me when I die? Hopefully He will say well done good and faithful servant. So how does this apply to today? Well if Jesus can look at me and acknowledge my life by saying good job then I can say thank you when people serve me, because I all to often just think of it as something that should be done.
does he thank the servant because he did what he was commanded?
"I am sorry" and "thank you" are two words that mean a lot to me. I am not sure why but it seems that it is important to be noticed especially when you are doing something nice or good. However does a master thank his servant for the things that he is supposed to do? The answer is obviously no. So what will Christ, my master, say to me when I die? Hopefully He will say well done good and faithful servant. So how does this apply to today? Well if Jesus can look at me and acknowledge my life by saying good job then I can say thank you when people serve me, because I all to often just think of it as something that should be done.
Luke 17:8
8: Will he rather say to him; prepare supper for me, and dress properly and serve e while I eat and drink?
Here I see a servant after a work day not getting an opportunity to eat but instead to work more. It would seem that the term bond servant has been on my mind the last couple days because what I see in this verse is the fact that he would not have a choice. There are many times that I do not want to serve people and that usually happens in the little things. The application from this is to serve in the little things even if I don't want to or think that it is meaningless.
Here I see a servant after a work day not getting an opportunity to eat but instead to work more. It would seem that the term bond servant has been on my mind the last couple days because what I see in this verse is the fact that he would not have a choice. There are many times that I do not want to serve people and that usually happens in the little things. The application from this is to serve in the little things even if I don't want to or think that it is meaningless.
Luke 17:7
Today is just one of those days that it seems like everything has gone wrong. The word in this verse that has stuck out to me the most is the word servant. I know that I am a willing bond servant but all day today I can feel myself fighting this. However I do know that His way is better. Although I can feel my fleshly desires fighting even more today I will continue to strive towards Christ.
Application: Today it is more important to follow Ephesians and to not give any opportunity to the devil. This realistically looks like me praising God remembering that I am growing.
Application: Today it is more important to follow Ephesians and to not give any opportunity to the devil. This realistically looks like me praising God remembering that I am growing.
luke 17:6
Luke 17:6
And the Lord said, "if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
As we are now only weeks away from being on the mission field this verse really speaks to me. Since we are so close to leaving, whenever I talk to people back home the questions that I get the most are about the trip, these incude whether I have enough money or I am just mentally prepared. I don't have a problem with these questions, in fact I like talking about the things that are going on in my life. However these questions do get to me in some ways. As I start to think about it I realize that I am not as prepared as I could be mostly because I can not prepare everything. However this verse shows me how much simply having faith in Jesus Christ can do. My application for today is to not let a single thought about the trip stress me out but to have faith that he is preparing me as much as is needed.
And the Lord said, "if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
As we are now only weeks away from being on the mission field this verse really speaks to me. Since we are so close to leaving, whenever I talk to people back home the questions that I get the most are about the trip, these incude whether I have enough money or I am just mentally prepared. I don't have a problem with these questions, in fact I like talking about the things that are going on in my life. However these questions do get to me in some ways. As I start to think about it I realize that I am not as prepared as I could be mostly because I can not prepare everything. However this verse shows me how much simply having faith in Jesus Christ can do. My application for today is to not let a single thought about the trip stress me out but to have faith that he is preparing me as much as is needed.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Ephesians 4:31
31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slandor be put away from you, along with malice.
Here Paul is explaining just about every way of having a problem with someone. I have mentioned in past blogs that I have a problem with holding onto and thinking about these things. So now I come to a part of scripture where Paul is describing how serious this is by repeating himself over and over again. In the past when I was convicted of this I just prayed about it and asked God to take it away. This time however is a different story, prayer is neccesary but there is also a part that I must act in. Today when these problems come up I will pray about it first but then start working for the family that we all want.
Here Paul is explaining just about every way of having a problem with someone. I have mentioned in past blogs that I have a problem with holding onto and thinking about these things. So now I come to a part of scripture where Paul is describing how serious this is by repeating himself over and over again. In the past when I was convicted of this I just prayed about it and asked God to take it away. This time however is a different story, prayer is neccesary but there is also a part that I must act in. Today when these problems come up I will pray about it first but then start working for the family that we all want.
Ephesians 4:30
30:And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
When I was first reading this verse I could not think about what to write. Although as I started to think about applying it to my life it started to make sense. The point of this verse for me is to realize that not everything I do is going to have an eternal effect. My application for today is to remember that I am sealed by the Holy Spirit which means that not every little thing is a big deal but that I am in fact saved and guided through each day.
When I was first reading this verse I could not think about what to write. Although as I started to think about applying it to my life it started to make sense. The point of this verse for me is to realize that not everything I do is going to have an eternal effect. My application for today is to remember that I am sealed by the Holy Spirit which means that not every little thing is a big deal but that I am in fact saved and guided through each day.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
All talk that comes out of our mouths should lift each other up. This is not some or even just when we want to but whenever we talk to other people. From a distant look on life this seems easy but once you get into those moments where you get frustrated with someone it is a lot harder. This has happened to me many times where I have gotten frustrated with people and my reaction is to openly say things against them. This does not build up people or do anything constructive. Today and from now on I will shut my mouth when anything destructive is about to come out.
All talk that comes out of our mouths should lift each other up. This is not some or even just when we want to but whenever we talk to other people. From a distant look on life this seems easy but once you get into those moments where you get frustrated with someone it is a lot harder. This has happened to me many times where I have gotten frustrated with people and my reaction is to openly say things against them. This does not build up people or do anything constructive. Today and from now on I will shut my mouth when anything destructive is about to come out.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Ephesians 4:28
Ephesians 4:28
28: Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need
When I first read this verse I think of the times back when I had a job. My immediate reaction is to think about how I was making a good amount of money and was not even tithing non the less sharing with those in need. However this does not apply to today. As for today and this next year I can not give money but I can share time and energy.
Application: To use my time wisely because that is what I have to share and give.
28: Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need
When I first read this verse I think of the times back when I had a job. My immediate reaction is to think about how I was making a good amount of money and was not even tithing non the less sharing with those in need. However this does not apply to today. As for today and this next year I can not give money but I can share time and energy.
Application: To use my time wisely because that is what I have to share and give.
Ephesians 4:27
27:and give no oppurtunity to the devil.
This verse is the verse that is immediately following the verse that talks about not letting the sun go down on your anger. Now it is saying to not give any oppurtunity to the devil which shows the ergency of getting rid of your anger. This is now saying that this is something that is not supposed to be taken lightly but to be done immediately. Giving no oppurtunity shows that we should leave nothing open. In the last verse I talked about not sleeping on my problems but this verse takes it a step farther. Today I will give no oppurtunity to problems growing between me and other people.
This verse is the verse that is immediately following the verse that talks about not letting the sun go down on your anger. Now it is saying to not give any oppurtunity to the devil which shows the ergency of getting rid of your anger. This is now saying that this is something that is not supposed to be taken lightly but to be done immediately. Giving no oppurtunity shows that we should leave nothing open. In the last verse I talked about not sleeping on my problems but this verse takes it a step farther. Today I will give no oppurtunity to problems growing between me and other people.
Ephesians 4:26
Ephesians 4:26
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
"Just sleep on it." This is a phrase that I often used when people are angry. I myself have gotten into the habbit of doing this, any time a prblem comes up I go to bed and I usually wake up great. So when I come to this verse I realize that from past experiences this has been great for me. Then I realize that God knows more then I do therefore I am wrong with thus said thought process. I have come to realize that sleeping on a problem or anger does not fix them but simply masks them, and this masking can be a short fix but will end up blowing up at one point or another.
Application: Dealing with anger is something that the Bible tells us to do but is also a smart thing. From now on I will deal with my problems as they come up, instead of storing them up.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
"Just sleep on it." This is a phrase that I often used when people are angry. I myself have gotten into the habbit of doing this, any time a prblem comes up I go to bed and I usually wake up great. So when I come to this verse I realize that from past experiences this has been great for me. Then I realize that God knows more then I do therefore I am wrong with thus said thought process. I have come to realize that sleeping on a problem or anger does not fix them but simply masks them, and this masking can be a short fix but will end up blowing up at one point or another.
Application: Dealing with anger is something that the Bible tells us to do but is also a smart thing. From now on I will deal with my problems as they come up, instead of storing them up.
Ephesians 4:25
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore having put away falsehood let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
The truth is not always a fun thing to tell someone When you see a problem that needs to be fixed, I do not always want to say something about it. So because of this I usually say "oh that will just work itself out, I don't need to say anything." This is just a cop out, or a lie to get myself out of the situation.
Application: To cowboy up and say what needs to be said
Therefore having put away falsehood let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
The truth is not always a fun thing to tell someone When you see a problem that needs to be fixed, I do not always want to say something about it. So because of this I usually say "oh that will just work itself out, I don't need to say anything." This is just a cop out, or a lie to get myself out of the situation.
Application: To cowboy up and say what needs to be said
Ephesians 4:24
Ephesians 4:24
to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
When I read this passage I think about one thing and that is how often I have to put on this new self. This is not only a day to day thing but a moment to moment thing. I must constantly be in fellowship with Jesus to have this new self put on. The way I do this is through reading the Word and praying.
Application: To not only start off the day by reading but to constatly chew on what He is teaching me.
to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
When I read this passage I think about one thing and that is how often I have to put on this new self. This is not only a day to day thing but a moment to moment thing. I must constantly be in fellowship with Jesus to have this new self put on. The way I do this is through reading the Word and praying.
Application: To not only start off the day by reading but to constatly chew on what He is teaching me.
Ephesians 4:23
23:and to be in the spirit of your minds.
This is something that has been hitting hard this week. I know that I am a knew creation in Christ but I often have trouble actually believing that because I carry around the weight of my past sins and problems. I say that I want to be well, that I want all these problems to go away but the fact is that they have already been covered and thrown away. This verse to me is just more confirmation that I need a renewed mind that stops holding onto everything but simply says thank you to Jesus for all that he has and is doing.
This is something that has been hitting hard this week. I know that I am a knew creation in Christ but I often have trouble actually believing that because I carry around the weight of my past sins and problems. I say that I want to be well, that I want all these problems to go away but the fact is that they have already been covered and thrown away. This verse to me is just more confirmation that I need a renewed mind that stops holding onto everything but simply says thank you to Jesus for all that he has and is doing.
Ephesians 4:22
22: to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires
Compared to my "former self" I have grown a lot and given up a lot of my "deceitful" since I have been at Potters Field. The only problem with this is I can not compare myself with myself. I should be comparing myself with Jesus. I understand that it is good to see how much you have grown but I tend to use that as a place to be content with how much work has been done already.
Application: To not be content with the amount of progress that has been made but to keep searching to for more.
Compared to my "former self" I have grown a lot and given up a lot of my "deceitful" since I have been at Potters Field. The only problem with this is I can not compare myself with myself. I should be comparing myself with Jesus. I understand that it is good to see how much you have grown but I tend to use that as a place to be content with how much work has been done already.
Application: To not be content with the amount of progress that has been made but to keep searching to for more.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Romans 12:10
10: Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Proverbs 18:24 "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer then a brother." I think that by saying brotherly affection Paul means being brothers in Christ which is much closer then I often think of when we think of our actual brothers and sisters. John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Jesus loved us by not only giving up His life but doing it in a horribly graphic way. Beat to the point of not even being able to tell that He was a man. Not only that but he had the weight of all of our sins on his soldiers. Jesus didn't have a bad mind set about this instead he asked the Father to forgive us. All through out the new testament Jesus talks about the importance of loving people even to the point of saying it is the second greatest commandment. On the outside I can do this well, but once I realize what I actually think about people I realize how I do not have the same mind set of Christ. I was a middle school leader this last year and one of my favorite parts was watching how innocent they were. These kids get alog so well because they are not picking apart everything about each other.
Application: I have come to realize that I can catch my thoughts but that is about the extent of what I can do. All of these thoughts come from a heart problem. I pray that I can have a heart like Christ, loving every person for who they are.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Mark 8:38
38: For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the Holy angels.
This verse says a couple different things to me. The first thing that sticks out is the fact that he talks about how he is coming back and this gives me hope because it reminds me of Revelation 21:1-7. The second thing that stands out is how I am no longer ashamed of Him but that is not by my own doing it is because He has called and shown Himself to me. It amazes me that we serve a God who wants to help me come to Him. The application today is a little different, it is in fact to keep in mind that we win in the end but also to remember that all the Glory belongs to him because it is not my own doing.
Mark 8:37
37: For what can a man give in return for his soul?
When I first look at this verse my first reaction is that there is nothing that I can give in return. All I can do is "deny myself." This phrase however is becoming christianese to me. As soon as people asking me what I am learning I say how to deny myself. This is kind of an easy way out and I am not a fan of that so I must practically ask myself what I can do to deny myself. There are of course a lot of things I could do but the thing that sticks out the most is praying more. I need to set aside time each day to pray for others and for myself. This is not it though I need to set aside my doubts and trust that I have a faithful God who will answer.
Mark 8:36
36: For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
It looks here like Jesus is asking a rhetorical question. Obviously there is not profit if you forfeit your soul, in other words forfeit eternal life for the things of this world. It seems simple when we are asked this question straight forward. Although we are asked this question daily even in the little things and I so often choose to forfeit my soul. This is a verse that I should ask myself with each step of the day, asking myself if I am going the way of Jesus or trying to gain the world piece by piece.
Mark 8:35
35: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.
Jesus in the last verse talked about denying yourself and picking up your cross and it would seem that in this verse he is doing the same thing. He is further building on the point that if we pick up our crosses for His sake and the gospels that our life will be saved. Here I see Jesus looking at our heart, he is saying that picking up your cross is not enough but we should be doing it for a purpose, which is to Glorify Him and the gospel with our lives.
Application: To look at my heart and see if I am losing my life to follow after Christ for the gospels sake.
Mark 8:34
34: And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, "if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
At first this is a real shocking comment. Jesus just got done telling the disciples about the fact that he will be killed, then he tells everyone to deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow him. The thing that I am learning about this is that it is not a one time thing but a daily thing. Now I am not sure about everyone else but this is a scary thought to me because I know how I tend to get worn out and eventually give up. I so often think about this verse and think "okay now today I have to deny myself, I have to do a better job this time." It turns out that this is the wrong approach because I am following after a God who has not only been there but feels my pain and wants to help.
Application: Today and from now on I want to remember that not only iis the Holy Spirit here to help me but he wants to help me, because His way is better. All I have to do is deny myself.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Acts 12:9
Peter is now dressed awake and ready to escape the prison. We see here an answer to prayer. All it is taking is for Peter to follow the angel and then he will be out safely. This is a lesson that I have been learning this week which is not to worry about the little things but instead just to follow. Peter is not worrying about whether the guards will see him or if he is making to much noise but just going where the angel goes. In my life I often worry about a lot of things. This verse to me means that I should not worry about these things but instead just follow after Christs example. The perfect verse for this is Acts 2:42 "And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers." This is the early church dedicating themselves to what Christ has taught them, and this is what I should do without worrying about all the little things.
Acts 12:8
8: And the angel said to him,"dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "wrap your cloak around you and follow me."
Peter is woken up by an angel striking him on the side. The angel then tells Peter to dress himself and to put on his sandals. Peter does this obediently without a question. I am not sure about other people but I know that when I get woken up in a way that is not overly nice I get in a bad mood. In fact sometimes just the sound of the alarm clock will put me in a bad mood. Then on top of that if someone were to start telling me around as soon as I woke up I would probably not listen to them or just complain the whole time. Peter however just obeys. This verse makes me wonder if in my walk with God if I get a awakening will I still be obedient holding Christ above everything? Will I still be joyful for the fact that I have Him?
Application: When I get that awakening I need to not hit my snooze button.
Acts 12:7
Acts 12:7
7: And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell of his hands.
This is a great picture of how God holds everything in his hands. We saw in the last verse how much Herod guarded Peter, yet this angel gets to Peter without being seen and then he wakes Peter up and the chains fall off his hands. I know that if I was Peter I would be sitting there constantly thinking about how I could get out of this situation, then when the angel showed up I would be dissapointed that I did not trust in God more. I know I would act this way, because I do this on a day to day basis. Whenever even the smallest problem comes up instead of trusting the Lord to guide me through it, I think about how I can fix it it.
Application: We had a guest speaker this last week and he said "The Lord is always talking it is just up to us to listen." From now on when I face even the smallest trial I would like to wait on the Lord to get me through it.
Acts 12:6
Acts 12:6
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
If I had to describe this picture in one word it would be impossible. Herod has obviously thought about everything, not only is Peter bound with chains but he is sleeping between two guards and there are guards watching the outside of the prison, it seems that it would be impossible for Peter to get out of this situation. Well in the next verse we get a nice picture of how big our God is. He helps Peter get out of prison by sending an angel to guide him out. It always amazes me to think that God cares this much for each individual person. In my life I have always had a hard time thinking that God is this involved in our lives. Since I have been at Potters Field I can feel God has been working on my confidence in his love. Philippians 1:6 says "And I am sure of this that, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." This is a verse that I have read many times but has never really clicked in my head until yesterday. The same God who got Peter out of a situation that seemed impossible to get out of promises here that he will bring my life to completion therfore I see nothing to worry about. This is a verse that I should not forget but to have it be one that I dwell on.
Acts 12:5
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Here we see a good picture of the whole body hurting when one member is hurting. Peter is in prison and the whole church is earnestly praying for him. This verse makes me really ask myself if I really turn to prayer during the times when people are hurting or even when I simply say that I will pray for people. Usually when I tell myself that I will pray for someone it is just a quick prayer as I am right before I go to bed. The application to this verse is that from now on I am going to be more like the early church and set aside time everyday just to pray for others.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Acts 12:5
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Here we see a good picture of the whole body hurting when one member is hurting. Peter is in prison and the whole church is earnestly praying for him. This verse makes me really ask myself if I really turn to prayer during the times when people are hurting or even when I simply say that I will pray for people. Usually when I tell myself that I will pray for someone it is just a quick prayer as I am right before I go to bed. The application to this verse is that from now on I am going to be more like the early church and set aside time everyday just to pray for others.
Acts 8:34
34 and the Eunuch said to Philip "About whom , I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"
The passage that the Eunich is reading is about Jesus. He is asking Philip who it is about which could not be better set up to share the Gospel with someone. If you could ask Philip about this I am sure that he would say that it was not his doing but it was him just being obedient to the Spirit. All Philip did was just allow himself to be used, and he was used to share the gospel with this man and then to baptize him. Today my goal is to allow mysef to be used even if it is to share the gospel with a complete stranger.
Acts 8:30
30 so Philip ran to him and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
When this verse said that Phillip was running to me, means that he is putting in his all and going all out for where the Holy Spirit wants him to be. As I read this I have to ask myself where does the Holy Spirit want me to be? I believe that at this moment I am supposed to be here in the ignite program. So then what would it look like to "run" like Philip did? Around these parts there have been a lot of sayings going around about living each day for Christ. I think that this would be my way of "running". I should not worry about what is going to happen in the future but instead live each day giving it all to Christ.
Acts 8:29
29 and the spirit said to said to Philip "Go over and join this chariot"
Here you see Philip being guided by the Spirit. Philip sees a Eunich reading the prophet Isaiah and the Spirit tells him to go over to him. I often ask God to show me where he wants me to go but even when he opens doors in such an obvious way, such as coming to Potters Field, I question if it really is the right path to go. Even though I know that I just asked Him I question every step of the way. As I look back I think about how much easier it would have been if I would have just said yes and trusted that his plans were better. Today my application would be to be more like Philip in the sense that when God tells me to go I go with full trust.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Acts 7:57
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
When I first look at this section I automatically think about how amazing it is that this man, Stephen, is standing up for what he believes in. The part that I tend to miss is how these people react to his words. Now that I take a closer look the part that sticks out the most to me is how it says that they closed their ears. I look back at the times that people have pulled me aside and told me about something that I did or said that was wrong. To often I have closed my ears and come up with reasons why their claims are invalid. I close my ears just like these people did and the people that are talking to me are talking to me out of love and for my own good. Proverbs 27:5 says "better is open rebuke then hidden love" My application is to remember the point of this verse day to day.
When I first look at this section I automatically think about how amazing it is that this man, Stephen, is standing up for what he believes in. The part that I tend to miss is how these people react to his words. Now that I take a closer look the part that sticks out the most to me is how it says that they closed their ears. I look back at the times that people have pulled me aside and told me about something that I did or said that was wrong. To often I have closed my ears and come up with reasons why their claims are invalid. I close my ears just like these people did and the people that are talking to me are talking to me out of love and for my own good. Proverbs 27:5 says "better is open rebuke then hidden love" My application is to remember the point of this verse day to day.
Acts 7:56
56 And he said, "Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Stephen, in the midst of his trial which will soon lead to his death, has a vision of the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. If I were to put myself in Stephens shoes I would be stressed out and praying asking God to let this be as quick and painless as possible. This vision however, is so powerful to Stephen that it would appear that it is the only thing that he cares about. This verse reminds me of a time when God made himself known in my life. When I look back at this I tend to take it for granted and in fact even think that God owed it to me. I believe that God is all knowing, all powerful and in fact King of the Universe. The fact that this King would make Himself known in my life in such a peronal and powerful way should be something that I remember day to day.
Stephen, in the midst of his trial which will soon lead to his death, has a vision of the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. If I were to put myself in Stephens shoes I would be stressed out and praying asking God to let this be as quick and painless as possible. This vision however, is so powerful to Stephen that it would appear that it is the only thing that he cares about. This verse reminds me of a time when God made himself known in my life. When I look back at this I tend to take it for granted and in fact even think that God owed it to me. I believe that God is all knowing, all powerful and in fact King of the Universe. The fact that this King would make Himself known in my life in such a peronal and powerful way should be something that I remember day to day.
Acts 7:55
55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
In this verse I see hope. You see that stephen is on trial, and he has made these people so angry that they are ready to kill him. In the middle of this, the verse mentions that he looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I can not even imagine how much hope and peace this gave Stephen. When I go through trials I always want to fix everything on my own. This almost always ends up with me getting angry and frustrated with the fact that I can not fix it, which usually makes the problem even worse. What I instead need to do is look to Jesus with all problems and rest in the hope that he promises.
In this verse I see hope. You see that stephen is on trial, and he has made these people so angry that they are ready to kill him. In the middle of this, the verse mentions that he looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I can not even imagine how much hope and peace this gave Stephen. When I go through trials I always want to fix everything on my own. This almost always ends up with me getting angry and frustrated with the fact that I can not fix it, which usually makes the problem even worse. What I instead need to do is look to Jesus with all problems and rest in the hope that he promises.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
acts 2:46
Acts 2:46
Way back when I lived in vancouver Washington a group of friends decided to start something called family dinners. It was a once a week occasion where we would all get together to make food, eat it and enjoy each others company. This time each week was something that I looked forward to, it was a time to relax and just enjoy each others company. This is the picture that I picture acts 2:46 is describing. When I get back home I would like to make more occasions for these family dinners.
Way back when I lived in vancouver Washington a group of friends decided to start something called family dinners. It was a once a week occasion where we would all get together to make food, eat it and enjoy each others company. This time each week was something that I looked forward to, it was a time to relax and just enjoy each others company. This is the picture that I picture acts 2:46 is describing. When I get back home I would like to make more occasions for these family dinners.
acts 2:45
Acts 2:45
When I read this verse the main word that sticks out to me are "to all, as any had need." This shows me that this group of believers were doing everything they could to help the people they need. When I look at my life after reading this verse I realize how silly it was that I used to go help the homeless once every couple weeks and think that my duty was done. An application I get from this is that I need to see others as higher then my self, not once a week but every day.
When I read this verse the main word that sticks out to me are "to all, as any had need." This shows me that this group of believers were doing everything they could to help the people they need. When I look at my life after reading this verse I realize how silly it was that I used to go help the homeless once every couple weeks and think that my duty was done. An application I get from this is that I need to see others as higher then my self, not once a week but every day.
Acts 2:44
Acts 2:44
In this verse you have a simple picture with a big meaning. You see a group of believers together enjoying each others company. Before I came to ignite I had an oppurtunity to go to a close friends wedding. Weddings often seem to be this scene, you have a group of people together, all there for a purpose of celebration. I think that as a believer I should set up more oppurtunities like this. I find it to be really relieving.
In this verse you have a simple picture with a big meaning. You see a group of believers together enjoying each others company. Before I came to ignite I had an oppurtunity to go to a close friends wedding. Weddings often seem to be this scene, you have a group of people together, all there for a purpose of celebration. I think that as a believer I should set up more oppurtunities like this. I find it to be really relieving.
Acts 2:43
Acts 2:43
In this this verse there is a description of how the 3000 people reacted to how God was moving. In this verse it says that "awe came upon every soul. When I think of the word awe it does not mean something that is being taken lightly but it makes me think that they were so amazed by what was happening that it was something that they never forgot. This really stands out to me because there have been times that God has moved in my life that I have forgotten about a week later. I think that comes from a lot of things like simply not taking the time to realize how important God speaking or moving is. I think that the application to this is actualy listening more to what God says and actually caring about these times that he does move.
In this this verse there is a description of how the 3000 people reacted to how God was moving. In this verse it says that "awe came upon every soul. When I think of the word awe it does not mean something that is being taken lightly but it makes me think that they were so amazed by what was happening that it was something that they never forgot. This really stands out to me because there have been times that God has moved in my life that I have forgotten about a week later. I think that comes from a lot of things like simply not taking the time to realize how important God speaking or moving is. I think that the application to this is actualy listening more to what God says and actually caring about these times that he does move.
Acts 2:42
Acts 2:42
In this verse you have a group of 3000 people getting saved and immediately commiting themselves to the apostles teaching. I find it interesting that the people automatically devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. Out of these four things the thing that stuck out to me the most is prayer was foundational. It was not that I did not know this before but that i didn't actually have a strong foundation in prayer.
In this verse you have a group of 3000 people getting saved and immediately commiting themselves to the apostles teaching. I find it interesting that the people automatically devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. Out of these four things the thing that stuck out to me the most is prayer was foundational. It was not that I did not know this before but that i didn't actually have a strong foundation in prayer.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
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