Word of God

Scripture: John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

Observation: John 1:1-2 is a psalm, a song or poem in classical Greek chaistic form. The first and last phrases are pairs, and the middle two phrases are pairs. Each pair explains its partner, and the two pairs contrast and complement each other. The psalm establishes and meditates on the deity and preeminence of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Jesus is both the creator of all things, and he is one with the father God. Jesus is the most high God, and he is before everything.

Application: Our God is a God of beginnings. When you have a problem in your life, and things are not going your way, our God is a God of new beginnings. Jesus is Lord of all, and he is in the business of new beginnings. If you need a new beginning in your life, turn to him. You have not, because you ask not. Give your situation, and your life to the God of new beginnings and let him make a new beginning for you and your situation.

Prayer: Heavenly father, give us this day our daily bread. Help us in our time of need. We cry out to you and declare our love to you. Know us and make known to us your ways. Take our lives and make them new. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The wrath of God

Scripture: Luke 9:54-56 And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save [them]. And they went to another village.


Observation: The disciples had assumed that Jesus would pour out his wrath on those who dishonored him. Their assumption was based on what God did in the past. He did destroy towns and people groups in the past. Why the change? Why was the ministry of Jesus different than the ministry prior to Jesus?

Application: Many people today make the same assumption that the disciples did. People assume that God is out to get somebody. People attribute natural disasters to the wrath of God. People go so far as the attribute the death of children to God's actions, and so on. Jesus clearly states that he came to save lives, not to take them. John 10:10 tells us that it is Satan who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and that Jesus is come that we have life. The difference between the God of the old testament and the God of the new testament is the work of Christ at the cross. He took the wrath of God for us, and we are not subject to it any more. He gave his life for ours. The ministry of Jesus exemplified this fact.

Prayer: Dearest Jesus, thank you for what you did for us at the cross. Thank you for giving your life so that we can have an abundant life in you. Thank you for taking our punishment upon yourselves. Thank you that you became forgiveness for our sins. We accept you, and devote our lives to serving you with the honor you deserve.

Grace to You

Scripture: Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Observation: Here we see young Jesus, and one of the few descriptions of his childhood. Luke says that he grew strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. We know what Jesus did, his works, his ministry, how is it that the Grace of God is what enabled him? And is that the same Grace of God that is ours in Christ Jesus?

Application: Ephesians 4:7 says "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of Christ". Is the same grace that empowered a young Jesus into his ministry the same grace that is given unto us as his followers?

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for your grace, that you gave to us. Let us walk in the grace that you gave us each day. Let your ministry be our ministry. Let our hands be as your hands. Let our hearts be as your heart. Fill us anew this day with your grace. Let the peace of God, and his grace be upon us this day. Amen

Do what you can

Scripture: Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

Observation: Jesus said of this woman, "She did what she could". Should not we also do what we can? We may not all be able to preach, teach, sing, or play an instrument. But God's power will be made perfect in us when we do what we can with what we have. This woman had a bottle of perfume, and an ear open to God.

Application: What do you have that God can use? All of use are created in God's image. We all have gifts and abilities that can honor God. Who would have thought a bottle of perfume could honor God? Abilities with people, business, sports, crafts, academics, and on and on, can all be used to glorify God. God teaches us through this verse to take what we have, do what we can, and be faithful to our creator.

Prayer: Father, help us to be faithful to you. Show us what we can do. Let us give you all of the honor and respect that you are do. Let us be found faithful of the

Number One

Scripture: Mar 12:28-30 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.


Observation: Often the scribes and Pharisee liked to try to trick Jesus. Lesson for us, Never try to trick God! It is almost humorous to think about that. However in this instance, Jesus received and honest question from an honest scribe. What is the Number One commandment? Jesus' answer was straight forward. He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4-6. However, his quote was slightly different than the Hebrew text we have today. Deuteronomy says " Love the Lord God with all of your Heart, Soul, and Might. Jesus said, " Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength". In Deuteronomy the word "Might" could be translated "everything you have", so perhaps "Mind and Strength" is simply a translation of "Might". Or perhaps something in the language of the day made that a clearer explanation of the Hebrew used Deuteronomy.

Application: Many argue that today's amplified and paraphrased translations are not the Word of God. In this verse, I see Jesus amplifying the Hebrew into the language of his day. He clearly articulates that God wants everything from us. He wants to be Number One in our life. If God is not Number One in our lives, we need to make some adjustments.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have made your Word clear to us. Thank you for making it plain, so that we can understand it. Thank you for giving your life, so that we can live eternally in heaven with you. Help us dear Lord, to keep you first in your lives. Let us make Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, Number One in our lives this day and ever day here to come. Amen

Prayer and Fasting

Scripture: Mar 9:28-29 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Observation: Jesus told his disciples that they needed to pray and fast in order to see his power and purpose come to pass in their lives. We know that God told us that he came so that we would be free; and most certainly it was his will that the young man who was demon possessed would be free of that oppression. However, his disciples were not able to cast out the demon. The purpose of prayer and fasting is not to break the demonic oppression, that somehow a session of prolonged spiritual warfare would have set the young man free. We know this because when Jesus set the young man free, he simply commanded the Demon to come out. He did not have a 24 hour prayer and fasting session. Rather, what Jesus demonstrated was prolonged times of prayer and fasting daily. His discipline was to go to a quiet place and have fellowship with the Father in prayer and fasting. Evidently his disciples were not so disciplined. At the garden of Gethsemane on the night of Jesus crucification, recall that his disciples could not pray for even an hour. Jesus however, was very comfortable spending hours in prayer and fasting.

Application: We need to be people of prayer and fasting. How many of us could pray for even an hour? How many of us spend a significant amount of time every day in prayer, worship, fasting, bible reading? How can we expect to see God's power and purpose come to pass in our lives if we don't?

Prayer: Dear Father, Help us to live our lives fully devoted to you. Help us turn our lives up side down and begin to make you first in our lives. Let us be your people, and let us declare that you are our God in word and deed. May our lives be a testimony to your love and grace. May we act like your children, and may we not act like children of this world. In Jesus name, Amen!

Can You?

Scripture: Mar 9:22-24 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Observation: In verse 22, we see the father of the demon possessed child ask Jesus if he "Can" do anything to help him. The Greek word for "Can" is a variation of the word "dunamai" of which we get our word dynamite. The term implies having power or authority to do something. "Can" is a good translation of this word, but the implications of what the father was asking are significant. If the father had known that Jesus was God, would he have really asked him if he had authority or power to do anything? We know that all authority and power was given to Jesus. This father evidently didn't know that. It was this unbelief that Jesus had to counter to help the man and his child. In verse 23 Jesus uses a play on words to show the father what he is missing. The father had asked Jesus if he "Can" and so Jesus tells the father that if HE "Can", then he "Can" believe then he "Can" do all things. The issue was not Jesus' power and authority, but rather the father's lack of belief was inhibiting the power and authority of Jesus being demonstrated in his life. The father saw his mistake, and his son was healed.

Application: We don't so much need to be concerned with God as we do with our lack of belief in God. If we "Can" trust in God fully, then we don't to worry about what God "Can" do in our lives. If we "Can" belief in him fully, then we "Can" do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. We have the authority as believers, in his name, to do all things. However, to the degree that we trust and believe in him, we will see those things come to pass.

Prayer: Lord, We believe in you, God help us with our lack of trust. Amen

Don't Interrupt God

Scripture: Matthew 17:3-6 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard [it], they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Observation: God was doing something here. Jesus was engaged in conversation with Moses and Elijah in an open heaven on earth. What an amazing thing! John, James, and Peter were able to witness this supernatural event. Peter, who is often full of zeal, interrupts the conversation of Jesus to promote his own idea. If the culture of Judea was anything similar to today's culture, what Peter did was a rude thing. Interrupting the King of the Universe is something that is not advisable. Father God's rebuke was about as gentle as he could possibly have made it, but it still scared Peter, James, and John beyond description.

Application: God is active in our lifes, he has an agenda and is engaged in things on our behalf. Often we get our own ideas, and we want to interupt God. Interrupting God is very disrespectful. It leads to going our own way, in our own strength, which causes problems. However, often our ideas are inspired of God. How can we know the difference? Listening to God is key. If Peter had listened closer to God, rather than listening to the ideas spinning through his head, he would have been in tune with the Holy Spirit. We need time with God to be able to discern his thoughts from our thoughts, and we need to listen closely with reverence and respect.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, open our hears Lord. Let us hear you clearly. Open our hearts Lord, let us desire you with a pure love. Open our minds Lord, let us know you as our closest friend. Amen

Lord, Lord

Scripture: Mat 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Observation: In these passages Jesus concludes the sermon on the mount, perhaps the most profound section of scripture in the Bible. To conclude his teaching, he addresses the subject of Lordship. He identifies who groups who call him Lord, the first call him Lord but he doesn't know them, and the second call him Lord but don't do what he asked them to do. In Jesus' day, land was owned by Lords. The Lords controlled absolutely everything that went on in their land. Most everyone who "worked" for the Lord was his property. The servants of a Lord were at his mercy, if they displeased the Lord then he could punish them up to death according to his whim.

Application: We must determine who our spiritual master is. Is it God, ourselves, or someone or something else? You have to serve someone. Most people in America choose to serve themselves. That seems to be the default choice. Others become totally dependent on someone else, and they serve them. And there are a very few, who choose to not be concerned with their selves or worry about what others think, but rather to fashion their lives around making God pleased. These people tend to be rare, even among the church. Jesus is saying that those are the ones who are going to have eternal life assured. There are others who say that Jesus is their Lord, but don't do what he asked them do do. They are not assured of eternal life according to the words of Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you know the plans you have for us. Let us see the plans you have for our lives. Let our purpose be made apparent to us. Let us serve you with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength. In Jesus precious name.