Do you hear what I hear

What a great set of passages from the bible (Jeremiah 23:21 to 25:38, 2 Psalm 84:1-12, Proverbs 25:15, & 2 Thessalonians 2:1 -17). God tells Judah through Jeremiah that many bad things are going to happen to them because they would not listen. I know there are many things that are trying to distract me from hearing the voice of God. What in your life is competing for your attention? What is God saying to you?

In Psalm 84, David demonstrates his focus on God and his passion to be close to God. David longs to enter into the courts where he can hear God’s voice and see him. It’s hard to hear God’s voice outside of his dwelling place. David says “Better is one day in your courts, than thousands elsewhere.” I’m trying to grasp what it would be like to experience 100% goodness, joy, peace etc.” Blessed is the man who trusts in you. Who do you trust today?

Paul gives a contrasting picture when he describes the antichrist – the one who practices lawlessness, worships himself and deceives many through counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. The reason many believe in the antichrist is because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. My prayer today is that God will his truth to me and protect me from the many deceptions so I can dwell in his courts and hear his voice. God Bless

Fruit of the Spirit

I love how Hezekiah’s first response to adversity is to pray. When the vast army came against him, he prayed. When his health was so bad he was going to die, he prayed. What do I do first when I face adversity? His prayer for his health was powerful to me. He was able to say to God that he walked wholeheartedly with God. Is there anything else that my heart is desiring other than God? Matthew 5 says that the pure in heart will see God.

I really enjoyed reading Galatians 6 “If a brother is in sin, restore him gently.” I’ve noticed that if I correct my daughter harshly, she tends to strongly resist changing her behavior or attitude, but if I ask her gently, she is much more likely to cooperate and respond. No wonder a fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. My prayer today is that God will forgive me for the times that I have been harsh towards others. Help me to seek Him first when I face adversity.

What do you do with freedom

God I pray that I can have faith like Hezekiah. I admire how he trusted in you when he was faced with the king of Assyria’s vast army. Even when the king said he was going to do horrible things to the people of Judah, Hezekiah did not give in. Instead he fasted and prayed to God. I love what he said to his people in 2 Chronicles 32:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and his vast army. For there is a greater power that is with us than is with them. With them is only an army of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God who will help us and fight our battles.” The next day, one angel of the Lord wiped out 200,000 soldiers in the Assyrian army.

Who is fighting your battle? I love how Galatians sets up a contrast between victory and defeat. At the time of Hezekiah, Israel was living in the first part of Galatians 5:19 “the acts of the flesh are obvious: Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Israel lived this lifestyle and the Assyrians wiped them out. On the other hand, Judah under Hezekiah’s humble leadership trusted in God and was protected from their enemies. Galatians 5:13 “You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh; rather serve one another humbly in love.

This verse challenges me as a free American to take responsibility and use my freedom to bless others. My prayer today is that God fill me with his spirit so the fruits “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” will be a blessing to others.

I can't believe that's in the bible!

Here is the reading for today Sept 7th: http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/bible

What an interesting combination of verses from Song of Solomon, Psalms and 2 Corinthians. Solomon is definitely in love with his wife. He describes her as perfect in every way. His wife returns his love. She is eager to serve him and excited to be with him. It’s quite a juicy description. I’m fascinated with how God made us to experience such joy in being intimate. My prayer today is to be able to behold God’s beauty and to be totally captivated by his perfection.

Psalm 51 is an example of the devastation of impurity. Temptation enticed David to sin by sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband. Consequently, he was weighed down with guilt, shame, and fear. His prayer was that God would have mercy on him and cleans him of all unrighteousness. His greatest fear (Verse 11) was that God would cast him from his presence. He earnestly prayed for a pure and willing heart. In Matthew 5 Jesus says “Blessed is the one with a pure heart for he will see God.” The word for pure means single minded. In other words, you can’t see God in the rear view mirror. You have to focus on him and reject any distractions. David expresses such a strong desire to praise God and share his love with others. My prayer today is that God will cleans me from my sin and fill me with joy of his salvation.

Finally, Paul talks about what happens when the Corinthians are totally sold out to God. He makes them rich in every way so that they can be generous on every occasion. When Solomon was in love with his wife, he was willing to give everything. What, if anything is keeping me from completely falling in love with God today and expressing it through generosity?

Great job Job!

I'm taking a different direction in my daily devotions. I am doing a "read through the bible in a year" program. It is part of the Old Testament, a Psalm, 1 or 2 verses from Proverbs, and a part from the New Testament. If you want to join me go to this link: http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/bible

Great job Job. I just finished reading the book of Job and it was a great experience. I found it interesting that Job blamed God for the bad things that were happening even though it was Satan who was attacking Job. Job won my respect with how faithful he was in keeping his integrity. He lost his family, his fortune, and his health. His friends were not helpful at all. In Job 42:7,  I felt challenged by God’s rebuke of Job’s friends. He says that he was angry at them because they did not speak correctly about who God is. Have you ever had someone misrepresent you? My prayer is that God will reveal more of himself and his character to me so I can represent him correctly. The New Testament reading from 2 Corinthians 5, fits neatly with this passage “We are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” God wants to reconcile others through me.

I was also impressed with how humble Job was after God spoke to him. He said that he would remain silent and listen to God because it was obvious that God had more wisdom than him. Then Job passionately repented and prayed for his friends. My prayer today is that I can hear God’s voice and be obedient to him. 

A formula for victory

I'm changing course with my daily devotions so this one comes from reading 1 Chronicles 16:37 - 18:17

God I see that you show up where there is righteousness. You gave David so many victories. You brought the story of Joshua and Achan to my mind. Joshua conquered great cities when God was with them. Once unrighteousness entered Israel by Achan stealing, you COULD (not would) not be with Israel when they fought the small town of Ai. A symptom of tolerating unrighteousness is that I’m getting beat by the little things. 


I love a story about a guy who took his 5 year old daughter to feed the ducks at the pond. While they were feeding the ducks, a goose came over and started honking angrily at his daughter. Then the goose runs at the little girl. Protectively the father picks up his daughter and starts running from the goose. The father is 6'3 and 220 lbs. After 15 seconds, a thought enters his mind "Wait a minute, I'm running from a 20 pound goose." He turns around and yells "Hey, stop chasing me or I'm going to punt you." This story always challenges me to see if I'm running from any geese. Any way, back to being spiritual :) 


Joshua’s response is extreme but clarifies what I need to do with the unrighteousness that I have tolerated. Joshua casts lots to find out who sinned and put Achan and his whole family to death. My prayer is that I will put to death all the ways that unrighteousness is trying to take over, so that I will have victories in sharing God’s love with others. 

John 17

John 17 journal

Proverbs of the day Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. This verse challenged me to check for jealousy. Am I jealous of someone in my family or work? How can I let go of that and experience the peace that comes from walking with God?

John 17

Jesus prays that his disciples won’t be taken out of the world, but that they would be protected from the enemy. I also read today about Felix and Paul. Paul would not compromise his integrity and give Felix a bribe. Felix unfairly left Paul in prison. Has life been unfair to you recently? It amazes me how God uses unfair situations to strengthen my character (ouch) and through a stronger character, I can be responsible with the blessing that he has given me. Jesus also prayed that I would come to know the righteous God. I pray that all the distractions will leave me and I will be able to see, hear, and know more of God today

1 Kings 10 journal

1 Kings 10 journal

Proverbs of the day – Proverbs 17:4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. The wisdom that God gave Solomon allowed him to build the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, even until today. His downfall was that he married women who worshipped gods other than Jehovah and listened to their wicked lips (1 Kings 11). God challenged me with the question, who am I listening to that has evil lips?

1 Kings 10

The world’s wealthiest nation in history was definitely Israel during Solomon’s reign as king. Silver was more common than the stones (Which are all over the place). Many things were made out of gold because it was common as well.  How did Solomon do this? When he became king, he offered the biggest sacrifice to honor God. God was so impressed that he gave Solomon a blank check (1 King 3:5). Solomon asked for the ability to serve the people he governed well (wisdom) and to distinguish between right and wrong. Then one of the first things that Solomon did was build a temple to honor and worship God. He went all out to build the temple. God challenged me with several questions today. What am I willing to sacrifice to demonstrate that God is #1 in my life? If I had a blank check, what would I ask for? What would I do first? How am I going to serve others today?

Unfortunately Solomon didn’t finish well. He didn’t follow God’s plan for selecting a mate and married women that led him to worship other gods. His tolerance of evil eventually led to the down economy.

The formula for building a strong economy seems pretty simple to me. Put God first, passionately seek wisdom from him with the purpose of serving others and do not tolerate evil.  My prayer today is that I will live this out.

John 16 Journal

John 16 journal

Proverbs of the day - Proverbs 13:10 where there is strife, there is pride. In what areas am I experiencing conflict? How am I being prideful? In John 16, Jesus prophecies that there will be major strife between them and people who claim to follow God, but have too much pride to hear what God is really saying.

John 16

Jesus tells his disciples that they will suffer great persecution. People will kill them and think that they are helping God. He then tells them that he will be going away. Today I really struggled with the question “Why does God allow Satan to deceive and kill and destroy his amazing creation?” I see the some of the deception in my life and in others and it saddens me. My first response is that he will find out who is really searching for him. When I asked this question on my walk tonight, the story of Job came to mind.  He had terrible friends and an unbelievably horrible wife, yet he remained faithful to God. Wow, how did he do it? I have great friends and a fantastic wife, yet I can’t seem to stay on track. Jesus’ promise to his disciples in verse 20 was powerful to me “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” Jesus also reminds me that even though his closest friends abandoned him, he still had peace because he knew his father was with him. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 15 Journal

John 15 Journal

Proverbs of the Day – Proverbs 12:15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.

John 15 journal : There is a neat connection between Proverbs 12:15 and John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” In order to avoid the way of the fool, it’s essential to not only listen to God’s advice, but to do everything to make sure that his words remain in me. This verse is challenging me to memorize scripture, personalize scripture, and share it with others.

Verse 15 is amazing to me. He calls me a friend and has chosen me. What a privilege to be called a friend of God. A friend is someone who can be trusted with secrets. Abraham was called a friend of God. It is interesting that God revealed a lot of awesome things to Abraham. My curiosity burns to know some of God’s secrets. How do I earn his trust? It looks like it is not only to love God but also, to love others (Verse 17). What does it mean to love one another “Greater love has no one than this: To lay down one’s life for one’s friends. My prayer today is that God will cleanse me of my pride so I can live for others. I pray I can be someone that God can trust and that his words will remain in me.

John 14 Journal

John 14 journal

Proverbs of the day – Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. A humble person always realizes that there is something else to learn while a prideful person lets everyone know how much he knows.

John 14 journal. Thomas asks a great question “How can we know the way?” Jesus’ response is a classic “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” Sometimes the way can get confusing. My prayer today is that Jesus will reveal himself to me so that I can know the way to the father.

Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will come and be an advocate for them. The term advocate is similar to an attorney who defends you in court. Today I feel accused and am in need of an advocate. I praise you Jesus for being my defender. The Holy Spirit also reveals truth. Proverbs 11:2 has a lot of application here. My prayer is that God will show me the areas that I need to change and give me the strength to change them quickly. I read in a book last night that people who complain are like “Poop magnets.” Whatever you focus on gets bigger and more valuable in your life. I’ve noticed that I’ve been too focused on the problems and not the solutions. My prayer is that I will keep my focus on God today so he will grow in value and importance in my life as well as my problems will diminish.  I’m very excited about today being Good Friday and I’m looking forward to the Seder meal tonight.

John 13 journal

John 13 Journal

Proverbs of the Day : Proverbs 10:7 The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot. Who do you know with the name Judas? Proverbs 10:11-12 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

John 13 It amazes me that God loves me so much that he cares about every detail and he is willing to serve me in every way. When Jesus washes his disciples feet, he fulfills John 13:1 Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Sometimes I’ve seen that I reject God’s acts of service to me, just like Peter. My prayer today is that Jesus will wash me and cleanse me. Jesus says that he is serving his disciples because he wants them to go and be a blessing to others. I pray that I can be a blessing to many people today.

The mouth of the wicked conceals violence and hatred stirs up conflict. Judas’ anger about the perfume leads him to betray Jesus. He conceals his violence and his hatred stirs up conflict. God I surrender to you today. Help  me by washing away any hatred or any violence that is in me.

John 12 journal

John 12 Journal

Proverbs of the day – Proverbs 9:10-11 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

John 12 Journal – Mary seemed to have knowledge of the Holy One and demonstrated it by her actions. She took a bottle of perfume worth about $40,000 and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Her actions showed that she valued Jesus more than the perfume and she was willing to get on her knees to serve him by wiping his feet (People’s feet were generally very nasty from all the stuff on the dirt roads) with her hair. This part of the story challenged me to consider if there is anything that I would not sacrifice in order to demonstrate that I valued Jesus more than any possession.

On the other hand, Judas had a much different response. He got extremely angry because he saw the perfume as being wasted. How do you determine what god you worship and serve? By what makes you angry.  Judas worshipped money and he got angry that he was not going to be able to sell the perfume and help himself to the money that would be put in the treasury. Placing a higher value on money than Jesus is what led Judas to betray Jesus and experience the guilt that comes from worshipping the wrong god.

The chief priests also had the wrong motives. They wanted to kill Lazarus because many people were putting their faith in Jesus.  How sad it is that they could not see the wonderful miracle that Jesus performed and put their faith in him.

My prayer today is that God would give me the faith of Mary. I pray that my actions will show that I value Jesus above anything else.

John 11 journal

John 11 journal

Proverbs of the Day – Proverbs 8:13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

The opposite of Proverbs 8:13 is found in the story from John 11. After Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees became terrified that the people would believe in Jesus. The result would be that they would lose their temple and nation. It’s sad that they derived their self worth and identity from the temple and the power from ruling their nation. It’s fascinating to me that because they did not believe in Jesus, they lost the temple and their nation 40 years after Jesus was crucified.

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead gives me a tremendous amount of hope.  Jesus waits 4 days after Lazarus was put in the tomb. There was no doubt that Lazarus was dead. I’m trying to imagine what the facial expressions of the crowd were, when Lazarus walked out of the tomb. WOW! What a moment that must have been. Jesus makes a powerful statement “I am the resurrection.” If something is dead in your life, go to Jesus with Martha’s attitude “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. . .” I believe Jesus can resurrect someone’s finances, marriage, estranged family members or any grave situation. My prayer today is that I will completely reject the prideful attitudes of the Pharisees and the doubtful depressing attitude of Thomas. Instead I pray that I can fully adopt Martha’s attitude of belief and faith that Jesus is the resurrection and brings life.

John 10 Journal

John 10 journal

Proverbs of the day – 7:21-23 With persuasive words she (adulterous woman) led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

John 10. The voice of the adulterous woman and Jesus’ voice lead to different outcomes. Following Jesus’ voice results in abundant life (verse 10). There are many other voices, but they lead to death. In John 10 Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who is willing to lay his life down for his sheep.  A hired hand will flee when a wolf comes, but the shepherd who owns the sheep will fight the wolf even if it means death. It’s awesome that God will never abandon us. Those who do not hear his voice will reject him and dismiss the miracles he performs.  My prayer today is that I will hear his voice and follow him like a sheep. 

John 9 Journal

John 9 journal

Proverbs of the day. Proverbs 6:16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. This passage parallels well with John 9. The eyes of the Pharisees were blinded because of pride (haughtiness)

John 9 journal – I love the story of Jesus healing the blind man. When the Pharisees question the blind man about who Jesus is, he says “I don’t know if Jesus is a sinner or not. All I know is that I was blind and now I see.” After the Pharisees kick him out of the synagogue, he finds Jesus and worships him. This story makes me want to praise God for all the things he has done in my life. He has blessed me with an incredible wife and daughter, awesome friends, and a great purpose for my life. How has God changed my life? He has healed me and given me confidence. He has given me a hope of a better future. He has given me peace. The response of the Pharisees and the blind man’s parents is unfortunate. The Pharisees felt threatened because Jesus healed on the Sabbath and the blind man’s parents were afraid of being thrown out of the synagogue. It’s interesting that the one that was not blinded by pride nor afraid of what others think got to know Jesus and believe in him. My prayer today is that I will reject the fear of what others think and renounce the pride that wants to blind my eyes from seeing the beauty of my Lord.

John 8 Journal

Proverbs of the Day – Proverbs 5:3-4 “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.” Many things appear to provide pleasure forever. If those things go against God’s will, they will end up in bitterness.

John 8 journal – The story of the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus by bringing a woman caught in adultery is an example of how deceived people will do everything possible to rebel against God. There have been times when I felt like almost everyone wanted to throw stones at me, make false accusations, or amplify my challenges. It’s comforting to know that I have one who will fight my battles. Jesus then tells the woman to leave her life of sin. How is God asking me to change my life? I see areas where I have pride. I read a great Proverbs the other day (Proverbs 22:4 the reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches, honor, and life). My prayer today is that God will give me a humble heart and show me how to respect him more. I praise you God for fighting my battles. 

John 7 journal

John 7 journal

Proverbs of the day- Proverbs 4:24 Keep your mouth from perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. My prayer is that God would prevent me from saying bad things about other people today and fill me with kind words that build others up.

John 7 journal. It’s interesting how fixated the leaders were on the prophesy that no one would know where Jesus came from. Several times they mention that “no one will know where Jesus is from.” The discussion centered around Jesus being from Galilee. I believe the prophecy was about the leaders not knowing that he was from God. What prevented them, and would prevent me from discerning the difference? How does this apply to our interpretation of the book of Revelations? The leaders had one major character flaws. When Jesus confronted them with the question “Why are you trying to kill me?” they lied and slandered him “you are demon-possessed.” Why do people lie? Jesus says in verse 18 “Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” My prayer today is to be someone who chooses to do the will of God. 

John 6 journal

John 5 journal

Proverbs of the day:  Proverbs 9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops, then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine. I think the biggest competitor for lordship in my life is the god of money (also known as mammon). One of the ways to reject mammon’s influence in my life is to give to God. God’s purpose is to use money to win people into his kingdom and extend his grace. mammon’s purpose is to use people to gain money and oppress people. My prayer today is that I will be take advantage of the opportunities I have to give first to God and others.

John 5. I love the story of Jesus multiplying the bread. He must have gotten it from Costco. Do you notice how long things last when you get them from Costco or Sam’s club? Philip’s response is interesting. He reflexively said “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.” Without a miracle, it would be expensive to feed everyone. Philip skips over the fact that God can provide. My prayer today is that I will look to God first to solve my problems.

I also like the way this miracle reflects who Jesus is. He provides bread for them to eat and then states that he is the bread from heaven and whoever comes to him will never go hungry. It’s unfortunate that many of the disciples got stuck on seeing a “big” sign from Jesus. They must have missed the one he just performed. My prayer: I will come to God in every way and not go spiritually hungry and that I won’t be stuck on seeing a sign that I miss what God really wants me to do.

John 5 Journal

John 5 journal

Proverbs 2:3 – 5 Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. The man who is healed in John 5 did not display the knowledge of these verses.

John 5. The healing of the man who was an invalid for 38 years is tremendous. Jesus asked him a great question “Do you want to get well?” How many people don’t want to improve their situation for whatever reason “dislike of change” “Fear of the unknown” etc? In response to Jesus’ question, the man gives an excuse. (this challenges me to stop giving excuses for what God is calling me to do) The Jewish leaders get angry that the man carried his matt on the Sabbath. How crazy is that? However, their actions challenge me to look at my life to see my traditions and comfort zone is keeping God from moving in my life. Then the story gets really interesting. The leaders ask the healed man who performed the miracle. The man doesn’t know. A little while later Jesus meets the man and confronts him “Stop sinning or something worse will happen to you.” What does the man do? He goes back to the Jewish leaders and tells them who healed him. As a result, Jesus is persecuted. This tells me that I have to be totally careful when others and especially God confronts me with my sin. My prayer is that I will do much better in this area. I pray that God will expose the traditions in my life that prevent him from working in my life. I pray that I will handle confrontation better. 

John 4 Journal

John 4 Journal

Proverbs of the day – Proverbs 1:23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. What do you think it would be like to know the thoughts of God?

John 4. When Jesus meets the woman at the well, he is willing to talk to her even though she is a Samaritan and a woman. Culturally, this was bad. To the surprise of his disciples, Jesus was willing to cross cultural boundaries of hate, in order to connect and share God’s love with everyone who will receive. Am I willing to do the same? Who needs the living water that provides eternal life?

I see an interesting contrast between the Samaritans and Jews. The Jews needed to see a sign before they would believe, while the Samaritans believed because of what Jesus said. Which one am I? Do I have to see a miraculous sign in order to believe and trust in Jesus?

My prayer today is that God will put people in my path that need to know that he cares about them and that he will give me the wisdom and strength to share it.  

John 3

John 3 journal

Proverbs 31:4-5 It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. To me God was saying that there is a sacrifice for those in authority. They must take responsibility to stay away from things that will cause them to forget to serve those under them.

Are the first 30 chapters of proverbs for husbands and the last half of chapter 31 for wives? Hmm. (Is God saying that the guys have more to work on than the ladies?)

John 3. I like Jesus’ analogy of the wind and the Holy Spirit. We can’t see the wind, but we see how it affects the environment. The wind could be gentle or a violent hurricane. Sometimes the Holy Spirit speaks gently to people, and other times, it’s a harsh correction. My prayer today is that I will respond correctly to both the gentleness and the correction of the Holy Spirit and that the effects will be evident to others.

It’s unfortunate that people love the darkness for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 1 John 1:9 is one of my favorite verses “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” What an awesome God who is quick and faithful to show mercy to a repentant heart. My prayer today is that God will turn any areas of stone in my heart into a flexible heart. 

John 2

John 2 journal

Proverbs of the day – Proverbs 29:5 Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Are there arrows flying towards you today? Having a shield would be a good thing.

John 2: Running out of wine at a wedding party must have been a huge social mistake. Have you been in an embarrassing situation recently? I’ve heard that wine was a symbol of joy. To run out of wine would be like running out of joy. Jesus rescues the situation by turning the water into wine. This is an example of how God can remove shame from my life. He takes my sorrow and turns it into joy. What a privilege to walk today with the one who can turn a sour situation into a joy filled occasion. My prayer today is that I can walk with Him and share his joy with others. 

John 1 Journal

John 1 Journal

Proverbs of the day: Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Is there an area where I am concerned about what others think?

John 1 is a great chapter. I like how John immediately explains that Jesus is God and he provides light in the darkness and life to those who believe. Nathanael’s profession of Jesus being the Messiah really caught my attention. The title that Jesus gives Nathanael is pretty awesome “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael immediately puts his faith in Jesus. There must be a strong relationship between truthfulness and genuine faith in God. As a result, Nathanael got to see amazing things “You will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ on the Son of Man.” What are some of the other treasures that come from not allowing deceit in your life and developing a genuine faith in Christ? My prayer today is that he will be the light that shines on me and reveals things that I need to change.

Matthew 28 Journal

Matthew 28 journal

Proverbs of the day:   Proverbs 28: 13-14  Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble. (I couldn’t resist including verse 14 because in Matthew 28, the guards become like dead men at the sight of the angel. Unfortunately, when the guards met with the elders, their hearts were hardened. They concealed their sin and did not confess. Instead they spread a lie about what happened. As a result, Israel was destroyed 40 years later by the Romans. Also, I like how Proverbs explains that the one who renounces their sin will find mercy. My prayer today is that God will reveal any sins in me that I am “comfortable” with, and change my heart to desire purity.

Matthew 28. I like how the women were filled with joy after getting the report that Jesus was alive. It’s amazing how quickly God can change sadness into joy when we see what he is going to do. My prayer today is that God will reveal his exciting plans and fill me with joy.

Matthew 27 Journal

Matthew 27 journal

Proverbs of the day:  Proverbs 27:2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.

Matthew 27. Jesus applies Proverbs 27:2 when Pilate asked him if he was going to defend himself from all the accusations from the religious leaders. Instead of exposing their lies, he remained silent. Pilate was greatly amazed. I think the hardest thing to do when you know you are being falsely accused is to remain silent. In Proverbs, it says to allow an outsider to praise you. At this moment it probably seemed like God wasn’t going to answer (Has anyone else had a moment like that?). However, God has perfect timing. My prayer today is that I will have the self control to remain silent and let God defend me.

The next thing that grabbed my attention was what happened when Jesus died on the cross. The curtain in the temple was torn in two. The curtain is what separated the priest from the presence of God. Without being purified, the priest would die if he went into God’s presence. Now because of Jesus’ sacrifice we have the opportunity to enter his presence in a purified condition. My prayer today is that I will get to experience being in his presence.

Finally, I noticed that the Pharisees wanted to permanently put Jesus in the tomb. They had it sealed and guarded in order to prevent the “deception” from spreading. However, they could not stop God’s plan. My prayer today is that I will let Jesus out of the tomb instead of trying to seal and guard it.

Matthew 26 Journal

Matthew 26 Journal

Proverbs of the day Proverbs 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Matthew 26. It’s hard for me to imagine the agony that Jesus suffered in order to pay the price for my sin. Sometimes thinking about how bad something is going to be, creates pain. Jesus knew what he was going to experience and fell to the ground and asked for the cup to be taken from him. I wonder what he saw after he said this? Did he see billions of people set free from sin and redeemed? Whatever it was, it must have been awesome enough to illicit the response “Not as I will, but as you will.” My prayer today is that I will surrender all my selfish desires in order to do his will.

I think the betrayal of a close friend is one of the most painful things anyone can experience. It must have been hard for Jesus to watch his disciples flee and to hear Peter deny that he even knew Jesus. I know I am tempted to do lots of foolish things when I feel betrayed. If you want a laugh, read the first part of Proverbs 26. It has some amusing descriptions of fools. Jesus’ ability to accomplish God’s mission even after being betrayed, ridiculed, and beaten, inspires me. What an awesome God we serve! I pray that today I have the strength to do what’s right no matter what comes my way.

Matthew 25

Matthew 25 journal

Proverbs of the day: Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self control. This verse challenged me to look at the areas where I don’t have self control and examine the results. Earlier this week I walked past the refrigerator and a voice from the ice cream box called out “You are hungry. You deserve lots of ice cream.” Pretty soon half the container was gone (I wonder where it went) and I woke up at 2 am because my stomach was screaming “AHHH” What areas can God help me gain more self control? Diet, what I say to others, my thoughts, finances, etc?

Matthew 25. Today the parable of the bags of gold really stood out to me. The 2 people, who went out and multiplied what the master had given them, were rewarded with more. The one who did nothing was thrown out. Why did the master throw the lazy servant out? Why didn’t he have compassion on him, and take gold from the other servants to give to the lazy servant? I believe it is because he had more compassion on the people that would have been served if the lazy servant had done his job. Verse 35 explains what the work is: Feed the hungry, take care of the sick, visit those in prison, etc. God is looking for those who will glorify him by completing the purpose he has for their life. My prayer today is that God will give me a clarity and passion for his purpose. I surrender my desires to you and I pray that I can be a blessing to many people today (especially my wife).

Matthew 24 Journal

Matthew 24 journal

Proverbs of the day : Proverbs 24:19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked. I’m sure in the end times, the evildoers will probably cause a lot of fretting (you could probably build a lot of guitars J ). Something that helps me in that situation is to remember the final destination of evil doers. It helps me change perspective of them and actually pray for them. There is a Psalm where David describes this situation. If you know the #, please post it in a comment.

Matthew 24. This chapter amazes me at the level of deception that will take place at the end times. The false prophets will perform many signs and wonders that will deceive the people. This tells me that it’s important not to worship and seek after the signs, but the sign maker. How do you know who is a false prophet?

Jesus says he will return when we do not expect it and we should be ready. I wondered what it would be like if he came tonight. What would I have done differently today if I knew? I want to be the wise and faithful servant. The place of weeping and gnashing of teeth does not sound pleasant.

My prayer today is for God to prepare me and protect me from deception.

Matthew 23 journal

Proverbs of the day 23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.

Matthew 23 Unfortunately the Pharisees and rulers of the law were not aware of the king who was in their presence. This whole chapter exposes the evil of religion without relationship. I like how he points out the most important part of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This verse challenges me to see if there are areas where I need to show more mercy. How do I treat those who God has given me authority over them?

Also, I really like how Jesus points out the importance of examining the inside instead of only focusing on the outside appearance. One of the prayer formats that I love is called the Tabernacle prayer. There is a progression to enter the presence of God. The second station is a bowl with a mirror that reflects who I am. What do you see in the mirror? Things to watch out for are greed and self-indulgence. Proverbs 23 is excellent for illustrating the results of being a drunkard, glutton, and adulteress. It’s not a path I want to go down. The best way is to monitor what’s going on with your thoughts, emotions and actions.

My prayer is that God will cleanse me on the inside and use me for his purpose today.

Matthew 22 Journal

Matthew 22 journal

Proverbs of the day 22:4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

The parable of the wedding banquet tells me that God is inviting me to a feast and celebration. However, I allow many distractions to prevent me from partaking of that feast. Do you see a relationship with God as a set of rules that you must obey or a celebration of life and joy? This parable reminds me that the feast is available, but the enemy has uses many deceptive devices to rob me of an awesome experience with God. Today I will not allow this to happen. I’m going to the banquet.

In the end of Matthew 22, the Pharisees and Sadducees did not apply Proverbs 22:4. They showed their arrogance by trying so hard to trap him with questions about paying the temple tax, marriage and the resurrection, and the greatest commandment. Jesus responds with such wisdom. I love how he sums up the greatest commandments into two sentences: Love God and love your neighbor. My prayer today is that I can accomplish both. God take away my arrogance so I can love you and the incredible people you created.

Matthew 21 Journal

Proverbs of the day, 21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. In Matthew 21 we see how Jesus responds to the money changers who were robbing people. Have you recently had an experience with helping the poor? What was the result? I love doing Habitat for Humanity. I remember my relationship with God being the strongest when I was driving to help a poor person build a home. When I give of my time to help those who are less fortunate than me, I’ve experienced God blessing me with ideas that lead to more success.

Matthew 21:15 is what stood out the most to me today. I’m assuming the reason why they were upset with Jesus, for receiving the praise from the people, was because they were jealous. I’ve noticed in my life that jealousy often leads to anger. What makes me jealous? Usually it’s areas where I desire to receive honor and place a high degree of value : My work (If someone seems more successful than me), my family (if I perceive they love someone more than me). Have you ever gotten jealous of someone else’s relationship with God? Maybe you read the bible and thought “God blesses Moses by allowing him to part the Red Sea, but I can’t even part my hair right today? (LOL) On a more serious note, we can tell what we worship by what makes us angry and jealous. David killed Goliath because Goliath made David angry by mocking his God.

My prayer today : God reveal what is making me angry and jealous. Help me to shift it from unrighteous anger (like the teachers of the law) to righteous anger (like David).

Bonus Proverbs 21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Matthew 20 Journal

Matthew 20 Journal

Proverbs 20:3 It is to one's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. This verse convicted me today because I see there are areas of my life where I am quick to quarrel. I recognize it's harder to avoid strife and that is why there is a lot of honor for doing it. In your opinion, if we run from conflict are we avoiding strife or causing it?

Matthew 20 : One proud mama. It seems to be my nature to want to be noticed. The mother in verse 20 was no exception. She wanted her sons to be at the right and left of Jesus. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to challenge them to change their perspective. Instead of trying to make others serve you, strive to serve others. A servant in the biblical days was often one who would clean off people's feet when they entered a house. The roads in those days were littered with animal droppings. The servant had a pretty smelly job. It would be like going over to someone's house and cleaning their toilet. Jesus says the person who is willing to serve others, even the dirtiest job, receives the most honor in the kingdom of God. Why is that? Do we devalue people when we refuse to serve them? 

My prayer is that God will open my eyes to see the needs of others and put a strong desire in my heart to meet those needs. I pray that my service honors God. 

Matthew 19 journal

Matthew 19 Journal

Proverb of the day 19:22 What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. We search for unfailing love in many places: Spouse, career, children, friends, status; but there is only one source of love that never fails; a relationship with God. The second part of the verse intrigues me. To be a source of unfailing love, you have to walk in truth. (What do you think?)

Matthew 19 Divorce and Money

Jesus expresses God’s desire for marriage to be a union that no one separates. He explains that people want to get divorced because their hearts are hardened (It’s interesting that Matthew 18 finishes with a parable about the unmerciful servant and Matthew 19 starts with why people want to get divorced). A successful marriage is the result of two people who are good at forgiving. Although betrayal is probably the deepest wound someone can experience, God does not want a husband and wife to divorce in the case of unfaithfulness. Verse 9 says that someone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery. It does not say “It’s okay to divorce your spouse because of unfaithfulness.” You are just exempt from the title adulteress. Does God have the character trait of faithfulness or unfaithfulness? The whole book of Hosea is about how God loves us even though we are unfaithful and allow other gods to replace him. An inspiring story that I heard a few years ago was about a husband who had an affair with his secretary. He moved out and left his wife and two children. She decided not to get a divorce, but to pray for him every day. After two long years, one day he woke up and said “Oh my God, I’m sleeping with my secretary.” He went through a restoration process and came back to his family. Today they have an extremely strong marriage.

So the question is “What makes your heart hard?” Is there a family member that has a bad habit?

The chapter concludes with a story about the rich man. He is definitely task oriented because he asks Jesus how he can earn eternal life by doing something. Jesus challenges his god by asking him to give away his possessions to the poor. He couldn’t do it because he worshipped money. How can I dethrone the god of money and replace it with the God of Life? The god of money is called Mammon in the New Testament. His purpose is to use people to gain more money. God has the opposite view. He wants us to use money to win people into his kingdom. This story is a perfect example. It’s interesting that Proverbs 19 contains so many verses about the positive things that happen when wealth is in the right hand. I pray that God gives me the character and wisdom to do the right thing with wealth.

Matthew 18 Journal

Matthew 18 journal

POTD (Proverbs of the Day)

(NKJV) Proverbs 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. There are many different ways to isolate yourself.

This proverb is one of my favorite ones because it reminds me how important it is to develop great relationships with people because I’ve noticed that when I don’t surround myself with awesome people, I make very bad decisions.

One way isolation can occur is through unforgiveness. Jesus uses a great parable about the unmerciful servant who does not forgive even after he has been forgiven. I feel challenged to let go of the things people have done to harm me. How do you get to the place where you can forgive like Jesus is asking us to forgive? My prayer is that God will make me aware of how much he has forgiven me and to make me extremely quick to forgive others. The last part of the parable doesn’t sound like fun (Being tortured). Have you ever felt tortured when you couldn’t let something go that bothered you? I pray you have a day filled with grace and mercy.

Here is something interesting that I heard this week: Mercy and grace have the same definition = getting something you don’t deserve. Sometimes we deserve punishment, yet I get to go free (mercy). Other times I don’t deserve something good, yet receive it (grace).

Matthew 17 Journal

Proverbs for the day 

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 

The story of the transfiguration reminds me of a joke : How do we know God is a man? He always uses short sentences. (Just to prevent someone from getting angry at me: We all know that God demonstrates masculine and feminine qualities right?)

God does say some powerful things about Jesus. Today I really heard the words “With him I am well pleased.” What prevents many people from hearing these words from God? Am I holding on to guilt about something I did wrong and won’t let God forgive me? Am I angry at someone else and won’t forgive them for something they did? I’ve found it’s hard to hear from God in both of these situations.

Jesus mentions that Elijah had already come and been rejected. What did Elijah do? He turned the hearts of the people back to God. John the Baptist did the same thing. How close is my heart to God?

Next Jesus rebukes his disciples for not having enough faith to drive out a demon. He says “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed and say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” What mountain is stuck on your shoulders and weighing you down? Have the faith to remove it and be free.

Matthew 16 Journal

Matthew 16 journal

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Who do you work for?

Jesus asks a great question “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds that he is THE Messiah. This morning, I hear Jesus asking “Am I your Messiah?” How about you? All through the Old Testament you can see the difference between people like David who say “God, you are my God,” and people like Saul when he talks to Samuel “Let us go and worship YOUR God.” Saul’s problem was that he never let God be HIS God.

Identity crisis. Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter which means Rock. Peter’s name meant solid ground. Jesus also gives Peter a purpose. Peter is responsible for the keys to the kingdom of God (No Pressure). Often in the bible, when people encounter God, they experience a new identity and a new purpose. Who do you see yourself as? Who does God see you as? What is your purpose? Imagine an airplane being built and at the end the builders say “What are we going to use this for? Maybe we can hang some plants on it.” NO, an airplane was designed for the purpose of flying. God designed you for a purpose and it will involve sharing more of his love, mercy, and grace into this world. The only way to find your purpose is to surrender everything to him and allow him to be your Messiah.

Shortly after Peter’s revelation, he displays his human nature to trying to tell God what to do. Jesus exposes the plan that he will have to suffer and die. Peter rebukes Jesus to tell him his own plan. Unfortunately, Peter does not see the big picture and the long term benefits of Jesus’ necessary sacrifice. Is there a something that you need to sacrifice in order to allow God to leave a legacy through you? For me, I see God asking me to spend less time on the computer and more quality time with my family. (Oops, gotta go)

Matthew 15 journal

Matthew 15 journal

Proverbs of the day 15:1, a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. In the middle of Matthew 15, Jesus says that what comes out of a man is what defiles him. What is coming out of my mouth? In what areas do I have pride? How do I talk to my wife, daughter, and parents?

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees demonstrate their power comes from the law and their traditions. They seem to pounce on people when the law is violated. How do you know what you worship? By what makes you angry. In John 5 Jesus says they diligently studied the Scriptures because they thought that was the road to eternal life.  The Pharisees got angry when Jesus didn’t follow their traditions because they feared they were going to lose their power. Jesus demonstrates that his power comes from God and can be determined by the heart and what it desires. What does my heart desire? How persistent and strong is that desire? The Canaanite woman was very persistent when Jesus denied her daughter’s healing. She demonstrated many of the benefits that Proverbs 15 mentions. Verse 4 “The soothing tongue is a tree of life. . . verse 7 the lips of the wise spread knowledge. . .”

My prayer for today is that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit and all that comes out of my mouth today will bless others.

Matthew 14 Journal

Matthew 14 journal

King Herod demonstrates his human nature. He did not want to do what was right. John the Baptist had the boldness to tell him. Herod wants to kill John, but he is scared of what the people will think. I’ve found myself in that situation. Why do we care so much about what other people think sometimes? Herod continues down his path of unrighteousness and has John executed because he was afraid of what other people think again. God is asking me “What areas of your life are you allowing unrighteousness because you are afraid of what others think?” I see some areas in finances. We will be buying a car soon (Finance or pay cash. Hmm) A good friend of mine says “PAY CASH” “stay out of debt.”

In verse 14, the word that sticks out the most is “Compassion.” Jesus has compassion and then there is a miracle. How can we stimulate Jesus’ compassion? This crowd was hungry for more than food. They wanted to hear what he had to say and they wanted him to heal their loved ones. How hungry am I to hear what God has to say and heal my loved ones? Would I risk going to a mountain, where I might not get to eat, to hear what God has to say?

In verse 22 through the end of the chapter, I am amazed by Peter’s trust in Jesus. He put his life in Jesus’ word “come” and Peter walked on water. Would I be the one disciple out of 11 who gets out of the boat? Am I stuck in my comfort zone so much that I’m not willing to take a risk by doing what God has asked me to do? What is my “boat” or comfort zone?

Matthew 13 Journal

Matthew 13

Jesus tells a lot of parables but only some can understand. What is the difference between those who understand and those that don’t? Praying the opposite of Isaiah’s would put me in the understanding category : Open my eyes to see you God; open my ears to hear you; let my heart be soft and forgiving. Another clue lies in Jesus’ description of the parable of the seed. The first group allows Satan to snatch the seed from their hearts. The second group did not allow the roots to grow deep. The third group allows thorns and weeds (aka deceit) to choke the word. But the fourth group yields a huge crop. Protect your heart from the birds of lies. Grasp the bible and embrace it’s message to drive your roots deep in the truth. Eliminate the distractions and deceit of wealth to have a pure heart towards God. Then you will experience the abundance of peace and joy that comes from living in the kingdom.

Leadership principle from Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to a rebuke. In Jesus’ parable of the sowing the seeds, there is a rebuke for those who do not allow their hearts to be fertile ground. The people could not hear the rebuke.

Jesus is very vocal about the end times and the separation of the righteous and unrighteous. There is a hell that will be utter torment for those who reject God. What is your image of being in hell? How can we share the message of life, hope, and love that God gives?

Matthew 12 Journal

Jesus says “I desire mercy not sacrifice.” Doing good to people is more important than tradition. In what areas do I withhold mercy for the sake of my tradition. The Pharisees were so threatened by Jesus doing good for others that they plotted murder. That’s a scary attachment to traditions. Jesus says that we will know a good tree by the fruit it bears. I pray that he helps me to bear good fruit. Then the Pharisees ask for a sign. Even after Jesus dies and rises from the dead, they still do not believe. Search me God and remove any bad fruit: Jealousy, rage, bitterness, impurity etc. Lastly, it is important when evil is removed, to replace it with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise it can get seven times worse. 

Matthew 11

Matthew 11 journal

I see that the spirit of rebellion will cause me to make excuses instead of finding reasons to worship Jesus. The generation said that John was a demon because he did not eat and drink, but then stated that Jesus was a drunkard and a glutton because he ate and drank (verse 18). The spirit of rebellion always goes against the opposite of the spirit of submission and repentance.

Jesus condemns several cities of not repenting even after witnessing incredible miracles. I remember standing on the mountainside of Capernaum and Chorazin. It was empty. 700 years after Jesus prophesied that these cities would go down to the depths, an earthquake destroyed these towns and they were never rebuilt. This is only one of so many prophesies that the bible demonstrates as being fulfilled.

Finally, Jesus praises God for hiding spiritual things from the wise and learned. He will reveal things to those he chooses. What would it take for Jesus to chose me today for a revelation? My thought is repentance. What is the result? Rest and peace. It’s interesting that this morning I woke up at about 4:00 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. My prayer, show me where I need to repent and change what I'm doing. Revelation please :)