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)