Monday, June 26, 2017

Restoring joy and peace

S 2 Tim 2
22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

O- Paul's guidance to Timothy was based on wisdom and the holy spirit, knowing what challenges we all face when it comes to following gods plan for our lives.  The things we chased as young men like wealth , popularity, recognition  all distract from focusing on what God has planned for us. 

A- the application for me is to recognize how susceptible I am still to wanting things of the world  instead of a righteous life.   I feel the relief of a burden lifted coming out of this season, knowing my focus has been restored, and the distractions of a wanting and comparing life are heavy.

P dear love
Rd thank you for sticking with me through this last season, I couldn't have made it through without your grace and mercy.   I thank you for what your spirit is doing in me to restore the joy and peace in my life.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Spirig of power, love, an self discipline

S - 2 Tim 1
6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

O-what great words of  encouragement from Paul to Timothy.   Timothy was left to support one of the churches that he and Paul had started,  and Paul understood the challenges and discouragement he would face but Paulsm reminder was a great reminder of what we all have in our relationship with God.  We have the holy spirit in us,  which is a spirit of power, love and self discipline,   not of fear and timidness.

A THE Application for me is to beginnwalking again in the spirit of godly power, love, and self discipline.   The season of be lead by fear and timidity  is over.

P dear heavenly father I pray your spirit in me take over and conquer the spirit of fear and timidity in me.  I confess I allowed these spirits to dwell in me,  and promise to be on guard and not let them take residence in my life again.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Store up the right treasure

S 1 Tim 6
17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

O - the potential of money is both for downfall of men and of great good.  When money leads to pride and a feeling of independence from dependence on God it leads to man's fall.  When trusting in God's provision  we are able to live a good and generous life.

A the application for me is to continue to shift my trust from myself to the Lord for provision.   I first need to trust financially the present situation as we move to Bremerton,  and work my way back to the abundant and generous lifestyle that please see the Lord and brings joy to our lives.

P  Lord I pray that your holy spirit guide me to putting my trust financially in your hand.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Monday, June 19, 2017

receiving the fullness of Gods love

S-1Tim 1

5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6

O- Paul lays out for Timothy the purpose of hearing the gospel and studying God's word.  So that we might be filled with God's love.     In order to make room fully for God's love in our life our heart, mind and soul  need to be clear and pure.  Over time in this life we become weighted down and calcified by sin and our experiences that our wounds and scars begin pushig out  room for the fullness of God's love.  But we see that in Christ we are made new,  able to break the bondages of the past and live in the freedom and fullness of a future with the fullness of God.

A -  The application for me is to reach back for the fullness of God that I have once had, but even more importantly reach forward to to the fullness of God's love that He has waiting for me.   I can relate very much to the character Mackenzie from the Shack who had many past scars and hurts that were preventing him from  receiving and understanding God's love.  But love always finds a way and never gives up.   Today I am choosing to forgive God for allowing my past hurts to occur, and reaching out a hand to receive the fullness of His love... because He is a good good father, that's who He is.

P - Dear Papa, thank you for breaking through to a scarred and wounded sinner like me and saving me from myself and my sin.   I confess the season of struggle and sadness has surrounded me for far to long and have been mad at you for allowing me to go through it.   I trust in and love you Lord, and ask your forgiveness for my past sins, and that you would show me the fullness of your love.  In Jesus name, Amen.     Love Joe

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Triple braided cord

S - Ecclesiastes 2
7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

O - I  am so thankful God has gifted me with wife and kids.  Solomon points out this blessing here in ecclesiastes which at  times can be a little negative but he really points out to me that life is meanigless without anyone to share your life with and without people to live for.  Secondly he points out that the strength of having someone who has your back and is standing for  you is so much better than being alone;  even more so is three braided cord for it is not easily broken.

A -  For Abby and I this is the image we have of our marriage, a triple braided cord in which Christ is the third cord that helps strengthen us.    This truth is proven over and over and of recent when I felt like a weak strand,  and the strength of Christ helped hold us together,  and Abby strength to back me up and wait patiently on me and Lord has helped us through a valley season.   My heart has had trouble seeing the positive in cirumstances of late, and this scripture helps me understand that God is with me, I am blessed to have Abby by my side, and that I should hang on to this important triple braided relationship.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, please help me see things through your eyes,  my heart and mind are not seeing clearly in many circumstances and i so desire to see things your ways, so I may rejoice in what you are doing, instead of disparing over what is not happening.   Plant this wisdom in my heart, and change my mind, so that I might embrace and celebrate the triple braided cord.