Love - the only eternal principle

S - 1 Cor 13:2 (NASB)
2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

O -  This comes from the "love" chapter, where Paul is teaching the church of Corinth many of the Christian principles of which they are to follow to live a Christian life.  You sense here toward the end of the letter he understands how we as followers of Christ can turn our walk into rules and regulations, vice a relationship, with God, and with others.  So he brings them back to the core principle of love.  

A - The application for me is that I often have to pause and remember despite all the disciplines I have tried to master, the one behavior and principle that I periodically have to correct back to is love.   If I am excellent in all my endeavors at work, at home, at the church, and am not truly loving people I have missed the mark and it would all be for my vanity. If I love in the process of leading people at work, at home, and in the church it will all be for the glory of God and the building up of His kingdom.

P - Dear heavenly father , thank you for this message, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray lord for a cutting away of things in me that cause me to react not in love but in the flesh.   I pray all these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Do not let offense defile my heart

S -  Mark 7:14-23 (NASB)

14After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16[If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]

17When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

O -  These verse comes from Jesus after some pharisee's and scribes ask him why his disciples don't ceremonially wash their hands before eating.  He rebukes them because their traditions are over riding God's commandments.  

A - The application is instantly piercing to my heart because I know my words have the power to destroy, and that what comes out of me is not always of God and comes from inside from the unclean ness of my own heart.   I know the Lord is asking me to unload the baggage and stop taking it in.  I must not harbor offenses and hold on to them tight, as when it comes time to speak and act, it is these offense that I vomit up and defile me, my witness, and does not honor the people God has called me to love.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I ask that you make my heart like Teflon, which not of the offenses my head thinks I am receiving I would allow to stick to my heart and later come out rotten  trash.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Kingdom principles revealed to believers

S MRK 4:11-12 NASB

And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,  so that while seeing , they may see and not perceive, and while hearing , they may hear and not understand , otherwise they might return and be forgiven ."

O   -  I am reflecting on what  a true transformational relationship we have with Jesus.   It is not just one of a caring man, who knows us, but one in which He imparts on us mysteries of the Kingdom of God which for many will remain unknown (untill they are called and it is revealed) .  This is not something to be prideful of yet, mindful of the fact that kingdom principles that are now clear to us , are not so simply understood by those who do not yet know Christ.

A - The application for me is to first and foremost to give thanks for the honor to be chosen and to know God and His principles.  Second is to steward this knowledge well for kingdom purposes, and not personal gain and glorification. 

P - Dear heavenly father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.

Follow godly leaders

S NUM 16:17, 41-45 NASB

Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the L ord , two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan." But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord ' s people." It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the  lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and the L ord spoke to Moses, saying, "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly." Then they fell on their faces.

O - the observation is this that Moses was called by good to lead his people.  The people choose not to meet good face to face like Moses, but instead passively followed. Some time later the sons of korah in their comfort and arrogance rebelled against Moses leadership and this found themselves challenging God.  Not a good place to be. 

A - today as Gods people if we have excepted Christ as our lord he dwells with in is and we are not to doubt our rebel against his lordship.  We are to submit and trust the leaders God has anointed to lead us.  That is Christ first and foremost, but even the leaders of our local church that are confirmed and anointed.

P - thank you lord for this message for me today. I pray for my brothers and sisters who are struggling to find a shepherd to follow.

Shed my old skin once and for all

S - MARK 2:22 NASB

No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."

O - the gospel is the new wine,  the Pharisees are the old wine skin, peter and the twelve are the new wine skin

A- recognize I am a new Creation in Christ.  The holy spirit has been poured out into me,  like new wine in a new wineskin I will grow and expand because of Christ in me. If I begin to go back to my old self, or the old wine skin I cannot grow anymore in Christ. I must divorce myself from the old and live in the new.

P dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.