Those who receive God's wisdom and revelation, more is given

Those who receive God's wisdom and revelation, more is given

S - Luke 20:108 (NASB) 

 ¹ On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, ² and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” ³ Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you aquestion, and you tell Me: ⁴ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” ⁵ They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it came from. ⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

O - Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge (Matthew Henry Concise)

Jesus had forced the Pharisees either to acknowledge that they had refused to heed a messenger of God, or to expose themselves to popular disfavor. 8. Neither tell I you. Why Should he explain the truth concerning himself when they would not believe the truth about John, who was his forerunner?—Wycliffe Bible Commentary

Scripturally this passage is consistent with the parable of the talens.  To whom who takes what is given and does something with it, much more will be given to them.  But to them that bury the treasure that is given to them, all their treasure will be taken away and given to those who will do something.

A - The application for me is to make sure I am doing something with the revelations God is revealing to me in my life.  I like to believe I have done things with what God has revealed to me, but if I was to dig deeply into the promises he has spoken into my life, I have not walked in trust and faith that what He says applies to me.  I often still worry about provision, and blessings upon things I am doing.  I need to walk in the truth's He has told me and not worry so much about what I can do in circumstances. 

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotions may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would be my vision and I would walk in faith in your truth and revelation in my life.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Praise Him in the mighty expanse

Praise Him in the mighty expanse

S - Psalm 150 (NASB)

¹ Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
² Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. ³ Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
⁴ Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

O - Boy I know this psalm is ripe for controversy amongst Christian church's today.  This does not worry me, as it speaks to my soul and inspires me personally.  The heart of David to Praise God in everyway possible is one that is not lost on me.  I catch his heart to praise God everywhere and to everyone, and by everything, because that is simply put just how great God is, and He is worthy of our praise.   Now David describes music, and dancing as a way to praise God, including "resounding cymbals" (boy would our neighbor at Alvah Scott Elementary not be happy about that).    We see David recognizing even before the Gospel is received that we are not to just be holy on Sundays and while in the sanctuary, but to give praise to God wherever and whenever we are!

A - The application for me is to press forward into myself and those I am leading to seek to praise God in all that He is doing, in all circumstances, and by all means available.    To unashamedly give him credit and praise Him for all he is doing, and to recognize that there is no format or forum that is not worthy of being redeemed for Him.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have done in my life, I thank you for recent blessings regarding Waiau Garden Villas as well as for the great work you are doing at and in me at New Hope Aiea, and the shipyard.  You are the great creator, the great planner, and the great executor of my life, and I am so thankful for all you are doing to draw me near to you.  I pray Lord you would inspire and equip me to praise you in new creative ways, that redeem what the world has created, all to be redeemed for you.

The Law and Prophets - still applicable today

The Law and Prophets - still applicable today

S -  Luke 16:16-17 (NASB)

  ¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. ¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.

O - Jesus is speaking to the Jews and Pharisee's here to let them know that the Law and the prophets before him proclaimed truth, and when He came into to world it was to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God.   But part of that news was going to be a shock to some Jews and Pharisee's who have been forcing their own ways in following the letter of the law.  In other words they knew the Law, and judged others to live according to the law while they themselves had unclean hearts and motives, and their way of following the Law did not honor God but themselves.   And thus Jesus says, not one stroke of the letter of the Law will fail, but instead people will be judged against the truth of the Law.  The good news is that reconcilation with God no longer required us to give the sacrifice, as was according to the Law, but since Christ paid our debt in full, we were free to live according to the Law restored to God the Father.

A - The application for me is to recognize that the entire bible reveals God, His law, and His perfect plan for us.  I know I had for many years not wanted to engage in learning from the old testament, or the law.  The freedom of the Gospel for me was freedom from judgement and condemnation.  While this is true, I realize now that God's law was perfect from the beginning and that my obedience to it was not only necessary but possible in the freedom Christ is bringing to my life.   I must continue to check my own heart to ensure I am not rebelling against the Law and the Prophets, but rather submitting to Christ and His leadership.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this lesson,  I am amazed at your grace and wisdom, especially in leading me.  Lord help me to take this new wisdom and apply to my heart, mind, and hands, so that I might live more fully according to your will.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

God builds it, protects it , or it falls

God builds it, protects it , or it falls

S  -  Psalm 127: 1-2 (NASB)

 ¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

O - The Lord is the Lord of everything.  This psalm has such simple and profound wisdom, yet I believe all mankind struggles to walk in this truth.   I am not exempt from missing much of this in my own life, but it is a simple reminder to build my life with God as the architect.  To trust in the lord to guard it,  to labor only as much as he needs me to, and to trust in his provision , both strength and rest.

A - As reflect on the opposites to this verse, I begin to see God undoing those parts of my life that were not from Him, that I have created.   I have spent the first 30 years of my life building my own house, with hard work and pain.   My design and vision for this house was a successful career, financial security, successful family.  All things that seem good, but where not built by the Lord but by my own ideas and my own strength, and as a result always susceptible to falling down.  Whether it be my career, my marriage, my finances, that which was not built from the Lord has over the years fallen away.   God has helped me die to some old decisions and habits I have chosen, and replaced them with His values and guidance.   What I have guarded out of desire not lose (my finances) was in vain, and when I invested in things I thought full of promise  it was easily snatched away.  When I invested in gifts from God He blessed it and guarded it.   When I worked hard to achieve something I found valueable the dreams of the future where taken away by others in the world,  but when I worked hard to build something God had planted in my heart, he grew it, guarded it, and provided for it in a manner that was not exhausting but exhilirating.   When my life is aligned with God my labor is not painful, but joyful, my rest is not insufficient, but his provision is sufficient.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your speaking into my life, Lord I pray that you would continue to help me build my house with you as the architect.   I pray Lord for your protection over my life and all that is off you.  I pray Lord that you would guide me in my labors, so that I might not labor in vain, but instead follow you will in all things.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Building a Buzz - Jesus' way

Building a Buzz - Jesus'  way

S - Luke 7:11-17 (NASB)

¹¹ Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. ¹² Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. ¹⁶ Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” ¹⁷ This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district. 

O -  Jesus in the midst of his touring ministry, was calling all people to Him.  He was healing centurion guards slaves, and raising from the dead the only sons of mothers.   Now it was not for these individual healings that Jesus came for, you see Jesus was gathering people to Him.  All so  they would recognize who He was, so when He served his role as redeemer, and the way and the truth and the life, people would already know who He was and have a reason to believe that God had sent His only begotten son to die for our sins, that we all may have everlasting life.

A - The application for me is to follow Jesus' example in ministry.  To realize people won't be interested in our message of the Gospel until they really can understand that we are a disciples of God, and that God is seeking them, and you can help them find God amongst them.   You see the miracles that Jesus was performing were not the biggest thing He would do, but they were eye opening, people drawing events, that had results that were very significant.  We see in verse 16, that only after Jesus raises the only son of a mother from the dead, the people proclaimed He was great prophet, and that God directly was visiting his people.  But it didn't stop with this one town, the news spread all over Judea.     As a church we should follow the same model.  We need to go into the community, and perform God's work, through God's spirit, and with God's power.  It is through this ministry that people will be drawn to seek out the church, to hear the good news, to receive God's salvation, to be transformed, and eventually discipled to be active members of God's family.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this teaching, may it be sealed to my heart, and may I apply it to my life and the ministry you have called me to.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Kingdom of God dwells in us

Kingdom of God dwells in us

 S- Ezekial :24-28 (NASB)

 ²⁴ “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. ²⁵ They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. ²⁶ I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. ²⁷ My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. ²⁸ And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”

O - Again, I am am probably not biblically scholarly enough to interpret or exegesis this scripture, but I sense God is given all His people a clear vision of what the kingdom is God is like.  For the Israelites He was giving them a vision of what His promises where as He was going to bring them back to the promised land and restore them from their exile.   For all of humanity He is describing His plan for salvation of all, and how this new covenant will be similar but much different from the old one.    His promise is that we will live in this promised land for ever, leading me to believe He is speaking Kingdom, not just the place in the middle east where Israel is.   He speaks of his servant David who will be king and prince over the people forever,  which I interpret to be the fortelling of the coming of Christ.  He speaks of His dwelling place will always be with them, forever. This is similar to the old sanctuary being in Jerusalem where God's spirit actually came down to and resided in the Holy of Holy's.  But in the new covenant He will dwell in each and every one of us, and His promise it to not dwell in a building but to dwell in us. 

A -  The application for me is to soak in God plan, and His covenant with us,  with me.   How great is our God who humbled Himself,  sent his only son Jesus to die, so that the new covenant could be made with us.  One in which He now dwells in me, and leads me in an everlasting relationship.   I must never forget He is in me, and that He is for me, will never foresake me, and is trustworthy of my love and worship.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that your spirit would reside peacefully in me, as our relationship grows, may you be magnified.

Repentance - God's pleasure

Repentance - God's pleasure

 S -  Ezekial 33:11 (NASB)

, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’

O -  These words come from the prophet Ezekial who is explaining to the people of Israel the roles and requirements of himself as a prophet as well as the people's response to what he is proclaiming.  He basically says as a prophet if he refuses to tell the people God will hold him responsible (i.e. the blood will be on his hands) as well as the people will face the consequence anyway that God is trying to warn them about and get them to repent and turn away from their wicked ways.  In this scripture we see the Father's heart, the tenderness and grace of our God, that he takes no pleasure in the the death of the wicked. 

A - This is almost incomprehendable for me to understand how God can love those that have rebelled against Him, always reserving forgiveness up to the very end.  I know I am not like that but want to grow more like Christ in this idea of grace and mercy.  You see when I see the wicked (especially those who have done something wrong to me),  I can honestly say my heart is so impure I look forward to them receiving some sort of just punishment, and when they do I can almost see myself rejoicing inside.  But God is breaking my heart of this even as I write this, that he takes no pleasure in even the wicked facing the consequences they face, and is always hoping they will turn back to him.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your heart to invest in me through you word and your spirit.   Thank you for breaking my heart for what breaks yours.  I pray Lord that you would help me to change whatever spirit of judgement and turn it toward a spirit of grace and mercy.  Help me Lord to leave all judgment to you.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.