JUNE 5, 2021

 “We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.” 

― C. JoyBell C. 

2 CHRONICLES 17-19

3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals 4but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. 5The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. 6His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.(17:3-6)

JOHN 15

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^a so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

JOURNAL 

Jehoshaphat trusted God and was obedient to him...yet he still got caught up with Ahab. His slip in judgement cost Ahab his life as well as almost taking his own. 

God promises great things for those who remain in him and trust him and live their lives connected to him in obedience. The challenge is to trust that no matter what a day reveals, or what problems appear, trust that a life committed to God in devotion to him will not fail. God will provide the ways and means to live successfully in serving him.

The scripture is not telling me to stay safe and content in worldly ways. It is telling me to stay safe and content in obedience to God. In doing so I will be pushed out of the nest, I will be challenged to live my faith out, climbing mountains, overcoming adversity and winning the moments I face each and every day. This is the adventure of  life and it is the only thing that will bring true joy. 

 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9

JUNE 4, 2021

 “The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at best know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” 

― Theodore Roosevelt

2 CHRONICLES 13-16

7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8Were not the Cushites^b and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^c ? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”(16:7-9)

JOHN 14

6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know^b my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^c in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 

JOURNAL 

Input equals output...While Asa was seeking God and obeying him...he was successful at all the things that God wanted him to do. He was blessed and was in step with God. However once he stopped seeking God...everything fell apart. Jesus basically tells the disciples the same thing and promises that if we would seek him then we will get both he and God with the spirit living within us. 

As a result we have nothing to fear and can face any task or any problem. The problem often happens when we define success by means that are other than simply following God. The problem happens when goals and dreams and their ultimate achievement become more important than relationship and obedience.  It can lead to fear, and ultimately shrinking back and not fully giving our best. Because our best often is not good enough, to meet the world's definition or expectations of success. All I have to do is look at Jesus' life to realize that the world's definition is often contrary to God's. 

Therefore the most important action I can take is to tackle the day with God in my heart and trust that whatever the outcome, God will make it good. My best will be good enough, no matter if it doesn't measure up in the world's opinion. Giving my best is my ultimate form of worship. But the key is to truly give my best...

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-8

JUNE 3, 2021

 “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” 

― Will Rogers

2 CHRONICLES 10-12

  8But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”

JOHN 13:18-38

 34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”36Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”37Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”38Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

JOURNAL 

The path of Christ is one of humility, love and amazing power. That power never seeks it's own redemption but trusts redemption to God. Rehoboam sought the path that would glorify him...Jesus sought the path that would glorify God.

It's so obvious and easy to see the mistakes that others make. Sitting in the comfort of my home, reading about other people's misfortune and especially those in the Bible. I am not only in a completely different world than what they lived, but also thousands of years removed from their lives. I have no clue as to the complexity and difficulty of their circumstances. Reality is that it's just as true for the people I come across each day, I cannot walk in their shoes, so passing judgement is really pretty foolish. 

What I can do though is realize that by honestly looking at my own heart and life, I can see the same arrogance of Rehoboam and Peter lodged in my own heart. It happens when I assume, pass judgement and seek my own path instead of God's. It happens when I wake up and plow into the day without first acknowledging God and seeking his direction. It happens when I allow fears and frustrations to discolor my focus on the moments right in front of me. It happens when I let the end goal distract me from the life and opportunties that exist today, right here, right now.

Father forgive me for my arrogance, blindness and stupidity. Help me to see the glory of your love and the amazing life that exists today.

1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

 ~ PHILIPPIANS 2:1-4 

JUNE 2, 2021

 “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.” 

― Mother Teresa

2 CHRONICLES 7-9

 17“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’19“But if you^a turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you^b and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21This temple will become a heap of rubble. All^c who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’ ”

JOHN 13:1-17

 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him... 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

JOURNAL 

Servant...being a servant is what we are commanded as believers to be. We are to serve others. However the only way we can TRULY serve is if we have received the Spirit of God. Otherwise our service will be done out of emptiness and desperation. Our service will ultimately be an attempt to serve ourselves. We receive the spirit when we acknowledge our own emptiness and commit to full obedience. That spirit then gives us the power, love and discipline to face any problem and any challenge. It is the foundation of living a life of love.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline 

- 2 TIMOTHY 1:7

JUNE 1, 2021