Title: Make Every Effort / Topic: Spiritual Intensity

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 7; Zechariah 8; Zechariah 9; Luke 13

Scripture: Luke 13:24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."

Observation: The narrow door. Jesus tells us to "make every effort to enter through" it. He tells us that it's not easy. Many try and fail.

Application: I just assume that when people are sincere and make up their minds to try to come to God, they will be able to. But apparently, I am wrong. Jesus says many will try and fail! The imperative command that Jesus gives is to "make every effort!" There is no room for a casual approach, or a "someday" attitude. "Go for it with all you've got!" That's what Jesus is telling us. Apparently, it's a hard target to hit, so don't stop working on it.

Prayer: Lord, I have much to learn about You and Your kingdom. I do want to be one who is truly making every effort to enter through the narrow door. Help me to understand how to do this and to leave behind the unnecessary weights and baggage that hole me back from doing this.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Are You Rich? / Topic: Priorities

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 4; Zechariah 5; Zechariah 6; Luke 12

Scripture: Luke 12:21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Observation: When I read this verse I am afraid for so many of the people I know who call themselves Christians. I would expect that non believers would be wrapped up in this world and the stuff of this world, but I am increasingly alarmed at the high level of materialistic thinking that I find in so many believers today. We will focus on a purchase for hours, days, weeks, and months -- be it a new car we want, or a boat, or a big screen tv, or that new house, or whatever. But ask us to focus on a spiritual goal or pray for a need over an extended period of time and we just aren't interested -- most Christians do not have any real spiritual stamina.

Application: I want to be "rich toward God." What good is it to get the stuff of this world and have nothing in heaven? It makes no sense yet so many do it.

Bottom Line: Put God first and keep Him first. Start every day on my knees, and go there frequently throughout my day. I must seek Him and His will moment by moment -- living in the "now" with God -- taking Him with me everywhere. Invest myself in God -- my time, energy and money. True riches are only found in Him.

Prayer: Lord, I give my heart, my mind, my soul, my life to You. Once again I am brought to the realization of my need to constantly be refocusing on You. Help me to train my heart to fix itself on You. Lord, I desire to have great riches in You and Your kingdom.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Hinder Or Help? / Topic: Spiritual Leadership

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 1; Zechariah 2; Zechariah 3; Luke 11

Scripture: Luke 11:52 "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

Observation: These self appointed spiritual leaders have not only NOT entered into God's truth and relationship with Him, they have blocked the way for others!

Application: Spiritual leaders have a serious responsibility. Their actions and example have grave implications far beyond themselves. The destiny of others hangs in the balance. What this speaks to me as a spiritual leader is that I must first make sure that I am doing all I can to keep my relationship with Jesus real and authentic, and then get out of the way to let others have direct access to Him for themselves. My words, actions, and attitudes can hinder others who are seeking. I also believe the flip side is true: my actions can encourage those who are seeking the Lord. Of course, that is my goal in my role as a spiritual leader.

Prayer: Lord, keep me close to You. Open my eyes to anything in my leadership that would be a hindrance to anyone who is genuinely seeking You. Help me to distinguish between what is a productive encouragement and what is an unproductive deterrent in what I do, say, and model for those You have called me to lead.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Three Brief Thoughts / Topic: God's Will

Today’s Reading: Haggai 1; Haggai 2; Psalm 129; Luke 10

Today I am giving a brief thought on three verses that jumped off the page at me.

#1 Title: God's Make It Happen Person / Topic: God's Power
Scripture: Haggai 2:23 " '...I will make you like my signet ring...' "

Observation/Application: The signet ring was the sign of the authority of the king. He would use it like a signature (notice the similarity in the words: signet -- signature) to express his will that something is to be done. Nothing could stop what the king had sealed with his signet ring. This is a powerful promise to Zerubbabel. Imagine the awesome responsibility that came to this human leader. Wow! Lord, help me to be a man that You could trust Your power to.

#2 Title: A Dangerous Question / Topic: Challenge
Scripture: Luke 10:29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Observation/Application: This expert in the law had just given Jesus a very good answer but we are told that "he wanted to justify himself," so he asked this question of clarification to show how great he was. (I don't think he would have asked it if he didn't think he was really impressive.) It turned out to be a dangerous question because Jesus told a parable that challenged him at the level of his pride and his prejudice. Moral: be careful what you ask God. You might not like the answer.

#3 Title: The One Necessary Thing / Topic: The Priority
Scripture: Luke 10:41-42 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed..."

Observation/Application: This little story always convicts me because I am a Martha-type person. I am working on not being this kind and converting to a Mary-type person. The Lord says, "only one thing is needed." And the message is: The main thing is the keep the main thing the main thing.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your word and the power it brings to my life. You know me through and through, the good and bad, my strengths and my weaknesses, my failures and my victories, my faith and my fear. And You still love me enough to give Your life to me. Hallelujah! Lord I rejoice in Your great love and acceptance. Empower me to take it to the next level.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Wrong Help / Topic: Discernment

Today’s Reading: Ezra 4; Psalm 113

Scripture: Ezra 4:1-5
1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us."
4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Observation: At first glance, it seems like Zerubbable and Jeshua blew it here by responding so harshly to the non-Jewish people who offered to help with the rebuilding of the temple. But their reaction shows what was really in their hearts the whole time: they did not want the temple rebuilt. Their concerted action to "work against [the Jews] and frustrate their plans" reveal that they would have been doing this covertly (i.e. sabotaging the project) had they been allowed "to help."

Application: The enemies of God can sound and look good -- even friendly and helpful. But it is important to have spiritual discernment especially when considering who will be involved in important spiritual work. It is better to have a small force of true believers than a larger number salted with marginal or non believers. (Such is one lesson of the story of Gideon.) It takes courage and faith to say "no" to help, but it is what needs to be done if the help offered is not the right help. The Psalmist wrote: "I look unto the hills. Where does my help come from? [Not from the hills.] My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2 PMS Version*)

Prayer: Lord, You indeed are all the help I need. I thank You that You are always there and ready to help me when I need it. Give me Your wisdom and discernment to distiguish between the right and wrong kinds of help. May I remember to always call on You in my time of need. Thank You for Your great faithfulness, o God my Father.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

*The Pastor Mike Stipech Version is what I type out from memory. It may not be exact, but it gets the point across.

Title: The Indiscriminate Farmer / Topic: Evangelism

Today’s Reading: Ezra 2; Ezra 3; Luke 8

Scripture: Luke 8:4-8
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."
When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Observation: The farmer sows his seed. And as any good farmer does, he observes the soil as he sows. Now I'm not a farmer, but is seems to me that most farmers would only spread their seed on the good areas of soil where the seed had the best opportunity to produce. But the farmer in this story doesn't do it that way. He distributes his seed everywhere equally. Why? Because this seed is the Gospel and it is imperative that all soil gets an opportunity to receive the seed -- even soil that looks hard, or rocky, or thorny. I think that even among these apparently unfruitful soils, there may be a patch here or a patch there where the seed will go in and take root and produce. But even if not, this farmer is determined that no one could ever say, "You missed this soil over here! You never gave it a chance!"

Application: I need to learn from this farmer. I only want to put the seed out where I think it will grow. I don't want to waste my time sharing the Gospel where obviously people won't say "yes!" Only problem with this is how can I really know? It is only my pride that makes me think I can tell in advance where the seed will produce. I have too much confidence in my own ESP (Expert Seed Prognostication) and not enough confidence in the Seed itself. Plus, when I say "I don't want to waste my time," what's up with that?!? Who am I kidding? My time, my whole life, belongs to God anyway. And it's not as if I spend every moment so wisely. (Watching TV, playing computer games, surfing eBay... these aren't exactly the epitome of careful time management.) So I need to recalibrate my thinking. I need to share the Gospel every chance I get. I do not like this idea. I'm actually not wanting to write this because it means I have to change -- I have to get much bolder -- I have to be more evangelistic. But I guess if it's good enough for the Sower in Jesus' story, it's good enough for me. Lord, help me!

Prayer: Father, I believe. Help me in my unbelief. As intimidating as this thought is for me, Lord, I know it is right. Thank You for speaking to my heart this morning. Help me to see the opportunities all around me to spread Your seed onto every soil, regardless of my opinion of it. And, Lord of the Harvest, bring increased fruitfulness into my life. Help me to win souls. Give me more souls for Your Kingdom.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Amazing Words / Topic: Forgiveness

Today’s Reading: Ezra 1; Psalm 84; Psalm 85; Luke 7

Scripture: Luke 7:47-50
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Observation: These are amazing words: "Your sins are forgiven." I think that there are no more powerful words that could be spoken. And not just spoken, but actually done. The people around Jesus thought He was overstepping. They didn't understand, and they didn't receive forgiveness. The woman knew that He meant what He said -- and He could and would deliver on His word. And she received forgiveness. Oh how sweet that must have been for her! The removal of the tarnish of years of broken living. Oh happy day!

Application: This is the reason I follow Jesus. There is no other one who can forgive sins. Only Jesus. And He delights in removing the weights and burdens from my shoulders -- all I need do is love much and believe. Like this woman. This woman bowed at His feet. She poured a fortune's worth of expensive perfume on Him. She wept and kissed Him. She didn't care what anyone thought. She just wanted Jesus.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know "thus saith the Lord"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
O for grace to trust Him more

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to make it possible that my sins might be forgiven. And thank You, Jesus, for dying for my sins, and taking the penalty due me. I thank You that the words, "Your sins are forgiven" applies to my life because of the blood of Jesus. May I live in the joy and power of Your forgiveness every day and may I extend forgiveness to others.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.