Gen 44-46; Luke 18

Scripture - Luke 18:1-8 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" Then the Lord said "Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?" "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Observation - In this passage of scripture Jesus is trying to teach His disciples to continue in pray and trust that God not only hears your cry but will answer speedily. Jesus explains that God's concern for His people causes Him to respond quickly like a father with a child in trouble. The unjust judge explains that even the world will respond if you keep coming over and over, sort of the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" sort of thing. But God simply wants us to continue in prayer with Him and to trust that He will respond.

Application - This scripture is particularly relevant this week. As we are in the second day of a 7 day fast, we need to trust that God is hearing our cry and will respond with an outpouring. I believe we need to continue coming before the Lord this week and throughout this year and God will respond speedily to our requests. He will avenge us and give us the territory we have asked for. God is wanting to see us continue.

Prayer - Father give me strength as I pray and fast this week. Help me to continue to make my requests known before you that you will respond speedily.

Gen 37-38; Ps 7; Luke 15

Scripture - Gen 38:2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him. 6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord,

Observation - The Israelites were not to marry outside of the family lineage. This story that begins here in 38 tells of Judah seeing a Canaanite girl and marrying her. Judah represents praise/worship. Judah has children by the woman and is breeding one wicked son after the other. From Er to Onan to his brothers - Judah's lineage is troubled. Yet God brings the savior from his lineage.

Application - Judah represents worship in the kingdom. Our praise can never get diluted. Diluted worship becomes convoluted and disturbed and breeds wickedness in the sight of the Lord. Had Judah stayed pure and kept the lineage pure - this trouble of dying sons and straying sons would have never taken place. Our worship must be pure, must not be combined with any thing else. We must maintain a pure line to God and only Him. Things that pollute our worship are:
Things we allow in our mind
Things we allow in our sight
Things we read and allow our thoughts to gravitate too

Pure worship means that we keep the ground of our heart and our mind pure and focused on God and our relationship with Him.

Prayer - Father, help me to keep my worship pure.

Gen 34-36; Luke 14

Luke 14:16-20 Then He said to them "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it, I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come"

Observation - God has prepared a table and dinner for invited guests. He is trying to get His guests to the party and they are all making excuses. In one accord the bible says making excuses and cannot come. Jesus was sent to be that invitation into the kingdom and with His rejection the people are rejecting the invitation into the kingdom. Too many excuses not to come have taken the toll on Israels relationship with God.

Application - I have bought a new piece of ground and must go see it. The excuse of business. I am too busy with my business to come to the dinner and serve God. Business and the troubles of this world get in the way of us serving God. I have bought 5 new yoke of oxen and cannot come. The excuse of discipline. I can't get myself to pull straight enough to get there. This excuse is "I know I should but I just can't". I have just married and cannot come. The excuse of family. Whether it be saved family and the busyness of family or unsaved family members keeping us from dinner with the master is all the same. We must understand that Jesus will help us with our family.

Prayer - Father no excuses.

Gen 31-33; Luke 13

Gen 32:24-28 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him. He touch the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let me go, for the day breaks, "But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Observation - This encounter with God is right before Jacob reunites with the brother he had tricked as a young man. Esau is set to meet with Jacob and the bible says that Jacob is in fear. He is afraid that Esau and his men are going to kill him and his family and steal what he has worked 20 years for. He retreats to a place across the "ford" with Leah, Rachel, his female servants and his children. He has them go a little further and camp and he stays alone. Once he was left alone he began to wrestle with a Man. Hosea describes this Man as an angel or the Lord Himself. Jacob is alone wrestling with God and will not let him go. As daybreak approaches, the angel says "let me go" and Jacob says "absolutely not - not until you bless me" The angel puts his socket out and then blesses Jacob. Jacob was determined to get a blessing.

Application - There are a few points that I draw from this portion of scripture:

1. The hip socket - I have always wondered by he put out the hip socket. In Jacobs wrestling match he would not let go of God until he got a blessing. Some commentaries says that he put out the him socket to show Jacob that God could not be overtaken by man. I guess that is a distinct possibility. I also believe there is significance to the fact that Jacob limped from that point on in his life. Up to this point Jacob had been a supplanter - in fact his name was defined as such. He was a trickster and didn't walk completely straight. From this encounter, Jacobs name was changed to Israel which means "struggled and saved by God". This was a turning point in Jacob's walk. While his physical walk had a limp, he was straighted completely out in his spiritual walk. As if God gave him a constant reminder that he needed to depend on God and walk uprightly before Him.

2. The struggle before the blessing - Jacob was about to face an army of 400 men and his angry, tricked brother. He was deathly afraid of what might happen even though God had told him that he would be alright. Jacob was alone and wrestled with God. That alone encounter gave him the confidence to face his brother. He struggled with God but gained the perspective of God's sovereign control in his life. Sometimes we need to get alone with God and don't let go until we are blessed. The breakthrough is powerful in our lives.

Prayer - Father help me to understand the wrestling and to constantly walk spiritually upright.

Gen 29-30; Luke 12

Scripture - Luke 12:22-31 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. "Life is more that food, and the body is more than clothing. "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than he birds? "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of the these. "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown in to the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind, "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you."

Observation - Jesus is emphatically trying to get the people to focus their attention on heaven instead of their daily issues. As people our human nature worries and frets about the things that may happen. We are overwhelmed by concerns as Martha was. Jesus wants our attention to be paid to Him and His kingdom and to allow God to deal with our issues. Jesus reminds the people that God has EVERYTHING under control, from the lilies of the field to the birds of the air. He knows how to take care of His creation. Jesus reminds us that we are more important to God than these things and He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. The problem is that humans do not like discomfort. Our comfort level is important to us and we don't know how to see God deliver us from the situations we are in. God knows EXACTLY what we need and when we need it and worrying simply takes God from the throne.

Application - Worry seems to be a part of the human condition. I haven't met anyone in my life that has not spent a great deal of time worried about what might be. The issue is that we are fearful of the unknown and the things that may come. We are creatures that take current situational evidence and draw conclusions about future events based upon that evidence. When we don't the deduced outcome -we stress and worry about that end. When we worry about future events based upon carnally deduced evidence we eliminate the possibility for a supernatural encounter. God does not operate by our systems or functions, he is not limited to our ways and means, he is not controlled by our circumstances and carries with him the nature of a father. The bible says "Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you." God wants our worship, obedience and focus and wants His creation to depend upon Him and Him alone. He will deliver!

Prayer - Father help us to solely rely upon you. Not on our own abilities or intellect. Let us fulfill the scripture "Lean not on our own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him!"

Gen 27-28; Ps 4; Luke 11

Scripture - Luke 11:17 But He knowing their thoughts, said to them; "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls..."

Observations - Jesus was speaking to the multitudes in this scripture, some of which were questioning his authority to cast out demons. They began reasoning in their hearts and saying that he is casting them out by the devil. Jesus responds to them by explaining that the devil can't cast out the devil. It would divide his kingdom and that kingdom divided can't stand. The same for a house, a house divided against itself can't stand. The division weakens the foundation and causes a collapse of the structure. Jesus states that for God to be glorified, He must be using the authority of Heaven against the enemy. One army against another, heaven against hell. No division in the kingdom will be prosperous.

Application - I think that this scripture is so profound and many of us look right past it. In order for authority and power to be proclaimed and to truly build the house of God, we must have unity. Once we are divided in any way: thought, vision, plan, purpose, direction, philosophy of ministry, etc the kingdom is weakened. The house can't stand. The decision to become part of a house under the direction of a pastor is an extremely important one. Once made you must align with that vision for the house to succeed. If you are divided or not aligned, while well-meaning, you could jeopardize the house and cause desolation. Too many are trying to do their own thing, following their own leading, when truly submitting to the vision and purpose of the house is the call of God.

Prayer - Father, help us align to your vision and the vision of your house. God we need to work together to fulfill your call in our lives. Help us to work one with another in unison and in unity.

Gen 20-22; Luke 8

Scripture - Luke 8:38-39 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying 39 "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Observation - Jesus just as easily could have taken the man with him. A great miracle had just been performed in his life and he was sitting in his right mind. This guy could have been an asset to the work. But Jesus knew the benefit of a man delivered giving his testimony throughout the city. Jesus charged this man with telling everyone he knew about the great things God had done for him. Jesus knew that the confession and testimony would transform the rest of this guys life. Speaking the good things of God always causes God to live in the very core of who we are. Jesus knew that he was much more powerful for the ministry in his own city. This man went proclaiming to the whole city the good things of God.

Application - I think somewhere we have lost the power of the testimony. We have forgotten how moving and powerful it could really be if we proclaimed through the entire city the good things Jesus has done for us. The bible says that the enemy is overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. Overcome - to have victory - to be the winner, to accomplish. I believe that some of our miracles are only temporary because we forget to testify the good things God has done. The testimony causes the deal to be sealed in the heart and in the spirit. When you testify - it causes the miracle to live somewhere deep inside of you. The enemy is overcome by the word of your testimony. This man was delivered of 1000 demons and testified through the entire city the good things God had done for him. You would think we could tell our co-worker the great things God has done.

Prayer - Father help me to proclaim the good things you have done throughout the entire year. God I need help being bold and courageous to tell of all that you have done for me. I love you with all my heart and will shout your goodness from the mountain tops.