Job 20; Mark 3-4

Scripture - Mark 4:16-17 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Observation - Jesus is giving a great explanation to the nature of some of us. We are so excited over the things that are happening that we forget to dig in and grow some roots. We have the joy of a new found revelation but don't take the time to dig it into our heart and into our spirit and when something happens, not if something happens, but when something happens we quickly fall away. Jesus is giving instruction here to the disciples in this parable to help people dig deep. It is like the old oak tree that can stand through any storm because the roots are deep in the ground and strong to the test. We need to dig our roots deeper and deeper everyday.

Application - Farming is very interesting. It is all about the root. The root is the lifeblood of the plant. With strong roots you get strong plants that give strong fruit. But it takes cultivation. You have to take care of the soil and plant well and then give the roots moisture and fertilizer to grow strong. If the soil is hard and rocky the roots can not grow. They become weak and brittle. Everyday must be a new endeavor to prepare the soil and take care of the root. Don't let the ground of your soul get rocky and hard with no water from the word. The bible says "washed in water by the word" that refreshing touch of the word of God that will allow us to build and grow great roots.

Prayer - God don't ever let the reading of your word become a task. Please help me to find refreshing in your word and growth in your word. God I need to have a touch from your word every day that cultivates the soil of my heart. God I love you and want to grow closer to you than ever before.

Job 19; Mark 1-2

Scripture - Mark 2:21-22 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

Observation - God is very concerned with the tearing and tattering of a young life in Christ. This concept of putting new wine into new wineskins and sewing unshrunk fabric on to old fabric is one that many elder Christians need to understand. Putting old habits into a new vessel is going to cause the vessel to break just like putting new habits into an old vessel will cause both the habits and the vessel to have issues. A new life in Christ must progress in such a way as to allow the old vessel to be made new. Too many times we are trying to stuff our old things into this new life that we have with Christ and it just doesn't work. Both things need to be made new together and then progress can take place.

Application - Coming to know Christ and then tearing at a life to try and force perfection is not the design of God. We must understand that this life with Christ is a journey not a destination. When we come into relationship with Him, we are allowing him to mold our lives and eliminate the stuff one item at a time. He does not throw the baby out with the bath water - so to speak. As believers we should be striving for a life that resembles Christ. This doesn't happen over night and can not be done by holding on to your old habits, issues and stuff that defined the old you. You must put your new life into a new vessel.

Prayer - God help us to all to move our lives toward you. I don't want any new wine in the old skins. God make it new...

Job 15; Acts 19-20

Scripture - Acts 13-16 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus, I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Observation - Tantalized by the super spiritual. This Jewish High Priest wanted the power that Paul had in the spirit without the relationship with the one that gave the power. He sure wanted to be able to speak to the evil spirit but had no idea who it was that he was speaking in the name of. The evil spirit did not know him and overpowered him and beat him and let him leave the area naked and bleeding. This principles of Christ only operate when you know Christ. They are only given as you are given to Him. The anointing is transferred to those abiding in the vine not to those looking at the vine. This high priest did not know Jesus therefore the enemy did not know him.

Application - I think that many times we face obstacle in our life with out knowing that in the name of Jesus we have power to overcome. We don't operate in full authority because we don't bring our Jesus to the party. Our enemies face us and we have forgotten to bring the authority with us. We can never beat a devil in our own power - he will look at us and ask "Who are You?" But when we bring Jesus with us there is no doubt what is going to happen. This evil spirit knew Paul that knew Jesus and operated in authority from Jesus. But he didn't know the priest - because the priest didn't know HIM.

Prayer - Father never let me face any challenges with out Jesus. He is the ONLY way anything gets done.

Job 13-14; Acts 17-18

Scripture - Acts 17:10-12 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Observation - The Bereans were more fair-minded that the Thessalonians. They were determined to find out in the scripture what the truth was all about. They weren't going to take anyone's word for it, they wanted to know for themselves. Searching the scriptures everyday to find out what God has to say. Can you imagine. Searching the word for a word. Proving the things of God through the scriptures. Getting revelation from God through the scriptures. Using the scriptures as a guide for your life. I love that it says then many Greeks believed and also prominent men and women. Therefore many believed.

Application - The more we can get ourselves in the scriptures proving the things of God, the more we build our life as a believer. We must be searching daily for new truths and new revelation from God. Later in chapter 17 Paul describes the men of Athens that spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the new and latest ideas. While I don't prescribe to listen to the latest ideas of the world, I think there is some discipline in spending my time contemplating the things of God. Listening to the word, hearing the word of God and studying for the fresh word that will change me and the world around me. We should be more noble than the others and get into the word daily. I find it interesting that nobility was built based on the desire for the scriptures. Let us feast daily.

Prayer - Father - your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Help me to flip the on switch on your word and illuminate my life. Let my life be filled with a desire to search and to hunt for what you are saying and how you are saying it. God speak to me through your word daily and let me life affect those around me.

Job 9-10; Acts 14-15

Scripture - Acts 14:8-11 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice,"Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

Observation - Paul was doing the work of God no matter where he went. He has just been moved out of Iconium for preaching the gospel and the good news of Christ. He was being threatened and just about to be stoned so he leaves and heads to Lystra. In Lystra he meets this man that was without strength in his feet. I love the word here - "he saw that he had faith to be healed". So Paul told him to stand up...the man had faith to be healed. Paul could see his faith by looking at him.

Application - I often wonder if people can see my faith by looking at me. When I am in a troubled spot - do people look at me and say "that man has faith to make it through" or do they look at me and say "wow, he is miserable". I believe that we are called to have faith that is revealed. Faith that can move the mountain. Faith that can change circumstances. Faith that can eradicate even sickness. The issue is not God's ability but our faith to believe in his ability. Someone needs to look at us and say that man has faith.

Prayer - Father I need faith that can be seen. I want to have the whole world look at me and say "that man has faith". You are awesome - God and I love you and pray that today begins an elevated journey of faith...

Job 6-8; Acts 12

Scripture - Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.

Observation - The world is always out to attack the leadership of the church. If you can take out the leadership you can take out the church. Peter was arrested by Herod simply because he was preaching the gospel and Herod found that he gained popularity from the Jews by doing this. He had Peter arrested and had already killed some of the other leaders. I love the way the church rallied around Peter and began to pray earnestly for him. The didn't disown him, they didn't write him off, they didn't talk behind his back they just began to pray for him and ask God to release him. They trusted their leader and knew that the world wants to eradicate the shepherd.

Application - I have been thinking lately how hard it is for Pastors. How much they must endure from every direction. To carry the wait of being the shepherd of a flock that God has entrusted to your care is one heavy load. Some sort of "prison" seems to be looming right around the corner everyday. We can't let it be. We must begin praying earnestly to God for our pastors. The church leadership needs to have those that are crying out for help from God. Laboring before the Lord on behalf of the pastors. The pastors need reinforcements and reassurance. To be the mouthpiece of God and to speak to a world that doesn't really want to hear the truth is a great and admirable task. To care for each lamb as if it were the only one is a noble cause. To help restore the wounded is a worthwhile effort. But in the midst of all of that is a dirty attack that leaves the pastor laying between two guards and sentries are at the entrance. Let's spend today upholding pastors and church leaders and pray that God would strengthen them and give them much wisdom and insight.

Prayer - God the pastor is your man. You have called him to a place of humility and servitude. You have asked that he live to a different standard and you have chosen him to serve your church. God I ask for strength for all pastors today. Touch their lives and heal their wounds. Take the chains off of them like you did Peter in the jail. Remove them from the prisons in their minds and in their lives. God touch their hearts with a fresh touch of your Holy Spirit and bless their lives abundantly. Give their families the strength to endure and the joy to continue serving. God Bless them immensely.

Malchi 3,4: Ps 148; Acts 5

Scripture - Acts 5:17-21 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life." 21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Observation - The world never wants the power of God to be displayed. The high priest couldn't handle the fact that the Apostles were advancing the kingdom and were praying that people were set free. It was causing a buzz in the community and God was blessing all around. Jesus was setting people free and was healing the sick and those that were tormented were being released. The world is always going to look at this with indignation. When God decides to pour out power on His people, it will always cause indignation and frustration amongst those that are against Him. It is amazing that even though the Apostles were put in jail, God wanted his message of life to go forth. No matter what obstacle is before us - when God wants it not even the jail can stop the work of God. The jail cell was opened and the Apostles were instructed to go into the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life. The full message. We are in jail to too many things and are being released to tell the full message of this new life.

Application - I was just thinking early this morning, how many things try to trap us and put us in jail, emotionally and spiritually. How many times we are moving forward for God and along comes someone or some thing that tries to capture us and keep us from the forward movement of God's message of new life. This life is full of things that will get in your way and trap you. I need to break out of jail, so to speak. Nothing can stop me. When God has ordained the message - even the jail cell can be opened and I will be instructed to make it to the center of the city to tell the full message. There is new life and everyone in our city needs to hear it.

Prayer - God let nothing stand in the way of your word. Let it be that you move your message forward despite the physical, emotional and mental jails that we are put in. Move the full message forward and help me to be obedient and walk into the center of the temple courts.