[S] Jeremiah 20:11 --
11 But the Lord is with me like a dread champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed,
With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
(MSG) 11 But God, a most fierce
warrior, is at my side. Those who are after me will be sent
sprawling-Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves, a spectacle of
humiliation no one will ever forget.
[O] For me, the word "champion" carries a clear picture of a strong and mighty God who will champion over all others, especially my enemies. Something about that word just pumps me up with an inner strength and to juxtapose that with God Himself is quite an awesome scene. Reading this in The Message version (MSG) puts a totally interesting perspective and the slapstick buffoons cracks me up because it so truly paints the true identity of our enemy.
[A] Need to memorize this verse so I can ingrain the image of my God who is the champion before the slapstick buffoons falling all of themselves in order to keep the right perspectives in my daily life where at times, my bearings get lost with so much distractions and discouragements.
[P] Dear Jesus, my champ, I honor You with my whole heart and want to abide in Your spirit of the champion and follow Your footsteps to prevail over my enemy every moment of my day. In Your precious and powerful name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Strength to Not Exercise the Power
[S] Luke 23:37 --
37and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
[O] The soldiers who were mocking Jesus demanded to save Himself if He was the King of the Jews. These Roman soldiers were probably all used to exercising power as their profession and could not understand why if Jesus was the King of the Jews, He had to suffer like weakling and be humiliated before them like this. However, it is much easier to exercise power than not, while fully capable, for a greater cause. It would have been not only easier but also meaningless for a King to exercise His power. So even if Jesus was fully capable of saving Himself, He controlled His power to fulfill His purpose of dying as the sacrifice to save mankind.
[A] When in any leadership position, withholding the power delegated to me to carry out my purpose is the model of Jesus that I must remember and follow. As someone once said, He modeled how to be a servant leader, not a strict manager.
[P] Dear Jesus, may my heart be molded to follow after Your leadership model of servant and sacrificial leadership. You withheld Your awesome power in order to walk the path of Calvary to the crucifixion in order to fulfill Your purpose here on earth. Please grant me the same grace and strength and focus to fulfill the purpose You bestowed in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
37and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
[O] The soldiers who were mocking Jesus demanded to save Himself if He was the King of the Jews. These Roman soldiers were probably all used to exercising power as their profession and could not understand why if Jesus was the King of the Jews, He had to suffer like weakling and be humiliated before them like this. However, it is much easier to exercise power than not, while fully capable, for a greater cause. It would have been not only easier but also meaningless for a King to exercise His power. So even if Jesus was fully capable of saving Himself, He controlled His power to fulfill His purpose of dying as the sacrifice to save mankind.
[A] When in any leadership position, withholding the power delegated to me to carry out my purpose is the model of Jesus that I must remember and follow. As someone once said, He modeled how to be a servant leader, not a strict manager.
[P] Dear Jesus, may my heart be molded to follow after Your leadership model of servant and sacrificial leadership. You withheld Your awesome power in order to walk the path of Calvary to the crucifixion in order to fulfill Your purpose here on earth. Please grant me the same grace and strength and focus to fulfill the purpose You bestowed in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Who Can Stand In God's Way?
[S] Acts 11:17-18 --
17"Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
[O] Peter had just returned from Caesarea where Cornelius and other Gentiles experienced the Holy Spirit being poured out (Acts 10:45) and was trying to explain the situation to the Jews back in Jerusalem about how God had prepared him to preach to the Gentiles through the vision and how He had also led Cornelius through a different vision to prepare to invite Peter to hear God's message for them. In this passage Peter makes a strong point of when God is on the move how would anyone stand in the way. We are not trying to lead God but He is leading us. This needs to be made clear as I live my life as well as doing the ministries at my church. Even though the Jews at first were skeptical, after hearing the news of how God was so evident they also aligned themselves to the grace of God reaching to the Gentiles also leading them to life. When I align myself to the workings of God, I can achieve things that are outside my comfort zone as well as my own limitations.
[A] Whenever I'm up against steep challenges, look for signs of God's working and align my thinking and life to it because that'll point to the way out.
[P] Dear God, who am I that I could stand in Your way? My fear and lack of faith is trying to get in Your way of leading the small group ministry at my church. Continue to equip me with Your strength to carry out my role such that I would experience the uplifting power as Peter and the Jews experienced in seeing how You reached out to the Gentiles also. May You surprise me in a sweet way. In Jesus' name. Amen.
17"Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
[O] Peter had just returned from Caesarea where Cornelius and other Gentiles experienced the Holy Spirit being poured out (Acts 10:45) and was trying to explain the situation to the Jews back in Jerusalem about how God had prepared him to preach to the Gentiles through the vision and how He had also led Cornelius through a different vision to prepare to invite Peter to hear God's message for them. In this passage Peter makes a strong point of when God is on the move how would anyone stand in the way. We are not trying to lead God but He is leading us. This needs to be made clear as I live my life as well as doing the ministries at my church. Even though the Jews at first were skeptical, after hearing the news of how God was so evident they also aligned themselves to the grace of God reaching to the Gentiles also leading them to life. When I align myself to the workings of God, I can achieve things that are outside my comfort zone as well as my own limitations.
[A] Whenever I'm up against steep challenges, look for signs of God's working and align my thinking and life to it because that'll point to the way out.
[P] Dear God, who am I that I could stand in Your way? My fear and lack of faith is trying to get in Your way of leading the small group ministry at my church. Continue to equip me with Your strength to carry out my role such that I would experience the uplifting power as Peter and the Jews experienced in seeing how You reached out to the Gentiles also. May You surprise me in a sweet way. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, October 30, 2009
How to Wonder Jesus
[S] Mark 6:6 --
6And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.
[O] Ever wondered how to wonder Jesus? The people from His hometown, Nazareth did just that by not believing in Him. This is amazing actually because you'd think He'd have the home-ground advantage there but quite the contrary. In fact, He wondered at their unbelief. I sure don't want to be wondering Jesus with my unbelief. My prayer is for me my family to be a place where we believe in Jesus wholeheartedly.
[A] Keep up with our daily devotions such that each of us would be standing on our own based on His Word. Create a culture where we will be wondering at the power of Jesus.
[P] Dear God, may my life, my family members' lives, my church's culture be the one wondering at how great Your amazing love and grace is toward us. May we live daily wondering what wonderful power You give us to live our daily lives because You are showering us with miraculous power that can only come from You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
6And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.
[O] Ever wondered how to wonder Jesus? The people from His hometown, Nazareth did just that by not believing in Him. This is amazing actually because you'd think He'd have the home-ground advantage there but quite the contrary. In fact, He wondered at their unbelief. I sure don't want to be wondering Jesus with my unbelief. My prayer is for me my family to be a place where we believe in Jesus wholeheartedly.
[A] Keep up with our daily devotions such that each of us would be standing on our own based on His Word. Create a culture where we will be wondering at the power of Jesus.
[P] Dear God, may my life, my family members' lives, my church's culture be the one wondering at how great Your amazing love and grace is toward us. May we live daily wondering what wonderful power You give us to live our daily lives because You are showering us with miraculous power that can only come from You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Even the Spittle of the Light
[S] John 9:5-7 --
5"While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
6When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,
7and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent) So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.
[O] We consider spit as a lowly and dirty element. In fact, spitting at someone else in a soccer game will demand a red card (ejected from the game). Not sure of the cultural context back then but just after Jesus announces that He is the Light of the world, he spat and made clay of the spittle to heal the blind man. Even the lowliest element of the Light of this world has the power to heal and open our eyes.
[A] At times, God asks me to do some weird things, some considered to be taboo in our culture for example. But I have to trust that He is the Lord of all cultures we live on earth and follow His instructions to the dot in order to reveal His power.
[P] Dear God, I want to trust You more in my life such that I will carry out actions that I normally would not consider doing at the signal of your command. Continue to teach me to learn to recognize Your voice and to apply into my actions. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Prophesy, Dreams, Visions, Spirit of Power
[S] Joel 2:28; 2 Timothy 1:7 --
28"It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
7For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
[O] God desires to pour out His Spirit on us all. It's the spirit of power, love and discipline which brings for the prophesy, dreams and visions. So many times, I try to take part in God's ministry with the best of intentions and resources but bypass His Spirit thus omitting the power, prophesy, dreams and visions in the process resulting in doing His work by my own power rather than having Him work through me. As I am putting my efforts of laying the foundational structure for a small group ministry at my church I'm clinging on to these two verses because in the end I desire His dreams and visions will be what the congregation will catch and by the size of those dreams/visions God will send the workers needed who will carry on the ministry with the spirit of power, love and discipline.
[A] Pray daily for His Spirit to lead me in this effort.
[P] Dear God, I just love 2 Timothy 1:7 because You have not given me a spirit of timidity but of power! Praise You and I will carry on with one who has received such power. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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