Tag Archives: Obedience

2012 Day 108 – Acts 5

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

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I have a very simple thought today (well, at least more than usual) about Ananias and Sapphira. Their sin was not about stinginess or holding back what is already God’s. It was their choice whether they should give the money to God, but they chose to lie about it. We do the exact same thing when we make ourselves look greater than we are by giving a little and acting as though we’ve given half our possessions. When I give my tithe it may seem like a big number, but the reality is it is only 10% of a very large number. God is not impressed with the actual number, He is impressed with the obedience; let’s not forget that!

2012 Day 105 – Act 2

14 Saturday Apr 2012

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So we finally reach Pentecost and who is there to explain it all? That’s right, Peter, the same guy who denied Jesus three times when Jesus was being persecuted, tried, and found punishable by crucifixion. God’s grace is amazing! Reading verses 40-41 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Even with all the baggage Peter carried God allowed him to deliver the word that brought 3,000 people to the saving knowledge of grace. No matter what you or I have done wrong in our lives, God has given us the ability to not only be saved, but also to be used to have great impact on His kingdom!

2012 Day 89 – John 19

29 Thursday Mar 2012

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We tend to worry a lot about authority and who is in control (especially during election season). In verse 11 it says, Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” All authority is given by God. We don’t need to worry because without God’s authority our leaders would not be in power. Ultimately, we need to remember that God has a perfect plan. When things seem to be going poorly for us, we simply need to remember He is in control. Even on the day they killed Jesus, God’s plan remained intact and the Savior of the world saved us all. Trust in God and obey Him because He is in control.

2012 Day 88 – John 18

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

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Often times we question why God does what He does. We forget that He has a perfect plan. In the first part of this chapter, Peter assumed that God’s plan was something other than what he had envisioned. Jesus had to reprimand Peter and let Him know that God had the situation under control. Verse 11, Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” Sometimes we question what God is doing in our lives, but ultimately His plan is perfect even though, for us, it doesn’t always feel that way. God’s plan is more important than our individual circumstances. That doesn’t mean we are not important to Him, it just means we need to understand there is a purpose in everything God does.

2012 Day 73 – Luke 21

12 Monday Mar 2012

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Being a believer is the most important and rewarding thing I have ever done. And while it is rewarding and eternally sufficient, it is also not meant to be easy. We tend to want to water down our faith in order to increase our chances of the rest of the world liking us. The truth is we should not be surprised that most of the world either hates us or are are being told they should. In verses 17-19 Jesus makes it clear, “17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.” I tend to get upset when I see someone post something on Facebook or Twitter that makes believers look bad, but this is no surprise to God. All we can do is pray that we become as good of a reflection of Christ as we possibly can and God will work on the hearts men and women towards a loving relationship with Him. In the end, our reward is that we have gained eternal life.

2012 Day 72 – Luke 20

11 Sunday Mar 2012

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In today’s reading I do not have a verse that struck me, but instead I have an observation. As Christians we will sometimes win battles here on earth, but in the end the war is not ours to win. Jesus was able to combat and dispute everything they threw at Him, and yet, they still killed Him. I know what you are thinking… “In the back of the book it’s says we win” and that is true, just remember that God’s path to His final plan sometimes leads us to lose some wars in order to arrive final victory. My point is this; we may be smarter than the people around us and may be able to logically win a philosophical battle, but most importantly the plan is that we are obedient to God. Unless there is heart change in the individual we are talking to, no amount of logic or smart responses will ever convince someone to have a relationship with God. There is a time when bold defense of our faith is needed and there is also a time when defense of my faith is nothing more than a victory for me and does nothing to further the Kingdom of God.

2012 Day 71 – Matthew 23

11 Sunday Mar 2012

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After reading Matthew chapter 23 all I can say is, Wow! Jesus does not hold back as He condemns the religious leaders. Six (6) time Jesus says “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!”, He also says “Woe to you, blind guides!”, and finally He calls them “You snakes! You brood of vipers!” Jesus does not mince word with these men who are supposed to be leaders. They are more concerned with how they appear than with the spiritual health of the Jews. As I read this I could not help but think of those who call themselves leaders of our faith, along with myself as a believer. Are we hypocrites? Are we blind guides? Are we a brood of vipers? I hope not. But if we are, we know exactly how Jesus feels about it.

2012 Day 70 – Mark 12

10 Saturday Mar 2012

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I love how verses 32 and 33 show the voice of reason coming out of one of the religious leaders after he asks Jesus what the greatest command is; “32 Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” what is even better was Jesus’ response in verse 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” It was almost like Jesus says, “Finally, someone has a clue!” The key is to remember that to love God with all our hearts is the Greatest Command. This means loving Him above all else; above career, friends, even family! Sometimes that is a hard pill to swallow.

2012 Day 64 – Matthew 21

04 Sunday Mar 2012

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When Jesus told the parable of the two sons in verses 28-32, He was talking about the Pharisees. The interesting thing is that this parable applies to us too. How many times have we said that we would pray for someone or give to someone and failed to follow through. Jesus expects us to reflect His image and purpose here on earth. When we fail to follow through, we fail Him and His purpose in our lives.

2012 Day 58 – Luke 16

27 Monday Feb 2012

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Ok, I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t fully get the parable of the Shrewd Manager. To me it seems like the manager did something wrong and cheated his master out of what was rightfully his. It’s not until we get down to verse 13 that we start to understand where Jesus is going, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The point is that money can either be used for personal gain or to further the kingdom of God. In this case, the servant was able to use money to gain influence for himself and, more importantly, for his master. When we use what God has given us to advance His influence, we are being shrewd. It is less important how much money or influence we have and more important how we use it.