A Poor Rich Man

S ~ Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’  Luke 16:24

O ~  This is amazing that the rich man, even though he was in torment in Hades, still treated poor old Lazarus as a 'nothing'. Just 'boss' Lazarus around, just have Lazarus serve me. Even in the after-life he didn't see Lazarus as a person.

A ~ I am so convinced we need to refer to people as "people who are homeless", not "homeless people".  The emphasis needs to be on the person, not whether they have a home or not. We can help with the need of homelessness, but it's so important that we don't lose sight of the fact that they are people JUST LIKE US.

P ~ Father, thank you for the gift of people. You could have isolated us all, but you allow us to live in community. Please help me to see all people as you see us. 

Breakthrough

S ~ Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, "How did you break through? This breach be upon you!" Therefore his name was called Perez. Genesis 38:29

O ~ Very interesting story - I wonder if this has ever happened before or again. It seems impossible to breakthrough and be first. This placed Perez in the genealogy of the Christ. It was a matter of destiny. God knows the end of a thing from the beginning, and if needed, can change it's beginning so it will end up where He has planned.

A ~ I simply can't give credit to Perez alone, but to God who placed this desire/need in his life even before he could be conscious of it. Why do we do the Godly things we do? Because He has ordained it.

P ~ Father, may I be passionate about your plan for my life, and may I help, not hinder, all you have prepared for me.

So Very Sad

S ~ His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. Genesis 34:3

O ~ This is such a contradiction - he has just forced himself upon Dinah and violated her - then he 'loves' her and speaks kindly to her. What a crock! Love does not act like this. He was selfish, and still is selfish as he simply wants her as his wife; not caring for her. This is so very sad for Dinah - what incredible sorrow.

A ~ It is so important to remember that love is about what can be given, not what can be taken. For God so loved He gave, not took. Our actions must match our words.

P ~ God, help me to be kind to people in word and action; may my life line up with my words.

No Other Gods

S ~ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. Genesis 31:19

O ~ Rachel was one sneaky lady; apparently she married the right man - the deceiver. I wonder how many secrets they kept from one another. She took the idols, and then hid them, and would eventually lie about them. 

A ~ What makes us want to add God to our collection? What makes us think that we need more than God? God is our source, our provision, our everything. We lack nothing because of Him alone - He is enough. El Shaddai.  Are there things in my life that I 'bring along'? It's important to be free from idolatry - no other gods!

P ~ Lord, I place my trust in You alone. 

An Unleavened Life

S ~ In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  Luke 12:1

O ~ Jesus needed to instruct those closest to Him to be on guard. Just a little leaven will affect the whole loaf; just a little hypocrisy would affect their whole life.

A ~ As close as I get to Jesus, I need to remember to be on guard. I am not immune from all kinds of hypocrisy. I need to be filled with love for God and love for people. I need to walk in humility.

P ~ Father, help me to always remember who You are, who I am without you, and who I am with you. May I be life an unleavened life!

A Wrong Source of Comfort

S ~ And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you". Genesis 27:42

O ~ Esau directed his self pity into hatred. A powerful motivating force. How much better it would have been to repent. Sometimes people are comforted in knowing that someone else will get what they deserve.

A ~ It's so important that I am motivated by love. There is a lot of energy in anger and hurt, but ultimately it is destructive. Love does not rejoice in evil.

P ~ Father, help me to be motivated by what moves you. May I let go of hurt and anger, and live a life of a disciple, not a pharisee.

Serving & Sitting

S ~ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  Luke 10:40

O ~ What is it about serving that makes us feel like others should help us, the feeling that if we are serving, everyone else should be too. If Martha chose to serve Jesus, good for her. And if Mary chose to serve, good for her.

A ~ I need to both serve Him, and be with Him. This must not be based on what others around me are doing. I need to find the balance, the priority of both. The key is the presence of Jesus in my serving, and in my sitting. I'm sure He is honored by both.

P ~ Lord, help me to find a good balance of serving You and being with You. You are my life.

Don't Be Hindered

S ~ And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master." Genesis 24:56

O ~ The servant wanted to get on with his mission. He couldn't return empty handed. He found the girl, the one God provided, (she gave his camels a drink) so lets get going. He didn't want to let any time go by. Jesus said let the dead bury their dead, lets get going.

A ~ Too many times the Holy Spirit prompts me and I think "I'll just respond later". I'll make the phone call tomorrow, I'll write a card tomorrow, I'll do a few things first. Procrastination turns into distraction which ends up sabotaging the timing of the plan of God. I need to be obedient, quicker. Let nothing hinder me (especially my own laziness) from following through on what God has prospered.

P ~ Lord, thank you for all the second chances you have given me. May I not need as many :)

A Tangled Web

S ~ But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. Genesis 20:12

O ~ Abraham lied. He told a half true. He seemed to justify his deception pointing to the fact that she was his step sister, as if this mattered to the king. She was his wife, a fact that he left out. His intention was to deceive, not to 'tell the truth'. Lying is so much more than the words we say, but the intent of our heart. We can say something incorrectly and it be untrue, but not an intentional lie.

A ~ I want to always be a man of integrity, one who does not deceive. Satan even used the scriptures to try and 'deceive' Jesus into throwing himself off the temple roof. It really is a matter of the heart. It's essential that I tell the truth with no intent to deceive.

P ~ Lord, thank you for setting me free from my past as a liar; all the times in my teens where I lied and deceived. Thank you for the redemptive work you have done in me. Have your perfect and complete work in me. You are the truth ~ fill my life with You.

Directing Children

S ~ For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. Genesis 18:19

O ~ Abe needed to direct his children and his household - everyone - to keep the way of the Lord, BY DOING. In so doing, the Lord would bring about what He had promised.

A ~ I want to direct my children, and demonstrate by my life, to do what is right and just. I don't want to just think it will happen by osmosis, but rather I need to be intentionally directing my children in the way of the Lord.  I need to sit with Audrey and consider a plan on how to do more, on purpose, not just using the teachable windows and moments of life.

P ~ Father, help me to direct my children in your way that Your promises might be fulfilled in and through their lives.

Praying for Leaders

S ~ Now it came to pass in those days that HE went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12

O ~ Just prior to selecting the 12 disciples from among His followers, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. How long did it take the Father to show Jesus who to pick? I can't imagine that is what the whole night was about. Communion. Preparation. Praying for the disciples. It can't be that it took that long to 'wrestle' the names from God. It must have been so much more than that.

A ~ I can see in this that I really need to be praying for those in ministry with me, and those who are yet to partner with me. As I begin to appoint leaders in the Calgary campus, I need to spend time with Father. Not only do I need to select the right ones, but I need to be praying for them.

P ~ Jesus, thank you for this great example that you have left me to follow. You have called me to lead leaders; that includes praying for them. Stir my heart to be faithful (like Scott) in prayer.

Repent

S ~He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Luke 3:11

O ~ When John spoke of repentance, the people knew they needed to act. When Peter spoke of repentance on the day of Pentecost, the people asked "What must we do to be saved?". Repentance is not only about a heart change, it's about a lifestyle change. A heart change must be demonstrated with action.

A ~ Bearing fruit worthy of repentance should also be measurable. My thought is to journal what I am repenting of, and plan practical ways of changing.

P ~ Lord, I've clearly discovered I can't change myself. I can change some actions, but not my heart. Please change me from the inside out.

Comfort

S ~ And he called his name Noah, saying "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.". Genesis 5:29

O ~ Noah's name means comfort, or rest. They anticipated him bringing comfort. He brought the salvation of humanity through being righteous in a corrupt generation, and by being obedient to God's call to build an ark. I see that Noah did a lot of things, but I'm not sure comfort shows up.

A ~ I'd like to be a person who brings comfort to others, especially concerning the hard work in their lives. I'd like to be a comfort, a helper ~ not increase the toil or struggle or heartache.

P ~ Holy Spirit, you are the Comforter, the One who comes along side to help. Please fill my life to overflowing with the evidence of Your presence that I might comfort ~ come along side to help ~ the people of my generation.

Created To Rule

S ~ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26

O ~ God created us for rulership. We are to have dominion (rule) over all the earth; to fill the earth AND subdue it. Worship is a natural response as we are in relationship and presence of God. Rulership is our mandate.

A ~ Living on planet earth - 'training in rulership'. Of course our dominion is based on an obedient relationship with the Sovereign Ruler. So where do I start? How do I learn to rule. The Holy Spirit was promised to teach me, lead me, remind me. My first place to start must be in relationship with Father God, made possible by the Son, through the Spirit. Having this in place, where shall I start?  Rule my body. Myself - my words, actions, thoughts. Also rule my house well, both being the servant leader to Audrey AND partnering with her to raise our kids in a loving, healthy, Christ-centered home. Rulership has to do with authority - and Romans 6 says sin no longer has dominion over me, thus I am 'free' to rule again. I was a slave under sin, now I am free to take dominion. However, it must be an extension of Christ's rule. I am a man under authority. If I step out from authority (disobedience), then my rulership is invalid as I am now under the dominion of sin.

P ~ Father, as I enter 2009, may I learn what it means to walk in godly rulership. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in the appearance of a man He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."