December 31

Revelation 21:6 (NIV)
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

I (hopefully we) have read through the Bible in one year. It has been a great adventure and now we come to a climatic close. I had never kept up on journaling or blogging before this year. I have to admit that it was tough to find things to blog in keeping with this blog theme which is how this scripture of that day can be personally applied to my life. Yet when I sought the Lord, He would graciously give me something. I am convinced it is because I was thirsty for something. We have to STAY thirsty! We have so many other things to drink, entertainment being a big one that will fill our cup. Only the thirsty get the drink! Stay thirsty before Him! I say that to both me and you who are reading this. The Words in these 66 books are LIFE to us but we must stay thirsty in order to receive them. We may be able to understand and intellectually bite into many things in the Word of God, yet only those who thirst will have their souls nourished and lives changed by this awesome book! There is another portion of the spring, it is the Spirit. God gives the Spirit “without measure” to those who what? To those who come bearing His Word! It is the fantastic combination of the powerful Word of God along with the Spirit of God that brings life to us who are thirsty!

People ask me why doesn’t God work more miracles today. I will tell you one reason, because we aren’t thirsty! “He who is full loathes honey, but to him who is hungry, even the bitter tastes sweet.”

I am hungry for you Lord, thirsty for you! I want more of you, I am not satisfied with where I am or what I have. I am thankful for all you have given me, but I want more Lord! I want to know you more fully. I want to reflect you in a greater way! I need you more than ever God! I am hungry and thirsty for you! Fill me and give me drink from your hand. May all other “fillers” leave me wanting because only you satisfy me. Thank you for your challenge this year – and for the next!

December 30

I feel as though I just watched the world’s most shocking movie and as surreal as it is, it will happen! Where will I be on that day? Will my faith stand with the pressure of death or death to my family? Will I take the mark or will I die for Jesus? I will remain true to the Lord, there is no doubt, and I want to be in that army that fights although I don’t think it is going to be like we think it will be. As shock waves of dread go through my soul because of the immensity of it all, there is something that has risen, something beyond valiant and bold. What am I living for? Where am I going? I have given my life to the service of my King and it is obvious for all to see. Yet, I know within myself there still remains selfishness and self interest. Oh that it would vanish, but that may be the bloodiest war of all. Do I trust in Babylon (the system of the world) or do I trust in God? Of course God, but do I ever look to Babylon to… It seems to me, however long the saints would stay during this tribulation, it won’t be easy. Am I being prepared for suffering with the way I lead my life? Am I preparing others for tough choices of life and living with how I preach, lead and disciple? Denial of self is the preparation for every type of trial. Are we learning to deny ourselves? It is hard when you live in a country that has everything, and if you can’t afford it, charge it or apply for aid. Oh God, help me to be a man of self denial. I not only want to be ready to endure patiently trouble of every kind, but I want to live an example life. I am 50 and I feel I am so far away from that life! Yet, with your power, your strength, your love, I can become that man. Within me in your seed, your Spirit – I am that man!

December 29

Wow! That was an eye full this morning! In the midst of all of the stuff that is hard to understand I saw the verse God wanted me to see. I couldn’t shake it as I read on.

Revelation 10:10 (NIV)
10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.

This could mean something totally different in this revelation from John, but God’s word is alive and active, so it spoke to me. I have eaten from the hand of God. I have “eaten” His Word and I have “eaten” His will. Both have been sweet to my mouth, yet there have been things that have turned my stomach. There are things that the Lord has given me to eat which have turned by stomach sour, yet they tasted so sweet and were received (most of the time) with such joy! I think it is a principle of the Kingdom in which I need to accept. The sourness doesn’t stay forever, but turns to fulfillment. God is teaching me I suppose, to withstand the bitter, the uncomfortable, the trial. Do I have a choice? I think not. If I had a choice – I would choose God and whatever He sends. I have been enduring trails, my stomach is presently a little sour, but God is with me. My lot is to reign with Him, even through my trials. It does make you hesitant to eat. It makes you count the cost at least. But where else would I go? Whose will would I want to do? I am yours Lord – to do your bidding and perform your will.

December 28

Revelation 5:10 (NIV)
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

As I read this I thought - I am a kingdom! I have the King sitting on the throne of my life and I am governed by Him. The next thought that came in was that if that was true that I could not be self determined or self willed. It went something like, “well that is the end of my…” If I have been made a kingdom then the rule of the king is enforced. This is elementary but stunning when you consider the implications.

Then as I read it again, I realized it could be taken in the plural as well. We (them) have been made into a kingdom. That of course means that collectively we will be ruled by the king and not any person. God is our King! Will we be ruled by Him who sits on the throne? Forget about coming into a new year, how about today? How about tomorrow? Again, this is elementary, but today it is hitting me with a --- “will you”?

I will.

December 27

Revelation 1:10 (NIV)
10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

“In the Spirit”. This is a very Biblical concept that we don’t hear a lot about. John saw a lot of coot stuff in the Spirit and my thinking is that if we never get in the Spirit we will never get a glimpse of the realities of the Kingdom of God in any depth. The problem with getting “in the Spirit” is that there is no formula or directions (so to speak). Rather than teach on this, I would just like to say I want to be in the Spirit more. I know that I can “walk” in the Spirit, but I think that this was different. John took some time and shut out everything and disappeared into the Spirit. It was him and God alone and I want more of that in my life. Not only do I want to see things and hear things that I presently don’t or that are rare, but I want everything that being in the Spirit brings in me. I want to touch the garment of God, behold His radiance, hear His Word to me and walk away with that radiance. Was John regularly “in the Spirit”? I don’t know. He did have a lot of time on his hands being exiled to Patmos, but I don’t know how often. What I do know is that it is too infrequent in my life, and I want more it!

December 25

Hebrews 12:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

I am not totally sure if what I am enduring right now is my own doing, an attack of evil (I doubt it) or simply discipline and training, but I don’t like it. I am in one of those places and trying to figure out how to make the necessary changes without overdoing it. Then I come upon this scripture. Really?! I have two choices, feel more deficient or focus on someone else. It’s not that people are “counting on me” but then again I think they are. For me it is - am I going to remain outward focused or inward focused or God focused? Here I see that I have work to do, so I have to look to the Lord for strength and relationship so my feeble arms and weak knees will be strengthened – I have got work to do. I would bet money Jesus had to make this decision when He was tired and disappointed, and then He went on for the sake of the call and the will of the Father. I will too.

December 24

Hebrews 9:8 (NIV)
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.

So how do we get in? How do we get into the Holy Place? What is the Holy Place anyway? The Holy Place – the Holy of Holies, is where the presence of God dwelt. His Spirit was there! The Spirit of God, through the ceremonies of the law showed us that the way to God’s presence had not yet been disclosed. It wasn’t through doing things, nor through ceremony that access to the Spirit of God is granted. It is through faith in the finished work of Christ including His death and resurrection! Maybe this should be my sermon this Christmas Eve! The Spirit is saying, that WORKS and KEEPING RULES and CEREMONIES are not the way to God’s presence – and isn’t that what we all are after? I am! I love His presence! There is fullness of joy there!

His presence is with me all the time since now I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. God is showing me more than just don’t try to attain it by works, rules or ceremonies, (the only one I struggle with is the first one, although I was just asked about how we conduct our worship “ceremony” and if I thought that it is the magic bullet to bring His presence in a fuller way. Hmmmm…) and to trust in Christ’s work. God is saying to LIVE in the work of Christ! That is a grand subject I can’t write about here, but I will tell you one thing, Christ’s sacrifice was suppose to cleanse my conscious from sin. I think that goes further than removing guilt all the way to getting rid of sin consciousness and getting the righteousness consciousness, but I will save that for another day. The point is this – it isn’t a secret anymore! We know how to enter God’s presence! Get there Terry! Everyday – all the time!

December 23

Hebrews 3:19 (NIV)
19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

God is talking about rest. Ahh.. yes, rest. I feeling like I have been chopping vegetables in the kitchen and just cut myself with a sharp knife. I have been cut by the Word of God, but it is good to be laid bare by my God. To put it bluntly, (I hope this will help some of you) I don’t enter God’s rest because of unbelief! To explain this further, let me say this – I get stressed out, work to many hours, am anxious because of unbelief. That is a big pill to swallow, but I want to hear it – it brings life to me! Whether it is church, the ministry, the house or whatever… if I trust Jesus, I will be able to rest! I don’t have to prove myself over and over again and neither do I have to get it all done because if I don’t it won’t get done.

God, you are bigger than me and are able to do things better than me. I come to you – again – and say that I want to enter your rest. I do believe Lord, help my unbelief! I dedicate myself to your rest.

December 22

We have everything we need for our lives through the knowledge of Him, but the knowledge can be ineffective and unproductive if I don’t make every effort to add character qualities to my life. Fortunately I already have these character qualities although they may be hiding, and you do to if you have exchanged your life for the life of Jesus Christ. Still, I am taken by the command TO ME that is nearly befuddling! I am charged with adding love to brotherly kindness which was added to godliness, which is added to perseverance, which is added to self-control, which is added to knowledge, which is added to goodness, which is added to faith? That is all me? I am tired thinking about it! How do I concentrate on all of that?!

As Paul might say, thanks be to God that His Spirit is at work in me to empower and strengthen me to do all of that adding! If I look back over my life I see that these things have been added in great degrees. I haven’t come close to attaining any type of perfection or even a “good amount” of these characteristics, however, I am confident that He who began a good work in me will continue to conform me into the image of His Son. My part is cooperation, which is effort.

December 21

Peter was writing “…in this you greatly rejoice…” and “are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…”, to a people who were suffering. Notice that he said that they “are” filled and “do” rejoice, it was not a directive, it was a statement of fact. When I read that I felt like, “hey, I want that – ahh… I have that – ahh… where is it?! I do have joy, there is no doubt to that, but it seems too conditional for me. It comes when things go good or when I am really in the Spirit. Hmmm…. I guess I should always be in the Spirit!

There was one more thing that jumped out at me;

1 Peter 4:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

I am still trying to wrap my mind around this one, but I will tell you this, it is true! There is suffering involved in so many things in this life in order to attain something. It seems to me at the very least that this means that if I want to be done with any sin, it will take some suffering and I have to be willing to suffer. OSL has some suffering built into the discipleship course, and it helps you overcome things and change! Willing to suffer…

I have been willing for years to suffer physically to bring about a good result Lord, I want to be done with things in my life that have plagued me, do what needs to be done Papa – I trust you.

December 20

Those who follow the blog are going to see a common theme running through many days. God wants to speak to OUR lives as we read the Word and not just give us knowledge, or in my case as a teacher, not just something good to teach – although He does that too!

“…when you encounter various trials…” “…each is tempted… by his own evil desire…” We have got to stop (only) thinking about this as “sin” stuff. (The things we most think of when sin is mentioned). For me today, when I read that, I thought about the trial of depressed thinking when things are going wrong. Yesterday, after striking out Christmas shopping for 3 hours, I came home to 2 window leaks, a wet carpet and a wet couch. Then I was told that the main house computer didn’t work and we are out of toner. Compared with eternity, it’s nothing, but I wasn’t comparing it with eternity at that moment. It wasn’t a trial not to cuss or not to commit adultery or not to get drunk, it was hard to keep my head out of water. Honestly, I am a little tired and it pushed me over the edge of hopelessness. What was I going to do? Go out and shop more? No!!! That was stressing me out. Do nothing! I did try to fix the computer, but I had to reckoned that tonight nothing was going to be solved and I should eat dinner and enjoy my wife’s company. We watched a chick flick that was clean, went to bed not worrying and I woke up feeling renewed and wanting to get close to God. I always want to fix it, get out of it, escape, not do it, do more… How about just accept it sometimes and move on! It happened and even though I should of…. (sealed the windows last summer…) I didn’t and so what. I’ll get them next time. My evil desire is kicking myself until I am bruised. Jesus was already bruised for me– stop it Terry!

December 18

Titus 1:1 (NIV)
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—

The knowledge of the truth leads to godliness. I have been “doing” a lot lately. Do you know what I mean? I have been busy for God and have felt, well… a little tired. That tiredness actually produces (in me) more distance than closeness. It’s not like I am not close to God, or have become immoral, but I am not as close as I want to be, mainly because I am tired. So when I read this passage this morning it was as if I was reproved by the Spirit who was saying, slow down, and just “be” in me! It isn’t how much you do that leads to godliness, it is sitting at the feet of Jesus and just being with Him, because that knowledge, that time with God will lead to the godliness (think beyond morality), that I desperately want.

Help me to slow down Lord! I want to get things done for you, but I see it is a trap to get me away from you. Jesus, can you help me? It seems impossible, but I know that you can. I love you Lord.

December 17

“Turn away from godless chatter”. “Have nothing to do with godless myths…” “Command certain men not to… they promote controversies rather than God’s work…”

The Spirit of God is not interested in speculations and traditions or anything else that takes you away from the work of God. There are those things in Christianity that occupy people’s time, energy and their focus that promote controversies and end up dividing people. We spend our time trying to figure out things that are not clearly laid out to us and we take our focus off of God’s work. I am not saying that one should study Bible prophecy (end times) or the significance of numbers and things like that, but I am convince that whatever gets in the way of God’s work which is advancing the Kingdom of God, must be at the very least secondary. Things that promote controversy that are not foundationally Biblical, but opinions, tradition, myths… need to be put away as a childish thing.

December 16

Philippians 3:16 (NIV)
16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

I have attained something already! It is in me and in you! Paul is saying – the Spirit is saying, that we have already attained what we are aiming at, and it is up to us to a large extent, whether we live up to that level or not. What we have attained goes so far beyond moral living, so far beyond being a good Christian, so far beyond western thinking of religious servitude – it blows my mind! The depth of relationship, the authority and power that we have, the identity and rights as children of God we have are amazing. For me, when I think about living up to what I have attained (by the work of Jesus), I think about living in my true identity. Oh to walk, talk, think, behave, hear, see, pray, teach, love… as I already am! Lord, draw me deeper – take me to the next level – again. Reveal to me who I am in You!

December 15

Ephesians 5:11-14 (NIV)
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

There is so much revelation in this passage that I was going to write about, but I am reminded of the purpose of this year’s blog – What did God speak to me. I have be about exposing darkness. Not talking about darkness to others necessarily, but exposing darkness because I am light. There are different ways to expose darkness. The way we all think of right off the bat is confrontation. This has to be done with much wisdom, but it clearly must be done at times. I just have to make sure that it is God’s timing to do it. The other ways are more subtle. They include my way of life exposing darkness. It is supposed to be such a stark contrast that conviction will fall. Similarly the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life brings light and conviction. Another way is teaching. My teaching must be able to expose and confront the darkness that tries to hide in all of us so that Jesus light can shine and people have a chance to get rid of that darkness.

Shine through me Lord! May I fearlessly confront and teach and may my life be one of purity, set apart for you.

December 14

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

I didn’t get through one chapter of today’s reading when God spoke to me the life I need. I need the Word of God and the fellowship with the Spirit of God! I want to live worthy, pleasing God, bearing fruit, growing, being strong, enduring with joy and being thankful. The key is to be filled with knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. That certainly means I have to be in the Word of God, but it is more than that. It is reading the Word with the Spirit as my instructed/illuminator. It is spending time “praying in the Spirit” for understanding and wisdom. It is so much more than studying a text book, it is reaping the life, unveiling the mysteries, going deep with God and having His mind. Thank you for Your Word Lord. Teach me and reveal to me the depth of it, especially who I am in you and what my inheritance is! Keep pouring it out on me Papa, be patient with me, I want more!

December 13

Did you see that Paul told the crew “I told you so”. I thought that was funny, although some people might take that to mean they could say it too.

The first point of today’s reading was that Paul knew that disaster was coming. I want to be that connected with God so He can tell me things like that! Although I think I am that connected, and I think He doesn’t hide things from me, I haven’t got a lot of those warnings before – at least to my knowledge. At times I have gotten a few warnings, that little gnawing in my soul, and now that I think about it, God has warned me before more than I would like to admit. I just didn’t heed it, or doubted it was Him. He wants to guide me through life, why wouldn’t He “guide” me then? It takes time and focus to be guided.

The second thing that amazed me is that Paul was able to seek and HEAR the Lord in the midst of the storm. Wow! That is so hard for me. Seeking and hearing Him at church or when things are going well is nearly easy, but in the midst of turmoil of any kind, I find it hard to hear Him. There is too much of me talking and thinking and it is hard to quiet myself – how about you? Lord take me to place where I can hear your voice in any circumstance. I suppose that starts with listening all the time. Help me Lord, mold me, fill me with You!

December 11

It sure seems like Paul's life was preaching the gospel doesn't it? Everything else was to facilitate what his mission was. No matter what the cost and no matter what it took, he was bound and determined to complete his mission. It is said that Paul was rich because he made big tents. Maybe so, but there sure seems like there was plenty of want as well. It's funny what we get out of scripture sometimes. This is what I get, Paul was 100% in - all in! That is the way I want to live - all in - and not worrying about the worldly stuff.

December 10

Acts 20:24 (NIV)
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Just this morning 2 evident flaws of my life showed themselves in glaring fashion. As I read this passage I couldn’t pass this verse without thinking I wish I could do that. I know that I can, but it just seems so hard. When things are going well we Christians can quote a verse like this with a smile on our face and preach it like Charles Spurgeon. However when you are hit in the face with a 2 x 4 about things in your life (not moral sins), this verse takes on longing. If I could live, really, think like this, I wouldn’t be so bummed about other things. If my life, my house, others opinions, or anything else didn’t matter so much, I would be so much freer to serve the Lord.

Help me to die to my life Lord. I am vexed by my own care, which seems good until it crushes me under it’s weight. I am undone before you today. I long to serve you with all I have. Help me dispose of these weights so I can be unleashed all the more. I will finish my race Lord – I am confident you will complete it with me. I give myself to you freshly today – I can’t run my life, there is too much worry in that. You are my source, my everything – I yield to you.

December 9

“In view of God’s mercy…” What mercy? The mercy that took us, who didn’t seek Him and save us! That is why we lay down our lives! We have to look back at our before state to understand His mercy. For some that is a forgotten thing and it shows in their life. I was ignoble, a nobody, born to nobodies who didn’t have much. Toxic waste was in the soul of my ancestry and that is where I came from. Insecurity ruled me along with other major character flaws. I was empty, afraid and yet sought after by a merciful God. I was a nobody from nowhere with nothing to offer a holy God when He saved me. What else can I do but be a living sacrifice. Plus, the benefits are great!

December 8

I am “richly blessed” because I have called on the name of the Lord! That is my position – richly blessed! Thank God I am grafted in! Thank God I inherited such a great inheritance!

“Consider the sternness and kindness of God.” I will! God is so good to me! Do you know how many times I “fell” away from Him in my life? Plenty! Whether it was a “religious” departure, (meaning that I remained religious but cold in my heart towards God – doing works with no relationship) or a sinful departure for a season, from the time I was saved it has happened more than a couple of times. Yet God has been so gracious to me and brought me back by His kindness. His sternness towards me because of my unbelief has been felt, but He always graces me with revelation that draws me toward belief and therefore His kindness is activated. How good is God!!!! You are so great Lord! You are the kindest – bestest of all! Love you!

December 7

Faith comes apart from doing! I don’t have to do to get anything from God, I have to be! This is a tough concept, but if we do out of “being” then we are in faith and have everything, but if we try to get the promises from God because of how we act, then it isn’t faith and I won’t receive anything! So what in the world is wrong with me that I continue to work so hard? I don’t do it to attain anything, I do it because it is expected. I still haven’t figured out who expects it except for me and satan. Doing clouds my faith! Oh God help me “be” in you and never try to attain anything by my effort. I want everything you have for me Lord! I have it! I call it forth in my life!

December 6

Romans 1:11-12 (NIV)
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—
12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

It occurs to me that there is a reason to get together and this is it. There isn’t a time that I talk to Pastor Dave and don’t go away from a conversation not being challenged or having something taught to me. I want to be that kind of man. I want to impart things to people, both spiritually and knowledge. That means I have to do it on purpose! The other thing is that when we get together, we are mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. That has some assumptions in there, but the point to me is that I am an encouragement. When I get together with Pastor Jerry, he always encourages me. I walk away with more than I came with. Isn’t that how I should be? I want to be these things Lord. Bring me to that place, increase my influence, delight in me God and give this ability more and more!

December 5

“The authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.”

It is obvious that something was going down in that church. It was an interesting read today. The point that I heard loudly was that my authority at the church, in my family, in my life was meant for building up and not tearing down. Things sometimes need to be corrected, however it all must be done for building up! People need to go away having the high probability of thinking that I was building them up. You can’t help it if some people take things wrong, but you can help people to take it right by having the right attitude, having love and by communicating concern for their soul. In the end, I have authority, and I am supposed to use it. I MUST use my authority to ensure the building up of the church, my family and my own life.

December 4

A funny thing stood out to me. Paul changed his mind about traveling to Corinth. He made a plan and then changed it. God really encouraged me that if the great apostle can change plans, so can I. It really brought a freedom to me. I can choose and if I see that it is not the plan of God, and can choose God and be o.k. with it. Freedom!

Paul talks a couple of times about “not” losing heart and also being on the brink of death, in fact it sounds like he wanted to die, however what pushed him on was NOT his own life, it was the life of Christ in him and the life of Christ in others. His ministry was such a focal point of his life, that thinking about what God was doing through him was what kept him going! My life must not be lived for me. That is a trap! It depresses me. I am convinced that this is the reason so many youth have lost heart, they have no greater purpose than themselves. When I focus on my life as it relates to me, I will lose heart. So Lord, I focus on you, I focus on others, I focus on my life as it relates to you and to others. After all, isn’t my life hid in you? Maybe my stress comes from the times that I “un”-hide myself and look at everything instead of looking at you. Makes sense…

I saw the definition of rich in chapter 9 – having enough to be generous with others.

December 3

If there is no resurrection, then we should party and we are to be pieties more than other men. Paul makes his case about the resurrection to those who either don’t believe or have some real doubts of the possibility of being resurrected. His point is that without the resurrection of Jesus – this is a bad fairy tale that has caused him some real grief for nothing. Extrapolated to us who do believe what does this mean? This life is NOT what Christianity is primarily about! The more the devil can convince us that this life is what Christ died for (which He did die for our abundant living), the less we will be most concerned with advancing the Kingdom of God and bringing people to salvation. We will fall into the trap of helping people improve in this life as our focus, and our focus, my focus, must be on bringing people to salvation and then maturity! I will only live another 40 years or so, but I will be alive for eternity (I can’t conceive of that – so put the number at 1000 so I can wrap my mind around that for comparison’s sake). Do I want to live for the next 40 years as its own purpose, or live for the next 40 years for the next 1000 years? That is an easy answer. It is all about focus.

Oh God, don’t let me focus too much on this life. I want to be focused on the next life and this life will be lived with that focus! I want to bring people to salvation, give me opportunity Lord.

December 2

I think sometimes people including myself give excuses instead of truth. In chapter 13 and verse 7 it says love always, always, always, always. I love you but..., or I love them but I don’t trust them or I don’t think they can or..., is NOT love. Do you get what I mean? Either I have got to always, always, always, always, or I am not walking in love. There is no in-between, either I am loving and because of that protecting, trusting, hoping, persevering, or I am letting others be hurt (by myself or others), doubting, expecting nothing and losing patience or giving up on people. When I became a man, my love was like a man’s love, mature and I left the childishness of selfish interest, selfish ambition and the like. So I am hit between the eyes that I have not left all my childish ways – BUT I want too! God help me to love like a mature man – because I am one – and want to be more like one! Help me Papa! Reprove me and show me your way of love.

December 1

Today’s reading was a long one. There is so much there and I thank God for this book! The thing that stuck out to me was a recurring theme that ran throughout chapters 5-7 and really the whole book. Clearly we are not our own. Clearly we are to sacrifice ourselves for our brothers and for Christ. How? Verse 7 of chapter 5 tells us:

“Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed…”

This is an incredible instruction to me. It capsulates, in the middle of talking about someone who is have sex with his step-mother and what to do with him, God’s thinking about our born again state. I am supposed to get rid of the old yeast (works of the law, works of the flesh-worldliness) so I CAN be a new batch of bread without yeast (yeast representing sin). So I have to get rid of the stuff (yeast) that is messing me up and making my flesh (sin nature) rise. However the next half of the verse tells me that I AM ALREADY A NEW BATCH! God has already created me new! Not only does that tell me that I don’t ‘have to’ sin, it tells me that I am not created to sin – it is AGAINST my nature! Get that in me Papa! I am able to get rid of the old yeast BECAUSE Christ has been sacrificed and because I have accepted HIS life (and death) and become NEW. It is my nature to get rid of the old yeast – that is what I do! When I start thinking like this, it becomes a whole lot easier than the thinking; “I am just so caught in my past – or – I have always been like that”. I am a NEW MAN!