Category: Good Life Journal

Scripture:

Mark 2:14– And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus siting at the tax collector booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Observation:

Jesus calls us right where we are in our most need, not when we are all “put together correctly.” Jesus wants us to follow him as he tells Levi, a despised tax collector. Levi’s response is to rise from what he is currently doing and to follow Jesus.

Application:

Everyone needs the grace and forgiveness offered through the sacrifice of Jesus to be reconciled with God. I do not have to be all cleaned up or to a certain level of theology. I do have to recognize that I am a sinner and need Jesus as my savior. Step one is to place my faith and trust in Jesus and begin to follow Him. As I follow Jesus, I must learn to be dependent on Him for His grace and forgiveness. As I submit more of my heart and life to Jesus, I am able to walk on a path of discipleship and change.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your forgiveness and your underserving grace. Let me repent of my sin and recognize my need to follow you and not be self-righteous.

Scripture:

Mark 1:12-13
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Observation:

After Jesus is baptized by John, the Spirit of God that descended on Him like a dove, then led Him in to the wilderness to be tempted.

Application:

Being Spirit-led and Spirit-filled are sometimes confusing topics. In our current Christian culture there are differences in opinion and theology on who is filled and who is not. Some say we are filled at salvation, others say it is at baptism, others say it is a second baptism after the water one. I believe that we are filled with the Spirit the second we repent of our sins and trust Christ as our savior. Some believe that the proof of being Spirit-filled is speaking in tongues or exercising another type of supernatural gifting. Others believe being Spirit-filled is most evident in charity and loving neighbors as ourselves. Still others believe the greatest test of being Spirit-filled is obedience to the Word of God. I would tend to agree with that.

All this aside, I think we learn a few valuable lessons from studying Jesus’ experience with the Holy Spirit in Mark 1. A few things…

-The Holy Spirit is affirming and comforting. The presence of the Spirit at Jesus baptism is connected to the voice of the Father affirming the Son. The Holy Ghost is not a “Ghost” to be afraid of as a believer, but rather to be welcomed and submitted to.

-The Holy Spirit comes upon us. We aren’t born with the Holy Spirit. We haven’t always had the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person of God that comes upon us and fills us. We have a vacancy in us that can only be filled with Him. We aren’t ok or complete without Him. A spiritless person is not ok.

-The Holy Spirit leads us into difficult situations. Jesus is led by the Spirit into 40 days of fasting, starvation, pain, and temptation. We must not assume the Spirit leads us towards easy and comforting environments. Our comfort comes from His presence, not the environment around us.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the affirmation He gives, the Life He gives, and the guidance and presence in even the most difficult of environments and situations.

Scripture:

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord !

Observation:

After the psalmist calls on every instrument to praise the Lord he then calls on every one with breath to praise Him.

Application:

I have sang my whole life. I love it. Singing worship songs is fun for me. However, the psalmist challenges everything with breath to praise Him. The prerequisite to praise is functional lungs, not talent.

A few things…

Worship is more than a melody. It is a response to God with every single breath. It is responding to who He is with all we are.

May my next breath and the breath after that be a form of worship.

Everyone, regardless of talent and gifting is called to worship. We don’t have to wait for a service or a song. A breath is all we need.

Prayer :

You are worthy of every song and even every breath.

Scripture:

Psalm 148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created.

Observation:

The Psalmist is directing us to praise the Lord. He provides a variety of reasons and areas that we should praise God for in this world. The psalmist depicts a picture of praise in Heaven and Earth. Creatures great and small. From the depths of the ocean to the tops of the stars. He is the creator of everything. All He has to do is speak and it is done. For that alone, I should praise Him.

Applications:

It is sometimes easy to miss the simple things. The simple things that occur in our life and the simple things that are known to man. I can be so focused on the trees that I forget to notice the forest. This verse is a reminder that God is creator of all. He simply “says” and it is created. Yet as simple as some of life’s pleasures can be, how easy is it for me to take everything on earth for granted. God created it all. Simply by commanding. He is the creator, the judge and is worthy of all our praise.

I get a sense of excitement in this Psalm. The Psalmist is excited to be praising God. When I take the time to reflect on what God has created, I have a sense of awe. I should not let the challenges of the world stop me from remembering the excitement and awe as I praise God.

Prayer:

It is easy to go through the motions. It is easy to forget what you created and how you created everything. Help me not take things for granted whether they are little things, simple things or complex and not easily understood. You created everything and I praise you. I worship you and I am humbled by your name.

2 Every day I will bless you and praise you …3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 

 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom …

Scripture:

Psalm 141:4
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

Observation:

The psalmist prays that God would keep Him from evil. In doing so he prays specifically over 4 areas that lead him towards evil. First he prays for his heart, then his actions, then the company he keeps and then finally the things he would end up indulging in that are forbidden.

Application:

The psalmist lays out a detailed prayer that help each of us understand the depth of the fight against sin and depravity.

⁃ The heart. Our own heart will guide us astray. Our heart, though sanctified and washed by Christ, still has fleshly leanings. It still, apart from the Spirits leading, will lead us to self-preservation, self-promotion and self-gratification. “Following our heart” can get us in trouble. Therefore we must pray consistently that our hearts be guided by the Spirit. My heart has many times led me towards something that felt right but in the end was a mess.
⁃ Our actions are a result of our heart. However many times we treat them as something separate. As a man it is easy to disconnect who we are from what we say or do. The psalmist prays that his actions would be pleasing to God. He doesn’t give himself room to “busy himself with wicked deeds.” Idle hands usually find wicked deeds to busy themselves with. It is important to know that if the heart strays the actions follow.
⁃ The next is connected but important to address separately. The evil deeds are done in the company of the men who work iniquity. Who we spend time with and around will inevitably shape our behavior. We have the ability to help lead men who work iniquity away from their lifestyles, however if we are not guarding our hearts, we will be the one influenced.
⁃ Finally the psalmist prays that he would not eat of their delicacies. It is important to realize that the stuff the wicked offer is appealing to anyone. I must not think I can’t be enticed by the world. I am never beyond that. I have learned that no one is incapable of anything.

A handful of things…
-It all starts with the heart. If I let my heart slip I will find my life compromised.
-Actions follow my heart. Be quick to repent and get my heart right.
-People influence me as much as I influence them. I must be careful of who I spend time with.
-I am never above anything. I must not assume I am.

Prayer:

I need you Lord. Keep my heart close to you. May my actions follow.

Scripture:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! [S]ee if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23-24

 “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” Ps 139:17-18

Observation:

The Psalmist weaves the Wonder of God and his supplication (prayer, cry) to be found acceptable to Him. The Psalmist gives a pattern that can be followed in our prayer times and our “one on one” with our Lord.

Application:

A few hours ago I finished one of my weekly calls with my boss. My company calls these conversations One on Ones. They are designed and have the objective to not only chat but to review. They are not exactly “what have you missed on your assignments” or “here’s trouble on the horizon” but sometimes just to have conversation-to catch up being real people having a real relationship.

I miss doing that with Jesus. So many times my prayer is about “Please do this, provide for that, make peace/conviction/salvation in so and so’s life. Thank You for your provision, your favor, etc. etc.”

In a lot of ways my prayer time is so one-sided: me, me, me. I hardly can recall the last time I sat and listened for His still, small, voice. When was the last time I told God: “Lord-I love Your Word!! It is like honey to my lips. It is better than a perfectly grilled rib-eye slathered in creamy butter.” Or, “Your thoughts are a fortress to my mind. I can see clearly because Your Word transforms my mind and thoughts.”

When was the most recent time that I cried out: “See my heart! Search me! I want to know and understand if there is any grievous way in me. I want to CHANGE!”

When was the last time? Candidly I don’t remember: which probably means I haven’t prayed like that in a long while. Not a good and warm realization.

Prayer:

O Lord, my Lord: How majestic is Your Name! There is reason that the old words are good words. The Psalmist gives me phrases, good words to remember and define and pattern my conversation with You. The Psalmist also reminds me to be me; to not conform to rote chanting with the idea that a lot of words are pleasing to You. You also want me to have substance, conviction, to drag out of my chest my soul and bare it in front of You. I do not want to have a limp and passive relationship with You, O Lord. Pursuing You takes effort. Please keep me from being a slacker in Your Name. AMEN

Scripture:

Psalm 138:1-2 – I give thanks, O’LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Observation:

David is thankful to God with his whole heart and praises Him. God’s unfailing love and faithfulness are reason for David’s thanks and praise. God’s name and his word are worthy of praise.

Application:

Every day, I must give thanks to God my entirety as my creator, savior and redeemer! I should bow down and praise God with my whole heart and life in complete surrender to Him. God’s faithfulness and steadfast love is true and the greatest example of this is sending Jesus to pay for our sins.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your never failing love and faithfulness. Let me praise you for your grace and help me boldly share it with others to honor you

Scripture:

Psalm 134:1-2

134:1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!

Observation:

Unity and blessings come from and return to God. May I never see the origin anywhere different

Application:

All I could think of when I read this was to ascribe to the Lord what is his. How twisted my mind is when I think the only one whom should receive blessings is me. This passage stopped me because how could “I” a wretched sinner who seems to never get anything right. A man who departs from the law of God and does my own thing. A man who doesn’t think of God, always BLESS HIM?
This passage says to do it and then how….
“LIFT YOUR HANDS TO THE HOLY PLACE AMD BLESS HIM”
Worshipping God and ascribing to the Lord his due praise is blessing him. My response
-Worship God daily. (It’s a blessing to him)
-Thank God that he has given me the ability to bless him.
-See my value and worth in Jesus and what he has called me a mere human to.

Prayer:

Father forgive me for not seeing myself how
You see me. May I bless you in worship.

Scripture:

Revelation 22:16
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Observation:

Jesus identifies Himself using titles and phrases that go all the way back to the Christmas story. The root of David, the town of David, the line of David. All of this represents His alignment with the messianic prophecies. The bright morning star is the way the shepherds and wise men found Jesus. From the first night of His birth the star led mankind to Jesus. Jesus identifies himself as the Bright Morning Star.

Application:

From the Old Testament promises, to the night of His birth, to the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Jesus was, is and always will be the main character. He is the Bright Morning Star.

A few things…

-May I look to you as my guiding light in a dark world.

-May I trust you as faithful and not buy into the lie that I know better.

-May I live in constant awareness that you are the main character, not me.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for your love. Thank you for you forgiveness. Thank you for being the Bright Morning Star. I choose to worship you and you alone today!

Scripture:

V10-11 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Observation:

John is describing Heaven. He was given a glimpse and detailed some of the size, materials and layout. What is clear in this chapter is that Heaven is an actual place with walls, gates, roads, etc. It is a location. A destination that is set apart. Heaven is a prepared place. Jesus, on multiple occasions, said he was going to prepare a place for us. Heaven is made of things we consider valuable. However, what we value today is not what we will value in Heaven. Heaven is made with some of the most valuable items we have on Earth but what we value on Earth today will simply be construction material in Heaven.

Applications:

This story reminds me of the Washington Monument. The top of the Washington monument is made of aluminum. Why? When it was built aluminum was one of the most expensive metals around. Now it is something we use and throw away. Today, we value gemstones, gold, and other material things. Similarly, these things are going to be general building material in Heaven. What I need to value is my time, attitude, relationships and my focus.

Our actions are indicators of what we value. Where we spend our time and resources speak to what we value in our life. I watch sports. Not as much as I use to but I still watch a fair amount of sports. Watching sports provides another glimpse into what the world values. Success, Power, Fame. Cities spend billions of dollars to build huge stadiums so we can watch athletes compete. The world pauses every four years to watch either the summer or winter Olympics or the World Cup. The world throws money and fame at people for no other reason than their athletic ability. The world marvels at physical things when the focus should be on spiritual things. Next to God’s glory what we value in this world is relatively meaningless.

Heaven is an exclusive place. Not everyone will get in. I don’t need a ticket but I do need to accept Christ as my Savior and live my life accordingly. I do have to value spiritual things and not worldly things. My time and resources need the proper perspective. What I value now needs to be consistent to what I will value in Heaven.

Prayer:

It is sometimes hard for me to separate myself from the world. Let me use this chapter as a reminder that you are preparing Heaven for me now. You already know what it will look like and how magnificent it is. Let me remember that what is valuable to the world now is not what God values. Help me to live my life and spend my time accordingly.

Scripture:

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:10

Observation:

After witnessing great victory and the beginning of the celebration in heaven, John is overcome and begins to worship a messenger in heaven. The messenger quickly corrects him and tells Him to only worship God.

Application:

Sometimes, when we get caught up in the emotions of it all, we can worship something or someone other than God. In moments of excitement, joy and celebration we want to pay respect and homage to something. In this case, we want to worship the messenger because the news is so good!

A few things…

-God creates incredible moments for us to celebrate and experience victory. I can’t allow the moment to mask who deserves the worship.

-As a messenger I must realize that people will inadvertently worship me. As crazy as that sounds, I must be prepared to deflect that to the Father.

Prayer:

God, you and only you are worthy of my worship! May I be careful to worship you and not receive worship from others because of the news I carry.

Scripture:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!…For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality; the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her; the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” Then I heard another voice from heaven saying: “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, (share) in her plagues…As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning since in her heart she says, “I sit as a queen…” Rev 18:2b through 7a with edits.

Observation:

Chapter 18 is about the attitude of the Queen of Babylon and her followers-people sentenced for destruction. Sexual immorality is a major and predominate theme in this chapter-but I think that sex isn’t the main issue but the attitude of corruption behind it. How does our American (and world) culture fall in line/compare with the Queen of Babylon?

Application:

How do I write about this Chapter? Reading this chapter puts me into a condemning mindfulness. Yet I must remember even this chapter is about the Gospel of God. I admit: it is difficult to read about the Justice of God and remember His Grace.

I observe the world from my admittedly restricted point of view: I live in Manatee County after all. But-television, movies, billboards, magazines…all sorts of media either blasts us with sexually explicit things or, worse yet, worms their way into our daily life by sounding and presenting themselves innocently as the “reasonable” alternative to the explicit.

Being male, I have done many things that I am ashamed of concerning sexual immorality, to the point of affecting me even to this day. This is a topic that is easy, then, to address to the guy looking in the mirror and to other guys-because it is a powerful sin to trip males up.

 But why the Queen? What part of the picture of the Queen and sexual immorality is the Word of God bringing to my (our) attention? I would offer that the Scripture here describes Power: haughty, self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, selfish, self-exalting exercise of Power. Could this be the same temptation that the devil suggested to Eve way back in the Garden: “…For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God-knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, (she) ate of it…” Gen 3:4-6

 The above is not a point about women, but is a point about Men: The sin that rages in us is the sin of wanting a leg up on God-of Power and self-determination. Note the comparison with God: God identifies Himself as “I am”; our identification to God is “I will.” From childhood we exhibit this attitude: “Me do it!” This is the SIN that we need Atonement for and Redemption of-every other sin that we can identify cascades from this evil and traitorous core. Confess, repent, and be saved from the Wrath of God to come.

Ladies that may read this, just a comment: Pretty and Attractive are not synonymous words. Those that have ears to hear, let them hear.

Prayer:

Gosh darn it all, Father-why does sex have to be so hard to deal with? I know the answer: Anything good from You can be, will, and is corrupted from the Garden on…I just wish it wasn’t. Even at my age I am still subject to the lure of sexual sin and fight hard (in the Power of the Spirit) to combat it. My desire is and will be for my wife alone but the eyes sometime have a life of their own. Help me to embrace Your Word in Song of Solomon; to cherish in every way the Gift to me of my wife; to walk worthy of the Gospel in this most intimate of relationships and to actively avoid with extreme prejudice this corruption of my heart and mind concerning sexual sin. “Take all I am, Lord, and all that I cling to. You are my Savior I owe everything to.” I surrender to You, O Lord. AMEN.

Scripture:

Revelation 17:14 – They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of Kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

Observation:

The beast tries to be God but he is not. The beast and kings wage war on the Lamb (Jesus) and they are destroyed. Jesus is victorious over the principalities of darkness. Jesus is King over all kings and has all authority over heaven and earth. Jesus saves those who he has called, allowing believers to be faithful to Him.

Application:

Only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power save. There is nothing else that we can do, see, believe to find salvation other than through Jesus. Jesus came to save me from my sin so I can be reconciled with God. Jesus overcame death, was resurrected and when he returns He conquers satan. Let me live out this truth daily, knowing there will be difficulties and persecution forthcoming, but Jesus reigns.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for your grace, love and mercy. Help me to remember your gospel and respond to it in freshness daily. Let the power of your Spirit guide me to walk in faith with you in all aspects of my life, regardless of the cost.