luke 17:10

Luke 17:10 “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'”

Yesterday we had a work project. The group worked hard and diligently. The man that we were helping told us he was amazed about how much we got done and told us we could come back whenever we wanted. That made me feel really good and proud of the group.

But it wasn’t what we did or the praise we got that made me so proud, it was the observation of strong servants, I herd my group saying comments like “it feels good to do this unto the lord”, or lets make this extra clean because the lord has provided us a opportunity to do so” or Daniel inviting the man to church while the rest of us encouraged followed by Erin praying for him at the end of the time. It was truly amazing for me, We arrived in good spirits and left in good spirits and the hole time  I don’t think I herd one complaint.

i saw how good we worked together and how we truly served the lord.

And then I rememberd a verse I had read the day before

Romans 3:12 “they have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” and that was a cool reminder that no matter how good are services are or how encouraging and godly we can be we still are in no way worthy. And even in our unworthy state god still uses us to glorify him. I don’t think I have ever herd of anything more beautiful I think using the inglorious to show the work of the most glory is amazing and can only be don’t threw god.

So my application today is to be grateful in every opportunity to serve and praise the lord for using me when I do not deserve it. 

Matthew 11:6

Mathew 11:6 “and blessed is he who is not offended because of me.”

I can only imagine the way john felt when he was in prison for serving Jesus. here he was serving Jesus most of his life pronouncing him as the messiah . The last place he probably expected to be was in a cell.

This makes me think about how many times I do something expecting a good outcome and have been disappointed because it wasn’t what I expected. The failure of my expectation being met soon leads to me questioning Jesus, lines like “where are you god?” or  “I Mathew 18nd the problem and it got worse, maybe your not really there.”

Its easy to get cought up in my narrow-minded eyes that cannot see past myself in surten situations and get blinded by what I can only see in front of me. Much like john he slowly got caught up in his own head and lost with in the walls of his cell.

 I think its time for me to stop getting offended by the expectations a tend to hold god to and start paying attentions to the expectations he holds for me.

galatians 6:8

Galatians 6:8 “for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life.”

If it was up to my flesh today I would call out of work lying to my boss with the high fever excuse to sleep in and then get ready for a good Friday night with people who also enjoy feeding there flesh with good music and strong alcohol.

 If I continued to do this every Friday I would soon be making excuses for a couple other days this week, slowly creating a manifesting lifestyle of corruption. I don’t want to be a liar who makes excuses and lies for my own benefit, or a broke alcoholic who couldn’t hold a job or finish school, and have no real friends that don’t even know me on a sober day and that’s exactly where my flesh would have guided me.

 But that’s not what I am doing today and not the lifestyle I have let manifest anymore. I chose to let my savior save me and not to ignore his voice any longer. Today I get up, with the understanding that there is purpose beyond my understanding and reason to live beyond this life.

I would rather be here devoting my life to letting god use adding more people to his kingdom then at a party wasting away drinking away my spirit. My flesh is going to die someday and nothing here on earth will matter but the souls who come with me. No life is worth the best flesh seeking party or good time.

Application: proverbs 3:7 “do not be wize in your own eyes; fear the lord and depart from evil”

When I have desires to turn around and go back to my old life style I need to cling fast to the truth and think about what I will be reaping later or what I will cause others to reap for me.

galatians 6:7

Galatians 6:7 “do not be deceived for god cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows.”

I can remember running from any form of authority or situations involving conflict; and deceiving many people threw lies and manipulation. It was so simple to deceive man weather by physically running or by false excuses and appearances.

Becoming a Christian I notice I can’t run anymore. Trying to run from god is like being on a tread meal that goes nowhere. I have realized that my fall back response is to run away when I don’t like what’s happening but now as I look back no matter where I ran I didn’t get any where. I was just deceiving myself.

Application: when times get hard I need to stop turning back to an old way of thinking turning to him and not trying to run from him making a mockery of myself.

galatians 6:5

Galatians 6:5 “for every man must bear his own burden.”

Proverbs 9:12 “If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

If I plant a bad seed it will surely rot. If I plant a good seed threw the glory of god it will be prosperous and everlasting.

Application: Think about the consequences of my actions. Think about the messages I send from my words before I say them. Think about who I represent with everything I do because I know that the good fruits taste better then the rotten ones.

galatians 6:4

Galatians 6:4 “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”

1 Corinthians 3:8 “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”

We are all created different and unique in the eyes of god. Each of us having different gifts and placements in the body but each of us equally important.

Application: keep focused on my position and the work that god has set for me. Keeping judgment off others members of the body and replacing it with encouragement. Humbling myself for glory of god and not directing judging deceitful eyes on someone else when I feel convicted from my sins. 

galatians 6:3

Galatians 6:3 “for is anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

It’s interesting to me how god continually describes man as sheep in the gospel. Sheep are dense creatures with no direction for there life, if they see one sheep jump of a cliff they will follow and jump with the sheep if there not following the shepherd and no matter how hard they could try to be the shepherd they cant, they also cant understand what the shepherd is thinking or where the shepherd is taking them all they have to do to be safe is follow and trust there shepherd.

This makes me ask myself how many times have I thought I am as smart as my shepherd when in reality I am not? Or as strong? How many times have thought I can handle the wolf myself because I have learned enough from watching my shepherd or listen to his still small voice. How many times I thought I could be the shepherd and led other sheep of a cliff with me? how many times will I continue to deceive myself by thinking the weight of the world is on my shoulders or that I can figure out completely where my shepherd is taking me and what he is thinking or That I can fully understand why he is taking me there.

Application: john 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me, and in him, bears much fruit; for with out me you can do nothing.” Jesus is right I can do nothing with out him and am nothing with out him. How dare I think I am something when I am not. I am a sheep and need to continue to follow him leaning on his understanding not on my own. I will never full understand him until I get to his dwelling place until then I will dine with simplicity of heart and follow him.

acts 2:46

Acts 2:46 “so continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”

I learned something a couple days ago about the temple that they went to daily. I learned that they would go to the temple 2 times a day one at 9 o’clock in the morning and 3 o’clock in the after noon. What a conviction on my part. I don’t think this was put in the bible for no reason I think this chapter has set strong principles for me to follow and place in my life and setting aside alone time with Jesus is one of them. And next time one wants to brag about being a better Christian because they go to the Sunday and Wednesday night services I can remember this and pray for them.

When I  think about the breaking of bread I think about Jesus telling his disciples about why he is dieing on the cross. I think about him describing his sacrifice for them and the world and how his sacrifice would be his flesh so that one day they would dwell in peace and not evil. I think more people need to here this and more people need the hope of the gospel knowing that they have a savior. I think I need to take everything I am learning and keep it in my heart so when I go from house to house I will have answers bringing more people to sit at the table of righteousness eating the food with gladness and simplicity of heart.

Application: Colossians 3:22 “bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing god.” I need to always remember the sacrifice god made for me and for his people and respect it with communion. I need to keep a soft heart filled with sincerity and simplicity and plant seeds to create good fruits that looks appealing to all to eat. 

Acts 2:45 “and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had needed.”

This verse makes me think about how much stuff I have that I don’t need. How much I’m blessed and continue to get blessed with. It saddens my heart to think about how much other people do not have there needs met and I am over flowing with more then enough things. I’m going to go threw my things that I don’t use and send them to my sister because I know she doesn’t have what I have at potters field. I’m going to thank god for the opportunity to give away my things and bless someone els with the blessings he has given me. esp. someone I love. 

acts 2:44

Acts 2:44 “now all who believe were together, and had all things in common.”

There was a girl here at potters field that I didn’t like being around, she talked a lot at times when I didn’t want to talk at all, she liked Hannah Montana and I liked Janis Joplin, she was raised in a Christian home and stayed in that home her whole life and I have moved all around America with out a stable Christian life style, she liked pink and I liked green and we just could not find anything in common. We didn’t really ever hang out at meals and if we did it would lead to blank stares and awkward one liner conversations.

Its cool to think about how we were brought here with the assumption that we had absolutely nothing in common but in reality we had everything in common we both had a heart after god and desired to fall deeper in love with Jesus. Those blank stares and awkward conversations turned into deep conversations about god and long laughs over sillyness. She left here one of my best friends and someone I know I will meet again if not on earth then in heaven.

Application: Acts 4:32 “now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.” I need to keep in mind that god is in everything and is bigger then anything. And holds all things together no matter what situation. And is in everything even when I see no hope or potential for anything. I need to stay humble and not so quik to judge because I could be blocking out a relationship from someone that god placed in my life for a reason.

acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 “and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of the bread and in prayers.”

This verse is weird it’s so small but yet says so much to me. It seems like the basis of my life should be and is striving to be revolved around staying steadfastly in the doctrine, have strong fellowship, and pray at any time good and bad.  Why wouldn’t I want this for my life? Staying steadfast in the doctrine learning about all the great true stories of my god seems like the cure for a lack of wisdom and knowledge to have the tools to use against any attack from my enemies. Fellow ship would bring me strength in a body to work for efficient for Christ having someone to lean on with good council and have someone leaning on my shoulder for the near fact of loving Jesus together, yes many hands create fewer work but it seems like more efficient work and stronger results when the body of people are moving with the motives for and of Christ. The breaking of the bread was one of the last things Jesus did with his apostles before he was crucified on the cross for my sins. He broke the bread as an analogy to show me that he loves me and because he loves me he is going to sacrifice his flesh for me. Now today when I do communion I do this in respect of this moment as a remembrance of gods love. To secure my doubt and my sinful thoughts and remember what my god did for me. Sometimes I forget how much power Praying can undertake. Praying gives me closure in big decisions, it strengthens my faith giving me a more of a personal relationship with Jesus and grows the holy spirit that dwells in me. These for things that are in this verse should be something I cling and never let go of because this four things give me strength and save my life and kill my flesh so my application would be to make this something that is not just something that’s easy to say and hard to do but something I merely do out of instinct clinging to these things steadfastly.

psalm 23:6

Psalm 23:6 “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the lord, forever.”

Like I said in my other ibs the lord my god died for me and my sins the day his flesh died on the cross and continues to save me everyday after that. This is good to remember when I start to feel like my sins get so bad that I’m not saved. I need to remind myself I’m not going to concur all my sins and will continue to be in battle until my flesh dies and rejoice in the fact that Jesus concurred the grave for me. Rejoice that each foot step and breath is another act of mercy and goodness and gift from my god and use it to his light because he is the one letting the light shine in me on this earth as well as in heaven. 

psalm 23:5

 Psalm 23:5 “you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you head with oil; my cup runs over me.”

Psalm 92:10 “but my horn you have exalted like a whiled ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.” I feel drenched in fresh oil from the lord my god. For the blessing are more then my flesh can fathom. I don’t know much about biblical life but I do know that oil around the time this was written was one of the most expensive not to be wasted items. So I thank my god for showing me that I’m not a wasted life with the blessing he has provided me.

q. Lord I thank you for the oil you have soked my heart in threw your grace. Lord I thank you for blessing me with fellowship and eceiping me to find secure in your name. LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.” Psalm 16:5 “I thank you my god for prepareing me a feast of your grace and I praise you for protecting me and bringing me security in your name for I know I have nothing to fear now but better everything to be aware of I never want to let you go Jesus.

Application: I have many things to be aware of. Psalm 141:5 “Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers. Push me, brake me further, and teach me jesus for I am yours and only want to be closer to you.