"The Bible is to the spirit what food is to the body" I never miss breakfast yet I don't see the Bible satisfying a daily NEED like food.

Still finding people who don't trust a church because of feeling judged 4 wearing the wrong clothes 2 church. Nice clothes tradition-CRAP!

Awesome day matching generous people with those with a Christmas need - food, gifts & understanding.

"4 since the creation of th world God's invisible qualities have been clearly seen." Busyness narrows our view of God-nature expands. R 1:20

John 6: 5000 saw an instant fish dinner miracle yet limited their belief of Jesus to a high religious type. 12 grew thru hands-on ministry

John 4 At times I get bummed bout how few adults respond to the Gospel. Woman@ Well finally trusted when Jesus interacted w/ her community.

davidputman: RT we treat people as a means to an end, instead of seeing that they are the end and that God created us for each other.

John 1- The Bible is the written Word of God, & Christ is the LIVING Word of God. Only the Holy Spirit enables such profound comprehension.

Luke 24: The first things Jesus did after the grave was 2 teach and encourage connection with outsiders; this done not at a church building.

Luke:17 Jesus tells Peter he has prayed for his faith-then Peter denies Jesus. Sometimes people must experience Godly sorrow to really grow

The work of salvation thru Jesus is complete and finished forever. By faith, some believe & get to work! Some just work not to get fired!

Luke 18: The pharisee prayed a routine prayer. Tax collector humbled knowing God saw his heart motives. Heart-honesty in prayer honors God

Luke 17- Jesus heals 10 lepers, the "social wrong one" came back to thank Jesus. An urgent life narrows your view of who will accept Jesus.

Luke 15:1 Jesus "received" sinners. Means He was cordially, affectionately hanging out with them. Jesus was expressing the heart of God.

Luke 15: Who r God's lost sheep & who are unbelievers never to get saved? The difference is in my obedient atitude - God handles the rest.

Is sitting @ Wister dam outflow- looking forward to Shane's teaching on Luke 15. I pray every believer takes action towards that lost one.

Luke14:16-24 Jesus said the Kingdom Is a banquet-all invited. The rich r busy with their stuff, can't come. The poor r NOT 2 BUSY 2 respond.

Luke 14:11 How can we measure our own attitude about humility? Practice humility toward God, prayer, service, trust = toward people, love.

Luke 13:3- Bad stuff can happen 2 good and bad people. We r prone 2 draw erroneous conclusions about why. Jesus said "R U READY to die?"

Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Worry, anxiety represent areas we trust our own responsibility most

Luke12:1 Beware of hypocrisy- Wiersbe: "When we start fearing people, then we r n danger of compromising n order 2 please them & protect me"

Luke 11- Jesus said real stewardship is investing time cleaning the motivations of our heart, then the $ will bless others & not ruin yours.

O.C. "We tend 2 rely on our own energy, instead of being energized by the power that comes from ident. WITH Jesus" God wouldn't understand?

Luke11:34 When your eye is healthy, your body has light" The spiritual health of your heart will determine what ur eyes linger & lust on.

Luke10: Jesus saw satan's relational deceptions from before satan was thrown out of heaven. Thus Jesus requires a real/honest relationship

Luke 9 feeding 5000: no situation is impossible if u take what u have, give it 2 God with thanksgiving, & share it with others. stories=hope

Luke 8:21 "My family are the ones who hear and do God's Word" I believe "getting something" out of the Bible grows with obedience attitude.

Luke 7:28 John the Baptizer was in ministry less a year, put in prison, doubted his purpose, then his head cut off. God has a reason always!

Luke 6:46 "Obeying who I (Jesus) am and what I say is like a man building a house (life) starting with a strong concrete foundation."

Luke 6:45 "A good person produces good from the treasury of a good heart, evil from an evil heart." We choose what we add into our treasury.

Luke 5:16 "But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer." Most believers want to be like Jesus except for this, it's intimidating!

Luke 4- Jesus survived Satan's temptations by applying scripture, stories of God's character. Jesus was life application of God's character.

Luke 3-People asked John the Baptizer how should we change our lives? He said be compassionate and fair in all details, especially at work.

Luke 1-Zechariah's response 2 a miraculous birth was disrespect. Mary's response was cooperative. We choose our heart's attitude toward God.

Mark 14: Seeing so many miracles, Peter did not stay up and pray with Jesus in the garden. Mental faithfullness! Live by faith not sight.

Too much business, not balanced with higher Godly priorities, can cause good salt to become dirt in your own heart. Mark 9:42-50

Mark 9:50- If salt (God's intimate Holy presence) has lost its saltiness (God's Holy influence on your choices) then what good is it?

Mark 8:36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life" Gain almost always involves spiritual compromise.

I should read Mark 7:18-23 every morning: "For from within, out of the heart of man, comes all kinds of evil thoughts, immorality, theft, ..

"Peter was not a failure because he looked down and begin to sink. If anyone failed, it was the eleven who stayed in the boat, waiting"

Mark4:24: The more we ingest scripture- the hidden made plain, hearing truly heard- "with the measure u use, still more will be added 2 u"

"If a church does not regularly examine its culture, It ends up as a culture unto itself."
Ed Stetzer

Matt25:23 "Well done, good and faithful servant. U have been faithful over a little.." Any level of faithfulness can grow & is commended.

Matt 22: Jesus spoke for response concerning the secret sins of people. Relationship with Jesus is based on honest repentance-no pretending

John 21:17 "when Jesus said "Feed My Sheep" in effect, He said, "Identify yourself with MY interests in other people." O. Chambers

Matt20:21 John allowed spiritual "big head" to disrupt the whole group. Selfishness disrupts church unity. Servant humility builds unity.

Matt 18:35 "Good" people are blind at recognizing their own unforgiveness in their heart. God's truth about us = attitude from inside out.

"It is the laboring saint who makes ideas of his Master possible. When u labor at prayer, from God's perspective there is always results."OC

Matt 17:19- Too much business=lack of prayer & Bible time=unbelief=what good is my devotion to God, why try? I must nourish a mustard seed.

Matt15:11- It's not what u put in ur mouth that reveals who u really are and character is really like inside; it's the words that come out!

Matt 13- Parable: a story with deeper meaning. The Bible, the stories of God's character with deeper application to my heart. Ears to hear?

Matt10:38 A criminal carrying his cross publicly admits Roman's authority to execute. Have I picked up my cross to live-out His authority.

T. Cuyler-"God never built a Christian strong enough 2 carry today's duties and tomorrow's anxieties piled up on top of them." = sufficient

Matt 6:6-"But when u pray, go into ur room & shut the door, pray to ur Father who is in secret" I'm guilty. Prayer = worship = one on one.

O. Chambers-"it is not study that brings understanding to u, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience can open deep truths of god."

RT:RickWarren: It's stupid to let people from your past continue to hurt u today thru memory. They can't hurt u anymore unless u allow it.

Matt5:5 "Your're blessed when u'r content with just who u are. That's when u find urself proud owners of everything that can't be bought."

Malachi 3:8 "Do honest people rob God?" Tithing (giving $) is worship from the heart because it denies our independent, controlling nature.

Malachi 2:15-"So guard yourselves in ur spirit, and let none of u be faithless to the wife of ur youth." Guard against loss of affection!

Habakkuk 2:4- "but the righteous shall live by their faithfullness to God" = 2 kinds of people- "puffed up" trusts in me & humble trusts God

Micah 6 - What does God require of his people? "be fair, just, & compassionate; walk humbly with God = take God serious, not yourself.

I pray for every marriage to stand firm in unselfish love, patience, & long suffering - while Christ stands firm to enable what's unnatural

Jonah 1: "For the men knew that Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord," Christ's presence is dictated by our choice/obey of time.

Proverbs 27: .."And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel." Keep friends that help u grow in Christ not corruption

Amos7-"I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins." Jesus life is our plumb line for moral choices.

Joel 1-2 "Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts." Another prophetic book emphasizing honest heart intentions please God.

Hosea 6: Whatever religious thing WE think of to do for God is nothing like what God desires: our INTIMATE love and knowledge of Him = time.

Hosea 1-4: Our natural attitude toward affections to lust that serve us is DECEPTIVELY stubborn. That why we listen/obey God who is Holy!

Danial 9: Danial enjoyed the highest religious respect because of his reputation - yet he did not preach but prayed humbly for his people.

Is up at Emerald Vista watching a rain shower travel across the valley. Been thanking God for all His goodness all these years!

Danial 4: Pride blinds. Even with proven Godly counsel speaking to you (Bible and/or preaching)-pride still blinds. ATTITUDE tells on you.

Danial 1-2: Danial's #1 priority was making time to stay grounded, "prayed up," & give God glory for the wisdom that impressed the King.

Phil:2:3 Cause pride and selfishness are so automatic, any job or circumstance that forces me to internalize/learn more humility is good.

Ezekiel 38 - Prophets could not get Israel's attention about their evil moral choices. Is God getting our attention about moral choices?

Ezekiel 24: Is God my dearest treasure - my heart's desire? If not, God will get our attention in a way that exposes our real treasure.

Mark 4: 22-24 The more we really listen to God - the more God speaks - the more He reveals Himself to understand, trust, and appreciate.

Ezekiel20 How do I know that anyone cares/respects what I say unless they stop to listen, read & then reflect- the basis of worshiping God.

Ezekiel 18-20 Each generation develops their own "attitude" toward God. Prosperity demishes our reverence of God's obvious presence.

Luke 8:18 "Therefore take care how you listen..." If I died today, I would realize there was so much more to learn about God thru His Word.

Up at emerald vista cooking steak, taters & onions. No wind - perfect weather. Studying what the Bible says about God "speaking" to us-True?

Ezekiel 13-16 God's justice & discipline is just as real as His grace & mercy. God will get my attention in any rebellious area of my life.

Ezekiel 12: Rebellion-@God: eyes that refuse to see and ears that refuse to hear. It takes no faith to stay lost in a routine without God.

John 5:39-"But the scriptures point to Jesus! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." Could we ever learn enough Jesus/Bible?

Ezekiel 9-10 God knows every bit of evil his children are associated with-it grieves & angers Him-ie If a TV show is immoral, stop watching!

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Lesson from Hezekiah

Lesson from Hezekiah
Isaiah 39

Hezekiah tearfully cried out to God when he heard he was going to die. He pleaded with God to live longer. By the grace of God, he was granted 15 more years. Then, we see Hezekiah get spiritually lazy and prideful. A visitor comes to investigate his Kingdom. The story in the Bible of Hezekiah magnifies this visit and the consequences as if the other years were not mentionable, so we learn from this visit. Hezekiah pridefully and foolishly shows off all the details of his kingdom.

God sends a prophet to explain to Hezekiah how self – centered he had become. Hezekiah does not get it. Good times and good incomes with all the good stuff American life can afford can do the same. Christians do better at war, careful to see all of satan’s trick and schemes to divert our attention. “Stand firm, let nothing move you, give your fully to the work of the Lord”…Your spirit is at war all the time with your own carnal selfish heart you were born with. It takes spiritual-will power to choose the spirit’s good influence – do nothing and your default mode is selfishness.

Be careful all the time, especially when life is good. Give even more time to the Lord in thanksgiving and be very careful to boast in His goodness – not your Kingdom. I shamefully know the dangers of boasting in my own Kingdom!

Would We Know if We Were Stubborn?

What if God was trying to get your attention, would you know it? I am continually amazed at how busy my schedule is and others. There is a continual low-level adrenaline going to make every hour worth something to our pleasure. Does God have time to convict you or me of stubbornness? Without extended appointments with God where our mind and soul are still, can we really be a good judge our stubbornness?