Been Lavished On Today?

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Do you ever feel that way that things are being stolen from you life, that life it not full? I do. But we know that is a lie, and so lets look at Ephesians 1 and see who the Bible says we are.

Scripture
Ephesians 1
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

¹¹In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Observation

The question I have is, has life lavished on you lately? Think about it. When was the last time you felt lavished. Your job probably doesn't lavish you, traffic doesn't lavish you, paying the bills doesn't lavish you, battling obstacles in this world doesn't lavish you. BUT the GOD of the universe, my GOD, lavished me and will keep on lavishing me because I am his child. Wow. Just in this small piece of scripture it shows what God has lavished me with; he chose me, I am holy, blameless, I'm adopted, he gave me Christ, I have redemption, forgiveness, the riches of God's grace, wisdom, understanding, I'm chosen, I'm marked with a seal.

Application

What does this mean to me? To me it represents what I read the other day in Psalms 25 that God wants and has provided everything for me to walk with him. He wants me to be humble and walks with him, not me out front and God coming along with me. He has lavished me with all things so we can walk together in richness, in fullness, in peace and have life to the FULL. Daily I need to come along side God and walk with him, and maybe it is semantics but when I pray, don't pray that God would be with as I does this and that, but that I WOULD be WITH GOD as I do this and that. I takes me out of the lead and puts God in control, where he should be. Because he is the one who has lavished all things on me. Praise Him

Prayer

Father, Thank you for opening up heavens doors and pouring out, lavishing me with all things. As you state in Ephesians 2:5, I was dead in transgression, but you poured out your grace on me, so I could join you, to see you wonder, your majesty, your greatness. Help me eyes to remain on you, rather than this present distracting world. Amen.

Psalms 25

Scripture
Psalms 25:4-5 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; ⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

⁹ He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

Observation
It's not about me and what I know, but about God in me. Humbling myself and having the ways of the Lord guide me. I need to pray this frequently. God wants to take care of me, but many times I go off on my own "road trip" thinking that will be good, when in fact God is telling me, asking me, pleading with me to have me be humble, ask Him to show me the way, for Him to teach me which path to take in a landscape filled with paths that sometimes look just the same at the beginning, and once I am on the path to not just go on my merry way but continue to ask for guidance while on the path, and while I am walking to teach me about this path and walk because my hope is in Him. God has always wanted to walk with me.. Genesis 3:8 tells me that God was walking around the Garden of Eden looking for Adam and Eve, but they chose to make their own decision and not walk the path that God had established.

Application
How often do I do what Adam and Eve do? Decide to do this or that without following the voice of the Lord, or walk down this path because it looks right-feels good? The guidance in Psalms 25 must be loud in my life. There are many voices calling me here and there, and my own will wanting this or that, but if I humble myself, keep the ways of the Lord above my ways, keep God's instruction above mine and keep all my HOPE in the Lord, I will have refuge in the Lord.

Prayer
Father, forgive me when I do not humble myself before you and ask for your teachings. I repent of my own ways and ask that your ways are the ones I walk in. I cannot hope in anyone but you, so thank you for taking care of me and walking with me in the way you have chosen for me. Amen.

Do I Accept It?

Scripture
Mark 4:20
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.

Observation
Through out this portion of scripture Jesus has told us about different types of seed being sown and what happens to it, but this specific verse is the only one where He says that we "accept" the seed(the word).

Application
When I hear the word, do I accept it? I have to ask myself that question, OR do I filter it with my own thoughts, societies thoughts and ways or persuasive arguments from others? Who am I listening to, and even more...who's words am I accepting as "truth" in my life? The Bible says clearly in John 1:1 that the Word was in the beginning, the Word is with God and the Word is God. Absolutely, the Word is the only truth I should accept into my life. But the "voices in my head"-my own selfish ways/my pride/me/me/me want to twist my mind and try to justify not accepting the whole Word as truth, etc. This acceptance is shown in reality in Romans 12:2-Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Yes. That is my desire. So what do I need to do...1. Read and meditate on God's word to get it into me, 2.Accept what I am reading unfiltered, 3. Keep renewing my mind.....through the reading and acceptance of the word.

Prayer
Father, the Word is the only truth I should accept in my life. You have given me the words of life in it, so I will continue to see your Greatness. Your Holiness is on display throughout the Bible. Let your word penetrate my life unfiltered, so that the people who are deaf and blind in this world will see your Greatness. Amen.

The Original FDIC

FDIC

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The Bible talks about another type of Deposit that has nothing to do with the Federal Government(Yeah).

Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Observation
There is daily chatter as to the banks going bankrupt and the FDIC coming in to bail out the bank. There was even talk last week that the FDIC is getting low on money about 14 Billion left; some concern about having to fund the FDIC but they think they will make it. BUT look at this verse, God has deposited in me THE SPIRIT as a guarantee of what is to come. What about a new FDIC....Father Deposited In Christ

Application
Just think about that verse again. God made us for the VERY PURPOSE of becoming more like him, and wearing his heavenly dwelling not this earthly one, and so we would understand his seriousness about God wanting us to see His greatness He took his own Spirit, came to me and DEPOSITED it in me, so I would know that there is a guarantee of things to come. I have not been left alone. And we don't have to worry about this FDIC being short on funds, application fees, etc;, all are welcome to come, and have a deposit put in them as well. My God is an active God, doing things in me. If I make my job a god, an idol to me it doesn't deposit anything in me as a guarantee, if I idolize my children they will not deposit things into me and other dead gods do not put into me anything that would guarantee something for me. I would even go so far as to say that if I run "my balance" low because of my own depravity, that my own FDIC would come to me and re-deposit into me. Praise the Lord!!!

Prayer
Father, You have given me all things, and put yourself and your spirit into me as a deposit so I would know of the guarantee of things to come. I know the cost that came with making that deposit. I don't take it lightly that you care and love for me and will keep my bank full by depositing in me. Let the things that I do today reflect my praise and adoration for what you have done, and keep doing for me.

Covering My Ears

Scripture
Acts 7:57 At this they covered their ears and yelling at the top of the their voices...
Acts 7:39b and in their hearts turned back to Egypt

Observation

Stephen was preaching the truth to the Sanhedrin and of course they were offended when he was done because they were "religious" people and the truth of God's ways made them made. Not much has changed today!! But two portions touched my heart today. After Stephen was finished the group got very angry-because of they own guilt and sin in their life compared to the truth of God that Stephen had spoke about, and so their covered their ears up, and started yelling as loud as they could to drowned out Stephen. They had done the same thing their fathers had done with Moses and "turned their hearts back to Egypt".

Application
Have I covered my ears in regards to what God whats me to do? Have I or do I put my fingers in my ears and hummmm out loud to not hear Gods voice? In doing that have I turned my heart back to Egypt(back to something I thought was better than now)? As a human I want to trust what I can see and feel. As God speaks to me, it is not about what I see/feel/taste, but about the Voice of the Lord telling me to go, go & do. If I want to cover my ears so I can't hear, and pretend that God is not speaking to me, then the blessing of obedience will possibly go to someone else. I don't want that. I don't want my heart to turn back to other things. So when God speaks(whether it makes sense to this body or not) I need to obey. My Father knows all things, and will not give me a snake when I ask for a fish(Matt 7:9-10).

Prayer
Father, Thank you for the reminder in your Word which makes it so clear that Your Voice and Your Way is the only way to go. Keep my hands lifted to you, instead of on my ears trying to block out your Voice, keep my heart pointed to you and not to things that would distract me from walking in your ways. I pray that for each one of my family members. Let us all be obedient to you, and what you would have us do for you today/tomorrow and for out entire life. Amen.

For the NAME

Scripture

Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Observation
All the apostles had been jailed, put through a mini-trial, FLOGGED, then released. Think about it, they were flogged((v. t.) To beat or strike with a rod or whip; to whip; to lash; to chastise with repeated blows), then they rushed back out, as a group, into the temple courts yelling, whooping it up, high 5'ing each other, so they could begin again to proclaim the Name of Jesus to everyone out there.

Application
The question I have for myself is.....What am I going to do for the NAME of Jesus today? I probably will not be put into jail, set free from jail by angels, captured again, beaten with leather and metal whips, and then released. BUT somewhere, somehow, I need to let the world know about the NAME of Jesus. What the NAME has done in my life! What will it be, I need to be alert and ready when the Holy Spirit prompts me......just obey.

Prayer
Father, The Name of Jesus is worth rejoicing over. Help me in every action and deed to represent the Name of Jesus, for what that Name means in my life. I ask that you would open up opportunities for me to share the Name of Jesus with the broken world. To speak life and hope to them, and when they hear about the Name, I ask that the power of the Name would break through the hardness in hearts and begin to set people free from sin and death. Amen.

Refreshment

Scripture
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord


Observation
"That times of refreshing may come from the Lord". What a wonderful statement. I looked up refreshing in the Greek and it simply means "a cooling". Think about a super hot summer day, sitting outside in the evening and a cool breeze blows by how you feel. It is truly refreshing. Some cool water on your face-ahhh, your feet in some water-nice.

Observation
This portion of scripture is Peter preaching to the temple goers, and it is a salvation message, so what is in it for me? Repentance is what. This human body and mind want to go their own way; become their own god. Exodus 20:3, the first commandment "You shall have no other gods before me". So if I have tried to make my own way, make my own decisions, walked down my own path without putting GOD before me to light my way and guide me then I need to repent. Once I repent, the Bible is clear that I will feel the coolness of God's spirit on me and will be refreshed. That constant refreshment is what I need.

Prayer
Father, you are all about renewal and within that refreshment. I desire the refreshment of you, but that comes from letting you be the God of my life. Amen.