James 4:3

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

Basically what we have here is simple. The things we are asking for, we ask for wrongly. That is what the word for amiss means. If you put it into context, it implies that those things are for our own selfish lusts. The two words consume and lust are the keys. Consume in this text literally means to waste or squander. The word lusts means for pleasure. So what this verse is saying is, we ask for things in our life that are only pertaining to us so we may be pleased or pleasured. Does this mean that we can't have things that bring us pleasure in this life? Of course not. What it means is, where is our focus? When we come before Him to spend time with and make our requests known, are perspective is skewed. We are so focused on ourselves that the correct things we need to be praying for get neglected. Something I have found as I am getting older, trust me I ain't old, is that it really is all about Him. I could not have made it this far without Him. I mean, I look back on life and really see God's provisions. Even in times when I was so out of touch with His will for my life, He has been faithful to meet me where I was, pick me up and dust me off to get me going again. Gail Erwin says something that really hits it on the head. He says that Jesus was "others centered". Are we? I know the first person I think about when I get up is me. Then everything else. Really our focus should be on Him. If it is, then our prayers will line up with His will for our life. Then we will receive because we ask correctly. No one said the Christian life was easy but we also don't need to make it harder. To be honest, it really isn't that hard when we let go of control and allow God to dictate the terms of our daily existence. Especially when He has our best interest mind. It gets hard when our focus is on us and we feel our prayers are not answered. See the above verse to see why they don't get answered. This week I encourage you as well as myself, to examine our life and see where we stand. Do we seek Him and his will for our lives, or am I/ you always on our minds? Be blessed this week and seek Him.

Bob

Zephaniah 3:4

" Her prophets are light and treacherous persons:
her priest have polluted the sanctuary, they

have done violence to the law."

Your probably thinking, Zephaniah? Does any one really read these old testament minor prophets? Like pastor Jon Courson says, they are minor prophets with a major message. I like that. To be quite honest with you, when this verse was given to me I felt like "huh"? Then I began to think about it and ponder it and allow God to reveal some stuff to me. Here's a quick background to the text without getting to involved. Zephaniah was prophesying to the nation of Israel before the coming Babylonian captivity. Also he prophesied on " the day of the Lord". The nation had fallen away from God and He was speaking through His prophets to the people. Specifically to the nation of Judah. King Josiah was reigning at this time. Ok with all that said, what does this text say. Well first off, God says the prophets were light and treacherous. Light? Were they on diets? No. Strongs defines this word, pachaz, as meaning unimportant. The word for treacherous, bogdoth, can mean transgress, unfaithful etc. The priests are described as polluting the sanctuary. The word for that is chalal. It means defile or profane. They also have done violence to the law. Basically violated it. So what is the application for us? This is all historical fact. The application is this. The people leading God's church today, do they fit in any of these categories? I think so. There is so much junk out there that trys to pawn itself off as Christianity today, that one would believe Christians are fruity! T.V. Evangelists always asking for money, pastors swearing to draw in crowds. People barking like dogs and laughing insanely during so called services. It's nuts!!! How can we tell what is truly from God? Measure it against God's word. Does it line up with scripture? Jesus said in John's gospel 13:35, " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." In the end times Jesus said in Matthew 24:24 " For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." So is this anything to not be expected? No. Our job is to be on top of things by reading our bible and spending time with the Lord. This is the only way we will be able to tell truth from false. It's like this. I have been married 8 years going on 9. If in that time I only occasionally spoke to my wife, how would I really know her? Man Christmas shopping hard enough!! That's how our relationship with God is. How can we really know Him if we only see Him occasionally? Like the nation of Israel, we too have fallen away from God. To be quite honest, we have asked Him to leave for the most part. I am speaking as a nation now not an individual. My prayer is that we draw near to Him again like 2nd Chronicles 7:14 says, read for extra credit. This week ask yourself, the bible teachers I listen to, the church I go to, are they really of God? Have a blessed week and seek Him.

Bob

Habakkuk 1:5

"Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder
marvellously: for I will work a work in your days,
which ye will not believe, though it be told you."

Wow! Here is God's intro into an answer for Habakkuk's complaining. God says man, you won't believe what I am going to do even if I told you! That's pretty heavy. What that tells me is a few things. First, here's God, the creator of the universe telling him he won't believe Him even when He gives the answer. I have to wonder where this man's heart was. What kind of despair was he in? Secondly why was he like this? The nation of Israel at this time had fallen away from God yet again. Here is Habakkuk, a prophet of God dwelling amongst them seeing the falling away. It move 's him so deeply, that he is crying out to God in despair because He knows who God is and what can and will happen to the people that turn from God. If you read the first four verses he is really complaining. Why don't you hear me? Why are we going down the drain? Don't you care God? Ever catch yourself saying those things? I have. You see, God knows what is going on and has an answer for him. The sad thing is, God knows he won't believe Him even when he tells him! How messed up is that? Man that is just like you and me. We always cry out to God with the same manner of heart and are looking for the answer. Most of the time though if God revealed it to us, we, due to unbelief, wouldn't accept it. We get an answer and were like, sure , like that's going to happen. I look back on what has transpired in my own personal life and I can say without a doubt, God had the right answer every time. Even when I didn't like it or obey it. Ooohhh he said the o word, obey. We,just like the nation of Israel, are stiff necked, and stubborn when you get right down to it. If we weren't we wouldn't have so many problems in the Body of Christ today. If we just trusted God and listened, man what a difference we could make for the kingdom! Instead we argue amongst our selves and cut each other down, while the world looks on and says, I get that enough out here, why would I want any more of it? I look at this promise and I am blown away. God says He will work a work. He doesn't say He might, He says I will. I want to rest upon that promise and dispense with all that other junk. That is my desire. Is it yours? I know this is some tough talk, and to be quite honest, I don't back it up a lot of the times. I want to and am asking God to change me. Are you? Also He says wonder marvelously. It literally means, be amazed. God is amazing. He made the whole universe, He made you and me. He is constantly trying to get our attention to spend time with us. He died for us. That's amazing! I wouldn't even die for me! With the days growing even darker and no answers to the worlds problems on the horizon, God is our only refuge that stands strong. Psalm 61:3 " For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." Proverbs 18:10 " The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and are safe." This week guys, I challenge you and me to trust God. He really has our best interest at heart. We just need to surrender and follow His guidance. Will it be all peachy keen and smooth? Of course not. What is? I do know this though, we will be in His will and not ours and it doesn't get any better than that. Be blessed this week.

Bob.

Matthew 16:18

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

You know, as I am typing I actually am not on the ball so to speak. I fell as though the gates of hell doth prevail against me. Daily! Jesus was speaking to Peter here in Matthew's gospel and He call's him Petros. Vines New Testament describes this word as a detached stone or boulder. In other sources it can mean small stone or piece of stone. The word used for rock though is Petra. Vines describes it as a mass of rock. I like this contrast. The rock being referred to is obviously Jesus himself. Peter though is being compared to a piece of stone. You see, like Peter, we are a piece of a much bigger stone. The rock of ages, Jesus Christ himself. Alone Peter, you, or me don't stand a chance against the forces of hell. When we are standing on the rock, Jesus, not even the gates of hell can prevail. I like that. This is a promise from Him to us that no matter how bad it gets, we will still win in the end. We are on the winning side. The word used here for church is Ekklesia. It means a gathering, assembly or more importantly a calling out. That's really what it comes down to isn't it. It's not the building we meet in. It's not the service or denomination we belong to. It's a calling out to be separated to Jesus Christ. That's actually the meaning of holiness. To be set apart. All of us are petros. Each and every one of us in Christ. We are part of a much larger stone. The corner stone which the builders rejected. Though the fires of hell may rage and the challenges of this world may come, He is our firm foundation. Be blessed this week.

Bob

II Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away: behold, all things become new"

Well, it has been 2 weeks since the last devotional posting due to time constraints around Christmas. Either way, happy new year to all. It's funny how this all worked out, but this is the verse God put on my heart 2 weeks ago. Fitting for a new year. Paul in this letter to the second Corinthians, is addressing the change that should be apparent in us when we give our lives to Christ. The word for new in the Greek there is, kainos. It means to be new in nature as when compared to the old. This is something that is the telltale mark of a truly born again Christian. Before, maybe you were a womanizer, drug user, alcoholic, etc. Now in Christ those old ways have passed on. Don't get me wrong, they are still there but they are rendered dead when we are in Christ. Do they flare up at times? Sure. It's a matter of whether or not we practice these things still. I mean, have you ever come across someone, or has someone noticed it about you, when they say, there's something different about you. Your not the same. That's a good sign your on the right track. It's not working to be different, you just are. The Holy Spirit in you has changed you. Those old ways have no hold over you anymore. I know some people that were raging alcoholics or drug users, but when they surrendered to Christ, man are they a different person. Does it mean we have to be all smiles and that nothing ever goes wrong? You know those types, you've seen them at church. All is always perfect. Nothing ever goes wrong in their life. It's not possible. Jesus himself said in John's gospel 16:33 that in this life we shall have tribulations. Notice shall, not might, but shall. Things will go wrong from time to time, but that is from our perspective. God allows things into our life to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. So being a new creation does not entitle us to a problem free life. What it does is change our attitude and perspective to look at things through the eye's of Christ. Do I always do that? Not a chance. I want to. That's part of the old nature that is being worked out of me. How about you? What old part of you needs some renovation? I dare you to ask the Lord and see what happens. So with this new year upon us, I encourage you and me to get real with God and seek Him earnestly. With so much going on and the world spiraling out of control, His return is sooner than before. May you be blessed this year, and prosper in whatever way God see's fit for you. May you have the strength to endure through the hard times.

Sincerely Bob.