"Word of God Speak"

April 23, 2012 (1 Samuel 27; Psalm 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16 NLT

Observation: Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. He said, “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep.” Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Jesus said, “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.” Jesus is sending His disciples out to the “church” of that day and clearly warns them they are like sheep going to proclaim the gospel to wolves.

Application: Things are not all that different today. Those whom Christ calls and sends out are like sheep proclaiming a gospel message of repentance to wolves. Sadly the “church” is still a great place to start proclaiming this message. But beware! The “church” is full of wolves that will reject the true gospel message and do their best to devour the sheep that are called to deliver this message of deliverance. Some of the meanest people I have ever came across, go to church on Sunday and profess with their mouths that they are a child of God. Yet their heart is far from Him and He does not really know them at all. They are wolves, dressed in sheep’s clothing, desiring to destroy the truth and deceive as many as possible while there is still time. Christ warned you, are you heeding His warning?

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me everyday. Thank You for Your faithfulness and unfailing love. Thank You for the warnings You provide in scripture, help me heed each one. Strengthen me to proclaim Your message with boldness, being sent out as a sheep among wolves.  Teach me what it means to be shrewd, yet harmless in Jesus name, Amen!

April 22, 2012 (1 Samuel 25-26; Psalm 63; Matthew 9)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.” 1 Samuel 25:33 NLT

Observation: Abigail was married to a man named Nabal. He was a boastful, arrogant man; even his wife recognized him as a fool. David sent a request for some supplies he needed to Nabal and was rejected and treated badly. David and his men had protected Nabal’s men in the fields and stood guard over all their belongings. Yet when David asked for a little courtesy from Nabal he was returned evil for good. David and his men were on the way to kill Nabal and his men when Abigail stepped in and did the right thing. She not only did what was right for David, she also prevented him from making a hasty mistake.

Application: Thank God for good sense! That’s not a praise you hear from too many lips these days. With such an increase in knowledge you would think the world would be filled with good sense, yet just the opposite is true. The more educated men become the less good sense they seem to have. You can educate almost anyone in a college or university, but good sense comes from a different source. God is the source of good sense and He gives the gift of good sense to those He chooses. Not all receive this gift so it’s very important for those who do receive it to use it! Those with good sense have made right many wrongs and have prevented many catastrophes.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your word that teaches me and instructs me in how to live a life pleasing to You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Lord, I pray for the gift of good sense. Forgive me for being foolish in the past and help me to receive and embrace Your gift of good sense today. Bless me with Your Spirit and place a desire within me to trust and obey You completely, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 21, 2012 (1 Samuel 24; Psalm 57-58; 1 Chronicles 8; Matthew 8 )

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20 NLT

Observation: One of the teachers of religious law said to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go” but did he understand what following Christ was going to look like? Jesus quickly let him know that there were cost associated with following Him. Jesus said, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.” There was no response from the man recorded in the book of Matthew. The message of Christ was not free and easy, in fact it was quite the opposite. To be faithful followers of Christ we must be willing to forsake everything else. Family, friends, houses, cars, boats, pride, arrogance and our own will, just to name a few.

Application: Jesus could really learn a lot if He were around today! Modern theologians have taught themselves so much more than Jesus ever understood. Today’s Masters of Divinity have discovered that following Christ cost you nothing. The price for your salvation and prosperity was paid in full by Christ Himself and we ourselves have no cost or obligation what so ever in following Him. How sad it is to think in all of our learning we have become so ignorant. No matter what the world may say, I believe and trust in the words of Jesus. If He said it cost you everything to be His disciple, then it cost you everything. Don’t be deceived or fooled by a sugar coated, eye pleasing, ear soothing watered down version of the gospel. Seek the truth of God and be a follower, not a fan!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day, thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me daily. Thank You for Your forgiveness and redemption You provide through Your Son Jesus. Help me become a totally committed follower of Jesus Christ in every aspect of my life. You are my God and You never fail me! In Jesus name, Amen!

April 20, 2012 (1 Samuel 23; Psalm 31, 54; Matthew 7)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” Matthew 7:21 NLT

Observation: Jesus issues a sobering warning to mankind about what it takes to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Many will stand before Christ one day and proclaim, ‘We have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many miracles in Your name’, yet Jesus will respond, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.‘ Only those who actually “do” the will of God will enter into Heaven. Actually doing is a lot different than just talking about it. Many profess Christ to be their savior, yet they have rejected Him as Lord. If He’s not the head of one’s life, then He’s not in one’s life.

Application: Here are a few excerpts from scripture that are often quoted out of context. Salvation is free! It cost you nothing! Come drink from the fountain of life without cost! Yet how do these excerpts line up with what Christ said in Matthew 7? Our society has twisted the truth so far it’s hardly recognizable anymore. We have touted the “free Salvation” message so much that people have actually began to believe it cost them nothing! We are free to ignore “counting the cost”, because there is no cost! We live in a society that believes nothing is required of them but belief. Yet those Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7 surely “believed” in Christ. After all, they did all these wonderful things in His name. Yet their belief did not accomplish or guarantee them a place in Heaven. The actions of our lives must match our profession. If we are in Christ and He is in us, then the fruit we produce will serve as a witness of our true condition. Belief without action is belief in vain.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You so much for Your word! Thank You for giving us the truth to discover. Help me learn of You and produce fruit that is pleasing in Your site. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Help me receive You as Lord as much as I receive You as Savior, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 19, 2012 (1 Samuel 22; Psalm 17, 35; Matthew 6)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “I am praying to You because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.” Psalm 17:6 NLT

Observation: David knew what it was like to be accused falsely. He knew what it felt like to be pursued by those who wanted to see him destroyed. All these events taught David how to pray. These times of great distress brought David close to God in prayer. David knew God would answer his prayers and longed to see Him work in situations where there seemed to be no hope. David simply talked to God and let Him know what he needed and how he felt. David had a personal relationship with God, and it made all the difference in his life.

Application: We too can have the same assurance and trust in God that David had. We can have a trusting and confident relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. We can pray and expect God to answer because of our personal relationship with Him. All of our trust and hope can be placed in Christ for He knows what we have need of even before we ask. Pray to God today because you know He will answer. Ask God to bend down and listen as you pray. He will show you His unfailing love in wonderful ways and deliver you from the hand of your enemies by His mighty power. His strong right arm will not fail and His Holy Spirit will comfort and guide, whatever happens.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this wonderful day You have made. Thank You for Your blessings, mercy and grace that provide and protect me everyday. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayers and pleas for mercy. Your strong right arm has protected me and has never failed. My victory is in You, for You are my God and I am Your child. Bend down and listen as I pray, for all my hope and trust are in You alone, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 18, 2012 (1 Samuel 20-21; Psalm 34; Matthew 5)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” Matthew 5:20 NLT

Observation: The Pharisees obeyed the law of God outwardly, but within they were ravening wolves. They were very careful to appear holy to those around them by their acts of service to the law, but their hearts were far from God. They enjoyed the praise of men and longed for it on a daily basis, they became their own idol. Our righteousness must exceed theirs if we are to ever enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Our righteousness must come from within, through Christ, and not through outward appearance only. Our righteousness must be sincere from a heart that Christ has changed, not merely a superficial holiness like that of the Pharisees.

Application: We have a clear and fair warning from Christ, yet we arrogantly ignore it. He plainly tells us that we must be sincere and pure on the inside to enter into that holy place called Heaven. The attitude of the Pharisees is still alive and well today! Many people think they are good to go because they serve outwardly in a local church. They count their service as “Kingdom of Heaven credit”, that assures them a place when they retire from this life. Yet Christ plainly warns us that outward service only is the same as that of the Pharisees and we must do better! We must be rigtheous within.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me daily. Thank You for Your Son Jesus that warns and provides instruction in righteousness for us. Help me be sincere in my relationship with You. Strengthen me to remain faithful to You, until the very end. May Your Spirit guide and protect me along life’s way, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 17, 2012 (1 Samuel 19; 1 Chronicles 7; Psalm 59; Matthew 4)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17 NLT

Observation: When Jesus heard that John had been arrested He knew it was time to start His public ministry. So He did. He went first to Nazareth and then to Capernaum beside the sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. All of this was a fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah had said. What was the message of Jesus? Repent of your sins and turn to God. Why? Because the Kingdom of Heaven is near!

Application: Although the religious community has changed the message of Christ into many different things, the message still remains the same. Repentance is not an option, it is a requirement. Repentance is still the focal point of why Christ came to earth and why He died in our place. This message may have been lost, distorted and ignored by many, however we are not excused from obeying the truth. In spite of popular belief, there will be no “free pass” issued to those who’ve chosen to reject Christ and remain in sin. The Kingdom of God is at hand and time will one day run out. We must realize the importance of repentance and respect the privilege He has given us to do so.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your amazing grace and mercy that provides and protects me everyday! You are The Great and Only God! Help me walk in repentance and remember the message of Christ. Place the message of repentance in my mouth and enable me to proclaim it boldly with genuine love for all. In Jesus name, Amen!