"Word of God Speak"

April 16, 2012 (1 Samuel 18; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 11; Matthew 3)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:10 NLT

Observation: John the Baptist spoke with clear authority and did not beat around the bush with his message. There was never any doubt about what John was trying to say. Here he compares Christians with trees that produce fruit. Just as a fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, so should God’s people produce a harvest of obedience toward God through Christ. God’s ax of judgment is poised and ready to sever the roots of all who profess Christ with their lips, but deny Him in their actions. Many claim to know Him, yet the actions of their lives scream a much different result. John describes people who claim they believe God but don’t live for God as unproductive trees that will be cut down and burned.

Application: We live in an era that denies the message of John the Baptist and deems it unnecessary. In our culture repentance is not necessary to receive salvation and neither is there a need to produce fruit to avoid being cut down and burned. Repentance has been twisted into an “act” we do (Therefore rendering it useless) and the production of fruit has been touted as a works based salvation (Rendering it unbiblical). Truth of the matter is this. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When this genuinely takes place in our lives, fruit will inevitability be produced, however, this fruit will not be produced without work on our part. The first fruit, before any other type fruit is produced in us, must be the fruit of obedience. If this fruit is not present in the life of a professed believer, their profession has been in vain.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for the message of repentance that is taught and preached throughout Your word. Thank You for Your Son Jesus that provided us a way to overcome satan and reign in victory with You forevermore. I desire to produce the fruit of obedience that is well pleasing to You, help me to do so, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 15, 2012 (1 Samuel 17; Psalm 9; Matthew 2)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine! Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. And may the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:37 NLT

Observation: Goliath was over nine feet tall, a huge man with great strength. He had been a warrior since his youth and was well skilled in battle. However, he suffered severally from pride and arrogance and trusted in his own abilities more than anything else. David a small stature shepherd boy was the only one brave enough, and confident enough in the Lord, to go out to fight Goliath. Saul was hesitant to let David go fight Goliath because if he lost the army would become the Philistine’s slaves. David told Saul, “The Lord rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear, and He will rescue me from this Philistine as well!” Now that’s trust in the Lord right there!

Application: I’ve faced a few giants in my life, and some of them sure have seemed as large as Goliath. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t have the trust in God that David did, but I’m working on that. I’m learning to trust God completely and believe He will rescue me from the Goliaths I encounter. The Lord has indeed rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear, and I’m learning to trust Him to deliver me from the hands of my Goliath as well. All of my hope is in Him to deliver me. His strong right arm will fight for me and win! The battle is not mine, but the Lord’s, He will have victory and I will share in His victory with Him. Just as Goliath fell before David, my Goliath will fall before me. Though my Goliath may come at me with sword, spear, and javelin, I will come in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies – The God of Israel.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You so much for Your word! You teach me and encourage me so much with it. Your instructions are perfect and do not fail. Your arm is strong and wins victory for me. You fight for me because of Your grace and mercy. You win victory for Your names sake. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day! Lord, I trust You, enable me to embrace Your will whatever happens, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 14, 2012 (1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

Observation: Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jessie’s sons as king. When he looked at Eliab, he said, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” The Lord told Samuel not to judge by appearance and that Eliab had been rejected in His eyes. Seven of Jessie’s sons came before Samuel, but none of them the Lord had chosen. David was in the fields tending to the sheep and goats. He was sent for and proved to be the one that God wanted anointed as king. Although people judge by the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Saul was a tall and handsome man, and by outward appearance seemed to fit the role as king. But his heart was corrupt and he refused to obey all of God’s commands.

Application: Many people spend hours working on their outward appearance, yet most chose to neglect and abuse their spirit. Hours spent in a gym sculpting the perfect physique will prove to be time wasted when we stand before the mighty God of the universe. He will look upon our heart and judge righteously. Man determines the value of others based on what is physically seen, God values what’s on the inside. While we may be restricted to seeing only a person’s outer shell, God looks into the depths of our soul and sees who we really are. Many people appear to have it all together on the outside, but inside they are falling apart.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for looking deeper than my outward appearance. Thank You for Your Spirit that fills me and makes me the man You want me to be. Help me be pleasing to You in all that I do. Teach me Your word, I seek wisdom and understanding. In Jesus name, Amen!

April 13, 2012 (1 Samuel 14, 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed. “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey.” 1 Samuel 14:29 NLT

Observation: Saul made his army take an oath not to eat anything before evening. They fought hard against the Philistines all day and were exhausted and weary. In the heat of the moment Saul made a decision that hurt the very ones that were fighting for him. Saul made trouble for them all by issuing a foolish command. At the end of the day his men were too tired to fight, they were so hungry when they did begin to eat they ate meat that still contained the animals blood which was against God’s law, and Saul almost put his own son Jonathan to death because he ate a small bit of honey. Leaders must think through the decisions they make and the commands they issue and consider the consequences the people will endure.

Application: If we are not careful we can bring great harm to those we love by issuing foolish commands. My father issued a command when I was just a teenager that still haunts me today. His foolish decision to play around with an adversary led to events taking place that should have never occurred. Just like Saul, God had already provided victory, but in the heat of the moment decisions were made that led to hurt for everyone. If at all possible our decisions need to be made after much prayer. If there is not time for much prayer at least take the time to utter a simple prayer for guidance. Think through your decisions as much as possible and consider how your decisions will affect those you love.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your wonderful mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for the opportunity to seek You in prayer. Thank You for Your Spirit that will lead and guide me into all truth. Help me make decisions that are pleasing to You. Keep me from issuing foolish commands that would end up hurting the ones I love, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 12, 2012 (1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2-3; 2 Corinthians 12)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.” 2 Corinthians 12:20 NLT

Observation: From the reports Paul has received he was concerned about what he may find when he returned to visit the Corinthian church. He was also concerned about how they were going to receive the message he had for them. He was letting them know ahead of time that he would not be coming with a message of compromise, but rather a message of holiness. Paul was afraid that when he arrived he would find those in the church fellowship that had not repented and forsaken their old sins. Christians are expected to live in a newness of life. Forsaking all others we must cling to Christ and live according to His holiness. We must be determined not to let culture influence our behavior, and remember to place all of our hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

Application: Where have all the leaders like Paul gone to? Where are the men of God that will stand up and proclaim the message the people need to hear, rather than the message they want to hear? Where are the leaders that are fearless to address the issues of sin in the church? Where are the men of God that are willing to proclaim the truth, whatever the cost? We may feel as if they have all gone away but I say fear not; for God has a remnant that will not bow to the god of culture. God has men that are fearless in the fight against sin, and they will spring forth like the noonday sun at His command. He has reserved, and preserved, them for a time such as this. The Lord’s strength will be proven and His enemies will fall under His feet. His church will arise and be triumphant for He has declared the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your blessings, mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for the bold, strong men of faith that You have called to proclaim the true gospel message. Protect us from the tarnish of a corrupt culture. Strengthen us to fight the good fight of faith and remain faithful until the very end, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 11, 2012 (1 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 1; 2 Corinthians 11)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” 2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT

Observation: The Corinthian church had been infiltrated by the current culture. The leaders of the church had openly accepted and embraced religious heresy and justified it by touting the credentials of the false teachers. They were Hebrews, Israelites, and descendants of Abraham, and this is how they justified their authority. Paul told them, “You think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.” The true gospel of Jesus Christ sets people free; however, a false gospel simply keeps people enslaved. We are freed from sin, and religion, through our sincere faith in Jesus Christ. Every preacher and teacher, every doctrine and gospel, and every spirit must be examined and approved by God’s Holy Word. If it don’t line up, it’s false!

Application: Throughout history culture has infiltrated the church. Too many times the traditions of men have caused the gospel of Christ to be placed on the back burner. We think we are so wise when we elect leaders that have laundry lists of personal achievements. But in reality, we are just enjoying the company of fools. In our current culture a man called of God without a worldly theological degree, very seldom gets a second look of consideration when it comes to pastoral work. We believe and accept what a person with a “doctrinal degree” says even if it’s clearly contrary to God’s Holy Word. In our corrupt culture what the local news paper prints is believed and trusted more strongly than God’s Holy Word. We must commit ourselves to seeking God’s truth. We must cast off our false god’s and tear down the walls satan has built through twisted doctrine. We must acknowledge that the source for true biblical understanding is not a University, but rather the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for Your truth that teaches and instructs in the ways of righteousness. Keep me unspotted from a corrupt culture. Cleanse me and make me fitting to serve You in the beauty of holiness. Lord, help me be a vessel of honor to You. Use me in ways that bring You glory, in Jesus name, Amen!

April 10, 2012 (1 Samuel 8-10; 2 Corinthians 10)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

Observation: Paul’s ministry was Holy Ghost inspired and Holy Ghost led. He was faced with all sorts of opposition from the enemy and could have easily tried to handle the situations in mere human ways. But he made the choice to trust God and yielded his will to God’s perfect will. He chose to fight the battles he faced with God’s mighty weapons instead of in his on human strength. What are these mighty weapons of God that Paul used? Prayer, Faith, Hope, Love, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. He put all his trust and hope in God, and God alone. Paul used these weapons to knock down strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments.

Application: The mighty weapons of God are available for us to use to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Prayer, Faith, Hope, Love, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit are mighty weapons of God that do not fail. We must commit ourselves to pray every day and several times a day. If what we are facing is truly disturbing to us or really important to us, this should not be a burden to do. Our faith must remain in tact and never be forsaken. With our hands to the plow we must never look back and forsake the faith we placed in Christ. All of our hope must be rooted in His faithfulness. Love should spring forth from Christ that lives within us. We must commit ourselves to seek the Word of God daily for the rest of our living days. We must yield our will completely to the perfect will of God and and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this wonderful day You’ve made! You are truly the awesome God of the universe. There is no other as strong or as magnificent as You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for Your strong right arm that fights for me and wins! Thank You for the mighty weapons You provide me to use throughout the battle of life. Teach me how to use them, so that I may be pleasing to You in all things, in Jesus name, Amen!