"Word of God Speak"

January 29, 2012 (Exodus 23-24; Psalm 14; Acts 5)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.” Acts 5:11 NLT

Observation: Barnabas sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. He was a good man that was honest and sincere in his faith. Ananias and his wife Sapphira were envious of the recognition that Barnabas received for his act of giving. So they sold some property they owned as well and brought a portion of the proceeds to the apostles claiming it was the full amount. They wanted the praise and honor that comes from doing what’s right, without actually doing what was right. They lied about the price only to make themselves look better to the people they were trying to impress. They dropped dead instantly when Peter confronted them with the lie they told.

Application: Great fear gripped the church when they witnessed two people drop dead for trying to make themselves look better than they were. Is that what it will take for the fear of God to be restored in our churches today? What if the next two pastors that proclaim, “God said for you to send me a thousand dollars” dropped dead right in the pulpit. Do you think some fear may come over the church then? Sadly, I think we would just ignore the event and give heart attack the credit. The entertaining church of America has no fear, not even fear of The Almighty God. The absence of fear is proof the end is near.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace that provides and protects me each day. You’re awesome and great to be praised and feared. Forgive me for the lies I’ve told in an effort to make myself look better. Help me Lord, be true to You and Your word. Fill me with Your Spirit and continue to teach me Your will. I praise and worship You today for who You are, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 28, 2012 (Exodus 21-22; Psalm 12; Acts 4)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NLT

Observation: The council members thought themselves to be the most knowledgable when it came to the scriptures. These men, Peter and John, were uneducated fishermen that had a better understanding of the scriptures than those who had studied them all of their lives. The council members had studied the scriptures, but they hadn’t spent anytime with Jesus. Peter and John were bold because they had spent time with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit filled them to proclaim the gospel message of repentance to the lost religious leaders.

Application: Studying the scriptures is vital to understanding the will of God for your life. However, we must be careful to never let our knowledge cause us to stumble in pride and arrogance. I know many men that have studied the scriptures intently, attending all sorts of seminary classes, yet they are as blind as a bat to the truth of the gospel message. They trust in their degrees and higher education while ignoring the benefits of spending time with Jesus. If you think you have God all figured out, beware! Like a train that has derailed from the tracks is the man that trust in his own understanding. God’s ways, have always been and will always be, above our understanding.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provides and protects me daily. Thank You for Your Spirit that fills me to proclaim boldly the gospel message of repentance. I desire to know You and Your will concerning me. Lead me and guide me by Your Spirit, show me the path You will for me to walk, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 27, 2012 (Exodus 17-20; Acts 3)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “What is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?” Acts 3:12 NLT

Observation: Peter and John going into the Temple saw a crippled beggar asking for money of those entering the Temple. Peter told him he didn’t have any silver or gold, but what he did have he would give to him. Peter said, “In the name of Jesus, get up and walk” and then Peter reached out for the man’s hand. When he pulled him up the man was instantly healed and began to leap and praise God. The people of Israel were astonished by this and looked at Peter as though he had preformed the miracle, but Peter was quick to recognize the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and give God the glory.

Application: One very important fact to recognize with the disciples is they were very careful to never take the credit for what God had done. They gave Him the glory and praise for all the works He performed. Notice Peter didn’t go into the Temple saying, “I just healed a man out here, hey look at me!” And when the people of Israel started to lean toward giving him the credit, he quickly corrected them. Now days, the Pastors, Preachers, Evangelist, and Prophets act more like they have preformed the miracle, rather than giving the glory and credit to God. We should beware of these people for their god is their belly and they are constantly looking for ways to fill it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, praise and glory to Your name! For You are marvelous and great to be praised. You perform wonderful works in miraculous ways everyday, may I always remember to give You the credit and praise. Thank You for Your grace and mercy that protects and provides for me day by day. Thank You for Your blessings too. Father, lead me and guide me into Your truth and reveal Your will for my life to me clearly, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 26, 2012 (Exodus 14-16; Acts 2)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14 NLT

Observation: Fear came over the people of Israel when they saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them. They thought for sure they were going to die out there in the wilderness. Fear and panic drove them to proclaim that it would be better to be a slave in Egypt, than to die in the wilderness as free people. They were hysterical to say the least. But Moses said, “don’t be afraid, just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Lord will fight for you, just stay calm.”

Application: Has fear and panic ever gripped your heart? Have you ever found yourself saying it would be better to go back to the comforts of sin because of the suffering you face for living free? Sounds crazy I know, but the fact is we often do this. Sometimes getting to a better place means we face tremendous trials and persecution, yet if we hold on to the hand of God, He will see us through. When your enemy roars and chases after you, trying to bring you back into slavery, just stay calm for the Lord Himself will fight for you.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for Your protection and provision. Forgive me for not trusting You completely to supply all my needs. You have protected and provided for me without fail, and I praise You and love You for all Your mercy and grace. Help me to stay calm when my enemy roars. Cause me to remember Your mighty power and strength and trust You completely to deliver me in times of distress. You are the awesome God of heaven, I am Yours and You are mine, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 25, 2012 (Exodus 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts 1)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.” Psalm 21:11 NLT

Observation: David was praising God for victory over his enemies. They plotted against David, desiring to destroy him, but God had other plans! Their evil schemes, and the lies they told never succeeded. God’s protection is far stronger than any enemy we could ever face, and His sovereignty always has our best interest at heart. He protects us from our enemies desires and assures us victory in His strength and power.

Application: Even though enemies may roar and breath out terrible threatenings, a believers trust and hope is in the Lord. When we call out to Him, He hears our plea. He runs to protect us and ensures no evil scheme of the enemy succeeds. He routes the enemy into his own trap. The weapons formed, that were meant to harm you, are turned against the one who schemed such wickedness. No weapon formed against the believer shall prosper. He provides protection and provision to those who are His and called according to His purpose. Victory belongs to the believer no matter what the circumstances look like.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day You have made. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provides for me each day. Your love and kindness is amazing and is in abundant supply. You protect me from the evil schemes of my enemies and turn on them their own trap. Father forgive them, they know not what they do. Open the eyes of truth to those who are lost and free them from the snare of satan. May we all recognize the need we have for grace and mercy and begin today planting those type seeds. For the harvest is coming and we shall reap what seed we have sown, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 24, 2012 (Exodus 9-11; Luke 24)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.” Luke 24:11 NLT

Observation: Mary Magdalene was telling the apostles about Christ resurrection. She told them about the empty tomb and the angels that had spoken to them. The apostles thought the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it. The very men that walked with Christ, heard all His sermons, and experienced firsthand all of His miracles did not believe He had risen. God used their lack of belief to teach them a very important lesson. Through this experience God taught the disciples to trust Him, even when things look like nonsense.

Application: To be honest, when I read the Bible sometimes it seems like a lot of nonsense to me too. But over the years God has revealed Himself to me through the pages of His Word many times. I’ve been overwhelmed by His protection and favor in situations where I felt totally hopeless. I’ve been blessed with supernatural deliverance that appears to most people as nonsense, yet I know the truth. The works of God are too great and mighty to put into words. They are too powerful to comprehend with human understanding and too complex to explain with any earthly language. These are the moments God has chosen to use to reveal Himself to me, over and over again.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I love You. I praise and worship You for who You are. You are the awesome God of heaven and above You there is no other! Your ways are above my understanding and comprehension. Your works are marvelous and amazing. Your mercy is abundant and Your love is eternal. Your forgiveness is precious and I thank You so much for it. Though a life lived for Your glory may look like nonsense to the world, my
hope is in Your word, my trust is in Your Son, my soul is in Your hands, in Jesus name, Amen!

January 23, 2012 (Exodus 6-8; Luke 23)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about Him and had been hoping for a long time to see Him perform a miracle.” Luke 23:8 NLT

Observation: Herod is a prime example of what pride and arrogance can do to a person. No doubt Herod was a brilliant man, yet he was spiritually blind and so ignorant. He was more concerned about his delights, than the desires of God. To Herod, Jesus was a circus act that could provide him social entertainment and enjoyment. He wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle so his emotions could be excited. Outside of that, he had no real interest in Jesus or concern for His life.

Application: Many people today view Christ as no more than a circus act as well. People flock to beautiful buildings each Sunday to see what Jesus is up to. They have no real desire to know Him, or follow Him, they just long to be entertained. They go through the motions of service on Sunday morning, while forgetting all about Christ by noon. Our senses are ignited by a worship service that resembles a rock concert with smoke filled air and multi colored lights all around. Then, our emotions are fed a feel good gospel message that leaves us empty and without repentance. We leave like we came at best, with the power of God being reduced to nothing more than a common circus act of entertainment.

Prayer: Dear Father, forgive us for what we offer to You as worship. Forgive us for reducing Your Son to nothing more than an entertaining circus act. Help us realize our need for Christ, may we learn what it means to know Him. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with Your Spirit. Convict our hearts with the gospel message of repentance and draw us back unto You, in Jesus name, Amen!