"Word of God Speak"

November 20, 2011 (Matthew 5-7)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NASB

Observation: Jesus is teaching us how the world should see us. He is the light that fills us and we should shine in such a way that the world sees Him in us and then glorifies God in heaven. For the world to see our good works and glorify God we must be performing our good works in a manner that brings the glory to God not ourselves.

Application: When bringing God glory is our main focus we approach every situation in a different manner. We get off track when we start trying to please ourselves instead of God. We should be careful to watch out for pride that easily creeps into our lives. We can find ourselves craving the praise of men for our good works instead of desiring God to be glorified by our good works. Remember, if any good is done through you, it is Christ who completed the deed and He alone deserves all the glory.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your word that teaches and instructs us in the ways that please You. Help the light within me to shine in such a way that glory is brought to You. Help me conduct myself in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ in every situation. Forgive me for acting in ways that dishonor You and help me to do better, in Jesus name, Amen!

November 19, 2011 (Matthew 1-4)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;” Matthew 3:8 NASB

Observation: John the Baptist preached a message that said, repent and change your behavior! A verbal profession of faith meant little to John, he wanted to see the change in people’s actions that proved they had repented and embraced the Spirit of God. He proclaimed a message that said if you have repented you will walk a new walk and good fruit would be evident for all to see.

Application: Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins. God looks beyond our words, rituals and religious activities and sees if our conduct matches what we profess. A profession of faith in Christ is determined to be real or fake by the fruit that is produced in the life of the one making such a profession. Real repentance will result in real good fruit.

Prayer: Dear Lord thank You for this day that You have made! You are the awesome God who is great and mighty to deliver and protect Your people. Help me today live this life in a manner that is well pleasing to You. May my actions support my profession of repentance and good fruit be produced to Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen!

November 18, 2011 (Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” 2 Corinthians 11:15 NASB

Observation: Satan has servants that are disguised as Christians working in the church in order to deceive and destroy. We should not be surprised by this, but informed of this. You will know them by their fruit. The end for them, will be according to their deeds. If a persons deeds are contrary to the commands of Christ, more likely than not, they are a servant of satan wearing a disguise of Christian.

Application: We all should examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith. Test our actions based on the Holy Word of God. Are the deeds we commit in accordance with scripture? Do we worship God for who He is building up those around us? Is it our goal to promote others and lift them up, or tear them down and keep them oppressed? Our actions, and deeds, will reveal whom we serve. Who’s your king?

Prayer: Father, praise and glory to You, for You are the awesome God who knows who serves Him. You are not deceived by the disguises of satan. Help me to clearly see and recognize these wolves dressed like sheep when I encounter them. Cleanse me and sanctify me so that I will not be found it such a condition when Jesus comes. May my deeds represent well the king I serve, bringing honor and glory to His name, in Jesus name, Amen!

November 17, 2011 (2 Corinthians 7-10)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;” 2 Corinthians 8:20 NASB

Observation: Titus just came from the churches of Macedonia with a generous offering for Paul and the others on the mission field. Paul was careful to be transparent with the offering to keep himself and the others accountable. He took precautions to be sure the offering was used in a right manner and used this as an opportunity to encourage Christians to give according to their own ability.

Application: Nothing will discredit a ministry more than misuse of the resources God has provided through others. Discouragement and depression begin to build in people when they see God’s resources being mis-handled by those in leadership. Notice Paul didn’t start constructing a mega-church building with the offering received. Paul was interested in building God’s kingdom, not his own. I think the church leaders of today could learn a valuable lesson from Paul. It’s time the church gets back to building God’s kingdom, not their own.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You and praise You for Your wonderful mercy and grace. You provide what we need to perform the work You’ve called us to do. Thank You for the faithfulness of the churches of Macedonia. Help us be this faithful to building Your kingdom today. As leaders, help us see the importance of ministry, rather than the importance of worldly structures. Clear up our vision and show us the path we are to walk in this time we live in. In Jesus name, Amen!

November 16, 2011 (2 Corinthians 3-6)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,” 2 Corinthians 3:5 NASB

Observation: Through the blood sacrifice of Christ we have been made adequate servants of a new covenant. Our adequacy is not from our own works of righteousness or of anything we can boast of. We have been made adequate through Christ and Him alone. He cleanses and justifies us by His grace.

Application: Understanding how we have become adequate is of utmost importance for the true follower of Christ. Satan often tries to use a man’s past against him in order to destroy his future. Accepting and receiving the adequacy that Christ gives, frees us to serve God with a clear conscience, knowing His blood has cleansed every sin we have confessed unto Him. When we receive the grace that makes us adequate we have a responsibility to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ from that moment on.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your grace that makes me adequate to serve You. You have washed away every sin and cleansed me with the blood of Jesus. Help me conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ not receiving the grace of God in vain. May I walk in Your mercy daily and boldly proclaim Your message telling others of Your marvelous grace that You offer freely to make one adequate. In Jesus name, Amen!

November 15, 2011 (Job 41-42; 2 Corinthians 1-2)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.” 2 Corinthians 2:4 NLT

Observation: The first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church was pretty strong. He knew from the reports he had received that the situation had to be handled with spiritual strength. To be too passive could have yielded an improper result. Now in his second letter he is explaining to them just why he was so strong. It was because of his great love for them that he told them the truth in such a strong and persuasive way. He reveals to them that he was in great anguish, his heart was troubled and he shed many tears. Revealing this to them showed his compassion for them and the struggles they faced. Yet it also reinforced his original message that told them the truth in a mighty strong way.

Application: Sometimes telling those you love the truth is hard. When you love someone you desire to see them happy and blessed, not discouraged and burdened. Love is many things, but it’s not always easy. In our present day many desire to be in leadership. There are countless books and seminars that will “teach” a person how to “Lead”, yet I’ve struggled to find one that warns people of the hardships and heartbreaks that leaders endure. It doesn’t always work out the way it did for Paul. Often time’s leaders that fail to provide the desired outcome are cast aside and replaced by “more skilled” men that can get the job done. If Paul were to send a letter to the church today, how do you think it would be received? I believe the response from the church would be much different, and the outcome much less desired.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the men and women You have called to deliver truth no matter how much it hurts. Thank You for those that are faithful in spite of much anguish, heartache and many tears, to deliver the truth to those that need to hear it. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Give me wisdom to know what’s right and the courage to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. In Jesus name, Amen!

November 14, 2011 (Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” 1 Corinthians 15:34 NASB

Observation: The church at Corinth was filled with people, but also filled with sin. People wanted to go to church so others would think well of them but they really didn’t want to learn anything about God. They went to church at the appointed time but had no knowledge of God. Paul spoke this to their shame. They surrendered 75% of their lives, yet Christ calls us to surrender all.

Application: I imagine the church at Corinth looking a lot like our modern day churches here in America. Filled with people, filled with sin, empty of knowledge. We have failed to surrender all to Christ. We only want to give Him a portion of our lives. A couple of hours on Sunday should do the trick! How can we be so arrogant towards an all knowing, all seeing God? It’s time we sober-up and stop sinning, and start learning about God and His word and act upon what He reveals.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I praise and worship You this morning! You are the awesome God of heaven that knows and sees all. Cause us to become sober as we ought and stop living in constant sin. Thank You for the knowledge You’ve given, help us put what we’ve learned into action. Help us to be people You can be well pleased with, in Jesus name, Amen!