Friday, September 23, 2011

Isaiah 55:10-11

Jake Randall September 24, 2011
Isaiah 55:10-11
Isaiah 55:10-11
“ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
God’s word is so powerful. Many times when speaking to those around me I feel like I need to say so much in the most “holy” way I can say it in order to be effective in speaking to someone. The Lord can speak for Himself! He doesn’t need some finite human being to speak His words. I am inadequate and unworthy. The Lord is the one that speaks into peoples lives, and if the Lord is speaking through you, this verse says that it will not return void. I may not see the impact at first but, “it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” says the Lord. 
Application- I need the Lord to be in every part of me, including my speech. Therefore I must be in His Word reading it, memorizing it, and then speaking it.

Isaiah 55:9

Jake Randall September 22, 2011
Isaiah 55:9
Isaiah 55:9- “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Heaven is probably the greatest hope that we as believers have. To even try to comprehend that God would send His only Son to a sin-filled earth and have Him crucified upon a cross, probably the most torturous way of dyeing, for my sin. And then to die for me, a wretched sinner, to spend eternity with Him its unthinkable. For His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Im so grateful for that His ways are not my own.
Application- I daily am thankful for the cross of my Savior and the hope of heaven and spending eternity with Him.

Isaiah 55:8

Jake Randall September 21, 2011
Isaiah 55:8
Isaiah 55:8- “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.”
I am finite. God is infinite. Simple as that. We as human beings cant comprehend the thoughts or actions of God. Like for example when the Lord wants to use things that we see as bad things for the glorifying of Himself. It amazes me every time how He does it. Its pass my finding out as the Bible says.
Sitting in our Biblical doctrines class the other day I was talking to Braeden about not knowing the depths and the thoughts of God, and how frustrating it can be some times. And it really can be frustrating. But again God is infinite and is outside of time and space, but we are limited in these things as human beings. But we have the hope of heaven, knowing that we will one day be able to understand it all.
Application- I need to stand fast in just walking with the Lord and trusting in Him, without knowing where He is leading. Proverbs 16:9

Isaiah 55:7

Jake Randall September 20, 2011
Isaiah 55:7
Isaiah 55:7- “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Many times I lack faith. I lack trust in the Lord. So many times, in my head, I try to figure out what the Lord is trying to say to me before He even says it. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Lord forgive me for not being patient and not waiting and listening to your still small voice. Thank You Lord for Your continual forgiveness in my life. 
Application- I need to forsake my own plans and desires for that of the Lord’s nature. Give my life to the Lord and trust Him with it.

Isaiah 55:6

Jake Randall September 18, 2011
Isaiah 55:6
Isaiah 55:6- “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” 
While I have been here at PFR, I feel like the Lord has truly been speaking to me more clearly than ever. Possibly just from being separated from everything or maybe because I just have been seeking Him more intently than I have before. Whichever it may be, I know that the Lord is with me, speaking to me, walking with me through the trials and testing, and opening and closing doors. He has always been there, but many times in life He can feel closer when I am struggling or going through something difficult rather than prospering or succeeding. But it can be either way. 
Application- The last couple days I have been praying and seeking the Lord earnestly and yearning to hear so clearly from the Lord because I have been going through some confusion lately. I need to call upon the name of the Lord and then wait patiently for the Lord’s response.

Luke 17:10

Jake Randall September 16, 2011
Luke 17:10
Luke 17:10- “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
Humility is much needed in our culture today. Humility is much needed in our churches, our homes, our government, our schools, our country, and our world. And where humility needs to start, is in my life personally! Thats where it starts. If I’m prideful and not continually  abiding in humility, than how can I think that I can save a soul or I am my more “spiritual” than someone else? No I can not! The Lord deserves all praise, honor, and glory. I am unworthy, “We are unprofitable servants.” But Jesus; He is worthy. 
Speaking now more of ministry, I believe that allowing pride to come into a life that has potential of being used by the Lord...allowing pride to come in is the easiest way of getting “shelved” in ministry and all that the Lord could do in your life rather than all that you could do in and of yourself in your life. Jesus has to be first and foremost in my life to remain humble. Just to remember what Jesus has done for me on the cross is easy enough to humble me greatly. “We have done what is our duty to do.” We must walk daily in humility and then the Lord can use us in a way that is  unimaginable.
Application- In service, in ministry I must, daily, remain humble.

Luke 17:9

Jake Randall September 15, 2011
Luke 17:9
Luke 17:9- “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.”
The Christian life is filled with service towards God. And many times, in our human nature, we seek to serve the Lord but with a false motive behind it. And that false motive is the recognition of man that we continually seek. When we serve the Lord none of the glory should ever come back to ourselves. All glory, honor, and praise belongs to Jesus. We need to remain faithful to do the work that the Lord has called us to do  and remain humble and the Lord will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4 says, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Do all things to the glory of God and to Him only!
Application- I need strength to do all service and school work to the glory of God here at PFR. 

Luke 17:8

Jake Randall                                          September 14, 2011
Luke 17:8
Luke 17:8- “But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?”
The first word that comes to my mind to when I read this is redemption. Being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and being apart of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. That is what comes to my mind at first. Just the visual of being able to be finally be joined together with Jesus. After all the working and battling has taken place, once it is all finished...then I can partake of The Supper with my Lord. Philippians 3:12 & 14 says, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Application- I personally need to have a mindset more focused on heaven. 

Luke 17:7

Jake Randall   September 13,2011
Luke 17:7
Verse 7- “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?
Here Jesus is telling a parable of the importance and duty of earnest serving. Jesus says if someone is working or serving, do they come and rest as if the service be over? A lot of times people in the church can have this mentality. They can start off really great, serving in ministry and growing in what the Lord has for their life (plowing the field and tending the sheep) but later on in life they grow stagnate  and maybe retire from the “ministry” or whatever it may be. They get lazy or quite half way through the race that we are to run with endurance as Paul said.
For myself personally I believe that I need to realize that ministry is an all time thing. I cant just cut out early. I finish ministry when I am in heaven, united with Jesus! But until that day I continue to serve the Lord faithfully, with my hands on the plow never looking back. Looking forward to the prize of being finally united with my God. 
Lord, help me to have endurance to run the race and give me strength of a full-time servant, cause I need it!

Luke 17:6

Jake Randall           September 12,2011 
Luke 17:6
Verse 5 & 6- “And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Jesus here presents His disciples with an impossible situation in which no human being can possibly accomplish apart from something infinite and supernatural. What man could say to a tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted into the sea, by no physical action but by just a word?’ No man can do that! The only way someone would be able to do something like this, is if they had a faith that is not limited to earthly things and a faith that is focused upon what God can do rather than what I think I can do in my own efforts and in my own strength. 
Sadly many people have this very shallow, very selfish faith that hinders so much of what the Lord is able to do in their lives. I myself have been this way many times; Where I am so focused on the finite, the natural, and what I can do rather than the supernatural, the infinite, and what Almighty God can do. But when you do have a faith that is solid, built upon Jesus, child-like, and focused on what the Lord can do God will do amazing, unbelievable things.
In my own life personally, I believe I need to have a faith and trust in Jesus that is truly firm, solid, and built upon Jesus. Being up here in Montana for the past week has made questions and doubts arise in my mind as of whether i am truly called to be here. The Lord has been developing in me a faith and trust for Him, that He knows where He is going.  And, “Where the Lord guides, He provides.” So now I know that the Lord has me here for a purpose because He has led me here and I need to have faith in my Heavenly Father even when I can’t fully see the big picture. He knows best!