Sunflower Faith

My Daily Bible Reading

Today’s Reading is from:

Scripture

20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. (Mark 9:20-30, New King James Version)

Observation:

This part of the passage of Mark 9:20-30 (NKJV) really stood out at me, “28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”.

Oswald Chambers shared in today’s devotions, ”We can remain powerless foreverm as the disciplies were in the situation, by trying to do God’s work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to sever Him without knowing Him. ~Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest devotional.”

How many times do we jump headlong into a project under the banner we are doing it for Him, when truthfully, it’s more for us or the power that is behind it then for Him?

As I read the passage and the devotional and reflected on the disciple’s dilemna, it was just a powerful reminder of how we must always seek all things in prayer and contemplation with Him, seek Him in His word and knowing our bibles and not just for rote but for heart. It’s so easy to get caught up in doing everything for Him, only to find that maybe things didn’t work out (and not to say things will always work out or be prosperous), but we have forgotten Him in the process.

It’s so easy to say “Yes” to doing things, but if it find we have no time really, to spend with Him and His word, are we really doing this for Him? Because sometimes, doing thing for Him, also means telling the world,”No” so you have the time first to spend with our Father in Heaven and in His word.

“…. by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to seve Him without knowing Him.” (Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest). That is a scary and discouraging thought isn’t it?

We get so caught up with our own nature and ideas and this is the way to do it and hey let’s try doing this as well that in the process it can become a form of ego boosting or self worship and less about looking and lifting up and glorifying our Father.

It’s a thin line…it is a thin line.

Prayer helps because it serves as a mental bumper in our lives to slow us down, focus…what are we really wanting and is it to His glory and then….wait. Let Him answer…try not to guess or assume or think, this is what His answer is.

When He answers, it tends to be pretty clear but if it happens slow, don’t assume He’s not listening, just maybe the timing isn’t right or it’s not meant to be and He is giving us time to think….do we really know what we are praying about or for?

When we are ready in heart, and we know it, He’ll let us know what His answer is and sometimes it maybe on a whole different track that we didn’t expect or want or thought of .

To all give the Glory to God…for He is above all and a loving Father who also knows us better than we know ourselves.

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Colossians 4:5-7 (New International Version)

From the MHC:

Persons of all ranks to persevere in prayer, and Christian prudence.

 No duties can be done aright, unless we persevere in fervent prayer, and watch therein with thanksgiving. The people are to pray particularly for their ministers. Believers are exhorted to right conduct towards unbelievers. Be careful in all converse with them, to do them good, and recommend religion by all fit means. Diligence in redeeming time, commends religion to the good opinion of others.

Even what is only carelessness may cause a lasting prejudice against the truth. Let alldiscourse be discreet and seasonable, as becomes Christians. Though it be not always of grace, it must always be with grace. Though our discourse be of that which is common, yet it must be in a Christian manner.

Grace is the salt which seasons our discourse, and keeps it from corrupting. It is not enough to answer what is asked, unless we answer aright also. (Col 4:7-9)

What a powerful reminder of our words and our actions and how it can and does bear either good or bear testimony to others.

How many times have we said we were one thing, but then act in a way or do things in a way that makes us look or sound no different from that of a sin-filled world and then wonder why someone reacted as they did to us.

Or justify our actions not on our Father’s terms but in the world’s term to the point that we meld more with the world and how it deems we should act, less than with our Father and how He calls us to act.

Truth is…there is no place in His word for us to act like the world.

Pride, Jealousy, Lying, Gossipping, partaking of the world as if we are more of an “atheist” than a follower.

Ouch.

But truth is…how are we to stand apart from the world like a lighthouse, shining His Word when we choose to have swinging lanterns that half the time the lights are out?

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My Daily Bible Reading

Today’s Life Journal Reading is from:

1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1 (NKJV) 

Passage taken from Romans 1 (NKJV) 

Scripture

 ¹ Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ² which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴ and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. ⁵ Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

⁷ To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   
⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, ¹⁰ making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— ¹² that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
¹³ Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.   
¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”   
¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (Romans 1, New King James Version) 

Observation:

Romans 1:20, this just jumped out at me: ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.  

And made me wonder, have we lost awe of our Father and in the process trying to bring Him down to our level and make Him worldly to justify our own sin. 

Hard hitting for the morning, but as we grow in our journey with Him, one thing is for sure and something I hear brought up time and time again around me by fellow believers, we are NOT of this world. We are just visitors, but our time is just passing through and though we are to live IN the world, we are not to be a part OF the world, and yet, it feels sometimes that there is a prevailing sense of a lukewarmness that is falling over everything. 

It’s hard not to cringe reading this part, “22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”  

From MHC:  

The sins of the Gentiles set forth.

The apostle begins to show that all mankind need the salvation of the gospel, because none could obtain the favour of God, or escape his wrath by their own works. For no man can plead that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God and to his neighbour; nor can any truly say that he has fully acted up to the light afforded him. The sinfulness of man is described as ungodliness against the laws of the first table, and unrighteousness against those of the second. The cause of thatsinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. All, more or less, do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, so that the plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any. Our Creator’s invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, and senselessimages. They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it. For whatever may be pretended, as to the sufficiency of man’s reason to discover Divine truth and moral obligation, or to govern the practice aright, facts cannot be denied. And these plainly show that men have dishonoured God by the most absurd idolatries and superstitions; and have degraded themselves by the vilest affections and most abominable deeds.(Ro 1:26-32)In a lot of ways, this passage just speaks volumes for itself, without any additonal, but it is a warning, a reminder and a commentary how we must not get so wrapped up in this world, that we become no more different than the very world we are supposed to stand apart from.  

Application:

The world is going to criticize us. We are going to be subjected to peer pressure, no matter how old we are, but that’s not what matters. What matters is our Heavenly Father. 

My hubby shared, several verses to be remembered: 

Matthew 10:16-18 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 17″But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 

Matthew 10:21-23 “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22″And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23″But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes. 

Matthew 10:16-18 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 17″But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 

Matthew 10:21-23 “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22″And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23″But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes. 

Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23″Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

Luke 6:26-27 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. 27″But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

Luke 17:33 “Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You ARE the King of kings and all that of this world is but rust and dust that will return to the ground, but You and Your Word is forever. Make my heart always hungry for you, Make me always humbled at your feet and not with thoughts I am wiser like or above You. Lord, we live in challenging times where morals and what is right and wrong seems challenged and often times upside down, Help us keep Your Word in our hearts and to seek what Your will is and not that of the world, in Your Name, we pray, Amen.

****Purpose of this post**** 

Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here. 

That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing. 

I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal. 

Either way. 

Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you. 

If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email. 

Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate. 

Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day. 

There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire. 

This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him. 

It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well. 

To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings. 

Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.

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