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STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS for February 16-22

Monday, February 16 -(Jeremiah 10:23 ) "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."- We like to think we are in charge of everything in our lives. In reality, we are only in charge of our choices, our beliefs, and our attitudes. Our task is to seek God through everything else, to be open to Him and to be ready to be obedient to the vision that He plants in our hearts .

Tuesday, February 17 - (Romans 4:12) …who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham…." The promises of God transcend time and lineage and are extended to all come to Him in faith. What God offered Abraham in terms of a vision of significance for His life, is available for us. We can be blessed to be a blessing to others. In your seeking and visioning this day, are you saving room for the great things God wants to do in and through you?

Wednesday, February18 - (I Peter 2:21 ) "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" – We are called to walk in the steps of Jesus, whether those steps lead through paths of suffering or of glory. He is our example. Let us follow Him. Ask Him to help you see the path He where He is leading and His vision for a future. Then, make room in your life for Him to lead you.

Thursday, February 19 – (Heb 11:6) "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." God demands much of us in faith because He demands much of Himself in what he intends to give in response to our faith. He rewards those who seek Him with true diligence of heart and energy He rewards us with vision and fulfillment if we will make room in our busy and distracted lives for him to work..

Friday, February 20 - (Heb 11:14) "For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country". We, the people of God, on the journey of faith, are seeking something that has not yet appeared. That requires faith and vision. Where are your longings? What part of you cries out to God for what God alone can accomplish? Hang your faith there. Let Him develop the vision within you. Let Him bring it to pass.

Saturday, February 21 - (Col 3:1) "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Having been risen with Christ, Christ becomes our focus and where He is, there we are going. Why should we long for anything outside of His purposes?

Sunday, February 22 - (Heb 13:14)" For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Nothing of this world lasts. Everything in God's purpose endures. Given the outcome, what will you choose in which to invest your life?

 

How is God speaking to you this week?


STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS - Week of February 9-15

Monday, February 9 -(Psalm 73:2 ) "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped." - Faith is not equivalent to overconfidence. It is not about being careless about our ways. If it were not for God, our feet would slip. Without God, left to our own devices, slippage is a probability. Never forget that it is God who makes you to stand and sustains you. You need Him .

Tuesday, February 10 - (Psalm 85:13) "Righteousness shall go before him; and he shall set us on the way of his steps." -Among the good things God gives is His righteousness. Righteousness being rightly related to God and others and being on the right path in the right direction. When His righteousness envelopes us, He sets us on the way of His steps - not ours. His intent is to establish us in His way. To the extent that such is your prayer and the intent of your heart, it shall be granted. How does this inform your praying today?.

Wednesday, February11 - (Psalm 85:13b ) "... the way of his steps" - What might "the way of his steps" mean? Perhaps we are tempted to know too soon the answer for that question when God intends for us to seek, follow, notice, and celebrate. One of the great temptations of modern man is to rush too quickly into definition. Definitions limit. God expands His way before us. Start seeking.

Thursday, February 12 - .(Psalm 119:33 ) "Order my steps in thy word; and let not iniquity have dominion over me" It is not so hard to learn how to pray. We need only open the scriptures and emulate the great prayers there. None is greater, deeper, and more transforming that this one. It is two fold. The first part is for God to bring us into complete agreement with Him - our lives aligned with His word. The second is for freedom from sin. Sin has the affect of lording itself over us. The prayer of the saint is that it will be rendered powerless in our lives.

Friday, February 13 - (Proverbs 4:12 ) " When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hampered, restrained; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble" There are some conditions for this promise of not hineded steps and freedom from stumbling. Fist, we will value and embrace wisdom. Second, we will listen to good advice. We will be willingly guided,. We will avoid evil. We will guard out hearts and lips. We will tune our focus. We will keep on the path. These are the conditions of a walk that is sure footed and not hindered. How is that working out for you?

Saturday, February14 - (Proverbs 16:9 ) "A man deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." - While you are working on everything else in your life and attempting to "get it right," don't forget that God is ultimately in charge. Anything short of trusting Him will leave you bereft of hope and stumbling without direction.

Sunday, February 15 - (Psa 16:0 ) "... the LORD directeth his steps" While you are seeking, following, noticing, and celebrating, pay attention to this question: How has God been directing my steps recently and where does He seem to be leading me?

 

 


STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS - Week of February 2-8

Monday, February 2 -"(2 Sam 22:37 ) Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.." - God has given you enough room to walk wherever He wants you to go. While it may seem that the circumstances of your life are overly restrictive and crippling for your ministry, the Lord who has called you knows what you need in order to fulfill your calling. Trust in Him.

Tuesday, February 3 - "(Job 14:16 ) For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?" - Even in His sorrow and pain, Job understood that he had not escaped God's attention. He is paying attention to you as well. Sometimes we think that God is sleeping or unaware of our struggles. He is not. He is watching over you always. When you step up and when you fall back, His eye is on you. He has you in focus.

Wednesday, February 4 - "(Job 31:4 ) Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?" - God is counting your steps. He knows how far you need to go and how far you can go. He knows when you will need for Him to provide an oasis. He knows when you need encouragement. He is watching you, equipping you, and providing for you. He not only knows your present circumstances, but He has scouted out the path ahead of you. Trust in the Lord.

Thursday, February 5 - ."(Psa 18:36 ) Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip." We read these words Monday from a different text. You will not lose your footing if you walk where God leads you. The way may seem precariously narrow and treacherous, but God is with you and has mapped out the course that He is leading you to follow. So, follow it.

Friday, February 6 - "(Psa 37:23 ) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." God's people can be assured that they are never abandoned to guess about how and where to walk in their obedience to Christ. There is an abundance of guidance to lead us along the way. Even if we feel that we have not heard from God in a long time, we need only to open the scriptures to find enough divine leadership to last a lifetime if we will but follow it. When we do, we find ourselves in a place of great delight!

Saturday, February 7 - "(Psa 37:31 ) The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." - When, and to the extent that God's Word is embedded in your heart and assimilated into your life, your steps remain steady. You do not fall. To the extent that we insist on our own way, we are prone to slippage. We may have trouble when we are in the will of God. He may lead us into a valley of failure in order to tain and educate us, but He will never lead us into utter devastation.

Sunday, February 8 - "(Psa 44:18 ) Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;" May we come to the end of the day and the end of our lives with this prayer of testimony, that we have followed where God has led and delighted in doing so. Amen.

 

 


STEP UP Devotions for January 26-February 2

Luke 6:20-49

These thoughts come from the Sermon on the Mount from Luke's gospel. They are both a review of the sermon in Matthew 5-7 and another perspective. Our comments are brief here and designed to propel questions for digging deeper into the scripture passages.

 

January 26 - "(20 ) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. (21) Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. (22 ) Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. (23 ) Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (24 ) But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (25 ) Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. (26 ) Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" It is a slightly different style and somewhat different list that the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Furthermore, Jesus lists not only blessings, but also curses. The crux of it, however, is the same, namely that in God's new Kingdom, all the tables are turned. What seemed valuable before is now worthless. What was weak and discarded is now exalted. The Kingdom of God shapes our values. How is it shaping yours?

 

January 27 - "(27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28 ) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (29 ) And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. (30 ) Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. (31 ) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (32 ) For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. (33 ) And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. (34 ) And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. (35 ) But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (36) Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Kingdom people differ from other folks in the world not only because of their hope and their values, but also in how they treat people. Nothing evidences this more than how Christians are mandated to treat their enemies with love, mercy, and respect. What evidences in your life from how you treat people point to the reality that you are a kingdom citizen and follower of Jesus Christ?

 

January 28 - "(37 ) Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (38 ) Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." God calls His people to live and love generously, to be generous in our love, forgiveness, and sharing with others and the be generous in our judgments. Jesus tells us that we set the standards by which we are assessed. How comfortable are you with the concept of being judged by the standards you use to evaluate other people? How comfortable are you with the idea of receiving blessings at the level which you bestow them?

 

January 29 - "(39 ) And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? (40 ) The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." Are you walking blind through life and trying to lead others at the same time? Are you leading people astray or are you part of an ever unfolding process of growing in clarity and grace. Who are you following as you lead others? Are you daily acknowledging the Lord Jesus as the Master of your life or are you setting yourself above Him? Are you trying to master others without having mastered yourself? Perfection means completion. Are you moving in that direction? Leaders are people in whose lives there is a degree of mastery by themselves and by the Master of all. Such people are worth following.

 

January 30 - "(41 ) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's ye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (42 ) Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye." If we are to be real, the opposite of hypocrites, we will have to admit that we have things in our eyes that blind us to complete reality and keep us from being as helpful to others as we might like to be. Trying to straighten out someone else's life without giving attention to our own vulnerabilities and flaws is not helpful to anyone and is not authentic. We must take personal responsibility for our own lives and then we can be more of a service to others. What areas of growth in your own life will you be working on this week?

 

January 31 - " (43 ) For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (44 ) For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (45 ) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." What and who you are will be revealed by the fruits of your life and the words of your mouth. Eventually, your character will show itself. It may be over time or it may be in crisis or it may be in something subtle, but you cannot hide your true self forever. However, you can, by the grace of God, change your inner person, your motives, and your driving values. God will help you. The Holy Spirit will perform a radical heart transplant in your life. If you are worried about someone finding out your real character, stop worrying. They will. But if you get real with God and be vulnerable with others, it won't be so bad. In fact, it will be liberating, especially as you are openly transformed, day by day and moment by moment into the image of Christ.

 

February 1 - "(46 ) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (47 ) Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: (48 ) He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. (49 ) But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."What we do discloses what we really believe. How we act shows our commitment to truth. If we have heard and ignored truth, the foundation of our lives will crumble. If we have heard, internalized, and acted on truth, what we build will last. Are you built to last? Why or why not?


STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS: Week of January 19-25

January 19 -(Mat 7:24 KJV) "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock" - There are two steps to the process of preparing for a wise and productive life in the Kingdom of God. The first is to hear. The second is to do. Hearers who are not doers gain nothing. Doers who do not first hear, end up doing the wrong thing recklessly, People who build rock solid foundations for their lives both hear and do. What steps are you taking to more clearly, effectively, and deeply hear the Word of God? What kingdom truths are you practicing daily?

January 20 - "(Mat 7:25a KJV) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;" - Rain will descend upon the righteous. Floods will come., Winds will blow and beat upon our lives. Count on trouble. Hard times are common for humanity. Christianity offers no exemptions or bypasses. We share a common humanity with all others on this planet. The difference in our lives is not that we have more protection from hardship. It is that we are prepared and equipped to withstand the storms of life. What are you hearing and doing to prepare for life's storms?

January 21 - (Mat 7:25b KJV) ".. and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.." - The house of the kingdom person is not subject to the storms. The kingdom person, who hears and does the words of Jesus is equipped to stand and withstand at a deeper level. We might be shaken. We are sometimes discouraged. We often forget what we have already understood once, but we cannot be utterly destroyed by hurt, pain, or trials. Your only real hope in this world is Jesus. Everything else may fail, but what is founded on Him will last.

January 22 - "(Mat 7:26a KJV) "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man," The difference between the wise man and the fool is not what he hears, but what he does with what he hears. Jesus is not here condemning the person who has never heard. He is passing an indictment on the one who has been privileged to hear the word and has chosen to ignore it. Are you in danger of foolish living because you are not acting one what you already know to do?

January 23 - "(Mat 7:26 KJV) "... which built his house upon the sand:" The antithesis of wisdom is the foolishness of building a wonderful structure on a foundation of sand. Sand, by its nature, shifts. So do the philosophies and ideologies of this world. The words of Jesus endure and cause us to endure. Perhaps you have been subject the the fads and passing fantasies of our times which change many times within a generation. What is in your life that is so shaky you cannot count on it in a storm? What will you do about it?

January 24 - (Mat 7:27a KJV) " And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:." - We have all seen lives, ministries, and institutions fall for lack of foundation. The same storms that test and refine people of faith, cause others to crumble. Storms don't have to destroy us. We can overcome. But we must do so by solidifying our lives at the foundational level. Nothing else will do. There is something you can do today about this and you know what it is?

January 25 - (Mat 7:27 KJV) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." When you fall spiritually you fall significantly. It's a great fall. Some storms are mild, but sooner or later we will all face a humdinger and when that happens, there will be no time to prepare. Only what you have previously invested in Kingdom values will be of any use to you at that time. What will you hear and do today to prepare for tomorrow?


STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS: Week of January 19-25

January 19 -(Mat 7:24 KJV) "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock" - There are two steps to the process of preparing for a wise and productive life in the Kingdom of God. The first is to hear. The second is to do. Hearers who are not doers gain nothing. Doers who do not first hear, end up doing the wrong thing recklessly, People who build rock solid foundations for their lives both hear and do. What steps are you taking to more clearly, effectively, and deeply hear the Word of God? What kingdom truths are you practicing daily?

January 20 - "(Mat 7:25a KJV) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;" - Rain will descend upon the righteous. Floods will come., Winds will blow and beat upon our lives. Count on trouble. Hard times are common for humanity. Christianity offers no exemptions or bypasses. We share a common humanity with all others on this planet. The difference in our lives is not that we have more protection from hardship. It is that we are prepared and equipped to withstand the storms of life. What are you hearing and doing to prepare for life's storms?

January 21 - (Mat 7:25b KJV) ".. and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.." - The house of the kingdom person is not subject to the storms. The kingdom person, who hears and does the words of Jesus, is equipped to stand and withstand at a deeper level. We might be shaken. We are sometimes discouraged. We often forget what we have already understood once, but we cannot be utterly destroyed by hurt, pain, or trials. Your only real hope in this world is Jesus. Everything else may fail, but what is founded on Him will last.

January 22 - "(Mat 7:26a KJV) "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man," The difference between the wise man and the fool is not what he hears, but what he does with what he hears. Jesus is not here condemning the person who has never heard. He is passing an indictment on the one who has been privileged to hear the word and has chosen to ignore it. Are you in danger of foolish living because you are not acting one what you already know to do?

January 23 - "(Mat 7:26 KJV) "... which built his house upon the sand:" The antithesis of wisdom is the foolishness of building a wonderful structure on a foundation of sand. Sand, by its nature, shifts. So do the philosophies and ideologies of this world. The words of Jesus endure and cause us to endure. Perhaps you have been subject the the fads and passing fantasies of our times which change many times within a generation. What is in your life that is so shaky you cannot count on it in a storm? What will you do about it?

January 24 - (Mat 7:27a KJV) " And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:." - We have all seen lives, ministries, and institutions fall for lack of foundation. The same storms that test and refine people of faith, cause others to crumble. Storms don't have to destroy us. We can overcome. But we must do so by solidifying our lives at the foundational level. Nothing else will do. There is something you can do today about this and you know what it is?

January 25 - (Mat 7:27 KJV) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." When you fall spiritually you fall significantly. It's a great fall. Some storms are mild, but sooner or later we will all face a humdinger and when that happens, there will be no time to prepare. Only what you have previously invested in Kingdom values will be of any use to you at that time. What will you hear and do today to prepare for tomorrow?


STEP UP Devotions for January 12-18

STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Week of January 12-18

 

January 12 -(Mat 7:15 KJV) "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." - The Bible nowhere advocates naiveté that makes His people gullible and susceptible to error. There is a lot of bad teaching in the world and much of it is under the guise of Christian spirituality. Some of the wolves look good, smell good, and sound good. They may even be well intentioned, sincere, and motivated by deep convictions, but their teachings bite and devour. We are not called to cynicism or to be hyper critical or obnoxiously dogmatic, but we are called to be people who discern truth. That is why we take our time to define what we believe. Your assignment today is to read the draft doctrinal statement and to look for scriptures that teach some of the points that are summarized.

January 13 - "(Mat 7:16 KJV) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" - Consider what it means to know something by its fruit. I may not be a horticulturist with the skill to recognize a tree by its less obvious characteristics, but I can wait until harvest time and have a pretty good idea about what kind of tree it is by what is hanging from its branches. What are the obvious action items and outcomes of the teachings that you are evaluating. How do they measure up with scripture. Apply to same fruit inspection to your own life today. Another hint is this: What you say you believe and what you really believe will be sorted out in the cauldron of committed action.

January 14 - (Mat 7:17-18 KJV) "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." - The proof of the pudding is in the eating. At least that is what the old timers used to say to emphasize that character begets behavior. Jesus was teaching His listeners to "beware" of teachers, but there is an implication for our own lives. In the development of our Christian behavior, we must not neglect the development of our characters. To what will you commit yourself today in the development of character growth in your own life? The future fruit you bear will depend upon it.

January 15 - "(Mat 7:19 KJV) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." It might be easy to consign this verse to a discussion of the fires of hell and judgment, but Jesus is primarily talking about the fires of pruning and efficiency. Trees that bear no fruit are cut off and cast aside. Teachings and teachers that bear no fruit are taken out of the mix. There is no space. He is talking about both bad fruit and no fruit. Both scenarios are dangerous. This is ruthless. So we must be ruthless with our own mental and emotional activity. If what we dwell on is not producing positive results, we need to eliminate it from our lives the way an orchard keeper rids himself of unproductive trees.

January 16 - "(Mat 7:20 KJV) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." We can know. We can inspect. We can evaluate. We can buy in or opt out. It is not that we have been appointed judges over others, but we are responsible for what we choose to accept and believe. That is the teaching here. God will sort out the people later as to their standing with Him. We must sort out what we are going to follow. It is so easy for our minds to become polluted with the notions of the world and the values of our times and to accept without challenge, every new idea presented to us or embraced by our friends. But God does not let us off the hook from the responsibility of doing our own thinking. That is part of what the priesthood of the believer is all about. How much time will you spend really thinking today with and about God and the things of God?

January 17 - (Mat 7:21 KJV) " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - There is often a gap between saying and doing. To form the word, "Lord" on our lips takes no effort, belief, or commitment. To say, "Lord" with our lives takes all three. Our response to lordship is about doing. Jesus called us to active discipleship that is visible in a broken world. The extent to which we participate in His Kingdom is determined by the extent to which we embody and act out Kingdom values by faith and through His grace. It is not that God is keeping a score card on His followers and only those who get the highest scores get into Heaven. He doesn't have to. Our lives do that. We are saved by grace, but once grace takes hold of our lives, it changes the nature of our character and the fruit our lives produce.

January 18 - (Mat 7:22-23 KJV) "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." The test of truth, of spiritual vitality, of authenticity, and of relationship with Jesus is never religious activity or verbiage. It is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, goodness, righteousness and truth, all qualities that grow in the lives of people connected with God - none of which can be regulated. (Galatians 5:22-23 and Ephesians 5:9) These are how we know what God already knows about us. They grow in our lives and flow through our lives. Our faith can be flamboyant or not. Our worship styles can be emotional or not.Our expressions of piety can be demonstrative, reserved, intellectual, exuberant, quite, loud, formal, informal, prepared, reserved, or any combination of these, but they do not define our commitment to Christ. Jesus calls us to follow Him and become good trees that bear much fruit and good fruit. What is unseen will be quite visible in judgment and will make all the difference.

 


Step Up Devotions for January 5-11

STEP UP is a visioning process for the Fellowship of Joy at Baptist Temple church of Fresno, CA. While these devotional thoughts were written with our campaign in mind, they are applicable beyond that context. STEP UP is a call to Step Up to the plate and hit a home run for God as one of our members told me Sunday. It is also a capital development campaign, but it is much MORE. It is a time of revival and renewal of our lives, our dreams, and our commitments to Jesus Christ. STEP UP is an opportunity to pray and seek God for miracles in our church, our community, our personal relationships with God, our ministries, and our own finances as we develop sound principles of personal stewardship. STEP UP is an opportunity to serve, commit, and give sacrificially. STEP UP is a bold initiative to clarify our church's VISION, launch a bold strategy, makes some improvements to our facilities, and solidify our financial base so that we can more effectively fulfill our mission in the city.

Monday – January 5 – "Ask and it will be given you." (Matthew 7:7a, NKJV) – At the risk of seeming obvious, have you asked God for anything lately? Have you with some heart for a pure motive and unselfish desire asked for Him to supply your needs, lead you according to His purposes, given you strength and wisdom to become all He wants you to be, and to help you delight in Him so that He may give you the desires of your heart? "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4 - NIV)" That being in place, perhaps the word in James 4:2 is operative; "You do not have, because you do not ask God. (NIV). As a community of believers, as individual members of the church, and as individuals before God, it behooves us to learn to ask.

Tuesday – January 6 – "Seek and you will find." (Matthew 7:7b, NKJV) – Emily Daniels, my high school Sunday school teacher used to remind us to put legs on our prayers. I always wondered if that was a bit unspiritual until I realized it was very true. God expects us to seek after what He is supplying for us. He hides treasures in odd places. He invites us to participate in His provision. He calls us into a mystical and practical partnership. Where are you seeking for God's best? What are you seeking? How are you seeking? Are you limited what Good can provide for you and do through you by refusing to seek diligently and turn over all the rocks? Embrace the promise of more today and find God's best.

Wednesday – January 7 – "Knock and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7c, NKJV) – All of the imperatives in this verse describe continuous action: Keep on asking. Keep on receiving. Keep on knocking. By the time we get to knocking, it is obvious without even knowing the verb structure that persistence is the key to laying hold of the promises of God. We cannot stop short of our goals. We dare not quit before the finish line. To do so would be to diminish the meaning of all past efforts, prayers, and discipline. Our quest is a lifetime process, not a quick and easy fix. We are called to step up and to keep stepping up. My wife once hired a young man, not because his resume was impressive or because he was an outstanding candidate for the job, but because he proved his desire to do that particular job by coming in several times a week to inquire about it. God wants us to deeply desire His best and to demonstrate that desire with persistence.

Thursday – January 8 – "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11) – God is good. That is a theological fact. We are sinners, broken by the fall. That is also a fact. But even as sinners, we know how to give good gifts to our children. How much more will a God who is 100% good give good gifts to His children whom He loves? We are His children. He loves us. He wants to give His best to us. He is waiting for our to do our part for own good so that we will not just be receptacles of blessings, but participants in His purpose. It is about the character of God and the love He has for us.

Friday – January 9 – "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12) – If God were a man, this is how He would treat us. It is how He treats us. It is also how He mandates that we treat each other. It is a positive command to be proactive, not a caution of restraint. It is the essence of all He has ever sought to reveal through the scriptures. It is what makes God's people salt and light. It is the secret of true prosperity and fulfillment. It is the Golden Rule. How will you go out of your way today to observe it?

Saturday – January 10 - "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13, NIV) – Destruction is easy. It is the path of least resistance. The call to step up to call of God is a call to reject the easy path, to shun the downhill slide, and to despise call to mediocrity. God has no interest in our earthly comfort zones or addiction to convenience. He values those qualities little in our lives or churches where we often value them much. Whether Jesus is speaking of the destruction of our eternal souls, of our dreams, or our earthly lives, the principle holds. It is easy to get shipwrecked by esteeming ease about all other values. Could we decide today to be suspicious of every broad path and path to which the masses flock? If we see the crowds gathering, let us look further for a path of life.

Sunday - January 11 – "But small is the gate and narrows the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:14, NIV) You will be in a distinct minority to the extent to which you choose the path of life. It is a gate you may have to squeeze and contort yourself to get through. You will not shape it. It will shape you. Most people are intimidated by the potential of being odd or out of step with the crowd. But when we step up to God's plate, we often stand alone. Life, in all its dimensions, fullness, and implications is experienced only by a few who are willing to be different and to fit into some pretty tight places for God. But once through the gate, it is the path of greatest freedom and joy. We wonder why we didn't choose it all along.