Our Daily Time With The Lord

Today 8/21/16
Today I read Mark 12: 1-12

This is a parable of the tenants and is about Israel (how God provided for her etc.)
and the religious leaders who when God finally sends His Son they decide to kill Jesus saying:
v.7 ".......This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.

It reminded me of what the Lord said about money being the root of all kinds of evil.
And what are some of the things money can do? It can support all manner of bad habits and can give a person or persons a type of power.

I think the 'servants' (priests etc.) wanted the power (inheritance of Jesus).

The application for me is to carefully, and prayerfully use whatever money I get, to give God the glory, to provide for basic needs, and to help others....not to gain power.

I remember having very mixed feeling when we owned ( over time) 4 different Mercedes Benz.
On the one hand, I was happy we had such safe cars ( they were made so if an accident happened the humans within would be often protected by a 'bubble" a crumple proof safety zone). I also liked them ascetically ( tho a Jaguar XKE 1960's thru 1970 were one of my favorites cuz they looked like a Brancusi bird sculpture LOL
Mind you they all wer bought as used cars.....

Nevertheless, I also had an unwanted feeling of 'being somebody' ,superiority , class, culture etc etc.

I did not like or want those feelings, but just the mere owning such a car, the 'feelings' sort of attacked and/or invaded me. I find when we have had money these sorts of ungodly feelings surround me, and do not do so when we have just enough.

So that would be my application to take such thoughts captive and to also ask Jesus how to spend my money (at the present from cleaning but also if I ever do paintings again).

Yeah, I'm always running into my pride too and have been working on being more humble. Whenever I read these scriptures: “As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”” (Mark 12:38–40) it makes me think of the TV preachers because it's such a perfect description of them! They urge people watching, who are often widows and the poor and disabled (who else would be home at that time of day?) to give them money. They live in million dollar homes and have private jets and expensive cars and clothes, all paid for by people who often can't afford their medication or to have enough to eat or pay their bills.  They strut around the stage and take the seat of honor whenever they're invited to anything.  All they're good for is to show off how great they are.  But in reality, they're wolves who are devouring God's people, so it makes me feel good to know that they will be punished most severely.

Hey guys :)
I studied from acts 1 to chapter 7.
I was wondering... Judas commited suicide. But in acts (sorry that the a is not capital, keybord still does not work.....) it seems like Judas fell off and died. But it might mean that when he hanged himself then the dead body fell , and the organs splitted. So he commited suicide. Thats what I believe it meant.
also, chapter 2. The pentecost day... Was this a special day for the Jews ? 50 days after the Jewish easter? Why they were gathered in Jerusalem? Jews from all over the world?...
In chapter 5 . ananias and Sapfira were not really commited Christians, their hearts were elsewere. They were not Christians, I think, they were faking. Because we sin, we lie sometimes , but we dont face this kind of judgement. God forgive us because He loves us. I might not explain this correctly, I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

‎Exactly! Matthew 27:5 says that Judas hanged himself. Apparently the tree Judas chose to hang himself on was at the edge of a cliff. After a person dies, if the body is left in the sun, it will get bloated which means it gets swollen with fluid. Either the rope or the tree branch broke (or the knot slipped) and his body was fell to the rocks below which would have caused the swollen area (probably stomach and intestines) to burst open. 

Yes, “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” and refers to the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22–23) or Harvest (Leviticus 23:15–22), which was celebrated 50 days after Passover.  It's one of 3 yearly feasts that all the men were to come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple for. So every Jewish male had to go to Jerusalem for the feast.  Many brought their families but not everyone did.  Plus, those Jew's who did not take God seriously, disobeyed God and didn't go.  Anyway, it meant there was a LOT of people there!

No, Ananias and Sapphira were true believers Eva.  We can know that because they did have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, otherwise they could not have lied to the Holy Spirit or tempted Him (Acts 5:3; Acts 5:9).  God judged them and disciplined them for their lie and He disciplines us as well when we disobey Him.  We are told that there are sins that "lead to death."  “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” (1 John 5:16–17) and in this next verse when Paul says "fallen asleep", he means that they died: “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:30–32)

The Lord most definitely does judge us, but He wants us to judge ourselves so that He won't have to. If Ananias and Sapphira had judged their own sin, (admitted that what they were planning to do was a sin and repented of it) then God would not have had to judge them, but could have just forgiven them instead.  We are told many times though that God does and will judge believers: “The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:30–31). “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” (1 Peter 1:17) “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”” (1 Peter 4:17–18)

This was a judgment by God to put the fear of God into His new believers hearts so they would remember that this wasn't a game but that He required all of their hearts and not just part of them; God also wanted these new believers to be prepared for the horrid persecution that was coming.  So far all they'd seen were wonderful miracles so they needed a reminder that God was also Holy and expects us to be as well.

God is especially demanding of His people at the beginning of each age and will punish some as an example to others. He punished Ananias and Sapphira at the beginning of the Age of Grace, just as He punished Uzzah (1 Chronicles 13:10) as an example in the first part of the age of the Law. He also does it to show us how He perceives sin. Notice that even a kind, generous act, which is done with a bad motive, is a sin.  Even today people die because of their sin.  The difference is that today we don't have anyone to tell us that sin was the cause of someone's death.  If this particular story was to happen today, we would probably hear that they died of a heart attack and there would be no mention of God at all.  Here, in God's Word though, we learn the truth - that sometimes God does cause people to die for their sin. Today we tend to forget that God is Holy and will not tolerate sin.


I know you're afraid because of belonging to that brotherhood hon.  That's why I want you to start doing it again.  You've got to realize that this fear is from Satan, it's a lie meant to hurt you. Believing that lie also keeps you from realizing the truth and the truth is that you are insisting that you are stronger and more capable then God because you are able to prevent Him from keeping His Word and fulfilling His promise that His children WILL hear His voice.  (that word "hear" doesn't mean audibly hear Him, it's simply saying we will know when He leads and guides us in His Word to answer our questions or show us His Will etc.)  Satan wants to keep you focused on yourself and your little insecurities so that you won't realize that one you're really not trusting Is the Lord.  God knows every thought we think even before we think them and it's no problem for Him to answer us in a number of different ways.  In fact, I'm quite sure He has answered you many times and you have simply told yourself that it was your own idea or just a coincidence or even refused to see the answer at all. 

  “The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.” (Proverbs 20:27)
“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” (Psalm 139:1–4)
“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” (1 John 2:20)
“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2:27)
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:3–4)

“Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:7)

That last one reminded me of something important that I left out before when I said:

The 3 main things to remember are, pray before studying, ask questions & make comments about what you're reading to Him, and finally, determine how you can apply what you studied to your life now.

There is an important 4 thing we have to do, which is to reflect on His Word.

Some people take all these verses to mean that understanding is automatic and they don't have to do anything.  They think that somehow they'll just "know" what's true and what isn't.  But that's not how God works.  He expects us to use our minds.  He also expects us to ask for His help to understand His Word and to do His Will.  When we don't do those things, then we naturally follow our sin nature instead of the new nature He put in us when we were saved.  We go back to old habits and we listen to "strangers" instead of to God.  God is compassionate and forgiving though, and once we repent, He IMMEDIATELY begins to teach us and guide us in His Word, and as long as we ask, He will continue to do so.  I don't mean that we have to be legalistic about it and ask Him constantly though; remember, He knows our hearts!   So although we both went off His path for awhile in the past and got into things that He detests, we are now forgiven and taught and guided by Him and given understanding of His Word.