His promise

John 1:17 NKJV

For the law was given through Moses, but  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Theme- promise

I using John for the last couple of IBSes because I'm doing John in my morning devotions. How beautiful of a promise this is that God gives us, we know not one of us can uphold the law that was given through Moses, this is a reason Jesus came to die on the cross. He knew like we do that no man can uphold the law, so He came lived a perfect life, and died for the sins we have committed.

This promise is made out of love, and the law is fulfilled by the love of Jesus Christ. Matthew 19:19, "‘Honor your father and  your  mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"" I say that its Jesus Christ's love, because no man will love like Christ did. But through what Christ did for us, we may have salvation. And that is His promise, "... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." The world grace means, re ie ing something you don't deserve, we don't deserve anything but Christ gave us Himself (truth), and so through Christ we are saved. This is why we have accepted Him into our hearts so that we might be saved, and we dedicate our lives to Him.

Application- pray for those who don't know the Lord

Prayer please

I have a small rip in a tenden behind my knee just from over stretching it, so prayers would be appreciated for a fast recovery. The doctor said I'm not a loud to use my left leg for a week and I'd imagine just really take it easy after that for a month. So this means I won't be teaching for half of the week at the minimum,  hopefully its no longer, and just pray that the doctor is right and that I'll be back on both my feet real soon. Praying for all of you, love you, and have a God blessed day.

Visibility

Theodore Opdenaker

John 1:9 NKJV

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Theme- visibility

I picked visibility as the theme for this verse and this weeks IBS, because it talks about the true light, and that it "gives light to every man coming into the world." This just shows that all man will be shown the light, and that it is their decision to accept it or not. That decision is the most important decision you will make in your life and it will affect every other decision you will make in your life.

John 1:5 "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." This is where I got visibility when it talks about the darkness not comprehending the light that was shown to them. Darkness is the world, and depending on how much you can understand of the light. For example,  when I was younger I knew the stories of the bible, but I never really comprehended what the were really about. I also didn't have the will to know, and that is where the decision come in to except the light, and learn more about it or just throw it away. Now after messing up because I made the wrong decision, and made the right one and came to Potter's Field, and learn how to study the bible and pull stuff out it like I do with my IBS. Four months ago I could never do what I can do now because of what I have learned. 

Application - memorize this verse so when I'm faced with a decision I can know where to look for advice, the light(Jesus Christ).

Philippians 3 : 12-13

Philippians 3:12-13 NKJV

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. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I  do,  forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

Theme - sacrifice

In verse 12 I think Paul is talking about dying to self the highest sacrifice we can give to our Lord Jesus Christ. He knows that when he goes to heaven God the Father will see he as perfect, but to continue to sacrifice his whole being for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He says, "...but I press on...", no matter what happens to him he knows that it will be all worth it, because of what was waiting for him in heaven. So I tell you "press on" for Christ Himself is preparing a mansion for you in heaven.

In verse 13 it says, "... forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,...", when we accept Christ the book in heaven that had our sins written in it, is thrown into the fire, and doesn't come back. God sees as perfect, so when Paul says, "... forgetting those things which are behind...", I believe that is what we do. Plan and simple when it comes to the past, drop it, forget about it, only use it to share the testimony God gave you. Then Paul says, "...reaching forward to those things which are ahead,...". I can say it any better then, look forward to what God wants to in your life. Also, sometimes He will call you to do things that may be scary, I encourage you to look back at the testimony God gave you and see what He did for you, what He saved you from, and as a women from my church always told me, "Do it scared". Do it because God is the one calling you to do something.

Application - pray that when I'm faced with representing Christ, I stand firm

Philippians 3 : 11

Philippians 3:11 NKJV

if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Theme- sacrifice

With the theme of sacrifice, I look at this verse, and think that Paul is saying he will do anything (by any means), to attain the resurrection from the dead. To lay his sinful body down, lay all sins on the shoulders of Christ, all material things from this earth even his fleshly body, give it all to Jesus. That he may be resurrection by the Holy Spirit, and be perfect in the eyes of the Father in heaven. The whole point of living is to give it all to Jesus and live a life worth living. A life worth living, when I first heard it i was so utterly confused. Then I heard that a man that doesn't live a life for Christ will loose everything, but a man that lives a life for Christ will gain everlasting life, and a mansion is being prepared for those who believe in heaven, Christ said it Himself.

This is how this applied to my life, no earthly things is worth holding on to, not even people you hold dear to your heart, because if we don't love Christ first those relationships are pointless. So, if those relationships are above the relationship you have with Christ then you are in sin, and the bible says something like if something causes you to sin cut it off. So if becoming closer to God means breaking off a relationship you have with a friend, then do so because it can only benefit you in your walk with the Lord.

Application - when I get home say it God or the highway, because my life is for Him, and what you are doimg I can't except.

Philippians 3 : 10

Philippians 3:10 NKJV

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Theme - sacrifice

The ultimate sacrifice, a perfect life given for an imperfect world full of sin. He took all sin, bore it all on His shoulders, in every single crack of the whip, He thought of you and I. God the Father knew the only way for people exactly like you and I to be saved, was to send His perfect Son Jesus Christ to die a gruesome death, pay the price we rightly deserved to pay. But instead He paid it Himself so that we may get the reward to go to heaven. Jesus conquered the grave so, that one day We may be with Him, and know the power of His resurrection,  also the fellowship of His sufferings. We know we will be able to experience these things becuase of His death.

For those reason what shall we hold higher then the One that thought of us throught His entire persecution. Through all the trials we go through we shall think of Him, and take joy in suffering for His great name. The name Jesus Christ, the One who died for us, we shall live every day for that name. James 1:2, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials," it says in the bible that we should count in all joy, in the middle of the trials we face. So that we may take joy when we are being persicuted for His Name, because He died on the cross for us in love, and rose from the dead in joy that we may rejoice in heaven.

Application- so I ask God to give me joy in the times of sacrificing the flesh, and material for His great name.

Philippians 3 : 9

Philippians 3:9 NKJV

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Theme - sacrifice

Philippians 3:8, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" I'm verse 8 here, because it is a continues into verse 9.

So in verse 8 you can see it talks about whatever we go through, whatever we have to give up can't be compared to what we get when we get in Christ. So what I see here in verse 9 is not having any righteousness, and all the righteousness is for which is from God by faith. We don't deserve righteousness, because look at what we do, look at our sin. We are only cleansed when we have faith that Christ is in us. Which only came to us by the greatest sacrifice of them all. I see that the least I can do is sacrifice my pride, personally. I have a hard time throughing down my pride for the glory of God, and keep myself good in the eye's of men. When all I should care about is what God is seeing in my heart, and what others are seeing of Christ through my actions. We are called to be more like Christ everyday, and as I was reminded during bible study that all we must do, and the gospel will spread as the Lord leads me. I need less of people's acceptance, and more of Christ being happy how I'm proclaiming his name. There are multiple things I give righteousness to, and leave little for Christ.

Through people who God is using in my life, He has been showing me things I must sacrifice to Him, so that I will give Him all the righteousness. Like, Paul said in verse 8, he calls all of the things he lost, "rubbish", in other words its worthless. That's how I see it, so thinking about it why give righteousness to things that are worthless, it doesn't make sense.

Application- right down a list of things I need to stop giving righteousness to and burn it, just so I can see those thkngs become ash, and see them as worthless.