From the Kitchen Table

Day 10 from the Kitchen Table

Acts 26:19

I have not been disobedient to the heavenly vision

These are Paul’s word to King Agrippa as he gives a defense for the life he has lived.  There’s something we need to realize.  There are various visions of life.  Some come from here (this world) but one comes from heaven.  You’ve been given a divine vision from heaven and it’s a destiny that involves a decision.  This heavenly vision and life require a decision of dedication to Christ.  That’s first.  Facing chains, Paul features Christ in his defense.  Jesus is the reason because Jesus is the source of his love, his life, and his light.  When Jesus is at the center of our lives there is not a need for any other explanations or excuses.  But this heavenly life is not merely a religious disposition, it is a real destiny for those who have decided to follow Jesus.  If we make Jesus the center of our lives, there will be no need for any other conversations to clear our name.  But, this destiny will require a decision to dedicate this day and this life to Him.

Day 9 from the Kitchen Table

II Peter 1:5-11

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Reach for the stars today, God is with you.  Being born-again was just the first step into this brand new love and life that Jesus brings us.  Anybody can stay in bed, live where they are and even give up.  The Bible says that God has richly, abundantly supplied an entrance into the Kingdom of Jesus.  But we have to live out what we believe in.  God can do anything without us but chooses to do everything with us.  Let your faith develop your values and those heavenly values will help you know how to live so that you can live it as you hold on for what God has for you rather than settling for what man has for you.  This perseverance creates a personal likeness to Jesus and when you and I start looking like Jesus people will experience the brotherly kindness and love of Jesus from us.  It just happens.  Remember, miracles begin in me!  If you want to see a miracle, be a miracle and reach for the stars with your Savior.

Day 8 From the Kitchen Table

2 Peter 1:3-4

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.    

Think about what this means.  We woke up this morning with God’s power to live from and God’s promises to live for and it comes through a precise knowledge, understanding, revelation of who we’re living with, God himself.  God made us for this day and His divine power (His divine presence, not just some impersonal power) lives within those of us who believe in Him.  He has plans for “glory” today, where we will live in His beauty and excellence with a splendid reputation.  God is building something beautiful from something broken through those who believe.  Don’t give up or give in.  Think about what this means, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”  Think about living with Him, not just for Him, and in the meantime He will help us escape the corruption that’s killing so many.  God is good.

Day 7 From the Kitchen Table

II Timothy 4:6-8

 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Here’s something to think about today.  When we live our lives with purpose, there are bigger things to think about than danger and death.  Living on purpose with promise will find us in the possession of the hand of God.  And God is faithful, He will fulfill all His promises to us so why live another minute in fear?  This day is a part of God’s plans and He will fit us into those plans as we trust in Him and His word.  And there’s just something special about being able to say at the end of the day or at the end of a life, “I have kept the faith!”  As we put those individual days together, we allow the Holy Spirit to orchestrate a life well-lived.  I’ve seen people die and I’ve witnessed that a life well lived is that can step into eternity with no regrets, no remorse.  You and I will never regret or be ashamed of fighting the good fight of faith.  We can, God is with us.

Day 6 From the Kitchen Table

II Timothy 2:15-16

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness

God has given me His word for this day.  To keep my life on track I’m going to have to keep my words in line.  By His word, He created this world and by His words, we will create our world today.  We don’t need to be ashamed of speaking God’s word from our mouths; His word is truth and it is life.  Where do you find a worker who is approved?  You’ll find that person by what he or she says.  No more of this idle babbling, just making noise, to sound important or to be included.  We have the word of God and that word will create our destiny.  Rather than speaking fear and foolishness, let’s speak faith that produces hope and reveals love.

Day 5    From the Kitchen Table

Philippians 3:12-15

 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. 13 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, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you

First thing this morning, I want to set my eyes on the prize.  Thanking God for this day and the life and health and strength I need for this day, I set my eyes on the goal.  He has made this day for me and His glory is the sunrise and the sunset of this day.  I will let yesterday be, I can’t change that and by letting go of the woes and wrongs of the past I can let the Holy Spirit set my eyes on the promise.  It’s a choice to let go of yesterday and to grab onto today and tomorrow.  Feelings don’t change as fast as the scenery but I must choose.  God won’t make that decision for me.  It’s my choice to look ahead or behind.  It seems that looking forward allows my mind to be occupied by the work and will of God rather than the wrongs and woes of man.  I have a purpose today and it’s worth any energy it takes to keep looking and living for Jesus.

Day 3               From the Kitchen Table

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:1-8

Today is in the plans of heaven.  There are things to do and place to go that God has plans for BUT I must decide to surrender to Him and His plans.  God can do anything without us but chooses to do everything with us.  It’s not about having all the gifts and abilities but rather living from the right heart.  The right heart is a surrendered heart.  The surrendered heart will be the gifted one, given a head and hands to fulfill God’s plans for this day in this place at this time.  And His grace (His undeserved & unreserved love for me) is mine by the power of the Holy Spirit who comes to make me look and live like Jesus.  If only I can and will surrender to Him.  I have a destiny to live today and it will be decided by my willingness to surrender to my Father in heaven and His great big heart for me. 

The Kitchen Table            Day 2

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God   Acts 20:22-24

I’m living to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.  That’s my mission for this day and every day.  I will not live in fear but in faith.  I will not let anyone, or anything interfere with my God-given plans.  I will testify to the power of God and take on this day in the power of God.  Because He lives, I will also.  I don’t know what is in minutes and hours in front of me, but I do know that God is with me.  This mission is such a big and beautiful mission that I, by the power of the Holy Spirit, am willing to suffer to see it happen.  I have been chosen and called to run this race of life for Him and with Him.  No turning back!

You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Gather in My name He may give it to you.    John 15:16

I believe, because I believe God’s word, that God has something for us to do and not not only that but He has something He wants to do with us and through us. And whatever it is, it’s going to be good because it’s going to be fruitful, significant and meaningful. And it’s going to be big because it’s going to involve asking Him for His help. Are you ready? The first thing I’m asking for is His help in listening and looking for Him in this day. How about you?

Looking a my blog site and thinking about starting a new devotional blog beginning August 1st.  I wanted to see if my site was still up and running and just where it posts.