Nov 20

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Make the Most of Every Opportunity
    Paul’s focus with everyone he meets is to share the gospel with them. He sees every meeting is an opportunity and seeks to maximize those opportunities. How do I look at my contact with outsiders? Am I trying to maximize my benefit in dealings with them, or do I think of gospel when I interact with them and look for opportunities to position the gospel in a way that is understandable and relevant? Read more »

Nov 19

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution With the Help of our God
    Nehemiah had doing what God had called him to do, finishing it even though it was a difficult task with much opposition. When it was done, it was clear that God’s hand had enabled him to do it. Am I doing what God called me to do, or do I give up because of opposition or difficulties? Does God have opportunity to shine, through me? Lord, help me to see/know the calling you have given, and to persist to complete the job that you may be glorified as people see you have completed the work. Read more »

Nov 15

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Putting it Out There
    Ezra puts it out there that he trusts in God to provide and protect. The time comes that he must behave in accordance with that, putting his money where his mouth is. Ezra doesn't just take it for granted that God will protect him just because he declared it. Instead, he called the people to fast and pray, to make sure their relationship with God was in the right place. Ezra then stepped out, and God answered their prayer. The hand of God was on them, and He protected them from enemies an… Read more »

Nov 8

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Get Ready at Once to Leave
    God gives Paul a vision to direct his travels, after they had been blocked by the Spirit from going to the province of Asia and Bithynia. After seeing the vision, Paul immediately leaves for Macedonia. Does God still give visions, or would they be ‘wasted’ because we/I likely would not get ready at once to follow? Or, perhaps because I’m not already striving for the Kingdom as Paul was, seeking God’s leading to go to the right place. Lord, I need to recognize your leading, whether it be as cl… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution God's Patient Grace
    God gives many chances to the people - He sent messengers again and again. But they continued to mock the messengers, despise His words, and scoffed at His prophets. Finally, grace and mercy was replaced with judgment. God gives me many chances and speaks in many ways. Do I recognize the messengers? Do I hear His words, accepting and applying them to my life? Lord, please help me to see who your messengers are, confirm that is is your message, and then apply the words. Read more »

Nov 6

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Dumb Stubborn Decision
    Josiah didn’t listen to God’s plan, stubbornly proceeding with his own notion to engage Neco is a fight. That decision was a fatal one. Sad when a life of such great accomplishment and potential comes to an end because of a dumb decision. Since Josiah reigned 31 years, and the Passover described happened in the 18th year of his reign, this happened 13 years after the passover. The text is silent on this, but perhaps his passion for the Lord had cooled. Maybe he rested on his laurels. Whatever… Read more »

Nov 5

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Speaking from the Fullness of the Holy Spirit
    Because Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, he could speak the word of the Lord against the sorcerer, with dramatic result. The ultimate consequence - the proconsul saw the miraculous, heard the teaching and believed. Why don’t we see such miracles today? Could it be because we are following Jesus’ teaching, but not Jesus? Are we squelching the Holy Spirit within us by our self-focused and self-indulgent lifestyle? Are we just not bold enough? What if we lived our lives fully dedicated to… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution One Person CAN Make a Difference
    One person can change the destiny of a nation. Certainly the king did this, but then he was the king. But what about Hilkiah, the priest who found the Book of the Law? or Shaphan the secretary who took the book and reported to the king? That could have been very intimidating for him to approach the king with it. Perhaps I am not in a position to change the destiny of a nation by sharing the story of Jesus, but I might be positioned to be God’s instrument for changing a neighbourhood, or a com… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Sometimes We Find god by Doing
    These workers were doing their assigned job to repair the temple. The king’s motivation for giving them this work is not really clear, but he does assign them to repair the temple. In carrying out this work, they find the Book of the Law. In their day, that’s all they had for finding and following God. Sometimes we find God by doing what He has given us to do, rather than by waiting for a full revelation before acting. It is in the course of carrying out the work that we really discover God, a… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution God May Be At Work in People Around Us
    Josiah began to seek the Lord - it was eighteen years before they found the Book of the Law. This was a heart thing, where God sometimes does His best work! There may well be people around me who have started to seek the Lord, not having a Bible to help them. Lord, please make me sensitive to what You are doing around me. Use me in helping these people find You. Read more »

Nov 3

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Bold Prayer
    Peter prays a very bold prayer "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up". Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived there say him and turned to the Lord. When I see a need like this paralytic, do I just pass by hoping not to make eye contact? or perhaps toss a few coins into his hat? Do I have faith to speak a bold prayer like Peter did? What about when someone asks me to pray healing for them? Do I pray a bold prayer like Peter's, or am I more likely to pray something li… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Enjoying a Time of Peace
    This time of peace came after people were willing to risk imprisonment and even to die rather than stop speaking out in the name of the Lord. The church is persecuted in many countries today - it seems that Christians in those countries have the same determination in their faith as the early church. It’s in the countries where life is good and relatively easy that we have lost that drive. If we look at the example of the early church in verse 31, it was the Holy Spirit who strengthened, encoura… Read more »

Nov 2

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Take It Home
    The Israelites took their worship attitude back with them, getting rid of those things that were counter to their relationship with God. Only when that was completed did they go back home. How is my world different because I go to church to worship God? Do I take that attitude back with me and impact my world? What are the sacred stones, Asherah poles, high places and altars in my life that I need to smash, cut down and destroy? To do all that, I need the power of the Holy Spirit in me to ide… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution God Overlooked Their Mistakee
    God saw the hearts of the people and overlooked their breaking of the rules of the sanctuary. From this story, can we say that God is more concerned with the position and attitude of our hearts than what we do or how we do it? This isn’t a license for sloppiness or carelessness, but a focus on our motivation. Even if our actions are feeble or off-track, if our motivation is correct, God will smile. May my not knowing how to act or fear of making a mistake not keep me from moving on the motiva… Read more »

Oct 30

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Great Joy in that City
    Philip’s words and the miraculous signs got peoples’ attention. People were set free and healed, so there was great joy in that city. Are our words clear and compelling, and accompanied by miraculous signs today? What reputation would the church have in our cities if they were? Would there be great joy in our cities? Lord, fill us afresh with your power and boldness, that our words would be from you, and those who hear be healed. Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Peace in the Worst of Times
    Stephen saw the glory of God - as a result not only could he forgive those who were killing him, he fell asleep while they were doing so! We continually hear of people losing sleep because of troubles in their lives, whether that be relational, financial, or the stresses of work. Yet, when we see the glory of God, everything else can be seen in proper perspective. As a result, we can live with grace and sleep peacefully through the worst of storms. God, in our troubled times, we desperately n… Read more »

Oct 29

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Jotham Walked Steadfastly Before the Lord
    Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God. And he finished well, unlike so many before him - there is no indication that he strayed from the path. Is this principle applicable to us today? Will we grow “powerful” because we walk steadfastly before the Lord our God? What does it mean in my context to walk steadfastly before the Lord? Whatever the outcome, Lord please help me to walk steadfastly before you. Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Pride Leads to Downfall
    Uzziah’s success eventually went to his head, and he became proud. Can we handle success without it going to our head? Look at all the Christian “superstars” today who reek of great ego and pride. I have to admit that this is one of my areas of challenge - when God does do something for or through me, it is so easy to say “look what I did”, rather than “look what God did”. And, when God does something for or through others, it is so easy to envy! Pride and jealousy seem to always be there read… Read more »

Oct 28

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Bad Partnerships?
    God has the power to help or to over throw with the investments we make or partnerships we establish. Here the king had contracted 100,000 soldiers from Israel to bolster his forces. That was a partnership that took him outside the umbrella of God's blessing and protection. But what about the monies paid for those soldiers to engage? The Lord can more than recover bad investments or wrong partnerships, if we return to a place of obedience. How do I make investments, purchases, take a job… Read more »

Oct 26

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution The Wisest in the Land
    God gave these four men knowledge and understanding so that they were above anyone else in the land. Since we have the very Spirit of God dwelling in us, should Christ-followers not have wisdom and understanding about anyone else? Why don’t we? Read more »

Oct 25

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Am I Fighting the Right Battles?
    The Lord responds to Jehoshaphat. He says He will fight the fight for him. This makes sense - Jehoshaphat is leading God's people in following God's plan for them. What about me - am I in the right position for the Lord to fight my fight? Will He fight my fight, or do I need to be positioned to fight His fight, and then let Him fight it? Are the things I’m striving and fighting for ones that matter to God? Am I working on God’s plan, or my own? If it’s my own, not aligned with God’s… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution What Do I Do When I Don't Know What To Do?
    Jehoshaphat admits his weakness and his lack of knowing what to do in face of his adversaries who were threatening him. He gives the problem to the Lord. He doesn't fret, draft all the young men in the country or enlist all his resources to address the enemy. He gives the problem to the Lord, and waits. In the face of challenges, how do I respond? Do I work try harder, putting in more hours and everything I have into trying to address the challenges? Do I try different things? Or, do I se… Read more »

Oct 23

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution Helping the Wicked?
    The prophet made is clear that God was not pleased that he had helped the wicked king of Israel. Is the Lord pleased when I help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Certainly I suspect He isn’t, especially if I’m helping them in their wickedness. It’s a tough balance to love the sinner without endorsing their sinful ways, indeed hating their sin. In our day, it is not politically correct to challenge their sin! Lord, help me to love the sinner, but not to endorse or enable the sin. H… Read more »
  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution He couldn't handle peace & prosperity
    In the previous chapter, Asa was fervent is seeking the Lord, purging the nation of anything that was counter. He led the nation in seeking the Lord, and the Lord gave them rest on every side. So what happened that Asa didn’t seek the Lord in the face of attack? Why did he proceed without the Lord to make a treaty with another king? Even when he was afflicted with sickness, he didn’t seek the Lord, just physicians. The Lord had provided rest, along with peace and prosperity. Could it be that w… Read more »

Oct 21

  • sondance
    sondance added a text contribution If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching
    Jesus gives us a clear way to measure our love for Him. He lays it out in a black and white manner - if we love Him, we will obey His teaching. If someone were to look at my live, would the evidence be there that I love Jesus? Lord, I can’t love you or demonstrate this love on my own strength. I desperately need your Holy Spirit to enable me to live in this manner. Read more »