Amos 3

"Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?  ESV

How can two friends walk together unless both parties talk together and agree to meet? It’s not possible, one guy can’t be like “hey man let’s meet tomorrow” and the other guy “nah man, let’s meet the day after” and the first guy says “Ok I’ll see ya tomorrow”. The first guy will wind being by himself. But, how often even when we do agree to meet we still walk in different directions? A story I think is Paul and barnabas and how they disagree with each other rather or not to bring John Mark. And they decided since they couldn’t agree with each other that they will separate and go their separate ways. Sometimes we get to the part where we meet but, then we don’t walk with one mind and in one goal. I think of our team that is going to Guatemala, we agreed to meet but, I pray that a disagreement doesn't separate and cause division among the team. It’s important for the sake of the kids and the people down in Guatemala that we don’t cause division and allow pitty squabbles to separate the team.

Application:
That's why I will pray from not till the end of the week that God will humble me so that I can serve the team better and be an asset to them.

1 timothy 4

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. NIV
Physical training and working out really only helps when you are doing something physical but, outside of that, it doesn’t have much value. Godliness does though, it tinkles down into everything, physical training, attitude, how we interact people, how we share the gospel. The bible says to be holy as he is holy, the goal is to be more like God in every way and to act how he acted. I think in Rome they started to call the church Christian because they were like little Christ. But, but only does being godly have present purpose but, it also has an eternal purpose. One day every Christian will stand in front of a holy and living God and be judged for the works they have done and the motive behind it. It will show how Godly we were with this life that he had and much we looked like God. Being Godly is extremely important and it tinkles down into everything that we do and goes into eternity and last forever.

Application:
I will write Godliness in my hand so I can remember to strive for godliness.

1 john 1

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
KJV
How can we say have a relationship with God and live worldly lives? It doesn't make sense, In this verse that There is no darkness in God , it also says that one can’t serve two master, he will love one and hate the other. But, how can we tell of we are walking in darkness and have no fellowship with God? I think it boils down to who you are spending the most time with, are you spending time with the world and fellowshipping with them or are you fellowshipping with God’s church? I know for me I wanted spend time with the world and my world friends because I felt like they were more real that the people at my church and in God’s church. And it led to a lot of resentment toward God and his church. But, coming here it was completely different, the people here challenged me and encouraged me and pointed me toward Jesus instead of trying to make me feel good. And that’s what happens when we walk in the light, we get fellowship with Godly men and women that truly is edifying, something that you will see Jesus in it. And the last part says that “and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” And that alone is worth it. To purified of the sin that a committed through the blood of Jesus is all that matters and all I have to do is hang out with God’s church and to grow together and Chase after Jesus together. That is worth it.

Application:
Today I will thank God for the fellowship and pray for opportunity to grow together.

1 corithians 9:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. NIV
In this verse it talks about how an athlete goes into strict training that way he may compete and earn the prize at the end. They will change their diets, change sleeping hours, they will change their lifestyles in order to win the prize at the end. But, what do the earn? Nothing more than a prize that will fade, and “moth and rust will destroy”. Paul compares it to the Christian walk and he switches walk to race. I'm running a race to gain a heavenly reward, not to gain heaven for heaven is already earned through Jesus. Every runner crosses the line but not every runner gets a medal. But we run for heavenly treasures That will last forever and will never perish. That’s why we train, we train in the word and prayer, and when the trials come we already trained in the word and prayer before and now we are prepared. I think it was asa who build up his army during peace time in preparation for war and because of it was successful. I soldier doesn’t learn how to fire his gun during a battle but, has already made himself familiar with the rifle before and he gets his body in shape before that way he may fight with endurance. It important to train before the battle so that way we are prepared before the battle.

Application:
I will work out every morning for the rest of the week before devotion to remember to train in Gods word

1 corithians 12

For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? KJV
The human body is made up multiple parts and each part has it’s purpose. And the church is called the body of Christ so the same thing applies, there is multiple parts each with its purpose. Some are the hands, some the feet, some the eyes etc. It would be weird if the hands hit the feat out of the way and try to walk, or if the eyes popped out and try to do the job of the hands. How quick that body would wither and die in the disunity.  I know for me I was the person who would look at other parts and start wishing I had their calling or was more like them, Paul here is saying that kind of thinking is wrong, because God made each person a certain way so that He made be Glorified. But, if I’m a hand why should I try to do any other job besides the job of the hand? The hand trust that the foot is doing his job and doesn’t try to step in for the hand and vice versa. To look at more practically my teammates have things they can do that I cannot, I’m called not to get jealous but submit to them and follow there example instead of getting mad and wishing that I could do that too.

Application:
Today I will write the strength of my teammates and thank God for each one.

Romans 12:6

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; KJV

God by his grace, has given everyone different gifts, we have to remember where are gifts come from. It’s the grace of God and it’s all for one purpose and that’s for the body and to edify them as it says in 1 Corinthians. Each part has a role, and the job is to show the grace of God through that gift. Later on in these verse it calls to encourager to encourage and for the teacher to teach etc. The point though is to walk in unity with people who have different gifts and not to say one is more important the other but, to realize that they have their gifts because of the grace of God and so do you. And let each other edify the other with that gift.

Application:
I believe that God has given me the gift of encouragement and today will go up to ad many people as possible and encourage them.

2 Corinthians 13

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ESV

This is Paul’s final greeting to the Corinthian church. In this he tells them to take what he wrote about and walk in unity with one another. The first sentence he talks about striving for restoration . Restoration is not something to just happen, it’s a process it take some time and some work.  But this is the first step I believe we need to take so we can walk in unity so, we can do the other things that Paul said to do in this verses and the verses to encouragement or to comfort someone if we are not in one mid which this verse talk about too. I think in order to live in peace we must be of one mind . We must have one goal, we don’t have to agree on every little topic in the bible, if we tried to do that we would cause just as much division if we disagreed on everything. But on the main things we must agree on such as the gospel and how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose in the third day and now we serve him as bondservant and we love to honor and glorify him. I believe if people can agree on that and have that be the foundation of out ministries then we can walk with one mind. So if we strive for restoration and walk with one mind the we can live in peace one another but, as humans we always fall short of this Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Since man is involved in this it will always be flawed but the blood of Jesus is what binds us together and when man fails we can always run to Jesus and remember the cross.

Application:
Today I will draw a cross with the blood of Jesus connecting his people. To represent that we are connected through Jesus blood and to remember to live in peace

John 12:26

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. ESV

“if anyone serves me, he follow me; where I am, there my servant will be also.” you can tell how close a servant is to his master by where he is at. A good servant is doing what his master had commanded him do and doing cause he loves his master. As Christians we are called to present our bodies as living sacrifices for its our reasonable service. Where God’s will is where we should be, we love God and desire to please him so why wouldn’t we want to be where his will is? Jesus says here that God will honor the person who serves him. The person. Who serves God in the good and the bad, hard and the easy, the trial and in the time of rest. To Make it personal I know there has been times in my life where I think I’m in God’s will because I’m serving in a church and helping services but, it doesn’t matter what kind of service I’m doing if God will is for me not to be there than it’s all in vain. There has been time where I asked God for his will in day to day life and instead of waiting for God to make something clear I just do things and it turns out that that’s not what God wanted me to do.

Application:

Today I will memorize this verse and wright the verse on a sticky note and put it on the wall