Acts 2:45

Nothing that I have is mine. Nothing that I own was truly bought with my own money. Nothing that I use is mine. Everything that I have is the Lords. I have recently realized that I have been very selfish with many things.  I want things to happen when I want them to. I didn’t realize this because I thought my time was best to get things done and accomplished. My problem is not that I collect many things. It’s that the things I have I need to be willing to share and give away because none of them are truly mine. The part of this verse that really touched me was “they gave to anyone who’s in need”. This doesn’t mean just giving to homeless people or folks that have just about nothing. I believe it means to share everything that you have with others. I have realized that at times I can be very stingy with my things. I think to myself “I made the money to buy this food so I don’t want to share because I need to make it last as long as I can.” This thinking is not that bad, but when I abuse it, that’s when I can get selfish with my things.

Application: Starting with today I am going to give things away to people who are in need. If my sister needs a shirt to match her new pants or something of that sort I will give her something of mine.

Acts 2:43

Where there is one or more, God can use them to fulfill anything he sees that needs to be done. God used the Apostles to do the miraculous signs and wonders. They did as the Lord asked. Although if they were not in the Lord’s will, he may not have been able to do through them what he wanted to accomplish. If we are in line with the Lord following him daily and praying to the Lord he can use us too. That’s actually his will for us. But, if we aren’t in his will how is he to use us? He can’t, well God can always use us but the best comes when we lay ourselves down and when we are in his word daily. If you fall away from reading his word and talking to him through prayer, you may start doing things that are not pleasing to the Lord. If you are not in God’s will than you will fall into your own selfish will. Although you may be in the Lords will and living for the Lord we do hear others sometimes say things they shouldn’t and because we are around them than we might make a mistake and say something we shouldn’t.  There is grace when you make a mistake.

Application: Today I will say sorry to someone who heard me say something that I should not have said. I will take this situation and set new boundaries in my life so that I do not get to that point of frustration.

Acts 2:42

The followers of God devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles. Devoted themselves..hmm they were constantly trying to follow the roles and devoted everything to honor him that the Lord has set before us. He gave them to the apostles to share to other believers to know how to live for the Lord. As they devoted themselves to the apostles teachings they fellowshipped amongst other believers. They broke bread and prayed. My thought on them praying would have probably have gone like ours. They may have prayed for strength to study what God is saying to them, help stay out of sin, and possibly help bring others to the Lord. I a way I wish I was in the Bible times just so I could experience the Lord is the way they did. God calls us to fellowship with other believers. He says to do this so that we can gain encouragement, not be tempted by unbelievers, and get prayer for one another. I encourage you if you don’t already; find a weekly Bible study to go to fellowship amongst one another.

Application: Today I will make sure all my homework is done that way I can fellowship with my friends (brothers and sisters) tonight after dinner. I think we should play…umm that card game!

Matthew 5:19

This is such a powerful verse. God is saying that if anyone who proclaims the Lord will go to heaven, but those who speak against him will parish. The Lord says this because it is such a great thing to proclaim God so that all can go to heaven. But if you speak against the truth, and proclaim that it’s false you aren’t just leading yourself into hell but also others. The Lord wants everyone in heaven, although there are many people who are against him. I encourage if you are not for God (Jesus), than research him. If you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and believe that he is the only way to heaven than when you die you will go to heaven. Many other religions believe there are things you have to do to earn heaven. This is not the case. All you need to do is ask Jesus into your heart as the only way to heaven.

Application: Today I will everything I say glorifies the Lord. I will filter everything I say and to to the Law of the Lord Jesus my God.

Matthew 5:20

The Pharisees were really good at following the rules of the Law. But they did not do things to give honor to the one who made them. They also didn’t have a relationship God; they did things to have the world look up to them. It is useless to do these things and not give honor to the Lord.

 If your heart is not devoted to God or believe in him, than you won’t be able to inter into the kingdom of heaven. If your righteousness in not in the Lord and following what he wants for your life, than you won’t be able to have the best that the Lord has for you. If you do good things but don’t give honor to the Lord it is worthless and you are just doing the things for yourself. But if you give honor to the Lord he will honor that, and you will receive great blessings in heaven. But! Don’t do it for yourself, do it for the Lord.

Application: Today I will give honor to the Lord in everything, especially if I’m being praised for doing something. I will say “Praise the Lord” and RFA (ready, for, anything). I will do this to remind myself that whatever I do, I do it for the Lord and he is the one who gives me power and strength to get through everything I need to get through.

Matthew 5:18

How often do you make pinky promise with the best of intentions, but sadly end up not fulfilling it? I man one of the many people who make that mistake. Think about another question. How often do you go back to erase what you write. Whether or not you made a mistake writing, changed your mind on the way you wrote something, or you just changed your mind on something you said on paper you would accomplish? I have done this many times. I have written a to-do list only accomplishing part of what I originally wanted to do. Here in this verse the Lord is saying that he will not take back any of his promised to us. God will not erase anything from his list nor forget to fulfill any of his promises to us. God is perfect. If he ever lied to s or didn’t fulfill something that he said he would, that would make him imperfect. But he is! He has never broken any of him promises to us.

The Lord is also saying that until he has fulfilled all his prophecies and everything that he has to do, he will not make the heavens and earth disappear. The word disappear in this verse is talking about the rapture of the church. The church is everyone who is a follower of Jesus. All who are saved go to heaven.

Application: Today I will make sure I complete my to-do list. I will also be sure I will not make a promise unless I am 100% sure that I can fulfill it. J

Matthew 5:17

The time in this era they looked up to the Prophets. They look up to them in expectation to know what will be a prophecy and see it happen. They looked up to the prophets like how we look forward to Revelation to occur. The people’s hearts were hard to the fact that Jesus was there with them. Jesus is warning them that he has come not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. Wow this is so awesome how God works. He tells what he’s going to do then do it showing how faithful he is by fulfilling what he said he would do. The Lord will always do what he says he will do. We must trust in the Lord will all of our hearts knowing that he will do what he says he will. As you bring things to the Lord he will teach you and guide your steps. If he created you, he must know the best way for you to go. It not be easy at times, but the Lord will come through and shine his light.

Application: Today I will bring something to the Lord, Trusting in him that he will help me through it and trust in him to guide my steps in the right direction.