The Lamb Will Conquer

 The Lamb Will Conquer

Guest Blog by Gary Riedel

S - SCRIPTURE: 

Revelation 17:14 They will make war on the Lamb and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those with Him are called chosen and faithful.

O - OBSERVATION: The forces of evil will make war on the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them! This Victory actually happened when Jesus conquered sin death, and the power of the devil on The Cross of Calvary and with His subsequent Resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who put their faith and trust in the Lamb will always be victorious and that victory will be manifested in eternity!

A - APPLICATION: 

Hebrews 11:1 says; Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith in the Lamb is the substance that God’s people cling to during challenging times. It’s where we place our trust, Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. You see, government cannot save us, science cannot save us, our own intellect nor our strength can save us, money can’t save us, but Jesus the Lamb of God can and has saved those who

trust in HIM!

P - PRAYER: Gracious Father, by Your Holy Spirit help us to put our faith in the Lamb who conquers evil so that by Your grace we may inherit life eternal! In Jesus Name, Amen

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God's wisdom is for everyone!

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 8 v. 1a, 4a, 5  Does not wisdom call? To you O me, I call, O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention, hear and I will speak noble things.  

O - Observation

No exclusions. Wisdom is for everyone. Godly wisdom is for everyone, simpletons, sinners (foolish men) and kings and rulers (noble.) No one is excluded!! There is no excuse for letting Godly wisdom in. Wisdom will elevate your standards, will improve your life. But what about the worldly wise men? What is their source? What is our source of wisdom? Verse 8 goes on to say, "All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

 

A - Application 

Am I going to God's wisdom for my problems? Do I realize and act like this wisdom is for everyone? Am I sharing?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Thanks for getting your wisdom into words so that I can study them and share them. Love Will. 

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Don't let the Thief in your house!

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 7 v. 22  All at once he follows her, as an Ox goes to the slaughter... as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.  

O - Observation

Seasons. This verse reminds me of what my pastor always says, "sin is good for a season'. Its so true. While doing a sin, its very pleasurable, its very "me" focused. Its great for a while, but then, you gotta pay the piper. After that period of enjoyment will be a season of suffering. I've seen the impact of drinking and drugs in peoples lives. I've seen the impact of sleeping around (both before and after) in people's lives. I've seen the impact of revenge and how it consumes people's lives. Its EXTREMELY messy. It harms everyone in the path. It will happen. Satan has a plan for us. Jesus tells us in John 10 v. 10a; "The thief (Satan) comes only to steal, and kill and destroy."

 

A - Application 

Do I recognize the seasons in my life? Is there a thief in my house?   

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Protect me from the thief. Help me to look long term vs. short term. Love Will

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What are you listening to?

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 7 v. 21  With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.  

O - Observation

What are you listening to? This verse is still talking about dirty woman, whores, adulteress trying to lure men into a tryst with them. But, I will again expand this verse to all temptations.  The ear is a major input into the heart. One needs to be careful. Garbage in - Garbage out. Proverbs 15 v. 2b, "But the mouths of fools pour out folly." And Proverbs 12 v. 22b; "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord."  Jesus instructs us to "test" the spirits, or what we are hearing. 1 John 4 v. 1; "Beloved do not believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits to see whether they are of God."  So its not enough to just hear what's being said, test them, challenge them, hold them up to the bible.

 

A - Application 

What am I listening to? Where am I going for advice or for pleasure?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Let my ear's, my input be clean and pure. Love Will. 

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Be aware of temptations

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 7 v. 12  Now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.  

O - Observation

Temptation. This verse is describing specifically the temptation of harlotry, or adultery or sexual sin. But it really describes all temptations. They are there, they are every where. Note: temptation in itself is not a sin. After all, Jesus was tempted. It's what you do with it that becomes a sin. God gives us some encouragement regarding temptation. 1 Corinthians 10 v. 13; "No temptation has over taken you that is NOT common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." The key to temptation is playing the odds. There are certain situations, patterns in life that make succumbing to temptations easy. So.. try to avoid those situations. If you find yourself in the situation, leave it. Improve your odds of not falling into sin by limiting the chances.

 

A - Application 

Am I aware of the situations the temptations in my life?   

P - Prayer     
Jesus, As you taught us, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Love Will. 

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Choose the right Windows to look through

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 7 v. 6-7a  For out the window of my house, I have look out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple.  

O - Observation

Windows. Back in the old days, people could look out of windows and see what's going on. Today we look out of windows (and macs) with our computers and TV's.  It shows us much.  The eye is a major throughput into our hearts. Matthew 6 v. 22 instructs us, "The eye is the lamp of your body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light." So how do we make sound eyes? Psalm 19 v. 8b; "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Its where we look, Psalm 121 v. 1; "I lift my eyes to the hills, From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth."  No, what the media promises via TV or web pages can't deliver what we need. We really need to spend time  to look thru the window of God, the Bible.

  A - Application 

What windows am I looking thru? Are they sound?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Give me a discerning eye. Help me to choose the right windows to look out. Love Will. 

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Think about the essence of who you are

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 7 v. 1 & 3  My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you, bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of you heart. 

O - Observation

Essence. These verses remind me that God's word must be the essence of my life. Already in Chapter 7, and we have been reminded a bazillion times to treasure and keep God's commandments. You would think once or twice is enough. No. Obviously not. What we're seeing is essence. The way the writer of Proverbs is, these commands just flow out, because they have been written on the tablet of his heart. And, as has been said before, "Where your treasure is so will be your heart."  Think about binding the word on your fingers. I'd challenge anyone to go a day without using your fingers. It would be tough. Your fingers go everywhere, touch everything. It's one of the sensory functions of essence. Which would make sense to have God's word bonded to them.

 

A - Application 

What is my essence? Is it God centered?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Be my center, by my life, be my essence. Love Will

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Endurance

 Endurance

Guest Blog by Gary Riedel

S - SCRIPTURE: 

Revelation 13:10b Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the Saints.

O - OBSERVATION: 

The terrible times that are prophesied earlier in this chapter certainly calls for patience endurance and steadfast faith for God’s children. The truth is it has always been that way, it was that way for Joseph when he was sold into slavery, it was that way for Moses when he lead the Children of Israel, it was that way for David, for Daniel, and numerous others. In the end times, the temptation to deny Jesus will be greater than ever. How do God’s people hang on to 

saving faith?

A - APPLICATION: 

I wanted to answer that question here, where we apply it to our daily lives. We begin with faithful consistent prayer. Being in regular, habitual prayer to our God keeps our relationship with Him current and up to date if you will. To be apathetic in our relationship to God is to drift into dangerous waters. Secondly, we daily read and STUDY God’s Word. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Romans 10:17. For a faith that endures the tough times, there is no better practice than regular, consistent and daily study of God’s Holy and Precious Word. One more practice that works for me is regular worship with the fellowship of believers as outlined in Acts 2:42. Few of us are strong enough to go it alone but with the encouragement of our fellow believers, our faith is built up, and by God’s Grace patient brave endurance says a resounding NO to the wiles of the evil one.

P - PRAYER: 

Gracious Father, help us to be regular in our worship, in our prayer, and in our study of Your powerful Word, so that we can with endurance run our race unto the end, with eyes always on the prize that neither moth nor rust will decay. In Jesus Name, Amen 

Choose your passions wisely

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 6 v. 27 Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?

O - Observation

Passion. This verse is a follow-up question to the verses prior where it talks about staying away from Adulteress affairs and sexual passion. But, you can apply this principle, this Proverb, to any ungodly passion. The desire to achieve wealth. Proverbs 23 v. 4; " Do not toil to achieve wealth, be wise enough to desist."  The desire to be famous. Proverbs 25 v. 6-7; "Do not put yourself forward in the King's presence... for it is better to be told "Come up here" than to be put lower in the presence of the prince."  The point of the Proverb is really pointed out by Jesus in Matthew 6 v. 21, "For where your treasure is there will be your heart also."

 A - Application 

So... What is burning in my heart? Am I fireproof from the evil things in my life? 

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Protect my heart. Put a fire, a Passion for you in my heart. Love Will. 

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Don't have Ugly Feet!!!

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 6 v. 16, 18-19  There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make hast to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, a man who sows discourse amongst brothers.   

O - Observation

Feet. This is the second half of the list of things that God hates. Its a great list to study and memorize, and do the opposite. Today I'm going to dwell on feet. Because its your feet, its the paths that you choose that determine your destiny. Feet that run to evil, do the things on this list. But, wait!! There's good news, there's a guide for our feet. Zechariah when he saw baby Jesus had this to say. Luke 1 v. 76a, 79; "And you child will give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to GUIDE OUR FEET into the way of peace." This is reemphasized in Psalm 16 v. 11; " Thou does show me the path of life. In thy presence there is fullness of joy." Which leads to Romans 10 v. 15b; "How beautiful are the feet who preach good news."

 

A - Application 

So... Do I have ugly or pretty feet. Where are they taking me?

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Bless my feet. Guide them to run to light to the truth to you. Love Will. 

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Know what to Boast about

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 6 v. 16-17  There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him, haughty eyes, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood.   

O - Observation

Pride. When God lays out the things that he hates, Pride is the first thing on the list. Haughty eyes. What did Satan in? His pride. When we become prideful we take our eyes off of God and focus them on us. The 1st Commandment says, Exodus 20 v. 3; "You shall have NO other Gods before me." Self pride pushes God aside, takes God out of the picture. What to do when pride seeps in? When we feel like boasting? 2 Corinthians 10 v. 17; "Let him who Boasts, boast in the Lord." If God hates self pride, those who love themselves then conversely he must love those who love him. He loves those who put him first in their lives.

 

A - Application 
What am I proud about? Am I impressed with my own accomplishments or the accomplishments of God? Do I realize that God is the source of my accomplishments?   

P - Prayer     

Jesus, Help me to Boast about you. Keep me humble.  Love Will.

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Be an Ant Man!!!

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 6 v. 6  Go to the Ant, O sluggard, consider her ways and be wise.  

O - Observation

Work. There's a lot we can learn from Ants. 1) They are always doing something. They don't lie around (Like the turtles I saw this weekend.) No, they are motivated to gather food. They gather not only for the good times but the down times as well. 2) They work and live in colonies. They learn to live together. 3) They are focused. I know that in the Ant lines that I have seen, if I put a brick or foot in the way, although the path may be interrupted, they work their way around it or over it until they get on the path.

 

A - Application 
Think about these traits: working, relational, focused. Are these good descriptors of my life? Of my spiritual life?

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Remind me of the Ant on a daily basis. Help me to achieve such lofty standards.  Love Will. 

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Watch where you are going!

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 5 v. 21.  For a man's ways are before the eye's of the Lord, and watches all his paths.  

O - Observation

Observation. We are being watched. Romans 14 v. 12 "So each of us shall give account of himself to God." He is watching where we go, the choices we make in our lives. The paths we choose.  How do we know which ones are safe to take? Psalm 119 v. 105; "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path." Be in God's word. Daily. Think about it. Apply it. Then your paths will lead to life. Its interesting to note, God could make us do the right thing like robots. But, then were would be the love? By allowing us to choose, helps us to develop a greater appreciation for him. We will realize how desperate we need him.  

 

A - Application 
What paths am I choosing? Do I have my "flashlight" with me?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Guide me down the path of life.  Love Will. 

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Be intentional with your mate

S - Scripture    
Proverbs 5 v. 18-19  Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a grateful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.

O - Observation

Intention. This verse speaks to the intentionality of the mate you have chosen. These words like: rejoice, let, fill, delight, infatuated and always - they indicate the work, the intentionalness that is needed. We must really value our wife. Proverbs 31 v. 10; "A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." If you invest in your wife, your fountain will be blessed. We must focus on her, build her up (rejoice, delight). We must not let our eyes and heart wander (infatuated always). We must work with her, as a team (let, fill.)  My wife, Sandi is a most precious jewel!!! How much does God Bless me? Tons!!!!

A - Application 
Am I being intentional with my wife?  

P - Prayer     
Jesus, Thanks for giving me Sandi. Help me to always rejoice, delight, let, fill and be infatuated with her.  Love Will. 

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