Job 23:11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Imagine yourself walking on a goat path on some high mountain. On one side of you is a cliff rising high up into the clouds, on the other side is another cliff dropping hundreds of feet. If you were on such a path, you would be patient testing each step before you committed. You would have no problem staying on the path and not deviating.

Now imagine yourself in a plush green meadow. As far as the eye can see is waste high green grass. Going through the middle of the meadow is a well worn path. You have never been in this meadow before and you have two choices, either take the path that is well established or you can brave a new trail and go where no one has gone before.

The problem with the second choice is that there can be dangers that you are not aware of. Just because it is a huge flat meadow, it does not mean that there are not areas of quick sand or other hazards that you would not see if you were off the beaten path. Going through this meadow you probably would not be nearly as careful about your next step as you would be on that goat path high in the mountains.

In your spiritual life, there will be times when you think the way is clear. However, just because it seems obvious to you what the perfect will of God is, it does not mean that there are not some hidden traps. We would do well not to be hasty in our spiritual walk. Just because something seems right in our eyes, it does not mean that this is a part of his perfect will.

On multiple occasions, David had the opportunity to take the life of Saul. David had been anointed king so if anyone had the right to kill Saul, it was David. However, even though he was given great opportunities to avenge his life of his enemy, David did not decline from the ways of God. David chose to do what was right in the eyes of God.

David was not perfect. David chose to have many wives and concubines which was a direct violation of the law of Moses for a king. David chose to commit adultery with Bath-sheba. David chose to kill Bath-sheba’s husband. David chose to number the people so as to see how strong his armies were.

There were plenty of occasions when David strayed from the perfect plan of God. When David did that which was right in his own eyes, God punished David and caused him to return to the path that God had for him. When Saul was king, Saul would just make excuses for his actions and that is one of the main reasons why the kingdom stayed in the lineage of David.

It is not easy living according to the perfect will of God. Satan does a good job of blinding us to God’s perfect plan for our life. Just like the well worn path was an option for you in the meadow, so doing the perfect will of God is always available to you if you will just stop and allow HIM to open your eyes.

Do not go rushing forward with your life if you do not know what HIS perfect will is for you. Instead, stop and wait for HIM to open your eyes. You do not have to be like David when he saw Bath-sheba and simply took what he wanted. Instead, it is much better to follow the David who patiently waited for God to open the door for HIM to become the king. David was patient and did not take matters into HIS own hands and God rewarded David.

Job 21:22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

If you were to ask a thousand Christians if they thought that they could teach God anything, you most likely would hear that God knows everything. However, while these are the words that come out of almost all Christian’s mouths, if you were to carefully listen to most Christians, you would probably discover that most Christians’ behavior tells a different story. It is easy to say with your mouth that God is all knowing, it is a different matter all together to live it.

When Abraham chose to sleep with Hagar, he was trying to fulfill God’s promise in his own strength. God had promised him some ten years earlier that he would have a promised son. However, Abraham had not yet seen the fulfillment of this vision so he took matters into his own hands and tried to have a promised son through Hagar. Abraham may not have said that he did not trust God, but his actions tell a different story.

When Saul came back from defeating the enemy, Saul chose to leave alive some of the livestock and the king. When Saul was confronted with the fact that God had instructed him to kill everything, Saul had an excuse that he was saving the livestock for sacrifice. By his actions, Saul was trying to teach God how he should live his life.

When the religious leaders tried to trick Jesus by asking him questions, they did not really understand who Jesus was. They had heard with their ears that Jesus was the Messiah but because of their traditions, they tried to teach Jesus about the ways of God and how HE was supposed to live his life.

It sounds like a crazy concept that anyone can teach God anything. Nonetheless, look at your own life. How many times have you gone to the Lord in prayer and tried to tell God what would be the perfect plan for your life. Had Joseph succeeded in such a prayer, he never would have been in Egypt when God needed him in Egypt.

We do not understand what God has in store for our lives. We do not know what is around the next corner. We do not know the purpose for the trial that we currently face. Rather than change our circumstances, we should learn to thank God for what HE is doing and learn to trust in HIM with all our heart.

It is easy to quote the verse that God works everything together for good for those who love HIM and are called according to HIS purpose, it is another thing all together to live the principle. When Moses’ authority was challenged, Moses did not step up and try to defend his reputation. Instead, Moses allowed God to prove to the nation that Moses was his chosen prophet.

There will be times when you will want to tell God that HE is making a mistake in your life. Maybe HE has not granted something that you really want bad. Maybe HE is allowing you to suffer a long time and you would rather be doing something else. Regardless of what is going on, you must learn to be patient and wait and see what God does in the future.

The next time you wish to change something about your life, stop and thank God for the way HE made you. Change your focus and trust that God has a purpose for everything. You will have to be patient because God sometimes can take a long time before you understand what HE is doing in your life. Trust in HIM and HE will soon turn all things for the best.

Job 21:14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

How often do people allow their hearts to be hardened against God? They become so set in their ways that they fail to see that God is alive today. They chose to do that which is right in their own eyes and it takes a miracle from God to open their eyes.

Jezebel was a wicked woman. She had just heard that Elijah had killed all her prophets who assisted her in her worship of Baal. Jezebel had heard how God answered the prayers of Elijah with fire. Jezebel saw how after several years, God was returning rain to their land. However, Jezebel had no desire to understand the knowledge of the ways of God. Jezebel was set in her ways and she sent her solders to go and kill the man of God.

Saul was a man who had much learning. Saul had studied the law and the prophets but he had hardened his heart against those who proclaimed Christ. Saul had no desire to understand the ways of Christ. Saul was set in the traditions of the past and he persecuted all those who called upon the name of Christ. Saul however changed his ways when he experienced God firsthand. When Saul realized that he served a living God, Saul was not like Jezebel but instead he repented and turned from his wicked ways.

Are you more like Jezebel or are you more like Saul? Do the testimonies of those who have seen God work in their lives encourage you to spend more time in the scriptures or does it cause you to desire to shun those individuals? We should have a desire to obtain knowledge of the ways of God. Every day we should seek to find out more about HIM and how HE desires we live our lives.

Pharaoh saw many mighty miracles at the hand of Moses. Nonetheless, Pharaoh hardened his heart and he did not make any effort to discern the ways of God. Pharaoh was so set in his ways that he watched as the great nation Egypt was crippled by God as a result of Pharaoh’s disobedience. At any time Pharaoh could have stopped the plagues by simply recognizing that there was a power much stronger than him who desired to take the people out of the land.

Pharaoh could have looked back at the ancient writings and learned that the nation of Israel was only to be in the land of Egypt for a certain period of time. Pharaoh did not have to persist in his ignorance, but because he did, it cost the lives and livelihood of many of his subjects.

The righteous desire to understand the ways of God. The righteous understand that the word of God is a lamp unto their paths. The wicked reject the ways of God and do nothing to obtain any knowledge of how God desires them to live their lives. Are you more like the wicked man or are you an individual who has a heart after God’s own heart?

God will not always open your eyes immediately to HIS perfect plan for your life. Sometimes you will have to patiently wait and spend much time in prayer seeking HIS perfect will. However, if you ask and seek and knock, God will reveal to you HIS direction for your life. If you persevere in prayer like Hannah did, God will open doors you never thought possible. In order to discover the will of God for your life, you must focus upon God. You will not find the will of God for your life pursuing your own way. The wicked often find themselves without purpose because they have chosen to reject the ways of God.

Acts 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Saul and Barnabas were in Paphos preaching the gospel when the deputy of the country called them to come so that he could hear them. However, there was a sorcerer who did not want the gospel to spread and he tried to fight against God by preventing Saul and Barnabas from doing their job.

Saul and Barnabas were called by God to go and preach and they were obeying the perfect will of God. God was blessing them by having the deputy of the country call them to come preach. What an easy opportunity this was to share, the leader already desired to hear what they were preaching. However, just because God appeared to be blessing the work of their hands, it did not mean that Saul and Barnabas did not have to do spiritual battle in order to see the fruit that God had promised.

Saul and Barnabas had a powerful calling from God, but they still had to fight to see the perfect will of God come to fruition. This sorcerer was going to do everything in his power to stop Saul and Barnabas but greater was God in this situation then all the evil forces of the world. Saul understood that Satan wanted to stop him from doing the perfect will of God. Saul was not going to give up but he was going to keep fighting so that God received the glory.

Have you ever had God promise you something? You thought God was blessing and then all of a sudden, the door started to shut. This is the time to draw closer to God and learn to rely upon HIS strength. God does not lie and if you learn to trust in God, God can turn the impossible situation and turn it into HIS glory.

Just because you are experiencing the blessings of God, that does not mean that you do not need to spend time praying to God so that HE can direct your steps. You must be diligent to practice spiritual warfare so that Satan does not discourage you from continuing in the promises of God. If you give up, you are the one who is going to lose out.

We need to learn to be patient with God. Just because a roadblock pops up in our path, it does not mean that we should give up and forget the promises of God. If God has made a promise to you and HE has made it clear to you what HE desires to do through you, when things get tough, you need to cry out to God like Saul did in this passage.

Remember, God brings trials into our lives so that we might learn to rely more upon God. If everything went perfect and God’s blessings always seemed to flow from our lives, then we would lose our dependence upon God and eventually we would conclude that we do not need God. God was blessing Saul and Barnabas but they had to go through this struggle with the sorcerer so that they would experience the provision of God once again in their lives.

It is so easy to give up the first time things do not go our way. However, when obstacles arise, we must be willing to allow God to teach us some patience while we wait for HIM to show HIMSELF strong in our lives. Do not give up just because things do not go the way that you think they should go. Instead, learn to trust in HIM and in the power of HIS might because through HIM nothing is impossible. This obstacle you face today will someday seem like such a small bump in the road of life.

Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul were prophets and teachers at the church in Antioch. During a time when they were fasting so that they could worship God, the Holy Ghost spoke to them and instructed them to commission Saul and Barnabas for the work that God had called them to. Upon receiving direction from the Holy Ghost, these men fasted and prayed some more and then obeyed God and sent Saul and Barnabas to go do the work of God.

These men fasted in order to worship God and these men fasted once they had received direction from God. Fasting and prayer was a regular part of these men’s practice. By fasting, these men set themselves apart so that the things of this world would be secondary to the things of God. When these men fasted, they did so in such a way that God received the glory.

How often does the Church today fast and pray? When was the last time you were a part of a group of leaders who joined together for a common cause to fast and pray? Did you fast and pray so that God would be glorified?

There is much we can learn from the New Testament church. While we may from time to time fast and pray to God on a personal level, we rarely join together on a corporate level to fast and pray. We wonder why God is not showing HIMSELF strong in our church, our community, or our country; maybe it is because we have not put God first.

These men fasted so as to worship God when they were just worshiping HIM for who HE was. These men fasted so as to worship God when HE gave them direction for what Saul and Barnabas were to do next. These men understood that God needed to be worshiped and that is exactly what they did.

You may not be a leader in your local church, but you probably have a group of friends who you are close to. Bring your friends together and challenge them to pray and fast so that God can receive the glory. HIM HIMDo not do this fast so that you can personally benefit, instead, the purpose of this fast should be so that God can be glorified in your life.

We know that Saul loved to share the story of how God had touched his life. However, we know that God sent Saul to Tarsus for a period of time until this time when HE was sending Saul and Barnabas out together. Saul may have had many things that HE desired to do for the Lord but Saul had to be patient and wait for God’s perfect timing. While Saul patiently waited, he diligently served the Lord where the Lord put him.

We all probably have great visions of things we would like to do. We may stay up late at night thinking about all the things we could do if our visions came to pass. We need to be patient with God and learn to serve HIM wherever HE has placed us. We need to learn to worship HIM with our time, talent, and treasure.

Put together a group of individuals whom you know very well and start joining together for the purpose of just worshiping God. It does not have to be daily or weekly or even monthly, you should just listen to God and hear how often HE desires you to join together to worship HIM. Maybe God will help you with your vision if you start taking the time to put HIM first.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul were prophets and teachers at the church in Antioch. These men were fasting unto the Lord not for the purpose of receiving something from God but so that they could give to God. These men understood their relationship with God and how much God had given unto them. As such, these men took time to worship God just because of who HE was and not because of what HE could give unto them.

We have much to learn from the example of these five men. It was during this time of giving glory to God that God gave these men direction as to what Saul and Barnabas were to do next with their lives. One might wonder if Saul and Barnabas would have received this direction at this time had they simply been fasting and praying to God to open the doors for them to enter into the ministry.

Saul and Barnabas were content with where God had them. Saul and Barnabas were content regarding their relationship with God. Rather than pray and fast to receive more from God, they were fasting to worship God for the things HE had already done in their lives.

It seems natural to us that God is going to answer our prayers if we are actively praying to HIM on a continual basis. Thus, if we are faithful to pray, God will hear our prayers and will answer them. The reason we think this is because of our fallen perspective that it is by our works that we obtain anything from God. Instead of thinking about all the things that we can get from God if we only prayed harder and more often, our perspective should be more as to what we can give to God.

We should set aside time on a regular basis to follow the example of these five men. We should set aside time just to praise and worship God. While God likes to hear our needs, how much more does HE love it when we take time to just to put HIM first in our lives?

Does your boss prefer to hear how good of a job HE is doing or hear all your complaints about how HE could be doing a better job? Does your spouse prefer to hear how good of a job he/she is doing or hear all your complaints about how he/she could be doing better? Does your friend want to hear about how terrible your life is or how great things are going? Why then do you think that God only wants to hear about all the things HE could do to make your life better?

Paul and Barnabas received direction from the Lord during a time that they set aside just to worship HIM. Because they put the things of God first, God prepared a special plan so that HE could use them in a mighty way. How many times has God had something special for us that we missed just because we were so focused upon our needs rather than upon worshiping the ONE who gave us so much?

Yes we all have needs. However, we need to be patient and put our needs aside so that we can focus upon praising God for the things that HE has already done. We need to learn to put the things of God first in our lives and if we do that, all the other pressures that we experience will fall into place as the Lord directs, protects, and provides for us. Our focus should be upon the Lord and the things of God and we should allow HIM to take care of the things that are too big for us to handle anyways.

Acts 9:30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

Saul was a new Christian and because of the trust that Barnabas showed in Saul, Saul was able to preach boldly in Jerusalem. Saul was being used of God, but as God was using him, those who were opposed to the things of God started to plan to kill him.

All of a sudden, the powerful ministry of Saul in Jerusalem was put on hold and Saul was sent to Tarsus. The disciples of Jesus sent him to Tarsus for his own protection. Saul served a living God who could save him from all evil. However, rather than develop a testimony of God saving him from some stoning, God instead sent Saul to Tarsus where he had to wait for some time before God was ready to use him again.

Saul had burst upon the scene of early New Testament Christianity but as quickly as his star was rising, he found himself in obscurity again. Saul was given a taste of what God had for him, but God needed Saul to go sit on the shelf for a little while and wait for God’s perfect timing to start his public ministry.

One might say that those who desired to kill Saul in Jerusalem shut up this great preacher. One might be disappointed about how Satan was able to use evil men to stop the might work of God that HE was doing through the life of Saul. However, God does not make a mistake and HE allowed these evil men to drive Saul out of Jerusalem so that Saul would learn to wait on the Lord some more.

Elijah was a man who made a great prophesy and just as the nation of Israel had to suffer without rain, Elijah found himself alone being feed by ravens, an unclean bird. Elijah had two choices, he either could be bitter at God for allowing the enemies of the Lord to drive him to this place of solitude where he had to survive by eating food from unclean birds, or Elijah could see God’s hand in what he was doing and learn to thank the Lord for HIS protection, provision, and direction.

Saul could become bitter at God for stopping Saul’s plans to be a powerful preacher in Jerusalem. However, God had other plans for Saul and Saul needed to learn to be patient and learn to wait on the perfect plan of God. This may not have been the way that Saul would have drawn up plans for his life, but this was the way that God desired to work through Saul and Saul learned to trust God regardless of what God was doing.

We must understand that God’s plan for our life is not always our first thoughts. We need to learn to trust HIM and allow HIM to use people and events in our life to guide us to where HE needs us to go. People will do things that hurt us and rather than become bitter over the things others do to us, we need to thank God and allow HIM to use these events for HIS glory.

The next time you want to pout because God has allowed something bad to happen to us, we need to change our attitudes and learn to thank God for those things HE has allowed to happen. God does not make mistakes and God can take even the worst situation and turn it into something good. Do not allow yourself to become bitter but instead use these difficult times to draw closer to God so that HE can receive the glory for your life. God created the entire world and HE can create great blessing out of your trials.

Acts 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

Saul was a man of great power and he was known for his persecution of the Christians. Saul left Jerusalem to go persecute Christians in Damascus and upon his return, all of a sudden he is proclaiming to be a disciple. The believers in Jerusalem did not want to jump on this bandwagon very quickly. For all they knew, Saul was pretending to be a believer so that they would let their guard down and he could persecute even more believers.

Saul was a changed man but his past actions were diminishing his testimony. It did not matter what Saul was saying with his mouth, his past actions were affecting his credibility. It was not until Barnabas came along side Saul and shared with others what God had done in the life of Saul that he finally was able to be received by the believers.

We must understand that our past actions speak louder than our words. If people see that we lose our temper and then we start telling them about the power of Jesus to change our lives, they will wonder just how powerful Jesus is. When we desire to share with others about the changing power of God, we must be patient and allow God to use our words. We cannot go back and change some of the mistakes that we have made. Nonetheless, just as God was able to use Saul after all the mistakes he had made, so God can use us.

God desires that we be available to do HIS perfect will. God needs us to learn to hear HIS still small voice so that we can be in the right position at the right time. God was able to bring Barnabas along at just the right moment to intercede on the behalf of Saul so that Saul could minister to the believers about the dramatic change that God had made in his life.

Imagine what would have happened had Barnabas not been willing to open his mouth on behalf of Saul. Month after month Saul would have tried to share his testimony only to be rejected by the believers. The religious leaders would have nothing to do with him and if the believers were doing the same, it would not have taken Saul very long to be a very discouraged and lonely man.

God can use our words and actions in many ways. We must remember that we are to be faithful to God and do HIS perfect will so that God can receive the glory from our life. We may share with someone the ways that God has changed our life and God will use someone else to encourage that individual to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

Be patient with God because you do not know how your faithfulness to HIM is affecting others. However, if you start living like the world, it will not take very long to utterly destroy your testimony. Listen to the still small voice of God because HE can direct you in a way that you experience the power of God in your life.

Do not give up because those whom you are sharing the gospel with are rejecting the message. It is not your duty to change them, it is your duty to obey God and allow HIM to change the wicked. You must be patient and continue to persist so that God receives the glory.

Saul knew that he was supposed to be in Jerusalem sharing his testimony. He was a disciple of Jesus but he had to simply be faithful in that which was least so that he was in the right place when God wanted to use him for even greater purposes.

Acts 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

Paul came to Damascus with the permission of the religious leaders with a mandate to persecute the Christians. In a short period of time, Saul had been touched by God and he was now preaching the name of Christ so boldly that Saul became public enemy number one. Saul became so despised by those who used to use him that he had to escape over the wall of the city in a basket.

Think about it, when Saul was pursuing God his way, things were going great. Saul had power and Saul had friends in high places that gave him a lot of leeway. Now that Saul was serving God the right way, rather than live this life of wealth and power, Saul found himself suffering for the cause of Christ. Saul no longer had the same influence.

If you were to look at Saul’s life before his Damascus experience and after the Damascus experience, you would think that Saul lost a lot more as a result of his conversion. We naturally try to measure the blessing of God based upon our power, prestige, and pocketbook. Saul lost all of these and found himself being let down over a wall in a basket because he allowed God to obtain 100% control over his life.

Nonetheless, if you were to interview Paul at the end of his life if he considered himself blessed by God before his Damascus experience, Paul would have told you that he was not. The things of this world are not the true blessings from God. While God may bless some with riches or power or great influence, this does not mean that HE blesses everyone with these things. Saul was blessed by God by winning many souls. Saul was blessed by God in that he saw the Lord constantly protect, direct, and provide for him. Saul was blessed by God in that he learned to be content with next to nothing.

The world would have looked at Saul and said that he was an utter failure. The world would say that Saul lost everything when he chose to be religious. The world would say that Saul threw his life away. However, the things of this world are temporal and they do not amount to much. We need to learn to put our focus upon the things of God and how HE can use us today.

Stop measuring your life by the Steve Forbes, Oprah Winfrey, and Kobe Bryant’s of the world. What the world measures as success and what God measures as success are two different things. Some would say that the English Olympic runner Eric Liddell threw away so much when he moved to China and stopped competing for the fame and glory of man. However, Eric Liddell was competing for the favor of God and the lives that he helped lead to the Lord were worth more than a 1,000 gold medals.

Stop looking at others to determine where you should be at in life. You need to learn to thank God with exactly where HE has placed you. Be patient and allow God to be God and allow HIM to mold you and make you into the person HE desires for you to be. Take the time today to praise God for the things HE has done to direct, protect, and provide for you.

It is easy to look on outward appearances and come up with false conclusions. If you had looked at Saul escaping with his life by being let over the way in a basket as a failure, you would be wrong. Saul was just being to learn to live his life under the protection and direction of God. Saul would experience many more blessings from God because he trusted in HIM.

Acts 9:16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

Saul had just experienced God in a whole new light. Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians there and before he reached Damascus, God appeared to Saul. As a result of Saul’s encounter with God, Saul ended up going blind. This blindness was only a temporary blindness as God had called Ananias to come and heal Saul.

Ananias was not pleased that he was the one chosen to go and pray for Saul and heal him of his blindness. Ananias did not trust Saul and he thought he would be killed or persecuted if he were anywhere near Saul praying and preaching the gospel of Christ. God told Ananias that Saul was a new man but then God told Saul something interesting, God told Ananias that Paul was going to suffer for the sake of Christ.

Saul had persecuted many believers and now God is sharing with Ananias that Saul is going to also suffer persecution. The word persecution is a scary word that most of us would dread hearing. However, we need to remember the words of Christ when HE taught us that “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10).

We do not think of persecution being a good thing, but it is. Have you ever tasted bread dough? Raw bread dough really is not something that you want to eat. However, after the dough has been cooked in the oven, the result of the fire is bread which is nourishing to your body.

We may not suffer for the name of Christ like Saul suffered, but we are going to face trials and temptations that are designed by God to perfect us in HIS sight. The suffering we experience is a good thing, it is not something that we should be upset about. Rather than curse God for the suffering we face, we need to thank God because it is a part of our spiritual growth.

Abraham had to wait until he was 100 years old before he could have a son. We know that the problem was not with Abraham because he was able to conceive a child with Hagar and he was able to conceive children with his wife after the death of Sarah. Abraham had to wait patiently for God to bring to pass that which God had promised HIM.

One of the problems we have with being patient is that we do not know what God is going to do. We like to have our lives all squarely in a box. However, God desires that we learn to walk by faith and learn to trust completely in HIM. This means that we must not try to take control over our lives but instead we need to turn control of our lives over to HIM. God knows what is best for us. While we have a choice whether or not to accept God’s best for our life, it is always in our best interest to follow the direction of God.

Saul was going to suffer much for the name of Christ. However, regardless of how much suffering he experienced, his focus remained upon doing the perfect will of God. Saul met God on the road to Damascus and Saul chose to follow God from that day forth.

You must understand that doing the perfect will of God will require that you face some trials and temptations that you would rather not experience. Nonetheless, we need to be patient with God and understand that HE has our best interest at heart. God desires to bless us and we need to be willing to follow HIM regardless of where HE takes us.

Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

Ananias had a personal relationship with the Lord. When the Lord called Ananias’ name, Ananias knew it was the Lord and acknowledged the Lord’s voice and that he was ready to hear the Lord. Once the Lord told Ananias what to do, Ananias talked with the Lord and voiced his concerns with what the Lord had requested him to do. The Lord confirmed HIS will to Ananias and Ananias obeyed.

What is the difference between Ananias response to the Lord and Zacharias response when he was told that his wife would have a son in her old age? God was willing to respond to Ananias’ question but Zacharias was punished for his lack of faith. Scripture does not tell us why Ananias was able to question the voice of the Lord, but it is probably safe to guess that the difference between Ananias and Zacharias was their heart.

When we look at the difference between king Saul and king David, it often appears that the sins of David were much worse than the sins of Saul. However, God blessed David and continued the throne of David for many generations. We know that the difference between Saul and David was their heart for the Lord. Because of David’s heart, even thou he sinned many times, God forgave David for his sins.

Ananias was a man who had a close relationship with God. Ananias heard his name called and he did not go running around the neighborhood trying to find who called his name. Ananias knew the voice of the Lord and was ready to hear what God had to say. However, this time God asked Ananias to do a difficult thing. God asked Ananias to heal a man who was seeking to kill him. Ananias did not like what he was hearing and as such, he questioned that he was hearing the Lord correctly. The Lord reassured Ananias and Ananias obeyed.

We have heard the commands of Christ how we are to love our enemy and do good to those who hate us. Ananias was just told by God to practice the commands of Christ. Like most of us, Ananias found it much easier to love his friends than to love his enemies. Nonetheless, Ananias understood that it was more important to obey God than it was to worry about his life.

How is your relationship with God? When was the last time you had a conversation with God where you spoke about the direction that God had for you to go? It is important that we learn to hear the still small voice of God. God desires to speak to us and give us direction, protection, and provision, but we are often so busy flapping our mouths that we do not give God an opportunity to speak to our hearts.

It takes great patience to develop a heart after God’s own heart. We must learn to put aside the things of this world so that we can seek first the kingdom of God. God desires to do great things through us if only we would learn to hear HIS still small voice.

Let us learn to be like Ananias. May God above know that when HE has a difficult job to do, that we are the ones who HE can rely upon to get the job done. Let us daily seek HIS face so that we know HIS voice and we know not only how to hear HIS voice but how to maintain a right relationship with HIM so that we can speak with HIM and HE can encourage us in the way that HE desires us to go.

Acts 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

Saul had just experienced God in a whole new way. Saul had been on his way to Damascus in order to persecute the Christians but God appeared to him along the way. Saul was affected as a result of this encounter with God. Once God left, Saul had to be picked up by his men and led to Damascus because he was blind.

Saul had been persecuting the Christians because he thought he was doing that which was right in the eyes of God. Saul was taught in the law and he understood the traditions of the Jews. These Christians were making a mockery of the religious leaders and were teaching a new doctrine which was causing harm to the unity of the Jews.

Saul had not taken the time to understand who God really was. Saul had been so focused upon what he was taught by other men that he totally missed the message that the followers of Christ were preaching. The sermon preached by Steven fell on the deft ears of Saul.

God loved Saul and God gave Saul one last chance. Rather than allow Saul to do what he wanted when he wanted to do it, God got a hold of Saul’s life on the road to Damascus. Nonetheless, this experience with God came at a personal cost to Saul. Saul was not the only person who heard the voice of God that day on the road to Damascus, but Saul was the only one that we are told became blind as a result.

Saul had just experienced God and rather than allow Saul to make a snap decision, God took away from Saul his sight. Saul now had to sit and patiently wait on the Lord. How long would he be without his sight? Why did God appear to him on the road to Damascus if all the Lord was going to do was take away his sight? Was Saul going to be a bagger on the side of the road for the rest of his life?

Saul was a man of action and Saul desired to be doing things for the Lord. However, because the Lord took away his sight, Saul was in a position of dependency which meant that he needed to cry out to the Lord. Saul must wait on the Lord and allow the Lord to direct his path.

We will probably never have a Damascus experience like Saul. We will probably never lose our sight for three days. However, the lessons in patience that Saul learned that day are lessons that we will probably need to put into practice at some time or other in our life. There will be a time where we are diligently seeking God and God will make himself known unto us. However, just because God has made HIMSELF known unto us, it does not mean that we are able to immediately respond. Instead, there may be a time of waiting on the Lord.

Throughout the scripture we see example after example of those who met God and God gave them a promise. However, God did not bring the promise to pass right away but instead required that the individual learn to patiently wait. This lesson in patience is something that we all must learn.

What promise of God are you tightly holding on to? Maybe today is the day that you will see God’s fulfillment of the promise. However, maybe you will have to wait another 20 years. While you are never in control over God’s timing, you can rest in the promise that God does not lie and what God has promised, God will bring to pass.

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

In the eyes of God, are you the man who built his life upon the rock or are you the man who built his house upon the sand. If you desire to build your house upon the rock, then you must take the time to hear the sayings of Jesus Christ and then do them. Your life will not be established upon the rock if you do not learn to hear the instructions of God.

The Sermon on the Mount is just one place where you can turn to in order to hear the sayings of Jesus. However you are not to be a hearer only but also a doer of the Word. This means that instead of just reading the Bible, you need to be active in changing your life in accordance with the principles of God’s word.

Many people can read the Word of God, but the ones who are living their life in a way that is pleasing to God are those who do it. During the time of Jesus, the religious leaders knew the law; they had taken the time to read what God had told them to do. However, they had so mangled the interpretation of the law over the years that they often miss what God desired them to do and instead they were doing the exact opposite.

One of the reasons God did not establish the throne of Saul was because when he was instructed to utterly destroy the enemy, he chose to save some people alive. Saul had heard the words of God but chose not to follow. Saul soon lost his ability to hear the voice of God and then he saw the blessing of God leave his life and eventually he lost everything that he had.

You do not want to follow the example of Saul. Rather than live your life for yourself doing what you want when you want to, you need to start living your life for God. You need to actively read the Bible to hear what God is telling you to do. As you read the Bible, seek for what God is trying to tell you. When you hear God, you need to quickly follow HIS still small voice.

You would not build a million dollar mansion upon a beach where a big storm would wash it away into the sea. How much more important is your life? Why do you allow yourself to build your life upon an uncertain foundation? Storms will arise in your life and the question is, have you built your life upon the foundation that will enable you to survive the storm?

Your ability to survive the storms that God allows to encompass you will depend upon the choices you made before you face the storm. If you desire the blessing of God, then you need to build your life upon HIM. This means you need to take the time each day to read HIS words. This means you need to take the time to meditate upon HIS Word so that you understand exactly what HE is instructing you to do.

It is very easy to slide through life ignoring God six days a week. Nonetheless, this is not what God desires from your life. It takes sacrifice on your part to put the things of God first in your life. You must make a conscience decision to put aside the things of this world in order to hear the voice of God.

Be quick to add temperance to your life so that you can hear what God is instructing you to do. Do not allow the things of this world to distract you from spending time in the word of God so that HE can speak to you. Once you have heard the voice of God, it is your duty to obey HIM.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

This verse is easy to preach to others but it is much harder to live out in your own life. It is easy to tell others that they should not do something if they do not want you to do the same to them. It is much harder for you to change your life and not do something because you do not want others to do the same to you.

It is easy to talk about someone behind their back, even though you would never want others to talk about you behind your back. It is easy to tease someone for something that they did not do right, even though you do not like it when others tease you. Every day we probably do something to someone else even though we would rather they do not do the same thing to us.

In this passage, Christ is commanding us that we need to look at our actions and make sure that we are doing those things that we desire others to do for us. Do you desire that others pray for you and your needs; then you should start praying for others. Do you desire that others help you in your time of need by giving of their time, talents, and treasures; then you should start helping others with your time, talents, and treasures. Just because you do not have money to help someone, it does not mean that you do not have time or talents that you can use to help others.

Christ taught us that if we do not forgive others for their trespasses against us, then we are in danger of God not forgiving us for our trespasses against HIM. We need to do to others here on this earth as we desire God to do to us. Joseph had the opportunity to throw his brothers in prison and throw away the key for the rest of their life. Instead, Joseph chose to forgive his brothers and give them the food that they needed for free, and even gave them the best of the land of Egypt so that they could raise their families and flocks.

Joseph is an excellent example of doing to others as you want them to do unto you. Joseph did not do unto his brothers as they had done unto him. Instead, he chose to live by a higher standard. The choices that Joseph made are probably just one reason why God chose to use Joseph in such a powerful way.

Joseph is not the only person in the Bible who chose to live by a higher standard. David had several opportunities to take the life of the person who was trying to kill him. However, rather than kill Saul, David showed mercy to Saul just as he desired to receive from Saul. We know that David had a heart after God’s own heart and maybe the reason God showed so much mercy to David after he had sinned was because God had seen David show mercy on Saul so many times.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of the meaning of this verse. Jesus Christ demonstrated perfect love. Jesus loved us so much that HE gave HIS own life so that we could be saved. Jesus demonstrated his love by healing the sick, providing food for multitudes, and by giving of his time to those who were around him. The love of Jesus is so great that Paul directs husbands to love their wives just as Jesus demonstrated HIS love for the church.

It takes a new way of thinking to do to others as you want them to do to you. You must add temperance to your life and chose not to live as you want to live but instead to live your life the way that God desires you to live. You need to show mercy, forgiveness, and love to others without expectation of return if this is how you desire others to treat you.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

It is real easy to compare yourself with others. It is real easy to look at those around you and say that you are better than them. It is real easy to look at some public figure that is dead and proclaim that because of how they acted, they are not a Christian and are thus going to hell.

You are not God and God is the ultimate judge. God is going to judge every person for every word, action, and thought. You have heard that you are to do to others as you want them to do unto you. Do you like it when others judge you and try to guess what your attitudes are for what you did? Do you like it when others claim that you did something for a selfish motive when you know that you had no such motive? You do not like being judged by others; why do you think you have the right to judge others when you do not want them to judge you?

After David had committed adultery with Bath-sheba and then killed her husband Uriah, Nathan came and told David a story. David listened to this story how a rich man had a guest come to his house and rather than kill one of his many sheep to feed his guest, he chose instead to kill the only beloved sheep of his neighbor. David was so upset that this man would do this that he ordered that the rich man pay the poor man four times. David rendered judgment and then Nathan told David that he was the man.

David pronounced his own judgment. David had taken the life of an innocent man. David had proclaimed that the guilty man would pay four times. David ended up losing four sons to an untimely death. David loss the son that was conceived by adultery, he loss Amnon who committed rape on his half-sister Tamar, he loss Absalom who sought revenge and killed Amnon, and he loss Adonijah who tried to take the throne away from Solomon by marrying Abishag, David’s concubine.

Christ commands us not to judge others. It is an easy command to listen to and it is easy to quote. However, it is much harder to put into practice into our life. We are naturally judgmental and we like to point figures at others when they make mistakes because inwardly it helps us look better in our own eyes. We can justify many of our actions simply by taking the offensive and judging those around us.

The idea to judge others is usually pretty quick to enter into our minds. In order to combat our natural tendency to judge others, we need to take control over our minds. We need to fill our mind with thoughts that are glorifying to God. In order to control our minds, we need to add temperance to our lives. Every time we are tempted to judge others, we need to pray for the one who we wish to judge and ask God to bless them and keep them and reveal himself to them in a new and exciting way.

Earlier in David’s life, he had the opportunity to judge Saul and kill him. However, David chose instead to allow God to judge Saul and extended great kindness to Saul who desired to kill him. It would have been easy for David to say that Saul was trying to kill him and thus he had the right to defend himself and kill Saul. However, this was not God’s will nor was it HIS timing.

It I harder to refrain from judging others than it is to judge them. You must exercise self-control and take control over your mind in order to obey the commands of Christ. You will never be all that you can be for God until you learn to obey HIS higher calling for your life.

Matthew 5:44 do good to them that hate you,

If someone does not like you, your natural response is to avoid them or to do things to them that cause them to understand that the feelings are mutual. However, this is not the way that God desires you to live. Instead of hating those who hate you, Christ commands us to go out of our way to do good to those that hate you.

God holds us to a higher standard then HE holds the world to. You may be the only light that some people see of the love of God. If you demonstrate hate to those who hate you, they will not see the light of God in your life. It is easier to avoid those who demonstrate hate towards you, but those individuals need the love of God and by your doing good unto them, they will realize that there is something different about you and God will be able to prick their conscience and maybe one day, this will open the door for them to be saved.

When Stephen was stoned to death, he asked God to forgive those who were about to kill him. Stephen understood that these last words that he spoke would be remembered by those who were gathered. Stephen could have cried out in pain or cried out to God to spare him the pain of his death; Stephen did not do this but instead he did good to those who hated him and he asked God to forgive him.

David was another individual in the Bible who did good to those who hated him. King Saul clearly hated David and sought to do him harm. Rather than take the opportunity to kill King Saul on two different occasions when Saul was alone in the cave, David chose to do good to Saul and allow him to live. Furthermore, one night David was able to sneak into Saul’s camp past all the guards, rather than kill Saul, David chose to allow Saul to live.

One of the greatest examples of doing good to those who hate you was done by none other than the One who commanded us to do good to those who hate us. Right after Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of one of those who was there to arrest Jesus. Jesus chose to restore the ear of the man who hated him so much that he desired to kill Jesus.

Doing good is always a choice. You may not be able to choose how those around you respond to you but you do have a choice how you respond to those around you. Every day you have a choice to make, you can do good or you can do evil. The natural man does not want to take the effort to do good unless there is some reward for such good behavior. Nonetheless, you are to put off the old man and pursue the perfect will of God.

It takes great self-control to have dominion over your emotions so that you can do good to those who have done evil to you. Your mind naturally wants to think of all sorts of ways that you can do in order to get even. However, even if you never do any of the things that you are thinking about, you are not doing good and you are giving Satan a great victory over your mind since you are not filling your mind with good thoughts.

The next time someone does something evil, you should take the time to think of all the ways that you could do something good. It will take great temperance to eliminate all the evil thoughts in your mind and instead fill it with thoughts of doing good. Nonetheless, by winning this battle in your mind, you will open the doors for God to be able to use you in a mighty way. Until you start doing good to those who hate you, you will not be able to fully reflect the light of God.

Matthew 5:44a But I say unto you, Love your enemies,

In this passage, Christ is commanding us to do something that is completely contrary to the sin nature of man. Deep inside each of us, if we have someone who has done us wrong, then we desire to hate them. We love having an enemy, someone who is a bad guy. When we are thinking about this individual, we conjure all sorts of evil that we would love to do to them.

God’s ways are not our ways. Just because we love to hate our enemies, it does not mean that this is pleasing to God. Even if you do not follow through with a single idea that you meditated upon, you are still guilty in the eyes of God of hating your enemy. God has allowed this enemy to be an irritant in your life so that you can grow in your spiritual walk with him.

When someone does you evil, everyone expects you to get even. That is what they would do so when they hear about the injustice that you have faced, they understand the thoughts of evil that you have towards them. Nonetheless, God has a purpose for the trials that you are facing and vengeance is not one of them.

After Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven and the clouds brought forth their rain once again, Jezebel decided that she was going to kill Elijah. Jezebel was an enemy in the life of Elijah but as a result of her trying to kill Elijah, we see that God used this to take Elijah on a long trip where Elijah received direction in where he was to go and whom he was supposed to train up to be the prophet of Israel after his death.

Imagine what would have happened if Elijah had decided to stand up for his rights? Elijah could have called fire down from heaven and destroyed Jezebel; he could have prayed and God would have sent a couple of she bears who tore Jezebel from limb to limb; he could have prayed and God would have paralyzed Jezebel or made her mute. Elijah served a mighty God so Elijah did not need to have any fear of Queen Jezebel. Instead, Elijah took a long journey with God and did not allow his enemies to get the best of him.

Your natural reaction will always be to get even or to come up with a way that you can show the other side who is boss. However God desires us to love our enemies. This means that you are going to have to add temperance to your life so that you can control your mind, will, and emotions. It takes great self-control to not allow yourself to dwell upon the revenge that you desire to administer to another individual.

God desires that you learn to control your mind so that you think thoughts of love rather than thoughts of hate. David demonstrated great love towards Saul but Saul naturally was jealous of David. Saul knew that David was going to be king after him so he constantly was trying to kill David. For thirteen years David had a yo-yo relationship with Saul in that one day he was permitted to faithfully serve the king and the next he was running for his life. Nonetheless, regardless of what Saul did to David, David was quick to demonstrate his love towards Saul and refused to take the life of Saul even though he had ample chances.

We need to be like Saul and we need to understand that God has put our enemy into our life. We are not God and we do not have the right to conform the circumstances into our life as we desire. We must put God first in our lives and we must learn to love those whom we desire to hate so that the love of God can brightly reflect through our lives.

Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

In this passage we learn that if we know someone who we have offended, we are to go and make that right. Christ reveals to us that it is more important to be right with our brother than it is to give sacrifices unto God.

During the reign of Saul, God had told him to utterly destroy a nation. However, Saul saved the king and he saved some of the bests of the flocks. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul made an excuse that he was saving these flocks to sacrifice to God. Samuel then tells Saul that God delights in our obedience over our sacrifices.

While we do not offer animal sacrifices to the Lord today, we have our own type of sacrifices and our own offerings. Some people are very generous with their money; they will give large sums of money to religious and charitable organizations. Some people are very generous with their time; if the doors are open, they are there volunteering their time. Some people try to make deals with God; they tell God that they will abstain from this vice or that vice in an attempt to make God happy with them.

God is more concerned that you actually obeyed HIM then that you make some great sacrifice. If God told you to quit your job and be a missionary in Africa, God would desire your obedience in going to Africa over your sacrifice of 30 hours of volunteer work for the Church and charities dealing with starving African children. If God told you to open your home up to the homeless and feed and allow them to sleep in your house, God would not be pleased with your sacrifice of millions of dollars to the homeless shelters. If God told you that HE wanted you to yield your right to play video games and to spend that time reading the Bible, your sacrifice of spending your vacation on a short term mission trip would not be acceptable in God’s eyes if you failed to obey HIM.

We are to be the salt and the light. If we know that something we have done has offended someone, then we know that it does not matter how bright the light of God reflects through our life, the person we have offended will not properly see the light of God. God knows that HIS light through our life will never properly reflect on those whom we have offended; that is why Christ is telling us in this passage that we are to stop all the wonderful things we are doing for Christ and make it a priority to take care of those whom we have offended.

Our sacrifices and offerings unto the Lord are important, but not nearly as important as our obedience to HIM and our having a clear conscience with those around us. You cannot cover a multitude of sins by simply serving God 30 hours a week. Do not be deceived, you cannot fool God; God looks at your heart and knows your attitudes as to why you are making the sacrifices. If you have the wrong reasons for making your sacrifices, God will not accept the offering just as HE rejected the offerings of Saul and the offerings of Cain.

We need to diligently add temperance to our life so that we can focus our attention on living for God the way that God desires us to live. The world will give us all sorts of options of how we can serve God in our own strength. Nonetheless, we need to be faithful to God and determine in our heart that we are going to serve God the way that HE desires us to serve HIM.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

The religious leaders during the time of Jesus and the apostles had all sorts of rituals that they used to keep themselves clean. However, just because the outward body was clean, it does not mean that they had a pure heart.

Later on in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ illustrates just how easy it is to have an impure heart. Christ commands us that if one simply looks at a woman and lusts after her, he has committed adultery in his heart. Christ also commands that if we are angry with our brother, then we have committed murder in our heart.

The Sermon on the Mount is full of illustrations of how God desires us to live to a higher standard. We are commanded to go the extra mile, we are commanded to love and pray for our enemies, and we are commanded to not have two masters in our life. Christ gives us a command to be pure in heart but then HE reveals to us the things we need to do in order to be pure in heart.

It is easy to say that you are pure, but it is another thing all together to have a pure heart before God. God does not just judge our actions but HE also judges our heart. You have a choice to make, are you going to live your life for those around you to see or are you going to live your life according to the higher standards that God has for you?

Should you choose to live your life according to the perfect standards of God, God has a reward for you. In this passage we are told that if we live our lives so that we are pure in heart, we shall see God. Scripture is full of examples of individuals who God revealed HIMSELF to them. How many stories do you have where God has revealed HIMSELF to you in a personal manner?

God does not hide himself from you because HE wants to be mean. Sometimes you will not see and hear God because your heart is not right before HIM. Eli was the judge over all Israel. However, God instead chose to reveal HIMSELF to young Samuel. Age and maturity had nothing to do with whether God will reveal HIMSELF to you; instead what is important is whether your heart is in a condition that God can make HIMSELF known unto you.

Saul was the first king of Israel; however, God rejected Saul and stopped speaking to Saul. Saul had stopped living a life that was pleasing to God. Saul chose to do his own thing and God left Saul and stopped instructing Saul as to what he should do. God found a man who had a pure heart and even though this new man was not perfect, God stayed with David all of his days because David had a pure heart that desired to put the things of God first.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It does not matter how hard you try, you cannot live a perfect life like Jesus Christ. However, when you sin, it is important to God whether you have a pure heart or a heart that is full of itself. Examine your heart and see if your heart is pleasing to the Lord. Do you proclaim to be a Christian with your mouth but does your heart stink with the things of the world; if so your heart needs a transformation.

If you desire to see God alive and active in your life, then you need to first remove the influences of this world from your life. Diligently add temperance to your life so that you can say no to the things of this world and yes to the things of God. Keep your focus upon God and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to HIM.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

You are never going to be able to fool God. You may be able to fool those around you into thinking that you are a stronger Christian than you really are but you will never be able to deceive God. God knows your heart, HE knows your thoughts and there is nothing that you can hide from HIM.

If you covet something in your heart, HE knows. If you lust for someone in your heart, HE knows. If you are angry in your heart, HE knows. We are told in scripture that out of the abundance of the heart does the mouth speak. Your heart and your mind are the planting ground out of which springs your words, actions, and attitudes.

You might be a very good actor and be able to hide in your heart the jealousy that you have towards another Christian for the apparent blessings that they are receiving. However, while you might be able to hide your attitudes from men, you will never be able to hide them from God. If you continue to allow the works of the flesh to abide in your heart and mind, they will eventually suffocate your relationship with God.

You cannot continually feed the works of the flesh in your heart and mind and think that it will not affect your relationship with God. If you harbor bitterness in your heart while proclaiming to love the Lord to all that you meet, people may believe the words of your mouth, but the blessings of God will not be upon your life and you will soon find that your life is not bearing much spiritual fruit.

When Noah sinned by failing to be temperate in his actions by drinking wine, his son Ham saw his nakedness. However, Ham was not the only person who was cursed for looking at the nakedness of Noah, Ham’s son Canaan was also cursed. Ham planted seeds of lusts and the consequences affected many generations.

When Saul sinned by not obeying God, not only did God depart from Saul, but the kingdom was also taken away from his family. Saul sowed seeds of disobedience and Jonathan suffered by not being permitted to become the next king of Israel.

Nebuchadnezzar allowed thoughts of pride to fill his heart about the great kingdom which he had built. However, God punished Nebuchadnezzar by making him eat grass until he learned to acknowledge the power of God in his life.

It is really easy to allow the seeds of the works of the flesh to be planted in your life. If you do not allow God to root out the works of the flesh from your mind and heart, it will not be too long until the consequences of those actions will have an effect upon your life. If you do not want to suffer the correction of God’s hand upon your life, then you should focus your life upon the things of God so that the fruit of your life will be temperance and you will not allow the things of this world to take hold on your life.

Just because you are fooling those around you, it does not mean that you are fooling God. God knows your heart and mind and he will punish you for the violations of HIS perfect law. Remember that what you plant in your heart, you will eventually reap in your actions.

Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

Paul understood that he needed to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome. However, what Paul did not understand is the path that God would have him take in order to get to both Jerusalem and Rome. God had shown Paul two cities that he needed to go to, but God did not show Paul the trials that he would face in order to fulfill the perfect will of God.

Joseph understood at a young age that God was going to make him a great ruler. Joseph understood the perfect will of God for his life, but Joseph did not understand the trials that he was going to face in order to become the great leader God desired him to be. Joseph did not know that he was going to be betrayed by his brothers. Joseph did not know that he was going to be a slave. Joseph did not know that he was going to be falsely accused of attempting to commit rape. Joseph did not know that he was going to spend several years in prison.

David understood that God had anointed him as king of Israel. David did not know that God was going to allow him to face many difficult trials before he eventually ascended to the throne. David did not know that Saul was going to chase him all over the country side to try to kill him. David did not know that on several different occasions, he was going to have the ability to kill Saul.

God will sometimes reveal to you something that HE desires you to do. However, God does not always reveal the trials and temptations that you will face along the way. Imagine climbing up a mountain and as you look ahead of you, you see not only the top of the mountain that you are climbing, but you also see the top of the next mountain. However, from this perspective, what you do not see is the trail that you must cross to get form one mountain top to the next.

God will show us the way that we are to go so that we can remain faithful to HIM when difficult times surround us. God is faithful to be a light unto our path and show us the way. It is our duty to be faithful every step of the way.

When God reveals to us the direction that we are to go, HE does not reveal to us the temptations that the world will put in our path to try to distract us from doing the perfect will of God. It will be up to you to resist the temptations of the world and continue to be faithful in pursuing the things of God. The strong the hold of the things of the world, the harder it will be for you to remain faithful to the perfect calling of God.

You need to remain faithful to the perfect will of God for your life. This means that when the world tries to tempt you with the things that it has to offer, that you learn to say no to the world and yes to God. Adding temperance to your life will give you the tools that you need to say no to the lusts of the world. Adding temperance to your life will give you the strength to continue to pursue the things of God.

Paul was about to take a very difficult journey. Because he understood that God wanted him to preach the gospel in Rome, this gave him the strength to say no to various good opportunities that came his way. Because God gave Paul vision of where he was going, Paul was able to stay focused on the perfect will of God for his life.

Acts 13:21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

Paul is preaching and reminding the Jews of their history. In this passage, Paul is reminding his audience of how the nation of Israel rejected the judges that God had sent them and how instead they insisted upon a king. God heard their request and gave them Saul, a man who was extremely tall. God only allowed Saul to reign for 40 years before God replaced Saul with David, a man who had a heart after the heart of God.

The Jews wanted a king just like all the other nations had kings so God first gave them a man who looked kingly. However, just because this man looked like he should be the king, he was not the greatest leader because he did not have a heart that was cultivated to serving God. Saul led the nation through many unnecessary trials because he did not put the things of God first. Saul loved his power and did not want to lose that power and as such, Saul ended wasting a lot of time trying to kill David, the man whom God had chosen to become king.

The nation of Israel had a problem of doing that which is right in their own eyes. Nonetheless, when the people cried out, God would send a leader who would lead them to do that which was right in the eyes of God. This time, the nation of Israel did not cry out for a deliverer but they cried out for a king. As such, God gave them a leader who was not leading them closer to God, but instead anointed a king who was more concerned about consolidating his own power.

The lesson of Saul that we all need to be careful of is to be careful who we allow to lead us. If we choose to submit to a leader who does not fear God, then that leader will do many things that are more advantageous for their own benefit rather than the benefit of those whom they are leading. God does judge entire nations for the actions of their leaders; just look at the life of David and how many times the Lord punished the nation for the sin of David. So likewise, God will also forgive an entire nation when the leader leads the nation in a time of confession; just look at the story of Jonah and Nineveh.

Be careful what you ask for because God just might give it to you. The nation of Israel was requesting a king so that they could be like the other nations. God gave them a king and they were just like the other nations in that they had a leader who was more concerned about his own power then he was about leading the nation to pursue a closer relationship with God.

The nation of Israel needed to learn an important lesson that they were chosen by God and that they were to serve HIM with all their heart. They were so concerned about their image among the nations that they failed to see the perfect plan of God for their lives. God had given them Samuel but the nation could not see who God would raise up after Samuel and rather than risk the unknown, they chose a path that they thought they would have more control over.

The things of this world will always try to ensnare you. You need to add temperance to your life so that you do not lose sight of the ways of God and so that you can trust HIM to guide you in the way you are to go. If you allow the things of this world to take importance in your life, you will make decisions that could lead you down a path that is not best for you. Saying no to the things of this world is necessary to help ensure that you stay on the straight and narrow path that God has for you. Do not desire the things of this world because they are only temporary.

Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Several of the prophets and teachers in Antioch had been fasting for the purpose of ministering unto God. As these men put the things of God as a priority in their life, they clearly heard the voice of God. They heard the voice of God as a multitude. This means that there was a wonderful confirmation knowing that it was not just Barnabas and Saul who heard the calling, but all the men together heard the calling of God and knew that God had a special purpose for these men.

These men had fasted for the purpose of ministering unto God and they had heard the calling of God for the life of Saul and Barnabas. In this passage, we see that before they sent Saul and Barnabas away, that they fasted and prayed some more. Whether this is a separate fast from the fast in which they ministered unto God we do not know, what we do know is that they fasted for the purpose of sending Saul and Barnabas out to do the work of God.

The prophets and teachers already knew the will of God so why would they need to fast and pray? These men were not fasting and praying to receive confirmation of the will of God, they had heard God speak through a multitude of men. There are several reasons for this time of fasting and prayer. It could have been a sacrifice of praise to God for calling these men out to go and serve HIM. It could have been a time of asking God to protect these men as they went out and started several churches. It could have been another opportunity to live their lives in a manner that was pleasing to God.

While we do not know why these men fasted and prayed before sending Saul and Barnabas out, we do know that they did fast and pray. Remember that the believers were first called Christians at Antioch. One of the reasons for this title was because of how much they strived to live their lives in a manner that was pleasing to the Lord. From this passage in the book of Acts, we see that these Christians were quick to abstain from the things of this world in order to put the things of God as a priority in their life.

Fasting is a time when one abstains from food. There are many reasons why people fast. Some people fast for health benefits that they might receive. Others fast as a way to show their spirituality as the religious leaders did during the time of Christ. Some people fast as a way to demonstrate their repentance for their sins as the nation of Ninevah did after hearing the sermon of Jonah. Others fast in order to hear the voice of God and to receive direction for their lives as Elijah did after he saw God bring fire out of heaven and rain from a cloud the size of a fist.

Yes there are many reasons why you can fast for your own benefit, but in these verses, we see the importance of fasting not for your own benefit but for the benefit of God. These men were saying no to the things of this world in order to draw closer to God. By putting the things of God first in their life they received direction that they were not even asking for; by putting the things of God first, they received purpose that they were not even seeking.

Fasting and praying are tools that help demonstrate that you are adding temperance to your life. When you fast and pray, you are saying no to the things of this world and saying yes to the things of God. The more that the things of this world do not entangle you, the clearer the voice of God will be in your life and the easier it will be for you to go where God needs you.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

In Antioch there were a group of prophets and teachers who were ministering unto the Lord and while they were fasting, God showed this group of men that God had a special plan for Barnabas and Saul. These men were not fasting because they wanted to hear the voice of God, they were fasting as a part of their ministering unto the Lord and as they put the things of God first, God made clear to all HIS perfect will.

Barnabas and Saul had just gotten back from a short term missionary trip where they had taken a special love offering from the Christians in Antioch to the Christians in Judah. Barnabas and Saul went back to serving the church and ministering to the local Christians. They were not proud of their past service to the Lord but instead were humble and willing to serve those who God brought into their lives.

It was as Barnabas and Saul served the local church that we see God opened the door for them to go out and do great things for HIM. Barnabas and Saul were sacrificing their desires for the things of this world so that the things of God might be more visible to them. These men were not fasting so as to see what they could get from God, but they were fasting so that they could see what they could give to God.

How many times have you opened up the Bible and asked God to direct you in the way you were to go? It sounds like a good thing to be doing, seeking the will of God. How many times have you opened up the Bible with the intent just to minister unto God with your actions? Too often, our relationship with God is all about us and what we can get from this relationship.

You have met people who are always takers in a relationship. They never give back but are always taking to the point that eventually, you need a break from that person. In order for a solid relationship to exist, there needs to be both giving and receiving. While there are going to be times that you come to the Lord for direction, protection, and provision, there also needs to be times where you come before the Lord just to praise HIS holy name.

Think about two friends who both want a special treat of ice cream. One of the two friends goes home and spends the next 3 hours begging his parents for an ice cream treat while the other does his chores and does a bunch of extra clean up around the house. Both sets of parents know that their child desires an ice cream treat, but which set of parents is more likely to give the ice cream treat to their child?

It is important to say no to the things of this world, but it is more important to do so for the right reasons. God has asked you to add temperance to your life and this means you can obey HIM because you have to, or you can do it because you desire to minister to HIM and to put the things of God first in your life.

It is amazing the doors that God can open up to you as you put the things of God first in your life. Yes there will be times where you need to put aside the things of this world in order to receive direction, protection, and provision from God; but there will also be times where you should put aside the things of this world just because of your love for HIM and your desire that God be magnified through your life.

Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem.

God had just appeared to Ananias and told him to go and pray for Saul that he might receive his sight. Ananias did not want to have anything to do with obeying God. Ananias heard the direction of God but he loved his life more than he desired to obey God. God was asking him to do a difficult thing which surely would result in his death.

God had already told Ananias that Saul was blind and that he was praying. God had already told Ananias that HE had already shown Saul that Ananias was the man who would appear. Nonetheless, Ananias was ignoring the words of the Lord and simply was being distracted by what he believed. Ananias heard the name Saul and immediately figured that any contact with this man would be a suicide mission.

Ananias most likely would have heard the stories of how God Peter and John from prison and how the religious leaders could not do them any harm because God was protecting them. Ananias was living during a time where many powerful miracles were being conducted all around him. Nonetheless, Ananias was questioning the direction of God because he was not comfortable with what God was telling him to do.

God did not give up on Ananias but firmly told Ananias that he had chosen Saul to do great things and to suffer much. Ananias was smart enough not to argue with God twice and he obeyed God. Ananias went to Saul, healed him, filled him with the Holy Ghost, and baptized him.

How often are we like Ananias where we hear the direction that God has for us and we immediately question it? The reason we question the direction of God is because it is not what we would have initially picked. The ways of God are not naturally our ways. God was asking Ananias to do something that seemed to put his very life on the line. As a Christian, Ananias had dedicated his life to the Lord and should have been willing like Stephen to lay his life down so that God might be glorified through him.

It is real easy for the things of this world to become more important than the things of God. Anything that comes between us and serving God is a stumbling block. Jesus once was approached by a man who felt the calling to follow Jesus. However, the man requested that he first be allowed to go and bury his father. Jesus told this man that he should let the dead bury the dead. Apparently, the father was not dead yet, so this man was simply putting off following God until some undetermined time in the future. God was calling this man now, but he was putting a relationship above the calling of Christ.

You are to add temperance to your daily life. This means that you must demonstrate self-control and not allow the things of this world to control you. Yes you live in this world but the world is not to control you. If God asks you to give up a major position or do something that seems to put your life at jeopardy, you need to quickly obey God just as Abraham did with Isaac.

What a blessing that Ananias was about to miss out on because he was not willing to fully trust God. What blessings have you missed out on because you started second guessing the will of God for your life? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and be quick to put the things of God first in your life.

Acts 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

How often are we just like Saul? Saul was busy doing that which was right in his own eyes. The Lord was trying to get his attention and Saul kept crowding out the Lord by doing what he thought the Lord would want him to do. The Lord was persistent and eventually the Lord got the attention of Saul when he appeared on the road to Damascus.

God was speaking to Saul but finally the Lord spoke loud enough that Saul got the picture and he finally asked the Lord what the Lord wanted Saul to do. No longer was it what Saul thought God wanted him to do, but Saul was going to serve the Lord by doing what the Lord wanted him to do. Finally Saul was going to abandon his own path and start serving God as God desired.

God does not want to come with a bolt of lightning to get our attention. God desires to have a relationship with us so that we learn to hear HIS still small voice. However, if we continue to ignore the Lord and continue to put the things of this world as a top priority in our life, God will have to take some of those things away in order to get our attention. The continual ignoring of the voice of God can actually be hazardous to your health.

Balaam was a man who was on a mission. God was trying to get the attention of Balaam but Balaam continued to do what he wanted when he wanted. If it were not for his ass, Balaam by his own stubbornness would have driven that ass right to his death. God used the talking ass to open the eyes of Balaam so that Balaam would do the perfect will of God.

What is it about the things of this world that we are so attached to them? We become so attached to what this world has to offer that we fail to hear the direction that God would have us to go. God desires to change our direction to teach us to grow closer to HIM, but we continue to ignore the Lord and do what we want when we want to. As such, we force God to do bigger things in order to obtain our attention.

Saul was not hearing the voice of God until God blinded him on the road to Damascus. All of a sudden, upon losing his sight and hearing this voice coming from heaven, God had the attention of Saul. Saul had been deprived of something that God had given him but he had taken for granted, his sight. Now that he had lost his sight, he felt he had no choice but to hear God and to do what God desired him to do.

One reason God desires that we add temperance to our daily life is so that the things of this world will not control our lives. The less we are entangled by the things of this world, the easier it will be for us to hear God and to do what HE commands us to do. If we continue to do what we want when HE wants it, we will force God to take the things of this world away from us so that we will once again give God our full and undivided attention.

The things of this world should not control us. Instead, we should daily be active in seeking to do the perfect will of God so that HE might be glorified by our lives. As we resist the things of this world and pursue the things of God, we will learn the still small voice of God and the power of God will be evident in our life. Why run from God and force HIM to add trials to your life so that HE can draw you closer to HIM. Do not cling to the things of this world but instead cling to the things of God so that HE might be magnified through you.

Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Saul had set in his heart that he was going to persecute the disciples in Damascus. Saul had received his authority from the religious leaders and was traveling to Damascus to arrest any who professed the name of Christ. Christ showed HIMSELF to Saul that day on the road to Damascus and told Saul that it is hard to fight against the perfect will of God.

Christ gave Saul a visual analogy that Saul could see to help him understand what he was doing by persecuting the Christians. An animal that was kicking against the pricks was simply continuing to add more pain to its life. The master had placed the pricks where he did so that the animal would remain calm and controllable. Yes the animal had the choice whether or not to kick against the pricks, but if it chose to do so, it was only harming itself.

God has a perfect path for us. When we fight the perfect plan of God, we are simply doing more harm to our life then if we simply submitted to God. Saul had heard the sermon of Stephen, however, rather than confess his sins and repent, Saul chose to destroy those who preached a sermon that pricked his conscience. Saul was fighting God, but as a result of his fighting, he ended up being blinded by God on the road to Damascus. Saul realized that he could not fight against God forever and he eventually submitted to the perfect will of God and started to serve HIM rather than do what he wanted when he wanted to. God then changed his name form Saul to Paul.

We too can often be like Saul. We fall in love with the things of this world and as such, we start to do what we want when we want to. God has set obstacles in our life to drive us back closer to HIM, but instead of seeing what God is trying to do in our life, we choose to continue down the path we have chosen regardless of the consequences to our own lives.

When things become difficult in our lives, we need to wake up and realize that God may be allowing us to suffer a little so that we wake up and return to following HIM. We have a choice to make, we can continue to kick against the pricks and continue to cause greater trials in our life, or we can repent and return to God so that HE can use us the way that HE desires.

When you start facing trials, do not assume that God is not trying to get your attention. Maybe you are kicking against the pricks and God desires that you start adding temperance to your life and you stop pursuing the things of this world and start pursuing the things of God. You have made a profession with your lips that Christ is your Savior; why do you have such a problem with submitting to HIS perfect will for your life? You cannot have it both ways.

Saul was seeking his own glory while rejecting the truth that God had placed in HIS heart; are you doing the same? Is God trying to talk with you and you are finding all sorts of excuses to keep from doing HIS perfect will? Are you like Saul kicking against the pricks of doing the perfect will of God?

God desires that you learn to understand the perfect will of God in your life. God will place trials in your life to encourage you to do that which is right in HIS eyes. You do not have to obey HIM, but you will be choosing to make your own life harder than it needs to be. By yielding to the perfect will of God, you can have true contentment and experience true peace.H

Acts 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

Stephen was one of the men who had been called of God to help minister to the widows. However, God had more for Stephen then just taking care of the widows. We are told that Stephen was known as being a man full of faith. Because of the faithfulness of Stephen, we see that the wisdom of God was in him. The scholars of the day attempted to debate with him, but they found themselves fighting a losing battle.

When the world is faced with a situation that they are losing, they find a way to win regardless of the cost to others. As such, the scholars grew tired to seeing the wisdom of God demonstrated through the life of Stephen and they thus found men who were willing to lie in court so that they could take the life of Stephen.

These men did not care that they were disobeying the commands of God. These men did not care that they were failing to love their neighbor as themselves. All these men cared about was themselves and what they could get for themselves. As such, they were willing to lie even though it would cost a man his life.

Stephen understood that just because he had wisdom of God and was full of faith, it did not mean that his life was free of persecution. Stephen understood that God was in control of his life and that regardless of what was going on around him, he had to remain faithful to God to use the opportunity God had given him to reveal to those around him the Good News of the gift of life.

We all have a sin nature and it is because of that sin nature that we fall short of the glory of God. These men who lied about Stephen were simply yielding to their sin nature. They did not have to lie, but they chose to allow the lusts of their flesh to control their decision making.

Paul, who was called Saul at that time, was one of the individuals who was involved with the death of Stephen. Saul could have intervened, but it was easy to get along with the mob and watch the murder than it was to stand alone and go against the flow. Saul like everyone else did not demonstrate self-control but instead did that which was right in their own eyes.

God desires that we learn to add temperance to our life. This means that we must daily die to self in order to do that which is right in the eyes of God. As we die to self and put ourselves into a position that we are doing the perfect will of God, we will find that our lives are naturally reflecting the love of God. The more we reflect the love of God and the more that HE is a part of every aspect of our life, the more the world will feel uncomfortable around us and the quicker they will be to persecute us for righteousness sake.

Stephen was a man who yielded his right to do what he wanted and as such we see the power of God was flowing through his life. Scripture does not glorify the men who were willing to lie in order kill Stephen. Instead, we give honor to the man who was able to forgive those who wrongfully were taking his life.

The choice is yours, are you going to die to self and live for God or are you going to live for yourself and kill your spiritual relationship with God. To live for God, you must daily demonstrate temperance by saying no to the things of this world so that you can say yes to God.

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

Christ has just completed the Sermon on the Mount. In this verse, we are told the response of the people who heard the commands of Christ. We are told that the people were astonished. According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, astonish means amazed, confounded with fear, surprise, or admiration. The commands of Christ found in the Sermon on the Mount was not what people expected to hear.

In the next verse, we are told that Christ had said these words as one who had authority, and we are also told that he did not speak as the religious leaders of the day. You must understand, the commands of Christ are a radical change from the traditions of their fathers. The Jews have been living their entire life making sure that they were following the traditions and making the right sacrifices at the right time so as to make sure that they pleased God.

All of a sudden, here comes a man speaking with authority telling them that God is more concerned with their heart then HE is with their actions. Their entire focus has been upon what they could do for God so that they can earn HIS good pleasure. Now all of a sudden, here is a man who is telling them that if their heart is not right, God is not pleased with them.

The Sermon on the Mount is really the first major direction from God about how the nation of Israel was to order its life since Moses received the law. While Christ made clear that HE was not here to abolish the law, this new law really was much different from the traditions that the Jews had been following for many years.

The problem with the Jews was not that they were not capable of having a personal relationship with God, the problem was that the Jews were so focused upon the law that they failed to maintain the relationship that God desired to have with HIS people.

David is just one example of an Israelite who had a personal relationship with God. We are told that David had a heart after the heart of God. David understood that HIS relationship with God was the most important thing. Saul on the other hand was focused upon himself and while both David and Saul had sinned, God showed great mercy upon the house of David because of the relationship that David had with God.

The Law of Moses was filled with many things that the Israelites were to do and what they were not to do. Because the nation became so focused upon traditions, they lost sight of God. Christ was concerned about restoring that relationship with God and as such, HE taught us in this passage where the proper focus is to be so that we can live a life pleasing to God.

It is easy to go to church and just do the motions each week. You can wear nice clothing, you can sing the songs, you can close your eyes and hear the prayers, and you can say amen at the appropriate times during the sermon. You can fool a lot of people into believing that you are a good person, but God looks at your heart and your righteousness is as filthy rags.

You must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. As you focus your attention upon what God desires you to do, you will learn that God is concerned about your relationship with HIM. Your focus should not be on traditions but on the relationship.

Proverbs 26:27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord. It is your job to get those who do you wrong. It is not your duty to take matters into your own hands and make the life of another miserable. You need to understand the words of Christ when HE commanded us to judge not lest we be not judged. The scriptures are full of examples when someone took matters into their own hands and there were serious repercussions.

On multiple times, Saul went out to kill David. However, as Saul was pursuing David, God arranged things so that on two occasions, Saul went into a cave that David was in. On these occasions, David could have killed Saul, but David showed Saul mercy, something that Saul never did to David. On another occasion, David managed to sneak his way into the camp of Saul and David had the opportunity to kill the one who was trying to take his life.

Saul was digging a pit for David but Saul basically fell into his own pit. David was wise enough not to take the bait but instead allowed God to render vengeance upon the life of Saul. David understood that Saul was accountable to God and that one day, God would take the kingdom of Saul and would give it to him.

Too many of us would be hasty in taking those things that God had promised and trying to make them happen in our own timing. David was wise enough to understand that the will of God would be fulfilled in the perfect timing of God. One of the reasons why David was chosen by God to be the next king was because he had a heart after the heart of God and David understood that HE had to allow God to fulfill HIS judgment in HIS timing.

Another example of a person digging a pit occurred shortly after the death of Saul. A young man ran to David to tell David the good news that Saul was dead. This young man devised a plan in his heart that would cause David to reward him for killing Saul. However, David had the young man killed based upon the testimony of his own mouth. The plans of the young man ended up destroying him. Had the young man not been so greedy for gain, he would have lived much longer.

Upon the death of Jacob, the brothers of Joseph were afraid that Joseph was finally going to take revenge for their wicked deeds. However, Joseph had not been coming up with ways that he could get back at his brothers; instead, Joseph understood that God was in charge and that his brothers could have done nothing to him absent the permission of God.

You must understand that it is not your job to come up with plans to make the lives of others miserable. If you are plotting to take matters into your own hands, then God will judge and HE might just judge you with the same judgment that you measured out on others. It is better to forgive and acknowledge that God is in control. It is better to trust God and understand that God permitted others to do evil to you to draw you closer to HIM.

When you spend time adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life, you understand that your enemy is not your fellow man. The closer you get to God, the easier it is for you to understand that God is using those around you to draw you closer to HIM. You need to take the time to put God first and stop thinking of ways to get back at others.