Proverbs 17:3 – The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.
1 Samuel 16:7 – But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room
Day 32 – Saturday, March 17, 2018
Today’s Assignment – Please read John 16:12-16 and answer the following questions.
Quote of the Day: “When you compare John 14:26 with 16:13, you see the wonderful way that God arranged for the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. The Spirit would remind them of what Jesus had taught them; this gives us the four Gospels. The Spirit would also “guide” them into all truth; and this would result in the epistles. “He will show you things to come” refers to the prophetic Scriptures, especially the Book of Revelation.“
– Dr. Warren Wiersbe
This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…
50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room
Day 31 – Friday, March 16, 2018
Today’s Assignment – Please read John 16:5-11 and answer the following questions.
Quote of the Day : “When the Holy Spirit is come, He will convict the world in the way a judge or a prosecuting attorney presents evidence to bring a conviction. The Spirit of God wants to present evidence in your heart and in my heart to bring us to a place of conviction, and that, of course, means a place of decision. There must be a conviction before we can turn in faith and trust to Jesus Christ”. – Dr. J. Vernon McGee
This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33
So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…
50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room
Day 30 – Thursday, March 15, 2018
Today’s Assignment – Read John 16:1-4 and answer the following questions.
Today’s Quote: “The hatred would be so strong that eventually they would be excommunicated from the synagogue. This meant isolation from the social life of Israel. It meant loss of employment and rejection by their own families.” – Dr. Edward Dobson
This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33
So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…
The Law of the Leadership Vaccum – When no fruit producing leaders are willing to step up, inevitably a fruitless leader, one who has little to offer in terms of pleasant fruit but only thorns, will step in to fill the leadership vaccum and things will get prickly.
JUDGES 9 Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family, 2“Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”3 And his mother’s relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. 5 And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. 6 And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. 7 When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8 The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’13 But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’15 And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room
Day 29 – Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Today’s Assignment – Read John 16 and do the following:
John 16:1-4 – __________________________
John 16:5-11 -__________________________
John 16:12-16 – _________________________
John 16:17-24 -_________________________
John 16: 25-33 – ________________________
Today’s Quote: “He specified in greater detail how the Spirit confronts the world, i.e., not only does He testify about Jesus but He convicts men of sin. Through conviction of sin and testimony of the gospel, the Spirit turns the hostile hearts of men away from rebellion against God into belief regarding Jesus as Savior and Lord.” – Dr. John MacArthur
This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33
So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
Judges 8:22-28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.8.22-28.ESV
The spoils from Gideon’s victory became the seeds of he and the nation of Israel’s downfall. As a leader he did the right thing and pointed the people to the Lord as their ultimate leader. Yet he felt entitled to a share of the winnings, the spoils. After all he had been on the frontlines and risked everything. Surely he must have thought I deserve something for my efforts and sacrifice. These spoils became something that was a snare to him, his family and the nation. We all need to make sure that when God provides a win through us that we don’t feel entitled to anything.
We need to keep in mind the words of Jesus in Luke 17:10 – So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'”
Luke 17:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.17.10.ESV
50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room
Day 28 – Tuesday, March 13, 2006
Today’s Assignment – Re-read John 15:1-27 and write down what you have learned from this chapter.
Today’s Quote:-“Jesus (here) has already revealed the fundamental secret of Christian living, out of which everything else flows. These seven words of Jesus, “You in me and I in you,” are, in my estimation, the most profound truth ever revealed on this planet. Discovering their meaning is the business of the Christian life. Like Einstein’s formula, E = mc2, this simple statement is a description of unbelievable power.” – Dr. Ray Stedman
This Week’s Memory Verse – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…
The first person you lead is you—and you can’t lead effectively without self–discipline….How about you? How is your self–discipline? Plato said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self.” If you want to be a leader with self–discipline, follow these action points: 1. Develop and follow your priorities. 2. Make a disciplined lifestyle your goal. 3. Challenge your excuses. 4. Remove rewards until you finish the job. 5. Stay focused on results. Never trade what you want at the moment for what you want most.
Proverbs 12:1 – Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
nycshepherd.com 