July 4
To See the Unseen
He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak.
Isaiah 40:29 (NCV)
An example of faith was found on the wall of a concentration camp. On it a prisoner had carved the words:
I believe in the sun, even though it doesn't shine,
I believe in love, even when it isn't shown,
I believe in God, even when he doesn't speak.
I try to imagine the person who etched those words. I try to envision his skeletal hand gripping the broken glass or stone that cut into the wall. I try to imagine his eyes squinting through the darkness as he carved each letter. What hand could have cut such a conviction? What eyes could have seen good in such horror?
There is only one answer: Eyes that chose to see the unseen.
From: He Still Moves Stones
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1993)
Max Lucado
1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature[a]; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b]
July 4, 2008
The Unpayable Debt We Owe
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READ: Galatians 5:1-14
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. —Galatians 5:1
Our gratitude is deepened when we remember the price others paid to help obtain freedom. In the United States, one such person was Richard Stockton.
Stockton was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was a prominent lawyer and a wealthy landowner. Because he supported the war efforts, he and his family were driven from their home. That home was sacked and burned. Stockton was imprisoned for several years and subjected to harsh treatment that broke his health. He died a pauper at the age of 51. Yet few Americans remember this hero who paid such a high price for the cause of liberty. His sacrifice is largely forgotten.
Even more important, have we become so familiar with the gospel that we fail to appreciate what our salvation cost the Savior? We rejoice in the spiritual freedom we enjoy by faith in the sin-canceling death of Jesus, but do we realize at least to some small degree the price He paid?
Are we truly grateful to Jesus for all He sacrificed to set us free spiritually? If so, we are to “stand fast . . . in the liberty by which Christ has made us free” (Gal. 5:1). No matter what else may be demanding our attention, let’s take time to remember the unpayable debt we owe Him. — Vernon C. Grounds
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away—
’Tis all that I can do! —Watts
Salvation is infinitely costly but absolutely free.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 4, 2008
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
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READ:
Do not fret— it only causes harm —Psalm 37:8
Fretting means getting ourselves "out of joint" mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, "Do not fret," but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" ( Psalm 37:7 ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to "rest in the Lord" then? If this "Do not" doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. This "Do not" must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.
Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" ( Psalm 91:1 ). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Bad Stuff in Your Tank - #5605
Friday, July 4, 2008
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Sometimes being a Christian comes with a pretty high price tag, especially if you're a believer on some of America's Indian reservations. My friend, who I'll call John, lives on a reservation where there are very few Jesus-followers and where some of the tribe is bitterly opposed to anything Christian. They were especially unhappy when John began a youth ministry there, of course. He literally had telephoned death threats; he had slashed tires, dirty tricks, even attacks on his property. One day, he was making the five-hour drive from his reservation to a Native American conference where I was speaking. He got there a little late. His car engine started sputtering and missing - he lost power. Thankfully, it started as he approached the only gas station in the middle of a very long stretch. After a few minutes, the mechanic diagnosed the problem - someone had put sugar in his gas tank. Again, thankfully, they were able to correct the situation. And nothing has been able to stop John's ministry among his people, but impurities in his tank almost stopped his car that day!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Bad Stuff in Your Tank."
Now when there are impurities in your tank, you're going to lose power, especially when it comes to spiritual power. In fact, you may be wondering why things have been sputtering lately - why you're having such a hard time making any progress or keeping up your speed. It's been frustrating. It's been confusing. And you just don't seem to have the power you used to have or the power you need.
It isn't that you haven't tried to fix things. You've worked harder, you've adjusted your approach, you've tried to place blame, you've even prayed about it. But things still aren't running right. Could it be it's because there's dirt in your tank? The problem isn't the vehicle or the miles or those traveling with you. It's those impurities in your tank, and they're costing you your power.
God's prescription for a full-power recovery is in Acts 3:19, our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." The key to recovery - repentance. And repentance is all about dealing with the bottom line issue - dealing with the sin that may be holding back God's blessing.
Actually, we'll try everything but repentance to get the power back. We'll tinker with every part of the engine before we face the fact that the problem is the bad stuff in our tank. We'll go to all kinds of mechanics to find out what's wrong. But there's no counselor, there's no seminar, there's no Christian activity that can get the dirt out of your tank. Only repenting can do that.
Would you consider the possibility that the solution is as simple and as difficult as getting rid of the sin that is choking your power supply? Maybe God's power can't get through that bitterness you're harboring, or those lustful thoughts, that sinful habit, that selfish motive, that prideful motive that is your real reason for doing what you do. Or is there a broken relationship - a broken vow - an area of stubborn rebellion against what you know God wants.
It's getting harder and harder to go on, isn't it, with that stalling and with the setbacks you're experiencing. And you're running out of gas. Today, would you finally turn and face Jesus; finally face how your sin has been hurting your Savior. Come to the foot of Jesus' cross. Abandon that sin at the place where Jesus died for it, and pick up His overcoming power to beat what has beaten you for so long.
Maybe you've never been to that cross to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ; to have Him erase from God's Book every wrong thing you have ever done, to be clean, to be free, to experience Him being a personal Savior for you from your personal sin. Let this be the day you say, "Jesus, I'm tired of the junk. I'm tired of a powerless life. I'm tired of the guilt and the shame. And say, "Jesus, I'm Yours."
If you want that for yourself, I'd invite you to go to our website because I think you'll find encouragement there and a path to knowing how to belong to Jesus personally. It's YoursForLife.net. If you'll repent, God has told you what He will do. He will wipe your sins away and pour out His times of refreshing.