Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
August 16
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth.
John 16:13 (NCV)
Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit.
The father stays at the son's side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride.
Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age
2 Thessalonians 2
The Man of Lawlessness
1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Stand Firm
13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you[b] to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[
August 16, 2008
Chip Off The Ol’ Block
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READ: Ephesians 5:1-5
Be imitators of God as dear children. —Ephesians 5:1
I’ll never forget the time I was asked to bring my family to a banquet where I was to be the speaker. After dinner, my son Matt came up to me and asked to sit on my lap. “Sure,” I said and picked him up.
Over the course of his young life, Matt had watched me strike up conversations with lots of strangers. As an unrepentant people-person, in restaurants I would often look at the server’s name tag and start my order with, “Hey, Barbara, how are you today?” To which my kids would inevitably say, “Dad, you embarrass us!”
But now, sitting on my lap, Matt turned to the “big-shot” organizer of the banquet next to me, read his name tag, and stuck out his little hand, saying, “Hey, John, how are you?” A proud moment for me! He was acting just like his dad—a chip off the ol’ block!
This is exactly what Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to “be imitators of God” (Eph. 5:1). But life has a way of making us anything but like God. We are often uncaring, short-tempered, grumpy, and unforgiving—flat-out too much like ourselves and not enough like Him!
Remember, we are saved to bear the Family resemblance, to become increasingly more like Jesus and less like ourselves. — Joe Stowell
O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear. —Chisholm
Every child of God should have a growing likeness to the Father.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 16, 2008
Does He Know Me . . . ?
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READ:
He calls his own . . . by name . . . —John 10:3
When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18 ). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2 ); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. ". . . she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. . . . Jesus said to her, ’Mary!’ " ( John 20:14, 16 ). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. "She turned and said to Him, ’Rabboni!’ " ( John 20:16 ).
When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29 ). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, "We have seen the Lord" ( John 20:25 ). But Thomas doubted, saying, "Unless I see . . . I will not believe" ( John 20:25 ). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. "Thomas . . . said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’ " ( John 20:28 ).
When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17 ). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75 ), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, "Lord . . . You know that I love You" ( John 21:17 ).
Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him— a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.