Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
November 24
The CEO of Heaven
Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NCV)
[God] wants you to "think and act like Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). But how? The answer is surprisingly simple. We can be transformed if we make one decision: I will submit my thoughts to the authority of Jesus. . . .
Jesus claims to be the CEO of heaven and earth. He has the ultimate say on everything, especially our thoughts. He has more authority, for example, than your parents. Your parents may say you are no good, but Jesus says you are valuable, and he has authority over parents. . . .
Jesus also has authority over your ideas. Suppose you have an idea that you want to rob a grocery store. Jesus, however, has made it clear that stealing is wrong. If you have given him authority over your ideas, then the idea of stealing cannot remain in your thoughts....
To have a pure heart, we must submit all thoughts to the authority of Christ. If we are willing to do that, he will change us to be like him.
Numbers 3
The Levites
1 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 The LORD said to Moses, 6 "Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. [a] 10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death."
11 The LORD also said to Moses, 12 "I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD."
14 The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15 "Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more." 16 So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
17 These were the names of the sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18 These were the names of the Gershonite clans:
Libni and Shimei.
19 The Kohathite clans:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20 The Merarite clans:
Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
21 To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. 24 The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use.
27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. 28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. [b] The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. 29 The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. 32 The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. 34 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200. 35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, 37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
39 The total number of Levites counted at the LORD's command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
40 The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41 Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD."
42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43 The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
44 The LORD also said to Moses, 45 "Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD. 46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect five shekels [c] for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons."
49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, [d] according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Matthew 19:16-26
The Rich Young Man
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[a] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
November 24, 2008
Impossible Itokawa
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READ: Matthew 19:16-26
With God all things are possible. —Matthew 19:26
In 2005, Japan’s unmanned Haya-busa spacecraft visited an “impossible” asteroid. Images and data indicate that the asteroid, named Itokawa, is twice as porous as loose sand. This has astonished scientists, who believe that asteroids make repeated impacts with other space rocks and hence should be very dense. As they make additional discoveries, scientists may learn why Itokawa is different. But for now, we have an asteroid that challenges scientific understanding.
Two thousand years ago, a young ruler asked Jesus an “impossible” question: “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16). After an intriguing exchange, the man “went away sorrowful” (v.22) when he realized he would have to give up his wealth—the very thing he valued more than a relationship with Jesus.
This upright man had kept the letter of the law, yet had fallen short. “Who then can be saved?” asked the astonished disciples (v.25). Jesus answered, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v.26).
The One who created this universe out of nothing has a history of accomplishing the impossible. When we forsake what this life has to offer and follow Him, He does the impossible once again—He gives us eternal life! — C. P. Hia
It took a miracle to put the stars in place,
It took a miracle to hang the world in space;
But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace! —Peterson
© Renewal 1976, John W. Peterson Music Company.
Our limited ability accents God’s limitless power.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
November 24, 2008
Direction of Focus
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READ:
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters . . . , so our eyes look to the Lord our God . . . —Psalm 123:2
This verse is a description of total reliance on God. Just as the eyes of a servant are riveted on his master, our eyes should be directed to and focused on God. This is how knowledge of His countenance is gained and how God reveals Himself to us (see Isaiah 53:1 ). Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. We wrongfully think, "I suppose I’ve been stretching myself a little too much, standing too tall and trying to look like God instead of being an ordinary humble person." We have to realize that no effort can be too high.
For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— "Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?" Your "rational" friends come and say, "Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain. And anyway, God doesn’t expect you to endure." You respond by saying, "Well, I suppose I was expecting too much." That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. Only when God brings you to a sudden stop will you realize that you have been the loser. Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Welcoming The King - #5706
Monday, November 24, 2008
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In a few places in the world, there is a man who literally embodies a nation. For the Middle Eastern kingdom of Jordan, for many years King Hussein was that kind of man. His stature on the international scene could be measured by his influence on the Middle East peace talks and even by the unprecedented coming together of friends and enemies at his funeral. But those who loved him most, of course, were his own countrymen. He was gone from Jordan for many of what turned out to be the lasts months of his life - gone for treatment of a deadly cancer. Just weeks before his final trip for treatment before the cancer claimed his life, King Hussein returned to his beloved country - flying his own airplane. It was a dramatic return for a king who had been gone so long, and the welcome he received was amazing. As a display of affection and loyalty, people slaughtered sheep and goats right on the street as his motorcade passed by. One man even sacrificed a camel that was valued at $10,000. They literally poured out their love for their returning king.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Welcoming The King."
One day, another king will return to the Middle East - one who has been away for a long time, but He will have, in fact, He will need no successor. He will reign forever. He is, of course, the King of all kings, Jesus Christ. And those of us who are His loyal subjects, we should look to His return as the crowning moment of all we have lived for and to be able to pour out our love there for our returning King.
Will Jesus' return be soon? I don't know and I'm not about to repeat the mistake of so many who have tried to name the time of His coming back, but He did leave us signs that would precede His return. And with Israel established as a nation for the first time in 2,000 years, with the technology in place to finally fulfill many of the Bible's centuries-old prophecies, with many other signs converging, I think there is one thing we can say about what time it is. The world has never looked more like the world Jesus said He would return to than the world looks today.
And the prospect of your King's glorious return should be affecting the way you live. Our word for the day from the Word of God comes from 1 John 3:2-3. "We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
You and I should be living in light of our King's return. He's not looking for animal sacrifices as our love gift. He's looking for you to live to be more and more like Him every day. Since being like Jesus is your eternal destiny, He wants you to start being now what He's going to make you forever. Living in light of the King's coming also means sacrificing our personal resources and putting them to work in the things that will matter when He comes, rather than storing them up for earth-stuff that won't matter when He comes.
And even before His final return, there is a sense in which your King awaits your loving welcome each new day. He shows up every day to spend time with you. Are you showing up or are you standing Him up? My son was twelve and he and I had heard a conference message on how dark the world is becoming. And when my son expressed his concern about that after the meeting, I reminded him that Jesus was coming back and would fix all that. When I asked him why he didn't want Jesus to come back immediately, which is what he told me, he said, "I want to have more devotions first, Dad. I want to know Jesus better before I see Him." Don't you?
Welcome Him each new morning. Sacrifice what you have for what will matter when He comes. Give Him the daily love-gift of you - to be a little more like Him that day. He's coming back in power; He's coming back in great glory. Pour out your love for your returning King.