Micah 4
The Mountain of the LORD
1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
The LORD's Plan 6 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7 I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.
8 As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold [a] of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."
9 Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king? Has your counselor perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?
10 Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!"
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 "Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hoofs of bronze and you will break to pieces many nations." You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Matthew 5:21-26
Murder
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[d]
January 10, 2008
Apology Hotline
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 5:21-26
Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. —Matthew 5:24 About this cover Jesse Jacobs has created an apology hotline that makes it possible to apologize without actually talking to the person you’ve wronged. People who are unable or unwilling to unburden their conscience in person call the hotline and leave a message on an answering machine. Each week, 30 to 50 calls are logged, as people apologize for things from adultery to embezzlement. “The hotline offers participants a chance to alleviate their guilt and, to some degree, to own up to their misdeeds,” said Jacobs.
The apology hotline may seem to offer some relief from guilt, but this is not how Jesus instructed His followers to handle conflict. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us to deal with conflict by taking the initiative and going to the offended brother to apologize for the offense (see also Matt. 18). In fact, Jesus taught that the problem of human estrangement is so serious that we should even interrupt our worship to go on a personal mission of reconciliation (Matt. 5:24). The Master encouraged His followers to be reconciled with one another eagerly, aggressively, quickly, and personally (v.25).
Are any of your relationships broken or estranged because of something you said or did? Take the initiative. Go now and do all you can to be reconciled. —Marvin Williams
God cannot prosper those who tryTo cover sin and wrong deny;But all who humbly will confess,The Savior with His love will bless. —D. De Haan
At the heart of all conflict is a selfish heart.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 10, 2008
The Opened SightLISTEN: READ:
I now send you, to open their eyes . . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins . . . —Acts 26:17-18 About this cover This verse is the greatest example of the true essence of the message of a disciple of Jesus Christ in all of the New Testament.
God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, ". . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins . . . ." When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light. But that is not salvation; it is conversion-only the effort of an awakened human being. I do not think it is too broad a statement to say that the majority of so-called Christians are like this. Their eyes are open, but they have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is a neglected fact in our preaching today. When a person is born again, he knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision. People may make vows and promises, and may be determined to follow through, but none of this is salvation. Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus Christ, namely, forgiveness of sins.
This is followed by God’s second mighty work of grace: ". . . an inheritance among those who are sanctified . . . ." In sanctification, the one who has been born again deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God’s ministry to others.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Power of Powerlessness - #5479 Thursday, January 10, 2008
I was talking with two men after a recent meeting where I spoke, and the subject was manhood and what it really means. In the course of our solving many of the world's problems, I learned that one of the men had a black belt or its equivalent in three different forms of martial arts. I hired him as my bodyguard. Well, almost. This man has the ability to take control of most any hostile situation - except for one. He told me there is only one position in which a person is totally powerless, no matter how strong or how skilled they are: lying face down on the ground. You're absolutely powerless there.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Power of Powerlessness."
When Mr. Black Belt told me about the total vulnerability of being face down on the ground, General Joshua flashed into my mind. That's Joshua as in the Book of Joshua in the Bible. In fact, there's a wonderful blueprint for winning life's unwinnable battles in the account of Joshua's most powerless moment. It's recorded in Joshua 5, beginning with verse 13, and it's our word for today from the Word of God.
Joshua is leading the Jews into the Promised Land that God has said He would give to them. But immediately, they come upon this massive, seemingly impregnable city; the walls are looming toward the sky. It's the world's oldest city, Jericho. There's no way Joshua's going to breach those walls with anything he knows how to do. You may be facing one of those "Jerichos" in your life right now, where the size of the challenge is far greater than any resources you have.
So, this one's for you. Joshua 5 says, "When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and he saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' he replied, 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for His servant?'"
Here's Joshua, a man who has never lost a battle, going face down on the ground in the most powerless position a man can be in. Joshua had never surrendered to anyone. But standing before the Commander of the Army of the Lord, he falls down in total surrender. Most Bible scholars believe this "Commander" is the Son of God making one of His pre-Bethlehem appearances in the Old Testament.
Face down before Jesus. Could that be where He wants you right now? Maybe that's the only way you're ever going to conquer your Jericho; the only way you're ever going to have peace. When Joshua surrendered, God gave him the miracle plan that pulverized the walls of Jericho. The issue never was the conquest of Jericho; it was the conquest of Joshua. The issue in your life really isn't the conquest of your impossible challenge; it's the conquest of you. It sometimes takes a Jericho to level some of us Joshuas.
It could be that you've given Jesus everything: your talent, your time, your money, your service; everything but one thing, that is, control. It's still my way, my will, my agenda, my plans, my timing. There's someone or something that you're still holding tightly in your hands, afraid or unwilling to surrender control. And, consequently, your Jerichos will remain standing.
The most powerful position in the world is powerlessness. The secret of peace and the release of God's power into your situation is total surrender. At that point, He will commit all His forces to the battles in front of you. To finally surrender is to finally win.
