Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
September 2
Because of His Gift
I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death.
Philippians 3:10 (NCV)
Trace the path of this Savior, the God who swapped heavenly royalty for earthly poverty. His bed became, at best, a borrowed pallet--and usually the hard earth. He was dependent on handouts for his income. He was sometimes so hungry he would eat raw grain or pick fruit off a tree. He knew what it meant to have no home. He was ridiculed. His neighbors tried to lynch him. Some called him a lunatic. His family tried to confine him to their house. His friends weren't always faithful to him.
He was accused of a crime he never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. The jury was rigged. A judge swayed by politics handed down the death penalty.
They killed him.
And why? Because of the gift that only he could give.
Hebrews 10
Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "[a] 8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16"This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds."[b] 17Then he adds:
"Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more."[c] 18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d] and again, "The Lord will judge his people."[e] 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38But my righteous one[f] will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him."[g] 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Genesis 40
The Cupbearer and the Baker
1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"
8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them."
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand."
12 "This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.
Genesis 40:23
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
September 2, 2009
Patience In Prison
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READ: Genesis 40:1-14,23
[God] Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5
Have you ever noticed that other people’s forgetfulness can try your patience? As a college professor, I find my patience stretched when a student forgets to do an assignment that’s clearly spelled out in the syllabus.
In the Old Testament story of Joseph, we see a far worse example of forgetfulness—and we can only imagine how he struggled to be patient as a result.
While in prison, Joseph interpreted a dream of the king’s butler, which led to the man’s release. Joseph told him, “Remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house” (Gen. 40:14). It would seem that after Joseph had helped the butler gain freedom, remembering him would have been high on his “to do” list. But it was 2 years before the butler spoke to Pharaoh about Joseph (41:9). Finally, Joseph was freed.
Imagine the impatience Joseph felt as he waited each day in that dungeon (40:15)—perhaps thinking his only chance at freedom had passed. Yet Joseph had a resource: He had God’s presence (39:21), as do we (Heb. 13:5). When you’re feeling impatient, lean on the God who is always with you. He’ll turn your impatience into patient trust. — Dave Branon
Tune your anxious heart to patience,
Walk by faith where sight is dim;
Loving God, be calm and trustful
And leave everything to Him. —Chambers
Patience means awaiting God’s time without doubting God’s love.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
September 2, 2009
A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice
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READ:
He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow . . . —John 7:38
Jesus did not say, "He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God," but, in essence, "He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him." Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.
When Mary of Bethany "broke the flask . . . of very costly oil . . . and poured it on [Jesus’] head," it was an act for which no one else saw any special occasion; in fact, ". . . there were some who . . . said, ’Why was this fragrant oil wasted?’ " (Mark 14:3-4 ). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said, ". . . wherever this gospel is preached . . . what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her" ( Mark 14:9 ). Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did— not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. God poured out the life of His Son "that the world through Him might be saved" ( John 3:17 ). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?
"He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water"— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break "the flask" of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Name That Says It All - #5908
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
My parents really didn't put much thought into what they named me. They decided on the way to the hospital when they saw "Ronnie's Used Car Lot" along the way. So could I interest you in a '95 Chevy with low mileage? Well, my wife and I, and then our children, have put a little more thought into the names of our kids. Sometimes we pick names that reflect something about the child's heritage. We buy those books that tell you the meanings of thousand of names and we pick one that says something. You know? For example, our daughter's name means "consecrated to God" which she really is. Sometimes a person's name is more than just a name; it's actually a statement!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Name That Says It All."
There is no name in the world like this one name - Jesus - as in Jesus, the Christ. If you know what that name means, and you respond accordingly, it will change your life forever. It will change where you spend eternity.
Mary and Joseph, Jesus' earthly parents, did not pick His name. God did. In Matthew 1:21, our word for today from the Word of God, the angel of the Lord is explaining to Joseph that his virgin fianc?e is going to have a miracle baby, the Son of God, come to earth in a human form. And here are Joseph's instructions: "You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
The name Jesus means something. It means "Jehovah saves." Or, to use a word that we understand very well these days, "Jehovah Rescues." Think of people trapped alive in the rubble of the World Trade Center on that September 11, and the men who risked everything to bring them out - the rescuers. God doesn't ever want us to forget who Jesus is and why He came to "save," or "rescue His people from their sins." Which clearly implies that we will die because of our sins unless there's a rescue.
There's no way to get yourself out of the rubble, out of the death penalty for hijacking the control of your life from your Creator and, as a result, repeatedly breaking His laws and putting bricks in the wall between Him and you. No amount of religion, no good deeds, no spirituality, no Christian activity is enough to dig you out. Your only hope is the one whose name is "Jehovah Rescues." And unless and until you abandon all other hopes and cling completely to God's Rescuer, Jesus, you are headed for hell's eternal punishment. But see, Jesus already took your punishment when He gave His life for you on the cross. What you have to do is reach out in faith and take for yourself what He did for you there.
So every time you speak Jesus' name, you speak why He came. It's what His life is all about - rescuing the dying. It's what our life should be all about if we belong to Him. Philippians 2 tells us that "at the name of (Jehovah Rescues) Jesus, every knee will bow." John 1:12 says, "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." To believe in His name is to believe that this One named "Jehovah Rescues" is your only hope.
Has there ever been a time when you've done that? There's no other kind of relationship with Jesus that will get you to heaven; not Jesus as your teacher, not Jesus as your religion, not Jesus as your belief. It has to be Jesus as your rescuer from your sin. If you've never really thrown your arms around God's rescuer and said, "Save me, Lord," don't wait another day to do that.
It would be my great joy to help you do that if I can. We've got a website that is set up to do just that. A lot of people have found the help that they were looking for when they wanted to be sure they have begun a relationship with Jesus by checking it out. I hope you'll go there today. It's YoursForLife.net. Or I'd be glad to send you my little booklet Yours For Life if you'll call the toll free number 877-741-1200.
This could be the day of your rescue! This could be the day you trade death for life, because life has a name - one name. The name you need to call on - it's Jesus.