Max Lucado Daily: Valuable to Him
Valuable to Him
Posted: 06 Jun 2010 11:01 PM PDT
“Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.” Luke 15:6
When Jesus told the story of the missing sheep, some of the people who were listening wiped away a tear because they knew how it feels to be lost among the crowd. Jesus wanted us to understand that we have a Father who sees and cares for each one of his children—that we are all equally valuable to him.
John 19
The Thorn Crown of the King
1-3 So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face.
4-5Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime." Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe.
Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man."
6When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!"
Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him."
7The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."
8-9When Pilate heard this, he became even more scared. He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?"
Jesus gave no answer.
10Pilate said, "You won't talk? Don't you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to—crucify you?"
11Jesus said, "You haven't a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven. That's why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far greater fault."
12At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the Jews shouted him down: "If you pardon this man, you're no friend of Caesar's. Anyone setting himself up as 'king' defies Caesar."
13-14When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king."
15They shouted back, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!"
Pilate said, "I am to crucify your king?"
The high priests answered, "We have no king except Caesar."
16-19Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
They took Jesus away. Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read:
jesus the nazarene
the king of the jews.
20-21Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. "Don't write," they said to Pilate, "'The King of the Jews.' Make it, 'This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"
22Pilate said, "What I've written, I've written."
23-24When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, "Let's not tear it up. Let's throw dice to see who gets it." This confirmed the Scripture that said, "They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat." (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)
24-27While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.
28Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty."
29-30A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.
31-34Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn't stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.
35The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.
36-37These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, "Not a bone in his body was broken," and the other Scripture that reads, "They will stare at the one they pierced."
38After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.
39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Cor. 15:1-11
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
A Steward Of Grace
June 7, 2010 — by Julie Ackerman Link
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —1 Peter 4:10
Last week I had several opportunities to show grace. I wasn’t perfect, but I was pleased with the way I handled one situation in particular. Instead of getting angry, I said, “I understand how that could have happened. I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes,” and I left it at that.
According to my own grading scale, I deserved a high score. Not perfect, but close. Lurking in the back of my mind (I hate to admit) was the thought that maybe by being gracious I could expect to be treated that way at some future date.
The following Sunday morning our congregation was singing “Amazing Grace,” and suddenly the audacity of my attitude came through to me in the words, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”
What in the world was I thinking?! The grace we show to others is not our own. The only reason we can “give” grace to anyone is because God has already given it to us. We can pass along only that which we have received from Him.
Good stewards look for opportunities to pass along to others what we have received from the Lord. May all of us be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
The fullness of God’s matchless love
Shines forth from Calvary;
What mercy, grace He showed to us
When Jesus died upon that tree. —Anon.
When you know God’s grace, you’ll want to show God’s grace.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 7, 2010
The Greatest Source of Power
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . —John 14:13
Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.
However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me . . . “— that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point— “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” ( John 15:7 ). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these— what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . .” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Dying of Stubbornness - #6106
Monday, June 7, 2010
Gary was a summer lifeguard on a beach in southern California, which is kind of a nice job. During his training, he heard some information that seemed so bizarre to him he just didn't believe it. The trainers told him that most people they tried to rescue would resent and even resist their assistance. Clearly, that just didn't make sense. Anyone who was in trouble - like life-or-death trouble - would surely welcome help, right? No. Then we got to Gary's first rescue. The man who was in trouble cursed at the man trying to save him. He kicked, he clawed, and he did everything in his power to fight off his rescuer.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Dying of Stubbornness."
We humans are pretty proud folks, right? Sometimes even when our pride could cost us our life! Jesus understands that all too well. He's been trying to rescue people from the clutches of their sin for a long time, only to find many people trying to resist Him at the expense of their own eternity.
The Bible paints Jesus' coming to earth as an urgent rescue mission. He saw that our sinful choices, our commandeering of our own life from God, had left us hopelessly cut off from the God we were made for. That separation makes this life pointless and our life after death unbearable: a little hell now - all of hell later. So like a lifeguard jumping in the water to save a drowning person at the risk of his own life, Jesus jumped into our world to give us a chance to live instead of die. It wasn't just at the risk of his life, it was at the cost of His life on a cross - separated from God, paying our bill, taking our place.
He doesn't want to lose you. So now He comes to people like you and me, reaching out to rescue you. But sadly, heaven's Rescuer is often greeted with our proud resistance. "Look, I'm a good person - a religious person. I can give you a list of people who can tell you how I've helped them. I think I can get to heaven on my own, thank you." No, you can't. Or Jesus would never have gone through what He did on the cross. The Bible could not be clearer on this: "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy" (Titus 3:5). Jesus has done all He can to rescue you, but it could be that you've done all you can to resist Him.
It's important to see the danger that puts you in. In our word for today from the Word of God, we watch what happened to one man who consistently refused to respond to God's messages. Pharaoh, who was the King of Egypt, continually hears God's messages from Moses. But Exodus 8:15 says, "He hardened his heart." That could be what you're doing without realizing it - letting your heart get harder to Jesus every time you ignore Him or you reject His offer. Again, the Bible says "Pharaoh hardened his heart" (Exodus 8:32). Then comes these sobering words, "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart" (Exodus 9:12).
If you turn your back on the Lord enough times, eventually the Lord will "permanentize" the hardening of your heart. Now you'll never respond; you'll never be rescued. Ultimately, Moses, speaking for God Himself, says to Pharaoh, "I will never appear before you again" (Exodus 10:29). For Pharaoh, from that day on, it is over - forever. For you, thank God that day hasn't come. Or Jesus wouldn't be coming to you again today, saying, "I died for you. Here's My hand to save you." What none of us knows is when He will "never appear before us" again.
So this is really a holy moment - a precious opportunity for you to put your trust in the Rescuer who is your only hope - Jesus Christ. This time, grab His hand. You can do that by telling Him, "Jesus, I'm sorry for my sin. I'm sorry for resisting Your love. I resign from running my own life. I am Yours." At that moment, you are what the Bible calls "saved" - rescued forever.
If you're ready to make the Savior your Savior, I'd love to help you be sure that you belong to Him. Let me encourage you to visit our website today, where I've provided just a brief explanation of how to begin your personal relationship with Jesus. You can listen to it or you can read it. It's YoursForLife.net.
Whatever has held you back before just isn't worth it. There's nothing worth missing Jesus for - worth missing heaven for.
