Max Lucado Daily: The Uncommon
Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them. Luke 17:33
Heaven may just have a shrine to honor God’s uncommon use of the common.
It’s a place you won’t want to miss.
Stroll through and see Rahab’s rope. Paul’s bucket. David’s sling. and Samson’s jawbone.
Wrap your hand around the staff which split the sea and smote the rock.
Sniff the ointment which soothed Jesus’ skin and lifted his heart.
I don’t know if these items will be there. But I am sure of one thing—the people who used them will be.
The risk-takers: Rahab who sheltered the spy. The brethren who smuggled Paul.
The conquerors: David, slinging a stone. Samson, swinging a bone. Moses, lifting a rod.
Mary at Jesus’ feet. What she gave cost much. But somehow she knew what he would give—would cost more!
John 4:27-54
New International Version (NIV)
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.
This Do In Remembrance
December 7, 2011 — by Randy Kilgore
When [Jesus] had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you.” —1 Corinthians 11:24
When a US Navy vessel arrives or departs from the military bases in Pearl Harbor, the crew of that ship lines up in dress uniform. They stand at attention at arm’s length on the outer edges of the deck, in salute to the soldiers, sailors, and civilians who died on December 7, 1941. It is a stirring sight, and participants often list it among the most memorable moments of their military career.
Even for spectators on shore, the salute triggers an incredible emotional connection, but especially between the servants of today and the servants of yesterday. It grants nobility to the work of today’s sailor, while giving dignity to the sacrifice of those from the past.
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-29), it was surely with an eye toward creating this same kind of emotional bond. Our participation in the Lord’s Table honors His sacrifice while also granting us a connection to Him unlike any other act of remembrance.
Just as the Navy carefully prescribes the way it salutes the fallen, so too Scripture teaches us how to remember Jesus’ sacrifice (1 Cor. 11:26-28). These acts of reverence and thanksgiving serve to honor past action while giving purpose to present service.
Action Suggestion:
Read with fresh eyes the detailed instructions Scripture
offers for the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, and
experience anew its power in your spiritual journey.
The Lord’s Supper— Christ’s memorial that He left for us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . .” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Something Happens When You Have to Speak - #6498
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I guess you could call it the two faces of Ian. See, Ian is a friend of mine who is the leader of a very effective youth ministry in New Zealand. And as you converse with him personally, well, it's obvious that he has a stutter. And sometimes it makes it difficult for him to complete his sentence, and I'm sure it's probably very frustrating for him. And while it's noticeable, it's not really that important to anybody. Actually he is a Godly, magnetic leader, stutter or not.
Now, the first time I ever saw him in a public setting was in front of 3,000 teenagers in a national youth convention in New Zealand. And to tell you the truth, I felt bad for Ian because I wondered how he was going to be able to communicate effectively to kids with that stutter. To my amazement I discovered that as he spoke there was no stutter. His speech was perfect! He preached and emceed that meeting flawlessly. That's what's so amazing about Ian. He stutters in private, but something happens when he has to speak well. He does...just like you.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Something Happens When You Have to Speak."
Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Luke 21:12-15. "They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors all on account of My name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
Well, the context of what Jesus is talking about here is really, you know, official persecution by the government, persecuting Christians. But I think it can be broadly applied to any believer who is in a pressure situation, especially where a Christian witness is involved. After all, God told Moses and Jeremiah He would give them the words to say. Here's His promise: "I will give you the words and the wisdom. You may not have it before you get there, but when you're in that situation, I will send through you the words and the wisdom that you need, and it will have an irresistible impact."
Well, when my friend Ian has to communicate and suddenly his stutter leaves him in those public situations, he seems to be beyond himself. He's carried beyond his usual limitations. You know, that's exactly what God wants to do for you and me. That has been the consistent experience of believers throughout the centuries.
Let's say you're going to be in a pressure situation where you're going to have to represent Christ, or where you really should. You say, "Well, I couldn't do that. I don't know what I'd say. It's easy for the fast talking guys like you, Ron. You can do that, but I can't talk like that." Well, God promises to take you outside of yourself and beyond your limitations. He'll write the script, and like an actor you'll just be delivering His words.
You may be in or you might be approaching a pressure situation where you feel inadequate to say what needs to be said. Well, Jesus said here, "Make up your mind not to worry about it." God wants to display His power by giving you words and wisdom that you don't even know you have. And you and the people who are listening to you will know it was God and not you.
My friend Ian has seen it happen again and again, and so will you. Something happens when you have to speak.
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