Max Lucado Daily: He is Eternal
“God is so great, greater than we can understand!” Job 36:26
We may search out the moment the first wave slapped on a shore or the first star burst in the sky, but we’ll never find the first moment when God was God, for there is no moment when God was not God. He has never not been, for He is eternal. God is not bound by time.
Matthew 27:51-66 (New International Version, ©2010)
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
The Burial of Jesus
57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Matthew 5:38-48
Matthew 5:38-48 (NIV)Mt 38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Upside Down
January 27, 2011 — by Joe Stowell
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies. —Matthew 5:43-44
If you were to ask me who I am, I’d tell you that I’m a follower of Jesus. But I have to admit, at times following Him is a real challenge. He tells me to do things like rejoice when I’m persecuted (Matt. 5:11-12); to turn the other cheek (vv.38-39); to give to someone who wants to take from me (vv.40-42); to love my enemies, bless those who curse me, and do good to those who hate me (vv.43-44). This kind of lifestyle seems very upside down to me.
But I’ve come to realize that He’s not upside down—I am. We have all been born fallen and broken. Being twisted by sin, our first instincts are often wrong, which inevitably leaves a big mess.
We’re like toast slathered with jelly that has fallen upside down on the kitchen floor. Left to ourselves, we can make a pretty big mess of things. Then Jesus comes along, like a divine spatula, scrapes us off the floor of our sinful ways, and turns us right side up. And as we follow His right-side-up ways, we discover that turning the other cheek keeps us from getting caught in a brawl, that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and that dying to self is life at its best.
After all, His ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8), and I’ve come to realize that His ways are always best!
When we’re transformed and made brand-new
We see things differently;
What once seemed right we now abhor,
And wrong we clearly see. —Sper
What may seem upside down to us is right side up to God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 27th, 2011
Look Again and Think
Do not worry about your life . . . —Matthew 6:25
A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . ." Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month— or next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Target Fixation - #6274
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I was speaking in a city out west, and went back to my hotel room and I flipped on the evening news. And I saw the most incredible police chase I think I've ever seen recorded on a camera. It just so happened that after a burglar robbed a local savings and loan that the news helicopter happened to catch sight of him. And as the police were pursuing him, the helicopter was overhead filming this. It was almost like a TV show, but it wasn't fiction; it was really happening.
Well, this burglar literally ran over and killed a local policeman who tried to stop him. Finally the chopper came in. He began to hover right in front of the vehicle of that burglar. And as he came across the parking lot, he wouldn't let him go any further. It's a pretty daring thing to do! Well, then the police were able to catch up with the burglar. There was a gun fight, and actually the burglar was killed. But what happened to the pilot? Well, he really was the hero.
"The cameraman pointed out to me that we didn't have very much fuel. And you know what? We also might get shot at." Well, the pilot said, "You know, all of a sudden I didn't care." He said, "I wasn't thinking about the fuel. I wasn't thinking about the danger. I think something took over that they taught us about in flight training in Vietnam." He said, "It's called target fixation."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Target Fixation."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Joshua 8 . I'm going to begin at verse 18. The Jewish army has overrun Jericho, but they haven't done so well against the smaller city of Ai because of sin in the camp. Well, they cleared up the sin, and they go back this time and they...they conquer the city of Ai. Here's what General Joshua is doing during all of that.
"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand. For into your hand I will deliver the city.' So, Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai." Verse 26 tells us, "Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until they had destroyed all who lived in Ai." Now, there's an interesting view of Joshua. He knew his objective, and he kept pointing that direction. He had target fixation, like that pilot.
That's a common trait in make-a-difference people, in make-a-difference churches, in make-a-difference ministries. They know what the target is, and they're fixated on it. Now, Jesus told us what it should be. He said, "You are My witnesses." His target, live for reaching lost people. Jesus said, "Other sheep I have that I must bring." The ones that are not in the fold yet. He said He'd go after one sheep; 99 weren't enough for Him. He said, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."
He said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you. Go and teach all nations, baptizing them and making disciples of them." He said you and I are here for the lost. Like Joshua, we should be pointing all our energies toward the unreached and rallying other Christians to leave the comfort of the Christian cocoon; to take risks to reach people.
It's so easy to lose our focus and our reason for being here. Just getting by, the pace of surviving, the tendency to enjoy our Christianity but not to spread it, to just keep cranking the church machine. But we forget that we're supposed to be for reaching people, not reproducing programs. We just settle back into the Christian subculture and enjoy the ride. That's not how our Lord lived. He was always pursuing a lost sheep.
And maybe, the seductions of busyness and laziness have caused you to lose your focus. You've got another target other than His target. The reason why we're here is to get Christ to lost people. Now, you may be busy for the Lord, but forgetting the lost. They're who He came to seek and save.
How about you? Point the rest of your life toward the people who are in the darkness, outside of Christ. And no matter what the risks, live your life for the Lord and for the lost. You are a pilot on a combat mission. You've got target fixation, and the target is all that matters.