Max Lucado Daily: God Can Use You
God Can Use You
Posted: 02 Feb 2011 04:01 AM PST
“You did not choose me; I chose you.” John 15:16
If you ever wonder how God can use you to make a difference in your world, just look at those he has already used and take heart. Look at the forgiveness found in his open arms and take courage.
And, by the way, never were those arms opened so wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history and the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness offered for anyone who’ll come.
Exodus 27
The Altar of Burnt Offering
1 “Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. 2 Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3 Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. 4 Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5 Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6 Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. 7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
The Courtyard
9 “Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.
12 “The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13 On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.
16 “For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer—with four posts and four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases. 19 All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.
Oil for the Lampstand
20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Philippians 1:9-18
Philippians 1:9-18 (NIV)Php 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. 15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Good Wishes
February 3, 2011 — by C. P. Hia
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. —Philippians 1:9
In Singapore, the Chinese New Year season’s social and business dinners often begin with a dish consisting of salads, dressings, pickles, and raw fish. The name of the dish, Yu Sheng, is a pun that sounds like “year of prosperity.” It is traditional for those present to toss the salad together. As they do, certain phrases are repeated to bring about good fortune.
Our words may express our hopes for others for the year ahead, but they can’t bring about good fortune. The important issue is—what does God want to see in us in the coming year?
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul expressed his desire and prayer that their love “may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment” (1:9). The church had been a great tower of support for him (v.7), yet he urged them to continue to grow to love others. Paul wasn’t talking about intellectual knowledge but knowledge of God. Love for others starts with a closer relationship with Him. With a fuller knowledge of God, we can then discern between right and wrong.
Giving our best wishes to others for the coming year is fine. But our heartfelt prayer should be that we abound in love, so that we may be “filled with the fruits of righteousness . . . , to the glory and praise of God” (v.11).
Teach me Thy patience! still with Thee
In closer, dearer company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong. —Gladden
People with a heart for God have a heart for people.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 3rd, 2011
Becoming the "Filth of the World"
We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13
These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves to become the refuse or “filth of the world.” “Fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24) is not the result of the holiness of sanctification, but the evidence of consecration-being “separated to the gospel of God . . .” (Romans 1:1).
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . .” (1 Peter 4:12). If we do think the things we encounter are strange, it is because we are fearful and cowardly. We pay such close attention to our own interests and desires that we stay out of the mire and say, “I won’t submit; I won’t bow or bend.” And you don’t have to— you can be saved by the “skin of your teeth” if you like. You can refuse to let God count you as one who is “separated to the gospel . . . .” Or you can say, “I don’t care if I am treated like ’the filth of the world’ as long as the gospel is proclaimed.” A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal His Son in me. . .” (Galatians 1:16).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
AWWY - "The Last Lonely Man" (#6279
Thursday, February 3, 2011
"Go to your room!" I'm not telling you that personally. I'm just saying those four words are some of the most dreaded words in a family. What it does, is it takes the family law breaker and consigns that person to that awful punishment - being alone. Now, on a more serious level, that same punishment is used when someone's been a severe offender in prison. What's the worst thing they can do to them to punish them? They put them in solitary confinement. "Go to your room, and stay there alone." More sadistic people have used aloneness as a form of torture to help break a person's resistance. In fact, there's not one of us who doesn't know from personal experience the awful feeling of aloneness - one of the darkest feelings there is. You've felt it. Maybe you are right now. And there isn't one of us who doesn't need the antidote.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Last Lonely Man."
Some years ago, an actress named Inger Stevens was one of the top actresses in Hollywood. She was a beautiful blond, on very successful TV series, in movies. She was one of the most dateable and the most dated women in Hollywood. And then suddenly everyone was stunned when she took her own life. And I still remember what she wrote in a suicide note. She said, "I have felt so alone." Man, here she is; she's got guys who want to be with her, she's got so many friends, this beautiful, popular, successful woman. You couldn't tell it, but she felt so alone.
You know, in a world of stressed out families, superficial relationships, loneliness may be more epidemic than ever, and you just can't tell by looking who the lonely person is. That's why we need to meet the last lonely man.
Our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 27:46 , Jesus Christ is dying on that cross. "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Now, here's Jesus, God's only Son, experiencing total aloneness. You know why? So you would never have to. Totally alone so you don't have to be. Cut off from everyone. Most of all, cut off from God.
See, inside us...inside you there's this gnawing sense that we're missing the ultimate relationship. We sort of hope every friendship, or every romance, or maybe a family member will be that relationship. And no matter how much they love you, they may be feeling alone sometimes. It's like there's this voice inside that says, "Someone's missing."
Well, someone is. It's the One you came from. It's the One you're going to. And you know why He's missing? Isaiah 59:2 tells us, "Your iniquities (or your sins), have separated you from your God." You and I are separated from the one relationship we can't live without. We're cut off from that relationship we were made for that we can't do without. Jesus took your place on that cross. He was cut off from God; paying for your sin...for my sin so we don't have to be cut off from Him.
And when you ask Jesus into your life, the wall between you and God comes down and the promise of Jesus is for you. He said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." A religion cannot alleviate your loneliness. Beliefs can't do it. Only a person can do that; a person who will never leave you, never forsake you, no strings attached. And Christianity isn't really a religion; it's the person Jesus Christ. He allowed Himself to be cut off from the ultimate relationship so you never have to be. He was in that sense the last lonely man...or the last person who ever has to be totally alone again.
Listen, if you've never had that time in your life when you have said, "Jesus, I'm Yours. I take what You did on that cross as being for my sin. I want to belong to You." If you're not sure you belong to Him, tell Him today, "I'm Yours, Jesus." Go to our website. So many people have found help there in beginning a relationship with Jesus. Check it out, would you? It's YoursForLife.net.
If you'll give your life to Jesus today, you have just spent your last day alone.