Acts 13:26-52 bible reading and devotionals.

Click hear to listen to the message from the Lord Jesus Christ.

MaxLucado.com:Dread of Death

Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home!

In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed.  Never!  No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave.  Let me stay and eat more peanuts!”  We’re willing to exit the plan because the plane has no permanent mailing address.

Nor does the world.  Philippians 3:20 says, “We are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.”

Why don’t you do this?  Give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final moments.  And offer them to him.  Deliberately.  Regularly.

My personal prayer has become, “Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth.”

With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth!

From Come Thirsty

Acts 13:26-52
New International Version (NIV)
26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

“‘You are my son;
    today I have become your father.’[a]
34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’[b]
35 So it is also stated elsewhere:

“‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’[c]
36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “‘Look, you scoffers,
    wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
    that you would never believe,
    even if someone told you.’[d]”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you[e] a light for the Gentiles,
    that you[f] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’[g]”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Revelation 5:1-12

The Scroll and the Lamb

 1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides. It was sealed with seven seals.
 2 I saw a mighty angel calling out in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one could even look inside it.

 4 I cried and cried because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not cry! The Lion of the tribe of Judah has won the battle. He is the Root of David. He is able to break the seven seals and open the scroll."

 6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood in the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth.

 7 The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. 8 Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one had a harp. They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which stand for the prayers of God's people.

 9 Here is the new song they sang.
   "You are worthy to take the scroll
      and break open its seals.
   You are worthy because you were put to death.
      With your blood you bought people for God.
      They come from every tribe, language, people and nation.
 10 You have made them members of a royal family.
      You have made them priests to serve our God.
      They will rule on the earth."

 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang,
   "The Lamb, who was put to death, is worthy!
   He is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength!
   He is worthy to receive honor and glory and praise!"

The Lamb Who Is The Lion

June 14, 2012 — by C. P. Hia

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . [and] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. —Philippians 2:10-11

In Revelation 5, the apostle John portrays Jesus, the Lion of Judah (v.5), as a wounded Lamb (v.6). Referring to this word picture, preacher Charles Spurgeon asked, “Why should our exalted Lord appear in His wounds in glory?” His reply: “The wounds of Jesus are His glory.”

Typically, the symbol of a lamb does not represent power and victory. Most people prefer symbols of strength that invite admiration. Yet God chose to be incarnated as a baby born into a poor carpenter’s home. He lived as an itinerant preacher and died “as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7) on a Roman cross. Everyone, including His disciples, thought that His crucifixion spelled the end of the One who had dared to defy the established religious order of His day. But when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He demonstrated mightily God’s incomparable power and glory.

The day is coming when Jesus will return in glory to rule what is rightfully His. On that day, all will bow before Him and say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12). Jesus, the Lamb who is also the Lion, deserves our praise!

Every knee in heaven is bending
To the Lamb for sinners slain;
Every voice and harp is swelling—
“Worthy is the Lamb to reign!” —Deck
To honor our King, His praises we sing.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 14, 2012

Get Moving! (1)

Abide in Me . . . —John 15:4

In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.

Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.



A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Whatever-It-Takes Love - #6634

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Frankly, I just don't know how the mothers of young children do it all. I've realized again just watching our daughter and our daughters-in-law and all that they have to juggle taking care of our grandchildren. One day our daughter was doing one of those juggling acts trying to get her 18-month-old son ready to leave on a winter day. She also had a lot to load in the car. So, while she was shuttling back and forth, she accidentally let the door to the house close behind her and it locked. Her son was inside. Her keys were in the house. Every door and window turned out to be locked. Of course, her son was oblivious to the problem and there were no neighbors close by.

Well, just as she started to drive to a neighbor's house and call for some help, she noticed a second story bathroom window that was open just a little crack. Now, it wasn't easy, but Mommy got a ladder, she climbed to the second story, she opened a window and literally tore open the screen that stood between her and her son. (You should see that screen!) Somehow, she managed to squeeze through that little window and propel herself onto the bathroom floor. Believe me, nothing was going to stop her from getting to the child she loves!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Whatever-It-Takes Love."

Well, here's some great news! There's someone who loves you like that; the person your heart can finally put total trust in, the person who wants to love you as you have wanted and needed to be loved your whole life.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 10:11 and it describes how far Jesus Christ has gone to break through to you. He describes Himself here as a shepherd, and you and me as sheep that He will do anything for. Anything? Yeah. Jesus says here, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

Now, our daughter is a mother like most mothers, who will do whatever it takes to be reunited with the child she loves. Well, Jesus is the Savior who will do whatever it takes, including a brutal death on a cross; being totally cut off from God the Father whatever it took to be reunited with you because He loves you so much.

Jesus gives this amazing perspective on what is about to happen as He is nailed to that cross. He says, "...I lay down My life...No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again..." (John 10:17-18). Which, by the way, He did when He walked out of His grave on Easter morning. Oh, it may have looked like Roman soldiers were taking Jesus' life, but He said He was giving His life to pay for all the sinning you and I have ever done. He is the Son of God. No one can take His life. He gave it for you.

So the Son of God left heaven, climbed down the ladder to this selfish old planet, and died on a cross, separated from God, to tear open the wall between you and God; which makes what you do with Jesus really serious business. The only response that will bring this incredible love into your life is for you to say, "Jesus, I'm done driving my life. I was never supposed to do it. I'm turning to You with all my heart because You loved me enough to die for me."

You may have heard about His love a thousand times, or maybe never before, but there's never been a time you've responded to the love of Jesus. Well, until now. If you want to begin your personal love relationship with Jesus Christ, and experience this life changing love for yourself, then I urge you to tell Him that right now, "Jesus, I'm Yours."

And I'd like to invite you to come to our website as soon as you can today. And I think you'll find some help and you'll find some support for beginning this awesome relationship with Jesus. The website? It's YoursForLife.net. It's actually been created with you in mind and I hope you'll go there.

This is so very important because God will never forget what you do with His Son. Not after all His Son has done for you.