Max Lucado Daily: The Big News
The big news of the Bible is not that you love God, but that God loves you; not that you can know God, but that God already knows you!
God tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, flee his thoughts. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him, he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and reached his verdict: He loves you still!
No discovery will disillusion him, no rebellion will dissuade him. You need not win his love. You already have it. And since you can't win it, you can't lose it! He loves you with an everlasting love!
From The Lucado Inspirational Reader
Revelation 12
New International Version (NIV)
The Woman and the Dragon
12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Footnotes:
Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Genesis 3:1-8
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Insight
Satan misapplied God’s words in today’s passage. God’s prohibition against eating applied only to the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:16-17), not to every tree (3:1). Satan’s phrase “You will not surely die” (v.4) was a direct challenge to God’s declaration, “You shall surely die” (2:17). In turn, Eve also modified God’s clear instruction: “nor shall you touch it” (3:3). The story of the fall is a clear warning to us to study and know God’s Word so that we will not be led astray.
Buyer’s Remorse
January 31, 2014 — by Poh Fang chia
He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. —Isaiah 61:10
Have you ever experienced buyer’s remorse? I have. Just prior to making a purchase, I feel the surge of excitement that comes with getting something new. After buying the item, however, a wave of remorse sometimes crashes over me. Did I really need this? Should I have spent the money?
In Genesis 3, we find the first record of a buyer’s remorse. The whole thing began with the crafty serpent and his sales pitch. He persuaded Eve to doubt God’s Word (v.1). He then capitalized on her uncertainty by casting doubt on God’s character (vv.4-5). He promised that her eyes would “be opened” and she would become “like God” (v.5).
So Eve ate. Adam ate. And sin entered the world. But the first man and woman got more than they bargained for. Their eyes were opened all right, but they didn’t become like God. In fact, their first act was to hide from God (vv.7-8).
Sin has dire consequences. It always keeps us from God’s best. But God in His mercy and grace clothed Adam and Eve in garments made from animal skins (v.21)—foreshadowing what Jesus Christ would do for us by dying on the cross for our sins. His blood was shed so that we might be clothed with His righteousness—with no remorse!
Then will I set my heart to find
Inward adornings of the mind:
Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace,
These are the robes of richest dress. —Watts
The cross, which reveals the righteousness of God, provides that righteousness for mankind.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 31, 2014
Do You See Your Calling?
. . . separated to the gospel of God. . . —Romans 1:1
Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.
Paul did not say that he separated himself, but “when it pleased God, who separated me . . .” (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. “Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.” To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
On Time Delivery - #7060
Friday, January 31, 2014
We were in Phoenix on a ministry trip, and the last thing I expected was to be leaving something there when we were ready to come back. But we did, or rather my wife did. She decided to leave her gall bladder there. She had unexpected major surgery about 2,500 miles from home. I thought I was going to be back to my office, of course, that week. And I needed all kinds of files and reports urgently. So, I asked our office to mail me my office overnight while my wife is getting the surgery we hadn't expected. So they boxed everything up and sent it by a mail service that guarantees "next day delivery" by 10:30 A.M. So, the next morning I happened to be talking on an outdoor pay phone (Remember those?) when the truck pulled up. The driver made a mad dash toward me, handed me my package breathlessly, and I looked at my watch-10:27 A.M.! They're good! I was impressed. Just in time, but in time.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "On Time Delivery."
Our word for today from the Word of God; we're in Genesis 22, and it talks about the day that God got a new name. It's one that's been especially important to many of us-Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. It happened on the mountain where Abraham was bringing his son, Isaac. God was testing the faith of this great man of faith by asking him to be willing to sacrifice what he loved most on that mountain-his son.
And so it says in verse 2, "Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.'" Abraham's most precious possession. He obeys God. He takes the wood for sacrifice up there. They're at the top of the mountain. He puts him on the altar.
Here's what it says, "He bound his son, Isaac, laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, 'Abraham! Abraham!' 'Here I am' he replied. 'Do not lay a hand on the boy' He said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.' Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its' horns. He went over, took the ram, and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide-Jehovah Jireh.
Well, it may very well be that you need God to be Jehovah Jireh in some area of your life right now. And you'll meet Him as Abraham did when God is testing you. Maybe you're going through it right now. It's Jehovah Jireh time! But notice God's delivery schedule. Just at the last moment, when it looks as if it's over, like the Jews at the Red Sea, the waters part at the last possible moment. Here the knife is in the air, and then the ram appears. I cannot tell you how many times God has come through for me on that same schedule. He'll never take you over the edge, but He'll take you to the edge. Why? Because He knows that faith is the key that unlocks His great power in any situation.
We don't have much of that, so He stretches us, pushes us, and allows us to wait so we'll develop the maximum faith from this experience. And God gets great glory when He delivers in a way that is obviously Him. And you'll end up more amazed by Him, more trusting in Him, more worshiping Him, more in love with Him than ever. The trick is to trust God while you're waiting, even when it's apparently past the point of no return. Human answers might be over, the time when our clock over, but God isn't finished yet. Faith even when there seems to be no way. You reach Jehovah Jireh on the mountain of the Lord; that place where He tests you and takes you to the point of no return and then comes through.
Well, I watched that delivery service roll in at just about the last possible minute, and they kept their promise of guaranteed on-time delivery. God's going to provide for you. He always delivers, and it will be on time! Don't be surprised if it's just in time
From my daily reading of the bible, Our Daily Bread Devotionals, My Utmost for His Highest and Ron Hutchcraft "A Word with You" and occasionally others.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Esther 2 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: His Idea, His Home
Would that I could make everything new-but I can't. But God can. "He restores my soul," wrote the shepherd (Psalm 23:3). He doesn't camouflage the old, he restores the new. The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. The vigor, the energy, the hope. He will restore the soul.
When you see how this world grows stooped and weary, and then read of a home where everything's made new, doesn't it make you want to go home? Would you really rather have a few possessions on earth than eternal possessions in heaven? Would you honestly give up all of your heavenly mansions for a second-rate sleazy motel on earth?
"Great," Jesus said, "is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12). He must have smiled when he said that. His eyes must have danced, and his hand must have pointed skyward. He should know. It was his idea. It was his home.
From The Applause of Heaven
Esther 2
Esther Made Queen
Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin[c] king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
12 Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.
21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana[d] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.
Footnotes:
Esther 2:6 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
Esther 2:21 Hebrew Bigthan, a variant of Bigthana
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 116
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I trusted in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.[a]
Footnotes:
Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
Insight
Having been delivered from the jaws of death (v.3), the psalmist thanks God for answering his cries for help (vv.1-2,4-8). Grateful for the Lord’s rescue, he asked: “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (v.12). In response, he recommits himself to obeying and serving the Lord (vv.9,13-19).
Precious In God’s Eyes
January 30, 2014 — by David C. McCasland
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. —Psalm 116:15
In response to the news that a mutual friend of ours had died, a wise brother who knew the Lord sent me these words, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15). Our friend’s vibrant faith in Jesus Christ was the dominant characteristic of his life, and we knew he was home with God in heaven. His family had that assurance as well, but I had been focused only on their sorrow. And it’s appropriate to consider others during their grief and loss.
But the verse from Psalms turned my thoughts to how the Lord saw the passing of our friend. Something “precious” is something of great value. Yet, there is a larger meaning here. There is something in the death of a saint that transcends our grief over their absence.
“Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones)” (The Amplified Bible). Another paraphrase says, “His loved ones are very precious to him and he does not lightly let them die” (The Living Bible). God is not flippant toward death. The marvel of His grace and power is that, as believers, our loss of life on earth also brings great gain.
Today we have only a glimpse. One day we’ll understand it in the fullness of His light.
So when my last breath
Shall rend the veil in twain
By death I shall escape from death
And life eternal gain. —Montgomery
Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 30, 2014
The Dilemma of Obedience
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15
God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?
Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.
Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).
Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .” (Galatians 1:16).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
When God Brags On You - #7059
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Hurricane Andrew! You say that to someone in South Florida and they are likely to have a story to tell you. The Miami area took one of the century's hardest hurricane hits when Andrew landed there. Home after home was devastated by the brutal force of what was a killer storm. But some friends in Florida told me something very interesting. They said that in an area where many homes went down in Andrew's fury, there were certain homes that withstood the storm. Here's what they had in common. They had been built by that Christian agency Habitat for Humanity. Apparently they had used the best materials, they used the best design and the best hands they could find to build those homes. And when the storm was over, they were still standing firm.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When God Brags On You."
Job. Now, I know when you hear that name you think of a man who suffered very much; a hurricane from hell took his family, his possessions, his health. And there's this amazing scene where Satan, in heaven, is talking to God and visiting there accusing Job of serving God because of the goodies God has given him. And God allows Satan to strip Job of all of that. One day there's the death of his children, then his financial ruin. Later he loses his health. Now, how can Job know that he is literally being trusted by God with these storms, and that God has staked His reputation on how Job responds and He boasts to Satan about his servant Job?
Well, when God brags, what does He brag about? Here's what He says in chapter 2, verse 3, "The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'" And listen to this, "And he still maintains his integrity." Wow! What a tribute! Wouldn't you love to have that said about your life? Man, I aspire to this, "He still maintains his integrity." Everything else had been taken from him; you couldn't take his integrity.
The storms have wreaked their havoc, but Job's character and integrity are still standing. Can God brag on you like that? When you're hurt, when you're disillusioned, and when you're weary, it's tempting to diminish the pressure by compromising. Look at Job's wife. She asked him the question, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Why don't you curse God and die?" She couldn't believe he was still holding onto his integrity.
Maybe you're in your own hurricane right now. Things that matter a lot to you are either being blown around or they've been totally blown away. You've got more questions than answers right now. You're got more pain than you have comforters. And God hasn't really responded to your prayers it seems like. He hasn't shown you any reasons why. Just like Job. Job could have never guessed that he was carrying the honor of Almighty God and the humiliation of Satan in his response to his storms.
How could you ever guess the invisible conversations that are going on about you in heaven or maybe even in hell? But God has said, "I can trust him. I can trust her with this heavy hit, with this test. Please don't give up. Don't give in. Don't compromise. Stay on course. There's more riding on your integrity than you could ever know."
I pray for you as I pray for myself that no storm, no matter how intense, will blow you down or blow you off course. May God be able to point to us and say, "Look at my loyal child." May He be able to say, "You still maintain your integrity."
Would that I could make everything new-but I can't. But God can. "He restores my soul," wrote the shepherd (Psalm 23:3). He doesn't camouflage the old, he restores the new. The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. The vigor, the energy, the hope. He will restore the soul.
When you see how this world grows stooped and weary, and then read of a home where everything's made new, doesn't it make you want to go home? Would you really rather have a few possessions on earth than eternal possessions in heaven? Would you honestly give up all of your heavenly mansions for a second-rate sleazy motel on earth?
"Great," Jesus said, "is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12). He must have smiled when he said that. His eyes must have danced, and his hand must have pointed skyward. He should know. It was his idea. It was his home.
From The Applause of Heaven
Esther 2
Esther Made Queen
Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin[c] king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
12 Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.
21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana[d] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.
Footnotes:
Esther 2:6 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
Esther 2:21 Hebrew Bigthan, a variant of Bigthana
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 116
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I trusted in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.[a]
Footnotes:
Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
Insight
Having been delivered from the jaws of death (v.3), the psalmist thanks God for answering his cries for help (vv.1-2,4-8). Grateful for the Lord’s rescue, he asked: “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (v.12). In response, he recommits himself to obeying and serving the Lord (vv.9,13-19).
Precious In God’s Eyes
January 30, 2014 — by David C. McCasland
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. —Psalm 116:15
In response to the news that a mutual friend of ours had died, a wise brother who knew the Lord sent me these words, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15). Our friend’s vibrant faith in Jesus Christ was the dominant characteristic of his life, and we knew he was home with God in heaven. His family had that assurance as well, but I had been focused only on their sorrow. And it’s appropriate to consider others during their grief and loss.
But the verse from Psalms turned my thoughts to how the Lord saw the passing of our friend. Something “precious” is something of great value. Yet, there is a larger meaning here. There is something in the death of a saint that transcends our grief over their absence.
“Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones)” (The Amplified Bible). Another paraphrase says, “His loved ones are very precious to him and he does not lightly let them die” (The Living Bible). God is not flippant toward death. The marvel of His grace and power is that, as believers, our loss of life on earth also brings great gain.
Today we have only a glimpse. One day we’ll understand it in the fullness of His light.
So when my last breath
Shall rend the veil in twain
By death I shall escape from death
And life eternal gain. —Montgomery
Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 30, 2014
The Dilemma of Obedience
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15
God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?
Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.
Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).
Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .” (Galatians 1:16).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
When God Brags On You - #7059
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Hurricane Andrew! You say that to someone in South Florida and they are likely to have a story to tell you. The Miami area took one of the century's hardest hurricane hits when Andrew landed there. Home after home was devastated by the brutal force of what was a killer storm. But some friends in Florida told me something very interesting. They said that in an area where many homes went down in Andrew's fury, there were certain homes that withstood the storm. Here's what they had in common. They had been built by that Christian agency Habitat for Humanity. Apparently they had used the best materials, they used the best design and the best hands they could find to build those homes. And when the storm was over, they were still standing firm.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When God Brags On You."
Job. Now, I know when you hear that name you think of a man who suffered very much; a hurricane from hell took his family, his possessions, his health. And there's this amazing scene where Satan, in heaven, is talking to God and visiting there accusing Job of serving God because of the goodies God has given him. And God allows Satan to strip Job of all of that. One day there's the death of his children, then his financial ruin. Later he loses his health. Now, how can Job know that he is literally being trusted by God with these storms, and that God has staked His reputation on how Job responds and He boasts to Satan about his servant Job?
Well, when God brags, what does He brag about? Here's what He says in chapter 2, verse 3, "The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'" And listen to this, "And he still maintains his integrity." Wow! What a tribute! Wouldn't you love to have that said about your life? Man, I aspire to this, "He still maintains his integrity." Everything else had been taken from him; you couldn't take his integrity.
The storms have wreaked their havoc, but Job's character and integrity are still standing. Can God brag on you like that? When you're hurt, when you're disillusioned, and when you're weary, it's tempting to diminish the pressure by compromising. Look at Job's wife. She asked him the question, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Why don't you curse God and die?" She couldn't believe he was still holding onto his integrity.
Maybe you're in your own hurricane right now. Things that matter a lot to you are either being blown around or they've been totally blown away. You've got more questions than answers right now. You're got more pain than you have comforters. And God hasn't really responded to your prayers it seems like. He hasn't shown you any reasons why. Just like Job. Job could have never guessed that he was carrying the honor of Almighty God and the humiliation of Satan in his response to his storms.
How could you ever guess the invisible conversations that are going on about you in heaven or maybe even in hell? But God has said, "I can trust him. I can trust her with this heavy hit, with this test. Please don't give up. Don't give in. Don't compromise. Stay on course. There's more riding on your integrity than you could ever know."
I pray for you as I pray for myself that no storm, no matter how intense, will blow you down or blow you off course. May God be able to point to us and say, "Look at my loyal child." May He be able to say, "You still maintain your integrity."
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Esther 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Asking for Mercy
"But, ma'am," I pleaded, "I've got to be in Houston this evening." She was patient but firm. "I'm sorry, sir, the rules say passengers must be at the gate ten minutes before scheduled departure time." "I know the rules," I said. "I'm not asking for justice; I'm asking for mercy!" She didn't give it to me.
She didn't give me mercy, but God does. Even though by the "book" I'm guilty, by God's love I get another chance. Even though by the law I'm indicted, by mercy I'm given a fresh start.
The Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved. . .not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
No other world religion offers such a message. Others say, "You do this, and God will give you that." Christ's kingdom is just the opposite. A kingdom where membership is granted, not purchased! You are placed into God's kingdom! He gives you, not justice, but mercy!
From The Applause of Heaven
Esther 1
Queen Vashti Deposed
This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,[a] the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush[b]: 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Philippians 1:12-21
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[a] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard[b] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of 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, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[c] 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Footnotes:
Philippians 1:12 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 14; and in 3:1, 13, 17; 4:1, 8, 21.
Philippians 1:13 Or whole palace
Philippians 1:19 Or vindication; or salvation
Insight
In this passage, Paul rejoiced that God used his imprisonment “for the furtherance of the gospel.” It gave him the rare opportunity to preach to “the whole palace guard, and to all the rest” (v.13). Encouraged by Paul’s example, many Roman Christians were emboldened to share the gospel without fear (v.14). Paul testified to the truth that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28).
Great Expectations
January 29, 2014 — by Joe Stowell
According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified. —Philippians 1:20
I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, “The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.”
In our best moments, it’s easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us. But life has a way of breaking those expectations. What then?
Stuck in jail and beset by fellow believers in Rome who didn’t like him (Phil. 1:15-16), Paul remained surprisingly upbeat. As he saw it, God had given him a new mission field. While under house arrest, he witnessed to the guards about Christ, which sent the gospel into Caesar’s house. And even though those opposing him were preaching the gospel from wrong motives, Christ was being preached, so Paul rejoiced (v.18).
Paul never expected to be in a great place or to be well liked. His only expectation was that “Christ will be magnified” through him (v.20). He wasn’t disappointed.
If our expectation is to make Christ visible to those around us regardless of where we are or who we are with, we will find those expectations met and even exceeded. Christ will be magnified.
Lord, forgive me for making my life all about what
I expect and not about glorifying You regardless
of my circumstances. May Your love, mercy,
and justice be magnified through me today.
Make it your only expectation to magnify Christ wherever you are and whoever you are with.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 29, 2014
How Could Someone Be So Ignorant!
Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15
“The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . .” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do”-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Melted by the Sacrifice - #7058
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
French beaches! You say that and most people might think about what a vacation that would be. Well, not when the Western world remembers what happened on the French beaches on D-Day. I remember, for example, the 50th anniversary. For several days American media bombarded us; we couldn't forget it. See, something else happened on French beaches - the heroic battle to establish an allied beachhead in France and to push back the darkness of Hitler's madness.
I mean there's a whole generation who knew next to nothing about what might be the most significant military victory in the 20th century when there's an anniversary celebration of an event like that. But when we see some of the films-and we did then-we saw the films of those boys barely out of high school storming the shore in the face of deadly German fire and many who died before they even hit the beach. We saw some of the veterans who survived. We heard their stories of buddies who are buried there. We saw the tears in the eyes of some pretty tough, old guys. And those of us who watched were touched ourselves, I think.
It was President Clinton - when the 50th anniversary took place - he spoke that day. He's part of a generation who knows relatively little about D-Day but whose freedom was in a sense really paid for there. And that day the President seemed almost to choke up sometimes when he spoke; especially when he spoke in the American cemetery near Omaha Beach. He was speaking to many veterans of that bloody battle, and one phrase of that speech still sticks out in my mind. Looking at those who risked everything on D-Day and speaking of those who gave everything, the President said these words, "We are the children of your sacrifice."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Melted by the Sacrifice."
When you realize the high price paid on D-Day it's hard to remain unmoved. Something similar happened 2,000 years ago on the day God's Son died on the cross. It happened to a soldier, the man in charge of the execution of Jesus Christ. We are about to hear remarkable words considering that they're coming from a hardened executioner.
In Mark 15:19, the man in charge of the execution - Listen to what he says, "And when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God.'" This soldier was melted by the sacrifice of the Son of God. This was no ordinary man dying this criminal death. This was the only Son of God.
This soldier had seen a lot of death, so what moved him? Crucifixion was nothing new to him. Let's stand for a moment and listen to what he heard Jesus saying at the cross. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." He had heard everything from crosses: curses, and screams, and complaining, but he'd never heard the word "forgive". And Jesus was forgiving those responsible for His death. That centurion must have been thinking, "He's forgiving me." He was forgiving you and me too, because it was our sin that put Jesus there.
Then he heard Jesus say, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." And here he realized that this was a man who cares about the person who needs Him, even in His own darkest hour. And he said, "This Jesus must have the power to take people to heaven." He does, including you. And then he heard Jesus cry, "It is finished!" He didn't lose! He won as He died. He sounds like He's won. Mission accomplished! The death penalty for our sin fully paid in that moment; the hell we deserve can be traded for the heaven we don't deserve if we put our trust in this One and only Savior.
We are the children of His sacrifice. If you know Jesus personally, you should have one objective with the people around you who don't know Christ. Bring them to this cross. Just tell them about Jesus and His incredible love. Help them stand at the cross. If you're not sure you know Christ, God is bringing you to the foot of His Son's cross right now through this visit. Will you put all your trust in Him, or are you going to ignore this love, this sacrifice?
If you're ready to begin a relationship with Him, that's what our website is all about; beginning that relationship. Let me invite you to join us there at ANewStory.com. How can you say "no" to the One who loves you so very much?
"But, ma'am," I pleaded, "I've got to be in Houston this evening." She was patient but firm. "I'm sorry, sir, the rules say passengers must be at the gate ten minutes before scheduled departure time." "I know the rules," I said. "I'm not asking for justice; I'm asking for mercy!" She didn't give it to me.
She didn't give me mercy, but God does. Even though by the "book" I'm guilty, by God's love I get another chance. Even though by the law I'm indicted, by mercy I'm given a fresh start.
The Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved. . .not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
No other world religion offers such a message. Others say, "You do this, and God will give you that." Christ's kingdom is just the opposite. A kingdom where membership is granted, not purchased! You are placed into God's kingdom! He gives you, not justice, but mercy!
From The Applause of Heaven
Esther 1
Queen Vashti Deposed
This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,[a] the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush[b]: 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Philippians 1:12-21
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[a] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard[b] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of 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, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[c] 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Footnotes:
Philippians 1:12 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 14; and in 3:1, 13, 17; 4:1, 8, 21.
Philippians 1:13 Or whole palace
Philippians 1:19 Or vindication; or salvation
Insight
In this passage, Paul rejoiced that God used his imprisonment “for the furtherance of the gospel.” It gave him the rare opportunity to preach to “the whole palace guard, and to all the rest” (v.13). Encouraged by Paul’s example, many Roman Christians were emboldened to share the gospel without fear (v.14). Paul testified to the truth that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28).
Great Expectations
January 29, 2014 — by Joe Stowell
According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified. —Philippians 1:20
I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, “The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.”
In our best moments, it’s easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us. But life has a way of breaking those expectations. What then?
Stuck in jail and beset by fellow believers in Rome who didn’t like him (Phil. 1:15-16), Paul remained surprisingly upbeat. As he saw it, God had given him a new mission field. While under house arrest, he witnessed to the guards about Christ, which sent the gospel into Caesar’s house. And even though those opposing him were preaching the gospel from wrong motives, Christ was being preached, so Paul rejoiced (v.18).
Paul never expected to be in a great place or to be well liked. His only expectation was that “Christ will be magnified” through him (v.20). He wasn’t disappointed.
If our expectation is to make Christ visible to those around us regardless of where we are or who we are with, we will find those expectations met and even exceeded. Christ will be magnified.
Lord, forgive me for making my life all about what
I expect and not about glorifying You regardless
of my circumstances. May Your love, mercy,
and justice be magnified through me today.
Make it your only expectation to magnify Christ wherever you are and whoever you are with.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 29, 2014
How Could Someone Be So Ignorant!
Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15
“The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . .” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do”-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Melted by the Sacrifice - #7058
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
French beaches! You say that and most people might think about what a vacation that would be. Well, not when the Western world remembers what happened on the French beaches on D-Day. I remember, for example, the 50th anniversary. For several days American media bombarded us; we couldn't forget it. See, something else happened on French beaches - the heroic battle to establish an allied beachhead in France and to push back the darkness of Hitler's madness.
I mean there's a whole generation who knew next to nothing about what might be the most significant military victory in the 20th century when there's an anniversary celebration of an event like that. But when we see some of the films-and we did then-we saw the films of those boys barely out of high school storming the shore in the face of deadly German fire and many who died before they even hit the beach. We saw some of the veterans who survived. We heard their stories of buddies who are buried there. We saw the tears in the eyes of some pretty tough, old guys. And those of us who watched were touched ourselves, I think.
It was President Clinton - when the 50th anniversary took place - he spoke that day. He's part of a generation who knows relatively little about D-Day but whose freedom was in a sense really paid for there. And that day the President seemed almost to choke up sometimes when he spoke; especially when he spoke in the American cemetery near Omaha Beach. He was speaking to many veterans of that bloody battle, and one phrase of that speech still sticks out in my mind. Looking at those who risked everything on D-Day and speaking of those who gave everything, the President said these words, "We are the children of your sacrifice."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Melted by the Sacrifice."
When you realize the high price paid on D-Day it's hard to remain unmoved. Something similar happened 2,000 years ago on the day God's Son died on the cross. It happened to a soldier, the man in charge of the execution of Jesus Christ. We are about to hear remarkable words considering that they're coming from a hardened executioner.
In Mark 15:19, the man in charge of the execution - Listen to what he says, "And when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God.'" This soldier was melted by the sacrifice of the Son of God. This was no ordinary man dying this criminal death. This was the only Son of God.
This soldier had seen a lot of death, so what moved him? Crucifixion was nothing new to him. Let's stand for a moment and listen to what he heard Jesus saying at the cross. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." He had heard everything from crosses: curses, and screams, and complaining, but he'd never heard the word "forgive". And Jesus was forgiving those responsible for His death. That centurion must have been thinking, "He's forgiving me." He was forgiving you and me too, because it was our sin that put Jesus there.
Then he heard Jesus say, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." And here he realized that this was a man who cares about the person who needs Him, even in His own darkest hour. And he said, "This Jesus must have the power to take people to heaven." He does, including you. And then he heard Jesus cry, "It is finished!" He didn't lose! He won as He died. He sounds like He's won. Mission accomplished! The death penalty for our sin fully paid in that moment; the hell we deserve can be traded for the heaven we don't deserve if we put our trust in this One and only Savior.
We are the children of His sacrifice. If you know Jesus personally, you should have one objective with the people around you who don't know Christ. Bring them to this cross. Just tell them about Jesus and His incredible love. Help them stand at the cross. If you're not sure you know Christ, God is bringing you to the foot of His Son's cross right now through this visit. Will you put all your trust in Him, or are you going to ignore this love, this sacrifice?
If you're ready to begin a relationship with Him, that's what our website is all about; beginning that relationship. Let me invite you to join us there at ANewStory.com. How can you say "no" to the One who loves you so very much?
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Revelation 11, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: One of a Kind
I have a sweater I never wear. It's too small. Some of the buttons are missing, the thread is frazzled. I should throw it away. I'll never wear it again. Logic says to clear out the space, get rid of the sweater. But love won't let me.
What's unusual about it? It wasn't produced on an assembly line. It's the creation of a devoted mother expressing her love. That sweater is unique. It's one of a kind. It can't be replaced. And although the sweater has lost all of its use, it's lost none of its value.
That must have been what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote, "You knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13). You were knitted together. You aren't an accident. You weren't mass-produced. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman.
From The Applause of Heaven
Revelation 11
New International Version (NIV)
The Two Witnesses
11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Footnotes:
Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Ephesians 5:15-21
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Instructions for Christian Households
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Insight
In today’s passage, after exhorting the believers to “be very careful” (niv) in how they live and to be skillful in handling life (v.15), Paul went deeper by asking them to look at their lives and ask: Who or what is in control of my life and dictates how I live? Instead of allowing wine (or anything else) to control one’s mind and actions, believers are to let the Holy Spirit continually fill them so that He governs how they live (v.18; Prov. 20:1; 23:21,29-35). A life under the Spirit’s control is characterized by joy, gratitude, and the fear of the Lord (Eph. 5:19-20).
Better Than Planned
January 28, 2014 — by Julie Ackerman Link
Giving thanks always for all things. —Ephesians 5:20
Interruptions are nothing new. Rarely does a day go by as planned.
Life is filled with inconveniences. Our plans are constantly thwarted by forces beyond our control. The list is long and ever-changing: Sickness. Conflict. Traffic jams. Forgetfulness. Appliance malfunctions. Rudeness. Laziness. Impatience. Incompetence.
What we cannot see, however, is the other side of inconvenience. We think it has no purpose other than to discourage us, make life more difficult, and thwart our plans. However, inconvenience could be God’s way of protecting us from some unseen danger, or it could be an opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace and forgiveness. It might be the start of something even better than we had planned. Or it could be a test to see how we respond to adversity. Whatever it is, even though we may not know God’s reason, we can be assured of His motive—to make us more like Jesus and to further His kingdom on earth.
To say that God’s followers throughout history have been “inconvenienced” would be an understatement. But God had a purpose. Knowing this, we can thank Him, being confident that He is giving us an opportunity to redeem the time (Eph. 5:16,20).
Lord, so often it’s the little things in life that get
to me, and there seem to be so many of them.
Whenever I’m tempted to lose my temper, blame
someone, or just give up, help me see You.
What happens to us is not nearly as important as what God does in us and through us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 28, 2014
How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14
Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of “the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.
Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Unprotected Area Gets Burned - #7057
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Beware of the Florida sun! Especially if you're an office-white Northerner. Yeah, that's the voice of experience! I started out for a walk on a Florida beach before the burning hours, which is supposed to be like 10:00 a.m., right? That didn't help me because I can burn next to a 60-watt light bulb.
So I put lotion on the exposed spots. That is, most of the exposed spots. I didn't put any on my legs, and I was wearing shorts. I walked farther than I had planned. I was out later than I had planned, but I avoided a sunburn except for the legs, which one of my kids affectionately called "lobster legs" after that. I knew my legs where okay I went there, but we sure weren't getting along too well that night.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Unprotected Area Gets Burned."
Our word for today from the Word of God; we're in Ephesians 4:27. It's very plain and very simple, "Do not give the Devil a foothold." Now you combine that with 1 Peter 5:8 that says, "He's a roaring lion, looking for whom he may devour." And I think you should realize that the Devil is looking for a place to get into your heart, your mind, your life, your family. Don't give him one. Don't give the Devil, as one translation says, "a place to stand." In other words, don't leave a part of your life unguarded-unprotected, because you can be sure he will burn you there.
There's a wise old saint of another generation who told us that the Devil would use one of three loves to bring you down: The love of money, the love of power, or the love of women...or men perhaps in your case. Three ugly loves. Which one is the weakness Satan could most readily use in your life? I hope you know, because he sure does. He targets that. If he's attacking your weakness and you're not attacking it; if you're not acknowledging and protecting that weak area, you are headed for a fall.
The Bible seems to allude to those three loves in 1 John 2:16, "Everything in the world; the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world." Maybe you have a weakness in the area of money, or the things money can buy. That's your exposed area, and your enemy is going to take you out there. Or maybe you're vulnerable in the love of power; the desire to control, to be noticed, to be important, to manipulate, to get ahead. Satan knows that. So he's devising ways to use that to lead you into sin. Or maybe your weakness is with the opposite sex. You can be sure the Devil is pulling you toward a compromise in that area.
Whatever your exposed area, the enemy will try first to lure you into some small, seemingly harmless "this won't hurt" little compromise. And then step by step he will pull you slowly into sin you never dreamed you'd commit. So many people who have been there could look back and tell you, "Go back now when it's small. You have no idea where it's going to go." Don't give your enemy a place. Fight the very first little compromise. Protect yourself in that area where you're vulnerable. First you do it through regular clean up. Every morning you begin by confessing any sin in that area; any little beginnings of sin in that area, and clean up so you get started by repenting each morning in your area of weakness.
Then a regular checkup. You need someone who will regularly check up on your progress in winning over this thing; someone who will hold you accountable. And then a regular giving up; giving that area to the Lordship of Jesus Christ each new day, acknowledging you're powerless against it, and acknowledging Christ's power over it. That's like your spiritual suntan lotion; it's protection over the spot that might otherwise get burned.
I didn't have to get burned that day on the beach. There was protection available; I just left part of me unprotected. Don't make that mistake with the vulnerable spot in your life. What you surrender to Jesus, He'll protect. And what Jesus' protects, Satan cannot burn.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Ezra 7 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: King of the Mountain
King of the Mountain! Remember playing that game as a kid? The object is to push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. Once there, you fight to hold your position. Don't even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack up and you'll be slapped down. And then you'll have to start all over again.
As grown-ups we still play King of the Mountain, but now the stakes are higher. The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.
I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift of God. It's characterized by respect for quality, a yearning to use God's gifts in a way that pleases him. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. But the quest for power- it's childish!
By the way, you don't have to play King of the Mountain.
From The Applause of Heaven
Ezra 7
King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— 22 up to a hundred talents[f] of silver, a hundred cors[g] of wheat, a hundred baths[h] of wine, a hundred baths[i] of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. 26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.[j]
27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Insight
The writer of Hebrews paints a picture of an athletic competition, using the metaphor of a long-distance foot race to exhort believers to endure and persevere in the life of faith (vv.1-2). The apostle Paul also often used the idea of the race to speak of the challenges of living the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 5:7; Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7). The constant call is this: “Don’t give up. Keep your eyes on the finish line and finish the race!” The runner who completes the race will receive his reward (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 2:10).
The Wonder Of The Cross
January 27, 2014 — by Bill Crowder
[Look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. —Hebrews 12:2
While visiting Australia, I had the opportunity on a particularly clear night to see the Southern Cross. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, this constellation is one of the most distinctive. Mariners and navigators began relying on it as early as the 15th century for direction and navigation through the seas. Although relatively small, it is visible throughout most of the year. The Southern Cross was so vivid on that dark night that even I could pick it out of the bundle of stars. It was truly a magnificent sight!
The Scriptures tell us of an even more magnificent cross—the cross of Christ. When we look at the stars, we see the handiwork of the Creator; but when we look at the cross, we see the Creator dying for His creation. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to “[look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The wonder of Calvary’s cross is that while we were still in our sins, our Savior died for us (Rom. 5:8). Those who place their trust in Christ are now reconciled to God, and He navigates them through life (2 Cor. 1:8-10).
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the greatest of all wonders!
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride. —Watts
Christ’s cross provides the only safe crossing into eternity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 27, 2014
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
Burying the Gift - #7056
Monday, January 27, 2014
My wife has always had a very full life, but not too full to keep her from exercising her mischievous streak once in a while. (Once in a while?) Like with some of the gifts that she's given me over the years. She's been known to take a gift and put it in a little wrapped box inside a little bigger box, inside a little bigger box, inside... Well, you know. I had to open all of those boxes to get to my little present. You wade through several empty boxes, except for the newspaper that's wrapped around nothing, and you begin to wonder, "Is there really any gift in here?" And, "Is it really worth all this?"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Burying the Gift."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 9:12. The great missionary, Paul, says this: "We put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ." This great representative of the Lord Jesus is saying, "I don't want to do anything, I don't want to say anything that might keep someone from saying yes to the gospel and saying yes to Jesus."
Could it be that we have encumbered this good news we have with some extra baggage that keeps people from getting to the cross? See, we have a tendency to take this simple gift of eternal life and complicate it with all these layers around it. I was at a seminar not long ago, actually I was teaching it, and I was talking about what it means to be young and lost. And a woman in her early twenties came up afterwards and she said, "I was the person you described just four years ago." And she went on to tell me about a Christian who didn't help her. This girl had no Christian background, and a guy came up to her in high school and he gave her this picture of Jesus knocking at the door of her heart and he said, "Do you notice that there's no handle on the door? The reason is that the handle is on the inside and you have to let Him in." And he walked away.
Well, after he walked away, she said, "Let who in?" She didn't know anything about Jesus. It was the only time in her life up until then she'd ever heard about Him, but He was wrapped in religious talk that she couldn't understand. Now, this believer intended well I'm sure, probably just thought she just didn't want to get it. Actually, she didn't know how to get through the layers around Him.
Then she was invited to church a few years later, and she said, "Well, what should I wear?" And the gal said, "It doesn't matter." Thank God that believer attended a church where it doesn't matter. She said, "I went and accepted Christ the first time I heard the gospel in a way I could understand." But everything hinged on the answer to that one question, "What should I wear?" See, she would have missed it all. But there was a group of believers who offered God's gift without a lot of boxes and wrapping paper around it.
I hope that's the Jesus that you're sharing, that your church is sharing. Not one whose simple gift is encumbered with political views or social issues or denominational baggage. We can put obstacles in front of lost people by attacking particular sins and trying to clean them up before they've been to the cross. You don't clean fish before you catch them. Or maybe we bring in issues and doctrines that aren't a part of the simple gospel. We have a sin problem; that's the gospel.
Sin carries an eternal death penalty. Jesus paid that penalty in our place. We trade in eternal death for eternal life when we turn from running our life and put all our trust in Jesus. That's it! We put the gospel out of reach when we explain it in "Christianese" language that an unbeliever doesn't understand. We're making a mistake that may have life-and-death consequences when we load the gospel with extra baggage that obscures Christ's simple offer. Paul said it all, "I was determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Listen, you may be someone who's been confused by church people. You've been confused by all the wrapping around Jesus and you've missed the fact this is all about a man who loved you enough to die for your sin, and is powerful enough to walk out of His grave. He wants to walk into your life today. Don't miss Jesus because of the wrapping paper. It's all about Jesus.
There's so much more about Him at our website that I'd love to show you. It's ANewStory.com. I hope you'll meet me there. And if you're carrying the message of Jesus, wrap it simple like God did.
King of the Mountain! Remember playing that game as a kid? The object is to push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. Once there, you fight to hold your position. Don't even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack up and you'll be slapped down. And then you'll have to start all over again.
As grown-ups we still play King of the Mountain, but now the stakes are higher. The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.
I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift of God. It's characterized by respect for quality, a yearning to use God's gifts in a way that pleases him. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. But the quest for power- it's childish!
By the way, you don't have to play King of the Mountain.
From The Applause of Heaven
Ezra 7
King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— 22 up to a hundred talents[f] of silver, a hundred cors[g] of wheat, a hundred baths[h] of wine, a hundred baths[i] of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. 26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.[j]
27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Insight
The writer of Hebrews paints a picture of an athletic competition, using the metaphor of a long-distance foot race to exhort believers to endure and persevere in the life of faith (vv.1-2). The apostle Paul also often used the idea of the race to speak of the challenges of living the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 5:7; Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7). The constant call is this: “Don’t give up. Keep your eyes on the finish line and finish the race!” The runner who completes the race will receive his reward (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 2:10).
The Wonder Of The Cross
January 27, 2014 — by Bill Crowder
[Look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. —Hebrews 12:2
While visiting Australia, I had the opportunity on a particularly clear night to see the Southern Cross. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, this constellation is one of the most distinctive. Mariners and navigators began relying on it as early as the 15th century for direction and navigation through the seas. Although relatively small, it is visible throughout most of the year. The Southern Cross was so vivid on that dark night that even I could pick it out of the bundle of stars. It was truly a magnificent sight!
The Scriptures tell us of an even more magnificent cross—the cross of Christ. When we look at the stars, we see the handiwork of the Creator; but when we look at the cross, we see the Creator dying for His creation. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to “[look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The wonder of Calvary’s cross is that while we were still in our sins, our Savior died for us (Rom. 5:8). Those who place their trust in Christ are now reconciled to God, and He navigates them through life (2 Cor. 1:8-10).
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the greatest of all wonders!
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride. —Watts
Christ’s cross provides the only safe crossing into eternity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 27, 2014
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
Burying the Gift - #7056
Monday, January 27, 2014
My wife has always had a very full life, but not too full to keep her from exercising her mischievous streak once in a while. (Once in a while?) Like with some of the gifts that she's given me over the years. She's been known to take a gift and put it in a little wrapped box inside a little bigger box, inside a little bigger box, inside... Well, you know. I had to open all of those boxes to get to my little present. You wade through several empty boxes, except for the newspaper that's wrapped around nothing, and you begin to wonder, "Is there really any gift in here?" And, "Is it really worth all this?"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Burying the Gift."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 9:12. The great missionary, Paul, says this: "We put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ." This great representative of the Lord Jesus is saying, "I don't want to do anything, I don't want to say anything that might keep someone from saying yes to the gospel and saying yes to Jesus."
Could it be that we have encumbered this good news we have with some extra baggage that keeps people from getting to the cross? See, we have a tendency to take this simple gift of eternal life and complicate it with all these layers around it. I was at a seminar not long ago, actually I was teaching it, and I was talking about what it means to be young and lost. And a woman in her early twenties came up afterwards and she said, "I was the person you described just four years ago." And she went on to tell me about a Christian who didn't help her. This girl had no Christian background, and a guy came up to her in high school and he gave her this picture of Jesus knocking at the door of her heart and he said, "Do you notice that there's no handle on the door? The reason is that the handle is on the inside and you have to let Him in." And he walked away.
Well, after he walked away, she said, "Let who in?" She didn't know anything about Jesus. It was the only time in her life up until then she'd ever heard about Him, but He was wrapped in religious talk that she couldn't understand. Now, this believer intended well I'm sure, probably just thought she just didn't want to get it. Actually, she didn't know how to get through the layers around Him.
Then she was invited to church a few years later, and she said, "Well, what should I wear?" And the gal said, "It doesn't matter." Thank God that believer attended a church where it doesn't matter. She said, "I went and accepted Christ the first time I heard the gospel in a way I could understand." But everything hinged on the answer to that one question, "What should I wear?" See, she would have missed it all. But there was a group of believers who offered God's gift without a lot of boxes and wrapping paper around it.
I hope that's the Jesus that you're sharing, that your church is sharing. Not one whose simple gift is encumbered with political views or social issues or denominational baggage. We can put obstacles in front of lost people by attacking particular sins and trying to clean them up before they've been to the cross. You don't clean fish before you catch them. Or maybe we bring in issues and doctrines that aren't a part of the simple gospel. We have a sin problem; that's the gospel.
Sin carries an eternal death penalty. Jesus paid that penalty in our place. We trade in eternal death for eternal life when we turn from running our life and put all our trust in Jesus. That's it! We put the gospel out of reach when we explain it in "Christianese" language that an unbeliever doesn't understand. We're making a mistake that may have life-and-death consequences when we load the gospel with extra baggage that obscures Christ's simple offer. Paul said it all, "I was determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Listen, you may be someone who's been confused by church people. You've been confused by all the wrapping around Jesus and you've missed the fact this is all about a man who loved you enough to die for your sin, and is powerful enough to walk out of His grave. He wants to walk into your life today. Don't miss Jesus because of the wrapping paper. It's all about Jesus.
There's so much more about Him at our website that I'd love to show you. It's ANewStory.com. I hope you'll meet me there. And if you're carrying the message of Jesus, wrap it simple like God did.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Ezra 6 Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: A Picture of the Spirit
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth.” John 16:13
Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the son’s side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.
Ezra 6
The Decree of Darius
King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits[d] high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[e] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 40:1-3
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
Footnotes:
Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
Insight
When David wrote this psalm, he had been through some pretty tough times that were brought about by both his own sins and by the actions of his enemies (vv.2,12,14). David wrote of how he struggled to trust God (vv.11-17), even as he persisted in prayer for God’s help and waited patiently for God’s deliverance (vv.1-5). Despite the prolonged and uncertain waiting (vv.13,17), David testified that God hears and answers prayers and is worthy of our trust (vv.1-4) and called on the congregation to join him in praising God (vv.5,9-10,16). Perseverance in prayer, patient waiting, and unwavering trust is the consistent call and exhortation of the psalmists (Pss. 25:1-2; 27:13-14; 33:20-22; 37:7; 62:1).
The Discipline Of Waiting
January 26, 2014 — by David H. Roper
I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. —Psalm 40:1
Waiting is hard. We wait in grocery lines, in traffic, in the doctor’s office. We twiddle our thumbs, stifle our yawns, and fret inwardly in frustration. On another level, we wait for a letter that doesn’t come, for a prodigal child to return, or for a spouse to change. We wait for a child we can hold in our arms. We wait for our heart’s desire.
In Psalm 40, David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The original language here suggests that David “waited and waited and waited” for God to answer his prayer. Yet as he looks back at this time of delay, he praises God. As a result, David says, God “put a new song . . . a hymn of praise” in his heart (40:3 niv).
“What a chapter can be written of God’s delays!” said F. B. Meyer. “It is the mystery of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable.” Through the discipline of waiting, we can develop the quieter virtues—submission, humility, patience, joyful endurance, persistence in well-doing—virtues that take the longest to learn.
What do we do when God seems to withhold our heart’s desire? He is able to help us to love and trust Him enough to accept the delay with joy and to see it as an opportunity to develop these virtues—and to praise Him.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Pollard
Waiting for God is never a waste of time.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 26, 2014
Look Again and Consecrate
If God so clothes the grass of the field . . . , will He not much more clothe you . . . ? —Matthew 6:30
A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us because we will not be simple. How can we maintain the simplicity of Jesus so that we may understand Him? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that “if God so clothes the grass of the field . . .” how “much more” will He clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed “the cares of this world” to enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the “much more” of our heavenly Father.
“Look at the birds of the air . . .” (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His Spirit within you, then God will care for your “feathers” too.
“Consider the lilies of the field . . .” (Matthew 6:28). They grow where they are planted. Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we don’t take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us? Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth.” John 16:13
Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the son’s side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.
Ezra 6
The Decree of Darius
King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits[d] high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[e] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 40:1-3
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
Footnotes:
Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
Insight
When David wrote this psalm, he had been through some pretty tough times that were brought about by both his own sins and by the actions of his enemies (vv.2,12,14). David wrote of how he struggled to trust God (vv.11-17), even as he persisted in prayer for God’s help and waited patiently for God’s deliverance (vv.1-5). Despite the prolonged and uncertain waiting (vv.13,17), David testified that God hears and answers prayers and is worthy of our trust (vv.1-4) and called on the congregation to join him in praising God (vv.5,9-10,16). Perseverance in prayer, patient waiting, and unwavering trust is the consistent call and exhortation of the psalmists (Pss. 25:1-2; 27:13-14; 33:20-22; 37:7; 62:1).
The Discipline Of Waiting
January 26, 2014 — by David H. Roper
I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. —Psalm 40:1
Waiting is hard. We wait in grocery lines, in traffic, in the doctor’s office. We twiddle our thumbs, stifle our yawns, and fret inwardly in frustration. On another level, we wait for a letter that doesn’t come, for a prodigal child to return, or for a spouse to change. We wait for a child we can hold in our arms. We wait for our heart’s desire.
In Psalm 40, David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The original language here suggests that David “waited and waited and waited” for God to answer his prayer. Yet as he looks back at this time of delay, he praises God. As a result, David says, God “put a new song . . . a hymn of praise” in his heart (40:3 niv).
“What a chapter can be written of God’s delays!” said F. B. Meyer. “It is the mystery of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable.” Through the discipline of waiting, we can develop the quieter virtues—submission, humility, patience, joyful endurance, persistence in well-doing—virtues that take the longest to learn.
What do we do when God seems to withhold our heart’s desire? He is able to help us to love and trust Him enough to accept the delay with joy and to see it as an opportunity to develop these virtues—and to praise Him.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Pollard
Waiting for God is never a waste of time.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 26, 2014
Look Again and Consecrate
If God so clothes the grass of the field . . . , will He not much more clothe you . . . ? —Matthew 6:30
A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us because we will not be simple. How can we maintain the simplicity of Jesus so that we may understand Him? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that “if God so clothes the grass of the field . . .” how “much more” will He clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed “the cares of this world” to enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the “much more” of our heavenly Father.
“Look at the birds of the air . . .” (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His Spirit within you, then God will care for your “feathers” too.
“Consider the lilies of the field . . .” (Matthew 6:28). They grow where they are planted. Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we don’t take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us? Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Ezra 5 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily:
Max Lucado Daily: Tough Questions
Some questions aren’t always easy to answer. Maybe that’s the way it should be! Here’s just that kind of question:
“I get tired of hearing people brush aside troubles with the platitude in Romans 8:28, ‘All things work together for good.’ Isn’t saying that cruel?”
The verse says, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.” I think it’s one of the most helpful, comforting verses in the entire Bible. It announces God’s sovereignty in any painful, tragic situation we face. Why? Because we know God is at work for our good! He uses our struggles to build character.
So what do we do? We trust. Totally! And we remember. . .God is working for the good. Yes, any verse can be misused, but that doesn’t make it useless!
Ezra 5
Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 4 They[a] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[b] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple[c] in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Matthew 24:36-44
The Day and Hour Unknown
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Footnotes:
Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.
Insight
A few days before Jesus was crucified, the disciples asked, “When . . . and what will be the sign of Your coming?” (Matt. 24:3). In Matthew 24–25, also known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus spoke to them about the events that will precede His second coming. Because no one, not even Jesus, knows the day or the hour (24:36,42; Mark 13:32), Jesus warned us not to be deceived by speculations of His return (Matt. 24:4) but to be alert, vigilant, and always ready (v.44).
An Ordinary Day
January 25, 2014 — by David C. McCasland
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. —Matthew 24:42
While exploring a museum exhibit titled “A Day in Pompeii,” I was struck by the repeated theme that August 24, ad 79 began as an ordinary day. People were going about their daily business in homes, markets, and at the port of this prosperous Roman town of 20,000 people. At 8 a.m., a series of small emissions were seen coming from nearby Mount Vesuvius, followed by a violent eruption in the afternoon. In less than 24 hours, Pompeii and many of its people lay buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Unexpected.
Jesus told His followers that He would return on a day when people were going about their business, sharing meals, and having weddings, with no idea of what was about to happen. “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37).
The Lord’s purpose was to urge the disciples to be watchful and prepared: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (v.44).
What surprising joy it would be to welcome our Savior on this ordinary day!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 25, 2014
Leave Room for God
When it pleased God . . . —Galatians 1:15
As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God “elbow room.” We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly—God meets our life “. . . when it pleased God . . . .”
Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Revelation 10, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: The Power of a Seed
Want to see a miracle? Take a small seed, put it under several inches of dirt. Give it light, water, and fertilizer. It doesn’t matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it back! Never underestimate the power of a seed.
James, the epistle writer, wasn’t a farmer. But he knew the power of a seed sown in fertile soil. “Those who are peacemakers,” he said, “will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness” (James 3:18).
How good are you at sowing seeds of peace? Jesus modeled peace through acts of love, washing the feet of men he knew would betray him, and honoring the sinful woman whom society had scorned.
Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heart-deep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens!
From The Applause of Heaven
Revelation 10
New International Version (NIV)
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
Footnotes:
Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 10:11-15
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[b]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[c]
Footnotes:
Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
Insight
In Romans 9–11, Paul explained why so many Jews had not believed in Jesus: “They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law” (10:3 nlt). Paul reiterated God’s way of salvation: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (v.9). Quoting Isaiah 28:16, Paul assured his readers that those who trust in Jesus “will not be put to shame” (v.11). To encourage his readers to evangelize, Paul commended them: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace” (v.15).
Where Have You Been?
January 24, 2014 — by Randy Kilgore
How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? —Romans 10:14
Missionary Egerton Ryerson Young served the Salteaux tribe in Canada in the 1700s. The chief of the tribe thanked Young for bringing the good news of Christ to them, noting that he was hearing it for the first time in his old age. Since he knew that God was Young’s heavenly Father, the chief asked, “Does that mean He is my Father too?” When the missionary answered, “Yes,” the crowd that had gathered around burst into cheers.
The chief was not finished, however. “Well,” said the chief, “I do not want to be rude, but it does seem to me . . . that it took a long time for you to . . . tell it to your brother in the woods.” It was a remark that Young never forgot.
Many times I’ve been frustrated by the zigs and zags of my life, thinking of the people I could reach if only. Then God reminds me to look around right where I am, and I discover many who have never heard of Jesus. In that moment, I’m reminded that I have a story to tell wherever I go, “for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ ” (Rom. 10:12-13).
Remember, we don’t have just any story to tell—it’s the best story that has ever been told.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word. —Hankey
Sharing the good news is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
God’s Overpowering Purpose
I have appeared to you for this purpose . . .—Acts 26:16
The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was not a passing emotional experience, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him. And Paul stated, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Our Lord said to Paul, in effect, “Your whole life is to be overpowered or subdued by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” And the Lord also says to us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go . . .” (John 15:16).
When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all, we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be. It is important that I learn not to be “disobedient to the heavenly vision”—not to doubt that it can be attained. It is not enough to give mental assent to the fact that God has redeemed the world, nor even to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did a reality in my life. I must have the foundation of a personal relationship with Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim. He was brought into a vivid, personal, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ.Acts 26:16 is tremendously compelling “. . . to make you a minister and a witness . . . .” There would be nothing there without a personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s. He saw nothing else and he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
People Aren't Polaroid's - #7055
Friday, January 24, 2014
If you made a list of the million dollar ideas of the twentieth century, you'd probably have to include something called the Polaroid camera. Now, you may not remember that at all, but it was a great invention in its time. You know, what was the worst part of taking pictures? It was waiting for them to be developed. The Polaroid concept introduced the revolutionary idea of developing your photo right on the spot, and then you would know whether you got what you shot. That was way before cell phone technology. So with the Polaroid, for example, if you cut off everybody's heads when you took the picture, you could take it again and they could have heads. We're naturally impatient to see what the result of our effort is with our pictures, right? And with people.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "People Aren't Polaroid's."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Galatians chapter 6, and I'm reading verse 9. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This verse talks about doing good in people's lives. And as you know, that doing of good often shows no visible results at least for a while. But if you will keep sowing good seed, the Bible says, when it looks like it's having no effect-the person couldn't care less-you will ultimately reap a satisfying harvest.
Now, it could be that you need to hear that right now because you have been living Christ, and have been sharing Christ in the life of someone who just doesn't seem to get it. They don't care, they don't seem to be responding, seems like they don't even want to hear it right now and it's like you're talking to a brick wall. It could very well be even a member of your own family. Remember, Jesus said the farmer's job is to scatter seed, not to make it grow; you just get it out there.
Even if you're not seeing any result in the life of someone or the lives of some people, keep on sowing this verse says. That doesn't mean pestering, pushing, pressuring. Just patiently loving, gently sprinkling biblical values when you have a natural, spontaneous opening to do it.
I remember when Becky got a call at the age of thirty from a woman who said, "Are you the Becky that I knew in high school?" She said, "Yeah, I am." It turns out that they had been friends in junior high but then they'd gone two different ways. Becky had gone on to really follow Christ, and this girl went into the party scene. But now she's calling. She said, "Becky, I've looked all over. I finally got your married name. I finally tracked you down because my life is falling apart. My husband has left me, but I've got to ask you a question before I tell you any more. Becky, are you still close to God?" Wow! Thirteen years had passed. She didn't go to the party people; she went to the person she could remember-the God person who had faithfully sown Bible seed in her life.
We forget that people aren't a Polaroid picture. They don't usually develop right away. You have to wait to see what impression you have made. And while you're waiting it's easy to give up, because you don't see any impression. Well, seed that is sown yields nothing visible for quite a while. Ask any farmer.
But God has guaranteed you a harvest in the life of that child, in your marriage, in those Sunday School class kids, the Bible study people, the people in your church, the friends you have, your coworkers. He's guaranteed you a harvest if you won't quit. "At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" the Bible says.
Someone you care about will eventually get the picture if you'll be patient while they develop.
Want to see a miracle? Take a small seed, put it under several inches of dirt. Give it light, water, and fertilizer. It doesn’t matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it back! Never underestimate the power of a seed.
James, the epistle writer, wasn’t a farmer. But he knew the power of a seed sown in fertile soil. “Those who are peacemakers,” he said, “will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness” (James 3:18).
How good are you at sowing seeds of peace? Jesus modeled peace through acts of love, washing the feet of men he knew would betray him, and honoring the sinful woman whom society had scorned.
Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heart-deep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens!
From The Applause of Heaven
Revelation 10
New International Version (NIV)
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
Footnotes:
Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 10:11-15
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[b]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[c]
Footnotes:
Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
Insight
In Romans 9–11, Paul explained why so many Jews had not believed in Jesus: “They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law” (10:3 nlt). Paul reiterated God’s way of salvation: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (v.9). Quoting Isaiah 28:16, Paul assured his readers that those who trust in Jesus “will not be put to shame” (v.11). To encourage his readers to evangelize, Paul commended them: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace” (v.15).
Where Have You Been?
January 24, 2014 — by Randy Kilgore
How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? —Romans 10:14
Missionary Egerton Ryerson Young served the Salteaux tribe in Canada in the 1700s. The chief of the tribe thanked Young for bringing the good news of Christ to them, noting that he was hearing it for the first time in his old age. Since he knew that God was Young’s heavenly Father, the chief asked, “Does that mean He is my Father too?” When the missionary answered, “Yes,” the crowd that had gathered around burst into cheers.
The chief was not finished, however. “Well,” said the chief, “I do not want to be rude, but it does seem to me . . . that it took a long time for you to . . . tell it to your brother in the woods.” It was a remark that Young never forgot.
Many times I’ve been frustrated by the zigs and zags of my life, thinking of the people I could reach if only. Then God reminds me to look around right where I am, and I discover many who have never heard of Jesus. In that moment, I’m reminded that I have a story to tell wherever I go, “for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ ” (Rom. 10:12-13).
Remember, we don’t have just any story to tell—it’s the best story that has ever been told.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word. —Hankey
Sharing the good news is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
God’s Overpowering Purpose
I have appeared to you for this purpose . . .—Acts 26:16
The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was not a passing emotional experience, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him. And Paul stated, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Our Lord said to Paul, in effect, “Your whole life is to be overpowered or subdued by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” And the Lord also says to us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go . . .” (John 15:16).
When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all, we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be. It is important that I learn not to be “disobedient to the heavenly vision”—not to doubt that it can be attained. It is not enough to give mental assent to the fact that God has redeemed the world, nor even to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did a reality in my life. I must have the foundation of a personal relationship with Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim. He was brought into a vivid, personal, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ.Acts 26:16 is tremendously compelling “. . . to make you a minister and a witness . . . .” There would be nothing there without a personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s. He saw nothing else and he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
People Aren't Polaroid's - #7055
Friday, January 24, 2014
If you made a list of the million dollar ideas of the twentieth century, you'd probably have to include something called the Polaroid camera. Now, you may not remember that at all, but it was a great invention in its time. You know, what was the worst part of taking pictures? It was waiting for them to be developed. The Polaroid concept introduced the revolutionary idea of developing your photo right on the spot, and then you would know whether you got what you shot. That was way before cell phone technology. So with the Polaroid, for example, if you cut off everybody's heads when you took the picture, you could take it again and they could have heads. We're naturally impatient to see what the result of our effort is with our pictures, right? And with people.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "People Aren't Polaroid's."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Galatians chapter 6, and I'm reading verse 9. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This verse talks about doing good in people's lives. And as you know, that doing of good often shows no visible results at least for a while. But if you will keep sowing good seed, the Bible says, when it looks like it's having no effect-the person couldn't care less-you will ultimately reap a satisfying harvest.
Now, it could be that you need to hear that right now because you have been living Christ, and have been sharing Christ in the life of someone who just doesn't seem to get it. They don't care, they don't seem to be responding, seems like they don't even want to hear it right now and it's like you're talking to a brick wall. It could very well be even a member of your own family. Remember, Jesus said the farmer's job is to scatter seed, not to make it grow; you just get it out there.
Even if you're not seeing any result in the life of someone or the lives of some people, keep on sowing this verse says. That doesn't mean pestering, pushing, pressuring. Just patiently loving, gently sprinkling biblical values when you have a natural, spontaneous opening to do it.
I remember when Becky got a call at the age of thirty from a woman who said, "Are you the Becky that I knew in high school?" She said, "Yeah, I am." It turns out that they had been friends in junior high but then they'd gone two different ways. Becky had gone on to really follow Christ, and this girl went into the party scene. But now she's calling. She said, "Becky, I've looked all over. I finally got your married name. I finally tracked you down because my life is falling apart. My husband has left me, but I've got to ask you a question before I tell you any more. Becky, are you still close to God?" Wow! Thirteen years had passed. She didn't go to the party people; she went to the person she could remember-the God person who had faithfully sown Bible seed in her life.
We forget that people aren't a Polaroid picture. They don't usually develop right away. You have to wait to see what impression you have made. And while you're waiting it's easy to give up, because you don't see any impression. Well, seed that is sown yields nothing visible for quite a while. Ask any farmer.
But God has guaranteed you a harvest in the life of that child, in your marriage, in those Sunday School class kids, the Bible study people, the people in your church, the friends you have, your coworkers. He's guaranteed you a harvest if you won't quit. "At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" the Bible says.
Someone you care about will eventually get the picture if you'll be patient while they develop.