Max Lucado Daily: God as Heart Surgeon
Grace is God as heart surgeon! Grace is God cracking open your chest, removing your heart, poisoned as it is with pride and pain, and replacing it with his own.
God's dream isn't just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Grace lives because Jesus does, works because he works, and matters because he matters. To be saved by grace is to be saved by Jesus-not by an idea, doctrine, creed, or church membership, but by Jesus himself, who will sweep into heaven anyone who so much as gives him the nod. Grace won't be stage-managed. I have no tips on how to get grace. Truth is, we don't get grace. But it can sure get us.
If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, then grace is what you need! Make certain it happens to you!
From GRACE
Malachi 1
A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.[a]
Israel Doubts God’s Love
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.
“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 8:19-27
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Footnotes:
Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
Insight
Today’s passage is filled with hope and comfort. Though Paul describes the deep suffering and groaning of both humanity and creation, his emphasis is on the nearness of our God and His affectionate care for His creation. Paul encourages readers in Rome—and us—with the thought that God knows us so well that His Spirit prays for us, translating our weak words into prayers according to the will of the Father (vv.26-27).
Not Lost In Translation
By Bill Crowder
[The Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. —Romans 8:27
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach the Bible to many people around the world. Because I can speak only English, I often work with interpreters who can take the words of my heart and translate them into the language of the people. Effective communication is directly dependent upon the skill of these translators. Whether it is Inawaty in Indonesia, Annie in Malaysia, or Jean in Brazil, they ensure that the meaning of my words is clearly expressed.
This work of translation resembles one facet of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of God’s people. In our times of prayer, we don’t always know how we should pray (Rom. 8:26), and verse 27 encourages us, saying, “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” When we go to our heavenly Father in prayer, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid by translating our prayers according to God’s good purposes for our lives.
What a provision! Not only does God desire for us to share our hearts with Him, He even provides us with the greatest interpreter to help us as we pray. We can be sure that our prayers will never get lost in translation.
Thank You, Father, for the provision of Your Spirit.
I’m grateful that when I pray I can rest in Your help
to make my prayers what they need to be. Teach me
to lean on His perfect understanding of Your desires.
The participation of the Spirit assures that my prayers line up with God’s purposes.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, March 07, 2014
The Source of Abundant Joy
In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us —Romans 8:37
Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).
The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Taking Attendance - #7085
Friday, March 7, 2014
Playing his first high school football game - that was our son's dream since first grade! And the day finally came! His first freshman game was an away game. And let me tell you, at freshman games the parental attendance was underwhelming to say the least.
Well, my wife and I are huddled up in the bleachers with a few others, and finally the team comes in with their mix-and-match freshman uniforms. Of course, we're looking only for the #76. We couldn't keep our eyes off of him. And he, of course, was all business, looking appropriately macho, staring straight ahead, game face. He wasn't about to be needing Mom and Dad...no way.
But he couldn't resist a glance. In just this quick moment he glanced from under that helmet into the stands, and our eyes met, and then he was quickly back at the field. No smile and no wave. I just knew our son had to know we were there. Our presence was very noticeable and very important to us and to him.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Taking Attendance."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Deuteronomy 6:5-7. We're going to find some very practical advice for how to be there for our kids. See, throughout their growing years, children are constantly checking the stands to see that Mom and Dad are there when it counts, especially for the five golden moments in your son or daughter's day.
This passage also gives us insights from God, who is the only perfect Father, into how we can communicate love and truth and be involved with our kids. It's in the process of everyday life. I call it the classroom of everyday life. Here's what He says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." See how practical this is? He says, "I want you to be there in everyday life." And that's got to happen at home.
In my book, "Five Needs Your Child Must Have Met at Home", we talk about these five golden moments; times when they are taking attendance; when they're checking to see if Mom or Dad are there.
Number one is their wake up time; when they are first waking up. They need a parent who is gentle, affectionate, welcoming them to a new day. Second is the send off, when they're leaving for their day. Race horses, children, race cars, Olympic athletes? They want to run a good race, they need a good start. And for that to be possible, a parent needs to be there at breakfast if at all possible. My wife would always pray with the kids and launch them with these happy words, "Have a nice day with Jesus." I can hear her doing it now.
The third one is when they need instruction, and that's when they're coming in. If your work schedule will possibly allow it, your presence when a child gets home is an important time of life building. Some days they'll be ready to talk about the good news or the bad. And then a little TV or play or computer or homework, or whatever and you need to be there. Your job is to be there and listen to their day without judgment and just be available.
And then the fourth golden moment is to debrief them. Maybe it's right after you welcome them home and it needs to be brief. But they need to be able to see the teachable moments and what can be learned from the experiences of that day. That's the best teaching of all, and to celebrate what the good things were that day and to evaluate the hard things of that day.
And finally, they need a happy ending. The day needs to end well. They may need to hear you say, "Thank you" or "I'm sorry" or "I love you."
Send them off with the Lord on their mind. Let them go to sleep thinking about their Father in heaven instead of monsters in the closet. Golden moments: five points in a child's life to build your relationship on. Look, you're not going to make all five every day, but do as many as you can as often as you can.
The years when our kids are taking attendance don't last long. Let's make sure we're there for the moments that really count. Your son or daughter is checking the stands to see if you are really there.