Max Lucado Daily: Make it Personal
Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but he endured the anger of God! God didn't overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn't punish you lest he destroy you. He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner. Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you credit for Jesus' perfection.
As long as the cross is God's gift to the world, it will touch you but it will not change you. Precious as it is to proclaim, "Christ died for the world," even sweeter it is to whisper, "Christ died for me!" For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day that grace happened to you!
From GRACE
Genesis 5
From Adam to Noah
This is the written account of Adam’s family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”[j] when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father[k] of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah[l] and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Ministers of the New Covenant
12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
Insight
In today’s reading, we see a dramatic picture of Christ as victor. In the world of ancient Rome, a conquering general would be rewarded with a “triumph,” a celebrative victory parade. The conquered enemies subjugated as slaves would often follow the procession. Paul used this event familiar to his audience to represent Jesus Christ as the triumphant hero. Considering himself a slave of Christ (Phil. 1:1), Paul thought it an honor and a joy to have been conquered by the Lord he now loved and served. Often during a triumphal parade, the temple doors were thrown open and the fragrance of garlands and incense flooded the parade procession with the sweet aroma of victory. Certainly, the gospel has a sweet spiritual aroma for those who believe.
Sweet Fragrance
By Cindy Hess Kasper
We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. —2 Corinthians 2:15
Some scents are unforgettable. Recently, my husband mentioned he was running low on shaving cream. “I’ll pick some up,” I offered. “Can you get this kind?” he asked, showing me the can. “I love the smell—it’s the kind my dad always used.” I smiled, recalling the time I had been momentarily taken back to my childhood when I got a whiff of the same shampoo my mom used to wash my hair. For both Tom and me, the fragrances had brought an emotional response and pleasant memory of people we loved who were no longer around.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel.”
So, what if our lives were a fragrance that attracted people to God? Second Corinthians 2:15 says that “we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” Our fragrance is pleasing to God, but it also attracts others to Him or repels them. We who understand the sacrifice of Jesus have the opportunity to be the “fragrance of Christ”—a reminder of Him—to others.
The sweet scent of the likeness of Christ can be an irresistible pull toward the Savior.
Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways,
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
Let my lips speak forth His praise. —James
When we walk with God, we leave behind a sweet fragrance that can inspire others to follow.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Will I Bring Myself Up to This Level?
. . . perfecting holiness in the fear of God —2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises. . . .” I claim God’s promises for my life and look to their fulfillment, and rightly so, but that shows only the human perspective on them. God’s perspective is that through His promises I will come to recognize His claim of ownership on me. For example, do I realize that my “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,” or am I condoning some habit in my body which clearly could not withstand the light of God on it? (1 Corinthians 6:19). God formed His Son in me through sanctification, setting me apart from sin and making me holy in His sight (see Galatians 4:19). But I must begin to transform my natural life into spiritual life by obedience to Him. God instructs us even in the smallest details of life. And when He brings you conviction of sin, do not “confer with flesh and blood,” but cleanse yourself from it at once (Galatians 1:16). Keep yourself cleansed in your daily walk.
I must cleanse myself from all filthiness in my flesh and my spirit until both are in harmony with the nature of God. Is the mind of my spirit in perfect agreement with the life of the Son of God in me, or am I mentally rebellious and defiant? Am I allowing the mind of Christ to be formed in me? (see Philippians 2:5). Christ never spoke of His right to Himself, but always maintained an inner vigilance to submit His spirit continually to His Father. I also have the responsibility to keep my spirit in agreement with His Spirit. And when I do, Jesus gradually lifts me up to the level where He lived-a level of perfect submission to His Father’s will— where I pay no attention to anything else. Am I perfecting this kind of holiness in the fear of God? Is God having His way with me, and are people beginning to see God in my life more and more?
Be serious in your commitment to God and gladly leave everything else alone. Literally put God first in your life.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Buffalo Riding - #7092
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
I love to drive through Custer State Park in South Dakota. This time, we were driving through on our way to an outreach for the Lakota young people on a nearby reservation. I love the drive because, if I'm lucky, I'll get to see a lot of buffalo. I know you'll find this surprising, but seeing buffalo is one thing; riding them is another.
We were with our Lakota Christian brother, and we saw some buffalo! And he said, "Ron, I know someone who rides buffalo in parades, and on holidays." And I said, "Wait a minute! Rides a buffalo?" I can't imagine boarding one of these wonderful wild animals. Somebody asked this buffalo rider, "What's it take?" Here's what he said: "Patience. If you neglect them one or two days, he won't be tamed any more."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Buffalo Riding."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans chapter 7, beginning at verse 19. It actually talks about the buffalo-the wild animal inside you and me; a wild beast that does not want to be tamed. Verse 19, "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Verse 24 Paul says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" You get almost a hopeless feel up to this point.
And then suddenly, "Bam! The sun comes out." Here's the good news. "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" See, there's an animal inside of us that wants us to go against God. It's like the hymn writer says, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." We know what God wants, and we want it too. But we keep choosing to let that part of us that is out-of-control run us. We just can't seem to tame it!
But we're not without hope. There's a Savior, not only from the penalty of sin, which is huge, but from the power of sin. Romans chapter 6 verse 14 says, "Sin will no longer be your master." When we surrender that wild part to Jesus, He begins to tame what has always ruled us; what has always beaten us. But you don't tame it once and for all. It takes patience like the buffalo rider said.
Luke 9:23 says, "Take up your cross daily and follow Me." If you neglect that buffalo-that animal inside you-one or two days, he won't be tamed any more. That sin that has beaten you, it's got to be beaten now on a 24-hour basis, 24-hour victories. I won it today. Some of us have made the mistake of thinking that big, great, one-time spiritual experience would tame the buffalo once and for all. But he keeps getting away from us; keeps riding over us. It's because we missed the daily part.
If you conquer sin one day at a time, and if Jesus is the only one who can conquer it, doesn't it stand to reason you have to be with Jesus each new day. Now, you notice something that happens consistently when you miss a day or two of your time with Jesus. At least it happens to me. The dark side of me starts to surface again, re-strengthened. I start to see traits that I was seeing less of, and suddenly I start seeing more of. And so does everyone close to me.
It's as if that daily surrender time with Jesus is the only dam that's holding back the parts of me I hate. You miss being with the Savior because of sin, and the sin starts to leak back in. You need a constant get-together. You need a consistent, non-negotiable time together with Jesus, where you again make Him the Lord of your stubborn sin. That's literally the margin between victory and defeat.
We've all got a buffalo to tame. Let him go unattended for a couple of days, and sin will stampede right over you again. But you can ride the buffalo that has ridden you by daily turning over the reigns to the One who died to tame the animal inside you. He is the Savior. He is Jesus.