Max Lucado Daily: By Grace Through Faith
The supreme force in salvation is God's grace. Not our works. Not our talents. Not our feelings. Not our strength. Faith is not born at the negotiating table where we barter our gifts in exchange for God's goodness. Faith is not an award given to the most learned. It's not a prize given to the most disciplined.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."
We, like Paul, are aware of two things. We are great sinners and we need a great Savior. Salvation is God's sudden, calming presence during the stormy seas of our lives. Death is disarmed. Failures are forgiven. Life has real purpose. And God is not only within sight-He is within reach!
From In the Eye of the Storm
Matthew 28
Jesus Has Risen
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Read: Hebrews 10:32-39
Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”[a]
38 And,
“But my righteous[b] one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”[c]
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Footnotes:
Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
Insight
Severely opposed and persecuted, Jewish Christians were pressured to abandon Christianity and to revert to Judaism. The unnamed writer of Hebrews encouraged them to continue in the faith by affirming the preeminence, superiority, and sufficiency of Christ through His person and position (Heb. 1–4) and His work of propitiation (chs. 5–10). He also warned them against rejecting Christ (2:1-3; 3:7-15; 6:4-6). Here, in his final exhortation, he reminded them of their exemplary faithfulness in enduring the mistreatments thus far (10:32-34) and of the great reward that would be theirs if they persevered (vv.35-36). He was confident that they would succeed (v.39).
A Word For The Struggler
By David C. McCasland
Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. —Hebrews 10:35
There is an old adage that says, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” It’s wise not to take on more responsibilities than we can handle. At some time, however, we will likely feel overwhelmed by the size and difficulty of a task we have agreed to do.
This can happen even in our walk of faith in Christ when our commitment to God seems too much to bear. But the Lord has an encouraging word for us when our confidence wavers.
The writer of Hebrews urged his readers to recall the courage they demonstrated during the early days of their faith (10:32-33). Despite public insults and persecution, they aided believers in prison, and they joyfully accepted the confiscation of their own property (vv.33-34). With that in mind, he says, “Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (vv.35-36).
Our confidence is not in ourselves but in Jesus and His promise to return at just the right time (v.37).
It is God’s power that enables us to continue in our journey of faith. Recalling the Lord’s faithfulness in days past stirs our confidence in Him today.
When life becomes a heavy load,
An upward climb, a winding road,
In daily tasks, Lord, let me see
That with me You will always be. —D. DeHaan
Trusting God’s faithfulness stirs up our confidence.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, August 21, 2014
The Ministry of the Unnoticed
Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Silent But Not Inactive - #7204
I was at the headquarters of an international missionary radio ministry, and I was looking into creating a radio project and I needed a little help. I was told that I should speak with, let's just call him Chuck. Okay?
This man that they wanted me to speak with was a very interesting fellow. While discussing a project he would begin brainstorming. But he wasn't very good about keeping in touch once he headed off to do the project. In fact he literally sometimes could not be found! He didn't call in. He didn't communicate at all! This is exactly what they told me, "You'd hear nothing from him, and then suddenly he would reappear and the video is completely done." The gentleman that recommended him said, "You know, he just about drives you crazy, but we love what the guy produces."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Silent But Not Inactive."
Our word for today from the Word of God is in Exodus 12. I'll begin at verse 11. This is the story of the Jews who have been in Egyptian bondage now for over 400 years. They have been waiting a long time for God's deliverance. They have been through all kinds of discouragements and disappointments; plagues, Pharaoh saying, "No, you can't", "No, you can't", "Yes you can." And it looked like they were never going to get out. They were very discouraged.
They expressed their discouragement to Moses, and he had actually kind of gotten used to all these setbacks. But he knew that liberation was coming, but it was going to have to happen in a way only God could do it and in God's time. He said to them that "there's going to have to be a price to pay in order to be protected from the death penalty that is going to be assessed on Egypt. He said, "You are to slaughter this lamb, (That's the Passover, of course.) cover the doorposts with the blood and the angel of Death will pass over you."
Well, one night God said, "This is how you're going to eat this Passover meal: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover." All of a sudden God says, "Okay, things are going to happen fast. Eat it fast; there will not even be enough time for the bread to rise."
And then when you get to verse 33, He urges the people to hurry and leave the country. "'For otherwise,' they said, 'we will all die!' So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing." And then he says, "Let's get out of here."
Even God's people thought He wasn't going to come through, it had been so long. And then it happens in one night. It's like the man recommended to do my project. You weren't sure he was doing any work at all. Nothing seemed to be happening. You don't hear anything from him, and then bingo! Suddenly there's the final prize and you really love it.
Mary and Martha had to wait for Jesus to come for Lazarus. And while they were waiting, things got worse. He could have come sooner. He didn't. Lazarus died. Then Jesus came. Mary and Martha believed Jesus could heal a sick man, but He had a lot more in mind. He was going to raise a dead man. They had to wait for Jesus to do the powerful thing He was planning to do.
God might seem pretty silent where you are right now, and you've pondered, you've planted. Nothing seems to be happening and nothing seems to come through. You might need Exodus faith. Yes, something is happening, but you may not be able to see it.
When God is silent, He's getting the answer ready for you. Like the flowers, you say, "Oh, they just bloomed today!" You know what? They've been growing, some of them, for months under the ground. That's how it is with God. You can't see it, and then suddenly there it is. It may look to you like nothing is coming together. Oh, it's coming together. He will take you to a deeper level though and increase your faith in Him while you wait. Sometimes you may think He frustrates people and He just doesn't know what He's doing, and you're wondering if He's doing nothing.
He may be silent, but I assure you, your God is not inactive and you are going to love the finished product. It is worth the wait.