Max Lucado Daily: How Do you Say Lucado?
My last name has created some awkward moments. A woman said, “Max Lu-KAH-do—I’ve been wanting to meet you.” I let it go thinking that was the end of it. But then a man said to me, “My wife and I’ve been trying to figure out how you say your name. Is it Lu-KAY-doh or Lu-KAH-doh! I felt trapped…as I looked at my new friend who had been mispronouncing my name.
On an infinitely grander scale, God faces with humankind a similar issue I faced with the woman. How can He be both just and kind? How can He redeem the sinner without endorsing the sin? From our perspective there are only two equally unappealing solutions. From God’s perspective, however, there is a third. It’s called the Cross of Christ! And that is one phrase you want to say correctly!
From He Chose the Nails
Judges 4
Deborah Becomes Israel’s Judge
After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. 6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
9 “Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law[a] Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. 15 When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot. 16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.
17 Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 “Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.
20 “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”
21 But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
22 When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
23 So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. 24 And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.
4:11 Or father-in-law.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, March 09, 2015
Read: John 10:1-10
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Footnotes:
10:8 Some manuscripts do not include before me.
10:9 Or will find safety.
INSIGHT: John records several instances of the exclusive claims of Jesus. In today’s passage, Jesus says that the only way to relationship with God is through Him (John 10:9). Later, speaking to His disciples, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6).
Cat Gate
By Julie Ackerman Link
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. —John 10:9
My husband, Jay, and I have a new family member—a 2-month-old tabby cat named Jasper. To keep our new kitten safe, we’ve had to break some old habits, like leaving doors open. But one thing remains a challenge: the open stairway. Cats like to climb. Even as kittens, they know that the world looks better when you’re looking down on it. So whenever I have Jasper downstairs with me, she is determined to go upstairs. Trying to keep her confined to a safe place near me has tested my ingenuity. Gates that work with children and dogs do not work with cats.
My cat gate dilemma brings to mind the metaphor Jesus used to describe Himself: “I am the gate for the sheep,” He said (John 10:7 niv). Middle Eastern sheepfolds were enclosures with an opening for the sheep to go in and out. At night, when the sheep were safely inside, the shepherd would lie in the opening so that neither sheep nor predators could get past him.
Although I want to keep Jasper safe, I am not willing to make myself the gate. I have other things to do. But that’s what Jesus Christ does for us. He places Himself between us and our enemy, the devil, to protect us from spiritual harm.
Thank You, Jesus, for being my gate. Through You I have salvation and by Your power I am safe from spiritual harm. Surround me with Your protection. I trust in You.
The closer to the Shepherd, the farther from the wolf.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, March 09, 2015
Do you also want to go away? —John 6:67
What a penetrating question! Our Lord’s words often hit home for us when He speaks in the simplest way. In spite of the fact that we know who Jesus is, He asks, “Do you also want to go away?” We must continually maintain an adventurous attitude toward Him, despite any potential personal risk.
“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). They turned back from walking with Jesus; not into sin, but away from Him. Many people today are pouring their lives out and working for Jesus Christ, but are not really walking with Him. One thing God constantly requires of us is a oneness with Jesus Christ. After being set apart through sanctification, we should discipline our lives spiritually to maintain this intimate oneness. When God gives you a clear determination of His will for you, all your striving to maintain that relationship by some particular method is completely unnecessary. All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live your life with God in any other way than His way. And His way means absolute devotion to Him. Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus.
Peter saw in Jesus only someone who could minister salvation to him and to the world. But our Lord wants us to be fellow laborers with Him.
In John 6:70 Jesus lovingly reminded Peter that he was chosen to go with Him. And each of us must answer this question for ourselves and no one else: “Do you also want to go away?”
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, March 09, 2015
How a Dog Defines 'Disciple' - #7346
Peter and Shirley were members of our ministry team, and their daughter was kind enough during her last semester of college to buy a dog. That meant that when she finished college, the dog moved in with Peter and Shirley. They inherited Starbuck. No that's not coffee! That's a black Labrador retriever.
Peter experienced some interesting things about that dog. The dog was stuck like glue to Peter and Shirley. Everywhere Peter went, Starbuck went, whether he wanted him to go with him or not. They'd both go into the living room; Starbuck followed. They would go in the kitchen, Starbuck was right there with them. Starbuck didn't care much where he went. He just followed Peter around. And Peter often wanted to say to the dog, "Hey, listen! Leave me alone! Don't you have something to do?" Then he'd look at those big ole eyes looking up at him.
My family has experienced the same thing throughout the years because we've had some dogs. Every time it was true, the dog didn't care where he was, he just wanted to be where his master was.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How a Dog Defines 'Disciple.'"
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 12:26. Jesus says, "Whoever serves Me must follow Me. And where I am my servant also will be." He's talking here about the central response of someone who is a true follower of Jesus Christ. Find out where my Master is and be there. Find out where my Master's going. I'm going to go there too.
This kind of allegiance to the Master's direction is what being a disciple is all about. It's not just about having the right beliefs and going to the right meetings. No, it's about being where your Master is and He wants to move deeper into your life. That's supposed to be your starting point every morning.
In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "Take up your cross daily and follow Me." Each day you get into God's Word, where He gives His direction. You hold that book in your lap and you say, "Lord, show me what new ground you want to touch today." And then you want to be where Jesus is as He's moving in the lives of the people you love. You start to look around at your mate, your children. What's He trying to do in their life? You want to be a part of that. You try to follow Him in what He's doing in their life. Don't try to shape them in the way you want them to go. Follow where your Master's going in their life. Contribute to what He's trying to do.
With our children, you nurture what God seems to be doing in their life. You find out where God's going in their life and you follow Him there. And then, He also is moving in that place where you are serving Jesus. You follow His lead there as well. The key question a leader needs to be asking is, "Where does Jesus seem to be going in this?" When a board meets, when a committee meets, when a leader is on his knees praying, "Lord, where are you going in this ministry?" Not, "Where would I like to take You, Lord, in this ministry?"
You seek out God's agenda. You go with His flow, and it becomes an exciting dynamic process. But you've got to stay flexible, because you never know where your Master's going to go next. But then that's how that dog follows his master isn't it? Wherever my master is, I will be there wherever that takes me.
In John 12:24, just before this, Jesus said "He would be lifted up to die for lost people." And I'll tell you, if you're going to go where Jesus is going, pretty soon you're going to be in the middle of reaching lost people, because that's where Jesus is always going. He said He came here "to seek and to save the lost." If you're following Jesus, you'll end up seeking and saving someone lost.
I learned a lot about being a disciple from watching what happened at Peter's house, and from watching our dog. A dog's big issue is pretty basic. "Where is my master right now?" The dog's made his decision where he'll be; wherever his master is. And so it is with a disciple of Jesus. Where is my Master on this issue? I don't care where that takes me. I don't care what that costs me. I've decided where I'm going. I just want to be where my Master is.