Max Lucado Daily: GOD’S HIGHER PURPOSE
No moment, event, or detail falls outside of God’s supervision. God is the one who “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45 NIV). He isn’t making up this plan as he goes along. Daniel 5:21 says, “The most High God rules the kingdom of men, and sets over it whom he will.”
So, if God is in charge, why does he permit challenges to come our way? Wouldn’t an almighty God prevent them? Not if they serve his higher purpose. The ultimate example is the death of Christ on the cross! Everyone thought the life of Jesus was over. Jesus was dead and buried, but God raised him from the dead. God took the crucifixion of Friday and turned it into the celebration of Sunday. Can he not do a reversal for you?
Read more Anxious for Nothing
Genesis 6
Giants in the Land
1-2 When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.
3 Then God said, “I’m not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they’re going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years.”
4 This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.
Noah and His Sons
5-7 God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.”
8 But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.
9-10 This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11-12 As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting—life itself corrupt to the core.
13 God said to Noah, “It’s all over. It’s the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I’m making a clean sweep.
14-16 “Build yourself a ship from teakwood. Make rooms in it. Coat it with pitch inside and out. Make it 450 feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. Build a roof for it and put in a window eighteen inches from the top; put in a door on the side of the ship; and make three decks, lower, middle, and upper.
17 “I’m going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
18-21 “But I’m going to establish a covenant with you: You’ll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you’ll need and store it up for you and them.”
22 Noah did everything God commanded him to do.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, September 25, 2017
Read: Acts 20:17–20, 35–38
On to Jerusalem
17-21 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. When they arrived, he said, “You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally—laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. I didn’t skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.
Acts 20:35-38The Message (MSG)
33-35 “I’ve never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I’ve done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’”
36-38 Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they would never see him again—he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship.
INSIGHT
In today’s reading we see Paul’s painful good-bye to the church at Ephesus. It was Paul’s deep conviction that his departure would eventually lead to his martyrdom, not his return (v. 25). But other Bible texts add the encouragement that even death cannot cut the spiritual tie that binds us to other believers (John 14:1–5; Rom. 8:31–39). In this life on Earth, saying good-bye to those we love is difficult. But for followers of Christ, we can trust that God has us in His care and even death will not keep us apart.
How does knowing God cares for your loved ones comfort you?
For further study on the book of Acts check out this free course at christianuniversity.org/apostles. -Dennis Fisher
Apart but Not Abandoned
By Linda Washington
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up. Acts 20:32
I had a lump in my throat as I said good-bye to my niece on the eve of her move to Massachusetts to attend graduate school at Boston University. Though she had been away four years as an undergraduate, she hadn’t left our state. A two and a one-half-hour drive easily reunited us. Now she would be more than 800 miles away. No longer would we meet regularly to talk. I had to trust that God would take care of her.
Paul likely felt the same way as he said good-bye to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Having established the church and taught them for three years, Paul concluded these elders to be as close as family to him. Now that Paul was headed to Jerusalem, he would not see them again.
Lord, help us to trust that Your watchful care extends over all.
But Paul had parting advice for the Ephesians. Though they would no longer have Paul as their teacher, the Ephesians did not have to feel abandoned. God would continue to train them through “the word of his grace” (Acts 20:32) to lead the church. Unlike Paul, God would always be with them.
Whether it’s children we launch from the nest or other family and friends who move away—saying good-bye can be very difficult. They move beyond our influence and into their new lives. When we let go of their hands, we can trust that God has them in His. He can continue to shape their lives and meet their real needs—more than we ever could.
Lord, help us to trust that Your watchful care extends over those we hold dear who are far away from us.
Though we’re far away from those we love, they are never far from God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, September 25, 2017
The “Go” of Relationship
Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. —Matthew 5:41
Our Lord’s teaching can be summed up in this: the relationship that He demands for us is an impossible one unless He has done a supernatural work in us. Jesus Christ demands that His disciple does not allow even the slightest trace of resentment in his heart when faced with tyranny and injustice. No amount of enthusiasm will ever stand up to the strain that Jesus Christ will put upon His servant. Only one thing will bear the strain, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Himself— a relationship that has been examined, purified, and tested until only one purpose remains and I can truly say, “I am here for God to send me where He will.” Everything else may become blurred, but this relationship with Jesus Christ must never be.
The Sermon on the Mount is not some unattainable goal; it is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my nature by putting His own nature in me. Jesus Christ is the only One who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount.
If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we must be made disciples supernaturally. And as long as we consciously maintain the determined purpose to be His disciples, we can be sure that we are not disciples. Jesus says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16). That is the way the grace of God begins. It is a constraint we can never escape; we can disobey it, but we can never start it or produce it ourselves. We are drawn to God by a work of His supernatural grace, and we can never trace back to find where the work began. Our Lord’s making of a disciple is supernatural. He does not build on any natural capacity of ours at all. God does not ask us to do the things that are naturally easy for us— He only asks us to do the things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace, and that is where the cross we must bear will always come.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Crises reveal character. When we are put to the test the hidden resources of our character are revealed exactly. Disciples Indeed, 393 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, September 25, 2017
Why God Will Never Be a Grandfather - #8011
It was one of those unforgettable, milestone moments for our family. Our firstborn child was holding her firstborn child. Wow! What a moment! And we got to join them in the delivery room just moments after the little guy's arrival. And I knew this presented a shocking development. My wife was a grandmother! Could you believe it? Me, living with a grandmother! Yes, I was living in denial. And then after becoming a grandmother more than once, well finally, I had to accept that disturbing reality. I am a grandfather!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why God Will Never Be a Grandfather."
All through the Bible, God introduces Himself to us as our Father in heaven, but never as our grandfather. God never has been and never will be anyone's grandfather. See, He only has children. He doesn't have any grandchildren.
That might be some very important information for you to consider-eternally important-because you might be one of the many people who could be counting on the faith of their family to qualify them for heaven. If you've got a Christian mom or dad, that might help you know about Jesus. It won't do a thing for you when it comes to knowing Jesus personally though. You can't "osmote" a relationship with Jesus from your Christian parents or your Christian husband or your wife, or from the Christians you've been with your whole life. Unless there's been a personal transaction between you and Jesus to have your sins forgiven, you've never been born into God's family, and you'll never see heaven. God has no grandchildren.
Jesus described the essential qualification for going to heaven when He said, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). A couple of chapters earlier, the Bible describes just how that birthing into God's family takes place. It's in John 1:12, our word for today from the Word of God. Speaking of Jesus, it says, "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
What does it mean to "receive" Christ? Well, it's consciously opening the door of your heart and welcoming Jesus in. So, has there ever been a time when you did that for yourself? This verse talks about "believing in His name." What's that about? When you check out "believe" in the original language of the New Testament, it's clear that it's a lot more than just agreeing with all the facts about Jesus dying for your sin. It's about total trust in Jesus like He's your only hope. "His name" literally means, "Jehovah rescues." That's what He died for-to pay for your sin so you don't have to. To rescue you.
Just picture that you're desperately drowning and Jesus has come like the rescuer. You've got to grab onto Him like He's your only hope. Has there ever been a time when you did that with Jesus? You say, "I'm not sure." Well, if you don't know you have, I'd say you probably haven't. When you've grown up in a Christian home, spent a lot of time in a Christian environment, it's easy to feel like, "Man, I must have picked up Jesus somewhere." Well, no, not unless there's been a time when you consciously put all your trust in Him for yourself and you told Him that. That's when your sins get erased from God's records. That's when you get born into God's family.
It may be God has you listening today so He could whisper to your heart, "Take care of this now. Look, you've known a lot about Me all these years, but you've never known Me. Don't wait another day to begin your personal relationship with Me." You know, you could do that by telling Jesus, "Lord, I've never really pinned all my hopes on You and what You did for me on the cross, but I am today, Jesus. Beginning today, I'm Yours."
You know, on this what could be your Jesus day, this would be a great day for you to go visit our website for a short time. It's ANewStory.com. And there are the things you need to know from God's Word to be sure you belong to Him.
From now on, this date can be your new birthday-your second birthday. The day you got God as your Father. You got Jesus as your Savior-your personal Savior!
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