Max Lucado Daily: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Picture your enemy tied to a whipping post. How many lashes? How much justice is enough? As your foe slumps to the ground you walk away. Are you happy now? But soon another memory will surface, another lash will be needed. . .when does it all stop? It stops when you take seriously the words of Jesus:
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV).
God will treat you the way you treat others! Would you like some peace? Then quit giving your neighbor such a hassle. Want to enjoy God’s generosity? Then let others enjoy yours. Would you like assurance that God forgives you? I think you know what you need to do.
From God is With You Every Day
Colossians 1
1-2 I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God’s master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours!
Working in His Orchard
3-5 Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can’t quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.
5-8 The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you’ve been hungry for more. It’s as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He’s the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit.
9-12 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
13-14 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
Christ Holds It All Together
15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
18-20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
21-23 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.
24-25 I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you. There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.
26-29 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, January 19, 2017
2 Corinthians 4:1–7
Trial and Torture
1-2 Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
3-4 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.
5-6 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
INSIGHT:
God’s story of redemption hinges on the incarnation—from the Latin wording that means “taking on flesh.” Incarnation simply means that God provided the perfect and final rescue for humans by becoming a human Himself. Jesus gave all who would follow Him the mission of carrying His message of life, hope, and rescue to the world. God has chosen to keep the treasure of the gospel, the light of Christ, in common vessels—His followers, the people of God. When we experience His power at work in our lives, we carry His kingdom message of grace, healing, newness, and love. We demonstrate the all-surpassing power of God to the world as He incarnates the treasure of Christ’s life in ours every day (v. 7).
A Treasure to be Shared
By Bill Crowder
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
In March 1974, Chinese farmers were digging a well when they made a surprising discovery: Buried under the dry ground of central China was the Terracotta Army—life-size terracotta sculptures that dated back to the third century bc. In this extraordinary find were some 8,000 soldiers, 150 cavalry horses, and 130 chariots drawn by 520 horses. The Terracotta Army has become one of the most popular tourist sites in China, attracting over a million visitors annually. This amazing treasure lay hidden for centuries but is now being shared with the world.
The apostle Paul wrote that followers of Christ have a treasure inside them that is to be shared with the world: “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure" (2 Cor. 4:7 nlt). The treasure inside us is the message of Christ and His love.
Let others see your testimony as well as hear it.
This treasure is not to be hidden but is to be shared so that by God’s love and grace people of every nation can be welcomed into His family. May we, through His Spirit’s working, share that treasure with someone today.
The good news of Jesus is too wonderful to keep to myself, Father. May I live the gospel and share it with others throughout my journey with You, Lord.
Share your ideas with others about ways to be a light for Jesus. Go to Facebook.com/ourdailybread.
Let others see your testimony as well as hear it.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Vision and Darkness
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. —Genesis 15:12
Whenever God gives a vision to a Christian, it is as if He puts him in “the shadow of His hand” (Isaiah 49:2). The saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a “darkness” that comes from too much light— that is the time to listen. The story of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16 is an excellent example of listening to so-called good advice during a time of darkness, rather than waiting for God to send the light. When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word. Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11).
Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am Almighty God…”— El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful God (Genesis 17:1). The reason we are all being disciplined is that we will know God is real. As soon as God becomes real to us, people pale by comparison, becoming shadows of reality. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God. Not Knowing Whither, 903 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Only Way to Choose Your Road - #7834
Our son was falling in love. I mean like the big one-like the girl he ended up marrying. She's a beautiful Navajo young woman. Our son lived on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona, and the girl of his dreams lived in a remote area of the Navajo Reservation. It was about an hour drive to get out to her house to see her, but he managed-frequently. And the road? Oh, boy! It's one of those reservation roads that kills your shock absorbers, covers you with dust, and even opens up a crater or two for you to dodge. It's not that there weren't better roads around in that area; there are some nicely paved highways with some beautiful views. They even had some nice girls living on them probably. But my son didn't take any of those, for one very good reason. There was only one road that led to the destination he wanted. He took that one.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I'd like to have A Word With You today about "The Only Way to Choose Your Road."
What is that? It's the same way our son chose the road he took-does it get me to the destination I want? That's especially important when the destination is eternal; the place you'll be forever. God deeply wants you and me to be with Him forever in heaven. So He makes the road very clear.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Isaiah 43:11, "I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no Savior." How many roads? According to the One who decides, there is one. Now notice, God doesn't say "apart from Me there is no religion". There are many religions with many noble teachings. God doesn't say, "Apart from Me there is no teacher." Again, there have been many great spiritual teachers. And God doesn't tell us, "Apart from Me there is no spirituality." There's a whole buffet of inspiring spiritual experiences. If what will get us to heaven is a religion or a religious teacher or spirituality, take your pick. There are many roads.
But God says what we need is a Savior; someone who can rescue us from a dying situation. Later in the same chapter in the Bible, God explains what it takes to have a relationship with Him and to make it to heaven. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more." God says, "You've got to have your sins totally erased." No amount of doing good can erase my doing bad. No amount of sincere spirituality can pay the death penalty that sin requires. Only one person even claimed to do that.
In the Bible's words, speaking of Jesus, "He carried our sins in His own body on the tree." So that's why Jesus says, "I am the way. No man comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Apart from Him there is no Savior. And apart from a Savior, you and I don't stand a chance with God.
There are many beautiful roads with many beautiful people on them. But only the Savior road gets you to the eternal destination you want, which is heaven. The only issue that will really matter forever is whether or not you took the road God provided at the cost of His only Son's life.
You've thought about it, maybe even argued about it, but maybe today your heart is saying, "I do need a Savior. It's time." If you want Jesus, the Savior, to finally be your Savior, would you tell Him that right now? "Jesus, you...the One who died for me for what I've done against God, I am yours beginning today. I'm grabbing You like a drowning person would grab a rescuer."
I'd love to help you be sure you belong to Him; to nail down this relationship and get it settled. That's why our website exists, and I want to invite you to go there. It's ANewStory.com. As soon as you can today, would you go to ANewStory.com?
One day, maybe unexpectedly, your earth-journey will come to an abrupt end. And then it's eternity. From then on and forever, all that matters is what road you chose to get to heaven...because the only one that goes there is the one that runs by Jesus' cross.
