Max Lucado Daily: ACCEPTANCE AND FORGIVENESS
It doesn’t matter what I do—it’s never enough. I’ll never meet their expectations!
Ever caught yourself using these unhealthy expectations? Your brother made an A in chemistry, and we know you’ll do just as well! or… If you had a better job we could afford that house! Expectations. They create conditional love. I love you, but I’ll love you more if…
Jesus expects that we leave everything, deny all, and follow Him. The difference? Jesus’ expectations come with two important companions: forgiveness and acceptance. No strings. No hidden agendas. Jesus’ love for us is up front and clear. His sacrifice was not dependent upon our performance. “I love you,” He says, in spite of your failures. One step behind the expectations of Christ comes his forgiveness. Expectations! With acceptance and forgiveness, they can bring out the best!
1 Corinthians 7:1-19
Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?
2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.
7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.
8-9 I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.
10-11 And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master’s command, not mine. If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife.
12-14 For the rest of you who are in mixed marriages—Christian married to non-Christian—we have no explicit command from the Master. So this is what you must do. If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. If you are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but he wants to live with you, hold on to him. The unbelieving husband shares to an extent in the holiness of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be left out; as it is, they also are included in the spiritual purposes of God.
15-16 On the other hand, if the unbelieving spouse walks out, you’ve got to let him or her go. You don’t have to hold on desperately. God has called us to make the best of it, as peacefully as we can. You never know, wife: The way you handle this might bring your husband not only back to you but to God. You never know, husband: The way you handle this might bring your wife not only back to you but to God.
17 And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.
18-19 Were you Jewish at the time God called you? Don’t try to remove the evidence. Were you non-Jewish at the time of your call? Don’t become a Jew. Being Jewish isn’t the point. The really important thing is obeying God’s call, following his commands.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 15:1–8
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.s 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner,t but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly blessu you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to followv all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.w
7 If anyone is poorx among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedy toward them. 8 Rather, be openhandedz and freely lend them whatever they need.
Insight
The law of Moses provided Israel with guidelines for life. First, there were liturgical elements that governed how Israel was to engage in the worship of God, including the design of the tabernacle and its furnishings; procedures for special feast times; and issues of ceremonial purity. There was also a societal component, which dealt with how the people of Israel were to interact with one another as families and as a covenant people together under one God. Finally, the law had a national component that described how Israel was to relate to the surrounding nations once they arrived in the land of promise. Taken together, the law was a comprehensive set of instructions covering life for the people of God.
For more, see Knowing God Through the Old Testament at discoveryseries.org/sb101. By: Bill Crowder
Canceled Debts
The Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2
In 2009, Los Angeles County stopped charging families for the costs of their children’s incarceration. Though no new fees were charged, those with unpaid fees from before the change in policy were still required to settle their debt. Then in 2018 the county canceled all outstanding financial obligations.
For some families, canceling the debt aided greatly in their struggle to survive; no longer having liens on their property or wages being garnished meant they were better able to put food on the table. It was for this kind of hardship that God called for debts to be forgiven every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:2). He didn’t want people to be crippled forever by them.
Because the Israelites were forbidden to charge interest on a loan to fellow Israelites (Exodus 22:25), their motives for lending to a neighbor weren’t to make a profit, but rather to help those who were enduring hard times, perhaps due to a bad harvest. Debts were to be freely forgiven every seven years. As a result, there would be less poverty among the people (Deuteronomy 15:4).
Today, believers in Jesus aren’t bound by these laws. But God might occasionally prompt us to forgive a debt so those who’ve been struggling can begin afresh as contributing members of society. When we show such mercy and generosity to others, we lift up God’s character and give people hope. By: Kirsten Holmberg
Reflect & Pray
How have your “debts” been forgiven? Who can you lift up by forgiving a debt owed or a wrong done to you?
Jesus, thank You for caring about the financial burdens we carry.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Special Identity, Special Life - #8588
When Queen Elizabeth was growing up - then Princess Elizabeth - she always knew she would one day be the queen. It wasn't that way with Queen Victoria. When she was young, she actually was shielded from the fact that she would be the next ruling monarch of England. They didn't want her to grow up spoiled. But finally her teacher did let her discover for herself that she would one day be Queen of England - the most powerful monarch in the world at that time. Victoria's response was simple: "Well, then I will be good!" She understood she needed to live her life based on her royal position.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Special Identity, Special Life."
Young Victoria knew what every child of God listening today needs to understand. When you know you have a special position, you live a special life. Which leads me to ask you this question, "Do you know who you really are?" You see, your real identity is not what your family says you are or your employer or our culture. You're not what your friends say or your enemies say you are. You are who God says you are. If you belong to Jesus Christ, He says, "I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." Okay, since He's the King of Kings, that would make you a prince or princess in the royal family of God!
Which leads us to the life-enlarging challenge in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Ephesians 4:1 - "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Big calling - big life. Unfortunately, too many of us are under-living - living a life unworthy of who God has made you to be. Princes living like paupers.
Because you've gotten so many wrong messages in your life about your identity, it's important to see this special identity that your Creator, your Savior has given you - no matter how small your income may be, no matter how insignificant you may seem by society's standards. What do they know anyway?
Ephesians 1:3 says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." You are a spiritual billionaire because you're the child of a Father who is infinitely wealthy, and He's made all the spiritual blessings of His wisdom, His guidance, His love, His grace, and His strength available to you. You don't have to live at the mercy of your situation, or your weaknesses, or your past. You have access to a spiritual fortune!
Then Ephesians 1 goes on to say that "He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" and that we are living "according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." In short, what you see isn't even a fraction of what you get. You are living a big, big plan, conceived and guided by a big, big God. You're not a victim of circumstance. You are living an eternal plan today! And Ephesians 1 says, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin." You don't have to be what you've always been. You're a free man, a free woman, redeemed by the holy blood of Christ. You're a child of the King with access to His resources, living an eternal plan, freed from your sin by His blood. Wow!
So live worthy of who you are! The chapters that follow in Ephesians describe what the life of a royal child like you should look like: selfless in your relationships, not self-centered, truthful in everything you say, controlling your temper - not your temper controlling you, always building people up - never tearing them down, allowing nothing dirty into your heart or mind, putting your family's needs above your own, talking up the Jesus you owe everything to. Anything else is unworthy of the special person God has made you to be through the blood of His Son. You're not living up to some rules. No, you're living up to your royalty!
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