2 Timothy 4 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: LOOK INTO GOD’S FACE

Would you like to see God? Take a look at Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Jesus radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.” In John 14:9 Jesus himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Anyone who has seen me weep has seen the Father weep. Anyone who has seen me laugh has seen the Father laugh. Anyone who has seen me determined has seen the Father determined.

Everything changes when we see the face of God. He came with tears, too. He knows the burden of a broken heart. He knows the sorrow life can bring. He could have come as a shining light or a voice in the clouds, but he came as a person. Does God understand you? Look into God’s face and be assured. Find the answer in Bethlehem.

2 Timothy 4

 I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple.

3-5 You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

6-8 You take over. I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.

9-13 Get here as fast as you can. Demas, chasing fads, went off to Thessalonica and left me here. Crescens is in Galatia province, Titus in Dalmatia. Luke is the only one here with me. Bring Mark with you; he’ll be my right-hand man since I’m sending Tychicus to Ephesus. Bring the winter coat I left in Troas with Carpus; also the books and parchment notebooks.

14-15 Watch out for Alexander the coppersmith. Fiercely opposed to our Message, he caused no end of trouble. God will give him what he’s got coming.

16-18 At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits. But it doesn’t matter—the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. I was snatched from the jaws of the lion! God’s looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him, praise forever! Oh, yes!

19-20 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila; also, the family of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed behind in Corinth. I had to leave Trophimus sick in Miletus.

21 Try hard to get here before winter.

Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all your friends here send greetings.

22 God be with you. Grace be with you.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Friday, December 11, 2020
Today's Scripture & Insight:

Isaiah 44:9–11, 21–23

All who make idols are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
    which can profit nothing?
11 People who do that will be put to shame;
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.

“Remember these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
    Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
    for I have redeemed you.”

23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
    you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    he displays his glory in Israel.

Insight
The prophet Isaiah is foremost among Israel’s prophets. His book is the longest of the prophetic books and covers a huge sweep of Israel’s coming experiences. Isaiah contains more messianic prophecies than any other Old Testament prophet. It’s also one of the most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament, referenced more than sixty times, with twenty-five of those found in the Gospels. The most quoted portions of Isaiah are the four “suffering servant songs” (42:1–4; 49:1–6; 50:4–7; and especially 52:13–53:12), which believers in Jesus see as being fulfilled in Christ and His suffering on the cross. In addition to the prophecies of Jesus’ sacrificial death, some of Isaiah’s most beloved prophecies are those of His birth, including Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6.

Morning Mist
I have swept away your offenses . . . like the morning mist. Isaiah 44:22

One morning I visited a pond near my house. I sat on an overturned boat, thinking and watching a gentle west wind chase a layer of mist across the water’s surface. Wisps of fog circled and swirled. Mini “tornadoes” rose up and then exhausted themselves. Before long, the sunlight cut through the clouds and the mist disappeared.

This scene comforted me because I connected it with a verse I’d just read: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist” (Isaiah 44:22). I visited the place hoping to distract myself from a series of sinful thoughts I’d been preoccupied with for days. Although I was confessing them, I began to wonder if God would forgive me when I repeated the same sin.

That morning, I knew the answer was yes. Through His prophet Isaiah, God showed grace to the Israelites when they struggled with the ongoing problem of idol worship. Although He told them to stop chasing false gods, God also invited them back to Himself, saying, “I have made you, you are my servant; . . . I will not forget you” (v. 21).

I don’t fully grasp forgiveness like that, but I do understand that God’s grace is the only thing that can dissolve our sin completely and heal us from it. I’m thankful His grace is endless and divine like He is, and that it’s available whenever we need it. By:  Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Reflect & Pray
How is it possible to abuse God’s grace? What steps can you take to break free of sinful habits and experience His forgiveness?

Dear God, thank You for Your gracious presence in my life. I don’t want to live in habitual sin. Help me to feel the freedom that comes when I confess my sin and You erase it completely.

Read Grace: Accepting God’s Gift to You at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0613.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 11, 2020
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

Re-state to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible, and get back to the bedrock of the Cross of Christ.  My Utmost for His Highest, November 25, 848 R

Bible in a Year: Hosea 5-8; Revelation 2

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 11, 2020
Getting in on What God is Doing - #8850

Our son-in-law's piano recital was like his final exam. He was a music major in college, and his recital was an important part of his finishing well. I taught him all I knew about playing the piano, of course, which was how to find "middle C." Actually, he had become an accomplished musician - something that was evident to everybody who attended that senior recital - Including us. At the end, there was quite a line of people congratulating him on his great performance. But strangely, there was no one complimenting the piano, "Wonderful concert, Mr. Steinway. You are awesome." No, it was only the one who played the music that deserved the praise.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Getting in on What God is Doing."

Yes, the piano played an important part in the recital, but it was only an instrument. So am I. So are you. Just listen to our word for today from the Word of God in Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Key words: "It is God"! Any good work we do is really God doing it through us, not us doing it for God. You and I? We're just instruments.

The prophet Isaiah put it this way: "All that we have accomplished You have done for us." The first-century believers in Corinth were choosing up sides based on whether they liked Paul or Apollos best. Paul said to them: "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has assigned to each his task" (1 Corinthians 3:5). See, all praise goes to the artist, not to the instrument.

It is God. We speak the words He gives us, we serve in the power He provides, and we go through doors He has opened. What does that mean in practical terms? There's no room for conceit, there's no room for boasting, there's no room for retreat. At the point where you're starting to get a little inflated, slightly impressed with yourself, remember the words of one of God's greatest instruments, Paul. "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)

The test of your ability to be trusted by God with exploits for Him is who they're thinking about when you're done. Are they saying, "He/she is a great speaker, a great worker, a great leader, a great musician." Or are they saying, "He has/she has a great Savior." You're only the piano. You have no business stealing glory from the artist who just played His music through you. There's no excuse for conceit.

But there's also no excuse for retreat, as in saying, "I'm inadequate to do what I've been asked to do for the Lord. I'm not up to it." That's retreating from an assignment your Lord is calling you to take. But since when is it about you anyway? It's about what He can do, not what you can do! Paul said, "Not that we are competent in ourselves ... but our competence comes from God. He made us competent..." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). You can dare to step up to that challenge that's too big for you because you are only an instrument.

The one thing you can do is to make sure you're tuned up so He can play His music through you. Paul said a person who cleanses himself will "be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work" (2 Timothy 2:21). Okay, so here's your job description: stay pure and show up! You're the glove. You're not the hand. You're the instrument, not the artist.

But with God playing through you, your life can touch countless others with His music. Conceit - pride - will disqualify you; retreat will let fear keep you from the thrill of God working through you. Surrender to your Lord to be His instrument for His purposes and watch what He does with your life!