Zechariah 13
Cleansing From Sin
1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 2 "On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, 'You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.' When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him.
4 "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet's garment of hair in order to deceive. 5 He will say, 'I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth. [a] ' 6 If someone asks him, 'What are these wounds on your body [b] ?' he will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'
The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered 7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.
9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' "
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Matthew 18:23-35
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[a] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[b] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
February 5, 2008
The Atrocious Mathematics Of The Gospel
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 18:23-35
The master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. —Matthew 18:27 About this cover From childhood we are taught how to succeed in the world of ungrace. “You get what you pay for.” “The early bird gets the worm.” “No pain, no gain.” I know these rules well because I live by them. I work for what I earn; I like to win; I insist on my rights. I want people to get what they deserve.
But Jesus’ parables about grace teach a radically different concept. In Matthew 18, no one could accumulate a debt as huge as the servant did (vv.23-24). This underscores the point: The debt is unforgivable. Nevertheless, the master let the servant off scot-free.
The more I reflect on Jesus’ parables proclaiming grace, the more tempted I am to apply the word atrocious to describe the mathematics of the gospel. I believe Jesus gave us these stories to call us to step completely outside our tit-for-tat world of ungrace and enter into God’s realm of infinite grace.
If I care to listen, I hear a loud whisper from the gospel that I did not get what I deserved. I deserved punishment and got forgiveness. I deserved wrath and got love. I deserved debtor’s prison and got instead a clean credit history. I deserved stern lectures and crawl-on-your-knees repentance. Instead, I got a banquet spread for me. —Philip Yancey
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,His power has no boundary known unto men;For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,He giveth and giveth and giveth again. —Flint© Renewal 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company
Our sin is great—God’s grace is greater.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 5, 2008
Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)LISTEN: READ:
If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all —Philippians 2:17 About this cover Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer— to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, "I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ "
It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a "doormat" under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, "I know how to be abased . . ." ( Philippians 4:12 ). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket-to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted— not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Crunch Time Promises - #5497 Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Somehow, children become very effective psychologists without ever taking a day of Psychology Class. They learn to push Mom and Dad's buttons really well. They learn to play Mom and Dad against each other to guilt trip their parents. (I wonder where they learn that by the way?) They learn to pout - all kinds of methods of getting their way. Fortunately, most of us parents gradually develop some immunity to being manipulated by our kids. But I’ve got to tell you, there's one thing my kids would say to me that grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go and almost always worked. It was those times they just said, "But, Dad, you promised!" Man, those were convicting words. If I had promised, I just had to do everything within my power to keep my promises.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Crunch Time Promises."
Far more significant than any promises we might make to one another, even to our children, are the promises we've made to God. This very day, God is trying to get the attention of one of His children who's listening right now, and He's saying gently but firmly, "You promised." But you've either forgotten what you promised or you've been running from what you promised.
Today would be a good day to remember what you promised God, and to recommit yourself to what you promised maybe a long time ago. Listen to these stirring words from Psalm 66:13-14, our word for today from the Word of God. "I shall come in your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke when I was in distress."
That's often when we make our promises to God, isn't it, when we're "in distress." Maybe you were in financial distress when you made God those promises, or you were facing a medical crisis or a family crisis. Maybe you promised God if He would spare your life, give you a mate or a child - meet a need only God could meet. God had your attention then, and you realized there were things that needed to be different in your life - a life that His Son died to save.
And you made promises then: promises about your giving to His work, promises about a change in your priorities, or maybe about some sin you were going to abandon, promises about serving Him with your life, or about changing the way you were living. It was a crunch time promise, but it was a promise you meant, and it was a promise you needed to make wasn’t it? But something happened, didn't it? You've forgotten what you promised, but God didn't. You got past the pain and you disregarded your promise. God didn't.
And today, your Lord is coming to you with a very important reminder, and it is straight from heaven. Listen to Him: "My child, you promised." Frankly, until you give God what you said you'd give Him - what you should give Him - your life just isn't going to work as it should. The end of a lot of guilt, a lot of frustration, a lot of wasted years will come when you say to your Lord with the psalmist of old, "I shall pay You my vows which my mouth spoke when I was in distress."
Remember, you promised. And it was God you promised. What you promised was right. It's time to keep your promise to the One who has kept every one of His promises to you.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Zechariah 12 and devotionals
Zechariah 12
Jerusalem's Enemies to Be Destroyed An Oracle
1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: 2 "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.' 6 "On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
7 "The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem's inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Mourning for the One They Pierced 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit [a] of grace and supplication. They will look on [b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Numbers 5:5-8
Restitution for Wrongs 5 The LORD said to Moses, 6 "Say to the Israelites: 'When a man or woman wrongs another in any way [a] and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty 7 and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. 8 But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for him.
February 4, 2008
Unlocking The Gate
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Numbers 5:5-8
When a man or woman commits any sin . . . against the Lord, . . . then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. —Numbers 5:6-7 About this cover When a man or woman commits any sin . . . against the Lord, . . . then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. —Numbers 5:6-7
Researchers at the University of Toronto reported in 2006 that people who are suffering from a guilty conscience experience “a powerful urge to wash themselves.” To study this effect, the researchers asked volunteers to recall past sins. They were then given an opportunity to wash their hands as a symbol of cleansing their conscience. Those who had recalled their sins washed their hands at “twice the rate of study subjects who had not imagined past transgressions.”
The Bible proposes the only effective way of dealing with sin—confession. In the Old Testament, one of the ways the Israelites were supposed to cleanse themselves and maintain purity before God and in their community was by confessing their sins (Num. 5:5-8). To confess means “to speak the same; to agree with; to admit the truth.” When the people confessed to God, they were not telling Him anything He did not already know. But their confession was a demonstration of a change of heart. Refusing to confess their sins allowed sin to take deeper root within their lives and community.
Admitting our sin unlocks the gate so that we can have forgiveness, joy, and peace. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). —Marvin Williams
If we would know God’s power to healAnd cleanse us from within,We must acknowledge when we’re wrong—Confessing it as sin. —Fasick
Confession is agreeing with God about our sin.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 4, 2008
The Compelling Majesty of His PowerLISTEN: READ:
The love of Christ compels us . . . —2 Corinthians 5:14 About this cover Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by "the love of Christ." Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. "The love of Christ compels us . . . ." When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you "receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . ." (Acts 1:8 ). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, ". . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . . ." Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but "witnesses to Me . . . ." We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane-he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of "the love of Christ." This total surrender to "the love of Christ" is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
Everything You Need to Build Your Home - #5496 Monday, February 04, 2008
The opening of a new store in town usually creates a buzz. Something like one of those major discount stores, for example, or that Mecca do-it-yourself place - Home Depot - which stirred things up when it opened in our community for sure. This is not a commercial for them, it's just an observation. Some observers say that Home Depot's comprehensive inventory and competitive prices have actually helped interest a whole new wave of people in doing their own home improvements. It's meant to be sort of one-stop shopping for everything you need to build your home.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Everything You Need to Build Your Home."
If only building or improving a home was just a matter of plywood, sheet rock, and tile. That will take care of a place called home, but not necessarily the people who are really what home is. Building a marriage, building your children - that's far more challenging. And you can't just go to a store to pick up the materials you need to be the right kind of mom or dad, to be what your wife need, what your husband needs.
And there's nothing like trying to make a family work to make you face the things that need work inside you; inside your personality, your heart, your priorities, your soul. Living in the intensity of a family really exposes the baggage that you're carrying from your past, your weaknesses, your selfishness, your dark side. There's this person we want to be that our family really needs for us to be. Then there's this person we really are, and we just don't know how to get from who we are to who we need to be. The ugly stuff in us is now marking another generation and it's hurting the very people we love the most. If we could change, we would have changed by now.
But there's a place you can go to find everything you need to build your home; to someone whose spiritual resources have transformed millions of people for thousands of years. Our word for today from the Word of God spells out concisely but clearly the secret of a home that works. In Psalm 127:1, the inventor of the family says: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." The simple truth is: you need the Lord to make you what your family needs you to be. Because the darkness inside us is a cancer we can't cure; the "disease of me" that no one on earth can cure. God calls it "sin," and the Bible makes it clear this cancer is incurable. It's terminal. It says, "Sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15). That death included the death of many marriages and many parent relationships over the years.
We're like a drowning person or a person trapped in the rubble of an earthquake. Our only hope is a rescue. And because God loves you so much, He launched a rescue mission for you and me on a skull-shaped hill near Jerusalem called Golgotha. The Bible says, "He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood" (Revelation 1:6). Your new beginning starts when you, in your heart, find your way to the cross of Jesus to claim His forgiveness for every wrong thing and every hurting thing you have ever done. He died to forgive you, and then He rose from the dead to prove He has the power to conquer anything including that darkness inside you. In the Bible's words, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17).
You begin this transforming relationship with Jesus Christ the moment you claim what He did on the cross for yourself personally; when you tell Him with all your heart, "I'm totally yours, Jesus. From this moment on, I won't be driving any more. You're in the driver's seat." That new beginning could be today for you. If you're ready to belong to this One who has more love for you and more power to help you change than anyone there is, I want to invite you to go to our website today. I hope as soon as you have an opportunity you'll go there and you'll find some very helpful information on how to be sure you've begun your relationship with Jesus Christ. Just go to yoursforlife.net.
The greatest gift you can give the people you love is for you to give yourself to Jesus. He alone can give you everything you need to build your home.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Jerusalem's Enemies to Be Destroyed An Oracle
1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: 2 "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.' 6 "On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
7 "The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem's inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Mourning for the One They Pierced 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit [a] of grace and supplication. They will look on [b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Numbers 5:5-8
Restitution for Wrongs 5 The LORD said to Moses, 6 "Say to the Israelites: 'When a man or woman wrongs another in any way [a] and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty 7 and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. 8 But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for him.
February 4, 2008
Unlocking The Gate
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Numbers 5:5-8
When a man or woman commits any sin . . . against the Lord, . . . then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. —Numbers 5:6-7 About this cover When a man or woman commits any sin . . . against the Lord, . . . then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. —Numbers 5:6-7
Researchers at the University of Toronto reported in 2006 that people who are suffering from a guilty conscience experience “a powerful urge to wash themselves.” To study this effect, the researchers asked volunteers to recall past sins. They were then given an opportunity to wash their hands as a symbol of cleansing their conscience. Those who had recalled their sins washed their hands at “twice the rate of study subjects who had not imagined past transgressions.”
The Bible proposes the only effective way of dealing with sin—confession. In the Old Testament, one of the ways the Israelites were supposed to cleanse themselves and maintain purity before God and in their community was by confessing their sins (Num. 5:5-8). To confess means “to speak the same; to agree with; to admit the truth.” When the people confessed to God, they were not telling Him anything He did not already know. But their confession was a demonstration of a change of heart. Refusing to confess their sins allowed sin to take deeper root within their lives and community.
Admitting our sin unlocks the gate so that we can have forgiveness, joy, and peace. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). —Marvin Williams
If we would know God’s power to healAnd cleanse us from within,We must acknowledge when we’re wrong—Confessing it as sin. —Fasick
Confession is agreeing with God about our sin.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 4, 2008
The Compelling Majesty of His PowerLISTEN: READ:
The love of Christ compels us . . . —2 Corinthians 5:14 About this cover Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by "the love of Christ." Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. "The love of Christ compels us . . . ." When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you "receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . ." (Acts 1:8 ). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, ". . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . . ." Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but "witnesses to Me . . . ." We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane-he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of "the love of Christ." This total surrender to "the love of Christ" is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
Everything You Need to Build Your Home - #5496 Monday, February 04, 2008
The opening of a new store in town usually creates a buzz. Something like one of those major discount stores, for example, or that Mecca do-it-yourself place - Home Depot - which stirred things up when it opened in our community for sure. This is not a commercial for them, it's just an observation. Some observers say that Home Depot's comprehensive inventory and competitive prices have actually helped interest a whole new wave of people in doing their own home improvements. It's meant to be sort of one-stop shopping for everything you need to build your home.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Everything You Need to Build Your Home."
If only building or improving a home was just a matter of plywood, sheet rock, and tile. That will take care of a place called home, but not necessarily the people who are really what home is. Building a marriage, building your children - that's far more challenging. And you can't just go to a store to pick up the materials you need to be the right kind of mom or dad, to be what your wife need, what your husband needs.
And there's nothing like trying to make a family work to make you face the things that need work inside you; inside your personality, your heart, your priorities, your soul. Living in the intensity of a family really exposes the baggage that you're carrying from your past, your weaknesses, your selfishness, your dark side. There's this person we want to be that our family really needs for us to be. Then there's this person we really are, and we just don't know how to get from who we are to who we need to be. The ugly stuff in us is now marking another generation and it's hurting the very people we love the most. If we could change, we would have changed by now.
But there's a place you can go to find everything you need to build your home; to someone whose spiritual resources have transformed millions of people for thousands of years. Our word for today from the Word of God spells out concisely but clearly the secret of a home that works. In Psalm 127:1, the inventor of the family says: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." The simple truth is: you need the Lord to make you what your family needs you to be. Because the darkness inside us is a cancer we can't cure; the "disease of me" that no one on earth can cure. God calls it "sin," and the Bible makes it clear this cancer is incurable. It's terminal. It says, "Sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15). That death included the death of many marriages and many parent relationships over the years.
We're like a drowning person or a person trapped in the rubble of an earthquake. Our only hope is a rescue. And because God loves you so much, He launched a rescue mission for you and me on a skull-shaped hill near Jerusalem called Golgotha. The Bible says, "He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood" (Revelation 1:6). Your new beginning starts when you, in your heart, find your way to the cross of Jesus to claim His forgiveness for every wrong thing and every hurting thing you have ever done. He died to forgive you, and then He rose from the dead to prove He has the power to conquer anything including that darkness inside you. In the Bible's words, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17).
You begin this transforming relationship with Jesus Christ the moment you claim what He did on the cross for yourself personally; when you tell Him with all your heart, "I'm totally yours, Jesus. From this moment on, I won't be driving any more. You're in the driver's seat." That new beginning could be today for you. If you're ready to belong to this One who has more love for you and more power to help you change than anyone there is, I want to invite you to go to our website today. I hope as soon as you have an opportunity you'll go there and you'll find some very helpful information on how to be sure you've begun your relationship with Jesus Christ. Just go to yoursforlife.net.
The greatest gift you can give the people you love is for you to give yourself to Jesus. He alone can give you everything you need to build your home.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Zechariah 11 and devotions
Zechariah 11
1 Open your doors, O Lebanon,
so that fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan;
the dense forest has been cut down!
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;
the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!
Two Shepherds
4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," declares the LORD. "I will hand everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will oppress the land, and I will not rescue them from their hands."
7 So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.
The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, "I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh."
10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD.
12 I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.
14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the LORD said to me, "Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.
17 "Woe to the worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his arm be completely withered,
his right eye totally blinded!"
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Psalm 12
A David Psalm
1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.
3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world."
5 Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
"I've had enough; I'm on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."
6-8 God's words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
God, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.
February 3, 2008
It Looks Bad
READ: Psalm 12
I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. —Psalm 12:5
About this cover
King David looked out at the world and was troubled. He didn’t need the Internet to paint a bleak picture of society or The New York Times to remind him of crime and suffering. Even without a cable news show to give him all the bad news, he saw the evil.
He looked around and saw that “the godly man ceases.” He noticed that “the faithful disappear.” In his world, everyone spoke “idly” to his neighbor “with flattering lips and a double heart” (Ps. 12:1-2).
This description may sound like the theme of a TV show, but it was life, circa 1,000 BC. While we may view society’s evils as much worse than anything before, David reminds us that evil is not a 21st-century innovation.
But David’s words also give us hope. Notice his reaction to the bad news he bore. In verse 1, he turned to God and cried, “Help!” Then he implored God with specific needs. The response he got was positive. God promised that because He rules righteously, He would provide protection and safety (vv.5-7).
When you are discouraged by all the bad news, cry out for God’s help. Then bask in the confidence of His assurance. Three thousand years after David, God is still, and always will be, in control. —Dave Branon
When through life’s darkened maze I go
And troubles overwhelm my soul,
Oh, grant me, Lord, the faith to know
That You are always in control. —D. De Haan
We have nothing to fear, because God is in control.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 3, 2008
Becoming the "Filth of the World"
LISTEN:
READ:
We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13
About this cover
These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves to become the refuse or "filth of the world." "Fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . ." ( Colossians 1:24 ) is not the result of the holiness of sanctification, but the evidence of consecration-being "separated to the gospel of God . . ." ( Romans 1:1 ).
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . ." (1 Peter 4:12). If we do think the things we encounter are strange, it is because we are fearful and cowardly. We pay such close attention to our own interests and desires that we stay out of the mire and say, "I won’t submit; I won’t bow or bend." And you don’t have to— you can be saved by the "skin of your teeth" if you like. You can refuse to let God count you as one who is "separated to the gospel . . . ." Or you can say, "I don’t care if I am treated like ’the filth of the world’ as long as the gospel is proclaimed." A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but "to reveal His Son in me. . ." ( Galatians 1:16 ).
TGIF devotion:
Empty Mangers
by Os Hillman
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. - Proverbs 14:4
When Jesus came into this world, He chose to be born in a most unusual place-a manger. It was no more than a livery stable with goats, oxen, and other livestock animals. There is a distinctive characteristic about a place like this. It is filled with odors and dung from the animals. God seems to work best among the unpleasantness of circumstances. In fact, "where there are no oxen, the manger is empty." What is this really saying? I believe it is saying that in order for Jesus to be present, we must invite those things that bring with them "messes to clean up." God works among the messy things in our lives. And from these messes come an abundant harvest. This is what He did with all His highly used servants in the Bible. God is filled with paradoxes. Why can't life be seamless and smooth? Because God likes to show Himself in the midst of the messes of life. This is what brings us into the harvests. So often the bigger the mess, the bigger the harvest.
When a major road-construction project takes place in a crowded city street, it appears to be absolute chaos. It is inconvenient, slow-moving and tends to get us irritated because it appears we are moving much slower than we would like. It is ugly, and so much of what we see is torn up. But when we look at that same area a few months or years later, we see why the construction was necessary. There was meaning to the mess. It actually made life so much better for those who would use the road.
It has been through the messiest of times in my business and personal life that God has revealed His power and strength in my life. It was when these "oxen" of hardship have walked into my manger that the greatest harvest was manifest. However, when I have sought to remove the "oxen" and rid myself of the odor and the mess, I have fought the ultimate work of God.
God works in mangers.
1 Open your doors, O Lebanon,
so that fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan;
the dense forest has been cut down!
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;
the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!
Two Shepherds
4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," declares the LORD. "I will hand everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will oppress the land, and I will not rescue them from their hands."
7 So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.
The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, "I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh."
10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD.
12 I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.
14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the LORD said to me, "Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.
17 "Woe to the worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his arm be completely withered,
his right eye totally blinded!"
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Psalm 12
A David Psalm
1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.
3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world."
5 Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
"I've had enough; I'm on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."
6-8 God's words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
God, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.
February 3, 2008
It Looks Bad
READ: Psalm 12
I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. —Psalm 12:5
About this cover
King David looked out at the world and was troubled. He didn’t need the Internet to paint a bleak picture of society or The New York Times to remind him of crime and suffering. Even without a cable news show to give him all the bad news, he saw the evil.
He looked around and saw that “the godly man ceases.” He noticed that “the faithful disappear.” In his world, everyone spoke “idly” to his neighbor “with flattering lips and a double heart” (Ps. 12:1-2).
This description may sound like the theme of a TV show, but it was life, circa 1,000 BC. While we may view society’s evils as much worse than anything before, David reminds us that evil is not a 21st-century innovation.
But David’s words also give us hope. Notice his reaction to the bad news he bore. In verse 1, he turned to God and cried, “Help!” Then he implored God with specific needs. The response he got was positive. God promised that because He rules righteously, He would provide protection and safety (vv.5-7).
When you are discouraged by all the bad news, cry out for God’s help. Then bask in the confidence of His assurance. Three thousand years after David, God is still, and always will be, in control. —Dave Branon
When through life’s darkened maze I go
And troubles overwhelm my soul,
Oh, grant me, Lord, the faith to know
That You are always in control. —D. De Haan
We have nothing to fear, because God is in control.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 3, 2008
Becoming the "Filth of the World"
LISTEN:
READ:
We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13
About this cover
These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves to become the refuse or "filth of the world." "Fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . ." ( Colossians 1:24 ) is not the result of the holiness of sanctification, but the evidence of consecration-being "separated to the gospel of God . . ." ( Romans 1:1 ).
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . ." (1 Peter 4:12). If we do think the things we encounter are strange, it is because we are fearful and cowardly. We pay such close attention to our own interests and desires that we stay out of the mire and say, "I won’t submit; I won’t bow or bend." And you don’t have to— you can be saved by the "skin of your teeth" if you like. You can refuse to let God count you as one who is "separated to the gospel . . . ." Or you can say, "I don’t care if I am treated like ’the filth of the world’ as long as the gospel is proclaimed." A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but "to reveal His Son in me. . ." ( Galatians 1:16 ).
TGIF devotion:
Empty Mangers
by Os Hillman
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. - Proverbs 14:4
When Jesus came into this world, He chose to be born in a most unusual place-a manger. It was no more than a livery stable with goats, oxen, and other livestock animals. There is a distinctive characteristic about a place like this. It is filled with odors and dung from the animals. God seems to work best among the unpleasantness of circumstances. In fact, "where there are no oxen, the manger is empty." What is this really saying? I believe it is saying that in order for Jesus to be present, we must invite those things that bring with them "messes to clean up." God works among the messy things in our lives. And from these messes come an abundant harvest. This is what He did with all His highly used servants in the Bible. God is filled with paradoxes. Why can't life be seamless and smooth? Because God likes to show Himself in the midst of the messes of life. This is what brings us into the harvests. So often the bigger the mess, the bigger the harvest.
When a major road-construction project takes place in a crowded city street, it appears to be absolute chaos. It is inconvenient, slow-moving and tends to get us irritated because it appears we are moving much slower than we would like. It is ugly, and so much of what we see is torn up. But when we look at that same area a few months or years later, we see why the construction was necessary. There was meaning to the mess. It actually made life so much better for those who would use the road.
It has been through the messiest of times in my business and personal life that God has revealed His power and strength in my life. It was when these "oxen" of hardship have walked into my manger that the greatest harvest was manifest. However, when I have sought to remove the "oxen" and rid myself of the odor and the mess, I have fought the ultimate work of God.
God works in mangers.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Zechariah 10 and devotionals
Zechariah 10
The LORD Will Care for Judah
1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone. 2 The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
3 "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.
5 Together they [a] will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.
6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.
7 The Ephraimites will become like mighty men, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.
8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.
9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.
12 I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk," declares the LORD.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Matthew 23Religious Fashion Shows 1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. 4-7"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.'
8-10"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.
11-12"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
February 2, 2008
Best In Show?
READ: Matthew 23:1-12
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7 About this cover Dog shows on TV can be entertaining. The dog owners are impeccably dressed and trot along with their pedigreed pooches as they show off their unique canine beauty. The dogs have been trained to stand confidently with chins lifted high, their shiny coats carefully brushed and styled. To me, they all look like winners.
But I wonder sometimes, when their audience is gone, what are these dogs really like? Do they ever relax and let their sleek fur get so matted they’re mistaken for mutts? Does their doggie breath start smelling foul?
More important, what are we really like when nobody’s watching? In Matthew 23:2-7, Jesus rebuked those who were interested in how they looked in public rather than how they were seen by God. He wants us to be obedient, faithful, and committed to Him—even when nobody else sees. The Pharisees focused on the way they were perceived by other people. God’s focus is on what we’re like inside. His desire is for us to look like His Son.
We’re not in a competition with other Christians. God will never ask us to compete for “best in show.” He measures us by the perfect standard of His Son (Eph. 4:13). And in love, He provides the righteousness we need so that we can be blameless before Him (Col. 1:21-23). —Cindy Hess Kasper
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 2, 2008
The Compelling Force of the Call
LISTEN: READ:
Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16 About this cover Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was referring to the stinging pains produced in him by the compelling force of the call to preach the gospel. Never try to apply what Paul said regarding the call to preach to those souls who are being called to God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely God’s sovereign work— "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ). Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But discipleship has an option with it-"If anyone . . ." ( Luke 14:26 ).
Paul’s words have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be "separated to the gospel" means being able to hear the call of God ( Romans 1:1 ). Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— ". . . separated to the gospel. . . ." Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. The Bible Training College exists so that each of you may know whether or not God has a man or woman here who truly cares about proclaiming His gospel and to see if God grips you for this purpose. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.
TGIF
Giving Him the Key
by Os Hillman
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. - Revelation 3:20
A friend of mine tells the story of an encounter he had with a very important government official - the head of state for a country. In the course of some meetings with my friend, the official came up to him and said, "I perceive that there is a difference between you and me. Is it because I come from a different denomination?" My friend began to explain why there was a difference.
"If you were to come to my home, I would invite you in as an honored guest. As my guest, you would enjoy everything I had in my home. However, you would still be a guest. You would not have the keys to the home, and your authority in that home would be merely as a guest. However, if I said to you that I am turning over my home to you and you now have the keys to my home, I would be your servant." My friend continued, "This is the difference between you and me. You have merely invited Jeus into your home as a guest. I have given Jesus the keys to my home [heart] and I am his servant."
"How can I do this too?" the man replied.
"All you have to do is invite Him in as the new owner."
The man did this and is now allowing Jesus to rule and reign in every detail of his life.
So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation. But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. He wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work in us. This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; He must be more than an honored guest.
Where are you today? Has your life with God been more like an honored-guest relationship, or does He have the key to your life?
The LORD Will Care for Judah
1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone. 2 The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
3 "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.
5 Together they [a] will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.
6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.
7 The Ephraimites will become like mighty men, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.
8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.
9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.
12 I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk," declares the LORD.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Matthew 23Religious Fashion Shows 1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. 4-7"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.'
8-10"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.
11-12"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
February 2, 2008
Best In Show?
READ: Matthew 23:1-12
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7 About this cover Dog shows on TV can be entertaining. The dog owners are impeccably dressed and trot along with their pedigreed pooches as they show off their unique canine beauty. The dogs have been trained to stand confidently with chins lifted high, their shiny coats carefully brushed and styled. To me, they all look like winners.
But I wonder sometimes, when their audience is gone, what are these dogs really like? Do they ever relax and let their sleek fur get so matted they’re mistaken for mutts? Does their doggie breath start smelling foul?
More important, what are we really like when nobody’s watching? In Matthew 23:2-7, Jesus rebuked those who were interested in how they looked in public rather than how they were seen by God. He wants us to be obedient, faithful, and committed to Him—even when nobody else sees. The Pharisees focused on the way they were perceived by other people. God’s focus is on what we’re like inside. His desire is for us to look like His Son.
We’re not in a competition with other Christians. God will never ask us to compete for “best in show.” He measures us by the perfect standard of His Son (Eph. 4:13). And in love, He provides the righteousness we need so that we can be blameless before Him (Col. 1:21-23). —Cindy Hess Kasper
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 2, 2008
The Compelling Force of the Call
LISTEN: READ:
Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16 About this cover Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was referring to the stinging pains produced in him by the compelling force of the call to preach the gospel. Never try to apply what Paul said regarding the call to preach to those souls who are being called to God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely God’s sovereign work— "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ). Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But discipleship has an option with it-"If anyone . . ." ( Luke 14:26 ).
Paul’s words have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be "separated to the gospel" means being able to hear the call of God ( Romans 1:1 ). Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— ". . . separated to the gospel. . . ." Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. The Bible Training College exists so that each of you may know whether or not God has a man or woman here who truly cares about proclaiming His gospel and to see if God grips you for this purpose. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.
TGIF
Giving Him the Key
by Os Hillman
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. - Revelation 3:20
A friend of mine tells the story of an encounter he had with a very important government official - the head of state for a country. In the course of some meetings with my friend, the official came up to him and said, "I perceive that there is a difference between you and me. Is it because I come from a different denomination?" My friend began to explain why there was a difference.
"If you were to come to my home, I would invite you in as an honored guest. As my guest, you would enjoy everything I had in my home. However, you would still be a guest. You would not have the keys to the home, and your authority in that home would be merely as a guest. However, if I said to you that I am turning over my home to you and you now have the keys to my home, I would be your servant." My friend continued, "This is the difference between you and me. You have merely invited Jeus into your home as a guest. I have given Jesus the keys to my home [heart] and I am his servant."
"How can I do this too?" the man replied.
"All you have to do is invite Him in as the new owner."
The man did this and is now allowing Jesus to rule and reign in every detail of his life.
So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation. But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. He wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work in us. This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; He must be more than an honored guest.
Where are you today? Has your life with God been more like an honored-guest relationship, or does He have the key to your life?
Friday, February 1, 2008
Zechariah 9 and devotionals
Zechariah 9
Judgment on Israel's Enemies
An Oracle
1 The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus— for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD—[a] 2 and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.
The Coming of Zion's King 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king [b] comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River [c] to the ends of the earth. [d]
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword.
The LORD Will Appear 14 Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, 15 and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling [e] the corners of the altar.
16 The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
2 Corinthians 5:12-21 (New International Version)New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
February 1, 2008
Dare To Be Different
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 2 Corinthians 5:12-21
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:20 About this cover Since my dad was a pastor, I got stuck with the label known to every pastor’s kid: PK. But, much to the congregation’s disappointment, the title didn’t stop me from being my mischievous little self. I can’t count the times I heard, “Little Joe, you’re the pastor’s son. You should be an example.” But I didn’t want to be an example! I was only 5 and wanted to have fun with my friends!
Let’s face it, being an example is often about being different. But most of us don’t want to be different. We want people to like us, and the safest way to do that is to blend in. But following Christ has never been about blending in. Following Him means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people as He did. It’s a little risky and uncomfortable to be different. But that’s what being an “ambassador for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20) is all about—bringing the wonderful difference of your King to bear on the territory you’ve been assigned: your home, your office, your friendships. Representing the King is not just our calling; it’s a great honor.
In retrospect, I can see how my antics as a PK reflected poorly on my dad. It’s motivating to remember that our non-Jesus attitudes and actions also reflect poorly on our King.
Make a difference by daring to be different! —Joe Stowell
Show me the way, Lord, let my light shineAs an example of good to mankind;Help them to see the patterns of Thee,Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer
Dare to be different—for the Father’s sake.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 1, 2008
The Call of GodLISTEN: READ:
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . —1 Corinthians 1:17 About this cover Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by "the gospel," namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are not commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification— we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (see John 12:32 ). It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints.
The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason— these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.
A Word with You, by Ron HutchcraftMissing the Light You Can't Afford to Miss - #5495 Friday, February 01, 2008
Chaco Culture National Historical Park - it's situated in a remote corner of New Mexico. It's a place where a thousand years ago, the ancient ancestors of some of today's Indian tribes enjoyed this thriving civilization. They were, as a recent article in USA Today reported, "astronomically observant." For modern visitors, it's still a great spot to be astronomically observant; a place where you can see the heavens without the interference of the artificial light that's all around us much of the time. Several years ago, a woman came to the visitor's center desk to report something remarkable that she'd seen in the sky. The ranger held his breath for another "UFO sighting," only to be surprised by the woman's excited description of a "lane of white powder" she said that she had seen spanning the heavens above her campsite. The ranger had the great pleasure of informing this lady that, for the first time in her life, she had actually seen the Milky Way.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Light You Can't Afford to Miss."
It's estimated that more than two-thirds of the people in the United States and Europe cannot see their home galaxy from their backyard because of all the other light in their world. We're actually blinded to God's real light by the artificial light around us. We are. There's so much distraction all around us that we can miss the one light that we can't afford to miss. For you, today could be the day that God wants to help you take a step away and see that light for yourself, and your life will never be the same.
In II Corinthians 4, beginning with verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God, we have unveiled for us a spiritual conspiracy to actually keep you blinded to the greatest light of all. You need this information. Here's what it says: "The god of this age..." When the Bible says that, it's referring to the enemy of your soul and mine, the Devil. Who, by the way, hates you and wants you in hell with him forever. "...the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel (or the Good News) of the glory of Christ." All your life, Satan has been flashing artificial lights in your eyes to keep you from seeing the only light that can direct you to heaven. That light is Jesus Christ, who loved you enough to die to pay for your sins, who's powerful enough to walk out of His grave under His own power.
The Devil has a pretty simple strategy for keeping you out of God's family and keeping you out of heaven forever - "anything but Jesus." He doesn't care what your heart turns to as long as it's not Jesus. Satan doesn't care if you get real religious, if you're active in your church, your community, if you pursue spirituality, even if you get a lot of Christianity, just as long as he can use all your Christianity to blind you to the fact that you're missing Christ. He'll keep your heart busy with a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a marriage, a family, all kinds of demands on you, a career, recreation, fitness, a house, a car, retirement - whatever it takes to keep you from seeing your need of Jesus until one day it's forever too late.
But the Bible tells us that God has mounted a counterattack so you don't miss the one who came here to rescue you. The Bible says, "God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.'" That's what God is doing in your heart right now as you listen to these words. He's turning on the light in your heart. It's important you give yourself to Jesus while the light is still where you can see it, because very soon your enemy from hell will come again and turn on the artificial lights that have made you miss Jesus so long. This is your day to meet the One who created you, to begin a personal relationship with the One you were made by and made for. It starts when you say, "Jesus, I'm yours."
If you want this to be the day you make things right with God and know you belong to Him, would you go to our website yoursforlife.net, because you'll find some wonderfully helpful information there to begin your journey with Christ. Or you can call for the booklet Yours For Life at 877-741-1200. God is shining His light in your heart right now. Please don't miss it.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Judgment on Israel's Enemies
An Oracle
1 The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus— for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD—[a] 2 and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.
The Coming of Zion's King 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king [b] comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River [c] to the ends of the earth. [d]
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword.
The LORD Will Appear 14 Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, 15 and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling [e] the corners of the altar.
16 The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
2 Corinthians 5:12-21 (New International Version)New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
February 1, 2008
Dare To Be Different
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 2 Corinthians 5:12-21
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:20 About this cover Since my dad was a pastor, I got stuck with the label known to every pastor’s kid: PK. But, much to the congregation’s disappointment, the title didn’t stop me from being my mischievous little self. I can’t count the times I heard, “Little Joe, you’re the pastor’s son. You should be an example.” But I didn’t want to be an example! I was only 5 and wanted to have fun with my friends!
Let’s face it, being an example is often about being different. But most of us don’t want to be different. We want people to like us, and the safest way to do that is to blend in. But following Christ has never been about blending in. Following Him means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people as He did. It’s a little risky and uncomfortable to be different. But that’s what being an “ambassador for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20) is all about—bringing the wonderful difference of your King to bear on the territory you’ve been assigned: your home, your office, your friendships. Representing the King is not just our calling; it’s a great honor.
In retrospect, I can see how my antics as a PK reflected poorly on my dad. It’s motivating to remember that our non-Jesus attitudes and actions also reflect poorly on our King.
Make a difference by daring to be different! —Joe Stowell
Show me the way, Lord, let my light shineAs an example of good to mankind;Help them to see the patterns of Thee,Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer
Dare to be different—for the Father’s sake.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 1, 2008
The Call of GodLISTEN: READ:
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . —1 Corinthians 1:17 About this cover Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by "the gospel," namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are not commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification— we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (see John 12:32 ). It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints.
The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason— these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.
A Word with You, by Ron HutchcraftMissing the Light You Can't Afford to Miss - #5495 Friday, February 01, 2008
Chaco Culture National Historical Park - it's situated in a remote corner of New Mexico. It's a place where a thousand years ago, the ancient ancestors of some of today's Indian tribes enjoyed this thriving civilization. They were, as a recent article in USA Today reported, "astronomically observant." For modern visitors, it's still a great spot to be astronomically observant; a place where you can see the heavens without the interference of the artificial light that's all around us much of the time. Several years ago, a woman came to the visitor's center desk to report something remarkable that she'd seen in the sky. The ranger held his breath for another "UFO sighting," only to be surprised by the woman's excited description of a "lane of white powder" she said that she had seen spanning the heavens above her campsite. The ranger had the great pleasure of informing this lady that, for the first time in her life, she had actually seen the Milky Way.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Light You Can't Afford to Miss."
It's estimated that more than two-thirds of the people in the United States and Europe cannot see their home galaxy from their backyard because of all the other light in their world. We're actually blinded to God's real light by the artificial light around us. We are. There's so much distraction all around us that we can miss the one light that we can't afford to miss. For you, today could be the day that God wants to help you take a step away and see that light for yourself, and your life will never be the same.
In II Corinthians 4, beginning with verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God, we have unveiled for us a spiritual conspiracy to actually keep you blinded to the greatest light of all. You need this information. Here's what it says: "The god of this age..." When the Bible says that, it's referring to the enemy of your soul and mine, the Devil. Who, by the way, hates you and wants you in hell with him forever. "...the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel (or the Good News) of the glory of Christ." All your life, Satan has been flashing artificial lights in your eyes to keep you from seeing the only light that can direct you to heaven. That light is Jesus Christ, who loved you enough to die to pay for your sins, who's powerful enough to walk out of His grave under His own power.
The Devil has a pretty simple strategy for keeping you out of God's family and keeping you out of heaven forever - "anything but Jesus." He doesn't care what your heart turns to as long as it's not Jesus. Satan doesn't care if you get real religious, if you're active in your church, your community, if you pursue spirituality, even if you get a lot of Christianity, just as long as he can use all your Christianity to blind you to the fact that you're missing Christ. He'll keep your heart busy with a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a marriage, a family, all kinds of demands on you, a career, recreation, fitness, a house, a car, retirement - whatever it takes to keep you from seeing your need of Jesus until one day it's forever too late.
But the Bible tells us that God has mounted a counterattack so you don't miss the one who came here to rescue you. The Bible says, "God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.'" That's what God is doing in your heart right now as you listen to these words. He's turning on the light in your heart. It's important you give yourself to Jesus while the light is still where you can see it, because very soon your enemy from hell will come again and turn on the artificial lights that have made you miss Jesus so long. This is your day to meet the One who created you, to begin a personal relationship with the One you were made by and made for. It starts when you say, "Jesus, I'm yours."
If you want this to be the day you make things right with God and know you belong to Him, would you go to our website yoursforlife.net, because you'll find some wonderfully helpful information there to begin your journey with Christ. Or you can call for the booklet Yours For Life at 877-741-1200. God is shining His light in your heart right now. Please don't miss it.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Zechariah 8 and devotionals
Zechariah 8
The LORD Promises to Bless Jerusalem
1 Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her." 3 This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain."
4 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."
6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty.
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."
9 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. 10 Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the LORD Almighty.
12 "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. 13 As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
14 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, 15 "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.
18 Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. 19 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."
20 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."
23 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' "
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Exodus 18:13-24
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
January 31, 2008
Minister Mentor
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Exodus 18:13-24
Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. —Exodus 18:24 About this cover In 1959, when Lee Kuan Yew assumed the position of Prime Minister of Singapore, his leadership began a long process of national transformation. Initially, disagreements between ethnic groups and a weak economic base made the future of this tiny nation uncertain. By 1990, when Lee stepped down from his position, Singapore had become a model country for ethnic harmony and a thriving economy. After serving as Senior Minister, Lee became Minister Mentor in 2004. Since then he has been an invaluable resource to Singapore’s cabinet and to other leaders around the world.
Insights from the older generation can greatly benefit the younger generation. Although Moses had been used by God to perform miracles and deliver Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he still listened to the advice of his father-in-law Jethro (Ex. 18:24). Jethro had watched his son-in-law care for the concerns of the people and observed: “Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you” (v.18). Moses followed Jethro’s advice to select, train, and delegate others to share the workload (vv.22-24).
Whom has God placed in your life to advise you as a “minister mentor”? —Dennis Fisher
Following ThroughWhat are your weakest character traits?Do you know a fellow believer who is strong in these areas?Could that person become your spiritual mentor?
Those who are mature in the faith can help others to mature in their faith.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 31, 2008
Do You See Your Calling?LISTEN: READ:
. . . separated to the gospel of God. . . —Romans 1:1 About this cover Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.
Paul did not say that he separated himself, but "when it pleased God, who separated me . . ." (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. "Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes." To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Happy Kind Of Mad - #5494 Thursday, January 31, 2008
Our daughter was gone for the morning and a friend had come to baby sit our two grandsons. She's a brave lady! Actually, she had a relatively problem-free, crisis-free morning, except for one time when she just had to reprimand our three-year-old angel. Being a firstborn, he's very sensitive to being corrected. His later comment indicated that he had clearly recorded what was a very gentle reprimand - the kind you do with a smile on your face, not a snarl. When Mom returned and asked our little guy how his morning was with "Miss Wilma", he invented a new phrase to describe her correction. He said, "Miss Wilma got mad at me; she got happy mad."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Happy Kind of Mad."
I found the idea of being "happy mad" intriguing. And, in fact, the Bible actually describes a kind of "mad" that God considers, more or less, the "happy" kind. It's the kind that doesn't tear down the person on the other end.
God's description of "righteous" anger is really realistic and helpful, especially in Ephesians 4:25-27. That's our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what it says, "Laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity."
Apparently, it's possible to be angry with someone and deal with it in a way that isn't sinful - "happy mad," as my grandson might say. Sadly, we do a whole lot of sinning when we're angry. So we all need to know how to "be angry and yet not sin" as it says here. Righteous anger first has to be truthful, not exaggerated. "Speak truth," the Bible says. No exaggeration, no inflation, no stretching, no embellishing the truth to make your point. Stick to the facts.
Secondly, righteous anger needs to be kind and not cruel. Two verses later we're told, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building others up..." (Ephesians 4:29) - nothing that will tear the other person down. God is calling us to express our frustration and anger in a way that you attack the issue; you don't attack the person. So I'm not going to resort to calling you a name...to belittling you. It means saying something like this: "What you said makes me feel like my feelings don't matter," instead of saying, "You don't give a rip about how I feel, do you?" One sticks to the facts about how I'm feeling; the other one attacks you and accuses you.
One other characteristic of righteous anger according to Ephesians 4 is it's short-lived, not stored up. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." No day should ever end with you still being angry. When you store it, it grows and deepens and turns into hard feelings and bitterness. All that can be avoided if you never "let the sun go down on your anger." Otherwise you develop what the Bible calls in Hebrews 12:15, "A root of bitterness, that one day grows up and defiles many" and can cost you the grace of God.
God knows we'll get angry, but He's spelled out for us a way to deal with it that doesn't leave scars, doesn't leave walls and doesn't leave regrets. Be honest, be kind, and get right to it. If there's such a thing as "happy mad," that's what it's like.
The LORD Promises to Bless Jerusalem
1 Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her." 3 This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain."
4 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."
6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty.
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."
9 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. 10 Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the LORD Almighty.
12 "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. 13 As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
14 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, 15 "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.
18 Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. 19 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."
20 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."
23 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' "
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Exodus 18:13-24
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
January 31, 2008
Minister Mentor
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Exodus 18:13-24
Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. —Exodus 18:24 About this cover In 1959, when Lee Kuan Yew assumed the position of Prime Minister of Singapore, his leadership began a long process of national transformation. Initially, disagreements between ethnic groups and a weak economic base made the future of this tiny nation uncertain. By 1990, when Lee stepped down from his position, Singapore had become a model country for ethnic harmony and a thriving economy. After serving as Senior Minister, Lee became Minister Mentor in 2004. Since then he has been an invaluable resource to Singapore’s cabinet and to other leaders around the world.
Insights from the older generation can greatly benefit the younger generation. Although Moses had been used by God to perform miracles and deliver Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he still listened to the advice of his father-in-law Jethro (Ex. 18:24). Jethro had watched his son-in-law care for the concerns of the people and observed: “Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you” (v.18). Moses followed Jethro’s advice to select, train, and delegate others to share the workload (vv.22-24).
Whom has God placed in your life to advise you as a “minister mentor”? —Dennis Fisher
Following ThroughWhat are your weakest character traits?Do you know a fellow believer who is strong in these areas?Could that person become your spiritual mentor?
Those who are mature in the faith can help others to mature in their faith.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 31, 2008
Do You See Your Calling?LISTEN: READ:
. . . separated to the gospel of God. . . —Romans 1:1 About this cover Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.
Paul did not say that he separated himself, but "when it pleased God, who separated me . . ." (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. "Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes." To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Happy Kind Of Mad - #5494 Thursday, January 31, 2008
Our daughter was gone for the morning and a friend had come to baby sit our two grandsons. She's a brave lady! Actually, she had a relatively problem-free, crisis-free morning, except for one time when she just had to reprimand our three-year-old angel. Being a firstborn, he's very sensitive to being corrected. His later comment indicated that he had clearly recorded what was a very gentle reprimand - the kind you do with a smile on your face, not a snarl. When Mom returned and asked our little guy how his morning was with "Miss Wilma", he invented a new phrase to describe her correction. He said, "Miss Wilma got mad at me; she got happy mad."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Happy Kind of Mad."
I found the idea of being "happy mad" intriguing. And, in fact, the Bible actually describes a kind of "mad" that God considers, more or less, the "happy" kind. It's the kind that doesn't tear down the person on the other end.
God's description of "righteous" anger is really realistic and helpful, especially in Ephesians 4:25-27. That's our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what it says, "Laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity."
Apparently, it's possible to be angry with someone and deal with it in a way that isn't sinful - "happy mad," as my grandson might say. Sadly, we do a whole lot of sinning when we're angry. So we all need to know how to "be angry and yet not sin" as it says here. Righteous anger first has to be truthful, not exaggerated. "Speak truth," the Bible says. No exaggeration, no inflation, no stretching, no embellishing the truth to make your point. Stick to the facts.
Secondly, righteous anger needs to be kind and not cruel. Two verses later we're told, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building others up..." (Ephesians 4:29) - nothing that will tear the other person down. God is calling us to express our frustration and anger in a way that you attack the issue; you don't attack the person. So I'm not going to resort to calling you a name...to belittling you. It means saying something like this: "What you said makes me feel like my feelings don't matter," instead of saying, "You don't give a rip about how I feel, do you?" One sticks to the facts about how I'm feeling; the other one attacks you and accuses you.
One other characteristic of righteous anger according to Ephesians 4 is it's short-lived, not stored up. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." No day should ever end with you still being angry. When you store it, it grows and deepens and turns into hard feelings and bitterness. All that can be avoided if you never "let the sun go down on your anger." Otherwise you develop what the Bible calls in Hebrews 12:15, "A root of bitterness, that one day grows up and defiles many" and can cost you the grace of God.
God knows we'll get angry, but He's spelled out for us a way to deal with it that doesn't leave scars, doesn't leave walls and doesn't leave regrets. Be honest, be kind, and get right to it. If there's such a thing as "happy mad," that's what it's like.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Zechariah 7 and devotionals
Zechariah 7
Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, together with their men, to entreat the LORD 3 by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" 4 Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 "Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?' "
8 And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: 9 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
11 "But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.
13 " 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty. 14 'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Revelation 21
The New Jerusalem
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
January 30, 2008
Wipe Away Tears
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Revelation 21:1-7
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes . . . . There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. —Revelation 21:4 About this cover I had just finished preaching on the heartaches of life, when a couple approached me at the front of the church. The woman told me about the burden they bore as a family. Their young son had severe physical problems, and the strain of the constant care of this needy little guy, coupled with the heartache of knowing they couldn’t improve his situation, sometimes felt unbearable.
As the couple shared, with tears in their eyes, their little daughter stood with them—listening and watching. Seeing the obvious hurt etched by tears on her mother’s face, the girl reached up and gently wiped the tears from her mother’s cheek. It was a simple gesture of love and compassion, and a profound display of concern from one so young.
Our tears often blur our sight and prevent us from seeing clearly. In those moments, it can be an encouragement to have a friend who cares enough to love us in our pain and walk with us in our struggles.
Even though friends can be a help, only Christ can reach beyond our tears and touch the deep hurts of our hearts. His comfort can carry us through the struggles of our lives until that day when God Himself wipes away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). —Bill Crowder
He knows where the hurt is the deepest,The tears of the night and the day,And whispering softly, “I love you,”He brushes the teardrops away. —Anon.
The God who washed away our sins will also wipe away our tears.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 30, 2008
The Dilemma of ObedienceLISTEN: READ:
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15 About this cover God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, "I wonder if that is God’s voice?" Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him "with a strong hand," that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?
Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, "Speak, Lord," and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, "Speak, Lord." Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.
Should I tell my "Eli" what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, "I must shield ’Eli,’ " who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your "Eli," buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30 ).
Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. ". . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . ." (Galatians 1:16 ).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Incredible Power of a Woman - #5493 Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I don't think women have any idea of the power they have over a man. I mean, I've seen a 250-pound he-men reduced to quivering jelly by this little 95-pound blonde. Most guys can relate to the trauma of trying to work up the courage just to call a girl for a simple date. I've looked at the phone for 45 minutes, rehearsing all these impressive lines and the macho tone I was going to use. But it didn't matter how long I thought about it, when I finally heard that little voice at the other end of the phone say, "Hello," my reply would always come back with this pitiful, "Hello-oo-ooh."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Incredible Power of a Woman."
OK, the secret's out - if it ever was a secret. A woman has incredible power to make a man feel very big inside - or very small. And her own happiness may depend on how she uses that tremendous God-given power.
In our word for today from the Word of God, He addresses this power of a woman to work either the construction crew or the demolitions crew. In Proverbs 14:1, God says, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands." In that treasured Proverbs 31 description of the woman God is impressed with, it says, "the heart of her husband trusts in her ... she does him good and not evil all the days of her life ... her husband is known in the gates ... her children rise up and bless her ... her husband also, and he praises her."
Now, this is a woman who clearly builds up her man, and the implication is that he is highly regarded in the community largely because of the kind of woman she is. I understand that. I often tell people that heaven will show that most of whatever contribution I've been able to make is because of the wonderful woman I'm married to. And this woman receives back, according to Proverbs 31, the highest praise and respect from her husband, her children, the people who know them, and from God Himself.
Sadly, Proverbs also talks about a woman who tears down her house with her own hands. I don't think any woman means to do that, but in her frustration, she focuses on what the man in her life is doing wrong much more than what he's doing right. She doesn't understand how her criticism and her attacks wither his confidence and emotionally emasculate him. And in trying to nag and push him to take the leadership he should be taking, she may actually be causing him to doubt himself more and to actually retreat from leading.
And the more dominating and controlling and nagging and critical she becomes, the less the chances he will ever have the confidence to be the leader he ought to be and that she needs for him to be. Now, often in this program, I spend a lot of time talking about a man's responsibilities to a woman, but today we're looking at what the Bible says about that awesome power that a woman has to build up or tear down the man she loves.
The secret is that, well, inside most of us men is a pretty insecure little boy who can blossom or wither, depending in part on the godly wisdom of a woman who loves him. That woman, in the life of any man, has incredible power to make him or to break him.
Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, together with their men, to entreat the LORD 3 by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" 4 Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 "Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?' "
8 And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: 9 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
11 "But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.
13 " 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty. 14 'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Revelation 21
The New Jerusalem
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
January 30, 2008
Wipe Away Tears
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Revelation 21:1-7
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes . . . . There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. —Revelation 21:4 About this cover I had just finished preaching on the heartaches of life, when a couple approached me at the front of the church. The woman told me about the burden they bore as a family. Their young son had severe physical problems, and the strain of the constant care of this needy little guy, coupled with the heartache of knowing they couldn’t improve his situation, sometimes felt unbearable.
As the couple shared, with tears in their eyes, their little daughter stood with them—listening and watching. Seeing the obvious hurt etched by tears on her mother’s face, the girl reached up and gently wiped the tears from her mother’s cheek. It was a simple gesture of love and compassion, and a profound display of concern from one so young.
Our tears often blur our sight and prevent us from seeing clearly. In those moments, it can be an encouragement to have a friend who cares enough to love us in our pain and walk with us in our struggles.
Even though friends can be a help, only Christ can reach beyond our tears and touch the deep hurts of our hearts. His comfort can carry us through the struggles of our lives until that day when God Himself wipes away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). —Bill Crowder
He knows where the hurt is the deepest,The tears of the night and the day,And whispering softly, “I love you,”He brushes the teardrops away. —Anon.
The God who washed away our sins will also wipe away our tears.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 30, 2008
The Dilemma of ObedienceLISTEN: READ:
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15 About this cover God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, "I wonder if that is God’s voice?" Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him "with a strong hand," that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?
Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, "Speak, Lord," and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, "Speak, Lord." Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.
Should I tell my "Eli" what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, "I must shield ’Eli,’ " who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your "Eli," buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30 ).
Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. ". . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . ." (Galatians 1:16 ).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Incredible Power of a Woman - #5493 Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I don't think women have any idea of the power they have over a man. I mean, I've seen a 250-pound he-men reduced to quivering jelly by this little 95-pound blonde. Most guys can relate to the trauma of trying to work up the courage just to call a girl for a simple date. I've looked at the phone for 45 minutes, rehearsing all these impressive lines and the macho tone I was going to use. But it didn't matter how long I thought about it, when I finally heard that little voice at the other end of the phone say, "Hello," my reply would always come back with this pitiful, "Hello-oo-ooh."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Incredible Power of a Woman."
OK, the secret's out - if it ever was a secret. A woman has incredible power to make a man feel very big inside - or very small. And her own happiness may depend on how she uses that tremendous God-given power.
In our word for today from the Word of God, He addresses this power of a woman to work either the construction crew or the demolitions crew. In Proverbs 14:1, God says, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands." In that treasured Proverbs 31 description of the woman God is impressed with, it says, "the heart of her husband trusts in her ... she does him good and not evil all the days of her life ... her husband is known in the gates ... her children rise up and bless her ... her husband also, and he praises her."
Now, this is a woman who clearly builds up her man, and the implication is that he is highly regarded in the community largely because of the kind of woman she is. I understand that. I often tell people that heaven will show that most of whatever contribution I've been able to make is because of the wonderful woman I'm married to. And this woman receives back, according to Proverbs 31, the highest praise and respect from her husband, her children, the people who know them, and from God Himself.
Sadly, Proverbs also talks about a woman who tears down her house with her own hands. I don't think any woman means to do that, but in her frustration, she focuses on what the man in her life is doing wrong much more than what he's doing right. She doesn't understand how her criticism and her attacks wither his confidence and emotionally emasculate him. And in trying to nag and push him to take the leadership he should be taking, she may actually be causing him to doubt himself more and to actually retreat from leading.
And the more dominating and controlling and nagging and critical she becomes, the less the chances he will ever have the confidence to be the leader he ought to be and that she needs for him to be. Now, often in this program, I spend a lot of time talking about a man's responsibilities to a woman, but today we're looking at what the Bible says about that awesome power that a woman has to build up or tear down the man she loves.
The secret is that, well, inside most of us men is a pretty insecure little boy who can blossom or wither, depending in part on the godly wisdom of a woman who loves him. That woman, in the life of any man, has incredible power to make him or to break him.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Zechariah 6 and devotionals
Zechariah 6
Four Chariots
1 I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" 5 The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits [a] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, [b] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south."
7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth.
8 Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit [c] rest in the land of the north."
A Crown for Joshua
9 The word of the LORD came to me: 10 "Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. 12 Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' 14 The crown will be given to Heldai, [d] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen [e] son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Matthew 11:7-19
7As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'[a] 11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.
16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17" 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
January 29, 2008
Saying Goodbye
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 11:7-19
There has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. —Matthew 11:11 About this cover If you’ve ever been asked to say a few words at a memorial service, you know how difficult, yet important, it can be. Cyrus M. Copeland, compiler of two books of tributes to famous people, said: “A great eulogy is both art and architecture—a bridge between the living and the dead, memory and eternity.”
The Bible contains little that corresponds to our modern eulogy. Yet Jesus paid a great tribute to John the Baptist when he faced the looming threat of execution by Herod. From prison, John sent his disciples to confirm the identity of Jesus the Messiah (Matt. 11:2-6). Jesus talked with them, then told the listening crowd, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (v.11).
Jesus’ tribute captured the essence of the desert-dwelling, straight-preaching John, who was maligned and misunderstood as he prepared the way for the Son of God. John’s greatness was more than personal; it was wrapped up in the kingdom of God. He wrote his own eulogy by his actions.
As we ponder what we might say about others at their passing, it’s also good to ask, “What will people say about me when it’s time to say goodbye?” —David C. McCasland
The way we live our lives each dayMakes up our eulogy;So ask yourself, “When I pass on,What will be said of me?” —Sper
Living for the Lord today leaves a lasting legacy when we’re gone.
My Utmost for His Highest:, by Oswald Chambers
January 29, 2008
How Could Someone Be So Ignorant!LISTEN: READ:
Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15 About this cover "The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . ." (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, "I know that this is what I should do"-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. "He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ " (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— "I delight to do Your will, O my God . . ." (Psalm 40:8).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
Fourth Quarter - It's Ours! - #5492 Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I watched the new high school football coach at our local high school work an amazing transformation. Before he took over, playing our team meant an almost automatic win for the other team. After the new coach came and made his mark, our team almost always went to the state championship. Our sons can tell you one reason why - they played for him. He used to run some very grueling practices, but he told them he was building a "fourth quarter team" - a team that had the endurance to finish strong when their opponents were fading. And you could count on our team dominating the final quarter of the game. They knew how decisive it would be, and they were prepared to give it all. In fact, at the end of the third quarter, the players would pump each other up with this familiar war cry, "Fourth quarter! It's ours!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fourth Quarter - It's Ours!"
Champions are strong fourth quarter players in sports, and in life, too. We're talking about responsibilities and challenges that require a lot of perseverance; where victory requires giving more when you feel like giving up. And maybe you're in one of those "fourth quarter" situations right now and God is calling you to finish strong.
Like the Apostle Paul did, as recorded in 2 Timothy 4, beginning with verse 5. It's our word for today from the Word of God. He's had every reason to quit. He's had persecution, imprisonment, beating, and now he is writing what will be his final words before his execution by Caesar. He's calling Timothy to a championship finish like he's doing.
He says, to him and to us, "Be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." A statement like that makes us ask, "Am I a finisher or am I just a starter? Have I left behind me in my life a lot of things I started but I didn't finish?"
Paul then looks ahead to what's at the finish line for all who complete the course that God has given them. "In the future" he says, "there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord...will award to me on that day." Sadly, those who quit before the game was over will never know the rewards that only the finishers can enjoy.
So now, maybe at a time when you have so many reasons to slack off, to quit, when you've already played hard for a long time, listen to God saying, "Do not be weary in well doing, for in due time you will reap if you do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Be a fourth quarter husband or wife, be a fourth quarter mom or dad, a fourth quarter friend, or worker, or leader. Be a follower of Jesus who refuses to slack off, to slow down, to head for the showers, to give up. That's how your Savior was for you.
After how long the game has been and how hard it's been, maybe your strength is giving out, but God's strength belongs to the weak and the weary. And His strength can carry you all the way to the finish line. His promise is, "He gives His strength to the weary and He increases the power of the weak." Claim it! Shout with all of God's champions, "It's the fourth quarter! It's ours!"
Four Chariots
1 I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" 5 The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits [a] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, [b] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south."
7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth.
8 Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit [c] rest in the land of the north."
A Crown for Joshua
9 The word of the LORD came to me: 10 "Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. 12 Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' 14 The crown will be given to Heldai, [d] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen [e] son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Matthew 11:7-19
7As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'[a] 11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.
16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17" 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
January 29, 2008
Saying Goodbye
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 11:7-19
There has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. —Matthew 11:11 About this cover If you’ve ever been asked to say a few words at a memorial service, you know how difficult, yet important, it can be. Cyrus M. Copeland, compiler of two books of tributes to famous people, said: “A great eulogy is both art and architecture—a bridge between the living and the dead, memory and eternity.”
The Bible contains little that corresponds to our modern eulogy. Yet Jesus paid a great tribute to John the Baptist when he faced the looming threat of execution by Herod. From prison, John sent his disciples to confirm the identity of Jesus the Messiah (Matt. 11:2-6). Jesus talked with them, then told the listening crowd, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (v.11).
Jesus’ tribute captured the essence of the desert-dwelling, straight-preaching John, who was maligned and misunderstood as he prepared the way for the Son of God. John’s greatness was more than personal; it was wrapped up in the kingdom of God. He wrote his own eulogy by his actions.
As we ponder what we might say about others at their passing, it’s also good to ask, “What will people say about me when it’s time to say goodbye?” —David C. McCasland
The way we live our lives each dayMakes up our eulogy;So ask yourself, “When I pass on,What will be said of me?” —Sper
Living for the Lord today leaves a lasting legacy when we’re gone.
My Utmost for His Highest:, by Oswald Chambers
January 29, 2008
How Could Someone Be So Ignorant!LISTEN: READ:
Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15 About this cover "The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . ." (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, "I know that this is what I should do"-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. "He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ " (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— "I delight to do Your will, O my God . . ." (Psalm 40:8).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
Fourth Quarter - It's Ours! - #5492 Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I watched the new high school football coach at our local high school work an amazing transformation. Before he took over, playing our team meant an almost automatic win for the other team. After the new coach came and made his mark, our team almost always went to the state championship. Our sons can tell you one reason why - they played for him. He used to run some very grueling practices, but he told them he was building a "fourth quarter team" - a team that had the endurance to finish strong when their opponents were fading. And you could count on our team dominating the final quarter of the game. They knew how decisive it would be, and they were prepared to give it all. In fact, at the end of the third quarter, the players would pump each other up with this familiar war cry, "Fourth quarter! It's ours!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fourth Quarter - It's Ours!"
Champions are strong fourth quarter players in sports, and in life, too. We're talking about responsibilities and challenges that require a lot of perseverance; where victory requires giving more when you feel like giving up. And maybe you're in one of those "fourth quarter" situations right now and God is calling you to finish strong.
Like the Apostle Paul did, as recorded in 2 Timothy 4, beginning with verse 5. It's our word for today from the Word of God. He's had every reason to quit. He's had persecution, imprisonment, beating, and now he is writing what will be his final words before his execution by Caesar. He's calling Timothy to a championship finish like he's doing.
He says, to him and to us, "Be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." A statement like that makes us ask, "Am I a finisher or am I just a starter? Have I left behind me in my life a lot of things I started but I didn't finish?"
Paul then looks ahead to what's at the finish line for all who complete the course that God has given them. "In the future" he says, "there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord...will award to me on that day." Sadly, those who quit before the game was over will never know the rewards that only the finishers can enjoy.
So now, maybe at a time when you have so many reasons to slack off, to quit, when you've already played hard for a long time, listen to God saying, "Do not be weary in well doing, for in due time you will reap if you do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Be a fourth quarter husband or wife, be a fourth quarter mom or dad, a fourth quarter friend, or worker, or leader. Be a follower of Jesus who refuses to slack off, to slow down, to head for the showers, to give up. That's how your Savior was for you.
After how long the game has been and how hard it's been, maybe your strength is giving out, but God's strength belongs to the weak and the weary. And His strength can carry you all the way to the finish line. His promise is, "He gives His strength to the weary and He increases the power of the weak." Claim it! Shout with all of God's champions, "It's the fourth quarter! It's ours!"
Monday, January 28, 2008
Zechariah 5 and devotions
Zechariah 5
The Flying Scroll
1 I looked again—and there before me was a flying scroll! 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. [a] "
3 And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. 4 The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.' "
The Woman in a Basket 5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." 6 I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. [b] " And he added, "This is the iniquity [c] of the people throughout the land."
7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth.
9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
10 "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me.
11 He replied, "To the country of Babylonia [d] to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
January 28, 2008
Armed And Extremely Effective
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Ephesians 6:10-18
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness. —Ephesians 6:12 About this cover Last January, the police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, had their guns confiscated. It was suspected that some of them had been in collusion with drug traffickers. At first, fearing for their safety, the police stopped patrolling. But eventually, some of them returned to work—carrying slingshots. Three weeks passed before their more effective weapons were returned to them.
Although we all remember a shepherd boy who used a sling and a single smooth stone with great success in his encounter with a giant (1 Sam. 17), few of us would have the courage to face violent threats armed with such puny protection. But every day, although we are often ill-prepared, we do face a threat. As believers, we fight against an enemy we cannot see. Our struggle is not “against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12). The outcome of this battle is sure, however. Jesus is the Victor. And using the armor and weapons He supplies, we are able “to stand” (v.13). We fight in His power and strength.
Each day we must put on the armor of God—the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word (vv.13-17). Preparation and protection are the key to winning spiritual battles. —Cindy Hess Kasper
Though fierce the hatred of our foeWhose legions seek to work us woe,He can’t destroy the Living WordNor those who own Him as their Lord. —D. De Haan
Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 28, 2008
How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!LISTEN: READ:
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14 About this cover Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of "the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.
Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29 ). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Light in Your Night - #5491 Monday, January 28, 2008
We had rented a cabin in the mountains, and we didn't want to leave it much. The view across the valley was like a majestic painting. It would change as the sun and the weather changed - all the kind of moods you have in the mountains. I had looked at the mountain across the valley from us many times, but finally I took a good look that direction at night. That's when I saw it - the cross. There was a lighted cross on top of the mountain, glowing in the night from a vantage point where it could be seen all around. Actually, that cross is there all the time but you don't really see it until it's dark.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Light in Your Night."
For many of us, the greatest discovery of our lives came when it was night; one of those dark times we all go through in our life. A lot of people have learned that when it's night, you can see the cross, often for the first time in your life.
The cross - that awful place where Jesus was brutally crucified - turns out to be the ultimate proof of how much God loves you and me. If it's sacrifice that proves love, then we don't ever have to wonder how God feels about us. God the Father gave up God the Son to absorb the guilt and hell for every wrong thing you and I have ever done. There has never been a greater sacrifice. There's never been a greater love.
But we can know about what happened at that cross. We can be around it for years and still miss the forgiveness, the love, and the heaven that Jesus died to give us. Maybe you've been avoiding dealing with Jesus personally. Maybe you feel someone's been pressuring you about Jesus, and that's just made you resist it even more. Maybe it's pride that's kept you from your life-changing encounter at the cross, or even your Christianity, because you've thought having Christianity meant having Christ.
It's easy to go busily about the routines of your life and never really see that cross - until it's suddenly night time. Something happens to your health, to your family, to your job, or to whatever you've counted on for security. And none of your answers, none of your fixes are enough. That's when a lot of people look up and finally see the cross, shining in their night, showing them where hope is.
In John 12:32-33, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus said, "'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.' He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.'" That was it - lifted up to die on a cross. But there would be a magnet in that old hunk of wood; a magnet that would draw the people He died for to His side.
Which is exactly why you may be feeling that tug in your heart right now. He's drawing you to come to the cross, to give yourself to Him, and to find what you've spent your whole life looking for. All those religious hang-ups, all those lame arguments, all the proud resistance, all the spiritual pride drops to the ground at the foot of His cross - and you finally belong to the One you were made for.
If you've been doing it without Jesus all these years, for whatever reason, and you want this to be the day you finally experience Him for yourself, would you tell Him that right where you are, "Lord, I turn from the running of my own life, and I'm pinning all my hopes on You because You died for me." If that is what you want, and you want to be sure you have that relationship, I think I could give you some encouragement and some help if you'll just visit our website. And I hope you'll go there right away today. It's yoursforlife.net. And it's really there to help you at a moment like this. Or you can call and ask for my little booklet Yours For Life. And you can call toll free and ask for it at 877-741-1200.
Maybe it's night right now, not because God doesn't love you, but because He does. He doesn't want to lose you. His cross shines very brightly in your night. Once you meet Him there, it will never be night in your soul again.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
The Flying Scroll
1 I looked again—and there before me was a flying scroll! 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. [a] "
3 And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. 4 The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.' "
The Woman in a Basket 5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." 6 I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. [b] " And he added, "This is the iniquity [c] of the people throughout the land."
7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth.
9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
10 "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me.
11 He replied, "To the country of Babylonia [d] to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
January 28, 2008
Armed And Extremely Effective
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Ephesians 6:10-18
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness. —Ephesians 6:12 About this cover Last January, the police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, had their guns confiscated. It was suspected that some of them had been in collusion with drug traffickers. At first, fearing for their safety, the police stopped patrolling. But eventually, some of them returned to work—carrying slingshots. Three weeks passed before their more effective weapons were returned to them.
Although we all remember a shepherd boy who used a sling and a single smooth stone with great success in his encounter with a giant (1 Sam. 17), few of us would have the courage to face violent threats armed with such puny protection. But every day, although we are often ill-prepared, we do face a threat. As believers, we fight against an enemy we cannot see. Our struggle is not “against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12). The outcome of this battle is sure, however. Jesus is the Victor. And using the armor and weapons He supplies, we are able “to stand” (v.13). We fight in His power and strength.
Each day we must put on the armor of God—the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word (vv.13-17). Preparation and protection are the key to winning spiritual battles. —Cindy Hess Kasper
Though fierce the hatred of our foeWhose legions seek to work us woe,He can’t destroy the Living WordNor those who own Him as their Lord. —D. De Haan
Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 28, 2008
How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!LISTEN: READ:
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14 About this cover Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of "the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.
Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29 ). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Light in Your Night - #5491 Monday, January 28, 2008
We had rented a cabin in the mountains, and we didn't want to leave it much. The view across the valley was like a majestic painting. It would change as the sun and the weather changed - all the kind of moods you have in the mountains. I had looked at the mountain across the valley from us many times, but finally I took a good look that direction at night. That's when I saw it - the cross. There was a lighted cross on top of the mountain, glowing in the night from a vantage point where it could be seen all around. Actually, that cross is there all the time but you don't really see it until it's dark.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Light in Your Night."
For many of us, the greatest discovery of our lives came when it was night; one of those dark times we all go through in our life. A lot of people have learned that when it's night, you can see the cross, often for the first time in your life.
The cross - that awful place where Jesus was brutally crucified - turns out to be the ultimate proof of how much God loves you and me. If it's sacrifice that proves love, then we don't ever have to wonder how God feels about us. God the Father gave up God the Son to absorb the guilt and hell for every wrong thing you and I have ever done. There has never been a greater sacrifice. There's never been a greater love.
But we can know about what happened at that cross. We can be around it for years and still miss the forgiveness, the love, and the heaven that Jesus died to give us. Maybe you've been avoiding dealing with Jesus personally. Maybe you feel someone's been pressuring you about Jesus, and that's just made you resist it even more. Maybe it's pride that's kept you from your life-changing encounter at the cross, or even your Christianity, because you've thought having Christianity meant having Christ.
It's easy to go busily about the routines of your life and never really see that cross - until it's suddenly night time. Something happens to your health, to your family, to your job, or to whatever you've counted on for security. And none of your answers, none of your fixes are enough. That's when a lot of people look up and finally see the cross, shining in their night, showing them where hope is.
In John 12:32-33, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus said, "'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.' He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.'" That was it - lifted up to die on a cross. But there would be a magnet in that old hunk of wood; a magnet that would draw the people He died for to His side.
Which is exactly why you may be feeling that tug in your heart right now. He's drawing you to come to the cross, to give yourself to Him, and to find what you've spent your whole life looking for. All those religious hang-ups, all those lame arguments, all the proud resistance, all the spiritual pride drops to the ground at the foot of His cross - and you finally belong to the One you were made for.
If you've been doing it without Jesus all these years, for whatever reason, and you want this to be the day you finally experience Him for yourself, would you tell Him that right where you are, "Lord, I turn from the running of my own life, and I'm pinning all my hopes on You because You died for me." If that is what you want, and you want to be sure you have that relationship, I think I could give you some encouragement and some help if you'll just visit our website. And I hope you'll go there right away today. It's yoursforlife.net. And it's really there to help you at a moment like this. Or you can call and ask for my little booklet Yours For Life. And you can call toll free and ask for it at 877-741-1200.
Maybe it's night right now, not because God doesn't love you, but because He does. He doesn't want to lose you. His cross shines very brightly in your night. Once you meet Him there, it will never be night in your soul again.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Zechariah 4 and devotions
Zechariah 4
The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees
1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
5 He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied.
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
7 "What [a] are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' "
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.
10 "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth.)"
11 Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"
12 Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?"
13 He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said.
14 So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to [b] serve the Lord of all the earth."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Psalm 37Of David. 1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
January 27, 2008
A Sheer DelightREAD: Psalm 37:1-11
Delight yourself . . . in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. —Psalm 37:4 About this cover After finishing high school in 1941, Clair Hess anticipated serving his country by joining the army. But when he developed a heart murmur from a bout with scarlet fever, he was denied acceptance. He admits that he was envious of his fellow graduates and other servicemen in their uniforms, but he was helped by reading Psalm 37 and seeing how the psalmist David handled envy.
While Clair was wondering about God’s direction for his life, his uncle suggested to him that the Lord might be calling him to His service. So Clair attended Moody Bible Institute and was led into a career of singing and later editing for RBC Ministries. He’s been doing that for 50 years now and calls serving God “a sheer delight.”
David encouraged us in Psalm 37 to delight in the Lord and not to envy others (vv.1-4). Although he was talking about envying people who get away with evil, we can apply it to other types of envy. Instead of comparing ourselves with others, we need to delight ourselves in God. In His time, He’ll fulfill the desires of our heart and affirm that we are in His will.
We’re all in “God’s service” as believers. And serving Him is a sheer delight. —Anne Cetas
Let the joy of the Lord be your strength—May His peace fill your heart day and night;As you walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,You will find that He’ll lead you aright. —Hess
Contentment comes when God’s will is more important than our wants.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 27, 2008
Look Again and ThinkLISTEN: READ:
Do not worry about your life . . . —Matthew 6:25 About this cover A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . ." Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month— or next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).
TGIF devotional
Seeing the Works of God
by Os Hillman
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord.... - Psalm 107:23-24a
When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long as I could stand firm, the waves were of no concern to me. However, as I moved farther and farther into the ocean, I had less control over my ability to stand. Sometimes the current was so strong it moved me down the beach, and I even lost my bearings at times. But I have never gone so far into the ocean that I was not able to control the situation.
Sometimes God takes us into such deep waters that we lose control of the situation, and we have no choice but to fully trust in His care for us. This is doing business in great waters. It is in these great waters that we see the works of God.
The Scriptures tell us that the disciples testified of what they saw and heard. It was the power behind the gospel, not the words themselves, which changed the world. The power wasn't seen until circumstances got to the point that there were no alternatives but God. Sometimes God has to take us into the deep water in order to give us the privilege to see His works.
Sometimes God takes us into the deep waters of life for an extended time. Joseph was taken into deep waters of adversity for 17 years. Rejection by his brothers, enslavement to Pharaoh, and imprisonment were the deep waters for Joseph. During those deep waters, he experienced dreams, a special anointing of his gifts to administrate, and great wisdom beyond his years. The deep water was preparation for a task that was so great he never could have imagined it. He was to see God's works more clearly than anyone in his generation. God had too much at stake for a 30-year-old to mess it up. So, God took Joseph through the deep waters of preparation to ensure that he would survive what he was about to face. Pride normally engulfs such young servants who have such access to power at such a young age.
If God chooses to take us into deep waters, it is for a reason. The greater the calling, the deeper the water. Trust in His knowledge that your deep waters are preparation to see the works of God in your life.
The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees
1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
5 He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied.
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
7 "What [a] are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' "
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.
10 "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth.)"
11 Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"
12 Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?"
13 He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said.
14 So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to [b] serve the Lord of all the earth."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Psalm 37Of David. 1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
January 27, 2008
A Sheer DelightREAD: Psalm 37:1-11
Delight yourself . . . in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. —Psalm 37:4 About this cover After finishing high school in 1941, Clair Hess anticipated serving his country by joining the army. But when he developed a heart murmur from a bout with scarlet fever, he was denied acceptance. He admits that he was envious of his fellow graduates and other servicemen in their uniforms, but he was helped by reading Psalm 37 and seeing how the psalmist David handled envy.
While Clair was wondering about God’s direction for his life, his uncle suggested to him that the Lord might be calling him to His service. So Clair attended Moody Bible Institute and was led into a career of singing and later editing for RBC Ministries. He’s been doing that for 50 years now and calls serving God “a sheer delight.”
David encouraged us in Psalm 37 to delight in the Lord and not to envy others (vv.1-4). Although he was talking about envying people who get away with evil, we can apply it to other types of envy. Instead of comparing ourselves with others, we need to delight ourselves in God. In His time, He’ll fulfill the desires of our heart and affirm that we are in His will.
We’re all in “God’s service” as believers. And serving Him is a sheer delight. —Anne Cetas
Let the joy of the Lord be your strength—May His peace fill your heart day and night;As you walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,You will find that He’ll lead you aright. —Hess
Contentment comes when God’s will is more important than our wants.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 27, 2008
Look Again and ThinkLISTEN: READ:
Do not worry about your life . . . —Matthew 6:25 About this cover A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . ." Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month— or next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).
TGIF devotional
Seeing the Works of God
by Os Hillman
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord.... - Psalm 107:23-24a
When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long as I could stand firm, the waves were of no concern to me. However, as I moved farther and farther into the ocean, I had less control over my ability to stand. Sometimes the current was so strong it moved me down the beach, and I even lost my bearings at times. But I have never gone so far into the ocean that I was not able to control the situation.
Sometimes God takes us into such deep waters that we lose control of the situation, and we have no choice but to fully trust in His care for us. This is doing business in great waters. It is in these great waters that we see the works of God.
The Scriptures tell us that the disciples testified of what they saw and heard. It was the power behind the gospel, not the words themselves, which changed the world. The power wasn't seen until circumstances got to the point that there were no alternatives but God. Sometimes God has to take us into the deep water in order to give us the privilege to see His works.
Sometimes God takes us into the deep waters of life for an extended time. Joseph was taken into deep waters of adversity for 17 years. Rejection by his brothers, enslavement to Pharaoh, and imprisonment were the deep waters for Joseph. During those deep waters, he experienced dreams, a special anointing of his gifts to administrate, and great wisdom beyond his years. The deep water was preparation for a task that was so great he never could have imagined it. He was to see God's works more clearly than anyone in his generation. God had too much at stake for a 30-year-old to mess it up. So, God took Joseph through the deep waters of preparation to ensure that he would survive what he was about to face. Pride normally engulfs such young servants who have such access to power at such a young age.
If God chooses to take us into deep waters, it is for a reason. The greater the calling, the deeper the water. Trust in His knowledge that your deep waters are preparation to see the works of God in your life.
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