Sunday, June 3, 2012
1 Kings 13 bible reading and devotionals.
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Max Lucado Daily: Watch and Pray
Watch and Pray
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Mark 14:38, NIV
“Watch.” . . . Keep your eyes open. When you see sin coming, duck . . . When you sense temptation, go the other way . . .
“Pray.” . . . What prayer does is invite God to walk the shadowy pathways of life with us . . . guarding our backside from the poison darts of the devil.
“Watch and pray.” Good advice. Let’s take it.
1 Kings 13
The Man of God From Judah
13 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”
4 When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5 Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.
6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.
7 The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”
8 But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’” 10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.
11 Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. 12 Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. 13 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it 14 and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”
“I am,” he replied.
15 So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.”
16 The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’”
18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.
20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. 21 He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. 22 You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.’”
23 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 Some people who passed by saw the body lying there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him.”
27 The prophet said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they did so. 28 Then he went out and found the body lying on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. 30 Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, “Alas, my brother!”
31 After burying him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”
33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. 34 This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: James 3:1-12
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Careless Speech
June 3, 2012 — by Bill Crowder
He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. —Proverbs 17:27
When my wife and I were visiting a church for a special musical program, we arrived early to get a good seat. Before the program began, we overheard two members seated behind us complaining about their church. They criticized the pastoral staff, leadership, music, ministry priorities, and several other things that made them unhappy. They were either unconcerned about or oblivious to the presence of two visitors in their midst.
It occurred to me that their unfortunate conversation could have pushed us away if we were there looking for a new church home. Worse, what if we were seeking God and their disgruntled opinions had driven us away? Their careless speech was not just a matter of the words they used or attitudes they displayed, it also demonstrated their lack of concern for the impact those words could have on others.
A better approach to the use of words is reflected in Proverbs 17:27, where Solomon said, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” Most often, we would do better not to say all we think or know (or think we know), but instead seek to use words that promote calm and peace. You never know who may be listening.
Lord, I need Your help that I might control
my thoughts and words today. I want to be a
blessing to others, to lift them up that they might
see Your goodness. Amen.
Discretion of speech is better than eloquence with words.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 3, 2012
“The Secret of the Lord”
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him . . . —Psalm 25:14
What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.
“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”
Saturday, June 2, 2012
1 Kings 12 Bible reading and devotionals.
Click here to learn from God's word.
Max Lucado: God's one Goal
God has one goal: God!
He says in Isaiah 48:11, “I have a reputation to keep up.”
Surprised? Isn’t such an attitude self-centered? Self-promotion? Why does God broadcast himself? For the same reason the pilot of the lifeboat does.
Think of it this way. You’re floundering neck-deep in a dark, cold sea. Ship sinking. Life jacket deflating. Strength waning. Through the darkness comes the voice of a lifeboat pilot. But you cannot see him.
What do you want the pilot to do? Be quiet? Say nothing? By no means. You need volume! Amp it up buddy! In biblical language, you want him to show his glory. You need to hear him say, “I’m here. I’m strong. I have room for you.”
Don’t we want God to do the same? We’re going down fast. And only one message matters. His! We need to see God’s glory!
From Live Loved
1 Kings 12
Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam
12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.
7 They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13 The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:
“What share do we have in David,
what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
Look after your own house, David!”
So the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,[b] who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.
Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.[c]
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”
28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.[d]
31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Colossians 3:12-17
New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Fragile Loads
June 2, 2012 — by Cindy Hess Kasper
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. —Ephesians 4:32
As Dolores was driving along a country road, she noticed that a car was following her rather closely. She could almost feel the irritation of the driver as she drove cautiously and slowly navigated several turns.
Of course, the driver of the other car had no way to know that Dolores was transporting 100 pounds of mashed potatoes, two crockpots full of gravy, and many other food items for a church supper—enough to feed 200 people! Sensing the other driver’s frustration, Dolores thought, If he just realized the fragile load I’m carrying, he would understand why I’m driving like I am.
Just as quickly, another thought occurred to her: How often am I impatient with people when I have no idea of the fragile load they might be carrying?
How easily do we pass judgment on someone, assuming that we know all the facts about a situation? God’s Word sends us in a more charitable direction, instructing us to treat each other with kindness, humility, and patience (Col. 3:12). How much more loving we are when we bear with and forgive each other (v.13).
Let’s treat others as we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31), remembering that we don’t always know the burden they may be carrying.
Kindness is a loving guide
That shows us how to live,
A treasure which, the more we spend,
The more we have to give. —Anon.
If you are tempted to lose patience with another, stop and think how patient God has been with you.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 2, 2012
Are You Obsessed by Something?
Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12
Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.
If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.
“He himself shall dwell in prosperity . . .” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge . . .” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Acts 10:24-48 bible reading and devotionals.
Click here to hear God speak to your heart.
Max Lucado: No Box Works
Boxes bring wonderful order to our life. They keep cereal from spilling and books from tumbling. When it comes to containing stuff, boxes are masterful. But when it comes to defining Christ, no box works.
Oh, his contemporaries tried. They designed an assortment of boxes. But he never fit any of them. They labeled him a revolutionary; then he paid his taxes. They labeled him a country carpenter, but he confounded the scholars. He defied easy definitions.
We still try. I once reduced Christ to a handful of doctrines. He was a recipe, and I had the ingredients. Mix them correctly, and the Jesus-of-my-making would appear.
Jesus blew the sides out of all misconceptions.
Acts 10:24-48
New International Version (NIV)
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Colossians 3:1-12
Rules for Holy Living
1 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand. 2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth.
3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory.
5 So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods. 6 God's anger is going to come because of those things. 7 That's the way you lived at one time in your life.
8 But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths. 9 Don't lie to each other.
You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. 10 You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything.
12 You are God's chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don't be proud. Be gentle and patient.
Winning And Losing
June 1, 2012 — by David C. McCasland
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. —Colossians 3:2
The Masters Tournament is one of the most prestigious in professional golf. In 2009, Kenny Perry placed second after leading during the final round. Writing in The New York Times, Bill Pennington described Perry as “disappointed but not despondent” after the loss. “I’ll look back on it occasionally and wonder what I might have done differently, but I won’t dwell on it,” Perry said. “If this is the worst thing that happens in my life, I’ve got it pretty good. I won’t let it dog me. There are so many other things in life that matter more . . . . I’ll go home tonight with my family and we’ll have fun.”
The ability to look beyond our disappointments is essential for followers of Christ. Our focus determines how we face the victories and defeats in life. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). This way of thinking looks to Christ, rather than our achievements, for significance and validation. We seek Him, not success.
When we strive for excellence and give our best effort, losing hurts, but it doesn’t have to harm us. The key is where we set our minds and hearts.
Lord, thank You that You are the one who measures
how we’ve done in life and determines
whether we’ve been successful. Help us to keep that
focus even in disappointments.
When Christ is the center of your focus, everything else comes into proper perspective.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 1, 2012
The Staggering Question
He said to me, ’Son of man, can these bones live?’ —Ezekiel 37:3
Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.”
It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience.
“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves . . .” (Ezekiel 37:12). When God wants to show you what human nature is like separated from Himself, He shows it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace. My “grave” has been opened by God and “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God’s Spirit continually reveals to His children what human nature is like apart from His grace.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Long Wait for a New Heart - #6625
Friday, June 1, 2012
The folks at the hospital asked my father-in-law if he'd like to donate his organs. He smiled and said, "Depends on how soon you want them." Great answer.
Someone somewhere decided to donate their heart if something happened to them. Today, that heart is beating in the former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney. Doctors of course, had done everything else science can do to save and extend his life since his first heart attack at the age of 37 - stents, bypasses, an implanted defibrillator. But now, at age 71, his life probably depended on the ultimate solution - not a heart repair but a totally new heart.
Right now, there are probably 3,000 Americans whose lives depend on getting a new heart. Their average wait for one to become available is somewhere between six months and a year. Dick Cheney had to wait 20 months for his.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about a "Long Wait for a New Heart."
Every day - somewhere in the world - people are getting a new heart. Made possible by a donor who died. And the miracle-working skill of a master heart surgeon. I know Him. He performed that miracle on me - and on many of the people I love.
The Surgeon is God Himself. The donor? Well, that's Jesus. It took His dying for me to have the spiritual heart transplant that changed everything.
In our word today from the Word of God, Ezekiel 36 beginning in verse 25, God made a promise to all of us who know all too well the darkness that lives in our heart. He said, "I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols (all those things that push God to the edge). I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh...you will be My people, and I will be your God."
Just this weekend, a lady told me how her heart toward her husband had turned hard over the years of a difficult marriage. But then her face just lit up as she told me how Jesus had given her a "heart transplant" with a new love for her man - and a new marriage. Only the Master Heart Surgeon can do that.
One of God's prophets provided a revealing "spiritual EKG" of the heart behind all of our actions: "The heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9 - NLT). Out of our spiritually diseased hearts come words that scar people for life...betrayal of the person we committed our life to...unthinking selfishness...cancerous anger and bitterness...and all kinds of darkness that poison our relationships, our reputation and our future.
Oh, we try a lot of things to get better - just like they did with Dick Cheney's heart. But all our resolutions and religion are temporary and unsuccessful fixes. Because we need Dr. Jesus. But He had to die to make possible the new heart that's our only hope of living right - and dying right. God tells us that "the blood of Jesus His Son purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). And that happens, not through being reformed, but by being transformed. From the inside out.
That's the miracle that takes place when you recognize that Jesus - the Man who died for your sin and then birthed eternal life by walking out of His grave - is your only hope. And you tell Him that. When you put yourself in the hands of Dr. Jesus, He, in essence, implants a new spiritual heart. With a love you never had before. A power to be the kind of person you've always wanted to be - and those you love need you to be. An ability to forgive, to break bondages, to heal broken relationships.
When you have Jesus in you, He produces a new life you could never do on your own. And because He removes the guilt and penalty of every sin you've ever committed, He changes your destiny from hell to heaven.
Jesus' new heart miracle can save a marriage, a family, a future, a soul. He did the dying so we would never have to. And there's no wait for your new heart. He's been waiting for you to call.
If you want to experience for yourself what a personal relationship with Jesus can do, tell Him you want to begin that today, and would you go check out how to get started with Him at our website, YoursForLife.net. And let the new heart miracle begin for you, today.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Ecclesiastes 12 bible reading and devotionals.
Click to hear God's teachings.
Max Lucado Daily: God So Loved Us
“If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11, NKJV
Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier.
Why? Because that’s what love does. It puts the beloved before itself.
Ecclesiastes 12
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[c]
“Everything is meaningless! ”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails —given by one shepherd.[d] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 5:12-21
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.
13 Before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not judged when there is no law. 14 Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God's command. But he also became a pattern of the One who was going to come.
15 God's gift is different from Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God's grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God's gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world.
16 The result of God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. God judged one sin. That brought guilt. But after many sins, God's gift made people right with him.
17 One man sinned, and death ruled because of his sin. But we are even more sure of what will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done. Those who receive the rich supply of God's grace will rule with Christ in his kingdom. They have received God's gift and have been made right with him.
18 One man's sin brought guilt to all people. So also one right act made all people right with God. And all who are right with God will live. 19 Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.
20 The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God's grace increased even more. 21 Sin ruled because of death. So also grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done.
Faulty Thinking
May 31, 2012 — by Anne Cetas
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8
Four people—a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker—were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out. The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so I’m taking a parachute,” and he jumped out.
Then the pastor told the hiker, “I don’t want to be selfish, so you take the last parachute.” The hiker replied, “There are still two left, so we can each have one. The professor jumped out with my backpack instead of the parachute!” Though the professor thought he would land safely, his assurance was based on faulty thinking.
Some people have an assurance of salvation based on faulty thinking. They believe that church attendance, baptism, or just being good will gain them approval from God. But our thinking is faulty if it isn’t based on what God says in His Word. God says that “all have sinned” and that we are His enemies. But through the death and resurrection of His Son, we can be made right with God (Rom. 3:23; 5:8-10). By faith in what Christ has done, we can have peace with God (5:1) and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.
Do you believe it? Your eternity is at stake. Don’t trust faulty thinking but put your faith in Christ.
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus—
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free. —Havergal
If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 31, 2012
Put God First
Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25
Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.
Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).
A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.
Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).
God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Leave the Choice To the Owner - #6624
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It's the issue that may decide who's the senator or congressman in many states. It may decide who the governor is in some states. The battle lines are drawn around the issue of abortion.
Oh, it's not taxes, or defense spending, or civil rights, or homelessness. The most emotional issue oftentimes in our country revolves around that new life that some woman carries inside of her right now. Oh, there's been demonstrating, banners, chants, and slogans. But underneath it all there are actually two logics that war with each other. Pro-life says that a human life is there from conception and no one has the right to destroy that life. And then the pro-choice people say that the person whose body it is should decide what is done with that body. Well, actually, in a sense they're both right.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Leave the Choice To the Owner."
Our word for today from the Word of God: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. "Flee from sexual immorality..." God here says, "...all other sins that man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you; whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
Well, this passage settles once and for all the issue of whose body you're walking around in. That's not your body; "you are not your own" the Bible says. You have been made by God, so you are His by creation. You've been paid for by God with the purchase price of His own Son on the cross, so you've been purchased by Him.
Now, the pro-choice advocates use this logic: the person whose body it is should decide what is done with it. Well, I do agree with that! Because, see, if that happened, we wouldn't have many abortions to decide about, because God says sexual love is reserved for the fence of marriage; it is reserved for married people committed to each other for a lifetime. And if God is the owner, and we let the owner of the body decide what we do with that body, well then there won't be any babies conceived outside of marriage. There will be very few unwanted babies.
Psalm 139 and other passages in the Bible make it very clear that from the very beginning God initiates a new life at conception, and He reserves the right to end any life that He starts, but only the one who starts the life has that right - the creator, the purchaser. And His choice for your body is that it remain pure. It's not yours to mess around with. His choice for that body that is His really, is that sex be kept special; that you don't flirt with sexual sin by seeing how far you can go; first base, second base, third base as the teenagers say. And then quickly try to throw the transmission into reverse just as you get to the edge so you can remain a technical virgin.
No, you don't do that with God's body. When we use sex outside the boundaries of marriage, we start a chain reaction of guilt, loss of respect, loss of intimacy, future relationships, and ugly choices.
Our body - our life - belongs to Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "You were created by Him and for Him." He made us; He paid for us with His life. We leave the choices about our body, about our future to Him. But you see, we haven't lived that way. And someone may be listening right now and saying, "Ron, if I had it to do over again, I would do it very differently." We all bear the guilt and the shame of the places we have done it other than God's way. And the good news is that while God hates the sin that we do, He so loves us, the sinners. The Bible says that, "Christ died for us while we were yet sinners." He died for you.
This could be a day when everything you've ever wished you could ever get rid of, you could leave at His cross - a new beginning. You might have started listening dirty, but by the end of this day you'll be clean, because you've been forgiven by the One who died for everything you've ever done. Yes, even that thing. Why don't you tell Him today, "Jesus, I want to belong to you. Forgive me. You died for me; I'm yours."
Go to our website YoursForLife.net. You'll find some great spiritual encouragement there for a time like this. Let this be the day that you're clean.
Max Lucado Daily: God So Loved Us
“If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11, NKJV
Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier.
Why? Because that’s what love does. It puts the beloved before itself.
Ecclesiastes 12
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[c]
“Everything is meaningless! ”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails —given by one shepherd.[d] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 5:12-21
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.
13 Before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not judged when there is no law. 14 Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God's command. But he also became a pattern of the One who was going to come.
15 God's gift is different from Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God's grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God's gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world.
16 The result of God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. God judged one sin. That brought guilt. But after many sins, God's gift made people right with him.
17 One man sinned, and death ruled because of his sin. But we are even more sure of what will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done. Those who receive the rich supply of God's grace will rule with Christ in his kingdom. They have received God's gift and have been made right with him.
18 One man's sin brought guilt to all people. So also one right act made all people right with God. And all who are right with God will live. 19 Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.
20 The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God's grace increased even more. 21 Sin ruled because of death. So also grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done.
Faulty Thinking
May 31, 2012 — by Anne Cetas
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8
Four people—a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker—were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out. The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so I’m taking a parachute,” and he jumped out.
Then the pastor told the hiker, “I don’t want to be selfish, so you take the last parachute.” The hiker replied, “There are still two left, so we can each have one. The professor jumped out with my backpack instead of the parachute!” Though the professor thought he would land safely, his assurance was based on faulty thinking.
Some people have an assurance of salvation based on faulty thinking. They believe that church attendance, baptism, or just being good will gain them approval from God. But our thinking is faulty if it isn’t based on what God says in His Word. God says that “all have sinned” and that we are His enemies. But through the death and resurrection of His Son, we can be made right with God (Rom. 3:23; 5:8-10). By faith in what Christ has done, we can have peace with God (5:1) and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.
Do you believe it? Your eternity is at stake. Don’t trust faulty thinking but put your faith in Christ.
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus—
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free. —Havergal
If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 31, 2012
Put God First
Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25
Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.
Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).
A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.
Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).
God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Leave the Choice To the Owner - #6624
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It's the issue that may decide who's the senator or congressman in many states. It may decide who the governor is in some states. The battle lines are drawn around the issue of abortion.
Oh, it's not taxes, or defense spending, or civil rights, or homelessness. The most emotional issue oftentimes in our country revolves around that new life that some woman carries inside of her right now. Oh, there's been demonstrating, banners, chants, and slogans. But underneath it all there are actually two logics that war with each other. Pro-life says that a human life is there from conception and no one has the right to destroy that life. And then the pro-choice people say that the person whose body it is should decide what is done with that body. Well, actually, in a sense they're both right.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Leave the Choice To the Owner."
Our word for today from the Word of God: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. "Flee from sexual immorality..." God here says, "...all other sins that man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you; whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
Well, this passage settles once and for all the issue of whose body you're walking around in. That's not your body; "you are not your own" the Bible says. You have been made by God, so you are His by creation. You've been paid for by God with the purchase price of His own Son on the cross, so you've been purchased by Him.
Now, the pro-choice advocates use this logic: the person whose body it is should decide what is done with it. Well, I do agree with that! Because, see, if that happened, we wouldn't have many abortions to decide about, because God says sexual love is reserved for the fence of marriage; it is reserved for married people committed to each other for a lifetime. And if God is the owner, and we let the owner of the body decide what we do with that body, well then there won't be any babies conceived outside of marriage. There will be very few unwanted babies.
Psalm 139 and other passages in the Bible make it very clear that from the very beginning God initiates a new life at conception, and He reserves the right to end any life that He starts, but only the one who starts the life has that right - the creator, the purchaser. And His choice for your body is that it remain pure. It's not yours to mess around with. His choice for that body that is His really, is that sex be kept special; that you don't flirt with sexual sin by seeing how far you can go; first base, second base, third base as the teenagers say. And then quickly try to throw the transmission into reverse just as you get to the edge so you can remain a technical virgin.
No, you don't do that with God's body. When we use sex outside the boundaries of marriage, we start a chain reaction of guilt, loss of respect, loss of intimacy, future relationships, and ugly choices.
Our body - our life - belongs to Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "You were created by Him and for Him." He made us; He paid for us with His life. We leave the choices about our body, about our future to Him. But you see, we haven't lived that way. And someone may be listening right now and saying, "Ron, if I had it to do over again, I would do it very differently." We all bear the guilt and the shame of the places we have done it other than God's way. And the good news is that while God hates the sin that we do, He so loves us, the sinners. The Bible says that, "Christ died for us while we were yet sinners." He died for you.
This could be a day when everything you've ever wished you could ever get rid of, you could leave at His cross - a new beginning. You might have started listening dirty, but by the end of this day you'll be clean, because you've been forgiven by the One who died for everything you've ever done. Yes, even that thing. Why don't you tell Him today, "Jesus, I want to belong to you. Forgive me. You died for me; I'm yours."
Go to our website YoursForLife.net. You'll find some great spiritual encouragement there for a time like this. Let this be the day that you're clean.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Ecclesiastes 11, bible reading and devotionals.
Click to hear God's teachings
Max Lucado: More of Him
When Christ is great–our fears are not! A big God translates into big courage. A small view of God generates no courage. A limp, puny, fireless Jesus has no power over cancer cells, corruption, identity theft, stock-market crashes, or global calamity.
A packageable, portable Jesus might fit well in a purse or on a shelf, but he does nothing for your fears. In the book Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, the character Lucy sees Aslan, the lion, for the first time in many years. He’s changed.
“Aslan,” she says, “you’re bigger.”
“That’s because you are older, little one,” he answers.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
And so it is with Christ. The longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us. It’s not that he changes, but that we do. We see more of him!
Taken from Fearless
Ecclesiastes 11
Invest in Many Ventures
Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed[b] in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Remember Your Creator While Young
7 Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 46
For the director of music. A song of the Sons of Korah. For alamoth.
1 God is our place of safety. He gives us strength.
He is always there to help us in times of trouble.
2 The earth may fall apart.
The mountains may fall into the middle of the sea.
But we will not be afraid.
3 The waters of the sea may roar and foam.
The mountains may shake when the waters rise.
But we will not be afraid.
Selah
4 God's blessings are like a river. They fill the city of God with joy.
That city is the holy place where the Most High God lives.
5 Because God is there, the city will not fall.
God will help it at the beginning of the day.
6 Nations are in disorder. Kingdoms fall.
God speaks, and the people of the earth melt in fear.
7 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
Selah
8 Come and see what the Lord has done.
See the places he has destroyed on the earth.
9 He makes wars stop from one end of the earth to the other.
He breaks every bow. He snaps every spear.
He burns every shield with fire.
10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be honored among the nations.
I will be honored in the earth."
11 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
Selah
God’s Wheelchair
May 30, 2012 — by Dennis Fisher
His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. —Daniel 7:9
Jean Driscoll is a remarkable athlete. She has won the Boston Marathon eight times. She has also participated in four Paralympic Games and won five gold medals. Born with spina bifida, Jean competes in a wheelchair.
One of Driscoll’s favorite Bible verses is Daniel 7:9, “The Ancient of Days was seated . . . . His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire.” Seeing a connection between Daniel’s vision of God and her own situation, she is able to pass along words of encouragement to others. “Anytime I’ve had an opportunity to talk with people who use wheelchairs and feel bad about being in a chair, I tell them, ‘Not only are you made in the image of God, but your wheelchair is made in the image of His throne!’”
Daniel’s vision, of course, doesn’t portray God as being impaired in motion. In fact, some see God’s “wheelchair” as a symbol of a just God sovereignly moving within human affairs. Other passages speak of God’s providence providing help to those who believe (Prov. 3:25-26; Matt. 20:29-34; Eph. 1:11).
Jean Driscoll’s faith in God has helped her triumph over personal challenges. We too can be confident that the high and holy One is near and ready to help us if only we ask (Ps. 46).
He cannot fail, your faithful God;
He’ll guard you with His mighty power;
Then fear no ill though troubles rise,
His help is sure from hour to hour. —Bosch
With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you. —Ward
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 30, 2012
“Yes— But . . .!”
Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61
Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need - #6623
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I really dislike shopping for clothes. Looking for a suit would rank right up there with going to the dentist, I would say, as far as the pleasure factor is concerned for me. The problem is that they just don't have suits for guys who are shaped like me. Maybe there just aren't many guys who are shaped like me; maybe that's the problem.
See, if the coat looks good on me, then the pants don't. If the waist is a good fit, then they're baggy in the back. If it fits well in the back, then the waist is tight enough to effect my respiration. Now, there is a way to get a perfect fit - it's called custom tailoring, I can't afford that luxury, so I guess I'm just going to have to stick to one size that's supposed to fit all bodies about that shape. There is a perfect fit that you need right now, and it's yours for free.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need."
Our word for today from the Word of God, Deuteronomy 33:25 - six words full of encouragement. "Your strength will equal your days." That's just six words, but it says so much about the need, the crisis, the crunch, and the unanswered question that you may be facing right now. God promises strength that is custom tailored for what that day requires; no more strength than you'll need for that day, and no less strength than you'll need for that day.
It's the same kind of promise that He gave in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where He says, "My grace is sufficient for you." Sufficient grace - always grace enough. We've sung the hymn many times about God's amazing grace, and it is amazing. It reaches down, forgives every sin, and gives me a royal place in God's family. But His grace is the gift that keeps on giving.
Gary's company is on the edge of bankruptcy. I called him and I said, "How you holding up with everything that you've built at risk?" He said, "You know what? God's peace is making it." I talked to some friends not long ago who lost a loved one in a tragic auto accident, and here was their report, "God's promises are holding us up. He is enough." Yeah, He is.
The wonderful truth in scripture is this, that God gives grace customized for every experience that He sends or He allows in your life. There is dying grace; you say, "I don't know how I would ever handle dying." Well, of course, you're not doing it now; you don't need it now. But haven't you seen people with dying grace? You get it when you need it.
There's suffering grace. For whatever suffering may be ahead, God will give you grace to meet that challenge. There's lonely grace for lonely times in your life. There's heartbreak grace. You don't have it now unless you need it, but at the time the heartbreak comes, the grace comes. There's waiting grace if you're having to wait for God to act in your life. You don't have it until you need it. When you need it, you've got it.
Maybe you fear your ability to handle some situation right now, but just when you need it grace will fill your heart; grace that's designed just to fit that moment. Grace may come in the form of a person, or surprising inner strength, a Bible verse, an ability to release something you've held for so long, but the grace is there if you go get it. Boldly, the Bible says, go to the throne of grace and obtain it there.
God has measured the situation like a spiritual tailor, and He has fitted His grace exactly to your need - custom-tailored designer grace to cover you.
Max Lucado: More of Him
When Christ is great–our fears are not! A big God translates into big courage. A small view of God generates no courage. A limp, puny, fireless Jesus has no power over cancer cells, corruption, identity theft, stock-market crashes, or global calamity.
A packageable, portable Jesus might fit well in a purse or on a shelf, but he does nothing for your fears. In the book Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, the character Lucy sees Aslan, the lion, for the first time in many years. He’s changed.
“Aslan,” she says, “you’re bigger.”
“That’s because you are older, little one,” he answers.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
And so it is with Christ. The longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us. It’s not that he changes, but that we do. We see more of him!
Taken from Fearless
Ecclesiastes 11
Invest in Many Ventures
Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed[b] in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Remember Your Creator While Young
7 Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 46
For the director of music. A song of the Sons of Korah. For alamoth.
1 God is our place of safety. He gives us strength.
He is always there to help us in times of trouble.
2 The earth may fall apart.
The mountains may fall into the middle of the sea.
But we will not be afraid.
3 The waters of the sea may roar and foam.
The mountains may shake when the waters rise.
But we will not be afraid.
Selah
4 God's blessings are like a river. They fill the city of God with joy.
That city is the holy place where the Most High God lives.
5 Because God is there, the city will not fall.
God will help it at the beginning of the day.
6 Nations are in disorder. Kingdoms fall.
God speaks, and the people of the earth melt in fear.
7 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
Selah
8 Come and see what the Lord has done.
See the places he has destroyed on the earth.
9 He makes wars stop from one end of the earth to the other.
He breaks every bow. He snaps every spear.
He burns every shield with fire.
10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be honored among the nations.
I will be honored in the earth."
11 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
Selah
God’s Wheelchair
May 30, 2012 — by Dennis Fisher
His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. —Daniel 7:9
Jean Driscoll is a remarkable athlete. She has won the Boston Marathon eight times. She has also participated in four Paralympic Games and won five gold medals. Born with spina bifida, Jean competes in a wheelchair.
One of Driscoll’s favorite Bible verses is Daniel 7:9, “The Ancient of Days was seated . . . . His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire.” Seeing a connection between Daniel’s vision of God and her own situation, she is able to pass along words of encouragement to others. “Anytime I’ve had an opportunity to talk with people who use wheelchairs and feel bad about being in a chair, I tell them, ‘Not only are you made in the image of God, but your wheelchair is made in the image of His throne!’”
Daniel’s vision, of course, doesn’t portray God as being impaired in motion. In fact, some see God’s “wheelchair” as a symbol of a just God sovereignly moving within human affairs. Other passages speak of God’s providence providing help to those who believe (Prov. 3:25-26; Matt. 20:29-34; Eph. 1:11).
Jean Driscoll’s faith in God has helped her triumph over personal challenges. We too can be confident that the high and holy One is near and ready to help us if only we ask (Ps. 46).
He cannot fail, your faithful God;
He’ll guard you with His mighty power;
Then fear no ill though troubles rise,
His help is sure from hour to hour. —Bosch
With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you. —Ward
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 30, 2012
“Yes— But . . .!”
Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61
Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need - #6623
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I really dislike shopping for clothes. Looking for a suit would rank right up there with going to the dentist, I would say, as far as the pleasure factor is concerned for me. The problem is that they just don't have suits for guys who are shaped like me. Maybe there just aren't many guys who are shaped like me; maybe that's the problem.
See, if the coat looks good on me, then the pants don't. If the waist is a good fit, then they're baggy in the back. If it fits well in the back, then the waist is tight enough to effect my respiration. Now, there is a way to get a perfect fit - it's called custom tailoring, I can't afford that luxury, so I guess I'm just going to have to stick to one size that's supposed to fit all bodies about that shape. There is a perfect fit that you need right now, and it's yours for free.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need."
Our word for today from the Word of God, Deuteronomy 33:25 - six words full of encouragement. "Your strength will equal your days." That's just six words, but it says so much about the need, the crisis, the crunch, and the unanswered question that you may be facing right now. God promises strength that is custom tailored for what that day requires; no more strength than you'll need for that day, and no less strength than you'll need for that day.
It's the same kind of promise that He gave in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where He says, "My grace is sufficient for you." Sufficient grace - always grace enough. We've sung the hymn many times about God's amazing grace, and it is amazing. It reaches down, forgives every sin, and gives me a royal place in God's family. But His grace is the gift that keeps on giving.
Gary's company is on the edge of bankruptcy. I called him and I said, "How you holding up with everything that you've built at risk?" He said, "You know what? God's peace is making it." I talked to some friends not long ago who lost a loved one in a tragic auto accident, and here was their report, "God's promises are holding us up. He is enough." Yeah, He is.
The wonderful truth in scripture is this, that God gives grace customized for every experience that He sends or He allows in your life. There is dying grace; you say, "I don't know how I would ever handle dying." Well, of course, you're not doing it now; you don't need it now. But haven't you seen people with dying grace? You get it when you need it.
There's suffering grace. For whatever suffering may be ahead, God will give you grace to meet that challenge. There's lonely grace for lonely times in your life. There's heartbreak grace. You don't have it now unless you need it, but at the time the heartbreak comes, the grace comes. There's waiting grace if you're having to wait for God to act in your life. You don't have it until you need it. When you need it, you've got it.
Maybe you fear your ability to handle some situation right now, but just when you need it grace will fill your heart; grace that's designed just to fit that moment. Grace may come in the form of a person, or surprising inner strength, a Bible verse, an ability to release something you've held for so long, but the grace is there if you go get it. Boldly, the Bible says, go to the throne of grace and obtain it there.
God has measured the situation like a spiritual tailor, and He has fitted His grace exactly to your need - custom-tailored designer grace to cover you.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Ecclesiastes 10, bible reading and devotionals.
Click to hear God's message.
Max Lucado: Courage Through Community
Questions can make hermits out of us, driving us into hiding. But Christ distributes courage through community; He dissipates doubts through fellowship. He distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When we mix, mingle, confess and pray–Christ speaks!
When we brush up against the church, we do just that. Paul said, “The church is his body; it’s made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”
The adhesiveness of the disciples instructs us. They stuck together. Even with ransacked hopes, they clustered in conversant community. Isn’t this a picture of the church–sharing stories, exchanging ideas, mulling over possibilities, lifting spirits? And as they did, it says in Matthew 18:20 that Jesus showed up to teach them, proving, “when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Taken from Fearless
Ecclesiastes 10
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone how stupid they are.
4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but fools are consumed by their own lips.
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14 and fools multiply words.
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
15 The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant[a]
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.
18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Acts 17:22–31
22 Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus. He said, "Men of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way. 23 As I walked around, I looked carefully at the things you worship. I even found an altar with ~to an unknown god= written on it. Now I am going to tell you about this 'unknown god' that you worship.
24 "He is the God who made the world. He also made everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in temples built by hands. 25 He is not served by human hands. He doesn't need anything. He himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have. 26 From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live. 27 God did this so that people would seek him. Then perhaps they would reach out for him and find him. They would find him even though he is not far from any of us. 28 'In him we live and move and exist.' As some of your own poets have also said, 'We are his children.'
29 "Yes, we are God's children. So we shouldn't think that God is made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn't a statue planned and made by clever people. 30 In the past, God didn't judge people for what they didn't know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins. 31 He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly. He has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to all people by raising that man from the dead."
Pride And Prejudice
May 29, 2012 — by David H. Roper
He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. —Acts 17:26
Back in the 1930s, my childhood home was loving and happy, but my parents were often away. On those occasions, the center of warmth in our home was the kitchen and our tiny, joyous housekeeper named Annie.
I spent many hours with Annie, sitting at our kitchen table reading books or playing with toys and listening to her sing and hum spirituals and hymns. From her heart sprang a continual flow of wisdom, cheerfulness, and song.
One morning, with childish exuberance, I used a racial slur I had heard. “Oh my, no,” she said, and then proceeded to pour out her heart in a gentle lecture on the harm and hurt in that, accompanied by a terrible sadness in her eyes. I never used that word again.
I learned that we cause unfathomable sorrow when we dishonor and debase others through bigotry. Every human being is created in the image of God—more like God than any other creature and worthy of honor. To demean that image is to wound another human being at the deepest level.
There is but one race: the human race. God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). We are of the same family, made to be treasured and cherished by one another.
Of all creation’s treasures rare,
Not one compares in worth with man,
In God’s own image he was made
To fill a place in His great plan. —D. De Haan
God desires that we show respect to all people, because everyone bears His image.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 29, 2012
Untroubled Relationship
In that day you will ask in My name . . . for the Father Himself loves you . . . —John 16:26-27
In that day you will ask in My name . . . ,” that is, in My nature. Not “You will use My name as some magic word,” but—”You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.” “That day” is not a day in the next life, but a day meant for here and now. “. . . for the Father Himself loves you . . .”— the Father’s love is evidence that our union with Jesus is complete and absolute. Our Lord does not mean that our lives will be free from external difficulties and uncertainties, but that just as He knew the Father’s heart and mind, we too can be lifted by Him into heavenly places through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that He can reveal the teachings of God to us.
“. . . whatever you ask the Father in My name . . .” (John 16:23). “That day” is a day of peace and an untroubled relationship between God and His saint. Just as Jesus stood unblemished and pure in the presence of His Father, we too by the mighty power and effectiveness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be lifted into that relationship—”. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22).
“. . . He will give you” (John 16:23). Jesus said that because of His name God will recognize and respond to our prayers. What a great challenge and invitation—to pray in His name! Through the resurrection and ascension power of Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit He has sent, we can be lifted into such a relationship. Once in that wonderful position, having been placed there by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in Jesus’ name—in His nature. This is a gift granted to us through the Holy Spirit, and Jesus said, “. . . whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” The sovereign character of Jesus Christ is tested and proved by His own statements.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Light in Your Night - #6622
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
We had rented a cabin in the mountains, and we really didn't want to leave it much. The view across the valley was like a painting. It would change as the sun changed and the weather changed; all kinds of moods that you see in the mountains.
I had looked at the mountain across the valley from us many times, but I finally 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."
You know, for many of us, the greatest discovery of our lives came when it was night; one of those dark times that 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 the 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 that forgiveness, that love, and the heaven that Jesus died to give us. Maybe you've been kind of skirting the issue of dealing with Jesus personally. Maybe you feel someone's been pressuring you about Jesus, and that's just made you resist Him even more. Maybe it's pride that's kept you from having a life-changing encounter at the cross, or it could be even your Christianity, because you've had so much Christianity you thought you had Christ.
It's easy to go very 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 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 there in the 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.'" See, 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 right to His side.
Which is exactly why you might be feeling that tug in your heart right now. Jesus is drawing you to come to the cross, to give yourself to Him; 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 just 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 that 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. I am pinning all my hopes on You because You died for me, and You walked out of your grave so you could walk into my life and I want you to today."
If that's what you want, then I think our website YoursForLife.net is a good place for you to go right now. Because that's where I've laid out in very simple and non-religious words exactly what the Bible says about how to be sure you belong to Jesus Christ; how you can know every sin of your life has been forgiven; how you can know for sure you're going to heaven. I hope you'll check it out.
Look, 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, well it will never be night in your soul again.
Acts 10, bible reading and devotionals.
Max Lucado: Goodness and Mercy
God treats you the way one mother
treated her young son, Timmy. She didn’t like the idea of his walking to
school alone. But he was too grown-up to be seen with his mother.
She did her best to stay calm, quoting the 23rd Psalm to him every morning:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life.”
One day she asked a neighbor who
walked with her daughter to follow Timmy to school, but to stay at a
distance. After several days Timmy’s little friend said, “Do you know
that woman who follows us to school? “Sure,” Timmy answered.
“That’s Shirley Goodnest and her daughter, Marcy.” My mom reads about
them every day in the 23rd Psalm She says they will follow me all the
days of my life. So, I guess I better get used to them!
You will too. God never sends
you out alone!
Taken from Fearless
Acts 10:1-23
New International Version (NIV)
New International Version (NIV)
Cornelius Calls for Peter
10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear.
“What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers
and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send
men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is
staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him
had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one
of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to
Joppa.
Peter’s Vision 9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
Peter’s Vision 9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter
replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about
the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s
house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was
known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking
about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for
you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I
have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come
from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is
respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to
his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited
the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Revelation 7:9-17
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Read: Revelation 7:9-17
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing
around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They
fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes —who are they, and where did they come from?”
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes —who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who
have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”
The Gathering
May 28, 2012 — by David C. McCasland
The Lamb who is in the midst of the
throne will shepherd [us] and lead [us] to living fountains of waters.
—Revelation 7:17
During Oswald Chambers’ service as a
YMCA chaplain in Egypt (1915–1917), he touched the lives of many soldiers who
died in World War I. On November 6, 1916, Chambers wrote in his diary: “We have
a letter from a New Zealand friend telling us that Ted Strack has been killed.
And so Ted Strack has ‘gone to be with Jesus.’ That is just how he would have
put it . . . . [He] was a rough beauty of nature and of grace, a fearless,
loveable little saint. Thank God for every remembrance of him . . . . So they
are gathering one by one.”
As we grieve the death of those we
love, we cling to Jesus’ promise of life beyond the grave. The book of
Revelation records John’s vision of a great multitude from every nation, tribe,
and language gathered around God’s throne in heaven (7:9). The overarching
truth of this passage is a glad, eternal reunion when “the Lamb who is in the
midst of the throne will shepherd [us] and lead [us] to living fountains of
waters” (v.17).
The passing of every believer in
Christ foreshadows the day when we will join them with the Lord. In our sadness
today, we are hopeful as we see that “they are gathering one by one.”
Beyond the sunset, O glad
reunionWith our dear loved ones who’ve gone before;In that fair homeland we’ll
know no parting—Beyond the sunset forevermore. —BrockGoodbyes are the law of
earth; reunions are the law of heaven.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald
Chambers
May 28, 2012
May 28, 2012
Unquestion Revelation
In that day you will ask Me nothing
—John 16:23
When is “that day”? It is when the
ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. “In that day” you will be one with
the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, “In that day you will ask Me
nothing.” Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you
have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your
questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to
the point of total reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, which brings you
into complete oneness with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If
not, why aren’t you?
“In that day” there may be any
number of things still hidden to your understanding, but they will not come
between your heart and God. “In that day you will ask Me nothing”— you will not
need to ask, because you will be certain that God will reveal things in
accordance with His will. The faith and peace of John 14:1 has become the real
attitude of your heart, and there are no more questions to be asked. If
anything is a mystery to you and is coming between you and God, never look for
the explanation in your mind, but look for it in your spirit, your true inner
nature— that is where the problem is. Once your inner spiritual nature is
willing to submit to the life of Jesus, your understanding will be perfectly
clear, and you will come to the place where there is no distance between the
Father and you, His child, because the Lord has made you one. “In that day you
will ask Me nothing.”
A Word With You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Do I Love Him This Much? - #6621
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
It was one of the great showdowns of
my life - over a jar of peanut butter. Yeah. See, I was in love with my now
"bride" for two and a half years before we got married, and because I
loved her I began to change some things before we got married. I lost some
weight; I changed my schedule to make sure there was a little time for her in
there. I changed my after shave because there was one she liked. I became
interested in her friends. My love was steadily changing one area after another
in my life, until the day we went grocery shopping together.
Yeah. See, there was tension over
whether to buy the expensive name brand of various items which I wanted to do,
or the less expensive store brand which she had been raised to do. Since it was
going to be "our" money when we got married, it got to be pretty
tense. It came to a head over uh... yeah, a jar of peanut butter. My name brand
versus her store brand. Suddenly I had hit a wall in how far this love thing
was going to go, and the line was what I wanted in my favorite foods.
Fortunately, I ended up deciding that she was more important than peanut butter
or soft drinks. But every important love reaches a test point, and it's
surprising what the issue often is.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to
have A Word With You today about "Do I Love Him This Much?"
Well, our word for today from the
Word of God comes from Psalm 40 , and I'll begin reading at verse 1. It's
David's personal testimony, "I waited patiently for the Lord" he says.
"He turned to me; He heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out
of the mud and mire. He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to
stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."
Now, David indicates here a very personal,
very practical thing that the Lord changed when He came into his life. David
says He changed my music. "He put a new song in my mouth; a hymn of praise
to our God." Interestingly enough, that area of music is for many a major
test of how much they love their Lord. Will I let Jesus affect my music...what
I listen to?
Honestly, for many followers of
Christ, that's the equivalent of the peanut butter test in my love for my wife.
Do I love Jesus enough to let Him affect this - to let Him change my music? You
say, "Come on, that's a teenage issue, right, that music stuff?" Not
exclusively.
Music is one of the most powerful
influences in our lives. It can make us feel romantic, or patriotic, or
religious, sad. Music just drives in ideas. As one great composer said, "I
loved music from being a young boy, because it bypasses the brain. It goes
straight to the heart." That's true! Commercials use music all the time to
drive messages into our head. See, if I'm going to live right, I've got to think
right. And if I'm going to have to think right, I've got to get right input,
which means I need to submit my music - this most powerful input - to the
lordship of Christ. It doesn't matter if its country music, easy listening
music, rock music, or rap music, whatever. The devil has planted his values in
many styles of music. And honestly, it's often a separate compartment in many
of our lives where we've put up a "No Trespassing" sign for Jesus. We
say, "Well, that's just my entertainment." No! No, it's an important
part of who you are. So important you won't let Jesus touch it.
He's looking at that locked closet
and He's asking, "May I go in there? Didn't I die for that too?" Will
you open up to the Lord this huge area of the music you listen to, who your
music heroes are? Don't let it be an idol that He can't touch. Jesus is saying,
"Let Me into your music."
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Ecclesiastes 9 bible reading and devotionals.
Max Lucado Daily: Devotion
“I give my life for the sheep.” John 10:15
The ropes used to tie our Lord’s hands and the soldiers used to lead him to cross were unnecessary. They were incidental. Had they not been there, had there been no trial, no Pilate and no crowd, the very same crucifixion would have occurred. Had Jesus been forced to nail himself to the cross, he would have done it. For it was not the soldiers who killed him, nor the screams of the mob. It was his devotion to us.
Ecclesiastes 9
A Common Destiny for All
So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[f] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[g]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 2 Timothy 2:19-26
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
A Sense Of Dread
May 27, 2012 — by Bill Crowder
Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. —2 Timothy 2:23
In Tennyson’s classic poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” valiant cavalry troops riding into battle are described by the imposing phrase, “Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.” Those words portray a sense of foreboding that anticipated the tragedy that lay before them.
When I was a pastor, I sometimes felt a sense of dread when heading to church meetings. Being aware of current or potential areas of conflict can easily cause serious concern. But this does not need to be the case in the church.
To a young pastor struggling with the pressures of ministry, Paul wrote, “Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Tim. 2:23). This applies to pastors as well as church attenders. Our personal conduct can help to reduce the amount of friction instead of elevating it through unwise actions or words. We can model for others the biblical way to avoid, manage, and even resolve conflict. Verses 24-25 encourage us to be gentle, patient, and humble in relating to others.
As James says, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18). Pursuing the goal of being a peacemaker can reduce the sense of dread that conflicts generate.
O Lord, help us to turn aside
From words that spring from selfish pride,
For You would have Your children one
In praise and love for Your dear Son. —D. De Haan
Christians at war with each other cannot be at peace with their heavenly Father.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 27, 2012
The Life To Know Him
. . . tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high —Luke 24:49
The disciples had to tarry, staying in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost, not only for their own preparation but because they had to wait until the Lord was actually glorified. And as soon as He was glorified, what happened? “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). The statement in John 7:39 — “. . . for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”— does not pertain to us. The Holy Spirit has been given; the Lord is glorified— our waiting is not dependent on the providence of God, but on our own spiritual fitness.
The Holy Spirit’s influence and power were at work before Pentecost, but He was not here. Once our Lord was glorified in His ascension, the Holy Spirit came into the world, and He has been here ever since. We have to receive the revealed truth that He is here. The attitude of receiving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive reviving life from our ascended Lord.
It is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that changes people, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into their lives through the Holy Spirit. We all too often separate things that the New Testament never separates. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience apart from Jesus Christ— it is the evidence of the ascended Christ.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit does not make you think of time or eternity— it is one amazing glorious now. “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). Begin to know Him now, and never finish.
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