Max Lucado Daily: A PEOPLE TO POPULATE HEAVEN
God has high plans for you and me. He is recruiting for himself a people who will populate heaven. It will be perfect. Perfect in splendor. Perfect in righteousness. One word describes heaven: perfect! One word describes us: imperfect! So what does God do? Abandon us? Start over? He could. But he loves us too much to do that. Will he populate heaven with rebellious, self-centered citizens? If so, would heaven be heaven?
Colossians 1:19 says, “God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ.” All the love of God was in Jesus. All the strength of God was in Jesus. All the compassion and power and devotion of God were, for a time, in the earthly body of a carpenter. What started in the Bethlehem cradle culminated on the Jerusalem cross! God did it all to take us home to heaven.
From Because of Bethlehem
Acts 21:1-17
Tyre and Caesarea
1-4 And so, with the tearful good-byes behind us, we were on our way. We made a straight run to Cos, the next day reached Rhodes, and then Patara. There we found a ship going direct to Phoenicia, got on board, and set sail. Cyprus came into view on our left, but was soon out of sight as we kept on course for Syria, and eventually docked in the port of Tyre. While the cargo was being unloaded, we looked up the local disciples and stayed with them seven days. Their message to Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was “Don’t go to Jerusalem.”
5-6 When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. Everyone came along—men, women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion! We all kneeled together on the beach and prayed. Then, after another round of saying good-bye, we climbed on board the ship while they drifted back to their homes.
7-9 A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted our Christian friends there and stayed with them a day. In the morning we went on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the Evangelist, one of “the Seven.” Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10-11 After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to see us. He went right up to Paul, took Paul’s belt, and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers.”
12-13 When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn’t budge: “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”
14 We saw that we weren’t making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. “It’s in God’s hands now,” we said. “Master, you handle it.”
15-16 It wasn’t long before we had our luggage together and were on our way to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and took us to the home of Mnason, who received us warmly as his guests. A native of Cyprus, he had been among the earliest disciples.
Jerusalem
17-19 In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open arms. The first thing next morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders were there. After a time of greeting and small talk, Paul told the story, detail by detail, of what God had done among the non-Jewish people through his ministry. They listened with delight and gave God the glory.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Read: Nahum 1:7–15
God is good,
a hiding place in tough times.
He recognizes and welcomes
anyone looking for help,
No matter how desperate the trouble.
But cozy islands of escape
He wipes right off the map.
No one gets away from God.
Why waste time conniving against God?
He’s putting an end to all such scheming.
For troublemakers, no second chances.
Like a pile of dry brush,
Soaked in oil,
they’ll go up in flames.
A Think Tank for Lies
11 Nineveh’s an anthill
of evil plots against God,
A think tank for lies
that seduce and betray.
12-13 And God has something to say about all this:
“Even though you’re on top of the world,
With all the applause and all the votes,
you’ll be mowed down flat.
“I’ve afflicted you, Judah, true,
but I won’t afflict you again.
From now on I’m taking the yoke from your neck
and splitting it up for kindling.
I’m cutting you free
from the ropes of your bondage.”
14 God’s orders on Nineveh:
“You’re the end of the line.
It’s all over with Nineveh.
I’m gutting your temple.
Your gods and goddesses go in the trash.
I’m digging your grave. It’s an unmarked grave.
You’re nothing—no, you’re less than nothing!”
15 Look! Striding across the mountains—
a messenger bringing the latest good news: peace!
A holiday, Judah! Celebrate!
Worship and recommit to God!
No more worries about this enemy.
This one is history. Close the books.
INSIGHT:
We can associate “good news” of peace from war (Nahum 1:15) with the “good news” of Jesus’s birth (Luke 2:10). We might imagine a huffing, puffing runner (in Nahum 1:15)—like the famed runner to Sparta for whom “marathon” is named—who has come a long distance. Is he now pausing “on the mountains” to shout to hearers in the valley, “The war is over!”? No wonder the herald’s “feet” are celebrated—he “proclaims peace!” (1:15). In Old Testament thought “peace” (shalom) is not just the absence of war; it is a full-orbed idea that represents wellness and wholeness. Have you received the Christ who Himself, through His death, is the believer’s peace? (Eph. 2:14–15).
Good News!
By David McCasland
Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Nahum 1:15
World news bombards us from the Internet, television, radio, and mobile devices. The majority seems to describe what’s wrong—crime, terrorism, war, and economic problems. Yet there are times when good news invades the darkest hours of sadness and despair—stories of unselfish acts, a medical breakthrough, or steps toward peace in war-scarred places.
The words of two men recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible brought great hope to people weary of conflict.
Lord, we praise you for the good news of Jesus’s birth and for His powerful presence in our lives today.
While describing God’s coming judgment on a ruthless and powerful nation, Nahum said, “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (Nah. 1:15). That news brought hope to all those oppressed by cruelty.
A similar phrase occurs in the book of Isaiah: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation” (Isa. 52:7).
Nahum and Isaiah’s prophetic words of hope found their ultimate fulfillment at the first Christmas when the angel told the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).
The most important headline in our lives every day is the very best news ever spoken—Christ the Savior is born!
The birth of Jesus is the best news the world has ever received!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Intercessory Prayer
…men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1
You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to “fill up…[with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, “It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.” That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.
As an intercessor, be careful not to seek too much information from God regarding the situation you are praying about, because you may be overwhelmed. If you know too much, more than God has ordained for you to know, you can’t pray; the circumstances of the people become so overpowering that you are no longer able to get to the underlying truth.
Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding. And yet intercession is the only thing that has no drawbacks, because it keeps our relationship completely open with God.
What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance. Notes on Isaiah, 1376 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Semper Gumby - #7807
If you've ever been a Marine, this question is going to be a piece of cake. What's the motto of the United States Marine Corps? Even if you've never been a Marine, you may well know the answer: "Semper Fidelis" – always faithful. Or "Semper Fi," as the Marines like to say. But a former Marine recently told me there's another Marine Corps motto, and it doesn't appear on anything official, but he said it's one Marines learn to live by – "Semper Gumby." Remember Gumby, that rubbery cartoon character who could bend every which-way. Semper Gumby – always flexible!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Semper Gumby."
"Semper Fidelis" isn't just a good motto for a Marine – it should define the life of any follower of the Lord Jesus Christ – always faithful. But that other motto's a good one for us Jesus-followers too – "Semper Gumby." Because to be a man or woman who knows and does the will of God, you've just got to be "always flexible."
You can see that all through the Book of Acts in the Bible. Here's the story of the most powerful people who ever lived; the original followers of Jesus. Reading what they allowed God to do through them, ordinary as they were, it shames me. I want what they had. I want my life to have even a fraction of the impact theirs did. So as I read, looking for the qualities that make a person powerful for God, I come across this trait I call "spiritaneity." That's living by the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, which requires something that doesn't come naturally to a planner guy like me – flexibility. The willingness, the readiness to get a call from heaven's dispatcher, the Holy Spirit, and go that direction no matter what.
God is not against long-range planning, as long as you're always willing to let Him pre-empt your plan with His. He reserves the right to redirect your day, your energies, even your life without explaining Himself. Those who live supernatural lives are those who simply move at God's command – like God's ancient people who moved whenever and wherever the pillar of cloud and fire moved and who refused to move when it stood still.
Acts 8 gives us one of the many examples of a life of "spiritaneity." Philip is in the middle of a revival in Samaria when "the angel of the Lord said...'Go south...to the desert road.'" He goes, not knowing why, just knowing God has prompted him. He sees a man who's part of the royal court of Ethiopia and "the Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.'" Again, no explanation – just obedience. The Holy Spirit then begins to unfold a conversation that leads to this man coming to Christ and becoming one of the first representatives of Christ ever in Africa.
Our word for today from the Word of God, Acts 20:22, gives a great example of how the Apostle Paul lived this way. He says, "Compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there." Paul was a master strategist, the epitome of reason. But he's "going – not knowing." That's spiritaneity. I don't know what's ahead, but I know God is leading me there and I have no choice.
That's how I want to live, because I want a supernatural life. And I know you do, too. But rigidity can quench the promptings of the Spirit of God and leave you with what you think should be done. God puts this magnet inside of you, drawing you to a certain person or action or place. And He doesn't explain why. Often, His leading will seem like an interruption, an intrusion, a detour. But His way is always the right way. And you have to obey, not because you know the plan, but because you know the Planner.
Maybe you've been gripping the steering wheel of your life so tightly that your Lord can't begin to take you where He wants you to go. It's time to let go. It's time to live each day with flexible plans. You plan based on your best sense of His leading at that moment, and you proceed with the plan, ready to move another direction though at a moment's notice at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
You are Jesus' "Semper Gumby" follower – always flexible, so you can be His "Semper Fi" follower – always faithful. Spiritaneity – the kind of responsive heart that makes your life the great adventure that God made you for!
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
Micah 3 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: THE HEART OF THE HUMAN PROBLEM
The sinful nature is the stubborn, self-centered attitude that says, “My way or the highway.” The sinful nature is all about self: pleasing self, promoting self, preserving self. I have a sin nature! So do you. Under the right circumstances you will do the wrong thing. You’ll try not to, but you will. You have a sin nature. You were born with it. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart!
Christmas commemorates the day and the way God saved us from ourselves. The angel speaking to Mary in Matthew 1:21 says, “. . .you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Each of us entered the world with a sin nature. God entered the world to take it away!
From Because of Bethlehem
Micah 3
Haters of Good, Lovers of Evil
1-3 Then I said:
“Listen, leaders of Jacob, leaders of Israel:
Don’t you know anything of justice?
Haters of good, lovers of evil:
Isn’t justice in your job description?
But you skin my people alive.
You rip the meat off their bones.
You break up the bones, chop the meat,
and throw it in a pot for cannibal stew.”
4 The time’s coming, though, when these same leaders
will cry out for help to God, but he won’t listen.
He’ll turn his face the other way
because of their history of evil.
5-7 Here is God’s Message to the prophets,
the preachers who lie to my people:
“For as long as they’re well paid and well fed,
the prophets preach, ‘Isn’t life wonderful! Peace to all!’
But if you don’t pay up and jump on their bandwagon,
their ‘God bless you’ turns into ‘God damn you.’
Therefore, you’re going blind. You’ll see nothing.
You’ll live in deep shadows and know nothing.
The sun has set on the prophets.
They’ve had their day; from now on it’s night.
Visionaries will be confused,
experts will be all mixed up.
They’ll hide behind their reputations and make lame excuses
to cover up their God-ignorance.”
8 But me—I’m filled with God’s power,
filled with God’s Spirit of justice and strength,
Ready to confront Jacob’s crime
and Israel’s sin.
9-12 The leaders of Jacob and
the leaders of Israel are
Leaders contemptuous of justice,
who twist and distort right living,
Leaders who build Zion by killing people,
who expand Jerusalem by committing crimes.
Judges sell verdicts to the highest bidder,
priests mass-market their teaching,
prophets preach for high fees,
All the while posturing and pretending
dependence on God:
“We’ve got God on our side.
He’ll protect us from disaster.”
Because of people like you,
Zion will be turned back into farmland,
Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble,
and instead of the Temple on the mountain,
a few scraggly scrub pines.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, December 12, 2016
Read: Matthew 6:24–34
24 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
INSIGHT:
One of the most remarkable aspects of today’s reading is the harmony our Lord maintains between a heavenly perspective and the practical issues of daily life. He uses examples in nature to show how our heavenly Father tenderly cares for animal and plant life. Since we are of far more value than they are, Christ counsels us to trust Him to care for us one day at a time (v. 34).
The Money
By Tim Gustafson
You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
Early in my career while doing work that I saw as more of a mission than a job, another company offered me a position that would give a significant increase in pay. Our family could surely have benefited financially from such a move. There was one problem. I hadn’t been looking for another job because I loved my current role, which was growing into a calling.
But the money . . .
Lord, help us not to see the obstacles but to see what You are teaching us.
I called my father, then in his seventies, and explained the situation. Though his once-sharp mind had been slowed by strokes and the strain of years, his answer was crisp and clear: “Don’t even think about the money. What would you do?”
In an instant, my mind was made up. The money would have been my only reason for leaving the job I loved! Thanks, Dad.
Jesus devoted a substantial section of His Sermon on the Mount to money and our fondness for it. He taught us to pray not for an accumulation of riches but for “our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). He warned against storing up treasures on earth and pointed to the birds and flowers as evidence that God cares deeply about His creation (vv. 19–31). “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” Jesus said, “and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).
Money matters. But money shouldn’t rule our decision-making process. Tough times and big decisions are opportunities to grow our faith in new ways. Our heavenly Father cares for us.
Never confuse temptation with opportunity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, December 12, 2016
Personality
…that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22
Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.
Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, December 12, 2016
Rain When There's No Clouds - #7806
It was a beautiful day for sailing, and our friend Dave had invited us to go out on Long Island Sound with him and his wife. It was not hard to decide whether to go, believe me. The Sound was actually relatively calm that day. There was a very gentle breeze and not a cloud in the sky, but suddenly Dave announced to us, "We're heading in." I couldn't think of a single, rational reason to waste the rest of such an idyllic afternoon. I said, "Why Dave?" He said, "To beat the storm." Right?
I checked the sky again - no clouds. Well, we headed for the harbor and pretty soon Dave was lowering his sails and we went the rest of the way propelled by his motor, and sure enough it started sprinkling as we entered the harbor! As we tied the last canvas around those folded sails, the skies just opened up and dumped! I was impressed and dry, thanks to Dave hearing some static on the radio. That's all, and he knew where that station transmitted from and he sensing that rain was on the way. He saw no clouds, but he expected the rain.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Rain When There's No Clouds."
The prophet Elijah is an extraordinary character in the Bible. He got carried away in a chariot of fire at the end of his life. He appears from Heaven with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, but James tells us that he was a man just like us, except for one thing -the way he prayed. James 5 says, "A man just like us (but) he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the Heavens gave rain..." And just before that it says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." So there was something about the way that Elijah prayed that made him extraordinary, even though he was a man just like us.
Well, let's rewind the tape to our word for today from the Word, right back to the Old Testament. 1 Kings 18 - Elijah summons all the prophets of the idol Baal to Mount Carmel for a showdown and he defies them to have their God send fire to consume a sacrifice they lay on their alter. They scream to Baal all day - no answer. Then Elijah puts a sacrifice on God's alter, drenches it with water and then he prays. Verse 37, "Oh, Lord, answer me, answer me so these people will know that You, oh Lord, are God, and that you are turning your heart back again."
Well, the fire falls and the people fall on the ground in worship of Jehovah God. Then comes an incredible example of the kind of faith and prayer that God answers with miracles. First Kings 18:41, "And Elijah said to King Ahab, 'Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.'" It hadn't rained for three and a half years. "So Ahab went off to eat and drink but Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 'Go back and look toward the sea,' he told his servant and he went up and looked. 'There is nothing there,' he said. Seven times Elijah said, 'Go back!' The seventh time the servant reported, 'A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.' So Elijah said, 'Go and tell Ahab to get up his chariot and go down before the rain stops him.' Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose and a heavy rain came."
Okay, here's what happened. It reminds me of my sailor friend, Dave. He announces the rain before there is even a cloud! What does Hebrews 11 say, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for..." God pleasing faith believes that the answer will come when there is no apparent source from which it could come. There's no clouds, but I believe God is going to send it! Sound like anything you're dealing with right now? So what is it about Elijah's praying that makes him so powerful? He prays desperately, "Oh, Lord!" He prays dependently, "Only you can, God," and he prays defiantly against all the odds, against all the enemies of God, and all the visible circumstances.
I love this scene. He prays and then he checks for an answer. He prays and then he checks for the clouds. You're on your knees right now believing God for something only He could do and you keep checking to see if there is any sign of the miracle and there's nothing there.
Here's the question: Will you trust your Heavenly Father so completely that you will hear the sound of a heavy rain when there's no cloud the rain could come from? Well, then grab your umbrella! What you see isn't what you're going to get! The downpour is on its way.
The sinful nature is the stubborn, self-centered attitude that says, “My way or the highway.” The sinful nature is all about self: pleasing self, promoting self, preserving self. I have a sin nature! So do you. Under the right circumstances you will do the wrong thing. You’ll try not to, but you will. You have a sin nature. You were born with it. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart!
Christmas commemorates the day and the way God saved us from ourselves. The angel speaking to Mary in Matthew 1:21 says, “. . .you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Each of us entered the world with a sin nature. God entered the world to take it away!
From Because of Bethlehem
Micah 3
Haters of Good, Lovers of Evil
1-3 Then I said:
“Listen, leaders of Jacob, leaders of Israel:
Don’t you know anything of justice?
Haters of good, lovers of evil:
Isn’t justice in your job description?
But you skin my people alive.
You rip the meat off their bones.
You break up the bones, chop the meat,
and throw it in a pot for cannibal stew.”
4 The time’s coming, though, when these same leaders
will cry out for help to God, but he won’t listen.
He’ll turn his face the other way
because of their history of evil.
5-7 Here is God’s Message to the prophets,
the preachers who lie to my people:
“For as long as they’re well paid and well fed,
the prophets preach, ‘Isn’t life wonderful! Peace to all!’
But if you don’t pay up and jump on their bandwagon,
their ‘God bless you’ turns into ‘God damn you.’
Therefore, you’re going blind. You’ll see nothing.
You’ll live in deep shadows and know nothing.
The sun has set on the prophets.
They’ve had their day; from now on it’s night.
Visionaries will be confused,
experts will be all mixed up.
They’ll hide behind their reputations and make lame excuses
to cover up their God-ignorance.”
8 But me—I’m filled with God’s power,
filled with God’s Spirit of justice and strength,
Ready to confront Jacob’s crime
and Israel’s sin.
9-12 The leaders of Jacob and
the leaders of Israel are
Leaders contemptuous of justice,
who twist and distort right living,
Leaders who build Zion by killing people,
who expand Jerusalem by committing crimes.
Judges sell verdicts to the highest bidder,
priests mass-market their teaching,
prophets preach for high fees,
All the while posturing and pretending
dependence on God:
“We’ve got God on our side.
He’ll protect us from disaster.”
Because of people like you,
Zion will be turned back into farmland,
Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble,
and instead of the Temple on the mountain,
a few scraggly scrub pines.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, December 12, 2016
Read: Matthew 6:24–34
24 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
INSIGHT:
One of the most remarkable aspects of today’s reading is the harmony our Lord maintains between a heavenly perspective and the practical issues of daily life. He uses examples in nature to show how our heavenly Father tenderly cares for animal and plant life. Since we are of far more value than they are, Christ counsels us to trust Him to care for us one day at a time (v. 34).
The Money
By Tim Gustafson
You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
Early in my career while doing work that I saw as more of a mission than a job, another company offered me a position that would give a significant increase in pay. Our family could surely have benefited financially from such a move. There was one problem. I hadn’t been looking for another job because I loved my current role, which was growing into a calling.
But the money . . .
Lord, help us not to see the obstacles but to see what You are teaching us.
I called my father, then in his seventies, and explained the situation. Though his once-sharp mind had been slowed by strokes and the strain of years, his answer was crisp and clear: “Don’t even think about the money. What would you do?”
In an instant, my mind was made up. The money would have been my only reason for leaving the job I loved! Thanks, Dad.
Jesus devoted a substantial section of His Sermon on the Mount to money and our fondness for it. He taught us to pray not for an accumulation of riches but for “our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). He warned against storing up treasures on earth and pointed to the birds and flowers as evidence that God cares deeply about His creation (vv. 19–31). “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” Jesus said, “and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).
Money matters. But money shouldn’t rule our decision-making process. Tough times and big decisions are opportunities to grow our faith in new ways. Our heavenly Father cares for us.
Never confuse temptation with opportunity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, December 12, 2016
Personality
…that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22
Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.
Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, December 12, 2016
Rain When There's No Clouds - #7806
It was a beautiful day for sailing, and our friend Dave had invited us to go out on Long Island Sound with him and his wife. It was not hard to decide whether to go, believe me. The Sound was actually relatively calm that day. There was a very gentle breeze and not a cloud in the sky, but suddenly Dave announced to us, "We're heading in." I couldn't think of a single, rational reason to waste the rest of such an idyllic afternoon. I said, "Why Dave?" He said, "To beat the storm." Right?
I checked the sky again - no clouds. Well, we headed for the harbor and pretty soon Dave was lowering his sails and we went the rest of the way propelled by his motor, and sure enough it started sprinkling as we entered the harbor! As we tied the last canvas around those folded sails, the skies just opened up and dumped! I was impressed and dry, thanks to Dave hearing some static on the radio. That's all, and he knew where that station transmitted from and he sensing that rain was on the way. He saw no clouds, but he expected the rain.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Rain When There's No Clouds."
The prophet Elijah is an extraordinary character in the Bible. He got carried away in a chariot of fire at the end of his life. He appears from Heaven with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, but James tells us that he was a man just like us, except for one thing -the way he prayed. James 5 says, "A man just like us (but) he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the Heavens gave rain..." And just before that it says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." So there was something about the way that Elijah prayed that made him extraordinary, even though he was a man just like us.
Well, let's rewind the tape to our word for today from the Word, right back to the Old Testament. 1 Kings 18 - Elijah summons all the prophets of the idol Baal to Mount Carmel for a showdown and he defies them to have their God send fire to consume a sacrifice they lay on their alter. They scream to Baal all day - no answer. Then Elijah puts a sacrifice on God's alter, drenches it with water and then he prays. Verse 37, "Oh, Lord, answer me, answer me so these people will know that You, oh Lord, are God, and that you are turning your heart back again."
Well, the fire falls and the people fall on the ground in worship of Jehovah God. Then comes an incredible example of the kind of faith and prayer that God answers with miracles. First Kings 18:41, "And Elijah said to King Ahab, 'Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.'" It hadn't rained for three and a half years. "So Ahab went off to eat and drink but Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 'Go back and look toward the sea,' he told his servant and he went up and looked. 'There is nothing there,' he said. Seven times Elijah said, 'Go back!' The seventh time the servant reported, 'A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.' So Elijah said, 'Go and tell Ahab to get up his chariot and go down before the rain stops him.' Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose and a heavy rain came."
Okay, here's what happened. It reminds me of my sailor friend, Dave. He announces the rain before there is even a cloud! What does Hebrews 11 say, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for..." God pleasing faith believes that the answer will come when there is no apparent source from which it could come. There's no clouds, but I believe God is going to send it! Sound like anything you're dealing with right now? So what is it about Elijah's praying that makes him so powerful? He prays desperately, "Oh, Lord!" He prays dependently, "Only you can, God," and he prays defiantly against all the odds, against all the enemies of God, and all the visible circumstances.
I love this scene. He prays and then he checks for an answer. He prays and then he checks for the clouds. You're on your knees right now believing God for something only He could do and you keep checking to see if there is any sign of the miracle and there's nothing there.
Here's the question: Will you trust your Heavenly Father so completely that you will hear the sound of a heavy rain when there's no cloud the rain could come from? Well, then grab your umbrella! What you see isn't what you're going to get! The downpour is on its way.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Micah 2, Bible reading and daily 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.
Micah 2
God Has Had Enough
1-5 Doom to those who plot evil,
who go to bed dreaming up crimes!
As soon as it’s morning,
they’re off, full of energy, doing what they’ve planned.
They covet fields and grab them,
find homes and take them.
They bully the neighbor and his family,
see people only for what they can get out of them.
God has had enough. He says,
“I have some plans of my own:
Disaster because of this interbreeding evil!
Your necks are on the line.
You’re not walking away from this.
It’s doomsday for you.
Mocking ballads will be sung of you,
and you yourselves will sing the blues:
‘Our lives are ruined,
our homes and lands auctioned off.
They take everything, leave us nothing!
All is sold to the highest bidder.’”
And there’ll be no one to stand up for you,
no one to speak for you before God and his jury.
6-7 “Don’t preach,” say the preachers.
“Don’t preach such stuff.
Nothing bad will happen to us.
Talk like this to the family of Jacob?
Does God lose his temper?
Is this the way he acts?
Isn’t he on the side of good people?
Doesn’t he help those who help themselves?”
8-11 “What do you mean, ‘good people’!
You’re the enemy of my people!
You rob unsuspecting people
out for an evening stroll.
You take their coats off their backs
like soldiers who plunder the defenseless.
You drive the women of my people
out of their ample homes.
You make victims of the children
and leave them vulnerable to violence and vice.
Get out of here, the lot of you.
You can’t take it easy here!
You’ve polluted this place,
and now you’re polluted—ruined!
If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue
and told lies from morning to night—
‘I’ll preach sermons that will tell you
how you can get anything you want from God:
More money, the best wines . . . you name it’—
you’d hire him on the spot as your preacher!
12-13 “I’m calling a meeting, Jacob.
I want everyone back—all the survivors of Israel.
I’ll get them together in one place—
like sheep in a fold, like cattle in a corral—
a milling throng of homebound people!
Then I, God, will burst all confinements
and lead them out into the open.
They’ll follow their King.
I will be out in front leading them.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Read: 1 Kings 18:41–45
Elijah said to Ahab, “Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming.”
42-43 Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. Then he said to his young servant, “On your feet now! Look toward the sea.”
He went, looked, and reported back, “I don’t see a thing.”
“Keep looking,” said Elijah, “seven times if necessary.”
44 And sure enough, the seventh time he said, “Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone’s hand, rising out of the sea.”
“Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, ‘Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.’”
45-46 Things happened fast. The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain, with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel. And God strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab’s chariot until they reached Jezreel.
INSIGHT:
Elijah was human just as we are, but God responded to his persistent prayer. We also see the idea of persistent prayer in the New Testament. To encourage Jesus’s disciples to persist and persevere in prayer, He told them two parables. In Luke 11:5–13, a host persistently knocked on his neighbor’s door until his friend gave him food for his guest (vv. 8–9). In Luke 18:1–8, the widow was dealing with an unjust judge who had no compassion or concern for her. But he gave in and consented to help her to stop her pestering! In both parables, perseverance bore fruit. The question is not if God will answer prayer, for He most certainly will (Luke 18:8). The question is whether we will be found faithful in persistent and persevering prayer (v. 8; Rom. 12:12).
Serving God with Our Prayers
By James Banks
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 nlt
God often chooses to move through our prayers to accomplish His work. We see this when God told the prophet Elijah, “I will send rain on the land,” promising to end a drought in Israel that had lasted three and a half years (James 5:17). Even though God had promised rain, a short time later “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees”—praying intently for the rain to come (1 Kings 18:42). Then, while he continued to pray, Elijah sent his servant to go and look out over the ocean “seven times,” scanning the horizon for any sign of rain (v. 43).
Elijah understood that God wants us to join in His work through humble, persistent prayer. Regardless of our human limitations, God may choose to move through our praying in amazing ways. That’s why the letter of James tells us that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,” all the while reminding us that “Elijah was as human as we are” (James 5:16–17 nlt).
How can I serve You through my prayers today, Father?
When we make it our aim to serve God through praying faithfully as Elijah did, we’re taking part in a beautiful privilege—where at any moment we may be given a front-row seat to a miracle!
How can I serve You through my prayers today, Father?
Submit your prayer request or pray for others at yourdailybread.org
Great expectation on our part honors God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally. The Moral Foundations of Life, 721 R
“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.
Micah 2
God Has Had Enough
1-5 Doom to those who plot evil,
who go to bed dreaming up crimes!
As soon as it’s morning,
they’re off, full of energy, doing what they’ve planned.
They covet fields and grab them,
find homes and take them.
They bully the neighbor and his family,
see people only for what they can get out of them.
God has had enough. He says,
“I have some plans of my own:
Disaster because of this interbreeding evil!
Your necks are on the line.
You’re not walking away from this.
It’s doomsday for you.
Mocking ballads will be sung of you,
and you yourselves will sing the blues:
‘Our lives are ruined,
our homes and lands auctioned off.
They take everything, leave us nothing!
All is sold to the highest bidder.’”
And there’ll be no one to stand up for you,
no one to speak for you before God and his jury.
6-7 “Don’t preach,” say the preachers.
“Don’t preach such stuff.
Nothing bad will happen to us.
Talk like this to the family of Jacob?
Does God lose his temper?
Is this the way he acts?
Isn’t he on the side of good people?
Doesn’t he help those who help themselves?”
8-11 “What do you mean, ‘good people’!
You’re the enemy of my people!
You rob unsuspecting people
out for an evening stroll.
You take their coats off their backs
like soldiers who plunder the defenseless.
You drive the women of my people
out of their ample homes.
You make victims of the children
and leave them vulnerable to violence and vice.
Get out of here, the lot of you.
You can’t take it easy here!
You’ve polluted this place,
and now you’re polluted—ruined!
If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue
and told lies from morning to night—
‘I’ll preach sermons that will tell you
how you can get anything you want from God:
More money, the best wines . . . you name it’—
you’d hire him on the spot as your preacher!
12-13 “I’m calling a meeting, Jacob.
I want everyone back—all the survivors of Israel.
I’ll get them together in one place—
like sheep in a fold, like cattle in a corral—
a milling throng of homebound people!
Then I, God, will burst all confinements
and lead them out into the open.
They’ll follow their King.
I will be out in front leading them.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Read: 1 Kings 18:41–45
Elijah said to Ahab, “Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming.”
42-43 Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. Then he said to his young servant, “On your feet now! Look toward the sea.”
He went, looked, and reported back, “I don’t see a thing.”
“Keep looking,” said Elijah, “seven times if necessary.”
44 And sure enough, the seventh time he said, “Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone’s hand, rising out of the sea.”
“Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, ‘Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.’”
45-46 Things happened fast. The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain, with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel. And God strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab’s chariot until they reached Jezreel.
INSIGHT:
Elijah was human just as we are, but God responded to his persistent prayer. We also see the idea of persistent prayer in the New Testament. To encourage Jesus’s disciples to persist and persevere in prayer, He told them two parables. In Luke 11:5–13, a host persistently knocked on his neighbor’s door until his friend gave him food for his guest (vv. 8–9). In Luke 18:1–8, the widow was dealing with an unjust judge who had no compassion or concern for her. But he gave in and consented to help her to stop her pestering! In both parables, perseverance bore fruit. The question is not if God will answer prayer, for He most certainly will (Luke 18:8). The question is whether we will be found faithful in persistent and persevering prayer (v. 8; Rom. 12:12).
Serving God with Our Prayers
By James Banks
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 nlt
God often chooses to move through our prayers to accomplish His work. We see this when God told the prophet Elijah, “I will send rain on the land,” promising to end a drought in Israel that had lasted three and a half years (James 5:17). Even though God had promised rain, a short time later “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees”—praying intently for the rain to come (1 Kings 18:42). Then, while he continued to pray, Elijah sent his servant to go and look out over the ocean “seven times,” scanning the horizon for any sign of rain (v. 43).
Elijah understood that God wants us to join in His work through humble, persistent prayer. Regardless of our human limitations, God may choose to move through our praying in amazing ways. That’s why the letter of James tells us that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,” all the while reminding us that “Elijah was as human as we are” (James 5:16–17 nlt).
How can I serve You through my prayers today, Father?
When we make it our aim to serve God through praying faithfully as Elijah did, we’re taking part in a beautiful privilege—where at any moment we may be given a front-row seat to a miracle!
How can I serve You through my prayers today, Father?
Submit your prayer request or pray for others at yourdailybread.org
Great expectation on our part honors God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally. The Moral Foundations of Life, 721 R
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Micah 1 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Touch the World
Where will God go to touch the world? What a great thought and an even better question! It’s that time of year when we hear about the virgin birth. And yet it’s much, much more than a Christmas story. It is a story of how close Christ will come to you!
The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer. Better still—look deep within yourself. Christ in you, the hope of glory! Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, and in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem. And every day you live will be a Christmas. Deliver Christ into the world!
From Grace for the Moment
Micah 1
God’s Message as it came to Micah of Moresheth. It came during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. It had to do with what was going on in Samaria and Jerusalem.
God Takes the Witness Stand
2 Listen, people—all of you.
Listen, earth, and everyone in it:
The Master, God, takes the witness stand against you,
the Master from his Holy Temple.
3-5 Look, here he comes! God, from his place!
He comes down and strides across mountains and hills.
Mountains sink under his feet,
valleys split apart;
The rock mountains crumble into gravel,
the river valleys leak like sieves.
All this because of Jacob’s sin,
because Israel’s family did wrong.
You ask, “So what is Jacob’s sin?”
Just look at Samaria—isn’t it obvious?
And all the sex-and-religion shrines in Judah—
isn’t Jerusalem responsible?
6-7 “I’m turning Samaria into a heap of rubble,
a vacant lot littered with garbage.
I’ll dump the stones from her buildings in the valley
and leave her abandoned foundations exposed.
All her carved and cast gods and goddesses
will be sold for stove wood and scrap metal,
All her sacred fertility groves
burned to the ground,
All the sticks and stones she worshiped as gods,
destroyed.
These were her earnings from her life as a whore.
This is what happens to the fees of a whore.”
8-9 This is why I lament and mourn.
This is why I go around in rags and barefoot.
This is why I howl like a pack of coyotes,
and moan like a mournful owl in the night.
God has inflicted punishing wounds;
Judah has been wounded with no healing in sight.
Judgment has marched through the city gates.
Jerusalem must face the charges.
10-16 Don’t gossip about this in Telltown.
Don’t waste your tears.
In Dustville,
roll in the dust.
In Alarmtown,
the alarm is sounded.
The citizens of Exitburgh
will never get out alive.
Lament, Last-Stand City:
There’s nothing in you left standing.
The villagers of Bittertown
wait in vain for sweet peace.
Harsh judgment has come from God
and entered Peace City.
All you who live in Chariotville,
get in your chariots for flight.
You led the daughter of Zion
into trusting not God but chariots.
Similar sins in Israel
also got their start in you.
Go ahead and give your good-bye gifts
to Good-byeville.
Miragetown beckoned
but disappointed Israel’s kings.
Inheritance City
has lost its inheritance.
Glorytown
has seen its last of glory.
Shave your heads in mourning
over the loss of your precious towns.
Go bald as a goose egg—they’ve gone
into exile and aren’t coming back.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Read: Proverbs 27:5–10
A spoken reprimand is better
than approval that’s never expressed.
6 The wounds from a lover are worth it;
kisses from an enemy do you in.
7 When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert;
when you’re starved, you could eat a horse.
8 People who won’t settle down, wandering hither and yon,
are like restless birds, flitting to and fro.
9 Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.
10 Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends
and run home to your family when things get rough;
Better a nearby friend
than a distant family.
INSIGHT:
Ephesians 4:15 is a New Testament counterpart of Proverbs 27:6. It refers to two virtues that we must learn to keep in balance—“speaking the truth” and “love.” The word “speaking” is actually not an explicit part of the original Greek text, but is translated from a single verb. Some translators have suggested that the verb might better be rendered “truthing it” or “truthifying it in love.” The verb, when joined with “in love,” implies a lifestyle of integrity where truth is united with love. If we emphasize truth without love, then we can brutally hurt another person. On the other hand, if we express love at the expense of truth, we can fail to caringly confront some sin or problem that genuinely needs to be faced.
Wounds from a Friend
By Poh Fang Chia
Wounds from a friend can be trusted. Proverbs 27:6
Charles Lowery complained to his friend about lower back pain. He was seeking a sympathetic ear, but what he got was an honest assessment. His friend told him, “I don’t think your back pain is your problem; it’s your stomach. Your stomach is so big it’s pulling on your back.”
In his column for REV! Magazine, Charles shared that he resisted the temptation to be offended. He lost the weight and his back problem went away. Charles recognized that “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:5–6).
Friends tell us not only what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
The trouble is that so often we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism, for truth hurts. It bruises our ego, makes us uncomfortable, and calls for change.
True friends don’t find pleasure in hurting us. Rather, they love us too much to deceive us. They are people who, with loving courage, point out what we may already know but find hard to truly accept and live by. They tell us not only what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
Solomon honored such friendship in his proverbs. Jesus went further—He endured the wounds of our rejection not only to tell us the truth about ourselves but to show us how much we are loved.
Think of a time when a friend said something honest that caused you pain. Did it benefit you? Is it wise to accept everything our friends tell us?
A friend is one who can tell you the truth in love.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is in the middle that human choices are made; the beginning and the end remain with God. The decrees of God are birth and death, and in between those limits man makes his own distress or joy. Shade of His Hand, 1223 L
Where will God go to touch the world? What a great thought and an even better question! It’s that time of year when we hear about the virgin birth. And yet it’s much, much more than a Christmas story. It is a story of how close Christ will come to you!
The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer. Better still—look deep within yourself. Christ in you, the hope of glory! Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, and in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem. And every day you live will be a Christmas. Deliver Christ into the world!
From Grace for the Moment
Micah 1
God’s Message as it came to Micah of Moresheth. It came during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. It had to do with what was going on in Samaria and Jerusalem.
God Takes the Witness Stand
2 Listen, people—all of you.
Listen, earth, and everyone in it:
The Master, God, takes the witness stand against you,
the Master from his Holy Temple.
3-5 Look, here he comes! God, from his place!
He comes down and strides across mountains and hills.
Mountains sink under his feet,
valleys split apart;
The rock mountains crumble into gravel,
the river valleys leak like sieves.
All this because of Jacob’s sin,
because Israel’s family did wrong.
You ask, “So what is Jacob’s sin?”
Just look at Samaria—isn’t it obvious?
And all the sex-and-religion shrines in Judah—
isn’t Jerusalem responsible?
6-7 “I’m turning Samaria into a heap of rubble,
a vacant lot littered with garbage.
I’ll dump the stones from her buildings in the valley
and leave her abandoned foundations exposed.
All her carved and cast gods and goddesses
will be sold for stove wood and scrap metal,
All her sacred fertility groves
burned to the ground,
All the sticks and stones she worshiped as gods,
destroyed.
These were her earnings from her life as a whore.
This is what happens to the fees of a whore.”
8-9 This is why I lament and mourn.
This is why I go around in rags and barefoot.
This is why I howl like a pack of coyotes,
and moan like a mournful owl in the night.
God has inflicted punishing wounds;
Judah has been wounded with no healing in sight.
Judgment has marched through the city gates.
Jerusalem must face the charges.
10-16 Don’t gossip about this in Telltown.
Don’t waste your tears.
In Dustville,
roll in the dust.
In Alarmtown,
the alarm is sounded.
The citizens of Exitburgh
will never get out alive.
Lament, Last-Stand City:
There’s nothing in you left standing.
The villagers of Bittertown
wait in vain for sweet peace.
Harsh judgment has come from God
and entered Peace City.
All you who live in Chariotville,
get in your chariots for flight.
You led the daughter of Zion
into trusting not God but chariots.
Similar sins in Israel
also got their start in you.
Go ahead and give your good-bye gifts
to Good-byeville.
Miragetown beckoned
but disappointed Israel’s kings.
Inheritance City
has lost its inheritance.
Glorytown
has seen its last of glory.
Shave your heads in mourning
over the loss of your precious towns.
Go bald as a goose egg—they’ve gone
into exile and aren’t coming back.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Read: Proverbs 27:5–10
A spoken reprimand is better
than approval that’s never expressed.
6 The wounds from a lover are worth it;
kisses from an enemy do you in.
7 When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert;
when you’re starved, you could eat a horse.
8 People who won’t settle down, wandering hither and yon,
are like restless birds, flitting to and fro.
9 Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.
10 Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends
and run home to your family when things get rough;
Better a nearby friend
than a distant family.
INSIGHT:
Ephesians 4:15 is a New Testament counterpart of Proverbs 27:6. It refers to two virtues that we must learn to keep in balance—“speaking the truth” and “love.” The word “speaking” is actually not an explicit part of the original Greek text, but is translated from a single verb. Some translators have suggested that the verb might better be rendered “truthing it” or “truthifying it in love.” The verb, when joined with “in love,” implies a lifestyle of integrity where truth is united with love. If we emphasize truth without love, then we can brutally hurt another person. On the other hand, if we express love at the expense of truth, we can fail to caringly confront some sin or problem that genuinely needs to be faced.
Wounds from a Friend
By Poh Fang Chia
Wounds from a friend can be trusted. Proverbs 27:6
Charles Lowery complained to his friend about lower back pain. He was seeking a sympathetic ear, but what he got was an honest assessment. His friend told him, “I don’t think your back pain is your problem; it’s your stomach. Your stomach is so big it’s pulling on your back.”
In his column for REV! Magazine, Charles shared that he resisted the temptation to be offended. He lost the weight and his back problem went away. Charles recognized that “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:5–6).
Friends tell us not only what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
The trouble is that so often we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism, for truth hurts. It bruises our ego, makes us uncomfortable, and calls for change.
True friends don’t find pleasure in hurting us. Rather, they love us too much to deceive us. They are people who, with loving courage, point out what we may already know but find hard to truly accept and live by. They tell us not only what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
Solomon honored such friendship in his proverbs. Jesus went further—He endured the wounds of our rejection not only to tell us the truth about ourselves but to show us how much we are loved.
Think of a time when a friend said something honest that caused you pain. Did it benefit you? Is it wise to accept everything our friends tell us?
A friend is one who can tell you the truth in love.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is in the middle that human choices are made; the beginning and the end remain with God. The decrees of God are birth and death, and in between those limits man makes his own distress or joy. Shade of His Hand, 1223 L
Friday, December 9, 2016
Romans 16 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: LOOK INTO GOD’S FACE
Would you like to see God? Take a look at Jesus! Hebrews 1:3 says, “Jesus radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.” In John 14:9, Jesus himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Anyone who has seen me weep has seen the Father weep. Anyone who has seen me laugh as seen the Father laugh. Anyone who has seen me determined has seen the Father determined.
Everything changes when we see the face of God. He came with tears too. He knows the burden of a broken heart. He knows the sorrow life can bring. He could have come as a shining light or a voice in the clouds, but he came as a person. Does God understand you? Look into God’s face and be assured. Find the answer in Bethlehem.
From Because of Bethlehem
Romans 16
1-2 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.
3-5 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
6 Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
7 Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.
8 Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.
9 Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.
10 Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.
Hello to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Hello to my cousin Herodion.
Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.
12 Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.
Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.
13 Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.
14 Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.
15 Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.
16 Holy embraces all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!
17-18 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.
19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
21 And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.
23 Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.
25-26 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the very last letter.
27 All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, December 09, 2016
Read: Acts 4:32–37; 9:26–27
The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.
36-37 Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
Acts 9:26-27The Message (MSG)
26-27 Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name.
INSIGHT:
When Saul of Tarsus met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he was transformed into an apostle of Christ. Needless to say, the Christian community was fearful and skeptical about Paul’s apparent change of spiritual loyalties. It is in this context that Barnabas provided a wonderful service of bridge-building. Barnabas was central to Paul’s acceptance by supporting Paul’s conversion story and accepting him as a brother in Christ. Here we see Barnabas showing a spirit of generosity and encouragement. How can you plan to be a blessing to others through an intentional act of encouragement?
The Gift of Encouragement
By David McCasland
Joseph . . . whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36–37
An old Merle Haggard song, “If We Make It Through December,” tells the story of a man laid off from his factory job with no money to buy Christmas gifts for his little girl. Although December is supposed to be a happy time of year, his life seems dark and cold.
Discouragement is not unique to December, but it can be amplified then. Our expectations may be higher, our sadness deeper. A little encouragement can go a long way.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of encouragement. May we encourage others as they have encouraged us.
Joseph, a man from Cyprus, was among the early followers of Jesus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” We meet him in Acts 4:36–37 when he sold a piece of property and donated the money to help other believers in need.
Later, we read that the disciples were afraid of Saul (Acts 9:26). “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles” (v. 27). Saul, later called Paul, had formerly been trying to kill the believers, but Barnabas defended him as a man transformed by Christ.
All around us are people longing to be encouraged. A timely word, a phone call, or a prayer can bolster their faith in Jesus.
The generosity and support of Barnabas demonstrate what it means to be a son or daughter of encouragement. That may be the greatest gift we can give to others this Christmas.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of encouragement. May we encourage others as they have encouraged us.
Encouragement may be the greatest gift we give this Christmas.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 09, 2016
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I learning how to use my Bible? The way to become complete for the Master’s service is to be well soaked in the Bible; some of us only exploit certain passages. Our Lord wants to give us continuous instruction out of His word; continuous instruction turns hearers into disciples. Approved Unto God, 11 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 09, 2016
Way-Making Prayer - #7805
When America decided to go after the Taliban in its war on terrorism, there were a lot of warnings about what a difficult battleground Afghanistan can be – and what a tough enemy the Taliban would be. That's why so many of us were surprised when the Taliban fighters seemed to retreat so quickly from city after city in Northern Afghanistan as the Northern Alliance advanced back in the days of that first Gulf War. But Taliban defectors said that the relentless American bombing had really affected their morale. The U. S. military strategy going into the Afghan conflict was not a new one – begin with an air war – heavy bombing to "soften up" your enemy before the ground forces make a move. As we learned in that Gulf War, and in many other battles, that can lead to a surprisingly quick victory.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Way-Making Prayer."
Some of us have lost some of our battles – or had much tougher battles – because we didn't apply this kind of strategy. If you want to win, take some time to soften up your enemy before you go in to fight the battle. In the military, it's the air war that prepares the way. In spiritual battles, it's the prayer war.
Nehemiah models that for us in Nehemiah 1, beginning in verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God. He is a Jew serving as a servant to the king of Persia when he receives a report from Israel about the devastation of God's ancient capital city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is really burdened to do something to rebuild the holy city, but it looks like Mission Impossible. First, it can't be done without the king's permission – something that was pretty unlikely. Secondly, where are the rebuilding resources going to come from? Nehemiah knows that humanly speaking, nothing is going to happen unless the king of Persia, the most powerful man in the world at that time, gets behind it.
So what does Nehemiah do – just go running into the king's throne room and share his burden? No, first Nehemiah goes into the Throne Room of the King of all kings to wage the prayer war that will ultimately bring about victory. After hearing about the devastated situation back home, Nehemiah says, "For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love. Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. Oh Lord, give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'" This man was the king.
As a result of what was at least four months of this kind of praying, the king's heart is open. He empowers Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem and even provides the resources to do it. Just one illustration, and there are lots of them, of how a prayer campaign can literally prepare the way for a victory that would otherwise be impossible. Maybe like the victory you need right now.
So, before you go charging into the battle, would you soften up the enemy's hold with passionate prayer. Pray for hearts to be softened, for doors to be opened, for Satan to be paralyzed, for the help you need, for the resources you need, and for the dangers to be minimized. And like Nehemiah did, focus your prayer on the greatness of your God, not how great the challenge is – and clean out whatever sin-garbage you might have that could cost you the victory and God's decisive blessing. When you pray like that, you are paving the way for a victory that will be nothing short of amazing.
Would you like to see God? Take a look at Jesus! Hebrews 1:3 says, “Jesus radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.” In John 14:9, Jesus himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Anyone who has seen me weep has seen the Father weep. Anyone who has seen me laugh as seen the Father laugh. Anyone who has seen me determined has seen the Father determined.
Everything changes when we see the face of God. He came with tears too. He knows the burden of a broken heart. He knows the sorrow life can bring. He could have come as a shining light or a voice in the clouds, but he came as a person. Does God understand you? Look into God’s face and be assured. Find the answer in Bethlehem.
From Because of Bethlehem
Romans 16
1-2 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.
3-5 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
6 Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
7 Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.
8 Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.
9 Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.
10 Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.
Hello to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Hello to my cousin Herodion.
Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.
12 Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.
Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.
13 Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.
14 Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.
15 Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.
16 Holy embraces all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!
17-18 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.
19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
21 And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.
23 Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.
25-26 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the very last letter.
27 All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, December 09, 2016
Read: Acts 4:32–37; 9:26–27
The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.
36-37 Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
Acts 9:26-27The Message (MSG)
26-27 Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name.
INSIGHT:
When Saul of Tarsus met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he was transformed into an apostle of Christ. Needless to say, the Christian community was fearful and skeptical about Paul’s apparent change of spiritual loyalties. It is in this context that Barnabas provided a wonderful service of bridge-building. Barnabas was central to Paul’s acceptance by supporting Paul’s conversion story and accepting him as a brother in Christ. Here we see Barnabas showing a spirit of generosity and encouragement. How can you plan to be a blessing to others through an intentional act of encouragement?
The Gift of Encouragement
By David McCasland
Joseph . . . whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36–37
An old Merle Haggard song, “If We Make It Through December,” tells the story of a man laid off from his factory job with no money to buy Christmas gifts for his little girl. Although December is supposed to be a happy time of year, his life seems dark and cold.
Discouragement is not unique to December, but it can be amplified then. Our expectations may be higher, our sadness deeper. A little encouragement can go a long way.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of encouragement. May we encourage others as they have encouraged us.
Joseph, a man from Cyprus, was among the early followers of Jesus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” We meet him in Acts 4:36–37 when he sold a piece of property and donated the money to help other believers in need.
Later, we read that the disciples were afraid of Saul (Acts 9:26). “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles” (v. 27). Saul, later called Paul, had formerly been trying to kill the believers, but Barnabas defended him as a man transformed by Christ.
All around us are people longing to be encouraged. A timely word, a phone call, or a prayer can bolster their faith in Jesus.
The generosity and support of Barnabas demonstrate what it means to be a son or daughter of encouragement. That may be the greatest gift we can give to others this Christmas.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of encouragement. May we encourage others as they have encouraged us.
Encouragement may be the greatest gift we give this Christmas.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 09, 2016
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I learning how to use my Bible? The way to become complete for the Master’s service is to be well soaked in the Bible; some of us only exploit certain passages. Our Lord wants to give us continuous instruction out of His word; continuous instruction turns hearers into disciples. Approved Unto God, 11 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 09, 2016
Way-Making Prayer - #7805
When America decided to go after the Taliban in its war on terrorism, there were a lot of warnings about what a difficult battleground Afghanistan can be – and what a tough enemy the Taliban would be. That's why so many of us were surprised when the Taliban fighters seemed to retreat so quickly from city after city in Northern Afghanistan as the Northern Alliance advanced back in the days of that first Gulf War. But Taliban defectors said that the relentless American bombing had really affected their morale. The U. S. military strategy going into the Afghan conflict was not a new one – begin with an air war – heavy bombing to "soften up" your enemy before the ground forces make a move. As we learned in that Gulf War, and in many other battles, that can lead to a surprisingly quick victory.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Way-Making Prayer."
Some of us have lost some of our battles – or had much tougher battles – because we didn't apply this kind of strategy. If you want to win, take some time to soften up your enemy before you go in to fight the battle. In the military, it's the air war that prepares the way. In spiritual battles, it's the prayer war.
Nehemiah models that for us in Nehemiah 1, beginning in verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God. He is a Jew serving as a servant to the king of Persia when he receives a report from Israel about the devastation of God's ancient capital city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is really burdened to do something to rebuild the holy city, but it looks like Mission Impossible. First, it can't be done without the king's permission – something that was pretty unlikely. Secondly, where are the rebuilding resources going to come from? Nehemiah knows that humanly speaking, nothing is going to happen unless the king of Persia, the most powerful man in the world at that time, gets behind it.
So what does Nehemiah do – just go running into the king's throne room and share his burden? No, first Nehemiah goes into the Throne Room of the King of all kings to wage the prayer war that will ultimately bring about victory. After hearing about the devastated situation back home, Nehemiah says, "For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love. Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. Oh Lord, give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'" This man was the king.
As a result of what was at least four months of this kind of praying, the king's heart is open. He empowers Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem and even provides the resources to do it. Just one illustration, and there are lots of them, of how a prayer campaign can literally prepare the way for a victory that would otherwise be impossible. Maybe like the victory you need right now.
So, before you go charging into the battle, would you soften up the enemy's hold with passionate prayer. Pray for hearts to be softened, for doors to be opened, for Satan to be paralyzed, for the help you need, for the resources you need, and for the dangers to be minimized. And like Nehemiah did, focus your prayer on the greatness of your God, not how great the challenge is – and clean out whatever sin-garbage you might have that could cost you the victory and God's decisive blessing. When you pray like that, you are paving the way for a victory that will be nothing short of amazing.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Hosea 14 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: 25 QUESTIONS FOR MARY
A teacher friend of mine asked her students to make a list of questions they would like to ask Mary. Their responses included: What was Jesus’ first word? Did he ever get sick? Did Jesus ever misbehave? All legitimate questions. The fact that we can ask these questions raises an even greater one. Why did God go so far? Why did He become a human being?
A chief reason is God wants you to know that he gets you. The Bible says in the Book of Hebrews that he understands how you feel and has faced what you face (4:15-16). Jesus has been through weakness and testing; he’s experienced it all—all but the sin! So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help! Because of Bethlehem, you can boldly go to him!
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 14
Come Back! Return to Your God!
1-3 O Israel, come back! Return to your God!
You’re down but you’re not out.
Prepare your confession
and come back to God.
Pray to him, “Take away our sin,
accept our confession.
Receive as restitution
our repentant prayers.
Assyria won’t save us;
horses won’t get us where we want to go.
We’ll never again say ‘our god’
to something we’ve made or made up.
You’re our last hope. Is it not true
that in you the orphan finds mercy?”
4-8 “I will heal their waywardness.
I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.
I will make a fresh start with Israel.
He’ll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring.
He’ll put down deep oak tree roots,
he’ll become a forest of oaks!
He’ll become splendid—like a giant sequoia,
his fragrance like a grove of cedars!
Those who live near him will be blessed by him,
be blessed and prosper like golden grain.
Everyone will be talking about them,
spreading their fame as the vintage children of God.
Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods.
From now on I’m the one who answers and satisfies him.
I am like a luxuriant fruit tree.
Everything you need is to be found in me.”
9 If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what’s good for you,
you’ll learn this inside and out.
God’s paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Read: Nehemiah 12:27–43
Dedication of the Wall
27-29 When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth—the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.
30 The priests and Levites ceremonially purified themselves; then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall.
31-36 I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs. One proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate. Hashaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Some of the young priests had trumpets. Next, playing the musical instruments of David the man of God, came Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. Ezra the scholar led them.
37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, up the steps of the City of David using the wall stairway above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
38-39 The other choir proceeded to the left. I and half of the people followed them on the wall from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall, over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Prison Gate.
40-42 The two choirs then took their places in The Temple of God. I was there with half of the officials, along with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets. Also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, directed by Jezrahiah, made the rafters ring.
43 That day they offered great sacrifices, an exuberant celebration because God had filled them with great joy. The women and children raised their happy voices with all the rest. Jerusalem’s jubilation was heard far and wide.
INSIGHT:
Nehemiah spearheaded a magnificent public music celebration. Four types of musical instruments are identified in verses 27 and 35—cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpets. Cymbals are an example of metal percussion instruments. Like drums, cymbals usually help sustain a musical beat. Also included were harps and lyres. Harps may have been smaller than lyres and less lavish (2 Chron. 9:11). Trumpets (Neh. 12:35, 41) were the wind instruments. These were not the curvy rams’ horns or shofars, but were straight metal horns used for assembling armies and ambushes (Num. 10:1–10; 2 Chron. 5:12).
Surround Sound
By Dave Branon
The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43
Walt Disney Studios was the first to introduce a new concept in listening to movies. It was called “stereophonic sound” or surround sound, and it was developed because producers wanted the movie-going audience to hear the music in a new way.
But this wasn’t the first use of “surround sound.” Thousands of years earlier, Nehemiah introduced the idea at the dedication of the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem. “I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall,” he explained. “I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks” (Neh. 12:31). The two choirs began at the southern part of the wall, at the Dung Gate. One went to the left, one went to the right, and they surrounded the city of Jerusalem in praise as they marched toward the temple (vv. 31, 37–40).
We offer You our hearts in response to Your great power, loving provision, and constant care.
The choirs led the people in rejoicing because “God had given them great joy” (v. 43). In fact, their rejoicing “could be heard far away” (v. 43).
Their praise resulted from God’s help as the people overcame the opposition of enemies like Sanballat and rebuilt the wall. What has God given us that causes our joy to overflow into praise? God’s clear direction in our lives? The comfort He alone can provide in times of trouble? Or our ultimate gift: salvation?
Perhaps we can’t create “surround sound” with our praise, but we can rejoice in the joy God has given us. Then others can hear us praise God and see how He works.
We praise You, O Lord—with words, with song, and with our lives. We offer You our hearts in response to Your great power, loving provision, and constant care.
We can never praise Jesus too much!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, December 08, 2016
The Impartial Power of God
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Needless Pain - #7804
My dad was a tenderhearted man. If he was around when we had to discipline our daughter, he left the room. He knew she needed it, but he just couldn't stand to be there for it. I had a little of that feeling at one point when our son had one of those defining disciplinary moments with our then three-year-old granddaughter over a piece of gum. We were in the car and our little girl had been chewing some gum, and she was starting to fall asleep. Mommy told her to spit out her gum so she wouldn't choke on it when she went to sleep. This little girl, who is amazingly well-behaved because of her parents' really fair and consistent discipline, chose to defy her Mother on this one. It's funny the battles they choose, isn't it? She wasn't going to relinquish her gum.
Daddy reinforced Mommy's order from the driver's seat. The more she was told to do it, the more defiant she got. It wasn't about gum, of course; the gum had to taste totally flat by this time. It was about her having her way no matter what. Well, Daddy threatened to ban chewing gum for a while. It didn't matter. Then he threatened to pull the car over and give her a spanking. (His spankings are kind but they're firm). Still no backing down on the gum. Finally, Daddy had no other responsible choice but to pull over, get out of the car with our little granddaughter and enforce the law. Afterwards, he hugged her, he reassured her of his love and Mommy's love, but the showdown over obeying...that was intense. Nobody was having fun, believe me. And no piece of gum could be that good.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Needless Pain."
As the showdown over getting rid of that gum escalated; as the price for disobeying got higher and higher, I thought, "Is that piece of gum really worth going through all of this?" Then I thought, "How many times has God looked at me and said the same thing? ‘Ron, why won't you obey Me on this? Is it really worth all the pain you're going through because you won't do what I say?'" We're all stubborn children, even when the Father we're defying is God Himself.
God's way is always the best way for us-the path of ultimate peace and joy and satisfaction and no regrets. But many of us have these showdown issues with God over something we refuse to let go of or we refuse to change. Maybe there's something in your life like that right now. You know God isn't happy with what you're doing or with the way you've let someone or something become more important to you than He is.
So the loving process described in Hebrews 12, beginning with verse 5 kicks in. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "The Lord disciplines those He loves...God disciplines us for our good...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
God loves you enough to discipline you when you're out of bounds. Maybe you're blaming the pain you're going through on the devil or on circumstances when, in fact, maybe your Heavenly Father is just trying to get your attention. And the more you defy Him, the more He has to increase the pain so you'll get the point.
It could be the pain you're going through right now is needless pain-pain which will actually stop at a time of your choosing when you finally give in and do it God's way. Whatever you have to stop, whatever you have to drop, whatever you have to fix, whatever you have to change, it's worth it to finally have God's full blessing along with His peace and His joy again.
And, you know, it may be that God has been turning up the heat simply because He knows how lost you have been without your relationship with Him. Often He will simply drive us by the storm into the port and the harbor of the love of Christ, expressed when He died on the cross to pay for your sin, walked out of His grave under His own power, and right now a lot of what you've been experiencing is to drive you into the arms of your Savior.
If you've never begun a relationship with this Jesus, who will walk through every dark valley of your life with you; you'll never be alone again. I invite you to our website, ANewStory.com where many people have found how they can discover a relationship with Him.
In a defiant little girl I saw myself, and maybe she's a picture of someone who's listening, too. Knowing what your Father has told you to do, stubbornly refusing to do it, experiencing ever more painful consequences, going through so much needless pain over something that just isn't worth it. It's time to obey and then experience again the enveloping, loving hug of your Heavenly Father. Come on back home.
A teacher friend of mine asked her students to make a list of questions they would like to ask Mary. Their responses included: What was Jesus’ first word? Did he ever get sick? Did Jesus ever misbehave? All legitimate questions. The fact that we can ask these questions raises an even greater one. Why did God go so far? Why did He become a human being?
A chief reason is God wants you to know that he gets you. The Bible says in the Book of Hebrews that he understands how you feel and has faced what you face (4:15-16). Jesus has been through weakness and testing; he’s experienced it all—all but the sin! So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help! Because of Bethlehem, you can boldly go to him!
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 14
Come Back! Return to Your God!
1-3 O Israel, come back! Return to your God!
You’re down but you’re not out.
Prepare your confession
and come back to God.
Pray to him, “Take away our sin,
accept our confession.
Receive as restitution
our repentant prayers.
Assyria won’t save us;
horses won’t get us where we want to go.
We’ll never again say ‘our god’
to something we’ve made or made up.
You’re our last hope. Is it not true
that in you the orphan finds mercy?”
4-8 “I will heal their waywardness.
I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.
I will make a fresh start with Israel.
He’ll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring.
He’ll put down deep oak tree roots,
he’ll become a forest of oaks!
He’ll become splendid—like a giant sequoia,
his fragrance like a grove of cedars!
Those who live near him will be blessed by him,
be blessed and prosper like golden grain.
Everyone will be talking about them,
spreading their fame as the vintage children of God.
Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods.
From now on I’m the one who answers and satisfies him.
I am like a luxuriant fruit tree.
Everything you need is to be found in me.”
9 If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what’s good for you,
you’ll learn this inside and out.
God’s paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Read: Nehemiah 12:27–43
Dedication of the Wall
27-29 When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth—the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.
30 The priests and Levites ceremonially purified themselves; then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall.
31-36 I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs. One proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate. Hashaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Some of the young priests had trumpets. Next, playing the musical instruments of David the man of God, came Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. Ezra the scholar led them.
37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, up the steps of the City of David using the wall stairway above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
38-39 The other choir proceeded to the left. I and half of the people followed them on the wall from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall, over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Prison Gate.
40-42 The two choirs then took their places in The Temple of God. I was there with half of the officials, along with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets. Also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, directed by Jezrahiah, made the rafters ring.
43 That day they offered great sacrifices, an exuberant celebration because God had filled them with great joy. The women and children raised their happy voices with all the rest. Jerusalem’s jubilation was heard far and wide.
INSIGHT:
Nehemiah spearheaded a magnificent public music celebration. Four types of musical instruments are identified in verses 27 and 35—cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpets. Cymbals are an example of metal percussion instruments. Like drums, cymbals usually help sustain a musical beat. Also included were harps and lyres. Harps may have been smaller than lyres and less lavish (2 Chron. 9:11). Trumpets (Neh. 12:35, 41) were the wind instruments. These were not the curvy rams’ horns or shofars, but were straight metal horns used for assembling armies and ambushes (Num. 10:1–10; 2 Chron. 5:12).
Surround Sound
By Dave Branon
The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43
Walt Disney Studios was the first to introduce a new concept in listening to movies. It was called “stereophonic sound” or surround sound, and it was developed because producers wanted the movie-going audience to hear the music in a new way.
But this wasn’t the first use of “surround sound.” Thousands of years earlier, Nehemiah introduced the idea at the dedication of the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem. “I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall,” he explained. “I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks” (Neh. 12:31). The two choirs began at the southern part of the wall, at the Dung Gate. One went to the left, one went to the right, and they surrounded the city of Jerusalem in praise as they marched toward the temple (vv. 31, 37–40).
We offer You our hearts in response to Your great power, loving provision, and constant care.
The choirs led the people in rejoicing because “God had given them great joy” (v. 43). In fact, their rejoicing “could be heard far away” (v. 43).
Their praise resulted from God’s help as the people overcame the opposition of enemies like Sanballat and rebuilt the wall. What has God given us that causes our joy to overflow into praise? God’s clear direction in our lives? The comfort He alone can provide in times of trouble? Or our ultimate gift: salvation?
Perhaps we can’t create “surround sound” with our praise, but we can rejoice in the joy God has given us. Then others can hear us praise God and see how He works.
We praise You, O Lord—with words, with song, and with our lives. We offer You our hearts in response to Your great power, loving provision, and constant care.
We can never praise Jesus too much!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, December 08, 2016
The Impartial Power of God
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Needless Pain - #7804
My dad was a tenderhearted man. If he was around when we had to discipline our daughter, he left the room. He knew she needed it, but he just couldn't stand to be there for it. I had a little of that feeling at one point when our son had one of those defining disciplinary moments with our then three-year-old granddaughter over a piece of gum. We were in the car and our little girl had been chewing some gum, and she was starting to fall asleep. Mommy told her to spit out her gum so she wouldn't choke on it when she went to sleep. This little girl, who is amazingly well-behaved because of her parents' really fair and consistent discipline, chose to defy her Mother on this one. It's funny the battles they choose, isn't it? She wasn't going to relinquish her gum.
Daddy reinforced Mommy's order from the driver's seat. The more she was told to do it, the more defiant she got. It wasn't about gum, of course; the gum had to taste totally flat by this time. It was about her having her way no matter what. Well, Daddy threatened to ban chewing gum for a while. It didn't matter. Then he threatened to pull the car over and give her a spanking. (His spankings are kind but they're firm). Still no backing down on the gum. Finally, Daddy had no other responsible choice but to pull over, get out of the car with our little granddaughter and enforce the law. Afterwards, he hugged her, he reassured her of his love and Mommy's love, but the showdown over obeying...that was intense. Nobody was having fun, believe me. And no piece of gum could be that good.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Needless Pain."
As the showdown over getting rid of that gum escalated; as the price for disobeying got higher and higher, I thought, "Is that piece of gum really worth going through all of this?" Then I thought, "How many times has God looked at me and said the same thing? ‘Ron, why won't you obey Me on this? Is it really worth all the pain you're going through because you won't do what I say?'" We're all stubborn children, even when the Father we're defying is God Himself.
God's way is always the best way for us-the path of ultimate peace and joy and satisfaction and no regrets. But many of us have these showdown issues with God over something we refuse to let go of or we refuse to change. Maybe there's something in your life like that right now. You know God isn't happy with what you're doing or with the way you've let someone or something become more important to you than He is.
So the loving process described in Hebrews 12, beginning with verse 5 kicks in. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "The Lord disciplines those He loves...God disciplines us for our good...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
God loves you enough to discipline you when you're out of bounds. Maybe you're blaming the pain you're going through on the devil or on circumstances when, in fact, maybe your Heavenly Father is just trying to get your attention. And the more you defy Him, the more He has to increase the pain so you'll get the point.
It could be the pain you're going through right now is needless pain-pain which will actually stop at a time of your choosing when you finally give in and do it God's way. Whatever you have to stop, whatever you have to drop, whatever you have to fix, whatever you have to change, it's worth it to finally have God's full blessing along with His peace and His joy again.
And, you know, it may be that God has been turning up the heat simply because He knows how lost you have been without your relationship with Him. Often He will simply drive us by the storm into the port and the harbor of the love of Christ, expressed when He died on the cross to pay for your sin, walked out of His grave under His own power, and right now a lot of what you've been experiencing is to drive you into the arms of your Savior.
If you've never begun a relationship with this Jesus, who will walk through every dark valley of your life with you; you'll never be alone again. I invite you to our website, ANewStory.com where many people have found how they can discover a relationship with Him.
In a defiant little girl I saw myself, and maybe she's a picture of someone who's listening, too. Knowing what your Father has told you to do, stubbornly refusing to do it, experiencing ever more painful consequences, going through so much needless pain over something that just isn't worth it. It's time to obey and then experience again the enveloping, loving hug of your Heavenly Father. Come on back home.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Hosea 13 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: GOD BECAME FLESH
If you want to see people on the edge of insanity, just watch the way families treat their babies at Christmas time! The poor child has no warning! Red furry stocking cap, goofy elfish shoes that curl at the toes. And the pictures we take! Baby snoozing under the tree…Baby on Santa’s lap…Santa with wet spot on lap.
Is not Christmas the story of a baby? The moment that shaped all others? Mary’s eyes falling on the face of her just-born son. The first to whisper, So this is what God looks like! Never in mankind’s wildest imaginings did we consider that God would enter the world as an infant. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Would you like to see God? Take a look at the baby Jesus!
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 13
Religion Customized to Taste
1-3 God once let loose against Ephraim
a terrifying sentence against Israel:
Caught and convicted
in the lewd sex-worship of Baal—they died!
And now they’re back in the sin business again,
manufacturing god-images they can use,
Religion customized to taste. Professionals see to it:
Anything you want in a god you can get.
Can you believe it? They sacrifice live babies to these dead gods—
kill living babies and kiss golden calves!
And now there’s nothing left to these people:
hollow men, desiccated women,
Like scraps of paper blown down the street,
like smoke in a gusty wind.
4-6 “I’m still your God,
the God who saved you out of Egypt.
I’m the only real God you’ve ever known.
I’m the one and only God who delivers.
I took care of you during the wilderness hard times,
those years when you had nothing.
I took care of you, took care of all your needs,
gave you everything you needed.
You were spoiled. You thought you didn’t need me.
You forgot me.
7-12 “I’ll charge them like a lion,
like a leopard stalking in the brush.
I’ll jump them like a sow grizzly robbed of her cubs.
I’ll rip out their guts.
Coyotes will make a meal of them.
Crows will clean their bones.
I’m going to destroy you, Israel.
Who is going to stop me?
Where is your trusty king you thought would save you?
Where are all the local leaders you wanted so badly?
All these rulers you insisted on having,
demanding, ‘Give me a king! Give me leaders!’?
Well, long ago I gave you a king, but I wasn’t happy about it.
Now, fed up, I’ve gotten rid of him.
I have a detailed record of your infidelities—
Ephraim’s sin documented and stored in a safe-deposit box.
13-15 “When birth pangs signaled it was time to be born,
Ephraim was too stupid to come out of the womb.
When the passage into life opened up,
he didn’t show.
Shall I intervene and pull them into life?
Shall I snatch them from a certain death?
Who is afraid of you, Death?
Who cares about your threats, Tomb?
In the end I’m abolishing regret,
banishing sorrow,
Even though Ephraim ran wild,
the black sheep of the family.
15-16 “God’s tornado is on its way,
roaring out of the desert.
It will devastate the country,
leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage.
The cities will be gutted,
dear possessions gone for good.
Now Samaria has to face the charges
because she has rebelled against her God:
Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks,
pregnant women ripped open.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Read: Ephesians 4:1–6
To Be Mature
1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
INSIGHT:
The ancient city of Ephesus was large and diverse. In the first century, many philosophies and religions in Ephesus competed with Christianity, and this diversity presented some unique theological and ethical challenges to the Christ-followers who lived there. In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, the apostle Paul wanted to be sure they understood that peace with God could only be achieved through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. Other ideas might sound appealing, but salvation rests exclusively in Christ. Saving faith is not about converting to a religion; it is about receiving and then living out a new life from Christ that reflects God’s love, mercy, and wisdom.
Beautiful Unity
By Marvin Williams
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
Seeing three large predatory animals cuddle and play together is extremely unusual. Yet this is precisely what happens daily in an animal sanctuary in Georgia. In 2001, after months of neglect and abuse, a lion, a Bengal tiger, and a black bear were rescued by Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary. “We could have separated them,” said the assistant director. “But since they came as a kind of family, we decided to keep them together.” The trio had found comfort in each other during their time of mistreatment, and, despite their differences, they live peacefully together.
Unity is a beautiful thing. But the unity Paul wrote about in his letter to the believers in Ephesus is unique. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to live up to their calling as members of one body in Christ (Eph. 4:4–5). By the power of the Holy Spirit they would be able to live in unity as they developed humility, gentleness, and patience. These attitudes also allow us to lovingly bear “with one another in love” through the common ground we have in Christ Jesus (4:2).
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
Despite our differences, as members of the family of God we have been reconciled to Him through the death of our Savior and reconciled to each other through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Heavenly Father, help me to grow in gentleness and patience toward others. Show me how to love others, even when we may have differences.
We keep unity by being united in the Spirit.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation… —2 Corinthians 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried. He Shall Glorify Me, 494 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Being the Harbor In Their Hurricane - #7803
It was a crazy Christmas at our house! Everybody in our family, three generations really excited about giving gifts to the others and getting them. Well, sometimes our festivities aren't quite like "peace on earth." Such was this particular Christmas. The chatter was loud, the laughter was hearty, and the buzz was intense. Or, in the case of a two-year old grandchild, it was just confusing. My wife, who you know, finely-tuned grandma's radar, noticed that our little grandson seemed a little dazed by all this happy Christmas crossfire. So she just quietly slipped to the floor. (We didn't even notice.) She got down where he was and began working patiently with him on assembling a toy he had just opened. That precious scene had been going on for a few minutes I think before any of us even noticed in the chaos. But there was Grandma, quietly creating this island of sanity in a sea of craziness.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Being the Harbor In Their Hurricane."
That's what Grandma was for our little guy. She provided the human harbor that protected him from the storm that was blowing all around him. There are some people in your life who need a harbor like that – someone who will be for them a safe place in the middle of a life bombardment. God has put you there to be that harbor.
And He's given us a wonderful flesh-and-blood example of it in our word for today from the Word of God which begins in Acts 4:36 where a man named Joseph was renamed by the church leaders, "Joseph...whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)." I love that. I mean, we've all been called some names we'd like to forget, but wouldn't it be great if people thought you should be called "Encouragement"?
Well, let's watch Mr. Encouragement in action. Saul, the chief persecutor of the early Christians, has just been brought miraculously to Christ. But with his reputation, man, he's radio active. No one wants to risk letting him in the door, except for Barnabas. The Bible says, "When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles" (Acts 9:26-27). He was the harbor when no one else was there for Saul.
When Gentiles, who the Jewish believers weren't very excited about, reportedly came to Christ in Antioch, guess who was there for them? Barnabas, of course. The Bible says, "He encouraged them all..." (Acts 11:23). Saul became the Apostle Paul and he and Barnabas went out as the first Christian missionaries. But they got into a major disagreement over bringing a young man named Mark along. He had washed out in a previous mission and Paul didn't want to take him along. But Barnabas, the guy who believed in second chances, took Mark with him to another ministry assignment. Wouldn't you know, later in life, Paul wrote that Mark was "helpful to me in my ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). I think that was because a guy named Barnabas kept believing in him.
Will you be the Barnabas for the people around you? While the world is going crazy and the bullets are flying, will you be the one who makes each person feel like they're the only person in the world when they're with you. You can be their island of sanity in an insane world just by giving each person your total focus; your undistracted listening. Human harbor folks like Barnabas give people the "Three Life-Changing A's": your attention, your affection, and your affirmation.
Those positive strokes will help them feel how special they really are. Not just to you, but to God. They know they can come to you and they'll be uncondemned, unjudged, and unafraid. There are few things you can do that will mean more in the midst of a storm than to pray, right then and there, with that person who's under pressure.
In the midst of the crossfire and the craziness of this very cold and very confusing world, you have so much to give, because you have found your harbor in the arms of Jesus Christ.
Be what the people around you need so desperately. Be the one place that they will know they're safe.
If you want to see people on the edge of insanity, just watch the way families treat their babies at Christmas time! The poor child has no warning! Red furry stocking cap, goofy elfish shoes that curl at the toes. And the pictures we take! Baby snoozing under the tree…Baby on Santa’s lap…Santa with wet spot on lap.
Is not Christmas the story of a baby? The moment that shaped all others? Mary’s eyes falling on the face of her just-born son. The first to whisper, So this is what God looks like! Never in mankind’s wildest imaginings did we consider that God would enter the world as an infant. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Would you like to see God? Take a look at the baby Jesus!
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 13
Religion Customized to Taste
1-3 God once let loose against Ephraim
a terrifying sentence against Israel:
Caught and convicted
in the lewd sex-worship of Baal—they died!
And now they’re back in the sin business again,
manufacturing god-images they can use,
Religion customized to taste. Professionals see to it:
Anything you want in a god you can get.
Can you believe it? They sacrifice live babies to these dead gods—
kill living babies and kiss golden calves!
And now there’s nothing left to these people:
hollow men, desiccated women,
Like scraps of paper blown down the street,
like smoke in a gusty wind.
4-6 “I’m still your God,
the God who saved you out of Egypt.
I’m the only real God you’ve ever known.
I’m the one and only God who delivers.
I took care of you during the wilderness hard times,
those years when you had nothing.
I took care of you, took care of all your needs,
gave you everything you needed.
You were spoiled. You thought you didn’t need me.
You forgot me.
7-12 “I’ll charge them like a lion,
like a leopard stalking in the brush.
I’ll jump them like a sow grizzly robbed of her cubs.
I’ll rip out their guts.
Coyotes will make a meal of them.
Crows will clean their bones.
I’m going to destroy you, Israel.
Who is going to stop me?
Where is your trusty king you thought would save you?
Where are all the local leaders you wanted so badly?
All these rulers you insisted on having,
demanding, ‘Give me a king! Give me leaders!’?
Well, long ago I gave you a king, but I wasn’t happy about it.
Now, fed up, I’ve gotten rid of him.
I have a detailed record of your infidelities—
Ephraim’s sin documented and stored in a safe-deposit box.
13-15 “When birth pangs signaled it was time to be born,
Ephraim was too stupid to come out of the womb.
When the passage into life opened up,
he didn’t show.
Shall I intervene and pull them into life?
Shall I snatch them from a certain death?
Who is afraid of you, Death?
Who cares about your threats, Tomb?
In the end I’m abolishing regret,
banishing sorrow,
Even though Ephraim ran wild,
the black sheep of the family.
15-16 “God’s tornado is on its way,
roaring out of the desert.
It will devastate the country,
leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage.
The cities will be gutted,
dear possessions gone for good.
Now Samaria has to face the charges
because she has rebelled against her God:
Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks,
pregnant women ripped open.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Read: Ephesians 4:1–6
To Be Mature
1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
INSIGHT:
The ancient city of Ephesus was large and diverse. In the first century, many philosophies and religions in Ephesus competed with Christianity, and this diversity presented some unique theological and ethical challenges to the Christ-followers who lived there. In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, the apostle Paul wanted to be sure they understood that peace with God could only be achieved through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. Other ideas might sound appealing, but salvation rests exclusively in Christ. Saving faith is not about converting to a religion; it is about receiving and then living out a new life from Christ that reflects God’s love, mercy, and wisdom.
Beautiful Unity
By Marvin Williams
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
Seeing three large predatory animals cuddle and play together is extremely unusual. Yet this is precisely what happens daily in an animal sanctuary in Georgia. In 2001, after months of neglect and abuse, a lion, a Bengal tiger, and a black bear were rescued by Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary. “We could have separated them,” said the assistant director. “But since they came as a kind of family, we decided to keep them together.” The trio had found comfort in each other during their time of mistreatment, and, despite their differences, they live peacefully together.
Unity is a beautiful thing. But the unity Paul wrote about in his letter to the believers in Ephesus is unique. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to live up to their calling as members of one body in Christ (Eph. 4:4–5). By the power of the Holy Spirit they would be able to live in unity as they developed humility, gentleness, and patience. These attitudes also allow us to lovingly bear “with one another in love” through the common ground we have in Christ Jesus (4:2).
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
Despite our differences, as members of the family of God we have been reconciled to Him through the death of our Savior and reconciled to each other through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Heavenly Father, help me to grow in gentleness and patience toward others. Show me how to love others, even when we may have differences.
We keep unity by being united in the Spirit.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation… —2 Corinthians 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried. He Shall Glorify Me, 494 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Being the Harbor In Their Hurricane - #7803
It was a crazy Christmas at our house! Everybody in our family, three generations really excited about giving gifts to the others and getting them. Well, sometimes our festivities aren't quite like "peace on earth." Such was this particular Christmas. The chatter was loud, the laughter was hearty, and the buzz was intense. Or, in the case of a two-year old grandchild, it was just confusing. My wife, who you know, finely-tuned grandma's radar, noticed that our little grandson seemed a little dazed by all this happy Christmas crossfire. So she just quietly slipped to the floor. (We didn't even notice.) She got down where he was and began working patiently with him on assembling a toy he had just opened. That precious scene had been going on for a few minutes I think before any of us even noticed in the chaos. But there was Grandma, quietly creating this island of sanity in a sea of craziness.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Being the Harbor In Their Hurricane."
That's what Grandma was for our little guy. She provided the human harbor that protected him from the storm that was blowing all around him. There are some people in your life who need a harbor like that – someone who will be for them a safe place in the middle of a life bombardment. God has put you there to be that harbor.
And He's given us a wonderful flesh-and-blood example of it in our word for today from the Word of God which begins in Acts 4:36 where a man named Joseph was renamed by the church leaders, "Joseph...whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)." I love that. I mean, we've all been called some names we'd like to forget, but wouldn't it be great if people thought you should be called "Encouragement"?
Well, let's watch Mr. Encouragement in action. Saul, the chief persecutor of the early Christians, has just been brought miraculously to Christ. But with his reputation, man, he's radio active. No one wants to risk letting him in the door, except for Barnabas. The Bible says, "When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles" (Acts 9:26-27). He was the harbor when no one else was there for Saul.
When Gentiles, who the Jewish believers weren't very excited about, reportedly came to Christ in Antioch, guess who was there for them? Barnabas, of course. The Bible says, "He encouraged them all..." (Acts 11:23). Saul became the Apostle Paul and he and Barnabas went out as the first Christian missionaries. But they got into a major disagreement over bringing a young man named Mark along. He had washed out in a previous mission and Paul didn't want to take him along. But Barnabas, the guy who believed in second chances, took Mark with him to another ministry assignment. Wouldn't you know, later in life, Paul wrote that Mark was "helpful to me in my ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). I think that was because a guy named Barnabas kept believing in him.
Will you be the Barnabas for the people around you? While the world is going crazy and the bullets are flying, will you be the one who makes each person feel like they're the only person in the world when they're with you. You can be their island of sanity in an insane world just by giving each person your total focus; your undistracted listening. Human harbor folks like Barnabas give people the "Three Life-Changing A's": your attention, your affection, and your affirmation.
Those positive strokes will help them feel how special they really are. Not just to you, but to God. They know they can come to you and they'll be uncondemned, unjudged, and unafraid. There are few things you can do that will mean more in the midst of a storm than to pray, right then and there, with that person who's under pressure.
In the midst of the crossfire and the craziness of this very cold and very confusing world, you have so much to give, because you have found your harbor in the arms of Jesus Christ.
Be what the people around you need so desperately. Be the one place that they will know they're safe.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Hosea 12 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: NO DAY ACCIDENTAL OR INCIDENTAL
No day is accidental or incidental. No acts are random or wasted. Look at Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem. A king ordered a census. Joseph was forced to travel. Mary, as round as a ladybug, bounced on a donkey’s back. The hotel was full. The hour was late. The event was one big hassle. Yet out of the hassle, hope was born. It still is.
I don’t like hassles. But I love Christmas because it reminds us of the heart-shaping promises of Christmas. Long after the guests have left, and the carolers have gone home, and the lights have come down these promises endure: God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God. Perhaps you could use some Christmas this Christmas?
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 12
Ephraim, obsessed with god-fantasies,
chases ghosts and phantoms.
He tells lies nonstop,
soul-destroying lies.
Both Ephraim and Judah made deals with Assyria
and tried to get an inside track with Egypt.
God is bringing charges against Israel.
Jacob’s children are hauled into court to be punished.
In the womb, that heel, Jacob, got the best of his brother.
When he grew up, he tried to get the best of God.
But God would not be bested.
God bested him.
Brought to his knees,
Jacob wept and prayed.
God found him at Bethel.
That’s where he spoke with him.
God is God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
God-Revealed, God-Known.
6 What are you waiting for? Return to your God!
Commit yourself in love, in justice!
Wait for your God,
and don’t give up on him—ever!
7-8 The businessmen engage in wholesale fraud.
They love to rip people off!
Ephraim boasted, “Look, I’m rich!
I’ve made it big!
And look how well I’ve covered my tracks:
not a hint of fraud, not a sign of sin!”
9-11 “But not so fast! I’m God, your God!
Your God from the days in Egypt!
I’m going to put you back to living in tents,
as in the old days when you worshiped in the wilderness.
I speak through the prophets
to give clear pictures of the way things are.
Using prophets, I tell revealing stories.
I show Gilead rampant with religious scandal
and Gilgal teeming with empty-headed religion.
I expose their worship centers as
stinking piles of garbage in their gardens.”
12-14 Are you going to repeat the life of your ancestor Jacob?
He ran off guilty to Aram,
Then sold his soul to get ahead,
and made it big through treachery and deceit.
Your real identity is formed through God-sent prophets,
who led you out of Egypt and served as faithful pastors.
As it is, Ephraim has continually
and inexcusably insulted God.
Now he has to pay for his life-destroying ways.
His Master will do to him what he has done.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Read: Psalm 141:1–4
1-2 God, come close. Come quickly!
Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;
my raised hands are my evening prayers.
3-7 Post a guard at my mouth, God,
set a watch at the door of my lips.
Don’t let me so much as dream of evil
or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.
And these people who only do wrong—
don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk!
May the Just One set me straight,
may the Kind One correct me,
Don’t let sin anoint my head.
I’m praying hard against their evil ways!
Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff;
make them face the music.
Like a rock pulverized by a maul,
let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.
INSIGHT:
One of the experiences that shaped David's life—and his psalms—was his time as a refugee from a homicidal King Saul. David had two opportunities to usher in the fulfillment of his anointing as king by killing Saul (chs. 24, 26), and both times he was encouraged to do so by some of his followers. However, he did not kill Saul but left the situation in God’s hands. It may be these instances specifically that are at the root of the words of Psalm 141. The God who gave David strength to avoid evil deeds continues to offer help to us when we are faced with temptation. When have you asked God to help you resist a temptation in your life?
Constant Kindness
By David Roper
Be kind and compassionate to one another. Ephesians 4:32
When I was a child I was an ardent reader of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books. I recently came across Rinkitink in Oz with all the original artwork. I laughed again at the antics of Baum's irrepressible, good-hearted King Rinkitink with his down-to-earth goodness. Young Prince Inga described him best: “His heart is kind and gentle and that is far better than being wise."
How simple and how sensible! Yet who has not wounded the heart of someone dear to us by a harsh word? By doing so, we disturb the peace and quiet of the hour and we can undo much of the good we have done toward those we love. "A small unkindness is a great offense,” said Hannah More, an 18th-century English writer.
Be kind and compassionate to one another. Ephesians 4:32
Here’s the good news: Anyone can become kind. We may be incapable of preaching an inspiring sermon, fielding hard questions, or evangelizing vast numbers, but we can all be kind.
How? Through prayer. It is the only way to soften our hearts. “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil [or harsh]” (Ps. 141:3–4).
In a world in which love has grown cold, a kindness that comes from the heart of God is one of the most helpful and healing things we can offer to others.
Forgive me, Lord, when I bring anger into a situation. Soften my heart and help me use my words to encourage others.
Read words from Oswald Chambers at utmost.org
The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Building Now What You'll Live In Later - #7802
My wife was just a girl when her grandparents down the road started building a little farmstead to live in. Because she had expressed a desire to be a missionary someday, Granddad thought she needed to know how to do things for herself – including laying block for a building. So, she got to help lay the block for her grandparents' house. Well, in the amazing, surprising ways of God, we ended up getting to live in that house many years after it was built. I used to kid her that the crooked blocks are the ones she did!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Building Now What You'll Live In Later."
My wife could have never imagined it what she built as a girl she would one day live in! But then, aren't our lives like that? We live in tomorrow whatever we build today.
That's exactly what the Bible says in that famous statement in Galatians 6:7. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." What you're planting today, you'll be eating in the future; what you're building today, you'll be living in later on. You know, in a very real way, the life you're living right now, the things you love and the things you hate, it's the harvest of the choices you made months ago or years ago, right? Except you may not have realized at the time what the choices were that you were making or the significance of them. You were actually building your future. You were choosing a road. See, that's why it's so important to realize it now. I mean, to realize about the choices you're making at this point in your life!
What you do with your body, what you do to your body now you're going to be living with down the road. Right? The way you treat your parents, the way you treat your children, the way you treat the other people in your personal world – you'll be living with that in your relationships for a long time to come. You will reap what you sow, you'll reap the sacrifices you're making, you'll reap the appreciation you're expressing, the generosity you're showing. You'll also reap the criticism you give, the sarcasm, the meanness, the harshness, the hurting words and the neglect. Oh yeah, they'll come back to you.
The way you talk to people, the way you talk about people – I hope it's something you'll want to live with in the years to come. Your words are seed you sow, and later you'll be living with the harvest of those words – a beautiful harvest or a bitter harvest. And one thing we're all building, for better or for worse, is a reputation. You're developing a reputation right now for trustworthiness or unreliability, for honesty or deceitfulness, for moral purity or moral laxity, for consistency or inconsistency. And much of what you get in the future will be the harvest of the kind of reputation that you're building today. You really do reap what you sow.
So don't compromise just to get out of a jam, or to get a quick fix, or to cover up something, or to meet a need today in a way that you're going to regret tomorrow. Draw out the lines of the choices you're making. Where's this going to take me? Am I going to end up where I want to end up? I'll be meeting what I'm sowing today later on. So, live openly, live honestly, and live gently.
Jesus gave us great advice in Luke 14 about all decisions. He said, "First sit down and estimate the cost." So someday you'll be living in what you're building today. So, come on! Build something that will last, and build something you'll want to live in for a long time.
No day is accidental or incidental. No acts are random or wasted. Look at Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem. A king ordered a census. Joseph was forced to travel. Mary, as round as a ladybug, bounced on a donkey’s back. The hotel was full. The hour was late. The event was one big hassle. Yet out of the hassle, hope was born. It still is.
I don’t like hassles. But I love Christmas because it reminds us of the heart-shaping promises of Christmas. Long after the guests have left, and the carolers have gone home, and the lights have come down these promises endure: God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God. Perhaps you could use some Christmas this Christmas?
From Because of Bethlehem
Hosea 12
Ephraim, obsessed with god-fantasies,
chases ghosts and phantoms.
He tells lies nonstop,
soul-destroying lies.
Both Ephraim and Judah made deals with Assyria
and tried to get an inside track with Egypt.
God is bringing charges against Israel.
Jacob’s children are hauled into court to be punished.
In the womb, that heel, Jacob, got the best of his brother.
When he grew up, he tried to get the best of God.
But God would not be bested.
God bested him.
Brought to his knees,
Jacob wept and prayed.
God found him at Bethel.
That’s where he spoke with him.
God is God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
God-Revealed, God-Known.
6 What are you waiting for? Return to your God!
Commit yourself in love, in justice!
Wait for your God,
and don’t give up on him—ever!
7-8 The businessmen engage in wholesale fraud.
They love to rip people off!
Ephraim boasted, “Look, I’m rich!
I’ve made it big!
And look how well I’ve covered my tracks:
not a hint of fraud, not a sign of sin!”
9-11 “But not so fast! I’m God, your God!
Your God from the days in Egypt!
I’m going to put you back to living in tents,
as in the old days when you worshiped in the wilderness.
I speak through the prophets
to give clear pictures of the way things are.
Using prophets, I tell revealing stories.
I show Gilead rampant with religious scandal
and Gilgal teeming with empty-headed religion.
I expose their worship centers as
stinking piles of garbage in their gardens.”
12-14 Are you going to repeat the life of your ancestor Jacob?
He ran off guilty to Aram,
Then sold his soul to get ahead,
and made it big through treachery and deceit.
Your real identity is formed through God-sent prophets,
who led you out of Egypt and served as faithful pastors.
As it is, Ephraim has continually
and inexcusably insulted God.
Now he has to pay for his life-destroying ways.
His Master will do to him what he has done.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Read: Psalm 141:1–4
1-2 God, come close. Come quickly!
Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;
my raised hands are my evening prayers.
3-7 Post a guard at my mouth, God,
set a watch at the door of my lips.
Don’t let me so much as dream of evil
or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.
And these people who only do wrong—
don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk!
May the Just One set me straight,
may the Kind One correct me,
Don’t let sin anoint my head.
I’m praying hard against their evil ways!
Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff;
make them face the music.
Like a rock pulverized by a maul,
let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.
INSIGHT:
One of the experiences that shaped David's life—and his psalms—was his time as a refugee from a homicidal King Saul. David had two opportunities to usher in the fulfillment of his anointing as king by killing Saul (chs. 24, 26), and both times he was encouraged to do so by some of his followers. However, he did not kill Saul but left the situation in God’s hands. It may be these instances specifically that are at the root of the words of Psalm 141. The God who gave David strength to avoid evil deeds continues to offer help to us when we are faced with temptation. When have you asked God to help you resist a temptation in your life?
Constant Kindness
By David Roper
Be kind and compassionate to one another. Ephesians 4:32
When I was a child I was an ardent reader of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books. I recently came across Rinkitink in Oz with all the original artwork. I laughed again at the antics of Baum's irrepressible, good-hearted King Rinkitink with his down-to-earth goodness. Young Prince Inga described him best: “His heart is kind and gentle and that is far better than being wise."
How simple and how sensible! Yet who has not wounded the heart of someone dear to us by a harsh word? By doing so, we disturb the peace and quiet of the hour and we can undo much of the good we have done toward those we love. "A small unkindness is a great offense,” said Hannah More, an 18th-century English writer.
Be kind and compassionate to one another. Ephesians 4:32
Here’s the good news: Anyone can become kind. We may be incapable of preaching an inspiring sermon, fielding hard questions, or evangelizing vast numbers, but we can all be kind.
How? Through prayer. It is the only way to soften our hearts. “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil [or harsh]” (Ps. 141:3–4).
In a world in which love has grown cold, a kindness that comes from the heart of God is one of the most helpful and healing things we can offer to others.
Forgive me, Lord, when I bring anger into a situation. Soften my heart and help me use my words to encourage others.
Read words from Oswald Chambers at utmost.org
The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Building Now What You'll Live In Later - #7802
My wife was just a girl when her grandparents down the road started building a little farmstead to live in. Because she had expressed a desire to be a missionary someday, Granddad thought she needed to know how to do things for herself – including laying block for a building. So, she got to help lay the block for her grandparents' house. Well, in the amazing, surprising ways of God, we ended up getting to live in that house many years after it was built. I used to kid her that the crooked blocks are the ones she did!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Building Now What You'll Live In Later."
My wife could have never imagined it what she built as a girl she would one day live in! But then, aren't our lives like that? We live in tomorrow whatever we build today.
That's exactly what the Bible says in that famous statement in Galatians 6:7. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." What you're planting today, you'll be eating in the future; what you're building today, you'll be living in later on. You know, in a very real way, the life you're living right now, the things you love and the things you hate, it's the harvest of the choices you made months ago or years ago, right? Except you may not have realized at the time what the choices were that you were making or the significance of them. You were actually building your future. You were choosing a road. See, that's why it's so important to realize it now. I mean, to realize about the choices you're making at this point in your life!
What you do with your body, what you do to your body now you're going to be living with down the road. Right? The way you treat your parents, the way you treat your children, the way you treat the other people in your personal world – you'll be living with that in your relationships for a long time to come. You will reap what you sow, you'll reap the sacrifices you're making, you'll reap the appreciation you're expressing, the generosity you're showing. You'll also reap the criticism you give, the sarcasm, the meanness, the harshness, the hurting words and the neglect. Oh yeah, they'll come back to you.
The way you talk to people, the way you talk about people – I hope it's something you'll want to live with in the years to come. Your words are seed you sow, and later you'll be living with the harvest of those words – a beautiful harvest or a bitter harvest. And one thing we're all building, for better or for worse, is a reputation. You're developing a reputation right now for trustworthiness or unreliability, for honesty or deceitfulness, for moral purity or moral laxity, for consistency or inconsistency. And much of what you get in the future will be the harvest of the kind of reputation that you're building today. You really do reap what you sow.
So don't compromise just to get out of a jam, or to get a quick fix, or to cover up something, or to meet a need today in a way that you're going to regret tomorrow. Draw out the lines of the choices you're making. Where's this going to take me? Am I going to end up where I want to end up? I'll be meeting what I'm sowing today later on. So, live openly, live honestly, and live gently.
Jesus gave us great advice in Luke 14 about all decisions. He said, "First sit down and estimate the cost." So someday you'll be living in what you're building today. So, come on! Build something that will last, and build something you'll want to live in for a long time.
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