Hebrews 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: AS WE LIVE WITH JESUS - April 23, 2024

I’m reading from Acts 4:13 (NKJV). “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

What set Peter and John apart was the fact that they had been with Jesus. Could you use some high-octane boldness? Could you use some courage? Are you being criticized, mocked, persecuted? If so, imitate the disciples. Linger long and offend in the presence of Christ. Meditate on his grace. Ponder his love. Memorize his words. Gaze into his face. Talk to him. Courage comes as we live with Jesus.

 Hebrews 2

 It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

The Salvation Pioneer

5–9  God didn’t put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we’re dealing with here. It says in Scripture,

What is man and woman that you bother with them;

why take a second look their way?

You made them not quite as high as angels,

bright with Eden’s dawn light;

Then you put them in charge

of your entire handcrafted world.

When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. But we don’t see it yet, don’t see everything under human jurisdiction. What we do see is Jesus, made “not quite as high as angels,” and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory “bright with Eden’s dawn light.” In that death, by God’s grace, he fully experienced death in every person’s place.

10–13  It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family, saying,

I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters,

all I know about you;

I’ll join them in worship and praise to you.

Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says,

Even I live by placing my trust in God.

And yet again,

I’m here with the children God gave me.

14–15  Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

16–18  It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Today's Scripture & Insight : John 16:25-33

“I’ve used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I’ll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I’ve revealed to you. I won’t continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won’t need to. Because you’ve gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father.”

29–30  His disciples said, “Finally! You’re giving it to us straight, in plain talk—no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything—it all comes together in you. You won’t have to put up with our questions anymore. We’re convinced you came from God.”

31–33  Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

Insight

Preparing His disciples for His arrest and death, Jesus warned that they too would face difficult times and persecution (John 15:20; 16:2, 32). Christ comforted His distraught disciples with the provision of heaven, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and His abiding presence and peace (chs. 14-16). Jesus offered them and us the much-needed gift of peace: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 nlt). Living in a world broken by sin and devastated by pain and suffering, we have God’s promised peace: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4). By: K. T. Sim

Jesus—The True Peacemaker

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. John 16:33

On December 30, 1862, the US Civil War raged. Union and Confederate troops camped seven hundred yards apart on opposing sides of Tennessee’s Stones River. As they warmed themselves around campfires, Union soldiers picked up their fiddles and harmonicas and began playing “Yankee Doodle.” In reply, the Confederate soldiers offered “Dixie.” Remarkably, both sides joined for a finale, playing “Home, Sweet Home” in unison. Sworn enemies shared music in the dark night, glimmers of an unimagined peace. The melodic truce was short-lived, however. The next morning, they put down their fiddles and picked up their rifles, and 24,645 soldiers died.

Our human efforts to create peace inevitably wear thin. Hostilities cease in one place, only to ignite somewhere else. One relational dispute finds harmony, only to be embroiled in distress again months later. The Scriptures tell us that God is our only trustworthy peacemaker. Jesus said it plainly, “In me you . . . have peace” (John 16:33). We have peace in Jesus. While we participate in His peacemaking mission, it’s God’s reconciliation and renewal that make real peace possible.

Christ tells us we can’t escape conflict. “In this world [we] will have trouble,” Jesus says. Strife abounds. “But take heart!” He adds, “I have overcome the world” (v. 33). While our efforts often prove futile, our loving God (v. 27) makes peace in this fractious world. By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

Where do you see humans working for peace? How is God’s peacemaking different?

Dear God, please show me the way of peace.

For further study, read Finding Peace in a Troubled World.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

The Worship of Work

For we are co-workers in God’s service. — 1 Corinthians 3:9

Beware of any work you do for God that allows you to avoid concentrating on him. A great many Christian workers worship their work. The one concern of a Christian worker should be concentration on God, and this will mean that all the facets of life—physical, mental, moral, and spiritual—are free. They are free with the freedom of a child—a worshipping child, not a wayward child. A worker without this solemn, ruling note of concentration on God is likely to be crushed by work, to have no delight in life, no margin of freedom in body, mind, or spirit. The nerves, mind, and heart become so crushingly burdened that God’s blessing cannot settle.

Yet the opposite is just as true. Once your concentration is fixed on God, all the facets of your life are free because they are under God’s dominion. There is no responsibility on you for your work. The only responsibility you have is to keep in living, constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to interfere with your cooperation with him.

The freedom that follows sanctification is the freedom of the child. Once you are born again in the Spirit, you find that the things that used to keep your life pinned down are gone. But be careful to remember that you have been set free for one thing only: to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker.

We have no right to judge where we should be placed in God’s service. We have no right to our preconceived ideas about what God is preparing us for. God engineers everything. Wherever he puts us, our one great aim is to pour out wholehearted devotion to him in that particular work.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

2 Samuel 16-18; Luke 17:20-37

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Making God Cry - #9727

Now, men can handle conflict, and they can handle confrontation, they can handle challenges, but they can't handle tears. You know, most men, tears are like the toughest thing for them to take. But you know something? Tears are a powerful language; they're very powerful. They have a language of their own. Oftentimes when someone is counseling with us and they're crying, I will ask them the question, "Can you tell me what your tears are trying to say?" See, when I see your tears, I know how deeply I may have hurt you. Did you know that we can do that to God?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Making God Cry."

Our word for today from the Word of God is in Ephesians 4 - I'm going to start with verse 30. Here's what it says: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Now you notice here that it is actually possible to make the Holy Spirit grieve, or to cry as it were.

Now, you say, "What in the world would be so bad that I would do that would actually make God the Holy Spirit cry?" Well, the answer to that is in the verse that immediately precedes it, Ephesians 4:29. Here's what it says: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen." In other words God is saying here that when we say something that tears down another person, we make Him cry.

Many years ago, my youngest son had an erector set, and occasionally he built these monumental, high-towering (not always real stable) structures in our living room. Could you imagine if his big brother had come in (and I'm glad he didn't), but if he had come in and said, "Hey, boy, that's really nice!" and gave it one swift kick and knocked down what he had been taking hours to build? Well, you would expect the guy to be in tears because someone tore down what he was building.

Well, see, God knows that feeling. That's what He's talking about here. He's saying, "You know, I'm trying to build that husband of yours; I'm trying to build that wife of yours; that son or daughter, that friend, that coworker, those folks at church. I'm doing things in their life.

I've paid a high price for them; I've been doing all kinds of work and craftsmanship; I've been bringing things into their life to make them strong, and more confident, and more patient, more understanding of how valuable they are. I've been bringing things into their life to make them more gentle and more caring. And now you have come along, with a thoughtless word, with a put-down, with your sarcasm, with some attempt to manipulate them with guilt or shame. You've come in now with your destructive words, you have kicked down what I was building." That's what God is saying.

Your anger will do it. Gossip tears down people God is trying to build. Proverbs tells us that "Reckless words pierce like a sword, and the tongue has the power of life and death." Comparing someone to other people will do it, criticizing people will do it. And isn't it amazing that God's heart is broken with our words that hurt other people?

David prayed a great prayer, and it is a great one for all of us to echo, probably on a daily basis. I probably need to echo it several times a day. He simply said, "Lord, set a watch before my mouth." Put a guard there. Be very careful to never tear down someone that God is building.

Jeremiah 48, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD’S STRATEGY FOR HUMAN HURT - April 22, 2024

Bzuneh Tulema lives in Ethiopia. Just a few years ago he and his wife were so consumed with alcohol that they farmed out their kids to neighbors and resigned themselves to a drunken demise. But then someone saw them. A member of an area church shared Jesus with them. Then Meskerem Trango, a World Vision worker, arranged a loan through the World Vision microfinance department. Within a year Bzuneh had repaid the loan, built his house, and reclaimed his kids.

Could this be God’s strategy for human hurt? Kind eyes meet desperate ones, strong hands help weak ones, then the miracle of God. We do our small part, he does the big part, and life begins again.

Jeremiah 48

Get Out While You Can!

1–10  48 The Message on Moab from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel:

“Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground!

Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated,

The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill,

Moab’s glory—dust and ashes.

Conspirators plot Heshbon’s doom:

‘Come, let’s wipe Moab off the map.’

Dungface Dimon will loudly lament,

as killing follows killing.

Listen! A cry out of Horonaim:

‘Disaster—doom and more doom!’

Moab will be shattered.

Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar.

Up the ascent of Luhith

climbers weep,

And down the descent from Horonaim,

cries of loss and devastation.

Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can!

Survive by your wits in the wild!

You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes?

But it won’t help you now.

Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off,

his priests and managers with him.

A wrecker will wreck every city.

Not a city will survive.

The valley fields will be ruined,

the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you.

Cover the land of Moab with salt.

Make sure nothing ever grows here again.

Her towns will all be ghost towns.

Nobody will ever live here again.

Sloppy work in God’s name is cursed,

and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword.

11–17  “Moab has always taken it easy—

lazy as a dog in the sun,

Never had to work for a living,

never faced any trouble,

Never had to grow up,

never once worked up a sweat.

But those days are a thing of the past.

I’ll put him to work at hard labor.

That will wake him up to the world of hard knocks.

That will smash his illusions.

Moab will be as ashamed of god Chemosh

as Israel was ashamed of her Bethel calf-gods,

the calf-gods she thought were so great.

For how long do you think you’ll be saying, ‘We’re tough.

We can beat anyone anywhere’?

The destruction of Moab has already begun.

Her choice young soldiers are lying dead right now.”

The King’s Decree—

his full name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

“Yes. Moab’s doom is on countdown,

disaster targeted and launched.

Weep for Moab, friends and neighbors,

all who know how famous he’s been.

Lament, ‘His mighty scepter snapped in two like a toothpick,

that magnificent royal staff!’

18–20  “Come down from your high horse, pampered beauty of Dibon.

Sit in dog dung.

The destroyer of Moab will come against you.

He’ll wreck your safe, secure houses.

Stand on the roadside,

pampered women of Aroer.

Interview the refugees who are running away.

Ask them, ‘What’s happened? And why?’

Moab will be an embarrassing memory, nothing left of the place.

Wail and weep your eyes out!

Tell the bad news along the Arnon river.

Tell the world that Moab is no more.

21–24  “My judgment will come to the plateau cities: on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath; on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim; on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon; on Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of Moab, far and near.

25  “Moab’s link to power is severed.

Moab’s arm is broken.” God’s Decree.

The Sheer Nothingness of Moab

26–27  “Turn Moab into a drunken sot, drunk on the wine of my wrath, a dung-faced drunk, filling the country with vomit—Moab a falling-down drunk, a joke in bad taste. Wasn’t it you, Moab, who made crude jokes over Israel? And when they were caught in bad company, didn’t you cluck and gossip and snicker?

28  “Leave town! Leave! Look for a home in the cliffs,

you who grew up in Moab.

Try living like a dove

who nests high in the river gorge.

29–33  “We’ve all heard of Moab’s pride,

that legendary pride,

The strutting, bullying, puffed-up pride,

the insufferable arrogance.

I know”—God’s Decree—“his rooster-crowing pride,

the inflated claims, the sheer nothingness of Moab.

But I will weep for Moab,

yes, I will mourn for the people of Moab.

I will even mourn for the people of Kir-heres.

I’ll weep for the grapevines of Sibmah

and join Jazer in her weeping—

Grapevines that once reached the Dead Sea

with tendrils as far as Jazer.

Your summer fruit and your bursting grapes

will be looted by brutal plunderers,

Lush Moab stripped

of song and laughter.

And yes, I’ll shut down the winepresses,

stop all the shouts and hurrahs of harvest.

34  “Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, and the people in Jahaz will hear the cries. They will hear them all the way from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim will be dried up.

35  “I will put a stop in Moab”—God’s Decree—“to all hiking to the high places to offer burnt sacrifices to the gods.

36  “My heart moans for Moab, for the men of Kir-heres, like soft flute sounds carried by the wind. They’ve lost it all. They’ve got nothing.

37  “Everywhere you look are signs of mourning:

heads shaved, beards cut,

Hands scratched and bleeding,

clothes ripped and torn.

38  “In every house in Moab there’ll be loud lamentation, on every street in Moab, loud lamentation. As with a pottery jug that no one wants, I’ll smash Moab to bits.” God’s Decree.

39  “Moab ruined!

Moab shamed and ashamed to be seen!

Moab a cruel joke!

The stark horror of Moab!”

40–42  God’s verdict on Moab. Indeed!

“Look! An eagle is about to swoop down

and spread its wings over Moab.

The towns will be captured,

the fortresses taken.

Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight,

like a woman giving birth to a baby.

There’ll be nothing left of Moab, nothing at all,

because of his defiant arrogance against me.

43–44  “Terror and pit and trap

are what you have facing you, Moab.” God’s Decree.

“A man running in terror

will fall into a trap.

A man climbing out of a pit

will be caught in a trap.

This is my agenda for Moab

on doomsday.” God’s Decree.

45–47  “On the outskirts of Heshbon,

refugees will pull up short, worn out.

Fire will flame high from Heshbon,

a firestorm raging from the capital of Sihon’s kingdom.

It will burn off Moab’s eyebrows,

will scorch the skull of the braggarts.

That’s all for you, Moab!

You worshipers of Chemosh will be finished off!

Your sons will be trucked off to prison camps;

your daughters will be herded into exile.

But yet there’s a day that’s coming

when I’ll put things right in Moab.

“For now, that’s the judgment on Moab.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, April 22, 2024

Today's Scripture

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

Why Am I Working Like a Dog?

I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business.

9–10  It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

11  Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

12  By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

Insight

Along with Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes is classified as one of the Wisdom books of Scripture. Wisdom books, which emphasize the supreme value of fearing God (Ecclesiastes 8:13; 12:13), help the reader navigate the good and not-so-good—the bitter and sweet of this life—from God’s perspective and to trust Him. Given Wisdom Literature’s goal—to help its readers to “live skillfully”—it shouldn’t surprise us to find numerous occurrences in the book of Ecclesiastes of the word better or the phrase better than. The comparative value of wisdom is stressed in passages such as “Wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness” (2:13); “Wisdom is better than strength” (9:16); “Wisdom is better than weapons of war” (9:18). We also see this emphasis in Proverbs: “For she [wisdom] is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold” (3:14).

Discover the life-changing wisdom of Ecclesiastes. By: Arthur Jackson

Community in Christ

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

“I knew that the only way to succeed was to forget about home and my wife, son, and daughter,” said Jordon. “I’ve found I can’t do that. They’re woven into the fabric of my heart and soul.” Alone in a remote area, Jordon was participating in a reality show where contestants are asked to survive outdoors with minimal supplies for as long as possible. What forced him to forfeit was not the grizzly bears, freezing temperatures, injury, or hunger, but an overwhelming loneliness and desire to be with his family.

We might have all the survival skills necessary for the wilderness, but separating ourselves from community is a sure way to fail. The wise author of Ecclesiastes said, “Two are better than one, because . . . one can help the other up” (4:9-10). Christ-honoring community, even with all its messiness, is essential to our thriving. We don’t stand a chance against the trials of this world if we try to tackle them on our own. Someone who toils alone, toils in vain (v. 8). Without community, we’re more susceptible to danger (vv. 11-12). Unlike a single thread, “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (v. 12). The gift of a loving, Christ-focused community is one that not only provides encouragement, but also gives us strength to thrive despite challenging situations. We need each other. By:  Karen Pimpo

Reflect & Pray

How can you commit to spending time with the family of believers? Who around you is isolated and in need?

Father, thank You for the gift of community! Open my heart to love and spend time with others today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, April 22, 2024

The Light That Never Fails

And we all … with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory. — 2 Corinthians 3:18

Servants of God must stand so much alone that they never know they are alone. In the first phase of Christian life, disheartenments come. People who are bright lights for us flicker out; those who stand with us pass away. We have to get used to this—so used to it that no matter what happens, we never feel we are standing alone.

“Everyone deserted me… But the Lord stood at my side” (2 Timothy 4:16–17). We must build our faith on the light that never fails, not on the light that fades. When “great” men and women go, we are sad— until we see that they were meant to go, and that the only thing that remains is looking on the face of God for ourselves.

Allow nothing to keep you from looking God squarely in the face about yourself and your doctrine. Every time you preach, every time you pray, every time you testify, look God in the face first. Seek his mind on your subject before you begin and his glory will sound in every word. A Christian disciple is one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people. Moses, when he’d been with God, “was not aware that his face was radiant” (Exodus 34:29). That unconscious glory is characteristic of the one who ministers for Christ. The secret of our life as disciples is that we keep in tune with God all the time.

2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, April 22, 2024

Temporary Pain, Permanent Gain - #9726

One day some years ago during the lunch hour, my Administrative Assistant decided to bring her two young nephews into the office. She wanted them to meet the people she worked with and vise-versa. Daniel was probably about five, and I'm sure he left wondering who that weird guy is that his aunt works with. See, when I met Daniel, he flashed a big smile. He revealed some missing teeth in the process and I asked him what happened. He said, "I lost those teeth."

I told Daniel I was sorry he lost them and I wanted to help him find them, after which I got down on the floor and proceeded to crawl around looking for them. Mercifully he told me I didn't have to keep looking. He said he didn't mind losing those teeth. He said, "Hey, I got permanent ones!"

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Temporary Pain, Permanent Gain."

The first time a child loses a tooth it can be pretty disconcerting. But every child quickly learns that this is no big problem. You lose the temporary, but you're going to be trading it for the permanent.

Our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 4:14 and 16. This is the perspective of a man who has been severely hammered and he's got the scars to prove it physically and emotionally. He opens by saying, "We do not lose heart." Now, how can he be unsinkable like this when there's so much hardship and pain? He says, "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

Now, you might be going through a pretty low time right now and you're sinking physically, or financially, or emotionally. Wouldn't it be nice to know what Paul's secret of daily renewal is? Well, it's sort of the Daniel with the missing teeth perspective. Paul goes on to say, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes, not only on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary. But what is unseen is eternal."

Paul's telling us that when you feel the weight of heavy trouble, get out your scale. Put your troubles on one side; put your eternal rewards on the other and the scale will go "boom" on the side of the blessings - the rewards - because your eternity with your Savior far outweighs any pain now. In fact, Paul says in Romans 8:18, "Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." If you focus on what's going to last forever rather than what's going to last for just a little while. That's what's so wonderful about the promise of God's heaven with no pain, no tears, no sin.

It's wonderful to hear about the prospect of God's unimaginable rewards for those who remain faithful to Him even in the darkest hours. Listen to 1 Corinthians 2:9 - "No one has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." That's what you focus on. When you focus on the temporary hurt, you're vulnerable to try to do something or anything to relieve your pain, often making a permanent mistake to get through some temporary pain. But you don't have to do that when your eye is on the prize, not on the pain.

This is only temporary and nothing compares to what you're going to have forever.

You know the wonderful thing that Jesus did when He came? He added a word to the word life - everlasting. He added eternity to our possibilities for what our future will be. You will spend eternity either with or without this Jesus. And today, knowing your pain, knowing your hurt, knowing your sin, He stands ready to come into your life and forgive the sins that He died for and give you a fresh start and carry the burden with you from now on.

If you've never begun a relationship with Him, tell Him you want to do that today. Go to our website and we'll show you how to be sure you belong to him - ANewStory.com. Because everything changes when you know that this life isn't all you have. You've got an eternity with God ahead of you.

Jeremiah 47, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: He Invites You In

If you were told you were free to enter the Oval Office at the White House, you’d shake your head and chuckle, “You’re one brick short of a load, buddy.” Multiply your disbelief by a thousand, and you’ll have an idea how a Jew would feel if someone told him he could enter the Holy of Holies–a part of the Temple no one could enter except the high priest and then only one day a year. Why? Because the glory of God was present there.

God is holy, and we are sinners, and there is a distance between us. Like Job we say, “If only there were a mediator who could bring us together.” 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Jesus Christ.”

God welcomes you. He’s not avoiding you. The door is open. God invites you in!

From He Chose the Nails

Jeremiah 47

It’s Doomsday for Philistines

1–5  47 God’s Message to the prophet Jeremiah regarding the Philistines just before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. This is what God says:

“Look out! Water will rise in the north country,

swelling like a river in flood.

The torrent will flood the land,

washing away city and citizen.

Men and women will scream in terror,

wails from every door and window,

As the thunder from the hooves of the horses will be heard,

the clatter of chariots, the banging of wheels.

Fathers, paralyzed by fear,

won’t even grab up their babies

Because it will be doomsday for Philistines, one and all,

no hope of help for Tyre and Sidon.

God will finish off the Philistines,

what’s left of those from the island of Crete.

Gaza will be shaved bald as an egg,

Ashkelon struck dumb as a post.

You’re on your last legs.

How long will you keep flailing?

6  “Oh, Sword of God,

how long will you keep this up?

Return to your scabbard.

Haven’t you had enough? Can’t you call it quits?

7  “But how can it quit

when I, God, command the action?

I’ve ordered it to cut down

Ashkelon and the seacoast.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 20:11-17

 Young people eventually reveal by their actions

if their motives are on the up and up.

Drinking from the Chalice of Knowledge

12  Ears that hear and eyes that see—

we get our basic equipment from God!

13  Don’t be too fond of sleep; you’ll end up in the poorhouse.

Wake up and get up; then there’ll be food on the table.

14  The shopper says, “That’s junk—I’ll take it off your hands,”

then goes off boasting of the bargain.

15  Drinking from the beautiful chalice of knowledge

is better than adorning oneself with gold and rare gems.

16  Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger;

beware of accepting what a transient has pawned.

17  Stolen bread tastes sweet,

but soon your mouth is full of gravel.

Insight

It might seem difficult to detect a theme to the proverbs in chapter 20, but theologian John E. Goldingay identifies one. Noting the difficulty of finding good examples of individual integrity, he points out that “openness is not common (v. 5), . . . and human evasiveness is difficult to penetrate (v. 15).” We must keep in mind that the Proverbs don’t always tell us how to live; sometimes they’re observations about life—for instance, “the buyer” who considers a product yet disparages its value in order to bargain for a lower price (v. 14). Solomon, who wrote many of the Proverbs, isn’t advising us to imitate this dishonest bartering tactic; rather, this is his observation of human nature. Goldingay suggests that verse 5 is key to understanding the chapter: “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” By: Tim Gustafson

Bitterness of Stolen Sweets

Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel. Proverbs 20:17

Thieves in Germany stole a truck’s refrigerated trailer filled with more than twenty tons of chocolate. The estimated worth of the stolen sweetness was $80,000. Local police asked anyone who was offered large quantities of chocolate via unconventional channels to report it immediately. Surely those who stole the massive amount of sweets will be facing bitter and unsatisfying consequences if they’re caught and prosecuted!

Proverbs confirms this principle: “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel” (20:17). Things we acquire deceptively or wrongfully may seem to be sweet at first—seasoned with excitement and temporary enjoyment. But the flavor will eventually wear off and our deception will lead to our being left wanting and in trouble. The bitter consequences of guilt, fear, and sin can end up ruining our lives and reputations. “Even small children are known by their actions, [if] their conduct [is] really pure and upright” (v. 11). May our words and actions reveal a pure heart for God—not the bitterness of selfish desires.

When we’re tempted, let’s ask God to strengthen us and help us remain faithful to Him. He can help us look behind the short-term “sweetness” of giving in to temptation and guide us to carefully consider the long-term consequences of our choices. By:  Marvin Williams

Reflect & Pray

When has temptation led to bitter consequences for you? How can you remain faithful to God?

Dear God, I need Your strength to fight temptation and remain faithful to You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Now Don’t Hurt the Lord!

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” — John 14:9

Our Lord must be repeatedly astonished by us—by how un-simple we are. We complicate the simple things God shows us by adding in opinions of our own, and it is opinions of our own that lead us into

confusion. When we are simple, our sight is clear, and we discern what’s before us all the time.

Philip expected the revelation of a tremendous mystery, but not in the Person who was standing before him. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father.” Jesus replied, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8–9). Philip couldn’t see what was right before his eyes. He couldn’t grasp that the mystery of God lies in what is, not in what will be. Philip expected the mystery to reveal itself soon, in some cataclysmic event; he didn’t expect it now. Jesus set him right, saying in essence, “God is here now—always here, or nowhere.”

We look for God to manifest himself to his children, but God only manifests himself in his children. Others see the manifestation; the child of God does not. We want to be conscious of God, but we cannot be conscious of our consciousness and stay sane. If we are constantly asking God to give us conscious experiences, we are hurting our Lord. The very questions we ask hurt Jesus because they are not the simple questions of a child.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). Am I hurting Jesus by allowing my heart to be troubled? If I believe in Jesus and his character, am I living up to my belief? Am I allowing something to disturb my heart, asking myself morbid questions? I have to get to the steadfast relationship with Jesus that takes everything he gives as it comes.

God never guides soon, always now. Realize that the Lord is here now, and his revelation is immediate.

2 Samuel 12-13; Luke 16

Hebrews 1, Bible Reading and Devotionals.

 Max Lucado Daily: We’re God’s Idea

‘I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  Psalm 139:14”

We’re God’s idea.  His face.  His eyes.  His hands.  His touch.  We are him!

Look deeply into the face of every human being on earth and you’ll see his likeness.  Though some appear to be distant relatives, they’re not.  God has no cousins, only children.

You aren’t an accident or an incident; you’re a gift to the world.  A divine work of art—signed by God.

One of the best gifts I ever received is a football jersey signed by thirty former professional quarterbacks.  For all I know it was bought at a discount sports store.  What makes it unique are the signatures.

The same is true with us.  What makes us special is not our body, but the signature of God on our lives.  We’re his works of art, created in his image.

Significant, not because of what we do, but because of whose we are!

‘I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  Psalm 139:14”

Hebrews 1

Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!

The Son Is Higher than Angels

3–6  After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule. Did God ever say to an angel, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you” or “I’m his Father, he’s my Son”? When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, “All angels must worship him.”

7  Regarding angels he says,

The messengers are winds,

the servants are tongues of fire.

8–9  But he says to the Son,

You’re God, and on the throne for good;

your rule makes everything right.

You love it when things are right;

you hate it when things are wrong.

That is why God, your God,

poured fragrant oil on your head,

Marking you out as king,

far above your dear companions.

10–12  And again to the Son,

You, Master, started it all, laid earth’s foundations,

then crafted the stars in the sky.

Earth and sky will wear out, but not you;

they become threadbare like an old coat;

You’ll fold them up like a worn-out cloak,

and lay them away on the shelf.

But you’ll stay the same, year after year;

you’ll never fade, you’ll never wear out.

13  And did he ever say anything like this to an angel?

Sit alongside me here on my throne

Until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.

14  Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Today's Scripture

Hebrews 12:14-17

  Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Insight

In Hebrews 12:14, the phrase “make every effort” translates one Greek word: dioko. The range of meaning includes ideas such as “to pursue” good or not-so-good things (see 2 Timothy 2:22); “to press on”; “to persecute” so as to harass or mistreat (see 3:12 [persecuted]). Three times in Philippians 3 dioko is used when Paul shares his personal testimony: “as for zeal, persecuting the church” (v. 6); “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (v. 12); “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (v. 14). The English Standard Version’s rendering of Hebrews 12:14 highlights a twofold pursuit: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” As it concerns our relationships with others, harmony and holiness are worthy of our pursuit and prayers—even when such efforts aren’t reciprocated. By: Arthur Jackson

Family Matters

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. Hebrews 12:14

My sister, brother, and I flew from our separate states to our uncle’s funeral and stopped to see our ninety-year-old grandmother. She’d been paralyzed by a stroke, had lost the ability to speak, and had only the use of her right hand. As we stood around her bed, she reached out that hand and took each of our hands, placing one atop another over her heart and patted them in place. With this wordless gesture, my grandmother spoke into what had been our somewhat broken and distant sibling relationship. “Family matters.”

In God’s family, the church, we can grow apart as well. We might allow bitterness to separate us from each other. The writer of Hebrews references the bitterness that separated Esau from his brother (Hebrews 12:16) and challenges us as brothers and sisters to hold on to each other in God’s family. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone” (v. 14). Here the words every effort convey a deliberate and decisive investment in peacemaking with our brothers and sisters in God’s family. Every such effort is then applied to everyone. Every. One.

Family matters. Both our earthly families and God’s family of believers. Might we all invest the efforts needed to hold on to each other? By:  Elisa Morgan

Reflect & Pray

What would it mean for you to “make every effort to live in peace with everyone” in God’s family? Is there a particular person you might need to approach for reconciliation?

Dear God, thank You for drawing me to Yourself. Help me to make every effort to live at peace with everyone in Your family.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, April 20, 2024

To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. — 2 Corinthians 1:20

Jesus told the parable of the bags of gold as a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our own abilities. The parable doesn’t concern natural gifts; it concerns the gift of the Holy Spirit. We must not measure our spiritual abilities by our natural abilities. Spiritual capacity has nothing to do with intellect or education; it is measured by the promises of God.

If we get less, spiritually speaking, than God wants us to have, sooner or later we will slander him. We will say to God, “You expect more of me than you’ve given me power to do.” Or, “I can’t be true to you where you’ve placed me.” Never say, “I can’t” when it’s a question of God’s almighty Spirit. Never let your natural limitations factor in. If we’ve received the Holy Spirit, God expects the work of the Holy Spirit to be manifested in us, no matter what.

In the parable, the unworthy servant tries to justify himself at every turn. He slanders his master, complaining that his master’s demands are too high and expressing doubts and worries about what he’s been asked to do (Matthew 25:24). Have we been slandering God by daring to worry? Have we forgotten Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you”? Worrying means exactly what the unworthy servant implied: “I know you intend to leave me high and dry.” The person who is lazy is always full of anxious self-pity, always saying, “I haven’t been given a decent chance.” The person who is spiritually lazy is like this with God.

Never forget that your capacity in spiritual matters is measured by the promises of God. Is God able to fulfill his promises? How you answer depends on whether or not you’ve received the Holy Spirit.

2 Samuel 9-11; Luke 15:11-32

Jeremiah 46, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: STOP AT THE GATE - April 19, 2024

He sat near a gate called Beautiful. The man, however, was anything but. He couldn’t walk but had to drag himself about on his knees. “Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us!’” (Acts 3:4 NCV). The thick, meaty hand of the fisherman reached for the frail, thin one of the beggar. Peter lifted the man toward himself. The cripple stood and began to shout, and passersby began to stop. Peter explained that faith in Christ leads to a clean slate with God.

What Jesus did for the legs of the cripple, he does for our souls. Brand new! An honest look led to a helping hand that led to a conversation about eternity. Works done in God’s name long outlive our earthly lives. Let’s be the people who stop at the gate. Let’s look at the face until we see the person.

Jeremiah 46

You Vainly Collect Medicines

1  46 God’s Messages through the prophet Jeremiah regarding the godless nations.

2–5  The Message to Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt at the time it was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon while camped at Carchemish on the Euphrates River in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah:

“ ‘Present arms!

March to the front!

Harness the horses!

Up in the saddles!

Battle formation! Helmets on,

spears sharpened, armor in place!’

But what’s this I see?

They’re scared out of their wits!

They break ranks and run for cover.

Their soldiers panic.

They run this way and that,

stampeding blindly.

It’s total chaos, total confusion, danger everywhere!”

God’s Decree.

6  “The swiftest runners won’t get away,

the strongest soldiers won’t escape.

In the north country, along the River Euphrates,

they’ll stagger, stumble, and fall.

7–9  “Who is this like the Nile in flood?

like its streams torrential?

Why, it’s Egypt like the Nile in flood,

like its streams torrential,

Saying, ‘I’ll take over the world.

I’ll wipe out cities and peoples.’

Run, horses!

Roll, chariots!

Advance, soldiers

from Cush and Put with your shields,

Soldiers from Lud,

experts with bow and arrow.

10  “But it’s not your day. It’s the Master’s, me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies—

the day when I have it out with my enemies,

The day when Sword puts an end to my enemies,

when Sword exacts vengeance.

I, the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,

will pile them on an altar—a huge sacrifice!—

In the great north country,

along the mighty Euphrates.

11–12  “Oh, virgin Daughter Egypt,

climb into the mountains of Gilead, get healing balm.

You will vainly collect medicines,

for nothing will be able to cure what ails you.

The whole world will hear your anguished cries.

Your wails fill the earth,

As soldier falls against soldier

and they all go down in a heap.”

Egypt’s Army Slithers Like a Snake

13  The Message that God gave to the prophet Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was on his way to attack Egypt:

14  “Tell Egypt, alert Migdol,

post warnings in Noph and Tahpanhes:

‘Wake up! Be prepared!

War’s coming!’

15–19  “Why will your bull-god Apis run off?

Because God will drive him off.

Your ragtag army will fall to pieces.

The word is passing through the ranks,

‘Let’s get out of here while we still can.

Let’s head for home and save our skins.’

When they get home they’ll nickname Pharaoh

‘Big-Talk-Bad-Luck.’

As sure as I am the living God”

—the King’s Decree, God-of-the-Angel-Armies is his name—

“A conqueror is coming: like Tabor, singular among mountains;

like Carmel, jutting up from the sea!

So pack your bags for exile,

you coddled daughters of Egypt,

For Memphis will soon be nothing,

a vacant lot grown over with weeds.

20–21  “Too bad, Egypt, a beautiful sleek heifer

attacked by a horsefly from the north!

All her hired soldiers are stationed to defend her—

like well-fed calves they are.

But when their lives are on the line, they’ll run off,

cowards every one.

When the going gets tough,

they’ll take the easy way out.

22–24  “Egypt will slither and hiss like a snake

as the enemy army comes in force.

They will rush in, swinging axes

like lumberjacks cutting down trees.

They’ll level the country”—God’s Decree—“nothing

and no one standing for as far as you can see.

The invaders will be a swarm of locusts,

innumerable, past counting.

Daughter Egypt will be ravished,

raped by vandals from the north.”

25–26  God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Watch out when I visit doom on the god Amon of Thebes, Egypt and its gods and kings, Pharaoh and those who trust in him. I’ll turn them over to those who are out to kill them, to Nebuchadnezzar and his military. Egypt will be set back a thousand years. Eventually people will live there again.” God’s Decree.

27–28  “But you, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear.

Israel, there’s no need to worry.

Look up! I’ll save you from that far country,

I’ll get your children out of the land of exile.

Things are going to be normal again for Jacob,

safe and secure, smooth sailing.

Yes, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear.

Depend on it, I’m on your side.

I’ll finish off all the godless nations

among which I’ve scattered you,

But I won’t finish you off.

I have more work left to do on you.

I’ll punish you, but fairly.

No, I’m not finished with you yet.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, April 19, 2024

Today's Scripture

2 Chronicles 20:21-26

After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing,

Give thanks to God,

His love never quits.

22–23  As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead. The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed.

24  As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies—not a living soul among them.

25–26  When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away! On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed God (that’s how it got the name, Valley of Blessing).

Insight

Militarily threatened by a large enemy coalition (2 Chronicles 20:1-2), Jehoshaphat turned to God for help (vv. 3-13). God assured His people, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). Soon after God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt—with the Egyptian army in pursuit—Moses encouraged a terrified people, “Do not be afraid. . . . The Lord will fight for you” (Exodus 14:13-14). This promise, however, was contingent on their obedience and faithfulness. They were “to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all [their] heart and . . . soul” (Joshua 22:5; see 23:6-13). Jehoshaphat exhorted the people: “have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld” (2 Chronicles 20:20). By: K. T. Sim

The Valley of Praise

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah. 2 Chronicles 20:26

Poet William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life. After a suicide attempt, he was committed to an asylum. But it was there through the care of a Christian physician that Cowper came to a warm, vital faith in Jesus. Soon afterwards, Cowper became acquainted with pastor and hymnwriter John Newton, who encouraged him to collaborate on a hymnal for their church. Among the hymns Cowper wrote was “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” which contains these words pressed from the crucible of experience: “You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.”

Like Cowper, the people of Judah also met God’s kindness unexpectedly. As an alliance of armies invaded their nation, King Jehoshaphat gathered the people for prayer. As Judah’s army marched out, men in the front ranks praised God (2 Chronicles 20:21). The invading armies turned on themselves, and “no one . . . escaped. . . . There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it” (vv. 24-25).

On the fourth day, the very place where a hostile invading force gathered against God’s people was dubbed the Valley of Berakah (v. 26)—literally, “the valley of praise” or “blessing.” What a change! God’s mercy can turn even our most difficult valleys into places of praise as we give them to Him. By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen God bring good out of difficulty in your life? What can you thank Him for today?

I praise You, loving God, that no valley is deeper than Your love.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, April 19, 2024

Is It Unlikely?

Joab . . . had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom. — 1 Kings 2:28

Joab passed the big test: he remained loyal and true to David for nearly four decades, and he resisted the fascinating and ambitious Absalom. It might seem unlikely that a man of such proven integrity would ever turn his back on God. And yet, when David was on his deathbed, Joab conspired to help the scheming Adonijah seize the throne (1 Kings 1:1–7).

Always remain alert to the fact that where one has turned back, any may turn back. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Have you recently passed a big test of loyalty to God? Now is the time to pay attention to the details. “But,” you protest, “it’s not at all likely that I’ll turn back now—not after everything I’ve been through.” Don’t try to predict how temptation will come; peril lies in the least likely thing. It is in the aftermath of a great spiritual transaction that the sphere of the small and seemingly insignificant begins to exert itself. It doesn’t become dominant, but if we don’t remember that it is there, if we don’t remember to warn ourselves about it, it will trip us up.

If you’ve remained true to God under great and intense trials, now is the time to watch out for the undertow. Don’t become morbidly introspective, looking toward the future with dread. Just remain alert, keeping your memory bright before God. Unguarded strength is double weakness. The Bible characters fell on their strong points, never on their weak ones. “Shielded by God’s power” (1 Peter 1:5): that is the only safety.

2 Samuel 6-8; Luke 15:1-10

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, April 19, 2024

The Question That Settles the Questions - #9725

Well, as the years go by, we get more and more perspective on the presidency of Ronald Reagan. For example, people who were in his administration began writing books like crazy, telling everything they knew. And people, you know, have started to feel free to tell us what they saw, what they heard, especially behind the scenes.

It's kind of interesting to learn about the late President's style of leadership. One of his close associates told us about some of the major decisions that President Reagan had to make and how he approached them. He said, "When the decision was particularly tough, President Reagan would ask a key question." Now, don't laugh; this is serious. "What would John Wayne do?" That's right. Oh, now, we can laugh and say, "Oh, come on! What would John Wayne do?"

Well, whether or not you agree with all of President Reagan's decisions, I think we have to agree he made some good ones along the way that helped part of our economy, and helped resolve some very difficult international conflicts, and changed the world. Now, I don't know how much the John Wayne question contributed to the process, but President Reagan was on the track of the right kind of question anyway. Not just for his decisions, but for the ones that you're facing right now.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Question That Settles the Questions."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Peter 2:21, "To this you were called..." Wow! Okay, I guess here's your destiny. This is an important verse. "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps." Actually that word example in the original Greek in the New Testament? It's the word for the copy head that was on the top of a child's slate when he was learning to do the alphabet. So, like you make an A like the A you see at the top on the copy head. You make your B like the B at the top, and it will come out just right.

Well, this passage was written to some slaves with harsh masters. Now how should they respond? This is an unfair, painful situation they were in. Basically, Peter says, "Do what Jesus would do; copy Him. He gave you an example, now follow in His steps," which suggests the question that settles so many of life's questions. Not what would John Wayne do, with all respects to Ronald Reagan, but "What would Jesus do?"

Charles Sheldon wrote one of the great classics of Christian fiction years ago called In His Steps and it was based on this verse. It was about a community that was transformed because the people in one church made their bottom line that question, "What would Jesus do?" And the publisher of the newspaper said, "OK, what would Jesus do in a newspaper?" And a wealthy lady said, "Well, what would Jesus do about the poor in this town?" And the pastor said, "What would Jesus preach about?" And an ambitious musician said, "What would Jesus do?" And it changed everything. It literally is your destiny to live by that simple question, "What would Jesus do?"

Put Jesus into the choices you're facing now. What would Jesus do in that business transaction you're in the middle of? How would He respond to that difficult person? How would He respond to that stressful situation? What would Jesus do if He knew about the wrong thing that's going on; the one that you know about? What would He do about that need that you could do something about? What would He do about the poor people in your community? What would He do about the lost people you know? What would Jesus do? Start to pray that way. I think a lot of the fog in your decisions will start to clear. It will greatly simplify what could otherwise be a confusing decision.

And then risk it! Have the courage to do what Jesus would do. What would John Wayne do? Well, that's a little shaky basis for a decision. But what would Jesus do? If that's your bottom line all day every day, you won't go wrong.

Jeremiah 45, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: TO LOVE A STRANGER - April 18, 2024

“Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay” (1 Peter 4:9 NLT).

The Greek word for hospitality compounds two terms: love and stranger. The word literally means to love a stranger. All of us can welcome a guest we know and love, but can we welcome a stranger? Every morning in America more than 39 million people wake up in poverty. When we provide food stamps, we stave off hunger. But when we invite the hungry to our tables, we address the deeper issues of value and self-worth. God’s secret weapons in the war on poverty include your kitchen table and mine.

We encounter people. We detect an urge to open our doors to them. In these moments let’s heed the inner voice. We never know whom we may be hosting for dinner.

 Jeremiah 45

God’s Piling On the Pain

1  45 This is what Jeremiah told Baruch one day in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign as he was taking dictation from the prophet:

2–3  “These are the words of God, the God of Israel, to you, Baruch. You say, ‘These are bad times for me! It’s one thing after another. God is piling on the pain. I’m worn out and there’s no end in sight.’

4–5  “But God says, ‘Look around. What I’ve built I’m about to wreck, and what I’ve planted I’m about to rip up. And I’m doing it everywhere—all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself. Things are going to get worse before they get better. But don’t worry. I’ll keep you alive through the whole business.’ ”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Today's Scripture

Hosea 11:1-4

Israel Played at Religion with Toy Gods

1–9  11 “When Israel was only a child, I loved him.

I called out, ‘My son!’—called him out of Egypt.

But when others called him,

he ran off and left me.

He worshiped the popular sex gods,

he played at religion with toy gods.

Still, I stuck with him. I led Ephraim.

I rescued him from human bondage,

But he never acknowledged my help,

never admitted that I was the one pulling his wagon,

That I lifted him, like a baby, to my cheek,

then I bent down to feed him.

Insight

Given Hosea’s assignment to demonstrate love, it should be no surprise that he’s been called “John (the apostle of love) of the Old Testament.” God told Hosea to “go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods” (Hosea 3:1). Descriptors for this kind of love include words like relentless, ceaseless, loyal, unconditional. It’s a pursuing love; one that releases one from slavery and bondage (11:1), pursues those who stray (v. 2), and accompanies its objects in various stages of development because they’re loved (vv. 3-4). Believers in Jesus are no strangers to God’s tender love. The one who “demonstrate[ed] his own love for us . . . while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8) is the one who loves us enough to pursue us when we stray (see Hebrews 12:5-6). By: Arthur Jackson

God’s Tender Love

To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek. Hosea 11:4

A 2017 video of a dad comforting his two-month-old son while the baby received his routine vaccinations garnered international attention for the way it captured a dad’s love for his child. After the nurse finished administering the vaccinations, the dad tenderly held his son close to his cheek, and the boy stopped sobbing within seconds. There’s almost nothing more reassuring than the tender care of a loving parent.

In Scripture, there are many beautiful descriptions of God as a loving parent, images that invoke God’s deep love for His children. Old Testament prophet Hosea was given a message to deliver to the Israelites living in the Northern Kingdom during the time of the divided kingdom. He called them to return to a relationship with God. Hosea reminded the Israelites of God’s love for them as he pictured God as a gentle Father: “when Israel was a child, I loved him” (Hosea 11:1) and “to them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek” (v. 4).

This same reassuring promise of God’s loving care is true for us. Whether we seek His tender care after a season where we’ve rejected His love or because of pain and suffering in our lives, He calls us His children (1 John 3:1) and His comforting arms are open to receive us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). By:  Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced the love of God as a caring Father? What concerns might you bring to Him today?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You call me Your child and provide tender care when I run to You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Readiness

God called to him. . . . And Moses said, “Here I am.” — Exodus 3:4

When God calls, many of us are lost in a fog. We don’t know where we are; we don’t answer. Readiness means having not only a right relationship to God but also a knowledge of where we are at the present moment. Often we are so busy telling God where we’d like to go that we don’t bother to notice where we are. Moses knew where God had placed him, and when God called on him, Moses clearly said: “Here I am.”

The person who is ready for God’s work is the one who will win the prize when the call comes. Too often we wait to take action, held back by the idea that some amazing opportunity is just around the corner. If a great opportunity does happen to arrive, we’re quick to cry, “Here I am!” But if the duty God calls us to is small and obscure, we aren’t there.

Readiness for God means being ready to do the tiniest thing or the grandest thing. Whatever God’s program, we’re there. We hear the Father’s voice as the Son heard it; we’re ready with all the alertness of our love for the Father. Jesus Christ expects to do with us exactly as the Father did with him: to put us where he likes, in pleasant duties or in unpleasant duties.

Be ready for the surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready when God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the ready soul—ablaze with the presence of God (Exodus 3).

2 Samuel 3-5; Luke 14:25-35

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, April 18, 2024

The Verdict On Our Eternity - #9724

It's been quite a while since the whole country was really fixated on the trial. It was 1:00 P.M., Tuesday, October 4, 1995, and America came to a sudden stop. Everyone was waiting for the O.J. Simpson verdict. Maybe you don't remember that but I can tell you, this once famous football player was accused of the murder of his wife. It was like the trial of the century. Nine months of the most watched, most analyzed trial in history up to that point. And then, the jury's got a verdict, and the judge announced that we couldn't hear the verdict yet. See, it was placed in a sealed envelope. We had to wait until the next day to find out.

Everybody was guessing about it, and then as the verdict envelope arrived, America literally stopped to hear it. I mean, there was this huge power surge in New York City as thousands of TVs came on at once. And all across the country, usually busy streets were strangely un-crowded. Long distance calls dropped by 60%. Now, the verdict would no doubt be debated. But one thing is for sure. We were obsessed with knowing what the verdict was.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about the "The Verdict On Our Eternity."

You and I wouldn't be any different no matter what the verdict for O.J. Simpson was. But there is a verdict that really does affect you, because it determines where you will spend eternity. It's God's verdict on you. Was I good enough? Will I get to heaven when I die? Guilty or not guilty with God?

See, the verdict is not in an envelope. It's in an open book. In fact I have that verdict here. You have the right to find out God's verdict on you. So our word for today from the Word of God, Romans 3:19 says, "Every mouth will be silenced; the whole world held accountable to God. No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law." That means doing good things.

Chapter 3, verse 2: "There is no one righteous, not even one." Everyone is guilty. Verse 22 says, "There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That's verse 23. The verdict is in on each of us - "Guilty before God." We've broken His laws over and over. We've hijacked a life that our Creator gave us and run it ourselves. We have been our own god. Not only is the verdict in, but the sentence has been pronounced.

In Romans 6:23 it says, "The wages of sin is death." Some of us will plead the good we've done. It's not enough. No one righteous, not one! See, a death penalty can't be paid by somebody doing good. Somebody has to die. And our sentence - in a word - for our sin, is hell. But this reading of the verdict is followed by this amazing offer of a pardon. It says in the next verses, "We are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus through faith in His blood." In other words, someone has come to pay your death penalty - God's own Son. So our only hope of being right with God, of ever going to heaven, is placing all our hope in Jesus Christ - the One who died in our place as our substitute.

See, if you think your religion or your goodness is going to satisfy God's verdict, the Bible says it won't. Why would Jesus die on a cross if there was a way you could possibly get to God on your own? Jesus died so He could forgive your sin and erase it from God's Book and trade that death penalty that you and I deserve for the eternal life we could never deserve.

Have you ever put your total trust in Jesus to be your Savior from your sin? If you're not sure you have, don't risk another day without Him. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm Yours." Go to our website, and there I've laid out as simply as I can how you can be sure you belong to Him. It's ANewStory.com.

The bad news is we are all guilty. The sentence is death. But if you belong to Jesus Christ, if you put your trust in Him, the Son of God is your defense attorney who stands before His Father giving the verdict of "not guilty" and you will go to the heaven He has prepared for you.

Jeremiah 25, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: OPEN YOUR CIRCLE - April 17, 2024

Hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you’re sending this message: “You matter to me and to God.” Do you know people who need this message? Your hospitality can be their hospital. All you need are a few basic practices.

Issue a genuine invitation. Let your guests know you want them to come. Make a big deal of their arrival. One of God’s children is coming to your house! Address the needs of your guests. Modern-day hospitality includes the sharing of food and drink and time to talk and listen. Send them out with a blessing. Make it clear you are glad your guests came. Offer a prayer for their safety and a word of encouragement for their travel.

Open your table. Even more, open your circle.

Jeremiah 25

Don’t Follow the God-Fads of the Day

1  25 This is the Message given to Jeremiah for all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah. It was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

2  Jeremiah the prophet delivered the Message to all the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem:

3  From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah right up to the present day—twenty-three years it’s been!—God’s Word has come to me, and from early each morning to late every night I’ve passed it on to you. And you haven’t listened to a word of it!

4–6  Not only that but God also sent a steady stream of prophets to you who were just as persistent as me, and you never listened. They told you, “Turn back—right now, each one of you!—from your evil way of life and bad behavior, and live in the land God gave you and your ancestors, the land he intended to give you forever. Don’t follow the god-fads of the day, taking up and worshiping these no-gods. Don’t make me angry with your god-businesses, making and selling gods—a dangerous business!

7  “You refused to listen to any of this, and now I am really angry. These god-making businesses of yours are your doom.”

8–11  The verdict of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on all this: “Because you have refused to listen to what I’ve said, I’m stepping in. I’m sending for the armies out of the north headed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant in this, and I’m setting them on this land and people and even the surrounding countries. I’m devoting the whole works to total destruction—a horror to top all the horrors in history. And I’ll banish every sound of joy—singing, laughter, marriage festivities, genial workmen, candlelit suppers. The whole landscape will be one vast wasteland. These countries will be in subjection to the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12–14  “Once the seventy years is up, I’ll punish the king of Babylon and the whole nation of Babylon for their sin. Then they’ll be the wasteland. Everything that I said I’d do to that country, I’ll do—everything that’s written in this book, everything Jeremiah preached against all the godless nations. Many nations and great kings will make slaves of the Babylonians, paying them back for everything they’ve done to others. They won’t get by with anything.” God’s Decree.

God Puts the Human Race on Trial

15–16  This is a Message that the God of Israel gave me: “Take this cup filled with the wine of my wrath that I’m handing to you. Make all the nations where I send you drink it down. They’ll drink it and get drunk, staggering in delirium because of the killing that I’m going to unleash among them.”

17–26  I took the cup from God’s hand and made them drink it, all the nations to which he sent me:

Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, along with their kings and leaders, turning them into a vast wasteland, a horror to look at, a cussword—which, in fact, they now are;

Pharaoh king of Egypt with his attendants and leaders, plus all his people and the melting pot of foreigners collected there;

All the kings of Uz;

All the kings of the Philistines from Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what’s left of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

All the kings of Tyre, Sidon, and the coastlands across the sea;

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and the nomads on the fringe of the desert;

All the kings of Arabia and the various Bedouin sheiks and chieftains wandering about in the desert;

All the kings of Zimri, Elam, and the Medes;

All the kings from the north countries near and far, one by one;

All the kingdoms on planet Earth …

And the king of Sheshak (that is, Babylon) will be the last to drink.

27  “Tell them, ‘These are orders from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Drink and get drunk and vomit. Fall on your faces and don’t get up again. You’re slated for a massacre.’

28  “If any of them refuse to take the cup from you and drink it, say to them, ‘God-of-the-Angel-Armies has ordered you to drink. So drink!

29  “ ‘Prepare for the worst! I’m starting off the catastrophe in the city that I claim as my own, so don’t think you are going to get out of it. No, you’re not getting out of anything. It’s the sword and nothing but the sword against everyone everywhere!’ ” The God-of-the-Angel-Armies’ Decree.

30–31  “Preach it all, Jeremiah. Preach the entire Message to them. Say:

“ ‘God roars like a lion from high heaven;

thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling—

Ear-splitting bellows against his people,

shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest.

The noise reverberates all over the earth;

everyone everywhere hears it.

God makes his case against the godless nations.

He’s about to put the human race on trial.

For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut:

death by the sword.’ ” God’s Decree.

32  A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies:

“Prepare for the worst! Doomsday!

Disaster is spreading from nation to nation.

A huge storm is about to rage

all across planet Earth.”

33  Laid end to end, those killed in God’s judgment that day will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. No tears will be shed and no burials conducted. The bodies will be left where they fall, like so much horse dung fertilizing the fields.

34–38  Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help!

Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks!

Time’s up—you’re slated for the slaughterhouse,

like a choice ram with its throat cut.

There’s no way out for the rulers,

no escape for those shepherds.

Hear that? Rulers crying for help,

shepherds of the flock wailing!

God is about to ravage their fine pastures.

The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death,

silenced by God’s deadly anger.

God will come out into the open

like a lion leaping from its cover,

And the country will be torn to pieces,

ripped and ravaged by his anger.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 14:8-12

The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;

the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.

9  The stupid ridicule right and wrong,

but a moral life is a favored life.

10  The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends

will be an outsider at their celebrations.

11  Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks;

holy living builds soaring cathedrals.

12–13  There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;

look again—it leads straight to hell.

Insight

The book of Proverbs often concerns itself with three primary categories of people: fools, the wicked, and the wise. In today’s reading, we find all three. Fools become easy prey for the wicked. The wise, however, can see through deception and make prudent choices in difficult situations. The reason? It starts with fearing God and heeding His instructions: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7) and “the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). Here in Proverbs 14, a series of contrasts occurs between the wise (the prudent) and the foolish (the simple): “Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways” (v. 2). In verse 8, “the prudent . . . give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” Verse 11 contrasts the wicked with the wise: “The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but . . . the upright will flourish.” By: Tim Gustafson

Choices Matter

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

Pastor Damian’s schedule included hospital visits to two people nearing death who’d chosen two different life paths. In one hospital was a woman beloved by her family. Her selfless public service had endeared her to many. Other believers in Jesus had gathered around her, and worship, prayer, and hope filled the room. In another hospital, the relative of a member of Pastor Damian’s church was also dying. His hardened heart had led to a hard life, and his disheveled family lived in the wake of his poor decisions and misdeeds. The differences in the two atmospheres reflected the contrasts in how each had lived.

Those who fail to consider where they’re headed in life often find themselves stuck in uncomfortable, undesirable, and lonely places. Proverbs 14:12 notes that “there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Young or old, sick or well, wealthy or impoverished—it’s not too late to reexamine our path. Where will it lead? Does it honor God? Does it help or disrupt others? Is it the best path for a believer in Jesus?

Choices do matter. And the God of heaven will help us make the best choices as we turn to Him through His Son, Jesus, who said, “Come to me, . . . and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

By:  Arthur Jackson

Reflect & Pray

What about your path of life needs reexamination or correction? What’s keeping you from asking for God’s help and courage to make corrections?

Dear Jesus, You’re the source of life. Please give me the courage and strength to surrender my life to You and do what honors You.

For further study, read Taking Sin SeriousTaking Sin Seriouslyly.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Abandoning All

As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him . . . and jumped into the water. — John 21:7

Have you ever had a crisis in which you deliberately, emphatically, and recklessly abandoned everything to God? It is a crisis of will. You may come to the crisis many times in your outward experience, giving up worldly things and behaviors. But giving up external things amounts to nothing. The real crisis of abandonment happens within. Giving up external things may be a sign of being in total bondage, not to God but to your own idea of holiness.

Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is, truly, an act of will, not of emotion. Emotion is just the gilded edge of action. If you expect the emotion to come before you act, you will never get to the act itself. Don’t keep asking God what you should do. Reflect on what he is already showing you—in the simple place or in the profound place, in the small thing or the great thing. Then act on what you see.

“Jesus stood on the shore… He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’” (John 21:4–5). If you’ve heard the voice of Jesus Christ calling to you across the waves, let your creeds and convictions go to the wind; let your consistency go to the wind. Dive in and head toward the shore. Maintain your relationship with him.

2 Samuel 1-2; Luke 14:1-24

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Going Beyond the Walls - #9723

Once upon a time there was a machinist who lived with his wife, his four-year-old son, and his new baby boy in this cheap apartment on the south side of Chicago. He spent a chunk of his meager earnings on alcohol and cigarettes and gambling, and then the bottom dropped out of his life. His baby boy died suddenly at the age of only six months. He was crushed. I mean, his grief was inconsolable. This machinist (John was his name) took his one surviving boy to church. John didn't go in - no. But he did wait out in front, in his car, smoking his cigarette and reading his Sunday paper. Until the day that one of the men of the church looked outside and noticed the man in the car. He didn't wait for John to come in. He went outside to John's car, introduced himself, asked a few questions, and then invited him in. Well, when John said he wasn't dressed for it, the man told him it didn't matter how he was dressed.

The little boy gave his heart to Jesus in that church. And only a few months later, his Dad started coming to the men's Bible class. And one Christmas Eve John tearfully walked the aisle, accepting Christ's forgiveness for his sins. He would grow in Christ and ultimately he'd become a deacon, then the chairman of the deacons, and then an active Christian lay leader. The little boy was me. The machinist in the car in front of the church was my Dad.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Beyond the Walls."

We were the un-churched. We were the lost. But someone went outside the walls of the church to reach my father. Because he did, my father is in heaven today. There are more people than ever like my father; they will never know Christ if we wait for them to come inside. We'll have to go out where they are if they're ever going to have a chance at heaven.

This is not a new idea. In John 4:4, our word for today from the Word of God, the Bible says, "Jesus had to go through Samaria." It was there that Jesus encountered the woman at the well and led her out of a life of promiscuity and emptiness into a new life in Christ. And ultimately she went back and told her village about Jesus and they all came to Him. John 4 tells us that "many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the woman's testimony."

Now why did Jesus have to go through Samaria when Jews did everything they could to avoid going through Samaria? Because Samaria is where you go if you want to reach Samaritans! If you want to follow our Master, we'll need to go where the lost people are. Most of them don't ever plan to go to our religious meeting to listen to our religious speaker talk on a religious subject in a religious place, which is usually how we go about trying to reach them isn't it? It's no wonder they're still outside.

If we want the lost to be at our outreaches, we need to have some of those outreaches in places they will come to - neutral places. And you've been strategically placed right in the middle of some spiritually dying people. You work with them, you live near them, you're in some group with them, you go to school with them, and you recreate with them. You are God's program for rescuing the lost people who are around you. That's why God placed you there, to save some lives. See, you already are where the spiritually dying people are! You don't have to go where they are. You're there!

It's very possible the reason my Dad is in heaven today is because someone left where it was comfortable and someone went outside the walls to reach him. That's where an awful lot of lost people are, and that's where they'll have to be reached, including people you know very well.

By the way, as you're listening to this, you might be my Dad, because you've never experienced the love and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for yourself. And your heart's ready for that. You want that. This is what you've been looking for all your life. Maybe that's why this broadcast today; this is how He has come looking for you where you are.

Don't you want to be where He is forever? Would you tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm yours"? And I'd love to show you the way that my Dad and I both found Jesus. It's right there on our website and it will tell you how you can know Him for real. ANewStory.com - that's the website.

Jesus goes where lost people are, and we have to do that. Going outside the walls may be the only hope for a lot of people in your town - for someone you know and for someone you love.