Max Lucado Daily: Everything Needed for Joy
Robert had cerebral palsy. The disease kept him from riding a bike, or going for a walk. But it didn't keep him from graduating from high school or attending university. Having cerebral palsy didn't keep him from teaching at a Junior College or from venturing overseas on five missions trips. And Robert's disease didn't prevent him from becoming a missionary in Portugal.
He moved to Lisbon, alone. He rented a room, found a restaurant owner who fed him after the rush hour and a tutor who instructed him in the language. And daily in the park, he passed out booklets about Christ. Within six years he led seventy people to the Lord. I heard Robert speak. He could've asked for sympathy or pity. He did just the opposite. A Bible in his lap, he held his bent hand up in the air and boasted, "I have everything I need for joy." So do we.
From The Applause of Heaven
Psalm 25
A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I give my life to you.
2 I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
22 O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.
Footnotes:
25 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, August 10, 2015
Read: James 1:19-27
Listening and Doing
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger[a] does not produce the righteousness[b] God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Footnotes:
1:20a Greek A man’s anger.
1:20b Or the justice.
INSIGHT:
James’s letter was written to people enduring difficult times. In James 1:1 we read, “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.” The “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” were Jewish followers of Christ who had been driven from their homes in Jerusalem by persecution. Many of them had lost everything because of their faith in Christ, and they were struggling. Perhaps that is why James spoke so passionately about caring for orphans and widows (1:27) and the poor (ch.2). Because the believers had suffered so much themselves, they should have understood the importance of responding to the needs of others. Bill Crowder
I’ve Come to Help
By Randy Kilgore
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
Reporter Jacob Riis’s vivid descriptions of poverty in 19th-century New York City horrified a generally complacent public. His book How the Other Half Lives combined his writing with his own photographs to paint a picture so vivid that the public could not escape the certainty of poverty’s desperate existence. The third of fifteen children himself, Riis wrote so effectively because he had lived in that world of terrible despair.
Shortly after the release of his book, he received a card from a young man just beginning his political career. The note read simply, “I have read your book, and I have come to help. Theodore Roosevelt.” (This politician later became a US President.)
True faith responds to the needs of others.
True faith responds to the needs of others, according to James (1:19-27). May our hearts be moved from inaction to action, from words alone to deeds that back them up. Compassionate action not only aids those mired in life’s difficulties, but it may also make them open to the greater message from our Savior who sees their need and can do so much more for them.
O Lord, it is so easy to be overwhelmed, or to judge and therefore to refrain from helping others. Lift our eyes above our own thoughts and circumstances, and let us care as You care.
Others will know what the words “God is love” mean when they see it in our lives.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 10, 2015
The Holy Suffering of the Saint
Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good… —1 Peter 4:19
Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.
The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life. Disciples Indeed, 387 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 10, 2015
Your Personal Eclipse - #7456
If you've ever seen a total eclipse of the moon, you'd have to agree it's pretty amazing! The moon - the great light of the night - suddenly starts to disappear. That big old moon darkens little by little until finally there appears to be no more moon. But don't panic! The moon has no light of its own of course. It's just light reflected from the sun. So, when something comes between the moon and its light source, something like a little tennis ball called earth, the moon just goes dark.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about 'Your Personal Eclipse.'
Maybe that word eclipse describes the season you're going through right now. It feels like the light has gone out, things aren't working, answers aren't coming, and emotionally it's feeling dark right now. Why are things going into an eclipse? Well, it could be for the same reason the moon goes dark.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 32:1-5. David is speaking, 'Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.' Okay, he's talking about being blessed by God. Well, that's the light that comes from the Son of God in your life. This is God's blessing.
But David goes on to talk about his personal eclipse and maybe yours. Here's what he says, 'When I kept silent my bones wasted away and there was my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.' Have you ever felt like that, like God's hand was heavy on you? Then he says, 'My strength was sapped as if in need of sunlight.' Wow! He's depleted. He's worn out. He's weak. Sound familiar?
David couldn't figure out why he was having physical difficulty and spiritual heaviness and stress and weariness. He just knew that the light that had been there before seemed to have gone out. And then he figured out what caused the eclipse. Here we go, 'Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgression to the Lord, and You forgave the guilt of my sin.''
In the verses that follow, you can tell the eclipse is over. He talks about songs of deliverance, the Lord's unfailing love surrounding him. He says, 'Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, for the light is back.' The reason for the eclipse? Something has come between you and the light. Something is blocking God's blessing on you right now. And David nailed it. He said, 'It's my sin.'
Look, you could have looked everywhere for an explanation of this dark time, but the light's not going to come back until you quit covering up that sinful attitude, that sinful action or relationship or habit. Oh you've been excusing it. But you need to quit doing that and instead confess it and bring it to Jesus' cross in what the Bible calls repentance.
It didn't stay dark that night of the eclipse. No, see, the light came back as soon as that obstruction was removed. Well, I can assure you as David discovered, that the light of God's blessing, which you desperately need in your life right now, could start to return to you this very day if you will deal honestly and repentantly with the sin that is keeping the light from getting through. For you? Good news. The eclipse may finally be over.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Psalm 24 ,Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: We’re Made Whole
Sin sees the world with no God in it! Where we might think of sin as slip-ups or missteps, God views sin as a godless attitude that leads to godless actions.
Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Sin proclaims, “It’s your life, right? Pump your body with drugs, your mind with greed, your nights with pleasure.” The godless life is a a me-dominated, childish life, a life of doing what we feel like doing, whenever we feel like doing it.
God says to love. I choose to hate. God instructs, forgive. I opt to get even. God calls for self-control. I promote self-indulgence. This is sin.
Jesus took the punishment for that sin, and made us whole. God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him.
Trust his work for you, then trust His work in you.
From Come Thirsty
Psalm 24
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.[a] Interlude
7 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty;
the Lord, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
he is the King of glory. Interlude
24:6 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read O Jacob.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Read: Ruth 2:1-12
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field
2 Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
INSIGHT:
God commanded His people to be generous and to allow the poor to gather food from their lands at harvest time (Lev. 19:9-10; Deut. 24:19-22). God is the defender, protector, and provider of the poor, the helpless, and the oppressed (Deut. 10:17-19; Ps. 9:9-10; 146:5-9). Sim Kay Tee
Batter in the Bowl
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Please let me glean . . . after the reapers among the sheaves. —Ruth 2:7
My daughter and I consider brownies to be one of the seven wonders of the culinary world. One day, as we were mixing the ingredients of our favorite chocolate treat, my daughter asked if I would leave some batter in the bowl after pouring most of it into the baking pan. She wanted to enjoy what was left over. I smiled and agreed. Then, I told her, “That’s called gleaning, you know, and it didn’t start with brownies.”
As we enjoyed the remnants of our baking project, I explained that Ruth had gathered leftover grain in order to feed herself and her mother-in-law Naomi (Ruth 2:2-3). Because both of their husbands had died, the women had returned to Naomi’s homeland. There Ruth met a wealthy landowner named Boaz. She asked him, “Please let me glean . . . after the reapers among the sheaves” (v. 7). He willingly consented and instructed his workers to purposely let grain fall for her (v. 16).
Every good gift we receive comes from God.
Like Boaz, who provided for Ruth from the bounty of his fields, God provides for us out of His abundance. His resources are infinite, and He lets blessings fall for our benefit. He willingly provides us with physical and spiritual nourishment. Every good gift we receive comes from Him.
Dear God, thank You for the blessings I enjoy! You minister to Your children out of Your limitless abundance. I worship You as my provider.
Our greatest needs cannot exceed God’s great resources.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 9, 2015
Prayer in the Father’s Hearing
Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me." —John 11:41
When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God’s Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God’s eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? Jesus says, “In that day you will ask in My name…” (John 16:26). What day does He mean? He is referring to the day when the Holy Spirit has come to me and made me one with my Lord.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side. Common sense is a gift that God gave to our human nature— but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son, and we should never put our common sense on the throne. The Son always recognizes and identifies with the Father, but common sense has never yet done so and never will. Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The emphasis to-day is placed on the furtherance of an organization; the note is, “We must keep this thing going.” If we are in God’s order the thing will go; if we are not in His order, it won’t. Conformed to His Image, 357 R
Saturday, August 8, 2015
John 10:1-21, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: We’re Made Whole
Sin sees the world with no God in it! Where we might think of sin as slip-ups or missteps, God views sin as a godless attitude that leads to godless actions.
Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Sin proclaims, “It’s your life, right? Pump your body with drugs, your mind with greed, your nights with pleasure.” The godless life is a a me-dominated, childish life, a life of doing what we feel like doing, whenever we feel like doing it.
God says to love. I choose to hate. God instructs, forgive. I opt to get even. God calls for self-control. I promote self-indulgence. This is sin.
Jesus took the punishment for that sin, and made us whole. God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him.
Trust his work for you, then trust His work in you.
From Come Thirsty
John 10:1-21
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
19 When he said these things, the people[c] were again divided in their opinions about him. 20 Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” 21 Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Footnotes:
10:8 Some manuscripts do not include before me.
10:9 Or will find safety.
10:19 Greek Jewish people; also in 10:24, 31.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, August 08, 2015
Read: Psalm 46
For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.[a]
1 God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude
4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel[b] is our fortress. Interlude
8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude
Footnotes:
46:Title Hebrew according to alamoth.
46:7 Hebrew of Jacob; also in 46:11. See note on 44:4.
INSIGHT:
Today’s psalm contains the much-loved and often-quoted words of verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” But it is interesting to note the context of these words. The psalmist opens by celebrating the help of God in times of trouble (vv. 1-3) and then shows how strong the city of God is because God is there (vv. 4-7). In verses 8-9 the psalmist describes the strength of the Lord in terms of His power over war and desolation, and in verse 10 he proclaims that God will be “exalted among the nations.” In the midst of upheaval, whether natural or man-made, God is our stability. J.R. Hudberg
Unpredictable
By Bill Crowder
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10
In the 2003 US Women’s Open, the relatively unknown Hilary Lunke secured the greatest prize in women’s golf—and a place in history. Not only did she win the US Open in an 18-hole playoff, but it was also her only professional victory. Her surprising and inspiring win underscores the fact that one of the most exciting things about sports is its unpredictability.
The unpredictability of life is not always so thrilling, however. We devise and strategize. We make plans, projections, and proposals about what we would like to see happen in life, but often they are little more than our best guess. We have no idea what a year, a month, a week, or even a day might bring. So we pray and plan, and then we trust the God who knows fully and completely what we can never predict. That is why I love the promise of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Life is unpredictable. There are countless things I can never know with certainty. What I can know, however, is that there is a God who knows all and loves me deeply. And by knowing Him, I can “be still”—I can be at peace.
What plans do I need to surrender to God today?
For further study, read It’s Not Fair: Trusting God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense at discoveryseries.org/q0719
God’s care is the certainty we take into life’s uncertainties
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Prayer in the Father’s Honor
August 8, 2015
Prayer in the Father’s Honor
…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. —Luke 1:35
If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God’s birth on earth is true of every saint. God’s Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child must exercise the right of a child— the right of always being face to face with my Father through prayer. Do I find myself continually saying in amazement to the commonsense part of my life, “Why did you want me to turn here or to go over there? ‘Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ ” (Luke 2:49). Whatever our circumstances may be, that holy, innocent, and eternal Child must be in contact with His Father.
Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God’s will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God’s Son right now— no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.
Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God’s Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to “…fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to “fill up,” there is always something yet to be done.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.
So Send I You
Sin sees the world with no God in it! Where we might think of sin as slip-ups or missteps, God views sin as a godless attitude that leads to godless actions.
Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Sin proclaims, “It’s your life, right? Pump your body with drugs, your mind with greed, your nights with pleasure.” The godless life is a a me-dominated, childish life, a life of doing what we feel like doing, whenever we feel like doing it.
God says to love. I choose to hate. God instructs, forgive. I opt to get even. God calls for self-control. I promote self-indulgence. This is sin.
Jesus took the punishment for that sin, and made us whole. God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him.
Trust his work for you, then trust His work in you.
From Come Thirsty
John 10:1-21
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
19 When he said these things, the people[c] were again divided in their opinions about him. 20 Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” 21 Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Footnotes:
10:8 Some manuscripts do not include before me.
10:9 Or will find safety.
10:19 Greek Jewish people; also in 10:24, 31.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, August 08, 2015
Read: Psalm 46
For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.[a]
1 God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude
4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel[b] is our fortress. Interlude
8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude
Footnotes:
46:Title Hebrew according to alamoth.
46:7 Hebrew of Jacob; also in 46:11. See note on 44:4.
INSIGHT:
Today’s psalm contains the much-loved and often-quoted words of verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” But it is interesting to note the context of these words. The psalmist opens by celebrating the help of God in times of trouble (vv. 1-3) and then shows how strong the city of God is because God is there (vv. 4-7). In verses 8-9 the psalmist describes the strength of the Lord in terms of His power over war and desolation, and in verse 10 he proclaims that God will be “exalted among the nations.” In the midst of upheaval, whether natural or man-made, God is our stability. J.R. Hudberg
Unpredictable
By Bill Crowder
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10
In the 2003 US Women’s Open, the relatively unknown Hilary Lunke secured the greatest prize in women’s golf—and a place in history. Not only did she win the US Open in an 18-hole playoff, but it was also her only professional victory. Her surprising and inspiring win underscores the fact that one of the most exciting things about sports is its unpredictability.
The unpredictability of life is not always so thrilling, however. We devise and strategize. We make plans, projections, and proposals about what we would like to see happen in life, but often they are little more than our best guess. We have no idea what a year, a month, a week, or even a day might bring. So we pray and plan, and then we trust the God who knows fully and completely what we can never predict. That is why I love the promise of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Life is unpredictable. There are countless things I can never know with certainty. What I can know, however, is that there is a God who knows all and loves me deeply. And by knowing Him, I can “be still”—I can be at peace.
What plans do I need to surrender to God today?
For further study, read It’s Not Fair: Trusting God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense at discoveryseries.org/q0719
God’s care is the certainty we take into life’s uncertainties
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Prayer in the Father’s Honor
August 8, 2015
Prayer in the Father’s Honor
…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. —Luke 1:35
If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God’s birth on earth is true of every saint. God’s Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child must exercise the right of a child— the right of always being face to face with my Father through prayer. Do I find myself continually saying in amazement to the commonsense part of my life, “Why did you want me to turn here or to go over there? ‘Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ ” (Luke 2:49). Whatever our circumstances may be, that holy, innocent, and eternal Child must be in contact with His Father.
Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God’s will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God’s Son right now— no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.
Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God’s Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to “…fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to “fill up,” there is always something yet to be done.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.
So Send I You
Friday, August 7, 2015
Psalm 22, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: How's Your Marriage
How's your marriage? On your wedding day, God loaned you an intricately crafted, precisely formed masterpiece. He entrusted you with a one-of-a-kind creation. Value her. Honor him. Some men collect wives as trophies; a means for pleasure, instead of a part of God's plan. Don't make this mistake. Be fiercely loyal to one spouse. Fiercely loyal. Don't even look twice at someone else. No flirting. No teasing. No loitering at her desk or lingering in his office. Who cares if you come across as rude or a prude? You've made a promise. Keep it.
Your spouse is not your trophy but your treasure. Make your wife the object of your highest devotion. Make your husband the recipient of your deepest passion. Love the one who wears your ring. Make her, make him your giant-size privilege, your towering priority!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 22
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[f]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.[g]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[h] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[i] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[j] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, August 07, 2015
Read: Philippians 1:1-11
Greetings from Paul
This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders[a] and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ[b]—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Footnotes:
1:1 Or overseers; or bishops.
1:11 Greek with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
INSIGHT:
Notice the depth of love Paul has for his fellow believers at Philippi. This is seen in how he speaks to them and what he desires for them. He speaks as one who loves them and longs for them deeply (v. 8). His desires are seen in his prayers—that they will experience a growing yet wise love (v. 9), a discerning yet genuine spirit (v. 10), and a fruitful and Christ-honoring life (v. 11). These are great things we too can pray for in the lives of those we love and in our own lives as well. Bill Crowder
Faultfinders Anonymous
By David McCasland
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more. —Philippians 1:9
Like many people, when I read a newspaper or magazine I notice the misteaks in grammar and spelling. (You saw that, didn’t you!) I’m not trying to find errors; they leap off the page at me! My usual reaction is to criticize the publication and the people who produce it. “Why don’t they use ‘spell check’ or hire a proofreader?”
You may have a similar experience in your area of expertise. It seems that often, the more we know about something, the more judgmental we become over mistakes. It can infect our relationships with people as well.
Yet Philippians 1:9 expresses a different approach. Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” God’s plan is that the more we know and understand, the more we love. Rather than cultivating a critical spirit and pretending we don’t notice or don’t care, our understanding should nourish empathy. Criticism is replaced by compassion.
Instead of our being faultfinders, the Lord calls us to be “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (v. 11).
When the Lord fills our hearts, we can overlook mistakes, hold our criticism, and love others, no matter how much we know about them!
Lord, by Your grace, please replace my critical spirit with Your love and compassion for others.
To err is human; to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 7, 2015
Prayer in the Father’s House
…they found Him in the temple….And He said to them, "…Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" —Luke 2:46, 49
Our Lord’s childhood was not immaturity waiting to grow into manhood— His childhood is an eternal fact. Am I a holy, innocent child of God as a result of my identification with my Lord and Savior? Do I look at my life as being in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God living in His Father’s house within me?
The only abiding reality is God Himself, and His order comes to me moment by moment. Am I continually in touch with the reality of God, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong— when there is some disturbance in my life? I must learn to identify myself closely with my Lord in ways of holy fellowship and oneness that some of us have not yet even begun to learn. “…I must be about My Father’s business”— and I must learn to live every moment of my life in my Father’s house.
Think about your own circumstances. Are you so closely identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that everything comes from His hands? Is the eternal Child in you living in His Father’s house? Is the grace of His ministering life being worked out through you in your home, your business, and in your circle of friends? Have you been wondering why you are going through certain circumstances? In fact, it is not that you have to go through them. It is because of your relationship with the Son of God who comes, through the providential will of His Father, into your life. You must allow Him to have His way with you, staying in perfect oneness with Him.
The life of your Lord is to become your vital, simple life, and the way He worked and lived among people while here on earth must be the way He works and lives in you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We all have the trick of saying—If only I were not where I am!—If only I had not got the kind of people I have to live with! If our faith or our religion does not help us in the conditions we are in, we have either a further struggle to go through, or we had better abandon that faith and religion. The Shadow of an Agony, 1178 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, August 07, 2015
Handling the Overwhelming - #7455
Five-year-old Jeremy started school in the Fall, and it was more than he bargained for. It was his second morning of his kindergarten experience. Mom got Jeremy up and started helping him get ready. And then came this question, "Do I have to go back to school?" He wasn't counting on an encore. His rationale was, "Well, I already went yesterday." His mother told us, "I didn't have the heart to tell him he's got twelve more years of going to school." Well, he went off to day two - of year one - of twelve more years.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Handling the Overwhelming."
I think Jeremy was feeling overwhelmed, and he would have sunk if his mom had tried to explain the educational marathon he had ahead. He had no idea! But Jeremy will make it. Just like you did. And just like I did. Not by thinking about twelve years, but by doing that school thing one day at a time.
Now, you've probably gotten over the idea of school being overwhelming, but little Jeremy could never guess that life is a series of challenges that seem overwhelming. School is the least of it. Maybe you're facing one of those right now and it looks huge. You've got this bombardment of responsibilities and stressful deadlines, the lifetime ahead of raising that child. Or it's really hard to make your marriage work right now, or you've got a long medical marathon ahead of you. Maybe you're trying to dig out of a financial pit, or you're just trying to live your life for Jesus Christ.
Our word for today from the Word of God is from Deuteronomy 7:17. God writes to the Jews back then, "You may say to yourselves, 'These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?' But do not be afraid." See, as they enter the Promised Land they are facing huge walled cities, barbaric tribes, overwhelming obstacles and challenges.
Continuing in verse 22, "Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little." Man! What hope giving words! God will win this one with you and for you, but not in one great victory. Jeremy won't be able to get his education in one day or one week. It's going to be little by little.
That's God's plan for you to handle the overwhelming, little by little. Break it into daily chunks, manageable pieces. Have a good day. Let Jesus be the Lord of the undone at the end of that day. Remember, daily is how He promised He would give you the strength. He said, "Your strength will equal your days." Not weeks, not months, not years - days. There's no strength for Friday when it's Thursday. You only get Thursday's strength on Thursday. You run ahead of your strength and you'll sink like an army running ahead of its supply lines.
Maybe you've been wondering how you're going to ever beat that sin that has beaten you so many times, or how you can carry out your desire to dedicate your whole life to Jesus. You know what you do? You win for one day. You let Jesus be Lord of that weakness for this day. Then you do another twenty-four hour victory. And you don't try to dedicate your life to Jesus unless you do it by dedicating each new day. There's a reason Jesus said, "If any man would come after Me, let him take up his cross daily and follow Me." You give Him a day, you give Him the next day, give Him the day after that and He'll make a life out of it.
The Christian life is the sum total of a thousand little victories one day at a time. Just like little Jeremy going to school. He didn't have to worry. You don't have to worry about all those months and all those years ahead. The secret of handling the overwhelming is to do it little by little. Remember, "This is the day the Lord has made."
How's your marriage? On your wedding day, God loaned you an intricately crafted, precisely formed masterpiece. He entrusted you with a one-of-a-kind creation. Value her. Honor him. Some men collect wives as trophies; a means for pleasure, instead of a part of God's plan. Don't make this mistake. Be fiercely loyal to one spouse. Fiercely loyal. Don't even look twice at someone else. No flirting. No teasing. No loitering at her desk or lingering in his office. Who cares if you come across as rude or a prude? You've made a promise. Keep it.
Your spouse is not your trophy but your treasure. Make your wife the object of your highest devotion. Make your husband the recipient of your deepest passion. Love the one who wears your ring. Make her, make him your giant-size privilege, your towering priority!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 22
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[f]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.[g]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[h] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[i] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[j] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, August 07, 2015
Read: Philippians 1:1-11
Greetings from Paul
This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders[a] and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ[b]—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Footnotes:
1:1 Or overseers; or bishops.
1:11 Greek with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
INSIGHT:
Notice the depth of love Paul has for his fellow believers at Philippi. This is seen in how he speaks to them and what he desires for them. He speaks as one who loves them and longs for them deeply (v. 8). His desires are seen in his prayers—that they will experience a growing yet wise love (v. 9), a discerning yet genuine spirit (v. 10), and a fruitful and Christ-honoring life (v. 11). These are great things we too can pray for in the lives of those we love and in our own lives as well. Bill Crowder
Faultfinders Anonymous
By David McCasland
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more. —Philippians 1:9
Like many people, when I read a newspaper or magazine I notice the misteaks in grammar and spelling. (You saw that, didn’t you!) I’m not trying to find errors; they leap off the page at me! My usual reaction is to criticize the publication and the people who produce it. “Why don’t they use ‘spell check’ or hire a proofreader?”
You may have a similar experience in your area of expertise. It seems that often, the more we know about something, the more judgmental we become over mistakes. It can infect our relationships with people as well.
Yet Philippians 1:9 expresses a different approach. Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” God’s plan is that the more we know and understand, the more we love. Rather than cultivating a critical spirit and pretending we don’t notice or don’t care, our understanding should nourish empathy. Criticism is replaced by compassion.
Instead of our being faultfinders, the Lord calls us to be “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (v. 11).
When the Lord fills our hearts, we can overlook mistakes, hold our criticism, and love others, no matter how much we know about them!
Lord, by Your grace, please replace my critical spirit with Your love and compassion for others.
To err is human; to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 7, 2015
Prayer in the Father’s House
…they found Him in the temple….And He said to them, "…Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" —Luke 2:46, 49
Our Lord’s childhood was not immaturity waiting to grow into manhood— His childhood is an eternal fact. Am I a holy, innocent child of God as a result of my identification with my Lord and Savior? Do I look at my life as being in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God living in His Father’s house within me?
The only abiding reality is God Himself, and His order comes to me moment by moment. Am I continually in touch with the reality of God, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong— when there is some disturbance in my life? I must learn to identify myself closely with my Lord in ways of holy fellowship and oneness that some of us have not yet even begun to learn. “…I must be about My Father’s business”— and I must learn to live every moment of my life in my Father’s house.
Think about your own circumstances. Are you so closely identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that everything comes from His hands? Is the eternal Child in you living in His Father’s house? Is the grace of His ministering life being worked out through you in your home, your business, and in your circle of friends? Have you been wondering why you are going through certain circumstances? In fact, it is not that you have to go through them. It is because of your relationship with the Son of God who comes, through the providential will of His Father, into your life. You must allow Him to have His way with you, staying in perfect oneness with Him.
The life of your Lord is to become your vital, simple life, and the way He worked and lived among people while here on earth must be the way He works and lives in you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We all have the trick of saying—If only I were not where I am!—If only I had not got the kind of people I have to live with! If our faith or our religion does not help us in the conditions we are in, we have either a further struggle to go through, or we had better abandon that faith and religion. The Shadow of an Agony, 1178 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, August 07, 2015
Handling the Overwhelming - #7455
Five-year-old Jeremy started school in the Fall, and it was more than he bargained for. It was his second morning of his kindergarten experience. Mom got Jeremy up and started helping him get ready. And then came this question, "Do I have to go back to school?" He wasn't counting on an encore. His rationale was, "Well, I already went yesterday." His mother told us, "I didn't have the heart to tell him he's got twelve more years of going to school." Well, he went off to day two - of year one - of twelve more years.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Handling the Overwhelming."
I think Jeremy was feeling overwhelmed, and he would have sunk if his mom had tried to explain the educational marathon he had ahead. He had no idea! But Jeremy will make it. Just like you did. And just like I did. Not by thinking about twelve years, but by doing that school thing one day at a time.
Now, you've probably gotten over the idea of school being overwhelming, but little Jeremy could never guess that life is a series of challenges that seem overwhelming. School is the least of it. Maybe you're facing one of those right now and it looks huge. You've got this bombardment of responsibilities and stressful deadlines, the lifetime ahead of raising that child. Or it's really hard to make your marriage work right now, or you've got a long medical marathon ahead of you. Maybe you're trying to dig out of a financial pit, or you're just trying to live your life for Jesus Christ.
Our word for today from the Word of God is from Deuteronomy 7:17. God writes to the Jews back then, "You may say to yourselves, 'These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?' But do not be afraid." See, as they enter the Promised Land they are facing huge walled cities, barbaric tribes, overwhelming obstacles and challenges.
Continuing in verse 22, "Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little." Man! What hope giving words! God will win this one with you and for you, but not in one great victory. Jeremy won't be able to get his education in one day or one week. It's going to be little by little.
That's God's plan for you to handle the overwhelming, little by little. Break it into daily chunks, manageable pieces. Have a good day. Let Jesus be the Lord of the undone at the end of that day. Remember, daily is how He promised He would give you the strength. He said, "Your strength will equal your days." Not weeks, not months, not years - days. There's no strength for Friday when it's Thursday. You only get Thursday's strength on Thursday. You run ahead of your strength and you'll sink like an army running ahead of its supply lines.
Maybe you've been wondering how you're going to ever beat that sin that has beaten you so many times, or how you can carry out your desire to dedicate your whole life to Jesus. You know what you do? You win for one day. You let Jesus be Lord of that weakness for this day. Then you do another twenty-four hour victory. And you don't try to dedicate your life to Jesus unless you do it by dedicating each new day. There's a reason Jesus said, "If any man would come after Me, let him take up his cross daily and follow Me." You give Him a day, you give Him the next day, give Him the day after that and He'll make a life out of it.
The Christian life is the sum total of a thousand little victories one day at a time. Just like little Jeremy going to school. He didn't have to worry. You don't have to worry about all those months and all those years ahead. The secret of handling the overwhelming is to do it little by little. Remember, "This is the day the Lord has made."
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Psalm 21, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: A Cure for the High and Mighty
God doesn't dislike arrogance…he hates it. Could he state it any clearer than Proverbs 8:13: "I hate pride and arrogance." And then a few chapters later it says God can't stomach arrogance or pretense. Believe me, he'll put those upstarts in their place. You don't want God to do that. It's far wiser to descend the mountain than fall from it!
Pursue humility. Humility doesn't mean you think less of yourself but that you think of yourself less. Paul described it in Romans 12:3, "Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you." God has a cure for the high and mighty: come down from the mountain before he employs it. You'll be amazed what you hear and who you see. And you'll breathe a whole lot easier!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 21
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord.
The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies.
Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The Lord will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Read: John 1:6-14
God sent a man, John the Baptist,[a] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human[b] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[c] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Footnotes:
1:6 Greek a man named John.
1:14a Greek became flesh.
1:14b Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
INSIGHT:
The gospel of John was written to testify that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). From the onset, John presents Jesus as the Logos, the self-existent, pre-existent, omnipotent, eternal, creator God who spoke everything into existence (1:1-5). John also presents Jesus as God Incarnate—God in the flesh (vv. 9-14). The eternal God entered the world He created and became human like us in order to live with us (vv.11,14; Matt. 1:23). The New Testament also affirms Christ’s humanity (Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 2:14-17). Sim Kay Tee
Family Privilege
By Lawrence Darmani
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. —John 1:12
When I was in primary school in Ghana, I had to live with a loving and caring family away from my parents. One day, all the children assembled for a special family meeting. The first part involved all of us sharing individual experiences. But next, when only “blood children” were required to be present, I was politely excluded. Then the stark reality hit me: I was not a “child of the house.” Despite their love for me, the family required that I should be excused because I was only living with them; I was not a legal part of their family.
This incident reminds me of John 1:11-12. The Son of God came to His own people and they rejected Him. Those who received Him then, and receive Him now, are given the right to become God’s children. When we are adopted into His family, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).
Jesus doesn't exclude anyone who is adopted by the Father.
Jesus doesn't exclude anybody who is adopted by the Father. Rather, He welcomes us as a permanent part of His family. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Thank You, Father, for making it possible for me to be Your child. I’m grateful to be Yours and not to have to worry about whether You will remove me from Your family. I am Yours and You are mine.
Assurance of salvation is not in what you know but who you know.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 6, 2015
The Cross in Prayer
In that day you will ask in My name… —John 16:26
We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.
“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.
“…I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you…” (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.
When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.
Disciples Indeed
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Riding to Glory - #7454
I met a man from St. Joseph, Missouri, and I surprised him with my trivia knowledge when I said, "Oh, Pony Express country, right?" He confirmed my recollection that his town was the beginning of the famous Pony Express. What guys those were! Man, they rode their way right into the history books. They're practically legends of the Old West. I mean, they rode endless hours through hostile territory, risked their lives to deliver the mail to the West Coast. You knew that part. What you may not know is how many guys we're talking about here in this legendary operation-just 80 riders, and only one mail delivery was ever lost. How long did the Pony Express run? Only 18 months! It only took a few people a short time to make a great impact!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Riding to Glory."
For most of us, our ride through this life will last, what do they say on average, 70 years or so? Some will get more, some a lot less. The question is how much of a mark will you leave in the years you have left? I think inside all of us is this deep desire to make our life count, to do something significant while we're here.
Maybe you know that restlessness that says, "I want to make a much greater difference with the rest of my life than I have made up until now." Then you need to hear our word for today from the Word of God in Daniel 12:3. It's God's roadmap to making the greatest possible mark you can make with the one life you have. Here's what it says. "Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever." Wow!
God says the way to have a life that matters forever is to "lead many to righteousness." And this side of Jesus' cross, we know that means leading many people to Jesus. Now what immortalized those young men of the Pony Express? They were people with a message willing to risk whatever necessary to deliver that message. And they made a huge mark in a very short time.
If you belong to Jesus, you've got to see your life-assignment like God does. You're a person with a message to deliver. The significance of your life depends on how faithful you are in delivering it. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, the Bible says, "God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us." The message: "Come to Jesus and get the relationship with God you were made for." The assignment: "ambassador"-Jesus' personal representative to the people where you work, or live, or go to school, or shop, or recreate. You're there by assignment from God to help some of those people be in heaven with you.
How are you doing? Maybe you say, "Well, I'm afraid to tell them about what Jesus did on the cross for them. I might mess it up." God doesn't need your perfect presentation to reach the heart of the person you care about. He does need for you to tell them about your Jesus. The only way you can fail in your mission is to remain silent.
Maybe you're not delivering your message because you fear the risks-the risk of building a relationship with someone who's lost, or getting started, of being rejected. But the Bible says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear." Please let God show you that the greatest risk of all is that you will lose this person forever because they never got the message about Jesus. Isn't that a greater fear what might happen to them than what could happen to you if you do tell them?
Like those heroic Pony Express riders, if you'll dedicate your life to delivering your life-giving message, if you'll risk whatever it takes to get that message through, then your heart-cry for a life that counts is going to be answered big-time. As you lead people to Jesus, you are riding to glory-eternal glory.
God doesn't dislike arrogance…he hates it. Could he state it any clearer than Proverbs 8:13: "I hate pride and arrogance." And then a few chapters later it says God can't stomach arrogance or pretense. Believe me, he'll put those upstarts in their place. You don't want God to do that. It's far wiser to descend the mountain than fall from it!
Pursue humility. Humility doesn't mean you think less of yourself but that you think of yourself less. Paul described it in Romans 12:3, "Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you." God has a cure for the high and mighty: come down from the mountain before he employs it. You'll be amazed what you hear and who you see. And you'll breathe a whole lot easier!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 21
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord.
The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies.
Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The Lord will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Read: John 1:6-14
God sent a man, John the Baptist,[a] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human[b] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[c] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Footnotes:
1:6 Greek a man named John.
1:14a Greek became flesh.
1:14b Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
INSIGHT:
The gospel of John was written to testify that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). From the onset, John presents Jesus as the Logos, the self-existent, pre-existent, omnipotent, eternal, creator God who spoke everything into existence (1:1-5). John also presents Jesus as God Incarnate—God in the flesh (vv. 9-14). The eternal God entered the world He created and became human like us in order to live with us (vv.11,14; Matt. 1:23). The New Testament also affirms Christ’s humanity (Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 2:14-17). Sim Kay Tee
Family Privilege
By Lawrence Darmani
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. —John 1:12
When I was in primary school in Ghana, I had to live with a loving and caring family away from my parents. One day, all the children assembled for a special family meeting. The first part involved all of us sharing individual experiences. But next, when only “blood children” were required to be present, I was politely excluded. Then the stark reality hit me: I was not a “child of the house.” Despite their love for me, the family required that I should be excused because I was only living with them; I was not a legal part of their family.
This incident reminds me of John 1:11-12. The Son of God came to His own people and they rejected Him. Those who received Him then, and receive Him now, are given the right to become God’s children. When we are adopted into His family, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).
Jesus doesn't exclude anyone who is adopted by the Father.
Jesus doesn't exclude anybody who is adopted by the Father. Rather, He welcomes us as a permanent part of His family. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Thank You, Father, for making it possible for me to be Your child. I’m grateful to be Yours and not to have to worry about whether You will remove me from Your family. I am Yours and You are mine.
Assurance of salvation is not in what you know but who you know.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 6, 2015
The Cross in Prayer
In that day you will ask in My name… —John 16:26
We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.
“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.
“…I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you…” (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.
When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.
Disciples Indeed
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Riding to Glory - #7454
I met a man from St. Joseph, Missouri, and I surprised him with my trivia knowledge when I said, "Oh, Pony Express country, right?" He confirmed my recollection that his town was the beginning of the famous Pony Express. What guys those were! Man, they rode their way right into the history books. They're practically legends of the Old West. I mean, they rode endless hours through hostile territory, risked their lives to deliver the mail to the West Coast. You knew that part. What you may not know is how many guys we're talking about here in this legendary operation-just 80 riders, and only one mail delivery was ever lost. How long did the Pony Express run? Only 18 months! It only took a few people a short time to make a great impact!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Riding to Glory."
For most of us, our ride through this life will last, what do they say on average, 70 years or so? Some will get more, some a lot less. The question is how much of a mark will you leave in the years you have left? I think inside all of us is this deep desire to make our life count, to do something significant while we're here.
Maybe you know that restlessness that says, "I want to make a much greater difference with the rest of my life than I have made up until now." Then you need to hear our word for today from the Word of God in Daniel 12:3. It's God's roadmap to making the greatest possible mark you can make with the one life you have. Here's what it says. "Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever." Wow!
God says the way to have a life that matters forever is to "lead many to righteousness." And this side of Jesus' cross, we know that means leading many people to Jesus. Now what immortalized those young men of the Pony Express? They were people with a message willing to risk whatever necessary to deliver that message. And they made a huge mark in a very short time.
If you belong to Jesus, you've got to see your life-assignment like God does. You're a person with a message to deliver. The significance of your life depends on how faithful you are in delivering it. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, the Bible says, "God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us." The message: "Come to Jesus and get the relationship with God you were made for." The assignment: "ambassador"-Jesus' personal representative to the people where you work, or live, or go to school, or shop, or recreate. You're there by assignment from God to help some of those people be in heaven with you.
How are you doing? Maybe you say, "Well, I'm afraid to tell them about what Jesus did on the cross for them. I might mess it up." God doesn't need your perfect presentation to reach the heart of the person you care about. He does need for you to tell them about your Jesus. The only way you can fail in your mission is to remain silent.
Maybe you're not delivering your message because you fear the risks-the risk of building a relationship with someone who's lost, or getting started, of being rejected. But the Bible says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear." Please let God show you that the greatest risk of all is that you will lose this person forever because they never got the message about Jesus. Isn't that a greater fear what might happen to them than what could happen to you if you do tell them?
Like those heroic Pony Express riders, if you'll dedicate your life to delivering your life-giving message, if you'll risk whatever it takes to get that message through, then your heart-cry for a life that counts is going to be answered big-time. As you lead people to Jesus, you are riding to glory-eternal glory.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Psalm 20, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Humility
I was on a flight where the attendant couldn't do anything right. Order soda and you would get juice. Ask for a pillow, she'd bring a blanket. I had just been a guest speaker at an event where people told me how lucky they were that I'd come. I don't know what was loonier: the fact they said it or that I believed it. I was feeling cocky, and I grumbled. Do you see what I was doing? Don't look at me like that. Haven't you felt a bit superior to someone? The clerk at the grocery store. The waiter at the restaurant?
But her question changed all of that. "Mr. Lucado? Aren't you the one who writes Christian books?" She filled the next few minutes with her pain. When she asked if I would pray for her, I did. But both God and I knew she was not the only one needing prayer!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.[a]
3 May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude
4 May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.
20:2 Hebrew Zion.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Read: Romans 8:18-25
The Future Glory
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[a] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[b] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Footnotes:
8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
Insight:
As followers of Jesus we look forward in hope to the new heaven and the new earth where we will spend eternity in loving adoration and communion with the triune God and with each other. Today’s passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans suggests that reconciliation and restoration—the undoing of all the damage of sin—is not limited to humanity. God’s good creation (see Gen. 1) is also groaning under the weight of sin and is waiting for the ultimate realization of salvation provided by God through Christ. J.R. Hudberg
Chess Master
By Philip Yancey
We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. —2 Peter 3:13
In high school I took pride in my ability to play chess. I joined the chess club, and during lunch hour I could be found sitting at a table with other nerds, poring over books with titles like Classic King Pawn Openings. I studied techniques, won most of my matches, and put the game aside for 20 years. Then I met a truly fine chess player who had been perfecting his skills long since high school, and I learned what it is like to play against a master. Although I had complete freedom to make any move I wished, none of my strategies mattered very much. His superior skill guaranteed that my purposes inevitably ended up serving his own.
Perhaps there is a spiritual picture for us here. God grants us freedom to rebel against His original design, but even as we do so we end up serving His eventual goal of restoration (Rom. 8:21; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1). This transformed the way I view both good and bad things. Good things—such as health, talent, and money—I can present to God as offerings to serve His purposes. And bad things—disability, poverty, family dysfunction, failure—can be “redeemed” as the very instruments that drive me to God.
With the Grand Master, victory is assured, no matter how the board of life may look at any given moment.
Father, I’m grateful that in all of life Your purposes are being accomplished. May I learn to have open hands—to accept whatever You give to me and whatever You take from me. Help me to trust Your heart.
When we can’t see God’s hand, we can trust His heart.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
The Bewildering Call of God
August 5, 2015
"…and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished."…But they understood none of these things… —Luke 18:31, 34
God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.
This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.
If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham. The Highest Good, 548 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Storm Preparations - #7453
Now, I've had a chance to see gridlock a lot in New York City. Vehicles choking at every intersection and literally nothing can move. I even saw gridlock in a grocery store. The weatherman had forecast a huge snowstorm for our area which was supposed to begin during the night. Well I stopped by the store late that evening (Dumb!) and I ended up trying to find the end of the line for the cash register. They only had two lanes open and there was a line of carts all the way to the Produce section all jammed together so no one could come in, no one could go out, and no one could go through. What brought this sudden urge to shop late at night? Word of an approaching storm.
Well I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Storm Preparations."
See, storms are a fact of everybody's life. If it's calm right now, you can be sure somewhere up ahead there's a storm. That's life. The question is are you ready for that time when things start spinning out of control around you and maybe inside of you? Since we know we're going to head into heavy weather sometimes, we need to know we have what it takes to make it through the crises that sink a lot of other people. Well here's the testimony of a man who lived through imprisonment, disability, injustice, assassination attempts - the Apostle Paul. The man was unsinkable because he was prepared for any storm. We've got a lot to learn from him.
Here's our word today from the Word of God, which he wrote. It's from 2 Timothy 1:12. He says, "I am not ashamed, because I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." Paul is talking about a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only man in history who was powerful enough to beat death and blow the doors off His grave. Paul says, "I'm convinced He's able to guard what's important to me." The ultimate security in life is knowing that you belong to this Jesus.
I was talking to my friend John recently - 10 cancer operations in 8 years. He's been at death's door three times. When you talk to him, you come away almost disbelieving that he's carrying all this pain. He's positive and generous, he's joyful, he's encouraging. The surgeon is even sending John to some other patients who just aren't handling the storm of cancer. John made a simple but heart-rending statement to me. He said, "Ron, you don't handle it well when you try to handle it without a Savior." That's the difference - the Savior difference; the Jesus difference.
See, all approaches to life work when things are going well. But the test of what's you're living for is the storm. Things like cancer, bankruptcy, getting fired, divorce, terminal illness. Even smaller storms can drive us to the edge and sometimes over the edge unless we've committed ourselves completely to this awesome Savior named Jesus.
See, He loves you unconditionally. You say, "How do I know?" He died on the cross for the very sins you've done against Him. He's willing to put your life in His eternal keeping and then give you eternal life beginning the day you entrust yourself totally to Him. This could be that day. You could do that right where you are. Maybe you could pray to Him like this, "Lord Jesus, I've been trying to do it without a Savior. I've lived my last day without you Jesus. I believe you died to pay the death penalty for the sinning I've done, and today I'm putting my total trust in you to begin my relationship with God, because I need a Savior. I need You."
If you've never done that. If you want this to be that turning point day; your new beginning, then you could go to our website which we've set up right there where I can help you know exactly how to begin this relationship and be sure you have. That website is ANewStory.com. If you want to talk with someone about how to begin this relationship, text us at 442-244-WORD.
See, Jesus - the one who during a life-threatening storm in His lifetime, stepped to the bow of the boat He was in and said, "Peace, be still" and it was. He wants to do that for you in your storm.
I was on a flight where the attendant couldn't do anything right. Order soda and you would get juice. Ask for a pillow, she'd bring a blanket. I had just been a guest speaker at an event where people told me how lucky they were that I'd come. I don't know what was loonier: the fact they said it or that I believed it. I was feeling cocky, and I grumbled. Do you see what I was doing? Don't look at me like that. Haven't you felt a bit superior to someone? The clerk at the grocery store. The waiter at the restaurant?
But her question changed all of that. "Mr. Lucado? Aren't you the one who writes Christian books?" She filled the next few minutes with her pain. When she asked if I would pray for her, I did. But both God and I knew she was not the only one needing prayer!
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.[a]
3 May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude
4 May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.
20:2 Hebrew Zion.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Read: Romans 8:18-25
The Future Glory
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[a] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[b] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Footnotes:
8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
Insight:
As followers of Jesus we look forward in hope to the new heaven and the new earth where we will spend eternity in loving adoration and communion with the triune God and with each other. Today’s passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans suggests that reconciliation and restoration—the undoing of all the damage of sin—is not limited to humanity. God’s good creation (see Gen. 1) is also groaning under the weight of sin and is waiting for the ultimate realization of salvation provided by God through Christ. J.R. Hudberg
Chess Master
By Philip Yancey
We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. —2 Peter 3:13
In high school I took pride in my ability to play chess. I joined the chess club, and during lunch hour I could be found sitting at a table with other nerds, poring over books with titles like Classic King Pawn Openings. I studied techniques, won most of my matches, and put the game aside for 20 years. Then I met a truly fine chess player who had been perfecting his skills long since high school, and I learned what it is like to play against a master. Although I had complete freedom to make any move I wished, none of my strategies mattered very much. His superior skill guaranteed that my purposes inevitably ended up serving his own.
Perhaps there is a spiritual picture for us here. God grants us freedom to rebel against His original design, but even as we do so we end up serving His eventual goal of restoration (Rom. 8:21; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1). This transformed the way I view both good and bad things. Good things—such as health, talent, and money—I can present to God as offerings to serve His purposes. And bad things—disability, poverty, family dysfunction, failure—can be “redeemed” as the very instruments that drive me to God.
With the Grand Master, victory is assured, no matter how the board of life may look at any given moment.
Father, I’m grateful that in all of life Your purposes are being accomplished. May I learn to have open hands—to accept whatever You give to me and whatever You take from me. Help me to trust Your heart.
When we can’t see God’s hand, we can trust His heart.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
The Bewildering Call of God
August 5, 2015
"…and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished."…But they understood none of these things… —Luke 18:31, 34
God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.
This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.
If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham. The Highest Good, 548 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Storm Preparations - #7453
Now, I've had a chance to see gridlock a lot in New York City. Vehicles choking at every intersection and literally nothing can move. I even saw gridlock in a grocery store. The weatherman had forecast a huge snowstorm for our area which was supposed to begin during the night. Well I stopped by the store late that evening (Dumb!) and I ended up trying to find the end of the line for the cash register. They only had two lanes open and there was a line of carts all the way to the Produce section all jammed together so no one could come in, no one could go out, and no one could go through. What brought this sudden urge to shop late at night? Word of an approaching storm.
Well I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Storm Preparations."
See, storms are a fact of everybody's life. If it's calm right now, you can be sure somewhere up ahead there's a storm. That's life. The question is are you ready for that time when things start spinning out of control around you and maybe inside of you? Since we know we're going to head into heavy weather sometimes, we need to know we have what it takes to make it through the crises that sink a lot of other people. Well here's the testimony of a man who lived through imprisonment, disability, injustice, assassination attempts - the Apostle Paul. The man was unsinkable because he was prepared for any storm. We've got a lot to learn from him.
Here's our word today from the Word of God, which he wrote. It's from 2 Timothy 1:12. He says, "I am not ashamed, because I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." Paul is talking about a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only man in history who was powerful enough to beat death and blow the doors off His grave. Paul says, "I'm convinced He's able to guard what's important to me." The ultimate security in life is knowing that you belong to this Jesus.
I was talking to my friend John recently - 10 cancer operations in 8 years. He's been at death's door three times. When you talk to him, you come away almost disbelieving that he's carrying all this pain. He's positive and generous, he's joyful, he's encouraging. The surgeon is even sending John to some other patients who just aren't handling the storm of cancer. John made a simple but heart-rending statement to me. He said, "Ron, you don't handle it well when you try to handle it without a Savior." That's the difference - the Savior difference; the Jesus difference.
See, all approaches to life work when things are going well. But the test of what's you're living for is the storm. Things like cancer, bankruptcy, getting fired, divorce, terminal illness. Even smaller storms can drive us to the edge and sometimes over the edge unless we've committed ourselves completely to this awesome Savior named Jesus.
See, He loves you unconditionally. You say, "How do I know?" He died on the cross for the very sins you've done against Him. He's willing to put your life in His eternal keeping and then give you eternal life beginning the day you entrust yourself totally to Him. This could be that day. You could do that right where you are. Maybe you could pray to Him like this, "Lord Jesus, I've been trying to do it without a Savior. I've lived my last day without you Jesus. I believe you died to pay the death penalty for the sinning I've done, and today I'm putting my total trust in you to begin my relationship with God, because I need a Savior. I need You."
If you've never done that. If you want this to be that turning point day; your new beginning, then you could go to our website which we've set up right there where I can help you know exactly how to begin this relationship and be sure you have. That website is ANewStory.com. If you want to talk with someone about how to begin this relationship, text us at 442-244-WORD.
See, Jesus - the one who during a life-threatening storm in His lifetime, stepped to the bow of the boat He was in and said, "Peace, be still" and it was. He wants to do that for you in your storm.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
John 9:24-41, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: A Glimpse of God's Love
People can exhaust you. And there are times when all we can do is not enough. When a spouse leaves, we cannot force him or her to stay. When a spouse abuses, we shouldn't stay. I don't for a minute minimize the challenges you face. You are tired. Angry. Disappointed. This isn't the marriage you expected or the life you wanted.
But looming in your past is a promise you made. May I urge you to do all you can to keep it? To give it one more try? Why should you? So you can understand the depth of God's love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you. When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, when you love the weak and the sick, you do what God does every single moment!
From Facing Your Giants
John 9:24-41
So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this,[a] because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
Spiritual Blindness
35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?[b]”
36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
39 Then Jesus told him,[c] “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see[d] that they are blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
Footnotes:
9:24 Or Give glory to God, not to Jesus; Greek reads Give glory to God.
9:35 Some manuscripts read the Son of God? “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
9:38-39a Some manuscripts do not include “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him.
9:39b Greek those who see.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Read: Proverbs 26:1-12
Honor is no more associated with fools
than snow with summer or rain with harvest.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.
3 Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle,
and a fool with a rod to his back!
4 Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or you will become as foolish as they are.
5 Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or they will become wise in their own estimation.
6 Trusting a fool to convey a message
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
8 Honoring a fool
is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.
10 An employer who hires a fool or a bystander
is like an archer who shoots at random.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his foolishness.
12 There is more hope for fools
than for people who think they are wise.
Insight:
The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) is Hebrew poetry that uses a variety of poetic devices. In today’s reading, metaphors and analogies are used. The foolish person is compared to weather that is inappropriate for the season (v. 1), an animal that needs to be constrained (v. 3), a leg that is useless (v. 7), and a sling that is powerless (v. 8). These comparisons warn about the self-destructive nature of foolish choices. Bill Crowder
Web Wisdom
A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. —Proverbs 26:21 nlt
Scroll to the bottom of many online news sites and you’ll find the “Comments” section where readers can leave their observations. Even the most reputable sites have no shortage of rude rants, uninformed insults, and name-calling.
The book of Proverbs was collected about 3,000 years ago, but its timeless wisdom is as up-to-date as today’s breaking news. Two proverbs in chapter 26 seem at first glance to contradict each other, yet they apply perfectly to social media. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him” (v. 4). And then, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (v. 5).
We are always free to ask God for wisdom.
The balance in those statements is in the “according to”: Don’t answer in the way a fool would answer. But respond so that foolishness is not considered wisdom.
My problem is that the foolishness I encounter is often my own. I have at times posted a sarcastic comment or turned someone else’s statement back on them. God hates it when I treat my fellow human beings with such disrespect, even when they’re also being foolish.
God gives us an amazing range of freedoms. We are free to choose what we will say, and when and how we say it. And we are always free to ask Him for wisdom.
Things to keep in mind: Is what I am saying true, and is it loving? What is my motivation? Will it help anyone? Will this reflect the character of Jesus?
Leave your thoughts about this topic.
Let love be your highest goal.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
The Brave Friendship of God
August 4, 2015
He took the twelve aside… —Luke 18:31
Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.
We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
The Bible is a relation of facts, the truth of which must be tested. Life may go on all right for a while, when suddenly a bereavement comes, or some crisis; unrequited love or a new love, a disaster, a business collapse, or a shocking sin, and we turn up our Bibles again and God’s word comes straight home, and we say, “Why, I never saw that there before.” Shade of His Hand, 1223 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Close Enough To Save Them - #7452
For some reason, for over a century, people remain intrigued with the Titanic. I mean, it hit an iceberg and it sank over a century ago, and there have been a handful of big screen movies made. Of course, the one that was made most recently by James Cameron. The story has been made into two television miniseries. There have been explorations of the wreckage, even sales of pieces of coal from the Titanic.
It's hard to get that image out of our minds isn't it? The proudest ship ever built. It was supposed to be unsinkable, and on her maiden voyage she sank; haunting images of her disappearing into the icy waters of the Atlantic. I can kind of see it in my mind's eye right now. Over 1,500 people died that night. It wasn't that the Titanic didn't try to get help. They set off flares and they radioed an SOS. The signal was picked up by a ship called the California. Historians for a while thought the California was about 20 miles away that fatal night - too far away to help. That was until we learned exactly where the Titanic went down.
Looking at the location of the California that night and the location of the Titanic revealed something very disturbing. It turns out that the California was only about five miles away! Which means they were close enough to save people. And they just didn't respond.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Close Enough to Save Them."
The passengers on the Titanic did not have to die, many of them. There were people close enough that could have saved them; those who were in the water and in their life jackets. They were still alive after the boat went down. But there were those people that rowed off in their lifeboats and left the others in the water to die ultimately from hypothermia.
They were in a position to save them. That tragedy is not unique to the night the Titanic went down, because it's happening all the time spiritually.
Here's our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 9:36-37. "When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them ..." By the way, in the Greek language, it means He felt something way down deep inside him, and it says He felt that "because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." His heart broke over these lost people. Then He gave this heartbreaking scenario, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
Of course, the harvest idea is talking about people. Like harvest crops, they're ready. And folks today are probably more ready for Jesus than they've ever been. They don't know they are, but inside their soul, their family, and all around them are issues that can only be fixed one way - by a Savior like Jesus.
But also like harvest crops, if you don't get to them in time, they will die. Or just like those people who died the night the Titanic went down. The greatest heartbreak for Jesus isn't that those people are dying. It's that they wouldn't have to die if only some people would get to them with the life-saving message about Jesus; the message you have in your heart. He's got lots of lost people ready to hear about Him. His problem is His own people. He can't get us to go to in for the rescue!
God's assigned you to a neighborhood, a workplace, a school, a social circle to put you in a position to represent Jesus there. That's why you're there. With your life, but also with your words. People aren't going to figure out that Jesus took their place on the cross just by watching your life. You have to tell them that!
So you are, like that ship the California, close enough to rescue these people. In fact, you may be closer to some lost person than any other Christian on earth. They're more likely to listen to you than anybody, as imperfect, as inadequate as you may feel. The Bible is crystal clear that people who die with their sins unforgiven cannot go to heaven and they will die eternally. And only the Savior, Jesus, who died for their sins can forgive their sins. You know that.
This is the Jesus you know. He is the Jesus they need. This is life-or-death stuff. You are in a position to rescue someone from a life on earth without a Savior and from a hopeless eternity. To do nothing? It's tragically, it's eternally wrong.
People can exhaust you. And there are times when all we can do is not enough. When a spouse leaves, we cannot force him or her to stay. When a spouse abuses, we shouldn't stay. I don't for a minute minimize the challenges you face. You are tired. Angry. Disappointed. This isn't the marriage you expected or the life you wanted.
But looming in your past is a promise you made. May I urge you to do all you can to keep it? To give it one more try? Why should you? So you can understand the depth of God's love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you. When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, when you love the weak and the sick, you do what God does every single moment!
From Facing Your Giants
John 9:24-41
So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this,[a] because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
Spiritual Blindness
35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?[b]”
36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
39 Then Jesus told him,[c] “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see[d] that they are blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
Footnotes:
9:24 Or Give glory to God, not to Jesus; Greek reads Give glory to God.
9:35 Some manuscripts read the Son of God? “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
9:38-39a Some manuscripts do not include “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him.
9:39b Greek those who see.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Read: Proverbs 26:1-12
Honor is no more associated with fools
than snow with summer or rain with harvest.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.
3 Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle,
and a fool with a rod to his back!
4 Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or you will become as foolish as they are.
5 Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or they will become wise in their own estimation.
6 Trusting a fool to convey a message
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
8 Honoring a fool
is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.
10 An employer who hires a fool or a bystander
is like an archer who shoots at random.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his foolishness.
12 There is more hope for fools
than for people who think they are wise.
Insight:
The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) is Hebrew poetry that uses a variety of poetic devices. In today’s reading, metaphors and analogies are used. The foolish person is compared to weather that is inappropriate for the season (v. 1), an animal that needs to be constrained (v. 3), a leg that is useless (v. 7), and a sling that is powerless (v. 8). These comparisons warn about the self-destructive nature of foolish choices. Bill Crowder
Web Wisdom
A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. —Proverbs 26:21 nlt
Scroll to the bottom of many online news sites and you’ll find the “Comments” section where readers can leave their observations. Even the most reputable sites have no shortage of rude rants, uninformed insults, and name-calling.
The book of Proverbs was collected about 3,000 years ago, but its timeless wisdom is as up-to-date as today’s breaking news. Two proverbs in chapter 26 seem at first glance to contradict each other, yet they apply perfectly to social media. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him” (v. 4). And then, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (v. 5).
We are always free to ask God for wisdom.
The balance in those statements is in the “according to”: Don’t answer in the way a fool would answer. But respond so that foolishness is not considered wisdom.
My problem is that the foolishness I encounter is often my own. I have at times posted a sarcastic comment or turned someone else’s statement back on them. God hates it when I treat my fellow human beings with such disrespect, even when they’re also being foolish.
God gives us an amazing range of freedoms. We are free to choose what we will say, and when and how we say it. And we are always free to ask Him for wisdom.
Things to keep in mind: Is what I am saying true, and is it loving? What is my motivation? Will it help anyone? Will this reflect the character of Jesus?
Leave your thoughts about this topic.
Let love be your highest goal.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
The Brave Friendship of God
August 4, 2015
He took the twelve aside… —Luke 18:31
Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.
We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
The Bible is a relation of facts, the truth of which must be tested. Life may go on all right for a while, when suddenly a bereavement comes, or some crisis; unrequited love or a new love, a disaster, a business collapse, or a shocking sin, and we turn up our Bibles again and God’s word comes straight home, and we say, “Why, I never saw that there before.” Shade of His Hand, 1223 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Close Enough To Save Them - #7452
For some reason, for over a century, people remain intrigued with the Titanic. I mean, it hit an iceberg and it sank over a century ago, and there have been a handful of big screen movies made. Of course, the one that was made most recently by James Cameron. The story has been made into two television miniseries. There have been explorations of the wreckage, even sales of pieces of coal from the Titanic.
It's hard to get that image out of our minds isn't it? The proudest ship ever built. It was supposed to be unsinkable, and on her maiden voyage she sank; haunting images of her disappearing into the icy waters of the Atlantic. I can kind of see it in my mind's eye right now. Over 1,500 people died that night. It wasn't that the Titanic didn't try to get help. They set off flares and they radioed an SOS. The signal was picked up by a ship called the California. Historians for a while thought the California was about 20 miles away that fatal night - too far away to help. That was until we learned exactly where the Titanic went down.
Looking at the location of the California that night and the location of the Titanic revealed something very disturbing. It turns out that the California was only about five miles away! Which means they were close enough to save people. And they just didn't respond.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Close Enough to Save Them."
The passengers on the Titanic did not have to die, many of them. There were people close enough that could have saved them; those who were in the water and in their life jackets. They were still alive after the boat went down. But there were those people that rowed off in their lifeboats and left the others in the water to die ultimately from hypothermia.
They were in a position to save them. That tragedy is not unique to the night the Titanic went down, because it's happening all the time spiritually.
Here's our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 9:36-37. "When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them ..." By the way, in the Greek language, it means He felt something way down deep inside him, and it says He felt that "because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." His heart broke over these lost people. Then He gave this heartbreaking scenario, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
Of course, the harvest idea is talking about people. Like harvest crops, they're ready. And folks today are probably more ready for Jesus than they've ever been. They don't know they are, but inside their soul, their family, and all around them are issues that can only be fixed one way - by a Savior like Jesus.
But also like harvest crops, if you don't get to them in time, they will die. Or just like those people who died the night the Titanic went down. The greatest heartbreak for Jesus isn't that those people are dying. It's that they wouldn't have to die if only some people would get to them with the life-saving message about Jesus; the message you have in your heart. He's got lots of lost people ready to hear about Him. His problem is His own people. He can't get us to go to in for the rescue!
God's assigned you to a neighborhood, a workplace, a school, a social circle to put you in a position to represent Jesus there. That's why you're there. With your life, but also with your words. People aren't going to figure out that Jesus took their place on the cross just by watching your life. You have to tell them that!
So you are, like that ship the California, close enough to rescue these people. In fact, you may be closer to some lost person than any other Christian on earth. They're more likely to listen to you than anybody, as imperfect, as inadequate as you may feel. The Bible is crystal clear that people who die with their sins unforgiven cannot go to heaven and they will die eternally. And only the Savior, Jesus, who died for their sins can forgive their sins. You know that.
This is the Jesus you know. He is the Jesus they need. This is life-or-death stuff. You are in a position to rescue someone from a life on earth without a Savior and from a hopeless eternity. To do nothing? It's tragically, it's eternally wrong.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Psalm 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Your Nevertheless
Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One says, God will help you. The other lies, God has left you. Here is the great news: you select the voice you hear! Why give ear to pea-brains when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?
I had a friend who battled the stronghold of alcohol. He tried a fresh tactic. He gave me and a few others permission to slug him if we ever saw him drinking. He was determined to hear the right voices. He succeeded; and I never slugged him.
Try something drastic. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices. God loves to give them. He gave one to Peter. Remember "Speak-now-and-think-later Pete?" God turned impetuous Peter into the apostle Peter. And you? He'll do something similar. He will help you.
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 19
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.[a]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Footnotes:
19:3 Or There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, August 03, 2015
Read: Romans 6:16-23
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Insight:
Having proven that all people are sinners and having shown how sinners are justified through faith in Jesus (Rom. 1–4), Paul now describes the new life we can have because of what Jesus did (chs. 5–8). We can live differently, we can choose not to sin, and we can live holy lives (6:1-14). In today’s passage, Paul warns that we become the slave of whatever we choose to obey (vv. 16-20). Rather than give ourselves to sin, we are to give ourselves to God (vv. 22-23). When we do sin, we bear the consequences of our sins and experience a lack of fellowship with God (Gal. 6:7-8). Sim Kay Tee
On the Edge
By David H. Roper
Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. John 8:34
There’s an underground lava tube south of Kuna, Idaho, that has gained a certain amount of local notoriety. The only entrance, as far as I know, is a yawning shaft that plunges straight down into darkness.
Some years ago I stood at the edge of that shaft and looked down. I was drawn to venture closer and almost lost my balance. I felt a moment of heart-pounding terror and stepped away from the opening.
Sin is like that: Curiosity can draw us toward the darkness. How often have men and women gotten too close to the edge, lost their balance, and fallen into the darkness? They’ve destroyed their families, reputations, and careers through adulterous affairs that began with a “mere” flirtation but then progressed to thoughts and actions. Looking back they almost always say, “I never thought it would come to this.”
We think we can flirt with temptation, get very close to the edge, and walk away, but that’s a fool’s dream. We know an action is wrong and yet we toy with it. Then, inescapably, we are drawn into deeper and darker perversions. Jesus put it simply: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).
And so, seeing our own need for God’s help, we pray as David did in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back Your servant also from [deliberate] sins; let them not have dominion over me.”
Heavenly Father, whether we are being tempted now, or have fallen, we thank You that You are always there, and You love us with relentless love. We have nowhere to turn but to You.
A big fall begins with a little stumble.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 3, 2015
The Compelling Purpose of God
He…said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem…" —Luke 18:31
Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “…He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51).
The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).
We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside…” (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 03, 2015
Your Light in a Dark Night - #7451
My wife is like a human camera. She's able to record in her mind life experiences in living color and in full detail. I wish I could do it! And growing up on a little farm in the hills gave her a childhood full of memorable memories.
For example, on wintry nights her parents would go out to the barn to milk the cows and they had a lantern in their hand because they didn't have any electricity. And their house was in a hollow in the woods where the darkness was really dark. So my wife kept watching the lantern. She remembers one time when she heard people talking about a panther in the area. That's what a little girl wants to hear, right? And the adult said that you would know the panther was around when you heard its sound, and it would be like the scream of a woman.
One particular night she stood there with one hand on the screen door of the house and the other hand on her tiny little sister waiting for her parents to come back from the barn, watching that lantern. That's when she heard it; the screams of the panther. Well, you can only imagine the rush of thoughts in a little girl's mind; the fears racing through her little mind. But my wife said, "I knew my parents were okay as long as that light was steady. I just kept watching that lantern for a steady light."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Light in a Dark Night."
Now, at one time or another in our life we have all been that little girl in the door of that farmhouse. It's dark; it's scary and something you fear seems close. It may be that kind of time in your life right now and you need a steady light to give you something you can count on in this darkness.
Well, there's our word for today from the Word of God, John 8:12. Listen to what Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." So, Jesus said, "I am the light." And Jesus is a sure guarantee, "If I am your light, you will never walk in darkness." He said He's the steady light we're looking for.
Now, you've lived long enough to probably have other lights let you down. Right? The people who were going to be there for you? The light went out. A job you could count on is suddenly gone. A religion that maybe it met your needs but at the time when you needed answers the most, it just couldn't deliver. And now maybe in a dark place, Jesus - the light - stands before you and He's beckoning, He's extending His invitation, "Follow Me." "Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" He said.
See, those who commit their lives to Jesus Christ live under this wonderful promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you." When no one else can do it, Jesus is there. When the situation is bigger than you are, the Son of God is bigger than the situation is. When earth has no answers, Jesus will lead you through the confusion and the hurt. But you can't see it right now as long as there's a wall between you and Him. That wall separates you and it's what the Bible calls sin. You don't have any power to remove it.
But in the words of the Bible, "While we were still sinners..." In other words, while the wall was still there, "Christ died for us." He died so He could tear down your sin-wall by paying your death penalty for running your own life. And now He waits for you to say, "Jesus, I'm putting my total trust in You to rescue me from my sin, from the penalty of my sin."
Have you ever reached out to Him in that way? Have you ever had a time when you grabbed Jesus like a drowning person would grab a lifeguard and say, "Jesus, you're my only hope"? If you've never done that, you want to be sure you belong to Him. From this moment on you're not going to walk alone through the dark ever again.
You can go to our website ANewStory.com and there you'll find all the information you need to be sure you belong to Him. And if you want to talk with someone about what it means to follow Jesus, then text us at 442-244-WORD.
That dark and scary night on that little farm, that little girl found security because she could see a steady light out there. And there's one waiting for you. That security is Jesus Christ, our ever-living Savior. Follow His light and you will always be safe.
Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One says, God will help you. The other lies, God has left you. Here is the great news: you select the voice you hear! Why give ear to pea-brains when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?
I had a friend who battled the stronghold of alcohol. He tried a fresh tactic. He gave me and a few others permission to slug him if we ever saw him drinking. He was determined to hear the right voices. He succeeded; and I never slugged him.
Try something drastic. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices. God loves to give them. He gave one to Peter. Remember "Speak-now-and-think-later Pete?" God turned impetuous Peter into the apostle Peter. And you? He'll do something similar. He will help you.
From Facing Your Giants
Psalm 19
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.[a]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Footnotes:
19:3 Or There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, August 03, 2015
Read: Romans 6:16-23
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Insight:
Having proven that all people are sinners and having shown how sinners are justified through faith in Jesus (Rom. 1–4), Paul now describes the new life we can have because of what Jesus did (chs. 5–8). We can live differently, we can choose not to sin, and we can live holy lives (6:1-14). In today’s passage, Paul warns that we become the slave of whatever we choose to obey (vv. 16-20). Rather than give ourselves to sin, we are to give ourselves to God (vv. 22-23). When we do sin, we bear the consequences of our sins and experience a lack of fellowship with God (Gal. 6:7-8). Sim Kay Tee
On the Edge
By David H. Roper
Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. John 8:34
There’s an underground lava tube south of Kuna, Idaho, that has gained a certain amount of local notoriety. The only entrance, as far as I know, is a yawning shaft that plunges straight down into darkness.
Some years ago I stood at the edge of that shaft and looked down. I was drawn to venture closer and almost lost my balance. I felt a moment of heart-pounding terror and stepped away from the opening.
Sin is like that: Curiosity can draw us toward the darkness. How often have men and women gotten too close to the edge, lost their balance, and fallen into the darkness? They’ve destroyed their families, reputations, and careers through adulterous affairs that began with a “mere” flirtation but then progressed to thoughts and actions. Looking back they almost always say, “I never thought it would come to this.”
We think we can flirt with temptation, get very close to the edge, and walk away, but that’s a fool’s dream. We know an action is wrong and yet we toy with it. Then, inescapably, we are drawn into deeper and darker perversions. Jesus put it simply: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).
And so, seeing our own need for God’s help, we pray as David did in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back Your servant also from [deliberate] sins; let them not have dominion over me.”
Heavenly Father, whether we are being tempted now, or have fallen, we thank You that You are always there, and You love us with relentless love. We have nowhere to turn but to You.
A big fall begins with a little stumble.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 3, 2015
The Compelling Purpose of God
He…said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem…" —Luke 18:31
Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “…He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51).
The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).
We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside…” (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 03, 2015
Your Light in a Dark Night - #7451
My wife is like a human camera. She's able to record in her mind life experiences in living color and in full detail. I wish I could do it! And growing up on a little farm in the hills gave her a childhood full of memorable memories.
For example, on wintry nights her parents would go out to the barn to milk the cows and they had a lantern in their hand because they didn't have any electricity. And their house was in a hollow in the woods where the darkness was really dark. So my wife kept watching the lantern. She remembers one time when she heard people talking about a panther in the area. That's what a little girl wants to hear, right? And the adult said that you would know the panther was around when you heard its sound, and it would be like the scream of a woman.
One particular night she stood there with one hand on the screen door of the house and the other hand on her tiny little sister waiting for her parents to come back from the barn, watching that lantern. That's when she heard it; the screams of the panther. Well, you can only imagine the rush of thoughts in a little girl's mind; the fears racing through her little mind. But my wife said, "I knew my parents were okay as long as that light was steady. I just kept watching that lantern for a steady light."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Light in a Dark Night."
Now, at one time or another in our life we have all been that little girl in the door of that farmhouse. It's dark; it's scary and something you fear seems close. It may be that kind of time in your life right now and you need a steady light to give you something you can count on in this darkness.
Well, there's our word for today from the Word of God, John 8:12. Listen to what Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." So, Jesus said, "I am the light." And Jesus is a sure guarantee, "If I am your light, you will never walk in darkness." He said He's the steady light we're looking for.
Now, you've lived long enough to probably have other lights let you down. Right? The people who were going to be there for you? The light went out. A job you could count on is suddenly gone. A religion that maybe it met your needs but at the time when you needed answers the most, it just couldn't deliver. And now maybe in a dark place, Jesus - the light - stands before you and He's beckoning, He's extending His invitation, "Follow Me." "Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" He said.
See, those who commit their lives to Jesus Christ live under this wonderful promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you." When no one else can do it, Jesus is there. When the situation is bigger than you are, the Son of God is bigger than the situation is. When earth has no answers, Jesus will lead you through the confusion and the hurt. But you can't see it right now as long as there's a wall between you and Him. That wall separates you and it's what the Bible calls sin. You don't have any power to remove it.
But in the words of the Bible, "While we were still sinners..." In other words, while the wall was still there, "Christ died for us." He died so He could tear down your sin-wall by paying your death penalty for running your own life. And now He waits for you to say, "Jesus, I'm putting my total trust in You to rescue me from my sin, from the penalty of my sin."
Have you ever reached out to Him in that way? Have you ever had a time when you grabbed Jesus like a drowning person would grab a lifeguard and say, "Jesus, you're my only hope"? If you've never done that, you want to be sure you belong to Him. From this moment on you're not going to walk alone through the dark ever again.
You can go to our website ANewStory.com and there you'll find all the information you need to be sure you belong to Him. And if you want to talk with someone about what it means to follow Jesus, then text us at 442-244-WORD.
That dark and scary night on that little farm, that little girl found security because she could see a steady light out there. And there's one waiting for you. That security is Jesus Christ, our ever-living Savior. Follow His light and you will always be safe.
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