Hosea 3
Hosea's Reconciliation With His Wife 1 The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels [a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek [b] of barley. 3 Then I told her, "You are to live with [c] me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with [d] you."
4 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Matthew 2The Visit of the Magi 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him." 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ[c] was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'[d]"
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
December 10, 2007
Be A Star
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 2:1-12
Those who turn many to righteousness [shall shine] like the stars forever and ever. —Daniel 12:3 About this cover Many today seek stardom by trying to get into the media spotlight. But a young Jewish captive achieved “stardom” in a better way.
When Daniel and his friends were taken captive by a ruthless invading nation, it was unlikely that they would be heard from again. But the godly young men soon distinguished themselves as intelligent and trustworthy.
When the king had a dream that his wise men could not repeat nor interpret, he condemned them to death. After a night of prayer with his friends, Daniel received from God the content of the dream and its interpretation. As a result, the king promoted Daniel to be his chief advisor (see Dan. 2).
If the story ended there, it would be remarkable enough. But some scholars believe that Daniel’s influence in Babylon made people aware of messianic prophecies about a Savior who would be born in Bethlehem. Daniel’s teaching may have been the reason that 500 years later wise men from the East followed a star to a remote and unfamiliar part of the world to find an infant King, worship Him, and return to their country with the good news of God’s incredible journey to earth (Matt. 2:1-12).
By turning others to righteousness, we, like Daniel, can become a star that will shine forever. —Julie Ackerman Link
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing!Out of my life may Jesus shine;Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray,Make me a blessing to someone today. —Wilson
You can attract people to Jesus when you have His light in your life.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
December 10, 2007
The Offering of the NaturalLISTEN: READ:
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman —Galatians 4:22 About this cover Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14 ). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to "present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . ." ( Romans 12:1 ). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, "Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child." Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19 ).
Genesis 21:15-19
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she [a] began to sob.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Christian Camouflage - #5456 Monday, December 10, 2007
A friend of ours is an avid hunter; so much that he's been known to skip church occasionally during duck hunting season. He's well known in the church, so the pastor notices when he's not there. With a twinkle in his eye, our friend explained recently how he's prepared to handle pastoral questions like, "Where were you on Sunday?" He said he's named the duck blinds where he hides to hunt those birds. One is named "The Word." The other is named "Prayer." So when he's asked where he was on Sunday, he can simply answer, "I was in 'The Word,'" or, "I was in 'Prayer.'"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Christian Camouflage."
Obviously, this is a hunter who understands the value of camouflage, as in the value of hiding behind some wonderful spiritual words. While his words are meant to be more whimsical than deceptive, they illustrate a deeper and more dangerous issue that’s rampant among us church folks. We know how to use all the right Christian words and have just the right Christian look. We put it on every time we walk in the church door, but often it's camouflage that's covering up some issues in our life that aren't Christian at all.
Jesus put it this way in Mark 7:6, our word for today from the Word of God: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." You can say all the good, God-honoring things and underneath you can have a heart that is far from Him. A life that has, beneath that spiritual camouflage, some attitudes or actions that have no place in a child of God, someone who’s been rescued at the price of the blood of His Son. We forget that God does not look at the "outward appearance" but "at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7) the Bible says. In other words, the only One who really matters is not fooled by our Christian words, our Christian rationalizations or our Christian activity. Your whole relationship with Him, His blessing on your life, is all about the condition of your heart.
Could it be that you've been hiding some serious unrepented sin under the camouflage of spiritual words? You can be talking about prayer and Bible study in the morning and swimming in the cesspool of Internet pornography at night. Your mouth can be talking about glorifying God, but your heart can be full of pride and selfish ambition. Your Christian words can mask all kinds of hidden bitterness, lust and deception, or a compartmentalized life that's all about Jesus in the God-compartment, but all about you at work, or at home, or at school.
You can even try to put Christian words on things that are anything but Christian. You call it conviction, God calls it stubbornness; you call it compassion, God calls it compromise; you call it love, God calls it immorality or adultery. Isn't it time you looked in the mirror and saw the hypocrite behind the beautiful words? There's freedom, there's forgiveness and there's integrity waiting for you at the cross of Jesus Christ, where you need to bring all the sin that's been hiding behind that spirituality.
One of the greatest dangers of being in a Christian environment is that you can know the words and never know the Lord. Jesus said there will be people like that on Judgment Day to whom He will say, "I never knew you." Could it be you've got Christianity but you don't have Christ? You've mistaken agreement with Jesus for commitment to Jesus, and that mistake will cost you heaven. But today you can experience what it is to know Jesus for real if you'll make this the day you say, "Lord, all this time I've missed You. But I want You in my heart, not just in my head. I am Yours." My booklet Yours For Life describes how to begin this most important relationship. It's helped others make sure they really know Him, and I'd like to send it to you if you want it. Just let me know you want it by going to our website. It’s yoursforlife.net. Or you can call toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
It isn't the rhetoric of Jesus that matters; it's the reality of Jesus. So come to Him today as you really are. There's so much you've been missing. You can have it today.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Hosea 2 and devotionals
Hosea 2
1 "Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'
Israel Punished and Restored 2 "Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. 3 Otherwise I will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst.
4 I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.
5 Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.'
6 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
7 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.'
8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal.
9 "Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her nakedness.
10 So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands.
11 I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days—all her appointed feasts.
12 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.
13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot," declares the LORD.
14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.
15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [a] a door of hope. There she will sing [b] as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
16 "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. [c] '
17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in [d] righteousness and justice, in [e] love and compassion.
20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.
21 "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD— "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth;
22 and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. [f]
23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one. [g] ' I will say to those called 'Not my people, [h] ' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.' "
Our Daily Bread reading and Devotional
Isaiah 53:1-6
Isaiah 53 1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
December 9, 2007
Blue ChristmasREAD: Isaiah 53:1-6
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. —Isaiah 53:4 About this cover A growing number of churches are holding annual Blue Christmas services for those faced with grief and loss. The holiday season’s emphasis on happiness and good cheer often makes people who are dealing with heartbreak feel even worse.
An Associated Press article quoted a pastor who described the Blue Christmas service as “an opportunity for people to come and be in the presence of God and acknowledge their grief and despair and loneliness and give it to God.” One participant added, “And it’s a good place to have a cry and no one will mind.”
During the Christmas season, we often read Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming Messiah who would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14) and called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6). But perhaps we should also include the words of Isaiah 53: “He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. . . . Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . . And by His stripes we are healed” (vv.3-5). The psalmist reminds us that “[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps. 147:3).
If you’re hurting this Christmas, remember: Jesus came to save us, to help us, and to heal us. —David C. McCasland
Whenever darkness grips your soulAnd you are tempted to despair,Remember Christ’s unfailing love,And trust His faithful, tender care. —Sper
Jesus provides an oasis of grace in the desert of grief
My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
December 9, 2007
The Opposition of the NaturalLISTEN: READ:
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24 About this cover The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . ." The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . ." ( Matthew 16:24 ). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
TGIF devotional
The Role of IntercessionBy Os HillmanPowered By Marketplace Leaders
Coming over to us, he [Agabus] took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. - Acts 21:11-12
In my own personal spiritual pilgrimage, God has allowed me to come into relationship with those in the Body of Christ who are called to a greater level of intercessory prayer. God calls each of us to be intercessory prayer warriors, but there are individuals in the Body of Christ who are called to be frontline warriors and who are more skilled in the area of intercession. These individuals often can have a gift of prophecy as part of their intercessory anointing. Such appears to be the case of Agabus in the Book of Acts.
Agabus seems to have received a word from God, and by way of a physical demonstration, tied Paul's belt around himself to let him know that he would be bound in Jerusalem if he went to this city. Agabus and the others immediately drew a conclusion that he was not to go to Jerusalem. Paul disagreed and proceeded to Jerusalem where he was, in fact, bound and beaten after giving testimony to the people and religious leaders of Jerusalem.
God calls intercessors to the role of seeing. He calls leaders to the role of interpreting actions.
God allows intercessors to see a more complete picture. However, actions are never left for the intercessors to determine. Conversely, leaders need to get the spiritual picture of what they are dealing with. This is why they need gifted intercessors. They must not make the mistake of believing they can see the entire picture without the intercessors. Once they have the intercessors' insights, they must determine the right course of action. This is their role. Conflicts arise when either tries to fulfill both roles.
Paul knew he was to go to Jerusalem, even if it meant being beaten. He did go and was beaten. However, we sense that he made the right decision based on Jesus' comments to him in Acts chapter 23, verse 11: "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.' "
Pray that God will bring intercessors and leaders into your life. He wants you to have a complete picture of the situations you face each day and to know the actions necessary for fulfilling His will for your life.
1 "Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'
Israel Punished and Restored 2 "Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. 3 Otherwise I will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst.
4 I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.
5 Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.'
6 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
7 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.'
8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal.
9 "Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her nakedness.
10 So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands.
11 I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days—all her appointed feasts.
12 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.
13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot," declares the LORD.
14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.
15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [a] a door of hope. There she will sing [b] as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
16 "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. [c] '
17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in [d] righteousness and justice, in [e] love and compassion.
20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.
21 "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD— "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth;
22 and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. [f]
23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one. [g] ' I will say to those called 'Not my people, [h] ' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.' "
Our Daily Bread reading and Devotional
Isaiah 53:1-6
Isaiah 53 1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
December 9, 2007
Blue ChristmasREAD: Isaiah 53:1-6
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. —Isaiah 53:4 About this cover A growing number of churches are holding annual Blue Christmas services for those faced with grief and loss. The holiday season’s emphasis on happiness and good cheer often makes people who are dealing with heartbreak feel even worse.
An Associated Press article quoted a pastor who described the Blue Christmas service as “an opportunity for people to come and be in the presence of God and acknowledge their grief and despair and loneliness and give it to God.” One participant added, “And it’s a good place to have a cry and no one will mind.”
During the Christmas season, we often read Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming Messiah who would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14) and called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6). But perhaps we should also include the words of Isaiah 53: “He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. . . . Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . . And by His stripes we are healed” (vv.3-5). The psalmist reminds us that “[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps. 147:3).
If you’re hurting this Christmas, remember: Jesus came to save us, to help us, and to heal us. —David C. McCasland
Whenever darkness grips your soulAnd you are tempted to despair,Remember Christ’s unfailing love,And trust His faithful, tender care. —Sper
Jesus provides an oasis of grace in the desert of grief
My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
December 9, 2007
The Opposition of the NaturalLISTEN: READ:
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24 About this cover The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . ." The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . ." ( Matthew 16:24 ). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
TGIF devotional
The Role of IntercessionBy Os HillmanPowered By Marketplace Leaders
Coming over to us, he [Agabus] took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. - Acts 21:11-12
In my own personal spiritual pilgrimage, God has allowed me to come into relationship with those in the Body of Christ who are called to a greater level of intercessory prayer. God calls each of us to be intercessory prayer warriors, but there are individuals in the Body of Christ who are called to be frontline warriors and who are more skilled in the area of intercession. These individuals often can have a gift of prophecy as part of their intercessory anointing. Such appears to be the case of Agabus in the Book of Acts.
Agabus seems to have received a word from God, and by way of a physical demonstration, tied Paul's belt around himself to let him know that he would be bound in Jerusalem if he went to this city. Agabus and the others immediately drew a conclusion that he was not to go to Jerusalem. Paul disagreed and proceeded to Jerusalem where he was, in fact, bound and beaten after giving testimony to the people and religious leaders of Jerusalem.
God calls intercessors to the role of seeing. He calls leaders to the role of interpreting actions.
God allows intercessors to see a more complete picture. However, actions are never left for the intercessors to determine. Conversely, leaders need to get the spiritual picture of what they are dealing with. This is why they need gifted intercessors. They must not make the mistake of believing they can see the entire picture without the intercessors. Once they have the intercessors' insights, they must determine the right course of action. This is their role. Conflicts arise when either tries to fulfill both roles.
Paul knew he was to go to Jerusalem, even if it meant being beaten. He did go and was beaten. However, we sense that he made the right decision based on Jesus' comments to him in Acts chapter 23, verse 11: "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.' "
Pray that God will bring intercessors and leaders into your life. He wants you to have a complete picture of the situations you face each day and to know the actions necessary for fulfilling His will for your life.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Hosea
Hosea 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash [a] king of Israel:Hosea's Wife and Children 2 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel's bow in the Valley of Jezreel."
6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, [b] for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God."
8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, [c] for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
10 "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Hebrews 12:12-17
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[a] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Warning Against Refusing God 14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
December 8, 2007
Are We Selling Out?READ: Hebrews 12:12-17
Looking carefully . . . lest there be any . . . profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. —Hebrews 12:15-16 About this cover Have we “sold out” the way Esau did? (Heb. 12:16). Has the lure of wealth, power, prestige, position, security, style, or the approval and praise of others led us to barter away God’s riches for a single meal?
Esau sought to change his father’s mind and gain the inheritance he had forfeited by his duplicity, but he could not set right the damage he had done. He had to live with his decision. Neither can we turn back the clock and undo the wrong we have done to ourselves and to others.
Although the past is irrevocable, there can be a new day before us, filled with new chances, new opportunities, and new expectations. God will not redo the past, but when we repent He can and will forgive us and set us on a new path.
The Lord can give us opportunities to show how we have truly repented of the decisions of the past and how much we long to serve Him in the decisions to come. He will never mention the deeds by which we’ve shamed others and ourselves; they are forgiven and forgotten forever.
God will give us a place to begin again—to love, to serve, to touch others profoundly and eternally for His sake. This demonstrates the greatness of our heavenly Father’s forgiving love to us. —David H. Roper
Dear Lord, be merciful to me;My sin has grieved Your heart;And grant to me Your strength anewTo make a fresh, new start. —D. De Haan
God’s forgiveness is the door to a new beginning.
My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
December 8, 2007
The Impartial Power of GodLISTEN: READ:
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified —Hebrews 10:14 About this cover We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God’s response, through Peter, is, ". . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood . . ." ( Ephesians 1:7 ). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
TGIF devotionalNo Manna StoresBy Os HillmanPowered By Marketplace Leaders
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions." - Exodus 16:4
When God took the nation of Israel through the desert, there was one thing the people simply could not do outside of God alone: They could not provide for themselves. They could not plant. They could not harvest. They could not manufacture. It was a place and time where nothing but complete dependence was the rule. God gave manna one day at a time. The manna spoiled the day after, so they could never store it. They could not go to the manna store to get more. They couldn't start a manna business to capitalize on all the free manna. I can tell you from personal experience that when God takes you to the desert, there is nothing you can do to change it until He wants to change it, so do not strive against God in the desert place. What was the purpose of this restrictive time in their lives? Why did God have to keep them from using any of these abilities to earn on their own? It was a season to build trust and reliance on God. They had relied on the "manna" of Egypt for so long that He needed to change their whole nature of looking to Egypt as their provider to looking to God as their provider. This boot camp was to be only for a season. However, what should have been less than a 30-day journey took 40 years because of the hardness of their hearts. They never passed the test God gave them.Has God taken you into the desert? Is He forcing you to depend wholly on His provision? Pray that you will learn the lessons God desires you to learn in the desert place. He will bring you out when He has accomplished all He wants to build in your life. Remember that it is a season; you will not be there forever. He understands that no one can stay in a desolate place forever.
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash [a] king of Israel:Hosea's Wife and Children 2 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel's bow in the Valley of Jezreel."
6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, [b] for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God."
8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, [c] for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
10 "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
Hebrews 12:12-17
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[a] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Warning Against Refusing God 14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
December 8, 2007
Are We Selling Out?READ: Hebrews 12:12-17
Looking carefully . . . lest there be any . . . profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. —Hebrews 12:15-16 About this cover Have we “sold out” the way Esau did? (Heb. 12:16). Has the lure of wealth, power, prestige, position, security, style, or the approval and praise of others led us to barter away God’s riches for a single meal?
Esau sought to change his father’s mind and gain the inheritance he had forfeited by his duplicity, but he could not set right the damage he had done. He had to live with his decision. Neither can we turn back the clock and undo the wrong we have done to ourselves and to others.
Although the past is irrevocable, there can be a new day before us, filled with new chances, new opportunities, and new expectations. God will not redo the past, but when we repent He can and will forgive us and set us on a new path.
The Lord can give us opportunities to show how we have truly repented of the decisions of the past and how much we long to serve Him in the decisions to come. He will never mention the deeds by which we’ve shamed others and ourselves; they are forgiven and forgotten forever.
God will give us a place to begin again—to love, to serve, to touch others profoundly and eternally for His sake. This demonstrates the greatness of our heavenly Father’s forgiving love to us. —David H. Roper
Dear Lord, be merciful to me;My sin has grieved Your heart;And grant to me Your strength anewTo make a fresh, new start. —D. De Haan
God’s forgiveness is the door to a new beginning.
My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
December 8, 2007
The Impartial Power of GodLISTEN: READ:
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified —Hebrews 10:14 About this cover We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God’s response, through Peter, is, ". . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood . . ." ( Ephesians 1:7 ). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
TGIF devotionalNo Manna StoresBy Os HillmanPowered By Marketplace Leaders
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions." - Exodus 16:4
When God took the nation of Israel through the desert, there was one thing the people simply could not do outside of God alone: They could not provide for themselves. They could not plant. They could not harvest. They could not manufacture. It was a place and time where nothing but complete dependence was the rule. God gave manna one day at a time. The manna spoiled the day after, so they could never store it. They could not go to the manna store to get more. They couldn't start a manna business to capitalize on all the free manna. I can tell you from personal experience that when God takes you to the desert, there is nothing you can do to change it until He wants to change it, so do not strive against God in the desert place. What was the purpose of this restrictive time in their lives? Why did God have to keep them from using any of these abilities to earn on their own? It was a season to build trust and reliance on God. They had relied on the "manna" of Egypt for so long that He needed to change their whole nature of looking to Egypt as their provider to looking to God as their provider. This boot camp was to be only for a season. However, what should have been less than a 30-day journey took 40 years because of the hardness of their hearts. They never passed the test God gave them.Has God taken you into the desert? Is He forcing you to depend wholly on His provision? Pray that you will learn the lessons God desires you to learn in the desert place. He will bring you out when He has accomplished all He wants to build in your life. Remember that it is a season; you will not be there forever. He understands that no one can stay in a desolate place forever.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Daniel 12 and Devotions
Daniel 12
The End Times
1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise [a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. [b] When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Our Daily Bread reading and Devotion
Acts 3
Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers 11While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
December 7, 2007
Change Your Name
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Acts 3:1-16
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13 About this cover Names are important. Parents may spend months researching and deciding on the perfect name for their baby. Often their final decision is based on its sound, uniqueness, or meaning.
One woman took on a new name because she disliked her original name. She mistakenly believed that changing it could alter her destiny. That’s not likely, but for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior and are identified by His name from that time on, a radical transformation does take place.
There is a powerful significance attached to the name of Jesus. The apostles performed miracles (Acts 3:6-7,16; 4:10) and cast out demons in His name (Luke 10:17). They spoke and taught in the name of Jesus. They baptized believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). And it is only through the name of Jesus that we gain access to the Father (Acts 4:12).
When we become Christians, we share in that worthy name. And as we follow Christ, we are able to reflect His light to any darkness we encounter, whether in our neighborhood, our workplace, or even our home. Our prayer should be that when people see us—they will see Christ.
Our names may have meaning or significance. But to bear the name Christian is life-transforming. —Cindy Hess Kasper
Lord of my life, henceforth I bearThe name of Christian everywhere;Therefore, O Christ, my spirit claim,And make me worthy of Your name. —Freeman
The name of Jesus is the only name with the power to transform.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
December 7, 2007
RepentanceLISTEN: READ:
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10 About this cover Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8 ). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." ( Psalm 51:4 ). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19 ). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
A Word with You, from Ron Hutchcraft
Missing the Turn that Saves Your Life - #5455 Friday, December 07, 2007
I was learning to ride a bicycle, and my dad was my teacher. Across the street from our apartment was a schoolyard as big as a city block. Like most city schoolyards, it was all concrete, no grass. In the middle of that big expanse was the only obstacle for a bike-riding rookie - a big old metal flagpole. But how could anyone run into that when he had the entire rest of the schoolyard to learn in? It can be done. There I was, wobbling along, trying to learn to keep my balance on two wheels with my dad just behind me. Suddenly I heard him saying, "Turn, boy." My hands were frozen to the handlebars and I was sure turning either way meant crashing on that hard concrete. Again, "Turn, son!" I was closing in on the flagpole. Now it was a desperate cry from the lips of a disbelieving father, "Turn or you're going to hit the pole!" Bonngggg! I hit the pole. I still have the chipped tooth to prove it.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Turn that Saves Your Life."
I made a painful mistake. I didn't make the turn that could have saved me. You know, there are lots of people like that. There's a turn that God is telling them to make; a turn that could save them from a life without meaning and an eternity without hope. But they just won't turn.
You may know a lot about a lot of things, but there's nothing more important in all the world than to understand the turn that will keep you from God's punishment and take you to God's heaven. It's described many places in the Bible, including Acts 3:19, our word for today from the Word of God. It says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Here's why this is so life-or-death important. The sin that verse talks about will keep us from ever experiencing God's peace and God's love in this life and from ever entering His heaven when we die. A perfect God cannot have a relationship with an unforgiven sinner. But what we just read from God's Word talks about every sin you've ever committed being erased from God's book forever! Which means the only thing standing between you and God - between you and heaven - could be gone if you make the turn.
Obviously, the turn is a turn to God. And the way to Him is through His Son, who died to make the way. In God's own words, Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we might die to sins" (1 Peter 2:24). The gift of eternal life is in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, the One who purchased that life by giving up His own for you. But here's the part that a lot of people miss. When you turn to Jesus, you're turning your back on something else. You're turning your back on the junk that killed Him. You're making a decision that you're going to abandon the sins of the past that were the very sins He died to get rid of.
That's what the "repent" part of turning to God is all about - turning your back on your sins to turn to Jesus as your Savior. You won't be instantly perfect, but you're deciding to let Jesus change you. It's His power that will change you, but your decision that you will change. You can't face east and west at the same time. You have to turn away from one to face the other. So it is with Jesus and the sin He died for. But then, why would you want to continue to defy God and poison your life with the sin that ultimately and always kills? We're talking a new you here, from the inside out! A new you that begins the moment you say, "Jesus, I'm Yours!" God's come to you today to offer you complete forgiveness and life forever. Don't miss this.
I’ve written a little booklet called Yours For Life that helps describe just exactly how you can be forgiven and begin this incredible, unloseable relationship with Jesus Christ. You can let us know you want it just by going to our website at yoursforlife.net. Or call us toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
Without Christ in your heart, you're heading for a collision with God and an eternity you do not want. But there's still time to turn.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
The End Times
1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise [a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. [b] When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Our Daily Bread reading and Devotion
Acts 3
Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers 11While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
December 7, 2007
Change Your Name
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Acts 3:1-16
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13 About this cover Names are important. Parents may spend months researching and deciding on the perfect name for their baby. Often their final decision is based on its sound, uniqueness, or meaning.
One woman took on a new name because she disliked her original name. She mistakenly believed that changing it could alter her destiny. That’s not likely, but for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior and are identified by His name from that time on, a radical transformation does take place.
There is a powerful significance attached to the name of Jesus. The apostles performed miracles (Acts 3:6-7,16; 4:10) and cast out demons in His name (Luke 10:17). They spoke and taught in the name of Jesus. They baptized believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). And it is only through the name of Jesus that we gain access to the Father (Acts 4:12).
When we become Christians, we share in that worthy name. And as we follow Christ, we are able to reflect His light to any darkness we encounter, whether in our neighborhood, our workplace, or even our home. Our prayer should be that when people see us—they will see Christ.
Our names may have meaning or significance. But to bear the name Christian is life-transforming. —Cindy Hess Kasper
Lord of my life, henceforth I bearThe name of Christian everywhere;Therefore, O Christ, my spirit claim,And make me worthy of Your name. —Freeman
The name of Jesus is the only name with the power to transform.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
December 7, 2007
RepentanceLISTEN: READ:
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10 About this cover Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8 ). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." ( Psalm 51:4 ). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19 ). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
A Word with You, from Ron Hutchcraft
Missing the Turn that Saves Your Life - #5455 Friday, December 07, 2007
I was learning to ride a bicycle, and my dad was my teacher. Across the street from our apartment was a schoolyard as big as a city block. Like most city schoolyards, it was all concrete, no grass. In the middle of that big expanse was the only obstacle for a bike-riding rookie - a big old metal flagpole. But how could anyone run into that when he had the entire rest of the schoolyard to learn in? It can be done. There I was, wobbling along, trying to learn to keep my balance on two wheels with my dad just behind me. Suddenly I heard him saying, "Turn, boy." My hands were frozen to the handlebars and I was sure turning either way meant crashing on that hard concrete. Again, "Turn, son!" I was closing in on the flagpole. Now it was a desperate cry from the lips of a disbelieving father, "Turn or you're going to hit the pole!" Bonngggg! I hit the pole. I still have the chipped tooth to prove it.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Turn that Saves Your Life."
I made a painful mistake. I didn't make the turn that could have saved me. You know, there are lots of people like that. There's a turn that God is telling them to make; a turn that could save them from a life without meaning and an eternity without hope. But they just won't turn.
You may know a lot about a lot of things, but there's nothing more important in all the world than to understand the turn that will keep you from God's punishment and take you to God's heaven. It's described many places in the Bible, including Acts 3:19, our word for today from the Word of God. It says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Here's why this is so life-or-death important. The sin that verse talks about will keep us from ever experiencing God's peace and God's love in this life and from ever entering His heaven when we die. A perfect God cannot have a relationship with an unforgiven sinner. But what we just read from God's Word talks about every sin you've ever committed being erased from God's book forever! Which means the only thing standing between you and God - between you and heaven - could be gone if you make the turn.
Obviously, the turn is a turn to God. And the way to Him is through His Son, who died to make the way. In God's own words, Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we might die to sins" (1 Peter 2:24). The gift of eternal life is in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, the One who purchased that life by giving up His own for you. But here's the part that a lot of people miss. When you turn to Jesus, you're turning your back on something else. You're turning your back on the junk that killed Him. You're making a decision that you're going to abandon the sins of the past that were the very sins He died to get rid of.
That's what the "repent" part of turning to God is all about - turning your back on your sins to turn to Jesus as your Savior. You won't be instantly perfect, but you're deciding to let Jesus change you. It's His power that will change you, but your decision that you will change. You can't face east and west at the same time. You have to turn away from one to face the other. So it is with Jesus and the sin He died for. But then, why would you want to continue to defy God and poison your life with the sin that ultimately and always kills? We're talking a new you here, from the inside out! A new you that begins the moment you say, "Jesus, I'm Yours!" God's come to you today to offer you complete forgiveness and life forever. Don't miss this.
I’ve written a little booklet called Yours For Life that helps describe just exactly how you can be forgiven and begin this incredible, unloseable relationship with Jesus Christ. You can let us know you want it just by going to our website at yoursforlife.net. Or call us toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
Without Christ in your heart, you're heading for a collision with God and an eternity you do not want. But there's still time to turn.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Daniel 11 and devotionals
Daniel 11
1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
The Kings of the South and the North 2 "Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power [a] will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father [b] and the one who supported her.
7 "One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11 "Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
14 "In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans [c] will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.
20 "His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
21 "He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.
25 "With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.
29 "At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands [d] will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
33 "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
The King Who Exalts Himself 36 "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. [e] 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at [f] the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary :on Daniel 11:1-30(Read Daniel 11:1-30)
The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From verses 5-30, is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from verse 21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.
Commentary on Daniel 11:31-45(Read Daniel 11:31-45)
The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord's anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.
Our Daily Bread reading then devotional
1 John 5:9-13
9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Concluding Remarks 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:20
20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
December 6, 2007
Gifts Within The Gift
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 1 John 5:9-13,20
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! —2 Corinthians 9:15 About this cover Sharon’s favorite Christmas gift last year from her husband Andy was an antique treasure chest. Inside were three boxes with additional gifts of chocolates and jewelry. She enjoyed each gift within the gift.
When God sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world, He gave us many gifts within the Gift. Now when people receive the gift of Jesus, they also receive these special gifts, which they could obtain in no other way:
Forgiveness of sin. “In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).
Teaching from the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14:26).
Eternal life and a home in heaven. John said, “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). Jesus promised, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; . . . I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
A love like no other. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you . . . . Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:9,13).
Have you received God’s indescribable Gift? You only need to ask. —Anne Cetas
The ABCs Of SalvationAdmit that you’re a sinner (Rom. 3:23).Believe on Christ (Acts 16:31).Confess your faith (Rom. 10:9-10).
Jesus is both the gift and the Giver of every good gift.
My Utmost for His Highest:
December 6, 2007
"My Rainbow in the Cloud"LISTEN: READ:
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13 About this cover It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God--a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, "Now I believe." There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
A Word with You from Ron Hutchcraft:
Fresh Daily - #5454 Thursday, December 06, 2007
When our son comes to visit, he usually comes with a box of doughnuts under his arm. Just what we need! Now these are not just any doughnuts. These are from a doughnut chain that has become very popular in America. I don't do ads, so you'll have to figure it out. But we were driving with our son through a tourist community not long ago, and he suddenly exclaimed, "The hot light is on!" I thought my car was overheating. No, he meant that the light in the window of this doughnut store was on, which is their signal that a hot batch of their delicious doughnuts has just come out of the oven. And I have to tell you, when you get them fresh like that, oh, can you say "irresistible"? I'll bet I just made you hungry.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fresh Daily."
It's true of doughnuts. It's true of bread. It's always best when you get it fresh and hot out of the oven. So is bread for your soul, as in God's own words for your heart, recorded in that Bible of yours. There's nothing like getting it fresh from God to your soul - daily.
If your spiritual life has seemed a little stale lately, it may be because you've been neglecting your time with God where He gives you His word for this moment, hot out of the oven. There's a picture of this in our word for today from the Word of God in Exodus 16, beginning with verse 4. God's ancient people are in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, in desperate need of nourishment. God says: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day..." How often was that, now? "...each day and gather enough for that day." Then the Bible says, "Each one gathered as much as he needed."
A few people got this bright idea that they could stock up on manna and not have to go out every day for a new supply. Bad idea. "Some of them," the Bible says, "paid no attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell." God never meant for them to live on day-old food from heaven. He doesn't mean for you to do that either. Because, as Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning." That is fresh daily. Your time with God, nourishing your soul with His Word, is literally the difference between your being "consumed" or being a conqueror.
Every morning, God is saying, "I'm your Heavenly Father, and I want to have a word with you today about..." And each day you discover what He wants to give you for what He knows this day will hold. Getting His fresh word for you begins by seeking His direction as to which book of the Bible He wants you to be reading in right now. Ask Him to match Scripture with this moment in your life. You may be reading verses you read many times before, but you're bringing a different life to them. Stay with Him until you've digested the verses you've read, which means applying them to something you're going to face that day. Then write down what He's shown you in a daily spiritual journal. Then dwell on the word He gave you all day long. It's what He wanted you thinking about all day as you deal with whatever He knew was going to come up.
Remember, you don't just read God's Word for information. You read it for transformation! Let Him change you each new morning through the power of His Word. And don't settle for just getting someone else's devotional thoughts, or counting on church or group Bible studies to keep you going, or depending on what God said to you some "yesterday" in your life. Get it fresh! Get it hot! The Bible said that if His people would get fresh manna each new day, "in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord." So will you!
1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
The Kings of the South and the North 2 "Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power [a] will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father [b] and the one who supported her.
7 "One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11 "Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
14 "In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans [c] will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.
20 "His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
21 "He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.
25 "With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.
29 "At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands [d] will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
33 "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
The King Who Exalts Himself 36 "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. [e] 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at [f] the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary :on Daniel 11:1-30(Read Daniel 11:1-30)
The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From verses 5-30, is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from verse 21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.
Commentary on Daniel 11:31-45(Read Daniel 11:31-45)
The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord's anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.
Our Daily Bread reading then devotional
1 John 5:9-13
9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Concluding Remarks 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:20
20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
December 6, 2007
Gifts Within The Gift
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 1 John 5:9-13,20
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! —2 Corinthians 9:15 About this cover Sharon’s favorite Christmas gift last year from her husband Andy was an antique treasure chest. Inside were three boxes with additional gifts of chocolates and jewelry. She enjoyed each gift within the gift.
When God sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world, He gave us many gifts within the Gift. Now when people receive the gift of Jesus, they also receive these special gifts, which they could obtain in no other way:
Forgiveness of sin. “In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).
Teaching from the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14:26).
Eternal life and a home in heaven. John said, “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). Jesus promised, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; . . . I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
A love like no other. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you . . . . Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:9,13).
Have you received God’s indescribable Gift? You only need to ask. —Anne Cetas
The ABCs Of SalvationAdmit that you’re a sinner (Rom. 3:23).Believe on Christ (Acts 16:31).Confess your faith (Rom. 10:9-10).
Jesus is both the gift and the Giver of every good gift.
My Utmost for His Highest:
December 6, 2007
"My Rainbow in the Cloud"LISTEN: READ:
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13 About this cover It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God--a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, "Now I believe." There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
A Word with You from Ron Hutchcraft:
Fresh Daily - #5454 Thursday, December 06, 2007
When our son comes to visit, he usually comes with a box of doughnuts under his arm. Just what we need! Now these are not just any doughnuts. These are from a doughnut chain that has become very popular in America. I don't do ads, so you'll have to figure it out. But we were driving with our son through a tourist community not long ago, and he suddenly exclaimed, "The hot light is on!" I thought my car was overheating. No, he meant that the light in the window of this doughnut store was on, which is their signal that a hot batch of their delicious doughnuts has just come out of the oven. And I have to tell you, when you get them fresh like that, oh, can you say "irresistible"? I'll bet I just made you hungry.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fresh Daily."
It's true of doughnuts. It's true of bread. It's always best when you get it fresh and hot out of the oven. So is bread for your soul, as in God's own words for your heart, recorded in that Bible of yours. There's nothing like getting it fresh from God to your soul - daily.
If your spiritual life has seemed a little stale lately, it may be because you've been neglecting your time with God where He gives you His word for this moment, hot out of the oven. There's a picture of this in our word for today from the Word of God in Exodus 16, beginning with verse 4. God's ancient people are in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, in desperate need of nourishment. God says: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day..." How often was that, now? "...each day and gather enough for that day." Then the Bible says, "Each one gathered as much as he needed."
A few people got this bright idea that they could stock up on manna and not have to go out every day for a new supply. Bad idea. "Some of them," the Bible says, "paid no attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell." God never meant for them to live on day-old food from heaven. He doesn't mean for you to do that either. Because, as Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning." That is fresh daily. Your time with God, nourishing your soul with His Word, is literally the difference between your being "consumed" or being a conqueror.
Every morning, God is saying, "I'm your Heavenly Father, and I want to have a word with you today about..." And each day you discover what He wants to give you for what He knows this day will hold. Getting His fresh word for you begins by seeking His direction as to which book of the Bible He wants you to be reading in right now. Ask Him to match Scripture with this moment in your life. You may be reading verses you read many times before, but you're bringing a different life to them. Stay with Him until you've digested the verses you've read, which means applying them to something you're going to face that day. Then write down what He's shown you in a daily spiritual journal. Then dwell on the word He gave you all day long. It's what He wanted you thinking about all day as you deal with whatever He knew was going to come up.
Remember, you don't just read God's Word for information. You read it for transformation! Let Him change you each new morning through the power of His Word. And don't settle for just getting someone else's devotional thoughts, or counting on church or group Bible studies to keep you going, or depending on what God said to you some "yesterday" in your life. Get it fresh! Get it hot! The Bible said that if His people would get fresh manna each new day, "in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord." So will you!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Daniel 10 and devotionals
Daniel 10Daniel's Vision of a Man 1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. [a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. 6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man [b] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength."
20 So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
(Read all of Daniel 10)Related CommentariesDaniel 10Matthew Henry’s Commentary Wesley’s Explanatory Notes Related BooksDaniel 10
Daniel (Mastering the Old Testament)By Sinclair B. Ferguson
Daniel (MacArthur Bible Study)By John F. MacArthur Chapter ContentsDaniel's vision near the river Hiddekel. (1-9) He is to expect a discovery of future events. (10-21)
Commentary on Daniel 10:1-9.(Read Daniel 10:1-9.)
This chapter relates the beginning of Daniel's last vision, which is continued to the end of the book. The time would be long before all would be accomplished; and much of it is not yet fulfilled. Christ appeared to Daniel in a glorious form, and it should engage us to think highly and honourably of him. Let us admire his condescension for us and our salvation. There remained no strength in Daniel. The greatest and best of men cannot bear the full discoveries of the Divine glory; for no man can see it, and live; but glorified saints see Christ as he is, and can bear the sight. How dreadful soever Christ may appear to those under convictions of sin, there is enough in his word to quiet their spirits.
Commentary on Daniel 10:10-21(Read Daniel 10:10-21)
Whenever we enter into communion with God, it becomes us to have a due sense of the infinite distance between us and the holy God. How shall we, that are dust and ashes, speak to the Lord of glory? Nothing is more likely, nothing more effectual to revive the drooping spirits of the saints, than to be assured of God's love to them. From the very first day we begin to look toward God in a way of duty, he is ready to meet us in the way of mercy. Thus ready is God to hear prayer. When the angel had told the prophet of the things to come, he was to return, and oppose the decrees of the Persian kings against the Jews. The angels are employed as God's ministering servants, Hebrews 1:14. Though much was done against the Jews by the kings of Persia, God permitting it, much more mischief would have been done if God had not prevented it. He would now more fully show what were God's purposes, of which the prophecies form an outline; and we are concerned to study what is written in these Scriptures of truth, for they belong to our everlasting peace. While Satan and his angels, and evil counsellors, excite princes to mischief against the church, we may rejoice that Christ our Prince, and all his mighty angels, act against our enemies; but we ought not to expect many to favour us in this evil world. Yet the whole counsel of God shall be established; and let each one pray, Lord Jesus, be our righteousness now, and thou wilt be our everlasting confidence, through life, in death, at the day of judgment, and for evermore
Our Daily Bread
Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus 1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
December 5, 2007
Changed Landscape
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. —Matthew 4:1 About this cover I love my garden. But living in the Midwestern US during winter reduces my beautiful garden to a frozen, snow-covered, barren landscape.
It wasn’t like that in Eden. Eden was a breathtakingly beautiful garden year-round. And it was in that garden that Adam and Eve basked in the stunning creation of God and the joy of perfect harmony with Him and with each other. Until, that is, Satan arrived on the scene, bringing weeds, thorns, destruction, and death.
You can’t help but notice the contrast between the landscape in Genesis 1 and Matthew 4. The same tempter who once entered God’s garden now welcomes God to his turf—the dangerous, barren wilderness.
The wilderness can be a picture of what the world—and life—becomes when Satan has his way. With one decisive blow, the joy of Eden was replaced with the barrenness of shame (Gen. 3). But Jesus was victorious on Satan’s turf! (Matt. 4). In that victory He gives us hope that we too can have victory. A victory that shows us the enemy no longer holds sway. A victory that assures us the day is coming when we will no longer toil in Satan’s wilderness but will be ushered into heaven, where the joy of Eden will be ours—forever.
Now that’s something to look forward to! —Joe Stowell
For Further StudyFor more information about our future “Eden,” go to Daily Strength
As you journey through the wilderness of temptation, Christ’s victory is yours.
My Utmost for His Highest
December 5, 2007
"The Temple of the Holy Spirit"LISTEN: READ:
. . . only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you —Genesis 41:40 About this cover I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not "set aside the grace of God"— make it ineffective ( Galatians 2:21 ). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To "work out [my] own salvation" ( Philippians 2:12 ) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all "the temple of the Holy Spirit," including our thoughts and desires ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
Paul said, "I beseech you . . . that you present your bodies a living sacrifice . . ." ( Romans 12:1 ). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit."
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
The Sharks You Never Saw - #5453 Wednesday, December 05, 2007
It was a day at the beach to never forget. Rob Howes was swimming off New Zealand's northern coast with his daughter and two friends. That's when the dolphins surrounded them. On porpoise. Sorry. What happened was that a group of dolphins began doing laps around them in tighter and tighter circles. It was as if the people were being herded like sheep by the dolphins. There was a lifeguard in a nearby lifeboat, but neither he nor the Howes party could figure out what the dolphins were up to, until they saw a great white shark coming toward them. Apparently, the dolphins had made a formation around the swimmers to repel the shark. And sure enough, the shark swam away, leaving the swimmers to make it safely to shore.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Sharks You Never Saw."
Those folks had no idea of the danger they were in. But amazingly, a hedge of protection was provided from a danger they didn't know. If you belong to Jesus Christ, that’s happened to you more times than you will ever know, until you get to heaven. So many times, God, who sees every danger, has either steered you away from the threat or the threat away from you. He's been protecting you constantly from the sharks you never saw, and the ones you did see are just reminders of the many others that He has kept from hurting you over the years and the ones He will keep from you every step of the journey ahead.
One of the more comforting psalms in the Bible is part of our word for today from the Word of God. It's Psalm 121, a good chapter to read at times when you're anxious or afraid or in some kind of trouble or danger. David says, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel" (Or you could just put in there for now "His people.") "He who watches over (His people) will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you..." (Do you think there's a message here that God doesn't want you to miss?) "...the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Eight verses in this psalm. Five times, "the Lord watches over you." The Father looking out for you knows everything, He is everywhere, and He can do anything. And there's never a moment when He is not looking out for you. So what was that you were afraid again? You don't even know half of the things around you that you could be afraid of. But fear makes no sense in the life of a child of Almighty God. In fact, fear is an insult to Him, saying either "God, You might miss something," or "God, there might be something You can't handle."
That's why 2 Timothy 1:7 can say: "God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." But this isn't just for you. It's for your children, your grandchildren, and the people you love. Isaiah 40:11 says that "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart." That includes your lambs. Don't let your fears define how you parent, how you plan, how you proceed. Not when you have the God of the universe and His mighty army of angels on round-the-clock security duty to protect you. All that worrying is so unnecessary and such a waste of time!
No matter where you are, no matter how dark or dangerous it seems to be, God is there and He can handle it, even if He has to send a few dolphins to protect you. Your safety and the safety of those you love, has nothing to do with the surroundings. It has to do with the Savior, who keeps them day and night. “Tis grace has brought you safe thus far, and grace will lead you home!"
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. 6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man [b] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength."
20 So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
(Read all of Daniel 10)Related CommentariesDaniel 10Matthew Henry’s Commentary Wesley’s Explanatory Notes Related BooksDaniel 10
Daniel (Mastering the Old Testament)By Sinclair B. Ferguson
Daniel (MacArthur Bible Study)By John F. MacArthur Chapter ContentsDaniel's vision near the river Hiddekel. (1-9) He is to expect a discovery of future events. (10-21)
Commentary on Daniel 10:1-9.(Read Daniel 10:1-9.)
This chapter relates the beginning of Daniel's last vision, which is continued to the end of the book. The time would be long before all would be accomplished; and much of it is not yet fulfilled. Christ appeared to Daniel in a glorious form, and it should engage us to think highly and honourably of him. Let us admire his condescension for us and our salvation. There remained no strength in Daniel. The greatest and best of men cannot bear the full discoveries of the Divine glory; for no man can see it, and live; but glorified saints see Christ as he is, and can bear the sight. How dreadful soever Christ may appear to those under convictions of sin, there is enough in his word to quiet their spirits.
Commentary on Daniel 10:10-21(Read Daniel 10:10-21)
Whenever we enter into communion with God, it becomes us to have a due sense of the infinite distance between us and the holy God. How shall we, that are dust and ashes, speak to the Lord of glory? Nothing is more likely, nothing more effectual to revive the drooping spirits of the saints, than to be assured of God's love to them. From the very first day we begin to look toward God in a way of duty, he is ready to meet us in the way of mercy. Thus ready is God to hear prayer. When the angel had told the prophet of the things to come, he was to return, and oppose the decrees of the Persian kings against the Jews. The angels are employed as God's ministering servants, Hebrews 1:14. Though much was done against the Jews by the kings of Persia, God permitting it, much more mischief would have been done if God had not prevented it. He would now more fully show what were God's purposes, of which the prophecies form an outline; and we are concerned to study what is written in these Scriptures of truth, for they belong to our everlasting peace. While Satan and his angels, and evil counsellors, excite princes to mischief against the church, we may rejoice that Christ our Prince, and all his mighty angels, act against our enemies; but we ought not to expect many to favour us in this evil world. Yet the whole counsel of God shall be established; and let each one pray, Lord Jesus, be our righteousness now, and thou wilt be our everlasting confidence, through life, in death, at the day of judgment, and for evermore
Our Daily Bread
Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus 1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
December 5, 2007
Changed Landscape
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. —Matthew 4:1 About this cover I love my garden. But living in the Midwestern US during winter reduces my beautiful garden to a frozen, snow-covered, barren landscape.
It wasn’t like that in Eden. Eden was a breathtakingly beautiful garden year-round. And it was in that garden that Adam and Eve basked in the stunning creation of God and the joy of perfect harmony with Him and with each other. Until, that is, Satan arrived on the scene, bringing weeds, thorns, destruction, and death.
You can’t help but notice the contrast between the landscape in Genesis 1 and Matthew 4. The same tempter who once entered God’s garden now welcomes God to his turf—the dangerous, barren wilderness.
The wilderness can be a picture of what the world—and life—becomes when Satan has his way. With one decisive blow, the joy of Eden was replaced with the barrenness of shame (Gen. 3). But Jesus was victorious on Satan’s turf! (Matt. 4). In that victory He gives us hope that we too can have victory. A victory that shows us the enemy no longer holds sway. A victory that assures us the day is coming when we will no longer toil in Satan’s wilderness but will be ushered into heaven, where the joy of Eden will be ours—forever.
Now that’s something to look forward to! —Joe Stowell
For Further StudyFor more information about our future “Eden,” go to Daily Strength
As you journey through the wilderness of temptation, Christ’s victory is yours.
My Utmost for His Highest
December 5, 2007
"The Temple of the Holy Spirit"LISTEN: READ:
. . . only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you —Genesis 41:40 About this cover I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not "set aside the grace of God"— make it ineffective ( Galatians 2:21 ). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To "work out [my] own salvation" ( Philippians 2:12 ) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all "the temple of the Holy Spirit," including our thoughts and desires ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
Paul said, "I beseech you . . . that you present your bodies a living sacrifice . . ." ( Romans 12:1 ). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit."
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
The Sharks You Never Saw - #5453 Wednesday, December 05, 2007
It was a day at the beach to never forget. Rob Howes was swimming off New Zealand's northern coast with his daughter and two friends. That's when the dolphins surrounded them. On porpoise. Sorry. What happened was that a group of dolphins began doing laps around them in tighter and tighter circles. It was as if the people were being herded like sheep by the dolphins. There was a lifeguard in a nearby lifeboat, but neither he nor the Howes party could figure out what the dolphins were up to, until they saw a great white shark coming toward them. Apparently, the dolphins had made a formation around the swimmers to repel the shark. And sure enough, the shark swam away, leaving the swimmers to make it safely to shore.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Sharks You Never Saw."
Those folks had no idea of the danger they were in. But amazingly, a hedge of protection was provided from a danger they didn't know. If you belong to Jesus Christ, that’s happened to you more times than you will ever know, until you get to heaven. So many times, God, who sees every danger, has either steered you away from the threat or the threat away from you. He's been protecting you constantly from the sharks you never saw, and the ones you did see are just reminders of the many others that He has kept from hurting you over the years and the ones He will keep from you every step of the journey ahead.
One of the more comforting psalms in the Bible is part of our word for today from the Word of God. It's Psalm 121, a good chapter to read at times when you're anxious or afraid or in some kind of trouble or danger. David says, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel" (Or you could just put in there for now "His people.") "He who watches over (His people) will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you..." (Do you think there's a message here that God doesn't want you to miss?) "...the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Eight verses in this psalm. Five times, "the Lord watches over you." The Father looking out for you knows everything, He is everywhere, and He can do anything. And there's never a moment when He is not looking out for you. So what was that you were afraid again? You don't even know half of the things around you that you could be afraid of. But fear makes no sense in the life of a child of Almighty God. In fact, fear is an insult to Him, saying either "God, You might miss something," or "God, there might be something You can't handle."
That's why 2 Timothy 1:7 can say: "God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." But this isn't just for you. It's for your children, your grandchildren, and the people you love. Isaiah 40:11 says that "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart." That includes your lambs. Don't let your fears define how you parent, how you plan, how you proceed. Not when you have the God of the universe and His mighty army of angels on round-the-clock security duty to protect you. All that worrying is so unnecessary and such a waste of time!
No matter where you are, no matter how dark or dangerous it seems to be, God is there and He can handle it, even if He has to send a few dolphins to protect you. Your safety and the safety of those you love, has nothing to do with the surroundings. It has to do with the Savior, who keeps them day and night. “Tis grace has brought you safe thus far, and grace will lead you home!"
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Daniel 9 and devotionals
Daniel 9
Daniel's Prayer 1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus [a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian [b] kingdom- 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
The Seventy "Sevens" 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 "Seventy 'sevens' [c] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish [d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. [e]
25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree [f] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, [g] the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. [h] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' [i] In the middle of the 'seven' [j] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. [k] " [l]
Chapter ContentsDaniel considers the time of the captivity. (1-3) His confession of sin, and prayer. (4-19) The revelation concerning the coming of the Messiah. (20-27)
Commentary on Daniel 9:1-3(Read Daniel 9:1-3)
Daniel learned from the books of the prophets, especially from Jeremiah, that the desolation of Jerusalem would continue seventy years, which were drawing to a close. God's promises are to encourage our prayers, not to make them needless; and when we see the performance of them approaching, we should more earnestly plead them with God.
Commentary on Daniel 9:4-19(Read Daniel 9:4-19)
In every prayer we must make confession, not only of the sins we have been guilty of, but of our faith in God, and dependence upon him, our sorrow for sin, and our resolutions against it. It must be our confession, the language of our convictions. Here is Daniel's humble, serious, devout address to God; in which he gives glory to him as a God to be feared, and as a God to be trusted. We should, in prayer, look both at God's greatness and his goodness, his majesty and mercy. Here is a penitent confession of sin, the cause of the troubles the people for so many years groaned under. All who would find mercy must thus confess their sins. Here is a self-abasing acknowledgment of the righteousness of God; and it is evermore the way of true penitents thus to justify God. Afflictions are sent to bring men to turn from their sins, and to understand God's truth. Here is a believing appeal to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God, as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousness belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not only forgiveness, but forgivenesses. Here are pleaded the reproach God's people was under, and the ruins God's sanctuary was in. Sin is a reproach to any people, especially to God's people. The desolations of the sanctuary are grief to all the saints. Here is an earnest request to God to restore the poor captive Jews to their former enjoyments. O Lord, hearken and do. Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do; do that for us which none else can do; and defer not. Here are several pleas and arguments to enforce the petitions. Do it for the Lord Christ's sake; Christ is the Lord of all. And for his sake God causes his face to shine upon sinners when they repent, and turn to him. In all our prayers this must be our plea, we must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The humble, fervent, believing earnestness of this prayer should ever be followed by us.
Commentary on Daniel 9:20-27(Read Daniel 9:20-27)
An answer was immediately sent to Daniel's prayer, and it is a very memorable one. We cannot now expect that God should send answers to our prayers by angels, but if we pray with fervency for that which God has promised, we may by faith take the promise as an immediate answer to the prayer; for He is faithful that has promised. Daniel had a far greater and more glorious redemption discovered to him, which God would work out for his church in the latter days. Those who would be acquainted with Christ and his grace, must be much in prayer. The evening offering was a type of the great sacrifice Christ was to offer in the evening of the world: in virtue of that sacrifice Daniel's prayer was accepted; and for the sake of that, this glorious discovery of redeeming love was made to him. We have, in verses 24-27, one of the most remarkable prophecies of Christ, of his coming and his salvation. It shows that the Jews are guilty of most obstinate unbelief, in expecting another Messiah, so long after the time expressly fixed for his coming. The seventy weeks mean a day for a year, or 490 years. About the end of this period a sacrifice would be offered, making full atonement for sin, and bringing in everlasting righteousness for the complete justification of every believer. Then the Jews, in the crucifixion of Jesus, would commit that crime by which the measure of their guilt would be filled up, and troubles would come upon their nation. All blessings bestowed on sinful man come through Christ's atoning sacrifice, who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Here is our way of access to the throne of grace, and of our entrance to heaven. This seals the sum of prophecy, and confirms the covenant with many; and while we rejoice in the blessings of salvation, we should remember what they cost the Redeemer. How can those escape who neglect so great salvation!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
1 John 3:16-24
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
December 4, 2007
Active Compassion
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 1 John 3:16-24
Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. —1 John 3:18 About this cover Every so often when I walk into my office in the morning, I find a surprise on my desk. Not long ago the item was a sunflower coffee mug dropped off by a fellow employee. She had seen it in a shop and knew it would cheer up my wife—so she bought it and left it on my desk with an encouraging note.
It was my pleasure to take that gift home to my wife Sue and to give it to her in the name of the woman who wanted to encourage her.
This person could have simply thought about my wife. She could have talked to someone about her in a positive way. But those things don’t come close to providing the encouragement that comes from taking action.
In 1 John 3:18, John talked about what we are to do when we see others in need. He told us to have active compassion: “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed.” When we see a need, it’s good to talk about it, but we must also do something about it. We are instructed: “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
Ask the Holy Spirit to place someone on your heart to help in Jesus’ name. Then take action. Make a difference today. Send a card. Give a gift. Offer a ride. Make a call. Love in deed is love indeed. —Dave Branon
Lord, when I learn that someone is hurting,Help me know what to do and to say;Speak to my heart and give me compassion,Let Your great love flow through me today. —K. De Haan
Compassion is love in action.
My Utmost for His Highest
December 4, 2007
The Law of OppositionLISTEN: READ:
To him who overcomes . . . —Revelation 2:7 About this cover Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation . . ." ( John 16:33 ). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, ". . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Going Where God's Going - #5452 Tuesday, December 04, 2007
I was visiting Rome, and I encountered this archway along the Via Appia. It's one of the many such structures that are still there 2,000 years after they were built. But what caught my eye about this one was the three-word Latin question carved in the archway as an inscription. It simply says, "Domine, quo vadis?" At last, those two years of high school Latin were going to be useful! It means, "Lord, where are You going?" It goes back to a legend about the Apostle Peter as he was feeling led by God to go to Rome. Knowing it was going to be dangerous, even life-threatening to go there, Peter needed to be sure that's where God wanted Him. The legend says that he encountered the risen Christ there on the Via Appia, and he wanted to know only one thing from his Lord, "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" Jesus was going to Rome. Then that's where Peter was going!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Where God's Going."
The question on that Roman archway is the question that should be governing every day in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus: "Lord, where are You going?" That's the way He meant for us to set our course to make our decisions.
He made that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in John 12:26. He simply said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be." I don't ask Jesus to follow me, to go with me where I want to go. I find out where my Master's going, and that's where I go.
The central action word of the Jesus-life is that word "follow." I got a new understanding of what that means the day I watched my wife follow the driver I was riding with. I had just spoken for a pre-Billy Graham Crusade event in Philadelphia, and they had to rush me to a suburban church immediately afterward to speak for a companion event there. My driver really knew the area. My wife, who was driving our car, didn't. He just said, "Follow me." When he changed lanes, she changed lanes, whether she wanted to or not. When he drove fast, she drove fast, not at the speed she might have liked. When he suddenly made a turn, she made a turn. The only way she was going to get where she was supposed to be was to follow the man who knew the way.
And that's what it means to follow Jesus - the Man who knows the way. A way you don't know. If He moves, you move. If He slows down, you slow down. If He's moving fast, you move fast. If He changes direction, you change direction. I figured out that following carries two requirements. First, you have to be flexible. Rigidity and following don't go together. You have to be willing and ready to change or to move as your leader does, not all rigid and stubborn about doing it your way or the same old way. Secondly, a follower has to be focused; you keep your eyes on the one you're following and you don't allow yourself to be distracted by anyone or anything else.
For me as a follower of Jesus, that means beginning each new day in the presence of my leader, asking, "Lord, where are You going?" You need to know where He's going in your family and join Him in what He's doing, where He wants to go in your church, your ministry, where He's going in your work, your career, your important relationships. Your job is to go with Him where He's going, wherever that is, whatever that means, whatever that costs, wherever it takes you.
So how are you doing at following your Master? Have you been setting your own course and then trying to get Him to follow you? That's a good way to get lost and to get away from Him. Let there be one guiding light, one deciding factor in everything you do, "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" He'll take you where you were born to go, to do the things that you were born to do.
Daniel's Prayer 1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus [a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian [b] kingdom- 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
The Seventy "Sevens" 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 "Seventy 'sevens' [c] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish [d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. [e]
25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree [f] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, [g] the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. [h] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' [i] In the middle of the 'seven' [j] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. [k] " [l]
Chapter ContentsDaniel considers the time of the captivity. (1-3) His confession of sin, and prayer. (4-19) The revelation concerning the coming of the Messiah. (20-27)
Commentary on Daniel 9:1-3(Read Daniel 9:1-3)
Daniel learned from the books of the prophets, especially from Jeremiah, that the desolation of Jerusalem would continue seventy years, which were drawing to a close. God's promises are to encourage our prayers, not to make them needless; and when we see the performance of them approaching, we should more earnestly plead them with God.
Commentary on Daniel 9:4-19(Read Daniel 9:4-19)
In every prayer we must make confession, not only of the sins we have been guilty of, but of our faith in God, and dependence upon him, our sorrow for sin, and our resolutions against it. It must be our confession, the language of our convictions. Here is Daniel's humble, serious, devout address to God; in which he gives glory to him as a God to be feared, and as a God to be trusted. We should, in prayer, look both at God's greatness and his goodness, his majesty and mercy. Here is a penitent confession of sin, the cause of the troubles the people for so many years groaned under. All who would find mercy must thus confess their sins. Here is a self-abasing acknowledgment of the righteousness of God; and it is evermore the way of true penitents thus to justify God. Afflictions are sent to bring men to turn from their sins, and to understand God's truth. Here is a believing appeal to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God, as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousness belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not only forgiveness, but forgivenesses. Here are pleaded the reproach God's people was under, and the ruins God's sanctuary was in. Sin is a reproach to any people, especially to God's people. The desolations of the sanctuary are grief to all the saints. Here is an earnest request to God to restore the poor captive Jews to their former enjoyments. O Lord, hearken and do. Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do; do that for us which none else can do; and defer not. Here are several pleas and arguments to enforce the petitions. Do it for the Lord Christ's sake; Christ is the Lord of all. And for his sake God causes his face to shine upon sinners when they repent, and turn to him. In all our prayers this must be our plea, we must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The humble, fervent, believing earnestness of this prayer should ever be followed by us.
Commentary on Daniel 9:20-27(Read Daniel 9:20-27)
An answer was immediately sent to Daniel's prayer, and it is a very memorable one. We cannot now expect that God should send answers to our prayers by angels, but if we pray with fervency for that which God has promised, we may by faith take the promise as an immediate answer to the prayer; for He is faithful that has promised. Daniel had a far greater and more glorious redemption discovered to him, which God would work out for his church in the latter days. Those who would be acquainted with Christ and his grace, must be much in prayer. The evening offering was a type of the great sacrifice Christ was to offer in the evening of the world: in virtue of that sacrifice Daniel's prayer was accepted; and for the sake of that, this glorious discovery of redeeming love was made to him. We have, in verses 24-27, one of the most remarkable prophecies of Christ, of his coming and his salvation. It shows that the Jews are guilty of most obstinate unbelief, in expecting another Messiah, so long after the time expressly fixed for his coming. The seventy weeks mean a day for a year, or 490 years. About the end of this period a sacrifice would be offered, making full atonement for sin, and bringing in everlasting righteousness for the complete justification of every believer. Then the Jews, in the crucifixion of Jesus, would commit that crime by which the measure of their guilt would be filled up, and troubles would come upon their nation. All blessings bestowed on sinful man come through Christ's atoning sacrifice, who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Here is our way of access to the throne of grace, and of our entrance to heaven. This seals the sum of prophecy, and confirms the covenant with many; and while we rejoice in the blessings of salvation, we should remember what they cost the Redeemer. How can those escape who neglect so great salvation!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotional
1 John 3:16-24
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
December 4, 2007
Active Compassion
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: 1 John 3:16-24
Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. —1 John 3:18 About this cover Every so often when I walk into my office in the morning, I find a surprise on my desk. Not long ago the item was a sunflower coffee mug dropped off by a fellow employee. She had seen it in a shop and knew it would cheer up my wife—so she bought it and left it on my desk with an encouraging note.
It was my pleasure to take that gift home to my wife Sue and to give it to her in the name of the woman who wanted to encourage her.
This person could have simply thought about my wife. She could have talked to someone about her in a positive way. But those things don’t come close to providing the encouragement that comes from taking action.
In 1 John 3:18, John talked about what we are to do when we see others in need. He told us to have active compassion: “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed.” When we see a need, it’s good to talk about it, but we must also do something about it. We are instructed: “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
Ask the Holy Spirit to place someone on your heart to help in Jesus’ name. Then take action. Make a difference today. Send a card. Give a gift. Offer a ride. Make a call. Love in deed is love indeed. —Dave Branon
Lord, when I learn that someone is hurting,Help me know what to do and to say;Speak to my heart and give me compassion,Let Your great love flow through me today. —K. De Haan
Compassion is love in action.
My Utmost for His Highest
December 4, 2007
The Law of OppositionLISTEN: READ:
To him who overcomes . . . —Revelation 2:7 About this cover Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation . . ." ( John 16:33 ). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, ". . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Going Where God's Going - #5452 Tuesday, December 04, 2007
I was visiting Rome, and I encountered this archway along the Via Appia. It's one of the many such structures that are still there 2,000 years after they were built. But what caught my eye about this one was the three-word Latin question carved in the archway as an inscription. It simply says, "Domine, quo vadis?" At last, those two years of high school Latin were going to be useful! It means, "Lord, where are You going?" It goes back to a legend about the Apostle Peter as he was feeling led by God to go to Rome. Knowing it was going to be dangerous, even life-threatening to go there, Peter needed to be sure that's where God wanted Him. The legend says that he encountered the risen Christ there on the Via Appia, and he wanted to know only one thing from his Lord, "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" Jesus was going to Rome. Then that's where Peter was going!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Where God's Going."
The question on that Roman archway is the question that should be governing every day in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus: "Lord, where are You going?" That's the way He meant for us to set our course to make our decisions.
He made that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in John 12:26. He simply said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be." I don't ask Jesus to follow me, to go with me where I want to go. I find out where my Master's going, and that's where I go.
The central action word of the Jesus-life is that word "follow." I got a new understanding of what that means the day I watched my wife follow the driver I was riding with. I had just spoken for a pre-Billy Graham Crusade event in Philadelphia, and they had to rush me to a suburban church immediately afterward to speak for a companion event there. My driver really knew the area. My wife, who was driving our car, didn't. He just said, "Follow me." When he changed lanes, she changed lanes, whether she wanted to or not. When he drove fast, she drove fast, not at the speed she might have liked. When he suddenly made a turn, she made a turn. The only way she was going to get where she was supposed to be was to follow the man who knew the way.
And that's what it means to follow Jesus - the Man who knows the way. A way you don't know. If He moves, you move. If He slows down, you slow down. If He's moving fast, you move fast. If He changes direction, you change direction. I figured out that following carries two requirements. First, you have to be flexible. Rigidity and following don't go together. You have to be willing and ready to change or to move as your leader does, not all rigid and stubborn about doing it your way or the same old way. Secondly, a follower has to be focused; you keep your eyes on the one you're following and you don't allow yourself to be distracted by anyone or anything else.
For me as a follower of Jesus, that means beginning each new day in the presence of my leader, asking, "Lord, where are You going?" You need to know where He's going in your family and join Him in what He's doing, where He wants to go in your church, your ministry, where He's going in your work, your career, your important relationships. Your job is to go with Him where He's going, wherever that is, whatever that means, whatever that costs, wherever it takes you.
So how are you doing at following your Master? Have you been setting your own course and then trying to get Him to follow you? That's a good way to get lost and to get away from Him. Let there be one guiding light, one deciding factor in everything you do, "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" He'll take you where you were born to go, to do the things that you were born to do.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Daniel 8 with commentaries and devotionals
Daniel 8
Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat 1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. 5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints [a] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?"
14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."
The Interpretation of the Vision 15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. [b] 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future."
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Matthew Henry'sCommentary on Daniel 8:1-14(Read Daniel 8:1-14)
God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of other kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns was the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcome by a he-goat. This was Alexander the Great. Alexander, when about thirty-three years of age, and in his full strength, died, and showed the vanity of worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a man happy. While men dispute, as in the case of Alexander, respecting the death of some prosperous warrior, it is plain that the great First Cause of all had no more of his plan for him to execute, and therefore cut him off. Instead of that one great horn, there came up four notable ones, Alexander's four chief captains. A little horn became a great persecutor of the church and people of God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed out. It prospered, and at one time nearly destroyed the holy religion God's right hand had planted. It is just with God to deprive those of the privileges of his house who despise and profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances by the want of them, who would not know it by the enjoyment of them. Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and determined; but not the time when it should come. If we would know the mind of God, we must apply to Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; not hid from us, but hid for us. There is much difficulty as to the precise time here stated, but the end of it cannot be very distant. God will, for his own glory, see to the cleansing of the church in due time. Christ died to cleanse his church; and he will so cleanse it as to present it blameless to himself.
Commentary on Daniel 8:15-27(Read Daniel 8:15-27)
The eternal Son of God stood before the prophet in the appearance of a man, and directed the angel Gabriel to explain the vision. Daniel's fainting and astonishment at the prospect of evils he saw coming on his people and the church, confirm the opinion that long-continued calamities were foretold. The vision being ended, a charge was given to Daniel to keep it private for the present. He kept it to himself, and went on to do the duty of his place. As long as we live in this world we must have something to do in it; and even those whom God has most honoured, must not think themselves above their business. Nor must the pleasure of communion with God take us from the duties of our callings, but we must in them abide with God. All who are intrusted with public business must discharge their trust uprightly; and, amidst all doubts and discouragements, they may, if true believers, look forward to a happy issue. Thus should we endeavour to compose our minds for attending to the duties to which each is appointed, in the church and in the world.
Our Daily Bread:
Philippians 3:12-21
Pressing on Toward the Goal 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
December 3, 2007
Keep Reaching For The Top
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Philippians 3:12-21
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 3:18 About this cover Jon Krakauer, author and mountain climber, was determined to reach the “roof of the world,” the peak of Mt. Everest. In an arduous ascent that killed some of his fellow climbers, he persevered. On May 10, 1996, he reached the summit.
“I understood on some dim, detached level that [the sweep of earth beneath my feet] was a spectacular sight,” wrote Krakauer of that moment. “I’d been fantasizing about this moment, and the release of emotion that would accompany it, for many months. But now that I was finally here, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care.”
Temporal goals can never fully satisfy. We see this in the ministry of Paul. He told the believers in Philippi: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). It is the goal “for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (v.12). He will “transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (v.21).
That goal can provide the most powerful incentive. It inspires us to become more and more like Jesus. Every upward step gives us joyful soul-satisfaction. How diligently are we striving to reach that goal? —Vernon C Grounds
I’m pressing on the upward way,New heights I’m gaining every day—Still praying as I’m onward bound,“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” —Oatman
Don’t let contentment with earthly goals prevent you from attaining eternal gains.
My Utmost for His Highest:
December 3, 2007
"Not by Might nor by Power"LISTEN: READ:
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4 About this cover If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19 ). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
The Hole in Your Heart - #5451 Monday, December 03, 2007
Our friend had a medical procedure to repair what the doctor called "a hole in her heart." Then he told her that everyone is born with a hole in their heart. That got my attention. I called a longtime friend of mine who is a highly experienced and respected heart surgeon. He told me that before we are born, there's a hole that is the passageway for blood to enter our pre-natal heart. In most people, and I'm glad I'm most people, the hole heals up within a few days after birth. For a few, it doesn't go away. And it really needs to be repaired.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Hole in Your Heart."
So everyone is born with a hole in their heart. Not just physically, but spiritually. But unlike that physical hole in your heart, the spiritual one doesn't go away unless you let the greatest physician of all fill the hole.
That spiritual hole in our heart keeps letting us know that it's there—the loneliness that no relationship seems to remove. The emptiness that never goes away for very long, no matter what we do to fill up our life. The "what's it all for?" questions about life that make everything seem ultimately so meaningless. It's like there's this voice inside us that seems to be saying, "Something's missing." We keep thinking the next relationship will be what's missing, the next thrill, the next accomplishment, the next spiritual experience, the next "toy," the next milestone. But every time we get to the top of the hill we think has what we've been looking for, all we find is another hill to climb.
After a while, we just assume that this hollowness inside, this hole in our heart is just how it is. The Bible describes King Solomon as the richest and wisest man of his time. And he had the resources to do it all. Here's his conclusion: "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." But just accepting that hole in your heart is ultimately deadly. It needs to be treated. It needs to be healed by the only One big enough to fill the hole in your heart; the God who made you to belong to Him. The brilliant physicist Blaise Pascal concluded that "inside every man is a God-shaped vacuum."
The hole in your heart is there to tell you that you really need God and that He isn't there because of something that makes it impossible for God to live there - all the sinning of your life and mine. All the wrong things we've done. Until that's forgiven and removed, the God you were made for must remain outside. In John 4:13-14, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus is at a well, talking with a woman who has tried to fill the hole in her heart with one relationship after another. Jesus says to her, and to you, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst ... the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
"Thirsty again" - that's the hole in your heart. "Never thirst" - that's the hole in your heart finally filled as Jesus erases every sin of your life with His amazing forgiveness. He can do that because He did all the dying for all the sinning you've ever done. It's paid for. Which means your heart can be cleaned today and the God of the universe can finally move in. Your lifetime search will be over. But you have to reach out to Jesus. You’ve got to tell Him that you're done driving your life, and that you're trusting completely in His death for your sin. I've got a little booklet I wrote about getting started with Him. It’s called Yours For Life, and I'd love to send it to you if you want it. You can just go ask for it at our website, which is yoursforlife.net. Or you can call toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
You've lived enough days without the One that you were made for. You don't need to be without Him one more day. To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat 1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. 5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints [a] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?"
14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."
The Interpretation of the Vision 15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. [b] 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future."
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Matthew Henry'sCommentary on Daniel 8:1-14(Read Daniel 8:1-14)
God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of other kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns was the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcome by a he-goat. This was Alexander the Great. Alexander, when about thirty-three years of age, and in his full strength, died, and showed the vanity of worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a man happy. While men dispute, as in the case of Alexander, respecting the death of some prosperous warrior, it is plain that the great First Cause of all had no more of his plan for him to execute, and therefore cut him off. Instead of that one great horn, there came up four notable ones, Alexander's four chief captains. A little horn became a great persecutor of the church and people of God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed out. It prospered, and at one time nearly destroyed the holy religion God's right hand had planted. It is just with God to deprive those of the privileges of his house who despise and profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances by the want of them, who would not know it by the enjoyment of them. Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and determined; but not the time when it should come. If we would know the mind of God, we must apply to Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; not hid from us, but hid for us. There is much difficulty as to the precise time here stated, but the end of it cannot be very distant. God will, for his own glory, see to the cleansing of the church in due time. Christ died to cleanse his church; and he will so cleanse it as to present it blameless to himself.
Commentary on Daniel 8:15-27(Read Daniel 8:15-27)
The eternal Son of God stood before the prophet in the appearance of a man, and directed the angel Gabriel to explain the vision. Daniel's fainting and astonishment at the prospect of evils he saw coming on his people and the church, confirm the opinion that long-continued calamities were foretold. The vision being ended, a charge was given to Daniel to keep it private for the present. He kept it to himself, and went on to do the duty of his place. As long as we live in this world we must have something to do in it; and even those whom God has most honoured, must not think themselves above their business. Nor must the pleasure of communion with God take us from the duties of our callings, but we must in them abide with God. All who are intrusted with public business must discharge their trust uprightly; and, amidst all doubts and discouragements, they may, if true believers, look forward to a happy issue. Thus should we endeavour to compose our minds for attending to the duties to which each is appointed, in the church and in the world.
Our Daily Bread:
Philippians 3:12-21
Pressing on Toward the Goal 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
December 3, 2007
Keep Reaching For The Top
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Philippians 3:12-21
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 3:18 About this cover Jon Krakauer, author and mountain climber, was determined to reach the “roof of the world,” the peak of Mt. Everest. In an arduous ascent that killed some of his fellow climbers, he persevered. On May 10, 1996, he reached the summit.
“I understood on some dim, detached level that [the sweep of earth beneath my feet] was a spectacular sight,” wrote Krakauer of that moment. “I’d been fantasizing about this moment, and the release of emotion that would accompany it, for many months. But now that I was finally here, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care.”
Temporal goals can never fully satisfy. We see this in the ministry of Paul. He told the believers in Philippi: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). It is the goal “for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (v.12). He will “transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (v.21).
That goal can provide the most powerful incentive. It inspires us to become more and more like Jesus. Every upward step gives us joyful soul-satisfaction. How diligently are we striving to reach that goal? —Vernon C Grounds
I’m pressing on the upward way,New heights I’m gaining every day—Still praying as I’m onward bound,“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” —Oatman
Don’t let contentment with earthly goals prevent you from attaining eternal gains.
My Utmost for His Highest:
December 3, 2007
"Not by Might nor by Power"LISTEN: READ:
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4 About this cover If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19 ). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft:
The Hole in Your Heart - #5451 Monday, December 03, 2007
Our friend had a medical procedure to repair what the doctor called "a hole in her heart." Then he told her that everyone is born with a hole in their heart. That got my attention. I called a longtime friend of mine who is a highly experienced and respected heart surgeon. He told me that before we are born, there's a hole that is the passageway for blood to enter our pre-natal heart. In most people, and I'm glad I'm most people, the hole heals up within a few days after birth. For a few, it doesn't go away. And it really needs to be repaired.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Hole in Your Heart."
So everyone is born with a hole in their heart. Not just physically, but spiritually. But unlike that physical hole in your heart, the spiritual one doesn't go away unless you let the greatest physician of all fill the hole.
That spiritual hole in our heart keeps letting us know that it's there—the loneliness that no relationship seems to remove. The emptiness that never goes away for very long, no matter what we do to fill up our life. The "what's it all for?" questions about life that make everything seem ultimately so meaningless. It's like there's this voice inside us that seems to be saying, "Something's missing." We keep thinking the next relationship will be what's missing, the next thrill, the next accomplishment, the next spiritual experience, the next "toy," the next milestone. But every time we get to the top of the hill we think has what we've been looking for, all we find is another hill to climb.
After a while, we just assume that this hollowness inside, this hole in our heart is just how it is. The Bible describes King Solomon as the richest and wisest man of his time. And he had the resources to do it all. Here's his conclusion: "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." But just accepting that hole in your heart is ultimately deadly. It needs to be treated. It needs to be healed by the only One big enough to fill the hole in your heart; the God who made you to belong to Him. The brilliant physicist Blaise Pascal concluded that "inside every man is a God-shaped vacuum."
The hole in your heart is there to tell you that you really need God and that He isn't there because of something that makes it impossible for God to live there - all the sinning of your life and mine. All the wrong things we've done. Until that's forgiven and removed, the God you were made for must remain outside. In John 4:13-14, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus is at a well, talking with a woman who has tried to fill the hole in her heart with one relationship after another. Jesus says to her, and to you, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst ... the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
"Thirsty again" - that's the hole in your heart. "Never thirst" - that's the hole in your heart finally filled as Jesus erases every sin of your life with His amazing forgiveness. He can do that because He did all the dying for all the sinning you've ever done. It's paid for. Which means your heart can be cleaned today and the God of the universe can finally move in. Your lifetime search will be over. But you have to reach out to Jesus. You’ve got to tell Him that you're done driving your life, and that you're trusting completely in His death for your sin. I've got a little booklet I wrote about getting started with Him. It’s called Yours For Life, and I'd love to send it to you if you want it. You can just go ask for it at our website, which is yoursforlife.net. Or you can call toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
You've lived enough days without the One that you were made for. You don't need to be without Him one more day. To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)