Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 5
The day of the Lord will come like a thief.
2 Peter 3:10 (NCV)
Paul says "we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently" (Rom. 8:25).
Peter tells us: "You should live holy lives and serve God, as you wait for
and look forward to the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:11-12).
Hope of the future is not a license for irresponsibility in the present. Let us wait forwardly, but let us wait.
Mark 16
Jesus Rises From the Dead
1 The Sabbath day ended. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices. They were going to apply them to Jesus' body.
2 Very early on the first day of the week, they were on their way to the tomb. It was just after sunrise. 3 They asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?"
4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away. The stone was very large.
5 They entered the tomb. As they did, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe. He was sitting on the right side. They were alarmed.
6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. But he has risen! He is not here! See the place where they had put him. 7 Go! Tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. It will be just as he told you.' "
8 The women were shaking and confused. They went out and ran away from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
9 Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. He had driven seven demons out of her. 10 She went and told those who had been with him. She found them crying. They were very sad. 11 They heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him. But they did not believe it.
12 After that, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them. This happened while they were walking out in the country. 13 The two returned and told the others about it. But the others did not believe them either.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating. He spoke firmly to them because they had no faith. They would not believe those who had seen him after he rose from the dead.
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world. Preach the good news to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who does not believe will be punished. 17 Here are the miraculous signs that those who believe will do. In my name they will drive out demons. They will speak in languages they had not known before. 18 They will pick up snakes with their hands. And when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people. And the people will get well."
19 When the Lord Jesus finished speaking to them, he was taken up into heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them. And he backed up his word by the signs that went with it.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Psalm 103
A psalm of David.
1 I will praise the Lord.
Deep down inside me, I will praise him.
I will praise him, because his name is holy.
2 I will praise the Lord.
I won't forget anything he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins.
He heals all my sicknesses.
4 He saves my life from going down into the grave.
His faithful and tender love makes me feel like a king.
5 He satisfies me with the good things I long for.
Then I feel young and strong again, just like an eagle.
6 The Lord does what is right and fair
for all who are beaten down.
7 He told Moses all about his plans.
He let the people of Israel see his mighty acts.
8 The Lord is tender and kind. He is gracious.
He is slow to get angry. He is full of love.
9 He won't keep bringing charges against us.
He won't stay angry with us forever.
10 He doesn't punish us for our sins as much as we should be punished.
He doesn't pay us back in keeping with the evil things we've done.
11 His love for those who have respect for him
is as high as the heavens are above the earth.
12 He has removed our lawless acts from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 A father is tender and kind to his children.
In the same way, the Lord is tender and kind
to those who have respect for him.
14 He knows what we are made of.
He remembers that we are dust.
July 5, 2009
Hopeful Praise
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READ: Psalm 103:1-14
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. —Psalm 103:2
One of my friends was in tears on a beautiful summer day, unable to deal with life’s difficulties. Another could not look beyond the life-altering sadnesses of her past. Still another struggled with the closing of the small church he had pastored faithfully. A fourth friend had lost his job at a local ministry.
What can our struggling friends—or any of us—do to find hope? Where do we turn when tomorrow offers no happy promises?
We can praise or “bless” the Lord, as David said in Psalm 103. In the middle of trouble, acknowledging God’s role in our lives can redirect our thinking from the hurts of our hearts and force us to dwell instead on the greatness of our God. David knew trouble. He faced the threat of enemies, the consequences of his own sin, and the challenges of sorrow. Yet he also recognized the healing power of praise.
That’s why in Psalm 103 he can list reasons to turn our attention to God, who gives us many benefits: He forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and renews us. David reminds us that God provides justice and righteousness, and He is gracious and loving.
Take it from David: Praising God’s greatness puts hope in our troubled hearts. — Dave Branon
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing! —Lyte
Praise can lighten your heaviest burden.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 5, 2009
Don’t Plan Without God
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READ:
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass —Psalm 37:5
Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.
In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our "spiritual face" before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.
Don’t plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? "Love . . . thinks no evil" ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.
Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1 ). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— "Let not. . . ." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Mark 15, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 4
We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us.
Romans 8:26 (NCV)
You know, we really don't know what to pray for, do we?
What if God had answered every prayer that you ever prayed?
Just think who you'd be married to.
Just think where you'd be living.
Just think what you'd be doing.
God loves us so much that sometimes he gives us what we need and not what we ask.
Mark 15
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
1 It was very early in the morning. The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made a decision. They tied Jesus up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate.
2 "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
3 The chief priests brought many charges against him. 4 So Pilate asked him again, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they charge you with."
5 But Jesus still did not reply. Pilate was amazed.
6 It was the usual practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 7 A man named Barabbas was in prison. He was there with some other people who had fought against the country's rulers. They had committed murder while they were fighting against the rulers. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9 "Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?" asked Pilate. 10 He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd. So the crowd asked Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead.
12 "Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13 "Crucify him!" the crowd shouted.
14 "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd. So he let Barabbas go free. He ordered that Jesus be whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace. It was called the Praetorium. They called together the whole company of soldiers.
17 The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. 18 They began to call out to him, "We honor you, king of the Jews!" 19 Again and again they hit him on the head with a stick. They spit on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honor him.
20 After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
21 A man named Simon from Cyrene was passing by. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross.
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. 23 Then they gave him wine mixed with spices. But he did not take it.
24 They nailed him to the cross. Then they divided up his clothes. They cast lots to see what each of them would get.
25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 They wrote out the charge against him. It read, ~the king of the jews.=
27-28They crucified two robbers with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.
29 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? 30 Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!"
31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law made fun of him among themselves. "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! 32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross! When we see that, we will believe."
Those who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus Dies
33 At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours. 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? " This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"—(Psalm 22:1)
35 Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, "Listen! He's calling for Elijah."
36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. "Leave him alone," he said. "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
37 With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.
38 The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.
39 A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. Then he said, "This man was surely the Son of God!"
40 Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joses, was also there. So was Salome. 41 In Galilee those women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs.
Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Jesus Is Buried
42 It was the day before the Sabbath. That day was called Preparation Day. As evening approached, 43 Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a leading member of the Jewish Council. He was waiting for God's kingdom.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called for the Roman commander. He asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 The commander said it was true. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph.
46 Then Joseph bought some linen cloth. He took the body down and wrapped it in the linen. He put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where Jesus' body had been placed.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Galatians 5
Christ Sets Us Free
1 Christ has set us free. He wants us to enjoy freedom. So stand firm. Don't let the chains of slavery hold you again.
2 Here is what I, Paul, say to you. Don't let yourselves be circumcised. If you do, Christ won't be of any value to you. 3 I say it again. Every man who lets himself be circumcised must obey the whole law.
4 Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God's grace.
5 But we expect to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait in hope. 6 Circumcision and uncircumcision aren't worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love.
Galatians 5:16-21
Living by the Holy Spirit's Power
16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit's power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do.
17 The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That's what makes you do what you don't want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.
19 What the sinful nature does is clear. It enjoys sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. 20 It worships statues of gods. It also worships evil powers. It is full of hatred and fighting. It is full of jealousy and fits of anger. It is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. 21 It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like that will not receive God's kingdom.
July 4, 2009
Dangerous Freedom
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Galatians 5:1-6,16-21
Do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13
Freedom is dangerous in the hands of those who don’t know how to use it. That’s why criminals are confined in prisons with barbed wire, steel bars, and concrete barriers. Or consider a campfire that is allowed to spread in a dry forest. It quickly becomes a blazing inferno. Unchecked freedom can create chaos.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Christian life. Believers are free from the law’s curse, its penalty, and its guilt-producing power. Fear, anxiety, and guilt are replaced by peace, forgiveness, and liberty. Who could be more free than one who is free in the depths of his soul? But here is where we often fail. We use freedom’s luxury to live selfishly, or we claim ownership of what God has merely entrusted to us. We slip into patterns of self-indulgent living, especially in affluent societies.
The proper use of freedom is “faith working through love” to serve one another (Gal. 5:6,13). When we rely on the Spirit and expend our energies on loving God and helping others, the destructive works of the flesh will be restrained by God (vv.16-21). So let’s always use our liberty to build up, not to tear down.
Like a raging fire, freedom without limits is dangerous. But when controlled, it is a blessing to all. — Dennis J. De Haan
Christ came to give us liberty
By dying in our place;
Now with new freedom we are bound
To share His love and grace. —D. De Haan
Freedom doesn’t give us the right to do what we please, but to do what pleases God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 4, 2009
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
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READ:
Do not fret— it only causes harm —Psalm 37:8
Fretting means getting ourselves "out of joint" mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, "Do not fret," but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" ( Psalm 37:7 ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to "rest in the Lord" then? If this "Do not" doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. This "Do not" must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.
Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" ( Psalm 91:1 ). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 4
We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us.
Romans 8:26 (NCV)
You know, we really don't know what to pray for, do we?
What if God had answered every prayer that you ever prayed?
Just think who you'd be married to.
Just think where you'd be living.
Just think what you'd be doing.
God loves us so much that sometimes he gives us what we need and not what we ask.
Mark 15
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
1 It was very early in the morning. The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made a decision. They tied Jesus up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate.
2 "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
3 The chief priests brought many charges against him. 4 So Pilate asked him again, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they charge you with."
5 But Jesus still did not reply. Pilate was amazed.
6 It was the usual practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 7 A man named Barabbas was in prison. He was there with some other people who had fought against the country's rulers. They had committed murder while they were fighting against the rulers. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9 "Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?" asked Pilate. 10 He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd. So the crowd asked Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead.
12 "Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13 "Crucify him!" the crowd shouted.
14 "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd. So he let Barabbas go free. He ordered that Jesus be whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace. It was called the Praetorium. They called together the whole company of soldiers.
17 The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. 18 They began to call out to him, "We honor you, king of the Jews!" 19 Again and again they hit him on the head with a stick. They spit on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honor him.
20 After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
21 A man named Simon from Cyrene was passing by. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross.
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. 23 Then they gave him wine mixed with spices. But he did not take it.
24 They nailed him to the cross. Then they divided up his clothes. They cast lots to see what each of them would get.
25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 They wrote out the charge against him. It read, ~the king of the jews.=
27-28They crucified two robbers with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.
29 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? 30 Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!"
31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law made fun of him among themselves. "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! 32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross! When we see that, we will believe."
Those who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus Dies
33 At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours. 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? " This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"—(Psalm 22:1)
35 Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, "Listen! He's calling for Elijah."
36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. "Leave him alone," he said. "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
37 With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.
38 The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.
39 A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. Then he said, "This man was surely the Son of God!"
40 Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joses, was also there. So was Salome. 41 In Galilee those women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs.
Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Jesus Is Buried
42 It was the day before the Sabbath. That day was called Preparation Day. As evening approached, 43 Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a leading member of the Jewish Council. He was waiting for God's kingdom.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called for the Roman commander. He asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 The commander said it was true. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph.
46 Then Joseph bought some linen cloth. He took the body down and wrapped it in the linen. He put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where Jesus' body had been placed.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Galatians 5
Christ Sets Us Free
1 Christ has set us free. He wants us to enjoy freedom. So stand firm. Don't let the chains of slavery hold you again.
2 Here is what I, Paul, say to you. Don't let yourselves be circumcised. If you do, Christ won't be of any value to you. 3 I say it again. Every man who lets himself be circumcised must obey the whole law.
4 Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God's grace.
5 But we expect to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait in hope. 6 Circumcision and uncircumcision aren't worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love.
Galatians 5:16-21
Living by the Holy Spirit's Power
16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit's power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do.
17 The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That's what makes you do what you don't want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.
19 What the sinful nature does is clear. It enjoys sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. 20 It worships statues of gods. It also worships evil powers. It is full of hatred and fighting. It is full of jealousy and fits of anger. It is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. 21 It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like that will not receive God's kingdom.
July 4, 2009
Dangerous Freedom
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Galatians 5:1-6,16-21
Do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13
Freedom is dangerous in the hands of those who don’t know how to use it. That’s why criminals are confined in prisons with barbed wire, steel bars, and concrete barriers. Or consider a campfire that is allowed to spread in a dry forest. It quickly becomes a blazing inferno. Unchecked freedom can create chaos.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Christian life. Believers are free from the law’s curse, its penalty, and its guilt-producing power. Fear, anxiety, and guilt are replaced by peace, forgiveness, and liberty. Who could be more free than one who is free in the depths of his soul? But here is where we often fail. We use freedom’s luxury to live selfishly, or we claim ownership of what God has merely entrusted to us. We slip into patterns of self-indulgent living, especially in affluent societies.
The proper use of freedom is “faith working through love” to serve one another (Gal. 5:6,13). When we rely on the Spirit and expend our energies on loving God and helping others, the destructive works of the flesh will be restrained by God (vv.16-21). So let’s always use our liberty to build up, not to tear down.
Like a raging fire, freedom without limits is dangerous. But when controlled, it is a blessing to all. — Dennis J. De Haan
Christ came to give us liberty
By dying in our place;
Now with new freedom we are bound
To share His love and grace. —D. De Haan
Freedom doesn’t give us the right to do what we please, but to do what pleases God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 4, 2009
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
Do not fret— it only causes harm —Psalm 37:8
Fretting means getting ourselves "out of joint" mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, "Do not fret," but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" ( Psalm 37:7 ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to "rest in the Lord" then? If this "Do not" doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. This "Do not" must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.
Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" ( Psalm 91:1 ). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Matthew 28, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 3
God, Our Defender
He is my defender; I will not be defeated.
Psalm 62:6 (NCV)
Here is a big question. What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip cord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid?. . .
I know what we are doing. Nibbling on nails like corn on the cob. Pacing floors. Taking pills. . . .
But what does God do?. . .
He fights for us. He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. "Remain calm; the LORD will fight for you" (Exodus. 14:14).
His job is to fight. Our job is to trust.
Just trust. Not direct. Or question. . . . Our job is to pray and wait.
Matthew 28
Jesus Rises From the Dead
1 The Sabbath day was now over. It was dawn on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His body shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here! He has risen, just as he said he would! Come and see the place where he was lying. 7 Go quickly! Tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb. They were afraid, but they were filled with joy. They ran to tell the disciples.
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said.
They came to him, took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me."
The Guards Report to the Chief Priests
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city. They reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
12 When the chief priests met with the elders, they came up with a plan. They gave the soldiers a large amount of money. 13 They told the soldiers, "We want you to say, 'His disciples came during the night. They stole his body while we were sleeping.' 14 If the governor hears this report, we will pay him off. That will keep you out of trouble."
15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. This story has spread all around among the Jews to this very day.
Jesus' Final Orders to His Disciples
16 Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some still had their doubts.
18 Then Jesus came to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Philippians 4:10-13 (New International Reader's Version)
Paul Gives Thanks for Help Received
10 At last you are concerned about me again. That makes me very happy. We belong to the Lord. I know that you have been concerned. But you had no chance to show it.
11 I'm not saying that because I need anything. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. 12 I know what it's like not to have what I need. I also know what it's like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. 13 I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.
July 3, 2009
Job’s Principle
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Philippians 4:10-13
Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? —Job 2:10
When my wife accepted a position as Director of Special Education in a school district many miles from our home, it resulted in a very long commute each day. It was tolerable in the short term, but neither of us could see her doing this indefinitely. So we decided to relocate to another city halfway between our two jobs.
The real estate agent was not optimistic about our home selling quickly. Market trends showed many homes for sale with few buyers. After much prayer and strenuous cleaning, we finally put our home up for sale. To our surprise, our house sold in less than 3 weeks!
Sometimes I feel guilty about receiving material blessings. With so many needs around the world, why should I expect divine intervention in selling a home? Then I remember Job’s reply to his wife: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).
This verse is most often applied to accepting disappointment. But the principle also applies to being grateful for blessings. The apostle Paul had learned how to rejoice in plenty and in want (Phil. 4:10-13). God has an interest in teaching us contentment through both gains and losses. Thanking God in all circumstances recognizes His sovereignty and nurtures a response of faith. — Dennis Fisher
We thank You, Lord, for blessings
You give us on our way;
May we for these be grateful,
And praise You every day. —Roworth
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 3, 2009
The Concentration of Personal Sin
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips . . . —Isaiah 6:5
When I come into the very presence of God, I do not realize that I am a sinner in an indefinite sense, but I suddenly realize and the focus of my attention is directed toward the concentration of sin in a particular area of my life. A person will easily say, "Oh yes, I know I am a sinner," but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on our specific sin, and we realize, as Isaiah did, what we really are. This is always the sign that a person is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but a focusing on the concentration of sin in some specific, personal area of life. God begins by convicting us of the very thing to which His Spirit has directed our mind’s attention. If we will surrender, submitting to His conviction of that particular sin, He will lead us down to where He can reveal the vast underlying nature of sin. That is the way God always deals with us when we are consciously aware of His presence.
This experience of our attention being directed to our concentration of personal sin is true in everyone’s life, from the greatest of saints to the worst of sinners. When a person first begins climbing the ladder of experience, he might say, "I don’t know where I’ve gone wrong," but the Spirit of God will point out some definite and specific thing to him. The effect of Isaiah’s vision of the holiness of the Lord was the directing of his attention to the fact that he was "a man of unclean lips." "He touched my mouth with it, and said: ’Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged’ " ( Isaiah 6:7 ). The cleansing fire had to be applied where the sin had been concentrated.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Accidentally on Purpose - #5865
Friday, July 3, 2009
I have a friend who fixes bodies - auto bodies, that is. And the sign in front of his body shop always has a provocative bit of philosophy to make you think or make you smile. I have to make it a note to tell my friend about a radio commercial I heard recently, actually advertising an auto body shop in another area. It just struck me as being a clever motto for somebody in that business. It just said, "We meet by accident."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Accidentally on Purpose."
The only way most people meet the folks at that auto body shop is by accident. No accident, you don't ever feel the need. Right? I got to thinking that God could hang out a sign like that, "We meet by accident." An "accident," something in our life that goes wrong and we can't fix it. That, for many of us, is the only thing that really makes us ready to get serious about what God wants. We don't run to God until we've run into something we can't handle or we can't fix!
And, believe me, God loves you so much He will literally do whatever it takes to get you to turn to Him. In Bible times, no one knew that better than a man named Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became the world-changing Apostle Paul. Saul was a Zealot committed to his understanding of "pure" Judaism. He was angry with this new sect that claimed Jesus was Messiah and Savior. He became, in essence, a hit man against these believers, determined to stamp them out.
In our word for today from the Word of God in Acts 22, beginning with verse 4, he reflects on what ultimately drove him into the arms of the very Jesus he had hated. He said, "I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison..." Then, on a trip to arrest Christians in Syria, he says, "As I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice..." That voice was the voice of Jesus, whom Paul surrendered his life to that day on the Damascus road. He goes on to explain that after Christ commanded him to go into Damascus, "My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me."
Knocked from his horse, blinded, totally dependent - that's what it took to get Saul to turn to Jesus. It takes much the same for many of us to finally get us to come to Jesus in total dependency; getting knocked off our high horse, facing a situation we can't handle, we can't fix, we can't solve. If you've hit something that hurts, or something has hit you, it may very well be the way God is using to get your attention. Maybe He used to be in the center of your life and you've let your rapidly spinning life spin Jesus right to the edge. Maybe you've been running so fast you've run right out of God's will. Or you've just been too busy for Jesus. It could be you've lost your first love for Jesus, or maybe you've never actually opened your life to the Man who died for your sin.
But you've been hit hard. And, in reality, it's no accident. It's God's way to strip you of your fatal independence and to bring you into His waiting arms and His wonderful plans. Most of us won't surrender control, though, unless and until we get knocked off our horse and unable to go another mile. But that's where so many have discovered what an awesome Savior Jesus is. You've seen what you can do with your life. Now it's time to see what He can do.
If you've never begun your relationship with Jesus, and He's finally got your attention, tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm Yours." And let me encourage you to check out our website where there's a lot more information, helping you be sure you've begun your relationship with Him. That web address is YoursForLife.net. Or I'll send you my booklet Yours For Life if you'd rather. Just call toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
You've got the pain. Now don't miss the point. God has allowed you to be hit hard so you would come running into His arms, which is where you've belonged all along.
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 3
God, Our Defender
He is my defender; I will not be defeated.
Psalm 62:6 (NCV)
Here is a big question. What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip cord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid?. . .
I know what we are doing. Nibbling on nails like corn on the cob. Pacing floors. Taking pills. . . .
But what does God do?. . .
He fights for us. He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. "Remain calm; the LORD will fight for you" (Exodus. 14:14).
His job is to fight. Our job is to trust.
Just trust. Not direct. Or question. . . . Our job is to pray and wait.
Matthew 28
Jesus Rises From the Dead
1 The Sabbath day was now over. It was dawn on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His body shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here! He has risen, just as he said he would! Come and see the place where he was lying. 7 Go quickly! Tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb. They were afraid, but they were filled with joy. They ran to tell the disciples.
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said.
They came to him, took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me."
The Guards Report to the Chief Priests
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city. They reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
12 When the chief priests met with the elders, they came up with a plan. They gave the soldiers a large amount of money. 13 They told the soldiers, "We want you to say, 'His disciples came during the night. They stole his body while we were sleeping.' 14 If the governor hears this report, we will pay him off. That will keep you out of trouble."
15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. This story has spread all around among the Jews to this very day.
Jesus' Final Orders to His Disciples
16 Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some still had their doubts.
18 Then Jesus came to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Philippians 4:10-13 (New International Reader's Version)
Paul Gives Thanks for Help Received
10 At last you are concerned about me again. That makes me very happy. We belong to the Lord. I know that you have been concerned. But you had no chance to show it.
11 I'm not saying that because I need anything. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. 12 I know what it's like not to have what I need. I also know what it's like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. 13 I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.
July 3, 2009
Job’s Principle
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Philippians 4:10-13
Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? —Job 2:10
When my wife accepted a position as Director of Special Education in a school district many miles from our home, it resulted in a very long commute each day. It was tolerable in the short term, but neither of us could see her doing this indefinitely. So we decided to relocate to another city halfway between our two jobs.
The real estate agent was not optimistic about our home selling quickly. Market trends showed many homes for sale with few buyers. After much prayer and strenuous cleaning, we finally put our home up for sale. To our surprise, our house sold in less than 3 weeks!
Sometimes I feel guilty about receiving material blessings. With so many needs around the world, why should I expect divine intervention in selling a home? Then I remember Job’s reply to his wife: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).
This verse is most often applied to accepting disappointment. But the principle also applies to being grateful for blessings. The apostle Paul had learned how to rejoice in plenty and in want (Phil. 4:10-13). God has an interest in teaching us contentment through both gains and losses. Thanking God in all circumstances recognizes His sovereignty and nurtures a response of faith. — Dennis Fisher
We thank You, Lord, for blessings
You give us on our way;
May we for these be grateful,
And praise You every day. —Roworth
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 3, 2009
The Concentration of Personal Sin
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips . . . —Isaiah 6:5
When I come into the very presence of God, I do not realize that I am a sinner in an indefinite sense, but I suddenly realize and the focus of my attention is directed toward the concentration of sin in a particular area of my life. A person will easily say, "Oh yes, I know I am a sinner," but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on our specific sin, and we realize, as Isaiah did, what we really are. This is always the sign that a person is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but a focusing on the concentration of sin in some specific, personal area of life. God begins by convicting us of the very thing to which His Spirit has directed our mind’s attention. If we will surrender, submitting to His conviction of that particular sin, He will lead us down to where He can reveal the vast underlying nature of sin. That is the way God always deals with us when we are consciously aware of His presence.
This experience of our attention being directed to our concentration of personal sin is true in everyone’s life, from the greatest of saints to the worst of sinners. When a person first begins climbing the ladder of experience, he might say, "I don’t know where I’ve gone wrong," but the Spirit of God will point out some definite and specific thing to him. The effect of Isaiah’s vision of the holiness of the Lord was the directing of his attention to the fact that he was "a man of unclean lips." "He touched my mouth with it, and said: ’Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged’ " ( Isaiah 6:7 ). The cleansing fire had to be applied where the sin had been concentrated.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Accidentally on Purpose - #5865
Friday, July 3, 2009
I have a friend who fixes bodies - auto bodies, that is. And the sign in front of his body shop always has a provocative bit of philosophy to make you think or make you smile. I have to make it a note to tell my friend about a radio commercial I heard recently, actually advertising an auto body shop in another area. It just struck me as being a clever motto for somebody in that business. It just said, "We meet by accident."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Accidentally on Purpose."
The only way most people meet the folks at that auto body shop is by accident. No accident, you don't ever feel the need. Right? I got to thinking that God could hang out a sign like that, "We meet by accident." An "accident," something in our life that goes wrong and we can't fix it. That, for many of us, is the only thing that really makes us ready to get serious about what God wants. We don't run to God until we've run into something we can't handle or we can't fix!
And, believe me, God loves you so much He will literally do whatever it takes to get you to turn to Him. In Bible times, no one knew that better than a man named Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became the world-changing Apostle Paul. Saul was a Zealot committed to his understanding of "pure" Judaism. He was angry with this new sect that claimed Jesus was Messiah and Savior. He became, in essence, a hit man against these believers, determined to stamp them out.
In our word for today from the Word of God in Acts 22, beginning with verse 4, he reflects on what ultimately drove him into the arms of the very Jesus he had hated. He said, "I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison..." Then, on a trip to arrest Christians in Syria, he says, "As I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice..." That voice was the voice of Jesus, whom Paul surrendered his life to that day on the Damascus road. He goes on to explain that after Christ commanded him to go into Damascus, "My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me."
Knocked from his horse, blinded, totally dependent - that's what it took to get Saul to turn to Jesus. It takes much the same for many of us to finally get us to come to Jesus in total dependency; getting knocked off our high horse, facing a situation we can't handle, we can't fix, we can't solve. If you've hit something that hurts, or something has hit you, it may very well be the way God is using to get your attention. Maybe He used to be in the center of your life and you've let your rapidly spinning life spin Jesus right to the edge. Maybe you've been running so fast you've run right out of God's will. Or you've just been too busy for Jesus. It could be you've lost your first love for Jesus, or maybe you've never actually opened your life to the Man who died for your sin.
But you've been hit hard. And, in reality, it's no accident. It's God's way to strip you of your fatal independence and to bring you into His waiting arms and His wonderful plans. Most of us won't surrender control, though, unless and until we get knocked off our horse and unable to go another mile. But that's where so many have discovered what an awesome Savior Jesus is. You've seen what you can do with your life. Now it's time to see what He can do.
If you've never begun your relationship with Jesus, and He's finally got your attention, tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm Yours." And let me encourage you to check out our website where there's a lot more information, helping you be sure you've begun your relationship with Him. That web address is YoursForLife.net. Or I'll send you my booklet Yours For Life if you'd rather. Just call toll free for it at 877-741-1200.
You've got the pain. Now don't miss the point. God has allowed you to be hit hard so you would come running into His arms, which is where you've belonged all along.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Matthew 27, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 2
Miraculous Moments
In Christ there is all of God in a human body.
Colossians 2:9 (TLB)
Jesus was not a godlike man, not a manlike God. He was God-man.
Midwifed by a carpenter.
Bathed by a peasant girl.
The maker of the world with a bellybutton.
The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.
Heaven's human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, double-blink, what's-wrong-with-this-picture? moments like these:
A cripple sponsoring the town dance.
A sack lunch satisfying five thousand tummies.
What do we do with such moments?
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?
One thing is certain, we can't ignore him.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1 It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death. 2 They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.
3 Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said. "I handed over a man who is not guilty."
"What do we care?" they replied. "That's your problem."
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "It's against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man's death." 7 So they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field. People from other countries would be buried there. 8 That is why it has been called The Field of Blood to this very day. 9 Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, "They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. 10 They used the coins to buy a potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me."—(Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1?13; 32:6?9)
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
11 Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
12 But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the charges they are bringing against you?"
14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.
15 It was the governor's practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 16 At that time they had a well?known prisoner named Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.
21 "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.
22 "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23 "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
24 Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. "I am not guilty of this man's death," he said. "You are accountable for that!"
25 All the people answered, "We and our children will accept the guilt for his death!"
26 Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
27 The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. 29 Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. "We honor you, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again.
31 After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
32 On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. 34 There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it.
35 When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 They sat down and kept watch over him there.
37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, ~this is jesus, the king of the jews.=
38 Two robbers were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.
39 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads 40 and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42 "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He's the one who said, 'I am the Son of God.' "
44 In the same way the robbers who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus Dies
45 From noon until three o'clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46 About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"—(Psalm 22:1)
47 Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, "He's calling for Elijah."
48 Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50 After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.
51 At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. 52 Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.
54 The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, "He was surely the Son of God!"
55 Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. 56 Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Jesus Is Buried
57 As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.
61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.
The Guards at the Tomb
62 The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first."
65 "Take some guards with you," Pilate answered. "Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Genesis 2:16-17
16 The Lord God gave the man a command. He said, "You can eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden. 17 But you must not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you can be sure that you will die."
Genesis 3:1-8
Adam and Eve Fall Into Sin
1 The serpent was more clever than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden. 3 But God did say, 'You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.' "
4 "You can be sure that you won't die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God."
6 The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it.
7 Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
July 2, 2009
The Choice
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-8
Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. —Genesis 2:16-17
I watched as a young mother tried to get her 2-year-old child to make a choice. “You can have fish or chicken,” she told him. She limited his choice to just two because he was too young to understand beyond that. Choice often allows a wider variety of options, and it also must allow the person to reject the choices.
Adam and Eve were in the best possible environment. God had given them freedom to eat of all the trees in Eden. He drew the boundary lines around only one tree! They had a choice, and it should have been a no-brainer to choose wisely. But their choice was tragic.
Some blame God for what they see as His restrictions. They may even accuse Him of trying to control their lives. But God gives us a choice, just as He did Adam and Eve.
Yes, God draws boundary lines, but they are for our protection. David understood this. He wrote, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . . I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word” (Ps. 119:98-101).
God cares so much about us that He gives us boundary lines so that we will choose what is right. — C. P. Hia
Lord, help us to obey Your Word,
To heed Your still, small voice;
And may we not be swayed by men,
But make Your will our choice. —D. De Haan
God’s commandments were given to fulfill us, not to frustrate us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 2, 2009
The Conditions of Discipleship
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has "poured out in our hearts" the very "love of God" (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Spare Parts - #5864
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Okay, let's use our imagination. I'm going to buy a new car, and I'm going to pay for it with cash in full. That's lots of imagination we're talking here. I pay Mr. Dealer $20,000 for the new car, and he tells me it will be there in two weeks. Those two weeks crawl by like a turtle, but finally the day comes when I can show up for my hot new wheels. I shake hands with the dealer, and he says, "Hey, I'll be right back!" A few minutes later he comes out, carrying a big box. He sees my bewildered expression. He says, "Here it is. Go ahead. Open the box." I do, and inside I find inside two new hubcaps, a new carburetor, and a new steering wheel. This dealer and I have a problem! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Spare Parts."
I'm going to tell that dealer in no uncertain terms, "I paid the whole price! I should get the whole product, not just your spare parts!" Jesus knows that feeling. A lot of us have tried to fulfill our commitment to Him by giving Him the spare parts of our life that we don't really care that much about. But He paid the whole price for us when He poured out His life for us. He should get what He paid for.
And Jesus isn't any more impressed with getting spare parts than we are. You can tell from our word for today from the Word of God in Malachi 1, beginning with verse 6. God's people in that day worshiped Him by bringing spotless livestock as atonement for their sin. And God says, "'It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My name.' But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for Your name?'...'When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?'" God goes on to tell them that they might as well shut the temple doors and that all their religious exercises are (in God's words) "useless."
It's very clear that God isn't impressed with sacrifices that cost us nothing with the spare parts of our life that don't matter that much to us anyway. But far too many of us try to get by with what I call selective Lordship. We may sing, "I surrender all," but we live, "I surrender some." And while the Christians around us may be impressed with our spirituality, God says, "You're giving me your spare parts and you're holding on to the important things for yourself."
And honestly, that is an insult to Jesus - the one who held back nothing as He paid your eternal death penalty. He paid for all of you. Are you hanging onto your business, your finances, your love life, your entertainment, that wrong relationship, or that sinful attitude or way of doing things? What parts of your life can't Jesus have and why? Because you love it more than you love Jesus? Because you don't think you can trust Him with the stuff that really matters; you can't trust the Man who gave His life for you?
When David had a chance to get for free the land that God commanded him to acquire, he said to the owner, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" (2 Samuel 24:24). David knew you don't try to get off cheap with God, because cheap is basically worthless when it comes to giving to the Lord our God.
So what's it going to be in your relationship with Jesus Christ, your spare parts, or your whole life? Jesus paid the whole, awful price for you. Shouldn't He get all of you?
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 2
Miraculous Moments
In Christ there is all of God in a human body.
Colossians 2:9 (TLB)
Jesus was not a godlike man, not a manlike God. He was God-man.
Midwifed by a carpenter.
Bathed by a peasant girl.
The maker of the world with a bellybutton.
The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.
Heaven's human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, double-blink, what's-wrong-with-this-picture? moments like these:
A cripple sponsoring the town dance.
A sack lunch satisfying five thousand tummies.
What do we do with such moments?
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?
One thing is certain, we can't ignore him.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1 It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death. 2 They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.
3 Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said. "I handed over a man who is not guilty."
"What do we care?" they replied. "That's your problem."
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "It's against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man's death." 7 So they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field. People from other countries would be buried there. 8 That is why it has been called The Field of Blood to this very day. 9 Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, "They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. 10 They used the coins to buy a potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me."—(Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1?13; 32:6?9)
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
11 Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
12 But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the charges they are bringing against you?"
14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.
15 It was the governor's practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 16 At that time they had a well?known prisoner named Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.
21 "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.
22 "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23 "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
24 Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. "I am not guilty of this man's death," he said. "You are accountable for that!"
25 All the people answered, "We and our children will accept the guilt for his death!"
26 Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
27 The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. 29 Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. "We honor you, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again.
31 After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
32 On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. 34 There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it.
35 When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 They sat down and kept watch over him there.
37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, ~this is jesus, the king of the jews.=
38 Two robbers were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.
39 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads 40 and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42 "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He's the one who said, 'I am the Son of God.' "
44 In the same way the robbers who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus Dies
45 From noon until three o'clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46 About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"—(Psalm 22:1)
47 Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, "He's calling for Elijah."
48 Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50 After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.
51 At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. 52 Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.
54 The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, "He was surely the Son of God!"
55 Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. 56 Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Jesus Is Buried
57 As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.
61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.
The Guards at the Tomb
62 The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first."
65 "Take some guards with you," Pilate answered. "Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Genesis 2:16-17
16 The Lord God gave the man a command. He said, "You can eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden. 17 But you must not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you can be sure that you will die."
Genesis 3:1-8
Adam and Eve Fall Into Sin
1 The serpent was more clever than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden. 3 But God did say, 'You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.' "
4 "You can be sure that you won't die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God."
6 The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it.
7 Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
July 2, 2009
The Choice
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-8
Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. —Genesis 2:16-17
I watched as a young mother tried to get her 2-year-old child to make a choice. “You can have fish or chicken,” she told him. She limited his choice to just two because he was too young to understand beyond that. Choice often allows a wider variety of options, and it also must allow the person to reject the choices.
Adam and Eve were in the best possible environment. God had given them freedom to eat of all the trees in Eden. He drew the boundary lines around only one tree! They had a choice, and it should have been a no-brainer to choose wisely. But their choice was tragic.
Some blame God for what they see as His restrictions. They may even accuse Him of trying to control their lives. But God gives us a choice, just as He did Adam and Eve.
Yes, God draws boundary lines, but they are for our protection. David understood this. He wrote, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . . I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word” (Ps. 119:98-101).
God cares so much about us that He gives us boundary lines so that we will choose what is right. — C. P. Hia
Lord, help us to obey Your Word,
To heed Your still, small voice;
And may we not be swayed by men,
But make Your will our choice. —D. De Haan
God’s commandments were given to fulfill us, not to frustrate us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 2, 2009
The Conditions of Discipleship
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has "poured out in our hearts" the very "love of God" (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Spare Parts - #5864
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Okay, let's use our imagination. I'm going to buy a new car, and I'm going to pay for it with cash in full. That's lots of imagination we're talking here. I pay Mr. Dealer $20,000 for the new car, and he tells me it will be there in two weeks. Those two weeks crawl by like a turtle, but finally the day comes when I can show up for my hot new wheels. I shake hands with the dealer, and he says, "Hey, I'll be right back!" A few minutes later he comes out, carrying a big box. He sees my bewildered expression. He says, "Here it is. Go ahead. Open the box." I do, and inside I find inside two new hubcaps, a new carburetor, and a new steering wheel. This dealer and I have a problem! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Spare Parts."
I'm going to tell that dealer in no uncertain terms, "I paid the whole price! I should get the whole product, not just your spare parts!" Jesus knows that feeling. A lot of us have tried to fulfill our commitment to Him by giving Him the spare parts of our life that we don't really care that much about. But He paid the whole price for us when He poured out His life for us. He should get what He paid for.
And Jesus isn't any more impressed with getting spare parts than we are. You can tell from our word for today from the Word of God in Malachi 1, beginning with verse 6. God's people in that day worshiped Him by bringing spotless livestock as atonement for their sin. And God says, "'It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My name.' But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for Your name?'...'When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?'" God goes on to tell them that they might as well shut the temple doors and that all their religious exercises are (in God's words) "useless."
It's very clear that God isn't impressed with sacrifices that cost us nothing with the spare parts of our life that don't matter that much to us anyway. But far too many of us try to get by with what I call selective Lordship. We may sing, "I surrender all," but we live, "I surrender some." And while the Christians around us may be impressed with our spirituality, God says, "You're giving me your spare parts and you're holding on to the important things for yourself."
And honestly, that is an insult to Jesus - the one who held back nothing as He paid your eternal death penalty. He paid for all of you. Are you hanging onto your business, your finances, your love life, your entertainment, that wrong relationship, or that sinful attitude or way of doing things? What parts of your life can't Jesus have and why? Because you love it more than you love Jesus? Because you don't think you can trust Him with the stuff that really matters; you can't trust the Man who gave His life for you?
When David had a chance to get for free the land that God commanded him to acquire, he said to the owner, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" (2 Samuel 24:24). David knew you don't try to get off cheap with God, because cheap is basically worthless when it comes to giving to the Lord our God.
So what's it going to be in your relationship with Jesus Christ, your spare parts, or your whole life? Jesus paid the whole, awful price for you. Shouldn't He get all of you?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Matthew 26, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 1
A Big View of God
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. He was, he is, and he is coming.
Revelation 4:8 (NCV)
Exactly what is worship? I like King David's definition. "Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Ps. 34:3 NASB). Worship is the act of magnifying God. Enlarging our vision of him. Stepping into the cockpit to see where he sits and observe how he works. Of course, his size doesn't change, but our perception of him does. As we draw nearer, he seems larger. Isn't that what we need? A big view of God? Don't we have big problems, big worries, big questions? Of course we do. Hence we need a big view of God.
Worship offers that. How can we sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy" and not have our vision expanded?
Matthew 26
The Plan to Kill Jesus
1 Jesus finished saying all these things. Then he said to his disciples, 2 "As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross."
3 Then the chief priests met with the elders of the people. They met in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. 4 They made plans to arrest Jesus in a clever way. They wanted to kill him. 5 "But not during the Feast," they said. "The people may stir up trouble."
A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus
6 Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of a man named Simon, who had a skin disease. 7 A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they became angry. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9 "The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people."
10 Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. 12 She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. 13 What I'm about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her."
Judas Agrees to Hand Jesus Over
14 One of the Twelve went to the chief priests. His name was Judas Iscariot. 15 He asked, "What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?" So they counted out 30 silver coins for him. 16 From then on, Judas watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them.
The Lord's Supper
17 It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The disciples came to Jesus. They asked, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?"
18 He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples." ' "
19 So the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal.
20 When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. One of you will hand me over to my enemies."
22 The disciples became very sad. One after the other, they began to say to him, "It's not I, Lord, is it?"
23 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will hand me over. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25 Judas was the one who was going to hand him over. He said, "It's not I, Rabbi, is it?"
Jesus answered, "Yes. It is you."
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body."
27 Then he took the cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. He said, "All of you drink from it. 28 This is my blood of the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many. 29 Here is what I tell you. From now on, I won't drink wine with you again until the day I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom."
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Says That Peter Will Fail
31 Jesus told them, "This very night you will all turn away because of me. It is written that the Lord said,
" 'I will strike the shepherd down.
Then the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' —(Zechariah 13:7) 32 But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33 Peter replied, "All the others may turn away because of you. But I never will."
34 "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "It will happen this very night. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me."
35 But Peter said, "I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don't know you." And all the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. He began to be sad and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me."
39 He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is weak."
42 Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, "My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done."
43 Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. 44 So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples. He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour is near. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!"
Jesus Is Arrested
47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of the Twelve. A large crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests and the elders of the people had sent them.
48 Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man," he said. "Arrest him."
49 So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came to do."
Then the men stepped forward. They grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 At that moment, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword. He pulled it out and struck the servant of the high priest with it. He cut off the servant's ear.
52 "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him. "All who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I can't ask my Father for help? He would send an army of more than 70,000 angels right away. 54 But then how would the Scriptures come true? They say it must happen in this way."
55 At that time Jesus spoke to the crowd. "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" he asked. "Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courtyard teaching. And you didn't arrest me. 56 But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true."
Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Is Taken to the Sanhedrin
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had come together there. 58 Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. 60 But they did not find any proof, even though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two other witnesses came forward. 61 They said, "This fellow claimed, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God. I can build it again in three days.' "
62 Then the high priest stood up. He asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? What are these charges that these men are bringing against you?"
63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I command you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
64 "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. "But here is what I say to all of you. In days to come, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven."
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, "He has spoken a very evil thing against God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say this evil thing. 66 What do you think?"
"He must die!" they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face. They hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68 They said, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?"
Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus
69 Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. A female servant came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70 But in front of all of them, Peter said he was not. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71 Then he went out to the gate leading into the courtyard. There another woman saw him. She said to the people, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72 Again he said he was not. With an oath he said, "I don't know the man!"
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter. "You must be one of them," they said. "The way you talk gives you away."
74 Then Peter began to call down curses on himself. He took an oath and said to them, "I don't know the man!"
Right away a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said. "The rooster will crow," Jesus had told him. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me." Peter went outside. He broke down and sobbed.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Luke 2:25-35 (New International Reader's Version)
25 In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God's promise to Israel to happen. The Holy Spirit was with him. 26 The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard.
Then Jesus' parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required.
28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,
29 "Lord, you are the King over all.
Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
That is what you promised.
30 My eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it in the sight of all people.
32 It is a light to be given to those who aren't Jews.
It will bring glory to your people Israel."
33 The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus' mother, "This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. 35 The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too."
July 1, 2009
The Reveal
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Luke 2:25-35
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. —Isaiah 40:5
The room was a wreck. Mismatched furniture. Faded paint. Ugly light fixtures. Knick-knacks crammed into crowded spaces. The homeowners tried to make some improvements, but the room kept getting worse.
Thus begins a home-improvement TV program. After interviewing the owners, the designer draws a plan to maximize the room’s potential. Program producers create suspense by building up to a moment referred to as “the reveal.” Viewers watch the progress and ooh and aah with the homeowners when they see the new room.
Over time, the world has become like a neglected room. People bring in things that don’t belong. They arrange priorities in ways that hinder potential. Lives become dull, overcrowded, and ineffective. Self-improvement projects offer little help.
The Bible is God’s plan that shows the best way to live. God builds suspense throughout the Old Testament. Then, at the appointed time, comes the great reveal—Jesus! Upon seeing Him, Simeon exclaimed, “My eyes have seen Your salvation . . . , a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
We become part of God’s great “reveal” when we follow His design and Christ’s example. — Julie Ackerman Link
O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. —Lathbury
All that I am I owe to Jesus Christ, revealed to me in His divine Book.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 1, 2009
The Inevitable Penalty
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny —Matthew 5:26
There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment. He urged you to come to judgment immediately when He convicted you, but you did not obey. Then the inevitable process began to work, bringing its inevitable penalty. Now you have been "thrown into prison, [and] . . . you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny" ( 5:25-26 ). Yet you ask, "Is this a God of mercy and love?" When seen from God’s perspective, it is a glorious ministry of love. God is going to bring you out pure, spotless, and undefiled, but He wants you to recognize the nature you were exhibiting— the nature of demanding your right to yourself. The moment you are willing for God to change your nature, His recreating forces will begin to work. And the moment you realize that God’s purpose is to get you into the right relationship with Himself and then with others, He will reach to the very limits of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide to do it right now, saying, "Yes, Lord, I will write that letter," or, "I will be reconciled to that person now."
These sermons of Jesus Christ are meant for your will and your conscience, not for your head. If you dispute these verses from the Sermon on the Mount with your head, you will dull the appeal to your heart.
If you find yourself asking, "I wonder why I’m not growing spiritually with God?"— then ask yourself if you are paying your debts from God’s standpoint. Do now what you will have to do someday. Every moral question or call comes with an "ought" behind it— the knowledge of knowing what we ought to do.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Life-Saving Kits with Nothing Inside - #5863
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
During our college years, my wife spent part of a summer as a counselor at a Bible camp that was buried deep in the mountains. I mean like deep in the mountains - deep enough in the mountains that the rattlesnakes are plentiful. One day as she was hiking with her girls through the woods, they all heard what they thought was just a branch or a stick breaking. Until they realized that one of the girls had been struck in the leg by a rattlesnake. Now my wife is someone you want to have around when there's a crisis; she's got a very cool head. She ran to the nearby camp and immediately went for the box in the infirmary that said Snake Bite Kit on it. But her heart sank when she opened it; the life-saving kit was empty. Thankfully, they were able to get that girl to a hospital in time to save her life, no thanks to that empty snake bite kit!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Life-Saving Kits with Nothing Inside."
It's a terrible thing to realize that the thing that claims to be able to save your life really has nothing that can help. As you read the pages of the Bible, you discover that the religions of the world are much like that. Every religion motivates its followers with the same promise - some form of heaven, eternal life if you're a good follower of "whatever" or "whoever." Sadly, religion does not, for the most part, offer a cure for the deadly infection we have: that's sin and its eternal death penalty.
There may be no more famous verse in all the Bible than John 3:16. It says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Interestingly enough, the verses that immediately precede that description of God's plan for saving us talk about a snake. In John 3:14-15, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. God so loved the world..."
In order to understand this snake thing, and more importantly, to understand the only way your sins can be forgiven and the only way you can go to heaven, it helps to go back to Numbers 21 in the Old Testament where this snake incident took place. Venomous snakes have attacked God's people in the desert, and many of those people are dying. God says to Moses, "'make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.'" (Numbers 21:8-9). Their only hope was to look at what God had lifted up to save them.
For us, that is Jesus, God's Son, dying on that cross. We've all been bitten by the deadly snake called sin. None of the great moralities, none of the great religions can possibly pay the death penalty for our sin. Getting to heaven isn't just about putting enough good on one side of the scale to balance the bad on the other; it's about satisfying a death penalty, and it took Jesus Christ death to do that. You have to look to Him as the only One who can save you.
Have you ever done that? If you don't know you've given yourself to Jesus, you probably haven't. And you are risking an eternity away from God, paying an eternal death penalty that Jesus already paid. But this could be your day to look away from any other hope of heaven and say, "Jesus, You are my only hope of having my sins forgiven; my only hope of going to heaven. And Jesus, I am Yours!"
Our website has a lot of information there put in simple, non-religious language that can help you be sure that you've begun your relationship with Him. In fact, it's all about how to begin life's most important relationship. This might be a good day for you to check it out. Let me give you the web address. It's YoursForLife.net. Or if you prefer, I could send you my booklet called Yours For Life if you'll call a toll free number and just ask for it. The number is 877-741-1200.
Don't depend on something that promises life but can't possibly give it to you. Depend on the One who loves you so much that He died so you don't have to.
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 1
A Big View of God
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. He was, he is, and he is coming.
Revelation 4:8 (NCV)
Exactly what is worship? I like King David's definition. "Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Ps. 34:3 NASB). Worship is the act of magnifying God. Enlarging our vision of him. Stepping into the cockpit to see where he sits and observe how he works. Of course, his size doesn't change, but our perception of him does. As we draw nearer, he seems larger. Isn't that what we need? A big view of God? Don't we have big problems, big worries, big questions? Of course we do. Hence we need a big view of God.
Worship offers that. How can we sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy" and not have our vision expanded?
Matthew 26
The Plan to Kill Jesus
1 Jesus finished saying all these things. Then he said to his disciples, 2 "As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross."
3 Then the chief priests met with the elders of the people. They met in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. 4 They made plans to arrest Jesus in a clever way. They wanted to kill him. 5 "But not during the Feast," they said. "The people may stir up trouble."
A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus
6 Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of a man named Simon, who had a skin disease. 7 A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they became angry. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9 "The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people."
10 Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. 12 She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. 13 What I'm about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her."
Judas Agrees to Hand Jesus Over
14 One of the Twelve went to the chief priests. His name was Judas Iscariot. 15 He asked, "What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?" So they counted out 30 silver coins for him. 16 From then on, Judas watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them.
The Lord's Supper
17 It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The disciples came to Jesus. They asked, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?"
18 He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples." ' "
19 So the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal.
20 When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. One of you will hand me over to my enemies."
22 The disciples became very sad. One after the other, they began to say to him, "It's not I, Lord, is it?"
23 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will hand me over. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25 Judas was the one who was going to hand him over. He said, "It's not I, Rabbi, is it?"
Jesus answered, "Yes. It is you."
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body."
27 Then he took the cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. He said, "All of you drink from it. 28 This is my blood of the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many. 29 Here is what I tell you. From now on, I won't drink wine with you again until the day I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom."
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Says That Peter Will Fail
31 Jesus told them, "This very night you will all turn away because of me. It is written that the Lord said,
" 'I will strike the shepherd down.
Then the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' —(Zechariah 13:7) 32 But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33 Peter replied, "All the others may turn away because of you. But I never will."
34 "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "It will happen this very night. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me."
35 But Peter said, "I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don't know you." And all the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. He began to be sad and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me."
39 He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is weak."
42 Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, "My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done."
43 Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. 44 So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples. He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour is near. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!"
Jesus Is Arrested
47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of the Twelve. A large crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests and the elders of the people had sent them.
48 Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man," he said. "Arrest him."
49 So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came to do."
Then the men stepped forward. They grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 At that moment, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword. He pulled it out and struck the servant of the high priest with it. He cut off the servant's ear.
52 "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him. "All who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I can't ask my Father for help? He would send an army of more than 70,000 angels right away. 54 But then how would the Scriptures come true? They say it must happen in this way."
55 At that time Jesus spoke to the crowd. "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" he asked. "Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courtyard teaching. And you didn't arrest me. 56 But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true."
Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Is Taken to the Sanhedrin
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had come together there. 58 Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. 60 But they did not find any proof, even though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two other witnesses came forward. 61 They said, "This fellow claimed, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God. I can build it again in three days.' "
62 Then the high priest stood up. He asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? What are these charges that these men are bringing against you?"
63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I command you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
64 "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. "But here is what I say to all of you. In days to come, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven."
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, "He has spoken a very evil thing against God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say this evil thing. 66 What do you think?"
"He must die!" they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face. They hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68 They said, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?"
Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus
69 Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. A female servant came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70 But in front of all of them, Peter said he was not. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71 Then he went out to the gate leading into the courtyard. There another woman saw him. She said to the people, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72 Again he said he was not. With an oath he said, "I don't know the man!"
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter. "You must be one of them," they said. "The way you talk gives you away."
74 Then Peter began to call down curses on himself. He took an oath and said to them, "I don't know the man!"
Right away a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said. "The rooster will crow," Jesus had told him. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me." Peter went outside. He broke down and sobbed.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Luke 2:25-35 (New International Reader's Version)
25 In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God's promise to Israel to happen. The Holy Spirit was with him. 26 The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard.
Then Jesus' parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required.
28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,
29 "Lord, you are the King over all.
Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
That is what you promised.
30 My eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it in the sight of all people.
32 It is a light to be given to those who aren't Jews.
It will bring glory to your people Israel."
33 The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus' mother, "This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. 35 The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too."
July 1, 2009
The Reveal
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Luke 2:25-35
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. —Isaiah 40:5
The room was a wreck. Mismatched furniture. Faded paint. Ugly light fixtures. Knick-knacks crammed into crowded spaces. The homeowners tried to make some improvements, but the room kept getting worse.
Thus begins a home-improvement TV program. After interviewing the owners, the designer draws a plan to maximize the room’s potential. Program producers create suspense by building up to a moment referred to as “the reveal.” Viewers watch the progress and ooh and aah with the homeowners when they see the new room.
Over time, the world has become like a neglected room. People bring in things that don’t belong. They arrange priorities in ways that hinder potential. Lives become dull, overcrowded, and ineffective. Self-improvement projects offer little help.
The Bible is God’s plan that shows the best way to live. God builds suspense throughout the Old Testament. Then, at the appointed time, comes the great reveal—Jesus! Upon seeing Him, Simeon exclaimed, “My eyes have seen Your salvation . . . , a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
We become part of God’s great “reveal” when we follow His design and Christ’s example. — Julie Ackerman Link
O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. —Lathbury
All that I am I owe to Jesus Christ, revealed to me in His divine Book.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 1, 2009
The Inevitable Penalty
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny —Matthew 5:26
There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment. He urged you to come to judgment immediately when He convicted you, but you did not obey. Then the inevitable process began to work, bringing its inevitable penalty. Now you have been "thrown into prison, [and] . . . you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny" ( 5:25-26 ). Yet you ask, "Is this a God of mercy and love?" When seen from God’s perspective, it is a glorious ministry of love. God is going to bring you out pure, spotless, and undefiled, but He wants you to recognize the nature you were exhibiting— the nature of demanding your right to yourself. The moment you are willing for God to change your nature, His recreating forces will begin to work. And the moment you realize that God’s purpose is to get you into the right relationship with Himself and then with others, He will reach to the very limits of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide to do it right now, saying, "Yes, Lord, I will write that letter," or, "I will be reconciled to that person now."
These sermons of Jesus Christ are meant for your will and your conscience, not for your head. If you dispute these verses from the Sermon on the Mount with your head, you will dull the appeal to your heart.
If you find yourself asking, "I wonder why I’m not growing spiritually with God?"— then ask yourself if you are paying your debts from God’s standpoint. Do now what you will have to do someday. Every moral question or call comes with an "ought" behind it— the knowledge of knowing what we ought to do.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Life-Saving Kits with Nothing Inside - #5863
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
During our college years, my wife spent part of a summer as a counselor at a Bible camp that was buried deep in the mountains. I mean like deep in the mountains - deep enough in the mountains that the rattlesnakes are plentiful. One day as she was hiking with her girls through the woods, they all heard what they thought was just a branch or a stick breaking. Until they realized that one of the girls had been struck in the leg by a rattlesnake. Now my wife is someone you want to have around when there's a crisis; she's got a very cool head. She ran to the nearby camp and immediately went for the box in the infirmary that said Snake Bite Kit on it. But her heart sank when she opened it; the life-saving kit was empty. Thankfully, they were able to get that girl to a hospital in time to save her life, no thanks to that empty snake bite kit!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Life-Saving Kits with Nothing Inside."
It's a terrible thing to realize that the thing that claims to be able to save your life really has nothing that can help. As you read the pages of the Bible, you discover that the religions of the world are much like that. Every religion motivates its followers with the same promise - some form of heaven, eternal life if you're a good follower of "whatever" or "whoever." Sadly, religion does not, for the most part, offer a cure for the deadly infection we have: that's sin and its eternal death penalty.
There may be no more famous verse in all the Bible than John 3:16. It says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Interestingly enough, the verses that immediately precede that description of God's plan for saving us talk about a snake. In John 3:14-15, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. God so loved the world..."
In order to understand this snake thing, and more importantly, to understand the only way your sins can be forgiven and the only way you can go to heaven, it helps to go back to Numbers 21 in the Old Testament where this snake incident took place. Venomous snakes have attacked God's people in the desert, and many of those people are dying. God says to Moses, "'make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.'" (Numbers 21:8-9). Their only hope was to look at what God had lifted up to save them.
For us, that is Jesus, God's Son, dying on that cross. We've all been bitten by the deadly snake called sin. None of the great moralities, none of the great religions can possibly pay the death penalty for our sin. Getting to heaven isn't just about putting enough good on one side of the scale to balance the bad on the other; it's about satisfying a death penalty, and it took Jesus Christ death to do that. You have to look to Him as the only One who can save you.
Have you ever done that? If you don't know you've given yourself to Jesus, you probably haven't. And you are risking an eternity away from God, paying an eternal death penalty that Jesus already paid. But this could be your day to look away from any other hope of heaven and say, "Jesus, You are my only hope of having my sins forgiven; my only hope of going to heaven. And Jesus, I am Yours!"
Our website has a lot of information there put in simple, non-religious language that can help you be sure that you've begun your relationship with Him. In fact, it's all about how to begin life's most important relationship. This might be a good day for you to check it out. Let me give you the web address. It's YoursForLife.net. Or if you prefer, I could send you my booklet called Yours For Life if you'll call a toll free number and just ask for it. The number is 877-741-1200.
Don't depend on something that promises life but can't possibly give it to you. Depend on the One who loves you so much that He died so you don't have to.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
John 17, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 30
Don’t Give Up!
“It is finished.”
John 19:30 (NCV)
Our inability to finish what we start is seen in the smallest of things:
A partly mowed lawn.
A half-read book.
Or, it shows up in life’s most painful areas:
An abandoned child.
A wrecked marriage.
Any chance I’m addressing someone who is considering giving up? If I am, I want to encourage you to remain. I want to encourage you to remember Jesus’ determination on the cross.
Jesus didn’t quit. But don’t think for one minute that he wasn’t tempted to. Did he ever want to quit? You bet.
That’s why his words are so splendid. “It is finished.”
John 17
Jesus Prays for Himself
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. He said,
"Father, the time has come. Bring glory to your Son. Then your Son will bring glory to you. 2 You gave him authority over all people. He gives eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 "And what is eternal life? It is knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth. I have finished the work you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, give glory to me in heaven where your throne is. Give me the glory I had with you before the world began. +&
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 "I have shown you to the disciples you gave me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me. And they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 I gave them the words you gave me. And they accepted them. They knew for certain that I came from you. They believed that you sent me.
9 "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world. I am praying for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. Glory has come to me because of my disciples.
11 "I will not remain in the world any longer. But they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name. It is the name you gave me. Keep them safe so they can be one, just as you and I are one.
12 "While I was with them, I guarded them. I kept them safe through the name you gave me. None of them has been lost, except the one who was sentenced to be destroyed. It happened so that Scripture would come true.
13 "I am coming to you now. But I say these things while I am still in the world. I say them so that those you gave me can have all my joy inside them. 14 I have given them your word. The world has hated them. This is because they are not part of the world any more than I am. 15 I do not pray that you will take them out of the world. I pray that you will keep them safe from the evil one.
16 "They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it. 17 Use the truth to make them holy. Your word is truth. 18 You sent me into the world. In the same way, I have sent them into the world. 19 I make myself holy for them so that they too can be made holy in a true sense. +&
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 "I do not pray only for them. I pray also for those who will believe in me because of their message. 21 Father, I pray that all of them will be one, just as you are in me and I am in you. I want them also to be in us. Then the world will believe that you have sent me.
22 "I have given them the glory you gave me. I did this so they would be one, just as we are one. 23 I will be in them, just as you are in me. I want them to be brought together perfectly as one. This will let the world know that you sent me. It will also show the world that you have loved those you gave me, just as you have loved me.
24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, the glory you have given me. You gave it to me because you loved me before the world was created.
25 "Father, you are holy. The world does not know you, but I know you. Those you have given me know you have sent me. 26 I have shown you to them. And I will continue to show you to them. Then the love you have for me will be in them. I myself will be in them."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Luke 19
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.
3 Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore?fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5 Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today." 6 So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8 But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took."
9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham's family line. 10 The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them."
June 30, 2009
Search And Rescue
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Luke 19:1-10
The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. —Luke 19:10
Almost every week we see news about a search-and-rescue mission. It may involve a child who wandered away from a family picnic and is lost, or a hiker stranded on a mountain, or people trapped in the rubble following an earthquake. In every case, the people at risk are unable to help themselves. Those who are found and saved usually have lasting gratitude for those who joined in the search and rescued them.
The account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is a story of search and rescue. At first glance it may seem like a series of chance events—Jesus was passing through Jericho and a rich tax collector climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher. But this encounter with Jesus was not a coincidence. At the end of the narrative, Luke deliberately included Jesus’ words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house . . . ; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (vv.9-10).
Jesus began His search-and-rescue operation on earth by His life, death, and resurrection. He continues it today through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He graciously invites us to participate with Him by loving those who are lost. — David C. McCasland
People can’t believe in Jesus
If the gospel they don’t hear,
So we must proclaim its message
To the world—both far and near. —Sper
Those rescued from sin are best able to rescue those in sin.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 30, 2009
Do It Now!
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
Agree with your adversary quickly . . . —Matthew 5:25
In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, "Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ ( Matthew 5:26 ) in pain, agony, and distress." God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.
Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?
Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21 ).
"Agree with your adversary quickly . . . ." Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Uncontrolled Fire - #5862
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It seems as if every summer there are raging fires in the American West that destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland, and sometimes homes, businesses, and sadly, even lives. When a major fire broke out near an Indian reservation that our Native team had ministered on only a few months ago, I paid pretty special attention. Sadly, that fire spread to parts of the reservation, consuming the timber that is a major part of their already impoverished economy; along with homes and property outside the reservation. It is going to take a long time to recover. The cause of that very costly fire made the whole thing even sadder. It was started by a government firefighter who was hoping there would be a small fire that would give him some work.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Uncontrolled Fire."
A man let a fire start to help meet a personal need he had. It raged out of control; it did more damage than he could have imagined in his worst nightmares. Well, that is a mistake many a man has made - and even some women - with a deadly fire that the Bible calls lust.
In a passage that warns against the costly mistakes we can make when we follow our sexual passions, God vividly describes what lust is really like. It's in Proverbs 6:25-28, our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says about misguided passion, "Do not desire her beauty in your heart...Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched.?" Lust is fire...it's hot coals. In the previous chapter, God described the way sexual passion was created to be. He says, "Rejoice with the wife of your youth...be ravished with her love" (Proverbs 5:18-19). In other words, save it for your wife, buddy!
It could be, though, that you are playing with the fire of sexual lust; maybe thinking, like that firefighter, that you can keep it under control. For a little while, maybe. But lust is a fire that will suddenly take you over and engulf you, and things and people that you care about as well. You may just be trying to meet a personal need, but you have no idea what a blazing inferno this can become and the damage it will do.
You may be playing with fire on the Internet, in magazines you look at or movies you watch, or just in the way you look at the opposite sex, or the way you push all the boundaries in what you're doing physically with someone. If you'll be honest with yourself, you will see increasing evidence that you're not controlling your passions. They're beginning to control you. The fire is spreading.
The first thing they do to stop a fire is burn the ground ahead of it so it will run out of fuel. You've been feeding the fire of lust. Now, while there's still time, you've got to start to starve that fire. No more fuel. Get rid of it all! And get some help to put out the fire. Confide in a spiritually mature person you trust; tell them you want to beat this and meet with them regularly as an accountability partner. And every new day, give this battle to your all-holy, all-powerful Lord to help you win it one day at a time. You have His promise in Romans 6:14, "Sin shall no longer be your master!"
Before the fire spreads, before it does any more damage, please turn and fight it with everything you've got. The landscape is scorched and scarred with the desolation of those who didn't.
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 30
Don’t Give Up!
“It is finished.”
John 19:30 (NCV)
Our inability to finish what we start is seen in the smallest of things:
A partly mowed lawn.
A half-read book.
Or, it shows up in life’s most painful areas:
An abandoned child.
A wrecked marriage.
Any chance I’m addressing someone who is considering giving up? If I am, I want to encourage you to remain. I want to encourage you to remember Jesus’ determination on the cross.
Jesus didn’t quit. But don’t think for one minute that he wasn’t tempted to. Did he ever want to quit? You bet.
That’s why his words are so splendid. “It is finished.”
John 17
Jesus Prays for Himself
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. He said,
"Father, the time has come. Bring glory to your Son. Then your Son will bring glory to you. 2 You gave him authority over all people. He gives eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 "And what is eternal life? It is knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth. I have finished the work you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, give glory to me in heaven where your throne is. Give me the glory I had with you before the world began. +&
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 "I have shown you to the disciples you gave me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me. And they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 I gave them the words you gave me. And they accepted them. They knew for certain that I came from you. They believed that you sent me.
9 "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world. I am praying for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. Glory has come to me because of my disciples.
11 "I will not remain in the world any longer. But they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name. It is the name you gave me. Keep them safe so they can be one, just as you and I are one.
12 "While I was with them, I guarded them. I kept them safe through the name you gave me. None of them has been lost, except the one who was sentenced to be destroyed. It happened so that Scripture would come true.
13 "I am coming to you now. But I say these things while I am still in the world. I say them so that those you gave me can have all my joy inside them. 14 I have given them your word. The world has hated them. This is because they are not part of the world any more than I am. 15 I do not pray that you will take them out of the world. I pray that you will keep them safe from the evil one.
16 "They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it. 17 Use the truth to make them holy. Your word is truth. 18 You sent me into the world. In the same way, I have sent them into the world. 19 I make myself holy for them so that they too can be made holy in a true sense. +&
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 "I do not pray only for them. I pray also for those who will believe in me because of their message. 21 Father, I pray that all of them will be one, just as you are in me and I am in you. I want them also to be in us. Then the world will believe that you have sent me.
22 "I have given them the glory you gave me. I did this so they would be one, just as we are one. 23 I will be in them, just as you are in me. I want them to be brought together perfectly as one. This will let the world know that you sent me. It will also show the world that you have loved those you gave me, just as you have loved me.
24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, the glory you have given me. You gave it to me because you loved me before the world was created.
25 "Father, you are holy. The world does not know you, but I know you. Those you have given me know you have sent me. 26 I have shown you to them. And I will continue to show you to them. Then the love you have for me will be in them. I myself will be in them."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Luke 19
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.
3 Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore?fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5 Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today." 6 So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8 But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took."
9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham's family line. 10 The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them."
June 30, 2009
Search And Rescue
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Luke 19:1-10
The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. —Luke 19:10
Almost every week we see news about a search-and-rescue mission. It may involve a child who wandered away from a family picnic and is lost, or a hiker stranded on a mountain, or people trapped in the rubble following an earthquake. In every case, the people at risk are unable to help themselves. Those who are found and saved usually have lasting gratitude for those who joined in the search and rescued them.
The account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is a story of search and rescue. At first glance it may seem like a series of chance events—Jesus was passing through Jericho and a rich tax collector climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher. But this encounter with Jesus was not a coincidence. At the end of the narrative, Luke deliberately included Jesus’ words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house . . . ; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (vv.9-10).
Jesus began His search-and-rescue operation on earth by His life, death, and resurrection. He continues it today through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He graciously invites us to participate with Him by loving those who are lost. — David C. McCasland
People can’t believe in Jesus
If the gospel they don’t hear,
So we must proclaim its message
To the world—both far and near. —Sper
Those rescued from sin are best able to rescue those in sin.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 30, 2009
Do It Now!
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
Agree with your adversary quickly . . . —Matthew 5:25
In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, "Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ ( Matthew 5:26 ) in pain, agony, and distress." God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.
Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?
Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21 ).
"Agree with your adversary quickly . . . ." Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Uncontrolled Fire - #5862
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It seems as if every summer there are raging fires in the American West that destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland, and sometimes homes, businesses, and sadly, even lives. When a major fire broke out near an Indian reservation that our Native team had ministered on only a few months ago, I paid pretty special attention. Sadly, that fire spread to parts of the reservation, consuming the timber that is a major part of their already impoverished economy; along with homes and property outside the reservation. It is going to take a long time to recover. The cause of that very costly fire made the whole thing even sadder. It was started by a government firefighter who was hoping there would be a small fire that would give him some work.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Uncontrolled Fire."
A man let a fire start to help meet a personal need he had. It raged out of control; it did more damage than he could have imagined in his worst nightmares. Well, that is a mistake many a man has made - and even some women - with a deadly fire that the Bible calls lust.
In a passage that warns against the costly mistakes we can make when we follow our sexual passions, God vividly describes what lust is really like. It's in Proverbs 6:25-28, our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says about misguided passion, "Do not desire her beauty in your heart...Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched.?" Lust is fire...it's hot coals. In the previous chapter, God described the way sexual passion was created to be. He says, "Rejoice with the wife of your youth...be ravished with her love" (Proverbs 5:18-19). In other words, save it for your wife, buddy!
It could be, though, that you are playing with the fire of sexual lust; maybe thinking, like that firefighter, that you can keep it under control. For a little while, maybe. But lust is a fire that will suddenly take you over and engulf you, and things and people that you care about as well. You may just be trying to meet a personal need, but you have no idea what a blazing inferno this can become and the damage it will do.
You may be playing with fire on the Internet, in magazines you look at or movies you watch, or just in the way you look at the opposite sex, or the way you push all the boundaries in what you're doing physically with someone. If you'll be honest with yourself, you will see increasing evidence that you're not controlling your passions. They're beginning to control you. The fire is spreading.
The first thing they do to stop a fire is burn the ground ahead of it so it will run out of fuel. You've been feeding the fire of lust. Now, while there's still time, you've got to start to starve that fire. No more fuel. Get rid of it all! And get some help to put out the fire. Confide in a spiritually mature person you trust; tell them you want to beat this and meet with them regularly as an accountability partner. And every new day, give this battle to your all-holy, all-powerful Lord to help you win it one day at a time. You have His promise in Romans 6:14, "Sin shall no longer be your master!"
Before the fire spreads, before it does any more damage, please turn and fight it with everything you've got. The landscape is scorched and scarred with the desolation of those who didn't.
Monday, June 29, 2009
John 16, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 29
The Greenhouse of the Heart
People harvest only what they plant.
Galatians 6:7 (NCV)
Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse....And your heart, like a greenhouse, has to be managed.
Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity....
The proof is everywhere you look. Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest?
Ever wonder why others have such a sour outlook? Such a gloomy attitude? You would, too, if your heart were a greenhouse of weeds and thorns.
John 16
1 "I have told you all of this so that you will not go down the wrong path. 2 You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, a time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a favor. 3 They will do things like that because they do not know the Father or me.
4 "Why have I told you this? So that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I didn't tell you this at first because I was with you.
What the Holy Spirit Will Do
5 "Now I am going to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with sadness.
7 "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove that the world's people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning sin and godliness and judgment.
9 "The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That is because people do not believe in me. 10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That is because I am going to the Father, where you can't see me anymore. 11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.
12 "I have much more to say to you. It is more than you can handle right now. 13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is still going to happen.
14 "He will bring me glory by receiving something from me and showing it to you. 15 Everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Holy Spirit will receive something from me and show it to you.
16 "In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me."
The Disciples' Sadness Will Turn Into Joy
17 Some of his disciples spoke to one another. They said, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? And what does he mean by saying, 'I am going to the Father'?" 18 They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about those things. So he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant? Didn't you understand when I said, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? 20 What I'm about to tell you is true. You will cry and be full of sorrow while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.
21 "A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. This is because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world.
22 "That's the way it is with you. Now it's your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take your joy away.
23 "When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I'm about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete.
25 "I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God.
28 "I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."
29 Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear. 30 Now we can see that you know everything. You don't even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God."
31 "At last you believe!" Jesus said. 32 "But a time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me.
33 "I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have won the battle over the world."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Isaiah 6
The Lord Appoints Isaiah to Speak for Him
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored.
2 Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. 3 They were calling out to one another. They were saying,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all.
The whole earth is full of his glory."
4 The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke.
5 "How terrible it is for me!" I cried out. "I'm about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all."
6 A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, "This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, "Who will I send? Who will go for us?"
I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
June 29, 2009
Macauley
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Isaiah 6:1-8
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” —Isaiah 6:8
Macauley Rivera, one of my dearest friends in Bible college, had a passion for the Savior. His heart’s desire was to graduate, marry his fiancée Sharon, return to the inner city of Washington, DC, and plant a church to reach his friends and family for Christ.
That dream ended, however, when Mac and Sharon were tragically killed in an accident, leaving the student body stunned at the loss. At Mac’s memorial service, the challenge was issued: “Mac is gone. Who will serve in his place?” As evidence of the impact of Mac’s example, more than 200 students stood to take up the mantle of Christ’s fallen servant.
The response of those students echoes the commitment of Isaiah. In a time of fear and insecurity, the prophet was summoned into the throne room of God, where he heard Him say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Isaiah responded, “Here am I! Send me” (Isa. 6:8).
God still calls men and women to be His ambassadors today. He challenges us to serve Him—sometimes close to home, sometimes in distant lands. The question for us is, How will we respond to His call? May God give us the courage to say, “Here am I! Send me.” — Bill Crowder
Take the task He gives you gladly;
Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth,
“Here am I, send me, send me.” —March
Whom God calls, He qualifies; whom He qualifies, He sends.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 29, 2009
The Strictest Discipline
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell —Matthew 5:30
Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that "if your right hand causes you to sin" in your walk with Him, then it is better to "cut it off." There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then "cut it off." The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.
When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do— things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, "What’s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!" There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don’t use your restrictions to criticize someone else.
The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but inMatthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life— "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
A Man's Lasting Legacy - #5861
Monday, June 29, 2009
My dad was a great man, and I still miss him, even though he's been gone for a lot of years now. I'll often think about his laugh, his favorite sayings, his great personality, his fun sense of humor, his unconditional love and support for me. Because he's buried in a place where I don't often get to go, it's been quite a while since I've been able to visit his grave. But I did not too long ago. And I was impressed with the simplicity of what, besides the dates of his birth and death, is engraved on his gravestone. It just says, "John Hutchcraft, husband and father."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Man's Lasting Legacy."
I guess standing at my father's grave after all these years was sort of a values clarification reminder for me, and maybe for you. My dad held many titles in his life; he was chairman of our church board, chairman of the board of a youth ministry, foreman, and plant manager. But other people held those titles before him and after him. He's the only husband my Mom ever had. He's the only father I ever had. His tombstone honors him accurately; it's what he did as a husband and a father that is the most lasting legacy of his life. That's something for any man to consider.
God seems to put a pretty high priority on those life-roles. You can see it even in His list of requirements for those who aspire to positions of spiritual leadership. In 1 Timothy 3, beginning with verse 2, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife...He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity, (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)." God seems to be saying here, "If he isn't being the right kind of husband and father, please don't spread the infection to the church!" But this isn't just about leadership credentials. It's obviously a statement about what God values in a man.
Tragically, too many of us men have fallen for lies about what will give our lives significance. We go after comparatively trivial pursuits: a promotion at work, the next rung on the ladder, an award, a higher income, the acclaim of our organization, our church, or some important person, or just that bigger title. But there is no bigger title than husband or dad.
I have friends that I respect greatly because they've been offered some great promotions in their company, but they turned them down because they realized that it would hurt their family and it would make them less of a husband and less of a father. To be a hero at work or a hero at church and a zero at home is a price too high to pay. Sadly, even many women in our day have now fallen for the lies about significance that have literally been killing their men. They have been chasing the same pursuits and finding the same lack of fulfillment we did there. God says there is nothing more significant, there is nothing more lasting, or there is nothing more profitable you can do than the mark you make at home.
Those lives that you mark at home; whether it's by your involvement positively or your neglect negatively, that is the lasting legacy of your life. There is no greater legacy you can leave them than to introduce them to the Father, the God who gave up His one and only Son so we could be His sons and daughters. Give your best to the legacy that will truly define the impact of your life.
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 29
The Greenhouse of the Heart
People harvest only what they plant.
Galatians 6:7 (NCV)
Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse....And your heart, like a greenhouse, has to be managed.
Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity....
The proof is everywhere you look. Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest?
Ever wonder why others have such a sour outlook? Such a gloomy attitude? You would, too, if your heart were a greenhouse of weeds and thorns.
John 16
1 "I have told you all of this so that you will not go down the wrong path. 2 You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, a time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a favor. 3 They will do things like that because they do not know the Father or me.
4 "Why have I told you this? So that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I didn't tell you this at first because I was with you.
What the Holy Spirit Will Do
5 "Now I am going to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with sadness.
7 "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove that the world's people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning sin and godliness and judgment.
9 "The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That is because people do not believe in me. 10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That is because I am going to the Father, where you can't see me anymore. 11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.
12 "I have much more to say to you. It is more than you can handle right now. 13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is still going to happen.
14 "He will bring me glory by receiving something from me and showing it to you. 15 Everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Holy Spirit will receive something from me and show it to you.
16 "In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me."
The Disciples' Sadness Will Turn Into Joy
17 Some of his disciples spoke to one another. They said, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? And what does he mean by saying, 'I am going to the Father'?" 18 They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about those things. So he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant? Didn't you understand when I said, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? 20 What I'm about to tell you is true. You will cry and be full of sorrow while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.
21 "A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. This is because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world.
22 "That's the way it is with you. Now it's your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take your joy away.
23 "When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I'm about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete.
25 "I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God.
28 "I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."
29 Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear. 30 Now we can see that you know everything. You don't even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God."
31 "At last you believe!" Jesus said. 32 "But a time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me.
33 "I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have won the battle over the world."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Isaiah 6
The Lord Appoints Isaiah to Speak for Him
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored.
2 Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. 3 They were calling out to one another. They were saying,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all.
The whole earth is full of his glory."
4 The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke.
5 "How terrible it is for me!" I cried out. "I'm about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all."
6 A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, "This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, "Who will I send? Who will go for us?"
I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
June 29, 2009
Macauley
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Isaiah 6:1-8
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” —Isaiah 6:8
Macauley Rivera, one of my dearest friends in Bible college, had a passion for the Savior. His heart’s desire was to graduate, marry his fiancée Sharon, return to the inner city of Washington, DC, and plant a church to reach his friends and family for Christ.
That dream ended, however, when Mac and Sharon were tragically killed in an accident, leaving the student body stunned at the loss. At Mac’s memorial service, the challenge was issued: “Mac is gone. Who will serve in his place?” As evidence of the impact of Mac’s example, more than 200 students stood to take up the mantle of Christ’s fallen servant.
The response of those students echoes the commitment of Isaiah. In a time of fear and insecurity, the prophet was summoned into the throne room of God, where he heard Him say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Isaiah responded, “Here am I! Send me” (Isa. 6:8).
God still calls men and women to be His ambassadors today. He challenges us to serve Him—sometimes close to home, sometimes in distant lands. The question for us is, How will we respond to His call? May God give us the courage to say, “Here am I! Send me.” — Bill Crowder
Take the task He gives you gladly;
Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth,
“Here am I, send me, send me.” —March
Whom God calls, He qualifies; whom He qualifies, He sends.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 29, 2009
The Strictest Discipline
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell —Matthew 5:30
Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that "if your right hand causes you to sin" in your walk with Him, then it is better to "cut it off." There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then "cut it off." The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.
When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do— things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, "What’s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!" There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don’t use your restrictions to criticize someone else.
The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but inMatthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life— "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
A Man's Lasting Legacy - #5861
Monday, June 29, 2009
My dad was a great man, and I still miss him, even though he's been gone for a lot of years now. I'll often think about his laugh, his favorite sayings, his great personality, his fun sense of humor, his unconditional love and support for me. Because he's buried in a place where I don't often get to go, it's been quite a while since I've been able to visit his grave. But I did not too long ago. And I was impressed with the simplicity of what, besides the dates of his birth and death, is engraved on his gravestone. It just says, "John Hutchcraft, husband and father."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Man's Lasting Legacy."
I guess standing at my father's grave after all these years was sort of a values clarification reminder for me, and maybe for you. My dad held many titles in his life; he was chairman of our church board, chairman of the board of a youth ministry, foreman, and plant manager. But other people held those titles before him and after him. He's the only husband my Mom ever had. He's the only father I ever had. His tombstone honors him accurately; it's what he did as a husband and a father that is the most lasting legacy of his life. That's something for any man to consider.
God seems to put a pretty high priority on those life-roles. You can see it even in His list of requirements for those who aspire to positions of spiritual leadership. In 1 Timothy 3, beginning with verse 2, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife...He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity, (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)." God seems to be saying here, "If he isn't being the right kind of husband and father, please don't spread the infection to the church!" But this isn't just about leadership credentials. It's obviously a statement about what God values in a man.
Tragically, too many of us men have fallen for lies about what will give our lives significance. We go after comparatively trivial pursuits: a promotion at work, the next rung on the ladder, an award, a higher income, the acclaim of our organization, our church, or some important person, or just that bigger title. But there is no bigger title than husband or dad.
I have friends that I respect greatly because they've been offered some great promotions in their company, but they turned them down because they realized that it would hurt their family and it would make them less of a husband and less of a father. To be a hero at work or a hero at church and a zero at home is a price too high to pay. Sadly, even many women in our day have now fallen for the lies about significance that have literally been killing their men. They have been chasing the same pursuits and finding the same lack of fulfillment we did there. God says there is nothing more significant, there is nothing more lasting, or there is nothing more profitable you can do than the mark you make at home.
Those lives that you mark at home; whether it's by your involvement positively or your neglect negatively, that is the lasting legacy of your life. There is no greater legacy you can leave them than to introduce them to the Father, the God who gave up His one and only Son so we could be His sons and daughters. Give your best to the legacy that will truly define the impact of your life.
John 15, daily reading and devotions
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 28
Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (THE MESSAGE)
Don't put your hope into things that change--relationships, money
talents, beauty, even health.
Set your sights on the one thing that can never change: trust
in your heavenly Father.
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 "I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain joined to me, and I will remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can't bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.
5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can't do anything without me. 6 If anyone does not remain joined to me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.
7 "If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be given to you. 8 When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.
9 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete.
12 "Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 "I do not call you servants anymore. Servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.
16 "You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit. It is fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.
17 "Here is my command. Love each other.
The World Hates the Disciples
18 "Does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
20 "Remember the words I spoke to you. I said, 'A servant is not more important than his master.'—(John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the One who sent me.
22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Those who hate me hate my Father also.
24 "I did miracles among them that no one else did. If I hadn't, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those miracles. And still they have hated both me and my Father. 25 This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, 'They hated me without any reason.'—(Psalms 35:19; 69:4)
26 "I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will give witness about me.
27 "You also must give witness. This is because you have been with me from the beginning.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Acts 13
Barnabas and Saul Are Sent Off
1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. Among them were Barnabas, Simeon, and Lucius from Cyrene. Simeon was also called Niger. Another was Manaen. He had been brought up with Herod, the ruler of Galilee. Saul was among them too. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke. "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me," he said. "I have appointed them to do special work." 3 The prophets and teachers fasted and prayed. They placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul. Then they sent them off.
Events on Cyprus
4 Barnabas and Saul were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. They went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 They arrived at Salamis. There they preached God's word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
June 28, 2009
Are You Ready?
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Acts 13:1-5
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work.” —Acts 13:2
Three months before a planned missions trip, a friend and I were talking about the upcoming event. He said to me, “If anyone can’t go, I’d be willing to step in and join you.” This was not going to be an easy 8 days, for we would be painting, repairing, and fixing stuff in the July heat of Jamaica. Yet my friend seemed eager to go.
About 6 weeks before we were scheduled to leave, there was an opening. I e-mailed my friend—whom I hadn’t seen in the interim—and asked if he was still interested. He immediately responded, “Sure! And I got a passport just in case you asked.” He had made sure he was ready—just in case he got the call to go.
My friend’s preparation reminds me of what happened back in the first century at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were among a number of people getting themselves ready spiritually for whatever God might ask them to do, or wherever He might send them. They didn’t prepare by getting a passport, but they “ministered to the Lord and fasted” (Acts 13:2). And when the Holy Spirit said, “Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work” (v.2), they were all set for the journey.
Are you preparing for what God might want you to do? When the Spirit says, “Go,” will you be ready? — Dave Branon
Available for God to use me,
Available, if God should choose me;
Should it be here or there, it doesn’t matter where;
My waiting heart prepare. —Anthony
© 1971, Dick Anthony.
Keep your tools ready—God will find work for you.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 28, 2009
Held by the Grip of God
ODB RADIO: | Download
READ:
I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me —Philippians 3:12
Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you "turn aside to the right hand or to the left" ( Deuteronomy 5:32 ). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has "laid hold of" us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, "Well, I’m really not suited for this." What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God’s hand on you— your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?
Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are— you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do. . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:13-14 ).
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
June 28
Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (THE MESSAGE)
Don't put your hope into things that change--relationships, money
talents, beauty, even health.
Set your sights on the one thing that can never change: trust
in your heavenly Father.
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 "I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain joined to me, and I will remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can't bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.
5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can't do anything without me. 6 If anyone does not remain joined to me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.
7 "If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be given to you. 8 When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.
9 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete.
12 "Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 "I do not call you servants anymore. Servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.
16 "You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit. It is fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.
17 "Here is my command. Love each other.
The World Hates the Disciples
18 "Does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
20 "Remember the words I spoke to you. I said, 'A servant is not more important than his master.'—(John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the One who sent me.
22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Those who hate me hate my Father also.
24 "I did miracles among them that no one else did. If I hadn't, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those miracles. And still they have hated both me and my Father. 25 This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, 'They hated me without any reason.'—(Psalms 35:19; 69:4)
26 "I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will give witness about me.
27 "You also must give witness. This is because you have been with me from the beginning.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Acts 13
Barnabas and Saul Are Sent Off
1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. Among them were Barnabas, Simeon, and Lucius from Cyrene. Simeon was also called Niger. Another was Manaen. He had been brought up with Herod, the ruler of Galilee. Saul was among them too. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke. "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me," he said. "I have appointed them to do special work." 3 The prophets and teachers fasted and prayed. They placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul. Then they sent them off.
Events on Cyprus
4 Barnabas and Saul were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. They went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 They arrived at Salamis. There they preached God's word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
June 28, 2009
Are You Ready?
ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Acts 13:1-5
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work.” —Acts 13:2
Three months before a planned missions trip, a friend and I were talking about the upcoming event. He said to me, “If anyone can’t go, I’d be willing to step in and join you.” This was not going to be an easy 8 days, for we would be painting, repairing, and fixing stuff in the July heat of Jamaica. Yet my friend seemed eager to go.
About 6 weeks before we were scheduled to leave, there was an opening. I e-mailed my friend—whom I hadn’t seen in the interim—and asked if he was still interested. He immediately responded, “Sure! And I got a passport just in case you asked.” He had made sure he was ready—just in case he got the call to go.
My friend’s preparation reminds me of what happened back in the first century at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were among a number of people getting themselves ready spiritually for whatever God might ask them to do, or wherever He might send them. They didn’t prepare by getting a passport, but they “ministered to the Lord and fasted” (Acts 13:2). And when the Holy Spirit said, “Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work” (v.2), they were all set for the journey.
Are you preparing for what God might want you to do? When the Spirit says, “Go,” will you be ready? — Dave Branon
Available for God to use me,
Available, if God should choose me;
Should it be here or there, it doesn’t matter where;
My waiting heart prepare. —Anthony
© 1971, Dick Anthony.
Keep your tools ready—God will find work for you.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 28, 2009
Held by the Grip of God
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I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me —Philippians 3:12
Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you "turn aside to the right hand or to the left" ( Deuteronomy 5:32 ). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has "laid hold of" us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, "Well, I’m really not suited for this." What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God’s hand on you— your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?
Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are— you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do. . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:13-14 ).
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