Max Lucado Daily: God's Word of Welcome
Whoever-God's wonderful word of welcome! We lose much in life-jobs and chances, and we lose at love. We lose youth and idealism. We lose much, but we never lose our place on God's whoever list.
I love to hear my wife say "whoever." Sometimes it's my favorite fragrance wafting from the kitchen…strawberry cake! I follow the smell like a bird dog follows a trail. Yet I've learned to still my fork until Denalyn gives clearance. "Who is it for?" I ask. She might say, "It's for a friend. Max don't touch it." Or she might throw open the door of delight and say, "Whoever!"
And since I qualify as a whoever, I say "yes!" I hope you will too. Not to the cake, but to God. No status too low. No hour too late. No place too far. However. Whenever. Wherever. Whoever includes you. . .forever!
From: 3:16
Psalm 128
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table.
4 That is the Lord’s blessing
for those who fear him.
5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.
May Israel have peace!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, April 18, 2016
Read: 2 Chronicles 20:1-13
War with Surrounding Nations
After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites[a] declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom[b] is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea.[c] They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)
3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.
5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord. 6 He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! 7 O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 8 Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. 9 They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war,[d] plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’
10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. 11 Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children,
Footnotes:
20:1 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 26:7); Hebrew repeats Ammonites.
20:2a As in one Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions read Aram.
20:2b Hebrew the sea.
20:9 Or sword of judgment; or sword, judgment.
Unconventional Tactics
By Tim Gustafson
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12
In 1980, a woman hopped on a subway during the Boston Marathon. No big deal, except for one small detail. She was supposed to be running the marathon! Later, witnesses saw her jump into the race less than a mile from the finish line. She finished well ahead of all the other female runners, and oddly, she wasn’t winded or even sweating much. For a brief time she looked like the winner.
In a conflict long ago, a people who were losing a battle found a more honorable way to win. When messengers told King Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,” he was terrified (2 Chron. 20:2-3). But instead of turning to typical military tactics, Jehoshaphat turned to God. He acknowledged God’s supremacy and admitted his own fear and confusion. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 12). Then the king chose singers to lead the army into battle. Instead of a war cry, they sang of God’s love (v. 21). The result was startling. Their enemies turned on each other (vv. 22-24). In the end, “The kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side” (v. 30).
Our fear and uncertainties give us the opportunity to turn to our all-powerful God.
Life can ambush us with overwhelming challenges. Yet our fear and uncertainties give us the opportunity to turn to our all-powerful God. He specializes in the unconventional.
Lord, You are not the source of confusion or fear, but of strength and peace. We exchange our panicky plans for Your amazing answers. Encourage us as we wait for You.
Our God is never predictable, but He is unfailingly reliable.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, April 18, 2016
Readiness
God called to him….And he said, "Here I am." —Exodus 3:4
When God speaks, many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer. Moses’ reply to God revealed that he knew where he was and that he was ready. Readiness means having a right relationship to God and having the knowledge of where we are. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. Yet the man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who receives the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea that some great opportunity or something sensational will be coming our way, and when it does come we are quick to cry out, “Here I am.” Whenever we sense that Jesus Christ is rising up to take authority over some great task, we are there, but we are not ready for some obscure duty.
Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing— it makes no difference. It means we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready. Whenever any duty presents itself, we hear God’s voice as our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with the total readiness of our love for Him. Jesus Christ expects to do with us just as His Father did with Him. He can put us wherever He wants, in pleasant duties or in menial ones, because our union with Him is the same as His union with the Father. “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22).
Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready— he is ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready once God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the person who is ready, and it is on fire with the presence of God Himself.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Both nations and individuals have tried Christianity and abandoned it, because it has been found too difficult; but no man has ever gone through the crisis of deliberately making Jesus Lord and found Him to be a failure. The Love of God—The Making of a Christian, 680 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, April 18, 2016
The 'No Vacancy' Tragedy - #7636
As our family was growing up and we were driving somewhere for vacation, my travel philosophy was very simple and very male. The purpose of the trip is to get there! Why waste unnecessary time getting there, right? So we would drive along some long stretches and we'd have gas, rest, and food stops down to a well timed drill. We called it "the drill". But, during the busy vacation seasons there was a down side to this and it came at the end of when your body's saying, "Put me down, now!" See, since I didn't know exactly how far we'd be able to make it, I couldn't make a motel reservation. So, I got off where there were some choices of reasonable motels and I drove in hoping I could be horizontal within say fifteen minutes. "No chance." I hate words like these. "Sorry, we're full." Or those dreaded words, "No Vacancy." Or the slightly more comforting sign, "Sorry." They all mean the same thing – no room, I'm not getting in.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The 'No Vacancy' Tragedy."
You know it's hard to be continually greeted with the answer, "Sorry, No Vacancy." Jesus knows that feeling. He's been knocking at the door of many hearts who've constantly told Him, "Not today," "Not tonight," "Sorry." Maybe you've sensed at various times Jesus tugging at your heart, offering you another chance to invite Him in. He's come to the door many times, but He's still outside isn't He. It isn't that you openly rejected Him; it's more like you've neglected Him. You've told Him, "Not yet" or "Maybe later, I'm not ready." Or maybe you haven't told Him anything. It's dangerous business to hang out a "Sorry, No Vacancy" sign when the One seeking to come in is the very Son of God.
Listen to our word for today from the Word of God. Words addressed to people who heard His voice but didn't respond. Proverbs 1:23, "If you had responded to my rebuke," God says, "I would have poured out my heart to you. ...But since you rejected me when I called...since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster when distress and trouble overwhelm you. ...Then they will call to Me but I will not answer; they will look for Me but will not find Me.'" These are hard words to read but we've got to know they're there. God's poured out the life of His Son, Jesus, on a cross to cancel the death penalty for your sin and then your Creator has reached out to you. He's offering that love to you that none of us deserves.
Jesus says He knocks at the door and if you continue to ignore Him or reject Him, there comes a day when He stops knocking. You don't come to Jesus when you're ready; you come when He's ready. Jesus said, "No one comes to Me unless My Father draws him." So, if you feel yourself drawn to Jesus right now, it means He's ready and you can still let Him in, but He won't be ready forever. That's why the Bible says, "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near." If He's near right now, please don't wait anymore to put your trust in Him. Open your heart to this One who loved you enough to die for you.
Don't you want to make today your day to begin that life-changing relationship with your Creator? Well, tell Him that right now. He's loved you enough to come back one more time, knocking at the door of your heart. This is not another time to say, "Sorry, no vacancy." Make room for Jesus. "Jesus, I'm yours" you could tell Him. I believe when you died on that cross it was for what I have done that has broken your laws, all the wrong doing of my life. You're my only hope of heaven, and I am yours."
Look, go to our website. Right there I have laid out as simply as I can how you can be sure you've established and begun your relationship with Him. ANewStory.com. Can you remember that?
It's time for you to finally reach for that door. Open it and welcome into your life the One who loves you more than anyone else.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Psalm 127 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Led by an Unseen Hand
For years I viewed God as a compassionate CEO and my role as a loyal sales representative. He encouraged me, rallied behind me, and supported me, but he didn't go with me. At least I didn't think he did. Then I read 2 Corinthians 6:1, "…we are God's fellow workers." Fellow workers? Co-laborers? God and I work together? Imagine the paradigm shift this truth creates. Rather than report to God, we work with God. We are always in the presence of God; there's never a non-sacred moment.
Our awareness of his presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes. What if our daily communion never ceased? Would it be possible to live-minute by minute-in the presence of God? Is such a goal realistic? Within reach? If we are to be just like Jesus, you and I will strive for constant fellowship with God!
From Just Like Jesus
Psalm 127
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.
Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Read: Acts 2:42-47
The Believers Form a Community
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[b]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Footnotes:
2:42 Greek the breaking of bread; also in 2:46.
2:46 Or and sincere hearts.
INSIGHT:
Acts 2 describes the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost when God, in fulfillment of prophecies and promises (Joel 2:28–32; Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 36:26–27; 39:29; John 16:7), sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who believe in Jesus (Acts 2:1–4). This first church was growing, gracious, and generous. Luke says another 3,000 people were added to the 120-member congregation (Acts 1:15; 2:41). These early believers showed remarkable acts of generosity for those in need (2:44–45). Luke describes the elements that keep the church growing and vibrant: instruction in God’s Word, fellowship with believers, and prayer (Acts 2:42–44). Sim Kay Tee
Chameleon Crawl
By Lawrence Darmani
Every day they continued to meet together. Acts 2:46
When we think of the chameleon, we probably think of its ability to change color according to its surroundings. But this lizard has another interesting characteristic. On several occasions I’ve watched a chameleon walk along a pathway and wondered how it ever reached its destination. Reluctantly, the chameleon stretches out one leg, seems to change its mind, attempts again, and then carefully plants a hesitant foot, as if afraid the ground will collapse under it. That was why I couldn’t help laughing when I heard someone say, “Do not be a chameleon church member who says, ‘Let me go to church today; no, let me go next week; no, let me wait for a while!’”
“The house of the Lord” at Jerusalem was King David’s place of worship, and he was far from being a “chameleon” worshiper. Rather, he rejoiced with those who said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). The same was true for believers in the early church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . . Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts” (Acts 2:42, 46).
What a joy it is to join with others in worship and fellowship! Praying and worshiping together, studying the Scriptures together, and caring for one another are essential for our spiritual growth and unity as believers.
Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. John Fawcett
Worshiping together brings strength and joy.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, April 17, 2016
All or Nothing?
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment…and plunged into the sea. —John 21:7
Have you ever had a crisis in your life in which you deliberately, earnestly, and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of the will. You may come to that point many times externally, but it will amount to nothing. The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.
Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.
If you have heard Jesus Christ’s voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship to Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
The Place of Help
For years I viewed God as a compassionate CEO and my role as a loyal sales representative. He encouraged me, rallied behind me, and supported me, but he didn't go with me. At least I didn't think he did. Then I read 2 Corinthians 6:1, "…we are God's fellow workers." Fellow workers? Co-laborers? God and I work together? Imagine the paradigm shift this truth creates. Rather than report to God, we work with God. We are always in the presence of God; there's never a non-sacred moment.
Our awareness of his presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes. What if our daily communion never ceased? Would it be possible to live-minute by minute-in the presence of God? Is such a goal realistic? Within reach? If we are to be just like Jesus, you and I will strive for constant fellowship with God!
From Just Like Jesus
Psalm 127
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.
Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Read: Acts 2:42-47
The Believers Form a Community
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[b]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Footnotes:
2:42 Greek the breaking of bread; also in 2:46.
2:46 Or and sincere hearts.
INSIGHT:
Acts 2 describes the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost when God, in fulfillment of prophecies and promises (Joel 2:28–32; Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 36:26–27; 39:29; John 16:7), sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who believe in Jesus (Acts 2:1–4). This first church was growing, gracious, and generous. Luke says another 3,000 people were added to the 120-member congregation (Acts 1:15; 2:41). These early believers showed remarkable acts of generosity for those in need (2:44–45). Luke describes the elements that keep the church growing and vibrant: instruction in God’s Word, fellowship with believers, and prayer (Acts 2:42–44). Sim Kay Tee
Chameleon Crawl
By Lawrence Darmani
Every day they continued to meet together. Acts 2:46
When we think of the chameleon, we probably think of its ability to change color according to its surroundings. But this lizard has another interesting characteristic. On several occasions I’ve watched a chameleon walk along a pathway and wondered how it ever reached its destination. Reluctantly, the chameleon stretches out one leg, seems to change its mind, attempts again, and then carefully plants a hesitant foot, as if afraid the ground will collapse under it. That was why I couldn’t help laughing when I heard someone say, “Do not be a chameleon church member who says, ‘Let me go to church today; no, let me go next week; no, let me wait for a while!’”
“The house of the Lord” at Jerusalem was King David’s place of worship, and he was far from being a “chameleon” worshiper. Rather, he rejoiced with those who said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). The same was true for believers in the early church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . . Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts” (Acts 2:42, 46).
What a joy it is to join with others in worship and fellowship! Praying and worshiping together, studying the Scriptures together, and caring for one another are essential for our spiritual growth and unity as believers.
Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. John Fawcett
Worshiping together brings strength and joy.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, April 17, 2016
All or Nothing?
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment…and plunged into the sea. —John 21:7
Have you ever had a crisis in your life in which you deliberately, earnestly, and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of the will. You may come to that point many times externally, but it will amount to nothing. The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.
Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.
If you have heard Jesus Christ’s voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship to Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
The Place of Help
Saturday, April 16, 2016
2 Thessalonians 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Surrogate Spirituality
Some of us have tried to have a daily quiet time and have not been successful. Others of us have a hard time concentrating. And all of us are busy. So rather than spending time with God, listening for his voice, we'll let others spend time with him and then benefit from their experience. Let them tell us what God is saying. After all, isn't that why we pay preachers? Isn't that why we read Christian books?
If that's your approach, I'd like to challenge you with this thought: Do you do that with other parts of your life? I don't think so. You don't let someone eat on your behalf, do you? Do others take vacations as your surrogate? Listening to God is a firsthand experience. When he asks for your attention, God doesn't want you to send a substitute. He wants you!
From Just Like Jesus
2 Thessalonians 3
Paul’s Request for Prayer
Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.[b] 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
An Exhortation to Proper Living
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers[c] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received[d] from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.[e]
Paul’s Final Greetings
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
17 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.
18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Footnotes:
3:1 Greek brothers; also in 3:6, 13.
3:3 Or from evil.
3:6a Greek from every brother.
3:6b Some manuscripts read you received.
3:15 Greek as a brother.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Read: Zechariah 2
Future Prosperity of Jerusalem
When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 “Where are you going?” I asked.
He replied, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him. 4 The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls. 5 Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!’”
The Exiles Are Called Home
6 The Lord says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. 7 Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”
8 After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me[b] against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.[c] 9 I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10 The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,[d] for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. 12 The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. 13 Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”
Footnotes:
2:1 Verses 2:1-13 are numbered 2:5-17 in Hebrew text.
2:8a The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
2:8b Hebrew Anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
2:10 Hebrew O daughter of Zion.
INSIGHT:
Old Testament prophets Zechariah and Haggai both spoke the word of the Lord to the people who had come back from exile to rebuild Jerusalem. Zechariah encouraged the people with words from visions about God’s love and care and about the glorious future that was in store for His people. J.R. Hudberg
The Apple of His Eye
By Amy Boucher Pye
Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8
A friend’s baby was suffering seizures, so they sped to the hospital in an ambulance, her heart racing as she prayed for her daughter. Her fierce love for this child hit her afresh as she held her tiny fingers, recalling too how much more the Lord loves us and how we are “the apple of His eye.”
The prophet Zechariah employs this phrase in his word to God’s people who had returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. He calls them to repent, to rebuild the temple, and to renew their hearts of love for the true God. For the Lord loves His people greatly; they are the apple of His eye.
The Lord loves His people greatly.
Hebrew scholars suggest this phrase from Zechariah 2 denotes one’s reflection in the pupil of another’s eye, with the word “apple” emerging because it’s a common spherical object. So with eyes being precious and fragile, they need protecting, and that’s how the Lord wants to love and protect His people—by holding them close to His heart.
The Lord who dwells in our midst pours out His love on us—even, amazingly, far more than a loving mother who does all she can for her ailing child. We are the apple of His eye, His beloved.
Father God, You love us so much that You gave us Your only Son to die that we might live. May we receive Your love this day and live in it.
A parent’s love for a child reflects our Father’s love for us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Can You Come Down From the Mountain?
While you have the light, believe in the light… —John 12:36
We all have moments when we feel better than ever before, and we say, “I feel fit for anything; if only I could always be like this!” We are not meant to be. Those moments are moments of insight which we have to live up to even when we do not feel like it. Many of us are no good for the everyday world when we are not on the mountaintop. Yet we must bring our everyday life up to the standard revealed to us on the mountaintop when we were there.
Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you on the mountaintop to evaporate. Don’t place yourself on the shelf by thinking, “How great to be in such a wonderful state of mind!” Act immediately— do something, even if your only reason to act is that you would rather not. If, during a prayer meeting, God shows you something to do, don’t say, “I’ll do it”— just do it! Pick yourself up by the back of the neck and shake off your fleshly laziness. Laziness can always be seen in our cravings for a mountaintop experience; all we talk about is our planning for our time on the mountain. We must learn to live in the ordinary “gray” day according to what we saw on the mountain.
Don’t give up because you have been blocked and confused once— go after it again. Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by an act of your own will. Never change your decisions, but be sure to make your decisions in the light of what you saw and learned on the mountain.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.
The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption
Some of us have tried to have a daily quiet time and have not been successful. Others of us have a hard time concentrating. And all of us are busy. So rather than spending time with God, listening for his voice, we'll let others spend time with him and then benefit from their experience. Let them tell us what God is saying. After all, isn't that why we pay preachers? Isn't that why we read Christian books?
If that's your approach, I'd like to challenge you with this thought: Do you do that with other parts of your life? I don't think so. You don't let someone eat on your behalf, do you? Do others take vacations as your surrogate? Listening to God is a firsthand experience. When he asks for your attention, God doesn't want you to send a substitute. He wants you!
From Just Like Jesus
2 Thessalonians 3
Paul’s Request for Prayer
Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.[b] 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
An Exhortation to Proper Living
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers[c] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received[d] from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.[e]
Paul’s Final Greetings
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
17 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.
18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Footnotes:
3:1 Greek brothers; also in 3:6, 13.
3:3 Or from evil.
3:6a Greek from every brother.
3:6b Some manuscripts read you received.
3:15 Greek as a brother.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Read: Zechariah 2
Future Prosperity of Jerusalem
When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 “Where are you going?” I asked.
He replied, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him. 4 The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls. 5 Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!’”
The Exiles Are Called Home
6 The Lord says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. 7 Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”
8 After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me[b] against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.[c] 9 I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10 The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,[d] for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. 12 The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. 13 Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”
Footnotes:
2:1 Verses 2:1-13 are numbered 2:5-17 in Hebrew text.
2:8a The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
2:8b Hebrew Anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
2:10 Hebrew O daughter of Zion.
INSIGHT:
Old Testament prophets Zechariah and Haggai both spoke the word of the Lord to the people who had come back from exile to rebuild Jerusalem. Zechariah encouraged the people with words from visions about God’s love and care and about the glorious future that was in store for His people. J.R. Hudberg
The Apple of His Eye
By Amy Boucher Pye
Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8
A friend’s baby was suffering seizures, so they sped to the hospital in an ambulance, her heart racing as she prayed for her daughter. Her fierce love for this child hit her afresh as she held her tiny fingers, recalling too how much more the Lord loves us and how we are “the apple of His eye.”
The prophet Zechariah employs this phrase in his word to God’s people who had returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. He calls them to repent, to rebuild the temple, and to renew their hearts of love for the true God. For the Lord loves His people greatly; they are the apple of His eye.
The Lord loves His people greatly.
Hebrew scholars suggest this phrase from Zechariah 2 denotes one’s reflection in the pupil of another’s eye, with the word “apple” emerging because it’s a common spherical object. So with eyes being precious and fragile, they need protecting, and that’s how the Lord wants to love and protect His people—by holding them close to His heart.
The Lord who dwells in our midst pours out His love on us—even, amazingly, far more than a loving mother who does all she can for her ailing child. We are the apple of His eye, His beloved.
Father God, You love us so much that You gave us Your only Son to die that we might live. May we receive Your love this day and live in it.
A parent’s love for a child reflects our Father’s love for us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Can You Come Down From the Mountain?
While you have the light, believe in the light… —John 12:36
We all have moments when we feel better than ever before, and we say, “I feel fit for anything; if only I could always be like this!” We are not meant to be. Those moments are moments of insight which we have to live up to even when we do not feel like it. Many of us are no good for the everyday world when we are not on the mountaintop. Yet we must bring our everyday life up to the standard revealed to us on the mountaintop when we were there.
Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you on the mountaintop to evaporate. Don’t place yourself on the shelf by thinking, “How great to be in such a wonderful state of mind!” Act immediately— do something, even if your only reason to act is that you would rather not. If, during a prayer meeting, God shows you something to do, don’t say, “I’ll do it”— just do it! Pick yourself up by the back of the neck and shake off your fleshly laziness. Laziness can always be seen in our cravings for a mountaintop experience; all we talk about is our planning for our time on the mountain. We must learn to live in the ordinary “gray” day according to what we saw on the mountain.
Don’t give up because you have been blocked and confused once— go after it again. Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by an act of your own will. Never change your decisions, but be sure to make your decisions in the light of what you saw and learned on the mountain.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.
The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption
Friday, April 15, 2016
Psalm 125, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: A Simple Exercise
Do a simple exercise with me. Measure your life against just these four standards from the Ten Commandments:
You must not steal. Have you ever stolen anything? A paper clip? A parking space? …you, thief.
You must not lie. Those who say they haven't- just did.
You must not commit adultery. Jesus said, "If you look at a woman with lust, you've committed adultery in your heart" (Matthew 5:28).
You must not murder. Before you claim innocence, Jesus said "Anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder" (Matthew 5:22).
Jesus made his position clear: "Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). So where does that leave us? It leaves us drawing hope from 1 Corinthians 15:3. Christ died for our sins-in place of-on behalf of! So, don't measure yourself by keeping commandments. Measure yourself by the cross.
From: 3:16
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, April 15, 2016
Read: Hebrews 10:5-18
That is why, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”[b]
8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day,[c] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[d]
17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”[e]
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Footnotes:
10:5 Greek he; also in 10:8.
10:5-7 Ps 40:6-8 (Greek version).
10:16a Greek after those days.
10:16b Jer 31:33a.
10:17 Jer 31:34b.
INSIGHT:
Hebrews 10:5–7 is a quotation from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. This third-century bc translation was used by many Jews in the first century ad. About 90 percent of the Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are from the Septuagint. Dennis Moles
Great Sacrifice
By Bill Crowder
The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us. Galatians 1:3-4
W. T. Stead, an innovative English journalist at the turn of the 20th century, was known for writing about controversial social issues. Two of the articles he published addressed the danger of ships operating with an insufficient ratio of lifeboats to passengers. Ironically, Stead was aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. According to one report, after helping women and children into lifeboats, Stead sacrificed his own life by giving up his life vest and a place in the lifeboats so others could be rescued.
There is something very stirring about self-sacrifice. No greater example of that can be found than in Christ Himself. The writer of Hebrews says, “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God . . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12,14 nkjv). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul opened with words describing this great sacrifice: “The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Gal. 1:3-4).
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us.
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us. That willing sacrifice continues to rescue men and women and offer assurance of eternity with Him.
God of love and grace, words can never capture the wonder of the sacrifice that Christ offered on our behalf. May our love respond to You with faith and worship—for Your Son who was slain is worthy of our praise.
Read more about the sacrifice of Jesus in the Discovery Series booklet The Power of the Cross.
Jesus laid down His life to show His love for us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, April 15, 2016
The Failure To Pay Close Attention
The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. —2 Chronicles 15:17
Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn’t matter much.” The fact that it doesn’t matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.
Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, April 15, 2016
Every Day's The First Day - #7635
You remember the first day of school when you were little? New crayons, new pencils with sharp points, a new notebook with nothing written in it, maybe even some clothes you'd never worn before. Then as you got older, that first day of school meant there were no grades in the teacher's book yet, no absences, no tardies. It's a nice feeling. You know what? You have a lifetime of those first days!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Every Day's The First Day."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Lamentations, where we catch the great prophet Jeremiah on an emotional downer. It's Lamentations 3:19-22. "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." Now Jeremiah's remembering yesterdays with a lot of garbage and a lot of failure in them. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: (Whoa! The mood is changing here.) Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." I love those words - "His compassions...new every morning."
Now, what's so positive about that first day of school is that it's a brand new beginning – no marks on your record, a lot of opportunities that are untouched so far – a fresh start. But when God is your Father, every day is supposed to be like that – a new beginning. That's the way you were meant to live, waking up each morning and saying, in the words of Scripture, "This is the day the Lord has made." Not the weather, not your boss, not your medical condition, not your mood, not your finances. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Yesterday's over, and it can't be changed. Tomorrow's not here yet, so there's no point in trying to live tomorrow's challenges today. You don't have tomorrow's grace, tomorrow's strength yet.
God has made this wonderful promise in Deuteronomy 33:25. "Your strength will equal your days." Now, you'll never have a day for which God will not provide matching strength. If you're facing let's say a 50-pound day, God's going to give you 50 pounds of strength. If tomorrow is going to be a 100-pound day, He'll make sure you have 100 pounds of strength. But if you try to worry about tomorrow with today's strength, you're going to sink. God's emotional, spiritual, and physical resources are measured out in 24-hour injections. So don't try to handle more than today with today's strength.
Now if you will sincerely confess the sins of yesterday to the Lord, you can start this new day with no marks on your record – a fresh start – because you invite Christ to be the Lord of that part of you where you have failed in the past. You can wake up looking for a new mission for this day, new matchups between you and people God wants you to influence. And there'll be new resources for this new day, like those new crayons and the unused pencils of the first day of school. It's what Jesus called "our daily bread."
Maybe you've been overwhelmed lately because you've forgotten the "dailyness" that you were created to live in. You've been letting too much of yesterday and tomorrow become part of your today. We have this tendency to deal with this huge blob called "my life." Why don't you try just dealing with "my day" instead of "my life"? When you wake up in the morning, remember that this 24 hours is a unique, never before, never again gift from God. There's never been a day like it before; there'll never will be another day just like it again. Every day is that first day of school – clean paper, new crayons, sharp pencils, no marks.
Let God make each day a fresh new beginning!
Do a simple exercise with me. Measure your life against just these four standards from the Ten Commandments:
You must not steal. Have you ever stolen anything? A paper clip? A parking space? …you, thief.
You must not lie. Those who say they haven't- just did.
You must not commit adultery. Jesus said, "If you look at a woman with lust, you've committed adultery in your heart" (Matthew 5:28).
You must not murder. Before you claim innocence, Jesus said "Anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder" (Matthew 5:22).
Jesus made his position clear: "Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). So where does that leave us? It leaves us drawing hope from 1 Corinthians 15:3. Christ died for our sins-in place of-on behalf of! So, don't measure yourself by keeping commandments. Measure yourself by the cross.
From: 3:16
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, April 15, 2016
Read: Hebrews 10:5-18
That is why, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”[b]
8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day,[c] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[d]
17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”[e]
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Footnotes:
10:5 Greek he; also in 10:8.
10:5-7 Ps 40:6-8 (Greek version).
10:16a Greek after those days.
10:16b Jer 31:33a.
10:17 Jer 31:34b.
INSIGHT:
Hebrews 10:5–7 is a quotation from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. This third-century bc translation was used by many Jews in the first century ad. About 90 percent of the Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are from the Septuagint. Dennis Moles
Great Sacrifice
By Bill Crowder
The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us. Galatians 1:3-4
W. T. Stead, an innovative English journalist at the turn of the 20th century, was known for writing about controversial social issues. Two of the articles he published addressed the danger of ships operating with an insufficient ratio of lifeboats to passengers. Ironically, Stead was aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. According to one report, after helping women and children into lifeboats, Stead sacrificed his own life by giving up his life vest and a place in the lifeboats so others could be rescued.
There is something very stirring about self-sacrifice. No greater example of that can be found than in Christ Himself. The writer of Hebrews says, “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God . . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12,14 nkjv). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul opened with words describing this great sacrifice: “The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Gal. 1:3-4).
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us.
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us. That willing sacrifice continues to rescue men and women and offer assurance of eternity with Him.
God of love and grace, words can never capture the wonder of the sacrifice that Christ offered on our behalf. May our love respond to You with faith and worship—for Your Son who was slain is worthy of our praise.
Read more about the sacrifice of Jesus in the Discovery Series booklet The Power of the Cross.
Jesus laid down His life to show His love for us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, April 15, 2016
The Failure To Pay Close Attention
The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. —2 Chronicles 15:17
Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn’t matter much.” The fact that it doesn’t matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.
Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, April 15, 2016
Every Day's The First Day - #7635
You remember the first day of school when you were little? New crayons, new pencils with sharp points, a new notebook with nothing written in it, maybe even some clothes you'd never worn before. Then as you got older, that first day of school meant there were no grades in the teacher's book yet, no absences, no tardies. It's a nice feeling. You know what? You have a lifetime of those first days!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Every Day's The First Day."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Lamentations, where we catch the great prophet Jeremiah on an emotional downer. It's Lamentations 3:19-22. "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." Now Jeremiah's remembering yesterdays with a lot of garbage and a lot of failure in them. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: (Whoa! The mood is changing here.) Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." I love those words - "His compassions...new every morning."
Now, what's so positive about that first day of school is that it's a brand new beginning – no marks on your record, a lot of opportunities that are untouched so far – a fresh start. But when God is your Father, every day is supposed to be like that – a new beginning. That's the way you were meant to live, waking up each morning and saying, in the words of Scripture, "This is the day the Lord has made." Not the weather, not your boss, not your medical condition, not your mood, not your finances. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Yesterday's over, and it can't be changed. Tomorrow's not here yet, so there's no point in trying to live tomorrow's challenges today. You don't have tomorrow's grace, tomorrow's strength yet.
God has made this wonderful promise in Deuteronomy 33:25. "Your strength will equal your days." Now, you'll never have a day for which God will not provide matching strength. If you're facing let's say a 50-pound day, God's going to give you 50 pounds of strength. If tomorrow is going to be a 100-pound day, He'll make sure you have 100 pounds of strength. But if you try to worry about tomorrow with today's strength, you're going to sink. God's emotional, spiritual, and physical resources are measured out in 24-hour injections. So don't try to handle more than today with today's strength.
Now if you will sincerely confess the sins of yesterday to the Lord, you can start this new day with no marks on your record – a fresh start – because you invite Christ to be the Lord of that part of you where you have failed in the past. You can wake up looking for a new mission for this day, new matchups between you and people God wants you to influence. And there'll be new resources for this new day, like those new crayons and the unused pencils of the first day of school. It's what Jesus called "our daily bread."
Maybe you've been overwhelmed lately because you've forgotten the "dailyness" that you were created to live in. You've been letting too much of yesterday and tomorrow become part of your today. We have this tendency to deal with this huge blob called "my life." Why don't you try just dealing with "my day" instead of "my life"? When you wake up in the morning, remember that this 24 hours is a unique, never before, never again gift from God. There's never been a day like it before; there'll never will be another day just like it again. Every day is that first day of school – clean paper, new crayons, sharp pencils, no marks.
Let God make each day a fresh new beginning!
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Psalm 124, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Let God Teach You
Jesus invites, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest… let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).
Do yourself a favor. Underscore, underline, and accept this invitation. Jesus says, Let me teach you. . . how to handle long Mondays, and cranky in-laws. Let me teach you why people fight, and death comes, and forgiveness counts.
We need answers. Jesus offers them. But can we trust him? There's only one way to know. Seek him out. Lift up your eyes, set your sights on Jesus. No passing glances or occasional glimpses. Search the crowded streets and shadow-casting roofs until you spot his face, then set your sights on him. You'll find the only One and Only!
From: 3:16
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Read: Psalm 118:19-29
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
INSIGHT:
The unnamed psalmist of Psalm 118 tells of God’s rescue in response to his cry for help (vv. 5–16). Because of the rescue theme of this psalm, the Jews often sang it after their Passover meal, which commemorated their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. It is possible that Jesus and His disciples sang this thanksgiving song after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). Psalm 118:22 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20–22, and 1 Peter 2:7. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted the words of Psalm 118:25–26, proclaiming Jesus as their Messiah and Deliverer (Matt. 21:9). Sim Kay Tee
This Is the Day
By David McCasland
This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. —nkjv Psalm 118:24
In 1940, Dr. Virginia Connally, age 27, braved opposition and criticism to become the first female physician in Abilene, Texas. A few months before her 100th birthday in 2012, the Texas Medical Association presented her with its Distinguished Service Award, Texas’ highest physician honor. Between those two landmark events, Dr. Connally has enthusiastically embraced a passion for spreading the gospel around the world through her many medical mission trips while living a life of service to God and to others—one day at a time.
Dr. Connally’s pastor, Phil Christopher, said, “Every day for her is a gift.” He recalled a letter in which she wrote, “Every tour, trip, effort, I wonder if this will be my last and ultimate? Only God knows. And this is enough.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it!
The psalmist wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24 nkjv). So often we focus on the disappointments of yesterday or the uncertainties of tomorrow and miss God’s matchless gift to us: Today!
Dr. Connally said of her journey with Christ, “As you live a life of faith, you’re not looking for the results. I was just doing the things that God planted in my life and heart.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it and make the most of every opportunity to serve others in His name.
Lord, thank You for today. May I embrace it as Your gift, celebrate Your faithfulness, and live this day fully for You.
Welcome each day as a gift from God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Inner Invincibility
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… —Matthew 11:29
“Whom the Lord loves He chastens…” (Hebrews 12:6). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“…to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.
“…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.
If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus. Facing Reality, 34 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, April 14, 2016
The Cats That Never Pounced - #7634
I was out of the country, and my wife was visiting her father, along with our daughter and son-in-law. My wife convinced her Dad to hike with them back into the woods to see the spring where they used to go to get water when she was a little girl. Eventually, they came upon a scene that was imprinted on her memory like a photograph – that spring gushing from the rocks, just beneath a cave above it.
They spent a few minutes exploring and then they headed back. That night our son-in-law pulled out the video that he'd shot of their little expedition. As the picture panned past that darkened cave, he stopped the video and rewound it to get a closer look. And there, gleaming in the darkness, were the two eyes of a big cat – as in panther or cougar. They had not seen that cat - they had been exploring right beneath that cat - and they never knew the danger they were in.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cats That Never Pounced."
I wonder how many of those you and I have had in our lives; the things that could have hurt us or destroyed us that we never knew about – the cats that never pounced. In an increasingly dangerous world, isn't it great to know that you are under that kind of protection?
Paul wrote about that security in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Timothy 4:17-18. He said, "I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom." Now there is a pretty powerful antidote to fear! The Lord is going to rescue me from every threat, except one – the one that's designed to take me home, right on time. That's right on time according to the life plan He made for me before there was a me.
That doesn't mean we don't take precautions, the ones that God directs us to. Paul often continued to preach boldly, even when he knew there were forces who wanted to kill him in the city. But other times he left town quickly or sneaked out of the city in a basket. When Nehemiah and his workers were threatened, he said, "We prayed to our God and we posted a guard day and night" (Nehemiah 4:9). Now, look! Our faith is not in that guard but in our God. But sometimes God chooses to protect us through practical steps that He asks us to take.
But ultimately we're safe because Almighty God is watching over us. In just six verses in Psalm 121, it says "The Lord watches over you" five times! It concludes by saying, "The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
So, when is the last time you praised the Lord for all those cats that never pounced? For all those times you've been delivered from danger and never even knew it! Wait ‘till we watch the video in heaven. I think we're going to be amazed at what could have happened that didn't!
By the way, something amazing happens when we finally come to the end of trying to make it to God our own way, and understand that God had to come for us in the person of His Son, Jesus. And the only way that the sin that keeps me out of heaven could be paid for was by His Son dying for me. See, we're totally not safe. We will never be safe forever. We will pay the price for the sin against the God that put us here unless that sin is forgiven by the only One who can, and that's the One who died to pay its' penalty. That's God's Son, Jesus.
What happens when we put our life in His hands is for the first time in your life and finally and forever you are safe in the arms of the Savior. Have you ever given yourself to Him? Let this be the day. You are in great danger. He came to make us safe forever. Open your heart to Him. Go to our website and find out how – ANewStory.com.
You know, when our kids were little, we used to put them to sleep every night singing a little chorus "Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of His hand. Sheltered o'er, sheltered o'er, with His love forevermore. No ill can harm me, no foe alarm me, for He keeps both day and night. Safe am I, in the hollow of His hand." If you're in the hollow of His hand, you're really safe forever. If you've never put your life in Jesus' hands, do it today.
Jesus invites, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest… let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).
Do yourself a favor. Underscore, underline, and accept this invitation. Jesus says, Let me teach you. . . how to handle long Mondays, and cranky in-laws. Let me teach you why people fight, and death comes, and forgiveness counts.
We need answers. Jesus offers them. But can we trust him? There's only one way to know. Seek him out. Lift up your eyes, set your sights on Jesus. No passing glances or occasional glimpses. Search the crowded streets and shadow-casting roofs until you spot his face, then set your sights on him. You'll find the only One and Only!
From: 3:16
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Read: Psalm 118:19-29
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
INSIGHT:
The unnamed psalmist of Psalm 118 tells of God’s rescue in response to his cry for help (vv. 5–16). Because of the rescue theme of this psalm, the Jews often sang it after their Passover meal, which commemorated their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. It is possible that Jesus and His disciples sang this thanksgiving song after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). Psalm 118:22 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20–22, and 1 Peter 2:7. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted the words of Psalm 118:25–26, proclaiming Jesus as their Messiah and Deliverer (Matt. 21:9). Sim Kay Tee
This Is the Day
By David McCasland
This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. —nkjv Psalm 118:24
In 1940, Dr. Virginia Connally, age 27, braved opposition and criticism to become the first female physician in Abilene, Texas. A few months before her 100th birthday in 2012, the Texas Medical Association presented her with its Distinguished Service Award, Texas’ highest physician honor. Between those two landmark events, Dr. Connally has enthusiastically embraced a passion for spreading the gospel around the world through her many medical mission trips while living a life of service to God and to others—one day at a time.
Dr. Connally’s pastor, Phil Christopher, said, “Every day for her is a gift.” He recalled a letter in which she wrote, “Every tour, trip, effort, I wonder if this will be my last and ultimate? Only God knows. And this is enough.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it!
The psalmist wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24 nkjv). So often we focus on the disappointments of yesterday or the uncertainties of tomorrow and miss God’s matchless gift to us: Today!
Dr. Connally said of her journey with Christ, “As you live a life of faith, you’re not looking for the results. I was just doing the things that God planted in my life and heart.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it and make the most of every opportunity to serve others in His name.
Lord, thank You for today. May I embrace it as Your gift, celebrate Your faithfulness, and live this day fully for You.
Welcome each day as a gift from God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Inner Invincibility
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… —Matthew 11:29
“Whom the Lord loves He chastens…” (Hebrews 12:6). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“…to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.
“…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.
If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus. Facing Reality, 34 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, April 14, 2016
The Cats That Never Pounced - #7634
I was out of the country, and my wife was visiting her father, along with our daughter and son-in-law. My wife convinced her Dad to hike with them back into the woods to see the spring where they used to go to get water when she was a little girl. Eventually, they came upon a scene that was imprinted on her memory like a photograph – that spring gushing from the rocks, just beneath a cave above it.
They spent a few minutes exploring and then they headed back. That night our son-in-law pulled out the video that he'd shot of their little expedition. As the picture panned past that darkened cave, he stopped the video and rewound it to get a closer look. And there, gleaming in the darkness, were the two eyes of a big cat – as in panther or cougar. They had not seen that cat - they had been exploring right beneath that cat - and they never knew the danger they were in.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cats That Never Pounced."
I wonder how many of those you and I have had in our lives; the things that could have hurt us or destroyed us that we never knew about – the cats that never pounced. In an increasingly dangerous world, isn't it great to know that you are under that kind of protection?
Paul wrote about that security in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Timothy 4:17-18. He said, "I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom." Now there is a pretty powerful antidote to fear! The Lord is going to rescue me from every threat, except one – the one that's designed to take me home, right on time. That's right on time according to the life plan He made for me before there was a me.
That doesn't mean we don't take precautions, the ones that God directs us to. Paul often continued to preach boldly, even when he knew there were forces who wanted to kill him in the city. But other times he left town quickly or sneaked out of the city in a basket. When Nehemiah and his workers were threatened, he said, "We prayed to our God and we posted a guard day and night" (Nehemiah 4:9). Now, look! Our faith is not in that guard but in our God. But sometimes God chooses to protect us through practical steps that He asks us to take.
But ultimately we're safe because Almighty God is watching over us. In just six verses in Psalm 121, it says "The Lord watches over you" five times! It concludes by saying, "The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
So, when is the last time you praised the Lord for all those cats that never pounced? For all those times you've been delivered from danger and never even knew it! Wait ‘till we watch the video in heaven. I think we're going to be amazed at what could have happened that didn't!
By the way, something amazing happens when we finally come to the end of trying to make it to God our own way, and understand that God had to come for us in the person of His Son, Jesus. And the only way that the sin that keeps me out of heaven could be paid for was by His Son dying for me. See, we're totally not safe. We will never be safe forever. We will pay the price for the sin against the God that put us here unless that sin is forgiven by the only One who can, and that's the One who died to pay its' penalty. That's God's Son, Jesus.
What happens when we put our life in His hands is for the first time in your life and finally and forever you are safe in the arms of the Savior. Have you ever given yourself to Him? Let this be the day. You are in great danger. He came to make us safe forever. Open your heart to Him. Go to our website and find out how – ANewStory.com.
You know, when our kids were little, we used to put them to sleep every night singing a little chorus "Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of His hand. Sheltered o'er, sheltered o'er, with His love forevermore. No ill can harm me, no foe alarm me, for He keeps both day and night. Safe am I, in the hollow of His hand." If you're in the hollow of His hand, you're really safe forever. If you've never put your life in Jesus' hands, do it today.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Psalm 123, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Jesus Knows
Denalyn and I have been married for 35 years. We no longer converse; we communicate in code. She walks into the kitchen while I'm making a sandwich.
"Denalyn?" I ask. "No, I don't want one," she says.
I'll open the refrigerator and stare for a few moments.
"Denalyn?" She'll answer, "Mayo on the top shelf. Pickles on the door."
She knows me better than anyone. She's an authority on Max. How much more does Jesus know God? When Jesus says in Matthew 10:31, "You are worth more than many sparrows," you can trust him. Jesus knows the value of every creature. When Jesus says, "In my Father's house are many mansions," you can count on it. He knows. He has walked them.
For God so loved the world. . .that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish.
And when Jesus speaks about God, he is the ultimate authority. Trust him.
From: 3:16
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Read: Luke 12:22-34
Teaching about Money and Possessions
Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
INSIGHT:
The familiar words “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34) are found in an interesting context. They are uttered after Jesus tells those listening not to worry about the cares of this world because the heavenly Father will take care of their needs. His provision allows us to seek the kingdom of God and not become excessively preoccupied with our temporary earthly needs. J.R. Hudberg
Heart Check
By Joe Stowell
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34
When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests.
Our choices are always revealing. Of course, God doesn’t need to wait to see our choices in order for Him to know what’s in our hearts. But the things that occupy our time and attention are telling. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Regardless of what we want Him to think of us, the true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents. When we invest these resources in the things He cares about, then it reveals that our hearts are in tune with His.
The true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents.
God’s heart is with the needs of people and the advancement of His kingdom. What do your choices tell Him and others about where your heart is?
Lord, I want my heart to be in tune with Yours. Forgive me for giving it to things of far less value, and teach me the joy of investing my time in opportunities to serve You. Thank You.
Where is your treasure?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming
Cast your burden on the Lord… —Psalm 55:22
We must recognize the difference between burdens that are right for us to bear and burdens that are wrong. We should never bear the burdens of sin or doubt, but there are some burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off. God wants us to roll them back on Him— to literally “cast your burden,” which He has given you, “on the Lord….” If we set out to serve God and do His work but get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility we feel will be overwhelming and defeating. But if we will only roll back on God the burdens He has placed on us, He will take away that immense feeling of responsibility, replacing it with an awareness and understanding of Himself and His presence.
Many servants set out to serve God with great courage and with the right motives. But with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, they are soon defeated. They do not know what to do with their burden, and it produces weariness in their lives. Others will see this and say, “What a sad end to something that had such a great beginning!”
“Cast your burden on the Lord….” You have been bearing it all, but you need to deliberately place one end on God’s shoulder. “…the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). Commit to God whatever burden He has placed on you. Don’t just cast it aside, but put it over onto Him and place yourself there with it. You will see that your burden is then lightened by the sense of companionship. But you should never try to separate yourself from your burden.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” So Send I You, 1325 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Unimaginable Love - #7633
One August night every member of our family got a new name. It was the night our daughter gave birth to her first child – a little boy. And that tiny eight-pound bundle made our daughter "Mommy," and our son-in-law "Daddy," and our boys were suddenly uncles, and my wife became "Grandma." And I became "Husband of Grandma." It was quite a night – and my wife and I were privileged to be able to be with our little grandson right in the birthing room only minutes after he was born. Those are moments I'll never forget. Seeing our daughter, the baby we once held, holding her first baby. And his Daddy, not knowing what other children would come, held that little guy in his arms and said five precious words: "My one and only son."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Unimaginable Love."
I'll tell you this, our son-in-law would not have given up his only son at that moment for any cause, any person on earth. Thinking about that makes our word for today from the Word of God all the more amazing. Maybe it's the most famous, and many would say most important statement in the Bible. It's found in John 3:16. Maybe you've heard these words a thousand times. Maybe you've never heard them before. But would you listen as if your life depends on them, because ultimately it does.
"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son." Now why would God make this sacrifice that any of us human fathers would consider unimaginable? 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." As I watched our son-in-law holding and loving our new grandson – his "one and only son" at that point – the love that God has for us seemed greater than ever before.
If you took the message of the entire Bible and summed it up in three little words, here's what they probably would be: God loves you. Maybe you think God is mad at you. Maybe you think God condemns you or He's far from you. But the giving of His one and only Son settles once and for all how God feels about you. God so loves you so much that He would sacrifice His Son for you. He doesn't want to lose you.
The Bible tells us that we're all away from God and we were made for Him, we were made by Him, but all of us have basically run our own lives. And the life with "I" in the middle is sin. That's s-I-n. And that kind of rebellion against our Creator carries the eternal death penalty. God's Book says "we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." All those "my way" choices have put a wall between us and God; a wall that no religion, no spirituality, no moral life can remove.
But listen to the rest of that "gone astray" verse. "And the Lord has laid on Him (that's Jesus) the wrongdoing of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). See, God in His great love for you and for me took our sin and its death penalty and placed it all on His Son when He died on the cross.
And now God is standing ready to give you not the death penalty you deserve, but the eternal life in heaven you could never deserve. If you will put all your trust in His Son to be your Rescuer from your sin, that life is yours. This very moment, God stands waiting to see what you will do with His Son.
This could be your day to have your death penalty canceled, to have the wall between you and God removed forever, and to experience the most awesome love a human being can ever experience. Please reach out to Him now. He's talking to you about it now. He's tugging on your heart now. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours from this day on."
Our website is there to support you, encourage you, and give you the information you need to get started with Jesus. Would you go there right away – ANewStory.com?
God has only one Son and He gave Him to die for you. That's how much God loves you. And He will never forget what you do with His Son.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Psalm 122, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: God's Claim on You
I have a feeling most people who defy and deny God do so more out of fear than conviction. For all our chest pumping and braggadocio, we are anxious folk-we can't see a step into the future, we can't hear the one who owns us. No wonder we try to bite the hand that feeds us.
But God reaches and touches. If he's touching you, let him. Mark it down-God loves you with an unearthly love. You can't win it by being winsome. You can't lose it by being a loser. But you can be blind enough to resist it. Don't. For heaven's sake, don't. For your sake, don't!
Others demote you. God claims you. Let the definitive voice of the universe say, You are part of my plan!
From 3:16
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Read: Genesis 4:1-8
Cain and Abel
Now Adam[a] had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced[b] a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”[c] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
Footnotes:
4:1a Or the man; also in 4:25.
4:1b Or I have acquired. Cain sounds like a Hebrew term that can mean “produce” or “acquire.”
4:8 As in Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text lacks “Let’s go out into the fields.”
INSIGHT:
There has been much theological debate as to why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s (Gen. 4:4–5). One popular theory is that Abel’s sacrifice mirrored God’s act in the garden of Eden that provided covering for Adam and Eve—by means of an animal’s death—after they disobeyed God (3:21). Another view is that Cain’s offering of what he had grown by his own efforts pictured works, but Abel’s offering of a lamb pictured God’s ultimate sacrifice of grace. It seems that these brothers must have been given some idea of what was—and was not—considered an acceptable offering. Bill Crowder
Resisting the Trap
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7
A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug.
This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel.
Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Sin may try to entice us by tempting us with a new experience, convincing us that living right doesn’t matter, or appealing to our physical senses. However, there is a way for us to rule over sin instead of letting it consume our lives. The Bible says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). When we face temptation, we don’t face it alone. We have supernatural assistance. Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Dear God, at times I let down my guard and indulge in sin. Please help me to listen to Your warnings and obey Your Word. Protect me from my own impulses and conform me to Your image. Thank You for Your work in me.
We fall into temptation when we don’t flee from it.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Complete and Effective Dominion
Death no longer has dominion over Him.…the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God… —Romans 6:9-11
Co-Eternal Life. Eternal life is the life which Jesus Christ exhibited on the human level. And it is this same life, not simply a copy of it, which is made evident in our mortal flesh when we are born again. Eternal life is not a gift from God; eternal life is the gift of God. The energy and the power which was so very evident in Jesus will be exhibited in us by an act of the absolute sovereign grace of God, once we have made that complete and effective decision about sin.
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)— not power as a gift from the Holy Spirit; the power is the Holy Spirit, not something that He gives us. The life that was in Jesus becomes ours because of His Cross, once we make the decision to be identified with Him. If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we refuse to make this moral decision about sin. But once we do decide, the full life of God comes in immediately. Jesus came to give us an endless supply of life— “…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). Eternal life has nothing to do with time. It is the life which Jesus lived when He was down here, and the only Source of life is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God, when he is willing to “let go.” But any effort to “hang on” to the least bit of our own power will only diminish the life of Jesus in us. We have to keep letting go, and slowly, but surely, the great full life of God will invade us, penetrating every part. Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally. The Moral Foundations of Life, 721 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Before The Roof Caves In - #7632
When we lived in New Jersey, twelve straight days of rain was pretty unusual. But I remember this time when we got to take our turn at almost two weeks without sunshine. For most of us, it was just a soggy nuisance. But for some people across town, it meant trading in their car for a rowboat. I turned on the news one night as they were talking about a roof that had caved in on a store in our town. It was the pharmacy I went to all the time. Apparently, water had collected until it just broke through the ceiling, and it literally washed one customer out the door like a raging river! I was in the pharmacy prior to the roof caving in and I noticed that they had put out a couple of buckets on the floor, catching drips from some leaks in the ceiling. First, some little leaks – then suddenly the roof caved in!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Before the Roof Caves In."
I'm no structural engineer, but I suspect that what happened when the roof came down wasn't really a sudden fluke. Those little leaks were hints that there was trouble up there and the roof must have been gradually weakened. And then one day there was a downpour that no one could stop.
That kind of small leak that can lead to a big collapse doesn't just happen to buildings; it happens to people. It could be in the process of happening to you, as you allow some seemingly small sin-leaks just to continue wearing you down. They don't seem to be causing much trouble right now. But then Satan seldom destroys people by explosion. He does it by erosion. And you may be much closer to the roof caving in on you than you could possibly imagine, with innocent victims being caught in that wreckage.
God very bluntly spells out the inevitable progression of sin in our lives, from the little drips to the deadly collapse. James 1:14-15 is our word for today from the Word of God. "Each one is tempted when, by his own (evil) desire, he is dragged away and enticed. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
It starts as a temptation that you allow yourself to entertain; a sinful desire, a slow sin-leak into your heart, flirting with telling something other than the truth, or with a relationship that is morally out of bounds, or with trying something that has no place in a walking temple of the Holy Spirit. It might just be lingering to watch what holy eyes should never be polluted with, or listening to something that quietly feeds the dark side of you, or messing with the dark side of the supernatural.
And Satan, who wants to destroy you, has convinced you that just this much won't hurt. You can handle this. You need this. Wanting it; thinking about it. That's just a little leak, right? But desire doesn't stay desire for long. If you let it in, it very quickly turns to sinful actions you never would have imagined. And the little drops of desire become the steady leak of sin which becomes increasingly hard to stop doing.
"And sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." Gradually weakened by a series of little compromises, you're headed for a cave-in that will bury you and maybe people you love. It is inevitable unless you fix that widening hole that sin is using to come into your life. It's time to do what God tells us to do. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). You've been cooperating with the devil and he's slowly wearing you down spiritually with his subtle plan to take you where you never dreamed you'd go, to make you pay a price you never could have imagined.
It's time to get on your knees and ask Jesus to be your Savior from this sin, to give you the desire and the strength to turn and fight the sin that you've been flirting with. Like that rain-weakened roof on a store near us, the total collapse could be much closer than you know. But you can still stop it before it all comes down, if you'll invite the Carpenter of Nazareth to repair the damage that sin has done.
I have a feeling most people who defy and deny God do so more out of fear than conviction. For all our chest pumping and braggadocio, we are anxious folk-we can't see a step into the future, we can't hear the one who owns us. No wonder we try to bite the hand that feeds us.
But God reaches and touches. If he's touching you, let him. Mark it down-God loves you with an unearthly love. You can't win it by being winsome. You can't lose it by being a loser. But you can be blind enough to resist it. Don't. For heaven's sake, don't. For your sake, don't!
Others demote you. God claims you. Let the definitive voice of the universe say, You are part of my plan!
From 3:16
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Read: Genesis 4:1-8
Cain and Abel
Now Adam[a] had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced[b] a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”[c] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
Footnotes:
4:1a Or the man; also in 4:25.
4:1b Or I have acquired. Cain sounds like a Hebrew term that can mean “produce” or “acquire.”
4:8 As in Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text lacks “Let’s go out into the fields.”
INSIGHT:
There has been much theological debate as to why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s (Gen. 4:4–5). One popular theory is that Abel’s sacrifice mirrored God’s act in the garden of Eden that provided covering for Adam and Eve—by means of an animal’s death—after they disobeyed God (3:21). Another view is that Cain’s offering of what he had grown by his own efforts pictured works, but Abel’s offering of a lamb pictured God’s ultimate sacrifice of grace. It seems that these brothers must have been given some idea of what was—and was not—considered an acceptable offering. Bill Crowder
Resisting the Trap
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7
A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug.
This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel.
Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Sin may try to entice us by tempting us with a new experience, convincing us that living right doesn’t matter, or appealing to our physical senses. However, there is a way for us to rule over sin instead of letting it consume our lives. The Bible says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). When we face temptation, we don’t face it alone. We have supernatural assistance. Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Dear God, at times I let down my guard and indulge in sin. Please help me to listen to Your warnings and obey Your Word. Protect me from my own impulses and conform me to Your image. Thank You for Your work in me.
We fall into temptation when we don’t flee from it.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Complete and Effective Dominion
Death no longer has dominion over Him.…the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God… —Romans 6:9-11
Co-Eternal Life. Eternal life is the life which Jesus Christ exhibited on the human level. And it is this same life, not simply a copy of it, which is made evident in our mortal flesh when we are born again. Eternal life is not a gift from God; eternal life is the gift of God. The energy and the power which was so very evident in Jesus will be exhibited in us by an act of the absolute sovereign grace of God, once we have made that complete and effective decision about sin.
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)— not power as a gift from the Holy Spirit; the power is the Holy Spirit, not something that He gives us. The life that was in Jesus becomes ours because of His Cross, once we make the decision to be identified with Him. If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we refuse to make this moral decision about sin. But once we do decide, the full life of God comes in immediately. Jesus came to give us an endless supply of life— “…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). Eternal life has nothing to do with time. It is the life which Jesus lived when He was down here, and the only Source of life is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God, when he is willing to “let go.” But any effort to “hang on” to the least bit of our own power will only diminish the life of Jesus in us. We have to keep letting go, and slowly, but surely, the great full life of God will invade us, penetrating every part. Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally. The Moral Foundations of Life, 721 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Before The Roof Caves In - #7632
When we lived in New Jersey, twelve straight days of rain was pretty unusual. But I remember this time when we got to take our turn at almost two weeks without sunshine. For most of us, it was just a soggy nuisance. But for some people across town, it meant trading in their car for a rowboat. I turned on the news one night as they were talking about a roof that had caved in on a store in our town. It was the pharmacy I went to all the time. Apparently, water had collected until it just broke through the ceiling, and it literally washed one customer out the door like a raging river! I was in the pharmacy prior to the roof caving in and I noticed that they had put out a couple of buckets on the floor, catching drips from some leaks in the ceiling. First, some little leaks – then suddenly the roof caved in!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Before the Roof Caves In."
I'm no structural engineer, but I suspect that what happened when the roof came down wasn't really a sudden fluke. Those little leaks were hints that there was trouble up there and the roof must have been gradually weakened. And then one day there was a downpour that no one could stop.
That kind of small leak that can lead to a big collapse doesn't just happen to buildings; it happens to people. It could be in the process of happening to you, as you allow some seemingly small sin-leaks just to continue wearing you down. They don't seem to be causing much trouble right now. But then Satan seldom destroys people by explosion. He does it by erosion. And you may be much closer to the roof caving in on you than you could possibly imagine, with innocent victims being caught in that wreckage.
God very bluntly spells out the inevitable progression of sin in our lives, from the little drips to the deadly collapse. James 1:14-15 is our word for today from the Word of God. "Each one is tempted when, by his own (evil) desire, he is dragged away and enticed. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
It starts as a temptation that you allow yourself to entertain; a sinful desire, a slow sin-leak into your heart, flirting with telling something other than the truth, or with a relationship that is morally out of bounds, or with trying something that has no place in a walking temple of the Holy Spirit. It might just be lingering to watch what holy eyes should never be polluted with, or listening to something that quietly feeds the dark side of you, or messing with the dark side of the supernatural.
And Satan, who wants to destroy you, has convinced you that just this much won't hurt. You can handle this. You need this. Wanting it; thinking about it. That's just a little leak, right? But desire doesn't stay desire for long. If you let it in, it very quickly turns to sinful actions you never would have imagined. And the little drops of desire become the steady leak of sin which becomes increasingly hard to stop doing.
"And sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." Gradually weakened by a series of little compromises, you're headed for a cave-in that will bury you and maybe people you love. It is inevitable unless you fix that widening hole that sin is using to come into your life. It's time to do what God tells us to do. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). You've been cooperating with the devil and he's slowly wearing you down spiritually with his subtle plan to take you where you never dreamed you'd go, to make you pay a price you never could have imagined.
It's time to get on your knees and ask Jesus to be your Savior from this sin, to give you the desire and the strength to turn and fight the sin that you've been flirting with. Like that rain-weakened roof on a store near us, the total collapse could be much closer than you know. But you can still stop it before it all comes down, if you'll invite the Carpenter of Nazareth to repair the damage that sin has done.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Psalm 121, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: God Loves Because He Chooses To
Scripture employs an artillery of terms for love, each one calibrated to reach a different target. Consider the one Moses used with his followers in Deuteronomy 10:15, "The LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love."
What the Hebrews heard in their language was this: The LORD binds himself to his people. Binds is the word hasaq-it speaks of a tethered love, a love attached to something or someone. Harnessed. The strap serves two functions, yanking and claiming. Like yanking your child out of trouble and in doing so to proclaim, Yes, he is as wild as a banshee, but he's mine.
In this case, God chained himself to Israel. Because they were lovable? No. God loves Israel and the rest of us because he chooses to do so. God's love…is the love that won't let go of the object of his love!
From: 3:16
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, April 11, 2016
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
5 “Fools fold their idle hands,
leading them to ruin.”
6 And yet,
“Better to have one handful with quietness
than two handfuls with hard work
and chasing the wind.”
The Advantages of Companionship
7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
The Futility of Political Power
13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth[a] who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him,[b] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
Footnotes:
4:15 Hebrew the second youth.
4:16 Hebrew There is no end to all the people, to all those who are before them.
INSIGHT:
The book of Ecclesiastes laments the vanity of life when God is not taken into account. In regard to our work, Solomon calls us to seek moderation and contentment (4:6–8) and to find meaning, satisfaction, and enjoyment in cooperation with others (vv. 9–12). Sim Kay Tee
Who Am I Working For?
By Poh Fang Chia
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” Ecclesiastes 4:8
Henry worked 70 hours a week. He loved his job and brought home a sizeable paycheck to provide good things for his family. He always had plans to slow down but he never did. One evening he came home with great news—he had been promoted to the highest position in his company. But no one was home. Over the years, his children had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career of her own, and now the house was empty. There was no one to share the good news with.
Solomon talked about the need to keep a balance in life with our work. He wrote, “Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves” (Eccl. 4:5). We don’t want to go to the extreme of being lazy, but neither do we want to fall into the trap of being a workaholic. “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (v. 6). In other words, it is better to have less and enjoy it more. Sacrificing relationships at the altar of success is unwise. Achievement is fleeting, while relationships are what make our life meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable (vv. 7-12).
The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
We can learn to work to live and not live to work by choosing to apportion our time wisely. The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
Lord, show me if my priorities are skewed and where I need to make changes. Thank You for the gift of family and friends.
To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, April 11, 2016
Complete and Effective Divinity
If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection… —Romans 6:5
Co-Resurrection. The proof that I have experienced crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a definite likeness to Him. The Spirit of Jesus entering me rearranges my personal life before God. The resurrection of Jesus has given Him the authority to give the life of God to me, and the experiences of my life must now be built on the foundation of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus here and now, and it will exhibit itself through holiness.
The idea all through the apostle Paul’s writings is that after the decision to be identified with Jesus in His death has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus penetrates every bit of my human nature. It takes the omnipotence of God— His complete and effective divinity— to live the life of the Son of God in human flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house— He invades all of it. And once I decide that my “old man” (that is, my heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything. My part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals to me. Once I have made that important decision about sin, it is easy to “reckon” that I am actually “dead indeed to sin,” because I find the life of Jesus in me all the time (Romans 6:11). Just as there is only one kind of humanity, there is only one kind of holiness— the holiness of Jesus. And it is His holiness that has been given to me. God puts the holiness of His Son into me, and I belong to a new spiritual order.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves. The Place of Help, 1051 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, April 11, 2016
The Surprising End of Your Lifetime Search - #7631
It's always a good idea to lock your luggage when you're flying commercially. It's especially a good idea if you're going out of the country. It's an even better idea if you know where the keys for your suitcase locks are before you try to lock them! I was packing in a rush for my flight to Mexico. I had my padlocks ready to go. I couldn't find the keys. Now with only minutes left before I had to leave, we launched this all out desperate search. We checked drawers – no keys. We looked in creative places – no keys! So I was resigned to leaving with unlocked suitcases and a garment bag, when I zipped this garment bag shut and I found the keys. Someone had been wise enough to attach them to the zipper that we use to lock...right there! What I had been looking for everywhere, it had been right in front of me all along!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Surprising End of Your Lifetime Search."
In a sense, our whole life is a search for a key. A key that will answer some of life's bottom line questions, "Why am I on this planet? How can I find love that I won't lose? How can I find a relationship I can totally trust? How can I get some lasting peace? What happens after I die?" Well, like this guy with a lock that had no key, we look a lot of places for answers. It might be that your inner search is taking you through a series of relationships, some good, some bad, or down a variety of spiritual roads trying various approaches to God, or maybe through some successes that were supposed to quiet your heart. But they never did. May I suggest that maybe the key you've been looking for has been right in front of you all along on a road so familiar, so accessible you've missed it.
Our word for today from the Word of God will take you right there. Now you'll have to climb a hill with me, it's called skull hill. It's outside the city of Jerusalem, and there you will find the one and only Son of God battered and bleeding on a Roman cross. We're going to take our place next to a Roman officer; in fact he's the man personally in charge of the execution of Jesus Christ. He's a tough, hardened executioner. He's about to speak. You need to hear what he is saying. Mark 15:39, "And then the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, and he said, 'Surely this was the Son of God!'"
Now, this is the man who is in charge of the execution of the Son of God! He didn't believe that when he came there that day, but he leaves there believing it. What changed his heart? Well, it says, "he saw how He died." See, the centurion heard Jesus say, "Father, forgive them." and he knew he was forgiving those who were responsible for his death. The centurion said, "That's me he's forgiving."
Well, I know it was me too. Because the Bible says He carried our sins in His own body on the tree. The One you and I have sinned against stands ready to forgive every sin we've ever committed. He died to do that. And then this officer heard Jesus say, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." He said that to a thief on the cross next to Him.
See, this Jesus has the power to take us to Heaven with Him. It is the ultimate peace to know that on the day your heart beats the last time, Jesus is going to say to you, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Your search ends at the cross of Jesus. That cross where God's Son died for you is the place where you will finally find God, peace, and unloseable love. You'll finally find eternal life.
This could be your day to stand at His cross and know you belong to Him. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to make your peace with God and get this done? Then say, "Jesus, I believe when You were dying on that cross it was my sins you were paying for. I believe you're alive, you want to come into my life, and you will today because I open my life to you and put all my trust in you."
Please go to our website and follow there the road that I've laid out as simply as I can to know you've begun your relationship with Him. Go to ANewStory.com. It's been a long search hasn't it? It doesn't have to be any longer. When the Savior on that cross becomes your personal Savior, you have found the key that unlocks it all.
Scripture employs an artillery of terms for love, each one calibrated to reach a different target. Consider the one Moses used with his followers in Deuteronomy 10:15, "The LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love."
What the Hebrews heard in their language was this: The LORD binds himself to his people. Binds is the word hasaq-it speaks of a tethered love, a love attached to something or someone. Harnessed. The strap serves two functions, yanking and claiming. Like yanking your child out of trouble and in doing so to proclaim, Yes, he is as wild as a banshee, but he's mine.
In this case, God chained himself to Israel. Because they were lovable? No. God loves Israel and the rest of us because he chooses to do so. God's love…is the love that won't let go of the object of his love!
From: 3:16
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, April 11, 2016
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
5 “Fools fold their idle hands,
leading them to ruin.”
6 And yet,
“Better to have one handful with quietness
than two handfuls with hard work
and chasing the wind.”
The Advantages of Companionship
7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
The Futility of Political Power
13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth[a] who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him,[b] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
Footnotes:
4:15 Hebrew the second youth.
4:16 Hebrew There is no end to all the people, to all those who are before them.
INSIGHT:
The book of Ecclesiastes laments the vanity of life when God is not taken into account. In regard to our work, Solomon calls us to seek moderation and contentment (4:6–8) and to find meaning, satisfaction, and enjoyment in cooperation with others (vv. 9–12). Sim Kay Tee
Who Am I Working For?
By Poh Fang Chia
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” Ecclesiastes 4:8
Henry worked 70 hours a week. He loved his job and brought home a sizeable paycheck to provide good things for his family. He always had plans to slow down but he never did. One evening he came home with great news—he had been promoted to the highest position in his company. But no one was home. Over the years, his children had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career of her own, and now the house was empty. There was no one to share the good news with.
Solomon talked about the need to keep a balance in life with our work. He wrote, “Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves” (Eccl. 4:5). We don’t want to go to the extreme of being lazy, but neither do we want to fall into the trap of being a workaholic. “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (v. 6). In other words, it is better to have less and enjoy it more. Sacrificing relationships at the altar of success is unwise. Achievement is fleeting, while relationships are what make our life meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable (vv. 7-12).
The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
We can learn to work to live and not live to work by choosing to apportion our time wisely. The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
Lord, show me if my priorities are skewed and where I need to make changes. Thank You for the gift of family and friends.
To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, April 11, 2016
Complete and Effective Divinity
If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection… —Romans 6:5
Co-Resurrection. The proof that I have experienced crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a definite likeness to Him. The Spirit of Jesus entering me rearranges my personal life before God. The resurrection of Jesus has given Him the authority to give the life of God to me, and the experiences of my life must now be built on the foundation of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus here and now, and it will exhibit itself through holiness.
The idea all through the apostle Paul’s writings is that after the decision to be identified with Jesus in His death has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus penetrates every bit of my human nature. It takes the omnipotence of God— His complete and effective divinity— to live the life of the Son of God in human flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house— He invades all of it. And once I decide that my “old man” (that is, my heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything. My part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals to me. Once I have made that important decision about sin, it is easy to “reckon” that I am actually “dead indeed to sin,” because I find the life of Jesus in me all the time (Romans 6:11). Just as there is only one kind of humanity, there is only one kind of holiness— the holiness of Jesus. And it is His holiness that has been given to me. God puts the holiness of His Son into me, and I belong to a new spiritual order.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves. The Place of Help, 1051 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, April 11, 2016
The Surprising End of Your Lifetime Search - #7631
It's always a good idea to lock your luggage when you're flying commercially. It's especially a good idea if you're going out of the country. It's an even better idea if you know where the keys for your suitcase locks are before you try to lock them! I was packing in a rush for my flight to Mexico. I had my padlocks ready to go. I couldn't find the keys. Now with only minutes left before I had to leave, we launched this all out desperate search. We checked drawers – no keys. We looked in creative places – no keys! So I was resigned to leaving with unlocked suitcases and a garment bag, when I zipped this garment bag shut and I found the keys. Someone had been wise enough to attach them to the zipper that we use to lock...right there! What I had been looking for everywhere, it had been right in front of me all along!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Surprising End of Your Lifetime Search."
In a sense, our whole life is a search for a key. A key that will answer some of life's bottom line questions, "Why am I on this planet? How can I find love that I won't lose? How can I find a relationship I can totally trust? How can I get some lasting peace? What happens after I die?" Well, like this guy with a lock that had no key, we look a lot of places for answers. It might be that your inner search is taking you through a series of relationships, some good, some bad, or down a variety of spiritual roads trying various approaches to God, or maybe through some successes that were supposed to quiet your heart. But they never did. May I suggest that maybe the key you've been looking for has been right in front of you all along on a road so familiar, so accessible you've missed it.
Our word for today from the Word of God will take you right there. Now you'll have to climb a hill with me, it's called skull hill. It's outside the city of Jerusalem, and there you will find the one and only Son of God battered and bleeding on a Roman cross. We're going to take our place next to a Roman officer; in fact he's the man personally in charge of the execution of Jesus Christ. He's a tough, hardened executioner. He's about to speak. You need to hear what he is saying. Mark 15:39, "And then the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, and he said, 'Surely this was the Son of God!'"
Now, this is the man who is in charge of the execution of the Son of God! He didn't believe that when he came there that day, but he leaves there believing it. What changed his heart? Well, it says, "he saw how He died." See, the centurion heard Jesus say, "Father, forgive them." and he knew he was forgiving those who were responsible for his death. The centurion said, "That's me he's forgiving."
Well, I know it was me too. Because the Bible says He carried our sins in His own body on the tree. The One you and I have sinned against stands ready to forgive every sin we've ever committed. He died to do that. And then this officer heard Jesus say, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." He said that to a thief on the cross next to Him.
See, this Jesus has the power to take us to Heaven with Him. It is the ultimate peace to know that on the day your heart beats the last time, Jesus is going to say to you, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Your search ends at the cross of Jesus. That cross where God's Son died for you is the place where you will finally find God, peace, and unloseable love. You'll finally find eternal life.
This could be your day to stand at His cross and know you belong to Him. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to make your peace with God and get this done? Then say, "Jesus, I believe when You were dying on that cross it was my sins you were paying for. I believe you're alive, you want to come into my life, and you will today because I open my life to you and put all my trust in you."
Please go to our website and follow there the road that I've laid out as simply as I can to know you've begun your relationship with Him. Go to ANewStory.com. It's been a long search hasn't it? It doesn't have to be any longer. When the Savior on that cross becomes your personal Savior, you have found the key that unlocks it all.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Psalm 120, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Into His Likeness
Strange as it may seem, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that Christians actually have within themselves a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ. Strange is the word! If I have the mind of Jesus, why do I still think so much like me? Why do I still have the hang-ups of Max? Why do I still hate traffic jams?
God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation. Colossians 3:10 reminds us, "You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God." Let's fix our eyes on Jesus! Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.
From Just Like Jesus
Psalm 120
A song of ascents.
I call on the Lord in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, Lord,
from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Read: Exodus 3:7-17
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I am who i am.[a] Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[b] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.
16 “Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’
Footnotes:
3:14 Or I will be what i will be.
3:15 Yahweh (also in 3:16) is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).
INSIGHT:
The Israelites’ exodus from Egypt fulfilled a promise God had made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land . . . . But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth” (nlt). Dennis Moles
Sweet Reminders
By Julie Ackerman Link
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
When the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922, it was filled with things ancient Egyptians thought were needed in the afterlife. Among items such as golden shrines, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and weapons was a pot filled with honey—still edible after 3,200 years!
Today we think of honey primarily as a sweetener, but in the ancient world it had many other uses. Honey is one of the only foods known to have all the nutrients needed to sustain life, so it was eaten for nutrition. In addition, honey has medicinal value. It is one of the oldest known wound dressings because it has properties that prevent infection.
His ways and words are sweeter than the honeycomb.
When God rescued the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity, He promised to lead them to a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8, 17), a metaphor for abundance. When their journey was prolonged due to sin, God fed them bread (manna) that tasted like honey (16:31). The Israelites grumbled about having to eat the same food for so long, but it’s likely that God was kindly reminding them of what they would enjoy in the Promised Land.
God still uses honey to remind us that His ways and words are sweeter than the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10). So then the words we speak should also be like the honey we eat—both sweet and healing.
Read these verses about the use of words: Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 13:3; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8. Which truths might God want you to put into practice in your life today?
Spend time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin
…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. —Romans 6:6
Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin—that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you– not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.
Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, “Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me.” Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” (Romans 6:11) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.
Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
The Place of Help
Strange as it may seem, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that Christians actually have within themselves a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ. Strange is the word! If I have the mind of Jesus, why do I still think so much like me? Why do I still have the hang-ups of Max? Why do I still hate traffic jams?
God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation. Colossians 3:10 reminds us, "You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God." Let's fix our eyes on Jesus! Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.
From Just Like Jesus
Psalm 120
A song of ascents.
I call on the Lord in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, Lord,
from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Read: Exodus 3:7-17
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I am who i am.[a] Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[b] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.
16 “Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’
Footnotes:
3:14 Or I will be what i will be.
3:15 Yahweh (also in 3:16) is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).
INSIGHT:
The Israelites’ exodus from Egypt fulfilled a promise God had made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land . . . . But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth” (nlt). Dennis Moles
Sweet Reminders
By Julie Ackerman Link
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
When the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922, it was filled with things ancient Egyptians thought were needed in the afterlife. Among items such as golden shrines, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and weapons was a pot filled with honey—still edible after 3,200 years!
Today we think of honey primarily as a sweetener, but in the ancient world it had many other uses. Honey is one of the only foods known to have all the nutrients needed to sustain life, so it was eaten for nutrition. In addition, honey has medicinal value. It is one of the oldest known wound dressings because it has properties that prevent infection.
His ways and words are sweeter than the honeycomb.
When God rescued the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity, He promised to lead them to a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8, 17), a metaphor for abundance. When their journey was prolonged due to sin, God fed them bread (manna) that tasted like honey (16:31). The Israelites grumbled about having to eat the same food for so long, but it’s likely that God was kindly reminding them of what they would enjoy in the Promised Land.
God still uses honey to remind us that His ways and words are sweeter than the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10). So then the words we speak should also be like the honey we eat—both sweet and healing.
Read these verses about the use of words: Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 13:3; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8. Which truths might God want you to put into practice in your life today?
Spend time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin
…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. —Romans 6:6
Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin—that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you– not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.
Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, “Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me.” Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” (Romans 6:11) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.
Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
The Place of Help
Saturday, April 9, 2016
2 Thessalonians 2 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Your Heart, His Home
The crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we're greedy. He is peaceful; we're hassled. He is purposeful; we're distracted. He is pleasant; we're cranky. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense! How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?
Ready for a surprise? You already do. One of the supreme yet unrealized promises of God is simply this: if you've given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has made your heart his home. It would be hard to say it any more succinctly than Paul does in Galatians 2:20, "Christ lives in me."
God is willing to change us into the likeness of the Savior. Shall we accept his offer?
From Just Like Jesus
2 Thessalonians 2
Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming
Now, dear brothers and sisters,[a] let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed—the one who brings destruction.[c] 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.
Believers Should Stand Firm
13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[d] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
Footnotes:
2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:13, 15.
2:3a Some manuscripts read the man of sin.
2:3b Greek the son of destruction.
2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[a] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[b] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[c] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Footnotes:
4:13 Ps 116:10.
4:14 Some manuscripts read who raised Jesus.
4:16 Greek our inner being is.
INSIGHT:
Despite today’s text telling the story of Paul’s suffering as a follower of Christ, it also carries an implicit message of hope in the phrase “but not” (vv. 8–9). Though Paul suffered in a variety of ways, he was not overwhelmed by his experiences. His hope—and ours—is expressed in verse 17: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Bill Crowder
Take Heart!
By David Roper
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
I like to watch birds at play, so years ago I built a small sanctuary in our backyard to attract them. For several months I enjoyed the sight of my feathered friends feeding and flitting about—until a Cooper’s Hawk made my bird refuge his private hunting reserve.
Such is life: Just about the time we settle down to take our ease, something or someone comes along to unsettle our nests. Why, we ask, must so much of life be a vale of tears?
Lord, You are powerful, loving, in control, and eternal. We trust You and love You.
I’ve heard many answers to that old question, but lately I’m satisfied with just one: “All the discipline of the world is to make [us] children, that God may be revealed to [us]” (George MacDonald, Life Essential). When we become like children, we begin trusting, resting solely in the love of our Father in heaven, seeking to know Him and to be like Him.
Cares and sorrow may follow us all the days of our lives, but “we do not lose heart. . . . For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Can we not rejoice, then, with such an end in view?
Lord, we do rejoice even in our struggles because we are rejoicing in who You are and Your good purposes for us. You are powerful, loving, in control, and eternal. We trust You and love You.
Heaven’s delights will far outweigh earth’s difficulties.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Have You Seen Jesus?
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them… —Mark 16:12
Being saved and seeing Jesus are not the same thing. Many people who have never seen Jesus have received and share in God’s grace. But once you have seen Him, you can never be the same. Other things will not have the appeal they did before.
You should always recognize the difference between what you see Jesus to be and what He has done for you. If you see only what He has done for you, your God is not big enough. But if you have had a vision, seeing Jesus as He really is, experiences can come and go, yet you will endure “as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). The man who was blind from birth did not know who Jesus was until Christ appeared and revealed Himself to him (see John 9). Jesus appears to those for whom He has done something, but we cannot order or predict when He will come. He may appear suddenly, at any turn. Then you can exclaim, “Now I see Him!” (see John 9:25).
Jesus must appear to you and to your friend individually; no one can see Jesus with your eyes. And division takes place when one has seen Him and the other has not. You cannot bring your friend to the point of seeing; God must do it. Have you seen Jesus? If so, you will want others to see Him too. “And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:13). When you see Him, you must tell, even if they don’t believe.
O could I tell, you surely would believe it!
O could I only say what I have seen!
How should I tell or how can you receive it,
How, till He bringeth you where I have been?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We must keep ourselves in touch, not with theories, but with people, and never get out of touch with human beings, if we are going to use the word of God skilfully amongst them. Workmen of God, 1341 L
The crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we're greedy. He is peaceful; we're hassled. He is purposeful; we're distracted. He is pleasant; we're cranky. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense! How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?
Ready for a surprise? You already do. One of the supreme yet unrealized promises of God is simply this: if you've given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has made your heart his home. It would be hard to say it any more succinctly than Paul does in Galatians 2:20, "Christ lives in me."
God is willing to change us into the likeness of the Savior. Shall we accept his offer?
From Just Like Jesus
2 Thessalonians 2
Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming
Now, dear brothers and sisters,[a] let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed—the one who brings destruction.[c] 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.
Believers Should Stand Firm
13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[d] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
Footnotes:
2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:13, 15.
2:3a Some manuscripts read the man of sin.
2:3b Greek the son of destruction.
2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[a] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[b] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[c] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Footnotes:
4:13 Ps 116:10.
4:14 Some manuscripts read who raised Jesus.
4:16 Greek our inner being is.
INSIGHT:
Despite today’s text telling the story of Paul’s suffering as a follower of Christ, it also carries an implicit message of hope in the phrase “but not” (vv. 8–9). Though Paul suffered in a variety of ways, he was not overwhelmed by his experiences. His hope—and ours—is expressed in verse 17: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Bill Crowder
Take Heart!
By David Roper
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
I like to watch birds at play, so years ago I built a small sanctuary in our backyard to attract them. For several months I enjoyed the sight of my feathered friends feeding and flitting about—until a Cooper’s Hawk made my bird refuge his private hunting reserve.
Such is life: Just about the time we settle down to take our ease, something or someone comes along to unsettle our nests. Why, we ask, must so much of life be a vale of tears?
Lord, You are powerful, loving, in control, and eternal. We trust You and love You.
I’ve heard many answers to that old question, but lately I’m satisfied with just one: “All the discipline of the world is to make [us] children, that God may be revealed to [us]” (George MacDonald, Life Essential). When we become like children, we begin trusting, resting solely in the love of our Father in heaven, seeking to know Him and to be like Him.
Cares and sorrow may follow us all the days of our lives, but “we do not lose heart. . . . For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Can we not rejoice, then, with such an end in view?
Lord, we do rejoice even in our struggles because we are rejoicing in who You are and Your good purposes for us. You are powerful, loving, in control, and eternal. We trust You and love You.
Heaven’s delights will far outweigh earth’s difficulties.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Have You Seen Jesus?
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them… —Mark 16:12
Being saved and seeing Jesus are not the same thing. Many people who have never seen Jesus have received and share in God’s grace. But once you have seen Him, you can never be the same. Other things will not have the appeal they did before.
You should always recognize the difference between what you see Jesus to be and what He has done for you. If you see only what He has done for you, your God is not big enough. But if you have had a vision, seeing Jesus as He really is, experiences can come and go, yet you will endure “as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). The man who was blind from birth did not know who Jesus was until Christ appeared and revealed Himself to him (see John 9). Jesus appears to those for whom He has done something, but we cannot order or predict when He will come. He may appear suddenly, at any turn. Then you can exclaim, “Now I see Him!” (see John 9:25).
Jesus must appear to you and to your friend individually; no one can see Jesus with your eyes. And division takes place when one has seen Him and the other has not. You cannot bring your friend to the point of seeing; God must do it. Have you seen Jesus? If so, you will want others to see Him too. “And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:13). When you see Him, you must tell, even if they don’t believe.
O could I tell, you surely would believe it!
O could I only say what I have seen!
How should I tell or how can you receive it,
How, till He bringeth you where I have been?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We must keep ourselves in touch, not with theories, but with people, and never get out of touch with human beings, if we are going to use the word of God skilfully amongst them. Workmen of God, 1341 L
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