Max Lucado Daily: THE DARKNESS OF DOUBT
God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars and would inherit all the land. But Abraham had no son. He was facing the dreadful darkness of doubt.
The same darkness you feel when you sit in a funeral chapel and listen to the obituary of the one you love. The same darkness you feel when you realize the divorce you never wanted is final. The same darkness into which Jesus screamed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Appropriate words. For when we doubt, God seems very, very far away. Which is exactly when he chooses to draw near. He instructed Abraham to perform a ceremony to seal the covenant. And God participated! God lifted the darkness of doubt from Abraham’s world. If you are experiencing doubt, lean into God and listen. He’s nearer, than you might imagine.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 101
A David Psalm
101 1-8 My theme song is God’s love and justice,
and I’m singing it right to you, God.
I’m finding my way down the road of right living,
but how long before you show up?
I’m doing the very best I can,
and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.
I refuse to take a second look
at corrupting people and degrading things.
I reject made-in-Canaan gods,
stay clear of contamination.
The crooked in heart keep their distance;
I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.
I put a gag on the gossip
who bad-mouths his neighbor;
I can’t stand
arrogance.
But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—
they’re the ones I want working with me;
Men and women on the straight and narrow—
these are the ones I want at my side.
But no one who traffics in lies
gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.
I’ve rounded up all the wicked like cattle
and herded them right out of the country.
I purged God’s city
of all who make a business of evil.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, April 05, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Ezekiel 36:24–27
“‘For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!
Insight
The Old Testament prophets often wrote their prophecies in segments. As we read them now, it can seem as if we’re trying to put pieces of a puzzle together. This passage from Ezekiel fits together with an earlier one. In chapter 18, Ezekiel had said, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit” (v. 31). But the people of Judah couldn’t do this by themselves (and neither can we). That is why Ezekiel says here, “I will give you a new heart” (36:26).
This theme of our inability to rescue ourselves is echoed in the New Testament. Paul writes, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and then observes that we are saved “by grace” and “through faith” (v. 8). He concludes, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (v. 10).
Need a New Heart?
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. Ezekiel 36:26
The news was grim. My father had been having chest pains, so his doctor ordered a test to peer into his heart. The result? Blockage found in three arteries.
Triple-bypass surgery was scheduled for February 14. My dad, though anxious, saw that date as a hopeful sign: “I’m getting a new heart for Valentine’s Day!” And he did! The surgery went perfectly, restoring life-giving blood flow to his struggling heart—his “new” heart.
My father’s surgery reminded me that God offers us a new life as well. Because sin clogs our spiritual “arteries”—our capacity to connect with God—we need spiritual “surgery” to clear them.
That’s what God promised His people in Ezekiel 36:26. He assured the Israelites, “I will give you a new heart. . . . I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” He also promised, “I will cleanse you from all your impurities” (v. 25) and “put my Spirit in you” (v. 27). To a people who’d lost hope, God promised a fresh start as the One who could renew their lives.
That promise was ultimately fulfilled through Jesus’s death and resurrection. When we trust in Him, we receive a new spiritual heart, one that’s cleansed of our sin and despair. Filled with Christ’s Spirit, our new heart beats with the spiritual lifeblood of God, that “we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). By Adam Holz
Today's Reflection
How does God’s promise of a new life bring hope when you’re struggling with guilt or shame? How will you rely on the Spirit’s power today instead of your own?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, April 05, 2019
His Agony and Our Access
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples…."Stay here and watch with Me." —Matthew 26:36, 38
We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique— they are the gateway into life for us.
It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God— Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan’s assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man. If Jesus had done that, He could not have been our Savior (see Hebrews 9:11-15). Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation— “…the devil…departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan’s final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane.
The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible. Biblical Psychology, 199 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, April 05, 2019
Level Ground - #8410
When I meet people who went to elementary or high school with my wife, they tell me she was shy. I didn't know her then, but I have found that very hard to accept. From the time I met her at a Christian college, she was like vivacious, she was outgoing and she was confident. I've asked her about this seeming contradiction. You know what she told me? Both descriptions are right. In her secondary school years, she lived in the country with parents who gave her a lot of love and courtesy and spiritual wealth, but who didn't have much of what our world calls wealth. So, she lived in a home without the conveniences that many of her friends in town would consider basic. She didn't have money to spend on clothes or makeup, so she felt a little self-conscious in a campus world that was so much about the way you dress and the "stuff" you have. But when she got to a Christian college, suddenly everything changed. Here's how she put it: "For the first time in my life, the playing field was level."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Level Ground."
That's exactly the way God intended for it to be in His family, in His church, a level playing field where all that external junk the world judges people by just doesn't matter. It's the kind of environment in which people can blossom and unleash all the beauty and giftedness that God has planted in them.
In Galatians 3:26-28, which is our word for today from the Word of God, the Lord says, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus... There is neither Jew nor Greek (that's racial differences), slave nor free (that's class differences), male nor female (obviously that's discrimination based on gender), for you are all one in Christ Jesus." I wonder if your church feels like that kind of place, your youth group, your Bible study, your Christian group. That's how it's supposed to feel!
The culture of money and power and fashion and social groupings is supposed to stop at the door of the Church of Jesus Christ. I hope it does at yours. None of that stuff matters to Jesus. The world has its "power elite" and its "insiders and outsiders" and "winners and losers." Don't let that cancer infect your church.
People need to come into a group of Christians and feel level ground; a warm, sincere welcome, no matter how they look, no matter what they have, no matter what their background. Anything less is a shameful contradiction of everything Jesus is about, which is grace - unconditional love. Remember, the Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
Years ago in a large, fashionable church, two people came down the aisle to give their lives to Jesus Christ at the end of the service. One was the governor of the state, the other was a house maid. The pastor said it all when he looked down at the people at the altar. He said, "The ground is level at the cross." It really is, but maybe only at the cross.
It may be you've spent most of your life feeling like you were on the bottom; you've felt like an outsider. Maybe even Christians have let you down in how they've treated you. But I want to let you know today you can come to the cross and find there Jesus, the Son of God, who thought you were worth dying for. He knows everything about you, and He loves you. And He's waiting to welcome you into His family.
I want to encourage you today to go to Jesus and say, "Jesus, I thank you for your accepting, unconditional love, and I need that love. I'm ready to accept that love for myself. I believe you died on the cross for the junk of my life, and I come with all that junk, and all the doubts, and all the baggage and I bring them to your cross. And I thank you that you have never turned one away and you won't turn me away. I'm yours."
Our website is for you at a moment like this. I just want to urge you to visit there as quick as you can - ANewStory.com. Today is the day you could be welcomed into the family of God.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Thursday, April 4, 2019
John 14 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: JESUS IS LIVING PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE
Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
That passage is so poignant. God did not spare his own son but gave him up. God’s heart must have ached as the cracking voice of his son prayed, “Father, take this cup away.” God said good-bye to his son fully aware that when Jesus’ cry of despair would roar through the heavens, he would sit in silence.
He gave himself up for us all. Jesus, though in anguish, would feel no comfort from his father’s hands. Would you receive this reminder? God did not spare his son. He gave him up for you.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
John 14
“Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”
6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”
9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.
11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.
15-17 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!
18-20 “I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.
21 “The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”
23-24 “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.
25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
28 “You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life.
29-31 “I’ve told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don’t worry—he has nothing on me, no claim on me. But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father’s instructions right down to the last detail.
“Get up. Let’s go. It’s time to leave here.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, April 04, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:1 Peter 5:6–11
So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.
8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
Insight
It’s been said that wise choices are the fruit of experience, and experience is the product of poor choices. It could be argued that the wise counsel Peter offers here may have been learned in the darkest night of his life—the night he chose to deny knowing Jesus. The call to humility (1 Peter 5:6) is in contrast to Peter’s prideful boasting that he could face death with Jesus (Luke 22:33). Rather than being alert (1 Peter 5:8), Peter slept when he could have prayed in Gethsemane (Luke 22:45–46). Instead of standing firm (1 Peter 5:9), Peter denied even knowing his Lord (Luke 22:54–62). God’s response to Peter’s failings? Grace (1 Peter 5:10). What if the greatest lessons Peter ever learned were the result of the worst failure he ever faced?
For more, check out “The Wisdom of Peter” at discovertheword.org/series/the-wisdom-of-peter-2/.
Watch Out!
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
I grew up in warm southern cities, so when I moved north, it took me a while to learn how to drive safely during the long, snowy months. During my first hard winter, I ended up stranded in a snowdrift three times! But after several years of practice, I began to feel comfortable driving in wintry conditions. In fact, I felt a little too comfortable. I stopped being as vigilant. And that’s when I hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a telephone pole on the side of the road!
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I learned something important that day. I realized how dangerous it can be to feel comfortable. Instead of being watchful, I had gone on “autopilot.”
We need to practice that same kind of vigilance in our spiritual lives. Peter warns believers not to glide thoughtlessly through life, but to “be alert” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is actively trying to destroy us, and so we too need to be active, resisting temptation and standing firm in our faith (v. 9). That’s not something we have to do on our own though. God promises to be with us in our sufferings and, ultimately, to make us “strong, firm and steadfast” (v. 10). By His power, we learn to remain watchful and alert in resisting evil and following Him. By Amy Peterson
Today's Reflection
Where do you need to be more alert? In what ways will you stay vigilant in following Jesus?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, April 04, 2019
The Way to Permanent Faith
Indeed the hour is coming…that you will be scattered… —John 16:32
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.
“…you…will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental.
“…be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried. He Shall Glorify Me, 494 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, April 04, 2019
Focusing On the Falls - #8409
I don't have much time for TV, and when I do, I don't usually watch gymnastics. But some time ago they were showing a sports feature about gymnastics on a plane flight. As usual, I had too much to do to get the headset that carries the audio, but I did occasionally glance up at the video part. It was a gymnastics meet between the U.S. and Russia. You can probably guess who I was rooting for. Now, I couldn't hear any commentary, but I saw some impressive performances by these young athletes. I also saw an occasional replay. But every time they did a replay, it seems like all they showed was the gymnast's mistakes; anything she was marked down for, and they kept replaying it. They had executed some great moves, but no, we don't go over those - just their mistakes.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Focusing On the Falls."
It's not only athletes who have their shortcomings replayed is it? A lot of us are experts on going over and over the mistakes people make; the weaknesses they have. Which is definitely not what God had in mind for how we would use these mouths of ours in the lives of those around us.
In fact, He describes that in our word for today from the Word of God. It's Ephesians 4:29. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." In other words, talk about the things that will build that person up, and stow the things that will tear them down.
Now think about how you talk to the people that you're around a lot; your coworkers, your friends, your parents, maybe your husband or wife, your children, or the people at church. Could it be that you have a tendency to train your camera on what they do wrong, on their weaknesses, their shortcomings, the problem areas? And do you keep bringing up where they missed it - like those sportscasters replaying the gymnasts' mistakes?
This is a classic problem between parents and children, for example. Let's say your son or daughter brings home four Bs and one D. What do we spend most of our time on? The four Bs? Oh, no, we do most of our talking about the one D. Too often, we do that with every area of their life. Minimizing - overlooking what they're doing right - and focusing on what needs improvement. And we're trying to build them up by showing them their failings and what they need to work on, right? But I wonder if we keep doing that, aren't we actually tearing them down?
People can slowly but surely be destroyed by a person's critical spirit. Could that be happening to someone in your world? Remember the people around you are starved for praise. Yes, part of loving someone is to gently help them see their blind spots and to help them get stronger where they're weak, to help them improve. There's a place for constructive criticism, but you win the right to do that when you spend more time talking about their strengths and what they're doing right.
Replay capability - it's a powerful thing. But if you keep replaying their mistakes where they haven't measured up, well, you're going to be diminishing the people around you. If you replay their good points, you're going to be building up the people around you, which is what God says we're supposed to do. Help the people who you are around a lot see the worth and the value that God sees in them. How do you do that? Well you just keep pointing it out to them.
Maybe you've focused on their falls too much. It's time to start replaying the good moves made by the people you care about!
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Psalm 86 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: VICTIMS OF FUTILITY
In the shade of a well in a rejected land Jesus spoke to an ostracized woman, saying, “I am the Messiah.” Don’t you know His eyes must have danced as he whispered the secret to the Samaritan woman—a woman with five failed marriages. Suddenly the insignificance of her life was swallowed by the significance of the moment. She dropped her water jar and ran to the city to tell the people.
The water jar seems to symbolize the weight she was carrying. The weight of her struggles and insignificance. Jesus took her common existence and made it special. He took a rejected woman and made her a missionary. A forgotten water jar marked the burial place of insignificance.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 86
A David Psalm
86 1-7 Bend an ear, God; answer me.
I’m one miserable wretch!
Keep me safe—haven’t I lived a good life?
Help your servant—I’m depending on you!
You’re my God; have mercy on me.
I count on you from morning to night.
Give your servant a happy life;
I put myself in your hands!
You’re well-known as good and forgiving,
bighearted to all who ask for help.
Pay attention, God, to my prayer;
bend down and listen to my cry for help.
Every time I’m in trouble I call on you,
confident that you’ll answer.
8-10 There’s no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord,
and nothing to compare with your works.
All the nations you made are on their way,
ready to give honor to you, O Lord,
Ready to put your beauty on display,
parading your greatness,
And the great things you do—
God, you’re the one, there’s no one but you!
11-17 Train me, God, to walk straight;
then I’ll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind;
then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.
From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord;
I’ve never kept secret what you’re up to.
You’ve always been great toward me—what love!
You snatched me from the brink of disaster!
God, these bullies have reared their heads!
A gang of thugs is after me—
and they don’t care a thing about you.
But you, O God, are both tender and kind,
not easily angered, immense in love,
and you never, never quit.
So look me in the eye and show kindness,
give your servant the strength to go on,
save your dear, dear child!
Make a show of how much you love me
so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed,
As you, God, gently and powerfully
put me back on my feet.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 1:3-11
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
7-8 It’s not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!
9-11 So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
Insight
The city of Philippi got its name from Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, who captured the city in 360 bc. It was the leading city of the province of Macedonia, which today is comprised of northern and central Greece and part of Albania. Philippi was considered a Roman colony, and so the people had the rights of Roman citizens.
Paul first came to Philippi after having a vision in which a man begged him to “come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul concluded that God wanted him to preach the gospel there and immediately got ready to depart (Acts 16:9–10). Outside the city gate, Paul taught a group of women gathered at the banks of a river. Among them was Lydia, who’s considered to be Paul’s first convert to Christ in Europe (vv. 13–15). By: Alyson Kieda
Situational Awareness
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Philippians 1:9
My family, all five of us, found ourselves in Rome over the Christmas holidays. I don’t know when I’ve ever seen more people jammed together in one place. As we snaked our way through crowds to see sights like the Vatican and the Coliseum, I repeatedly emphasized to my kids the practice of “situational awareness”—pay attention to where you are, who’s around you, and what’s going on. We live in a day when the world, at home and abroad, isn’t a safe place. And with the use of cell phones and ear buds, kids (and adults for that matter) don’t always practice an awareness of surroundings.
Situational awareness. This is an aspect of Paul’s prayer for the believers in Philippi recorded in Philippians 1:9–11. His desire for them was an ever-increasing discernment as to the who/what/where of their situations. But rather than some goal of personal safety, Paul prayed with a grander purpose that God’s holy people might be good stewards of the love of Christ they’d received, discern “what is best,” live “pure and blameless,” and be filled with good qualities that only Jesus can produce. This kind of living springs from an awareness that God is the who in our lives, and our increasing reliance on Him is what brings Him pleasure. And in any and all situations is where we can share from the overflow of His great love. By John Blase
Today's Reflection
How can you bring Christ’s love into your circumstances in a greater way?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
“If You Had Known!”
If you had known…in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. —Luke 19:42
Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there– the pride of the Pharisees. It was a god that seemed religious and upright, but Jesus compared it to “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).
What is it that blinds you to the peace of God “in this your day”? Do you have a strange god– not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life? More than once God has brought me face to face with a strange god in my life, and I knew that I should have given it up, but I didn’t do it. I got through the crisis “by the skin of my teeth,” only to find myself still under the control of that strange god. I am blind to the very things that make for my own peace. It is a shocking thing that we can be in the exact place where the Spirit of God should be having His completely unhindered way with us, and yet we only make matters worse, increasing our blame in God’s eyes.
“If you had known….” God’s words here cut directly to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind them. These words imply responsibility for our own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. And “now they are hidden from your eyes” because you have never completely yielded your nature to Him. Oh, the deep, unending sadness for what might have been! God never again opens the doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut– doors which had no need to be shut. Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. Disciples Indeed, 395 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
No Time for Picnics - #8408
It was the strangest picnic in American history I think. It was July 1861, on a hill in Northern Virginia, overlooking a stream called Bull Run. The Southern states had seceded from the Union, they'd attacked a Union fort in April, and now what the North called "the rebel army" was headed for Washington, D.C. Most people in the capitol thought the Union Army was going to mop up these Southern forces in a matter of weeks, and they wanted to see it happen as the Northern troops moved to engage the Confederates at Bull Run. They came from church in their Sunday best, the ladies and gentlemen of Washington arriving at the hill overlooking Bull Run in their carriages. They laid out their tablecloths, commenced their picnic, and started passing the fried chicken. Down below, the men in blue and the men in gray mingled their blood in the waters of Bull Run.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Time for Picnics."
How can people have a picnic when there's a battle going on? That's a question God must be asking of His own children - those who are supposed to be the soldiers in His army.
It's a scene reminiscent of the day the ancient Jews were getting ready to invade the Promised Land, and a couple of the tribes asked if they could just take their inheritance on the safe side of the Jordan River and settle in there. In Numbers 32:6, our word for today from the Word of God, Moses asks them this haunting question, "Shall you sit here while your brothers go to war?" Well that's a great question. How can you just settle into a comfortable little spot while there are battles to fight for God that require every one of us to be in the fight? A picnic while a battle is going on.
We were shocked that September 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 Americans died in one day. Did you know that more than twice that many will die this day in America, every day in America? On an average day in the United States, over 6,000 people go into eternity. Sadly, many - maybe most of them - will not be ready for eternity. Today in our world, over 150,000 people will go into eternity. Again, many with no relationship with Jesus and no hope of heaven. And there is a battle raging to get the Good News about Jesus to them in time!
There's a small army of believers who understand that the battle is the responsibility of every one of us who belongs to Jesus. But, tragically, so many of those who could help rescue the spiritually dying are sitting on a hill with other believers, enjoying the view, passing the blessings, and playing no active role in the battle for human souls.
Yes, it's true. God has to draw people to Him - spiritual rescue is totally a God-thing! But the same man who wrote the verses about us being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world is the same Apostle Paul who was driven to get the Gospel to as many people as possible...even at the cost of his own life.
The battle for a lost world. You know where it begins? It begins with your own family, your own co-workers, fellow students, and friends. When it comes to telling them what you know about Jesus, silence is not golden. No, it's deadly. They need to see Jesus in your life. They need to hear about Jesus from your lips.
You can't just enjoy the fellowship of those who are already headed for heaven while so many around you are headed for hell! God has a place for you in this battle, my friend, and the battle is the Lord's! For you, this is no time to be passing the chicken. It's time to be passing the ammunition!
As that great missionary Amy Carmichael said, "We will have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only a few short hours to win them." And we are in those few short hours.
In the shade of a well in a rejected land Jesus spoke to an ostracized woman, saying, “I am the Messiah.” Don’t you know His eyes must have danced as he whispered the secret to the Samaritan woman—a woman with five failed marriages. Suddenly the insignificance of her life was swallowed by the significance of the moment. She dropped her water jar and ran to the city to tell the people.
The water jar seems to symbolize the weight she was carrying. The weight of her struggles and insignificance. Jesus took her common existence and made it special. He took a rejected woman and made her a missionary. A forgotten water jar marked the burial place of insignificance.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 86
A David Psalm
86 1-7 Bend an ear, God; answer me.
I’m one miserable wretch!
Keep me safe—haven’t I lived a good life?
Help your servant—I’m depending on you!
You’re my God; have mercy on me.
I count on you from morning to night.
Give your servant a happy life;
I put myself in your hands!
You’re well-known as good and forgiving,
bighearted to all who ask for help.
Pay attention, God, to my prayer;
bend down and listen to my cry for help.
Every time I’m in trouble I call on you,
confident that you’ll answer.
8-10 There’s no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord,
and nothing to compare with your works.
All the nations you made are on their way,
ready to give honor to you, O Lord,
Ready to put your beauty on display,
parading your greatness,
And the great things you do—
God, you’re the one, there’s no one but you!
11-17 Train me, God, to walk straight;
then I’ll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind;
then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.
From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord;
I’ve never kept secret what you’re up to.
You’ve always been great toward me—what love!
You snatched me from the brink of disaster!
God, these bullies have reared their heads!
A gang of thugs is after me—
and they don’t care a thing about you.
But you, O God, are both tender and kind,
not easily angered, immense in love,
and you never, never quit.
So look me in the eye and show kindness,
give your servant the strength to go on,
save your dear, dear child!
Make a show of how much you love me
so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed,
As you, God, gently and powerfully
put me back on my feet.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 1:3-11
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
7-8 It’s not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!
9-11 So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
Insight
The city of Philippi got its name from Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, who captured the city in 360 bc. It was the leading city of the province of Macedonia, which today is comprised of northern and central Greece and part of Albania. Philippi was considered a Roman colony, and so the people had the rights of Roman citizens.
Paul first came to Philippi after having a vision in which a man begged him to “come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul concluded that God wanted him to preach the gospel there and immediately got ready to depart (Acts 16:9–10). Outside the city gate, Paul taught a group of women gathered at the banks of a river. Among them was Lydia, who’s considered to be Paul’s first convert to Christ in Europe (vv. 13–15). By: Alyson Kieda
Situational Awareness
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Philippians 1:9
My family, all five of us, found ourselves in Rome over the Christmas holidays. I don’t know when I’ve ever seen more people jammed together in one place. As we snaked our way through crowds to see sights like the Vatican and the Coliseum, I repeatedly emphasized to my kids the practice of “situational awareness”—pay attention to where you are, who’s around you, and what’s going on. We live in a day when the world, at home and abroad, isn’t a safe place. And with the use of cell phones and ear buds, kids (and adults for that matter) don’t always practice an awareness of surroundings.
Situational awareness. This is an aspect of Paul’s prayer for the believers in Philippi recorded in Philippians 1:9–11. His desire for them was an ever-increasing discernment as to the who/what/where of their situations. But rather than some goal of personal safety, Paul prayed with a grander purpose that God’s holy people might be good stewards of the love of Christ they’d received, discern “what is best,” live “pure and blameless,” and be filled with good qualities that only Jesus can produce. This kind of living springs from an awareness that God is the who in our lives, and our increasing reliance on Him is what brings Him pleasure. And in any and all situations is where we can share from the overflow of His great love. By John Blase
Today's Reflection
How can you bring Christ’s love into your circumstances in a greater way?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
“If You Had Known!”
If you had known…in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. —Luke 19:42
Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there– the pride of the Pharisees. It was a god that seemed religious and upright, but Jesus compared it to “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).
What is it that blinds you to the peace of God “in this your day”? Do you have a strange god– not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life? More than once God has brought me face to face with a strange god in my life, and I knew that I should have given it up, but I didn’t do it. I got through the crisis “by the skin of my teeth,” only to find myself still under the control of that strange god. I am blind to the very things that make for my own peace. It is a shocking thing that we can be in the exact place where the Spirit of God should be having His completely unhindered way with us, and yet we only make matters worse, increasing our blame in God’s eyes.
“If you had known….” God’s words here cut directly to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind them. These words imply responsibility for our own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. And “now they are hidden from your eyes” because you have never completely yielded your nature to Him. Oh, the deep, unending sadness for what might have been! God never again opens the doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut– doors which had no need to be shut. Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. Disciples Indeed, 395 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
No Time for Picnics - #8408
It was the strangest picnic in American history I think. It was July 1861, on a hill in Northern Virginia, overlooking a stream called Bull Run. The Southern states had seceded from the Union, they'd attacked a Union fort in April, and now what the North called "the rebel army" was headed for Washington, D.C. Most people in the capitol thought the Union Army was going to mop up these Southern forces in a matter of weeks, and they wanted to see it happen as the Northern troops moved to engage the Confederates at Bull Run. They came from church in their Sunday best, the ladies and gentlemen of Washington arriving at the hill overlooking Bull Run in their carriages. They laid out their tablecloths, commenced their picnic, and started passing the fried chicken. Down below, the men in blue and the men in gray mingled their blood in the waters of Bull Run.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Time for Picnics."
How can people have a picnic when there's a battle going on? That's a question God must be asking of His own children - those who are supposed to be the soldiers in His army.
It's a scene reminiscent of the day the ancient Jews were getting ready to invade the Promised Land, and a couple of the tribes asked if they could just take their inheritance on the safe side of the Jordan River and settle in there. In Numbers 32:6, our word for today from the Word of God, Moses asks them this haunting question, "Shall you sit here while your brothers go to war?" Well that's a great question. How can you just settle into a comfortable little spot while there are battles to fight for God that require every one of us to be in the fight? A picnic while a battle is going on.
We were shocked that September 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 Americans died in one day. Did you know that more than twice that many will die this day in America, every day in America? On an average day in the United States, over 6,000 people go into eternity. Sadly, many - maybe most of them - will not be ready for eternity. Today in our world, over 150,000 people will go into eternity. Again, many with no relationship with Jesus and no hope of heaven. And there is a battle raging to get the Good News about Jesus to them in time!
There's a small army of believers who understand that the battle is the responsibility of every one of us who belongs to Jesus. But, tragically, so many of those who could help rescue the spiritually dying are sitting on a hill with other believers, enjoying the view, passing the blessings, and playing no active role in the battle for human souls.
Yes, it's true. God has to draw people to Him - spiritual rescue is totally a God-thing! But the same man who wrote the verses about us being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world is the same Apostle Paul who was driven to get the Gospel to as many people as possible...even at the cost of his own life.
The battle for a lost world. You know where it begins? It begins with your own family, your own co-workers, fellow students, and friends. When it comes to telling them what you know about Jesus, silence is not golden. No, it's deadly. They need to see Jesus in your life. They need to hear about Jesus from your lips.
You can't just enjoy the fellowship of those who are already headed for heaven while so many around you are headed for hell! God has a place for you in this battle, my friend, and the battle is the Lord's! For you, this is no time to be passing the chicken. It's time to be passing the ammunition!
As that great missionary Amy Carmichael said, "We will have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only a few short hours to win them." And we are in those few short hours.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Psalm 72, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: GOD’S FORMULA FOR FATIGUE
The futility of life zaps strength from life. Do you know the wait of futility? Is it worth it? When I get what I want, will it be worth the price I paid?
Such weariness makes the words of Jesus so compelling, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” People brought him the burdens of their existence, and he gave them not religion, not doctrines, not systems, but rest. As a result, they called him Lord. As a result, they called him Savior. And they all found rest. My prayer is that you, too, my friend, will find rest.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 72
A Solomon Psalm
72 1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God,
the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
May he judge your people rightly,
be honorable to your meek and lowly.
Let the mountains give exuberant witness;
shape the hills with the contours of right living.
Please stand up for the poor,
help the children of the needy,
come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—
age after age after age.
Be rainfall on cut grass,
earth-refreshing rain showers.
Let righteousness burst into blossom
and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
Rule from sea to sea,
from the River to the Rim.
9-14 Foes will fall on their knees before God,
his enemies lick the dust.
Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,
kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
All kings will fall down and worship,
and godless nations sign up to serve him,
Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need,
the destitute who have run out of luck.
He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,
he restores the wretched of the earth.
He frees them from tyranny and torture—
when they bleed, he bleeds;
when they die, he dies.
15-17 And live! Oh, let him live!
Deck him out in Sheba gold.
Offer prayers unceasing to him,
bless him from morning to night.
Fields of golden grain in the land,
cresting the mountains in wild exuberance,
Cornucopias of praise, praises
springing from the city like grass from the earth.
May he never be forgotten,
his fame shine on like sunshine.
May all godless people enter his circle of blessing
and bless the One who blessed them.
18-20 Blessed God, Israel’s God,
the one and only wonder-working God!
Blessed always his blazing glory!
All earth brims with his glory.
Yes and Yes and Yes.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: John 13:31-35
When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified—glory all around!
33 “Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I’m telling you: ‘Where I go, you are not able to come.’
34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”
Insight
The key word in today’s passage is glory (glorified) and is used five times in verses 31–32. Jesus describes His glory (being glorified), the glory of God (the Father), and the relationship between the two. The relationship is reciprocal: when Jesus is glorified, God is glorified; when God is glorified, Jesus is glorified.
According to Strong’s concordance, glorify means “to ascribe weight by recognizing real substance (value). ‘Glorifying God’ means valuing Him for who He really is. For example, ‘giving (ascribing) glory to God’ personally acknowledges God in His true character (essence).”
Jesus was revealed for who He really is; when He was revealed, He revealed the Father. By: J.R. Hudberg
Unexplainable Love
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
Our small congregation decided to surprise my son on his sixth birthday. The church members decorated his Sunday school classroom with balloons and set up a small table with a cake on it. When my son opened the door, everyone shouted, “Happy birthday!”
Later on, as I was cutting the cake, my son came over and whispered in my ear, “Mom, why does everyone here love me?” I had the same question! These people had known us for only six months but were treating us as longtime friends.
Their love for my son reflected God’s love for us. We can’t understand why He loves us, but He does—and His love is freely given. We’ve done nothing to deserve His love, and yet He lavishly loves us. Scripture tells us: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It’s part of who He is.
God has poured out His love on us so we can show this same love to others. Jesus told His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).
The people in our small church community love us because God’s love is in them. It shines through and identifies them as followers of Jesus. We can’t comprehend God’s love fully, but we can pour it out on others—being examples of His unexplainable love. By Keila Ochoa
Today's Reflection
How have you recently experienced God’s love through others? What can you do to reveal His compassionate ways to others today?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
The Glory That’s Unsurpassed
…the Lord Jesus…has sent me that you may receive your sight… —Acts 9:17
When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.
We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.
The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).
Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.
Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside,
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Gazing on the Crucified.
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, 565 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Worth More Than You Ever Imagined - #8407
Now, I had never been to a quilt auction before. And I probably never would have been to one except for the fact that I had been invited to speak at an outreach at a Mennonite Relief Sale, where thousands come to bid on items made by Mennonite and Amish craftspeople. All the funds go toward worldwide relief efforts. That's cool! It was amazing to hear the spiraling bids shouted out for some exquisitely designed quilts. While I was there, one went for $2,000. Last year, they told me that one quilt had gone for $4,000. They even had sold two handmade dolls for almost $1,000. I was there long enough to see what gave great value to an auction item. See, those dolls were made by a Ugandan refugee. The quilt that went for $4,000 was made laboriously by a severely handicapped woman, and it was the last one she made before she died. When we were told who made it, and when we were told the effort they went to make it, it was suddenly worth a whole lot more.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Worth More Than You Ever Imagined."
Something takes on great value when it's a handmade original. That's why you're worth so much. Something takes on great value when the creator sacrificed a lot for it. Maybe you don't feel like you're worth much; not after the things you've been called, the way you've been treated, the abuse, the abandonment, the rejection you've experienced. But none of that has anything to do with how much you're worth. Your value is based on Who made you and how much your Creator sacrificed for you. No one on earth gave you your worth and no one on earth can take it away!
The Bible clearly says you are "God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10), His handmade, masterpiece creation. You are a divine original! Let's settle once and for all how much you're worth to the One who made you. 1 John 4:9-10, our word for today from the Word of God says this: "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
God thought you were worth the life of His one and only Son! At the auction I attended, people expressed how much they valued what was available by how much they were willing to spend on it. There's no question Who has made the highest bid for you by far. At the cross, Jesus offered His life as the price to bring you back to God, which may be why you've questioned your value, why you've felt you're not worth much.
You're away from the One who made you, you're away from the God who gave you your worth! You've run the life that He was supposed to run, and your sin, the Bible says, has put a wall between you and Him. But it doesn't have to stay that way - not after the bid Jesus made for you on a cross. Your sin-penalty has been paid there. That wall can come down like today!
If you've never begun your personal relationship with the One who loves you most, this could be the day you finally experience the love you've been looking for your whole life. Would you tell Jesus right now you're ready to turn from running your own life; that you're committing yourself completely to Him? You know, He didn't stay dead. He came out of his grave under his own power. So, he's ready to walk into your life upon your invitation.
You could stop right where you are and say, "Jesus, I've been running my life. I know that's wrong. I know there's a death penalty for that, but I resign from running my life as of today. I believe you died on the cross to pay for every wrong thing I've ever done. I believe you walked out of your grave under your own power so you could give me eternal life like You have. Jesus, today I want to begin my relationship with You. Today I'm Yours."
Look, if you're at that point where you want to experience that love for yourself, you need to get to our website which is ANewStory.com. You'll find there the biblical information that will help you be sure you have actually begun this most important relationship you will ever have.
You've been paid for with the life of God's one and only Son. You are so precious to Him. Now, It's time you belong to Him.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Psalm 68, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: CAUGHT IN A STORM
How sturdy is your life when faced with the storm of futility, wondering what is the purpose of it all? What about the storm of failure, when you blew it and let everyone down…or the storm of finality —tears, and flowers— an open grave.
Two thousand years ago during six hours on a Friday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Jesus gave us three anchor points that can stand against any storm. The first anchor point is my life is not futile. The second is my failures are not fatal. And the third anchor point is my death is not final. So, when the storm comes, anchor deep, say a prayer, and hold on. And don’t be surprised if someone walks across the water to help you.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 68
A David Psalm
68 1-4 Up with God!
Down with his enemies!
Adversaries, run for the hills!
Gone like a puff of smoke,
like a blob of wax in the fire—
one look at God and the wicked vanish.
When the righteous see God in action
they’ll laugh, they’ll sing,
they’ll laugh and sing for joy.
Sing hymns to God;
all heaven, sing out;
clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.
Enjoy God,
cheer when you see him!
5-6 Father of orphans,
champion of widows,
is God in his holy house.
God makes homes for the homeless,
leads prisoners to freedom,
but leaves rebels to rot in hell.
7-10 God, when you took the lead with your people,
when you marched out into the wild,
Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat;
God was on the march.
Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move,
at the sight of Israel’s God.
You pour out rain in buckets, O God;
thorn and cactus become an oasis
For your people to camp in and enjoy.
You set them up in business;
they went from rags to riches.
11-14 The Lord gave the word;
thousands called out the good news:
“Kings of the armies
are on the run, on the run!”
While housewives, safe and sound back home,
divide up the plunder,
the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold.
On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings,
snow fell on Black Mountain.
15-16 You huge mountains, Bashan mountains,
mighty mountains, dragon mountains.
All you mountains not chosen,
sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves,
For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on;
he’ll rule from this mountain forever.
17-18 The chariots of God, twice ten thousand,
and thousands more besides,
The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai—
straight to the Holy Place!
You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow,
your arms full of booty from rebels,
And now you sit there in state,
God, sovereign God!
19-23 Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.
Lord God knows all
death’s ins and outs.
What’s more, he made heads roll,
split the skulls of the enemy
As he marched out of heaven,
saying, “I tied up the Dragon in knots,
put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea.”
You can wade through your enemies’ blood,
and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots.
24-31 See God on parade
to the sanctuary, my God,
my King on the march!
Singers out front, the band behind,
maidens in the middle with castanets.
The whole choir blesses God.
Like a fountain of praise, Israel blesses God.
Look—little Benjamin’s out
front and leading
Princes of Judah in their royal robes,
princes of Zebulon, princes of Naphtali.
Parade your power, O God,
the power, O God, that made us what we are.
Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem;
kings bring gifts to you.
Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt,
with her herd of wild bulls and calves,
Rapacious in her lust for silver,
crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight.
Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth
and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched.
32-34 Sing, O kings of the earth!
Sing praises to the Lord!
There he is: Sky-Rider,
striding the ancient skies.
Listen—he’s calling in thunder,
rumbling, rolling thunder.
Call out “Bravo!” to God,
the High God of Israel.
His splendor and strength
rise huge as thunderheads.
35 A terrible beauty, O God,
streams from your sanctuary.
It’s Israel’s strong God! He gives
power and might to his people!
O you, his people—bless God!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, April 01, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Chronicles 29:6-16
Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king’s affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly. They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of God in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 And the people were full of a sense of celebration—all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant.
10-13 David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation:
Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father
from of old and forever.
To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might,
the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;
Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth;
the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.
Riches and glory come from you,
you’re ruler over all;
You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand
to build up and strengthen all.
And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you,
praising your splendid Name.
14-19 “But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand. As far as you’re concerned, we’re homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us. God, our God, all these materials—these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name—it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place! I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy! O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you. And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided.”
Insight
In David’s prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 29, he makes several important statements about the true and living God. He praises God for being everlasting (v.10), having majestic splendor (v. 11), exercising kingdom rule (v. 12), and ultimately being the source of all provision (v. 14). This is the nature of the God that David rightly worships and the reason he’s made preparations for the building of a temple for Him (chs. 28–29).
For more on 1 Chronicles, check out the online course christianuniversity.org/OT220. By: Bill Crowder
Borrowed Blessings
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. Psalm 24:1
As we bowed our heads over lunch, my friend Jeff prayed: “Father, thank You for letting us breathe Your air and eat Your food.” Jeff had just been through a difficult job loss, so his heartfelt trust in God and recognition that everything belongs to Him profoundly moved me. I found myself thinking: Do I honestly understand that even the most basic, everyday things in my life are really God’s, and He’s simply letting me use them?
When King David received offerings from the people of Israel for building the temple in Jerusalem, he prayed, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” Then he added, “All of it belongs to you” (1 Chronicles 29:14, 16).
Scripture tells us that even “the ability to produce wealth” and earn a living come from Him (Deuteronomy 8:18). Understanding that all we have is borrowed encourages us to loosen our grip on the stuff of this world and live with open hands and hearts—sharing freely because we’re deeply thankful for the kindnesses we receive daily.
God is a generous giver—so loving that He even gave up His Son “for us all” (Romans 8:32). Because we have been given so much, may we give Him our heartfelt thanks for blessings small and large. By James Banks
Today's Reflection
What borrowed blessing can you thank God for today? How does it help to know that every good gift is from Him?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, April 01, 2019
Helpful or Heartless Toward Others?
It is Christ…who also makes intercession for us….the Spirit…makes intercession for the saints… —Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors– that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.
Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.
Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, April 01, 2019
How to Find the Love of Your Life - #8406
One lousy moose - that's all our family wanted to see. The moose did not get the memo. Or he did get the memo and he took off. We were on our first trip to Alaska years ago, and all five Hutchcrafts were determined, "We're going to meet a moose." After all, like they're grazing in every backyard in Alaska, right? Well, the February we were there it looked like they'd decided to take the winter in the Bahamas. I was busy speaking at some meetings, so my wife and kids were out driving around, you know, looking for a moose. They even went to the animal sanctuary. We were told there was always a moose there. Not always. Several people told us about hitting a moose that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Not any on the road we were on. Someone suggested leaving a Hershey bar on our car - something about a chocolate mousse. Anyway, we weren't that desperate. Well, lots of looking, no finding. Next morning, we drove down the driveway of the house someone had loaned to us and guess what? Yep! Three moose, grazing at the end of the driveway. I guess you don't find moose; they find you.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Find the Love of Your Life."
Okay, if you're single, fasten your seat belt for a moose truth. Finding the right mate is a lot like finding a moose. You don't find Miss or Mr. Right by looking for them, which is what so many single people are led to believe they're supposed to be doing. And the longer you've been searching, the more desperate you can become. If you look at the out-of-control divorce rates around us, don't you find yourself saying, "There's got to be a better way." Well, there is.
Of course, if you want to find the best way to do anything important in life, check with the One who invented love; who invented relationships - God. Here's what He says in Psalm 37:4-5, our word for today from the Word of God. It covers a lot things in life. But as I read it right now, think of it in terms of your desire to find the love of your life. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this."
God says, "Pursue Me and I'll take care of the desires of your heart." Not "pursue that guy" or "pursue that girl," but "Pursue Me." As you make God your source of love and worth and completeness, you're in a position for Him to send you what you could never find! Like those crazy moose on our doorstep. We didn't find them by looking. It's when we stopped looking for them that we finally found them.
Here's the question: "Will you trust God enough to release to Him all of your deepest needs for love, for belonging, for security, for worth?" How do you know you can trust Him with the deepest parts of you? Well, anyone who loved you enough to die for you will never do you wrong!
Concentrate on making friends with the opposite sex. I'll tell you this, the best romances were great friendships first, because marriage is ultimately life's greatest friendship. That's what you need to be pursuing. Ask God to help you build God-honoring relationships that don't have a romantic agenda. He knows what you need more than you ever will. And He can, in the next ten minutes, bring the person He's prepared for you into your life. You won't find Mr. or Miss Right. God will bring him or her to you. Right now, He wants you to focus on Him without the distraction of some guy or girl, so He can make you the man or woman He's created you to be.
You can resign from this neurotic emotional roller coaster of "The Hunt" and relax in your completeness in Jesus Christ, which puts you in the best possible situation for love to find you. The best love; the love God made for you. So let your prayer be the wonderful commitment of the man who brought Isaac's wife to him.
You'll find it in Genesis 24:44 - "Let her (or let him) be the one the Lord has chosen." Or, in the words of the plaque my daughter had up in her room as a teenager: "God reserves His very best for those who leave the choice to Him."
How sturdy is your life when faced with the storm of futility, wondering what is the purpose of it all? What about the storm of failure, when you blew it and let everyone down…or the storm of finality —tears, and flowers— an open grave.
Two thousand years ago during six hours on a Friday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Jesus gave us three anchor points that can stand against any storm. The first anchor point is my life is not futile. The second is my failures are not fatal. And the third anchor point is my death is not final. So, when the storm comes, anchor deep, say a prayer, and hold on. And don’t be surprised if someone walks across the water to help you.
Read more Six Hours One Friday
Psalm 68
A David Psalm
68 1-4 Up with God!
Down with his enemies!
Adversaries, run for the hills!
Gone like a puff of smoke,
like a blob of wax in the fire—
one look at God and the wicked vanish.
When the righteous see God in action
they’ll laugh, they’ll sing,
they’ll laugh and sing for joy.
Sing hymns to God;
all heaven, sing out;
clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.
Enjoy God,
cheer when you see him!
5-6 Father of orphans,
champion of widows,
is God in his holy house.
God makes homes for the homeless,
leads prisoners to freedom,
but leaves rebels to rot in hell.
7-10 God, when you took the lead with your people,
when you marched out into the wild,
Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat;
God was on the march.
Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move,
at the sight of Israel’s God.
You pour out rain in buckets, O God;
thorn and cactus become an oasis
For your people to camp in and enjoy.
You set them up in business;
they went from rags to riches.
11-14 The Lord gave the word;
thousands called out the good news:
“Kings of the armies
are on the run, on the run!”
While housewives, safe and sound back home,
divide up the plunder,
the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold.
On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings,
snow fell on Black Mountain.
15-16 You huge mountains, Bashan mountains,
mighty mountains, dragon mountains.
All you mountains not chosen,
sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves,
For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on;
he’ll rule from this mountain forever.
17-18 The chariots of God, twice ten thousand,
and thousands more besides,
The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai—
straight to the Holy Place!
You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow,
your arms full of booty from rebels,
And now you sit there in state,
God, sovereign God!
19-23 Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.
Lord God knows all
death’s ins and outs.
What’s more, he made heads roll,
split the skulls of the enemy
As he marched out of heaven,
saying, “I tied up the Dragon in knots,
put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea.”
You can wade through your enemies’ blood,
and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots.
24-31 See God on parade
to the sanctuary, my God,
my King on the march!
Singers out front, the band behind,
maidens in the middle with castanets.
The whole choir blesses God.
Like a fountain of praise, Israel blesses God.
Look—little Benjamin’s out
front and leading
Princes of Judah in their royal robes,
princes of Zebulon, princes of Naphtali.
Parade your power, O God,
the power, O God, that made us what we are.
Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem;
kings bring gifts to you.
Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt,
with her herd of wild bulls and calves,
Rapacious in her lust for silver,
crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight.
Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth
and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched.
32-34 Sing, O kings of the earth!
Sing praises to the Lord!
There he is: Sky-Rider,
striding the ancient skies.
Listen—he’s calling in thunder,
rumbling, rolling thunder.
Call out “Bravo!” to God,
the High God of Israel.
His splendor and strength
rise huge as thunderheads.
35 A terrible beauty, O God,
streams from your sanctuary.
It’s Israel’s strong God! He gives
power and might to his people!
O you, his people—bless God!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, April 01, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Chronicles 29:6-16
Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king’s affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly. They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of God in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 And the people were full of a sense of celebration—all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant.
10-13 David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation:
Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father
from of old and forever.
To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might,
the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;
Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth;
the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.
Riches and glory come from you,
you’re ruler over all;
You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand
to build up and strengthen all.
And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you,
praising your splendid Name.
14-19 “But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand. As far as you’re concerned, we’re homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us. God, our God, all these materials—these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name—it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place! I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy! O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you. And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided.”
Insight
In David’s prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 29, he makes several important statements about the true and living God. He praises God for being everlasting (v.10), having majestic splendor (v. 11), exercising kingdom rule (v. 12), and ultimately being the source of all provision (v. 14). This is the nature of the God that David rightly worships and the reason he’s made preparations for the building of a temple for Him (chs. 28–29).
For more on 1 Chronicles, check out the online course christianuniversity.org/OT220. By: Bill Crowder
Borrowed Blessings
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. Psalm 24:1
As we bowed our heads over lunch, my friend Jeff prayed: “Father, thank You for letting us breathe Your air and eat Your food.” Jeff had just been through a difficult job loss, so his heartfelt trust in God and recognition that everything belongs to Him profoundly moved me. I found myself thinking: Do I honestly understand that even the most basic, everyday things in my life are really God’s, and He’s simply letting me use them?
When King David received offerings from the people of Israel for building the temple in Jerusalem, he prayed, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” Then he added, “All of it belongs to you” (1 Chronicles 29:14, 16).
Scripture tells us that even “the ability to produce wealth” and earn a living come from Him (Deuteronomy 8:18). Understanding that all we have is borrowed encourages us to loosen our grip on the stuff of this world and live with open hands and hearts—sharing freely because we’re deeply thankful for the kindnesses we receive daily.
God is a generous giver—so loving that He even gave up His Son “for us all” (Romans 8:32). Because we have been given so much, may we give Him our heartfelt thanks for blessings small and large. By James Banks
Today's Reflection
What borrowed blessing can you thank God for today? How does it help to know that every good gift is from Him?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, April 01, 2019
Helpful or Heartless Toward Others?
It is Christ…who also makes intercession for us….the Spirit…makes intercession for the saints… —Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors– that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.
Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.
Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, April 01, 2019
How to Find the Love of Your Life - #8406
One lousy moose - that's all our family wanted to see. The moose did not get the memo. Or he did get the memo and he took off. We were on our first trip to Alaska years ago, and all five Hutchcrafts were determined, "We're going to meet a moose." After all, like they're grazing in every backyard in Alaska, right? Well, the February we were there it looked like they'd decided to take the winter in the Bahamas. I was busy speaking at some meetings, so my wife and kids were out driving around, you know, looking for a moose. They even went to the animal sanctuary. We were told there was always a moose there. Not always. Several people told us about hitting a moose that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Not any on the road we were on. Someone suggested leaving a Hershey bar on our car - something about a chocolate mousse. Anyway, we weren't that desperate. Well, lots of looking, no finding. Next morning, we drove down the driveway of the house someone had loaned to us and guess what? Yep! Three moose, grazing at the end of the driveway. I guess you don't find moose; they find you.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Find the Love of Your Life."
Okay, if you're single, fasten your seat belt for a moose truth. Finding the right mate is a lot like finding a moose. You don't find Miss or Mr. Right by looking for them, which is what so many single people are led to believe they're supposed to be doing. And the longer you've been searching, the more desperate you can become. If you look at the out-of-control divorce rates around us, don't you find yourself saying, "There's got to be a better way." Well, there is.
Of course, if you want to find the best way to do anything important in life, check with the One who invented love; who invented relationships - God. Here's what He says in Psalm 37:4-5, our word for today from the Word of God. It covers a lot things in life. But as I read it right now, think of it in terms of your desire to find the love of your life. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this."
God says, "Pursue Me and I'll take care of the desires of your heart." Not "pursue that guy" or "pursue that girl," but "Pursue Me." As you make God your source of love and worth and completeness, you're in a position for Him to send you what you could never find! Like those crazy moose on our doorstep. We didn't find them by looking. It's when we stopped looking for them that we finally found them.
Here's the question: "Will you trust God enough to release to Him all of your deepest needs for love, for belonging, for security, for worth?" How do you know you can trust Him with the deepest parts of you? Well, anyone who loved you enough to die for you will never do you wrong!
Concentrate on making friends with the opposite sex. I'll tell you this, the best romances were great friendships first, because marriage is ultimately life's greatest friendship. That's what you need to be pursuing. Ask God to help you build God-honoring relationships that don't have a romantic agenda. He knows what you need more than you ever will. And He can, in the next ten minutes, bring the person He's prepared for you into your life. You won't find Mr. or Miss Right. God will bring him or her to you. Right now, He wants you to focus on Him without the distraction of some guy or girl, so He can make you the man or woman He's created you to be.
You can resign from this neurotic emotional roller coaster of "The Hunt" and relax in your completeness in Jesus Christ, which puts you in the best possible situation for love to find you. The best love; the love God made for you. So let your prayer be the wonderful commitment of the man who brought Isaac's wife to him.
You'll find it in Genesis 24:44 - "Let her (or let him) be the one the Lord has chosen." Or, in the words of the plaque my daughter had up in her room as a teenager: "God reserves His very best for those who leave the choice to Him."
Sunday, March 31, 2019
John 13:21-38, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: He Wore Our Sin
Scripture often describes our behavior as the clothes we wear. 1 Peter 5:5 urges us to be "clothed with humility." In Psalm 109:18, David speaks of evil people who clothe themselves "with cursing." Garments can symbolize character; and like his garment, Jesus' character was uninterrupted perfection.
But when Christ was nailed to the cross, he took off his robe of seamless perfection and assumed a different wardrobe… the wardrobe of indignity. Stripped before his own mother. Shamed before his family. The indignity of failure. For a few pain-filled hours, the religious leaders were victors, and Christ appeared the loser. Worst of all, he wore the indignity of sin. Scripture says, "He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree." The cloth of Christ on the cross? Sin-yours and mine. The sins of all humanity.
From On Calvary's Hill
John 13:21-38
After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.”
22-25 The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, “Master, who?”
26-27 Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.
“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.”
28-29 No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Judas, with the piece of bread, left. It was night.
31-32 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified—glory all around!
33 “Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I’m telling you: ‘Where I go, you are not able to come.’
34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”
36 Simon Peter asked, “Master, just where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “You can’t now follow me where I’m going. You will follow later.”
37 “Master,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow now? I’ll lay down my life for you!”
38 “Really? You’ll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, “Come, follow me.” (Philip’s hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.)
45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’ve got to be kidding.”
But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.”
47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.”
48 Nathanael said, “Where did you get that idea? You don’t know me.”
Jesus answered, “One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!”
50-51 Jesus said, “You’ve become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven’t seen anything yet! Before this is over you’re going to see heaven open and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”
Insight
After Nathanael meets Jesus, he asks Him how He knew who he was. Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree” (John 1:48). William Barclay explains the significance of the fig tree in his commentary The Master’s Men. The fig tree can grow to fifteen feet high, and its branches can spread as much as twenty-five feet. So the tree served as “a kind of private room” where most devout Jews would pray and meditate. Jesus was recognizing Nathanael’s devotion and piety and that he was a man of prayer (vv. 47–48). By: K. T. Sim
The Greatest Gift
We have found . . . Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. John 1:45
Over the years, my friend Barbara has given me countless encouraging cards and thoughtful presents. After I told her I’d received Jesus as my Savior, she handed me the greatest gift she’d ever given me—my first Bible. She said, “You can grow closer to God and mature spiritually by meeting with Him daily, reading Scripture, praying, and trusting and obeying Him.” My life changed when Barbara invited me to get to know God better.
Barbara reminds me of the apostle Philip. After Jesus invited Philip to follow Him (John 1:43), the apostle immediately told his friend Nathanael that Jesus was “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote” (v. 45). When Nathanael doubted, Philip didn’t argue, criticize, or give up on his friend. He simply invited him to meet Jesus face to face. “Come and see,” he said (v. 46).
I can imagine Philip’s joy when he heard Nathanael declare Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the king of Israel” (v. 49). What a blessing to know his friend wouldn’t miss out on seeing the “greater things” Jesus promised they’d witness (vv. 50–51).
The Holy Spirit initiates our intimate relationship with God and then lives in all who respond in faith. He enables us to know Him personally and to invite others to encounter Him daily through His Spirit and the Scriptures. An invitation to know Jesus better is a great gift to receive and give. By Xochitl Dixon
Today's Reflection
To whom will you extend an invitation to know Jesus better? How has He worked through others to grow your faith?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves?
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. —1 John 5:16
If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming critical of others and forgetting that God says, “…he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” Be careful that you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself.
One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5). We should intercede in accordance with what God says He will give us, namely, “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede.
Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can’t unless we are so closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony
Scripture often describes our behavior as the clothes we wear. 1 Peter 5:5 urges us to be "clothed with humility." In Psalm 109:18, David speaks of evil people who clothe themselves "with cursing." Garments can symbolize character; and like his garment, Jesus' character was uninterrupted perfection.
But when Christ was nailed to the cross, he took off his robe of seamless perfection and assumed a different wardrobe… the wardrobe of indignity. Stripped before his own mother. Shamed before his family. The indignity of failure. For a few pain-filled hours, the religious leaders were victors, and Christ appeared the loser. Worst of all, he wore the indignity of sin. Scripture says, "He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree." The cloth of Christ on the cross? Sin-yours and mine. The sins of all humanity.
From On Calvary's Hill
John 13:21-38
After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.”
22-25 The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, “Master, who?”
26-27 Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.
“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.”
28-29 No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Judas, with the piece of bread, left. It was night.
31-32 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified—glory all around!
33 “Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I’m telling you: ‘Where I go, you are not able to come.’
34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”
36 Simon Peter asked, “Master, just where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “You can’t now follow me where I’m going. You will follow later.”
37 “Master,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow now? I’ll lay down my life for you!”
38 “Really? You’ll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, “Come, follow me.” (Philip’s hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.)
45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’ve got to be kidding.”
But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.”
47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.”
48 Nathanael said, “Where did you get that idea? You don’t know me.”
Jesus answered, “One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!”
50-51 Jesus said, “You’ve become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven’t seen anything yet! Before this is over you’re going to see heaven open and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”
Insight
After Nathanael meets Jesus, he asks Him how He knew who he was. Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree” (John 1:48). William Barclay explains the significance of the fig tree in his commentary The Master’s Men. The fig tree can grow to fifteen feet high, and its branches can spread as much as twenty-five feet. So the tree served as “a kind of private room” where most devout Jews would pray and meditate. Jesus was recognizing Nathanael’s devotion and piety and that he was a man of prayer (vv. 47–48). By: K. T. Sim
The Greatest Gift
We have found . . . Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. John 1:45
Over the years, my friend Barbara has given me countless encouraging cards and thoughtful presents. After I told her I’d received Jesus as my Savior, she handed me the greatest gift she’d ever given me—my first Bible. She said, “You can grow closer to God and mature spiritually by meeting with Him daily, reading Scripture, praying, and trusting and obeying Him.” My life changed when Barbara invited me to get to know God better.
Barbara reminds me of the apostle Philip. After Jesus invited Philip to follow Him (John 1:43), the apostle immediately told his friend Nathanael that Jesus was “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote” (v. 45). When Nathanael doubted, Philip didn’t argue, criticize, or give up on his friend. He simply invited him to meet Jesus face to face. “Come and see,” he said (v. 46).
I can imagine Philip’s joy when he heard Nathanael declare Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the king of Israel” (v. 49). What a blessing to know his friend wouldn’t miss out on seeing the “greater things” Jesus promised they’d witness (vv. 50–51).
The Holy Spirit initiates our intimate relationship with God and then lives in all who respond in faith. He enables us to know Him personally and to invite others to encounter Him daily through His Spirit and the Scriptures. An invitation to know Jesus better is a great gift to receive and give. By Xochitl Dixon
Today's Reflection
To whom will you extend an invitation to know Jesus better? How has He worked through others to grow your faith?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves?
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. —1 John 5:16
If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming critical of others and forgetting that God says, “…he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” Be careful that you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself.
One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5). We should intercede in accordance with what God says He will give us, namely, “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede.
Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can’t unless we are so closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Psalm 65, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Far From Christ
Imagine the scene at the cross. Soldiers huddled in a circle, dice-throwing-casting lots for the possessions of Christ. Common soldiers witnessing the world's most uncommon event. To them he is just another criminal; the cross is forgotten.
It makes me think of us. The religious. Those who claim heritage at the cross. All of us. The strict…the loose…the simple…spirit-filled…evangelical. All of us! We're not so unlike these soldiers. We too, play games at the foot of the cross. We compete for members. We scramble for status. Competition. Selfishness. Personal gain. It's all there. We major in the trivial, we split into little huddles. Another name. Another doctrine. So close to the cross but so far from the Christ. "May they all be one," Jesus prayed. One. Not one in groups of two thousand. One church. One faith. One Lord. No hierarchies. No traditions. Just Christ.
From On Calvary's Hill
Psalm 65
A David Psalm
65 1-2 Silence is praise to you,
Zion-dwelling God,
And also obedience.
You hear the prayer in it all.
2-8 We all arrive at your doorstep sooner
or later, loaded with guilt,
Our sins too much for us—
but you get rid of them once and for all.
Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest
at home in your place!
We expect our fill of good things
in your house, your heavenly manse.
All your salvation wonders
are on display in your trophy room.
Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer,
Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser,
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash,
of mobs in noisy riot—
Far and wide they’ll come to a stop,
they’ll stare in awe, in wonder.
Dawn and dusk take turns
calling, “Come and worship.”
9-13 Oh, visit the earth,
ask her to join the dance!
Deck her out in spring showers,
fill the God-River with living water.
Paint the wheat fields golden.
Creation was made for this!
Drench the plowed fields,
soak the dirt clods
With rainfall as harrow and rake
bring her to blossom and fruit.
Snow-crown the peaks with splendor,
scatter rose petals down your paths,
All through the wild meadows, rose petals.
Set the hills to dancing,
Dress the canyon walls with live sheep,
a drape of flax across the valleys.
Let them shout, and shout, and shout!
Oh, oh, let them sing!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Hebrews 1:1-4
Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!
3-6 After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule. Did God ever say to an angel, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you” or “I’m his Father, he’s my Son”? When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, “All angels must worship him.”
Insight
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews urges first-century readers to see the prophets, laws, and temple worship as a prelude to Someone far greater (1:1–4). According to the letter’s anonymous author, God’s own Son (vv. 5–14) has suffered and “[tasted] death for everyone” (2:9) to provide a relationship with God that has replaced and made obsolete the law and covenant of Moses (3:1–6; 8:13). In layer after layer of detail, the letter describes how Jesus came to personify the Sabbath rest, high priest, sacrifice, and temple that foreshadowed Him.
For these reasons, the thirteen chapters of Hebrews urge readers not to give in to fears, distraction, or discouragement (3:8). The message is clear: don’t stop believing (10:19–11:40); don’t stop loving (10:24–25; 13:1–3); don’t stop following and relying on the Good and Great Shepherd (13:20) who gives us reason to believe that the best is yet ahead (9:28). By: Mart DeHaan
Creator and Sustainer
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3
Working with a magnifying glass and tweezers, Swiss watchmaker Phillipe meticulously explained to me how he takes apart, cleans, and reassembles the tiny parts of specialty mechanical watches. Looking at all the intricate pieces, Phillipe showed me the essential component of the timepiece, the mainspring. The mainspring is the component that moves all the gears to allow the watch to keep time. Without it, even the most expertly designed watch will not function.
In a beautiful New Testament passage found in the book of Hebrews, the writer eloquently praises Jesus for being the one through whom God created the heavens and the earth. Like the intricacy of a specialty watch, every detail of our universe was created by Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). From the vastness of the solar system to the uniqueness of our fingerprints, all things were made by Him.
But more than the Creator, Jesus, like a clock’s mainspring, is essential for the function and flourishing of creation. His presence continually “[sustains] all things by his powerful word” (v. 3), keeping all that He has created working together in all its amazing complexity.
As you have opportunity to experience the beauty of creation today, remember that “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). May the recognition of Jesus’s central role in both creating and sustaining the universe result in a joyful heart and a response of praise as we acknowledge His ongoing provision for us. By Lisa M. Samra
Today's Reflection
What in God’s creation has caused you to worship Him? Why?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Holiness or Hardness Toward God?
He…wondered that there was no intercessor… —Isaiah 59:16
The reason many of us stop praying and become hard toward God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say that we pray, and we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial— that our minds are quieted and our souls are uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implied in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer.
Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, “But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this”? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.
Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?
Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work— work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. Preaching the gospel has its share of pitfalls, but intercessory prayer has none whatsoever.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L
Imagine the scene at the cross. Soldiers huddled in a circle, dice-throwing-casting lots for the possessions of Christ. Common soldiers witnessing the world's most uncommon event. To them he is just another criminal; the cross is forgotten.
It makes me think of us. The religious. Those who claim heritage at the cross. All of us. The strict…the loose…the simple…spirit-filled…evangelical. All of us! We're not so unlike these soldiers. We too, play games at the foot of the cross. We compete for members. We scramble for status. Competition. Selfishness. Personal gain. It's all there. We major in the trivial, we split into little huddles. Another name. Another doctrine. So close to the cross but so far from the Christ. "May they all be one," Jesus prayed. One. Not one in groups of two thousand. One church. One faith. One Lord. No hierarchies. No traditions. Just Christ.
From On Calvary's Hill
Psalm 65
A David Psalm
65 1-2 Silence is praise to you,
Zion-dwelling God,
And also obedience.
You hear the prayer in it all.
2-8 We all arrive at your doorstep sooner
or later, loaded with guilt,
Our sins too much for us—
but you get rid of them once and for all.
Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest
at home in your place!
We expect our fill of good things
in your house, your heavenly manse.
All your salvation wonders
are on display in your trophy room.
Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer,
Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser,
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash,
of mobs in noisy riot—
Far and wide they’ll come to a stop,
they’ll stare in awe, in wonder.
Dawn and dusk take turns
calling, “Come and worship.”
9-13 Oh, visit the earth,
ask her to join the dance!
Deck her out in spring showers,
fill the God-River with living water.
Paint the wheat fields golden.
Creation was made for this!
Drench the plowed fields,
soak the dirt clods
With rainfall as harrow and rake
bring her to blossom and fruit.
Snow-crown the peaks with splendor,
scatter rose petals down your paths,
All through the wild meadows, rose petals.
Set the hills to dancing,
Dress the canyon walls with live sheep,
a drape of flax across the valleys.
Let them shout, and shout, and shout!
Oh, oh, let them sing!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Hebrews 1:1-4
Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!
3-6 After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule. Did God ever say to an angel, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you” or “I’m his Father, he’s my Son”? When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, “All angels must worship him.”
Insight
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews urges first-century readers to see the prophets, laws, and temple worship as a prelude to Someone far greater (1:1–4). According to the letter’s anonymous author, God’s own Son (vv. 5–14) has suffered and “[tasted] death for everyone” (2:9) to provide a relationship with God that has replaced and made obsolete the law and covenant of Moses (3:1–6; 8:13). In layer after layer of detail, the letter describes how Jesus came to personify the Sabbath rest, high priest, sacrifice, and temple that foreshadowed Him.
For these reasons, the thirteen chapters of Hebrews urge readers not to give in to fears, distraction, or discouragement (3:8). The message is clear: don’t stop believing (10:19–11:40); don’t stop loving (10:24–25; 13:1–3); don’t stop following and relying on the Good and Great Shepherd (13:20) who gives us reason to believe that the best is yet ahead (9:28). By: Mart DeHaan
Creator and Sustainer
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3
Working with a magnifying glass and tweezers, Swiss watchmaker Phillipe meticulously explained to me how he takes apart, cleans, and reassembles the tiny parts of specialty mechanical watches. Looking at all the intricate pieces, Phillipe showed me the essential component of the timepiece, the mainspring. The mainspring is the component that moves all the gears to allow the watch to keep time. Without it, even the most expertly designed watch will not function.
In a beautiful New Testament passage found in the book of Hebrews, the writer eloquently praises Jesus for being the one through whom God created the heavens and the earth. Like the intricacy of a specialty watch, every detail of our universe was created by Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). From the vastness of the solar system to the uniqueness of our fingerprints, all things were made by Him.
But more than the Creator, Jesus, like a clock’s mainspring, is essential for the function and flourishing of creation. His presence continually “[sustains] all things by his powerful word” (v. 3), keeping all that He has created working together in all its amazing complexity.
As you have opportunity to experience the beauty of creation today, remember that “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). May the recognition of Jesus’s central role in both creating and sustaining the universe result in a joyful heart and a response of praise as we acknowledge His ongoing provision for us. By Lisa M. Samra
Today's Reflection
What in God’s creation has caused you to worship Him? Why?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Holiness or Hardness Toward God?
He…wondered that there was no intercessor… —Isaiah 59:16
The reason many of us stop praying and become hard toward God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say that we pray, and we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial— that our minds are quieted and our souls are uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implied in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer.
Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, “But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this”? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.
Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?
Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work— work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. Preaching the gospel has its share of pitfalls, but intercessory prayer has none whatsoever.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L
Friday, March 29, 2019
Psalm 62, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: HE STILL MOVES STONES
Why did God leave us one tale after another of wounded lives being restored? It isn’t to tell us what Jesus did. It’s to tell us what Jesus does. Paul says in Romans 15:4, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scripture gives us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope.”
Reflect on your own journey. What was it like before you met Christ? And share your story; not with everyone necessarily, but with someone. Your honest portrayal of your past may be the courage for another’s future. But don’t just depict the past. Depict the present. Describe his touch and the difference Jesus has made in your life. He’s not finished with you yet! Ah, but look how far you’ve come! What God begins, God completes. The God who spoke still speaks. The God who forgave still forgives. He still moves stones.
Read more He Still Moves Stones
Psalm 62
A David Psalm
62 1-2 God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I need comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
3-4 How long will you gang up on me?
How long will you run with the bullies?
There’s nothing to you, any of you—
rotten floorboards, worm-eaten rafters,
Anthills plotting to bring down mountains,
far gone in make-believe.
You talk a good line,
but every “blessing” breathes a curse.
5-6 God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
7-8 My help and glory are in God
—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
lay your lives on the line for him.
God is a safe place to be.
9 Man as such is smoke,
woman as such, a mirage.
Put them together, they’re nothing;
two times nothing is nothing.
10 And a windfall, if it comes—
don’t make too much of it.
11 God said this once and for all;
how many times
Have I heard it repeated?
“Strength comes
Straight from God.”
12 Love to you, Lord God!
You pay a fair wage for a good day’s work!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, March 29, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 2:12-18
What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
14-16 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
17-18 Even if I am executed here and now, I’ll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ’s altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout’s fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don’t feel sorry for me.
Insight
The Philippian Christians are not to work for their salvation, for salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9). Instead, having received salvation, Paul urged them to live out their Christian life—to “work hard to show the results of [their] salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (Philippians 2:12 nlt). They are to follow Christ’s example in servanthood and humility (vv. 3–11). In today’s passage, Paul used two metaphors to describe how we are to live: First, we are to “shine . . . like stars” (v. 15). Pointedly, Jesus said that as “the light of the world” we are to let our “light shine before others, that they may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Second, as runners in a race (Philippians 2:16), we are to “run with perseverance” (Hebrews 12:1) and “in such a way as to get the prize”—to complete the race (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). By: K. T. Sim
Bright Lights
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
In the summer of 2015, a group from our church was sobered by what we saw in Mathare, one of the slums in Nairobi, Kenya. We visited a school with dirt floors, rusting metal walls, and wooden benches. But against the backdrop of extremely humble surroundings, one person stood out.
Her name was Brilliant, and the name couldn’t have fit her better. She was an elementary school teacher who possessed joy and determination that matched her mission. Colorfully dressed, her appearance and the joy with which she instructed and encouraged the children were stunning.
The bright light Brilliant brought to her surroundings resembles the way Christians in Philippi were to be positioned in their world when Paul wrote to them in the first century. Against the background of a spiritually needy world, believers in the Lord Jesus were to shine “like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15). Our assignment hasn’t changed. Bright lights are needed everywhere! How encouraging it is to know that through the One “who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (v. 13) believers in Jesus can sparkle in ways that fit Jesus’s description of those who follow Him. To us He still says, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). By Arthur Jackson
Today's Reflection
How can you reveal the light of Christ to others? What can you do to bring His joy to those who desperately need it?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, March 29, 2019
Our Lord’s Surprise Visits
You also be ready… —Luke 12:40
A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.
Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle— we must be spiritually real.
If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. You should trust no one, and even ignore the finest saint on earth if he blocks your sight of Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6). The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, March 29, 2019
The Oscar Outlook - #8405
Our kids were part of the Sesame Street generation. Maybe you can hear the theme song in the back of your mind; it depends on your age. They grew up watching what was then the most creative, groundbreaking children's program of its time. And Sesame Street always had an interesting cast of Muppet characters to make learning more interesting. I mean, who could forget Bert and Ernie, and Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Big Bird (who I always thought looked like a canary on steroids)? And, of course, the epitome of poor hygiene, Oscar the Grouch. In case you've been culturally deprived, Oscar is this hairy creature with his big eyes and a bad attitude who lives in a garbage can. He even sings a song called, "I Love Trash." Oscar doesn't have to live in a garbage can. He chooses to. No wonder he's got a bad attitude!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Oscar Outlook."
No one would choose to live in the garbage, would they? Well, in a way, a lot of people do just that, which leads us to what I consider the most curious question Jesus ever asked. He is at the pool of Bethesda, which many in that day believed had healing powers when it was stirred by an angel. Jesus sees this paralyzed man lying there who had been an invalid for 38 years. In our word for today from the Word of God, beginning in John 5:6 - "Jesus asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'" That's a curious question. "'Sir,' the invalid replied, 'I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.' Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
Now why would Jesus ask a paralyzed man if he wants to get well? The Bible doesn't tell us, but I have a guess. He had been in his paralyzed condition so long he might have been almost afraid to be well. He knew how to be paralyzed; he didn't know how to be well.
That might be like some of us when it comes to the baggage, or let's call it the "garbage" of our lives. When you've experienced pain in your past, maybe abuse, betrayal, tragedy, it's easy to begin to define your life as "victim." You may very well have been the victim of some person or situation that has hurt you deeply and you had no control.
But continuing to dwell on the pain of your past; continuing to define yourself by the pain of your past, in some ways, it's like following the Oscar approach to life...sort of living in the trash can, dwelling on - or dwelling in - the garbage of your life. You hate it, but you keep returning to it mentally and emotionally. And you start to get an Oscar outlook on life: negative, grouchy, thin-skinned, pitying yourself too much, and spilling garbage on other people.
And Jesus comes along and He asks that question, "Do you want to get well?" Living amidst the garbage of your past is a choice. Jesus has been setting people free from their emotional trash cans for 2,000 years! It will mean facing your issues instead of running from them, maybe working through them with a trained counselor, it might mean doing some forgiving, a lot of praying, and letting Jesus be the Lord of the corners of your heart that you've kept off limits to Him before.
See, when Jesus was born, the announcement was, "He will save His people from their sins." That's all the garbage and junk of our past...the sins that we've done and the sins that have been done to us. And the Bible says "Jesus came to rescue us from those" so that those don't ever have to be a part of our life again; never more defined by them.
What you've done before today, it doesn't ever have to matter anymore because Jesus died; He took the rap - paid the penalty - to remove all that junk and forgive it. This day would you say to Him, "Jesus, I'm yours. I want to start over. I want a clean heart. I want a new beginning. You're alive! You walked out of your grave. I want to have You in my life." Listen, we'll help you know how to do that if you'll just visit our website. It's called ANewStory.com.
Look, the trash of your past is real, but you don't have to live there any longer! Leave the past where it belongs - at the cross of Jesus Christ and follow Jesus to a brand new beginning!
Why did God leave us one tale after another of wounded lives being restored? It isn’t to tell us what Jesus did. It’s to tell us what Jesus does. Paul says in Romans 15:4, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scripture gives us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope.”
Reflect on your own journey. What was it like before you met Christ? And share your story; not with everyone necessarily, but with someone. Your honest portrayal of your past may be the courage for another’s future. But don’t just depict the past. Depict the present. Describe his touch and the difference Jesus has made in your life. He’s not finished with you yet! Ah, but look how far you’ve come! What God begins, God completes. The God who spoke still speaks. The God who forgave still forgives. He still moves stones.
Read more He Still Moves Stones
Psalm 62
A David Psalm
62 1-2 God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I need comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
3-4 How long will you gang up on me?
How long will you run with the bullies?
There’s nothing to you, any of you—
rotten floorboards, worm-eaten rafters,
Anthills plotting to bring down mountains,
far gone in make-believe.
You talk a good line,
but every “blessing” breathes a curse.
5-6 God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
7-8 My help and glory are in God
—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
lay your lives on the line for him.
God is a safe place to be.
9 Man as such is smoke,
woman as such, a mirage.
Put them together, they’re nothing;
two times nothing is nothing.
10 And a windfall, if it comes—
don’t make too much of it.
11 God said this once and for all;
how many times
Have I heard it repeated?
“Strength comes
Straight from God.”
12 Love to you, Lord God!
You pay a fair wage for a good day’s work!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, March 29, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 2:12-18
What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
14-16 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
17-18 Even if I am executed here and now, I’ll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ’s altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout’s fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don’t feel sorry for me.
Insight
The Philippian Christians are not to work for their salvation, for salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9). Instead, having received salvation, Paul urged them to live out their Christian life—to “work hard to show the results of [their] salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (Philippians 2:12 nlt). They are to follow Christ’s example in servanthood and humility (vv. 3–11). In today’s passage, Paul used two metaphors to describe how we are to live: First, we are to “shine . . . like stars” (v. 15). Pointedly, Jesus said that as “the light of the world” we are to let our “light shine before others, that they may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Second, as runners in a race (Philippians 2:16), we are to “run with perseverance” (Hebrews 12:1) and “in such a way as to get the prize”—to complete the race (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). By: K. T. Sim
Bright Lights
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
In the summer of 2015, a group from our church was sobered by what we saw in Mathare, one of the slums in Nairobi, Kenya. We visited a school with dirt floors, rusting metal walls, and wooden benches. But against the backdrop of extremely humble surroundings, one person stood out.
Her name was Brilliant, and the name couldn’t have fit her better. She was an elementary school teacher who possessed joy and determination that matched her mission. Colorfully dressed, her appearance and the joy with which she instructed and encouraged the children were stunning.
The bright light Brilliant brought to her surroundings resembles the way Christians in Philippi were to be positioned in their world when Paul wrote to them in the first century. Against the background of a spiritually needy world, believers in the Lord Jesus were to shine “like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15). Our assignment hasn’t changed. Bright lights are needed everywhere! How encouraging it is to know that through the One “who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (v. 13) believers in Jesus can sparkle in ways that fit Jesus’s description of those who follow Him. To us He still says, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). By Arthur Jackson
Today's Reflection
How can you reveal the light of Christ to others? What can you do to bring His joy to those who desperately need it?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, March 29, 2019
Our Lord’s Surprise Visits
You also be ready… —Luke 12:40
A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.
Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle— we must be spiritually real.
If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. You should trust no one, and even ignore the finest saint on earth if he blocks your sight of Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6). The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, March 29, 2019
The Oscar Outlook - #8405
Our kids were part of the Sesame Street generation. Maybe you can hear the theme song in the back of your mind; it depends on your age. They grew up watching what was then the most creative, groundbreaking children's program of its time. And Sesame Street always had an interesting cast of Muppet characters to make learning more interesting. I mean, who could forget Bert and Ernie, and Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Big Bird (who I always thought looked like a canary on steroids)? And, of course, the epitome of poor hygiene, Oscar the Grouch. In case you've been culturally deprived, Oscar is this hairy creature with his big eyes and a bad attitude who lives in a garbage can. He even sings a song called, "I Love Trash." Oscar doesn't have to live in a garbage can. He chooses to. No wonder he's got a bad attitude!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Oscar Outlook."
No one would choose to live in the garbage, would they? Well, in a way, a lot of people do just that, which leads us to what I consider the most curious question Jesus ever asked. He is at the pool of Bethesda, which many in that day believed had healing powers when it was stirred by an angel. Jesus sees this paralyzed man lying there who had been an invalid for 38 years. In our word for today from the Word of God, beginning in John 5:6 - "Jesus asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'" That's a curious question. "'Sir,' the invalid replied, 'I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.' Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
Now why would Jesus ask a paralyzed man if he wants to get well? The Bible doesn't tell us, but I have a guess. He had been in his paralyzed condition so long he might have been almost afraid to be well. He knew how to be paralyzed; he didn't know how to be well.
That might be like some of us when it comes to the baggage, or let's call it the "garbage" of our lives. When you've experienced pain in your past, maybe abuse, betrayal, tragedy, it's easy to begin to define your life as "victim." You may very well have been the victim of some person or situation that has hurt you deeply and you had no control.
But continuing to dwell on the pain of your past; continuing to define yourself by the pain of your past, in some ways, it's like following the Oscar approach to life...sort of living in the trash can, dwelling on - or dwelling in - the garbage of your life. You hate it, but you keep returning to it mentally and emotionally. And you start to get an Oscar outlook on life: negative, grouchy, thin-skinned, pitying yourself too much, and spilling garbage on other people.
And Jesus comes along and He asks that question, "Do you want to get well?" Living amidst the garbage of your past is a choice. Jesus has been setting people free from their emotional trash cans for 2,000 years! It will mean facing your issues instead of running from them, maybe working through them with a trained counselor, it might mean doing some forgiving, a lot of praying, and letting Jesus be the Lord of the corners of your heart that you've kept off limits to Him before.
See, when Jesus was born, the announcement was, "He will save His people from their sins." That's all the garbage and junk of our past...the sins that we've done and the sins that have been done to us. And the Bible says "Jesus came to rescue us from those" so that those don't ever have to be a part of our life again; never more defined by them.
What you've done before today, it doesn't ever have to matter anymore because Jesus died; He took the rap - paid the penalty - to remove all that junk and forgive it. This day would you say to Him, "Jesus, I'm yours. I want to start over. I want a clean heart. I want a new beginning. You're alive! You walked out of your grave. I want to have You in my life." Listen, we'll help you know how to do that if you'll just visit our website. It's called ANewStory.com.
Look, the trash of your past is real, but you don't have to live there any longer! Leave the past where it belongs - at the cross of Jesus Christ and follow Jesus to a brand new beginning!
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