Mark 15:26-47, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: It Is Better - January 24, 2022

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

It is better to forgive than to hold a grudge, better to build up than to tear down, better to seek to understand than to disregard, better to love than to hate.

God’s solution for the ills of society is a quorum of unselfish, life-giving, God-loving folks who flow through the neighborhoods and businesses like cleansing agents, bringing in the good and flushing out the bad. They hail from all corners of the globe, reflect all hues of skin. Liberal, conservative, rural, metropolitan, young, old. Yet they are bound together by this amazing discovery: happiness is found by giving it away.

Mark 15:26-47

 They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

31-32 The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.

33-34 At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

35-36 Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

37-39 But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”
Taken to a Tomb

40-41 There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.

42-45 Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.

46-47 Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Monday, January 24, 2022

Today's Scripture
Jeremiah 18:1–6
(NIV)

At the Potter’s House

18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like claym in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand,n Israel.

Insight

Jeremiah used the analogy of the potter and clay to illustrate God’s freedom to judge and restore His people. Even if God promised that a nation would be “built up and planted” (Jeremiah 18:9), that didn’t mean a nation should become complacent and arrogant, for God is free to respond to unrepentant sin with judgment (v. 10). At the same time, God’s judgment of Israel didn’t suggest their permanent destruction; for if Israel repented, God, like a potter reshaping clay, would freely reshape and rebuild Israel (v. 8).

The metaphor of the potter and clay also emphasizes God’s good purposes for His creation. A potter responds to defects in the clay (lack of moisture, a lump, or other issues) by further working the clay into a usable form. Likewise, God doesn’t throw away His creation but continues to work toward His good purposes. By: Monica La Rose

The Potter’s Wheel

The pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Jeremiah 18:4

In 1952, in an effort to prevent clumsy or careless people from breaking items in a shop, a Miami Beach storeowner posted a sign that read: “You break it, you buy it.” The catchy phrase served as a warning to shoppers. This type of sign can now be seen in many boutiques.

Ironically, a different sign might be placed in a real potter’s shop. It would say: “If you break it, we’ll make it into something better.” And that’s exactly what’s revealed in Jeremiah 18.

Jeremiah visits a potter’s house and sees the potter shaping the “marred” clay with his hands, carefully handling the material and forming “it into another pot” (v. 4). The prophet reminds us that God is indeed a skillful potter, and we are the clay. He is sovereign and can use what He creates to both destroy evil and create beauty in us.

God can shape us even when we’re marred or broken. He, the masterful potter, can and is willing to create new and precious pottery from our shattered pieces. God doesn’t look at our broken lives, mistakes, and past sins as unusable material. Instead, He picks up our pieces and reshapes them as He sees best.

Even in our brokenness, we have immense value to our Master Potter. In His hands, the broken pieces of our lives can be reshaped into beautiful vessels that can be used by Him (v. 4).

By:  Katara Patton

Reflect & Pray

What comfort can you find in knowing God is a potter who can form something new from your broken pieces? How can you relax as the Potter reshapes you into a beautiful vessel?

God, You’re the Potter and I’m the clay. Mold me as You wish. Remind me that I’m in Your skillful and caring hands.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, January 24, 2022
God’s Overpowering Purpose

I have appeared to you for this purpose… —Acts 26:16

The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was not a passing emotional experience, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him. And Paul stated, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Our Lord said to Paul, in effect, “Your whole life is to be overpowered or subdued by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” And the Lord also says to us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go…” (John 15:16).

When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all, we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be. It is important that I learn not to be “disobedient to the heavenly vision” — not to doubt that it can be attained. It is not enough to give mental assent to the fact that God has redeemed the world, nor even to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did a reality in my life. I must have the foundation of a personal relationship with Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim. He was brought into a vivid, personal, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ. Acts 26:16 is tremendously compelling “…to make you a minister and a witness….” There would be nothing there without a personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s. He saw nothing else and he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.

Bible in a Year: Exodus 9-11; Matthew 15:21-39

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, January 24, 2022
Which Way in the Wildfire? - #9141

It seems like every spring, every summer we hear about those raging wildfires! It's like on the news every day sometimes. When I hear about it, my ears perk up. I mean, we've had friends who lost their home in one of those wildfires. We know Native American friends who are sometimes on the front lines fighting those fires. I hate it when we hear about a firefighter who has been lost.

Now, when there were some major fires raging in Washington State a few years ago, my mind flashed back to another Washington fire that they called the Thirty-Mile Fire. It was one of those that just exploded suddenly. It forced the firefighters to stop fighting the fire and start fighting for their lives. Most of them deployed those survival tents that can save lives in a sudden emergency like this.

But then there were the four rookie firefighters. Partly because of what were later proven to be supervisory errors, they ended up on a road that they felt would lead them to safety. It was a dead-end road. And four young firefighters, each one outstanding in their own way, lost their lives that day.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Which Way in the Wildfire?"

I can't recall that tragedy without it bringing to mind an even greater tragedy that costs so many lives...forever. The Bible starkly describes people who think they're on a road that leads to life - eternal life - and then to find out too late that it's a dead-end road.

Our word for today from the Word of God puts it this way in Proverbs 16:25: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." That's a disturbing verse. There are a lot of things you can be wrong about without paying a horrific price, but eternity is not one of them.

And Jesus said a lot of people are wrong about where they're headed after they die. He said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:13, 14).

It's popular today to believe that the road of heaven is so wide that any number of beliefs - believed sincerely enough - will get you there. But sincerity doesn't mean you'll escape the fire, or the fact that it looks like or feels like the right road. Not if it's a dead-end.

Jesus came because, in a sense, every religion is a dead-end road, because it can't erase your sin. And "nothing impure will ever enter" heaven, the Bible says (Revelation 21:27). Truth is, we're all "impure." We've all, in the Bible's words, "left God's path to follow our own" (Isaiah 53:6 - NLT). And our sin (again from the Bible) "has separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:1). God says our hijacking of our own life carries an eternal death penalty that can only be paid one way. Somebody's got to die for my sin to get paid for and forgiven. Clearly, I'm the one who deserves to pay that penalty.

But in the greatest act of love in human history, God's Son - here's the Bible again - "personally carried our sins in His own body on the cross" (1 Peter 2:24). So I did the sinning, but Jesus did the dying. I still can't get over that.

Only the One who died for our sins can forgive our sins and erase what will keep us out of heaven. It's not about the superiority of the Christian religion. It's not about a religion at all; no religion can die for you. It's about a Rescuer, the only One who can save us from the fire of sin's judgment, because He took that fire for us. To trust in anything else is to learn too late that you've made the greatest mistake a human can make. You chose a dead-end road.

More than anything, Jesus wants you in heaven with Him one day. That's why He paid that price on the cross. And if you've never put your total trust in Him to rescue you from your sin and you're ready to, well tell Him right now, "Jesus, I'm Yours. You're my only hope, because You died for me."

Check out our website. You'll see there how you can be sure you belong to Him - ANewStory.com. Look, is there any better day to get this settled than today?

Numbers 22 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A Special Date

A quiet time with God is very similar to a special date. Denalyn and I like to go to the same restaurants over and over again. When we’re there we remember special moments we’ve shared before. Our hearts open up. We talk to each other. We listen, we laugh, and sometimes we cry. I love those times!

So does God. A quiet time with God is very similar to a special date. Here are some tools to help you keep your date with Him special. Select a slot in your schedule and claim it for God. Take as much time as you need. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants.

Bring an open Bible—God’s Word, his love letter to you. Bring a listening heart and listen to the lover of your soul. Make sure your date with God is on the calendar, and do everything in your power to keep it special!

From Max on Life

Numbers 22

Balaam

The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho.

2-3 Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized.

4-5 Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: “Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean.”

Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland.

5-6 Balak’s emissaries said, “Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they’re all over the place! And they’re pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they’re too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we’ll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed.”

7-8 The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak’s message.

“Stay here for the night,” Balaam said. “In the morning I’ll deliver the answer that God gives me.”

The Moabite nobles stayed with him.

9 Then God came to Balaam. He asked, “So who are these men here with you?”

10-11 Balaam answered, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.’”

12 God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. And don’t curse the others—they are a blessed people.”

13 The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s nobles, “Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you.”

14 So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”

15-17 Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, “Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don’t refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I’ll do; I’ll pay anything—only come and curse this people.’”

18-19 Balaam answered Balak’s servants: “Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I’ll see what God will say to me this time.”

20 God came to Balaam that night and said, “Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you.”

21-23 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God’s anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road.

24-25 But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God’s angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam’s foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again.

26-27 God’s angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam’s donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick.

28 Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: “What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?”

29 Balaam said, “Because you’ve been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you’ve ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?”

He said, “No.”

31 Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God’s angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt.

32-33 God’s angel said to him: “Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you’re getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn’t, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off.”

34 Balaam said to God’s angel, “I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don’t like what I’m doing, I’ll head back.”

35 But God’s angel said to Balaam, “Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word.”

And so Balaam continued to go with Balak’s nobles.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land.

37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send an urgent message for help? Why didn’t you come when I called? Do you think I can’t pay you enough?”

38 Balaam said to Balak, “Well, I’m here now. But I can’t tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me—no others.”

39-40 Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him.

41 At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Today's Scripture
Acts 2:32–41
(NIV)

God has raised this Jesus to life,f and we are all witnessesg of it. 33 Exaltedh to the right hand of God,i he has received from the Fatherj the promised Holy Spiritk and has poured outl what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

35 until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.” ’f m

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lordn and Messiah.”o

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”p

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,q every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.r And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.s 39 The promise is for you and your childrent and for all who are far offu—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”v 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their numberw that day.

Insight

The significance of the apostle Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–41) can’t be overstated. He was the first to publicly preach the gospel after Jesus’ return to heaven. His sermon established the pattern for the preaching we see in Acts, the rest of the New Testament, and subsequent preaching about Christ. What were the features of Peter’s public proclamation of Jesus? It was rooted in Scripture (Acts 2:17–20 [Joel 2]; Acts 2:25–28 [Psalm 16]; Acts 2:34–35 [Psalm 110:1]). He presented it in clear terms, explaining how God had made Jesus “both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). Finally, Peter’s preaching called for a response with the offer of forgiveness and the gift of God’s Spirit to all who would receive (v. 38). By: Arthur Jackson

This Is Grace

God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.
Acts 2:36

Les Misérables begins with paroled convict Jean Valjean stealing a priest’s silver. He’s caught, and he expects to be returned to the mines. But the priest shocks everyone when he claims he’d given the silver to Valjean. After the police leave, he turns to the thief, “You belong no longer to evil, but to good.”

Such extravagant love points to the love that flowed from the fountain from which all grace comes. On the day of Pentecost, Peter told his audience that less than two months before, in that very city, they had crucified Jesus. The crowd was crushed and asked what they must do. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Jesus had endured the punishment they deserved. Now their penalty would be forgiven if they put their faith in Him.

Oh, the irony of grace. The people could only be forgiven because of Christ’s death—a death they were responsible for. How gracious and powerful is God! He’s used humanity’s greatest sin to accomplish our salvation. If God has already done this with the sin of crucifying Jesus, we may assume there’s nothing He can’t turn into something good. Trust the One who “in all things . . . works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Reflect & Pray

Have you given yourself to Jesus? If not, what’s holding you back? If you have, what will it mean for you to give your fears to Him as well?

Dear Father, thank You for Your extravagant love that rescued me from my sin. Please take all my fears and help me to trust You.

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Transformed by Beholding
We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image… —2 Corinthians 3:18

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.

The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord….”

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.  The Place of Help, 1051 L

Bible in a Year: Exodus 7-8; Matthew 15:1-20

Numbers 21, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Don't Count Sheep

Fretting over tomorrow's problems siphons the strength you need for today, leaving you anemic and weak. So, when you can't sleep-don't count sheep. Read Scripture.
Worry takes a look at catastrophes and groans, "It's all coming unraveled." But God says in Romans 8:28 that "every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."
Worry claims, "The world has gone crazy." God's Word disagrees. Mark 7:37 says, "He has done it all and done it well."
Worry wonders if anyone is in control. Yet God's Word calls Him "the blessed controller of all things." (1 Tim. 6:14-15 Phillips)
Worry whispers this lie: "God doesn't know what I need." But God's Word declares in Philippians 4:19, "God will take care of everything you need."
Worry never sleeps. But God's children do!
From Max on Life

Numbers 21

Hormah

The Canaanite king of Arad, ruling in the Negev, heard that Israel was advancing up the road to Atharim. He attacked Israel and took prisoners of war.

2 Israel vowed a vow to God: “If you will give this people into our power, we’ll destroy their towns and present the ruins to you as a holy destruction.”

3 God listened to Israel’s prayer and gave them the Canaanites. They destroyed both them and their towns, a holy destruction. They named the place Hormah (Holy Destruction).
The Snake of Fiery Copper

4-5 They set out from Mount Hor along the Red Sea Road, a detour around the land of Edom. The people became irritable and cross as they traveled. They spoke out against God and Moses: “Why did you drag us out of Egypt to die in this godforsaken country? No decent food; no water—we can’t stomach this stuff any longer.”

6-7 So God sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit them and many in Israel died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke out against God and you. Pray to God; ask him to take these snakes from us.”

Moses prayed for the people.

8 God said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a flagpole: Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live.”

9 So Moses made a snake of fiery copper and put it on top of a flagpole. Anyone bitten by a snake who then looked at the copper snake lived.
Camping on the Way to Moab

10-15 The People of Israel set out and camped at Oboth. They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim in the wilderness that faces Moab on the east. They went from there and pitched camp in the Zered Valley. Their next camp was alongside the Arnon River, which marks the border between Amorite country and Moab. The Book of the Wars of God refers to this place:

Waheb in Suphah,
    the canyons of Arnon;
Along the canyon ravines
    that lead to the village Ar
And lean hard against
    the border of Moab.

16-18 They went on to Beer (The Well), where God said to Moses, “Gather the people; I’ll give them water.” That’s where Israel sang this song:

    Erupt, Well!
Sing the Song of the Well,
    the well sunk by princes,
Dug out by the peoples’ leaders
    digging with their scepters and staffs.

19-20 From the wilderness their route went from Mattanah to Nahaliel to Bamoth (The Heights) to the valley that opens into the fields of Moab from where Pisgah (The Summit) rises and overlooks Jeshimon (Wasteland).

21-22 Israel sent emissaries to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, “Let us cross your land. We won’t trespass into your fields or drink water in your vineyards. We’ll keep to the main road, the King’s Road, until we’re through your land.”

23-27 But Sihon wouldn’t let Israel go through. Instead he got his army together and marched into the wilderness to fight Israel. At Jahaz he attacked Israel. But Israel fought hard, beat him soundly, and took possession of his land from the Arnon all the way to the Jabbok right up to the Ammonite border. They stopped there because the Ammonite border was fortified. Israel took and occupied all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. Heshbon was the capital city of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had attacked the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far north as the river Arnon. That is why the folk singers sing,

Come to Heshbon to rebuild the city,
    restore Sihon’s town.

28-29
Fire once poured out of Heshbon,
    flames from the city of Sihon;
Burning up Ar of Moab,
    the natives of Arnon’s heights.
Doom, Moab!
    The people of Chemosh, done for!
Sons turned out as fugitives, daughters abandoned as captives
    to the king of the Amorites, to Sihon.

30
Oh, but we finished them off:
    Nothing left of Heshbon as far as Dibon;
Devastation as far off as Nophah,
    scorched earth all the way to Medeba.

31-32 Israel moved in and lived in Amorite country. Moses sent men to scout out Jazer. They captured its villages and drove away the Amorites who lived there.

33 Then they turned north on the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan marched out with his entire army to meet Moses in battle at Edrei.

34 God said to Moses, “Don’t be afraid of him. I’m making a present of him to you, him and all his people and his land. Treat him the same as Sihon king of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon.”

35 So they attacked him, his sons, and all the people—there was not a single survivor. Israel took the land.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Saturday, January 22, 2022

Today's Scripture
Genesis 3:1–10
(NIV)

The Fall

3 Now the serpente was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?f”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,g 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”h

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.i 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,j knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirablek for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,l who was with her, and he ate it.m 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;n so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.o

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walkingp in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hidq from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”r

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraids because I was naked;t so I hid.”

Insight

Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 identify the serpent in Genesis 3 as “the devil” (false accuser) or “Satan” (adversary). Jesus called Satan “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Paul says that “Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Adam and Eve were prohibited from eating from only one specific tree—“the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16–17). But Satan twisted that prohibition to include “any tree in the garden” (3:1). “You will not certainly die” (v. 4) was Satan’s defiant challenge to God (2:17). Eve modified God’s clear instruction by adding “you must not touch it” (3:3). By: K. T. Sim

Hiding from God

The Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9

I squeezed my eyes shut and started counting aloud. My fellow third-grade classmates tore out of the room to find a place to hide. After scouring every cabinet, trunk, and closet for what felt like hours, I still couldn’t find one of my friends. I felt ridiculous when she finally jumped out from behind a lacey, potted fern hanging from the ceiling. Only her head had been eclipsed by the plant—the rest of her body had been in plain sight the entire time!

Since God is all-knowing, when Adam and Eve “hid from [Him]” (Genesis 3:8) in the garden of Eden, they were always in “plain sight.” But they weren’t playing any childhood game; they were experiencing the sudden awareness—and shame—of their wrongdoing, having eaten from the tree God told them not to eat from.

Adam and Eve turned from God and His loving provision when they disobeyed His instructions. Instead of withdrawing from them in anger, however, He sought them out, asking, “Where are you?” (v. 9). It’s not that He didn’t know where they were, but He wanted them to know His compassionate concern for them.

I couldn’t see my friend hiding, but God always sees us and knows us—to Him we’re always in plain sight. Just as He pursued Adam and Eve, Jesus sought us out while we were “still sinners”—dying on the cross to demonstrate His love for us (Romans 5:8). We no longer need to hide. By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

When have you tried to “hide” from God? How has He sought you out?

Father God, thank You for demonstrating Your love and care for me despite the ways I wrong You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Am I Looking To God?

Look to Me, and be saved… —Isaiah 45:22

Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says, “Look to Me, and be saved….” The greatest difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and His blessings are what make it so difficult. Troubles almost always make us look to God, but His blessings tend to divert our attention elsewhere. The basic lesson of the Sermon on the Mount is to narrow all your interests until your mind, heart, and body are focused on Jesus Christ. “Look to Me….”

Many of us have a mental picture of what a Christian should be, and looking at this image in other Christians’ lives becomes a hindrance to our focusing on God. This is not salvation— it is not simple enough. He says, in effect, “Look to Me and you are saved,” not “You will be saved someday.” We will find what we are looking for if we will concentrate on Him. We get distracted from God and irritable with Him while He continues to say to us, “Look to Me, and be saved….” Our difficulties, our trials, and our worries about tomorrow all vanish when we look to God.

Wake yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter how many things seem to be pressing in on you, be determined to push them aside and look to Him. “Look to Me….” Salvation is yours the moment you look.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading.  My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

Bible in a Year: Exodus 4-6; Matthew 14:22-36

Numbers 20 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Undeserved - January 21, 2022

Many years ago a man came to see me regarding his wife’s boss. The boss had demanded extra work and offered poor compensation. The husband confronted the man. The supervisor owned up to his mismanagement and made amends.

The wife was grateful, but the husband was still angry. He could not forgive the man. So he wrote a letter containing an account of the offending actions. He brought it to my office along with a box of matches. He read the letter to me. The husband asked me to pray and watch as he burned the letter. We did.

Matthew 6:14 says, “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Being the recipient that you are of God’s great grace, does it not make sense to give grace to others?

Numbers 20

Camp Kadesh

In the first month, the entire company of the People of Israel arrived in the Wilderness of Zin. The people stayed in Kadesh.

Miriam died there, and she was buried.

2-5 There was no water there for the community, so they ganged up on Moses and Aaron. They attacked Moses: “We wish we’d died when the rest of our brothers died before God. Why did you haul this congregation of God out here into this wilderness to die, people and cattle alike? And why did you take us out of Egypt in the first place, dragging us into this miserable country? No grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates—and now not even any water!”

6 Moses and Aaron walked from the assembled congregation to the Tent of Meeting and threw themselves facedown on the ground. And they saw the Glory of God.

7-8 God spoke to Moses: “Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that’s right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink.”

9-10 Moses took the staff away from God’s presence, as commanded. He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: “Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”

11 With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank.

12 God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t trust me, didn’t treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren’t going to lead this company into the land that I am giving them.”

13 These were the Waters of Meribah (Bickering) where the People of Israel bickered with God, and he revealed himself as holy.

* * *

14-16 Moses sent emissaries from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: “A message from your brother Israel: You are familiar with all the trouble we’ve run into. Our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived there a long time. The Egyptians viciously abused both us and our ancestors. But when we cried out for help to God, he heard our cry. He sent an angel and got us out of Egypt. And now here we are at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land.

17 “Will you give us permission to cut across your land? We won’t trespass through your fields or orchards and we won’t drink out of your wells; we’ll keep to the main road, the King’s Road, straying neither right nor left until we’ve crossed your border.”

18 The king of Edom answered, “Not on your life. If you so much as set a foot on my land, I’ll kill you.”

19 The People of Israel said, “Look, we’ll stay on the main road. If we or our animals drink any water, we’ll pay you for it. We’re harmless—just a company of footsore travelers.”

20-21 He answered again: “No. You may not come through.” And Edom came out and blocked the way with a crowd of people brandishing weapons. Edom refused to let them cross through his land. So Israel had to detour around him.
Camp Hor

22 The People of Israel, the entire company, set out from Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

23-26 God said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor at the border of Edom, “It’s time for Aaron to be gathered into the company of his ancestors. He will not enter the land I am giving to the People of Israel because you both rebelled against my orders at the Waters of Meribah. So take Aaron and his son Eleazar and lead them up Mount Hor. Remove Aaron’s clothes from him and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered there; Aaron will die.”

27-29 Moses obeyed God’s command. They climbed Mount Hor as the whole congregation watched. Moses took off Aaron’s clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. The whole congregation, getting the news that Aaron had died, went into thirty days of mourning for him.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Friday, January 21, 2022

Today's Scripture
John 9:1–12
(NIV)

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,p who sinned,q this manr or his parents,s that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.t 4 As long as it is day,u we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”v

6 After saying this, he spitw on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”x (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.y

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”z 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”a

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Insight

In John 9, we sense a great divide. Most of the religious leaders were in the process of rejecting Jesus. He wasn’t what they expected the Messiah to be. The man born blind, however, would become a genuine believer in Christ. The religious leaders indignantly argued over technicalities of the law, saying, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath” (v. 16). In contrast, the man who received his sight understood that the One who’d healed him must come from God (vv. 30–33). Soon he would tell Jesus, “Lord, I believe” (v. 38). By: Tim Gustafson

Give While You Live

As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.
John 9:4

A successful businessman spent the last few decades of his life doing all he could to give away his fortune. A multibillionaire, he donated cash to a variety of causes such as bringing peace to Northern Ireland and modernizing Vietnam’s health care system; and not long before he died, he spent $350 million to turn New York City’s Roosevelt Island into a technology hub. The man said, “I believe strongly in giving while living. I see little reason to delay giving. . . . Besides, it’s a lot more fun to give while you live than to give while you’re dead.” Give while you live—what an amazing attitude to have.

In John’s account of the man born blind, Jesus’ disciples were trying to determine “who sinned” (9:2). Jesus briefly addressed their question by saying, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned . . . but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me” (vv. 3–4). Though our work is very different from Jesus’ miracles, no matter how we give of ourselves, we’re to do so with a ready and loving spirit. Whether through our time, resources, or actions, our goal is that the works of God might be displayed.

For God so loved the world that He gave. In turn, let’s give while we live.

Reflect & Pray

When it comes to giving, what’s one thing you’ve been delaying? What would it mean for you to give while you live?

Giving God, please show me places where I can give today.

Read Celebrating God’s Generosity.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, January 21, 2022 
Recall What God Remembers

Thus says the Lord: "I remember…the kindness of your youth…" —Jeremiah 2:2

Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don’t seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. It is wonderful to remember that Jesus Christ has needs which we can meet— “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7). How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?

God is saying to His people, “You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were.” He says, “I remember…the love of your betrothal…” (Jeremiah 2:2). Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He ever find me pondering the time when I cared only for Him? Is that where I am now, or have I chosen man’s wisdom over true love for Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no thought for where He might lead me? Or am I watching to see how much respect I get as I measure how much service I should give Him?

As I recall what God remembers about me, I may also begin to realize that He is not what He used to be to me. When this happens, I should allow the shame and humiliation it creates in my life, because it will bring godly sorrow, and “godly sorrow produces repentance…” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The place for the comforter is not that of one who preaches, but of the comrade who says nothing, but prays to God about the matter. The biggest thing you can do for those who are suffering is not to talk platitudes, not to ask questions, but to get into contact with God, and the “greater works” will be done by prayer (see John 14:12–13).  Baffled to Fight Better, 56 R

Bible in a Year: Exodus 1-3; Matthew 14:1-21

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, January 21, 2022

The Greatest Treat Of All - #9140

His name is Shadrach. No, not a Bible character in a fiery furnace. He's a dog; a black poodle, to be specific. A while back, we were provided some great live entertainment in an otherwise intense day of ministry. My wife and I were staying with friends in St. Louis rather than the conference hotel there, and Shadrach belongs to our friends. I was ready to run out the door one day, our friend said, "Wait! You need to take two minutes for my dog tricks." Then she started to show off what she had taught Shadrach. She started with the basics, "Sit" and the poodle did. "Stay"..."roll over"..."lie down." Shadrach responded immediately. Then "go look out the window." The poodle darted over to the window. "Jump" and Shadrach leaped about three feet in the air. Then she pulled out a hoop and just said, "Hoop." Sure enough, black poodle flying through hoop. I was amazed!

I asked her how she got him to obey all those commands without any treats. She said, "Well, when I was first teaching him to obey, I had to give him treats all the time. But now he just seems to enjoy being able to understand what his master's saying, and doing what his master wants."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Greatest Treat Of All."

Our Word for today from the Word of God is from Psalm 119:32. David says to God, "I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free." David says, "I'm obeying what God says and I'm really enjoying it. He's like Shadrach, my poodle friend. He's experiencing the joy of obeying his Master, just for the joy of pleasing Him. He obeys eagerly. He runs when God commands him to do something.

Sitting there watching this eager obedience of this little dog, I couldn't help but see a picture of the ways of God with His children. We're essentially "my way" people. If I feel like saying it, I'll say it. If I feel like doing it, I'll do it. If I think I need it, I'll go after it. Then along comes Jesus and captures our heart with His love. We have a new Master. Now we have the potential of really doing something, really being something if we can learn to do what Jesus says.

And Jesus knows that at first we need a lot of incentive to do what He wants in each situation. So, in the life of a new child of God, the Lord often seems to give instant rewards for your obeying Him: quick and dramatic answers to prayer, instant payoffs for doing the right thing, obvious gifts and interventions from Him. Like our poodle friend, at first we need quick rewards, we need treats from our Master so we can learn obedience. It's a good way to get started in Jesus, but it's also spiritual immaturity. "I'll do what You say, Lord, if you'll give me a treat."

But as you start doing it Jesus' way, you learn that His commands lead to results that you don't have to regret, and to a wonderful inner peace, to outcomes that range from satisfying to even amazing! And after a while, you begin to understand what Jesus meant when He said to His disciples, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Or as it says in the KJV, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" (John 13:17).

Our friend says her dog just seems to enjoy understanding what's in his master's heart. And that is the unparalleled joy of someone who has learned to obey the Master. Through obeying, you begin to really feel what's in your Master's heart. And obedience becomes its own reward.

Maybe there are some of your Master's commands you've been running from lately; things where you thought your way was going to be better than His way. That's not true, is it? The joy is in obeying the One who made you His at the cost of His life. And the treats are nice, but don't do it for the treats. Understanding your Master's heart - enjoying your Master's pleasure - that's the greatest treat of all.

Mark 15:1-25 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Providential Hope - January 20, 2022

Abused and rejected by his brothers, Joseph, the son of Jacob, suffered servitude and prison. Why did God allow Joseph’s suffering? Why does God permit challenges to come our way? Wouldn’t an almighty God prevent them?

Not if they serve his higher purpose. When Pharaoh was troubled by his dreams, the butler mentioned Joseph to Pharaoh. And as fast as you can say providence, Joseph went from prison to palace to prime minister. He saved not just the Egyptians but also the family of Jacob.

Years later Joseph would tell his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish…the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). What was intended as harm became good. Why? Because Joseph viewed the sufferings of his life through the lens of divine providence. Can I urge you to do the same?

Mark 15:1-25

At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.

2-3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”

He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.

4-5 Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.

6-10 It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.

11-12 But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”

13 They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

14 Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”

But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”

15 Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.

16-20 The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
The Crucifixion

21 There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.

22-24 The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.

25-30 They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Thursday, January 20, 2022

Today's Scripture
Proverbs 1:1–7
(NIV)

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbsa of Solomonb son of David, king of Israel:c

2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,a d

knowledge and discretione to the young—

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,f

and let the discerning get guidance—

6 for understanding proverbs and parables,g

the sayings and riddlesh of the wise.b i

7 The fear of the Lordj is the beginning of knowledge,

but foolsc despise wisdomk and instruction.

Insight

A prominent characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. A second line either mirrors the first or contrasts it. In the case of Proverbs 1:5, the second line mirrors and develops the idea introduced in the first, which is called “synthetic” parallelism.

The first line of the couplet, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning,” says wisdom isn’t a once-and-done endeavor. The wise can always learn more. But the second line develops the idea further: “and let the discerning get guidance.” The word for “guidance” comes from the nautical world where shipmen would pull on ropes to steer a boat. In context, “guidance” has the sense of practical steering through life. The parallelism in the proverb highlights that continual learning is important, but also that it should lead to steering a better course through the waters of our lives.

Love of Learning

Let the wise listen and add to their learning.
Proverbs 1:5

When asked how he became a journalist, a man shared the story of his mother’s dedication to his pursuit of education. While traveling on the subway each day, she collected newspapers left behind on seats and gave them to him. While he especially enjoyed reading about sports, the papers also introduced him to knowledge about the world, which ultimately opened his mind to a vast range of interests.

Children are wired with natural curiosity and a love for learning, so introducing them to the Scriptures at an early age is of great value. They become intrigued by God’s extraordinary promises and exciting stories of biblical heroes. As their knowledge deepens, they can begin to comprehend the consequences of sin, their need of repentance, and the joy found in trusting God. The first chapter of Proverbs, for instance, is a great introduction to the benefits of wisdom (Proverbs 1:1–7). Nuggets of wisdom found here shine a light of understanding on real-life situations.

Developing a love of learning—especially about spiritual truths—helps us to grow stronger in our faith. And those who have walked in faith for decades can continue to pursue knowledge of God throughout their life. Proverbs 1:5 advises, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” God will never stop teaching us if we’re willing to open our heart and mind to His guidance and instruction. By:  Cindy Hess Kasper

Reflect & Pray

What fresh truth of Scripture have you added to your knowledge recently? How can you continually pursue a deeper understanding of God’s truth?

Father, please continue to open my mind and heart to grow in knowledge and wisdom as I read from the Scriptures.

Grow deeper in your understanding of faith, visit https://odbu.org/courses/st101/?utm_source=JANUARY+20+ODB+&utm_medium=EMAIL+AND+APP&utm_campaign=ST101+Theology+Basics.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, January 20, 2022

Are You Fresh for Everything?

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." —John 3:3

Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?

Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done.” That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us “in the light as He is in the light…” (1 John 1:7).

Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed “that they may be one just as We are one” — with nothing in between (John 17:22). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.

Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word. Disciples Indeed, 386 R

Bible in a Year: Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Designer Genes and Chromosomes - #9139

Years ago there was a Newsweek cover story that really caught my attention. It was about twins and my wife and I had several friends at that time that had twins. Occasionally we had expressed horror at the thought of having had any two of our kids at the same time! Fortunately, God knows who can handle these incredible assignments, and who can't, so he wisely sent our three children two years apart.

But that Newsweek article was intriguing, and it explained the great amounts of research being done regarding twins. And the article stated that the studies not only revealed a lot about twins, but about all of us. For example, there are the studies that have been done on twins that have been separated at birth, and then raised totally apart and then reunited as adults. It's amazing how alike they are in their temperament, the choices they've made, their likes or dislikes.

So, they're giving scientists new evidence in the debate over how much we're a product of our environment and how much we're a product of our genetic programming. These twins are telling us that there's a lot about us, more than we think, that we're born with. You know what? That should come as no surprise.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Designer Genes and Chromosomes."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God, Ephesians 2:10. I love this great verse, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God (get this now) prepared in advance for us to do." In other words, God has set you up uniquely for specific assignments that you are put on earth to do on a daily basis.

Now, the twins' research tells us that each person seems to be uniquely wired. Well, the Bible tells us that. You go to what David said in Psalm 139. In that great prayer he says, "God, You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Then he says, "All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."

See, from conception, God's designed you to carry out a unique plan. You're just the right height to do what He's prepared for you to do. You've got just the right hair. You've got just the right voice. You have just the right basic temperament. You've got the right skills and talents. He's even given you certain limitations to help you be sensitive and dependant, and compassionate, and He put you in the right family too.

It's true a sinful environment has corrupted the purity of God's programming, but the basic you is a God's one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Oh, you may be missing the point of how right you are, because you've done too much comparing with other people or with the things that society says are important. How can you be compared? You're uniquely wired for unique assignments. You're a category all by yourself. There's no one we can compare you to. You're the only one like you.

When are you going to start celebrating what you are instead of focusing on what you aren't? You were made right! You're wired for daily contributions only you can make. And ultimately we can only discover the answer to the question, "Why am I here?" by belonging to the God who put us here; who designed us. That's why the Bible says, "All things were created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). We were supposed to revolve our life around our Creator, and in so doing find our destiny, our identity, our reason to be.

Unfortunately, we found another reason to be; living for ourselves, which the Bible calls sin...middle letter "I." It's a terrible thing to be away from God, because it means a life without meaning, It means an eternity without hope. That's why Jesus came. He came to bring us together and to unite us with the God who has the plan.

Maybe it's time for you to say, "I'm not wasting another day with a "me run" life. Jesus, I'm turning it over to you. I'm yours. You died for me, I'm yours." Listen, our website is there to help you get started in this relationship. I hope you go there today. It's ANewStory.com.

You can belong to the Designing Genius who made you. You're a product of His never wrong, always right designing genius.

Numbers 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Max Lucado Daily: King of Every Situation - January 19, 2022

When crowds of people came to Christ for healing, “One by one he placed his hands on them and healed them” (Luke 4:40). Jesus could have proclaimed a cloud of healing blessings to fall upon the crowd. But he is not a one-size-fits-all Savior. He placed his hands on each one, individually, personally. Perceiving unique needs, he issued unique blessings.

A precise prayer gives Christ the opportunity to remove all doubt about his love and interest. Your problem becomes his pathway. The challenge you face becomes a canvas upon which Christ can demonstrate his finest work. So offer a simple prayer and entrust the problem to Christ. “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6). Believe that Jesus is king of each and every situation.

Numbers 19

The Red Cow

God spoke to Moses and Aaron: “This is the rule from the Revelation that God commands: Tell the People of Israel to get a red cow, a healthy specimen, ritually clean, that has never been in harness. Present it to Eleazar the priest, then take it outside the camp and butcher it while he looks on. Eleazar will take some of the blood on his finger and splash it seven times in the direction of the Tent of Meeting.

5-8 “Then under Eleazar’s supervision burn the cow, the whole thing—hide, meat, blood, even its dung. The priest then will take a stick of cedar, some sprigs of hyssop, and a piece of scarlet material and throw them on the burning cow. Afterwards the priest must wash his clothes and bathe well with water. He can then come into the camp but he remains ritually unclean until evening. The man who burns the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe with water. He also is unclean until evening.

9 “Then a man who is ritually clean will gather the ashes of the cow and place them in a ritually clean place outside the camp. The congregation of Israel will keep them to use in the Water-of-Cleansing, an Absolution-Offering.

10 “The man who gathered up the ashes must scrub his clothes; he is ritually unclean until evening. This is to be a standing rule for both native-born Israelites and foreigners living among them.

11-13 “Anyone who touches a dead body is ritually unclean for seven days. He must purify himself with the Water-of-Cleansing on the third day; on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he doesn’t follow the procedures for the third and seventh days, he won’t be clean. Anyone who touches the dead body of anyone and doesn’t get cleansed desecrates God’s Dwelling and is to be excommunicated. For as long as the Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he remains ritually unclean.

14-15 “This is the rule for someone who dies in his tent: Anyone who enters the tent or is already in the tent is ritually unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid is unclean.

16-21 “Anyone out in the open field who touches a corpse, whether dead from violent or natural causes, or a human bone or a grave is unclean for seven days. For this unclean person, take some ashes from the burned Absolution-Offering and add some fresh water to it in a bowl. Find a ritually clean man to dip a sprig of hyssop into the water and sprinkle the tent and all its furnishings, the persons who were in the tent, the one who touched the bones of the person who was killed or died a natural death, and whoever may have touched a grave. Then he is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day he is considered cleansed. The cleansed person must then scrub his clothes and take a bath; by evening he is clean. But if an unclean person does not go through these cleansing procedures, he must be excommunicated from the community; he has desecrated the Sanctuary of God. The Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him and he is ritually unclean. This is the standing rule for these cases.

“The man who sprinkles the Water-of-Cleansing has to scrub his clothes; anyone else who touched the Water-of-Cleansing is also ritually unclean until evening.

22 “Anything the ritually unclean man touches becomes unclean, and the person who touches what he touched is unclean until evening.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Today's Scripture
Matthew 26:36–46
(NIV)

Gethsemane

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedeeo along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrowp to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”q

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cupr be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”s

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with met for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.u The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”v

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hourw has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Insight

Jesus’ final prayers before His arrest and crucifixion took place in Gethsemane, which means “oil press,” a garden area among the olive groves on the Mount of Olives. Like an olive in a press, Jesus faced extreme pressure. According to Baker’s Encyclopedia of the Bible, the Mount of Olives is the “prominent north-south ridge in the Judean mountains lying due east of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley.” This mountain features three summits and two intervening valleys. The central hill is the traditional Mount of Olives (2,684 feet). Its western face collects rainfall from the Mediterranean that along with the decomposed limestone makes for fertile orchards.   By: Alyson Kieda

Stay Awake!

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41

A German bank employee was in the middle of transferring 62.40 euros from a customer’s bank account when he accidentally took a power nap at his desk. He dozed off while his finger was on the “2” key, resulting in a 222 million euro (300 million dollar) transfer into the customer’s account. The fallout from the mistake included the firing of the employee’s colleague who verified the transfer. Although the mistake was caught and corrected, because he hadn't been watchful, the sleepy employee’s lapse almost became a nightmare for the bank.

Jesus warned His disciples that if they didn’t remain alert, they too would make a costly mistake. He took them to a place called Gethsemane to spend some time in prayer. As He prayed, Jesus experienced a grief and sadness such as He’d never known in His earthly life. He asked Peter, James, and John to stay awake to pray and “keep watch” with Him (Matthew 26:38), but they fell asleep (vv. 40–41). Their failure to watch and pray would leave them defenseless when the real temptation of denying Him came calling. In the hour of Christ’s greatest need, the disciples lacked spiritual vigilance.

May we heed Jesus’ words to remain spiritually awake by being more devoted to spending time with Him in prayer. As we do, He’ll strengthen us to resist all kinds of temptations and avoid the costly mistake of denying Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

What part of your prayer life needs to be more devoted and disciplined? How can you intentionally spend more time alone with God this week?

Jesus, because I’ve been spiritually sleeping, I haven’t been praying. And because I haven’t been praying, I haven’t depended on You. I’m sorry. Please help me to spend more time with You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Vision and Darkness

When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. —Genesis 15:12

Whenever God gives a vision to a Christian, it is as if He puts him in “the shadow of His hand” (Isaiah 49:2). The saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a “darkness” that comes from too much light— that is the time to listen. The story of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16 is an excellent example of listening to so-called good advice during a time of darkness, rather than waiting for God to send the light. When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word. Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11).

Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am Almighty God…”— El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful God (Genesis 17:1). The reason we are all being disciplined is that we will know God is real. As soon as God becomes real to us, people pale by comparison, becoming shadows of reality. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord”;…  The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 537 L

Bible in a Year: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 13:1-30

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
A Mountain of Mud and Courage - #9138

There was a group of girls at a slumber party, a plumber installing a hot water heater, the nurse who was enjoying her new home - her first home. They were all in the path of a sea of mud that without warning, suddenly engulfed a full square mile of Oso, Washington - 176 people originally "unaccounted for." Well, it went down to seven at one point, and then 39 fatalities last I had read. One of the victims was even a soldier taken leave from the Army. He went to help search for his aunt and uncle, but he couldn't find them, and his depression led him to an apparent suicide.

Now, thankfully, seven people were rescued. That's not many in light of the missing or the lost, but seven more than would have been alive if it weren't for the rescuers. And plunging into that 15-20' deep mountain of mud required a mountain of courage. Geologists called it "quicksand." That didn't stop the rescuers. One man heard screams from the mud and the debris. He told an eyewitness, "'I'm going. There's somebody out there." They tried to stop him. He said, "No. There's somebody trapped out there." And he came back with a baby he had saved.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Mountain of Mud and Courage."

Some firefighters actually waded into that muddy "quicksand" and became stuck up to their armpits. They had to be pulled out by rope. I thought the fire chief summed it up pretty well. He said, "We have people who are yelling for help, so we're going to take extreme risks." Cries for help. Dying people. Extreme risks to save them. I sat back and said to myself, "Well, that's the mission of my Jesus."

The mission to which He calls every one of us that He has rescued. Psalm 40:2 - "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire." And our Rescuer says to us in Proverbs 24:12, "Rescue those who are being led away to death." So that desperate effort in the "mud and mire" in Washington vividly pictured the life-or-death calling of every one of us who's a child of God.

First of all, to hear the cries. God told Moses in our word for today from the Word of God in Exodus 3:7-10. "I have seen the misery...I have heard them crying out...So I have come down to rescue them." And then He says, "So now, go, I am sending you." That's a conversation God wants to have with me and you; with every follower of Jesus. "I have heard the cries of the lost people. Have you?"

See, the cries are heart-cries, that quiet desperation of that neighbor or coworker or fellow student, the person that's in the club with you, at the gym, at the store, the disintegrating marriage, that enslaving addiction, crushing loneliness that you may not know is there but God has heard their cry, those dark secrets, that haunting past. And He's come down to rescue them, and He's sending you. Jesus proved on the cross He cannot leave them lost, so how can I?

Secondly, the mission of Jesus - the life-or-death calling of every child of God - is to take the risks. I've had people die who I never told about my Jesus. I wasn't willing to take the risk: the risk of rejection, messing it up, losing favor, them not liking me. Now I know - with no hope of a do-over - there is no greater risk than letting them go to eternity with no Savior from their sin. I've got to be thinking about the cost to them if I don't tell them: a life without meaning, an eternity that's unthinkable.

I am someone's chance at Jesus. It's time to go in for the rescue whatever the risks, whatever the cost.

Numbers 18 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:  God’s Idea - January 18, 2022

“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” (1 John 4:9).

A divine spark indwells you. When you say yes to God he blows on that holy ember, and it begins to flame. It grows day by day within you. Are you perfect? No. But you are being made perfect. And he has a wild and inexplicable love for you. You are God’s idea, God’s child.

You were loved in heaven before you were known on earth. You aren’t an accident. You are being made into God’s image. You are a diamond, a rose, and a jewel, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. In the eyes of God you are worth dying for. Would you let this truth find its way into your heart?

Numbers 18

Duties in the Tent of Testimony

God said to Aaron, “You and your sons, along with your father’s family, are responsible for taking care of sins having to do with the Sanctuary; you and your sons are also responsible for sins involving the priesthood. So enlist your brothers of the tribe of Levi to join you and assist you and your sons in your duties in the Tent of Testimony. They will report to you as they go about their duties related to the Tent, but they must not have anything to do with the holy things of the Altar under penalty of death—both they and you will die! They are to work with you in taking care of the Tent of Meeting, whatever work is involved in the Tent. Outsiders are not allowed to help you.

5-7 “Your job is to take care of the Sanctuary and the Altar so that there will be no more outbreaks of anger on the People of Israel. I personally have picked your brothers, the Levites, from Israel as a whole. I’m giving them to you as a gift, a gift of God, to help with the work of the Tent of Meeting. But only you and your sons may serve as priests, working around the Altar and inside the curtain. The work of the priesthood is my exclusive gift to you; it cannot be delegated—anyone else who invades the Sanctuary will be executed.”

8-10 God spoke to Aaron, “I am personally putting you in charge of my contributions, all the holy gifts I get from the People of Israel. I am turning them over to you and your children for your personal use. This is the standing rule. You and your sons get what’s left from the offerings, whatever hasn’t been totally burned up on the Altar—the leftovers from Grain-Offerings, Absolution-Offerings, and Compensation-Offerings. Eat it reverently; it is most holy; every male may eat it. Treat it as holy.

11-13 “You also get the Wave-Offerings from the People of Israel. I present them to you and your sons and daughters as a gift. This is the standing rule. Anyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat it. I also give you all the best olive oil, the best new wine, and the grain that is offered to God as the firstfruits of their harvest—all the firstfruits they offer to God are yours. Anyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat it.

14-16 “You get every Totally-Devoted gift. Every firstborn that is offered to God, whether animal or person, is yours. Except you don’t get the firstborn itself, but its redemption price; firstborn humans and ritually unclean animals are bought back and you get the redemption price. When the firstborn is a month old it must be redeemed at the redemption price of five shekels of silver, using the standard of the Sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

17-19 “On the other hand, you don’t redeem a firstborn ox, sheep, or goat—they are holy. Instead splash their blood on the Altar and burn their fat as a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God. But you get the meat, just as you get the breast from the Wave-Offering and the right thigh. All the holy offerings that the People of Israel set aside for God, I’m turning over to you and your children. That’s the standard rule and includes both you and your children—a Covenant-of-Salt, eternal and unchangeable before God.”

20 God said to Aaron, “You won’t get any inheritance in land, not so much as a small plot of ground: I am your plot of ground, I am your inheritance among the People of Israel.

21-24 “I’m giving the Levites all the tithes of Israel as their pay for the work they do in the Tent of Meeting. Starting now, the rest of the People of Israel cannot wander in and out of the Tent of Meeting; they’ll be penalized for their sin and the penalty is death. It’s the Levites and only the Levites who are to work in the Tent of Meeting and they are responsible for anything that goes wrong. This is the regular rule for all time. They get no inheritance among the People of Israel; instead I turn over to them the tithes that the People of Israel present as an offering to God. That’s why I give the ruling: They are to receive no land-inheritance among the People of Israel.”

* * *

25-29 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the Levites. Tell them, When you get the tithe from the People of Israel, the inheritance that I have assigned to you, you must tithe that tithe and present it as an offering to God. Your offerings will be treated the same as other people’s gifts of grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat. This is your procedure for making offerings to God from all the tithes you get from the People of Israel: give God’s portion from these tithes to Aaron the priest. Make sure that God’s portion is the best and holiest of everything you get.

30-32 “Tell the Levites, When you offer the best part, the rest will be treated the same as grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat that others give. You and your households are free to eat the rest of it anytime and anyplace—it’s your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting. By offering the best part, you’ll avoid guilt, you won’t desecrate the holy offerings of the People of Israel, and you won’t die.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Today's Scripture
Isaiah 53:1–6
(NIV)

Who has believed our messageu

and to whom has the armv of the Lord been revealed?w

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,x

and like a rooty out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearancez that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering,a and familiar with pain.b

Like one from whom people hidec their faces

he was despised,d and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,e

yet we considered him punished by God,f

stricken by him, and afflicted.g

5 But he was piercedh for our transgressions,i

he was crushedj for our iniquities;

the punishmentk that brought us peacel was on him,

and by his woundsm we are healed.n

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,o

each of us has turned to our own way;p

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquityq of us all.

Insight

Isaiah 53:1–6 is part of the “Song of the Suffering Servant” that begins in 52:13 and ends in 53:12. It was this song that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26–40 was reading. In that New Testament story, Philip the evangelist tells an Ethiopian official that Isaiah is speaking of Jesus the Messiah (Acts 8:32–35). Isaiah prophesied how the Messiah would be mistreated: “his appearance was . . . disfigured beyond that of any human being” (Isaiah 52:14). He would be “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (53:3). This was so Christ could pay the penalty for our sins: “he was pierced for our transgressions,” and “the punishment that brought us peace was on him” (v. 5). This is the elusive peace for which the human race yearns and is at the very heart of the gospel Philip shared with the Ethiopian.

By: Tim Gustafson

Love’s Greatest Gift

We all, like sheep, have gone astray.
Isaiah 53:6

My son Geoff was leaving a store when he saw an abandoned walking frame (a mobility aid) on the ground. I hope there isn’t a person back there who needs help, he thought. He glanced behind the building and found a homeless man unconscious on the pavement.

Geoff roused him and asked if he was okay. “I’m trying to drink myself to death,” he responded. “My tent broke in a storm, and I lost everything. I don’t want to live.”

Geoff called a Christian rehabilitation ministry, and while they waited for help, he ran home briefly and brought the man his own camping tent. “What’s your name?” Geoff asked. “Geoffrey,” the homeless man answered, “with a G.” Geoff hadn’t mentioned his own name or its uncommon spelling. “Dad,” he told me later, “that could have been me.”

Geoff once struggled with substance abuse himself, and he helped the man because of the kindness he’d received from God. Isaiah the prophet used these words to anticipate God’s mercy to us in Jesus: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Christ, our Savior, didn’t leave us lost, alone, and hopeless in despair. He chose to identify with us and lift us in love, so that we may be set free to live anew in Him. There’s no greater gift.

By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

Where would you be without Jesus? How can you be His hands and feet for someone in need?

Thank You, Jesus, for coming to rescue me. Help me to join in Your search-and-rescue mission and to share Your love with someone who needs You today.

Read Remade in the Image of Jesus .

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, January 18, 2022

“It Is the Lord!”

Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" —John 20:28

“Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me…” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.

Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….”  So Send I You, 1325 R

Bible in a Year: Genesis 43-45; Matthew 12:24-50

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Five Minutes Til Midnight - #9137

There were two stories in that day's news that stuck out to me. The first troubling story said that Twinkies could be going bankrupt. Yeah, how could that be? I mean, you talk about too big to fail! But, alas, the company that was making Twinkies was talking about filing for Chapter 11. Maybe if I ate enough of them in the next couple of weeks, I could make a difference.

But, then, there was the other story that was legitimately sobering; sort of a mirror of the times we're living in. They just reset the Doomsday Clock at that point, and it's been reset to five minutes before midnight, and three minutes to midnight, and even closer now. See, since 1947, that symbol of how close humans may be to imminent destruction has been set by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Now, in 1947, it was set at seven minutes to midnight. Its "happy hour," I guess you could say, was 1991, when the Cold War thaw caused the Bulletin to set the clock at 17 minutes to midnight.

But recently, the dark shadows in our world have pushed the clock closer than ever to midnight.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Five Minutes Til Midnight."

Why do these world-watching scientists think it's so late? Well, the Japanese nuclear meltdown a few years ago, that didn't help. And the deployment of over 20,000 nuclear weapons they said "there was enough power to destroy this world's inhabitants many times over." And then they talked about "the prospect of nuclear weapons being used by some lone wolf, non-state actor, and environmental change." So many things.

Personally, I'm very glad that the hand that sets the real "doomsday clock" is the hand of Almighty God. I'll go with King David's declaration in our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 31:14-15. He says, "I trust in You, O Lord; I say,' You are my God.' My times are in Your hands."

The symbolic "last days" language of the Book of Revelation describes a time when "a third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur" (Revelation 8:18). Peter said that "the day of God...will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat" (2 Peter 3:12). Those are hints of something cataclysmic, but it's hard to know just what it will actually look like in earth's final act.

But honestly, I'm not worried about it. Oh, I would be if I weren't sure about what happens when time is up, whether on this world's clock or, more personally, on the clock of my life. See, when Jesus came, He added a word to "life" - Eternal. As in life that nothing could take from you, unending, unloseable life, even beyond my life's final breath or my world's final moment.

Days before His brutal death on a cross, Jesus announced, "The hour has come...What shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour" (John 12:23, 27). The reason He came - to die. The only Son of God. Why? Here's the Bible: "He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree" so that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (1 Peter 2:24; John 3:16).

That's the love that captured my heart. He took my spiritual doom on Himself, He absorbed all the hell for all my sin. He did that for you, too. Three days later, He proved He's the only One who can give a person eternal life by blowing the doors off His grave.

So, God bursts the bubble of "I'll get to heaven by being good" when He describes eternal life as something that can't be earned. A gift, not wages you receive. That's "the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23). There was the day I reached out by faith and took that gift He paid for with His life.

So there'll be no doomsday for me or anyone who has made the Savior their Savior. And maybe this is your day to do that; to reach out and say, "Jesus, I believe You were dying for my sins. Because You walked out of your grave, you're alive, walk into my life today."

Our website - it will help you realize how you can belong to Him for sure - it's ANewStory.com.

The clock on each of our lives is ticking. We can't see the clock. When it strikes our personal midnight, destination will be set by decision; the one you made about Jesus. I know where I'm going when it's midnight. I'm going Home. I hope you are too.

Numbers 17 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: God Is on the Throne - January 17, 2022

God’s answer for troubled times has always been the same: heaven has an occupied throne.

During the eighth century BC, ancient Judah enjoyed a time of relative peace, thanks to the steady leadership of King Uzziah. He kept enemies at bay for fifty-two years, then Uzziah died. Isaiah the prophet was worried. What would happen now that Uzziah was gone?

Or, in your case, what will happen now that your job is gone? Or your health has diminished? Does God have a message for his people when calamity strikes? He certainly had a word for Isaiah. The prophet wrote, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…” (Isaiah 6:1). Uzziah’s throne was empty, but God’s was occupied. He was, and is, alive, on the throne, and worthy of our endless worship.

Numbers 17

Aaron’s Staff

God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the People of Israel. Get staffs from them—twelve staffs in all, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write each man’s name on his staff. Start with Aaron; write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi and then proceed with the rest, a staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. Now lay them out in the Tent of Meeting in front of The Testimony where I keep appointments with you. What will happen next is this: The staff of the man I choose will sprout. I’m going to put a stop to this endless grumbling by the People of Israel against you.”

6-7 Moses spoke to the People of Israel. Their leaders handed over twelve staffs, one for the leader of each tribe. And Aaron’s staff was one of them. Moses laid out the staffs before God in the Tent of Testimony.

8-9 Moses walked into the Tent of Testimony the next day and saw that Aaron’s staff, the staff of the tribe of Levi, had in fact sprouted—buds, blossoms, and even ripe almonds! Moses brought out all the staffs from God’s presence and presented them to the People of Israel. They took a good look. Each leader took the staff with his name on it.

10 God said to Moses, “Return Aaron’s staff to the front of The Testimony. Keep it there as a sign to rebels. This will put a stop to the grumbling against me and save their lives.”

11 Moses did just as God commanded him.

12-13 The People of Israel said to Moses, “We’re as good as dead. This is our death sentence. Anyone who even gets close to The Dwelling of God is as good as dead. Are we all doomed?”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Monday, January 17, 2022

Today's Scripture
Hebrews 12:1–3
,
12–13
(NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us rung with perseveranceh the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus,i the pioneerj and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,k scorning its shame,l and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.m 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow wearyn and lose heart.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.y 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”b z so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed

Insight

Because of severe persecution (see Hebrews 10:32–39; 13:3), Jewish believers were pressured to abandon their faith in Jesus and revert to Judaism. Based on Hebrews 13:24, the unnamed writer of Hebrews probably wrote from Italy to discouraged believers, encouraging them to remain faithful by “fixing [their] eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:2). The author emphasized the superiority and sufficiency of Christ through His position as God Himself (chs. 1–4) and His once-for-all sacrifice for sin (chs. 5–10). In chapter 12, the writer used the imagery of a long-distance foot race where a stadium full of supporters cheer on the runners to complete it. The apostle Paul also used the foot-race metaphor to encourage believers to persevere by keeping their eyes on the finish line—to “[finish] the race” (2 Timothy 4:7; see 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 3:12–14). By: K. T. Sim

Brave Your Storm

[Fix your] eyes on Jesus, . . . so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:2–3

It was the evening of April 3, 1968, and a fierce thunderstorm was lashing through Memphis, Tennessee. Weary and feeling ill, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hadn’t intended to give his planned speech in support of the striking sanitation workers at a church hall. But he was surprised by an urgent phone call saying a large crowd had braved the weather to hear him. So he went to the hall and spoke for forty minutes, delivering what some say was his greatest speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

The next day, King was killed by an assassin’s bullet, but his speech still inspires oppressed people with the hope of “the promised land.” Likewise, early followers of Jesus were uplifted by a stirring message. The book of Hebrews, written to encourage Jewish believers facing threats for their faith in Christ, offers firm spiritual encouragement to not lose hope. As it urges, “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (12:12). As Jews, they would recognize that appeal as originally coming from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 35:3).

But now, as Christ’s disciples, we’re called to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2). When we do so, we “will not grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).

Certainly, squalls and storms await us in this life. But in Jesus, we outlast life’s tempests by standing in Him.

Reflect & Pray

How do you respond to life’s spiritual storms? As you look to Jesus and His promises, how does He encourage you?

Jesus, You calm every spiritual storm. When tempests rage, speak peace to my soul as I put my hope in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, January 17, 2022

The Call of the Natural Life

When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me… —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles….”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1465 R

Bible in a Year: Genesis 41-42; Matthew 12:1-23

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, January 17, 2022

When Less is More - #9136

If you say the word "garden," I immediately think of my friend Mel. Man, he has one of the best-kept, most productive gardens I've ever seen. I've eaten some of the fruits and vegetables of his labor. Growing up as I did in an apartment in Chicago, I've got a lot to learn about gardens, believe me. I'm horticulturally challenged shall we say. Well, Mel taught me a lot. I mean, one section of his garden is dedicated to his grapes. And when those vines start growing, He does something that looks very strange to a city-slicker like me. He goes after those vines with pruning shears. He starts cutting away branches - a lot of branches. Of course, it's called pruning.

He tells me that cutting that vine back will concentrate the vine's resources and produce far more fruit. Try explaining that to the poor vine that's getting its branches hacked away. If a vine could talk, he might say, "Hey! What are you doing to me?" And if Mel wanted to talk to a vine, which I hope I never hear him doing, he might say, "I'm doing this for your good so you'll produce more." I can hear the vine (Now you should worry about me.), "Right! Then how come it feels like you're killing me?" If I didn't know better now, I would think the way to more fruit is to have more branches, not less. But it doesn't work that way.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When Less is More."

Our Word for today from the Word of God, Judges 7:2. God has called on Gideon to lead an attack on the invading Midianite army - 135,000 Midianites! And Gideon is able to muster only 32,000 soldiers. He's outnumbered four to one. Then God says, "Gideon, there's something wrong with your army." Gideon is probably thinking, "Yeah, man, it's too small!"

Judges 7:2 - "The Lord said to Gideon, 'You have too many men (You have too many men?) for Me to deliver Midian into their hands." Well, General Gideon obeys God's orders to let anyone who was afraid go home. Ten thousand take him up on his offer. He's now outnumbered 13 to one. Verse 4: "But the Lord said to Gideon, 'There are still too many men.'" Well, God gives him a way to sort out who should stay and who should be excused. In verse 7, God says, "With those 300 men, I will give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go." He is now outnumbered 450 to one!

It's a very strange strategy to win a major victory. But wait until you hear about the weapons of mass destruction that God asked His army to fight with. "He placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside." OK, I get it! We're going to throw jars at the enemy! This is no way to win a war! Or is it? Judges 7:21, "While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled." They were routed.

God prepares for a great victory by cutting things back. God prepares for a great harvest by cutting things back. In the strange and wonderful ways of God, less is often more. That might be an equation you need to hear right now, because it sure does feel as if God is cutting you back. You're feeling the pain, the loss, the confusion of a child of God who's being pruned. But not necessarily because something's wrong with you; maybe because something's right. Jesus said in John 15:2, "Every branch that bears fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

God told Gideon what all these cutbacks were really for in Judges 7:2, "In order that Israel may not boast against Me that her own strength has saved her." God wants to do this in a way for which only He could get the glory. There will be no doubt this was Jehovah's victory, not yours.

So God might be doing a "Gideon" on you or your family or your career or your ministry; cutting back, and even cutting back more. But this isn't about you losing. No, this is God's strange and wonderful strategy for an overwhelming victory!