October 31
Greater is HE who is in you than he who is in the world! I John 4:4
The great Apostle Paul rested his hope on Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. Paul, highly esteemed in the hierarchy of the Jewish faith, whose academic and theological training had prepared him to assume a high position among the scholars and religious men of his day, set it all aside when he found Christ.
Of himself after his experience with Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Acts 9:1-19, Paul said, “I am determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified” I Corinthians 2:2. Paul knew that none of his accomplishments or accolades was of any consequence compared to the great gift of salvation Jesus gives.
It had become his passion to share this great gift Christ had bestowed upon him with all those he could reach with the knowledge of the gospel. Although he had a great longing to lay aside his tabernacle of flesh and go home to the Lord, he was determined that until he drew his last breath, he would serve the purposes of the Kingdom.
In II Corinthians 5:6-9, Paul declared, “While we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight and we are confident that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So, we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.”
Like Paul, we must devote ourselves to serving Jesus and sharing the good news of salvation with everyone whose life touches ours—and awaiting our moment to be with Him where we will abide in eternal praise and glory to His name.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Where to Cast Your Worries
October 30
Apart from faith in Jesus, we are a conflicted people. A prime example of that realistic assessment of our human foible is the fact that if we want for financial resources, we fret inconsolably about our lack. If, however, we possess financial abundance, we concern ourselves about the potential eventuality of its loss.
If we are ill, we spend our substance to regain our health. If we are well, we often waste our substance on practices that undermine our physical viability. If we are intellectually challenged, we are counted as dolts. If we possess mental acuity, we strive to possess the ascendancy our knowledge opens to us.
We seem ever to be ‘betwixt and between.’ We seem to be conflicted over matters that we cannot change. The Word of God addresses our condition and addresses our preoccupation with it. In Luke 12:25, 26, Jesus says, “Can any of you add a cubit to your stature by worrying? If then you cannot do even a little thing like this, why worry about the big things?”
Those who are vertically challenged may attempt to augment their height by wearing high heels and by selecting clothing to deceive the eye into elongating their stature, but they cannot change it. Jesus tells us, that we must leave this and all matters—trifles in the eternal scheme of things—in His hand, just as we must lay our weightier burdens at His feet..
How blessed we are to serve a Christ who has invited us to "cast all your cares upon Me, for I care for you," I Peter 5:7. No matter the magnitude of the problem that besets you at this moment, dear reader, your Jesus will lift it from your shoulder as you relinquish it to Him. Allow Him to be God of very God to you. Allow Him to help you through today's trial.
Apart from faith in Jesus, we are a conflicted people. A prime example of that realistic assessment of our human foible is the fact that if we want for financial resources, we fret inconsolably about our lack. If, however, we possess financial abundance, we concern ourselves about the potential eventuality of its loss.
If we are ill, we spend our substance to regain our health. If we are well, we often waste our substance on practices that undermine our physical viability. If we are intellectually challenged, we are counted as dolts. If we possess mental acuity, we strive to possess the ascendancy our knowledge opens to us.
We seem ever to be ‘betwixt and between.’ We seem to be conflicted over matters that we cannot change. The Word of God addresses our condition and addresses our preoccupation with it. In Luke 12:25, 26, Jesus says, “Can any of you add a cubit to your stature by worrying? If then you cannot do even a little thing like this, why worry about the big things?”
Those who are vertically challenged may attempt to augment their height by wearing high heels and by selecting clothing to deceive the eye into elongating their stature, but they cannot change it. Jesus tells us, that we must leave this and all matters—trifles in the eternal scheme of things—in His hand, just as we must lay our weightier burdens at His feet..
How blessed we are to serve a Christ who has invited us to "cast all your cares upon Me, for I care for you," I Peter 5:7. No matter the magnitude of the problem that besets you at this moment, dear reader, your Jesus will lift it from your shoulder as you relinquish it to Him. Allow Him to be God of very God to you. Allow Him to help you through today's trial.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
To His Great Glory
October 29
The people of Christ have been given great and precious promises. Our Lord has empowered His followers to do works that parallel those He did when He traversed the dusty streets of Palestine. We ply these gifts with varying degrees of faith and varying levels of success, but we do endeavor to use them.
Perhaps the least noticed, least dramatic of the gifts is the salvation of the lost. How many times we have sat in church, heads bowed, eyes closed while hands were raised by those desirous of receiving salvation. It’s rather comical—as though we’re trying to sneak people into the Kingdom of Christ!
Less concealable is the healing of the sick. People who have suffered from affliction, whether physical or mental or emotional, are transformed immediately when the balm of Gilead has poured over them. Having financial needs met, too, is generally received with jubilation. But whatever the nature of the miracle may be, one thing we who endeavor to stand on the Word and receive the promises know for certain—it is not in our strength that the good work is done.
As Peter said in Acts 3:6-16 when he encountered the lame beggar on the steps of the Temple, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Then he said to the amazed onlookers, “Why are you astounded at this? Why do you stare at us as though we did this in our own power or godliness? It is the power of Jesus that made this man whole.”
So we, by the power of Jesus’ name, claim the promise that the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, the brokenhearted will be joyful, the faithless will believe--all to His great glory.
The people of Christ have been given great and precious promises. Our Lord has empowered His followers to do works that parallel those He did when He traversed the dusty streets of Palestine. We ply these gifts with varying degrees of faith and varying levels of success, but we do endeavor to use them.
Perhaps the least noticed, least dramatic of the gifts is the salvation of the lost. How many times we have sat in church, heads bowed, eyes closed while hands were raised by those desirous of receiving salvation. It’s rather comical—as though we’re trying to sneak people into the Kingdom of Christ!
Less concealable is the healing of the sick. People who have suffered from affliction, whether physical or mental or emotional, are transformed immediately when the balm of Gilead has poured over them. Having financial needs met, too, is generally received with jubilation. But whatever the nature of the miracle may be, one thing we who endeavor to stand on the Word and receive the promises know for certain—it is not in our strength that the good work is done.
As Peter said in Acts 3:6-16 when he encountered the lame beggar on the steps of the Temple, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Then he said to the amazed onlookers, “Why are you astounded at this? Why do you stare at us as though we did this in our own power or godliness? It is the power of Jesus that made this man whole.”
So we, by the power of Jesus’ name, claim the promise that the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, the brokenhearted will be joyful, the faithless will believe--all to His great glory.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Our Complete Source
October 28
As we know, our Father, Our Savior, our God is the Supplier of all we need. It is from His hand that we receive the bounty of the earth. It is from His heart of love that we know how to love one another. It is from His gracious provision that we have the ability to gain all we require.
Though the desire of our hearts may tend to focus on the good things of earth, and though the desire of His heart is that our need for life’s provision be met, there is the undeniable truth that the trappings of life, though they may make our sojourn here more comfortable, cannot supply our profoundest eternal need.
Just as He must be the ultimate Source of all our physical and emotional and financial and relational supply, so must Jesus be the Provider of all that we require in the spiritual realm. Apart from Him, we will enter eternity as paupers; with Him, we are co-heirs of the treasure of Heaven.
As stated in Jude 24, 25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to enable you to stand in the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be majesty, dominion and power—now and forever. Amen.” All glory to Jesus, the Author of our faith and the Supplier of all we need, including our eternal salvation!
As we know, our Father, Our Savior, our God is the Supplier of all we need. It is from His hand that we receive the bounty of the earth. It is from His heart of love that we know how to love one another. It is from His gracious provision that we have the ability to gain all we require.
Though the desire of our hearts may tend to focus on the good things of earth, and though the desire of His heart is that our need for life’s provision be met, there is the undeniable truth that the trappings of life, though they may make our sojourn here more comfortable, cannot supply our profoundest eternal need.
Just as He must be the ultimate Source of all our physical and emotional and financial and relational supply, so must Jesus be the Provider of all that we require in the spiritual realm. Apart from Him, we will enter eternity as paupers; with Him, we are co-heirs of the treasure of Heaven.
As stated in Jude 24, 25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to enable you to stand in the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be majesty, dominion and power—now and forever. Amen.” All glory to Jesus, the Author of our faith and the Supplier of all we need, including our eternal salvation!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Our Provision
October 27
Other than the paramount purpose of the entirety of scripture, to establish the absolute necessity man has for a Savior and the undeniable reality that Jesus is the only Savior there is, the one factor that the Bible conveys with utmost clarity is the total dependence of man upon our God—for everything.
We may delude ourselves into thinking we are self-sufficient, that we can make our own way in life. We may convince ourselves that by our intellect or our skill or our ability we can attain financial success. We may consider ourselves to be wise communicators who can chart the course of our relationships effectively.
We may be fully persuaded that we have insight into the character of God Himself that enables us to effect what we believe are His purposes, but even in this, we cannot succeed if we do not lean fully upon the Lord and allow His Holy Spirit to guide our efforts.
Our ineptitude is apparent from what Jesus says in Luke 12:24. Here He clearly conveys the fullness of our supply—supply that is not contingent upon ourselves. Rather, He says, “Consider the ravens. They don’t sow or reap; they don’t gather into barns, yet God feeds them.” Our provision, too, is from His hand.
Other than the paramount purpose of the entirety of scripture, to establish the absolute necessity man has for a Savior and the undeniable reality that Jesus is the only Savior there is, the one factor that the Bible conveys with utmost clarity is the total dependence of man upon our God—for everything.
We may delude ourselves into thinking we are self-sufficient, that we can make our own way in life. We may convince ourselves that by our intellect or our skill or our ability we can attain financial success. We may consider ourselves to be wise communicators who can chart the course of our relationships effectively.
We may be fully persuaded that we have insight into the character of God Himself that enables us to effect what we believe are His purposes, but even in this, we cannot succeed if we do not lean fully upon the Lord and allow His Holy Spirit to guide our efforts.
Our ineptitude is apparent from what Jesus says in Luke 12:24. Here He clearly conveys the fullness of our supply—supply that is not contingent upon ourselves. Rather, He says, “Consider the ravens. They don’t sow or reap; they don’t gather into barns, yet God feeds them.” Our provision, too, is from His hand.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
What's Important?
October 26
Jesus is rather like the ‘oldies but goodies’ station on the radio—He’s open to requests. He has made it abundantly clear in His Word that He desires to do good things for His people. Jesus is in the prayer-answering business. Yet there may be times when we are denied. What provokes those times?
There is an example in Luke 10:40 that may give some insight into the ‘Why?’ of that perplexity. In this situation, Jesus is a guest in the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. We can assume that they were close followers of Jesus and that He was in their home frequently.
We can further assume that there was a familiarity among them that is a trait of all people who are close to each other—whether family members or intimate friends—there is an openness that allows each to express his heart. Martha obviously felt this ability to be herself with Jesus. She felt put upon and freely told Him so. Martha was distracted by her many tasks and asked, "Lord, don’t You care that my sister Mary has left me to serve alone?” Martha wanted Jesus to reprimand Mary for neglecting to help with the hostessing duties.
Instead, He denied Martha—He would not allow Mary to be relegated to service at the expense of her time with Him. He wanted Martha to set aside her serving and focus on Him as well. The times He denies us the things we supplicate may be when those things would ultimately lead us away from Him. He will deny us the things that would cause us to focus on the mundane things of time rather than the treasures of eternity. He wants our value system to be based on His, not on the paltry trappings the world considers to be important.
Jesus is rather like the ‘oldies but goodies’ station on the radio—He’s open to requests. He has made it abundantly clear in His Word that He desires to do good things for His people. Jesus is in the prayer-answering business. Yet there may be times when we are denied. What provokes those times?
There is an example in Luke 10:40 that may give some insight into the ‘Why?’ of that perplexity. In this situation, Jesus is a guest in the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. We can assume that they were close followers of Jesus and that He was in their home frequently.
We can further assume that there was a familiarity among them that is a trait of all people who are close to each other—whether family members or intimate friends—there is an openness that allows each to express his heart. Martha obviously felt this ability to be herself with Jesus. She felt put upon and freely told Him so. Martha was distracted by her many tasks and asked, "Lord, don’t You care that my sister Mary has left me to serve alone?” Martha wanted Jesus to reprimand Mary for neglecting to help with the hostessing duties.
Instead, He denied Martha—He would not allow Mary to be relegated to service at the expense of her time with Him. He wanted Martha to set aside her serving and focus on Him as well. The times He denies us the things we supplicate may be when those things would ultimately lead us away from Him. He will deny us the things that would cause us to focus on the mundane things of time rather than the treasures of eternity. He wants our value system to be based on His, not on the paltry trappings the world considers to be important.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Begin Your Search
October 25
Where can you find Jesus? Your heart is longing for Him and you know in your mind that you are incapable of saving yourself. Sin has you wrapped around its axle and there’s no extricating yourself from its control over you without the intervention of the Savior.
Oh, you’re not a horrid person. You don’t murder, you don’t blaspheme His name, you don’t harbor hatred or prejudice within your heart—you simply suffer from the consequence of the fall—as do all men born of flesh. You know you must be reborn in your spirit and for that to happen, you must allow the Spirit of God to touch you.
How do you then open yourself to Him, so He may “guide you into all truth”? (John 16:13) A profound key to unlocking this quandary is in Luke 2:46. The family of twelve-year-old Jesus had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Upon the third day of their journey back home, they discovered that Jesus was not among the group. They retraced their steps to find Him.
“After three days they found Him in the temple complex, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,” Luke 2:39-52. Today’s searcher may still find Jesus among the people of God, among the ones who ponder the profound questions of life. A wonderful starting place for your search is in God’s house, with people who have found Him and seek to know Him better.
Where can you find Jesus? Your heart is longing for Him and you know in your mind that you are incapable of saving yourself. Sin has you wrapped around its axle and there’s no extricating yourself from its control over you without the intervention of the Savior.
Oh, you’re not a horrid person. You don’t murder, you don’t blaspheme His name, you don’t harbor hatred or prejudice within your heart—you simply suffer from the consequence of the fall—as do all men born of flesh. You know you must be reborn in your spirit and for that to happen, you must allow the Spirit of God to touch you.
How do you then open yourself to Him, so He may “guide you into all truth”? (John 16:13) A profound key to unlocking this quandary is in Luke 2:46. The family of twelve-year-old Jesus had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Upon the third day of their journey back home, they discovered that Jesus was not among the group. They retraced their steps to find Him.
“After three days they found Him in the temple complex, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,” Luke 2:39-52. Today’s searcher may still find Jesus among the people of God, among the ones who ponder the profound questions of life. A wonderful starting place for your search is in God’s house, with people who have found Him and seek to know Him better.
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