Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

April 29, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Gracious Uncertainty
. . . it has not yet been revealed what we shall be . . . -1 John 3:2


Our natural inclination is to be so precise-trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next-that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, "Well, what if I were in that circumstance?" We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life-gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. That is not believing God-it is only believing our belief about Him. Jesus said, ". . . unless you . . . become as little children . . ." (Matthew 18:3). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . . believe also in Me" (John 14:1), not, "Believe certain things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in-but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.

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The Power of a Gift

Proverbs 19:7 says,

All the brothers of the poor hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him!  He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.

Sometimes just pursuing reconciliation with a person through communication is not enough.  Sometimes you need to take it to another level.  Look at Proverbs 18:16,

A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

Sometimes it wouldn't hurt you to offer a gift to someone with whom you are seeking to reconcile.  The New International Version says, A gift opens the way.

When a brother is offended and the contentions are like bars of iron with the gate shut tight, the thing that opens the way is a gift.  The Living Bible says, A gift does wonders.  The Scripture says in Proverbs 21:14,

A gift in secret pacifies anger.

It is important to understand that both Proverbs 18:16 and 21:14 are actually shared in a negative sense.  They are talking about the power of a bribe.  Proverbs is great that way because it gives us both the positive and negative perspectives.  It's a truth (that I'm not saying is a good thing) that a bribe can open doors which may not be opened otherwise.

In a positive way, it is true that a gift can do wonders.  Not that you are trying to buy someone's favor, but a sincere gift can be a powerful form of communication.  The important thing is your motivation behind it.

A gift can say, "You're valuable enough to me that I took some of my hard-earned money and bought this for you."  A gift has the power to take things to another level as you seek to make things right.
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Read: Luke 24:1-35
Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? - Luke 24:26
TODAY IN THE WORD
Jesus' resurrection is the central historical event of the Christian faith. Fifth-century church leader John Chrysostom said: "Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it." Nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon added: "That very day our Lord won a victory which shook the gates of hell, and caused the universe to stand astonished. . . . On His head are many crowns, and at His feet the hosts of angels bow! Jesus is the master of legions today, while the Caesars have passed away. . . . His cause is not to be crushed, it is forever rising."
These truths were not, however, immediately clear to Jesus' followers. On that Sunday morning, the women took the lead. They went to the tomb not in hope but in respect, planning to properly anoint the corpse. But their plan went awry when the corpse turned up missing! Even then, it took a blunt angelic message for them to recall Jesus' words about being raised to life. Was it possible that He had been speaking not about a distant hope but about a literal, here-and-now reality? They reported this news to the disciples, who treated it as "nonsense" (v. 11). Only the disgraced Peter even bothered to go to the tomb and verify that the body was missing, though, puzzlingly, the graveclothes were still there.

Later that day two followers of Jesus became the first in Luke's account to talk to the risen Lord, but they failed to recognize Him. While talking to the stranger who joined them on the road to Emmaus, they gave a respectful but inadequate summary of Jesus as a powerful prophet victimized by the ruling powers, a familiar narrative in Jewish history (vv. 19-24). He responded with what must have been an amazing Bible lesson on the suffering of the Messiah (vv. 25-26). The moment of recognition finally came when they broke bread together. Hastily returning to Jerusalem, they found the Apostles already believing as a result of other appearances by Jesus.

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APPLY THE WORD
The good news of the kingdom is that Jesus died and rose again. This good news mean that if we call on His name and repent of our sins, we have eternal life and become children of God (John 1:12-13). Have you taken this step of faith? Just tell God you trust in His Son for salvation and accept His sacrifice for sin. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21). It will be the first step on an unforgettable journey!

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 2, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

The Patience To Wait for the Vision
Though it tarries, wait for it . . . -Habakkuk 2:3


Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God's true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. ". . . he endured as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue- he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it. Things come to you with greatness and add vitality to your life because everything is energized by God. He may give you a time spiritually, with no word from Himself at all, just as His Son experienced during His time of temptation in the wilderness. When God does that, simply endure, and the power to endure will be there because you see God.

"Though it tarries, wait for it . . . ." The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, "What shall I render to the Lord . . . ? I will take up the cup of salvation . . ." (Psalm 116:12-13). We are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, "Now I've got it! Now I am completely sanctified. Now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. Paul said, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . ." (Philippians 3:12). If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. But if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation.

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Suppressing the Truth

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).

A truth that is suppressed is a truth that has addressed itself to someone, but they do not want to be confronted by it.  They do not want it to force them to change, so they keep it down and refuse to look at or deal with it.

What kind of a truth is it that men suppress?  Romans 1:19 tells us,

Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

People are suppressing a knowledge or truth about God.  Where did they learn that truth about God that they are suppressing?  Verse 20 tells us,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Creation speaks of a Creator.  God is understood, it says, by the things that are made.  There comes a point in every human's life as they observe nature, where a voice whispers to them, "This didn't just happen.  There has to be a hand behind this."

At that point, each person has a choice:  Whether or not to suppress that truth.  If they do not suppress the truth, I believe God will move heaven and earth to get the knowledge of the gospel to that person.

This is so profound because even on Judgment Day no one is going to be able to stand and say, "Well, I never heard.  I didn't have a chance."  They will be without excuse, because God is going to take them right back to that experience where HeHeHH   spoke to them through nature.
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Read: Matthew 3:11-17
I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. - John 1:32
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the biblical account of creation, the three persons of the Trinity each play a distinct role. God (presumably the Father) spoke the light into existence (Gen. 1:3), and the Son was the very Word by which the world came to be (John 1:1-5). The Spirit of God hovered over the waters that had yet to take shape-even at the dawn of time, the movement of the Holy Spirit was best described with a word that expressed the flight of a bird on the wing (Gen. 1:2; cf. Deut. 32:11).
The description in today's passage can be found in all four Gospels (Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32), and once again it includes the image of a bird-a dove, specifically-and the manifestation of all three persons of the Trinity. The Spirit descended on the Son, and the Father spoke His approval (v. 17). The scene of that rare display of the eternal majesty of the Trinity converging in an earth-bound setting tells us something about the importance of what was about to take place.

John spoke correctly when he professed his need to be baptized by Jesus (v. 13), but his baptism of his Lord was distinct from the baptism of repentance he performed for his followers or the baptism Christ was to bestow upon those who would inherit the Spirit (v. 11). Without sin, Jesus had nothing for which to repent. And He certainly didn't need to become His own disciple. The purpose must have been unique, and Jesus' words confirm that.

John was to baptize Jesus "to fulfill all righteousness" (v. 15). The text doesn't go into further detail than that, but the subsequent display by the Trinity revealed a perfect collaboration of the Son's obedience, the Spirit's assistance, and the Father's approval. The harmony fulfilled the righteous character of God in a public ceremony proclaiming Jesus' identity as the Son of God. Led and filled by the Spirit, Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted (Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1). We associate the image of a dove with peace and hope-fitting, since Jesus assuredly received it as He faced this trial at the outset of His ministry.

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APPLY THE WORD
The dove may stand as a symbol of peace, but it is also a strong bird with incredible endurance and precise direction-again, it's an apt portrait of the Holy Spirit. Depending on the Spirit is no sign of weakness! Today's passage shows the Son of God being ministered to by a man, showing obedience to the Father, and receiving assistance from the Spirit. We should never feel too proud to yield to the Spirit's guidance or accept help from others.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 3, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Vital Intercession
. . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . -Ephesians 6:18


As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from our close identification with God's interest and concern for others and step into having emotional sympathy with them, the vital connection with God is gone. We have then put our sympathy and concern for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.

It is impossible for us to have living and vital intercession unless we are perfectly and completely sure of God. And the greatest destroyer of that confident relationship to God, so necessary for intercession, is our own personal sympathy and preconceived bias. Identification with God is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with Him it is because of our sympathy with others, not because of sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our intercessory relationship with God, but sympathy will. It is sympathy with ourselves or with others that makes us say, "I will not allow that thing to happen." And instantly we are out of that vital connection with God.

Vital intercession leaves you with neither the time nor the inclination to pray for your own "sad and pitiful self." You do not have to struggle to keep thoughts of yourself out, because they are not even there to be kept out of your thinking. You are completely and entirely identified with God's interests and concerns in other lives. God gives us discernment in the lives of others to call us to intercession for them, never so that we may find fault with them.
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Pursue Hospitality

Romans 12:9-14 says,

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

At the end of verse 13, Paul says we are to be "given to hospitality."  The word given is the Greek word translated "pursue" everywhere else in the New Testament.  This could be translated "pursuing hospitality."

Hospitality is actually a compound word in the Greek language.  The first part of the word means to be fond of.  The second part means guests.  So hospitality means to be friendly to strangers, to open your heart and open your home to others.

The Scripture is very strong when it says we are to pursue hospitality.  It is one of the greatest ways in all the world to demonstrate the love of God to people who are in need.

I remember like it was yesterday a time I was preaching at a church.  It was over 20 years ago, when I was a newlywed.  After the service was done, Janet and I were standing around not knowing what to do.  No one was speaking to us and the church had made no provision for our lodging or meals.

Just then an elderly couple came up to us and invited us to their home for lunch, which we gratefully accepted.

And you know what?  I don't remember what I preached that day, but to this day I remember eating roast in that couple's home.  I remember their graciousness, their hospitable spirit, and how much they made us feel welcome.

Pursue hospitality!
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How to Save a Nation in Trouble

In His Presence:

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

"[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land"(2 Chronicles 7:14).

King Solomon reigned over Israel. In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon had just finished building God's temple and had offered up a prayer of dedication. In this prayer, Solomon was basically saying that he wanted to lead this people as God wanted him to lead. After the prayer, God's glory came down to the temple and filled it. The people offered sacrifices and held a feast. Later that night, the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that if the people ever rejected His ways and turned away from Him, the prayers of His people would be heeded.

God will deal with a nation that turns its back on Him. If a culture wants to be free of God, He will let it have that freedom. But freedom from God brings dire consequences. Pagans do not normally turn to God when things get rough. But this Scripture isn't addressing pagans; it is addressing "My people who are called by My name" (v. 14). The people who are supposed to pray for their nation are God's covenant people. In the Old Testament, His covenant people were the Jews. In the New Testament, the covenant people are the church-the body of true believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Sin-bearer and Redeemer.

One Minute Please

God will pay attention to our prayers when we come to Him humbly, seek His face, and turn from our ungodly behavior.

Source:  Are Christians Destroying America? Pp. 124-132.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 4, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Vicarious Intercession
. . having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . -Hebrews 10:19


Beware of thinking that intercession means bringing our own personal sympathies and concerns into the presence of God, and then demanding that He do whatever we ask. Our ability to approach God is due entirely to the vicarious, or substitutionary, identification of our Lord with sin. We have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus."

Spiritual stubbornness is the most effective hindrance to intercession, because it is based on a sympathetic "understanding" of things we see in ourselves and others that we think needs no atonement. We have the idea that there are certain good and virtuous things in each of us that do not need to be based on the atonement by the Cross of Christ. Just the sluggishness and lack of interest produced by this kind of thinking makes us unable to intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God's interests and concerns for others, and we get irritated with Him. Yet we are always ready with our own ideas, and our intercession becomes only the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means a radical change of all of our sympathies and interests. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God's interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.

Am I stubborn or substituted? Am I spoiled or complete in my relationship to God? Am I irritable or spiritual? Am I determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?
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In the Balance

1 Thessalonians 5:15 is a powerful verse that speaks to everyone,

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Notice the apostle Paul makes sure no one is excluded.  That means you can't get out of this.  You are either a "no one," or an "anyone" in this verse!

Paul's point about pursuing what is good for both yourselves and for all can be looked at two ways.  First, he could be talking about the worshiping community as a whole.  His point:  Pursue what is good for the church, but also for all those outside the church.  You need to think of the welfare of the church and the community in which you exist.

On a more personal level, Paul could be speaking to the need for you and I to weigh how our words, our actions, and our pursuit of that which is good for us affects others.  I have to weigh that in the balance.

While a certain thing may be good for me, I need to think of how it is going to affect others.  It is not just about pursuing what is good for me, even if it is something I deserve.  I need to ask, "How it is going to affect others...my spouse, my kids, my friends, my church, my neighbor."  I have to factor that in.

Many times people pursue something and they defend their position by saying, "Well, it's time for me to start thinking about myself.  I deserve this.  This is good for me."

Well, this verse allows for that.  In fact, it admonishes you to pursue what is good for you, but it adds the proviso "and for all."

Eagerly pursue the things that are beneficial for you, but also that which is good for others.
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Social Gospel?

In His Presence: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Instead of writing off our culture as hopelessly secular and doomed, God wants His people to have a redeeming and transforming impact on American society. But what is the relationship of the Gospel to social action? What is the Christian's responsibility in matters of social ills-injustice, poverty, and hunger?

In many evangelical circles, the terms "social action" and "social gospel" have negative connotations. But the question remains: what does the gospel of Jesus Christ have to say to the poor and the oppressed? This is an important question all Christians need to deal with.

The message of the Gospel is narrow, not broad. The issue of social action is not part of the gospel message. Whenever social action is made part of the Gospel, two problems arise: Social action obscures what the Gospel really is, and no one knows how much emphasis to give to the social aspect of the message.

Those who want to make social action a part of the Gospel's content make the same mistake repeatedly in biblical interpretation. They apply the non-technical use of the word Gospel as it is used in the first four books of the New Testament rather than applying its more specific use in the epistles, where the word has a much more limited meaning.

One Minute Please

When Paul spoke of the Gospel, he limited it to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for sin (see today's reading). In Matthew 4, Jesus used the term to refer to the good news of the kingdom. "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom" (v. 23).

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 5, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Judgment and the Love of God
The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God . . . -1 Peter 4:17


The Christian servant must never forget that salvation is God's idea, not man's; therefore, it has an unfathomable depth. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is simply the door through which salvation comes into the conscious level of our life so that we are aware of what has taken place on a much deeper level. Never preach the experience- preach the great thought of God behind the experience. When we preach, we are not simply proclaiming how people can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God.

In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out- it is the sign of the love of God. Never sympathize with someone who finds it difficult to get to God; God is not to blame. It is not for us to figure out the reason for the difficulty, but only to present the truth of God so that the Spirit of God will reveal what is wrong. The greatest test of the quality of our preaching is whether or not it brings everyone to judgment. When the truth is preached, the Spirit of God brings each person face to face with God Himself.

If Jesus ever commanded us to do something that He was unable to equip us to accomplish, He would be a liar. And if we make our own inability a stumbling block or an excuse not to be obedient, it means that we are telling God that there is something which He has not yet taken into account. Every element of our own self-reliance must be put to death by the power of God. The moment we recognize our complete weakness and our dependence upon Him will be the very moment that the Spirit of God will exhibit His power.
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A More Excellent Way

In 1 Corinthians 14:1, we are given a foundational truth,

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Notice that this verse leads off with a very direct command.  We are to pursue love.

It is interesting that this command is given in the context of Paul's teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 deal with the gifts of the Spirit:  the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, the discerning of spirits, the gift of faith, the working of miracles, the gifts of healing, the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues, and the gift of prophecy.

Chapter 12 gives us the definition of those gifts, chapter 13 teaches us the spirit that should characterize their use, and chapter 14 gives us guidelines for their functioning within the context of the local church.

When it comes to the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, Paul is very clear.  He tells us, "Desire the gifts.  Seek to have these things operating in your life and operating in the life of the local church, but they need to be practiced in love."

It is with that thought in mind that Paul writes 1 Corinthians 12:31.  Here is what he says,

But earnestly desire the best gifts.  And yet I show you a more excellent way.

As we read the following verses we are told that the more excellent way is love.  Again, Paul is giving us the spirit that should characterize the use of the gifts of the Spirit as they function within the context of the local church.

Desire the gifts.  Earnestly covet them.  But let them operate through a spirit of love.

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Penetrate the Culture

In His Presence: Colossians 3:17

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-14, 16).

When we look closely at a culture that is deteriorating, we will probably see the people of God withdrawn from that culture. For example, when Christians began abandoning inner city and urban neighborhoods, taking their skills, resources, and moral influence with them, those neighborhoods deteriorated. When Christians left the public school system, moral values were systematically erased until they became almost illegal to teach. When Christians vacated the media, a spiritual approach to defining everything we hold dear went with them. When Christians decided to get out of politics, righteous political decisions left with them.

God's people have been called to penetrate society. Of course, evangelism is always first because without forgiveness of sins, anything else we give a person is temporary. We have been called first and foremost to win people to Christ. But after a person receives Christ for eternity, he must represent Christ in history. Christians must give out hope; no earthly institution offers real hope for the world.

One Minute Please

The absence of righteousness in our culture has everything to do with the absence of God's people penetrating the culture. When there is no yeast, the bread stays flat.

Source:  Are Christians Destroying America? Pp. 31-34.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 6, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Liberty and the Standards of Jesus
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free . . . -Galatians 5:1


A spiritually-minded person will never come to you with the demand-"Believe this and that"; a spiritually-minded person will demand that you align your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One whom the Bible reveals (see John 5:39-40). We are called to present liberty for the conscience of others, not to bring them liberty for their thoughts and opinions. And if we ourselves are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty- the liberty that comes from realizing the absolute control and authority of Jesus Christ.

Always measure your life solely by the standards of Jesus. Submit yourself to His yoke, and His alone; and always be careful never to place a yoke on others that is not of Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things exactly as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's view. There is only one true liberty- the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.

Don't get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you- with patience and with gentleness. But never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, "Go . . . and make disciples. . ." (Matthew 28:19), not, "Make converts to your own thoughts and opinions."
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Pursue Love!

In yesterday's devotional, we talked about how love is "the more excellent way."  We are to pursue love, especially in how we practice the gifts of the Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul presses home the point of just how important love really is.  Let's start with verse 1,

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

Paul does not say the gift of tongues isn't legitimate or genuine.  But if there is not a heart of love behind it, it is just noise.  You see, the water picks up the taste of the pipe that it flows through.  If the pipe isn't clean, the water can pick up a pretty nasty taste, even though it is still genuinely water.

So also the gift can be genuine, but it is more noise than anything else to the hearts of the people who hear it if it is not accentuated by love.

Let's move to verse 2,

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Notice he did not say the gifts are nothing.  The gifts are genuine.  He says you are nothing.  From heaven's point of view, you are defined by your character, not by your accomplishments.  The world tends to define people by their accomplishments.  In heaven's books, however, you are defined by your character.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing (verse 2).

It does not say the poor won't profit, but you won't profit.  You lose your reward if your heart is not right.

Pursue love!
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Taking Back American Culture

In His Presence: Jeremiah 29:4-14

"[He] is able to establish you according to [the] gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested . . . leading to obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-26, emphasis added).

One major problem in America is that Christians often separate the personal message of salvation from its practical implications. As the Gospel-the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ-is proclaimed, a concern for human needs should flow naturally out of its effect on people and the community. Unfortunately, a trait of our individualistic age is that people care very little about the deterioration of our society.

When the Gospel has permeated a group of people, there should be a shift from social inertia to social sensitivity. This increases the importance of Jesus' statement: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Our testimony is enhanced by the social interactions that take place between Christians and the world. It is unbiblical to believe that our faith in Jesus Christ has no bearing on the needs of this world.

American culture will be reclaimed when Christians regain spiritual clarity. When the Jews were sent into exile, they ended up living within Babylonian culture-a clearly pagan culture. They had to work hard to establish themselves again as a set-apart, unique people.

One Minute Please

"Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce . . . seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile"(Jeremiah 29:5,7).

Source:  Are Christians Destroying America? Pp. 239-242.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 9, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Reaching Beyond Our Grasp
Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint . . . -Proverbs 29:18


There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person's own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, ". . . I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm" (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.

Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?

"Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]. . . ." Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God's vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?

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The Qualities of Love

For the last number of devotionals, we have focused our attention on how love is such a vital quality to the Christian life.  We have seen that unless we love, any of the spiritual gifts are meaningless.

We have also seen that God has deposited His love in us already, and as a result, it is our responsibility to choose to express that love.  It is not something we can put on God's shoulders.  We must take on that obligation.

So what do those qualities of love really look like?  I want to share with you 1 Corinthians 13 from theAmplified Bible, but I want to do it with a twist.  I want to make it personal and show how, if we choose to love as God has asked us to love, it will look.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 from the Amplified Bible...personalized (read it out loud),

I endure long, and I am patient and kind.  I am never envious or boil over with jealousy.  I am not boastful or vainglorious.  I do not display myself haughtily.  I am not conceited, arrogant, or inflated with pride.  I am not rude or unmannerly.  I do not act unbecomingly.  God's love in me does not insist on its own rights or its own way for I am not self-seeking.  I am not touchy or fretful or resentful.  I take no account of the evil done to me.  I do not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but I rejoice when right and truth prevail.  I bear up under anything and everything that comes, and I am ever ready to believe the best of every person.  My hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and I endure everything without weakening.  God's love in me never fails.

I challenge you to read this out loud to yourself every day for a month, and see if it does not change your life!
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Satan Poses the Question

In His Presence: Genesis 3:1-7

Since God placed man on this planet, Satan has been determined to deceive man about the nature of God and God's words to us. In the Garden of Eden, Satan began his plan by talking to Eve. "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). Satan raised a question about God's command. Notice that he used the word "not." He skipped over the first part of God's statement and focused on the restriction. He didn't want Eve to be thinking about God's goodness. He wanted God to appear harsh and restrictive.

What God actually said was: "TheLord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die' " (Genesis 2:16-17). The first thing God told Adam was what he could do. All the fruit was good for the picking, and Adam could eat freely of the trees. He could eat whatever he wanted to eat whenever he wanted to eat. Of all the trees in the garden, and there were probably hundreds of trees, he was only restricted from one tree.

Especially for those of us who live in the United States, we have so much that is good. As much as we are able, we are free to pursue a good life and liberty. We can go after what makes us happy.

One Minute Please

In spite of what Satan wants, we should be thinking about God's goodness.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 10, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

Take the Initiative
. . . add to your faith virtue . . . -2 Peter 1:5


Add means that we have to do something. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves- God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must "work out" our "own salvation" which God has worked in us (Philippians 2:12). Add means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning- to instruct yourself in the way you must go.

Beware of the tendency to ask the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative- stop hesitating- take the first step. Be determined to act immediately in faith on what God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, "I will write that letter," or "I will pay that debt"; and then do it! Make it irrevocable.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we have not yet been.
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Spiritual Metamorphosis

Romans 12:1-2 says this,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

First, notice that it is your responsibility to present your body to God.  God will not do it for you.  You have to do it.  But Scripture doesn't leave us there.  We are shown how we are to do that in verse 2 above.

First, when it says, Do not be conformed, that word conform means to be pressed into a mold by outward pressures.  Instead of being conformed we are told to be transformed.  That is actually the Greek word from which we get our English word metamorphosis.  It means to let what is on the inside come to the outside.

One day many years ago, my kids came home from school with some silk worms.  We were supposed to put them in a box and feed them mulberry leaves.  I couldn't believe how many leaves these worms ate!  They ate leaves until they turned a translucent green!

Then they wove cocoons and went through a metamorphosis.  They went from being these ugly ol' fat green transparent worms, to the most beautiful fuzzy huge white moths.  It was amazing to see!

My friend, you renew your mind by feeding on God's Word, the same way that those silk worms fed on the mulberry leaves.  As you are filled with His truth, it causes a metamorphosis to take place.  It brings what is on the inside-God's nature-to the outside.

So feed on God's Word and watch your life be transformed.
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The Reality of Debt

In His Presence: Proverbs 13:22 

Financially speaking, there are three kinds of people: the haves, the have-nots, and those who have not paid for what they have! Debt has become a way of life in the American landscape. The average American household spends at least 20 percent of their net income on consumer debt. We must understand that when debt rules, debt ruins. Proverbs 22:7 says: "The borrower becomes the lender's slave." Debt controls your life, so it puts you in a kind of slavery. There are several reasons for debt: ignorance, indulgence, poor planning, and emergencies. All these things can contribute to the snowball of debt.

But I believe that God provides a way for us to live without being controlled by our debt. Debt is owing something you cannot pay, and that kind of debt should be abnormal for the Christian because it is outside God's will. Debt is first and foremost a spiritual issue-we are in debt because we have refused to obey God.

Psalm 37:21 says:"The wicked borrows and does not pay back."  Ecclesiastes 5:5 says: "It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay."But also: "TheLord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow" (Deuteronomy 28:12).

We can be set free from the tyranny of debt, and there are four steps that can help us: plant, plan, prioritize, and pray.

One Minute Please

Knowing the truth about debt is the first step toward financial freedom.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 11, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

"Love One Another"
. . . add to your . . . brotherly kindness love -2 Peter 1:5, 7


Love is an indefinite thing to most of us; we don't know what we mean when we talk about love. Love is the loftiest preference of one person for another, and spiritually Jesus demands that this sovereign preference be for Himself (see Luke 14:26). Initially, when "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5), it is easy to put Jesus first. But then we must practice the things mentioned in 2 Peter 1 to see them worked out in our lives.

The first thing God does is forcibly remove any insincerity, pride, and vanity from my life. And the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, ". . . love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). He is saying, "I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you." This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable- it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. Some of us may have tried to force it, but we were soon tired and frustrated.

"The Lord . . . is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish . . ." (2 Peter 3:9). I should look within and remember how wonderfully He has dealt with me. The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me? Neither natural love nor God's divine love will remain and grow in me unless it is nurtured. Love is spontaneous, but it has to be maintained through discipline.
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The Love of Money

In 1 Timothy 6:9-11, Paul gives us a critical insight,

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

I want you to notice:  Before Paul tells us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness, he says we must first flee the love of money.  You have to be willing to flee the wrong things before you can pursue the right things, because you cannot go in two directions at once.

If you are pursuing riches, and the gaining of wealth and the achievement of success have become your number one priorities, pushing everything else, including God, to the side, then you are pursuing the wrong thing.

You may be thinking, "Well, that's great for some people, but that doesn't apply to me."  You need to understand that you can be eaten up with the love of money and not have a dime in your pocket.  All of us are subject to such a temptation and such a trap.

It's fascinating that Paul uses the word "drown" here.  I live by the Pacific Ocean, and generally people who drown do so because, (a) they overestimate their own abilities as a swimmer; or (b) they underestimate the power of the ocean.

If you overestimate your ability to be free from this type of a temptation, or you underestimate the power of this type of a temptation, you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Flee the wrong and pursue the right.  Stay on course with God.
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What Are We Thinking About?

In His Presence: 1 Chronicles 16:8

Why did God put a limitation on the tree in the Garden of Eden? Why do we have limitations at all? In order to enjoy freedom, there must be sufficient restriction so that we can maximize what freedom is. A baseball player isn't free to play baseball if there are no foul lines. A football player is not free to play football if there are no sidelines. God placed the restriction in the Garden of Eden to give us the ability to choose. In that way, freedom is better understood.

Another reason why God put a restriction in the Garden of Eden was to remind man that he is a created being. Restrictions make it clear who is in charge. God wanted it to be clear that there is a major difference between created man and the Creator God. God is transcendent. He is infinite and omniscient. We are not.

Satan used the presence of these restrictions to trick Eve into focusing on the negative. The apostle Paul said: "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). Satan led her thinking away from the goodness of God to focus on the restrictions of God. In doing that, Eve lost sight of the freedom God had given her.

One Minute Please

Adam and Eve lived in a home they didn't build and ate food they didn't have to grow. They lived in a perfect environment that had only one restriction. Does your mind focus only on the restrictions in your life?

God bless

[Judy Harder]

May 12, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
   

The Habit of Having No Habits
If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful . . . -2 Peter 1:8


When we first begin to form a habit, we are fully aware of it. There are times when we are aware of becoming virtuous and godly, but this awareness should only be a stage we quickly pass through as we grow spiritually. If we stop at this stage, we will develop a sense of spiritual pride. The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives.

Your god may be your little Christian habit- the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, "I can't do that right now; this is my time alone with God." No, this is your time alone with your habit. There is a quality that is still lacking in you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.

Love means that there are no visible habits- that your habits are so immersed in the Lord that you practice them without realizing it. If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things- things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere. Is there someplace where you are not at home with God? Then allow God to work through whatever that particular circumstance may be until you increase in Him, adding His qualities. Your life will then become the simple life of a child.
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The Main Pursuit

Ezekiel 33:30-32 provides some pretty direct and challenging words from God,

"As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, 'Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.'  So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.  Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them."

I think, for some people, church is almost like going to a concert, especially if the preacher is flashy and the music is great.  They are not listening with a view to imbibe God's truth and then put it into practice in their lives.

What is the reason for this disconnect?  People are pursuing something else in their hearts.  Sure, they are showing up at church, they are listening, they are even saying "amen" at the right time, but they are not applying God's truth to their lives.  Why?  Because they are pursuing something else in their heart.

This is the same thing that Paul talked to Timothy about in yesterday's devotional.  Remember?  Like Ezekiel, he said, Their hearts pursue their own gain.

It is very simple:  If your focus is on the pursuit of things, your focus will never be on the One who has created all things.  It really boils down to this one question:  What is the main pursuit of your life?

If it is not God, then your life is going in the wrong direction!
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Trees of Analogy

In His Presence: John 8:12

Have you ever thought about the restricted tree in the Garden of Eden? It was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Was this a bad tree? No, there was nothing wrong with the tree itself. Good things could be learned from it. It would teach the difference between good and evil. Another tree in the Garden was the Tree of Life, but it had no restrictions. These two types of trees make a good analogy for today's Christians.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents lists of good and bad things. We are to do the good things and not do the bad things. We could think of this as the Tree of the Law. This tree offered Adam and Eve death. The other tree, the Tree of Life, offered Adam and Eve intimate fellowship and relationship with God. It offered them life.

God wanted Adam and Eve and their descendents to live their lives based on a relationship with Him. He didn't want them to live by a list. The Tree of Life pictured Jesus Christ, who is life. It represents the abiding relationship we have with Him through which the grace of God flows into our lives. We enjoy walking with God in an intimate relationship. The problem with eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was that life had to be lived based on a set of rules, not on a relationship. The New Testament would call that the difference between Law and grace.

One Minute Please

Eating from the Tree of Life meant that there was no need for the Tree of Knowledge.

God bless