Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

August 3, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Compelling Purpose of God
He . . . said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . -Luke 18:31


Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father's will. Jesus said, "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:30). Seeking to do "the will of the Father" was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord's life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. ". . . He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . ." (Luke 9:51).

The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God's purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . ." (John 15:16).

We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God's purpose- we are taken into God's purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God's goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God's aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God's purpose is. We say, "God means for me to go over there," and, "God has called me to do this special work." We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. "He took the twelve aside . . ." (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
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Your Lane

Yesterday we discovered that God has given each of us a call...a destiny designed by God for His glory.

In Philippians 3:12, Paul gives us some additional insight into that call,

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Paul-when he was still an unbeliever and on the road to Damascus-had an encounter with Jesus.  Our Lord laid hold of him and Paul realized God had not only put a call on his life, but that the call was unique.

He was driven to fulfill that call.  He states it this way,  "Since that day, I have been trying to lay hold of the reason for which He laid hold of me."

You also have a unique call.  And whatever it is, you need to stop comparing yourself to others and competing with others.  That is a terrible way to live.  Find out what your lane is, what your gifting is, your calling, and run in that lane.

You are unique!  God has not called anyone else to do exactly what you do.  Find out who you are and forget about what anybody else thinks.  God is not comparing you to another person.  You do not have to compete with anyone or be compared to anyone.  Just do what He has asked you to do.

That is running in your lane.  Do not run in somebody else's lane.  Now you can certainly learn from others, but you don't want to copy them.  You were born an original; you don't want to die a copy. 

Determine God's unique design for your life and run in the lane of that design.  That is when you will know satisfaction, blessing, and contentment.


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The Natural Man

In His Presence: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised"(1 Corinthians 2:14).

It's important to understand that when the apostle Paul talks about the natural man he is referring to an unbeliever. The non-Christian does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. They seem like foolishness to him. He cannot understand it. A Christian is supposed to be supernatural man, because the Spirit of God is living within him. Non-Christians can pretend to be Christians, but can only carry spiritual things so far. They do not want spiritual things controlling their lives.

The natural man can be moral, kind-hearted, filled with good intentions and good works. Yet the non-believer does not accept spiritual things as part of his everyday life. He doesn't know what to do with them. Spiritual truth is not very important to this person. He wants to talk about everything but spiritual things. The mindset of the unbeliever is that everyone else is doing it so it must be all right. The Bible uses the word sensual to describe him.

If we could draw an analogy of the natural man and the Christian, we could compare the natural man to a surround-sound entertainment center that is not hooked up to cable or satellite. While the entertainment center is expensive and of good quality, without a signal it won't do very much. In the same way, the natural man will not get the same signals as the Christian.

One Minute Please

The natural man is not a carnal Christian even though they may appear to be similar.





God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 4, 2011


Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Brave Friendship of God
He took the twelve aside . . . -Luke 18:31


Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, "But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value"? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him "to Jerusalem" (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience- all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God's friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all- we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God's compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.


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Your Three-Way Calling

In Jude 1, we read the following greeting,         

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.

The Greek word for called here is used in three different ways.  As believers in Jesus Christ, this word tells us we are called to three things:

1.      It is used for those who are summoned to an office, duty, or a responsibility.  Friend, every believer has been called.  You have a duty, you have an office, and you have a responsibility.  We have all been called to do something for Christ.  We are ambassadors for Christ, and we need to represent Him to a lost and dying world.

2.      The word called is also used in the Greek language to summon someone to a feast or a festival.  And you know what?  You have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and you will sit down one day to enjoy all the things God has planned for eternity.

3.      Finally, the word translated called in this passage is used to summon someone into court to give an account for themselves, or to summon them to judgment.  One day we will have to give an account of our lives.  One day every one of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the works done in the body.

You have a responsibility to represent Christ to our dying world, to someday celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb, and to ultimately give an account of your life.

I pray you will embrace and fulfill your calling today!


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Newborn Christians

In His Presence: Proverbs 19:20

"I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ"(1 Corinthians 3:1).

There are people who are Christians but are not mature. They are neither carnal Christians nor unbelievers. These are people who are brand-new to faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. They have not been saved long enough to become spiritual. A baby Christian cannot be mature. They can be Spirit-controlled, but they cannot be mature because maturity requires time.

When Paul addresses Christians about their infancy, he is referring to weak, brand-new Christians. We cannot condemn a person because he or she is a baby. Neither does the apostle Paul condemn new Christians because they are immature. New Christians should not get frustrated because they are not mature. They should allow the Holy Spirit control over what they have, and He will make it increase with time. When a baby Christian desires to become mature, we should rejoice that they have listened to the Holy Spirit's voice and have developed a desire for a deeper and more satisfying relationship with God.

"I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it"(v. 2). New Christians grow by feeding on the basics of Christianity. They learn who God is and how much He loves us. They learn who Jesus Christ is, and why it was necessary for Him to become the Lamb of God.

One Minute Please

A baby Christian learns to love God with all his heart, mind, and soul.



God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 5, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Bewildering Call of God
. . . and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.' . . . But they understood none of these things . . . -Luke 18:31, 34


God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God's. But what seemed to be failure from man's standpoint was a triumph from God's standpoint, because God's purpose is never the same as man's purpose.

This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea- no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance- they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.

If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, "I wonder why God allowed this or that?" And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

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Focus

In Philippians 3:13, Paul says,

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

The phrase I want to direct you to today is Paul's statement, One thing I do.  These are echoes of words King David spoke when he said, "One thing I desire," and Jesus, who said to the rich young ruler, "There is one thing you lack."

Then there is the blind man, who had been blind from birth, whom Jesus healed.  When he was questioned, he said, "There is one thing I know:  I was blind, now I see."  One thing I do; one thing I desire; one thing you lack; one thing I know.

Each of these statements points to a vital thing needed if you are to grow in your spiritual life:  FOCUS.

The problem with many people is they are far too scattered.  They are trying to do everything and be everything.  They try to be a jack-of-all-trades and end up being a master of none.

If that describes you today, let me ask you a question:  What is the one main thing that should be the focus of your life?

I have a very gifted friend who drives me crazy.  We can spend an hour in the car; and, in that hour, he has shared 21 new ideas with me.  He is trying to be so many things and do so many things that he is not as effective as he could be at anything!

My question to you is this:  If you died and stood before God today, what is the one thing He is going to ask you about?  Paul said, "One thing I do."  What is that one thing for you?
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Make God Your Reference Point


God has assigned every believer a divine reason for being, including you.  Your purpose is to fulfill God's purpose.  And if you are not fulfilling His purpose, it's just another day gone by, filled with everything but real meaning. You will be floating around with no destination when you're disconnected from the purposes of God. 



You cannot discover your purpose until God is your reference point. 



I encourage you to pray, "Help me to grasp what it means to have a life of purpose, meaning and destiny and not to meander and waste another day on things that really don't matter."



Scripture Reading: Romans 8:28-33 


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 8, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

Prayer in the Father's Honor
. . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God -Luke 1:35


If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God's birth on earth is true of every saint. God's Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child must exercise the right of a child- the right of always being face to face with my Father through prayer. Do I find myself continually saying in amazement to the commonsense part of my life, "Why did you want me to turn here or to go over there? 'Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?' " (Luke 2:49). Whatever our circumstances may be, that holy, innocent, and eternal Child must be in contact with His Father.

Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God's will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God's Son right now- no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.

Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God's Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God's most mature saints, the more he sees what God's purpose really is: to ". . . fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . ." (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to "fill up," there is always something yet to be done.
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The Entrance of Error

Jude 4 gives us an ominous warning,

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude is giving us an idea of how the devil brings error into a church.  The key phrase is men have crept in unnoticed.  That phrase literally means to come alongside by stealth.  It pictures someone creeping in and coming alongside, like coming in through a side door.

The folks Jude is talking about look like everyone else, they talk like everyone else, but they are not like everyone else.

That is the way the devil brings error and false doctrine into the Church.  It looks like the truth, sounds good, seems like the truth, and it may even be partially true.  But there is enough poison in it to kill you.

It's like the guy who wanted to break into a used car lot to steal a bunch of auto parts.  The only problem was the two guard dogs.  So for the next week he showed up every night with some pieces of meat.

At first the dogs would bark like crazy, but after the man left, they would eat the meat.  By the end of the week, they didn't bark at all, they just wanted the meat.  So, having become familiar with the dogs, knowing that they wouldn't "sound the alarm," he approached them one last time-with poisoned meat.  The dogs ate, and he was able to get into the lot and steal all he wanted.

That is the way the devil does it a lot of times.  He sends someone among the believers in order to distract and detour them from the truth.  But it is calculated and happens by degrees.  Do not let your "inner alarm system" go silent through familiarity.

Beware of those who would move you away, even subtly, from the clearly revealed truth of God's Word.


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Crisis in Our Culture

In His Presence: Psalm 40:8

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to the fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse"(Malachi 4:5-6).

Men, when we look at the state of our culture and our country today, we find that we are in a crisis situation. How can we not be when 40 percent of our children go to sleep at night with no dad at home? Among the minority populations, that statistic goes up to 63 percent, and in the innermost inner cities, it rises to 83 percent. There is no respect or dignity among men anymore. They are fathering children but not taking the responsibility to help rear them. Men have become like the fabled abominable snowman, whose footprints are everywhere, but he cannot be found.

In the Bible, whenever Satan wanted to destroy a nation, he went after the male children. While the children of Israel lived in Egypt, eventually one of the pharaohs ordered the death of all male babies born in the land. In Jesus' time, King Herod ordered all the male children under the age of two to be killed in Bethlehem in his efforts to stifle the prophecy of a king born to the Jews. Satan understands that if he can immobilize the men, he can hijack the culture.

One Minute Please

To get a sense of what a real man is, we must turn to the Bible for examples and principles of manhood.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 9, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

Prayer in the Father's Hearing
Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me' -John 11:41


When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. ". . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . " (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God's Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God's eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? Jesus says, "In that day you will ask in My name . . ." (John 16:26). What day does He mean? He is referring to the day when the Holy Spirit has come to me and made me one with my Lord.

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side. Common sense is a gift that God gave to our human nature- but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son, and we should never put our common sense on the throne. The Son always recognizes and identifies with the Father, but common sense has never yet done so and never will. Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?
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The True Grace of God

Yesterday we read Jude 4 which states,

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we move away from this verse, I want to point out a phrase that I believe is very dangerous ground for the Church in America today.  It is the phrase, "Ungodlymen, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness."

Lewdness literally means unrestrained lust, wickedness, and immorality.  These people believed that once you were saved, you could live however you wanted.

There are people in the Church today with this type of thinking.  They believe that if you are saved by grace, and good works do not merit salvation, then you can do whatever you want.           

You can sleep around, commit adultery, get drunk, the sky's the limit.  It's grace, baby!  Your works don't have anything to do with it.  You can live however you want!

One of the things that I have heard throughout the years is, "Hey, it doesn't matter.  It's grace.  God will forgive me, so I'm going to go ahead and do this anyway."

You do not want to live that way.  Believe me, something begins to break down inside of you, and you will pay the piper eventually.

If you are turning the grace of God into lewdness through immorality, or any other sin, I challenge you to stop today.  Confess your sin to God, turn from whatever it is that you have been doing, and ask God to help you live for Him.  If you do, you will experience the true grace of God, which teaches us that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11-12).
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God Has a Purpose for Us


In His Presence: Jeremiah 29:11

"David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his fathers"(Acts 13:36).

Men, the worst thing in the world is to live out our 75 or so years of life not knowing why we were put here in the first place. When God placed Adam in this world, He told him to fill the earth and tame it. He was to create a culture out of the wild. Adam knew he had a purpose for his life. The tragedy today is that men have settled for the mundane and become satisfied by emptiness. They haven't gotten around to exploring God's reason for their existence. If we don't know why we have a life to live, then anyone who whispers in our ear can distract us from our divinely ordained reason for being.

God has a purpose for each of us; we need to pursue God's special future. But if we just settle for the definition of manhood given us by society, the entertainment industry, the sports industry, and our buddies, then we will never discover the purpose God has for us. Real living is when we are completing the work that God has called us to do.

Satan is seeking to overrun this world with evil. But God is ready to partner with us when we take up the mantle of manhood. Through the Holy Spirit, He will work in and through us, but it requires taking a risk.

One Minute Please

Are you going to settle for the ordinary, or are you going to be God's man doing God's business?

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 10, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Holy Suffering of the Saint
Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good . . . -1 Peter 4:19


Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God's will- even if it means you will suffer- is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God's will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint's life.

The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, "God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult." That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God's reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God's character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).

Look at God's incredible waste of His saints, according to the world's judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, "God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him." Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.
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Six Times We Should Seek God

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29).

In today's devotional, I want to show you the first three of six times we should seek the Lord:

1.  When we have sinned.

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

If you sin, do not run from God, run to Him.  Do not allow shame to keep you          away.

2.  When we are feeling dry spiritually.

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).

When you sense a distance between you and God, or if you feel dry spiritually, do not delay!  Seek Him early.

When my potted plants feel dry, I water them.  I do not wait until they turn brown and are almost dead.  If the soil is dry and the leaves begin to droop, they are in need of water right then, and so it is when you are feeling spiritually dry.

One of the keys to keeping potted plants-and our spiritual lives-healthy is to tend to them early.

3.  When we are fearful.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).

When you are fearful or anxious, it is time to seek the Lord.  When you seek Him you can expect to be delivered from all of your fears! 


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Man Must Lead



In His Presence: Ecclesiastes 3:9-12

"I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ"(1 Corinthians 11:3).

God has created a systematic chain of command by which He operates. He expects this chain of command to become part of our lives as well. Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, comes under the authority of God the Father. A man is to place himself under the lordship of Jesus Christ. This is not a statement of equality, but of function. God ordained this order at creation. Further, a woman comes under the authority of her husband as a statement of submission to God.

What happens when we break the chain of command? Satan began his plan of attack on man right in the Garden of Eden. He got Eve and Adam to switch roles. Eve took the lead and Adam became the follower. It was a disastrous experience. Sin was introduced to the world along with its companions, death and disobedience.

God has stitched women in such a way that they are built to be responders. When the man leads the home by placing himself under the lordship of Jesus Christ, the woman will follow. But for a follower to be a good follower, they must have someone worth following. If the man refuses to recognize the authority of Jesus in his life, then the woman will step into the leadership role.

One Minute Please
The biblical definition of real manhood is a man who leads his family in the worship of God by submitting to his Lord.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 11, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

This Experience Must Come
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more -2 Kings 2:11-12


It is not wrong for you to depend on your "Elijah" for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, "I cannot continue without my 'Elijah.' " Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your "Jordan" (Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your "Elijah." You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go- the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your "Jordan" alone.

Alone at Your "Jericho" (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your "Elijah" do great things. Yet when you come alone to your "Jericho," you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your "Elijah," you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your "Bethel" (2 Kings 2:23). At your "Bethel" you will find yourself at your wits' end but at the beginning of God's wisdom. When you come to your wits' end and feel inclined to panic- don't! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your "Elijah"- use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

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Six Times We Should Seek God (Part Two)

In yesterday's devotional, we looked at three times we should seek God. Today we will look at three more:

4.  When we are in trouble.

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched       out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted (Psalm 77:2).

In Hosea 5:15 the Lord says, "...in their affliction they will earnestly    seek me."

I don't like to admit it, but the truth is that at times I have sought God more earnestly when I have been in trouble.  Problems have a way of getting us on our knees.  If you are in trouble today - seek Him!

5.  When all is well.

Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! (Psalm 105:4).

If you will carefully read the preceding verses of this psalm, you will find that the context is one of blessing and not trouble.

This may be the most important time of all to seek Him.  May we never become smug and think that we do not need God when all is well.

6.  Continually.

Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore!

(1 Chronicles 16:11).

The word evermore in this verse means continually or at all times.

When you have sinned, when you are dry, when you are afraid, when you are in trouble, when all is well, and in any other situation - you need to seek God!

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Carnality in Action

In His Presence: Proverbs 21:21

The apostle Paul had spent several years teaching and preaching at the church in Corinth. He was concerned because there was division among the members. "I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren . . . that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, 'I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' and 'I of Cephas,' and 'I of Christ.' Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he?" (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

The Corinthians had time to mature, but they were distracted and began to argue among themselves. Instead of growing, they were regressing. "You are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3-4).

Have you ever said, "I'm only human"? That's non-Christian talk-talking like "mere men." Paul was saying that these Christians were acting like everyone else around them. And Corinth was known to be a wicked city. Paul was not complimenting these Christians. Instead of acting like the new man or woman they had become, they were rebellious believers.

One Minute Please
Behaving like "mere men" is an act of the will. Carnality is perpetuated by the will.



God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 12, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Theology of Resting in God
Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? -Matthew 8:26


When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a certain point, then we turn back to the elementary panic-stricken prayers of those people who do not even know God. We come to our wits' end, showing that we don't have even the slightest amount of confidence in Him or in His sovereign control of the world. To us He seems to be asleep, and we can see nothing but giant, breaking waves on the sea ahead of us.

". . . O you of little faith!" What a stinging pain must have shot through the disciples as they surely thought to themselves, "We missed the mark again!" And what a sharp pain will go through us when we suddenly realize that we could have produced complete and utter joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, in spite of what we were facing.

There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.

We have been talking quite a lot about sanctification, but what will be the result in our lives? It will be expressed in our lives as a peaceful resting in God, which means a total oneness with Him. And this oneness will make us not only blameless in His sight, but also a profound joy to Him.
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True Satisfaction

Isaiah 14:12-15 records the fall of Satan.  Created as God's archangel, we read about the dissatisfaction that got him in trouble,

"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart:  'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."

Clearly his problem was pride.  "I will, I will, I will...I am going to be like God."  He wasn't satisfied with being the archangel that God had created him to be.  He wanted to take God's place.

The root of Satan's pride was his discontent with the post and station that the supreme Monarch of the universe had assigned and allotted him.  He thought he deserved better.

We all have our sphere of influence, and we all have our gifting from God.  Your sphere of influence and gifting are different than mine, and mine are different than yours.  It is unwise to desire something that someone else has rather than exploring what God has given you and developing that to its highest potential.

When you look over the fence, it looks like the grass is greener on the other side, but when you hop over, you find out it is spray-painted!

You will only be satisfied if you will develop what God has put inside of you and take that to its highest level possible.  That is what you will be rewarded for.


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Neglectful Christians

In His Presence: Psalm 62:8

A person does not fall into carnality overnight. He does not lapse into carnality because he or she did one thing wrong. There is a pattern that takes time to establish. The carnal Christian is characterized by the neglect of spiritual matters.

"If the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:2-3). The author of Hebrews was writing to a group of Jewish Christians who had turned their backs on faith. They were genuine Christians, but had demonstrated the neglect that is one of the first signs of carnality. To neglect simply means to show disinterest. It's not that the Christian is doing a lot of wrong things, but it is evident that they are doing very little that's right. Neglect is an act of passive disobedience rather than active disobedience. This Christian is not doing the things that are necessary to catapult us down the road to spiritual growth and maturity.

Passive, benign neglect opens the door to failure. Some marriages end in divorce not because there was an adultery committed, but because the husband sat in front of the TV too much. Some of us are going down the road to carnality not because we have committed gross sins, but because Satan has done just enough to keep us out of the Word of God and off our knees.

One Minute Please
The road to carnality starts with neglect-failure to do the things that are necessary for us to mature in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

August 15, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Evidence of the New Birth
You must be born again -John 3:7


The answer to Nicodemus' question, "How can a man be born when he is old?" is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced (John 3:4). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.

"But as many as received Him. . ." (John 1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result of my own internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned through listening to others? Is there something in my life that unites me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior? My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

". . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God " (John 3:3). Am I seeking only for the evidence of God's kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God's control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself.

"Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . ." (1 John 3:9). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, "Should a Christian sin?" The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin- it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.

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God in Nature

God has made Himself known to mankind in a powerful way people often ignore...His creation.  Romans 1:18-20 tells us,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  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.

God speaks to people through nature...through His creation.  I am confident that there is a point in every person's life where there comes an awareness of God.  Whether it is looking at a shooting star, or at a sunset, or at a blade of grass, the thought occurs to them, "This didn't just get here.  This didn't just happen.  There must be a God."

Creation speaks to us of the Godhead.  It is a revelation of God.  The book of Psalms says, Night unto night shows forth knowledge.  And it says the heavens declare the glory of God.  The firmament shows His handiwork.  Creation speaks to us of God.

But notice what this passage says.  This revelation of God has come to men, but some have wanted to suppress it.  They came to that point and thought, "You know what?  If I find out about this, then I'm going to become responsible.  So I don't think I want to know."

The natural bent of men and women is to suppress the truth, but God is speaking loudly and clearly of His greatness and reality through His creation.  Praise Him today for revealing His beauty and power through nature, and use it to point people to Him.


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Consequences of Neglect

In His Presence: Psalm 103:12

Husbands often take their wives for granted; wives often take their husbands for granted. In much the same way, Christians often take "so great a salvation" for granted (Hebrews 2:3). It is a salvation that cost God His Son. It is a salvation that has given us eternal life. Our salvation has provided us with the enablement of the Holy Spirit. This salvation has given to us the authority of God's Word. It has provided us a home in heaven. This is a salvation that's replete with eternal rewards. It calms the most hurting heart and restores the broken life. How can people neglect that kind of salvation?

Nothing and no one can compare with this salvation. How can we pass over this? We will not escape; there is a price. "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him, for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives' . . .  But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Hebrews 12:4-8).

The natural product of being a Christian is to be disciplined as a son. But neglecting our great salvation comes with further discipline, because the discipline must turn us away from our wandering.

One Minute Please
When we don't remember what we have, we take it for granted.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

August 16, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

Does He Know Me . . . ?
He calls his own . . . by name . . . -John 10:3


When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person's soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. ". . . she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. . . . Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' " (John 20:14, 16). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. "She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' " (John 20:16).

When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus- maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, "We have seen the Lord" (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, "Unless I see . . . I will not believe" (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. "Thomas . . . said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' " (John 20:28).

When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, "Lord . . . You know that I love You" (John 21:17).

Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him- a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.
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No Unbelievers in Hell

In Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells a very sobering story,

"The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom... Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment'" (Luke 16:22b-23 and 27-28).

Everyone in hell believes in evangelism.  They are crying out lest their loved ones end up with them.

Two thousand years have passed and this rich man has had no relief.  A billion years from now he will just be getting started in his torment and pain.  Listen to his cry,  "My brothers! Send someone to my family!"

Hell is for unbelievers but there are no unbelievers in hell!

Several years ago a man came weeping to the altar of our church.  A message had been preached that night from these very Scriptures.  After giving his heart to Christ (and after a long time of almost uncontrollable weeping), he told us this story:

He said,  "I died twice on the operating table during heart surgery.  Each time I died, I left my body and went to hell.  It was so horrifying that I tried to put it out of my mind.  As the message was preached tonight, all the details of my experience came flooding back into my mind."

He did not need to be convinced that hell was real.  That night he accepted Christ and was liberated from the fear of returning to that place of torment.

Jesus alone can rescue us from the terrors of hell and bring us safely to heaven. Shouldn't we be telling people there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun?  Shouldn't we be warning them and encouraging them to accept Christ-while there is still time?!


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Hardened Hearts

In His Presence: Proverbs 19:20-21

"Just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the days of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tried Me by testing Me . . .  I was angry with this generation, and said, "They always go astray in their heart, and they did not know My ways"; As I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest" ' ''(Hebrews 3:7-11).

For many years the sons of Israel lived in the land of Egypt. Eventually the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites and forced them to make buildings of bricks. They suffered terribly until finally God raised up a leader to guide them back to the Promised Land, where God had taken Abraham hundreds of years before. Moses led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness of Sinai. There they began to complain bitterly about the lack of food and water and tried God's patience. God said their hearts were hardened.

The Hebrews' hearts were hardened because they were tricked by sin. Sin leads us to stop believing God. We believe the sin instead. One of the reasons why many of us are in our present dilemma is because we have stopped believing God. We have developed hearts of unbelief.

How do we know that we have been taken in by the deceitfulness of sin? Does the sin bother us less often? When evil doesn't anger and upset us-when we have gotten used to it-our hearts have been hardened.

One Minute Please
Sin provides short-term gratification leading to long-term disaster.


God bless