Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

September 29, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Awareness of the Call
. . . for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! -1 Corinthians 9:16


We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person's life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural-something that is inexpressible and produces a "glow." At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through-"I chose you . . ." (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.

If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, ". . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to "preach the gospel" was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.

If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn't matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God's purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Fourth Commandment of Marriage:  Spend Exclusive Time Together

Over the last few devotionals, we have been working through the principles behind the Ten Commandments...and how they form the basis for a strong and vibrant marriage.  Today we come to the fourth commandment, found in Exodus 20:8-11,




"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.  In it you shall do no work:  you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.  Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."       



Sabbath means an intermission.  It means to put down your work and rest.  Take a break.  And holy means separate to the Lord.  "If you want a long-term relationship with Me," God says, "We have to have time together.  I want special time, exclusive time.  I want a whole day."

In the same way, in order to have a healthy, growing marriage, husbands and wives need time together...special time, exclusive time, sometimes extravagant time.  And I think we all know that if we do not schedule it, it will not happen.

My wife, Janet, once did a little research.  She found that surveys showed the average couple spends 37 minutes or less in face-to-face conversation every week.  I bet before you were married you spent a lot more time together in a week, didn't you?

If your marriage is to thrive, you need to spend exclusive time together.  You can't build a relationship and not spend time together.  It is just not possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Living for the Right Purpose

Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:27-28; Philippians 3:8 

Purpose is a popular topic that many of us find fascinating.  We all want to be validated and know that we are here on earth for a specific reason.  We may have never learned about our purpose while growing up and may still have a difficult time understanding it. 

The good news is that God wants us to realize our purpose.  He didn't create us to live with no direction, just wandering aimlessly through life.  Too many times, we complicate God's plan for our lives.  As believers, God's highest purpose is for us to walk in a close relationship with Him and to reach others with His love.

As we walk in obedience to these basic principles outlined in His Word, God begins to reveal to us a very specific purpose that matches our DNA.  Acts 13:36 tells of David, who lived a purposeful life for the Lord in his generation.  What a great legacy to leave behind!

God bless

[Judy Harder]

September 30, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Assigning of the Call
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church . . . -Colossians 1:24


We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, "Here am I! Send me" (Isaiah 6:.

This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us. We say, "If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I wouldn't object!" But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed-you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.

I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fifth Commandment of Marriage: 
Honor Your Spouse by Showing How Grateful You Are

The fifth commandment gives us our next principle for a healthy and vibrant marriage.  It is found in Exodus 20:12,


"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you."


Among other things, God is saying we must be grateful.  Generally, parents spend a lot of time, labor, and money...sometimes to the point of radical sacrifice...to give their kids an edge in life.

And it is a tragedy when a child is ungrateful or unthankful.  William Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."  It is very difficult to have a relationship with an ungrateful, selfish person.

"Thank you" are important words to your parents, and an incredibly important phrase in marriage.  It is difficult to live with someone who takes you and all of your efforts for granted.

You may be thinking, "I don't say it, but I am grateful in my heart.  I truly am!"  Well, hooray for you.  You are blessed because in your heart you know you are grateful.  But it does your spouse no good if you do not vocalize it.

If you do not demonstrate your gratitude, I doubt if you are really grateful because Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  If it is not being expressed, chances are it is not truly there.

Maybe you think you don't have a lot to be grateful for.  But there must be something you can say "thank you" for.  There is something you can praise your mate for.  Look for those things, and accentuate the positive.

Take time today to express thanks to your spouse in some way...through an action, through a card, through words.  That is how you honor your mate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God Never Makes Mistakes

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 32:4; Matthew 5:48

Everyone makes mistakes, right?  Be assured that God, our Creator, has never made a mistake.  Deuteronomy 32:4 says His work is perfect, and you and I are some of His greatest works.  Believe me, there are no failures or flaws in His plan for you.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  Those who believe that the Earth and everything on it evolved by chance or luck into what they are today are incorrect.  God purposefully and supernaturally created each and every one of us and continues to sustain us.

There is no room for chance or luck if you believe God is the Creator and Sustainer.  God's power allows all things to happen in our lives for His purpose.  We are not the coming together of random forces in the universe.  We are the creation of God's power and perfect work... never a mistake.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

October 3, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Place of Ministry
He said to them, 'This kind [of unclean spirit] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting' -Mark 9:29


His disciples asked Him privately, 'Why could we not cast it out?' " (Mark 9:28). The answer lies in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "This kind can come out by nothing but" concentrating on Him, and then doubling and redoubling that concentration on Him. We can remain powerless forever, as the disciples were in this situation, by trying to do God's work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to serve Him without knowing Him.

When you are brought face to face with a difficult situation and nothing happens externally, you can still know that freedom and release will be given because of your continued concentration on Jesus Christ. Your duty in service and ministry is to see that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself. Is there anything between you and Jesus even now? If there is, you must get through it, not by ignoring it as an irritation, or by going up and over it, but by facing it and getting through it into the presence of Jesus Christ. Then that very problem itself, and all that you have been through in connection with it, will glorify Jesus Christ in a way that you will never know until you see Him face to face.

We must be able to "mount up with wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31), but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and in the living that is done in the valley. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) and what he was referring to were mostly humiliating things. And yet it is in our power to refuse to be humiliated and to say, "No, thank you, I much prefer to be on the mountaintop with God." Can I face things as they actually are in the light of the reality of Jesus Christ, or do things as they really are destroy my faith in Him, and put me into a panic?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Sixth Commandment of Marriage:  Don't Destroy Your Spouse But Learn to be Gentle

Today we are going to look at the sixth commandment of marriage, based on the sixth commandment God gave to Israel in Exodus 20:13,


"You shall not murder."



While you might think this commandment is not too applicable, I believe it is vital.  It is telling you not to destroy your spouse!

Jesus helps us understand this principle in Matthew 5.  He said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."

Jesus went right to the root of murder:  anger and hatred.  If you are going to have a good, healthy, lasting marriage, you need to learn to be gentle.  People who are easily angered...who are violent or have an explosive temper...destroy relationships.

If you are dating someone who blows up easily, you ought to take it as a warning sign.  If they get mad at things at the drop of a hat, that anger can be turned on you very easily.

Anger erodes relationships.  If you have a hot temper, get it under control, or the devil will control you through it.

Another way anger is expressed is by going stone cold...using silence and angry moodiness to punish your mate.  Again, not a healthy thing for a marriage.  If you anger quickly and forgive slowly, you are a hard person to live with.  Work at being quick to forgive, and make the controlling of your anger a serious matter of prayer.  God will help you.

If you do not master your temper, it will master you.  And it will not only decay and destroy a marriage relationship, it will harm every other meaningful relationship you have in life.


In case you missed one of the "Commandments of Marage" series from last week, here are commandments 1-5 below.


The First Commandment of Marriage:  Exclusivity

The first of the Ten Commandments is simply this, as found in Exodus 20:3,

"You shall have no other gods before Me."


And how appropriate in marriage as well.  We are to have an exclusive relationship with our spouse.

It's been said that Henry Ford, on his golden wedding anniversary...50 years of marriage...was asked, "What's the secret of your success in marriage?"  And he said, "The secret of my successful marriage is the same secret that I have in business:  I stick to the same model."

In traditional wedding vows, the man and woman pledge their devotion until death parts them.  For life.  There is no competition.

My wife has no competition.  I am not shopping for a new model.  I do not want to trade in the old model.  I will not be shopping in the future.  One is all I need.

When God made man, He said it is good.  But then He said, "It is not good that he is alone.  I am going to make a helper suitable for him."  And the Bible says God took one of Adam's ribs, and He formed a woman, Eve, and brought her to the man.

God did not take four or five ribs and say, "Okay, Adam, here is Eve, and here is Lois, and here is Samantha, and here is Rachel."  No, it was just one.  And to have a healthy marriage relationship, that is it.

I am committed for life.  An exclusive relationship.  I am not shopping, not even window-shopping.  One God.  One wife.  That is enough.

 

The Second Commandment of Marriage:  Don't Love a Substitute
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."



Religion has made pictures, statues, and idols and then called them holy.  They are all imitations.  They are all substitutes.  And in marriage we should have no substitutes either.

Love your husband only.  Love your wife only.  Do not look for fulfillment in some other relationship or in some other thing.  Find your fulfillment in that relationship.

Pornography is a substitute.  When a man watches pornography, he is loving a substitute.  He is directing his passion and his sexuality toward those images.  That is a substitute, and he is robbing his wife of that intimacy.

Do not allow any substitute, no matter what it might be, to take the place of intimacy with your spouse. 

God commanded that there be no carved images, whether in heaven, in earth, or in the sea.  He wanted to make sure everything was covered.  And He said not to bow down to them and worship them.  God said, "Do not make images of Me and then worship them.  Do not love or worship a substitute for Me.  Love Me."In the second commandment recorded in Exodus 20:4-6, we are given the second principle for a strong marriage,What is God saying in this commandment?  That He wants to have an exclusive relationship with you.  He wants to be your one and only.  He will not settle for flavor of the month.

The Third Commandment of Marriage: Speak Well of Your Mate

Exodus 20:7 gives us our third commandment of marriage, 

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."



When we speak flippantly or lightly about someone, we erode our respect for that person.  Some people are just far too casual in the way they speak of their spouse, and it erodes your respect for him or her.

In marriage, few things can affect the relationship like words.  Words are containers.  They can contain love; they can contain hate; they can contain joy; they can contain bitterness.

The book of James says that our tongue is like a rudder on a ship.  It will send the ship of your marriage in whatever direction your words go.  Some people are on the brink of divorce because they talk divorce.  Just listen to the words they say.  Are they negative or positive?  Critical or encouraging?

One night I was out with a couple of friends diving for lobster.  Some guys were out in one of those big, long speedboats drinking and zooming back and forth at 60 miles an hour. All of a sudden, BANG! The boat hit the rocks.

But it did not hit the rocks by itself.  It was steered into the rocks.  Just like the driver of that boat, some people are steering their marriage into the rocks of divorce, into the rocks of heartache, by the words they speak.

Think about what you say.  Are you building up your partner?  Learn to speak well of your mate.  Build them up with your words.  Be lavish with your praise.  You will be pleased with where those words will take your relationship.

Many misunderstand the term, in vain.  It means empty, meaningless, insincere, not showing due respect.


The Fourth Commandment of Marriage:  Spend Exclusive Time Together
Over the last few devotionals, we have been working through the principles behind the Ten Commandments...and how they form the basis for a strong and vibrant marriage.  Today we come to the fourth commandment, found in Exodus 20:8-11,

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.  In it you shall do no work:  you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.  Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."


Sabbath means an intermission.  It means to put down your work and rest.  Take a break.  And holy means separate to the Lord.  "If you want a long-term relationship with Me," God says, "We have to have time together.  I want special time, exclusive time.  I want a whole day."
In the same way, in order to have a healthy, growing marriage, husbands and wives need time together...special time, exclusive time, sometimes extravagant time.  And I think we all know that if we do not schedule it, it will not happen.

My wife, Janet, once did a little research.  She found that surveys showed the average couple spends 37 minutes or less in face-to-face conversation every week.  I bet before you were married you spent a lot more time together in a week, didn't you?

If your marriage is to thrive, you need to spend exclusive time together.  You can't build a relationship and not spend time together.  It is just not possible.

The Fifth Commandment of Marriage:  Honor Your Spouse by Showing How Grateful You Are

The fifth commandment gives us our next principle for a healthy and vibrant marriage.  It is found in Exodus 20:12,

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you."

Among other things, God is saying we must be grateful.  Generally, parents spend a lot of time, labor, and money...sometimes to the point of radical sacrifice...to give their kids an edge in life.

And it is a tragedy when a child is ungrateful or unthankful.  William Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."  It is very difficult to have a relationship with an ungrateful, selfish person.

"Thank you" are important words to your parents, and an incredibly important phrase in marriage.  It is difficult to live with someone who takes you and all of your efforts for granted.

You may be thinking, "I don't say it, but I am grateful in my heart.  I truly am!"  Well, hooray for you.  You are blessed because in your heart you know you are grateful.  But it does your spouse no good if you do not vocalize it.

If you do not demonstrate your gratitude, I doubt if you are really grateful because Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  If it is not being expressed, chances are it is not truly there.

Maybe you think you don't have a lot to be grateful for.  But there must be something you can say "thank you" for.  There is something you can praise your mate for.  Look for those things, and accentuate the positive.

Take time today to express thanks to your spouse in some way...through an action, through a card, through words.  That is how you honor your mate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Scripture Reading: Exodus 33:18-19; Matthew 5:8; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6,16; 7:1

Eating organic food is a big health craze right now.  No one wants to eat the stuff that's been sprayed with pesticides or pumped full of steroids and preservatives.  Why?  Because it's a proven fact that the extra stuff will contaminate our bodies and make us sick.  When we eat food that man has messed with, we keep our bodies from functioning as God intended.

The same principle applies to our hearts.  When we feed our hearts what the world dishes out, we keep them from doing what they were meant to do.

But when we focus our hearts on God's Word and worship God with our thoughts and actions, He will keep our hearts pure.  Only then will our hearts be capable of doing what they were meant to do - help us see God.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

October 4, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Vision and The Reality
. . . to those who are . . . called to be saints . . . -1 Corinthians 1:2


Thank God for being able to see all that you have not yet been. You have had the vision, but you are not yet to the reality of it by any means. It is when we are in the valley, where we prove whether we will be the choice ones, that most of us turn back. We are not quite prepared for the bumps and bruises that must come if we are going to be turned into the shape of the vision. We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to be battered into the shape of the vision to be used by God? The beatings will always come in the most common, everyday ways and through common, everyday people.

There are times when we do know what God's purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends on us, not on God. If we prefer to relax on the mountaintop and live in the memory of the vision, then we will be of no real use in the ordinary things of which human life is made. We have to learn to live in reliance upon what we saw in the vision, not simply live in ecstatic delight and conscious reflection upon God. This means living the realities of our lives in the light of the vision until the truth of the vision is actually realized in us. Every bit of our training is in that direction. Learn to thank God for making His demands known.

Our little "I am" always sulks and pouts when God says do. Let your little "I am" be shriveled up in God's wrath and indignation-"I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14). He must dominate. Isn't it piercing to realize that God not only knows where we live, but also knows the gutters into which we crawl! He will hunt us down as fast as a flash of lightning. No human being knows human beings as God does.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Seventh Commandment of Marriage:  Do Not Commit Adultery

The seventh commandment brings us to one of the most vital principles of having the marriage God intends.  Exodus 20:14 simply says,



"You shall not commit adultery."


Again, Jesus expanded on this in Matthew 5, and I want you to read these words very carefully.  He said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Having a lustful, exploitive disposition has no place in marriage.  Love gives; lust takes.  Love serves; lust demands.  Love nourishes; lust chokes.

What a wonderful gift God has given us in this thing called sex.  It was His idea.  It is just as holy as when you lift your hands in church and worship Him.  It is God's idea within the context and the confines of marriage.  It should be enjoyed.

But lust has no place in marriage.  It is a poison that will destroy the fabric of your relationship with your spouse.

Men, do not even entertain the thought of allowing pornography into your life.  It can destroy your marriage.  You are committing heart-adultery when you look at pornographic images and lust after another woman.  Do not let the devil have that ground in your heart and life.

This is such a vital command, over the next few devotionals we are going to stay on this subject.  I will share with you three ways to affair-proof your marriage.

In a marriage, you would be hard pressed to imagine anything more damaging than your spouse being unfaithful.  But being faithful is not only being faithful in action, but also in thought.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12   

Today when we hear that someone is "blessed," we often think of a comfortable lifestyle, good health and a successful job.  But Jesus said that those who are "poor in spirit" are blessed.  The New Testament word for poor means a beggar who is totally dependent upon another for survival.  Therefore, to be "poor in spirit" is to be totally dependent upon another for spiritual well-being.

If we turn this around, we realize that the cursed are those who are rich in self-sufficiency.  When we can take care of ourselves and control our situations, we're living in a different kingdom.

When God puts you in a situation that you have no power to fix, He's doing you a favor because He's making a way for His Kingdom to come in.  If you find yourself in this place, you'll know you're poor in spirit as thanksgiving replaces your complaining.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

October 5, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Nature of Degeneration
Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned . . . -Romans 5:12


The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man's sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man. But it also says that another Man took upon Himself the sin of the human race and put it away- an infinitely more profound revelation (see Hebrews 9:26). The nature of sin is not immorality and wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, "I am my own god." This nature may exhibit itself in proper morality or in improper immorality, but it always has a common basis- my claim to my right to myself. When our Lord faced either people with all the forces of evil in them, or people who were clean-living, moral, and upright, He paid no attention to the moral degradation of one, nor any attention to the moral attainment of the other. He looked at something we do not see, namely, the nature of man (see John 2:25).

Sin is something I am born with and cannot touch- only God touches sin through redemption. It is through the Cross of Christ that God redeemed the entire human race from the possibility of damnation through the heredity of sin. God nowhere holds a person responsible for having the heredity of sin, and does not condemn anyone because of it. Condemnation comes when I realize that Jesus Christ came to deliver me from this heredity of sin, and yet I refuse to let Him do so. From that moment I begin to get the seal of damnation. "This is the condemnation [and the critical moment], that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light . . . " (John 3:19).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Affair-Proof Your Marriage with Positive Affirmation
The first way to affair-proof your marriage is to season your marriage with affirming communication.

In Song of Solomon 7:1-6 we read of how Solomon affirmed his bride,

How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince's daughter!  The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.  Your navel is a rounded goblet; it lacks no blended beverage.  Your waist is a heap of wheat set about with lilies.  Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.  Your neck is like an ivory tower, your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim.  Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.  Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple; a king is held captive by your tresses.  How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!


Solomon knew it was vital for him to compliment his bride's body, because, as you read in chapter 1, it is evident that it was an area of insecurity for her.

This Shulamite was a country girl.  She said, "Do not look on me for I am dark."  She was tan from working out in the vineyards.  And compared with the fair-skinned, pampered ladies of the court, she felt very insecure.

So Solomon very wisely builds her up in the area where she feels most insecure.

Speak affirming words to your mate rather than tear him or her down.  If your spouse is starved for positive affirmation, and it does not come from you, it opens a door of temptation.  The devil will send someone to give insincere compliments, and if a person is starved for it, they gravitate towards it.

Praise one another lavishly.  It is an important thing to do.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



God Used Moses, "the Murderer"

Scripture Reading: Exodus 2:11-24

One mistake can change the course of our lives.  One bad decision can cost us years.  In Moses' case, the mistake was murder.  In a fit of anger, he killed an Egyptian and then fled for his life.  He went from living as a prince of Egypt to growing old with the sheep in the desert.  He was certain that it was too late for anything good to come of his life.

Many of our lives have been forever changed by a single decision, and the consequences have left us feeling as though our existence has little significance.  But it wasn't too late for Moses, and it's not too late for you.

When he was 80 - after 40 years of waiting - Moses' mistake brought him to the right place to meet with God, who used him to lead an entire nation out of slavery.  Cry out to God, and He will meet you in His presence.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

October 6, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Nature of Regeneration
When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . -Galatians 1:15-16


If Jesus Christ is going to regenerate me, what is the problem He faces? It is simply this- I have a heredity in which I had no say or decision; I am not holy, nor am I likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is tell me that I must be holy, His teaching only causes me to despair. But if Jesus Christ is truly a regenerator, someone who can put His own heredity of holiness into me, then I can begin to see what He means when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into anyone the hereditary nature that was in Himself, and all the standards He gives us are based on that nature- His teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us. The proper action on my part is simply to agree with God's verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ.

The New Testament teaching about regeneration is that when a person is hit by his own sense of need, God will put the Holy Spirit into his spirit, and his personal spirit will be energized by the Spirit of the Son of God- ". . . until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). The moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life. When I finally reach the edge of my need and know my own limitations, then Jesus says, "Blessed are you . . ." (Matthew 5:11). But I must get to that point. God cannot put into me, the responsible moral person that I am, the nature that was in Jesus Christ unless I am aware of my need for it.

Just as the nature of sin entered into the human race through one man, the Holy Spirit entered into the human race through another Man (see Romans 5:12-19). And redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin, and that through Jesus Christ I can receive a pure and spotless heredity, namely, the Holy Spirit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Affair-Proof Your Marriage with Companionship


Back in Song of Solomon 7 we read this in verses 10-13,

I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.  Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages.  Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom.  There I will give you my love.  The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.


If you have drifted apart, I suggest you each make a list of things you like to do, or things that you might like to try.  It could be anything from antique hunting, going to garage sales, taking walks, bicycling, fishing, going to museums, watching football, shopping, gardening, snorkeling, reading, sky diving, cooking, hiking, puzzles, photography, whatever.

Once you have made your lists, compare them and see where things overlap.  Then find two or three things, and endeavor to do those things together.  Have fun together.

Set time apart to do at least one activity together every couple of weeks.  If you have kids, get a babysitter so it is just the two of you.  It will be the best gift you could give your children.

If you do not do things together, you will find yourselves drifting apart.

Notice that Solomon and his bride just hung out together.  It was a vital part of their relationship.  And so must it be for any thriving marriage.           Today I want to give you the second way to affair-proof your marriage.  And that is by being a companion to your spouse, spending time together just enjoying each other's company.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


God Used Rahab, "the Harlot"

Scripture Reading: Joshua 2

Rahab was a lady of the evening.  She was known as "Rahab, the prostitute," yet her name is included both in the Gospel of Matthew's genealogy of Jesus and the book of Hebrew's "Hall of Faith."  Her story demonstrates the power of faith to transform lives and overcome difficult circumstances.

Rahab lived at the wall of Jericho, and when the two Hebrew spies stayed at her house, she placed her trust in the protection of their God.  She'd heard the stories of the God of Israel, and she chose to appeal to His goodness instead of giving in to the threats of Jericho's ruler.  Because of her faith, she was adopted into the people of God and she became a symbol of remarkable faith.

Not only did Rahab's faith change her life, but it moved God to protect everyone in her family and household when Jericho was destroyed.  One woman's faith changed an entire family's destiny.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

October 7, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Nature of Reconciliation
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him -2 Corinthians 5:21


Sin is a fundamental relationship- it is not wrong doing, but wrong being- it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins- the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ confronted in people was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the gospel that the message of the gospel has lost its sting and its explosive power.

The revealed truth of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took on Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took on Himself the heredity of sin that no man can even touch. God made His own Son "to be sin" that He might make the sinner into a saint. It is revealed throughout the Bible that our Lord took on Himself the sin of the world through identification with us, not through sympathy for us. He deliberately took on His own shoulders, and endured in His own body, the complete, cumulative sin of the human race. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. . ." and by so doing He placed salvation for the entire human race solely on the basis of redemption. Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, putting it back to where God designed it to be. And now anyone can experience that reconciliation, being brought into oneness with God, on the basis of what our Lord has done on the cross.

A man cannot redeem himself- redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete. And its application to individual people is a matter of their own individual action or response to it. A distinction must always be made between the revealed truth of redemption and the actual conscious experience of salvation in a person's life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Affair-Proof Your Marriage Through Intimacy
In the last two devotionals, we have learned that we can affair-proof our marriages through positive affirmation and companionship.  The third way to affair-proof your marriage is by making intimacy a priority.

Let me take you back to the Scripture we read yesterday, Song of Solomon 7:10-13,

I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.  Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages.  Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom.  There I will give you my love.  The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

These verses paint a beautiful picture of intimacy between a husband and wife.  Couples need to have physical intimacy.  In fact, the New Testament commands the husband and wife not to deprive one another except by mutual consent, and then only if they are going to fast and pray.

So how do you create an atmosphere of intimacy?  It starts with affirming your spouse.  Notice that Solomon has been affirming his wife, complimenting her, building her up.

Now guys, you need to understand that women are wired differently than you.  In order for a woman to be intimate, she needs to speak and be spoken to.  You have to create an atmosphere for intimacy.

For most husbands, they just catch a glimpse of their wife in the shower and they are ready to go.  But for women, it starts differently than that.  She is aroused by words, sincere words, and it usually starts around breakfast time.

Take time today to create an atmosphere of intimacy.  If you do, you will be on your way to experiencing true intimacy, as we will see in tomorrow's devotional.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God Used Jacob, "the Liar"

Scripture Reading: Genesis 25:26-34 

The name "Jacob" means deceiver. Jacob was crafty, tricky and skilled in the ways of manipulation.  He was the kind of person who had big dreams and ambitions and was always looking for an angle.  He wanted a blessing.

The Bible's reference to "blessing" describes the transfer of divine favor and authority.  To be blessed means that we receive from God something that we have no ability to generate on our own.  However, the only way we can get that kind of blessing is through brokenness . . . the realization that our self-sufficiency, our willpower and our talents are not enough.

Jacob learned this the hard way. He got his blessing, but it was more than he bargained for.  God blessed him by wrestling with him, shaping his character and changing his name from deceiver to Israel, which means "wrestles with God."  Jacob realized that the blessing was about more than what he got; it was about passing this blessing on to the next generation.  You'll be ready to receive the blessing of God when you realize it's about what you give to others, not just what God gives to you.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

October 10, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
How Will I Know?
Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father . . . that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes' -Matthew 11:25


We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step- we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin- "But if we walk in the light," we are cleansed "from all sin" (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.

All of God's revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God's truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you. You could read volumes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when five minutes of total, uncompromising obedience would make things as clear as sunlight. Don't say, "I suppose I will understand these things someday!" You can understand them now. And it is not study that brings understanding to you, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming one of the "wise and prudent." "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know . . ." (John 7:17).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Affair-Proof Your Marriage Through Intimacy-Part 2

Friday we learned the first step in experiencing intimacy in marriage...by creating an atmosphere for that intimacy.  Today, I want us to see the results of that deliberate effort.

As we mentioned yesterday, Solomon has been complimenting his wife and affirming her.  Look at her response to that affirmation in Song of Solomon 7:10,

I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.


She is digging it!  She is saying, "He really loves me!"  Solomon's affirmation of his bride has created this atmosphere of intimacy.  And look what she says next in verse 11,

Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages.


She is grabbing Solomon's hand and saying, "Let's get a hotel room!"  Then there are verses 12-13,

Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom.  There I will give you my love.  The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

Friend, catch what is going on.  Solomon has affirmed his wife saying, "Honey, you are beautiful!  I am so glad I married you.  I married out of my league.  You are wonderful.  Your body is great.  I am so happy!"

Her response?  "Wow, he loves me.  I'll tell you what, let's go away and have a little love vacation.  Let's take a few days off."  That is enough to get any husband inspired to rent a hotel room!

If you want to affair-proof your marriage, make intimacy a priority!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


God Used Samson, "the Player"

Scripture Reading: Judges 13 

Samson was every woman's dream and every man's nightmare.  He had supernatural strength, heroic bravery and the fighting spirit of a warrior. God gave him these gifts because his parents dedicated him to the Lord from his birth.  In time, Samson's love for women caused him to compromise his call.  When he lost his purity, he also lost the strength and power that God had given him.  Chasing the pleasures of the world left him powerless, defeated and humiliated.

However, in his  brokenness at the end of his life Samson rediscovered the call God had given  him to liberate his people. When he used  the blessings of God to serve others he changed history.

Don't chase the pleasures of the world but dedicate your life to serving God and others.  No matter where you are, it's not too late.  When you realize God's purpose for your life isn't just about you, He will use you in a mighty way.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

October 11, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
God's Silence- Then What?
When He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was -John 11:6


Has God trusted you with His silence- a silence that has great meaning? God's silences are actually His answers. Just think of those days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany! Is there anything comparable to those days in your life? Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking Him for a visible answer? God will give you the very blessings you ask if you refuse to go any further without them, but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself. Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response? When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible- with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him- He is bringing you into the mainstream of His purposes. The actual evidence of the answer in time is simply a matter of God's sovereignty. Time is nothing to God. For a while you may have said, "I asked God to give me bread, but He gave me a stone instead" (see Matthew 7:9). He did not give you a stone, and today you find that He gave you the "bread of life" (John 6:35).

A wonderful thing about God's silence is that His stillness is contagious- it gets into you, causing you to become perfectly confident so that you can honestly say, "I know that God has heard me." His silence is the very proof that He has. As long as you have the idea that God will always bless you in answer to prayer, He will do it, but He will never give you the grace of His silence. If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, then He will give you the first sign of His intimacy- silence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Eighth Commandment of Marriage:  Be a Person of Integrity

Exodus 20:15 gives us the eighth commandment for marriage,


You shall not steal.


You may be wondering how stealing applies to marriage.  Simple.  Not to steal is to be a person of integrity.

If you are always cheating or cutting corners, it will be hard for your spouse to respect you.  Your uprightness should make your marriage partner feel proud.  Your spouse and your family ought to testify of your integrity.  This is really one of the things at the heart of a good marriage.

If you are married to somebody, and you know they cheat their customers, it is just hard to respect that person.  You cannot respect someone who does not have integrity.

This is a big issue that many people fly right by.  But it is vital to a healthy and vibrant marriage because it is hard to fully give yourself to someone who does not have integrity.

If you find that your spouse is holding back, if you feel like he or she does not respect you, take a look inside and see if you are compromising with your integrity.  Do you cheat on your taxes?  Do you tell that "little white lie" to protect yourself or gain an advantage?

Do you represent yourself one way, when in fact in your heart you believe something totally different?  Are you like the man Solomon speaks of in Proverbs 23:7?

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.  "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.


If this is an issue in your life, take it to God today.  He will help you become the person of integrity He desires you to be.  And when you do, you will find your spouse will come to respect you, and your marriage will be strengthened!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Authority of Christ over Circumstances

You may never have to feed 5,000 people like Jesus did in the story in Mark 6, but you may still experience seemingly impossible situations.  Remember these seven keys as you trust in Christ to overcome the insurmountable circumstances in your life.

- Rest and prepare yourself for God's service.
- Make sure you have a compassionate attitude. 
- Remember that God is interested in building His Kingdom through your situations. 
- Live so that non-believers can see Jesus through for you.
- Always give thanks for what God has given you, so He can use you to bless others.   
- Trust God during the impossible circumstances of life.   
- Remember that He works through weak things to make miraculous things.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

October 12, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
Getting into God's Stride
Enoch walked with God . . . -Genesis 5:24


The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person's worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (seeJohn 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him- it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God's stride and His power alone are exhibited.

It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus- "He will not fail nor be discouraged . . ." (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God's Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God's stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don't give up because the pain is intense right now- get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ninth Commandment of Marriage:  Be Truthful

The ninth commandment for marriage speaks to the heart of any marriage, trust.  It is found in Exodus 20:16,

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."



Someone who would lie about their neighbor, for whatever reason, is not going to make a good marriage partner.  Honesty and trust are at the heart of a good marriage.

If you take advantage of people for your own gain, speaking untruthfully to get ahead, you are not a person to be trusted.  And you ultimately are the loser.

I am reminded of the guy who was in a fender bender, and he feigned an injury, pretended like he hurt his arm and his shoulder.  As a result, the poor little lady who had run into his car was subjected to a truly horrible situation.  She was grilled by attorneys, had to give depositions, and ended up in court.

But this guy continued trying to take her for all she was worth.  He didn't care because he knew she had money.  He didn't care if she had to give up her house.  He was looking at an opportunity to get rich.

The attorney for the lady's insurance company put him on the stand and said, "I would like to know, since the accident, since you injured your arm and your shoulder, how far can you now raise your arm?"

With great pain etched on his face, he said, "Well...'bout here.  That's it.  Just to here."  Then the attorney asked, "Well, how far could you lift it before the accident?"  The guy responded, raising his arm with ease, "I could lift it up to here."

Needless to say, he lost.

Anyone who is not truthful will ultimately lose.  And if your spouse will lie to someone else, he or she will lie to you. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Authority of Christ over Satan

Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-20 

The Bible says that God tempts no man to sin (James 1:13).  Whenever you sin, don't blame God.  God never tempts us, but He does tests us.  Do you understand the difference?

Testing is designed to validate your victory in Christ.  Temptation is Satan's attempt to defeat you spiritually.  Ironically, the test and the temptation can be the same event.  God can use something - a circumstance, a situation, a problem - that is a test.  Yet Satan is using it as a temptation.

Your response can be a testimony to God's power, so Satan works to discredit your testimony in an effort to dishonor God.  Our heavenly Father wants to know whether your "amen" on Sunday works on Monday, and Satan wants you to leave the sermon at the church. Remember Christ has ALL authority over Satan, so you can win every time.

God bless