Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance
Be still, and know that I am God . . . -Psalm 46:10

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for- love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men- will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, "because you have kept My command to persevere . . ." (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually


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

Sow Good...Reap Blessing

As I mentioned in yesterday's devotional, God wants to bless your life, and the richer, more frequent blessings come to those who do a particular thing.  We find that thing in Galatians 6:9-10,

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The seasons of blessing come due more often to those who consistently sow, to those who seize opportunities that are afforded them to do good.  Notice again in verse 9, Let us not grow weary while doing good.  Verse 10 says, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all.

This same truth is reinforced by verse 7, which states,

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

If we sow good, we will reap good.  A season of blessing will come.

What many Christians tend to do is stand before a field in which they planted no seed, and pray, "God, give me a miracle harvest."

Now, God is God, and He certainly can do things out of the ordinary.  But He also works according to laws and principles that He has set into motion.  One of those laws is the law of sowing and reaping.

Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.  Therefore, do not grow weary while doing good.  In due season, you will reap, if you do not faint.  When you have opportunity, do good.  Get some seed in the ground.

Because the richer and more frequent blessings come to those who sow good.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Investment of Stewardship

In His Presence: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16:13).

In this parable, Jesus told the story of a steward who messed up. He shared this story with His disciples because He was concerned that they might develop the mindset of the Pharisees, "who were lovers of money... listening to all these things and... scoffing at Him" (v. 14). In this parable, a very rich man delegated responsibility for his assets to a steward. But this man squandered his boss's possessions, and the result was that he was about to lose his job. This is not a story about spending; it's a story about investing. And one day, God will call us to an accounting of what we have done with what He has given us. We will have to answer according to how we have squandered or invested the blessings He entrusted to us.

The steward came up with an idea. He went to every person who owed his master money and lowered their debts so that he would have something to give the master. The master then "praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly" (v. . Jesus' point was: "The sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light" (v. . In other words, sinners are often smarter than saints. This unbelieving, conniving servant was able to secure his future. He messed up his past, but he put things in motion to take care of the future and he was praised for it.

One Minute Please

Just as sinners act shrewdly to cover their bases for their future on earth, Christians had better act shrewdly to cover their future in terms of eternity.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

The Destitution of Service
. . . though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved -2 Corinthians 12:15

Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, "It doesn't really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to be poverty-stricken, not just for your sakes, but also that I may be able to get you to God." "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor . . ." (2 Corinthians 8:9). And Paul's idea of service was the same as our Lord's. He did not care how high the cost was to himself- he would gladly pay it. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The institutional church's idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. Jesus Christ actually "out-socialized" the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all (see Matthew 23:11). The real test of a saint is not one's willingness to preach the gospel, but one's willingness to do something like washing the disciples' feet- that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul's delight to spend his life for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. But before we will serve, we stop to ponder our personal and financial concerns- "What if God wants me to go over there? And what about my salary? What is the climate like there? Who will take care of me? A person must consider all these things." All that is an indication that we have reservations about serving God. But the apostle Paul had no conditions or reservations. Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.


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

Only Temporary

In our last devotional, we looked at Proverbs 23:4.  Today I want us to look at the next verse.  I will bet you can relate to it.  Verse 5 says,

Will you set your eyes on that which is not?  For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Does it ever seem to you that your money has wings?  That it just flies off more quickly than you would have ever imagined?!

Money can be very temporary, very transitory in nature.  Proverbs 27:24 reinforces that truth when it tells us,

For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.

You need to understand that wealth is temporary just like our time here is temporary.  What are the implications for how we live our lives?  As believers, it is so important for us to have a pilgrim mindset and realize that we are just passing through.

This world is not our home.  This life is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  If you begin to think that somehow things are permanent, and you plan as if it is all permanent, you are going to get off course in your life with God.

Moses is a great example of someone who made a choice to live life with the right priorities.  You can read about it in Hebrews 11.  In that chapter, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy all the riches of Egypt.

Moses had everything at his fingertips, but he made the right choice.  He said, "You know what?  There are more important things.  My priorities are different than this."  And his lifestyle changed pretty radically in a hurry.

But looking back, it's obvious that Moses made the right choice isn't it?  He changed the world and right now he is in heaven enjoying the presence of God.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investing in People

In His Presence: The day of the Lord will come like a thief . . . and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness (2 Peter 3:10-12).

In our economy today it is very important to start saving for retirement early. Those who are only present-day oriented will just spend money, but those who are future-oriented will invest. That's the difference between immaturity and maturity: the immature spend, and the mature save for tomorrow. Jesus' parable in Luke 16 demonstrates that the sons of darkness are often wiser than the children of light because they are future-oriented. If men are willing to do that in finite time, how much more should Christians "make friends for yourselves . . . [who] will receive you into the eternal dwellings" (v. 9)? God tells us to wisely use our stewardship in something that has eternal value: people.

When we stand before Christ, He is going to play a cosmic video, reviewing our life from salvation to death. We will see how responsibly we used the time, talents, and treasures God gave us, and how good or bad our stewardship was for Him. We will see the impact we had on other people and how much we invested in others for eternity.

In verse 9, Jesus told us to make friends. How do we do this? We make friends by sharing the Gospel so that those we know have an opportunity to hear it. We must see that people are important in God's economy. God measures our effect on people not by how many dollars we have in the bank, but by how we have used our time, talents, and treasures to invest in the eternal destiny of people.

One Minute Please

Either God will reign over your time, talents, and treasures, or you will make them your god.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

Our Misgivings About Jesus
 
The woman said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw [water] with, and the well is deep' -John 4:11

Have you ever said to yourself, "I am impressed with the wonderful truths of God's Word, but He can't really expect me to live up to that and work all those details into my life!" When it comes to confronting Jesus Christ on the basis of His qualities and abilities, our attitudes reflect religious superiority. We think His ideals are lofty and they impress us, but we believe He is not in touch with reality- that what He says cannot actually be done. Each of us thinks this about Jesus in one area of our life or another. These doubts or misgivings about Jesus begin as we consider questions that divert our focus away from God. While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, "Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?" Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, "It's easy to say, 'Trust in the Lord,' but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water- no means to be able to give us these things." And beware of exhibiting religious deceit by saying, "Oh, I have no misgivings about Jesus, only misgivings about myself." If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. And our pride is hurt even at the thought that He can do what we can't.

My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says. My doubts spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, I should bring them into the light and confess them openly- "Lord, I have had misgivings about You. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Untrustworthy

Proverbs 11:28 uncovers a powerful truth,

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.

Solomon is giving us an important warning:  He who trusts in his riches will fall.  Why does he tell us this?  Because it is our natural tendency, when prosperity comes, to trust in that prosperity and to have that become our source of security.

As Psalm 62:10 says, If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. There is a tendency in every human heart to do just that, and that is why God warns us.  If the blessing comes, if prosperity comes, if you achieve a degree of success, do not set your heart on the wealth.

Instead, make sure your trust remains in God because riches are not trustworthy.  In fact, if you trust in your wealth, you will fall!

The New Testament echoes this same truth in 1 Timothy 6:17.  In this passage, Paul is writing to his son in the faith, Timothy.  He is giving him some instructions to pass along to other believers,

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Like Solomon, Paul is warning us that riches are uncertain.  Do not put your trust in them.  Instead, make sure your trust is in God.  If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.  And I like the last part.  He said to put your trust in God, Who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Where is your trust today?  Are you trusting in your money and wealth?  Or is the object of your trust God?  I hope you will answer honestly.  If you find yourself trusting in riches, just remember, they are untrustworthy!


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

The Theft of Stewardship

In His Presence: The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Communism teaches that the government owns everything. Capitalism teaches that the individual owns everything. Christianity teaches that God owns everything. At the heart of Christian stewardship is the assumption that the earth is the Lord's, the world and all who dwell in it. There is absolutely nothing that sits outside of the ownership of God.

The Bible is clear that men attempt to rob God-stewards attempt to rip off the Owner. Malachi 3:7-12 makes this point. At this time the Israelites held a very low view of God. He remained faithful, and even though they were disobedient, they were not consumed (v. 6), but they had turned from the God of their fathers. Oh, they were still showing up for church, but they did not treat God as the sovereign, omnipotent ruler that He is.

The Israelites were made to realize that they were thieves because they were oblivious to it on their own. They asked: "How shall we return [to the Lord]?" (v. 7). God answered: "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings" (v. . God used the example of how the Israelites were handling their offerings to demonstrate their spiritual poverty. It's hard to measure spiritual robbery, so this was a visible, tangible illustration of their theft of God. Like a thermometer registers a physical representation of an internal illness, God used the thermometer of tithes and offerings to register the Israelites' spiritual temperature.

One Minute Please

You can always tell how a person is doing on the inside by how they function on the outside.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus
Where then do You get that living water? -John 4:11

"The well is deep"- and even a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! (John 4:11). Think of the depths of human nature and human life; think of the depth of the "wells" in you. Have you been limiting, or impoverishing, the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life? Suppose that you have a deep "well" of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says to you, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1). Would your response be to shrug your shoulders and say, "But, Lord, the well is too deep, and even You can't draw up quietness and comfort out of it." Actually, that is correct. Jesus doesn't bring anything up from the wells of human nature- He brings them down from above. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering only what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and also by saying, "Of course, I cannot expect God to do this particular thing." The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do. We impoverish and weaken His ministry in us the moment we forget He is almighty. The impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus for Him to be our comforter or our sympathizer, but we refrain from approaching Him as our Almighty God.

The reason some of us are such poor examples of Christianity is that we have failed to recognize that Christ is almighty. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment or surrender to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying, "Of course, He can't do anything about this." We struggle to reach the bottom of our own well, trying to get water for ourselves. Beware of sitting back, and saying, "It can't be done." You will know it can be done if you will look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Right Perspective

Yesterday's devotional showed us how money, riches, and wealth are untrustworthy.  So the natural question is, "Is wealth a bad thing?"

Let's go back to 1 Timothy 6:17-19 for our answer,

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I believe God makes it clear that if you are in a position where He has blessed you, you should enjoy it.  And do it guilt-free.  If you can take the whole family on a 30-day vacation to Europe, go for it.

Just make sure you pay your tithes first.  Make sure you are generous to the work of God, but enjoy what God gives you.  It is a gift of God to be able to enjoy the fruit of the work of your hands.

God is all for us enjoying whatever measure of prosperity we have.  He just wants us to be generous in proportion to our prosperity.  He wants us to be ready and willing to give big.  To be sowing extravagantly into the gospel and thereby laying up treasure in heaven.

The point is this:  Do not just live with your eye on this world.  Rather, live with your eye on the world to come.  If you do, you will truly be able to enjoy the wealth God gives you.


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


Tithes and Offerings

In His Presence: You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always (Deuteronomy 14:23).

God told the Israelites they were robbing Him in two ways: in their tithes and in their offerings. The word tithe means one-tenth, and it refers back to a time even before the nation of Israel existed, when God conveyed the expectation that man would recognize His sovereignty by giving a tithe.

In Genesis 14:17-24, Abraham offered Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a tithe because of the victory God had given him and the blessing that God had bestowed upon him. Abraham offered a tithe to Melchizedek, who was the forerunner to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is greater than Melchizedek (Hebrews 7). If Abraham had to offer a tithe to Melchizedek, and Jesus is the follower of Melchizedek, then how much more do we have a responsibility to honor the sovereignty of Christ who is the King of the world?

Leviticus 27:30 says that the tithe is "holy to the Lord." The tithe doesn't belong to us; it belongs to God. The tithe teaches that there is only one Creator and Sustainer, and it's not us.

While the tithe is mandatory, the offering is voluntary. We determine the amount of the offering, and it is from the heart. But an offering is never an offering until we have given the full tithe. We must first give what God expects, and then we can give over and above that expectation to reflect a heart of love, gratitude, and rejoicing. If we don't give to God out of obedience and gratitude, it shows that something is wrong with our hearts.

One Minute Please

The average Christian gives only 2.5 percent of his income to God.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

"Do You Now Believe?"
 
'By this we believe . . . .' Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe?' -John 16:30-31

Now we believe. . . ." But Jesus asks, "Do you . . . ? Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you . . . will leave Me alone" (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.

We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to "walk in the light" of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to "walk in the light as He is in the light. . ." (1 John 1:7). When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others. But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation-just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.


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

It's All About Him

I want us to look again at the last two verses from our last devotional, 1 Timothy 6:18-19,

Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I think it is beautiful the way verse 19 ends, ...that they may lay hold on eternal life.  Paul is writing to believers here, and he is not saying they must do this so that they can get saved.

Rather, I think he is saying that when they are rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, then they will lay hold on what eternal life is all about.  It is not about the things you possess; it is not about the blessings God gives you.  It is about a relationship with Him.  Jesus said in John 17:3, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

If you are blessed, realize the main thing is not your riches and wealth.  They can be very transitory.

I have a friend who, years ago, migrated from a country in Central America that had experienced a military coup.  Her family was quite well off, having property and wealth that had been passed down through several generations.

But after the coop, the new government seized all of the families properties and wealth. All was lost overnight.

This story could have turned out badly except that this woman is an exceptional Christian with a great attitude.  She has built a successful life here in the U. S and has chosen not to be bitter or resentful over the past. She has kept her trust in God, realizing that no matter what happens if she still has Him she will be alright.

Friend, keep your eyes on God and keep your trust anchored in Him. He is what life-real life-eternal life is all about!


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


The Restitution and Reversal of Theft

In His Presence: Give and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured you in return (Luke 6:38).

Malachi 3:10 says: " 'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.' " This verse isn't saying God will make us rich. Rather, it teaches us how life will be when we do not steal from God what already belongs to Him.

This verse tells us to bring the whole tithe. Failure to bring 100 percent will mean that heaven is closed. But if you bring the whole tithe, heaven will open wide and God will pour blessings out on you until they overflow.

The "storehouse" referred to in verse 10 is where temple food was kept for those in need-the priests, the poor, and the unsaved. The food would impact the community in the name of Yahweh. In our day, the storehouse represents the local church, where people are fed spiritually. The tithe goes to the church, and the offering can go there or to other ministries.

Remember that robbery of God reflects your spirit toward God, so if you aren't willing to give of your money, you're probably not willing to give your whole heart and life. God will not allow you to have a key to His house and to steal from Him at the same time. The issue is not whether we can afford to give tithes and offerings, but whether we can afford not to?

One Minute Please

You don't give to receive, but when you give with the right heart, you will receive.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Piercing Question
Do you love Me? -John 21:17

Peter's response to this piercing question is considerably different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before when he declared, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Matthew 26:35 ; also see Matthew 26:33-34). Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. It may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person. True love never simply declares itself. Jesus said, "Whoever confesses Me before men [that is, confesses his love by everything he does, not merely by his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:.

Unless we are experiencing the hurt of facing every deception about ourselves, we have hindered the work of the Word of God in our lives. The Word of God inflicts hurt on us more than sin ever could, because sin dulls our senses. But this question of the Lord intensifies our sensitivities to the point that this hurt produced by Jesus is the most exquisite pain conceivable. It hurts not only on the natural level, but also on the deeper spiritual level. "For the Word of God is living and powerful . . . , piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . . ."- to the point that no deception can remain (Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord's Word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals His truth to us.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His Stuff

You have probably noticed that over the last few days of devotionals, we have been focusing on material blessings and how we should view those blessings.

1 Chronicles 29:14-16 is very helpful to see God's perspective,

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this?  For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.  For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope.  "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own."

In these verses, King David is actually talking to the Lord as an offering is being received, and resources are being collected for the building of the temple (something his son Solomon is going to achieve).

We see that David recognized that everything he had, everything the people had, literally belonged to God.  They were just giving God back something that belonged to Him in the first place.

I am going to let you in on a little secret:  You and I are just stewards, and one day the Owner will call us into account for how we handled His stuff.  Every one of us will give an account for our stewardship of His possessions.

While He gives us richly all things to enjoy, He is going to ask you if you did what He told you to do with His stuff.  It is not our stuff.

Material treasure is a stewardship, and we must do what the Owner wants with it.  This means we have a responsibility to be listening for the Owner's voice and following His instructions with His goods.


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

The Motivation of Stewardship

In His Presence: Mark 10:25

When churches aren't receiving tithes from their congregation, there is something drastically wrong in the hearts of those churchgoers. After all, stewardship is a matter of the heart. Jesus drove this point home in Mark 12, where He talked about the motivation behind our stewardship.

Money is an indicator of where our hearts really are. God isn't interested in our money; He doesn't need a dime. Our cars all have indicator lights to tell us when we are about to run out of gas or if the engine is overheating. Well, money is a good indicator light for the state of our inner selves.

In this particular account, Jesus went to church with His disciples, "He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury" (v. 41). Jesus' watch was very intimate as He sat down close to where the offering was being collected. The temple they were in was very ornate and plush, and the rich people were easy to spot because they "were putting in large sums" (v. 41). Jesus could see how much they were putting in because He was watching.

Someone else came along whom Jesus noticed-a widow who dropped in two small copper coins. Those two lepta equaled less than a penny; it was the smallest currency made in that day. In order for Jesus to see such a small offering, He must have been quite close to the scene. He was watching the giving intimately.

One Minute Please

The offering was important enough for Jesus to watch closely-remember its importance as you make your offering.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotional

March 4, 2013


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

This email encouragement is unlike most I send out.  The simple fact is that God has laid this message on my heart, and I can't get away from it.  It is like a burning in my bones.  You may not like what I have to say.  You may not feel it is encouraging.  Fair enough.  But I believe it is necessary for such a time as this.

Jeff Schreve
Pastor


Open Season

"... and you will be hated by all on account of My name".  Luke 21:17


Years ago, I heard a sermon by Adrian Rogers in which he said, "Do you know who is going to be the whipping boy in the last days?  The Bible-believing Christian."  How true and how evident in the days in which we live. Perhaps you have been following the story about Tim Tebow's scheduled speaking engagement at First Baptist Dallas where Dr. Robert Jeffress is Pastor.  Tebow has been called "a terrible person" for accepting this speaking invitation (on Thursday he cancelled, however).  Why?  What could possibly be so bad about Jeffress and FBC Dallas, a flagship church of biblical conservatism for 100+ years? In preaching the truths of the Bible, Dr. Jeffress has made some politically incorrect statements regarding Muslims, Mormonism, and homosexuality.  And rather than checking to see if his statements were biblically sound or not, many have vehemently castigated him, labeling him an idiot, a narrow-minded bigot, a homophobe, and a hater.  One writer spoke openly of his hatred for Jeffress ... because he deemed him a hater.  How ironic. Robert Jeffress is not a hater, nor an idiot, nor a homophobe, nor a narrow-minded bigot.  He is someone who is trying to hold up the truths of the Word of God in a day and age of increasing apostasy - a falling away from the true faith.  No doubt Jeffress could have said the things he said in a different way, but if you delve into the crux of his politically incorrect statements, you will find they are rooted in biblical truth.


   




1.  No one goes to heaven apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).  Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world religions do not claim Jesus as Savior and Lord.  They proclaim another way of salvation apart from Christ.  Anyone who believes the Bible to be true would have to agree that these world religions are wrong.  But, Jeff, they are sincere.  Yes they are.  But sincerity is not the test of truth.  People can certainly be sincerely wrong. John F. Kennedy Jr. was sincere when he thought he was piloting his airplane up and not down. Tragically, he was sincerely wrong.                               
2.  Not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is a Christian.  Judas claimed to be a Christ-follower, but he wasn't.  In fact, Jesus called him a devil.  In Corinth, there were those who preached "another Jesus" who was not the Jesus of the Bible.  Like Lite Beer from Miller, this "other Jesus" tastes great and is less filling ... the only problem is he can't save from sin and death.   

To be sure, false cults are not the same thing as false world religions.  Whereas a false world religion never claims to be Christian, a false cult does.  But the false cult presents "another Jesus whom we have not preached" (2 Cor. 11:4).  Mark it down: The only Jesus who can save is the Jesus of the Bible ... and that Jesus is Creator God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity.  In Mormon theology, Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer.  Jesus is NOT Creator God, and He is NOT co-equal with God the Father.  Is that a small discrepancy?  NO! Jesus Himself said, "Unless you believe that I am He, you will all die in your sins" (John 8:24).  The "He" is not in the original Greek.  It was added by the NASB translators for readability.  In this key statement, Jesus was claiming to be the Great I AM, the holy and sacred name for God in the Old Testament.  When He said it again in John 8:58 - "Before Abraham was born, I am" - they picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy, for claiming to be God.  Here is the point: Unless you understand and believe in the true Jesus who is God in the flesh, you can never be saved.  Just because a school backpack can be made to look a lot like a parachute, doesn't mean it can save you at 30,000 feet.

3.  Homosexuality is clearly defined as sin in the Bible.  However one may try to make the Bible say homosexuality is good, fine, right, and wholesome, it just can't be done.  Old and New Testament passages make it crystal clear that homosexuality is sexually immoral.  And sexually immoral people - whether fornicators, adulterers, or homosexuals - who refuse to repent of their sins "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (see 1 Cor. 6:9-11). God doesn't want that for anyone.  I don't want that either, nor does Robert Jeffress.  No true preacher wants that ... so we cry out for men and women to repent of sin and receive the love, grace, and forgiveness freely offered by God through the sacrificial death of His Son on the cross.


Are Christians haters for calling sin sin?  Is your doctor a hater if he examines you, finds a tumor, and lovingly tells you that you have cancer and need to make radical changes or else?  Is it really hatred to speak the truth in love (what we are commanded to do)?  Is it really hatred to call people to repent of their sin and put their faith in Christ?  Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).  There is no salvation apart from repentance ... and there is no repentance when clearly defined sin is no longer deemed sinful. It is indeed open season on Bible-believing Christians.  The hatred, insults, and persecutions will continue to intensify until the Lord returns.  The big question is this: Will you stay faithful to the Lord and His Word, regardless of the consequences ... or will you back down in shame of Him and His words because of the fear of man?  May God help His children stand up for Jesus!






Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries



Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,  nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.  (1 Cor. 9:9-11)








--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   




Is This True of Me?
None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . . -Acts 20:24
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world's perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.

What do I count in my life as "dear to myself"? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as "dear to myself." But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, "Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work." That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use- but always consider that "you are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are His.


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










Agreeing With God's Word

When the twelve spies returned from searching the promised land, they said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we" (Numbers 13:31).

That was the report they brought back-at least ten of them that is.  The other two, Joshua and Caleb, had this to say,

"Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us.  Do not fear them" (Numbers 14:9).

They all saw the same things in the land of Canaan, but only Joshua and Caleb chose to agree with God.  The Lord had previously told them that He would give them victory and that they would be able to drive out the inhabitants of the land.

The ten spies (along with all Israel) died without ever possessing what God had promised.  Only two men from that generation entered into Canaan and possessed the land.  I think you can guess who they were-Joshua and Caleb.  The only two who agreed with the declarations of God.

Check out what you have been saying.  Do your words agree with God or not?


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











How Do You Give?

In His Presence: Mark 8:36

Jesus not only closely watched people give their offerings, He watched them critically. He went beyond their visible actions and looked into their hearts. Jesus called His disciples over and said: "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury" (Mark 12:43). He didn't want them to miss seeing the heart of the widow, or to miss the lesson that her giving provided.

Most of us would miss watching the widow. Instead, we would be watching the bigwigs in the temple, the ones who made large offerings from their ample funds. We would be impressed by how much they gave. We might even suggest honoring them for their giving, maybe naming a building after the donor. But Jesus didn't call the disciples over to see the big givers. He called them over to notice a poor widow who gave less than a penny.

Why did Jesus fix His attention on the widow? Because she gave more. "She, out of her poverty, put in all she owned" (v. 44), while the rich men gave out of their surplus. The rich gave what they had left over. This woman didn't have anything extra; she gave everything she had. Jesus knew this, and He saw her heart. God measures our gift not by its amount, but by our motive. A godly steward will give with the motivation to honor God rather than just to tip Him with what he has left over after the bills are paid.

One Minute Please

God is not only interested in what you give; He also wants to know why you give it.





God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   




Is He Really My Lord?
 
. . . so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus . . . -Acts 20:24

Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. And He says to us, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21). Have you received a ministry from the Lord? If so, you must be faithful to it- to consider your life valuable only for the purpose of fulfilling that ministry. Knowing that you have done what Jesus sent you to do, think how satisfying it will be to hear Him say to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). We each have to find a niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive a ministry from the Lord. To do this we must have close fellowship with Jesus and must know Him as more than our personal Savior. And we must be willing to experience the full impact of Acts 9:16 - "I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

"Do you love Me?" Then, "Feed My sheep" (John 21:17). He is not offering us a choice of how we can serve Him; He is asking for absolute loyalty to His commission, a faithfulness to what we discern when we are in the closest possible fellowship with God. If you have received a ministry from the Lord Jesus, you will know that the need is not the same as the call- the need is the opportunity to exercise the call. The call is to be faithful to the ministry you received when you were in true fellowship with Him. This does not imply that there is a whole series of differing ministries marked out for you. It does mean that you must be sensitive to what God has called you to do, and this may sometimes require ignoring demands for service in other areas.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unlikely Vessels

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says,

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

God delights in calling and using those the world passes by and counts as nothing.  One old preacher said, "God isn't looking for golden vessels, God isn't looking for silver vessels, God is looking for yielded vessels."  I think that is true.

It is amazing what God can do through someone's life who doesn't have to have the credit.

You may feel like you do not have much to offer.  If that is the case, then you are perfect!  When God does great things through you, then He will get the credit.  People will know it was Him and not you!

God is looking for yielded vessels that He can use in a dynamic, community-altering way.

Why not say today, "Here I am Lord, use me;" and after praying that simple prayer, get ready.  God may bring some amazing opportunities your way to step out and be used for His glory.


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

Giving Reflects the Spiritual

In His Presence: 1 Kings 17:1-16

Giving is a value issue, not simply a money issue. God wants your love for Him to be reflected in the way you give. When faced with the choice of using her two lepta for survival or giving them to God, the widow chose to trust God to provide and gave all her money to Him. She did it without the promise of any reward, simply because she knew she needed God above all else and wanted to give to Him. She made a spiritual decision which she reflected in her physical actions. She completely entrusted herself to God to meet her need. She was banking on God.

Our love for God is measured and tested by the hold we have on our wallets. If we simply give out of our surplus, Jesus said we are not grateful. Giving God the leftovers expresses the lack of value we place on Him. The poor widow not only gave all she had, she gave more than those rich men, not in portion, but in proportion. She gave 100 percent, while all they gave were leftovers.

Everything we have starts with God. He gives us the money we receive because of the jobs He provides for us. Everything is rooted in God's provision.

If your offering is insignificant to you, it is also insignificant to God. If we put God first in our lives, we will give Him the firstfruits, not the leftovers. Do we trust that if we put Him first, He will take care of us?

One Minute Please

If Jesus Himself passed you the offering plate with His nail-scarred hand, would it affect your giving?



God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Taking the Next Step
. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses -2 Corinthians 6:4

When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the gospel.

Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lose interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with its trivial tasks. The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ inJohn 13:1-17 .


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

The Road to Perfect and Complete

I want us to focus our attention today on James 1:2-4,

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

What I want to look at today is how God seeks to bring us to maturity by building patience into our lives.  If there is one thing I have learned in my Christian walk, it is that God is not in as much of a hurry as I am!

Now, what is patience?  Patience is the long-lasting quality of your faith.  If you let go of your patience, your faith falls to the floor.

The end result God is looking for is that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  The word perfect here means mature.  God is developing maturity in us by working on our patience.

I have a dear friend who has a great church.  They endeavored to build another building on their property and it ended up being a major undertaking.  In fact, it turned out to be the most difficult thing he had ever done.  I mean, it took a strip out of his hide.

Eventually it got built, but you know what my friend says about it?  He says, "You see that building?  I didn't build that building.  It built me."

Going through those trials, facing those difficulties, having his faith tested, having to trust God when it seemed like there was a lack of finances, having to hold onto God's Word when he was a laughing stock with some people, all of that built character in him as he stood the test.

I have a question for you:  Has anything been building you lately?  If so, rejoice, because God is working maturity in you!


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


Our Firstfruits

In His Presence: Matthew 22:37

The Bible calls the priorities of stewardship our "firstfruits." In the agricultural environment of the biblical times, people lived on the food they grew. Giving God their firstfruits would mean giving Him the best and the first of what they had to give.

Giving your firstfruits is a tangible, visible way of telling God that He is first in your life. God has always demanded that He be first because He is God. In Revelation 2:4, Jesus told the church: "You have left your first love." Jesus had slipped into second or third place. When God stops being first, we have a problem.

Colossians 1:18 tells us we should live in such a way "that [Jesus] Himself might come to have first place in everything." Jesus wants to be the focus of every aspect of your life all the time, without exception. Why? Because everything we have and ever will have is rooted in God. He deserves to be the focus because He is the Creator, Sustainer, Source, Savior, and King.

A passage from Haggai demonstrates where our priority as stewards should be: "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; ... he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes" (Haggai 1:6). When God is not first, we can't possibly enjoy the stuff of life. Whenever the provisions of God become your god, you have replaced the true God with your own god.

One Minute Please

How dare we live for everything else and forget the Source.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Source of Abundant Joy
 
In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us -Romans 8:37

Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that "in all these things we are more than conquerors." We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.

Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let's apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against- tribulation, suffering, and persecution- are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. "We are more than conquerors through Him" "in all these things"; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn't know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4).

The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).


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

It Will All Work Out

Ephesians 1:11 is a powerful verse with a vital lesson,

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

Over the 30 years of my Christian life, I have come to have great confidence in God's ability to work things out.  No matter what is going on or how obscured my understanding of a situation is, I believe God is always working things according to His great sovereign plan.

It is as if there is this giant tapestry that God is weaving, and my life is a part of it.  I sometimes get caught up with the temporal things and the stuff that is happening, but God reminds me, "Hey, nothing is taking Me by surprise.  I'm weaving all of these things into this great pattern.  Your mistakes, the stuff that happens to you, it is all going to turn out alright!"

Has it ever occurred to you that nothing occurs to God?  The thing you are embroiled in right now did not take God by surprise.  He did not look at your situation and say, "Oh no!  I didn't figure on that!  Gabriel, do you have any suggestions?  What are we going to do?"

I know that sometimes in my microscopic view of things I have said, "Lord, such and such has got to happen."  And God has replied, "Well, you don't have the big picture."  Then, as time went on, God pulled the camera back, and I got the wide view, and I realized God was up to something very cool-totally apart from what I thought "had to happen."

Whatever your situation, you can rest assured that God has plans to work things out.  God is working all things after the counsel of His own will.  So relax!  Even if your present circumstances have totally taken you by surprise, God saw it coming and made provision far ahead of time.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are the Best

In His Presence:  Leviticus 22:17-25

Whenever you give God your firstfruits, you not only give Him the first, you give Him the best. In Malachi 1 the Israelites brought God the worst of their leftovers for their sacrifices-the sick, blind, and lame animals. Sometimes that is what we bring God-our leftover time, energy, and devotion. We come to God when we're not at our peak.

The story of Cain and Abel serves as a reminder that God is not pleased with those who do not offer firstfruits. "Abel, on his part also brought the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard" (Genesis 4:4-5). Cain wound up killing his brother over this incident. Abel brought God the best because he believed God desired and deserved the best. By his offering, Cain showed that he thought God only deserved something, not the best.

If we're not worshiping God by bringing Him our firstfruits, we are likely giving our firstfruits to something else. What gets your best time and your undivided attention? You give those to whatever is your priority.

Regarding money, "firstfruits" refers to the tithe, or the tenth. You must bring the whole tithe before you bring an offering. Deuteronomy 14:23 says we are to give the tithe "that [we] may learn to fear the Lord." Whenever we give the tenth first, we're honoring God as God.

One Minute Please

God wants the prime cut of your life; He doesn't want the leftovers.





God bless