Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals November 11, 2009
   
No Greater Love
READ: John 15:9-17
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. -John 15:13.

Melbourne, Australia, is home to the Shrine of Remembrance, a war memorial honoring those who died for their country. Built following World War I, it has since been expanded to honor those who served in subsequent conflicts.
It's a beautiful place, with reminders of courage and devotion, but the highlight of the shrine is a hall containing a carved stone that simply reads, "Greater Love Hath No Man." Every year on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:00 a.m., a mirror reflects the sun's light onto the stone to spotlight the word love. It is a poignant tribute to those who gave their lives.
We honor the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for freedom. Yet the words on that stone carry a far greater meaning. Jesus spoke them the night before He died on the cross for the sins of a needy world (John 15:13). His death was not for freedom from political tyranny but freedom from the penalty of sin. His death was not just to give us a better life, but to give us eternal life.
It is important to remember those who have given their lives for their country-but may we never forget to praise and honor the Christ who died for a dying world. Truly, there is no greater love than this.  - Bill Crowder

There is no greater love than that of Christ above,
That made Him stoop to earth, become a Man,
And by His death provide redemption's plan;
There is no greater love. -Peterson
© Renewal 1983, John W. Peterson Music Company.


The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God.
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Removed, Not Just Covered

Today I want to give you another reason why the new covenant is better than the old covenant.  I want you to read Hebrews 10:11 first, then Hebrews 9:25-26,

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
And then talking about Jesus,
Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of another-He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Under the old covenant, sins were merely covered.  In the new covenant, Jesus removes our sin.  In fact, John the Baptist declared, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"  Jesus doesn't just cover it, He takes it away!
I want to tell you, friend, we are not just some patched up old sinners.  We have been made new creations in Christ Jesus.
I know a horse trainer who trains beautiful thoroughbred horses.  If I took a mule over to this guy and said, "Look, I want this mule to run with the thoroughbreds," he could feed it, brush its coat every day, and trim its tail and ears to look like a quarter horse.  But when the gun fires and the gates go up and the horses start to run, it is just a mule.  That is all it is!
Religion dresses up the mule, but God changes the mule into a thoroughbred.  He takes away your sin and makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus when you embrace salvation.
Our sin is not just covered, it is gone, and we have been made into new people
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Read: Matthew 23:1-12
The greatest among you will be your servant. - Matthew 23:11

TODAY IN THE WORD
"They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long," Jesus said of the Pharisees (v. 5). Phylacteries, called "tephillin" by modern Jews, are small leather boxes or pouches attached by straps to one's arm or forehead. They contain several texts from the Pentateuch, including Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The tassels were found on prayer shawls and alluded to the Tent of Meeting from the days of the Exodus. They also served as reminders of the Law's commands. Phylacteries and tassels ideally symbolized true faith and devotion, but the Pharisees used them to parade their "faith and devotion" in front of others. The pride and hypocrisy of these religious leaders illuminate, by contrast, the virtue of humility. The hypocrisy consisted in the fact that they didn't practice what they preached (v. 3). As we might say today, "They talked the talk, but didn't walk the walk." This hypocrisy was caused by pride. They did their religious duties to be seen and praised by others. For example, they flaunted their phylacteries and tassels, as described above. They vied for the best seats at banquets (see Jan. 5), as well as for the special bench in front of the cabinet where the scrolls of the Law were kept in synagogues. They craved public recognition. Jesus said, "They have received their reward in full" (Matt. 6:5). In contrast to human hierarchy, Jesus taught true equality (vv. 8-10). Before the Lord, titles are meaningless. God alone can be considered our true Master, Father, and Teacher, a truth leading to humility (vv. 11-12). Amazingly, Jesus had begun all this by saying that people should still obey the Pharisees. Why? Because they sat "in Moses' seat," meaning that their authority ultimately resided not in them personally, but in the Scriptures (the Law of Moses) which they taught (vv. 2-3). "Do as they say, not as they do," Jesus was essentially saying, as well as showing us that others' pride is no reason to be proud ourselves.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What's your definition of "humility"? Consider answering this question by writing another spiritual journal entry, perhaps one that builds on or continues your journal entry from yesterday. Don't just answer off the top of your head. Review the Scripture passages and devotional readings, make notes, pray, and discuss your ideas with fellow believers. Then you'll be able to write an explanation that is accurate, godly, and challenging. Seeing our target clearly is a prerequisite to hitting it!

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 12, 2009
 
Out Of Obscurity

READ: 2 Kings 22:3-11
I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord. -2 Kings 22:8

In an old house close to a Civil War battleground in Virginia, workers are painstakingly restoring graffiti. Unsightly scribbling similar to what we scrub from public view is considered a clue to knowledge of the past. Workers are ecstatic when a new letter or word emerges from obscurity to provide information that has remained hidden for over 145 years.
The story brings to mind a scene in ancient Israel when Hilkiah the priest found the long lost book of the law in the temple of the Lord. The very words of God, entrusted to the nation of Israel, had been ignored, forgotten, and eventually lost. But King Josiah was determined to follow the Lord, so he instructed the priest to restore worship in the temple. In the process, the Law of Moses was discovered.
But an even greater discovery was yet to be made. Many years later, after meeting Jesus, Philip reported to his friend Nathanael: "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law" (John 1:45 NIV).
People today get excited about discovering the scribbles of Civil War soldiers. How much more exciting it is to discover the words of Almighty God expressed in the Word made flesh, Jesus the Messiah.  - Julie Ackerman Link

The treasures of the Word of God
Are great beyond compare;
But if we do not search them out,
We cannot use what's there. -Sper


The Bible is old, but its truths are always new
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Your Real Adversary

As we continue to think about the reality of trials in our lives, and the challenge it is to handle those trials, I want to point you to another important teaching about trials in today's devotional.

You need to realize who your adversary is.  It is not God; it is the devil.  Look at 1 Peter 5:8-9,
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Some of the trials and sufferings that we experience are the direct result of the adversary's work.
Some people want to blame God for everything, but the Bible says it is the thief- the devil-who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus came to give us life and more abundantly.
Peter makes this even clearer in verse 10,
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Our God is the God of grace.  The devil is seeking to devour.
Frankly, I hate the middle part of this verse, After you have suffered for a while....   Clearly, God wants us to understand that suffering is going to happen.  Trials are going to happen.  No matter how much you may say, "I don't receive it!", it is still there!  You are going to go through difficult times.  It is part of the human experience.
But when you go through that time of trial, remember not to blame God.  It is the devil who is your adversary! 
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Read: Numbers 12:1-15
Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. - Numbers 12:3

TODAY IN THE WORD
Today's verse might come as a surprise, because we don't tend to picture Moses as a humble man. This might be due to how he's depicted in movies such as The Ten Commandments. As Charlton Heston, for example, calls down the ten plagues, thunders "Let my people go!", or raises his staff to divide the Red Sea, the words "humble" and "meek" don't exactly spring to mind! A strong leader who is also humble is a rare combination. But Scripture declares Moses to have been "more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth" (v. 3). As a national leader and prophet, Moses had reasons to be proud, but he hadn't given in to the temptation. This is clear in today's reading, when his own brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, attacked him. They did so through gossip, condemning the fact that he had a "Cushite wife." Their real problem, however, was jealousy over his special relationship with the Lord. God had empowered him to face down a king and do awesome miracles. God had given him the Law on Mount Sinai. And Moses' face shone from meeting with God, who often filled him with His Spirit. Aaron and Miriam might also have felt that the recent appointment of seventy elders (11:10-25) diluted their own leadership positions. Whatever the impetus for their attack, they were the ones guilty of the self-seeking arrogance with which they charged Moses. Moses did nothing-God Himself defended His humble servant. The three of them were summoned to the Tent of Meeting, where the Lord rebuked Miriam and Aaron in words (vv. 6-8) and with a judgment of leprosy on Miriam, probably indicating she had instigated the complaint. Moses' prayer brought healing and mercy, but her seven-day quarantine outside the camp was a public, humbling reminder of how God deals with those who try to exalt themselves.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Part of the problem in today's reading was gossip. It's quite possible that gossip is a problem in your church as well-snide remarks about what qualities someone lacks, or "prayer requests" that are actually juicy tidbits about others. Resolve today to have no part in such talk! Gossip tears down rather than builds up, and makes the teller feel selfishly important and powerful. Remember what Proverbs says: "A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (16:28).


GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 13, 2009

Whom Will You Trust?

READ: Philippians 3:1-11
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. -Ephesians 2:8

Ayn Rand, an American philosopher who died in 1982, gathered a sizable following who read her books and attended her lectures. An avid individualist, she had this to say: "Now I see the free face of god and I raise this god over all the earth, this god who men have sought since men came into being, the god who will grant them joy and peace and pride. This god, this one word, I." When asked if she believed in God, she answered, "This god is myself, I." Egotism-faith in oneself-that's what this philosopher believed in.

The apostle Paul bore witness to a trust that is exactly the opposite of that misplaced self-confidence. He declared, "[We] worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). He put his trust solely in Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate, the true God of love and mercy.

We read in the book of Ephesians, "By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (2:.

Are we embracing the philosophy of egotism, which is really a confidence that will prove eternally self-destructive? Or have we, like Paul, embraced the self-sacrificing grace of Jesus Christ?  - Vernon C. Grounds

By grace now I'm saved-Hallelujah!
Praise God, and through faith it's been done;
Naught of myself, but believing
In the finished work of His Son. -Gladwin


We are saved not by what we do but by trusting what Christ has done
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The Path to Maturity

1 Peter 5:10 provides a very critical principle for those times when we are going through trials, a principle that is easy to miss,

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

You need to realize that even though God did not initiate your trouble, He can still use it to work something good in you.  What the devil means for evil, God can turn into something good.

Even though the devil's purpose is to destroy you, if you will respond correctly, God can work good things.  Notice the verse says after you have suffered a short season, God will perfect.  It brings maturity to you.

While we might hate it, how we respond in times of trial makes us who we are-and it fits us to accomplish God's will.  I hate some of the things I have gone through!  But you know what?  I would not be who I am had I not experienced those things.  It has fitted me to do the will of God.

And while it may not seem like it, your present difficulty may be instrumental in your future success.

It reminds me of the guy who was shipwrecked on a deserted island.  One day he decided to go across the island for food.  When he got to the other side he looked back and saw a plume of smoke in the sky.  He ran back only to find that his shack burnt to the ground!

It stung him to the core!  Except the next morning a ship arrived and rescued him.  When he asked the sailors, "How'd you know I was here?" they said, "We saw your smoke signal."

Your present trials just may be fitting you for something you would never expect! 
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Read: Philippians 2:12-13
We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

TODAY IN THE WORD
Daniel did his job so well as a civil official in the Persian Empire that the other administrators were jealous. They watched him carefully, looking for a "skeleton in his closet" so they could run to King Darius and tattle. But Daniel, dedicated to his God, lived blamelessly. His rivals could find nothing wrong. That didn't stop them, however, from concocting a plot leading to the famous story of Daniel in the lions' den, which you can read in Daniel 6. Daniel lived a godly life, being light in a dark, paganenvironment. In today's reading, Paul wanted the Philippians to be "Daniels" and "christs" to the world around them. Paul's exhortation here was a follow-up to his earlier command to imitate Christ (v. 5). The intervening verses are an inspiring "detour," but they also form the foundation for Paul's teachings that follow. How can believers have the same attitude as Christ? Through obedience and blameless living (v. 12; cf. Phil. 1:10). Living this way honors the salvation Christ has won. That's what it means to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" --not to be afraid or fearful, but to cooperate in reverence and awe with God's sanctifying work in your life. Salvation is not by works. It is wholly by God's grace, and we have a part to play after we are saved (Eph. 2:8-10). That's why Paul immediately balanced "work out your salvation" with "for it is God who works in you" (Phil. 2:13). We are never on our own. We don't have to complete what God started. The strength in which we live out our faith comes from God. He is always working in us for our benefit and for His glory.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One clear theme in Philippians is the importance of witnessing the gospel. Paul was in prison for the sake of the gospel, and he rejoiced that it was being preached even if some people had bad motives.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 16, 2009

"I Did Not Know It"

READ: Genesis 28:10-16
Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." -Genesis 28:16




As Jacob did in Genesis 28, I like to remind myself each morning when I awaken that God is here, "in this place," present with me (v.16). As I spend time with Him each morning, reading His Word and responding in prayer, it reinforces my sense of His presence-that He is near. Although we do not see Him, Peter reminds us that we can love Him and rejoice in His love for us with "inexpressible," glorious joy (1 Peter 1:.
We take the Lord's presence with us all through the day, blending work and play with prayer. He is our teacher, our philosopher, our companion-our gentle, kind, and very best friend.
God is with us wherever we go. He is in the commonplace, whether we know it or not. "Surely the Lord is in this place," Jacob said of a most unlikely spot, "and I did not know it" (Gen. 28:16). We may not realize He is close by. We may feel lonely and sad. Our day may seem bleak and dreary without a visible ray of hope-yet He is present.
Amid all the clamor and din of this visible and audible world, listen carefully for God's quiet voice. Listen to Him in the Bible. Talk to Him frequently in prayer. Look for Him in your circumstances. Seek Him. He is with you wherever you go!  - David H. Roper

Oh, how oft I wake and find
I have been forgetting Thee!
I am never from Thy mind;
Thou it is that wakest me. -MacDonald


Our greatest privilege is to enjoy God's presence.
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Real Treasure

Proverbs 15:6 says,

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

Notice that this verse does not just declare there is treasure in the house of the righteous.  It says there is much treasure in the house of the righteous.

You can also find treasure in the house of the wicked, but Solomon says it is laced with trouble.  The income of the wicked has a bunch of trouble with it.

But the same is not true for those who are right with God.  When the treasure is found in their house, it does not have the same trouble that it does when it is found in the house of the wicked.

If you read on, the Lord shares two things that must accompany this treasure if it is going to be enjoyed.  First, you must have a right relationship with God.  Proverbs 15:16 says, Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble.

It is better to have almost nothing and have a right relationship with God than to have everything money can buy and not have a relationship with God.  We must get our priorities right.

The second thing we need to have is a right relationship with people, lest the treasure become hollow and become a curse.  Proverbs 15:17says, Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.

Some people have more prosperity than they know what to do with, but all of their relationships fail.  They do not have love.  Consequently, there is a vacuum they can never fill with things, that they can never fill by accumulating more possessions.

Pursue your relationship with God, and a right relationship with people.  Then you will enjoy the treasure God gives you! 
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Read: Philippians 2:25-30
Welcome [Epaphroditus] in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him. - Philippians 2:29

TODAY IN THE WORD
Edward Kimball is a name you should know. One day in Boston, Kimball passed the shoe store where one of his Sunday School students worked. He wanted to share the gospel with him, but wasn't sure if he should bother him during working hours. He decided to enter the store. Despite what Kimball thought was a weak gospel presentation, that young shoe salesman trusted Christ. His name was D. L. Moody, the great evangelist and founder of Moody Bible Institute. Because Edward Kimball shared the gospel with one man, D. L. Moody preached Christ to tens of millions of people! That qualifies Kimball as an "unsung hero"--a hidden part of a spectacular work of God. Epaphroditus is another such "unsung hero," earning high praise from the apostle Paul in today's reading. He had been sent to minister to Paul as a personal representative from the church in Philippi. In Rome, he had fallen seriously ill and nearly died. Paul put death in this case on a par with a martyr's death (v. 30), since Epaphroditus would have died "in the line of duty." But now Paul was glad to be able to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians. They had been worried because of his sickness. He also had been anxious, knowing that they were worried. And Paul had been troubled that a mission of love and care might have been the cause of sorrow and grief. He was not speaking of sinful anxiety or worry (cf. Phil. 4:6), but of natural human anxiety prompted by the emotions and close relationships involved. After all, Christians are not stoics! The Philippians were told to esteem Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:29), who may very well have been the original bearer of this letter. If so, they could have immediately obeyed the instructions to rejoice and honor him.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God has always used "unsung heroes" to accomplish His purposes, men and women whose faith and obedience are mostly "behind the scenes."

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 17, 2009

Your Children Will Ask

READ: Exodus 12:13-17,25-27
When your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?" . . . you shall say, "It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord." -Exodus 12:26-27
 

One of the most important events in Jewish history is the exodus, when God freed His people from the bondage of Egypt. Prior to leaving Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to eat a special meal called the Passover. As an act of judgment upon the Egyptians, God said that He would strike down every firstborn son, but He would pass over the houses that had the blood of a lamb on the top and sides of the door frame (Ex. 12).

To commemorate this act of judgment and grace, God's people would share in the Passover meal. God said that one day their children would ask: "What do you mean by this?" They were then responsible to retell the story of the exodus and God's salvation. God did not want the story of His great salvation to get lost in one generation.

When our children ask us about our values, lifestyle, prayer in decision-making, Bible-reading, church attendance, and worship, we have a responsibility to answer them. We are followers of Jesus. We must retell the story of how He became our Passover Lamb. His blood is the marker over our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin but are free to serve the Eternal One of heaven.

What are you teaching the children?  - Marvin Williams

How great, O God, Your acts of love!
Your saving deeds would proclaim
That generations yet to come
May set their hope in Your great name. -D. De Haan


A parent's life is a child's guidebook.
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Overrated

We read in Proverbs 23:4,
Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!

First, I want you to notice that this verse does not say don't work.  And it does not say don't work hard.  It says don't overwork.
There are some people in God's family who are not led, they are driven.  They are so focused on reaching their goals and achieving whatever level of success they are going after, that they are making a lot of sacrifices along the way.
But they are making the wrong sacrifices.  They are sacrificing their marriage and they are sacrificing their relationship with their kids.  Why?  Because they overwork.  And, friend, that is not healthy.
In fact, I would say that overworking is as unhealthy as not working.  You miss out on the grand things in life, the important things in life.  With some people, even their relationship with God gets squeezed out because they overwork.
You need to be motivated; you need to work hard; but you don't want to overdo it to the point that you don't have time for your children.  You don't want to work so hard that you don't have time for your spouse.  And you don't want to so overwork that you don't have time for your God. 
You are missing life if you are just after possessions, and you are sacrificing the more important things along the way.
How does your work life measure up today?  Are you overworking at the expense of your marriage, your family, and your relationship with God?  If so, determine today to get your life back in balance.
Overworking is overrated! 
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Read: Philippians 3:1
I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise. - Psalm 101:1


TODAY IN THE WORD
Kathy Thibodeaux leaps, spins and twirls for the Lord. She is a professional ballet dancer who sees her art as an offering of praise to God. At the 1982 International Ballet Competition she danced to a worship song, "We Shall Behold Him," and won the silver medal despite the fact that some of the judges were from communist-ruled nations. After her conversion, Kathy left a promising career with Ballet Mississippi to found a Christian dance company, Ballet Magnificat!, which in 1997 celebrated its tenth anniversary. Ballet Magnificat! presents about one hundred shows a year in churches and schools, incorporating many music and dance styles into the performances. What motivates Kathy? She told Christianity Today,"Dance is from God and was meant to worship and glorify Him." Her attitude and art exemplify the praise-filled heart that Paul speaks of at the beginning of Philippians 3. With "finally," Paul signals that he is moving from one section to another in the epistle. The focus of this chapter is "knowing Christ." Flowing logically from the last chapter's topic of "imitation," the book now turns from the practice of following Christ to the motivation for doing so--love for the Savior and an overpowering desire to know Him. It's appropriate that Paul started this section with a reminder to rejoice. This is a central theme in his letter, especially necessary since the church in Philippi was going through a time of struggle. "Rejoice in the Lord" was far more fruitful advice for them than "grin and bear it." And it had a special credibility coming from Paul the prisoner! Why is this exhortation a "safeguard" for the Philippians? A joyful spirit would protect them from discouragement and losing faith in God. God would be faithful to them, as He had been to Paul, and worship was the best way to keep that spiritual truth uppermost in their minds and hearts (cf. Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you remember the list of themes in Philippians we encouraged you to make (see November 1)? Since Paul spoke often of "joy" or "rejoicing," one or both probably made your list!

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 18, 2009

Cooler Heads

READ: Proverbs 17:22-28
A man of understanding is of a calm spirit. -Proverbs 17:27
 
A Christian I know was angry with someone at his workplace over a perceived injustice. A colleague listened to his grievance and sensed that his temper still ran high. He gave him this wise advice to consider before confronting those involved: "Cooler heads prevail."
As we interact with others, disagreements are inevitable. The discerning believer understands his own heart and takes steps to deal with conflict diplomatically.
Proverbs 17:27 tells us: "He who has knowledge spares his words." This means keeping in check a multitude of opinions that could ignite further anger in others. Someone who displays wisdom will think before speaking, and then will share only insights likely to be helpful.
The Proverbs also give us wise counsel on the emotional side of controlling our frustrations. "A man of understanding is of a calm spirit." A mature person exhibits understanding by keeping cool in conflict. Problem-solving is enhanced by an even-tempered approach.
The next time you become angry, stop and prayerfully reflect for a moment. Ask God for a calm spirit and the right words to say.
Remember, cooler heads prevail.  - Dennis Fisher

For Further Study
It's important to handle anger in constructive ways.
Visit www.discoveryseries.org/cb942 on the Web
and read When Anger Burns.


The best time to stop an argument is before it starts.
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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. 
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Read: Philippians 3:2-6
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. - Romans 3:22

TODAY IN THE WORD
All-Star baseball player Brett Butler put up some impressive numbers in his career. Playing for several teams over a fifteen-year period, he posted a .291 batting average with over 2,200 hits and more than 500 stolen bases. But the most important moment of Brett's life has nothing to do with baseball. That was the evening he accepted Christ after a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting at his high school. He was deeply bothered by the speaker's question: "If you were to die tonight and stand before God, would you go to heaven?" Brett listened to the explanation that salvation is found in Christ alone. That night he got down on his knees in his room and trusted Him as Savior. The core of the gospel--grace not works, Christ not Paul--was what Paul is driving at in today's reading. Just as Brett might have put his confidence in his sports achievements, so Paul might have placed his faith in his excellent religious credentials. The context for Paul's recollection and testimony (cf. Acts 9:1-19; Gal. 1:13-24; 1 Tim. 1:12-16) was his warning to keep the gospel pure. Some were teaching legalism, specifically circumcision, adding human "merit" to Christ's gospel. Paul reacted strongly, calling such teachers several nasty names. Why? Because of what's at stake--the truth of the gospel (Gal. 2:16). Devout Jews called Gentiles "dogs," making Paul's use of the term doubly insulting (Phil. 3:2). "Men who do evil" is direct, and the startling "mutilators of the flesh" tells us that the issue was circumcision (cf. Gal. 5:11-12). The truth is that "we . . . are the circumcision" (Phil. 3:3). True godliness has always been internal: "The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts . . . so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 30:6). Paul proclaimed grace despite the fact that he had every legalistic cause for boasting. From a Jewish point of view, he not only had the right pedigree, he also had a zealous record of keeping the Pharisaic law (Phil. 3:4-6).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Considering Paul's reflection on his past, this is a good time to reflect on your testimony. Paul gave a "resume" of his earthly (Jewish) credentials, reasons he had to put his confidence in himself. But since his encounter with Jesus, he put his confidence in Christ alone.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 19, 2009

Out Of Options?

READ: 2 Kings 5:1-3,9-15
Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. -2 Kings 5:15


As ancient Syria's mightiest military commander, General Naaman had all the benefits the empire could offer: influence, affluence, and power. All, that is, except for health! Naaman was a leper (2 Kings 5:1-3).
In contrast, the servant girl in the general's household had no options or power at all. As a captive from an army raid, she had been forced into a lifetime of slavery (v.2). But she did not permit herself to be overcome by despair and bitterness. Rather, she rose above her no-option estate to serve wholeheartedly the best interests of her master.
This servant girl didn't see her master's leprosy as God's punishment but as an opportunity to point Naaman to God's prophet in Samaria (v.3). Her recommendation led to Naaman's complete healing. He declared, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel" (v.15).
Today, many people have abundant options. Others, however, have their choices curtailed by poverty, poor health, or other adverse circumstances. When a crisis comes, even their limited options evaporate.
Yet one choice always remains. Like Naaman's servant girl, we can still choose to serve God and point others to Him-regardless of our limited circumstances.  - Albert Lee
'Tis mine to choose if self shall die
And never rise again;
'Tis mine to yield the throne to Christ
And bid Him rule and reign. -Christiansen

Facing an impossibility gives us the opportunity to trust God.
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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! 
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Read: Philippians 3:7-9
I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. - Philippians 3:8

TODAY IN THE WORD
After two thousand years, Jesus is still big news. In recent years He has made the cover of most of the country's major news magazines and Christian periodicals. One researcher says that four new books about Jesus are published every day! Why? It's all part of a new "quest for the historical Jesus"--a tag line for academic debate about the Gospels and the life of Christ. While many theologians are defending the biblical, orthodox view, other groups such as the notorious "Jesus Seminar" have rejected as not factual everything from the Resurrection to Judas's kiss. Jesus' identity is not just an academic question, but an issue that vitally concerns every person on earth. We must be as convinced as Paul that salvation rests in Christ alone. In yesterday's reading Paul detailed the reasons he had to put his confidence in his own merit and works. But compared to knowing Christ, these things were worthless (v. 7). In fact, by comparison all else was "rubbish" (v. ! This term communicated total, vehement rejection, since to a Jew that word would signify uncleanness in God's sight. Paul's expression "consider loss" suggests an economic metaphor. Like the merchant who sold all to obtain the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46), Paul had cast aside human "treasures" to take hold of God's priceless grace. What, or rather, whom, had he "traded it all in for"? "The surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (cf. Phil. 1:21). He had gained eternal salvation in Christ! Positionally, in God's eyes he possessed Christ's righteousness. The gospel is presented here in a nutshell: not human righteousness but Christ's, not works but faith (Phil. 3:9). Christ's redemptive work (Phil. 2:6-11) deserves our wholehearted acceptance. We dare not attribute any part of salvation to our own credit! Faith in anything less than Christ is worthless.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The tremendous truth of salvation in Christ filled Paul's heart as he wrote his letter to the Philippians.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 20, 2009

Life's Surprises

READ: 1 Samuel 16:1-7
The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. -1 Samuel 16:7

No one watching Britain's Got Talent (a popular televised talent show) expected much when mobile phone salesman Paul Potts took the stage. The judges looked skeptically at one another when the nervous, unassuming, ordinary-looking chap announced he would sing opera-until Potts opened his mouth.
He began to sing Puccini's "Nessun Dorma"-and it was magical! The crowd roared and stood in amazement while the judges sat stunned in tearful silence. It was one of the greatest surprises any such television program has ever had, in large part because it came wrapped in such an ordinary package.
In the Old Testament, the rescuer of Israel arrived at the battlefield in a most unlikely form-a young shepherd boy (1 Sam. 17). King Saul and his entire army were surprised when David defeated Goliath and won the day. They needed to learn the way that God looks at people. He said to the prophet Samuel, "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (16:7).
If we judge others only by their outer appearance, we might miss the wonderful surprise of what's in their heart.  - Bill Crowder

O Lord, we are so quick to judge,
Though much is veiled from sight;
Lord, may we see how just You are
To guide us in what's right. -D. De Haan


It's what's in the heart that counts.
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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. 
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Read: Philippians 3:10-11
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. - Philippians 3:10

TODAY IN THE WORD
The apostle Paul revealed his heartbeat in today's verses. To be a Christian is to know Christ, pure and simple. The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon described it this way: "The best enjoyments of Christ on earth are but as the dipping of our finger in water for the cooling of our thirst; but Heaven is bathing in seas of bliss. . . . How sweet it will be to be married to the Lord Jesus, and to enjoy forever, and without any interruption, the heavenly delights of His society! Surely, if a glimpse of Him melteth our soul, the full fruition of Him will be enough to burn up with affection. It is well that we shall have more noble frames in Heaven than we have here, otherwise we should die of love in the very land of life." This joyful motivation and desire consumed Paul as he finished a train of thought that started with condemning legalists and extended through this defining statement of the gospel and of Paul's life purpose (v. 10). So what exactly did Paul want? First, he wanted the person of Christ. Second, he wanted the power of His resurrection--the power that defeated death (cf. Eph. 1:17-23; 1 Cor. 15). We can all get excited about tapping into that kind of power! Third, and equally important, Paul wanted the "fellowship of sharing in His sufferings." When we suffer in Christ's name and for His sake, we are following His example and becoming more like Him (cf. Rom. 8:17; 1 Peter 4:12-14). After reading of Christ's life and death in the "hymn" of Philippians 2, we should expect that pursuing His way will involve suffering and sacrifice. Christlikeness is Paul's ultimate goal (Phil. 3:11)--living to die, dying to live--the Christian paradox of a seed falling into the ground, dying and producing life (John 12:24-25).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
"To know Christ" (v. 10) is an excellent three-word purpose statement for every Christian life!

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 21, 2009

Off Track

READ: 2 Samuel 12:1-13

Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? -2 Samuel 12:9

When I sat in my car at the start of the automatic car wash, I didn't know that my left front tire was not properly lined up with the track. The car wash started but my car wasn't moving, so I accelerated. That caused my tire to jump the track.
Now I was stuck-I couldn't move forward or backward. The car wash continued through its cycle without my car. Meanwhile, cars began lining up and waiting for me. I was glad when two workers at the station helped me get my car back on the track.
Sometimes in our Christian lives we get off track too. King David did in a big way. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and later ordered that her husband be put "in the forefront of the hottest battle" and left there to be killed (2 Sam. 11:3-4,15-17). David's actions were way out of line with how God wanted him to behave as His chosen king.
David needed help to get back on track. The Bible says that "the Lord sent Nathan to David" (12:1). He confronted him about stealing another man's wife, and David wisely repented (v.13). Nathan took a risk to help David get right with God, even though his sin still had dire consequences.
Does someone you know need your help to get back on track?  - Anne Cetas

Fellowship with other Christians
Strengthens us when we are weak,
Reprimands when we are sinning,
Helps us when God's will we seek. -Sper


True love dares to confront.
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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 coop.  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! 
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Read: Philippians 3:12-14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

TODAY IN THE WORD
In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, an Ethiopian runner won the 26-mile marathon. But an athlete from Tanzania won a personal contest in courage and perseverance. Early in the marathon, John Stephen Akhwari stumbled and fell, severely injuring his knee and ankle. But determined to finish, he kept running. By the time he arrived in the stadium at the course's end, only a few thousand spectators were left, and all the other competitors were long gone. His leg wrapped in a bloody bandage, Akhwari limped around the track as those present cheered him on. "Why did you do it?" someone asked later. He replied, "My country did not send me seven thousand miles to begin a race; they sent me to finish the race." That Olympic spirit is what Paul had in mind in today's reading. After expressing his heart's desire in yesterday's reading, he then recognized what it would take to pursue it actively in everyday life. Even after about thirty years as a believer in Christ, Paul did not consider himself to have "arrived." Although an apostle as well as a veteran missionary and pastor, he was in process, just like the Philippians and ourselves. Paul pictured the Christian life as a race (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Heb. 12:1-2). What does this suggest? Determination, self-discipline, strong exertion, giving all you've got, and a desire to win. Just as an Olympic athlete would be called to the judges' stand to receive a wreath in Paul's day, so the apostle had been called heavenward (Phil. 3:14). The prize is Christ--one day we will be with Him! Running the race well has two dimensions (v. 13). We must forget what is past--in other words, leave behind sin and confidence in works. And we must also strain forward, desiring and following Christ with intensity and perseverance.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In today's reading, Paul compared our Christian lives to a race. Let's get creative! Can you think of your own simile for the Christian life? Just fill in the blanks of this sentence: "The Christian life is like a _________ because __________."

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

November 22, 2009

Serve Or Die

READ: Mark 10:35-45

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. -Mark 10:45

Dr. Paul Brand told me of a memorable Frenchman named Pierre, who had served in Parliament until he became disillusioned with the slow pace of political change. During a harsh winter, many Parisian beggars froze to death. In desperation, Pierre became a friar to work among them and organize the beggars themselves.


They divided into teams to scour the city for bottles. Next, he led them to build a warehouse out of discarded bricks and start a business processing the bottles. Finally, he gave each beggar responsibility to help another poorer than himself. The project caught on. In a few years he founded the charitable organization Emmaus.

Eventually, there were few beggars to be found in Paris. So Pierre went to India. "If I don't find people worse off than my beggars," he said, "this movement could turn inward. They'll become a powerful, rich organization, and the whole spiritual impact will be lost. They'll have no one to serve."
At a leprosy colony in India, Pierre met patients worse off than his former beggars. Returning to France, he mobilized the beggars to build a leprosy ward at a hospital in India.

"It is you who have saved us," he told the grateful patients. "We must serve or we die."  - Philip Yancey
THINKING IT THROUGH

In Mark 10:35-37, what did James and John seek?
What did Jesus say about the world's authority? (v.42).
How are followers of Christ to be different? (vv.43-45).


If you want a field of service, look around you.

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. 
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Read: Philippians 3:15-16We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way. - Colossians 1:10


TODAY IN THE WORD
Jonathan Edwards was one of America's greatest pastors, philosophers, and theologians. Part of his greatness sprang from an early commitment of his life to Christian service. In 1722, when he was about nineteen years old, he sat down and wrote out 21 resolutions declaring how and why he intended to live for God. These included the following: Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life." That spirit of all-out dedication to the Lord is what Paul exhorted every believer to strive for. After rejecting legalism and upholding the pure gospel, he had been speaking in the first person to describe knowing and following Christ. He then made it clear that this was not merely about him--all believers should similarly think and act. Desiring the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, and running like an Olympic athlete, are not characteristics only of "super-Christians" like Paul--they should be characteristics of all of us! To live in this fashion is a mark of maturity (v. 15). What about those who did not uphold this standard? They were wrong, but Paul was confident that God would show them the truth. This was definitely not tolerance on Paul's part, which he willingly showed on issues of freedom (for example, saying that believers are permitted to eat meat offered to idols). He was saying that such people were immature and would grow into agreement with his understanding. This was not arrogance on Paul's part, but a recognition of the importance of the issues involved. Salvation and knowing Christ are not optional or peripheral!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul's words in this chapter are convicting and challenging. Let's keep running the race!

GOD BLESS!