Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

September 27, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The "Go" of Renunciation
 
. . . someone said to Him, 'Lord, I will follow You wherever You go' -Luke 9:57


Our Lord's attitude toward this man was one of severe discouragement, "for He knew what was in man" (John 2:25). We would have said, "I can't imagine why He lost the opportunity of winning that man! Imagine being so cold to him and turning him away so discouraged!" Never apologize for your Lord. The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to be hurt or offended. Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God. Our Lord's answers were not based on some whim or impulsive thought, but on the knowledge of "what was in man." If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you can be sure that there is something in you that He wants to hurt to the point of its death.

Luke 9:58 . These words destroy the argument of serving Jesus Christ because it is a pleasant thing to do. And the strictness of the rejection that He demands of me allows for nothing to remain in my life but my Lord, myself, and a sense of desperate hope. He says that I must let everyone else come or go, and that I must be guided solely by my relationship to Him. And He says, ". . . the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

Luke 9:59 . This man did not want to disappoint Jesus, nor did he want to show a lack of respect for his father. We put our sense of loyalty to our relatives ahead of our loyalty to Jesus Christ, forcing Him to take last place. When your loyalties conflict, always obey Jesus Christ whatever the cost.

Luke 9:61 . The person who says, "Lord, I will follow You, but . . .," is the person who is intensely ready to go, but never goes. This man had reservations about going. The exacting call of Jesus has no room for good-byes; good-byes, as we often use them, are pagan, not Christian, because they divert us from the call. Once the call of God comes to you, start going and never stop.

The Ten Commandments of Marriage

Good marriages don't just happen.  It is not just because you married the right person and got lucky.  Good marriages are built on more than passion.  They are built on principle.

In the Scriptures, we find the best guidelines and principles for a healthy marriage.  God's words and God's principles are never ever outdated...never!  They are just as applicable today as they were to ancient Jews living in Israel.

What I want to do over the next couple of weeks of devotionals is point us to principles God has given us in a place you might not think was intended for marriage.  That place is the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20.

Today, let me give you those Ten Commandments.  What I would like you to do is spend time reading these carefully, and then take time to pray over each one.  Ask God to begin to open your heart to see how these commands could be looked at as principles for marriage.  I had a friend who challenged me to do the same, and I was amazed at what I discovered.

"You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image...
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain...
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
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Read: Haggai 2:6-9
The desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory. - Haggai 2:7

TODAY IN THE WORD
To a previous generation, CBS newscaster Walter Cronkite was an authoritative voice. If he said it, it must be true. From 1962 to 1981, he stood for good journalism and "middle America." His reports on politics, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the first moon landing, Watergate, and other national and world events were models of objectivity, compassion, and hard-nosed integrity. When he died last summer at the age of 92, his obituaries invariably cited his reputation as "the most trusted man in America."
If we can trust the words of a television anchorman as reliable, how much more can we trust the words of God as completely certain? The Lord continued to encourage the people in today's reading by giving them the big picture and looking ahead in time to a great day when the "desired of all nations" would come (vv. 6-7). The phrase "once more" reminded them of God's mighty power. No one can stand against it. When He decided to liberate slaves from Egypt, it was done. When He decided Assyria's time was up as a world superpower, it was done. When He decides to shake things up, it is done. History irresistibly follows His decrees!

The writer of Hebrews referenced these verses as applying to Christ's Second Coming, God's final judgment of the nations, and the consummation of all things (12:26-29). This Haggai passage is therefore both messianic and eschatological. In the past, God's glory had filled a literal tabernacle and temple, but in the future, it would be most clearly revealed in the coming of His Son.

The advent of Christ was, and is, the turning point and climax of God's plan for history. The Jewish returnees needed to hold fast to the truth of God's sovereignty, His ordering of all world events (vv. 8-9). If He decided to fill the new temple with silver and gold, it would be done (Ezra 6:. If He decided global riches will come to Zion in the end times, it will happen (Isa. 60:1-5). He sent His Son to be the Prince of Peace, and when He establishes that peace we will inherit a "kingdom that cannot be shaken."
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God was teaching the people a lesson in how He sees things, and as a consequence, how we should strive to see things. From a human perspective, "first" and "last" might be obvious, but God has a way of turning that upside down (Luke 13:30). From a worldly perspective, "strong" and "weak" seem clear, but the Lord has a way of reversing that, too (1 Cor. 1:25-29). We must see not through earthly eyes but through His eyes.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

September 28, 2010


Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The "Go" of Unconditional Identification
 
Jesus . . . said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me' -Mark 10:21

The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone's personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus' primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26  has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute "go" of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . ." (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.

"One thing you lack . . . ." From Jesus Christ's perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.

". . . sell whatever you have . . . ." I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. ". . . come. . . and follow Me." And the road is the way He went.

Affair-Proof Your Marriage with Positive Affirmation

The first way to affair-proof your marriage is to season your marriage with affirming communication.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Praise one another lavishly.  It is an important thing to do.
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Read: Haggai 2:10-14
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10

TODAY IN THE WORD
The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans contain large areas called "garbage patches." These are massive offshore regions in which trash is accumulating, with plastic waste especially threatening the health of fish and other marine animals. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is the size of the state of Texas, is well-known, but its Atlantic cousin has only recently been identified. The width of the Atlantic version is currently unknown but its length is roughly the distance from Cuba to Virginia. Plastic waste can be found as deep as 65 feet down, and trash density in these patches can be as high as 1.9 million bits of plastic per square mile.
Such pollution is a violation of God's mandate to care for His creation. It is also a reminder of the consequences of impurity in both the physical and spiritual realms. In today's reading, Haggai reminds the people of the importance of purity in obeying the word of the Lord. Two months had passed since his previous message, during which time Zechariah had begun his prophetic ministry (v. 10).

This message is delivered in the form of legal questions; the apparent purpose of these questions is to get official rulings on issues of ceremonial purity according to the Law. This implies a public or formal occasion and heightens the significance of the message. The first question asked, Can holiness be passed on by contact (vv. 11-12)? The answer came: No, purity cannot be transmitted in that way. The second question asked, Can unholiness be passed on in that way (v. 13)? The answer to this question was Yes (cf. Lev. 22:4-7).

Through these questions, God was highlighting the contrast between purity and impurity, obedience and disobedience. The issue was not whether the people had been offering sacrifices, but the state of their hearts (v. 14). They had been told to "give careful thought to your ways"-and now God was giving them His evaluation of their previous ways. Their worship had been rendered meaningless by their disobedience. God's response to their corrupt worship is the subject of tomorrow's devotional.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do we go to church as a matter of habit only? Are our minds elsewhere when Scripture is bring preached? Instead of worship and praise, do we focus on what people are wearing? Do we think God meant that message for our neighbor? Do we act as though mere attendance has a purifying effect on our lives? True worship comes from the heart, the Word is supposed to change us, and fellowship is to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24-25).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

September 29, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

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

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

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

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

Affair-Proof Your Marriage with Companionship

Today I want to give you the second way to affair-proof your marriage.  And that is by being a companion to your spouse, spending time together just enjoying each other's company.

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

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

Notice that Solomon and his bride just hung out together.  It was a vital part of their relationship.  And so must it be for any thriving marriage.           

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

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

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

If you do not do things together, you will find yourselves drifting apart.
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Read: Haggai 2:15-19
From this day on I will bless you. - Haggai 2:19

TODAY IN THE WORD
The Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Ingathering, was established in the Mosaic Law as an occasion of gratitude to the Lord for the harvest (Lev. 23:33-43; Deut. 16:13-17). It typically took place in the seventh month on the Jewish calendar, or in September or October by our calendar. The people lived in booths in order to commemorate the Exodus and the long journey from Egypt to Canaan. Their thankfulness was not just for a specific year's harvest but also for the general fruitfulness of the Promised Land.
In today's reading, Haggai called upon the Israelites to consider their ways in light of the poor harvests they had experienced since returning from exile (vv. 15-17; cf. Amos 4:9). Prior to resuming work of building a new temple, they had seen only poor harvests and empty barns. This was true of all crops, including staples such as grapes and olives and more exotic items such as figs and pomegranates. In case they hadn't noticed, their hollow spiritual condition correlated with their meager return for their physical labor. All they did turned out poorly, because God made it turn out poorly, yet they hadn't seemed to understand why. The day they responded in faith to Haggai's ministry was the turning point (vv. 18-19). Assuming they continued to obey and rebuild the temple, God promised to bless the harvests to come.

God had responded to their empty worship and neglect of His house by continuing to pursue them with His love. He sent a prophet, Haggai. He gave warnings by making their farming unsuccessful-a significant judgment in an agricultural society. Once they had heard and obeyed and gotten back to building the temple, He promised to provide for and bless them in ways that contrasted with their recent failures. This "before and after" snapshot sent a clear message that He was pleased with their heartfelt response to His exhortations. God had shepherded the people from being oblivious, defiled, and disobedient to being obedient, responsive, and pleasing to Him.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In studying the book of Jonah, we learned that our God is a God of second (and more!) chances. This is true not only for individuals like Jonah but also for groups of people and even entire nations such as the Jews in today's reading. Neither Jonah nor they were "worthy" of God's patience and all the effort He made to show them His love and call them back to Himself. The fact is that none of us are "worthy" of God's love . . . a fact which brings Him more glory!

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

September 30, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

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

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

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

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

Affair-Proof Your Marriage Through Intimacy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take time today to create an atmosphere of intimacy.  If you do, you will be on your way to experiencing true intimacy, as we will see in tomorrow's devotional.
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Read: Haggai 2:20-23
I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you. - Haggai 2:23

TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book Turning Points, historian Mark Noll has identified a dozen "decisive moments in the history of Christianity." They range from the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 to the Council of Nicaea in 325 to the conversion of the Wesleys in 1738 to the Edinburgh Missionary Conference in 1910. In each of these pivotal events, the church stood at a crossroads involving and interweaving history, doctrine, and sociopolitical and cultural forces and trends. The decisions and actions of key leaders at these times, under God's sovereignty, shaped the future of the church for years to come.
As we can now see, the book of Haggai is the story of a turning point in the spiritual life of God's people. They had gone from neglecting the new temple and the spiritual state of their own hearts to obediently rebuilding the temple and joyfully participating in genuine worship. They had moved from self-centered to God-centered, and as a result were poised to experience His blessing on their harvests and community.

Today's final message is addressed to Zerubbabel, and it parallels the messianic passage earlier in the chapter (vv. 6-9). The first part reaffirms that God is sovereign and has a plan for the nations (vv. 21-22). The second part portrays Zerubbabel as a "signet ring" on God's hand (v. 23). One meaning of this image was that God would bless Zerubbabel as a leader, as opposed to King Jehoiachin, who as a "signet ring" had been discarded (Jer. 22:24-25).

A second meaning of this picture was that Zerubbabel was a type or foreshadowing of Christ (cf. Zech. 3:. Generally, a king's signet ring carries the authority of the king, just as Christ the Son is equivalent in authority to God the Father (John 17:2). From our vantage point in history, we know that Zerubbabel was in the line of David and an ancestor of Jesus (Matt. 1:12). Zerubbabel, then, was chosen by God to lead in a special task, rebuilding the temple, at a key time in history, and both who he was and what he did had spiritual significance beyond that time, just as God had planned.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We know that Messiah has come, and He will come again. We can have hope and confidence! "While we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," we are "to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives" so as to become "a people that are [Christ's] very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:11-14). Christ says, "'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 1, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Place of Exaltation
 
. . . Jesus took . . . them up on a high mountain apart by themselves . . . -Mark 9:2

We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God's perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18). We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life- those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.

We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, "What's the use of this experience?" We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God's purpose.

Affair-Proof Your Marriage Through Intimacy-Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you want to affair-proof your marriage, make intimacy a priority! 
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Read: Colossians 1:3-14
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2 Peter 3:18

TODAY IN THE WORD
Debates about educational standards have raged in American society for generations. Some propose that extensive testing in core areas ensures that students are learning the fundamentals; other experts maintain that too much testing is counterproductive, and students should be allowed to explore subjects that interest them. What has remained constant, however, is agreement about what constitutes the fundamentals-the good old-fashioned "3 R's" of reading, writing, and arithmetic. If students are to progress academically, they must grow in these essential abilities.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to grow in the fundamentals of the Christian life. Our key verse for today serves as the theme for our study this month: we will explore what it means to grow in grace and to grow in knowledge. As we will see, our growth in these areas provides the platform for the rest of our spiritual development. Both grace and knowledge are rooted in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today's passage is a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving offered by Paul on behalf of the church in Colossae. He had much to be thankful for; these believers were characterized by love for each other and a concern to spread the gospel. Notice what formed the foundation for this growth: they had "understood God's grace in all its truth" (v. 6). An understanding of the grace of God had resulted in their faith in Jesus, love for the saints, and hope in heaven.

Paul acknowledged their understanding of grace and the results that fueled the spread of the gospel, but he didn't then tell the Colossians to rest on their spiritual laurels. Instead, he prayed that they would continue to grow in the knowledge of God (v. 10). Just as growing in grace produces love, faith, and hope, growing in knowledge leads to lives that please God and bear fruit. Knowledge of God would enable them to endure patiently what lay ahead on their Christian journey. The letter then transitions to a glorious anthem of praise to the Savior "in whom we have redemption" (v. 14).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we begin our study this month, spend time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you might need to grow in grace and knowledge. These are not abstract feelings or facts that sit idly in your head; rather, grace and knowledge produce results in your spiritual life. Could our lives be described as full of faith, love, hope, endurance, patience, and thankfulness? Let us seek to have lives that please the Lord and promote the spread of the gospel to others.


GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 2, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The Place of Humiliation
 
If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us -Mark 9:22

After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God- that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are always at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday level, where we live in the valley according to our personal relationship with Him. Peter thought it would be a wonderful thing for them to remain on the mountain, but Jesus Christ took the disciples down from the mountain and into the valley, where the true meaning of the vision was explained (see Mark 9:5-6 , Mark 14-23).

"If you can do anything . . . ." It takes the valley of humiliation to remove the skepticism from us. Look back at your own experience and you will find that until you learned who Jesus really was, you were a skillful skeptic about His power. When you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of the valley? You may be able to give a testimony regarding your sanctification, but what about the thing that is a humiliation to you right now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all the power in heaven and on earth belonged to Jesus- will you be skeptical now, simply because you are in the valley of humiliation?
 
The Eighth Commandment of Marriage:  Be a Person of Integrity

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

You shall not steal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If this is an issue in your life, take it to God today.  He will help you become the person of integrity He desires you to be.  And when you do, you will find your spouse will come to respect you, and your marriage will be strengthened!   
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Read: Luke 2:39-52
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. - Luke 2:52

TODAY IN THE WORD
When taking their child to the pediatrician for well-baby examinations, the highlight for many parents comes when the little one is measured and weighed and then the numbers are plotted on a growth chart. It's interesting to see that little Johnny's projected adult height will be 5'10" or that little Mary's growth pattern looks just like her older sister's. More importantly, those measurements help to determine whether a child is growing consistently and appropriately.
Just as we expect a healthy baby to grow and learn, so also believers should be growing and learning as a sign of spiritual health. Jesus Himself exemplified this kind of growth for us.

Scripture doesn't record many details from Jesus' childhood. In our passage today, we see that as Jesus grew older, He also grew in wisdom and grace (v. 40). Immediately after this general description, the Gospel of Luke provides an example of this growth. At the age of 12, Jesus made the annual trip to Jerusalem to observe Passover with His parents. This time, though, He didn't return home with them. After three frantic days of searching, they found Him in the Temple courts interacting with the teachers.

Jesus' wisdom and knowledge were on display: "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers" (v. 47). Even His parents were astonished. Jesus was not simply a prodigy or theological savant, however. He demonstrated His growth in grace by what He did next: He returned home with His parents and "was obedient to them" (v. 51). Already at this young age, Jesus did not claim His divine rights or demand special treatment on account of His status (see Phil. 2:5-8). This episode was not the final stage of spiritual development, either. Jesus continued to grow in wisdom (v. 52).

Jesus demonstrated that growth requires action-through His habits, He put Himself in the physical and spiritual space where knowledge and grace of God would shape Him. And Jesus is the perfect example of being filled with wisdom and grace in order to minister to others.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we want to grow in knowledge and grace of our Lord, we need to know the practices that enabled His own growth. He made study of Scripture a priority (see Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:21; John 18:20). He was committed to times of prayer (see Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 11:1; John 17; Heb. 5:7). He extended compassion to those who were suffering or marginalized (see Matt. 19:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 8:43; John 9:1). Jesus is the example of how to grow and why to grow in our spiritual life.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 3, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

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

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

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

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

Sixth commandment of marriage, Don't Destroy Your Spouse But Learn to be Gentle
Today we are going to look at the sixth commandment of marriage, based on the sixth commandment God gave to Israel in Exodus 20:13,

"You shall not murder."

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you do not master your temper, it will master you.  And it will not only decay and destroy a marriage relationship, it will harm every other meaningful relationship you have in life.
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Read: Proverbs 2:1-11
You will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. - Proverbs 2:5

TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this year, a nationwide treasure hunt began with the publication of the book, The Clock Without a Face. The story contains clues to find emerald-encrusted numbers from a clock-and in fact, twelve actual numbers have been buried across the United States. If you read the story, follow the clues, and find one of these numbers (with actual emeralds!), you get to keep it. As of this writing, nine of the twelve numbers have been found by people from Texas to Connecticut to Wisconsin.
If we're going to find buried treasure, it's important to have a map or clues to guide us. Today we'll begin a series of studies focused on how to grow in the knowledge of God. In our reading, wisdom, knowledge, and insight are compared to hidden treasure; just as we would commit time and energy to uncover buried riches, so too we should commit ourselves to the pursuit of the knowledge of God (v. 4).

The instruction in this passage, first given by David to his son Solomon, exhorts the reader to do two things. The first involves knowing content: "Store up my commands within you" (v. 1). Growing in knowledge means knowing the content of God's Word. This discipline is indispensable for our spiritual growth. But the knowledge of God does not end with the study of content. The second exhortation describes an attitude that hungers for spiritual knowledge and values wisdom. Notice the verbs in verses 3 and 4: "call out," "cry aloud," "look," and "search." This is a pursuit for more than just facts. This is a passionate quest to know God.

We are instructed to study God's Word and to desire God's wisdom. And God does not leave us alone in this endeavor; He engages with our efforts. He promises to bestow His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (v. 6). In response to our searching, He provides victory and protection. Through our experience of His care and sovereign guidance, we then have the blessings of the knowledge of God. We know His commands and we know His character, and "wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul" (v. 10).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The knowledge of God is a treasure that we can find! As you reflect on this passage, ask the Spirit to evaluate your heart. Do you commit time to studying the Word of God? Do you have a passion to grow in His insight and understanding? Perhaps you've walked with God for many years, and can testify to your experience of His protection in your life. Share that testimony with others, just as David did with Solomon, to encourage them to grow in the knowledge of God.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 4, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Vision and The Reality
 
. . . to those who are . . . called to be saints . . . -1 Corinthians 1:2

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

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

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

The Seventh Commandment of Marriage:  Do Not Commit Adultery

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

"You shall not commit adultery."

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is such a vital command, over the next few devotionals we are going to stay on this subject.  I will share with you three ways to affair-proof your marriage.
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Read: Luke 8:4-15
The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you. - Luke 8:10

TODAY IN THE WORD
Bush's Baked Beans is the top-selling brand of baked beans in the United States. The family-owned company gained fame throughout the 1990s with commercials featuring Jay Bush, the great-grandson of the company founder. In the ads, his golden retriever, Duke, keeps threatening to reveal the family's secret recipe, which has been handed down from generation to generation since 1922.
The allure of secret recipes, formulas, or codes appeals to our imagination. In our passage today, Jesus revealed that His followers have the secrets of the knowledge of the kingdom of God!

This announcement occurred after Jesus told the Parable of the Sower to the large crowd. He concluded, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (v. . Puzzled, the disciples asked Him what the parable meant. Before providing the meaning of the allegory, Jesus responded with a quotation from Isaiah 6. In that context, Isaiah had just responded to the call from God, and his first instruction was, "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving'" (Isa. 6:9). God went on to describe how His people would be judged for their sins-and yet a root of hope would remain.

With that in mind, as we look at Jesus' explanation of His parable, we note that only a fraction of seed ends up bearing fruit. Most who hear the Word fall away or find spiritual desire choked by the cares of the world. Though initially this appears discouraging, we have hope that God is preserving His Word and His people. Even the greatest trials and most severe judgments will not obliterate them forever.

Two elements of Jesus' dialogue with the disciples are particularly noteworthy. First, it appears that only the disciples had the spiritual curiosity to ask Jesus the meaning of the parable. In response to their petition, Jesus answered. Second, the knowledge of the kingdom of God is directly connected to the way God works through His Word for His people. Both in Isaiah and in the parable, the Word went forth. And in both instances, a remnant of His people was preserved.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our growth in the knowledge of God depends on His Word. Do we proclaim it? Do we nurture it as a priority in our lives? Do we go to God with our questions about it? These indicate a healthy growth pattern for believers! Our knowledge of God also gives us hope in the face of testing, whether in our own lives or when we see God's people facing difficult times. We have the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God: He will prosper His Word and protect His people (see 2 Cor. 4:9).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 5, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

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

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

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

God's Eyes

In Hebrews 4:13, there is a powerful statement concerning God,

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

In this verse, we are taught that God sees what we do, and He sees the intent of what we do.  That leads to one thing:  total accountability.

There is no getting out of giving an account for our lives before God.  We will all stand before Him.  And at that time, there will be no shifting; there will be no saying one thing and thinking something else inside.  Everything will be laid bare.

God sees everything all the time.  Everything is open and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.  You just can't get away from God.

The Scripture says in Proverbs 15:3, The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

But God also sees the very intent of our heart.  When Samuel was sent by God to anoint a new king over Israel, and he was at the house of Jesse, Jesse had his big strapping son pass by.  As Samuel looked at this guy he thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed."

But God said, "I rejected this one.  For the Lord does not see as man sees.  Man looks on the outward appearance.  But the Lord looks upon the heart."

Our intent can be right, but we can really mess up.  God looks on our heart, and if our intent is right, He judges us according to our intent, not according to the mistakes we may have made.  But, if the intent of our heart was not pure, God judges us according to that.

Live today...and every day...knowing that the Lord looks on the heart.
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Read: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
We have the mind of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 2:16

TODAY IN THE WORD
What credential enables someone to understand Scripture? Is a Ph.D. required? Clearly not, since some professors of theology and biblical studies use their knowledge to argue against the truth of God's Word. What about a background in the sciences, in order to know the details of God's creation? But some brilliant scientists conclude that the supernatural is absent from the natural world. Perhaps in-depth exploration of the human psyche and interactions makes the Bible clearer? Again, some astute observers of the human condition have determined that spirituality is simply a coping mechanism, not the reality of a relationship with the Savior.
The Corinthian culture prized rhetorical flourish and extensive education. These things weren't inherently evil, but the problem came when they were valued above the truth of God's Word. Advanced degrees, polished public speaking, or high I.Q. scores are not the foundation for our spiritual growth.

In today's text, Paul describes the work of the triune God as essential for us to gain wisdom. First, God the Father has prepared great things for us, wonders beyond the scope of our imagination or scientific discovery. Paul alludes to Isaiah 64, which describes God as one who acts on behalf of His people, a powerful God who still cares deeply for their well being (Isa. 64:4-5).

Second, we must have the Holy Spirit (v. 10). We are not left to our own limited devices-the Spirit has been given to us to enable us to know the words and deeds and character of God. Through the Spirit it is possible for us to understand spiritual truth.

Third, we have the mind of Christ. The word mind encompasses more than just intellectual capability; it includes the will, disposition, and attitude. Philippians 2 introduces the description of Jesus' humility and sacrificial love in this way: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus . . ." (v. 5, KJV). Here is a key to our growth in knowledge-a love for others in obedience to God that reveals spiritual discernment of the wondrous care of God.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
No matter what your level of education, you can have spiritual knowledge and wisdom. God has prepared great things for us, He has sent His Holy Spirit to indwell us, and we have the example of the Lord Jesus to guide us. What sources have you looked to for spiritual discernment? Have you been swayed by the world's credentials? Our Christian leaders should be characterized by the mind of Christ and the leading of the Spirit. Only then can they have the insight to understand the truth.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 6, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

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

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

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

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

God's Heart

It is easy for us to think of Christ as this majestic, powerful figure in the heavens, unfazed by what is going on in our lives.  But Hebrews 4:15 paints a very different picture,

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus sympathizes with you?  The King James Version says He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.  God is not aloof, distant, and unconcerned, and He does not look at you through some clinical, cold eye.  He is moved; He is touched!

I want to show you a verse that, to me, is quite amazing.  It is Isaiah 63:9, and it is talking about God and His people.  It says,

In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.

When you suffer, God suffers.  He is not untouched; He is not unmoved; He is not unsympathetic.

Then there is Jeremiah 31 where God says (speaking of Israel as one single person), I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him.  I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.

Finally, look at Psalm 145:8-9,

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.  The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

God feels and sympathizes.  He is moved and touched and afflicted as you walk through the difficulties of life.  He understands.  And He yearns to give you tender mercy.

That is the compassionate and gracious heart of God!
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Read: 2 Corinthians 4:2-7
I am the light of the world. - John 8:12

TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2009, a Pakistani man named Kishan met a Christian woman, Mashir, who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him and prayed for months for the healing of his daughter. God miraculously healed his child, and Kishan embraced faith in Christ. When confronted by neighbors upset about his conversion, Kishan testified: "We were in the dark, but now we are in the light because Jesus Christ is our Savior who healed my daughter. We found a new life in Jesus Christ, we cannot deny Him, and we are ready to sacrifice anything." His testimony so impressed one neighbor, Bashir, that he and his family have also committed their lives to Christ.
Our passage today emphasizes the ways that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us into the light of the knowledge of God. This text reminds us that the starting point for growing in knowledge is the person and work of Jesus.

We saw yesterday that Paul countered the Corinthians' appeal to fancy rhetoric and worldly wisdom. He continued that emphasis in this letter. His proclamation of truth was not couched in complicated arguments or rhetorical flourish (v. 2). If the truth of the gospel was unclear, it was on account of the deception of the Evil One (v. 3).

Notice the way that Paul used the image of light. God is the originator of light (Gen. 1:3; 1 John 1:5). This refers not only to physical light but also to spiritual light-He "made his light shine in our hearts" (v. 6). This spiritual light is the glory of God. And the glory of God is fully embodied in Christ, who as the fully divine Son of God sacrificed Himself for our sin and was resurrected into glory (vv. 4, 6).

The gospel of Jesus Christ, then, opens our eyes to the light of God's glory-His love and justice and mercy. We cannot grow in the knowledge of God without embracing the truth about Jesus. This is a "treasure" that transforms our lives and enables us to know the power of God (v. 7).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This text and the example of Mashir provide us with a good model of sharing the gospel with unbelievers. First, speak the truth plainly. Trust in the power of God, not our own arguments or rhetorical flourish, to remove the veil of unbelief. Second, pray for and minister to the needs of your unbelieving loved ones. The powerful witness of our love in action can prepare their hearts to receive the gospel and accept Jesus as their Savior.

GOD BLESS!