Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

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Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
Reaching Beyond Our Grasp
 
Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint . . . -Proverbs 29:18
There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person's own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, ". . . I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm" (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.

Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?

"Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]. . . ." Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God's vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?


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Pursue Hospitality

Romans 12:9-14 says,

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

At the end of verse 13, Paul says we are to be "given to hospitality."  The word given is the Greek word translated "pursue" everywhere else in the New Testament.  This could be translated "pursuing hospitality."

Hospitality is actually a compound word in the Greek language.  The first part of the word means to be fond of.  The second part means guests.  So hospitality means to be friendly to strangers, to open your heart and open your home to others.

The Scripture is very strong when it says we are to pursue hospitality.  It is one of the greatest ways in all the world to demonstrate the love of God to people who are in need.

I remember like it was yesterday a time I was preaching at a church.  It was over 20 years ago, when I was a newlywed.  After the service was done, Janet and I were standing around not knowing what to do.  No one was speaking to us and the church had made no provision for our lodging or meals.

Just then an elderly couple came up to us and invited us to their home for lunch, which we gratefully accepted.

And you know what?  I don't remember what I preached that day, but to this day I remember eating roast in that couple's home.  I remember their graciousness, their hospitable spirit, and how much they made us feel welcome.

Pursue hospitality!


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How to Save a Nation in Trouble

In His Presence: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

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

King Solomon reigned over Israel. In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon had just finished building God's temple and had offered up a prayer of dedication. In this prayer, Solomon was basically saying that he wanted to lead this people as God wanted him to lead. After the prayer, God's glory came down to the temple and filled it. The people offered sacrifices and held a feast. Later that night, the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that if the people ever rejected His ways and turned away from Him, the prayers of His people would be heeded.

God will deal with a nation that turns its back on Him. If a culture wants to be free of God, He will let it have that freedom. But freedom from God brings dire consequences. Pagans do not normally turn to God when things get rough. But this Scripture isn't addressing pagans; it is addressing "My people who are called by My name" (v. 14). The people who are supposed to pray for their nation are God's covenant people. In the Old Testament, His covenant people were the Jews. In the New Testament, the covenant people are the church-the body of true believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Sin-bearer and Redeemer.

One Minute Please

God will pay attention to our prayers when we come to Him humbly, seek His face, and turn from our ungodly behavior.

[Judy Harder]

May 10, 2013
 
Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
Take the Initiative
 
. . . add to your faith virtue . . . -2 Peter 1:5
Add means that we have to do something. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves- God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must "work out" our "own salvation" which God has worked in us (Philippians 2:12). Add means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning- to instruct yourself in the way you must go.

Beware of the tendency to ask the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative- stop hesitating- take the first step. Be determined to act immediately in faith on what God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, "I will write that letter," or "I will pay that debt"; and then do it! Make it irrevocable.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we have not yet been.


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In the Balance

1 Thessalonians 5:15 is a powerful verse that speaks to everyone,

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Notice the apostle Paul makes sure no one is excluded.  That means you can't get out of this.  You are either a "no one," or an "anyone" in this verse!

Paul's point about pursuing what is good for both yourselves and for all can be looked at two ways.  First, he could be talking about the worshiping community as a whole.  His point:  Pursue what is good for the church, but also for all those outside the church.  You need to think of the welfare of the church and the community in which you exist.

On a more personal level, Paul could be speaking to the need for you and I to weigh how our words, our actions, and our pursuit of that which is good for us affects others.  I have to weigh that in the balance.

While a certain thing may be good for me, I need to think of how it is going to affect others.  It is not just about pursuing what is good for me, even if it is something I deserve.  I need to ask, "How it is going to affect others...my spouse, my kids, my friends, my church, my neighbor."  I have to factor that in.

Many times people pursue something and they defend their position by saying, "Well, it's time for me to start thinking about myself.  I deserve this.  This is good for me."

Well, this verse allows for that.  In fact, it admonishes you to pursue what is good for you, but it adds the proviso "and for all."

Eagerly pursue the things that are beneficial for you, but also that which is good for others.


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Penetrate the Culture

In His Presence: Colossians 3:17   

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-14, 16).

When we look closely at a culture that is deteriorating, we will probably see the people of God withdrawn from that culture. For example, when Christians began abandoning inner city and urban neighborhoods, taking their skills, resources, and moral influence with them, those neighborhoods deteriorated. When Christians left the public school system, moral values were systematically erased until they became almost illegal to teach. When Christians vacated the media, a spiritual approach to defining everything we hold dear went with them. When Christians decided to get out of politics, righteous political decisions left with them.

God's people have been called to penetrate society. Of course, evangelism is always first because without forgiveness of sins, anything else we give a person is temporary. We have been called first and foremost to win people to Christ. But after a person receives Christ for eternity, he must represent Christ in history. Christians must give out hope; no earthly institution offers real hope for the world.

One Minute Please

The absence of righteousness in our culture has everything to do with the absence of God's people penetrating the culture. When there is no yeast, the bread stays flat.

[Judy Harder]

May 13, 2013



Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience
. . . strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men -Acts 24:16
God's commands to us are actually given to the life of His Son in us. Consequently, to our human nature in which God's Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19), His commands are difficult. But they become divinely easy once we obey.

Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what we regard as the highest standard. This explains why conscience is different in different people. If I am in the habit of continually holding God's standard in front of me, my conscience will always direct me to God's perfect law and indicate what I should do. The question is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I can live without any offense toward anyone. I should be living in such perfect harmony with God's Son that the spirit of my mind is being renewed through every circumstance of life, and that I may be able to quickly "prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2 ; also see Ephesians 4:23).

God always instructs us down to the last detail. Is my ear sensitive enough to hear even the softest whisper of the Spirit, so that I know what I should do? "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God . . ." (Ephesians 4:30). He does not speak with a voice like thunder- His voice is so gentle that it is easy for us to ignore. And the only thing that keeps our conscience sensitive to Him is the habit of being open to God on the inside. When you begin to debate, stop immediately. Don't ask, "Why can't I do this?" You are on the wrong track. There is no debating possible once your conscience speaks. Whatever it is- drop it, and see that you keep your inner vision clear.


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Releasing God's Love

We have been talking about pursuing love in the last couple of devotionals.  Today I want to go to a passage where Scripture gives us a snapshot of what God's love looks like.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8,

Love suffers long and is kind (a lot of people suffer long, but they are not very kind while they do it); love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own; is not provoked (it is not touchy or fretful or resentful); thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.

What you just read about the love of God is already inside of you if you are a Christian.  It is not something outside of you that you need to seek.  It is something that is in you that needs to be released.

Romans 5:5 tells us,

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

God's love has already been poured into your heart!  The ability to do everything in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is already in you.  You have the ability to not be touchy, or fretful, or resentful, or seek your own or insist on your own rights; to suffer long and to be kind; to believe the best of every person.

The Bible is not talking about pursuing love as though it is something that is vacant from your life.  Rather, you are to pursue the expression of that love purposely and let it work its way into your words and actions.


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Social Gospel?

In His Presence: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Instead of writing off our culture as hopelessly secular and doomed, God wants His people to have a redeeming and transforming impact on American society. But what is the relationship of the Gospel to social action? What is the Christian's responsibility in matters of social ills-injustice, poverty, and hunger?

In many evangelical circles, the terms "social action" and "social gospel" have negative connotations. But the question remains: what does the gospel of Jesus Christ have to say to the poor and the oppressed? This is an important question all Christians need to deal with.

The message of the Gospel is narrow, not broad. The issue of social action is not part of the gospel message. Whenever social action is made part of the Gospel, two problems arise: Social action obscures what the Gospel really is, and no one knows how much emphasis to give to the social aspect of the message.

Those who want to make social action a part of the Gospel's content make the same mistake repeatedly in biblical interpretation. They apply the non-technical use of the word Gospel as it is used in the first four books of the New Testament rather than applying its more specific use in the epistles, where the word has a much more limited meaning.

One Minute Please

When Paul spoke of the Gospel, he limited it to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for sin (see today's reading). In Matthew 4, Jesus used the term to refer to the good news of the kingdom. "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom" (v. 23).

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The Habit of Enjoying Adversity
 
. . . that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body -2 Corinthians 4:10

We have to develop godly habits to express what God's grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that "the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation of "myself" that I would have apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, "Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.

You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God's sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your need" (Philippians 4:19).

Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you.


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Choose to Love

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust'" (Matthew 5:43-45).

These are not suggestions to be considered, they are commands to be obeyed.  "A pretty tall order," you say.  Perhaps, but definitely within the realm of possibility.

Jesus would never tell us to do something we could not do.  That would be unjust. We can bless, we can do good, we can pray for and forgive those who have wronged us.

When people say, "I can't forgive," that generally means, "I won't forgive."  The ability to love, bless and forgive is within us-because God is within us.  Learn to let His nature of love dominate you.  Choose to love.  Let what God has put on the inside come out.

The world needs to see real love-the kind of unconditional love that brought us into God's family.  And they need to see it in us.  If we really are the children of God, then His nature should be displayed in us and through us.  The most outstanding feature of God's nature is love.  God is love.

One last thing.  When you choose to love and forgive those who have wronged you, you set a prisoner free.  The prisoner is you.


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Taking Back American Culture

In His Presence: Jeremiah 29:4-14

"[He] is able to establish you according to [the] gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested . . . leading to obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-26, emphasis added).

One major problem in America is that Christians often separate the personal message of salvation from its practical implications. As the Gospel-the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ-is proclaimed, a concern for human needs should flow naturally out of its effect on people and the community. Unfortunately, a trait of our individualistic age is that people care very little about the deterioration of our society.

When the Gospel has permeated a group of people, there should be a shift from social inertia to social sensitivity. This increases the importance of Jesus' statement: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Our testimony is enhanced by the social interactions that take place between Christians and the world. It is unbiblical to believe that our faith in Jesus Christ has no bearing on the needs of this world.

American culture will be reclaimed when Christians regain spiritual clarity. When the Jews were sent into exile, they ended up living within Babylonian culture-a clearly pagan culture. They had to work hard to establish themselves again as a set-apart, unique people.

One Minute Please

"Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce . . . seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile"(Jeremiah 29:5,7).

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The Habit of Rising to the Occasion
. . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling . . . -Ephesians 1:18
Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.

You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it "out"? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly-"By my God I can leap over a wall" (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12  says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you . . . ." Rise to the occasion-do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.

May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality-a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.


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The Qualities of Love

For the last number of devotionals, we have focused our attention on how love is such a vital quality to the Christian life.  We have seen that unless we love, any of the spiritual gifts are meaningless.

We have also seen that God has deposited His love in us already, and as a result, it is our responsibility to choose to express that love.  It is not something we can put on God's shoulders.  We must take on that obligation.

So what do those qualities of love really look like?  I want to share with you 1 Corinthians 13 from the Amplified Bible, but I want to do it with a twist.  I want to make it personal and show how, if we choose to love as God has asked us to love, it will look.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 from the Amplified Bible...personalized (read it out loud),

I endure long, and I am patient and kind.  I am never envious or boil over with jealousy.  I am not boastful or vainglorious.  I do not display myself haughtily.  I am not conceited, arrogant, or inflated with pride.  I am not rude or unmannerly.  I do not act unbecomingly.  God's love in me does not insist on its own rights or its own way for I am not self-seeking.  I am not touchy or fretful or resentful.  I take no account of the evil done to me.  I do not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but I rejoice when right and truth prevail.  I bear up under anything and everything that comes, and I am ever ready to believe the best of every person.  My hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and I endure everything without weakening.  God's love in me never fails.

I challenge you to read this out loud to yourself every day for a month, and see if it does not change your life!


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Satan the Deceiver

In His Presence: 1 Peter 5:8

In several places in the Bible, we are told who Satan is. He is called "the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). We know what his future will be. "[The angel] laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed: after these things he must be released for a short time" (Revelation 20:2-3).

Before God created man, He created angels. Chief among the angels was one named Lucifer. His name meant "the shining one." Some of his story is told in Ezekiel 28:12-19. "You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you" (Ezekiel 28:14-15).

Some of Lucifer's story is also told in Isaiah 14:11-16. "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations" (v. 12). Lucifer desired to be equal with God, though God was his Creator. Since then, he has been the Deceiver on earth.

One Minute Please

One of Satan's first deceptions was to convince us that he doesn't exist or that he is inconsequential.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
The Habit of Recognizing God's Provision
. . . you may be partakers of the divine nature . . . -2 Peter 1:4
We are made "partakers of the divine nature," receiving and sharing God's own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God's provision for us. We say, however, "Oh, I can't afford it." One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, "Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle." And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn't they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God's riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges- always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.

Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, "All my springs are in You" (Psalm 87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . ." (2 Corinthians 9:- then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God's nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.


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Spiritual Metamorphosis

Romans 12:1-2 says this,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

First, notice that it is your responsibility to present your body to God. God will not do it for you.  You have to do it.  But Scripture doesn't leave us there.  We are shown how we are to do that in verse 2 above.

First, when it says, Do not be conformed, that word conform means to be pressed into a mold by outward pressures.  Instead of being conformed we are told to be transformed. That is actually the Greek word from which we get our English word metamorphosis. It means to let what is on the inside come to the outside.

One day many years ago, my kids came home from school with some silk worms. We were supposed to put them in a box and feed them mulberry leaves. I couldn't believe how many leaves these worms ate! They ate leaves until they turned a translucent green!

Then they wove cocoons and went through a metamorphosis. They went from being these ugly ol' fat green transparent worms, to the most beautiful fuzzy huge white moths. It was amazing to see!

My friend, you renew your mind by feeding on God's Word, the same way that those silk worms fed on the mulberry leaves.  As you are filled with His truth, it causes a metamorphosis to take place. It brings what is on the inside-God's nature-to the outside.

So feed on God's Word and watch your life be transformed.


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Satan Poses the Question

In His Presence: Genesis 3:1-7

Since God placed man on this planet, Satan has been determined to deceive man about the nature of God and God's words to us. In the Garden of Eden, Satan began his plan by talking to Eve. "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). Satan raised a question about God's command. Notice that he used the word "not." He skipped over the first part of God's statement and focused on the restriction. He didn't want Eve to be thinking about God's goodness. He wanted God to appear harsh and restrictive.

What God actually said was: "TheLord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die' " (Genesis 2:16-17). The first thing God told Adam was what he could do. All the fruit was good for the picking, and Adam could eat freely of the trees. He could eat whatever he wanted to eat whenever he wanted to eat. Of all the trees in the garden, and there were probably hundreds of trees, he was only restricted from one tree.

Especially for those of us who live in the United States, we have so much that is good. As much as we are able, we are free to pursue a good life and liberty. We can go after what makes us happy.

One Minute Please

In spite of what Satan wants, we should be thinking about God's goodness.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
His Ascension and Our Access
 
It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven -Luke 24:51
We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord's life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward- Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection- everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity.

The transfiguration was completed on the Mount of Ascension. If Jesus had gone to heaven directly from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity.

The ascension is the complete fulfillment of the transfiguration. Our Lord returned to His original glory, but not simply as the Son of God- He returned to His father as the Son of Man as well. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But now they are His in absolute, full power. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ now has all the power at the throne of God. From His ascension forward He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.


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The Love of Money

In 1 Timothy 6:9-11, Paul gives us a critical insight,

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

I want you to notice:  Before Paul tells us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness, he says we must first flee the love of money.  You have to be willing to flee the wrong things before you can pursue the right things, because you cannot go in two directions at once.

If you are pursuing riches, and the gaining of wealth and the achievement of success have become your number one priorities, pushing everything else, including God, to the side, then you are pursuing the wrong thing.

You may be thinking, "Well, that's great for some people, but that doesn't apply to me."  You need to understand that you can be eaten up with the love of money and not have a dime in your pocket.  All of us are subject to such a temptation and such a trap.

It's fascinating that Paul uses the word "drown" here.  I live by the Pacific Ocean, and generally people who drown do so because, (a) they overestimate their own abilities as a swimmer; or (b) they underestimate the power of the ocean.

If you overestimate your ability to be free from this type of a temptation, or you underestimate the power of this type of a temptation, you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Flee the wrong and pursue the right.  Stay on course with God.


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What Are We Thinking About?

In His Presence: 1 Chronicles 16:8

Why did God put a limitation on the tree in the Garden of Eden? Why do we have limitations at all? In order to enjoy freedom, there must be sufficient restriction so that we can maximize what freedom is. A baseball player isn't free to play baseball if there are no foul lines. A football player is not free to play football if there are no sidelines. God placed the restriction in the Garden of Eden to give us the ability to choose. In that way, freedom is better understood.

Another reason why God put a restriction in the Garden of Eden was to remind man that he is a created being. Restrictions make it clear who is in charge. God wanted it to be clear that there is a major difference between created man and the Creator God. God is transcendent. He is infinite and omniscient. We are not.

Satan used the presence of these restrictions to trick Eve into focusing on the negative. The apostle Paul said: "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). Satan led her thinking away from the goodness of God to focus on the restrictions of God. In doing that, Eve lost sight of the freedom God had given her.

One Minute Please

Adam and Eve lived in a home they didn't build and ate food they didn't have to grow. They lived in a perfect environment that had only one restriction. Does your mind focus only on the restrictions in your life?

[Judy Harder]

May 20, 2013


Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
Taking Possession of Our Own Soul
 
By your patience possess your souls -Luke 21:19

When a person is born again, there is a period of time when he does not have the same vitality in his thinking or reasoning that he previously had. We must learn to express this new life within us, which comes by forming the mind of Christ (see Philippians 2:5). Luke 21:19 means that we take possession of our souls through patience. But many of us prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build our soul in accordance with the new life God has placed within us. We fail because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures. Just think what we could be when we are awakened to the truth!

There are certain things in life that we need not pray about- moods, for instance. We will never get rid of moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives. Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we won't. The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh


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The Reward of Godliness

In today's devotional, I want to draw your attention to the importance of the pursuit of godliness.  Let's look at 1 Timothy 6:6,

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

What an incredible truth. Godliness coupled with contentment is great gain. Not just gain, GREAT gain!

Over and over in Scripture, God highlights the importance and reward of godliness. For instance, it says in Psalm 4:3, That the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly. 2 Peter says the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations. Those are great rewards!

But there is more. Look at 1 Timothy 4:7-8,

But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

It could not be more clear! There is profit in godliness, and that profit is not only in this life, but in the life that is to come.  Godliness is going to pay off in both this life and into eternity!

So it makes sense to make this pursuit of godliness a priority! Even if people want to kick you every time you do something that is right, you need to stay with it.

Determine today to make godliness an everyday pursuit. If you do, you will reap the rewards of godliness, great gain and profit, not just in this life, but for eternity.


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Satan's Lies

In His Presence: John 17:17

Satan convinced Eve that he was harmless, not a creature to fear or be wary of. Today, he wants us to believe that we don't need to fear him and to think that he may not even exist. Second, Satan convinced Eve that God was holding out on her. Satan wants us to focus on our misfortunes.

"The woman said to the serpent, 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die." ' The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die!' ''(Genesis 3:2-3). He was saying that God's word could not be trusted.

Satan discovered that Eve had lost sight of what God actually said. First, she minimized God's goodness by leaving out the word "freely" in God's command to Adam. He had said: "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely" (Genesis 2:16). Second, she made God look stricter than He was by saying they could not touch the fruit of the restricted tree. God had not said anything about touching it. Third, she lessened God's judgment by saying "lest you die." She was implying an uncertainty. Instead, God had said: "From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

One Minute Please

When Eve distorted God's word, she was receptive to Satan's lie that God's word could not be trusted.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotion by Oswald Chambers
 
 
Having God's "Unreasonable" Faith
 
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you -Matthew 6:33

When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. ". . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . ." Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, "But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed." The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.

". . . do not worry about your life. . ." (Matthew 6:25). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed- no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, "Don't make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God." Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.

It is one of the most difficult, yet critical, disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into absolute harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

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Strengthening Your Faith

Romans 10:17 is the verse I would like for you to read today. It says,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.   

To fully understand this verse, you need to know that if you are saved, faith has already been deposited in your heart.  It is part of your spiritual DNA. Romans 12:3 says that, God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  Faith is something He has already given.

It is up to you to develop that faith. It is up to you to do something with it. How do you develop it? You develop it first by hearing the Word of God.

The Bible-God's Word-is the food.  As you feed upon it, your faith will be strengthened.

You know those body builders, men and women who are constantly pumping weights? Well, if you talk to any serious body builder, one of the first things they will refer to is diet. You have to eat the right kind of diet if you are going to build muscle mass.  Usually, their diet is protein-rich.

They faithfully drink their protein shakes and eat their tuna fish sandwiches, which, when they are consumed and digested, become the raw materials that build muscle mass.

As you feed upon and digest God's Word, that truth becomes the raw material that will build faith.  It is faith food.

Most people who struggle with their faith are feeding on the wrong things. Faith comes unconsciously when you feed upon God's Word.

So today, if you feel like you are struggling in your faith, then change your diet. Start feeding more on God's Word!


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Relationship vs. Rules

In His Presence: John 10:14-15

"My brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God . . . What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law''(Romans 7:4, 7).

Romans 7 tells us that the Law is good. But the problem with the Law is that it can't help us deal with sin. While it can show us what is wrong, it can't empower us to improve. Only a relationship abiding in the presence of Jesus Christ can transform our lives. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was irrelevant to Adam and Eve. They had abundant life already. "I came that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). It was a life based on a relationship with God.

So how do we combat what Satan wants us to believe-that restrictions and "do's" and "don'ts" are unfair? We should focus on the goodness of God. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith" (Romans 3:23-25). This demonstration of grace is what the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden was all about.

One Minute Please

"From any tree of the garden you may eat freely"(Genesis 2:16).

[Judy Harder]

 

Daily Devotion by Oswald Chambers
 
 
The Explanation For Our Difficulties
 
. . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . . -John 17:21

If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are- because Jesus has prayed that you "may be one" with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.

God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus- ". . . that they may be one just as We are one . . ." (John 17:22). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?

God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn't ask, "Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?" No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, "Your will be done" (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God's purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him- because Jesus prayed, ". . . that they all may be one . . . ."

 

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Exercising the Muscle of Faith

Yesterday we looked at the importance of God's Word to strengthen our faith.  Yet there is something more we need to do to see our faith grow.  We must use it.

In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul says this about faith,

Fight the good fight of faith.

Faith is made for conflict.  It does not grow without conflict.  It does not grow without pressure.  You need to use it.

Remember our illustration of the body builders and how a proper diet is essential to building muscle mass?  Well, they will also tell you that it is not enough to drink protein shakes and eat tuna fish, you have to work those muscles if they are going to grow.  They work those weights every day in order to build their muscles.

The same thing is true when it comes to faith.  Faith is a muscle that you have to use.  It is not enough just to listen to your Bible teaching CDs all day long.  Hearing alone is not enough to develop faith.  You must use your faith muscle.

That is what the fight of faith is all about.  You exercise your faith when you are standing in the midst of your storm, and you are assailed by temptations and every kind of trial that tells you you're not going to make it, that you are going down with the ship.

As you stand in the midst of your storm, and the wind is howling around you, and the lightning is flashing, and the waves are breaking over the bow of your little ship, stand up and say, "I believe God, that it is going to be just as it was told me."  That is where the fight of faith comes in.

No matter what you may be going through today, exercise that muscle of faith.  Trust God to do just as He has promised.


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Cultivating the Gratitude Mindset

In His Presence: Romans 9:14-24

"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called . . . Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy"(1 Timothy 6:11-12, 17).

Cultivating a godly perspective of our spiritual state and our physical circumstances does not happen naturally. To fight against overlooking God's grace and lovingkindnesses toward us instead of complaining about our losses takes a great deal of energy and persistence. We need to develop a mindset that looks for God's graciousness at all times.

An attitude of thanksgiving should dominate the life of the believer. Ingratitude is the mark of the devil. Satan whispers in our ears to make us think about what God has taken away from us. God wants us to look at what He has freely given to us. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). We have so much to be thankful for!

When the nation of Israel moved out of Egypt en masse into the wilderness of Sinai, the first thing they did was complain. They complained about the conditions, the lack of water and meat, and their vulnerability to the Egyptians. God had set them free from slavery, but already they had forgotten.

One Minute Please

When we set our eyes on our misfortunes, we soon forget to express gratitude.