Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

October 17, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Key to the Missionary's Devotion

. . . they went forth for His name's sake . . . -3 John 7

Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, "Do you love Me?" (John 21:17). And then He said, "Feed My sheep." In effect, He said, "Identify yourself with My interests in other people," not, "Identify Me with your interests in other people." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love- it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.

Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit- "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . ." (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.

The key to the missionary's devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.

The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Power of Humility

One of the greatest dangers of the Christian life is spiritual arrogance. 

When pride wells up in our heart, it can absolutely take our spiritual legs out from under us, and keep the strong arm of the Lord from being revealed in our lives.

In 1 Peter 5:6, we are given the antidote to pride.  It says,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

It is unfortunate, but there are some who emphasize the message of faith that at times do so with a touch of arrogance rather than humility.  The result is that it has really turned some people off to the whole message of faith.

Our faith always needs to be coupled with humility.

There are only two people in the Bible Jesus said had great faith.  One of them was the Roman centurion whom we find in Luke 7.  When you study his story, you find that because of his good works, the elders of the Jews said he deserved Jesus' help.  But the centurion had a far different view of himself.  He said he was not worthy for Jesus to enter under his roof.

The other person that Jesus said had great faith was the woman with the possessed daughter in Matthew 15.  Two elements stand out about her as we read her story.  She was persistent and she was humble.

Great faith cannot be divorced from great humility.  Humility is a necessary ingredient for the soil of our heart, without which a healthy faith cannot grow. 
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Read: James 4:1-12
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. - James 4:6

TODAY IN THE WORD
According to an article in the Korea Times, the number of legal disputes between family members over an inheritance has greatly increased in recent years. In 2002, 69 lawsuits were filed in Seoul Family Court over an alleged unfair distribution of an inheritance. Nearly 300 such lawsuits were filed in 2008, including a suit brought by two sisters against their older brothers; in another case, a son sued his mother over the implementation of his father's will. Since many large corporations in South Korea are family-run, these disputes can have devastating consequences for the business as well as the family.
As believers, we share an inheritance of salvation in Christ, indwelling by the Holy Spirit, and eternal life with God. This makes our quarrels and disputes even more tragic. We've seen how we receive grace out of God's great love, not our own pedigree. And we've seen how that grace includes our ability to bring glory to God rather than follow the ways of the world.

Yet as the book of James shows, we still need to be reminded to "live a life worthy of the calling" we have received (Eph. 4:1). This book often hits us where the rubber meets the road, so to speak-there's nothing abstract or idealistic about James. This Scripture unveils some of our most besetting struggles and calls us to acknowledge and then address the sin in our lives.

James lists a number of problems between believers, including quarrels, covetousness, selfishness, and slander. The root cause of this selfishness and dissension, though, was pride. Not only did people think they were better than each other, there was also a lack of submission to God. These two postures of pride go together-if we think that we should be in charge spiritually, we are rejecting God's sovereignty and putting ourselves in judgment over our fellow believers (vv. 10-12).

Thankfully, James presents not just a problem but also a solution. The continued grace of God is available when we remember that God is in charge and submit ourselves to Him. Our repentance is met with His mercy; our humility is met with His grace.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In churches that follow liturgy, prayers of confession are part of each service, followed by a reminder that God forgives those who are repentant. Churches without liturgy often encourage private confession, a vital part of each believer's prayer life. Confession means allowing the Holy Spirit to search our lives and convict us of sin. Then we humbly surrender the matter to God and ask for His forgiveness. This helps us remain in fellowship with God and prepares us for relationships with others.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 19, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Unheeded Secret

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world -John 18:36

The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation . . . . For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). It is a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives to be seen by others, while it is the innermost, personal area that reveals the power of a person's life.

We must get rid of the plague of the spirit of this religious age in which we live. In our Lord's life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.

It is not the practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College- its entire strength lies in the fact that here you are immersed in the truths of God to soak in them before Him. You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in overactivity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God's redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens.

Selfish? 

Over the last several devotionals, we have been looking at the cause of spiritual drought.  In today's devotional, I want to look at selfishness as a cause of spiritual drought.   

Selfishness is where I am focused on my own interests rather than the needs of others or of furthering God's Kingdom.

In Haggai 1:4-6, 9-11, God says,

"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"  Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:  "Consider your ways!  You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes... You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away.  Why?" says the LORD of hosts.  "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.  Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.  For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."

They were investing everything in themselves and their homes, but not a thought was given to God's house or God's Kingdom.

Friend, if you want the rain to fall, you need to think about God and His house first, others second, and yourself third.  It is like the old saying, "If you want joy, j-o-y, it's Jesus, others, and then you." 
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Read: 2 Peter 1:1-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. - 2 Peter 1:3

TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a professor at DePaul University, studies procrastinators. Some 20 percent of the population identify themselves as chronic procrastinators, and Ferrari says that this group struggles to get anything done-whether paying bills or cashing checks. One myth about procrastinators asserts that they simply need better time management skills. But Ferrari notes that "telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up." The problem isn't a lack of knowledge, but more core issues like fear of failure or a painful family environment.
We've discussed growing in spiritual knowledge, but for some of us, a lack of knowledge isn't the problem-we're stuffed with knowledge about God. In our final day of studying how we grow in understanding grace, our passage from 2 Peter offers a template for how grace and knowledge work together in the Christian life.

The two are connected right at the beginning of this letter, as Peter describes grace "in abundance" coming from knowledge of God (v. 2). God has not skimped on making knowledge of Himself accessible (v. 3; cf. Rom. 1:20), and this knowledge also imbues us with His divine power.

Now what will we do with this knowledge, grace, and power? Will we know the promises of God and experience the saving grace of Jesus and then just sputter spiritually? That will make us vulnerable to pride, corruption, and even forgetting about the transforming work of God (vv. 4, 9). In contrast, Peter assures us that we have everything we need for spiritual growth.

Just as grace and knowledge are linked, God's work and our effort are linked in this text. God has provided us with "everything we need," so "for this very reason" we "make every effort" (vv. 3, 5). This list begins with faith, the starting point of our journey with Christ. It ends with love, the ultimate expression of our identity as God's children embodying His character. Growing in the grace and knowledge of God means that we will become more like Him (v. .
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you need to put your spiritual knowledge into action? Is there something in the list in verses 5 through 7 that doesn't describe you? Perhaps you need more self-control, perseverance, or brotherly kindness. God has promised to give you the grace; as you spend time in prayer today, ask Him what you need to do-not just need to know-in these areas. Then take concrete steps to practice godliness and love in your daily life, confident that you will be spiritually effective and productive.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 20, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Is God's Will My Will?

This is the will of God, your sanctification . . . -1 Thessalonians 4:3

Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me- is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and to let His life be exhibited in my human flesh? (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Beware of saying, "Oh, I am longing to be sanctified." No, you are not. Recognize your need, but stop longing and make it a matter of action. Receive Jesus Christ to become sanctification for you by absolute, unquestioning faith, and the great miracle of the atonement of Jesus will become real in you.

All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). It is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:. He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification. No wonder Paul said that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).

Sanctification makes me one with Jesus Christ, and in Him one with God, and it is accomplished only through the magnificent atonement of Christ. Never confuse the effect with the cause. The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ.

Rx for Depression 
Isaiah 58:10-11 gives you and me a powerful prescription for depression.  It says,

If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.  The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Take a moment to think about what God is saying.  Think about the promise:  If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, God will satisfy your soul in drought.

If you are a person who is given to depression and you feel like you have this big empty void in your life, I have a prescription for you based on this passage.  Are you ready?

Go help somebody else.  In fact, find a place in your church, local rescue mission, or The Salvation Army where you can minister to folks who are going through a rough patch.  Donate a couple of days a week, and help other folks who are going through a rough time.

God promises that if you will draw out your soul to the hungry and if you will minister to the afflicted soul, He will satisfy your soul in drought.

Rather than being so inwardly focused..."my problems, and I'm so depressed, and why aren't things going right for me?", go help somebody else.  Get things in perspective.  There are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than you are, and you will find that God will bring the rain into your life when you change your focus.

If your soul is dry, the way to get it watered is to go help someone else.  The sooner the better.
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Read: 2 Peter 1:1-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. - 2 Peter 1:3

TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a professor at DePaul University, studies procrastinators. Some 20 percent of the population identify themselves as chronic procrastinators, and Ferrari says that this group struggles to get anything done-whether paying bills or cashing checks. One myth about procrastinators asserts that they simply need better time management skills. But Ferrari notes that "telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up." The problem isn't a lack of knowledge, but more core issues like fear of failure or a painful family environment.
We've discussed growing in spiritual knowledge, but for some of us, a lack of knowledge isn't the problem-we're stuffed with knowledge about God. In our final day of studying how we grow in understanding grace, our passage from 2 Peter offers a template for how grace and knowledge work together in the Christian life.

The two are connected right at the beginning of this letter, as Peter describes grace "in abundance" coming from knowledge of God (v. 2). God has not skimped on making knowledge of Himself accessible (v. 3; cf. Rom. 1:20), and this knowledge also imbues us with His divine power.

Now what will we do with this knowledge, grace, and power? Will we know the promises of God and experience the saving grace of Jesus and then just sputter spiritually? That will make us vulnerable to pride, corruption, and even forgetting about the transforming work of God (vv. 4, 9). In contrast, Peter assures us that we have everything we need for spiritual growth.

Just as grace and knowledge are linked, God's work and our effort are linked in this text. God has provided us with "everything we need," so "for this very reason" we "make every effort" (vv. 3, 5). This list begins with faith, the starting point of our journey with Christ. It ends with love, the ultimate expression of our identity as God's children embodying His character. Growing in the grace and knowledge of God means that we will become more like Him (v. .
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you need to put your spiritual knowledge into action? Is there something in the list in verses 5 through 7 that doesn't describe you? Perhaps you need more self-control, perseverance, or brotherly kindness. God has promised to give you the grace; as you spend time in prayer today, ask Him what you need to do-not just need to know-in these areas. Then take concrete steps to practice godliness and love in your daily life, confident that you will be spiritually effective and productive.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 21, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith . . . -Jude 20

There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God's nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman-an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land (Mark 14:54). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises-human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God-but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people-and this is not learned in five minutes.

The Blessing of God's Spiritual Influence

Perhaps today you are honestly doing all you know to do, but it seems like you are in this season of drought.  God's blessing has seemingly dried up in your life.

Let me point you to 2 Samuel 21:1-3,

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD.  And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites."  So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them.  Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.  Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you?  And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"

There was a famine in the land because there had been no rain for three years.  So David inquired of the Lord, and God spoke to him.  If you read to the end of the story, you see the rain finally did fall, the drought was broken, and the famine was over.

But here is the point.  It says, David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him.

If there is a drought in your life, ask God why.  God will talk to you.  Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice."  If you in earnestness will seek God and ask Him why, God will speak to you.

Be willing to take responsibility for whatever He shows you.  There just may be something in the past that needs to be corrected.

Just ask. Then act on what He reveals.
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Read: Acts 11:19-26
The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. - Acts 11:26

TODAY IN THE WORD
Muhammed Omar was forced to relocate to Kenya after violence spread in his native Somalia. He converted from Islam to faith in Jesus, and says this about reaching his people with the gospel: "Fifty years ago, Christians the world over were challenged to go to more difficult places like Somalia. Then the war started in 1991 and now with still no central government, many Somalis had scattered all over the world, mainly to Kenya. Today, we do not need to go to Somalia to reach Somalis. I thank the Lord that they come for treatment to Kenya's Kijabe Hospital where I work as a volunteer chaplain."
From the beginning, believers in Jesus have followed the Great Commission to spread the gospel to others (Matt. 28:19-20). God has redeemed even such evil as persecution and displacement in order to reach people with the good news that He loves them enough to send Jesus to die for their sins. Just as Muhammed Omar found that he could reach people from Somalia, people in our text for today spread the gospel to cities across the known world.

After Stephen's death, persecution was unleashed against the church in Jerusalem (see Acts 8:1). One result is that Christians began to flee Jerusalem, taking the message of Christ with them to Phoenicia (in present-day Lebanon), Cyprus, and Antioch (in modern Turkey). Christianity was going global! The initial converts were Jewish, but then they shared the faith with their Gentile neighbors, who also believed (v. 20).

When the Jerusalem church heard about Gentile converts, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to investigate. Barnabas found that these believers exhibited the grace of God, the mark of all followers of Christ throughout time (v. 23). Whether Jew or Greek, American or Somali, evidence of God's grace will identify true Christians.

This grace verified that Gentile converts were part of the family of God, and it also encouraged Barnabas. He committed a year to teaching the believers in Antioch so they could grow in the faith. The grace of God allows us to cross all social and cultural boundaries to share the gospel, and then embrace our brothers and sisters.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Missions has been part of the identity of the church from the beginning. Are you connected with a missions program or missionaries? Missionaries who have traveled from their homes need financial support and spiritual encouragement-even birthday cards or regular e-mails can be tremendously helpful. You don't have to leave home to share the gospel. Do you have a heart for your own family or neighbors to know Christ? Pray that the grace God has given you will bring others to faith.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 22, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Witness of the Spirit

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit . . . -Romans 8:16

We are in danger of getting into a bargaining spirit with God when we come to Him- we want the witness of the Spirit before we have done what God tells us to do.

Why doesn't God reveal Himself to you? He cannot. It is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the way as long as you won't abandon yourself to Him in total surrender. Yet once you do, immediately God witnesses to Himself- He cannot witness to you, but He instantly witnesses to His own nature in you. If you received the witness of the Spirit before the reality and truth that comes from obedience, it would simply result in sentimental emotion. But when you act on the basis of redemption, and stop the disrespectfulness of debating with God, He immediately gives His witness. As soon as you abandon your own reasoning and arguing, God witnesses to what He has done, and you are amazed at your total disrespect in having kept Him waiting. If you are debating as to whether or not God can deliver from sin, then either let Him do it or tell Him that He cannot. Do not quote this or that person to Him. Simply obey Matthew 11:28 , "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden . . . ." Come, if you are weary, and ask, if you know you are evil (see Luke 11:9-13).

The Spirit of God witnesses to the redemption of our Lord, and to nothing else. He cannot witness to our reason. We are inclined to mistake the simplicity that comes from our natural commonsense decisions for the witness of the Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature, and to the work of redemption, never to our reason. If we are trying to make Him witness to our reason, it is no wonder that we are in darkness and uncertainty. Throw it all overboard, trust in Him, and He will give you the witness of the Spirit.

Praying for the Rain

For the past week we have been seeking to understand what causes a spiritual drought, and then how we can break that drought if indeed we are in one.

Here is what I want you to understand.  Even if you earnestly seek God and repent of sin in your life, or you shift your focus and say, "God, I'm putting Your house first, and I'm going to put other people before myself,"  or perhaps God leads you to do something of a personal nature, you still need to pray for the rain.

Do not just assume God's blessing will automatically fall.  You still need to ask for it.  Zechariah 10:1 teaches us this truth,

Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain.  The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.

I used to read that and wonder, "God, I don't understand.  If it is the time of the latter rain, if it is rainy season, why ask for rain?  Won't it just fall automatically?"  If it is rainy season, why pray for rain?"

Because you cannot assume that it is automatically going to fall.

In James 5:17-18 there is a story about Elijah from 1 Kings 18.  James gives us the very, very, very short version.  But it tells us something significant,

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

What caused the rain to stop?  His prayer.  What caused the rain to fall again?  His prayer.

Ask God today for the blessing of His rain in your life!
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Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
By this gospel you are saved. - 1 Corinthians 15:2

TODAY IN THE WORD
Charles Spurgeon has been called the "Prince of Preachers," and for good reason: he preached to an estimated ten million people between 1850 and 1892. Yet Spurgeon declared: "The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher; otherwise men would be the converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher's learning; otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, till we would exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit be with the Word of God to give it the power to convert the soul."
We've seen the powerful proclamation of the gospel by Stephen, made possible because he was filled with grace and the Holy Spirit. As we continue studying what it means to grow in extending grace, our passage today reveals that the grace of God strengthens us to share the gospel.

At this point in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wanted to correct some doctrinal error that had crept into the church. Before his eloquent discussion about resurrection (vv. 12-58), he reminded the church about their embrace of the gospel. This truth was the foundation for their salvation and identity-not their wealth, wisdom, social position, or ethnicity.

Most scholars believe that verses 3 through 6 are part of an ancient creed, a summary of the gospel that the earliest believers would have known and recited as a way to rehearse the truth about Jesus. The death, burial, and resurrection are included, as well as the witnesses who verified that the risen Lord appeared in His resurrected body.

Then Paul transitioned into his autobiography. He was a sinner; he had "persecuted the church of God" (v. 9). But he encountered Jesus and was saved (v. . Here was Paul-the great apostle, founder of churches across the world, author of nearly half of the New Testament-giving all the credit for his spiritual achievements to the grace of God (v. 10). He worked diligently, but even his labor was empowered by God's grace. Paul didn't receive this grace in vain: he extended it to others by faithfully preaching the gospel.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you ground your identity in your nationality or denomination? Do you look to your social status or income to validate you? If we are saved by faith in Christ, God's grace should be the foundation for our self-evaluation. We can't extend that grace to others if we think we have some intrinsic quality that makes us more valuable or important. Only by acknowledging that we are recipients of God's grace can we share the gospel with any power.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 22, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Nothing of the Old Life!

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new -2 Corinthians 5:17

Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices- He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We even say to ourselves, "God has to deal with other people in a very strict way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right." But we must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life! Instead of being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately removing them from us. It is part of our moral education to see our prejudices put to death by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is nothing remaining of the old life. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and "all things are of God" (2 Corinthians 5:18). How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that "is kind . . . is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil"? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God- such a trust that we no longer want God's blessings, but only want God Himself. Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected? Once we truly see God at work, we will never be concerned again about the things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.

It's Never Too Late

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. (KJV)

This verse refers to a field that has been eaten over by locusts, a plague of locusts that has come through and just devoured a field.  And God gives a wonderful promise:  He will come down like the rain on the mown grass, to revive and to restore that which the locusts have eaten.

Today, as you read this devotional, you may feel like a swarm of locusts has come over your life and eaten your blessing.  I think if you seek God and earnestly pray and ask Him to send the rain, you will have an encounter with God beyond anything you could have imagined.

He can restore what the enemy has stolen in your life.  You can indeed experience the freshness and revival and fruitfulness in your life again.  It is never too late to pray for God's blessing.

No matter the situation, seek God today.  Ask, and He will send the rain down on whatever part of your life has been mowed over by the locusts.  And you will experience the blessing God desires for you.

Remember, it is never too late.

I remember when I was first saved and read this passage, I would picture somebody out there with a lawnmower.  But of course, they didn't have lawnmowers back then! As we wrap up our series of devotionals on how to break a spiritual drought, I want to focus our attention on Psalm 72:6.  This verse contains a very powerful truth that I want to leave with you.  It says,
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Read: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
God is able to make all grace abound to you. - 2 Corinthians 9:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
The prophet Elijah saw God's promise of famine come true in judgment for the sins of Ahab and Israel. In obedience to God, Elijah went to Zarephath and asked a widow to provide him with food. She responded that she had no bread, and only a little flour and oil. She was preparing a final meal for herself and her son. Elijah promised that if she would feed him, God would provide continuous food. She trusted God's promise, and He ensured that miraculously the "jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD" (see 1 Kings 17).
God's principles of godly generosity have not changed. When people offer what they have-whether much or little-to Him, He promises to bless them. One way that we grow in extending grace is by extending generosity to others as a ministry to God.

The context of our passage is Paul's request for the Corinthian church to contribute financially to the impoverished and persecuted church in Jerusalem. The poor churches in Macedonia had already sent an offering, but the wealthy church in Corinth had been rather stingy (see Acts 8; Phil. 4:14-19). Paul didn't want to coerce or manipulate the Corinthians, but he did want them to understand God's principles of generosity. God wanted voluntary, joyful giving (v. 7). Sometimes a lack of generosity stems from a fear of not having enough left over; believers cling to financial resources for security. But God promises to extend the grace and resources necessary in response to our giving (v. .

This passage is often used by prosperity gospel preachers to assert that God has a mathematical formula-give a dollar and get $100 in return!-or that God wants all Christians to be rich. In contrast, notice what Paul emphasized: our money is not what enables us to live for God. Our money is a tool to serve God, and His grace enables us to pursue good works of service. The emphasis is not on getting rich, but on seeking "every good work," "righteousness," and "thanksgiving to God" (vv. 8, 10, 11, 13). Generosity exhibits obedience consistent with our confession of the gospel. God has extended His grace to us so that we can extend generosity to others (v. 14).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This text connects our willingness to release our financial resources to serve God with our ability to grow spiritually. There's no formula or percentage demanded; God cares about the state of our hearts. Are you willing to give financially to support your church, missionaries, or other ministries doing the work of God? Are you giving joyfully? Do you give the bare minimum, desiring to hold tightly to your money? Our security is in Christ, not our bank account. He promises to bless our generosity.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 24, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

The Proper Perspective

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ . . . -2 Corinthians 2:14

The proper perspective of a servant of God must not simply be as near to the highest as he can get, but it must be the highest. Be careful that you vigorously maintain God's perspective, and remember that it must be done every day, little by little. Don't think on a finite level. No outside power can touch the proper perspective.

The proper perspective to maintain is that we are here for only one purpose- to be captives marching in the procession of Christ's triumphs. We are not on display in God's showcase- we are here to exhibit only one thing- the "captivity [of our lives] to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). How small all the other perspectives are! For example, the ones that say, "I am standing all alone, battling for Jesus," or, "I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold down this fort for Him." But Paul said, in essence, "I am in the procession of a conqueror, and it doesn't matter what the difficulties are, for I am always led in triumph." Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul's secret joy was that God took him as a blatant rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive- and that became his purpose. It was Paul's joy to be a captive of the Lord, and he had no other interest in heaven or on earth. It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. We should belong so completely to the Victor that it is always His victory, and "we are more than conquerors through Him . . ." (Romans 8:37).

"We are to God the fragrance of Christ . . ." (2 Corinthians 2:15). We are encompassed with the sweet aroma of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.
 
The Cure for the Drought Brought by Sin

One word:  repentance.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 is clear and instructive,

"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

There is no real repentance even if you are feeling emotional and weeping over your sin.  That is not repentance.  Feeling sorry is not repentance.

Repentance is the change of heart that results in a change of lifestyle, a change of direction, a turning.  So I have a word for you: 

If there is known sin in your life, repent.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.  I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.  I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD...."

If, because of sin, you are in a drought spiritually, repent.  If you do, your drought can be broken and you can experience the blessings of God.
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Read: Ephesians 3:1-21
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit. - Ephesians 3:16


TODAY IN THE WORD
Most people who make important discoveries want to share the news as quickly as possible. Robert Peary sent a telegram after discovering the North Pole. Albert Einstein published a paper on Special Relativity. When Apollo 11 reached the moon, the words and pictures were broadcast around the world.
In our passage today, Paul described the great spiritual discovery or "mystery" that had been made clear to him. He wanted the church in Ephesus to know that this discovery was for the benefit of everyone, and that God's grace enabled Paul to share it with the world.

This unveiled mystery was that the Gentiles were able to access the grace of God: "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus" (v. 6). We might miss how revolutionary this is, but it's hard to imagine any contemporary divisions between people that are as deep and controversial as the rift between Jews and Gentiles at that time. This controversy had rocked the church since its earliest days (see Acts 10-11, 15). Many were willing to allow Gentiles into the faith-as long as they adopted a Jewish identity. Paul testified that the Gentiles came into the church not by becoming Jewish but through faith in the gospel (see Gal. 3:26).

Note how many times Paul used the word grace in this passage. The revelation of this truth was by grace; his status as an apostle was by grace; and his ability to preach was by grace. Paul didn't claim the credit for this teaching. He recognized that God had graciously allowed the truth to be revealed and enabled Paul to spread the gospel to Gentiles throughout the world, showing them they had access to God through Jesus Christ (vv. 10-12).

This extension of grace meant that believers-whether of Jewish or Gentile origin-could experience the fullness of the love of God. No ethnic heritage was necessary to claim salvation in God. The power of the Lord was at work in the church in all times and places-including us today! (vv. 20-21).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The church today doesn't struggle with Jew-Gentile tensions-do we? In fact, the tendency toward division still persists among God's people. Our churches often divide along racial and economic lines. Some insist that certain gifts be demonstrated to qualify as full believers; others declare that all Christians should adopt their preferences for ways of dress or types of music. To extend God's grace, we must follow Paul's example and recognize that access to the family of God is based on faith in Christ.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotional

October 25, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Submitting to God's Purpose

I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some -1 Corinthians 9:22

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God's man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, "If only I were somewhere else!" All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God's almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul's whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing. We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact- ". . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

"I chose you . . ." (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose- that He may be able to say, "This is My man, and this is My woman." We have to be in God's hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.

Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you "turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . ." (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.

The Power of Humility

When pride wells up in our heart, it can absolutely take our spiritual legs out from under us, and keep the strong arm of the Lord from being revealed in our lives.

In 1 Peter 5:6, we are given the antidote to pride.  It says,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

Our faith always needs to be coupled with humility.

There are only two people in the Bible Jesus said had great faith.  One of them was the Roman centurion whom we find in Luke 7.  When you study his story, you find that because of his good works, the elders of the Jews said he deserved Jesus' help.  But the centurion had a far different view of himself.  He said he was not worthy for Jesus to enter under his roof.

The other person that Jesus said had great faith was the woman with the possessed daughter in Matthew 15.  Two elements stand out about her as we read her story.  She was persistent and she was humble.

Great faith cannot be divorced from great humility.  Humility is a necessary ingredient for the soil of our heart, without which a healthy faith cannot grow. 

It is unfortunate, but there are some who emphasize the message of faith that at times do so with a touch of arrogance rather than humility.  The result is that it has really turned some people off to the whole message of faith. One of the greatest dangers of the Christian life is spiritual arrogance. 
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Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
Encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. - 2 Thessalonians 2:17

TODAY IN THE WORD
Phoenix, Louisiana, is a largely African-American fishing community on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish. The area is noted for producing some of the nation's best shrimp and oysters and for the hard work and independence of the local fisherman. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the community, and, just as they were recovering, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shuttered the livelihoods for most of the town. Local pastor Tyronne Edwards stated: "We're strong in our faith. We have all kind of disasters come our way, but because of a religious conviction . . . we walk by faith, not by sight."
Times of hardship can test the faith and convictions for all of us. God's Word recognizes the challenge of testing, whether it comes from persecution or disaster or grief. Thankfully, the grace of God encourages us and gives us hope in these times.

In challenging times, our passage today offers three truths to remind us to stand strong in our faith. First, our salvation is secure through the work of God (v. 13). God chose us, Jesus loved us, and the Holy Spirit sanctified us. The implication is that our Lord will not abandon us, nor should we have reason to abandon faith in Him during hard times.

Second, Jesus Himself suffered and was vindicated by God. By aligning ourselves with Him in faith in the gospel, we too can have an eternal perspective. Despite our current times of difficulty, we will ultimately "share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 14).

Finally, even in the midst of a trial, God extends His grace to encourage and strengthen us (vv. 16-17). It is possible to maintain hope that is based on our knowledge of the character and promises of our Savior. Despite struggles, we can still be equipped to live as people of God, demonstrating our faith through "every good deed and word" (v. 17).

If we grow in our understanding of what it means to extend grace, we realize that God's grace sustains us throughout this life and prepares us for eternity with Him.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One day, all cancer, loneliness, despair, cruelty, tornadoes, greed, lying, and all other forms of sin, pain, and destruction will be forever banished from existence (Rev. 21:4). Until then, we don't flounder in hopelessness. If you are in the middle of a struggle today, ask your loved ones to pray verses 16 and 17 for you, asking God to encourage and strengthen you. This is a prayer that God delights to answer!

GOD BLESS!

   

[Judy Harder]

October 26, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

What is a Missionary?

Jesus said to them again, '. . . As the Father has sent Me, I also send you' -John 20:21

A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front- to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him- to carry out His plans.

Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God's call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ- "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . ." (Matthew 28:19).

When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, "What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!" But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were "foolish" enough to trust God's wisdom and His supernatural equipment.

Obedience in Marriage

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Even with that understanding, the Bible says that husbands and wives are heirs together of the grace of life.  There is an equality before God between men and women and husband and wife.

What this passage teaches is that God has set up a system of authority in the home that needs to be followed, if it is going to be well with us.  In fact, this is even a military term.  To submit or to obey means to put yourself in rank under.

Friend, we are in a spiritual warfare, and there are spiritual forces that have been unleashed against homes and against marriages that would love to tear marriages apart. 

God has designed a way for the home to function, and that is for the man to take the responsibility of leadership and for the wife to come under that authority.  When a husband truly loves his wife, and cares for her like Christ does the church, and the wife respects her husband, things will be well in the home.  That couple and that family will be magnets for the blessings of God.

It is important to make clear that before God there is an absolute equality between men and women, between husbands and wives.  In fact, this passage does not say, "Women submit to men."  It is purely a domestic situation. Ephesians 5:22-24 gives an important area of obedience.  While this is not popular in our society today, it is biblical, but is also often misunderstood. 
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Read: 1 Peter 4:7-11
Love covers over a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8


TODAY IN THE WORD
Churches in wealthy areas from Fairfax, Virginia, to Phoenix, Arizona, have discovered that not everyone endorses offering Christian hospitality to those in need. Nearly two years ago, CrossRoads United Methodist Church began offering a hot, cooked breakfast on Saturday mornings to over 100 people who were homeless. Since then, 22 homeless people have joined the congregation of 200. But neighbors complained, and the city of Phoenix ruled that the church was violating zoning ordinances. A court settlement required the church to move their breakfast program to a poor neighborhood, though the city agreed not to prevent future ministry to the poor at the church.
The exhortations in today's passage seem simple at first. We might think we could boil this down to: "Just be nice to each other!" But far more is going on-and much more is at stake-than niceness. These are commands for us to extend God's grace, and we can do this only through His strength.

Peter started with the spiritual context: "The end of all things is near" (v. 7). As Christians we know that Christ will return and the world will be judged. That should impact the way we live. We make the choice to be clear-minded and self-controlled so that we can pray.

Notice that Peter didn't describe love and hospitality as easy. Christian love persists even in the face of opposition; it extends grace even to sinners. This kind of hospitality goes far beyond inviting friends over for a barbecue. Without the grace of God, this hospitality would incite grumbling (vv. 8-9). Christian love and hospitality require us to be willing to be inconvenienced in order to minister to others.

Each of us has received a gift from God, and the purpose of these gifts is to administer God's grace to others. Through our spiritual gifts, we are equipped to extend grace and bless others. Whether we are sharing the gospel, serving to meet practical needs, offering hospitality, or loving sacrificially, we are able to accomplish this ministry because of the grace that we've been given. For this reason, God receives the praise and glory (v. 11).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Some have bought the consumerist lie that your house has to look like a catalog or you have to cook like a Food Network star in order to extend hospitality. Scripture says that true hospitality comes from sharing God's grace with others, and all believers are equipped to do that. Our extension of hospitality should be motivated by the fact that Christ will return soon! Pray and see if God is leading you to open your home or participate in a ministry to extend hospitality to those in need.

   
GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

October 26, 2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

THE METHOD OF MISSIONS 

"Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations." Matthew 28:19

Jesus Christ did not say - Go and save souls (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but - "Go and teach," i.e., disciple, "all nations," and you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples came back from their first mission they were filled with joy because the devils were subject to them, and Jesus said - Don't rejoice in successful service; the great secret of joy is that you are rightly related to Me. The great essential of the missionary is that he remains true to the call of God, and realizes that his one purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. There is a passion for souls that does not spring from God, but from the desire to make converts to our point of view.

The challenge to the missionary does not come on the line that people are difficult to get saved, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, that there is a wadge of callous indifference; but along the line of his own personal relationship to Jesus Christ. "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Our Lord puts that question steadily, it faces us in every individual case we meet. The one great challenge is - Do I know my Risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God's sight, and foolish enough according to the world, to bank on what Jesus Christ has said, or am I abandoning the great supernatural position, which is the only call for a missionary, viz., boundless confidence in Christ Jesus? If I take up any other method I depart altogether from the methods laid down by Our Lord - "All power is given unto Me . . , therefore go ye."

An Enemy to Your Enemies

"Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.  Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.  But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries."

Israel's success in possessing the promised land lay in their obedience.  The same is true for us as we endeavor to possess the things promised to us by God.

I like the thought of God being an enemy to my enemies and an adversary to my adversaries, but that hinges on obedience as well.

The difficult thing about obeying God is that it always requires faith.  He asks us to do things that sometimes make no sense.  Other times He demands that we face seemingly impossible situations armed with nothing but His Word.

But He is faithful.  He keeps His promises.  And He can be absolutely trusted-in everything and with everything.

So today if you are desiring to enter some aspect of your "promised land", or if you are faced with difficult or seemingly insurmountable obstacles, listen for His voice, search His Word for instructions, and then obey.

He will be an enemy to your enemies, and you will possess the promises.

Exodus 23:20-22 says,
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Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. - 2 Corinthians 6:1


TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2003, the infamous "tech bubble" burst and flattened sectors of the American economy, particularly the stock value of technology companies. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, canceled his stock options in the company in exchange for $75 million. Since Apple's share price had fallen from $36 to $7, it seemed like a good financial strategy. Had he held those options, however, today they would be worth over $10 billion.
We might not encounter financial deals in the millions or billions of dollars, but spiritually we often have the same option: choose something that looks attractive now and forfeit valuable spiritual riches. Today we transition from our examination of extending grace to warnings about the grace offered to us. Growing in grace includes understanding what is at stake in the offer of God's grace to us.

Our passage today warns us not to receive this grace in vain (v. 1). In order to see what that means, examine the context. In chapter 5, Paul had urged the Corinthian church to hear his message (5:11). He had many difficult matters to address with this church, and they were not inclined to hear the message of this apostle. He reminded them they shared the heritage of the gospel and the urgency of reconciliation that flowed from it (5:18-21).

By refusing to hear the admonition of Paul, the Corinthians were in danger of rejecting the grace offered to them. They were choosing comfort over conviction, rhetoric over repentance, and wealth over wisdom. They placed more value in immediate appearances than eternal priorities.

Paul described in detail how his message came from God and not his own ego: he was speaking "in truthful speech and in the power of God" with love for this church (v. 7). He was willing to suffer greatly in order to prod this church back to God's grace (vv. 4-10). Their rejection of him wasn't simply a bruise to his self-esteem. It was a refusal to accept the grace of God that would enable them to return to righteousness and be reconciled to the Lord, to Paul, and to each other.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How will you respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Paul took great pains to demonstrate that he is not trying to manipulate or control the Corinthians. His plea came out of "the Holy Spirit and in sincere love" (v. 6). If a godly person in your life is making such a plea with you, accept the grace of forgiveness and reconciliation being offered to God. Thank the Holy Spirit for stirring your heart to address any sin, and don't take the grace of conviction in vain.Read: 1 Peter 4:7-11
   
GOD BLESS!