November 30 / Evening... by Charles Spurgeon

November 30

 

Evening...

 

Revelation 12:7

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

 

 

War always will rage between the two great sovereignties until one or other be crushed. Peace between good and evil is an impossibility; the very pretence of it would, in fact, be the triumph of the powers of darkness. Michael will always fight; his holy soul is vexed with sin, and will not endure it. Jesus will always be the dragon's foe, and that not in a quiet sense, but actively, vigorously, with full determination to exterminate evil. All His servants, whether angels in heaven or messengers on earth, will and must fight; they are born to be warriors-at the cross they enter into covenant never to make truce with evil; they are a warlike company, firm in defence and fierce in attack. The duty of every soldier in the army of the Lord is daily, with all his heart, and soul, and strength, to fight against the dragon. The dragon and his angels will not decline the affray; they are incessant in their onslaughts, sparing no weapon, fair or foul. We are foolish to expect to serve God without opposition: the more zealous we are, the more sure are we to be assailed by the myrmidons of hell. The church may become slothful, but not so her great antagonist; his restless spirit never suffers the war to pause; he hates the woman's seed, and would fain devour the church if he could. The servants of Satan partake much of the old dragon's energy, and are usually an active race. War rages all around, and to dream of peace is dangerous and futile. Glory be to God, we know the end of the war. The great dragon shall be cast out and for ever destroyed, while Jesus and they who are with Him shall receive the crown. Let us sharpen our swords to-night, and pray the Holy Spirit to nerve our arms for the conflict. Never battle so important, never crown so glorious. Every man to his post, ye warriors of the cross, and may the Lord tread Satan under your feet shortly!

Our Battle Strategy by Max Lucado

The 11/30/2016 edition:

Our Battle Strategy

Today’s problem is not necessarily tomorrow’s problem. Don’t incarcerate yourself by assuming it is. Resist self-labeling. I’m just a worrier. Gossip is my weakness. My dad was a drinker, and I guess I’ll carry on the tradition. Stop that! These words create alliances with the Devil. They grant him access to your spirit. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices and make some new choices. The Psalmist said “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance” (Psalm 16:6). Live out of your inheritance, not your circumstance. God has already promised a victory. Paul urged us to stand “against the wiles of the Devil” (Ephesians 6:11). He is not passive or fair. Satan is active and deceptive; he has designs and strategies. Consequently we need a strategy as well. And God gives us one– let God do the fighting for us! From God is With You Every Day For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

...His mercy endureth forever...

“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am” by Oswald Chambers

“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am”

November 30, 2016

By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain… —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus.  Facing Reality, 34 R

Enjoying Life by Charles Stanley

Ecclesiastes 2:1-23

Not only was King Solomon the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12); he was also blessed with wealth beyond imagination and the privilege of building God’s temple. So we might expect him to know deep contentment.

In searching for that profound fulfillment, Solomon devoted himself to exploring all kinds of things. Ecclesiastes tells us that he indulged in the pleasures of the world, even dabbling in pursuits he recognized as folly to see if there was anything worthwhile in them. But the satisfaction Solomon sought evaded him, and he concluded that self-indulgence was without value.

To feel content, the king tried another avenue: personal achievement. He undertook great projects, such as building houses for himself, improving the environment with gardens and parks, and carrying out an extensive irrigation project (Eccl. 2:4-6). The king had everything he could ever need to enjoy life, but in the end, he concluded it was all without meaning.

The story has a familiar ring, doesn’t it? Our world has many highly educated and successful people, but there is also much dissatisfaction. Our culture pursues pleasure and does not accept limits on its passions. Sadly, such lack of restraint has ruined countless lives.

Solomon possessed the wisdom and resources to accomplish whatever he decided to do. Yet the goals that he pursued brought no lasting contentment. He concluded that the best course was to obey God (Eccl. 12:13). True enjoyment comes only when we align ourselves with His will. Any other way is meaningless.

The Name of Jesus by D. James Kennedy

Today’s devotional reading for: WEDNESDAY, NOV 30, 2016

The Name of Jesus

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. —Philippians 2:9 Devotion: When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he told specifically what the child to come was to be named: “And [thou] shalt call his name JESUS” (Luke 1:31). The angel was but a messenger of God, who Himself chose the name of His one and only Son. His name was Jesus. But why Jesus? Of course, to understand that, we would have to understand that Jesus is an English word. The New Testament and the Old Testament were not written originally in English, but in Hebrew and Greek, respectively. We get the name from the Greek. His name was Jehoshua, or as we would say it, Joshua, meaning savior. That was the name of a great champion, a great hero of the Old Testament Hebrew people. It was the name of the great conqueror, the captain of the Lord’s hosts, who led the people of God into the promised land. And so our Savior will lead us into the promised land. At the name of Jesus, sorrow and sadness flees. At the name of Jesus, sinners are cleansed and converted. At the name of Jesus, saints are gladdened and strengthened. At the name of Jesus, evil is banished and fear must flee. At the name of Jesus, the wounded are made whole. Question to ponder: Can you think of anything else that the name of Jesus accomplishes?

The Blessing of Ordinary / Day 10

The Blessing of Ordinary

Day 10 of 10 Nickels Pretend someone told you God asked them to give you their car. You gratefully wait in the driveway as they pull up in a truck and dump out a car engine, a steering wheel, four tires, and the driver's seat. Perplexed, you stare at the pile of car parts as they pull away pleased with their offering… Even though they gave you the big and important parts for driving a car, they didn't deliver the whole car, so the gift is useless. A whole car is made up of more than wheels and an engine; it contains countless nuts, bolts, screws, belts, etc. which hold the whole thing together. When Paul speaks of us giving our bodies to God as holy and pleasing sacrifices, that's what he's talking about: Our whole lives. The big important parts and the little boring bits too. Think of marriages: A marriage contains a honeymoon, making a home, anniversaries, memorable holidays, sometimes pets and kids…all of these are highlights! And yet, marriage also includes loading the dishwasher correctly, picking up a gallon of milk, and filing your taxes. That's all marriage too…in fact, it would be the equivalent of dumping just the important car parts in a driveway to have a spouse say they're only married to you on anniversaries and holidays. Paul asks us to give our whole lives as a sacrifice in view of God's mercy. Not in view of expectations, but with God's mercy as our filter. Combined with yesterday's reading, a good sentence to remember is: God's merciful hope for my life is that I would be faithful with what I have. What does it look like to offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices to God? I've adapted an analogy from the preacher Fred Craddock to help explain… We like to picture giving our whole lives to God as a $10,000 bill that we slide across a table and say, "Here, God."  The more accurate and helpful way to picture the offering is God saying, "Very well, I accept your life," and then exchanging the $10,000 bill for a $10,000 bag of nickels, and handing the bag back to us. "It's mine," God says, "But I want you to give it to me a nickel at a time." There will be a few five-dollar experiences, but most of your life is given to God five cents at a time as you discover the Lord's good, pleasing, and perfect will in the ordinary moments of living. Romans 12:1-2 Romans 12:1-2 NKJV 1 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. 2 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.

The Broken Home by Billy Graham

Day By Day With Billy Graham

Day 336 of 366 The Broken Home The broken home has become the number one social problem of America, and could ultimately lead to the destruction of our civilization. Since the basic unit of any society is the home, when the home begins to break, the society is on the way to disintegration. It is a threat to the American way of life. It does not make screaming headlines; but, like termites, it is eating away at the heart and core of the American structure. It is high time that our so-called experts on marriage, the family, and the home turn to the Bible. We have read newspaper columns and listened to counselors on the radio; psychiatrists have had a land-office business. In it all, the One who performed the first marriage in the Garden of Eden and instituted the union between man and wife has been left out. Daily Prayer I pray, Lord, for the homes in this beloved country. Without Your love and wisdom guiding us, our society will crumble. Psalms 55:15-16 Psalms 55:15-16 KJV 15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. 16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

Names of God: Through Thanksgiving & Christmas / Day 9

Names of God: Through Thanksgiving & Christmas

Day 9 of 30 The Pharisees and scribes complain that Jesus associates and eats with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus shares a parable with them about finding a lost sheep. The shepherd's immediate concern is for the one sheep that is lost. When the sheep is found, the shepherd rejoices. Jesus teaches us that God actively seeks out and pursues the lost until they are found. And when the lost are found, God and all of Heaven rejoices.  God is not angry or disappointed that they were missing. He rejoices and carries us home. My desires should align with those of the Lord's... to seek the lost. To share with those who do not know the Lord. It is very comfortable to remain with the 99 sheep in the wilderness socializing, doing ministry, worshipping, and remaining in fellowship with other believers. All of those things are important, but there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just people who need no repentance.  Do you have a heart for the lost? If not, will you pray today for a heart of compassion that aches for those who don't know God? Will you pray today to be a part of God's global plan to share the Gospel with all who are lost? Father God, I thank You for pursuing me when there were 99 others in Your care. I am so grateful for the obedience and courage of all of the people that You sent to cross my path and share of Your eternal love and grace. Lord, remove any fear or hesitation that keeps me from sharing the gospel with the unsaved. Grant me opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and reach people outside of my sphere of influence. Disrupt my comfortable position with the "99" and open my spiritual eyes so that I will notice when the "one" is missing. Lord, I truly desire to hear heaven rejoice. In Jesus' name. Amen. Luke 15:1-7 Luke 15:1-7 NKJV 1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

November 30 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest (Jer. 45:5).

A promise given for hard places, and a promise of safety and life in the midst of tremendous pressure, a life "for a prey." It may well adjust itself to our own times, which are growing harder as we near the end of the age, and the Tribulation times.

What is the meaning of "a life for a prey"? It means a life snatched out of the jaws of the destroyer, as David snatched the lamb from the lion. It means not removal from the noise of the battle and the presence of our foes; but it means a table in the midst of our enemies, a shelter from the storm, a fortress amid the foe, a life preserved in the face of continual pressure: Paul's healing when pressed out of measure so that he despaired of life; Paul's Divine help when the thorn remained, but the power of Christ rested upon him and the grace of Christ was sufficient.

Lord, give me my life for a prey, and in the hardest places help me today to be victorious.
--Days of Heaven upon Earth

We often pray to be delivered from calamities; we even trust that we shall be; but we do not pray to be made what we should be, in the very presence of the calamities; to live amid them, as long as they last, in the consciousness that we are, held and sheltered by the Lord, and can therefore remain in the midst of them, so long as they continue, without any hurt.

For forty days and nights, the Saviour was kept in the presence of Satan in the wilderness, and that, under circumstances of special trial, His human nature being weakened by want of food and rest. The furnace was heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated, but the three Hebrew children were kept a season amid its flames as calm and composed in the presence of the tyrant's last appliances of torture, as they were in the presence of himself before their time of deliverance came. And the livelong night did Daniel sit among the lions, and when he was taken up out of the den, "no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God."

They dwelt in the presence of the enemy, because they dwelt in the presence of God.

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November 30 / Morning... by Charles Spurgeon

November 30

 

Morning...

 

2 Chronicles 25:9

And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.

 

A very important question this seemed to be to the king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more weight with the tried and tempted O Christian. To lose money is at no times pleasant, and when principle involves it, the flesh is not always ready to make the sacrifice. "Why lose that which may be so usefully employed? May not the truth itself be bought too dear? What shall we do without it? Remember the children, and our small income!" All these things and a thousand more would tempt the Christian to put forth his hand to unrighteous gain, or stay himself from carrying out his conscientious convictions, when they involve serious loss. All men cannot view these matters in the light of faith; and even with the followers of Jesus, the doctrine of "we must live" has quite sufficient weight. The Lord is able to give thee much more than this is a very satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father holds the purse-strings, and what we lose for His sake He can repay a thousand-fold. It is ours to obey His will, and we may rest assured that He will provide for us. The Lord will be no man's debtor at the last. Saints know that a grain of heart's-ease is of more value than a ton of gold. He who wraps a threadbare coat about a good conscience has gained a spiritual wealth far more desirable than any he has lost. God's smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart; His frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile, even now, the Lord maketh the meek to inherit the earth, and no good thing doth He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Making Suffering Your Servant by Adrian Rogers

November 30

Making Suffering Your Servant

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:17

How do you enlist suffering to make it your servant?

First, you receive it as a gift from God. Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21b).

Second, rely on God’s grace, because with the gift comes His grace. 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” God is going to be near you in a special way.

Finally, reflect on the glory of God. There is no greater Christian who ever lived than the Apostle Paul. His greatest motive in all he endured was the glory of God. His pain became a platform from which he declared the glory of God.

Receive it as a gift. Rely upon God’s grace. Reflect upon God’s glory. Choose to glorify Him through it.

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Called to Love / Day 19

Called To Love

Day 19 of 21 One - A life of fellowship - many fellows in one ship! Jesus has called us all His children, which in turn places us in a family setting wherein our fellow brothers and sisters are simultaneously running their life’s race alongside us. We are all aiming for the singular goal of living life with and for Jesus, and together we can spur, encourage, and help each other on. However, unity in the church can be affected by individuals creating silos or by forcing one another to look and act a certain way. As a rule, to foster unity and love amongst the church, we must choose to be tough on ourselves yet handle others with grace. Paul clearly mentions in Philippians 2:12 that we personally work out our own salvation and allow others to work out theirs. There must be a balance in guidance and grace. As a collective body of Christ, we can achieve more together than all alone. Working with one another for the kingdom allows us to gain timeless experience and practice Christ-like behavior in every situation. When we work as one, we echo the very nature of God and bring him glory for the world to see love in unity. Prayer - • Help us see one another; friends, co-workers, family with the eyes of grace • Let there be unity amongst your children that we bring you glory • Let my individual actions always encourage community and be for the good of all Thanksgiving - • Thank you that you love me so well and love all of us equally • Thank you for being such an inclusive God, giving us all the chance to love and know you John 17:11-12 Philippians 2:12 John 17:11-12 NKJV 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Philippians 2:12 NKJV 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

What Do We Know For Sure About Jesus? / Day 18

What Do We Know For Sure About Jesus?

Day 19 of 25 Jesus can be surprised and astonished by our acts of faith and persistence. Matthew 15:27-28 Matthew 15:27-28 NKJV 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Knowing God's Will by John MacArthur

Knowing God's Will

“Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). God’s will is revealed in His Word. How can a Christian walk wisely and know the will of God for his life? The will of God is explicitly revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. God’s will is that we be: Saved—“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4; compare 2 Peter 3:9). Spirit-filled—“Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:17-18). Sanctified—“This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). Submissive—“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13-15). Suffering for His sake—“It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Peter 3:17). Saying thanks—“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18). You may say, “Those are good principles, but they don’t tell me where I ought to go to school or whom I should marry.” But if you’re saved, sanctified, submissive, suffering, and saying thanks, you can do whatever you want! That’s what the psalmist meant when he said, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). Does that mean He fulfills the desire? Yes, but before He fulfills it, He puts it in your heart. If you are living a godly life, He will give you the right desires and then fulfill them. Suggestions for Prayer Give thanks to God for revealing His will in His Word so that you can live wisely, not foolishly. For Further Study Christ acted only in accordance with His Father’s will. Read the following verses, and note how that was so: Matthew 26:42; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38. From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

NIV 365 / Adoration from the Heart

The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan

Day 335 of 365 Adoration from the Heart Praising God is not something that comes naturally to anyone. Praise runs an aggravating interference pattern against your nature. Occasionally, praise feels more like a duty, an obligatory lip service performed at the opening of prayer. With persistence every believer can learn to praise God in all things. Who is to praise God? All of God's people, all of creation (Ps 145:4-5; Isa 55:12). Where do you praise God? Praise is fitting wherever you are (Ps 96:3). How do you praise God? Praise is expressed through words and music (Ps 33:1-3). When do you praise God? God should be praised at all times (Ps 34:1). What do you praise God for? God is praised for his greatness (Ps 150:2). Why do you praise God? God is worthy of your praise (Rev 5:12). Praise is your best weapon against Satan. When you praise God, you are showing the heavenly hosts, powers, principalities, demons of darkness and angels of light that your great God is worthy of praise- no matter what your circumstances. Praise produces victory, and victory evokes praise. The process is cyclical. Genuine praise must flow from your heart even during times of sorrow, discouragement, trial and temptation (Ps 42:5). The praise of his people brings glory to God. What a privilege it is to bring God joy! Taken fromThe Woman's Study Bible Psalms 145:4-5 Psalms 145:4-5 KJV 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

Liberty Versus License by David Jeremiah

Wednesday, November 30

Liberty Versus License 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 
Philippians 4:8 

Recommended Reading 1 Peter 2:15-16

Parents teach children about boundaries: moral, ethical, legal, courtesy, and safety boundaries. Boundaries are established because of man’s propensity to sin: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Fortunately, the boundaries that surround what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy are huge—seemingly limitless.

We can spend a lifetime pursuing things that are pleasing to God without running out of options. The danger is the heart: The heart wants to turn liberty into license. The heart says, “I’m free to do what I want!” But God says, “You’re free to do what I want.” And once we realize how big that freedom is, it’s hard to want anything more.

Don’t confuse liberty in Christ with license for carnality. A lot of things are possible in life that are not edifying or wise (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Freedom is not the right to do as you please; it is the liberty to do as you ought.
Anonymous

What Are You Worth? / Our Daily Bread

What Are You Worth? November 30, 2016

Read: 1 Peter 1:17–23 Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 37–39; 2 Peter 2 It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed . . . but with the precious blood of Christ.—1 Peter 1:18–19 There is a story that in 75 bc a young Roman nobleman named Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. When they demanded 20 talents of silver in ransom (about $600,000 today), Caesar laughed and said they obviously had no idea who he was. He insisted they raise the ransom to 50 talents! Why? Because he believed he was worth far more than 20 talents. What a difference we see between Caesar’s arrogant measure of his own worth and the value God places on each of us. Our worth is not measured in terms of monetary value but by what our heavenly Father has done on our behalf. What ransom did He pay to save us? Through the death of His only Son on the cross, the Father paid the price to rescue us from our sin. “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). God loved us so much that He gave up His Son to die on the cross and rise from the dead to ransom and rescue us. That is what you are worth to Him. —Bill Crowder Father, thank You for the love You have shown to me and for the price You paid for my forgiveness. Help my life to be an ongoing expression of gratitude, for You are the One whose worth is beyond measure. Our worth is measured by what God paid to rescue us. INSIGHT: In today’s reading Peter tells his readers that Christ has redeemed them from an empty way of life. In the original language, the word translated “redeemed” (v. 18) means “to set free.” It is often used when talking about slaves who have been liberated from their bondage. They had been set free from the bondage of a futile and useless way of life that has been handed down to them from their ancestors. And this redeeming love of Christ was present even before sin entered the equation (vv. 18-20). Have you ever thought about the fact that Christ loves you knowing everything about you, even your sin? How does it make you feel that you have been or can be set free from the slavery of sin and death? Dennis Moles

November 30 / One Minute Devotionals

November 29 / Evening... by Charles Spurgeon

November 29

 

Evening...

 

Exodus 35:8

Spices for anointing oil.

  

Much use was made of this anointing oil under the law, and that which it represents is of primary importance under the gospel. The Holy Spirit, who anoints us for all holy service, is indispensable to us if we would serve the Lord acceptably. Without His aid our religious services are but a vain oblation, and our inward experience is a dead thing. Whenever our ministry is without unction, what miserable stuff it becomes! nor are the prayers, praises, meditations, and efforts of private Christians one jot superior. A holy anointing is the soul and life of piety, its absence the most grievous of all calamities. To go before the Lord without anointing is as though some common Levite had thrust himself into the priest's office-his ministrations would rather have been sins than services. May we never venture upon hallowed exercises without sacred anointings. They drop upon us from our glorious Head; from His anointing we who are as the skirts of His garments partake of a plenteous unction. Choice spices were compounded with rarest art of the apothecary to form the anointing oil, to show forth to us how rich are all the influences of the Holy Spirit. All good things are found in the divine Comforter. Matchless consolation, infallible instruction, immortal quickening, spiritual energy, and divine sanctification all lie compounded with other excellencies in that sacred eye-slave, the heavenly anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. It imparts a delightful fragrance to the character and person of the man upon whom it is poured. Nothing like it can be found in all the treasuries of the rich, or the secrets of the wise. It is not to be imitated. It comes alone from God, and it is freely given, through Jesus Christ, to every waiting soul. Let us seek it, for we may have it, may have it this very evening. O Lord, anoint Thy servants.

Chosen Vessels by Max Lucado

The 11/29/2016 edition:

Chosen Vessels

God’s chosen vessels aren’t always gleaming and golden. They may be tarnished or cracked, broken or even discarded. They may be a Saul driven by anger, motivated to hurt. Saul was eager to root out and persecute the early Christians. But God saw possibilities in Saul and sent Ananias to teach and minister to him. What will you do when God shows you your Saul? He’s gone too far. She’s too hard.  Too addicted.Too old. No one gives your Saul a prayer. But you’re beginning to realize that maybe God is at work behind the scenes. You begin to believe. Don’t resist these thoughts. No one believes in people more than Jesus does. Don’t give up. Tell your Saul about Jesus, and pray. And remember this: God never sends you where he hasn’t already been. By the time you reach your Saul, who knows what you’ll find. From God is With You Every Day For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

...make known His deeds...

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ by Oswald Chambers

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ

November 29, 2016

He will glorify Me… —John 16:14

The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.

The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!

Jesus said, “…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come,…He will glorify Me…” (John 16:13-14). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony