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Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Becoming Entirely His by Oswald Chambers
Our Rich Home in God’s Grace by Charles Stanley
Because of God’s grace, we are extremely wealthy people. No amount of earthly riches can compare. At salvation, God ...
Freed us from sin’s power. Although the flesh remains, it no longer rules over us. As new creations indwelt by God’s Spirit, we have His power to resist temptation and to obey.
United us with our Savior. Since the moment we first believed, we’ve been living in Christ and He’s been living in us. And we are sealed in Him by the Spirit.
Made us part of God’s family. God has become our Father, and we are His adopted sons and daughters. Our spiritual family extends all over the world.
Translated us into the kingdom of light. The kingdom of darkness, which includes this world and all its unsaved inhabitants, is under Satan’s rule. (See Acts 26:18.) When someone receives Jesus Christ as Savior, his or her home becomes the kingdom of light (Col. 1:12-13). From then on, that person is a citizen of heaven, who is called to serve as Jesus’ ambassador to the unsaved (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Gave us an eternal inheritance. The precious promises of Scripture are one part of our birthright. More awaits us in heaven, where it cannot fade away or be defiled (1 Peter 1:4).
Started the sanctification process. To sanctify means “to set apart for God’s use” and “to make holy.” With our cooperation, the Spirit works to transform us into Jesus’ likeness.
When life is pressing you down, ponder the riches of divine grace. Discouragement will lift, and spiritual joy will take over.
Draw Near / WHERE TO FIND IT
WHERE TO FIND IT
Probably every Bible reader has had the frustrating experience of remembering a phrase from Scripture without recalling where it is found. This can haunt us and only a good concordance can help. Often we do not appreciate how fortunate we are in having so many Bible aids. For example, consider what a terrible time you would have if the Bible were not divided into chapters and verses. Readers did have that problem for fifteen hundred years; when God moved men to write the Scripture, they did not put it down in chapters and verses.
Not until the thirteenth century A. D. did two men, Spanish Cardinal Hugo and British Archbishop Langton, divide the Old Testament into chapters. Some years earlier, Masorete monks had broken the Old Testament text into verses. The division of the New Testament into chapters and verses occurred two hundred years later when Robert Stephens introduced them into his Greek and Latin translations. The whole Bible first appeared in 1557. What a blessing this time-consuming work has been to all who love to read and memorize the Bible.
The psalmist notes a benefit of the Bible we often overlook. Most of us think only in terms of immediate value when reading God's Word. However, the psalmist says His Word can be stored in our hearts to help us during times of temptation and trial. During these hours, God's Holy Spirit brings Scripture verses to our memory just as He did for Jesus in His hour of great temptation. And in our modern day, it is easier for us to find and remember the references because faithful men who loved God and His Word took time to divide it into chapters and verses.
Probably every Bible reader has had the frustrating experience of remembering a phrase from Scripture without recalling where it is found. This can haunt us and only a good concordance can help. Often we do not appreciate how fortunate we are in having so many Bible aids. For example, consider what a terrible time you would have if the Bible were not divided into chapters and verses. Readers did have that problem for fifteen hundred years; when God moved men to write the Scripture, they did not put it down in chapters and verses.
Not until the thirteenth century A. D. did two men, Spanish Cardinal Hugo and British Archbishop Langton, divide the Old Testament into chapters. Some years earlier, Masorete monks had broken the Old Testament text into verses. The division of the New Testament into chapters and verses occurred two hundred years later when Robert Stephens introduced them into his Greek and Latin translations. The whole Bible first appeared in 1557. What a blessing this time-consuming work has been to all who love to read and memorize the Bible.
The psalmist notes a benefit of the Bible we often overlook. Most of us think only in terms of immediate value when reading God's Word. However, the psalmist says His Word can be stored in our hearts to help us during times of temptation and trial. During these hours, God's Holy Spirit brings Scripture verses to our memory just as He did for Jesus in His hour of great temptation. And in our modern day, it is easier for us to find and remember the references because faithful men who loved God and His Word took time to divide it into chapters and verses.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
Psalms 119:11 KJV
The Blessings of Assurance by John MacArthur
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Are You One of the Elect? by Adrian Rogers
Are You One of the Elect?
JULY 31
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
“...And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely...” You don’t have to pay one blessed cent for it. It’s there. Take it and drink it. You will never have your heart’s deepest thirst satisfied until you’re satisfied with Jesus. And if you are thirsty, come and drink. He will save you, I promise on the authority of the Word of God.
You say, “But Pastor Rogers, what if I’m not one of the elect?” Well, would it help? Could I be more sure if He said, “If Adrian Rogers will come and drink.” I could say, “Now wait a minute. There’s more than one Adrian Rogers in the world today.” What if Revelation 22:17 said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers”? There might be another Adrian Pierce Rogers. It might not refer to me.
What if it said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers, born in West Palm Beach, Florida”? Well, there could be another Adrian Pierce Rogers born in West Palm Beach, Florida. What if it said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers, born in West Palm Beach, Florida, who now lives in Shelby County, Tennessee? There might be another one born in West Palm Beach, Adrian. By now you’re saying, “You’re getting ridiculous.”
Let me just solve this thing. Let’s forget all that and just put one word in there: “whosoever.” Whosoever! That’s better than anybody’s name spelled out. Who are the elect? I can settle that in 30 seconds. The elect are the “whosoever wills.”
If you want to be saved, come. Come to Jesus. He’s reaching out His nail-pierced hands to you and saying, “Come, come, come.” Jesus says come. The Spirit says come. The bride says come. The individual says come. You can come and drink.
Dry Bones by Stephen Davey
Dry Bones
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.
In his book Bones of Contention [the leading creationist work in fossil study], Professor Marvin Lubenow tells the story of Sir Arthur Keith, one of the greatest anatomists of the twentieth century.
Arthur Keith [1866-1955] was a Scottish anatomist and anthropologist who became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 1908 Keith heard that bones had been found just forty miles from downtown London. After inspecting the bones himself, he considered them a monumental discovery. It was soon announced by the Geological Society of London that these were the remains of the earliest known Englishman, Eoanthropus dawsoni--otherwise known as the "Piltdown Man."
The bones quickly became the darling of the scientific culture and the personal obsession of Sir Arthur Keith. To him they were the validation of his evolutionary beliefs.
Over the course of his lifetime, Keith would write more on the subject of the Piltdown Man than anyone else. His most famous work, The Antiquity of Man, used the bones of the Piltdown Man to explain our human origins.
In 1953, however, science caught up with speculation, and the British Museum proclaimed the entire discovery a fraud. Their investigation undeniably shattered the myth of the bones as a missing link to prehistoric man.
The Piltdown Man was actually nothing more than the tampered-with remains from a human corpse. The bones had been treated with iron salts to make them appear old. Careful observations through microscopic lenses revealed scratch marks on the surface of the teeth--evidence that the teeth had been filed down to make them appear sharp.
Sir Arthur Keith was eighty-six years old when the fraud was discovered.
Some of his colleagues visited him at his home to break the difficult news to him. The bones which had captivated his entire adult life [his believing they were evidence that discounted creation] had themselves been discovered to be a hoax.
His life's work--the foundation upon which he had based his speculation--was now meaningless. And he found out at the end of his life!
One man in Scripture who experienced something similar was King Solomon. As an old man, he looked back over his accomplishments and achievements. All his wealth, chariots, horses, gardens, buildings, and wives were now meaningless. He realized the only thing that really mattered in life was to fear God and keep His commandments. Nothing else would bring purpose and satisfaction to life.
As a young man, Arthur Keith attended evangelistic meetings in Edinburgh and Aberdeen and watched students make their commitment to Jesus Christ. He even claimed that during a few of those meetings he felt "on the verge of conversion." Instead, he chose to reject the Gospel because he thought it contradicted the truths of science.
The tragedy of Sir Arthur Keith and Solomon is that they are not alone. Men and women all over the world live their lives every day for what they think will bring them pleasure.
No matter where you are today--rich or poor, single or married, old or young--learn from the lives of two men who failed to live for what mattered.
Follow the advice of an aged Solomon who learned late in life: obey God's Word and live a life that respects and trusts His leadership.
This kind of lifestyle will never be meaningless. In fact, it is the only life that produces satisfaction . . . both now and forever.
Prayer Point: Give this day to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to guide all your steps--even the ones that seem insignificant--so that in the end, you won't have to look over your shoulder with regret.
Extra Refreshment: Ecclesiastes 12.
July 31 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill. Ps 78:72
When you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one...Meanwhile keep on as you are, and consider the absence of indication to be the indication of God’s will that you are on His track...As you go down the long corridor, you will find that He has preceded you, and locked many doors which you would fain have entered; but be sure that beyond these there is one which He has left unlocked. Open it and enter, and you will find yourself face to face with a bend of the river of opportunity, broader and deeper than anything you had dared to imagine in your sunniest dreams. Launch forth upon it; it conducts to the open sea.
God guides us, often by circumstances. At one moment the way may seem utterly blocked; and then shortly afterward some trivial incident occurs, which might not seem much to others, but which to the keen eye of faith speaks volumes. Sometimes these things are repeated in various ways, in answer to prayer. They are not haphazard results of chance, but the opening up of circumstances in the direction in which we would walk. And they begin to multiply as we advance toward our goal, just as the lights do as we near a populous town, when darting through the land by night express.
--F. B. Meyer
--F. B. Meyer
If you go to Him to be guided, He will guide you; but He will not comfort your distrust or half-trust of Him by showing you the chart of all His purposes concerning you. He will show you only into a way where, if you go cheerfully and trustfully forward, He will show you on still farther.
--Horace Bushnell
--Horace Bushnell
As moves my fragile bark across the storm-swept sea,
Great waves beat o’er her side, as north wind blows;
Deep in the darkness hid lie threat’ning rocks and shoals;
But all of these, and more, my Pilot knows.
Great waves beat o’er her side, as north wind blows;
Deep in the darkness hid lie threat’ning rocks and shoals;
But all of these, and more, my Pilot knows.
Sometimes when dark the night, and every light gone out,
I wonder to what port my frail ship goes;
Still though the night be long, and restless all my hours,
My distant goal, I’m sure, my Pilot knows.
I wonder to what port my frail ship goes;
Still though the night be long, and restless all my hours,
My distant goal, I’m sure, my Pilot knows.
--Thomas Curtis Clark
No Hiding by David Jeremiah
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Sinners Like Us / Our Daily Bread
Sinners Like Us
July 31, 2018
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This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.—Luke 15:2
I have a friend—her name is Edith—who told me about the day she decided to follow Jesus.
Edith cared nothing for religion. But one Sunday morning she walked into a church near her apartment looking for something to satisfy her discontented soul. The text that day was Luke 15:1-2, which the pastor read from the King James Version: “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”
That’s what it said, but this is what Edith heard: “This man receives sinners and Edith with them.” She sat straight up in her pew! Eventually she realized her mistake, but the thought that Jesus welcomed sinners—and that included Edith—stayed with her. That afternoon she decided to “draw near” to Jesus and listen to Him. She began to read the Gospels, and soon she decided to put her faith in Him and follow Him.
The religious folks of Jesus’s day were scandalized by the fact that He ate and drank with sinful, awful people. Their rules prohibited them from associating with such folk. Jesus paid no attention to their made-up rules. He welcomed the down-and-out and gathered them to Him, no matter how far gone they were.
It’s still true, you know: Jesus receives sinners and (your name). —David H. Roper
Heavenly Father, we can’t thank You enough for the radical love of Your Son, who drew all of us outcasts and moral failures to Him, and made the way for us to come to You in joy and boldness.
God pursues us in our restlessness, receives us in our sinfulness, holds us in our brokenness. —Scotty Smith
INSIGHT: The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) is the first in a series of parables about lost things. It’s followed by the parable of the lost coin (vv. 8-10) and the parable of the lost son, better known as the prodigal son (vv. 11-32).
Although each of the parables is about something lost, there’s also something in each that isn’t lost—the sheep safe in the pen, the remaining coins, and the elder son at home. Yet the shepherd, the woman, and the father are not content with what they have; their concern is for that which is lost.
Is someone in your life lost and waiting to be found by the Savior? Whom can you trust to God’s loving and searching ways? J.R. Hudberg
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Monday, July 30, 2018
The Teaching of Disillusionment by Oswald Chambers
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True Riches by Charles Stanley
Jesus willingly left behind His divinity and for our sake took on the limitations of human form. Second Corinthians 8:9 tells us that He became poor in order that we might have the riches of grace. As a result, we are ...
Chosen. God made us part of His plan from the beginning (Eph. 1:5). He chose us to belong to Him even though we did not deserve it.
Redeemed. Jesus paid the price to redeem us from sin so that we might no longer be held in its bondage. The price of our redemption was His precious blood, shed on the cross (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Justified. We are all guilty of disobedience against God. However, when we place trust in Jesus as our personal Savior, God declares that we are justified, and He treats us as not guilty (Rom. 3:23-24).
Reconciled. Because of our sin, we were at odds with God. Through Christ, we have been brought back into a right relationship with Him (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Forgiven. God has already forgiven all our past, present, and future sins; it’s a “done deal.” Ongoing confession and repentance keep us in intimate communion with Him (1 John 1:7; 1 John 1: 9).
Freed from condemnation. The Law was given for us to understand God’s standards, our inability to keep them, and our need of a Savior. Jesus fulfilled the law, and His finished work counts on our behalf. We are, then, free to pursue holiness without fear of punishment when we fail (Rom. 8:1-4).
True riches are spiritual in nature, and grace has made us wealthy people. Let us never forget these remarkable reasons to be thankful.
Draw Near / BRING THE BOOKS
BRING THE BOOKS
For five hundred years after Christ, the Bible had no name. Derived from the Greek word biblos which means "book," our title for God's Word came in the following way: The religious leaders in charge of the various manuscripts used in the churches referred to them as "the books." Eventually, they dropped the plural and merely called this collection of manuscripts the "Holy Book." The name stuck, and for fifteen hundred years we have called the Scripture, "The Holy Bible."
Believers refer to the Bible also as "Holy Scripture," "God's Word," and "The Law." However, the most popular name by far is "The Holy Bible." The designation "Old and New Testaments" comes from the Bible, from the book of Hebrews. There the writer calls attention to the "Old and New Covenants." The Latin word testamentum means "covenant." The two parts of the Bible indicate how God once dealt with man and how He deals with him today.
Paul referred to the Bible as "Scripture." In writing to young Timothy, he was careful to capture the purpose for God's Word: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Regardless of what title we use when we speak of the Bible, we should remember it is God's Word and that it gives a foundation for faith, reproves us for errors, and offers instructions on becoming the kind of people God desires. For these reasons, the Bible is a vital part of our daily life. We not only read it, we live it; and in so doing begin to grow into the image of God's Son. In our growth toward perfection, prayerful Bible reading provides us the help we need.
For five hundred years after Christ, the Bible had no name. Derived from the Greek word biblos which means "book," our title for God's Word came in the following way: The religious leaders in charge of the various manuscripts used in the churches referred to them as "the books." Eventually, they dropped the plural and merely called this collection of manuscripts the "Holy Book." The name stuck, and for fifteen hundred years we have called the Scripture, "The Holy Bible."
Believers refer to the Bible also as "Holy Scripture," "God's Word," and "The Law." However, the most popular name by far is "The Holy Bible." The designation "Old and New Testaments" comes from the Bible, from the book of Hebrews. There the writer calls attention to the "Old and New Covenants." The Latin word testamentum means "covenant." The two parts of the Bible indicate how God once dealt with man and how He deals with him today.
Paul referred to the Bible as "Scripture." In writing to young Timothy, he was careful to capture the purpose for God's Word: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Regardless of what title we use when we speak of the Bible, we should remember it is God's Word and that it gives a foundation for faith, reproves us for errors, and offers instructions on becoming the kind of people God desires. For these reasons, the Bible is a vital part of our daily life. We not only read it, we live it; and in so doing begin to grow into the image of God's Son. In our growth toward perfection, prayerful Bible reading provides us the help we need.
“That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:17 KJV
Spiritual Growth and Rewards by John MacArthur
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How can you tell if Jesus is really your Master? by Adrian Rogers
How can you tell if Jesus is really your Master?
JULY 30
“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.” John 12:25-26
You know, sometimes it’s hard to look at an individual and know whether they’re saved or not saved. One way to illustrate it is, if there is a group of people standing around and there’s a dog in the midst, it’s hard to tell which man that dog belongs to. Let’s say two men are having a conversation and the dog is sitting on the floor. When the two men part, you’re going to find out who the dog belongs to, because the dog will follow his master, is that not right?
Friend, I made up my mind that if a dog can follow his master, I’m going to follow mine. And do you know how you’re going to be known? In high school, some kids are going to go this way and Jesus is going to go that way, and you’re going to go that way, because Jesus is your Master. In business, some men are going to go this way and Jesus is going to go that way. And Mr. Christian Businessman, you’ll go that way.
Make it your purpose to do what Jesus said so long ago: “Follow me.”
Carrying the Cure by Stephen Davey
Carrying the Cure
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
Moody Monthly published a heartbreaking story about an event that occurred in the life of one of Chicago's most well-known surgeons. Dr. Leo Winters was awakened one morning around one o'clock. There had been an accident and a young boy was in the hospital. Nurses there felt that he alone had the skill to save the boy's life.
Without any hesitation, Dr. Winters rushed out of bed, threw on his clothes, grabbed his keys, and ran to his car. As he made his way in downtown Chicago, he took a shortcut through a dangerous area known for its rough gangs. The risk was worth it to him, for he knew that only precious minutes stood between the injured boy and death.
But something happened. As he sat at a stoplight waiting for it to change, a man wearing an old flannel shirt and a gray hat suddenly rushed from the shadows. He opened the car door, grabbed the doctor and threw him out, screaming, "I've got to have your car."
Dr. Winters tried to plead his situation but the man was gone before he could utter two words. This was before the days of cell phones, and it took at least forty-five minutes to find a pay phone and call a taxi. By the time he arrived at the hospital, more than an hour had passed.
The nurses on the floor shook their heads and said, "You're too late, Dr. Winters; the boy died thirty minutes ago. You'll find the father down the hall in the chapel. He's awfully confused--he can't understand why you didn't come."
Without taking time to explain to the staff, Dr. Winters hurried down the hallway and opened the chapel door. There, sitting in the front row, was the crumpled form of the weeping father, wearing an old flannel shirt and clutching a gray hat. In his desperation to get to the hospital, he had pushed from the car the man who could have saved his son's life.
Do you want a picture of humanity? Here it is: rushing after life; racing after satisfaction and fulfillment; hungering for meaningful relationships and lasting commitments; hoping for peace and relief from guilt and sin--yet, at the same time, pushing away the only One capable of saving their lives.
But we must never give up on them. We must continue to rush through the cold, dark streets no matter what danger awaits us and try to reach them in time.
Will some people throw you out? Yes. Will some people refuse to listen to you? Yes. Will some people curse at you? Yes. But God's mercy is worth your greatest effort. We have been given the cure for the disease of sin, and we know the Divine Healer who offers that cure to all.
So make haste to reach everyone . . . while you can.
Prayer Point: Pray that God will give you a heart for people, and a desire to see lost and dying unbelievers come to faith in Christ Jesus. Then, pray for the strength to remain a gentle and loving witness, even to those who refuse you.
Extra Refreshment: Read Acts 3--one of the many accounts whereby the disciples boldly proclaim Christ to the unbelieving Israelites.
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