Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves? by Oswald Chambers

Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves? If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.  1 JOHN 5:16 If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming critical of others and forgetting that God says, “…he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” Be careful that you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself. One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5). We should intercede in accordance with what God says He will give us, namely, “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede. Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can’t unless we are so closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” from So Send I You, 1325 R

The Rewards of Truth by Charles Stanley

Proverbs 2:1-9

Seeking God’s truth is like digging for gold: If we find a tiny flake, we keep scraping and shoveling until we come upon another, which may be a morsel no bigger than an apple seed. That little bit keeps us searching until we find a chunk the size of a marble, and so on. Each new nugget of God-experience is so exciting that we can’t stop excavating for more. 

Just think of the advantages of this pursuit. First of all, seeking truth about the Lord naturally results in a more intimate relationship with Him. And aligning our life with these discoveries brings us confidence and the assurance that He is always guarding and guiding us. 

Learning about God leads to an additional benefit: the development of spiritual discernment. This is the capacity to distinguish truth from falsehood even when the latter is presented as supportable fact. Having this type of godly insight in turn equips us for greater kingdom service, especially with regard to discipling others. 

When it comes to our infinite God, there are always new and exciting treasures for us to unearth. So make it your goal to build a foundation of His truth for your life. By doing so, you will gain wisdom and discover new opportunities to serve Him.

Inheritance Isn’t Earned by Julie Schwab

Inheritance Isn’t Earned

Julie Schwab

He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:5

Ephesians 1:3–14

“Thanks for dinner, Dad,” I said as I set my napkin on the restaurant table. I was home on a break from college and, after being gone for a while, it felt strange to have my parents pay for me. “You’re welcome, Julie,” my dad replied, “but you don’t have to thank me for everything all the time. I know you’ve been off on your own, but you’re still my daughter and a part of the family.” I smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

In my family, I haven’t done anything to earn my parents’ love or what they do for me. But my dad’s comment reminds me that I haven’t done anything to deserve to be a part of God’s family either.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells his readers that God chose them “to be holy and blameless in his sight” (1:4), or to stand without blemish before Him (5:25–27). But this is only possible through Jesus, in whom “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (1:7). We don’t have to earn God’s grace, forgiveness, or entrance into His family. We simply accept His free gift.

When we turn our lives over to Jesus, we become children of God, which means we receive eternal life and have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Praise God for offering such a wonderful gift!

In what ways do you feel or act as if you have to earn God’s love? How can you practice living in the freedom of His love?

Faithful God, thank You for freely giving Your Son so I can be a part of Your family. Help me to honor You in all You’ve done for me.

Chase Away Sinful Thoughts by Alistair Begg

Chase Away Sinful Thoughts 

Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.

2 Samuel 21:10

If the love of a woman to her slain sons could make her prolong her mournful vigil for so long a period, shall we grow tired of considering the sufferings of our blessed Lord? She drove away the birds of prey, and shall not we chase from our meditations those worldly and sinful thoughts that defile both our minds and the sacred themes upon which we are occupied?

Be gone, you birds of evil wing! Leave the sacrifice alone! She bore the heat of summer, the night dews and the rains, unsheltered and alone. Sleep was chased from her weeping eyes: her heart was too full for slumber. Consider how she loved her children! Shall Rizpah endure while we quit at the first little inconvenience or trial? Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord? She chased away even the wild beasts with unusual courage, and will we not be ready to encounter every foe for Jesus' sake? Her children were slain by other hands than hers, and yet she wept and watched.

What ought we to do who have by our sins crucified our Lord? Our obligations are boundless; our love should be fervent and our repentance thorough. To watch with Jesus should be our business, to protect His honor our occupation, to abide by His cross our solace. Those ghastly corpses might well have frightened Rizpah, especially by night, but in our Lord, at whose cross we are sitting, there is nothing revolting but everything attractive. Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Savior.

Jesus, we will watch with You still, and may You graciously unveil Yourself to us; then shall we not sit beneath sackcloth but in a royal pavilion.

Your Past Life Should Be Dead and Buried by Adrian Rogers

Your Past Life Should Be Dead and Buried

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

One of the grandest blessings in the entire Bible is often missed by believers. It is the burial of Jesus Christ! That’s right! The burial of Jesus is a blessing to you, because not only have we died with Him, we have been buried with Him.

When Jewish people died in Bible times, they were immediately embalmed with special oils and wrapped in linen. The body was hidden and buried in a tomb. That is what Jesus has done with our old body of sin.

Not only have we been crucified with Christ, we have been buried with Christ. Why the emphasis? So that you will not be haunted by the ghost of guilt. Your old life is not just dead, it’s buried!

The devil will try to remind you what you were. Don’t let him. Don’t go prowling around in the dead bones of your old life. It is gone by the grace of God!

Through the Fire by Greg Laurie

Through the Fire

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:2 nkjv).

Years ago, my wife was cooking a steak, and as she often does, she threw it on and then went and did something else. But on this particular occasion, she forgot about the steak. Then she said, “Something is burning. What’s that smell?”

Let’s just say it was well done.

I’m glad that when we go through fiery trials as believers, God doesn’t get distracted, forget about us, and leave us there.

David wrote in Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (verse 4 nkjv).

We must remember to cast our problems on the Lord, turning them over to Him in times of need.

When the people were griping and complaining about Moses, the Bible tells us that Moses cried out to the Lord. When Hezekiah received an intimidating letter from a king who was threatening to destroy him, he spread the letter out before the Lord. When Mary and Martha saw that their beloved brother Lazarus was sick, they sent word to the Lord.

When trouble comes your way, cast it on Him. Spread it out before Him. Call on Him. As the Scriptures say, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 nkjv).

Most of us would like to avoid the valleys of life, so to speak, but there are some lessons we learn there that we cannot learn anywhere else.

God doesn’t promise to keep us out of all trouble. But He does promise to be with us in the midst of it. It’s a great thing to know that when the Lord lets His children go through a fiery trial, He always keeps an eye on them and an eye on the thermostat.

The Hope of Resurrection by Billy Graham

The Hope of Resurrection

The resurrection of Christ brings hope. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today hopelessness and despair are everywhere. Peter, who himself was given to despair during the episode of Calvary, writes in a triumphant note, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 

There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture “the blessed hope.” There is hope that there will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the Kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ.

Daily Prayer

My hope is in You, my resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May I never despair, as I remember Your triumph and love.

“knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭NASB‬‬

EXPLOSION / Draw Near Bible App

EXPLOSION

The crowd around the cross would meet again. Pilate, Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas thought it was all over when they buried Jesus, but how wrong they were! The priests had taken all precautions. Soldiers guarding the tomb were paid off. Followers of Jesus were disbanded and worshipers threatened. Christ, Who had risen from the dead, was missing; some said He had ascended.

Fifty days after the crucifixion and ten days after the alleged ascension, the city of Jerusalem was astounded by the most dramatic event in its history. Thousands thronged near a tiny upper-story room where 120 believers had been secretly praying and waiting. From that meeting, a missionary effort would arise that would reach the entire world. A spiritual explosion occurred which the priests and officials could never contain. God's Holy Spirit had filled these believers, and they would charge through the world with the glorious news.

Because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke boldly about Christ; people recognized they had been with Jesus; and they could not keep silent even though threatened, beaten, and jailed. Even during persecution, they prayed for power rather than deliverance. The entire world would be shaken by these believers. Today, before Christ returns, we can move our world as those men did theirs. 

Jesus--the same yesterday, today, and forever--can fill us so full of the Holy Spirit that we too can speak boldly, show by our countenance we have been with Christ, and be so overjoyed with the Lord that we cannot help but tell what we have seen and heard.

“He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NASB‬‬

March 31 / Streams in the Desert

The wind was contrary (Matt. 14:24).

Rude and blustering the winds of March often are. Do they not typify the tempestuous seasons of my life? But, indeed, I ought to be glad that I make acquaintance with these seasons. Better it is that the rains descend and the floods come than that I should stay perpetually in the Lotus Land where it seems always afternoon, or in that deep meadowed Valley of Avilion where never wind blows loudly. Storms of temptation appear cruel, but do they not give intenser earnestness to prayer? Do they not compel me to seize the promises with a tighter hand grip? Do they not leave me with a character refined?

Storms of bereavement are keen; but, then, they are one of the Father's ways of driving me to Himself, that in the secret of His presence His voice may speak to my heart, soft and low. There is a glory of the Master which can be seen only when the wind is contrary and the ship tossed with waves.

"Jesus Christ is no security against storms, but He is perfect security in storms. He has never promised you an easy passage, only a safe landing."

Oh, set your sail to the heavenly gale,
And then, no matter what winds prevail,
No reef can wreck you, no calm delay;
No mist shall hinder, no storm shall stay;
Though far you wander and long you roam
Through salt sea sprays and o'er white sea foam,
No wind that can blow but shall speed you Home.
--Annie Johnson Flint

What to do when ‘good people’ need Jesus / Senior Living

What to do when ‘good people’ need Jesus

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. - 1 Corinthians 8:5-6

Over a century ago, a bishop in the United Brethren Church named Milton Wright pronounced from his pulpit and in a publication he edited that human flight was both impossible and contrary to the will of God. Well, in a twist of irony, two of his sons, Orville and Wilbur, would pioneer human flight in 1903, dramatically changing the course of human history.

Milton Wright is a perfect example of someone who can be sincere and well-intentioned, yet flat out wrong. A person can believe something with all of his heart, but the fact is that if it’s not true, it’s not true.

When we look at the over 7 billion people on the planet, about 66% of them don’t consider Jesus to be their savior. They follow other religions—Islam, Buddhism, New Age—and a good many of them do so very sincerely. Yet they are sincerely wrong.

As Christians, the most unloving thing we can do is sit in silence while the “good people” who don’t know Christ continue worshiping wrongly. So let’s love others well by gently and lovingly pointing them toward a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would help you love those of others faiths well by sharing His truth with them.

Questions for Thought

When you think about how people of others faiths practice their religion, what do you respect about their faith?

Think of some people you know who have a different religion than you. What steps can you take this week to lovingly share God’s truth with them?

Stay Connected to the Church by David Jeremiah

Stay Connected to the Church

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24–25

God created us to be in community, first with Him and then with other believers. In fact, this is an important imperative. Our Christian relationships enable us to develop confidence to face whatever life may throw at us. God’s family provokes one another to do good works, provides encouragement, and promotes love. As the day of Christ’s coming draws ever nearer, make fellowship with other believers a priority.

March 31 / Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms 34:13

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Before she could stop herself, the words were out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to say anything, but all her friends were talking, so she put in her thoughts. Trouble was, when she began speaking, the girl they were bad-mouthing walked into the room. Actually, she liked the girl, but now any chance they had of being friends was ruined. All because she had been thoughtless and cruel.

James says that our tongues are mighty rudders, guiding the body where it will go. We should be very careful of the words that come out of our mouths. We can do the greatest good, and the most terrible evil, by the use of our mouths. Christians should let the truth and grace of Christ govern their language. Otherwise, terrible problems can occur. Let our words reflect our commitment to Christ, and God will bless us and defend us.

Prayer: Watch me, Lord, that I don't use my gifts for evil. Help me to use my mouth only for praise and encouragement, and keep me from saying things which could hurt someone or lessen their faith. Amen.

Holiness or Hardness Toward God? by Oswald Chambers

Holiness or Hardness Toward God? He…wondered that there was no intercessor…  ISAIAH 59:16 The reason many of us stop praying and become hard toward God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say that we pray, and we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial— that our minds are quieted and our souls are uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implied in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer. Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, “But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this”? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people. Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic? Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work— work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. Preaching the gospel has its share of pitfalls, but intercessory prayer has none whatsoever. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” from My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L

The Lamb of God by Charles Stanley

John 1:19-29

From the beginning, God has dealt with sin through the shedding of blood. When mankind’s first act of disobedience was committed, the Lord Himself instituted the sacrificial system: He killed an animal and used its skin to cover Adam and Eve physically, just as its blood “covered” their sin. This was a temporary solution, however. Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ could atone for sin and permanently do away with it. 

The Son of God came as the sin-bearer for the whole world— He lived a perfect life and then assumed full responsibility for all of our transgressions and guilt. Through His death on the cross, those who trust Him as Savior enjoy the freedom of full pardon and are made righteous and holy in the eyes of the Father. 

This is why we call Jesus the Lamb of God. In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed to atone for sin. In a similar way, Jesus offered His life as the substitutionary death needed to satisfy God’s justice. As a result, our relationship with God was reconciled so we could be adopted us as His children. Because of Jesus we can stand before God and say, “Thank You for being my Father.”

Blessed Bread / 裴格倫

Blessed Bread

裴格倫

Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Matthew 26:26 nlt

Matthew 26:26–29

When our oldest child became a teenager, my wife and I gave her a journal that we’d been writing in since her birth. We’d recorded her likes and dislikes, quirks and memorable one-liners. At some point the entries became more like letters, describing what we see in her and how we see God at work in her. When we gave it to her on her thirteenth birthday, she was mesmerized. She’d been given the gift of knowing a crucial part of the origins of her identity.

In blessing something as common as bread, Jesus was revealing its identity. What it—along with all creation—was made to reflect: God’s glory. I believe Jesus was also pointing to the future of the material world. All creation will one day be filled with the glory of God. So in blessing bread (Matthew 26:26), Jesus was pointing to the origin and the destiny of creation (Romans 8:21–22).

Maybe the “beginning” of your story feels messed up. Maybe you don’t think there’s much of a future. But there’s a bigger story. It’s a story of a God who made you on purpose and for a purpose, who took pleasure in you. It’s a story of God who came to rescue you (Matthew 26:28); a God who put His Spirit in you to renew you and recover your identity. It’s a story of a God who wants to bless you.

How does seeing your true origin story as being made on purpose and for a purpose change the way you see yourself? What’s the bigger story than simply your situation right now?

Dear Jesus, I place my life like bread in Your hands. Only You can return me to my origin. Only You can carry me to my destiny. Jesus, You are the author and the finisher of my faith.

Endless Forgiveness by Billy Graham

Endless Forgiveness

Look at Christ’s death. In one biography of the great American, Daniel Webster, 863 pages deal with his career and just five pages are devoted to his death. In Hay’s life of Abraham Lincoln there are 5,000 pages but only 25 are devoted to the dramatic story of his assassination and death. In most biographies the deaths of the subjects are mere incidents at the close of the books. But when we come to the four “biographies” of Jesus, the four Gospels, we are confronted with a strange fact. One-third of Matthew is given to a description of the death of Christ. One-third of Mark, one-fourth of Luke, and one-half of John are given to His death. All these pages are devoted to the last 24 hours of His life. The death of Jesus Christ is a significant fact in human history, because Jesus Christ came for the express purpose of dying for sinners. When He left heaven, He knew He was going to the cross.

Daily Prayer

Lord Jesus, what agony You suffered for me upon the cross. I deserve Your judgment, yet You have given me forgiveness and eternal life. I praise Your beloved name.

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:9-10‬ ‭NASB‬‬

PAST FEELING / Draw Near Bible App

PAST FEELING

In 1906, a beautiful baby boy was born into a German home. As a child he was sensitive to the things of the Lord, but as a young adult he became very bitter. At twenty-six, he joined the Nazi party and became known as the butcher of Germany. Adolf Eichmann murdered six million Jews and bragged, "I will leap into my grave laughing." When he was captured and tried, he had not changed. He was executed and died as he lived--a bitter and evil man--sneering, "Regrets are for small children." Here is a vivid example of a man "past feeling."

God's Word warns that this can happen, and when it does, hell spills over on our world. The Hitlers and Stalins were once children with tender feelings, but something happened along the way to drain them of all consciousness of God and compassion for man. Little by little, they stopped caring until they were "beyond feeling."

Because it is urgent that men sustain compassion and love for God, preachers plow the fallow ground of people's hearts. This is why ministers urge people to give and be compassionate. The only antidote to men like Eichmann is men of love. We should examine ourselves to see if we are still moved by the hurts of humanity. Dr. Pierce often says, "Break my heart with the things that break the heart of God." This prayer reminds us that believers are to be caring people. Those who have shut off the flow of compassion will die in bitterness; those who love God and men will live forever. The Bible says: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy (Psalm 126:5).

“and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Are You Fearful God Won’t Accept You? by Adrian Rogers

Are You Fearful God Won’t Accept You?

MARCH 30

… whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus… Romans 3:25-26

When I was a little boy, I thought God was like Santa Claus with a long beard sitting up in heaven—making a list and checking it twice, trying to find out if I was naughty or nice. Then when my life was over, I would face Him and He would pull out these massive scales and weigh my good works against my bad to see if I made it into heaven.

Do you know what thinking this did to me? It made me fearful that at the end of my life I would face God and He would say, “Adrian. I’m sorry, but according to My calculations, you didn’t make it.” Then I would have to turn and ashamedly walk past my family and friends, separated from them and from God forever.

Friend, maybe you too believe this. But let me set the record straight: Salvation is not an attainment, it is an atonement—it is the reconciliation of man with God through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. You cannot achieve it—you must receive it.

You cannot atone for your sins. Your good works cannot do it. None of us could produce works good enough or fast enough to atone for sin. Don’t even try. Rest in the finished work of the Cross.

March 30 / Streams in the Desert

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow" (Isa. 50:11).

What a solemn warning to those who walk in darkness and yet who try to help themselves out into the light. They are represented as kindling a fire, and compassing themselves with sparks. What does this mean?

Why, it means that when we are in darkness the temptation is to find a way without trusting in the Lord and relying upon Him. Instead of letting Him help us out, we try to help ourselves out. We seek the light of nature, and get the advice of our friends. We try the conclusions of our reason, and might almost be tempted to accept a way of deliverance which would not be of God at all.

All these are fires of our own kindling; rushlights that will surely lead us onto the shoals. And God will let us walk in the light of those sparks, but the end will be sorrow.

Beloved, do not try to get out of a dark place, except, in God's time and in God's way. The time of trouble is meant to teach you lessons that you sorely need. Premature deliverance may frustrate God's work of grace in your life. Just commit the whole situation to Him. Be willing to abide in darkness so long as you have His presence.

Remember that it is better to walk in the dark with God than to walk alone in the light.
--The Still Small Voice

Cease meddling with God's plans and will. You touch anything of His, and you mar the work. You may move the hands of a clock to suit you, but you do not change the time; so you may hurry the unfolding of God's will, but you harm and do not help the work. You can open a rosebud but you spoil the flower. Leave all to Him. Hands down. Thy will, not mine.
--Stephen Merritt

HIS WAY

God bade me go when I would stay
('Twas cool within the wood);
I did not know the reason why.
I heard a boulder crashing by
Across the path where I stood.
He bade me stay when I would go;
"Thy will be done," I said.
They found one day at early dawn,
Across the way I would have gone,
A serpent with a mangled head.
No more I ask the reason why,
Although I may not see
The path ahead, His way I go;
For though I know not, He doth know,
And He will choose safe paths for me.
--The Sunday School Times

Look to the Cross by Alistair Begg

Look to the Cross 

Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the Lord!

Lamentations 3:40

The wife who fondly loves her absent husband longs for his return; a long protracted separation from him is a semi-death to her spirit. And so it is with souls who love the Savior much; they need to see His face; they cannot bear that He should be away, thus depriving them of communion with Him. A reproaching glance, an uplifted finger will be grievous to loving children who fear to offend their tender father and are only happy in his smile.

Beloved, it was so once this way with you. A text of Scripture, a threatening, a touch of the rod of affliction, and you went to your Father's feet, crying, "Let me know why you contend against me." Is that still the case? Or are you content to follow Jesus from a distance? Can you contemplate broken communion with Christ without being alarmed? Can you bear to have your Beloved walking contrary to you, because you walk contrary to Him? Have your sins separated between you and your God, and is your heart at rest?

Let me affectionately warn you, for it is a grievous thing when we can live contentedly without the present enjoyment of the Savior's face. Let us work to feel what an evil thing this is—little love to our own dying Savior, little joy in His company, little time with the Beloved! Hold a true Lent in your souls, while you sorrow over your hardness of heart. Do not stop at sorrow! Remember where you first received salvation. Go at once to the cross. There, and there only, can you get your spirit quickened. No matter how hard, how insensible, how dead we may have become, let us go again in all the rags and poverty and defilement of our natural condition. Let us clasp that cross, let us look into those languid eyes, let us bathe in that fountain filled with blood—this will bring back to us our first love; this will restore the simplicity of our faith and the tenderness of our heart.

Make disciples today / Senior Living

Make disciples today

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20

We’re all involved in the work of making disciples. The question is, whose disciples are we making? Every single day, through your words, actions, or even inaction, you draw someone near to Christ or push them away. As Paul Gilbert wrote…

You are writing a Gospel, a chapter each day,
By deeds that you do, by words that you say.
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the Gospel according to you?

It’s a heavy responsibility to know that you’re a disciple-maker. But the good news is that you’re not alone. Christ assures you in today’s passage, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So who’s reading the Gospel you’re writing today? Is it a family member or maybe your neighbor? It could even be the young man who brings you your pizza or bags your groceries. The point is that the world is watching, and what they think of Jesus may come down to what they think of you.

Prayer Challenge:

Ask God to make you attentive to disciple-making opportunities. Pray for His grace, wisdom, and strength to show others the love of Christ.

Questions for Thought:

Who are some people in your life that you could point toward Christ through your words and actions?

What are some things you could do today that would show others the love of Christ?

Stay Challenged to Grow by David Jeremiah

Stay Challenged to Grow

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.
2 Peter 3:14

In sports, the arts, and all of life, the road to success is paved with diligence. Strenuous effort is far more effective than talent alone can do. This principle applies to our Christian walk as well. Half-hearted attempts have no place in the life of Christians as we await Christ’s return. You need not sit idle. God wants us to grow and know Him more. Don’t stop the good things you’re doing, but work even harder. If you stay challenged to learn more, grow in grace, and be more effective for the kingdom, the world will have difficulty distracting you from your eternal hope.

March 30 / Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Remember the prodigal son? He thought he was ready to set out on his own, and it almost led to his ruin. He squandered all his wealth and found he really couldn't make it by himself. He had to humble himself and return home, where his father awaited him with open arms. We need to learn that being mature and independent does not mean breaking our ties with other people. God did not create us to live apart from others. He gave us each other in order to make our lives more enjoyable. We never need lack for anything, because we are to take care of one another. The Lord provides for us through the love of sons and daughters. Growing up doesn't mean learning to do everything by yourself, but realizing how wonderful it is to need other people. Prayer: I think I am strong and self-sufficient when I am not. I sometimes act as if I don't need anyone else, but deep inside, I know that I do. Put me in community with others who love You, Lord. Make me stronger through the relationships I develop. Amen.

Our Lord’s Surprise Visits by Oswald Chambers

Our Lord’s Surprise Visits You also be ready…  LUKE 12:40 A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him. Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle— we must be spiritually real. If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. You should trust no one, and even ignore the finest saint on earth if he blocks your sight of Jesus Christ. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The truth is we have nothing to fear and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly glorifying to the work of Christ.

Sunday Reflection: Sorrow According to the Will of God by Charles Stanley

Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians follows up on a previous letter of his (likely 1 Corinthians), in which he rebuked that congregation. In this later epistle, he writes about their feeling grieved and draws a distinction between the sorrows of the world and being “sorrowful according to the will of God” (2 Corinthians 7:9-11). Paul asks them to repent in sincerity and see what fruit that will bear. 

This kind of mourning doesn’t have to be a dark, scary, or joyless experience. In fact, it can be quite the opposite—hopeful and filled with light. As we let go of temporal desires and instead pursue the good that God has for us, we get a taste of the eternal comfort He has promised. 

THINK ABOUT IT
• Paul is writing about a sorrow that produces repentance. In some translations, this is written as “godly grief.” Consider the opposite—what is borne of worldly grief? How is that different from the fruit that results from a godly kind of sorrow? 

• Earlier in this letter, the apostle reminds the church that we live “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). How can both things be true?

Fruit Juice by Patricia Raybon

Fruit Juice

Patricia Raybon

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. John 15:5

John 15:5–8

Judges 7–8; Luke 5:1–16

A thrift-store bargain, the lamp seemed perfect for my home office—the right color, size, and price. Back at home, however, when I plugged in the cord, nothing happened. No light. No power. No juice.

No problem, my husband assured me. “I can fix that. Easy.” As he took the lamp apart, he saw the trouble immediately. The plug wasn’t connected to anything. Without wiring to a source of power, the “perfect” pretty lamp was useless.

The same is true for us. Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” But then he added this reminder: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

This teaching was given in a grape-growing region, so His disciples readily understood it. Grapevines are hardy plants, and their branches tolerate vigorous pruning. Cut off from their life source, however, the branches are worthless deadwood. So it is with us.

As we remain in Jesus and let His words dwell in us, we’re wired to our life source—Christ Himself. “This is to my Father’s glory,” said Jesus, “that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (v. 8). Such a fruitful outcome needs daily nourishment, however. Freely, God provides it through the Scriptures and His love. So plug in and let the juice flow!

What does it mean for you to remain in Jesus? How has He equipped you to bear fruit for Him?

All-powerful God, empower me to remain in You and allow Your loving Word to yield good fruit in me.

March 29 / C.S. Lewis

Today's Reading

“We know not what we shall be”; but we may be sure we shall be more, not less, than we were on earth. Our natural experiences (sensory, emotional, imaginative) are only like the drawing, like pencilled lines on flat paper. If they vanish in the risen life, they will vanish only as pencil lines vanish from the real landscape, not as a candle flame that is put out but as a candle flame which becomes invisible because someone has pulled up the blind, thrown open the shutters, and let in the blaze of the risen sun. From The Weight of Glory Compiled in A Year with C.S. Lewis

Is Jesus Your Hiding Place? by Adrian Rogers

Is Jesus Your Hiding Place?

For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (Pause and think about that.)  Psalm 61:3-4

Of the 6500 hymns written by Charles Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, one of the finest is “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” It’s been said that Wesley was inspired to write it after walking through the woods on a stormy day. A cloud burst and a lightning storm broke out. The rain began to come down in torrents.

By a swollen stream, little birds were shivering on a tree limb. A bolt of lightning flashed, and one was so frightened, it flew down toward Charles Wesley and tried to hide inside his coat. Wesley was so moved by that, he wrote, 

“Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high.

Hide me, Oh my Savior, hide me till the storm life is past,

Safely to the haven guide. Oh receive my soul at last.

That's what our Lord does; He hides us. He sustains us. He keeps us.

The song’s lyrics are a poignant picture of a young man’s journey into discovering the love of his life—Jesus.

Another hymn says it like this: “Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee. Oh blessed Rock of Ages, I'm hiding in Thee.”

Where is your heart today? Are you suffering from a broken relationship or the loss of a loved one? Run, don’t walk, into His waiting arms of love. Jesus wants to bind up your hurt and bring hope to your heart.