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Friday, July 31, 2020
Becoming Entirely His by Oswald Chambers
The Call to Servanthood by Charles Stanley
Three New Testament writers opened their epistles in a similar way: “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus...” (Rom. 1:1), “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ...” (2 Peter 1:1), and “James, a bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ...” (James 1:1). They viewed themselves as humble workers.
God calls each believer to a life of service. This should be an exciting prospect, but too many people get hung up on the belief that they cannot be as good as the apostles. A popular idea in the church is that the Lord’s servants are those doing full-time ministry but that everyone else is simply trying to live well. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all are servants with important kingdom work to do.
Some kingdom jobs look more important than others, but that’s only because we evaluate with human eyes. Every work that advances the gospel or serves a need is valuable. Not every person can be on a far-flung mission field, but we all can share the gospel with a neighbor. Some people can sing in the choir; others can give money to someone. God invites us to do His work in the world, whether the task is great or small—and we do it by serving our fellow man. What’s He calling you to do?
Who are “the Elect”? by Adrian Rogers
Who are “the Elect”?
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17
You don’t have to pay one blessed cent for the water of life. Take it and drink freely. You’ll never have your heart’s deepest thirst satisfied until you’re satisfied with Jesus. I promise on the authority of the Word of God, He will save you,
Let’s say Samuel D. Smith, born July 4, 1990, asks, “But Pastor Rogers, what if I’m not one of the ‘elect’? How can I know for sure I’m one of the ‘elect’”?
Would it help Sam to believe he’s one of the elect if Jesus had said here, “Let Sam Smith come and take of the water of life freely”? No, there’s more than one Sam Smith.
What if it said, “Samuel D. Smith”? There might be another Samuel D Smith. It might not refer to our Sam.
What if it said, “Samuel D. Smith, born in Sam’s hometown on July 4, 1990”?
There could be another Samuel D. Smith born in his town on July 4, 1990. By now you’re saying, “Adrian, you’re getting ridiculous.”
Let me solve this. Let’s forget all that and just put one word in there: “whosoever.” That’s exactly what it says: “Whosoever will, let him come….” That’s better than anybody’s name spelled out in detail.
Who are the elect? I can settle that in 30 seconds. The elect are the “whosoever wills.”
If you want to be saved, come to Jesus. He’s reaching His nail-pierced hands to you, saying, “Come.” Jesus says come. The Spirit says come. The bride says come. The individual says come. You can come and drink.
July 31 / C.S. Lewis
The idea that ‘being in love’ is the only reason for remaining married really leaves no room for marriage as a contract or promise at all. If love is the whole thing, then the promise can add nothing; and if it adds nothing, then it should not be made. The curious thing is that lovers themselves, while they remain really in love, know this better than those who talk about love. As Chesterton pointed out, those who are in love have a natural inclination to bind themselves by promises. Love songs all over the world are full of vows of eternal constancy. The Christian law is not forcing upon the passion of love something which is foreign to that passion’s own nature: it is demanding that lovers should take seriously something which their passion of itself impels them to do.
And, of course, the promise, made when I am in love and because I am in love, to be true to the beloved as long as I live, commits me to being true even if I cease to be in love. A promise must be about things that I can do, about actions: no one can promise to go on feeling in a certain way. He might as well promise never to have a headache or always to feel hungry.
Mere Christianity. Copyright © 1952, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Copyright renewed © 1980, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers. A Year With C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works. Copyright © 2003 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Shining Light by Patricia Raybon
Shining Light
Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
I felt nervous about a five-week prayer class I agreed to teach at a local church. Would the students like it? Would they like me? My anxiety was ill-focused, leading me to over-prepare lesson plans, presentation slides, and class handouts. Yet with a week to go, I still hadn’t encouraged many people to attend.
In prayer, however, I was reminded that the class was a service that shined light on God. Because the Holy Spirit would use the class to point people to our heavenly Father, I could set aside my nervousness about public speaking. When Jesus taught His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount, He told them, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14–15).
Reading those words, I finally sent out a class announcement on social media. Almost immediately, people started registering—expressing gratitude and excitement. Seeing their reactions, I reflected more on Jesus’ teaching: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (v. 16).
With that perspective, I taught the class with joy. I pray that my simple deed becomes a beacon and encourages others to shine their light for God as well.
In prayer, however, I was reminded that the class was a service that shined light on God. Because the Holy Spirit would use the class to point people to our heavenly Father, I could set aside my nervousness about public speaking. When Jesus taught His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount, He told them, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14–15).
Reading those words, I finally sent out a class announcement on social media. Almost immediately, people started registering—expressing gratitude and excitement. Seeing their reactions, I reflected more on Jesus’ teaching: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (v. 16).
With that perspective, I taught the class with joy. I pray that my simple deed becomes a beacon and encourages others to shine their light for God as well.
When have you felt nervous or self-conscious about sharing your deeds and gifts for God? How can your deeds and gifts help others, and what are ways you can share them?
Jesus, empower me to let my God-given light shine so others can see and glorify You.
July 31 / Streams in the Desert
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
The Makeover for Your Mind by Greg Laurie
The Makeover for Your Mind
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 nlt).
Parents know that if they want to get a child to drop something, they need to offer something better in its place.
We can apply the same principle when sinful thoughts come our way. Scottish minster Thomas Chalmers called this, “the expulsive power of a new affection.” This means that something is so powerful that it’s more attractive to us than the other thing.
In other words, we push the old stuff out of our lives and say, “I don’t want that garbage in my life anymore. I have something far better in its place, which is knowing God.”
Remember, when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4 nlt).
Then the devil took Him to a high point of the temple and essentially said, “Why don’t you jump off here, and the angels will catch you?”
But Jesus said, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God’” (verse 7 nlt).
Then the devil wanted Jesus to fall down and worship him. So, Jesus told him, “Get out of here, Satan. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him’” (verse 10 nlt).
How did Christ defend Himself against the onslaught of temptation? He used the Word of God. That’s why we need to know Scripture. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 nlt).
While it’s a good thing to carry a Bible in a purse, backpack, or briefcase, the best place to carry the Word of God is in your heart. Memorize it. Fill your mind with it. Know the Word of God.
Molding You by Billy Graham
Molding You
I have a friend who during the Depression lost his job, a fortune, a wife, and a home. But he tenaciously held to his faith—the only thing he had left. One day he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a huge church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of stone. “What are you going to do with that?” asked my friend. The workman said, “See that little opening away up there near the spire? Well, I’m shaping this down here, so it will fit in up there.” Tears filled the eyes of my friend as he walked away, for it seemed that God had spoken through the workman to explain his ordeal through which he was passing, “I’m shaping you down here, so you’ll fit in up there.”
Daily Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for all the “shaping” in my life, which brings me closer to You.
“This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.”
2 Timothy 2:11 NLT
A LOGICAL ORDER / Draw Near Bible App
A LOGICAL ORDER
Genesis was not the first Bible book to be written. Most scholars agree that the book of Job takes that honor in the Old Testament, and 1 Thessalonians had this distinction among the books of the New Testament. The obvious question is, "Why aren't the books arranged in chronological order in our Bible?" The answer is that our English Bible is arranged for readability. It follows this order: Law, History, Poetry, and Prophecy. The New Testament is similarly divided: Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypse.
The Jewish Canon has only twenty-two books compared with thirty-nine in our Old Testament. The same material is in both, but the Hebrew Scripture is divided to accord with the twenty-two letters of their alphabet. In their Canon, the Minor Prophets are counted as one book, Ruth is coupled with Judges, Ezra with Nehemiah, Lamentations with Jeremiah, and the two books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are considered as one each. They have three major divisions: The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings.
By the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Old Testament was pretty well completed as we have it today. Josephus says "that since the death of Artaxerxes (424 B.C.) no one had dared to add anything to them, to take anything from them, or to make any change in them." When we read the Bible from its beginning, we see how God has worked in every generation to bring man back to Himself. The theme of all of God's Word is the gift of His Son. Paul says man's highest purpose is to be conformed to that image (Romans 8:29).
Genesis was not the first Bible book to be written. Most scholars agree that the book of Job takes that honor in the Old Testament, and 1 Thessalonians had this distinction among the books of the New Testament. The obvious question is, "Why aren't the books arranged in chronological order in our Bible?" The answer is that our English Bible is arranged for readability. It follows this order: Law, History, Poetry, and Prophecy. The New Testament is similarly divided: Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypse.
The Jewish Canon has only twenty-two books compared with thirty-nine in our Old Testament. The same material is in both, but the Hebrew Scripture is divided to accord with the twenty-two letters of their alphabet. In their Canon, the Minor Prophets are counted as one book, Ruth is coupled with Judges, Ezra with Nehemiah, Lamentations with Jeremiah, and the two books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are considered as one each. They have three major divisions: The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings.
By the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Old Testament was pretty well completed as we have it today. Josephus says "that since the death of Artaxerxes (424 B.C.) no one had dared to add anything to them, to take anything from them, or to make any change in them." When we read the Bible from its beginning, we see how God has worked in every generation to bring man back to Himself. The theme of all of God's Word is the gift of His Son. Paul says man's highest purpose is to be conformed to that image (Romans 8:29).
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Psalms 119:105 NLT
Praise the Lord by Alistair Begg
Praise the Lord
Now these, the singers . . . were on duty day and night.1 Chronicles 9:33
It was so well organized in the temple that the sacred refrain never ceased, for the singers constantly praised the Lord, whose mercy endures forever. As mercy did not cease to rule either by day or by night, so neither did music hush its holy sound. My heart, there is a lesson sweetly taught to you in the ceaseless song of Zion's temple. You are a constant debtor; therefore see to it that your gratitude, like charity, never fails. God's praise is constant in heaven, which is to be your final dwelling-place; so learn to practice the eternal hallelujah. Around the earth as the sun scatters its light, its beams awaken grateful believers to tune their morning hymn, so that by the priesthood of the saints perpetual praise is kept up at all hours; they surround our globe in a mantle of thanksgiving and girdle it with a golden belt of song.
The Lord always deserves to be praised for what He is in Himself, for His works of creation and providence, for His goodness toward His creatures, and especially for the transcendent act of redemption and all the marvelous blessings that flow from it. It is always beneficial to praise the Lord; such praise cheers the day and brightens the night; it lightens toil and softens sorrow; and over earthly gladness it sheds a sanctifying radiance that makes it less liable to blind us with its glare. Do we not have something to sing about at this moment? Can we not weave a song out of our present joys or our past deliverances or our future hopes? Earth yields her summer fruits: The hay is baled, the golden grain invites the scythe, and the sun tarries to shine upon a fruitful earth and shorten the interval of shade, that we may extend the hours of devoted worship. By the love of Jesus, let us be stirred up to close the day with a psalm of sanctified gladness.
Overcoming the Dangers of Distraction / Senior Living
Overcoming the Dangers of Distraction
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12
A former police officer tells of the tactics of roving bands of thieves: They enter the store as a group. One or two separate themselves from the group, and the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the clerks and customers.
As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, leaving before anyone suspects. Hours – sometimes even days – later, the victimized merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. But it’s too late. The thieves by then are long gone!
The enemy often uses this very same strategy as he’s trying to keep us from dealing with sin. We’re distracted to the point that we stop paying attention to what’s really going on, and in the midst of it, Satan runs amok in our lives!
So how can you combat this elusive strategy by the deceiver? You do it by giving yourself frequent self-checks. You allow God’s Word to examine you and expose any unnoticed sin in your life. When you expose your life to the light of God’s Word, your unknown sins will be revealed as you overcome the enemy’s evil tactics and live in full victory!
Prayer Challenge:
Pray and ask God to show you areas in your life that don’t align with His will. Ask Him to let His truth restore those areas so you can live in victory!
Questions for Thought:
Think about areas in your life where the enemy has distracted you from dealing with sin struggles. What comes to mind?
How is God leading you to respond to those areas?
July 31 / Wisdom from the Psalms
Take time to be quiet and think about the good things God has done for you. Look at both the good times and the bad in proper perspective. We are loved by a God of all creation, the Master of all eternity. He has made us important by His love for us. Think of how wonderful this love is. We have no way to comprehend this kind of love and attention. It is well that we take time to contemplate all these things. All honor and glory belongs to the Lord, who loves us so much. By entering into His presence, we come to know just how very lucky we are.
Prayer: Who am I, Lord, that You take notice of me? I cannot believe that You love me the way You do. Though I don't understand, I do accept Your gracious love, and I am thankful from the depths of my soul. Amen.
Pressing on Toward Heaven by David Jeremiah
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Thursday, July 30, 2020
The Teaching of Disillusionment by Oswald Chambers
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A Pattern for Servanthood by Charles Stanley
Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 20:26). In Bible times, the lowest servant of the house washed dusty feet. So the disciples must have been surprised when Jesus performed this humble task for them. He explained His shocking behavior by saying, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).
Based on those words, many churches have turned foot washing into an ordinance; they believe that this act shows Christlikeness and demonstrates willingness to serve. Perhaps that’s true for some believers, but many perform the ceremony by rote. Jesus’ message to the disciples and to modern believers is not literally to wash dirty feet, but rather to serve one another with humility and love.
True servanthood is not a popular topic because many people regard it as beneath them. But God wants us to see ourselves as living sacrifices. To serve the Lord well, we must be willing do whatever He asks for whomever He asks. Our Christlikeness is evident when we love God and others so much that we willingly humble ourselves for their sake.
Jesus performed one of the lowliest tasks of His day to demonstrate His servanthood. What are you willing to do for Him?
Touch the Needy by Estera Pirosca Escobar
Touch the Needy
It wasn’t surprising when Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize. True to form, she received the award “in the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society.” Those were the people she ministered to for most of her life.
Jesus modeled how to care for and love the marginalized, regardless of circumstances. Unlike the synagogue leaders who respected the Sabbath law more than the sick (Luke 13:14), when Jesus saw an ill woman at the temple, He was moved with compassion. He looked beyond the physical impairment and saw God’s beautiful creation in bondage. He called her to Him and said she was healed. Then He “put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God” (v. 13). By touching her, He upset the leader of the synagogue because it was the Sabbath. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), compassionately chose to heal the woman—a person who had faced discomfort and humiliation for nearly two decades.
I wonder how often we see someone as underserving of our compassion. Or maybe we’ve experienced rejection because we didn’t meet somebody else’s standard. May we not be like the religious elite who cared more about rules than fellow humans. Instead, let’s follow Jesus’ example and treat others with compassion, love, and dignity.
Jesus modeled how to care for and love the marginalized, regardless of circumstances. Unlike the synagogue leaders who respected the Sabbath law more than the sick (Luke 13:14), when Jesus saw an ill woman at the temple, He was moved with compassion. He looked beyond the physical impairment and saw God’s beautiful creation in bondage. He called her to Him and said she was healed. Then He “put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God” (v. 13). By touching her, He upset the leader of the synagogue because it was the Sabbath. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), compassionately chose to heal the woman—a person who had faced discomfort and humiliation for nearly two decades.
I wonder how often we see someone as underserving of our compassion. Or maybe we’ve experienced rejection because we didn’t meet somebody else’s standard. May we not be like the religious elite who cared more about rules than fellow humans. Instead, let’s follow Jesus’ example and treat others with compassion, love, and dignity.
How have you experienced God’s healing and touch? Who can you show compassion to this week?
Jesus, thank You for Your infinite love and incredible compassion for all humans, including those marred by disease and difficulties.
July 30 / C.S. Lewis
Of a book’s meaning…its author is not necessarily the best, and is never a perfect, judge. One of his intentions usually was that it should have a certain meaning: he cannot be sure that it has. He cannot even be sure that the meaning he intended it to have was in every way, or even at all, better than the meaning which readers find in it.
Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories. Copyright © 1966 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Copyright renewed © 1994 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
WHERE TO FIND IT / Draw Near Bible App
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.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalms 119:11 NLT
A Covenant With Eyes by Billy Graham
A Covenant With Eyes
Someone has said, “You cannot help the first look, but the second is sin.” Jesus indicated that you can engage in immorality by a look. The Bible places the “lust of the eye” right along with other major sins. Listen: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Peter spoke of having “eyes full of adultery.” No wonder Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Your eyes see only what your soul allows them to see.
Daily Prayer
May my eyes be on You, Lord Jesus, for I need Your purity and love to fill my heart and mind.
“Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”
1 Timothy 5:22 NLT
Radical Measures by Greg Laurie
Radical Measures
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23nlt).
The film 127 Hours tells the true story of Aron Ralston, who was rock climbing alone in Utah when a boulder shifted and pinned his arm. He tried everything he could to get out from under the boulder, but nothing was working.
Two days passed, and he was hungry, thirsty, and cold. He realized that no one was coming to rescue him. He also knew there was only one way he could get out of there. He would need to take the worst step imaginable if he wanted to live. He needed to cut off his own arm.
So he did. He used a pocketknife, and it took a long time. Then he rappelled 65 feet to the canyon floor and walked out. I guess he figured it would be better to be alive with only one arm than to be dead with two. So, he took radical action.
In Matthew 5 Jesus said, “So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (verses 29–30 nlt).
Now, Jesus wasn’t speaking literally here, because even if you cut off your right hand, for instance, you could still sin with your left hand.
The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. It all comes down to the heart. That’s why you must decisively and quickly deal with whatever causes you to fall into sin.
So, do what needs to be done.
You Are Known by the Master You Follow by Adrian Rogers
You Are Known by the Master You Follow
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. John 12:25-26
You know, sometimes it’s hard to look at a person and know whether they’re saved or not saved. One way to illustrate it is, if a group of people is 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, right?
I made up my mind long ago that if a dog can follow his master, I’m going to follow mine. You’ll be known by which master you follow.
In high school, some kids will go this way and Jesus will go a different way, and you’ll go His way because Jesus is your Master.
In business, some men are going to go this way and Jesus is going to go that way. Mr. Christian Businessman, you’ll go that way because Jesus is your Master. You will be known by the Master you follow.
Make it your purpose to do what Jesus said so long ago: “Follow me.”
July 30 / Streams in the Desert
A cup of cold water only (Matthew 10:42).
What am I to do? I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good work, therefore, any kindness, or any service I can render to any soul of man or animal let me do it now. Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.
--An Old Quaker Saying
--An Old Quaker Saying
It isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache
At the setting of the sun;
The tender word unspoken,
The letter you did not write,
The flower you might have sent, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of your brother's way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle and winsome tone,
That you had no time or thought for,
With troubles enough of your own.
These little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind,
These chances to be angels,
Which even mortals find
They come in night and silence,
Each chill reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a blight has dropped on faith.
For life is all too short, dear.
And sorrow is all too great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late.
And it's not the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache,
At the setting of the sun.--Adelaide Proctor
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache
At the setting of the sun;
The tender word unspoken,
The letter you did not write,
The flower you might have sent, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of your brother's way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle and winsome tone,
That you had no time or thought for,
With troubles enough of your own.
These little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind,
These chances to be angels,
Which even mortals find
They come in night and silence,
Each chill reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a blight has dropped on faith.
For life is all too short, dear.
And sorrow is all too great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late.
And it's not the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache,
At the setting of the sun.--Adelaide Proctor
Give what you have; to someone it may be better than you dare to think.
--Longfellow
--Longfellow
A Permanent Promise by Alistair Begg
A Permanent Promise
Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.John 6:37
There is no expiration date on this promise. It does not merely say, "I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming," but "I will never cast him out." The original reads, "I will not, not cast out," or "I will never, never cast out." The text means that Christ will not at first reject a believer, and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.
But suppose the believer sins after coming? "If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."1 But suppose that believers backslide? "I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them."2 But believers may fall under temptation! "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."3 But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."4
Once in Christ, in Christ forever,
Nothing from His love can sever.
Nothing from His love can sever.
Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."5 What do you say to this, O trembling, feeble mind? This is a precious mercy. Coming to Christ, you do not come to One who will treat you well for a little while and then send you about your business, but He will receive you and make you His bride, and you shall be His forever! Live no longer in the spirit of bondage to fear, but in the spirit of adoption, which cries, "Abba, Father!" Oh, the grace of these words: "I will never cast out."
How Jesus became “real” / Senior Living
How Jesus became “real”
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:9
A young boy who grew up in England during the dark years of World War II had a picture of his father on the kitchen table. His dad had gone off to fight in the war when the boy was very young. And years later, the boy couldn’t even remember him in the flesh. All he knew was the picture.
One morning over breakfast, the boy’s mother caught him staring at the photo of his father. She asked him what he was thinking about, and he said, “I wish daddy could step out of that picture and be real.”
When Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, God Himself stepped off the pages of Scripture and became “real” to the world. What had only been written about and experienced by the prophets of old was now a reality for all people – the Messiah had come in the flesh!
We don’t serve a God who exists only in the mystery of the heavenlies. Our God stepped out of the shadows, came to earth, lived, and died so that we could know Him. So as you reflect on Jesus this Christmas, give thanks that He’s not some far-off God who couldn’t relate to us. He’s a real Savior who loved you enough to become real!
Prayer Challenge:
Praise God that Jesus is real – not some far-off deity, but God Himself in the flesh!
Questions for Thought:
Christianity is unlike any other religion in that we have a God who came to earth, lived, and died so we could know Him. How does that make our faith different than all the others?
What does Christ’s coming to earth say about God’s love for you?
July 30 / Wisdom from the Psalms
Psalms 95:8
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
Edgar was being a brat. Whenever Edgar didn't get his way, he was a brat. As if a secret button had been pushed, the minute Edgar heard the word no, he began to whine, kick, scream, stomp, pout, throw things, and cry. After that, he would do nothing that was asked of him. He became stubborn and rebellious. At those times, everyone just backed off and left Edgar alone. Who wants to be too close to a brat?
Sometimes we're brats. We don't get things the way we want them, so we pout and harden our hearts toward God. God is patient with us, but sometimes He has to put some distance between us until we settle down. God doesn't want to deal with our bratiness any more than we want to deal with the bratiness of children. In time, we learn to deal with our disappointments, and like children, we finally learn that pouting gets us nowhere.
Prayer: Lord, help me to grow up, to be a mature Christian, one who has learned to accept disappointment and adversity. Strengthen my heart, and give me patience. Amen.
Now and Then by David Jeremiah
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