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Tuesday, November 30, 2021
“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am” / Oswald Chambers
An Introduction to Christ / Charles Stanley
An Introduction to Christ
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.
When Tragedy Strikes, What Do You Do? / Adrian Rogers
When Tragedy Strikes, What Do You Do?
And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:17
How do you enlist suffering to make it your servant?
First, you receive it as a gift from God. Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21b).
Second, rely on God’s grace, because with the gift comes His grace. 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” God is going to be near you in a special way.
Finally, reflect on the glory of God. No greater Christian ever lived than the Apostle Paul. His greatest motive in all he endured was the glory of God. His pain became a platform from which he declared the glory of God.
Receive it as a gift. Rely upon God’s grace. Reflect upon God’s glory. Choose to glorify Him through it.
A Great Light / ODB
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Much More Than This / Alistair Begg
Much More Than This
And Amaziah said to the man of God, ‘But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?’ The man of God answered, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.’
2 Chronicles 25:9
This seemed to be a very important question for the king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more significance for the tried and tested Christian. To lose money is never pleasant, and when it involves principle, we are not always ready to make the sacrifice. “Why lose what could be put to good use? Is it not possible to pay too much for truth? Remember the children and our small income!”
All these things and a thousand more would tempt the Christian to participate in dishonest gain or prevent him from carrying out his conscientious convictions when they involve serious loss. Not everyone views these matters in the light of faith; and even with the followers of Jesus, the idea that “we all have to live” carries quite a bit of weight.
“The LORD is able to give you much more than this” is a very satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father holds the funds, and what we lose for His sake He can repay a thousandfold.
Our part is to obey His will, and we may rest assured that He will provide for us. The Lord will be no man’s debtor in the end.
Christians know that an ounce of contentment is more valuable than a ton of gold. The person wearing a threadbare coat over a good conscience has found a spiritual treasure far more desirable than any he may have lost.
God’s smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart; His frown and a palace would be hell to the trusting soul.
Let the worst become worse still, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. In the meantime, even now the Lord makes the meek to inherit the earth, and He keeps back nothing that is good from those whose walk is blameless.
November 30 / C.S. Lewis
Where the children’s story is simply the right form for what the author has to say, then of course readers who want to hear that will read the story or re-read it, at an age. I never met The Wind in the Willows or the Bastable books till I was in my late twenties, and I do not think I have enjoyed them any the less on that account. I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last. A waltz which you can like only when you are waltzing is a bad waltz.
From On Stories
On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. Copyright © 1982, 1966 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
How to Deal with Anger Graciously / Senior Living
How to Deal with Anger Graciously
A hot-tempered man stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. - Proverbs 15:18
Many years ago, a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. Everyone at the company knew the executive’s career was likely over. And most of the executives were finding various ways of avoiding the company’s president, John D. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.
There was one exception, however. He was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company who kept his appointment with Mr. Rockefeller. When he entered the office, he saw Rockefeller at his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper.
Across the top of the page was written “Points in favor of Mr. _______.” There followed a long list of the guilty executive’s virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.
It can sometimes be easy to lose your temper. That’s because so often, reactions to events tend to be just that—reactions—instead of responses. But if you take how you want to react, think it through, and consider the perspectives of others, you’ll be much more inclined to respond biblically than react angrily.
Prayer Challenge:
Ask God to reveal to you in times of anger how you can respond rather than react. Pray that He would help you see others with a biblical perspective and that you would have a forgiving spirit when dealing with conflict.
November 30 / Wisdom from the Psalms
Why Jesus? / David Jeremiah
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God’s Reminder to Us This Christmas Season: Do Not Fear By Debbie McDaniel
God’s Reminder to Us This Christmas Season: Do Not Fear
By Debbie McDaniel
"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy the will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10
Four times in the Christmas story, angels appeared at appointed times to give a message to key individuals who were a part of Jesus' life and birth. And every time, those to whom they appeared were greatly "troubled," "afraid," or even "gripped with fear." And every time the angels said these powerful words, "Do not be afraid..."
To the shepherds: "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy the will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11
To Mary: "But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus." Luke 1:30-31
To Joseph: "...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him he name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:20-21
To Zechariah: "But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid Zechariah, your prayer has been heard, Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John." Luke 1:13
Just like these in the Christmas story so many years ago, we’re often people who can easily become fearful, troubled, even gripped with fear. It's a natural human emotion, but God never intends for us to stay stuck there. And His powerful words and message to us is still the same, for He never changes. He says, “Do not fear,” over and over in His Word, reminding us that He is with us. And He made sure it was part of the message given to each of those to whom an angel appeared to announce His Son's birth.
"Do not be afraid."
For perfect love casts out all fear.
Jesus came bringing peace that the world could never give.
Jesus came bringing light that the darkness could never overcome.
Jesus came bringing freedom from the barrier of sin and brought victory over death, once and for all.
The opposite of fear is not really simply "courage," but it is peace, faith, love, the assurance that we are held by a God who is Mighty and Sovereign and Strong.
Many of you have faced deep loss this year, the hurt of losing a loved one too soon, illness, cancer, financial troubles, or job loss. Others are struggling through the pain of broken relationships. Many are fighting depression and despair, facing addictions and giants that seem too big.
Whatever you might be battling this season, I pray that you will find deep peace in Him. The One who loves you so much and says, "Do not fear..."
He is greater. Always. He came to overcome it all. And He is with us.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Give God your worries and fears today, again, and afresh. Choose to leave it all in the hands that have the power to bring us deep peace and assurance, that the world can never give or take away. Be assured His Presence is with you and His love never fails.
Further Reading:
Luke 1:11-33
Luke 2:8-14
Matthew 1:20-21
Walk His Way / Greg Laurie
Walk His Way
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 NKJV).
When the angel announced that Christ had been born, this was the message he delivered: “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10-11 NLT).
The Christian faith is a happy faith and a hopeful faith. We have hope in this life and in our relationship with the Lord, and we have hope for the afterlife. But this doesn't mean that Christians are happy all the time or that we should walk around wearing fake smiles.
After all, Christians have moments of sadness, too. Christians even grapple with depression and other difficulties that everyone else deals with. We have hard times and setbacks, even if we are God’s children.
Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we’ll be exempt from facing a tragedy or a hardship. But what it does mean is that in the midst of our difficulties, we can experience happiness. It comes down to something the apostle Paul frequently referred to when he was writing to the believers in Philippi.
There are 16 references to the mind in Philippians, which tells us that the secret of Christian happiness is found in the way that we think, not in the way that we feel. So if we want to be happy, then we need to think properly.
Paul filled his heart and his mind with Jesus Christ. And why is that important? Because the way we think will affect how we live. For instance, we will walk in the direction that we’re looking. That’s why it’s hard to look over your shoulder and keep walking forward.
In the same way, when we’re looking to the Lord, we will walk in His direction. Every action starts with a thought. And what we think is what we’ll do.
People Problems / Chuck Swindoll
People Problems
For many years, I opened the daily newspaper looking forward to another dose of wisdom from the mind of Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip "Peanuts." In one particular scene, Lucy chides her little brother Linus, "You a doctor! HA! That's a big laugh! You could never be a doctor! You know why? Because you don't love mankind, that's why!"
Linus ponders her indictment for a moment and then shouts, "I love mankind. It's people I can't stand!!"
There are some days I have to laugh and say "Amen!" Let's face it; most problems are people problems. You can have a job that demands long hours and great physical effort, but neither the hours nor the energy drain gives you the problems difficult people do. You can have financial difficulties, physical pain, a tight schedule, and face miles of driving each day, but these things are not the cause of our major battles. It's people, as Linus said. Difficult people are perhaps the most challenging problems of all!
Psalm 54 is David's lament over the constant grind of people problems. Take a moment to observe the superscription; you'll find it worth your while. (By the way, I hope you are learning to do that when studying the ancient songs in the Bible. The words that appear before the first verse of each psalm are part of ancient text, giving the reader some helpful hints about the song.)
In the Fifty-fourth Psalm the superscription reads:
For the choir director; on stringed instruments.
A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and
said to Saul, "Is not David hiding himself among us?"
This unusually long superscription tells us that David wrote the song. We also learn that it is a "Maskil." All Maskil songs offer instruction and insight for dealing with certain situations. In this case, Psalm 54 provides some very practical advice on how to respond to problems created by other members of the human race who are just as ornery as we are!
According to 1 Samuel 23:14–26, David was being chased by jealous King Saul, whose murderous manhunt forced the singer to take refuge in a bleak and rugged location. He feared for his life, so he was desperate to find a place of safety. But everything backfired. The spot called "the hill of Hachilah" appears safe within Ziphite territory, supposedly neutral ground. But David found no rest there. The Ziphites turned against him and reported his location to Saul, and the chase resumed. David fled to the wilderness of Maon but soon found himself surrounded by Ziphites and Saul's soldiers.
I can just picture David. He's dirty, sweaty, hungry, thirsty, exhausted, and no doubt, discouraged. He slumps beside a leafy bush or beneath the shadow of a rock to escape the searing rays of the desert sun, and he begins to pour out his feelings in a poem. Attacked and betrayed by people, he is led by the Holy Spirit to record his feelings. Those expressions are what we have today preserved in the lyrics of this song, Psalm 54.
Satan at Work / Billy Graham
Satan at Work
Satan is at work in our world. The Bible is my authority. He exists and he has control over thousands of young people, whose hearts have never been captured by Jesus Christ. He has hundreds of agents writing pornographic literature and producing sex movies to pollute young minds. He has intellectuals in high positions teaching a hedonistic and permissive philosophy.
Daily I come in contact with mixed-up people who are caught in the anguish of their own unpreparedness, intellectuals who have been seduced by false science, and rich men who are held in the grip of insecurity. They have no commitment to any goal. They lack an anchor for their real selves. And I long to take every one of them by the hand and lead them into the presence of the One who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Daily Prayer
So many are without You, Lord! Use me to lead others from a destructive course to the one which will give them the satisfaction that only You can give.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7
Faith and Works / NKJV 365
Faith and Works
The great reformer Martin Luther, champion of the doctrine of salvation through faith alone, never felt good about the epistle of James. He called it an “epistle full of straw” in the preface to his 1522 edition of the New Testament, and he put the book in the appendix. He preferred Paul’s wording of the faith-works equation: “A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28).
In a sense, Luther had little choice. He was surrounded by men who said that good works could save you. He knew that God alone could save through faith alone, and his mission was to tell them.
But Luther went too far when he put James in the appendix to the New Testament. Neither faith nor works can be cut off and thrown away. James was taking aim at freeloaders, those who claimed to have no need for good deeds since they had faith. The reality is that if you have faith, works will naturally be a product. You cannot get rid of works just because they do not save you. You cannot sever the effect from the cause. Just as an apple tree will bear apples, so faith will produce good works (see Luke 6:43, 44).
Paul had the opposite problem in view when he wrote Romans. His letter targeted those who placed their faith in the Law of Moses. Their trust was in their own good works, and not in God. That is why Paul wrote a defense of faith, and that is why Luther preferred it to James’s defense of works.
Faith and works are not enemies. True faith and righteous works go hand in hand. They are two parts of God’s work in us. Faith brings a person to salvation, and works bring that person to faithfulness. Faith is the cause, works are the effect. James believed it, and so did Paul.
Taken from NKJV Study Bible
“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.”
Luke 6:43-44
November 30 / Daily Blessings
Daily Blessings
In God, Not Out of Trouble / Streams
In God, Not Out of Trouble
God’s Sovereign Hand / Max Lucado
God’s Sovereign Hand
Click below to listen to today's devotional
“The Lord directs the king’s thoughts. He turns them wherever he wants to” (Proverbs 21:1 TLB).
Who’s to say God doesn’t have a reversal in your future? Don’t be thrown off by the prosperity of the wicked. Instead, set your eyes on the author of your salvation. No individual, institution, organization, society, or country is beyond the influence of God. No one is beyond his sovereign hand.
God still hears the prayers of the exiles and still uses the faithful to reach them. Are you in need of rescue? Are you available to rescue someone else? Either way, keep praying. Keep trusting. Your story is not finished. Reversals happen.
But you have to stay in the game. Mordecai did. Esther did. And their stories took a turn for the better. So will yours, my friend. So will yours.
Monday, November 29, 2021
The Supremacy of Jesus Christ / Oswald Chambers
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Discovering Our True Identity / Charles Stanley
Discovering Our True Identity
Many Christians are experiencing an identity crisis. They know they’re saved, but they don’t really know what to think about themselves. Let’s take a little test. Do you consider yourself a sinner saved by grace or a saint who occasionally sins? Both statements are true, but the first one dwells on your past identity, whereas the second focuses on the Lord’s perception of you.
If you are a believer, God’s Word says that you are a saint (v. 2). But too many of us still see ourselves as the same old sinner, who’s been forgiven and patched up and yet is basically unchanged inside. But the Lord says anyone in Christ “is a new creature; the old things passed away” (2 Cor. 5:17). That’s what being born again is all about. We can never go back to the way we were.
The solution to this identity crisis is to change the way we think about ourselves. If we don’t, we’ll rely on how we feel, and Satan will bombard us with reminders of our failures and sins. He wants to keep us focused on being a sinner, because he knows that the recognition of our sainthood will lead us to live like saints. We’ll be motivated and empowered to obey God, and the Devil will lose his foothold in our lives.
Jesus didn’t come just to save you from hell; He wants to live His life through you. In Christ, you have a new identity which has replaced your old one. If you will focus on who you are now, your actions will follow, and you’ll experience the enjoyment of a victorious Christian life.
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