Bible in One Year: September 30

  Bible in One Year: Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3

Instruments in His Hands / Greg Laurie

 Instruments in His Hands

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT)

In 2013, someone paid nearly one million US dollars for a Fender Stratocaster guitar. That’s a lot of money to spend on a Fender Strat. Why would someone pay so much for a guitar?

Well, Bob Dylan played that guitar at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Dylan was known earlier for playing an acoustic guitar and the harmonica, but at that festival, he walked out onstage with the Fender Stratocaster, plugged it in, and played “Like a Rolling Stone,” a song that the Rolling Stone magazine later declared the greatest rock song ever written (at least for a while).

All the folk purists became angry because they thought that what Dylan did at the festival was an abomination. So the 1965 Newport Folk Festival became a historic event, and that’s why the guitar that Dylan played there sold for almost one million US dollars.

Then there was the Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix played—and burned—at the Monterey Pop Festival. It sold in 2008 for roughly 337,000 US dollars. Why would a guitar be burned? Hendrix had just finished playing “Wild Thing” when he took off the guitar, placed it on the stage, poured lighter fluid on it, and set it on fire. Part of that dismembered guitar ended up in someone’s hands, and that person later sold it.

The value of the Fender Stratocasters wasn’t in the guitars themselves; it was in who played them. In the same way, Jesus did not call His disciples because they were great. They were great because Jesus called them. It isn’t the instrument; it’s the One who holds the instrument.

God can take you, despite your flaws and shortcomings, and use you for His glory. And to their eternal credit, the disciples whom Jesus called (later known as the apostles) left everything to follow Jesus. When He was crucified, they were devastated. But when He rose from the dead, their lives were never the same again.

You Can Learn Through Affliction / Adrian Rogers

 You Can Learn Through Affliction 

Psalm 119:71 

Sermon: 1734 – The Chemistry of the Cross 

Pray Over This 

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” 

Psalm 119:71 

Ponder This 

In today’s Scripture, David said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” Have you ever said that? Oh, God thank You for this sickness. Thank You for this suffering. Thank You for this adversity. Thank You for this problem. Thank You for this heartache. Thank You for this thing I’m going through. It takes a lot of faith to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted. And David said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.” Did you know that affliction is sometimes the best teacher? We never see as clearly as when we see through eyes that have been washed through tears. When we get on our backs, it’s then that we begin to look up into the face of God. A sick bed can often teach more than a sermon. 

• How have you experienced the reality of learning faithfulness to God through suffering?
• Who do you know who is suffering today?

Practice This 

Take action today in a specific way to encourage someone who is suffering.

The Assigning of the Call/ Oswald Chambers

 

The Assigning of the Call I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church… COLOSSIANS 1:24 We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us. We say, “If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I wouldn’t object!” But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed. I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children. Bible in One Year: Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.

Prayer in Times of Inadequacy / Charles Stanley

 Prayer in Times of Inadequacy

Nehemiah 2:1-10

After Nehemiah heard about the desperate condition of the Jews who had returned from exile to Jerusalem, his heart was burdened (Neh. 1:3-4). By getting his attention in this way, the Lord could reveal what He wanted Nehemiah to do. Scripture doesn't spell out the man's reaction on realizing that he was to be a part of the solution, but we can imagine a sense of inadequacy probably engulfed him. How could he possibly help? He wasn't even near Jerusalem, and as a servant of the king, he didn't have the freedom to pack up and leave.

But whenever God puts a burden on our hearts, He will open a door to accomplish His will. In this case, the Lord used Nehemiah's sad expression and desperate prayer to prepare a pagan king to send him on his mission.

How do you respond when you sense the Lord is calling you to a task that seems beyond your abilities? Do you list all the reasons you can't possibly do it? God already knows everything about you and the situation. He's not asking your permission to proceed; rather, He is calling you to move forward with faith and obedience. He didn't make an error in choosing you for the task, but you will make a huge mistake if you refuse to do it.

God will equip you for whatever He calls you to do. Because the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, we have all we need to fulfill the Lord's mission. Instead of letting inadequacy hinder you from obeying, let it drive you to your knees so you can arise with renewed insight and power.

Where to Turn / ODB

 

Where to Turn The Lord longs to be gracious to you. Isaiah 30:18 READ Isaiah 30:12–18 Everyone in high school admired Jack’s easygoing attitude and athletic skill. He was happiest in midair above a half-pipe ramp—one hand holding his skateboard, the other stretched out for balance. Jack decided to follow Jesus after he started attending a local church. Up to that point, he’d endured significant family struggles and had used drugs to medicate his pain. For a while after his conversion, things seemed to be going well for him. But years later he started using drugs again. Without the proper intervention and ongoing treatment, he eventually died of an overdose. It’s easy to turn back to what’s familiar when we face difficulty. When the Israelites felt the distress of an upcoming Assyrian attack, they crawled back to the Egyptians—their former slave masters—for help (Isaiah 30:1–5). God predicted that this would be disastrous, but He continued to care for them although they made the wrong choice. Isaiah voiced God’s heart: “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion” (v. 18). This is God’s attitude toward us, even when we choose to look elsewhere to numb our pain. He wants to help us. He doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves with habits that create bondage. Certain substances and actions tempt us with a quick sense of relief, but God wants to provide authentic healing as we walk closely with Him. By Jennifer Benson Schuldt Why is it important to recognize God’s grace in times of failure? How can you better mirror His faithfulness in your relationship with Him? Dear God, please set me free from sinful patterns. Help me to turn to You when I'm tempted to find relief in something else.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT A resurgent militant Assyria was threatening to conquer all Israel, but the Southern Kingdom of Judah turned to Egypt for help instead of trusting God for deliverance (Isaiah 30:2). God had explicitly prohibited Israelite kings from trusting in horses (representing military might and power) for deliverance, for “no king is saved by the size of his army; . . . A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Psalm 33:16–17). Isaiah warned that it’s futile to trust in Egypt (Isaiah 30:1–7), and it’s foolish not to trust in God (vv. 8–19). God lovingly urged His people to repent, promising blessing to those who trust in Him (vv. 18–33). “How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you” (v. 19). Judah had yet to learn that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). K. T. Sim

Least Within or Greatest Without / Spurgeon

 

Least Within or Greatest Without

A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes 9:4

Life is a precious thing, and in even its humblest form it is superior to death. This is eminently true in spiritual matters. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Spirit implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit that none of the refinements of education can equal. The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be made alive, for they are dead in trespasses and sins.

A living, loving gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and lacking in style, is better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog keeps better watch than a dead lion and is of more service to his master; and so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of self.

The same holds true of our prayers and other religious exercises: If we are quickened in them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, though we may think them to be worthless things, while our grand performances in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carcasses in the sight of the living God. We need living groans, living sighs, living despondencies rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Anything is better than death. The snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead profession—what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O Lord!

Can you trust the mediator? / Senior Living

 Can you trust the mediator?

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. - >1 Timothy 2:5

A folk story is told of the bandit Jose Rivera who became notorious in several little towns in Texas for robbing banks and businesses. Finally a Texas Ranger caught up with Jose as he was taking a siesta at a local saloon.

He walked over to the sleeping bandit, tapped him on the shoulder, and asked, “Are you Jose Rivera?” The man mumbled, “No speak English.” The ranger beckoned a young barkeep to help him communicate. The ensuing conversation was tedious. Finally, the ranger warned Jose Rivera that he had two choices: let him know where all the loot was hidden, or be shot dead instantly. The young man translated the ultimatum.

Jose Rivera pulled himself together and said to the young man, “Tell him to go out of the bar, turn to the right, go about a mile, and he will see a well. Near the well he will see a very tall tree. If he digs on the north side of the tree, he will find all of the money I have taken.”

The young man turned to the ranger, opened his mouth, paused, and then said, “Jose Rivera says, ‘Go ahead and shoot!’”

Very often, we find ourselves reliant on an intermediary to transmit a message to us. Yet the reliability of the message we receive is only as good as the mediator. But in Christ, we have a perfect mediator, who gave us the message of eternal life that came from God. So thank God today for sending Jesus as the perfect mediator that we may know Him!

Prayer Challenge

Thank God that He sent Jesus Christ to be a mediator so that you can know Him!

Questions for Thought

What does it mean to you that God sent a mediator, Jesus Christ, so that you can have a relationship with Him?

How can you let others know that God has made Himself accessible through Christ?

A Fresh Pair of Eyes / David Jeremiah

 

A Fresh Pair of Eyes Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. Acts 9:18   When we think of things out of focus, we think of pictures and videos. But what about eyesight? Many people in biblical days were nearsighted or farsighted, and there was nothing they could do about it. It was like watching an out-of-focus film every waking moment. The earliest attempts to create eyeglasses didn’t occur until the 1200s. What if we had to go through life with everything out of focus?

Recommended Reading: Acts 9: 17 – 19

Going through life without worship is like living with blurred vision. We can neither see nor understand things clearly. Our wisdom is indistinct, and our perspective is fuzzy. When we acknowledge God for Who He is, find Him through Jesus Christ as our Savior, and begin to worship Him, it’s like scales falling from our eyes. That’s how Luke described the conversion of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9. Worshiping God each day means focusing on Him, letting Him give us the vision and perspective we need. Turn your mind toward Jesus and learn to think on Scripture as you go to sleep, wake up, and go through your day. Take time to focus your heart and your thoughts on the Lord. Ray Pritchard

Wisdom from the Psalms / September 30

 Psalm 119:53

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

 

 

No one had seen Edna for weeks. They had talked to her on the phone, and she insisted that she was all right, but she had dropped her social life altogether. A group of her friends dropped by to see her, and found her terribly distraught. Weeks before, Edna had been the victim of a purse snatcher, and ever since she was afraid to go out. Television and newspapers only fueled her fears. With the way the world was moving, Edna feared she would never leave her house again.

 

Our world is filled with horrors. Sometimes the answer seems to be to lock the doors and wait for all that is wrong to just go away. Unfortunately, that is no way to live. In such a horrifying time, we need to draw upon the courage of the Lord to meet the world head-on. God will instill in us the power to conquer our fears and enjoy this life as the gift it was meant to be. He will also lead us in ways that we can work together to change this world for the better.

 

Prayer: I cannot believe the things I see and hear in the world today. Everything is so crazy. Be the source of sanity in this mixed-up world, Lord. Se my feet upon the solid rock of Your salvation. Amen.

The Cleansing Element of Praise / Max Lucado

The Cleansing Element of Praise

Click below to listen to today's devotional

THE CLEANSING ELEMENT OF PRAISE 

Our stress-laden society has developed many skills for dealing with anxiety. We have breathing exercises and mediation techniques. But the person in whom the Spirit dwells has the greatest of resources. The apostle Paul said, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18-19 NIV).

The apostle contrasts two strategies for facing inner chaos: inebriation and celebration. Many people numb themselves, if not with liquor, with bouts of shopping or hours of playing. The better option: celebration. Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.

 

One Mind, One Purpose, One Spirit / Alistair Begg

 

One Mind, One Purpose, One Spirit

Complete my joy by being of the same mind, 

having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, 

but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Philippians 2:2-3

While it is of course beneficial for church members to take initiative in ministry, a healthy body of believers will not be driven by individual ideas and agendas. Our minds must first be united in the gospel if the church is truly going to be under Christ’s headship. Without that unity, we will instead be driven by our own selfish and competing desires and agendas.

The Bible has so much to say about our minds because as we think, so we are. When we train our minds to think correctly, we will then learn to love properly and serve together in one spirit and purpose. Part of our mental battle is rooted in our old, selfish, human nature. One of our greatest stumbling blocks is not so much hate as self-love: we are inclined toward an attitude of conceit, which runs completely counter to the character of our Lord, and our lack of humility becomes an obstacle that prevents us from experiencing harmony with those around us. Even our good deeds often have tainted motives.

If we are to be unified in Christ, we cannot insist on our own way. Instead, we need to “count others more significant than ourselves.” This means that we remind ourselves of the best in others before thinking of ourselves, that we are quicker to ask what would be best for others than what would be most convenient for ourselves, and that we are willing to enter into the lives and struggles of others rather than standing aloof. Genuine humility doesn’t take the front seat or begin with “me” all the time. It is instead “the nothingness that makes room for God to prove his power.”[1] It is a trait, Paul tells us, that Jesus Himself exhibited: “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself” (Romans 15:2-3). 

When we think of ourselves first, it is difficult—impossible, in fact—to put God’s word into action. But when we learn to put others first, we will be far more ready to care for their concerns before our own. In so doing, we can truly be unified within the body of Christ. You likely know people who exhibit this kind of godly humility. Praise God for them now, and pray that you will see how you can follow their example—and, supremely, follow the example of Christ Himself. He counted what you needed as of greater significance than His own comfort—even than His own life. Paul’s challenge to each of us is this: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5, NIV). 

John 3:22-36

Bible in One Year: September 29

 Bible in One Year: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

The Awareness of the Call / Oswald Chambers

 

The Awareness of the Call …for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 1 CORINTHIANS 9:16 We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural— something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through— “I chose you…” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him. If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength. If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony. Bible in One Year: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him.

Standing Strong and Tall through Prayer /Charles Stanley

 Standing Strong and Tall through Prayer

Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah was a man who lived on his knees. Whenever he needed guidance, strength, provision, or protection, his first response was prayer. Because of Nehemiah’s humble dependence, God was able to use him greatly to achieve His purposes.

This principle is still true for believers today. God can use us in the most awesome fashion if we'll seek Him and make ourselves available. He has a calling for each of us and doesn't want us wasting the opportunities He provides.

To follow Nehemiah's example of dependent prayer, we must first recognize God as the sovereign Ruler of the universe (v. 5). Although He's our loving Father and loyal Friend, we must never forget that He is also our high and exalted Creator whose holiness is beyond our comprehension. Never think of the Lord as "the man upstairs" or come into His presence in a frivolous manner.

Because Nehemiah respected the awesome holiness of God, he approached Him with confession, admitting not only his sin, but his father's and Israel's as well (vv. 6-7). We cannot hide, deny, or cherish sin and expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers. Purity of heart and the power of God are linked. We need the sensitivity to instantly recognize when we've strayed, and the willingness to deal with sin immediately.

The reason Nehemiah stood so tall and strong was not due to his natural abilities, but because he developed a relationship of dependency on the Lord through prayer. The same can be true for you. Don't rush into your day without taking time to enter God's throne room to seek His guidance.

Are You a Christ-like Employee? / Adrian Rogers

 Are You a Christ-like Employee? 

Ephesians 6:5-7 

Sermon: 1733 – How to Have a Spirit-Filled Life 

Pray Over This 

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.” 

Ephesians 6:5-7 

Ponder This 

I want to let you in on a secret. If we would begin to live on Monday like these verses describe, people would start believing what we preach on Sunday. What better place could there be to witness for Jesus Christ than on the job? Your job is your temple of devotion; it is your lamp stand for witness. The boss would say, “I don’t understand these Christians. They’re here on time. They work with smiles on their faces. They’re very careful. They’re honest. They don’t steal a thing. I can trust them with the entire business. They seem to be devoted to the business as if they own it.” When a man goes to hire new workers, he ought to think, “Those are the kind of people I want.” 

But it’s not in human nature to do that. Human nature is to get by with as little as you can and get as much as you can. How are we going to live as these verses describe? You don’t have what it takes. That’s not your nature. By nature, you are selfish, but being Spirit-filled you can live this way. 

• How does your relationship with the Lord change the way you work each day?
• How does this change your perspective on daily routine tasks?

Practice This 

What tasks are in front of you today? Consider how it would look to do these tasks to the Lord and take action to follow through.

The Coffee-Bean Bowl / ODB

 

The Coffee-Bean Bowl We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15 READ John 12:1–7 I’m not a coffee drinker, but one sniff of coffee beans brings me a moment of both solace and wistfulness. When our teenage daughter Melissa was making her bedroom uniquely hers, she filled a bowl with coffee beans to permeate her room with a warm, pleasant scent. It’s been nearly two decades since Melissa’s earthly life ended in a car accident at age seventeen, but we still have that coffee-bean bowl. It gives us a continual, aromatic remembrance of Mell’s life with us. Scripture also uses fragrances as a reminder. Song of Songs refers to fragrances as a symbol of love between a man and a woman (see 1:3; 4:11, 16). In Hosea, God’s forgiveness of Israel is said to be “fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:6). And Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet, which caused the house of Mary and her siblings to be “filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3), pointed ahead to Jesus’ death (see v. 7). The idea of fragrance can also help us be mindful of our testimony of faith to those around us. Paul explained it this way: “We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). Just as the scent of coffee beans reminds me of Melissa, may our lives produce a scent of Jesus and His love that reminds others of their need of Him. By Dave Branon How can you be “the fragrance of Christ” to someone today? How has your life caused others to sense the presence of the Savior? Dear heavenly Father, help me to pass along an aroma of life that makes others know I represent You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Jesus talked openly about His death, yet His disciples kept missing it. Mary, however, seemed to understand—perhaps from her history of careful listening to the Master (see Luke 10:38–42). After Christ resurrected Mary’s brother Lazarus (John 11:38–44), the chief priests and Pharisees “plotted to take his life” (v. 53). At that point, Jesus “withdrew to a region near the wilderness” (v. 54). Now, however, He returned to where Mary and Martha were in Bethany, a town literally “over the hill” (the Mount of Olives) from Jerusalem. Here in Bethany, the One who raised the dead prepared for His own death. Mary’s lavish gesture was an important part of that preparation. Judas scoffed at Mary’s beautiful act, but Jesus would have none of it. “Leave her alone,” He said. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” (12:7). Tim Gustafson