Bible in One Year: March 31

 Bible in One Year: Judges 11-12; Luke 6:1-26

Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves? / 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. Bible in One Year: Judges 11-12; Luke 6:1-26

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Beware of pronouncing any verdict on the life of faith if you are not living it.

The Believer's Journey to the Cross / Charles Stanley

The Believer's Journey to the Cross

John 12:23-27

We all know that Jesus walked the road to Calvary, but did you know that believers also journey to the cross? We've all been positionally crucified with Christ, but those who hunger for Him participate in a deeper experience of this reality. Jesus lovingly takes their hand and leads them to the cross. Even though this is the last place anyone wants to go, it's the only way to partake of God's best for our lives.

The trip to the cross is not one you take with family and friends. It's a lonely journey with just you and Jesus. He strips away everyone and everything you've depended on so that you'll learn to rely only on Him. While we're at the cross, He uncovers layer after layer of self-deception until we begin to see ourselves as He does. Soon our self-centeredness, inadequacy, and failures are laid bare.

The cross is a place of brokenness, but it's necessary because there's no other way we'll ever bear fruit. If we hang onto our lives and refuse to take this journey, we'll be like a grain of wheat that is never planted and never grows. But those who willingly die to themselves will produce an abundance of spiritual fruit. The only way Christ can live His life through us is if we've allowed ourselves to be crucified.

God doesn't want you to be content with just your salvation. There's so much more He desires to give you and accomplish through you. Are you willing to take the road to the cross with Him? Yes, it's painful, but the rewards in this life and in eternity far outweigh any suffering you will experience. 

Remaining Disciplined and Devoted to God / Adrian Rogers

 Remaining Disciplined and Devoted to God

Romans 12:1

Sermon: 2203 How to Discover Your Spiritual Gift

Pray Over This

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Romans 12:1

Ponder This

Have you ever said to God, “I am here. You can have all there is of me. I present myself as a sacrifice. All my plans, my goals, my so-called possessions—I sacrifice them to you Lord”? Does that seem strange to you? If we are honest with ourselves, there are so many of us that want to take Christianity and tack it onto our regular lives. We want to hold onto our lives, our rights.

A sacrifice in the Old Testament was killed; it had no more plans of its own. On the altar, they had two hooks and those hooks would be put into that sacrifice that was to be burned to hold it on the altar. Do you know what will hold you on the altar? Discipline and devotion will hold you there as a living sacrifice, but most of us don’t want those flesh hooks.

Many will say, “I don’t want to get bound down. I would teach a class, join a church, and make a pledge to the love offering, but I don’t want to get bound down. I want to be free.” No. This is a sacrifice. And what happened to an Old Testament sacrifice was this—it was consumed; it was burnt up. You do not truly worship God until you are consumed.

• If you are honest with yourself, what are the things you aren’t willing to give up to follow Jesus?
• Do discipline and devotion to Jesus have a prominent place in your life? Why or why not?

Practice This

Speak to a person you know who has sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus. Ask that person to share insights about discipline, devotion, and living sacrificially.

Endless Forgiveness / 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 ‭NASB1995‬‬

Rest Assured in God / ODB

 

Rest Assured in God You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. Isaiah 26:3 READ Isaiah 26:1–6 Researchers in Fujian, China, wanted to help intensive care unit (ICU) patients sleep more soundly. They measured the effects of sleep aids on test subjects in a simulated ICU environment, complete with bright, hospital-grade lighting and audio recordings of machines beeping and nurses talking. Their research showed that tools like sleep masks and ear plugs improved their subjects’ rest. But they acknowledged that for truly sick patients in a real ICU, peaceful sleep would still be hard to come by. When our world is troubled, how can we find rest? The Bible’s clear: there’s peace for those who trust in God, regardless of their circumstances. The prophet Isaiah wrote about a future time when the ancient Israelites would be restored after hardship. They would live securely in their city, because they knew that God made it safe (Isaiah 26:1). They would trust that He was actively working in the world around them to bring good—“He humbles those who dwell on high,” raising up the oppressed, and bringing justice (vv. 5–6). They would know that “the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal,” and they could trust Him forever (v. 4). “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,” wrote Isaiah, “because they trust in you” (v. 3). God can provide peace and rest for us today as well. We can rest in the assurance of His love and power, no matter what’s going on around us. By Karen Pimpo What threatens to overwhelm you today? How can you remind yourself of God’s power and love? Dear God, I trust You and choose to rest assured in Your love today. For further study, read God Is Love.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Isaiah ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the reigns of King Ahaz (Isaiah 7–35) and his son Hezekiah (chs. 36–39), during which time Judah’s perennial enemies—Israel, Syria (Aram), Egypt, and Assyria, persistently attacked her (see 2 Chronicles 26–32). Ahaz was one of Judah’s worst kings, whereas Hezekiah was a godly king committed to reforming his kingdom. Isaiah challenged Ahaz and Hezekiah to look to God for deliverance. Ahaz refused to trust God (Isaiah 7:10–17; see 2 Chronicles 28). But Hezekiah did (Isaiah 37:14–21; see 2 Chronicles 32:1–23). Isaiah 26 is a song of trust, promising and celebrating God’s victory, salvation, restoration, safety, and “perfect peace” (v. 3; shalom, meaning peace, safety, prosperity, well-being, wholeness) for those who humble themselves and honor Him. God’s people can “trust in the Lord forever” because our God “the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (v. 4). K. T. Sim

Getting to Know You / David Jeremiah

 

Getting to Know You But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18 Most people go on reality TV shows to find love or win money. But twin sisters Emily and Molly, who recently competed on The Amazing Race, had another reason for being on the show. Born in South Korea and separated at birth, the sisters were both adopted by families in the United States. Thanks to DNA testing, they found each other at the age of 36. One year later, they were traveling the world together on The Amazing Race. As Molly said in an interview, “It was a really nice way to get to know each other in a very unconventional setting. We would have never gotten this close had we not been able to spend time without phones or away from family, just one-on-one together.”[1]

Recommended Reading: Psalm 135: 1 – 7

We might know about God, just as the sisters eventually knew about each other, but we should seek to know Him on a far deeper level. As we run the Christian race, are we looking to get to know God more, or are we distracted by our phones and the busyness of life? Take some time today to step away from the distractions of everyday life and spend time getting to know your Heavenly Father more. We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it. J. I. Packer

When God Asked the Impossible / Greg Laurie

When God Asked the Impossible

“God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. (Genesis 22:8 NLT)

Isaac came to his parents, Abraham and Sarah, much later in life. They were far beyond the age of childbearing. Yet God gave them a son as He had promised. And Isaac, whose name means “laughter,” brought much joy to Abraham’s life.

But one day God asked the impossible of Abraham. He said, “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you” (Genesis 22:2 NLT).

Of course, we know how the story ends. God did not actually require that. He was testing Abraham. As they were making their way up to the place of sacrifice, Isaac asked his father where the sacrificial lamb was. Abraham replied prophetically, “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son” (verse 8 NLT).

Most commentators believe that Isaac was probably between eighteen and twenty years old. So, Isaac could have said, “Now Dad, wait. The way I’m seeing this is that you’re going to offer me as a sacrifice. But I’m young. I have my whole life ahead of me!”

However, verse 8 continues, “And they both walked on together.” To Isaac’s credit, he went along with the plan. Father and son were in cooperation.

This is a perfect picture of what happened at the cross of Calvary. Even the area where Abraham prepared to offer Isaac was where Jesus died for us on the cross.

Yes, Jesus willingly went to the cross, but let’s also remember that God the Father sent Him. The Father had to watch His Son suffer. The Father had to watch as His Son was beaten beyond human recognition.

Father and Son were in cooperation. The Father sent His Son. And the Son willingly went. 

Clothed in His Righteousness / Ann Graham Lotz

 Clothed in His Righteousness

And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

Mark 15:24, nkjv

When Jesus finally arrived at the place of execution around nine o’clock in the morning, if His treatment followed standard procedure in those days, He was stripped of all His clothes. Possibly He was allowed to retain a loincloth.

Yet because Jesus was stripped “naked,” you and I can be clothed! The Bible tells us that all of our righteousness, including the very best things we ever do, are so permeated with sin and selfishness that they are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6). But at the Cross, Jesus gave us His perfect, spotless robe of righteousness and took our filthy garments of sin in exchange (Phil. 3:9). On Judgment Day, you and I will be dressed in His righteousness before God because He wore the filthy garments of our sin. We will be clothed because He was stripped!

‘I Still Believe’ By Taylor Johnson

‘I Still Believe’ By Taylor Johnson Shayan,* a refugee in Iran, grew up Muslim, learning and studying the Quran in order to become a mullah. But as he matured in his understanding of religion, his view of the Islamic faith began to change, and Christianity interested him more and more. *Name changed to protect privacy.  His Testimony

TODAY’S PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for me. Help me to live my life completely surrendered to You, willing to obey Your every command. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Heed God’s Word / Max Lucado

Heed God’s Word

Click below to listen to today's devotional

HEED GOD’S WORD 

Choices have consequences. Glory days happen when we make good choices and trouble happens when we don’t. This is the headline message delivered by Joshua in the nationwide assembly in the Valley of Shechem. Joshua brought the invasion to a halt and every person to the Valley of Shechem. Once they reached the valley, Joshua set about the task of building an altar.

In Joshua 8:32 we read, “And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses.” The secret to the successful campaign of the Hebrews was not the strength of the army but the resolve of the people to keep God’s commandments. Heeding God’s Word is more critical than fighting God’s war. In fact, heeding God’s Word is fighting God’s war. Conquest happens as the covenant is honored.

 

Bible in One Year: March 30

 Bible in One Year: Judges 9-10; Luke 5:17-39

Holiness or Hardness Toward God? / 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. Bible in One Year: Judges 9-10; Luke 5:17-39

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it.

Life’s Great Liberator / Charles Stanley

Life’s Great Liberator

Luke 4:16-21

From some people’s countenance, we judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner peace. Internally, though, many are in bondage.

In today’s passage, Jesus clarifies His purpose: He has come to set free those in captivity. Christ was referring to several types of bonds that can imprison our souls.

First, Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have broken God’s law and consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But Christ’s death and resurrection free us when we accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust in Him. Then we can have a relationship with the Lord.

Secondly, He liberates us from persistent sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony. His Spirit resides within each believer and provides the power to overcome wrong choices that seemed to “own” us. He enables us to do what He desires—by bringing immediate healing or by giving guidance and strength in the ongoing battle.

The Creator of mankind made us with a void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything we put there—whether it seems like a good thing at the time or an obvious bad choice—will ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in bondage until God frees us and then provides the only true satisfaction.

Are you one of those people who appear happy and seem to have life figured out, and yet inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem you, forgive your sins, and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow Him to liberate you today.

 

Are You Easily Irritated? / Adrian Rogers

Are You Easily Irritated?

1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Sermon: 2202 Learning to Love, Part 2

Pray Over This

“(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Ponder This

Love is not irritable. Do you have a hair-trigger temper? Are you a person who easily flies off the handle or is easily irritated?

Years ago, when I was working my way through school, there was a deacon in our church who hired me to work for him. I thought he was one of the most wonderful men I’d ever known. I worked with this man, and on one occasion I saw this man I greatly respected get so angry. He picked up a tool and threw it all the way across the room, muttering something that I would not want to repeat. I was so hurt because I’d looked up to him. He was a leader in our church, and I was just a young person. I thought how sad that this man was so easily provoked.

We all have our faults. There have been those moments when I have taken my eyes off the Lord and gotten provoked, and the Holy Spirit has reminded me, “Adrian, the reason you did that is because that’s what you were full of.” What spills out is what you’re full of. We need to learn to drown insults in a river of love. One of the precious virtues of love is that it is not irritable.

• How easily are you irritated? What are specific things that set you off?
• How has someone’s patience made an impact on your life?

Practice This

Ask someone you are close with to keep you accountable for times you are easily irritated. Resolve to drown insults you receive in a river of love. 

To Do or Not to Do / ODB

 

To Do or Not to Do I do not do the good I want to do, . . . I keep on doing [evil]. Romans 7:19 READ Romans 7:15–20 When I was a kid, a decommissioned World War II tank was put on display in a park near my home. Multiple signs warned of the danger of climbing on the vehicle, but a couple of my friends immediately scrambled up. Some of us were a bit reluctant, but eventually we did the same. One boy refused, pointing to the posted signs. Another jumped down quickly as an adult approached. The temptation to have fun outweighed our desire to follow rules. There’s a heart of childish rebellion lurking within all of us. We don’t like being told what to do or not to do. Yet we read in James that when we know what is right and don’t do it—it is sin (4:17). In Romans, the apostle Paul wrote: “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (7:19–20). As believers in Jesus, we may puzzle over our struggle with sin. But too often we depend solely on our own strength to do what’s right. One day, when this life is over, we’ll be truly dead to sinful impulses. Until then, however, we can rely on the power of the One whose death and resurrection won the victory over sin. By Cindy Hess Kasper What sins are the biggest struggle for you? How can you rely more on God’s power to overcome their stronghold? Loving God, please help me to choose to do what’s right. My heart’s desire is to reflect Your perfect character and holy ways. For further study, read Crying for Us All: How Jesus Shares Our Grief.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Romans 7:14–25 has been a source of much debate in scholarship. Many have believed it describes Paul’s ongoing struggle with sin because it speaks in the present tense and uses the first person (“I”). However, it’s difficult to reconcile Romans 7’s description of being a “slave to sin” (v. 14) with the state of freedom from sin’s bondage described as a gift of the Spirit to all believers in chapters 6 and 8 (6:17–18; 8:1–2). Today, many scholars believe that Romans 7’s vivid description of doing “what I do not want to do” (v. 16) wasn’t describing Paul’s then-current personal struggle. Instead, he may have been using a literary technique of speaking in the present tense to dramatize the futility of seeking salvation through the law (8:3). It’s through the power of Christ’s Spirit that believers can experience freedom, life, and peace (vv. 1–3, 6, 10). Monica La Rose

Know Him More / David Jeremiah

 

Know Him More One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4 It often happens over a holiday meal or at a birthday party. Family members begin reminiscing, and before you know it, children are hearing stories about their parents and grandparents that they’ve never heard before. Or adult children begin sharing some of the exploits from their childhood, and their parents learn what the kids “got away with” while they weren’t looking.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 27: 1 – 5

It seems as though no matter how well we know someone, even our own family members, there’s always more to learn about them. The same is true for our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Some of us have been learning about God since before we can remember. But there’s always more for us to learn about Him. Like David, we should desire to know our Father more, to become closer to Him. Begin studying a specific attribute of God or spend time slowly reading through the Gospels—seek to know Him better each day. The longer you know Christ, and the nearer you come to him, still the more do you see of his glory. John Flavel

The Cross Wasn’t a Mistake / Greg Laurie

The Cross Wasn’t a Mistake

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51 NLT)

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples a question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 NLT).

Different individuals came up with different answers. But then Peter, under the inspiration of God Himself said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (verse 16 NLT).

Jesus commended Peter for his answer, and everything was going wonderfully.

But then Matthew tells us, “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead” (verse 21 NLT).

Peter, probably thinking he was on a roll at that point, privately took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him for making such statements.

But Jesus replied, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” (verse 23 NLT).

Why so harsh? Jesus was speaking to the spirit that motivated Peter to say what he did. It was the devil who was saying to Jesus, “Don’t go to the cross. Think about Yourself. What about You?”

Yet nothing would deter Jesus from His course. That is why Jesus responded to Peter so strongly. In fact, Luke’s Gospel tells us that “as the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (9:51 NLT).

Jesus Christ came to this earth to buy back that which was forfeited in the Garden of Eden.

The cross wasn’t a mistake. Jesus knew it was coming and spoke of it often. He had to go to the cross because there was no other way to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. The cross was Jesus’ goal and destination from the beginning.