Bible in One Year: May 31

 Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26

Put God First / Oswald Chambers

Put God First Jesus did not commit Himself to them…for He knew what was in man. JOHN 2:24-25 Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God. Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9). A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “…tarry…until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere. Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” ( Matthew 18:5). God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me. Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”

 

Jesus Will Rule the New World Order / Adrian Rogers

 Jesus Will Rule the New World Order

Revelation 19:7

Sermon: 1951 The New World Order, Part 2

Pray Over This

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

Revelation 19:7

Ponder This

We are the bride of Christ and like with every wedding, the bride must be ready. Every bride is beautiful. God wants a beautiful bride. Just as a woman spares no expense to be beautiful on her wedding day, the Church needs to make herself beautiful.

There will be no world order until the King is on the throne. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Have you ever played checkers? In checkers, you move the checkers on the board, seeking to move your piece into the king’s row. Then you say, “Crown me.” The kingdoms of this world are being moved around like checkers, but soon God will move His Son into King’s row and say, “Crown Him.” And He’ll be King in Zion. I cannot wait for the time until our Lord comes, and we are going to have a new world order. On that day, the Church, Israel, Satan, and Jesus will be in their rightful places.

• How do you invest in the bride of Christ, the Church?
• Is Jesus king of your life? Why or why not?

Practice This

Take time to consider how you are preparing for the day when Jesus will be fully recognized as King. 

God’s Compass for the Heart and Mind / Charles Stanley

 God’s Compass for the Heart and Mind

Proverbs 3:7-12

Yesterday we discussed the importance of depending on the Word of God as our compass throughout life. Following the Lord’s directions will change behavior and challenge our thinking, attitudes, and desires. He leads us to think differently about ourselves, our values, and and even the difficulties facing us.

We naturally want to determine our own course in life. It seems like the only logical way to get where we want to go. But being wise in our own eyes is pride. To combat this tendency, the Lord instructs us to fear Him and turn away from evil (v. 7). This “fear” is not a horrified dread of the Father, but an attitude of respect that motivates us to obey Him for both our good and His glory.

We naturally want to keep our money for ourselves. A desire for a better lifestyle or fear of not having enough leads us to hang onto everything we get. But our compass directs us to honor God by giving Him the first part of all we have, trusting Him to provide for our needs (vv. 9-10).

We naturally hate God’s discipline. His painful reproofs seem to prove that He doesn’t care about us. But our heavenly Father says His discipline is the evidence that confirms His love and delight in us as His children (vv. 11-12).

Sometimes in our desire to follow the Lord, we focus on obedient actions—doing what He says—but miss His directions concerning our attitudes and thought patterns. To stay on God’s path for our lives, we must make course corrections not only in our behavior but also in our hearts and minds.

Sorrow and Joy / ODB

 

Sorrow and Joy No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping. Ezra 3:13 READ Ezra 3:8–13 Angela’s family reeled with sorrow as they experienced three bereavements in just four weeks. After the one involving the sudden death of their nephew, Angela and her two sisters gathered around the kitchen table for three days, only leaving to buy an urn, get takeout, and attend the funeral. As they wept over his death, they also rejoiced over the ultrasound photos of the new life growing within their youngest sister. In time, Angela found comfort and hope from the Old Testament book of Ezra. It describes God’s people returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed the temple and deported them from their beloved city (see Ezra 1). As Ezra watched the temple being rebuilt, he heard joyful praises to God (3:10–11). But he also listened to the weeping of those who remembered life before exile (v. 12). One verse especially consoled Angela: “No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise” (v. 13). She realized that even if she was drenched in deep sorrow, joy could still appear. We too might grieve the death of a loved one or mourn a different loss. If so, we can express our cries of pain along with our moments of rejoicing to God, knowing that He hears us and gathers us in His arms.  By Amy Boucher Pye Why do you think you can experience both joy and sorrow at the same time? How can you cultivate joy today? Loving God, in this world we experience pain and suffering. Spark joy in me as I look to You for hope and peace.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The book of Ezra captures the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. Ezra 1–6 tells of the first return of fifty thousand led by Zerubbabel (538 bc). They rebuilt the altar (ch. 3), reinstituted the sacrifices, and attempted to rebuild the temple (536 bc). But the temple work stalled for sixteen years because of strong opposition from enemies (chs. 4–5). Under the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah, the temple was eventually completed in 516 bc. Ezra 7–10 records the second return of five thousand Jews eighty years later, now led by Ezra himself (458 bc). The third return led by Nehemiah (444 bc) is recorded in the book of Nehemiah. K. T. Sim

Live With Boldness / David Jeremiah

 

Live With Boldness 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. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 On a regular basis we hear about athletes, students, teachers, small business owners, and others taking a stand for Christ. Sadly, they are often ridiculed and at times punished for their actions. In a world that is increasingly anti-Christian, it is not easy to stand up for one’s biblical beliefs. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exhorted the believers to live their lives as a sacrifice to God. He also challenged them not to conform to the anti-Christian culture of their day.

Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-17

Why are we to live boldly for Christ? Because of God’s mercy. Think about all God has done for you—the gift of salvation, spiritual blessings, the certain hope of eternity in heaven with Him. When we remember His mercy and what He has saved us from, how can we not live boldly for Him? As you go about your day, remember God’s mercy and choose to live a life of boldness for Him.   Stop assuming an outward expression which is patterned after this world. Kenneth Wuest

The Joy of Integrity / Greg Laurie

 The Joy of Integrity

Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. (Psalm 119:2 NLT)

Many people today who are searching for happiness will never quite find it. That’s because they’re searching for it in the wrong way.

We learn from the Bible that happiness is a by-product of holiness. And when we get our priorities in order, happiness will soon follow.

That is why nonbelievers never will know true happiness. They keep going after the devil’s cheap counterfeits; they have no deep well from which to draw.

In Psalm 119, we find God’s original design for finding and maintaining holiness. And as a result, we will discover happiness.

The psalmist wrote, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths” (verses 1–3 NLT).

From the very beginning of our lives, we learn the importance of walking. It’s interesting how little children immediately start moving in that direction. But they don’t quit after they take their first steps. They keep trying.

We grow as Christians in the same way. When we commit our lives to Christ, we begin to walk in the way of the Lord. And if we fall, we need to get up and keep trying.

Walking speaks of progression, of moving forward as opposed to simply standing still. And if we want to be truly happy and holy people, then we should not only avoid what is wrong but also actively engage in what is right.

People who are merely trying to avoid evil are missing the point. It is not merely a matter of what we don’t do. It’s also a matter of what we do. We must engage in spiritual growth and in godly living. We must walk in the way of the Lord.

Let Go! / Ann Graham Lotz

 Let Go!

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Hebrews 12:1, niv

Jesus Christ has set you and me free as surely as He raised Lazarus from the dead, but we have to take off the grave clothes and let them go!

The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to throw off the grave clothes and “everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Don’t wallow in your “whys?”

Don’t throw a pity-party.

Don’t remain in your misery.

Understand that you may not understand this side of heaven.

Trust God to sort it all out in the end.

Why? (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2004).

Give God Your Fear / Max Lucado

 

Give God Your Fear

Click below to listen to today's devotional

GIVE GOD YOUR FEAR 

How did Jesus endure the terror of the crucifixion? He went first to the Father with his fears. He modeled the words of Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Do the same with your fears. Enter them—just don’t enter them alone. And while there, be honest. Pounding the ground is permitted. Tears are allowed.“Take this cup” Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Give God your fears. Give God the number of the flight. Share the details of the job transfer. He has plenty of time. He also has plenty of compassion. He won’t tell you to “buck up” or “get tough.” He knows how you feel.

That’s why we punctuate our prayers as Jesus did: “Father, if you’re willing….” Was God willing? Yes and no. He didn’t take away the cross from Christ, but he took the fear. Who’s to say he won’t do the same for you?

Bible in One Year: May 30

 Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57

Yes— But…! / Oswald Chambers

 

Yes— But…! Lord, I will follow You, but... LUKE 9:61 Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about…?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.” Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense. By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God. Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We begin our Christian life by believing what we are told to believe, then we have to go on to so assimilate our beliefs that they work out in a way that redounds to the glory of God. The danger is in multiplying the acceptation of beliefs we do not make our own.

Jesus is Our Most Valuable Gift / Adrian Rogers

  Jesus is Our Most Valuable Gift

Philippians 3:8

Sermon: 1951 The New World Order, Part 1

Pray Over This

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Philippians 3:8

Ponder This

After Joyce and I had determined to get married, I bought an engagement ring. I was working my way through college, and I had many jobs to be able to pay for school and living, but I also wanted to buy an engagement ring.

I remember going into the jewelry store and finding the ring I wanted to give to Joyce. It’s a very small ring with a very flawed diamond, and there have been so many times I have asked Joyce, “Would you let me buy you another diamond?” But I cannot even begin to get her to consider it. That ring is precious to her because, at that time, it cost me so very much. Though it may have been minimum to somebody else, it was maximum to me. I would go in each week and pay a little on that ring, and with great joy, I gave Joyce that ring.

Knowing the value of what you have been given is important. We need to understand what the Lord Jesus paid for us. He sought us. He bought us. He gave us the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. When we know the value it cost Him, that changes us.

• What is something valuable to you? How do your actions show the value you place on that item?
• How valuable is Jesus to you? How is that evident in your life?

Practice This

Make a list of different reasons Jesus is valuable to you. Consider what changes you might need to make in your life to properly demonstrate that value.

The God Who Restores / ODB

 

The God Who Restores I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. Ezekiel 37:5 READ Ezekiel 37:4–14 On November 4, 1966, a disastrous flood swept through Florence, Italy, submerging Giorgio Vasari’s renowned work of art The Last Supperunder a pool of mud, water, and heating oil for more than twelve hours. With its paint softened and its wooden frame significantly damaged, many believed that the piece was beyond repair. However, after a tedious fifty-year conservation effort, experts and volunteers were able to overcome monumental obstacles and restore the valuable painting. When the Babylonians conquered Israel, the people felt hopeless—surrounded by death and destruction and in need of restoration (see Lamentations 1). During this period of turmoil, God took the prophet Ezekiel to a valley and gave him a vision where he was surrounded by dry bones. “Can these bones live?” God asked. Ezekiel responded, “Lord, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). God then told him to prophesy over the bones so they might live again. “As I was prophesying,” Ezekiel recounted, “there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together” (v. 7). Through this vision, God revealed to Ezekiel that Israel’s restoration could only come through Him. When we feel as if things in life have been broken and are beyond repair, God assures us He can rebuild our shattered pieces. He’ll give us new breath and new life. By Adam Holz What’s broken in your life? How might you rely on God to bring restoration? Dear God, parts of my life seem like they’ll never be restored. I’ve tried to fix them on my own, but my only hope of restoration is found in You. For further study, read Wounded in Worship.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT We don’t know specific details about the valley that Ezekiel describes he was transported to “by the Spirit of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:1). It could have been a vision of a valley that was the scene of a major tragedy or battle because having so many unburied bones in one place suggests a battle. God tells Ezekiel that this valley of bones symbolizes the nation of Israel as a whole (v. 11). Even the despair and death they were experiencing could be reversed by God’s Spirit breathing new life into them (v. 6) and returning them to their land (v. 12). Monica La Rose

Transforming Power / David Jeremiah

 

Transforming Power All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 Years after the Budik people in Senegal heard the Gospel, the Budik believers showed little evidence of spiritual growth, and the church itself wasn’t growing. But one event changed everything. “The Budik believers received the New Testament in their own language.” As one believer said, “Because [of] the Word of God that was brought to us… now the Word is available to everyone…. Now when we have meetings, everyone brings their Bibles, and they’re using the meetings to learn and grow more than they were able to before.”1

Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The transforming power of God’s Word is the same no matter the language or the culture of the person studying it. When we read and study God’s Word, our life is changed. We begin to grow in our Christian walk, and we are equipped to live a life that is different from the world. Take a few minutes today to thank God for the gift of His life-changing Word!   Bible study has torn my life apart and remade it. That is to say that God, through his Word, has done so. John White

How to Handle Praise / Charles Stanley

 How to Handle Praise

Proverbs 27:21

How do you respond when someone compliments you? Some people absolutely love receiving praise because it lifts their spirits and makes them feel valuable. Others are uncomfortable with it. They look down at their feet or offer reasons why they really don't deserve such praise.

For Christians, there's another dilemma. We're called to be humble, so what are we to do when others say good things about us? Because pride is always waiting to raise its ugly head, we need to be careful not to let praise puff us up. Some believers think that accepting a compliment is a sign of pride, so they make a big show of giving all the glory to God. That's fine, if it's really what's in their hearts, but too often it becomes a rote "Christian" response that's geared to impressing others.

My advice is simply to say, "Thank you very much." Then whisper a prayer in your heart to the Lord, thanking Him for the blessing, recognizing that anything worthy of praise ultimately comes from Him. If you felt encouraged, let the person know how the comment blessed you. If you receive praise for an achievement that was really a group effort, be sure to redirect the compliment to all those who were involved. A blessing is always more enjoyable when it's shared.

Our character is tested by the praise that comes to us. Every compliment that bounces into our ears should quickly rebound up to the Father. If we hold onto it, the poison of pride will begin to infect our hearts. But if we pass the praise to God, humility takes up residence in our souls.

No Substitute for Worship / Greg Laurie

No Substitute for Worship

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT)

Luke’s Gospel tells the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha frantically worked in the kitchen to prepare a meal for Jesus, while Mary sat at His feet and drank in His every word. Martha became frustrated because she felt overworked, and she demanded that Jesus send Mary to help her.

But Jesus said, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT).

He was saying, in effect, “Martha, you’re too busy! Take a cue from your sister. She has chosen the better part.”

Mary knew what was important. She knew there was a time for work and a time for worship.

But quite often as Christians, we can be like Martha, frantically working instead of sitting at Jesus’ feet.

Psalm 91 tells us, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (verse 1 NLT). In the original language, the word used here for “live” speaks of quiet, resting, and remaining with consistency.

Essentially, this verse is telling us that God wants fellowship with us. He wants us to come close to Him, to be near Him, and to remain consistently in His presence.

Sometimes we are so busy doing Christian things with Christian people in the Christian church that we forget about Christ. And then one day, we suddenly realize that we’re overwhelmed. We feel burned out.

Are you living in the shelter of the Most High? There’s a time for work, of course. However, the best work will always overflow from a life of worship. At the same time, work can never take the place of worship.  

Nature’s Witness / Ann Graham Lotz

 Nature’s Witness

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.
Genesis 8:21-22, niv

In spite of the sin and rebellion that God knew lurked in the very next generation of Noah’s sons and would increase with every subsequent generation, God committed Himself to spare the earth His previous judgments. While He did not remove the curse He had placed on Planet Earth following Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden, He vowed He would not increase the curse. And He promised that never again would He destroy all life on the planet as He had done during the Flood.

As evidence that He was good and would keep His promise, God pointed to the very cycles in nature. As you and I see the winter snows give way to spring flowers and the summer’s heat give way to autumn’s briskness, we are reminded that in back of the changes is the God Who never changes. The sun that rises every morning and sets every evening, the stars that come out in the night sky, and the moon that goes through its monthly phases—all reveal the glory of God, Who is good! How do your daily habits and lifestyle bear witness to the glory of God?