Verse of the Day / September 30

 Quiet Time...

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, 

slow to speak, slow to wrath:" 

James 1:19 KJV

*****

Bible in One Year: September 30

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

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.

Worship Your Way to Victory / Adrian Rogers

 Worship Your Way to Victory

Psalm 100:1-3
Sermon: 2320 How to Praise Your Way to Victory

Pray Over This

“Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Psalm 100:1-3

Ponder This

In 2 Chronicles 20:18, as Jehoshaphat prepared for battle, the Bible says, “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.” He fell on his face in worship, then he was ready for battle. Nothing will prepare you for battle like worship. The person who can kneel before God can stand before any problem. It will be a great day when we learn that worship comes before either work or warfare. So many times, we just want to get at it without worshiping God.

It reminds me of the little boys who were playing ball. They only had one ball, and they lost it, so they were out in the weeds looking for it. And after a while, one of them said, “Forget the ball. Let’s get on with the game.” I think sometimes that’s what we do as believers. We forget to worship and think we can just go on about our business. Worship reminds us what we are made for; it reminds us of the point of the game.

• Why is it important that worship comes before all we do? Why do we often forget this?
• We all worship something. How are our days and priorities shaped by what we worship?

Practice This

Look up Psalms about worshiping God. Pray these back to God in worship.

Least Likely / ODB

 

Least Likely For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Joshua 2:11 READ Joshua 2:1–4, 9–14 Hollywood gives us larger-than-life spies who are dashing drivers of flashy Aston-Martins and other luxury sports cars. But Jonna Mendez, a former CIA chief, paints an opposite picture of the real thing. An agent must be “the little gray man,” she says, someone nondescript, not flashy. “You want them to be forgettable.” The best agents are those least likely to appear like agents. When two of Israel’s spies slipped into Jericho, it was Rahab who hid them from the king’s soldiers (Joshua 2:4). She was seemingly the least likely person for God to employ as an espionage agent, for she had three strikes against her: she was a Canaanite, a woman, and a prostitute. Yet Rahab had started to believe in the God of the Israelites: “Your God is God in heaven” (v. 11). She hid God’s spies under flax on the roof, assisting in their daring escape. God rewarded her faith: “Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family” (6:25). Sometimes we might feel we’re the least likely to be used by God. Perhaps we have physical limitations, don’t feel “flashy” enough to lead, or have a tarnished past. But history is filled with “nondescript” believers redeemed by God, people like Rahab who were given a special mission for His kingdom. Be assured: He has divine purposes for even the least likely of us. By Kenneth Petersen In what ways do you feel “in the background”? What do you think might be the mission God has for you? Dear God, please help me be ready for Your calling, for the mission You might have for me.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who’d put her faith in Yahweh even before she met the two Israelite spies (Joshua 2:9–10). The New Testament commends her for her faith in God (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Rahab wasn’t only delivered from death (Joshua 6:17, 22–23) but was raised to a position of honor. She married Salmon, an Israelite, and was blessed to be an ancestor of King David as well as the Messiah (Ruth 4:21–22; Matthew 1:5). Rahab was one of four non-Israelites (also Tamar, probably a Canaanite; Ruth, a Moabite; Uriah’s wife [Bathsheba], probably a Hittite) and one of five women listed in Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1:1–17). K. T. Sim

The Marks of Faith: The Marks of Trust / David Jeremiah

The Marks of Faith: The Marks of Trust

How is it that you have no faith?
Mark 4:40

 Recommended Reading: Mark 4:35-41

In 1874, Horatio Palmer asked Mary Ann Baker to compose songs to accompany his Sunday school lessons. One dealt with the story of Jesus sleeping in the storm on Galilee. Mary had recently gone through her own storm, the loss of her only brother, who had died a thousand miles from home while seeking a warmer climate for his tuberculosis. For two weeks the telegraph wires carried back and forth messages between the dying brother and his loving sister, until finally news came of his death.

With this grief, Mary Ann studied Mark 4 and wrote, “Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high! The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh; carest Thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threat’ning a grave in the angry deep.”

The chorus answers, “The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will. Peace, be still.”

We all encounter storms, but Jesus isn’t unaware or unconcerned. He whispers to us, “Peace, be still.” We can trust Him!

Whether the wrath of a storm-tossed sea, or struggles or evil, whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.

Mary Ann Baker 

What the Cross Shows Us / Greg Laurie

What the Cross Shows Us

“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17 NLT)

The last thing God wants is for anyone to go to Hell. That is why Jesus spoke of it in detail. That is why He warned us about it. And that is why Jesus did everything He could do for us so that we would not have to be separated from Him for all eternity.

Jesus Christ experienced Hell on earth so that we don’t have to experience it for eternity. When Jesus hung on the cross and bore the sins of the world, it was like Hell on earth. He was absorbing God’s wrath in our place, taking the judgment upon Himself. He was bearing our sin.

Jesus was forsaken so that we might be forgiven. That was the mission of His life on earth. He was on a collision course with it.

The cross shows us how much God loves us and doesn’t want us to go to Hell. It stands as a reminder that a hellish existence is not the only option we have. We can choose to change our eternal address.

The gospel is a universal declaration that Hell is not God’s desire for anyone.

Those who want to reject God’s offer and live in their sin will have no one to blame but themselves on that final day. In fact, we must effectively step over Jesus to get to Hell.

Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT).

Which road are you on? You have a free will. So, you can march in lockstep with those around you who are on the broad road that leads to destruction. Or, you can think for yourself and follow Jesus Christ.

He died for you. He rose from the dead. And He is standing at the door of your life and knocking. He says, “If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20 NLT).

If you believe in Jesus Christ and turn from your sin, then you will go to Heaven when you die. But if you do not believe in Jesus Christ and reject His offer of forgiveness, then you will go to Hell when you die. It’s as simple as that. And it is your choice.

God said, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT).

Not only does God tell us what our options are, but He also gives us the answer. Choose life. But remember, it is a choice. God offers it as a gift.

Have you received that gift? If you haven’t, then do it now. 

Willing to Be Whole / Ann Graham Lotz

Willing to Be Whole

“Do you want to get well?”

John 5:6, niv

Jesus didn’t ask the man beside the pool of Bethesda, “Do you need to get well?” But, “Do you want to get well?” There was no preliminary introduction or social niceties or even casual conversation, just a Stranger asking a question that would seem to have had a very obvious answer. Surely, without question, anyone who was a paralytic would want to be able to walk.

But Jesus knew that it’s easy for physical weakness and mental depression and a lifetime of hopelessness to rob a man of his willingness to do anything about it. It would be less demanding in many ways for the man to be carried about by others. His paralysis absolved him from taking responsibility in life.

Jesus knows one of the greatest barriers to our faith is often our unwillingness to be made whole—our unwillingness to live without excuse for our spiritual smallness and immaturity. And so the question He asked was very relevant then and still is today: “Do you want to get well?”

 

God Uses Flawed People / Max Lucado

God Uses Flawed People

Click below to listen to today's devotional

GOD USES FLAWED PEOPLE 

God used—and uses—flawed people. He made a promise to Abraham: his children would be like dust on the earth and stars in the galaxies. The greatest person who ever lived would spring from his loins. The story of heaven would be told and distributed through these odd and curious people. God had made them a promise.

Case in point: the family of Jacob. Dysfunctional families can be used, even fixed. No family is beyond the possibility of a miracle. In Jacob’s story Rachel eventually got pregnant. “God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb” (Genesis 30:22 The Message). God was in control, through the squabbling, strutting, struggling, competing, and comparing family. The love potions, the surrogate strategies, and the tears of the loveless and childless – God was in control. He delivered on his word then. He delivers on his word still.

 

Verse of the Day / September 29

Quiet Time...

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 

Matthew 22:37-39 KJV

***** 

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 Living with Temporary or Eternal Purpose? / Adrian Rogers

Are You Living with Temporary or Eternal Purpose?
Matthew 12:42
Sermon: 2506 Our Great Savior

Pray Over This

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
Matthew 12:42

Ponder This

I’m so happy in Jesus. It may sound corny, but I love Him with all of my heart, and I want to love Him more. I am His worker. You’re His worker. Solomon’s workers were happy, but Jesus gives more. Jesus gives joy unspeakable and full of glory. Jesus gives joy that is conspicuous, continuous, and contagious. Solomon’s workers eventually had to give up all the things that brought them happiness. The palace was gone. The tables were gone. The robes were gone. Solomon was gone.

But the source of my joy does not diminish because my joy does not depend on what happens; it depends on the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for the joy of serving Jesus. I am incredibly blessed that God has let me serve Him these years and be a pastor. You are not living for a temporary purpose; your joy is lasting because of Jesus. First Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” That is because the work of the Lord has an eternal purpose. Jesus pleases His workers; Jesus rewards His workers; and Jesus is far greater than Solomon.

• How does serving Jesus bring you joy?
• How does it encourage you to know that when you live for Jesus you live for an eternal purpose with eternal joy?

Practice This

Serve your church in some way today with joy, whether by volunteering to help somewhere or by sending an encouraging note to your pastor. 

A Giver’s Heart / ODB

A Giver’s Heart A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 READ Proverbs 11:15–25 On our last day in Wisconsin, my friend brought her four-year-old daughter Kinslee to say goodbye. “I don’t want you to move,” said Kinslee. I hugged her and gave her a canvas, hand-painted fan from my collection. “When you miss me, use this fan and remember that I love you.” Kinslee asked if she could have a different fan—a paper one from my bag. “That one’s broken,” I said. “I want you to have my best fan.” I didn’t regret giving Kinslee my favorite fan. Seeing her happy made me happier. Later, Kinslee told her mother she was sad because I kept the broken fan. They sent me a brand-new, fancy purple fan. After giving generously to me, Kinslee felt happy again. So did I. In a world that promotes self-gratification and self-preservation, we can be tempted to hoard instead of living with giving hearts. However, the Bible says that a person who “gives freely . . . gains even more” (Proverbs 11:24). Our culture defines prosperity as having more and more and more, but the Bible says that “a generous person will prosper” and “whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25). God’s unlimited and unconditional love and generosity continually recharge us. We can each have a giver’s heart and create unending giving cycles because we know God—the Giver of all good things—never gets tired of providing abundantly. By Xochitl Dixon How has the generosity of others helped you get closer to Jesus? How can you put someone else’s needs above your own this week? Dear God, help me give as generously as You’ve given to me.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Proverbs 10–22 are a collection of individual wisdom sayings compiled by Solomon. In Proverbs 10–15, most of the proverbs appear in contrastive form, in which a wise choice is advised and then compared to the negative result of foolish behavior. It can be difficult to identify a specific thread in any given section of these proverbs, but in the second half of chapter 11, the theme of wealth and its appropriate use is clearly in view. In verse 15, we’re warned against using our wealth as collateral for a stranger and are reminded that caution in making commitments is wise. In verse 16, wealth is contrasted with honor, and wealth is seen as vastly inferior. Verse 18 warns against “deceptive wages” and instead extols “righteousness.” And in verse 24, a generous heart brings “even more” to the giver, while stinginess will lead to “poverty.”  Gain wisdom from the Bible on how to handle finances. Tim Gustafson

 

Love in Spite of / David Jeremiah

 

Love in Spite of For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10   “Luv” is a playful, whimsical expression of sentiment. One would never luv one’s enemy or express unconditional luv. One wouldn’t luv someone who didn’t luv one back.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 1:21-22

That sets luv apart from the true, biblical meaning of love in Scripture. God’s love—expressed by the Greek word agape—is unconditional love. It is the kind of love that rises above feelings of warmth or affection; it is love based on an act of the will that seeks the best outcome for others. It is a love so strong that it can be expressed toward an enemy (Matthew 5:43-47). In fact, the apostle Paul refers to us as enemies of God who were nonetheless reconciled to God because of His great love for us. We didn’t deserve God’s love, but God so loved us that He sent His Son to reunite us to Himself. That is the kind of love we are to have for one another (Romans 12:10). Look for opportunities today to love unconditionally—in spite of how others treat you.   Religion that does not glow with love is unsatisfactory. Richard Glover

It’s No Joke / Greg Laurie

 It’s No Joke

“Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.” (Revelation 20:14 NLT)

People are selective when it comes to the subject of God and the afterlife. They like the idea of a God who is loving, completely accepting, and tolerant. People can go along with a deity like that.

But they don’t like the notion of a God who is also just. And they reject the idea that God would send some people to Hell, or at least a lot of people they know. They would like to think that certain people will be in Hell for the horrible crimes they’ve committed. But they don’t expect themselves or family and friends to end up there.

Yet Hell is a real place for real people. And according to the Bible, Hell is a miserable place of torment and separation from God that lasts for eternity.

As Timothy Keller pointed out in The Reason for God, “In our culture, divine judgment is one of Christianity’s most offensive doctrines.”[1]

When you bring up this topic, people get upset. Maybe one reason is widespread misinformation about Hell. It certainly is not a party place. And it is absolutely not a joke. If it were, Jesus would never have talked about it in the way that He did.

Most of the biblical teaching on Hell comes from Jesus Himself. He spoke about it more than anyone else in the Bible. And He spoke about it in a very specific way. More than half of the parables Jesus told relate to God’s eternal judgment of sinners.

We cannot pick and choose things in the Bible that personally appeal to us and then throw the others aside. We can imagine, as John Lennon famously sang, that Heaven and Hell don’t exist. But that won’t change the fact that they are real.

The Bible tells us there are two deaths: one is physical and the other is spiritual. In Revelation 20:14 we read, “Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death” (NLT).

The next chapter also mentions the second death: “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (21:8 NLT). The second death this is speaking of is Hell.

If you are born once, you will die twice. You are born physically, and you will die physically. And then you will face the second death and eternal separation from God.

But if you are born twice, you will die once. You are born physically, and you are born again spiritually when you put your faith in Christ. You will face only the first death (unless, of course, the Rapture happens in your lifetime).

Scripture tells us that the second death is what we should fear.

God has given us a free will, so where we spend eternity is really our choice. Not everyone will be saved in the end—only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.