Verse of the Day /November 30

Quiet Time...

"Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, 

and that seek Him with the whole heart." 

Psalm 119:2 KJV

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Bible in One Year: November 30

 Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2

“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am” / Oswald Chambers

 

“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am” By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain… 1 CORINTHIANS 15:10 The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance. Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all. There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading.

An Introduction to Christ / Charles Stanley

An Introduction to Christ

Revelation 1:4-8

The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.

Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.

When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.

 

How Do You Pray? / Adrian Rogers

 How Do You Pray?

Matthew 9:36-38
Sermon: 2289 Preparing for the Battle, Part 2

Pray Over This

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”
Matthew 9:36-38

Ponder This

We don’t fight alone. I need you to pray for me. People tell me from time to time, “Pastor, I’m praying for you.” Many times, tears will come to my eyes when someone says that. There are six billion people on Earth. Some people have never been prayed for one time. If you have anybody praying for you, you’re blessed. We need to pray for one another. Husbands need to pray for their wives. Wives need to pray for their husbands. Parents need to pray for their children. The pastor needs to pray for his congregation. The congregation needs to pray for the people. We’re in the battle together and it’s a real battle, isn’t it? Let’s hold one another up in prayer. Let’s encourage one another. I don’t want us to lose this war.

We may be on the verge of one of the greatest spiritual revivals the world has ever seen. Things are happening—there’s a quickening. I speak to pastor friends, and I ask how it’s going. They say, “I don’t understand it, but God’s just moving in our church. Things are happening. Souls are getting saved.” How encouraging! The power of prayer is incredible.

• What are the things you pray for most often?
• How active is your prayer life? What are some things that cause you to pray more? What are things that prevent you from praying?

Practice This

Reach out and let someone know you are praying for him or her today.

Trusting God / ODB

Trusting God Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 READ Psalm 20 I needed two medications urgently. One was for my mom’s allergies and the other for my niece’s eczema. Their discomfort was worsening, but the medicines were no longer available in pharmacies. Desperate and helpless, I prayed repeatedly, Lord, please help them. Weeks later, their conditions became manageable. God seemed to be saying: “There are times when I use medicines to heal. But medicines don’t have the final say; I do. Don’t place your trust in them, but in Me.”    In Psalm 20, King David took comfort in God’s trustworthiness. The Israelites had a powerful army, but they knew that their biggest strength came from “the name of the Lord” (v. 7). They placed their trust in God’s name—in who He is, His unchanging character, and unfailing promises. They held on to the truth that He who is sovereign and powerful over all situations would hear their prayers and deliver them from their enemies (v. 6).   While God may use the resources of this world to help us, ultimately, victory over our problems comes from Him. Whether He gives us a resolution or the grace to endure, we can trust that He’ll be to us all that He says He is. We don’t have to be overwhelmed by our troubles, but we can face them with His hope and peace.      By Karen Huang In your personal battles, where or in what do you place your trust? How might trusting in God’s name change the way you cope with these challenges? Heavenly Father, give me the courage to trust in You. Help me to believe that You’re all that You promise to be.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT A careful reading reveals that Psalms 20 and 21 are related. Psalm 20 is a prayer for the protection (vv. 1–2) and victory of the king, God’s anointed (vv. 6, 9). The prayer of the psalmist, “Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” (v. 9) is shown to be answered in Psalm 21. There, in a more direct way, the writer talks to God about His dealings with the king (vv. 1–7) and his enemies (vv. 8–12). The idea of trusting in God (20:7) is reiterated in 21:7: “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.” Psalm 20 closes with petition and Psalm 21 with praise: “Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might” (v. 13). Arthur Jackson

 

Fellow Servants/ David Jeremiah

Fellow Servants I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Revelation 22:9 Charles Lightoller was just drifting off to sleep on April 14, 1912, when he felt the collision of the Titanic with an iceberg. Rousing himself, he helped as many women and children as possible into lifeboats before he was swept into the icy sea. At that moment, a verse of Scripture came clearly to his mind—Psalm 91:11: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (NIV).

Recommended Reading: Revelation 22:1-9

Just then, a blast of hot air exploded from the belly of the ship, propelling Lightoller like a missile to the surface, where he managed to pull himself onto an overturned lifeboat. He had no doubt an angel had helped him. Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), but they are also fellow servants with us. The angel told the apostle John, “I am your fellow servant” (Revelation 19:10). How incredible! Alongside angels, we are serving the Lord of hosts. There could be no higher calling!   Learning what the Bible says about angels ultimately is tied to thinking well about how God thinks about us. What God wants us to know about angels contributes to our eternal perspective. Michael Heiser

 

Created for Commitment / Ann Graham Lotz

Created for Commitment

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 2:15, niv

Apart from understanding the work of God in our creation, there is no real meaning to human existence. If there was no Creator, then you are some cosmic accident, having come from nowhere and on your way to nowhere. You are just a nobody with no ultimate accountability or eternal value. Now that’s depressing! Praise God, it’s not true!

Where are you seeking lasting satisfaction? You may find temporary satisfaction in things and people, but permanent, deep, full satisfaction of your very being is only found in a right relationship with God for Whom you were created.

Not only is your being created for God, but your doing is created for God also. You and I were created for commitment to serve God. The Garden of Eden was not only a place for man to live, but it was a place for man to serve.

 

Be a Moses / Greg Laurie

 Be a Moses

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (Proverbs 29:25 NLT)

Imagine the scene. Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, holding the commandments that God gave him. As he nears the Israelite camp, he sees the people dancing before a golden calf.

Outraged, he says to Aaron, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?” (Exodus 32:21 NLT).

Aaron’s excuse for the behavior of the people is so absurd that it should be permanently enshrined in the Excuse Hall of Fame.

He replied, “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!” (verses 22–24 NLT).

Aaron should have drawn the line when the people came to him and demanded something to worship. He should have told them, “You just worship God, and wait until Moses gets back.” Instead, he caved in.

Not only did Aaron go along with their plan, but he also facilitated it. He helped produce the problem.

Let’s remember that when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He wanted Moses alone to go to Pharaoh. God promised to do miracles through Moses to confirm that He had sent him.

However, Moses offered a series of excuses as to why he wasn’t the one for the job. He also complained that he’d never been a gifted speaker. So God said, “Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say” (Exodus 4:16 NLT).

But while Moses was away, Aaron made a mess of things.

There are a lot of people like Aaron today. When they’re around committed Christians, they’re strong. But when they’re away from Christians, they blend into the woodwork.

The story of Aaron’s spiritual demise serves as a warning to the vacillating, compromising person who always wants to go along with public opinion and is more concerned with what people think than with what God thinks.

As we see in this story, the compromiser reaches no one.

Maybe you think the way to reach your nonbelieving friends is to do what they do and simply blend in. You conclude that in doing so, you will win them over and they will come to Christ.

The reality is that no one has ever been won to Christ that way. The way people come to Christ is through Christians living godly lives. They come to Christ when Christians practice what they preach. They come to Christ when Christians love them with compassion and share God’s Word with them.

Don’t be an Aaron. Be a Moses. Be the person who stands up for what is right, because one person can make a big difference.

Trio of Peaks

 

Trio of Peaks

Click below to listen to today's devotional

TRIO OF PEAKS 

You can’t run the world, nor are you expected to be all-powerful. You may think you can. But when you face your own grave or your own guilt, your power will not do the trick.

The Bible says “Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.” A trio of peaks. Admire them, applaud them, but don’t climb them. You weren’t made to run a kingdom or to be all-powerful. And you certainly can’t handle all the glory.

Mount Applause is the most seductive of the three peaks. More than one person has stood at the top and shouted, “Mine is the glory!” only to lose their balance and fall. As you confess that God is in charge, you admit you aren’t. As you proclaim that God has power, you admit you don’t. And as you give God all the applause, there is none left to dizzy your brain.

Verse of the Day / November 29

 Quiet Time...

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and cometh down from the Father of lights, 

with whom is no variableness, 

neither shadow of turning." 

James 1:17 KJV 

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Bible in One Year: November 29

 Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 35-36; 2 Peter 1

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ / Oswald Chambers

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ He will glorify Me… JOHN 16:14 The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else. The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God! Jesus said, “…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come,…He will glorify Me…” (John 16:13-14 ). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 35-36; 2 Peter 1

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.

 

Discovering Our True Identity / Charles Stanley

Discovering Our True Identity

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Many Christians are experiencing an identity crisis. They know they’re saved, but they don’t really know what to think about themselves. Let’s take a little test. Do you consider yourself a sinner saved by grace or a saint who occasionally sins? Both statements are true, but the first one dwells on your past identity, whereas the second focuses on the Lord’s perception of you.

If you are a believer, God’s Word says that you are a saint (v. 2). But too many of us still see ourselves as the same old sinner, who’s been forgiven and patched up and yet is basically unchanged inside. But the Lord says anyone in Christ “is a new creature; the old things passed away” (2 Cor. 5:17). That’s what being born again is all about. We can never go back to the way we were.

The solution to this identity crisis is to change the way we think about ourselves. If we don’t, we’ll rely on how we feel, and Satan will bombard us with reminders of our failures and sins. He wants to keep us focused on being a sinner, because he knows that the recognition of our sainthood will lead us to live like saints. We’ll be motivated and empowered to obey God, and the Devil will lose his foothold in our lives.

Jesus didn’t come just to save you from hell; He wants to live His life through you. In Christ, you have a new identity which has replaced your old one. If you will focus on who you are now, your actions will follow, and you’ll experience the enjoyment of a victorious Christian life. 

You Can Be Cleansed from Sin / Adrian Rogers

 You Can Be Cleansed from Sin

Ephesians 5:1
Sermon: 2289 Preparing for the Battle, Part 1

Pray Over This

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”
Ephesians 5:1

Ponder This

Do you have any unconfessed, unrepented sin? I want to give you a testimony. You may think I’m bragging but I am not. I don’t have any unconfessed sin in my life—none. You say, “Oh, you think you’re a super Christian?” No, I’m a normal Christian. That is the normal Christian life. I would be a fool to stand up here and try and preach without the breastplate of righteousness.

Now, you’re not going to win the war with pornography if all you fight is pornography. What about honesty? What about pride? What about selfishness? You say, “Pastor Rogers, you mean to tell me you don’t have any problem fighting the devil?” I fight him all the time. “You mean to tell me you don’t fail?” I fail. I’m not saying I’m perfect. God knows I’m not. But I’m telling you there’s no reason that any man, woman, boy, or girl cannot be as pure and clean as the driven snow. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Why would I want to drag sin around? Why would I want to start the day with the baggage of sin when I can be clean? It’s so simple. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Not some, all. Thank God for that.

• When was the last time you confessed sin to God?
• Why is it important to deal with our sin as it comes up instead of keeping it around?

Practice This

Pray and talk to God about your sin. Consider all your sins, not only the ones that are most public or obvious.

Just a Whisper / ODB

 

Just a Whisper How faint the whisper we hear of Him! Job 26:14 READ Job 26:7–14 The whispering wall in New York City’s Grand Central Station is an acoustic oasis from the clamor of the area. This unique spot allows people to communicate quiet messages from a distance of thirty feet. When one person stands at the base of a granite archway and speaks softly into the wall, soundwaves travel up and over the curved stone to the listener on the other side. Job heard the whisper of a message when his life was filled with noise and the tragedy of losing nearly everything (Job 1:13–19; 2:7). His friends blabbered their opinions, his own thoughts tumbled endlessly, and trouble had invaded every aspect of his existence. Still, the majesty of nature spoke softly to him about God’s divine power. The splendor of the skies, the mystery of the earth suspended in space, and the stability of the horizon reminded Job that the world was in the palm of God’s hand (26:7–11). Even a churning sea and a rumbling atmosphere led him to say, “these are but the outer fringe of [God’s] works; how faint the whisper we hear of him!” (v. 14). If the world’s wonders represent just a fragment of God’s capabilities, it’s clear that His power exceeds our ability to understand it. In times of brokenness, this gives us hope. God can do anything, including what He did for Job as He sustained him during suffering. By Jennifer Benson Schuldt How does God’s great power comfort you? Which parts of nature inspire you to stand in awe of Him? Dear God, when my problems seem big, help me to remember that You’re bigger, and nothing is impossible for You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Hearing about Job’s sufferings, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to comfort him (Job 2:11). His three friends believed that his suffering was a result of sin. During three rounds of dialogue (chs. 4–31), they argued with him, trying to convince him to repent so that God would bless him again. Maintaining his innocence, Job rejected his friends’ explanation for human suffering. Bildad accused him of not knowing who God is (ch. 25). Responding, Job said he knew God better than Bildad. Job spoke of God as the Creator and described His mystery, supremacy, and majesty. He’s omnipotent—He created and controls everything (26:5–13). He’s also transcendent—what we see of Him in creation is but the fringes of His ways, and what we hear is but a whisper of His power! (v. 14). K. T. Sim

Always Serving God / David Jeremiah

 

Always Serving God Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Psalm 103:20 From Genesis to Revelation, angels are referred to nearly three hundred times. Angel means “messenger”—and Psalm 103:20 pictures that as their primary ministry: carrying out the word of God. Their “message” to mankind might be verbal—as in Gabriel’s announcement to Mary about the birth of Jesus—or non-verbal, like the angel who shut the lions’ mouths when Daniel was thrown into their den.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 91:9-12

There is also evidence that they minister in unseen realms, unknown to humans on earth—as in the messenger who was sent to Daniel with an answer to prayer but was opposed for three weeks in the heavenlies by an evil angel until Michael, the archangel, came to his aid (Daniel 10:10-13). What spiritual warfare might be happening in the heavenlies on our behalf at this very moment that we don’t know about? The point is that angels are the primary means and messengers for God as He carries out His plans for mankind. Give thanks to God today for His angels, for their role in serving God and His people, and for their protection. Though unseen—mostly (Hebrews 13:2)—they are continually at work.   Angels’ function is to execute the plan of divine providence, even in earthly things. Thomas Aquinas

The Way God Sees Them / Greg Laurie

 The Way God Sees Them

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.” (Exodus 32:30 NLT)

It was a test for Moses. God told him that He was going to destroy the Israelites. And when we read Exodus 32, it would appear that Moses pleaded with God and brought Him around. But God was testing Moses. He wanted to see if Moses was learning anything.

Jesus sometimes tested His disciples. When the multitudes gathered and had nothing to eat, Jesus turned to Philip and said, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” (John 6:5 NLT). The Bible goes on to say that Jesus said this to test Philip.

Then there was the Syro-Phoenician woman. She came to Jesus and asked Him to touch her demon-possessed daughter. Being a non-Jew, she was coming to the Messiah of Israel and asking for His mercy.

But Jesus seemed almost flippant in His reply, saying, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs” (Mark 7:27 NLT).

The woman told Him, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates” (verse 28 NLT). So Jesus commended her and granted her request.

She passed His test. Jesus wasn’t turning her away; He was drawing her out. It was a test for her to rise to the occasion. And when she did, Jesus rewarded her for it.

Moses passed God’s test as well. He interceded for the people, saying, “Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!” (Exodus 32:12 NLT).

God wants us to care about people who are separated from Him and intercede for them. He wants us to see them not as the enemy but as sheep without a shepherd—as people who need the Savior.

In fact, Moses cared so much about these people that he said, “But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” (verse 32 NLT). Thankfully, no such thing is required. But it shows the heart of a true intercessor.

The apostle Paul said something similar when he wrote, “For my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them” (Romans 9:3 NLT).

That is the kind of heart that we need to have toward nonbelievers. That is standing in the gap. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, God said, “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT).

God is still looking for people to stand in the gap today to pray and proclaim His Word.