A Man Worthy of Our Praise by Charles Stanley

Matthew 8:23-27

The men traveling with Jesus on a stormy Galilean night said something that ought to make us sit up and take notice: “What kind of a man is this ... ?” If we ask ourselves that same question, we will start to see the big picture of who Jesus Christ is instead of concentrating on the facets of His personality revealed by individual stories. 

Imagine the wind—which had been funneled through a narrow gorge—pushing out over the Sea of Galilee, making the water turbulent. Jesus and His disciples were caught in just such a dangerous storm while making their way to Gadara. As waves crashed over the deck of the boat, the experienced seamen onboard were convinced that death was imminent.

But Jesus was sleeping. He was resting quietly during a storm so frightening that the Greek word used to describe it is seismos—from the same root that gives us the phrase “seismic activity” for earthquakes. What kind of man is this who can sleep while the boat heaves and pitches? The answer is that as the One who created the seas, Jesus knows how a storm brews and what energy causes a wave to stay in motion. That’s the kind of man He is: a divine Being cloaked in humanity, who rebuked the winds and sea so they became perfectly calm.

Scripture indicates that both the air and the water were instantly stilled. Such is the power of Jesus, the Creator and Lord over the universe. Taken together, all the Bible stories about Jesus reveal the “big picture” that He is the only man worthy of glory, honor, and praise (Revelation 5:12).

Draw Near - THE OLDEST MAN

THE OLDEST MAN

Several years ago, a man died who claimed to have been born eight years after George Washington died. Thomas Jefferson was president when Russian Shirali Muslimov came into the world; the fifteen-million-dollar Louisiana Purchase was completed just two years before; Aaron Burr gunned down Alexander Hamilton just one year before; and Johnny Appleseed was still planting trees across our land. Without question, Muslimov died earth's oldest man in modern times.

Interestingly enough, the only thing outstanding about Muslimov's life was its length. While he gained much fame for his longevity, others who have lived only a fraction as long have helped humanity much more. Clearly, it is not so important how long one lives as how one lives. Man's life at its longest is still like fading flowers and passing shadows, and that is why Paul admonished believers to emphasize the really important thing. He asked us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to our God.

In our strife-torn and tension-filled age, God is still calling men to live right. There is an urgent need for men who love Christ and are sold out for the Gospel. It really does not matter how long they live since they are building for eternity. Those who live well live forever.

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

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow by Adrian Rogers

MARCH 2

Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow

"For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." - Psalm 116:8

A minister spends a lot of time visiting hospitals and going to funerals. I've been with those who are dying and those who are facing heartaches. I’ve watched those who know the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’ve seen a difference in those who know Christ and those who don’t.

I spent some time in the hospital with a man who in just a few hours would step over on the other side. I held his hand. We prayed. I asked, "Is everything right with the Lord?" He said, "Pastor, everything is right. I'm ready. For me to live is Christ and for me to die is gain."

He had the assurance of one who knew God would “never, no never” leave nor forsake him. (Hebrews 13:5)

What would it take for you to have that assurance? Do you have it now? Then thank God for it. If you don’t, have you given your heart fully to the Lord Jesus Christ? “F-A-I-T-H” means Forsaking All, I Trust Him.” Trust Him fully today and He will come to dwell within.

---

March 2 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Be ready in the morning, and come... present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee (Exod. 34:2-3).

The morning watch is essential. You must not face the day until you have faced God, nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His. You cannot expect to be victorious, if the day begins only in your own strength.

Face the work of every day with the influence of a few thoughtful, quiet moments with your heart and God. Do not meet other people, even those of your own home, until you have first met the great Guest and honored Companion of your life--Jesus Christ.

Meet Him alone. Meet Him regularly. Meet Him with His open Book of counsel before you; and face the regular and the irregular duties of each day with the influence of His personality definitely controlling your every act.

Begin the day with God!
He is thy Sun and Day!
His is the radiance of thy dawn;
To Him address thy lay.
Sing a new song at morn!
Join the glad woods and hills;
Join the fresh winds and seas and plains,
Join the bright flowers and rills.
Sing thy first song to God!
Not to thy fellow men;
Not to the creatures of His hand,
But to the glorious One.
Take thy first walk with God!
Let Him go forth with thee;
By stream, or sea, or mountain path,
Seek still His company.
Thy first transaction be
With God Himself above;
So shall thy business prosper well,
And all the day be love.
--Horatius Bonar

The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early upon their knees. Matthew Henry used to be in his study at four, and remain there till eight; then, after breakfast and family prayer, he used to be there again till noon; after dinner, he resumed his book or pen till four, and spent the rest of the day in visiting his friends.

Doddridge himself alludes to his "Family Expositor" as an example of the difference of rising between five and seven, which, in forty years, is nearly equivalent to ten years  more of life.

Dr. Adam Clark's "Commentary" was chiefly prepared very early in the morning. Barnes' popular and useful "Commentary" has been also the fruit of "early morning hours."

Simeon's "Sketches" were chiefly worked out between four and eight.

Almost Home by Stephen Davey

Almost Home

Philippians 3:20-21

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

If Jesus Christ really is immortal, infinite God and His words are completely trustworthy, then our future is eternally secure in Him. It's guaranteed forever.

Whether you have little faith or great faith; are a mature disciple or an immature one;  have been a Christian for years or have just recently received Christ--you are on your way to heaven. Your hope is secure in Christ.

Is it any wonder that around 125 AD, the Greek scholar Aristides marveled at the enormous hope Christians had, even in death? He wrote: "When a member of the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God. They escort the body to burial with songs and thanksgiving, as if he were setting out from one place to another place nearby."

Do you have this hope in God that these early Christians had? Their faith was real, active--touching every part of their lives, even the most sorrowful moments--even at death.

Don Wyrtzen so beautifully wrote this truth into his song, "Finally Home": 

Just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven; 

Of holding a hand and finding it God's; 

Of breathing new air and finding it celestial; 

Of waking up in glory . . . and finding it home!

This is wonderful poetry but an even greater reminder--heaven is not some figment of your imagination; it is real, and far beyond your wildest dreams!

Do you have unanswered questions, fears, or doubts about eternity? If so, be encouraged. The truth is, we all do. But there will come a day when all our questions will have answers, and all our fears will be put to rest--not to mention that all our tears will be wiped away!

It will not happen here. It will happen there . . . when we are finally home. But until we reach that glorious land, remember that Jesus Christ is completely trustworthy and faithful, regardless of what you see happening around you. He will stay true to His Word.

You can bet your life . . . and your death on it!

Prayer Point: Thank the Lord for holding you firmly in His hands. Thank Him that your security isn't based on your strength or commitment, but on Him. Praise Him that He will never violate that commitment nor fail in His strong promise to take you home!

Extra Refreshment: Read the description of your future home in Revelation 21.

Coming Under God's Authority by John MacArthur

Coming Under God's Authority

“Submit therefore to God” (James 4:7a).

The truly humble will submit to God’s authority.

Most people understand the basic requirements of military service. The first thing anyone experiences when he enlists is his rank within the chain of command under the commanding officer. Implicit in such lining up under the leadership of a superior is that the soldier, sailor, airman, or marine will obediently carry out all he is commanded to do.

However, the military is not the only context in which the concept of submission applies. James 4:7 uses the term “submit” in the far more important arena of our relationship to God. We are to submit to Him and come under the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the basic requirement for anyone who would be humble before God. Since Scripture often uses military terms to describe our service to God (Phil. 2:25; 2 Tim. 2:3), it is appropriate to see ourselves as enlisting in God’s army, willingly obeying His commands, and following His leadership.

This kind of humble, willing submission to God’s authority is what Jesus meant when He told the disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). This concept of submission simply means doing God’s will from the heart, no matter what the cost.

The story of the rich young ruler provides a good measuring rod of our submissiveness to God. After the young man professed obedience to God’s law, Jesus tested him further by commanding him to “go and sell all you possess, and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21). At that point the young man was not willing to obey Jesus. Instead, “his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property” (v. 22).

How would you have reacted? Would you have willingly obeyed Jesus’ command, or would you have allowed your pride to keep you from submitting to Him? If you have humbly lined up under God’s authority, the proper response is not difficult.

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask the Lord to remind you throughout this day of your need to submit all you do to His authority.

For Further Study

Read the Acts 9:1-22 account of the apostle Paul’s conversion to Christ.

• What do you notice about his obedience and humility?
• What is noteworthy about Ananias’ behavior?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

The Privilege to Speak of Christ by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MARCH 2, 2018

The Privilege to Speak of Christ

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Ephesians 3:8

The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the Gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Although Paul was thankful for his calling, his success in it greatly humbled him.

The fuller a ship becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water. Idlers may indulge a fond conceit of their abilities, because they are untried; but the earnest worker soon learns his own weakness. If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. If you want to feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak, unworthy thing you are.

Although the apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. From his first sermon to his last, Paul preached Christ, and nothing but Christ. He lifted up the cross and extolled the Son of God who bled on it. Follow his example in all your personal efforts to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and let "Christ and him crucified" be your ever-recurring theme. 

The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers that, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, "Fill us with your beams!" But when the sun is hidden behind a cloud, they close their cups and droop their heads. So should the Christian feel the sweet influence of Jesus. Jesus must be his sun, and He must be the flower that yields itself to the Sun of Righteousness.

Oh, to speak of Christ alone--this is the subject that is both "seed to the sower and bread to the eater."¹ This is the live coal for the lip of the speaker, and the master-key to the heart of the hearer.

Trust Your Perfect Guide by Max Lucado

Trust Your Perfect Guide

The story is told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you’re taking me? Where is the path?” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”

We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where’s the path? Oh, He may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If he did give us more, would we understand?  No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, He gives us a far greater gift...Jesus gives us Himself. He says in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.” We need that reminder!

The Damascus Road by David Jeremiah

Friday, March 2 The Damascus Road    As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Acts 9:3    On a journey home from the University of Erfurt, where 21-year-old Martin Luther studied law, a frightening thunderstorm suddenly enveloped him. A lightning bolt flashed and struck so close that Martin, petrified, cried out, “Saint Anne, help me! I will become a monk.” Shortly thereafter, he entered an Augustinian monastery and eventually traveled to the little town of Wittenberg to teach at the university.

Recommended Reading: Acts 9:1-9

His mentor, Johann von Staupitz, assigned him the books of Romans and Galatians. While studying, Luther’s eyes were opened to the true Gospel message—salvation by grace through faith. This discovery was a Damascus Road experience for him, and he devoted his life to advancing the cause of the Gospel. We’re often on the road to life as we design it when God intervenes with storms, lightning bolts, mentors, and the Gospel message. Every one of us needs a Damascus Road experience. It may not be as dramatic as Paul’s or Luther’s, but we need a moment in our life when we understand and receive the Gospel. No one is the same after an encounter with God. His Living Word changes everything! The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me. Martin Luther

Phone Zone / Our Daily Bread

Phone Zone March 2, 2018

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 Bible in a Year: Numbers 26–27; Mark 8:1–21 Pray continually.—1 Thessalonians 5:17 One of the benefits of cell phones is that we now have virtually unlimited access to others. As a result, many people talk on the phone or text even while driving—sometimes resulting in terrible car crashes. To avoid such disasters, many areas of the world have made distracted driving illegal. In the United States, highway signs are popping up to remind drivers of special cell phone zones where they can pull off the road to safely talk and text to their heart’s delight. While it is a good idea to restrict mobile phone communication for drivers, there is another kind of communication that has no restrictions: prayer. God invites us to call on Him whether we are coming, going, or sitting still. In the New Testament, Paul’s words advise each person who wants to communicate with God to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul brackets this divine open-door policy by encouraging us to “rejoice always” (v. 16) and to “give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18). God calls us to joy and thanksgiving—expressions of faith in God through Christ anchored in continual prayer. God is available for our quick cry or for a lengthy conversation. He welcomes us into a relationship with Him, a constant and endless sharing of our joys and gratitude, needs, questions, and concerns (Hebrews 4:15-16). We are always in the prayer zone. —Bill Crowder I’m grateful, Lord, that You want to hear from me. I need You today. Access to God’s throne is always open. INSIGHT: As in today’s text, we find helpful teaching on prayer in Luke 18:1-8. The parable of the persistent widow contrasts the widow’s plight and a believer’s privilege. In this parable, the widow perseveres in getting an unjust judge to give her the justice she needs. Like the widow, we’re desperately helpless. But unlike the widow, who is a stranger to the judge, we’re God’s beloved children (Romans 8:16). The widow went to a court of law claiming man’s laws, but we approach the throne of grace claiming God’s promises (Hebrews 4:14-16). The callous judge didn’t care, but our heavenly Father cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7). She didn’t have easy access to the judge, but we have unhindered “access to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” to talk with our Father and to ask for His help any time (Ephesians 3:12 nlt). How does knowing we can talk with God “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11) encourage you in your prayers? K. T. Sim

Signed, Sealed, and Committed by Stephen Davey

Signed, Sealed, and Committed
Romans 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Contrary to popular opinion, the power of the Holy Spirit is not a special privilege for spiritual people. Actually, according to Romans 8:9, if you do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you, then you do not have a claim to Christianity. So anyone who tells you, "You haven't been baptized by the Holy Spirit" is really saying that you are not saved. All Christians are Spirit-indwelled. The Holy Spirit is not some treat for the spiritually elite, but a gift to all believers, great and small. I used to tell my kids, "Listen, if you behave for your mother today, and do your chores, and treat each other with some semblance of civility, then I'll take you to Goodberry's for ice cream after dinner." Now parenting experts warn against bribing your kids, but I wasn't bribing them. I was simply instructing them: "If you behave, we go to Goodberry's; if you misbehave, you go to bed." Parenting experts need to learn about the power of the promise of ice cream! Fortunately, God does not do the same thing with us in regard to the Holy Spirit. He doesn't say, "Now if you pray long and hard, if you tarry and weep, and behave in a good manner, then I will give you a taste of the Holy Spirit." No! The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a once-for-all-time experience for every believer. God takes the new believer and by means of the Holy Spirit, immerses him into the body of Christ. Paul wrote to Titus in Titus 3:5-6, that "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." In other words, you and I are no more deserving of the Holy Spirit than we are of Jesus Christ. We do not receive Christ by our own merit or works, and neither do we receive the Holy Spirit by anything we do. Both are given as gifts. Thus, we do not pray for the Holy Spirit to descend upon us, or fall upon us, or come from heaven with power. He has been ours all along! Ephesians 1:13 says that we are "sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise," and His seal will remain fixed . . . forever. What an incredible gift we have been given through the Spirit! Think about it. The God of the universe is actually living inside you, committed to helping you, and guiding you until the day of your redemption God signed our new-birth certificate; He sealed it; He committed to us for life! From a loving Heavenly Father . . . what more could you ask?
Prayer Point:Thank the Lord for sending His Spirit into your life, confirming that you are His child. Pray for strength to walk according to His way, rather than the way of your flesh, which leads you to sin.
Extra Refreshment:Read 2 Corinthians 1.

The Piercing Question by Oswald Chambers

The Piercing Question Do you love Me?  JOHN 21:17 Peter’s response to this piercing question is considerably different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before when he declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matthew 26:35; also see Matthew 26:33-34). Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. It may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person. True love never simply declares itself. Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men [that is, confesses his love by everything he does, not merely by his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8). Unless we are experiencing the hurt of facing every deception about ourselves, we have hindered the work of the Word of God in our lives. The Word of God inflicts hurt on us more than sin ever could, because sin dulls our senses. But this question of the Lord intensifies our sensitivities to the point that this hurt produced by Jesus is the most exquisite pain conceivable. It hurts not only on the natural level, but also on the deeper spiritual level. “For the Word of God is living and powerful…, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…”— to the point that no deception can remain (Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s Word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals His truth to us. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be. from Conformed to His Image, 354 L

The God to Whom We Pray by Charles Stanley

Nehemiah 1:1-11

What’s your view of God? Do you see Him as the One who can handle every challenge you bring before Him? Nehemiah knew the Father in this way. On hearing of Jerusalem’s destruction, he mourned, fasted, and prayed for intervention. 

For a glimpse into how Nehemiah viewed the Almighty, let’s look at his supplication. Notice that in verses 5-11 of today’s passage, Nehemiah addressed God in different ways. For example, he first used the name Yahweh—a term that means “I Am” and indicates One who never changes. Then he referred to the Lord as Elohim, a name that speaks of sovereignty. In presenting his request, the prophet chose language that indicated his full confidence in God.

And the Lord answered that prayer in a powerful, dramatic way. As cupbearer in the palace, Nehemiah tasted food and drink first to protect King Artaxerxes from possible poisoning. For a servant in this position, to look sad was risky, yet the terrible news disheartened him (Neh. 2:1).

The Lord worked powerfully: When the king asked what was troubling his cupbearer, Nehemiah expressed concern for the Jewish people. Instead of punishing him, Artaxerxes let him go to rebuild what had been destroyed and even supplied the materials! God handled what seemed like an overwhelming, impossible burden for Nehemiah, and He can do the same for us.

Having the right view of the Lord will allow us to approach Him with absolute confidence. And we know that He will hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 86:7). Remember, He is absolute in faithfulness and infinite in power. Our heavenly Father is the ruler over all.

Draw Near - HUMAN INVENTIONS

HUMAN INVENTIONS

An angry black militant sneered, "If Christianity is a valid religion, why is it so divided?" While his question is not new, it deserves an answer. Christendom is divided into Protestant and Roman Catholic, conservatives and liberals. And even these groups are divided. Clearly, there is at best a cold war between some segments of the Kingdom. Why?

Perhaps the best answer is that God never intended the great message of salvation to settle down into one denomination, into narrowness or legalism. We must understand that religious organizations are the invention of man rather than the creation of God.

While religious organizations are often necessary and denominations provide valuable services, the believer must remember that the message of Christ crosses over manmade barriers to heal the hurt of humanity. Christ's ministry was to preach the good tidings to the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, release from prison those who are bound, and proclaim the coming of His Kingdom. The wise believer understands that religious organizations are often very human and are only to speed the preaching of the great Gospel message. Too often, we feud over unimportant things. The believer patterns his ministry after that of his Lord and seeks to bring people together rather than separate them.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬