The Importance of Discernment by Charles Stanley

Matthew 3:1-12

Who couldn’t use a little discernment? We desperately need the Lord’s help to determine truth and reality in a world filled with confusing gray areas and evil deceptions.

John the Baptist was a man of tremendous discernment. This rough and rugged preacher came thundering onto the scene of staid orthodox Judaism, and he brought a message to the entire Jewish nation. John’s job was to prepare the way for the Messiah’s arrival. What he had to say was simple: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

As the multitudes flocked to hear this unique prophet and repent of their sins, John discerned that some of them were frauds. The Pharisees and Sadducees had come to check him out, not to repent. They were hiding reality behind a religious exterior.

A discerning spirit is one that is in tune with the Spirit of God. As John lived in submission to the Lord, he gained insight beyond anything that could have originated from his own mind.

He saw the situation from God’s perspective and delivered a strong rebuke to that “brood of vipers” (Matt. 3:7). Although we may never be as forthright as John, there will be times when a discerning spirit will lead to confrontation.

The Father wants His children to develop spiritual discernment in order to guard against deception. We must know how to recognize invalid philosophies as well as false doctrines that sneak into the church. What’s more, divine insight can also protect us in our relationships and even helps us see the truth about ourselves.

Draw Near / THE COMING KING

THE COMING KING

Approximately one-fifth of the Bible is prophecy; one-third of that concerns the second coming of Christ. Christ's second coming is mentioned eight times more than His first and twice as often as the atonement. One out of thirty verses in the New Testament concerns this great hope; two New Testament books are almost entirely devoted to it. Without question, the doctrine of the second coming is emphasized in God's Word and is, therefore, important to those who love the Lord.

Jesus spent much of His time telling about His second coming. He told many parables concerning this hope, including those of the "goodman" of the household, the faithful and wise servant, the ten virgins, and the talents. Throughout all these stories, the predominant theme is the readiness of the believer for Christ's return. This readiness involves multiplying the talents He has entrusted to us. The faithful and good servants watch and work, redeeming the time until the Master returns.

In the classic book The Robe, Justus keeps his ear tuned to the sky. He peers over each horizon and longingly looks for each daybreak. His constant thought is "Maybe the Master will return today." In this last day when our weary world totters on the brink of disaster, there is still the glorious fact that Christ will return for those awaiting His appearance. We have the word of our Lord that He is coming, and He has never broken a promise. As we look forward to this week and this year, may we like Justus say, "Could it be today?" We must work for our Lord as never before because the time is growing short.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What If You’re Wrong? by Adrian Rogers

MARCH 4

What If You’re Wrong?

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

Some of you are wondering whether or not you ought to give your heart to Jesus Christ. You may ask, “What if Adrian Rogers is not right? What if the Gospel is not true?” Let's suppose that what I believe is wrong--that the Bible is a bundle of blunders. Let's suppose there is no God and that Christ never died for our sins. Well, you're going to die anyway. So you're no worse off. But suppose I'm right and you're wrong. By coming to Jesus, you've got everything to gain and nothing to lose.

 Now, it takes more than that kind of rationality to come to the Lord, but you need to do a little spiritual calculation. The Holy Spirit will prove to you that what I say is true.

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March 4 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises(Heb. 6:12).

They (heroes of faith) are calling to us from the heights that they have won, and telling us that what man once did man can do again. Not only do they remind us of the necessity of faith, but also of that patience by which faith has its perfect work. Let us fear to take ourselves out of the hands of our heavenly Guide or to miss a single lesson of His loving discipline by discouragement or doubt.

"There is only one thing," said a village blacksmith, "that I fear, and that is to be thrown on the scrap heap. "When I am tempering a piece of steel, I first beat it, hammer it, and then suddenly plunge it into this bucket of cold water. I very soon find whether it will take temper or go to pieces in the process. When I discover after one or two tests that it is not going to allow itself to be tempered, I throw it on the scrap heap and sell it for a cent a pound when the junk man comes around.

"So I find the Lord tests me, too, by fire and water and heavy blows of His heavy hammer, and if I am not willing to stand the test, or am not going to prove a fit subject for His tempering process, I am afraid He may throw me on the scrap heap."

When the fire is hottest, hold still, for there will be a blessed "afterward"; and with Job we may be able to say, "When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold."
--Selected

Sainthood springs out of suffering. It takes eleven tons of pressure on a piano to tune it. God will tune you to harmonize with Heaven's key-note if you can stand the strain.

Things that hurt and things that mar
Shape the man for perfect praise;
Shock and strain and ruin are
Friendlier than the smiling days.

Seeking a Closeness to God by John MacArthur

Seeking a Closeness to God

“Draw near to God” (James 4:8).

The sincerely humble will want a closer relationship with God.

The expression “draw near” was originally associated with the priesthood in Israel. Under the regulations of the Old Covenant, the priests represented the people before God. Prior to coming near God’s presence, the priest had to be washed physically and be ceremonially clean. That meant he had to bathe, wear the proper garments, and offer sacrifices that made his own heart right with God. Then he could draw near to God on the people’s behalf.

Eventually the Hebrew word for drawing near meant anyone who approached the presence of God in worship and prayer. The term became synonymous even of those whose hearts were far from God when they “worshiped” Him. For example, Isaiah 29:13 says, “This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.”

But the sincere believer, one who has truly humbled himself before God, knows that God wants worshipers to draw near with true and pure hearts: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). This applies the language of the Old Testament ceremonial system to us and says that as the priests prepared themselves to be near God, we also should prepare ourselves spiritually to worship Him.

So far this month we have seen that the humble person will come to God for salvation, submit to Him as Lord, and take a stand against the Devil. But the truly humble person will see that his relationship to God is inherently more than those actions. If you claim to be one of the humble, one who has a saving relationship to the Father through the Son, be sure you can also agree with the psalmist Asaph: “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works” (Ps. 73:28).

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His grace and mercy in salvation that make it possible for us to have a close relationship with Him.

For Further Study

Read Hebrews 4.

• What sort of rest is the writer referring to?
• How does it compare to the rest that the people of Israel sought during Joshua’s time?

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 Abundance of the Grace of God by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MARCH 4, 2018

The Abundance of the Grace of God

They feast on the abundance of your house.
Psalms 36:8

Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marveled equally at the company of servants who enjoyed the king's feast.

But what is this in comparison to the abundance of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of His people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough forevermore. Although the company that eats at Jehovah's table is as countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his own portion.

Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads His table not for one, but for many saints; not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Consider the full feasting spoken of in the text; the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied--more, abundantly satisfied, and not with ordinary fare, but with the peculiar abundance of God's own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings.

I once thought that if I could just get the leftovers at God's back door of grace I would be satisfied, like the woman who said, "The dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." But no child of God is ever served with scraps and leftovers; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the King's own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin's portion--we all have ten times more than we could have expected; and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvelous fullness of grace that God gives us richly to enjoy.

When God Fills Us / Our Daily Bread

When God Fills Us March 4, 2018

Read: Psalm 16:5–11 Bible in a Year: Numbers 31–33; Mark 9:1–29 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.—Psalm 16:11 “What had I done?” It should have been one of the most exciting times of my life. Instead, it was one of the loneliest. I’d just gotten my first “real” job after college, in a city hundreds of miles from where I grew up. But the thrill of that big step quickly faded. I had a tiny apartment. No furniture. I didn’t know the city. I didn’t know anyone. The job was interesting, but the loneliness felt crushing. One night, I sat at home with my back against the wall. I opened my Bible and stumbled onto Psalm 16, where verse 11 promises God will fill us. “Lord,” I prayed, “I thought this job was the right thing, but I feel so alone. Please fill me with a sense of Your nearness.” I offered variants of that plaintive plea for weeks. Some nights, my sense of loneliness eased, and I had a deep experience of God’s presence. Other nights, I still felt achingly isolated. But as I returned to that verse, anchoring my heart in it night by night, God gradually deepened my faith. I experienced His faithfulness in a way I never had before. And I learned that my job was simply to pour out my heart to Him . . . and humbly await His faithful response, trusting His promise to fill us with His Spirit. —Adam Holz Lord, we can feel so empty at times. But You’ve made known the path of life. You long for us to trust You. Help us to cling to Your promise to fill us in our desperate moments. Anchor your heart in God. INSIGHT: David faced many enemies and encountered numerous dangers. Those experiences proved the faithfulness of God to him. In Psalm 16 David sings of finding his joy and guidance in the Lord alone: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (v. 8). Earlier in Israel’s story, Moses had pleaded for the presence of God to accompany the people in the wilderness (Exodus 33:15-16). God promised to go with them and to give them rest (vv. 14, 17). We too can find our help in the God of Moses and David. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He told His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17). The God of David and Moses is the God who tells us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). His Holy Spirit lives in us. Do you sense His presence today? Give your desperate circumstances to Him. He promises to guide you. Tim Gustafson

His Commission to Us by Oswald Chambers

His Commission to Us Feed My sheep.  JOHN 21:17 This is love in the making. The love of God is not created— it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Peter now realizes that he does love Him, due to the revelation that came with the Lord’s piercing question. The Lord’s next point is— “Pour yourself out. Don’t testify about how much you love Me and don’t talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, just ‘Feed My sheep.’ ” Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar sheep: some that are unkempt and dirty, some that are awkward or pushy, and some that have gone astray! But it is impossible to exhaust God’s love, and it is impossible to exhaust my love if it flows from the Spirit of God within me. The love of God pays no attention to my prejudices caused by my natural individuality. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by natural emotions— I have to feed His sheep. We will not be delivered or released from His commission to us. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by following your own natural human emotions, sympathies, or understandings. That will only serve to revile and abuse the true love of God. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS When you are joyful, be joyful; when you are sad, be sad. If God has given you a sweet cup, don’t make it bitter; and if He has given you a bitter cup, don’t try and make it sweet; take things as they come. from Shade of His Hand, 1226 L

A Man Worthy of Our Hope by Charles Stanley

1 Peter 1:3-5

Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of our faith. There are many people who think it’s sufficient to believe that Jesus lived and died. However, the Savior’s restoration to life is central to what He claimed about His identity and to Christianity as a faith. Picking up on our question from yesterday’s devotion, we must ask what kind of man is this who rose from the dead?

The answer is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again because death has no power over Him. The resurrection validated Jesus’ ministry. All along, He said and did things to reveal Himself as Lord. When the Lamb of God—the perfect sacrifice for sin—conquered death, He confirmed His identity. Who but the Creator could return to life?

We could also answer the question by saying that the kind of man who returns from the dead is one worthy of our hope. Since Jesus Christ affirmed God’s power to give His followers eternal life, their earthly existence is not marching toward an end; rather, it is the opening chapter of a beautiful and never-ending relationship with God. Paul said that at death, Christians are absent from their bodies and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). So the best is yet to come!

Apart from Jesus’ resurrection, there is no hope. Those who chase after their own versions of immortality have no assurance of life after death, because for them, there is none. Yet believers face death with the confidence that nothing can separate them from the love of the Father. Death is just a short trip home.

Draw Near / BAD RELIGION

BAD RELIGION

Religion is not necessarily a good thing, and religious people are not inevitably good. Pascal wisely observed, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction." Examples are the German extermination of the Jews and the holy wars fought so savagely. Many of man's greatest atrocities have been done in the name of religion. This is what prompted Micah to call Israel to repentance.

God's chosen people were hiding their evil behind a cloak of religion. They tried to appease a just God with elaborate offerings. But Micah asked: Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah 6:7). Religious activity means nothing to God unless the heart is pure. Only after sin is forgiven and justice is done do sacrifices please God.

Man has not really changed since the days of Micah. He is still trying to buy God off with huge gifts of "good works." Yet God still calls for man to be loving, merciful, and just in his dealings. He asks for a right relationship with the Creator and reminds us that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will be saved. Only those whose lives are righteous and good are worthy to be called His chosen ones.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The Sword by Adrian Rogers

MARCH 3

The Sword 

“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword...” Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God is all-powerful. Satan fears the Word of God. He knows its overcoming power. We must learn to use it against Him. It’s an offensive weapon. Many of us study the Bible, but it’s not enough just to studyit, we must learn to employit. The Word of God is a sword, and it is meant to be used.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, tempted by Satan in the wilderness, took the Word of God--that sharp two-edged sword--and time after time ran Satan through with it. Jesus said, “It is written.... It is written.... It is written....” We can rely on the Word of God. We must!

Sharpen you Sword today. Read the Word. Stay in the Word. Memorize the Word. Begin today. If you only memorize one verse per week, by this time next year you’ll have committed to memory 52 verses! How many will you have memorized if you don’t? “Thy Word have I hid in my heart.”

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March 3 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him (Mark 9:26).

Evil never surrenders its hold without a sore fight. We never pass into any spiritual inheritance through the delightful exercises of a picnic, but always through the grim contentions of the battle field. It is so in the secret realm of the soul. Every faculty which wins its spiritual freedom does so at the price of blood. Apollyon is not put to flight by a courteous request; he straddles across the full breadth of the way, and our progress has to be registered in blood and tears. This we must remember or we shall add to all the other burdens of life the gall of misinterpretation. We are not "born again" into soft and protected nurseries, but in the open country where we suck strength from the very terror of the tempest. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
--Dr. J. H. Jowett

Faith of our Fathers! living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword:
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word.
Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to Thee till death!
Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
How sweet would be their children's fate,
If they, like them, could die for Thee!

Standing Against the Devil by John MacArthur

Standing Against the Devil “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7b). Anyone who possesses scriptural humility will take an uncompromising stand against Satan. The successful diplomat or politician is quite adept at the art of compromise and finding the middle ground on various issues. But such skill is a hindrance when it comes to determining your position before God. If you humbly, by faith and repentance, submit yourself to God’s authority, you will immediately find yourself the enemy of Satan. You are either in God’s kingdom and under His lordship, or you are in Satan’s kingdom and under his lordship. It is impossible to have one foot in each kingdom and to be serving both kingdoms’ rulers. To “resist the devil” gives us insight into what it means to be an enemy of Satan. “Resist” means “to take a stand against” the person of Satan and his entire system, which includes everything he does and represents. Such resistance is the complete opposite of the position you had before you submitted to God. Ephesians 2:1-2 reminds us of what that position was: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan].” At that time, you had no power to resist the Devil and no desire to serve God, because you were slaves to Satan and his system (Heb. 2:14-15). But all of that can and will change if you humbly switch your allegiance from Satan’s kingdom to God’s kingdom. In today’s verse the apostle James is promising you that as a part of that changed loyalty, you will automatically be in a position to take a stand against Satan. The minute you forsake Satan’s mastery he will flee from you. Many Christians wrongly assume that Satan is much more powerful than he really is. But if you understand James’s promise you will know you have abundant spiritual resources to handle Satan’s empty threats. Being humble before God doesn’t mean being weak before Satan. God enables you to stand firm and resist. Suggestions for Prayer Thank God for the wealth of spiritual resources He provides for you to stand against the Devil. For Further Study Read Ephesians 6:10-18. Make a list of the spiritual weapons God has given us. Pick one of these, and do some additional reading and study to improve your application of it. 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.

Like a Dove by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MARCH 3, 2018

Like a Dove

He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.
Matthew 3:16

As the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord Jesus, the head, so He also, in measure, descends upon the members of the mystical body. His descent is to us after the same fashion as that in which it fell upon our Lord. There is often a sudden swiftness about it; before we are even aware of it, we are impelled onward and heavenward beyond all expectation. Yet there is none of the hurry of earthly haste, for the wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift.

Quietness seems essential to many spiritual operations; the Lord is in the still small voice, and like the dew, His grace is distilled in silence. 

The dove has always been the chosen type of purity, and the Holy Spirit is holiness itself. Where He comes, everything that is pure and lovely and of good report is made to abound, and sin and uncleanness depart. Peace reigns also where the Holy Dove comes with power; He bears the olive branch, which shows that the waters of divine wrath are assuaged. Gentleness is a sure result of the Sacred Dove's transforming power: Hearts touched by His benign influence are meek and lowly from that point and forever.

Harmlessness follows as a matter of course; eagles and ravens may hunt their prey--the turtledove can endure wrong but cannot inflict it. We must be harmless as doves. The dove is an apt picture of love; the voice of the turtle is full of affection. And so the soul visited by the blessed Spirit abounds in love to God, in love to the brethren, and in love to sinners, and above all, in love to Jesus. The brooding of the Spirit of God upon the face of the deep first produced order and life, and in our hearts He causes and fosters new life and light. Blessed Spirit, as You did rest upon our dear Redeemer, even so rest upon us from this time forward and forever.