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Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Let Us Keep to the Point by Oswald Chambers
New Year, New Priorities by Poh Fang Chia
New Year, New Priorities
I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I’ve never found the time to enroll in a class. Or, perhaps more accurately, I haven’t made the time for it. I had thought that in heaven I could probably master that instrument. In the meantime, I wanted to focus on using my time in the particular ways God has called me to serve Him now.
Life is short, and we often feel the pressure to make the most of our time on Earth before it slips away. But what does that really mean?
As King Solomon contemplated the meaning of life, he offered two recommendations. First, we’re to live in the most meaningful way we can, which includes fully enjoying the good things God allows us to experience in life, such as food and drink (Ecclesiastes 9:7), clothing and perfume (v. 8 nlt), marriage (v. 9), and all of God’s good gifts—which might include learning how to play the cello!
His second recommendation was diligent work (v. 10). Life is full of opportunities, and there is always more work to be done. We’re to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us, seeking His wisdom on how to prioritize work and play in a way that uses our gifting to serve Him.
Life is a wonderful gift from the Lord. We honor Him when we take pleasure both in His daily blessings and in meaningful service.
Life is short, and we often feel the pressure to make the most of our time on Earth before it slips away. But what does that really mean?
As King Solomon contemplated the meaning of life, he offered two recommendations. First, we’re to live in the most meaningful way we can, which includes fully enjoying the good things God allows us to experience in life, such as food and drink (Ecclesiastes 9:7), clothing and perfume (v. 8 nlt), marriage (v. 9), and all of God’s good gifts—which might include learning how to play the cello!
His second recommendation was diligent work (v. 10). Life is full of opportunities, and there is always more work to be done. We’re to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us, seeking His wisdom on how to prioritize work and play in a way that uses our gifting to serve Him.
Life is a wonderful gift from the Lord. We honor Him when we take pleasure both in His daily blessings and in meaningful service.
Father, thank You for this life You’ve given me. Help me to live this new year for You, enjoying Your blessings and fulfilling Your purposes.
We can both enjoy God’s blessings and be a blessing to others.
Then Comes the Good Part! by Stephen Davey
Then Comes the Good Part!
Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.
A family was watching The Greatest Story Ever Told, a film on the life of Christ. One of the children in the family was deeply moved. As Jesus journeyed to Calvary, tears rolled down her cheeks. She sat absolutely silent until Jesus had been taken down from the cross and put into the tomb. Then she suddenly grinned and shouted excitedly, "Now comes the good part!"
Now comes the good part! Indeed it does! The resurrection of our Lord is the basis of our faith. Without it, we would be lost! Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
· The gospel would be meaningless.
[I]f you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9).
· Forgiveness of sins would be hopeless.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins (I Corinthians 15:17).
· Present life would be joyless.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied (I Corinthians 15:18-19).
· Godly living would be fruitless.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father (John 14:12).
· Future life would be worthless.
Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2).
Do you understand what is at stake? If there is no resurrection, there is no Gospel; if there is no Gospel, there is no forgiveness of sin; if there is no forgiveness of sin, there is no present joy; if there is no present joy, there is no future hope.
We may sit silently during part of this life; we may shed abundant tears of sadness as we watch and wait. But just remember that Christ is preparing a place for us in His Father's house . . . and then comes the good part!
Prayer Point: Talk to the Lord with gratitude for your salvation. Use the words death, burial, and resurrection when you pray. Keep in mind that you have eternal life because of His resurrection.
Extra Refreshment: 1 Corinthians 15 for Paul's awesome teaching on the Resurrection.
One Body, One Lord by Charles Stanley
If you’re a Christian, you know the importance of being part of a church, because that’s where we grow and worship together as the body of Christ. However, it’s also a place where conflicts, disagreements, and annoyances occur. Although we are saved and destined for heaven, we still live in a fallen world and struggle with our own sins and weaknesses. What’s more, we come from diverse backgrounds and have different personalities and levels of spiritual maturity.
That’s why it’s essential that we learn to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” of Christ (Eph. 4:1). How would a physical body function if the various parts ignored the brain’s direction and did their own thing? That’s what happens when a church won’t listen to its head, Jesus Christ. The inevitable result is conflict as individual members push their own agendas.
The only way we can walk worthy of our calling in a local church is to have the qualities mentioned in verse 2: humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love. When these Christlike attributes characterize a group of believers, being together will be like a small taste of heaven on earth. Although there may still be disagreements, the manner in which they’re handled will change. Instead of angry outbursts, silent resentment, and bitterness, there will be greater concern for the other person than for oneself.
Our involvement in a local church is one of the ways God works to conform us to His Son’s image. The close connections developed within the community of faith will both encourage us and sand off the rough areas in our life. In that way, we end up looking more like Christ.
Choose the Best by David Jeremiah
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A Vision for Your Life in the New Year by Adrian Rogers
“…which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…even Jesus.” Hebrews 6:19-20
A New Year is like an ocean. There will be untested winds and waves. We’ll meet ships we never knew and we’ll have all kinds of opportunities as we sail into an uncharted sea. In our quest to discover the good life this year, we must be careful that we do not drift into an aimless life. The worst thing that could happen to us this coming year is that we just let this year happen to us rather than charting a course and getting into God’s appointed harbor. More than likely, you won’t decide to drift. It’ll just happen. You’ll be coasting along at a good clip, and then before you know it you’re drifting away. . . that is, unless you have an anchor.
Take a few minutes to reflect on this past year. What were some things you did right... what were some things you would do differently this next year?
January 1 / Streams in the Desert
The land whither ye go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven; a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. (Deuteronomy 11:11-12)
Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown. There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to possess it. Who can tell what we shall find? What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise? But here is the cheering, comforting, gladdening message from our Heavenly Father, "The Lord thy God careth for it."
All our supply is to come from the Lord. Here are springs that shall never dry; here are fountains and streams that shall never be cut off. Here anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the Heavenly Father. If He be the Source of our mercies they can never fail us. No heat, no drought can parch that river, "the streams whereof make glad the city of God."
The land is a land of hills and valleys. It is not all smooth nor all down hill. If life were all one dead level the dull sameness would oppress us; we want the hills and the valleys. The hills collect the rain for a hundred fruitful valleys. Ah, so it is grace and brings down the shower of blessing; the hills, the bleak hills of life that we wonder at and perhaps grumble at, bring down showers. How many have perished in the wilderness, buried under its golden sands, who would have lived and thriven in the hill-country; how many would have been killed by the frost, blighted with winds, swept desolate of tree and fruit but for the hill- stern, hard, rugged, so steep to climb. God's hills are a gracious protection for His people against their foes!
We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!
He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.
He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.
--Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.
He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.
--Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
January 1 / Elisha's Ridiculous Faith
Throughout the life of Elisha, we see that many of the miracles he performed are almost identical to Jesus’ miracles. In 2 Kings 4:8-37, Elisha performs one of these similar miracles in the healing of Shunammmite woman’s son. When Elisha first encounters the woman he is so overwhelmed by her kindness and hospitality that he decides to reward her with what he thought she wanted most, a child. God gives the woman a child, but years later the son dies and the woman asks for Elisha’s help in bringing him back to life. There are two things interesting about this passage. The first is the ridiculous way Elisha attempts to resurrect the son by laying on top of him mouth-to-mouth, eyes-to-eyes, and hands-to-hands. The second is the fact Elisha’s efforts to resurrect the son were not successful the first time.
How many times have you found yourself in Elisha’s position? You are asking God to do something and know He can do it, but it doesn’t happen the first time you ask. It may take days, months, or even years. Don’t give up when you aren’t successful the first time. Keep praying. Keep seeking God. He will answer your prayer in the way and time that is best for you. Don’t lose heart and keep praying. What’s one thing you have been asking God for but He has yet to answer? What can you do to ensure you don’t give up in asking and seeking God through prayer for this thing?
“Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food.
Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there." One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him. He said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?'" And she answered, "I live among my own people." So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly she has no son and her husband is old." He said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant." The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her. When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. He said to his father, "My head, my head." And he said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out. Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return." He said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath." And she said, " It will be well." Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, "Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you." So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, there is the Shunammite. Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me." Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?" Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad's face." The mother of the lad said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." And he arose and followed her. Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad's face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, "The lad has not awakened." When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. He called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Take up your son." Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.”
2 Kings 4:8, 10-37 NASB
Filled With Christ by Billy Graham
Filled With Christ
As we flick the calendar to a new year, we come face to face with the fact that our days on earth are numbered. As the Psalmist wrote, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” No thoughtful person can approach New Year’s Day without some introspection. We are reminded of the brevity of time. We also look back over our failures, mistakes, and missed opportunities, and vow that we will make better use of our time during the coming year. We should take time to be pleasant, to smile, to extend the small courtesies we often omit—to show love to our family. Psychiatrists tell us that most people are starved for love. Take time for the goodbye kiss; we shall go to work with a sweeter spirit. Let us take time to get acquainted with our families. We are not machines. We are not robots. The secret of a happy home is that members of the family learn to give and receive love. Let us take time to express our love in a thousand ways.
Daily Prayer
As I begin a new year, Lord Jesus, I pray that my walk through the days ahead will be filled with Your love for others, a love that does not count the cost.
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”
Philippians 3:13 NASB
Finish Well by Chuck Swindoll
Finish Well
by Chuck Swindoll
We have reached the end of another year and now face a new one. When we stood in this same spot 364 days ago, we looked ahead to what the Lord was going to teach us in the coming year and we anticipated the many ways we were going to see Him at work in our lives.
We said, "By the end of this year we will discover that God had wondrous things for us which we would never have known or experienced had we not accepted the challenge changes inevitably bring."
Today, as you look back over the past weeks and months, what do you see? How have His grace, joy, and love touched your life?
When we began the year, we also talked about finishing well. The reality is, of course, we are not finished. The race is not over. Our lives are still being perfected. We still need much more of the Master's touch.
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:1–2, KJV).
Taken from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com
Dwell by Joh Opgenorth
Dwell
January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019
Read: Psalm 27:1-6
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD. (v. 4)
As we begin a new year, holiday memories still linger. Among my relatives, some went home for the holidays and others came to our home. Home is a powerful image. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, Scripture is woven with threads of home. God’s people remember past homes with fondness, lament the absence of home in captivity, and long for the eternal home promised by the prophets and purchased by Jesus.
Perhaps the most powerful word for home is found in Psalm 27:4, “That I may dwellin the house of the LORD . . .” To dwell is to linger in God’s presence, gaze on God’s beauty, and enjoy God’s company. This finds fulfillment in Psalm 23, “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v. 6). It is the reason God had the tabernacle built: “that I may dwell in their midst” (Exod. 25:8). Ultimately, it is where creation is heading: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them” (Rev. 21:3). God created you so you could dwell with him!
The good news in Bethlehem’s manger is that we no longer go someplace to dwell with God. In Jesus, our hearts become the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19), where “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). I invite you to make it a pattern this year to dwell in the presence of the One who has taken up residence in you. —Jon Opgenorth
As you pray, thank God for making your heart his home.
How to Avoid Playing the Blame Game / Senior Living
How to Avoid Playing the Blame Game
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” - Matthew 7:3-5
There was once a manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself. The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun—until it bounced off his forehead.
The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted, “You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!”
It’s easy for some people to blame others when things aren’t going their way, isn’t it? They try and try to figure out just what someone else did wrong to put them in their predicament, all the while the real blame should be put on themselves.
In the Christian life, God wants you to take responsibility for your own actions. It’s easy to look at others and find faults with them. But remember that every time you point a finger, you have three more pointing right back at you. So examine yourself before you blame others. Be quick to confess when you might be in the wrong. A humble heart is the key to maintaining good, godly relationships with others.
Prayer Challenge:
Ask God to show you areas where you’ve been too judgmental toward others. If you need to, confess how you’ve unfairly blamed them, and accept responsibility when it’s yours.
The Measure of True Success by John MacArthur
The Measure of True Success |
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1).
God is more interested in your faithfulness than He is in your accomplishments.
Our society is success oriented. We love success stories. We even have television programs that exalt the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But God's standard for success is quite different. Unimpressed by our status or wealth, He looks instead for faithfulness to His will.
Paul understood that principle and diligently pursued his calling as an apostle—one of those unique men who were foundational to the church and recipients, teachers, and writers of the New Testament.
That was a high calling, yet judging from Paul's lifestyle most people would hardly call him successful— having suffered imprisonments, beatings, death threats, shipwrecks, robberies, hatred from his theological enemies, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements (2 Cor. 11:23-27). But none of those things deterred him from obeying God's will. His final testimony was, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). That's true success! Although we're not apostles, we're to follow Paul's example of faithfulness (1 Cor. 11:1). That's possible because, like the Ephesian believers, we are “saints [holy ones] . . . who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1). By God's grace we've trusted in Christ as our Lord and Savior (Eph. 2:8-9) and received His righteousness (Phil. 3:9), Spirit (Eph. 3:16), and every spiritual resource necessary for faithful, victorious Christian living (Eph. 1:3).
What remains is to cultivate greater love for Christ and more consistent obedience to His Word. Those are the hallmarks of a true disciple and God's measure of success. Make it your goal that your life today warrants the Lord's commendation, “Well done, good and faithful [servant]” (Matt. 25:21).
Suggestions for Prayer
For Further Study
Read Ephesians 1:3-4; 2:10; Titus 2:11-12.
From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com. |
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