Grinding Off the Sharp Edges / Ann Graham Lotz

 Grinding Off the Sharp Edges

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12, NIV

In the Old Testament, the meal offering consisted of fine flour that was ground to powder by being placed in a round hole, where it was grated by a square pestle. The flour was then mixed with oil, which represented the Holy Spirit. The oil and flour, thoroughly mixed together and offered to God, was a picture of a totally consecrated life.

Sometimes God puts us with someone whom He uses to grate us. For instance, perhaps you are very generous with your money, and you are married to someone who is so careful, he or she is almost stingy. Or perhaps you are very quiet, and God has put you on a committee with someone who talks nonstop. Or worse, perhaps you are a nonstop talker and you are on a committee with another nonstop talker! Instead of avoiding those with whom we are incompatible or just tolerating them, Jesus commands you and me to love them. And as we obey His command, He will use that person to grind off our sharp, impatient, un-Christlike edges.

To Witness the Savior / Max Lucado

To Witness the Savior

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TO WITNESS THE SAVIOR 

Bethlehem. Star-filled skies, bone-weary travelers, shepherds, and a new baby. Bethlehem reminds us of the most remarkable event in human history: the moment the Savior came to earth clothed in humility and humanity.

Today, centuries beyond that main event, a small chapel marks the probable birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church lies a cavern lit by silver lamps. Enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. Enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor notes the birth of the king of heaven. There is one stipulation, however – you must bend down. The doorway is so low that you cannot enter standing up.

The same is true of Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you gotta get on your knees. 

Bible in One Year: March 1

 Bible in One Year: Numbers 23-25; Mark 7:14-37

The Piercing Question / 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. Bible in One Year: Numbers 23-25; Mark 7:14-37

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.

In Step With God / Charles Stanley

In Step With God 

Ephesians 4

People are saved when they trust Jesus Christ as Savior and choose to follow Him. Right then, most Christians realize that they will dwell with Him forever in heaven. But many don’t understand what they can expect for the remainder of their lives on earth.

One benefit that’s available immediately is a growing relationship with the Lord. The Father’s oneness with Jesus (John 10:30) illustrates the intimacy God wants to have with His children. He had this type of closeness in mind at creation—a relationship with man is an avenue for Him to express His love and for us to worship and understand our Maker.

Another advantage is that Christ-followers are promised clear guidance through God’s Holy Spirit. Decision making is a part of everyday life. It is impossible for a mere human to know every variable and nuance before choosing which path to take. But the Lord knows all things—past, present, and future. With godly wisdom available, it’s hard to understand why anyone would prefer to trust his own hunches.

Provision is yet another blessing guaranteed for believers. There will be hard times, but God gives Christians everything necessary for following Him (Phil. 4:19). And His grace will always prove more than sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9).

How abundantly God gives to His children! One word of caution, though: these gifts are effective only when believers walk obediently with Him. Sin can stifle them.

The heavenly Father desires that all of His sons and daughters have these blessings; if you’re living in obedience before Him, they are available to you. Is anything getting in the way of your total submission to Him?

Leaning Your Whole Weight on Jesus / Adrian Rogers

 Leaning Your Whole Weight on Jesus

Romans 10:1-4

Sermon: 2067 Salvation, Part 1

Pray Over This

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Romans 10:1-4

Ponder This

John Paton was a missionary in the South Sea Islands, and he was with a tribe that did not have a Bible. So, he took on the work of translating the Bible into the language of the tribe. When he got to the word believe he asked, “What is the word for belief?” The people gave him the word for intellectual belief, as in, “I believe that two and two equal four.” He said, “No, that’s not the word I want.” He said, “I want the word for belief that means trust, confidence, reliance upon.” And he kept asking but they couldn’t give him the word.

One day as he was working on this translation, a man came in while Paton was sitting in a chair. Paton put his whole weight on the chair, with his feet off the floor and asked, “What am I doing?” The local gave him a word that means “to lean your whole weight upon,” which he put in the Bible translation for reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ.1 When we say, “Lord Jesus, I just cast myself upon You,” that is not just an intellectual belief, it is a deep reliance.

• How has your faith been marked by a deep reliance upon Jesus?
• What is the difference between intellectual belief and deep reliance?

Practice This

Think about an area of your life in which you may be depending more on intellectual belief than deep reliance on Jesus. Pray about those things. Determine to lean your whole weight upon Jesus.

Finding Rest in Jesus / ODB

 

Finding Rest in Jesus Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 READ Matthew 11:28–30 The restless soul is never satisfied with wealth and success. A deceased country music icon could testify to this truth. He had nearly forty of his albums appear on Billboard’s country music top-ten charts and just as many number one singles. But he also had multiple marriages and spent time in prison. Even with all his achievements, he once lamented: “There’s a restlessness in my soul that I’ve never conquered, not with motion, marriages or meaning. . . . It’s still there to a degree. And it will be till the day I die.” Sadly, he could have found rest in his soul before his life ended. Jesus invites all those, like this musician, who have become weary from toiling in sin and its consequences to come to Him personally: “Come to me,” He says. When we receive salvation in Jesus, He will take the burdens from us and “give [us] rest” (Matthew 11:28). The only requirements are to believe in Him and then to learn from Him how to live the abundant life He provides (John 10:10). Taking on the yoke of Jesus’ discipleship results in our finding “rest for [our] souls” (Matthew 11:29). When we come to Jesus, He doesn’t abbreviate our accountability to God. He gives peace to our restless souls by providing us a new and less burdensome way to live in Him. He gives us true rest. By Marvin Williams In what ways do you feel weary and burdened right now? What’s it like to experience the promised “rest” Jesus offers? Jesus, let my restless soul find peace and rest in You alone. For further study, read The Compassion of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28–29 are among the most comforting in the Gospels. The thought of finding deep, soul-rest in Him is certainly appealing in our turbulent times. The context for these words, however, might be surprising. The chapter opens (vv. 1–6) with John the Baptist seeking confirmation that he’d rightly identified Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus affirms John’s previous confidence before telling the audience of the unique greatness John had displayed (vv. 7–19). Christ would then go on to declare a judgment (vv. 20–24) upon cities where His work hadn’t been received before then turning to the Father in prayer (vv. 25–26). This leads into Jesus’ offer of rest—perhaps the very kind of rest that John needed as he followed events from prison. Christ’s recognition of our personal fragility—even in one as profound as John—seems to be behind His powerful offer of true rest. Bill Crowder

Uniquely Blessed / David Jeremiah

 

Uniquely Blessed But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 1 Corinthians 12:18 Although the phrase is ancient and, therefore, the origin uncertain, one of the earliest uses of “green with envy” came from the pen of William Shakespeare. In Othello, Iago warns Othello, “Beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

Recommended Reading: Psalm 139: 13 – 14

Why do we envy others? Why does jealousy sneak in like a silent fog, clouding our vision of God’s blessings? It is because we fail to appreciate that God has blessed each person with unique gifts and abilities to be discovered and enjoyed by each one. The psalmist David wrote that God created each of us “fearfully and wonderfully,” in a “marvelous” way (Psalm 139:14). Therefore, our gifts and blessings are unique to us, as are those blessings God has given others. Paul wrote about gifts another way, likening us to the individual parts of the human body (1 Corinthians 12:14-26). Each part is unique and important and should be honored as such. Whenever you feel a twinge of envy or jealousy, let it remind you to thank God for how He has made and blessed you. Then put your blessings to use for Him and others! Hem your blessings with praise, lest they unravel.  Unknown

Everyday Faith / Greg Laurie

 Everyday Faith

When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. (Psalm 73:16-17NKJV)

Sometimes we wish the Christian life could be a constant state of euphoria in which we’re always experiencing God in some wonderful way.

But we need to realize that when we go to church, we won’t always have a strong sensation of God’s presence. We won’t always be deeply moved by a message. Then again, sometimes we will. When that happens, we can thank God for it.

Still, we don’t live for those times. We don’t depend on them. When we mature spiritually, we understand that we need to apply ourselves to the truths of God. We realize that we need to come down from our spiritual mountaintops to the valleys, to the real world of temptations, challenges, and trials.

Church should equip us, challenge us, and build us up. Something wonderful happens when God’s people come together for worship and Bible study. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV).

Not only is God’s presence manifested in a unique way at church, but we often find a resolution for our problems while there. Or at least we gain a better perspective on how to deal with them.

The psalmist Asaph grappled with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper, and then it dawned on him: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:16-17 NKJV).

In other words, “I didn’t understand why things are the way they are. But when I came into God’s presence to study His Word with His people, my questions came into their proper perspective.”

When we think about the greatness of God, when we remember the truths of God, it puts our problems in perspective.

You are not alone. / Billy Graham

You are not alone.

Loneliness is no respecter of persons. It invades the palace as well as the hut. Many turn to drink because of loneliness. Others lose their sanity becasue of loneliness. Many commit suicide because of the despair of loneliness. Thousands have found Christ to be the answer for their loneliness. The Hebrew children were not alone when they were hurled into the fiery furnace of persecution. There was One with them like unto the Son of God. Moses wasn't alone in the Midian Desert when God came to comfort him and call him to a wider ministry. Elijah wasn't alone at the cave when God came near and spoke with the still, small voice. Paul and Silas were not alone in the Philippian jail when God came down and gave them a song at midnight. Whoever you are, Christ can give you comfort and companionship.

Daily Prayer

Whenever I begin to feel alone, help me to remember that You are always with me. Sometimes the way seems dark but You are still there. Thank You, Lord.

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬ 

Hope for Today / March 1

Neitzche boldly proclaimed, “God is dead, God is dead, we have killed Him.” Then Neitzche died.

Voltaire claimed that the Bible would be abandoned in his generation; then Voltaire died and was himself abandoned.

God-consciousness not only outlived its pallbearers, it increased in vitality. The funeral that is presently being conducted in the American arena commemorates the death of truth. “Truth is dead, truth is dead, we have killed it,” says the secular humanist. In its place we have established tolerance, relativism, and individualism as crowning virtues.

We have witnessed the meltdown of right and wrong. The word “moral” has been cut adrift to find its own definition apart from law. A personal substitute for truth based on the person rather than the principle has us reeling like drunken sailors trying to find our way back to pier one.

When everybody is right and nobody is wrong, chaos reigns and we open ourselves to the most bizarre lunacy. Even as the funeral is drawing to a close, truth must show up in the church to expose the fraud. Relativism sets its course to destruction while the truth still sets men free.

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬ 

Daily Encouragement / March 1

 Even the greatest servants of God die, but the purpose of God moves on. There is a proper place for grief - “The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days (Deut. 34:8) - but “the time of weeping and mourning” must not be so prolonged that the people of God delay getting ready to cross the Jordan into the land. Respect for the dead should not lead to a refusal to move on with God.

It is possible to perpetuate the memory of God’s celebrated servants in an unhealthy way which is almost a refusal to recognize that “Moses my servant is dead.” Such veneration is wrong, because it exalts a man unduly and hinders advance. Moreover it is unnecessary, because great leaders like Moses will still speak even when they are dead: “Even to this day . . . Moses is read” (2 Cor. 3:15). And more than that, they still live, without any help from us. Moses was there on the Mount of Transfiguration, and in the heavenly places they sing “the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3).  

So the people of God are free to accept the death of his servants, to wipe away their tears, and to go forward filled with hope.

““Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Keep Focused / Ann Graham Lotz

Keep Focused

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22–23, nkjv

God, as the Judge of all the earth, determined the wickedness of Cain’s civilization could no longer be tolerated, and He sent the Flood to wash it away. God, Who judged the world, is the same God Who saved the world from His own judgment by providing the ark as a means of escape. Praise God! That’s His goodness!

Like pouring oil on troubled waters, our knowledge of Who God is calms our fears. So . . . keep your faith, and keep your focus!

God is faithful
     and gracious
           and good
               and loving
                    and patient
                         and holy
                               and righteous
                                     and merciful.

God’s Story, (Nashville: W Publishing, 1997).  

Stand Upon His Promises / Max Lucado

 

Stand Upon His Promises

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STAND UPON HIS PROMISES 

We come to Christ in an hour of deep need. We realize that all the good works in the world are puny when laid before the Perfect One, so we beg for help. We hear his voice, and we step out in fear, hoping that our little faith will be enough. And with precious, wobbly steps, we draw close to him. We stand upon his promises.

It doesn’t make sense that we’re able to do this. We don’t claim to be worthy of such an incredible gift. When people ask how in the world we can keep our balance during such stormy times, we don’t boast. We point to the One who makes it possible. “Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling,” we sing. “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved,” we declare. And we never look back. May that be the anthem of your life.