Bible in One Year: July 2

 Bible in One Year: Job 22-24; Acts 11

The Conditions of Discipleship / Oswald Chambers

 

The Conditions of Discipleship If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also….And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me….So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. LUKE 14:26-27, 33 If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” ( Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ. The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ. Bible in One Year: Job 22-24; Acts 11

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from.

Do You Ask God to Search Your Heart? / Adrian Rogers

Do You Ask God to Search Your Heart?

Psalm 19:12

Sermon: 2188 – Haunted by the Ghost of Guilt

Pray Over This

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.”

Psalm 19:12

Ponder This

Do you want forgiveness? Do you know what I do sometimes in my study? I sit down in my quiet time, and I lay myself open to the Lord, and say, “Search me, O God, and try my heart.”

And sometimes it’s very painful. God will show me things that I say, “No, Lord that’s really not true. You’re wrong, Lord.” No. He says, “You’re wrong, Adrian. I’m right.” I’ll write it on a slip of paper, and sometimes that list will get pretty long. But then I’ll take that list and go one at a time and I’ll deal with it. I’ll name it. I will repent of it. Something on my list may seem like a harmless thing to you. It may not be wrong for you, but it is for me. Or something may be wrong for you that wouldn’t be for me. But I deal with each item on the list, then take my pen and write 1 John 1:9 over the whole thing and tear it up in little pieces. By that act, I’m reminded that I’ve been set free.

• What is something God has told you is wrong for you even if not for others?
• How have you experienced the freedom that comes through repentance?

Practice This

Take time this week to practice the exercise described in today’s devotion. Read and write the truth of 1 John 1:9 over the list God brings to mind for confession.

 

Our Refuge / ODB

 

Our Refuge God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 READ Psalm 62:5–8 A place where the buffalo roamed in North America. That’s truly what it was in the beginning. The Plains Indians followed bison there until settlers moved in with herds and crops. The land was later used as a chemical manufacturing site after Pearl Harbor during World War II, then even later for Cold War weapon demilitarization. But then one day a roost of bald eagles was discovered there, and soon the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was born—a fifteen-thousand-acre expanse of prairie, wetland, and woodland habitat on the edges of the metropolis of Denver, Colorado. It’s now one of the largest urban refuges, or sanctuaries, in the country—a safe, protected home for more than three hundred species of animals, from black-footed ferrets to burrowing owls to bald eagles, and you guessed it: roaming buffalo. The psalmist tells us that “God is our refuge” (62:8). Far greater than any earthly place of refuge, God is our true sanctuary, a safe, protected presence in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He’s our refuge in whom we can place our trust “at all times” (Psalm 62:8). And He’s our sanctuary where we can boldly bring all our prayers, pouring out our hearts. God is our refuge. That’s who He was in the beginning, who He is now, and who He always will be.        By John Blase What does the phrase “God is our refuge” mean to you? What is one thing on your heart you’d like to pour out to Him? Loving God, thank You for being my safe and protected dwelling place.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Many of David’s psalms came from a time of exile. Yahweh’s prophet Samuel had anointed him king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:13), but he waited years to experience many of the benefits. Later in life, he spent time on the run from his own son Absalom (2 Samuel 15). David’s confidence in God as a rock, refuge, and fortress wasn’t new in those moments of his life. He understood in his debut battle with the Philistine warrior Goliath that Yahweh was a warrior-God. But back then, David could do something—he fought the giant on the field of battle. However, Psalm 62 describes how he had to trust God when he couldn’t do something about his predicament. The psalm gives us a peek into David’s growing realization that even when he’s helpless, his God is not. Jed Ostoich

God’s Way Home / Ann Graham Lotz

 God’s Way Home

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6, niv

Jesus did not say that He knew the way to heaven; He said that He Himself is the only Way to get there!

During the Vietnam War, a story was reported about a paratrooper who had been air-dropped into the jungle and couldn’t find his way out. A native guide had to be sent into the jungle to find the lost man then lead him safely to his base. The guide became the man’s way to safety—his “way home.” In the same manner, Jesus is “God’s Guide,” heaven-dropped into the world to lead lost sinners safely “Home.” It stands to reason that if you refuse to acknowledge that you are “lost,” then you will not accept God’s Way home. But for those of us who know we have been lost, our overwhelming gratitude for the Guide is enough to compel us to tell others about Him—about the truth of their lost condition and the truth about the Way out.

Bible in One Year: July 1

Bible in One Year: Job 20-21; Acts 10:24-48

The Inevitable Penalty / Oswald Chambers

 

The Inevitable Penalty You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. MATTHEW 5:26 There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment. He urged you to come to judgment immediately when He convicted you, but you did not obey. Then the inevitable process began to work, bringing its inevitable penalty. Now you have been “thrown into prison, [and]…you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:25–26 ). Yet you ask, “Is this a God of mercy and love?” When seen from God’s perspective, it is a glorious ministry of love. God is going to bring you out pure, spotless, and undefiled, but He wants you to recognize the nature you were exhibiting— the nature of demanding your right to yourself. The moment you are willing for God to change your nature, His recreating forces will begin to work. And the moment you realize that God’s purpose is to get you into the right relationship with Himself and then with others, He will reach to the very limits of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide to do it right now, saying, “Yes, Lord, I willwrite that letter,” or, “I will be reconciled to that person now.” These sermons of Jesus Christ are meant for your will and your conscience, not for your head. If you dispute these verses from the Sermon on the Mount with your head, you will dull the appeal to your heart. If you find yourself asking, “I wonder why I’m not growing spiritually with God?”— then ask yourself if you are paying your debts from God’s standpoint. Do now what you will have to do someday. Every moral question or call comes with an “ought” behind it— the knowledge of knowing what we ought to do. Bible in One Year: Job 20-21; Acts 10:24-48

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The Bible is a relation of facts, the truth of which must be tested. Life may go on all right for a while, when suddenly a bereavement comes, or some crisis; unrequited love or a new love, a disaster, a business collapse, or a shocking sin, and we turn up our Bibles again and God’s word comes straight home, and we say, “Why, I never saw that there before.”

Leaving a Lasting Impact / Charles Stanley

 Leaving a Lasting Impact

Matthew 5:13-16

On this Independence Day, consider the question, How do you use the gift of freedom? God gives all believers true liberty through His Son Jesus Christ. Do you squander that blessing or share it with others? The problem is, some people are so focused on their own needs and desires that they fail to impact even their closest neighbor.

Think about the people you see every week. Do you know how many of your neighbors are sick? Are there people in your church who struggle to make it from day to day? Do you know if any of your coworkers are going through hardships? Most likely, there are individuals all around you who could use assistance. But being self-focused limits our ability to notice those people, let alone reach out to them.

Jesus taught His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men” (Matt. 5:13). In order for salt to remain useful, it must maintain its purity and potency. Likewise, we must endeavor to lead holy, humble, and loving lives, focusing on the Savior’s will rather than our own.

God has prepared the good works that we are to walk in (Eph. 2:10). Our job is to choose to do so.

Whether or not we affect our world positively depends on the focus of our heart. Do you look inward to consider how you can do more to get ahead and add to your lot in life? Or do you look outward and think about ways that you can do more to serve others?

Are You Free from Guilt? / Adrian Rogers

Are You Free from Guilt?

Zechariah 3:3

Sermon: 2188 – Haunted by the Ghost of Guilt

Pray Over This

“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.”

Zechariah 3:3

Ponder This

Joshua was the high priest; as such, he stood for the people. And we can view him as standing for us. Joshua, as the accused, must plead guilty. Satan has a good case against Joshua—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Scripture doesn’t say he might be in filthy clothes, or that the clothes only appear to be filthy. He is dressed in filthiness. And that is a picture of all of us who are not dressed in the righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Joshua has no defense. He’s obviously guilty. That’s what the Bible says concerning all of us. Romans 3:19says, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” The very first thing you must do with your sin is admit your guilt. Without this, there can be no forgiveness and healing.

• Ironically, freedom from guilt is found in admitting our guilt before God. Where do you need to admit guilt before God today?
• Is there a friend to whom you might confess your sin for the sake of healing?

Practice This

Schedule time to talk with a trusted friend and confess your sin for the sake of freedom and healing. 

Connected to the Power Source / ODB

 

Connected to the Power Source Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 READ 1 Thessalonians 1:4–5; 5:19 Despite knowing that the electricity wasn’t working in our house after a strong storm (an inconveniently common occurrence in our neighborhood), I instinctively flipped on the light switch when I entered the room. Of course, nothing happened. I was still enveloped in darkness. That experience—expecting light even when I knew the connection to the power source was broken—vividly reminded me of a spiritual truth. Too often we expect power even as we fail to rely on the Spirit. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote of the way God caused the gospel message to come “not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction” (1:5). And when we accept God’s forgiveness, believers too have immediate access to the power of His Spirit in our lives. That power cultivates in us characteristics such as love, joy, peace, and patience (Galatians 5:22–23) and it empowers us with gifts to serve the church, including teaching, helping, and guiding (1 Corinthians 12:28). Paul warned his readers that it’s possible to “quench the spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We might restrict the power of the Spirit by ignoring God’s presence or rejecting His conviction (John 16:8). But we don’t have to live disconnected from Him. God’s power is always available to His children. By Lisa M. Samra When have you felt the Spirit’s power to be limited? How have you experienced the power of God’s Spirit? Almighty God, help me experience the power of Your Spirit in my life. For further study, read A Story of a Life Led by the Spirit.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT In Paul’s time, Thessalonica was the capital city of the Roman second district of Macedonia. It was a center of heavy commerce and the place the apostle transitioned to after his arrest and beatings in Philippi (Acts 16). With his coworkers Silas and Timothy, the church was established there after the gospel had been preached in the synagogue for three consecutive Sabbath days (17:1–9). While the Jewish population turned against Paul and his team, some of the “God-fearing Greeks” (gentile proselytes to Judaism, v. 4) embraced the gospel, apparently becoming the core of the new church assembly there. Most scholars are convinced that 1 Thessalonians was written by Paul in Corinth around the early 50s ad. Paul affectionately commended the believers in Jesus for their faithfulness and commitment to Christ (1:4–10). That commendation has caused some to refer to Thessalonica as the “ideal first-century church.” Bill Crowder

New Testament Missionaries: John the Baptist / David Jeremiah

 

New Testament Missionaries: John the Baptist

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:6-8

 Recommended Reading: John 1:6-11

John the Baptist was the original missionary in Christian history; he preceded Christ, prepared His way, proclaimed repentance, and set the stage for our Lord’s earthly ministry. God had prepared John for that very moment, even from before his birth. His mother, Elizabeth, exclaimed to the virgin Mary, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:44).

John’s boldness came from his sense of calling, and his calling went back to his earliest days. In the same way, God has appointed us from birth to be His servants and messengers (Jeremiah 1:5). We’re not all career missionaries, but we’re all called to share Christ with boldness to those to whom the Lord sends us.

Scared at the thought of witnessing? You were born to do it, so ask God for boldness! 

We cannot speak boldly if [God] does not work mightily…. We are therefore authorized to ask in faith for God’s accompanying power.
A. T. Pierson

Does God Give Second Chances? / Greg Laurie

Does God Give Second Chances?

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12NLT)

Have you ever wondered whether God would forgive you or extend a second chance to you? Maybe you think that you’ve gone too far.

In Luke’s Gospel we find the story of the Prodigal Son, a young boy who ran away from home and took all the money his father gave to him as his inheritance. But he squandered it on prostitutes, parties, and other things.

Then one day when the money ran out and his friends abandoned him, the prodigal came to his senses. He returned home. And his father graciously welcomed him and forgave him.

Jesus shared this story to give us a picture of God. We’re like the prodigal who ran away from God. But if we will turn from our sin and return to Him, then He will forgive us.

But here’s the problem. Do we want to be forgiven? You see, the Bible warns us about developing a hardened heart. Hebrews 3:12 says, “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God” (NLT).

Make no mistake about it. Sin is powerful. It is also deceptive. People who know better, people who have walked with the Lord for years and know His Word well, still have fallen into sin. We must all be very careful.

As the great evangelist Billy Sunday pointed out, “You can’t get rid of sin as long as you treat it as a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.”

We might look at something we’re about to do and think, “It isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just a small sin. Surely it won’t do that much harm in my life.” Watch out. We must be careful and not allow sin to harden our hearts.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter what sins you’ve committed, God stands ready to forgive you, if you will come to Him. 

Created Equal / Ann Graham Lotz

Created Equal

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:10, nkjv

When God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7, niv), all human life became sacred because it came directly from God. Whether a person is a murderer on death row or the most beloved person in town, each one is to be treated with respect if for no other reason than human life comes from God.

Are you prejudiced toward someone? A person of a different race or educational background or economic level? Someone from another culture or denomination or religion? Someone with a different language or social status or skin color? There is absolutely no room for prejudice of any kind in a life that follows the Creator’s directions. All men are created equal, not in abilities or opportunities, but in the eyes of God because all men derive their lives from God. 

Even When You Don’t Understand / Max Lucado

 

Even When You Don’t Understand

Click below to listen to today's devotional

EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND 

 “…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matthew 1:20 NIV).

You’ve stood where Joseph stood, caught between what God says and what makes sense. Each of us knows what it’s like to search the night for light. Perhaps outside an emergency room, on the gravel of a roadside, on the manicured grass of a cemetery. We’ve questioned God’s plan. Let me urge you to do what Joseph did – obey. Because Joseph obeyed, God used him to change the world.

God still looks for Josephs today. Common people who serve an uncommon God. Would you be that kind of person? Will you serve…even when you don’t understand?