Sprinkled and Cleansed by David Jeremiah

Wednesday, May 30 Sprinkled and Cleansed    Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:22    Much of what happened literally in the Old Testament foreshadowed something that would happen figuratively in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the blood of sacrificial animals was sprinkled on the altar and on the ark of the covenant. That sprinkling of blood was a literal picture of the washing away of sin. In the New Testament, the same image conveys: Our heart is sprinkled figuratively with the blood of Christ’s perfect sacrifice, cleansing us “from an evil conscience” and the stain of sin.

Recommended Reading: Ezekiel 36:25-27

In the Old Testament, such sprinkling was done intimately—literally, the length of an arm was the distance from the blood to the object it covered. Just so, in the New Testament we must “draw near” to God “with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Drawing near to God in faith avails us of the benefits of Christ’s blood cleansing us from sin. Draw near to God today with a true heart in full assurance of faith. And be assured of your cleansing. I hear the words of love, I gaze upon the blood, I see the mighty sacrifice, and I have peace with God.  Horatius Bonar

When Words Fail / Our Daily Bread

When Words Fail May 30, 2018

Read: Romans 8:22–27 Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 10–12; John 11:30–57 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.—Psalm 33:22 Not long ago I sent my wife, Cari, a text message using only voice prompts. I was on my way out the door to give her a ride home from work and intended to send the words, “Where would you like me to pick you up, old gal?” Cari doesn’t mind my calling her “old gal”—it’s one of the affectionate nicknames we use around the house. But my cell phone didn’t “understand” the phrase, and sent the words “old cow” instead. Fortunately for me, Cari immediately understood what had happened and found it funny. She later posted my text message on social media and asked, “Should I be offended?” We were both able to laugh about it. My wife’s loving response to my awkward words that day makes me think about God’s loving understanding of our prayers. We may not know what to say when we pray or even what to ask for, but when we belong to Christ, His Spirit within “intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26) and lovingly helps us articulate our deepest needs before Him. Our heavenly Father doesn’t stand at a distance waiting for us to get our words right. We can come to Him with every need, assured that He understands and receives us with love. —James Banks Abba, Father, thank You that I can come to You without fear of having to get my words just right. Help me to keep company with You today. God’s love is beyond words. INSIGHT: Some of the New Testament’s most important teaching on the Holy Spirit is found in Romans 8. The Spirit is mentioned 21 times in the first 27 verses, with activities ranging from indwelling the lives of followers of Jesus (v. 9), giving us assurance of our relationship with the Father (v. 16), and helping us as we pray (as seen in today’s devotional; vv. 26-27). What a rich and wonderful gift we have received in the Holy Spirit! May we, as Paul says, “not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (v. 4).  Bill Crowder

Untroubled Relationship by Oswald Chambers

Untroubled Relationship In that day you will ask in My name…for the Father Himself loves you…  JOHN 16:26-27 “In that day you will ask in My name…,” that is, in My nature. Not “You will use My name as some magic word,” but— “You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.” “That day” is not a day in the next life, but a day meant for here and now. “…for the Father Himself loves you…”— the Father’s love is evidence that our union with Jesus is complete and absolute. Our Lord does not mean that our lives will be free from external difficulties and uncertainties, but that just as He knew the Father’s heart and mind, we too can be lifted by Him into heavenly places through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that He can reveal the teachings of God to us. “…whatever you ask the Father in My name…” (John 16:23). “That day” is a day of peace and an untroubled relationship between God and His saint. Just as Jesus stood unblemished and pure in the presence of His Father, we too by the mighty power and effectiveness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be lifted into that relationship— “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22). “…He will give you” (John 16:23). Jesus said that because of His name God will recognize and respond to our prayers. What a great challenge and invitation— to pray in His name! Through the resurrection and ascension power of Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit He has sent, we can be lifted into such a relationship. Once in that wonderful position, having been placed there by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in Jesus’ name— in His nature. This is a gift granted to us through the Holy Spirit, and Jesus said, “…whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” The sovereign character of Jesus Christ is tested and proved by His own statements. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally. from The Moral Foundations of Life, 721 R

Crying Out to God by Charles Stanley

Psalm 34:15-17

When we face a crisis, the Lord is willing and able to help. But before He will become involved and release His divine energy into our situation, He requires one thing: a righteous heart.

This, of course, is not an expectation that we live a perfect life, which our Father knows would be impossible. When a sinner turns to God for salvation, He cleanses the heart of iniquity and gives that person a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). Yet even believers will follow old flesh patterns at times, so the Lord calls us to confess and repent when we miss the mark. Then He will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Thankfully, He hears us in our imperfection as long as we desire to walk in His way. The problem arises, however, when a Christian knowingly lives in sin and chooses not to turn from it—the Lord will not hear an unrepentant heart.

Today’s passage shows that the heavenly Father wants His children to cry out to Him. During trials, we tend to pray this way—with increased focus, passion, and sincerity. Hannah is a good example. Heartbroken over her barrenness, she went to the temple and beseeched the Lord with such emotion that the priest thought she was drunk! God answered her plea and opened her womb (1 Samuel 1:1-20).

When a crisis comes, cry out to our almighty God, but be sure you do so with a righteous heart. Then He will hear and answer—either fulfilling your hoped-for request or providing a different solution. Because He is omniscient, loving, and sovereign, you can fully trust that His answer is in your best interest.

Draw Near / GOD'S IDEA

GOD'S IDEA

Marriage is not a slot machine. Some people seem to see it as such and invest only a little of their lives, hoping to hit the jackpot of happiness. Such people are often disappointed; and, as a result, they divorce--leaving a trail of tears and tragedy.

Like life, marriage is a long-term investment. Each partner must constantly invest effort and energy to work through problems and develop a meaningful relationship. The first few years of marriage usually have more pain than pleasure. But if the couple is willing to consistently invest understanding, forgiveness, and patience, each member will find the union most rewarding and will reap an excellent harvest of human happiness.

Marriage is indeed a triangle. Husband and wife are the two lower corners, and God the apex. As He draws man and woman to Himself, they naturally are brought closer to each other. One of the great aids in this is daily devotions, both together and alone. Through our times with God, we can resolve our frustrations and discover our potential as a couple.

“God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Endurance: The Value of the Spiritual by John MacArthur

STRENGTH FOR TODAY

Endurance: The Value of the Spiritual  “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Believers are far more blessed when they concentrate on the spiritual rather than physical aspects of life. Concerning endurance, Paul is again our role model. One reason he was able to endure pain and trials was that he knew the physical was far less important and lasting than the spiritual. He realized that our physical bodies are naturally aging and therefore not permanent. He was probably aware of this more than most people because his rigorous ministry with its travel demands hastened his own aging process. And surely he also aged more rapidly than others because of all the physical and emotional persecution he endured from his enemies. Paul was able to accept physical suffering and aging because he knew his inner man (his spiritual self, his new creation) was being renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16). It’s not easy for us to follow Paul’s example; yet he urges believers to “set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Many of the trials and sufferings the Lord brings to us compel us to obey Paul’s words, look away from ourselves, and experience the spiritual growth that is so directly the result of suffering (see 1 Peter 5:10). God’s Word assures us that He will provide all the strength we need to endure. In closing, consider the prophet’s words: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. —Isaiah 40:28-31 Suggestions for Prayer As you go through this day, pray that the Lord would help you focus on the spiritual rather than the physical. For Further Study Read Hebrews 11:1-16. What common ingredient allowed those in this passage to look beyond the physical toward the spiritual?

How to Know the Will of God by Adrian Rogers

How to Know the Will of God

MAY 29

“... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

Some people say, “Oh, I’m searching to know the will of God.” Listen, it’s not your job to find the will of God. It’s God’s job to reveal His will to you. It is your job simply to present yourself to Him.

If you have been conformed to this world, you will not know the will of God; therefore, you will not do the will of God.

Most Christians need to be transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here’s the formula for knowing the will of God. Presentation plus transformation equals revelation.

You want to know the will of God? Present yourself to God. Let Him change you. Then you won’t have to find the will of God; the will of God will find you.

May 29 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. (John 15:15)

Years ago there was an old German professor whose beautiful life was a marvel to his students. Some of them resolved to know the secret of it; so one of their number hid in the study where the old professor spent his evenings.

It was late when the teacher came in. He was very tired, but he sat down and spent an hour with his Bible. Then he bowed his head in secret prayer; and finally closing the Book of books, he said,

“Well, Lord Jesus, we’re on the same old terms.”

To know Him is life’s highest attainment; and at all costs, every Christian should strive to be “on the same old terms with Him.”

The reality of Jesus comes as a result of secret prayer, and a personal study of the Bible that is devotional and sympathetic. Christ becomes more real to the one who persists in the cultivation of His presence.

Speak thou to Him for He heareth,
And spirit with spirit will meet!
Nearer is He than breathing,
Nearer than hands and feet.
--Maltbie D. Babcock

The God of All Comfort by Stephen Davey

The God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

My wife and I had the privilege of meeting Joni Erickson Tada, the Christian author who was paralyzed from the neck down as a young lady. In the early years after her diving accident, she wrote about coming to terms with the fact that God's plan for her life was to remain paralyzed.

In one of her books, A Step Further, she wrote:

On a rainy afternoon in the early summer of 1972, about fifteen people gathered in a tiny oak church not far from my home. The group consisted of close friends, family, and church leaders whom I had called together to pray for my healing. By the time our brief service was over, the rain had stopped. Exiting through the front doors of the church, we were greeted by a beautiful rainbow in the misty distance. It gave me just one more reassurance that God had heard our prayers. God had indeed heard . . . but He did not heal.

Those who have heard Joni speak have been struck by the peace of Christ that emanates from her face and through her testimony. She is an example to us all of the fact that we can trust God even when times are hard. She has devoted the remainder of her life to reminding believers that, even when God chooses to give sickness instead of health, His plan is always perfect. Even when it doesn't feel good, His will is always perfect.

During my college years I had a friend who went on a hike one night with a group of adventurous young people. Unable to see clearly what lay ahead, he literally walked off the edge of a steep cliff.  Though he survived the fall, he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Today Scott Mitchell is the founding pastor of a thriving church in Atlanta, Georgia, believing that, if it hadn't been for that fall, he would not be the man he is today. He now spends his life and ministry sharing with suffering believers the comfort he experienced from God during that trial.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians that this is the very reason for some of our afflictions--that we may be able to comfort others who are afflicted. Therefore the question we should ask during times of suffering is not, "Lord, will You please get me out of this?" but, "Lord, will You show me who I can help through this?"

Everyone in the world is suffering in some way, but not everyone has experienced the comfort that God offers in the midst of it. Follow the examples of Paul, Joni Erickson Tada, and my friend, Scott, who made the decision to use their afflictions for good . . . to comfort others.

Prayer Point: Consider an area of trial in your own life, whether it is physical illness, emotional pain, family strife, etc., and thank the Lord for allowing you to go through it. Then pray that God will bring someone across your path who is going through a similar trial and needs comforting.

Extra Refreshment: Read 2 Corinthians 1

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What Will You Do? by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MAY 29, 2018

What Will You Do?

Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. Joshua 6:26

If the man who rebuilt Jericho was cursed, how much more does the man who works to restore false religion among us deserve the same. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of false religion fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would like to rebuild those false systems upon their old foundations.

Lord, we pray, be pleased to thwart these unrighteous endeavors, and pull down every stone that they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error that tends to foster the spirit of falsehood, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world.

This we may accomplish only in secret by fervent prayer and in public by faithful witness. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined toward the errors of false religion; we must instruct the young in gospel truth and tell them of the dark doings of falsehood in earlier times. We must assist in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for false teachers, like owls, hate daylight.

Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the Gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of the heretics. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the antidote to falsehood? Are we sending out good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, "The devil hates goose quills," and, no doubt, he has good reason; the writer's pen blessed by the Holy Spirit has damaged his evil kingdom greatly. If the thousands who read this short word tonight will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall spread quickly among the sons of men.

Reader, what can you do? What will you do?

Waiting by David Jeremiah

Tuesday, May 29 Waiting    Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10    There is a lot of waiting in life. You file your income taxes and then you wait for your refund if one is due. You fill out a loan application to purchase a home, then wait while the bank’s legal and financial wheels turn toward your approval.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 10:12-14

All Christians are in a waiting mode right now as well. We are waiting for Jesus’ prayer to be answered—for God’s kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven. Everything has been done to make that possible. Jesus’ sacrifice for sin has made it possible for any who want to gain entrance to the eternal kingdom of God to do so. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that the Gospel would be preached in all the world, to all the nations, “and then the end will come.” So, at the moment, we are waiting while we participate in the spread of the Gospel to all the world. Are you planning to enter God’s kingdom when it comes to earth, when Jesus returns? Only through embracing His once-for-all death and Resurrection is that possible. Before we can pray, “Lord, Thy kingdom come,” we must be willing to pray, “My kingdom go.” Alan Redpath

Gazing at the Horizon / Our Daily Bread

Gazing at the Horizon May 29, 2018

Read: Hebrews 11:8–16 Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 7–9; John 11:1–29 We are looking for the city that is to come.—Hebrews 13:14 Almost as soon as the ferryboat started to move, my little daughter said she felt ill. Seasickness had already begun to affect her. Soon I was feeling queasy myself. “Just stare at the horizon,” I reminded myself. Sailors say this helps to regain a sense of perspective. The Maker of the horizon (Job 26:10) knows that sometimes in life we may become fearful and restless. We can regain perspective by focusing on the distant but steady point of our destiny. The writer of Hebrews understood this. He sensed discouragement in his readers. Persecution had driven many of them from their homes. So he reminded them that other people of faith had endured extreme trials and had been left homeless. They endured it all because they anticipated something better. As exiles, these readers could look forward to the city whose architect is God, the heavenly country, the city God prepared for them (Hebrews 11:10, 14, 16). So in his final exhortations, the writer asked his readers to focus on God’s promises. “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (13:14). Our present troubles are temporary. We are “foreigners and strangers on earth” (11:13), but gazing at the horizon of God’s promises provides the point of reference we need. —Keila Ochoa Father, in the midst of troubles, help me to focus on Your promises. Focus on God and regain perspective. INSIGHT: Followers of Jesus wait for the day when we will be with Him—the fulfillment of what we’ve spent our lives pursuing. We rightfully yearn to be “home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). The troubles we have in this life make our desire that much sharper and earnest. Today’s passage isn’t about forgetting the world we live in and thinking only of heaven; it’s about seeing our present life from the perspective of the life to come. Paul reminded us that our current troubles are not worth comparing to what is to come (Romans 8:18). J.R. Hudberg

Unquestioned Revelation by Oswald Chambers

Unquestioned Revelation In that day you will ask Me nothing.  JOHN 16:23 When is “that day”? It is when the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. “In that day” you will be one with the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, “In that day you will ask Me nothing.” Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the point of total reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, which brings you into complete oneness with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If not, why aren’t you? “In that day” there may be any number of things still hidden to your understanding, but they will not come between your heart and God. “In that day you will ask Me nothing”— you will not need to ask, because you will be certain that God will reveal things in accordance with His will. The faith and peace of John 14:1 has become the real attitude of your heart, and there are no more questions to be asked. If anything is a mystery to you and is coming between you and God, never look for the explanation in your mind, but look for it in your spirit, your true inner nature— that is where the problem is. Once your inner spiritual nature is willing to submit to the life of Jesus, your understanding will be perfectly clear, and you will come to the place where there is no distance between the Father and you, His child, because the Lord has made you one. “In that day you will ask Me nothing.” From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We are apt to think that everything that happens to us is to be turned into useful teaching; it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz. into character. We shall find that the spheres God brings us into are not meant to teach us something but to make us something. from The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 664 L

Reasons to Pray by Charles Stanley

Psalm 25:1-22

What motivates you to talk with God? Throughout the Scriptures, we are commanded to pray. In fact, Jesus—the Son of God—considered prayer so essential that He regularly left the crowds to seek time alone with His Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). Any relationship requires communication if it is to grow and flourish, and that includes our relationship with God. 

David was a man who knew the Lord intimately. Since he recorded many of his prayers in the psalms, we are able to catch a glimpse of his heart as he poured out his soul before the Lord. Today’s passage shows us five reasons that we, too, should come to God in prayer: 

1. Guidance (Psalm 25:4-5). If we ask, the Lord will lead and teach us.

2. Forgiveness (Psalm 25:7; Psalm 25:11). Each day we need God’s cleansing for sin and His power to repent and turn back to Him.

3. Decisions (Psalm 25:12). When we reverentially fear God, He instructs us in the way we should choose.

4. Trouble (Psalm 25:16-18). When we’re overwhelmed by difficulties, no one can comfort us like the Lord.

5. Protection (Psalm 25:19-20). God is the one who guards our soul and rescues us from the enemy’s attacks. 

When we seek the Lord, He becomes our refuge. God understands our weaknesses and invites us to come to Him with all our concerns. It’s in the intimacy of prayer that we learn to know His faithfulness, compassion, and love. Then we can say, as David did, “O my God, in You I trust” (Psalm 25:2).