Read: Joshua 1:1-9
Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. --- Joshua 1:9
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 19-22
They stand in the cold by the thousands in Times Square, New York City. What draws them to that place? There's no sporting event or rock concert. There's just a huge lighted ball that drops down a pole on top of a building. It takes only a few seconds, and it hardly seems worth fighting traffic and subway crunch to see --- except that it happens on New Year's Eve.
Why have we created a holiday over such a nonevent? Other holidays celebrate famous birthdays or historical milestones or something. New Year's Eve just celebrates the passage of time. We make such a fuss because it signals the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one. The old year's problems and struggles become a dim memory when we think of getting a fresh start.
It must have been something like that for the Israelites who stood with Joshua and looked at the new era ahead of them [Joshua 1:1-9]. Behind them were 40 years of wandering in the desert. Ahead was a land of milk and honey. And best of all, they had God's promise that He would be with them.
As we stand with our back to the past 12 months and our face toward the new year, we can have hope because we too can be sure of God's help. That makes the prospect of a new year worth celebrating! --- Dave Branon
Though I know not what awaits me ---
What the future has in store,
Yet I know that God is faithful,
For I've proved Him oft before. --- Anon.
WE CAN TRUST OUR ALL-KNOWING GOD FOR THE UNKNOWN FUTURE.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
What Will We Do In Heaven?
Read: Revelation 22:1-5
His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their forehands. --- Revelation 22:3-4
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 16-18
I'm sometimes asked what we'll do in heaven. Will we sit on clouds and strum celestial harps? Will we flit about on gossamer wings? In his vision, John the apostle saw three future heavenly activities.
The first one is serving [Revelation 22:3]. Perhaps we'll explore an unknown corner of the universe, or, as C.S. Lewis suggests, govern a distant star. Whatever that service may entail, there will be no sense of inadequacy, no weakness, no weariness. In heaven we'll have minds and bodies equal to the task to which we're assigned.
The second activity is seeing: We "shall see His face" [v.4]. "Now we see in a mirror, dimly" [1 Corinthians 13:12], but in heaven we shall see our Savior face to face, and we "shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2]. This is what Revelation 22:4 means when it says, "His name shall be on their foreheads." The name of God represents His perfect character, so to bear His name means to be like Him. In heaven we will never again struggle with sin but will reflect the beauty of His holiness forever.
Finally, there is reigning. We shall serve our King by ruling and reigning with Him "forever and ever" [v.5].
What will we do in heaven? We'll serve God, see our Savior, and reign with Him forever. We'll be busy! --- David Roper
In heaven we'll see our Savior
And like Him we will be;
We'll praise Him and we'll serve Him
For all eternity! --- Fitzhugh
THOSE WHO LOVE AND SERVE GOD ON EARTH WILL FEEL AT HOME IN HEAVEN.
His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their forehands. --- Revelation 22:3-4
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 16-18
I'm sometimes asked what we'll do in heaven. Will we sit on clouds and strum celestial harps? Will we flit about on gossamer wings? In his vision, John the apostle saw three future heavenly activities.
The first one is serving [Revelation 22:3]. Perhaps we'll explore an unknown corner of the universe, or, as C.S. Lewis suggests, govern a distant star. Whatever that service may entail, there will be no sense of inadequacy, no weakness, no weariness. In heaven we'll have minds and bodies equal to the task to which we're assigned.
The second activity is seeing: We "shall see His face" [v.4]. "Now we see in a mirror, dimly" [1 Corinthians 13:12], but in heaven we shall see our Savior face to face, and we "shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2]. This is what Revelation 22:4 means when it says, "His name shall be on their foreheads." The name of God represents His perfect character, so to bear His name means to be like Him. In heaven we will never again struggle with sin but will reflect the beauty of His holiness forever.
Finally, there is reigning. We shall serve our King by ruling and reigning with Him "forever and ever" [v.5].
What will we do in heaven? We'll serve God, see our Savior, and reign with Him forever. We'll be busy! --- David Roper
In heaven we'll see our Savior
And like Him we will be;
We'll praise Him and we'll serve Him
For all eternity! --- Fitzhugh
THOSE WHO LOVE AND SERVE GOD ON EARTH WILL FEEL AT HOME IN HEAVEN.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
The Pursuit Of Happiness
Read: Matthew 5:1-10
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. --- Matthew 5:3
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 13-15
Everyone is looking for happiness, and people follow may avenues trying to find it. They look for it in money, parties, self-improvement programs, fancy cars, luxurious homes, or promoting a cause.
That's the wrong list. The right one is found in Matthew 5. Jesus taught us that deep and lasting happiness comes from being right with God. He said we are blessed, or happy, when we are:
Poor in spirit --- recognizing our desperate need for God. Mourning --- realizing the awfulness of sin and being genuinely sorry for it. Meek --- demonstrating self-control, even when we are mistreated. Hungry and thirsty for righteousness --- longing to be holy and pure. Merciful --- showing mercy to others, just as God shows mercy to us. Pure in heart --- being singleminded and sincere in our devotion to Christ. Peacemakers - sharing the peace Christ offers, and promoting peace with one another. Persecuted --- being willing to suffer for Jesus' sake. Looking for happiness? Follow Jesus' way. --- Dave Branon
Happy are they who love the Lord,
Whose hearts have Christ confessed,
Who by His cross have found their life,
Beneath His yoke their rest. --- Bridges
HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE, NOT ON WHAT YOU HAVE.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. --- Matthew 5:3
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 13-15
Everyone is looking for happiness, and people follow may avenues trying to find it. They look for it in money, parties, self-improvement programs, fancy cars, luxurious homes, or promoting a cause.
That's the wrong list. The right one is found in Matthew 5. Jesus taught us that deep and lasting happiness comes from being right with God. He said we are blessed, or happy, when we are:
Happy are they who love the Lord,
Whose hearts have Christ confessed,
Who by His cross have found their life,
Beneath His yoke their rest. --- Bridges
HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE, NOT ON WHAT YOU HAVE.
Monday, December 27, 2004
The Artist's Dream
Read: Revelation 5:1-10
You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. --- Revelation 5:9
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 9-12
Rita Snowden wrote a book in 1937 titled If I Open My Door. In it she described a congregation that was planning to build a new place of worship. Central to its sanctuary would be a stained-glass window depicting children worshiping Jesus.
The congregation hired an artist to paint a picture of the proposed window. He fulfilled the assignment, and that night he dreamed he heard a noise in his studio. Going to investigate, he saw a stranger altering his picture. He cried out, "Stop! You'll ruin it." But the stranger answered, "You have already ruined it." The intruder then explained that the children's faces had all been one color, but he was using many colors. When the intruder said that he wanted children of all nations and races to come to him, the artist realized he was talking to Jesus Himself.
In a world where racial differences often lead to separation and conflict, it's imperative that Christians work for unity and peace. Jesus went to the cross to bring salvation to people of every nation [Revelation 5:9]. Our witness and our fellowship must go beyond the barriers that have historically divided the human family [Romans 1:16; Galatians 3:28]/
Do we reflect Jesus' love for all people? --- Vernon Grounds
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world;
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight;
Jesus loves the little children of the world. --- Woolston
JESUS LOVES ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE ONES WHO LOOK LIKE YOU.
You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. --- Revelation 5:9
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 9-12
Rita Snowden wrote a book in 1937 titled If I Open My Door. In it she described a congregation that was planning to build a new place of worship. Central to its sanctuary would be a stained-glass window depicting children worshiping Jesus.
The congregation hired an artist to paint a picture of the proposed window. He fulfilled the assignment, and that night he dreamed he heard a noise in his studio. Going to investigate, he saw a stranger altering his picture. He cried out, "Stop! You'll ruin it." But the stranger answered, "You have already ruined it." The intruder then explained that the children's faces had all been one color, but he was using many colors. When the intruder said that he wanted children of all nations and races to come to him, the artist realized he was talking to Jesus Himself.
In a world where racial differences often lead to separation and conflict, it's imperative that Christians work for unity and peace. Jesus went to the cross to bring salvation to people of every nation [Revelation 5:9]. Our witness and our fellowship must go beyond the barriers that have historically divided the human family [Romans 1:16; Galatians 3:28]/
Do we reflect Jesus' love for all people? --- Vernon Grounds
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world;
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight;
Jesus loves the little children of the world. --- Woolston
JESUS LOVES ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE ONES WHO LOOK LIKE YOU.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Holy, Holy, Holy
Read: Revelation 4
They do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" --- Revelation 4:8
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 4-8
"Time flies when you're having fun." This cliche has no basis in fact, but experience makes it seem true.
When life is pleasant, time passes all too quickly. Give me a task that I enjoy, or a person whose company I love, and time seems irrelevant.
My experience of this "reality" has given me a new understanding of the scene described in Revelation 4. In the past, when I considered the four living creatures seated around God's throne who keep repeating the same few words, I thought, What a boring existence!
I don't think that anymore. I think about the scenes they have witnessed with their many eyes [v.8]. I consider the view they have from their position around God's throne [v.6]. I think of how amazed they are at God's wise and loving involvement with wayward earthlings. Then I think, What better response could there be? What else is there to say but, "Holy, holy, holy"?
Is it boring to say the same words over and over? Not when you're in the presence of the one you love. Not when you're doing exactly what you were designed to do.
Like the four creatures, we were designed to glorify God. Our lives will never be boring if we're focusing our attention on Him and fulfilling that purpose. --- Julie Ackerman Link
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! --- Heber
A HEART IN TUNE WITH GOD CAN'T HELP BUT SING HIS PRAISE.
They do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" --- Revelation 4:8
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 4-8
"Time flies when you're having fun." This cliche has no basis in fact, but experience makes it seem true.
When life is pleasant, time passes all too quickly. Give me a task that I enjoy, or a person whose company I love, and time seems irrelevant.
My experience of this "reality" has given me a new understanding of the scene described in Revelation 4. In the past, when I considered the four living creatures seated around God's throne who keep repeating the same few words, I thought, What a boring existence!
I don't think that anymore. I think about the scenes they have witnessed with their many eyes [v.8]. I consider the view they have from their position around God's throne [v.6]. I think of how amazed they are at God's wise and loving involvement with wayward earthlings. Then I think, What better response could there be? What else is there to say but, "Holy, holy, holy"?
Is it boring to say the same words over and over? Not when you're in the presence of the one you love. Not when you're doing exactly what you were designed to do.
Like the four creatures, we were designed to glorify God. Our lives will never be boring if we're focusing our attention on Him and fulfilling that purpose. --- Julie Ackerman Link
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! --- Heber
A HEART IN TUNE WITH GOD CAN'T HELP BUT SING HIS PRAISE.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
The Complete Story
Read: Revelation 1:1-8
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. --- Revelation 1:7
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 1-3
At this time of year we think about the birth of the Savior. The events of His birth are of vital importance, yet we would do well to reflect also on His earthly ministry, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. Our redemption would be incomplete if any element were missing. It is fitting, therefore, to share with you a poem by L.W. Beckley titled, "The Rest of the Story."
We are wont to sing of shepherds
And the heavenly glory bright,
Of angels and their message
On that peaceful, holy night.
But so oft we end the story
When 'tis only just begun,
For we fail to give the message
That this Child is God the Son.
Here to give Himself a ransom,
Crucified on Calvary's tree,
Through His blood providing pardon,
Perfect cleansing, full and free.
Ant the tomb, thank God, is empty;
Jesus sits at God's right hand
Now a loving, mighty Savior;
Spread the news to every land!
The One born in Bethlehem was none other than God in human flesh. Having lived a perfect life, He died an awful death to pay the price for the sins of mankind. Now He's in heaven, and any day He could return. How wonderful to know the complete story! --- Richard De Haan
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST BROUGHT GOD TO MAN; THE CROSS OF CHRIST BRINGS MAN TO GOD.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. --- Revelation 1:7
The Bible In One Year:
Revelation 1-3
At this time of year we think about the birth of the Savior. The events of His birth are of vital importance, yet we would do well to reflect also on His earthly ministry, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. Our redemption would be incomplete if any element were missing. It is fitting, therefore, to share with you a poem by L.W. Beckley titled, "The Rest of the Story."
We are wont to sing of shepherds
And the heavenly glory bright,
Of angels and their message
On that peaceful, holy night.
But so oft we end the story
When 'tis only just begun,
For we fail to give the message
That this Child is God the Son.
Here to give Himself a ransom,
Crucified on Calvary's tree,
Through His blood providing pardon,
Perfect cleansing, full and free.
Ant the tomb, thank God, is empty;
Jesus sits at God's right hand
Now a loving, mighty Savior;
Spread the news to every land!
The One born in Bethlehem was none other than God in human flesh. Having lived a perfect life, He died an awful death to pay the price for the sins of mankind. Now He's in heaven, and any day He could return. How wonderful to know the complete story! --- Richard De Haan
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST BROUGHT GOD TO MAN; THE CROSS OF CHRIST BRINGS MAN TO GOD.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Christmas Choice
Read: Matthew 2:1-12
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. --- Matthew 2:10
The Bible In One Year:
2 John, 3 John, Jude
The glitter of bright decorations, the sound of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children, and the cheerful "Merry Christmas" greetings sometimes give the impression that everybody is glad that Jesus came to our planet. But that isn't true today, and it never was.
The news of Jesus' birth evoked a mixed reaction. The wise men joyfully welcomed and worshiped the Savior [Matthew 2:10-11]. But King Herod was so troubled when he heard about it that he tried to find and kill the baby Jesus [vv.3-4, 16]. Most people, however, were unaware of the significance of what had happened.
Still today, multitudes honor Jesus and rejoice in their salvation. But many others hate Him. They grumble about the singing of Christmas carols in shopping malls and the display of nativity scenes in public places. Others are apathetic. They go along with the celebration of the season. They may join in singing Christmas carols, but they never ask themselves who Jesus is or why He came. They don't think of their need to believe on Him and receive Him as their Savior.
Are you among the indifferent? To ignore Him and His claims is to reject Him. Christmas demands a decision about Christ. The choice is yours. --- Herb Vander Lugt
What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
"What will He do with me?" --- Simpson
IF YOU MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART, HE WILL MAKE ROOM FOR YOU IN HEAVEN.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. --- Matthew 2:10
The Bible In One Year:
2 John, 3 John, Jude
The glitter of bright decorations, the sound of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children, and the cheerful "Merry Christmas" greetings sometimes give the impression that everybody is glad that Jesus came to our planet. But that isn't true today, and it never was.
The news of Jesus' birth evoked a mixed reaction. The wise men joyfully welcomed and worshiped the Savior [Matthew 2:10-11]. But King Herod was so troubled when he heard about it that he tried to find and kill the baby Jesus [vv.3-4, 16]. Most people, however, were unaware of the significance of what had happened.
Still today, multitudes honor Jesus and rejoice in their salvation. But many others hate Him. They grumble about the singing of Christmas carols in shopping malls and the display of nativity scenes in public places. Others are apathetic. They go along with the celebration of the season. They may join in singing Christmas carols, but they never ask themselves who Jesus is or why He came. They don't think of their need to believe on Him and receive Him as their Savior.
Are you among the indifferent? To ignore Him and His claims is to reject Him. Christmas demands a decision about Christ. The choice is yours. --- Herb Vander Lugt
What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
"What will He do with me?" --- Simpson
IF YOU MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART, HE WILL MAKE ROOM FOR YOU IN HEAVEN.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
A Light In The Darkness
Read: Luke 2:25-33
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. --- John 8:12
The Bible In One Year:
1 John 3-5
An artist was painting a winter scene. Snow blanketed the ground and the pine trees. Night was falling, and the landscape was enveloped in semi-darkness. A log cabin was barely visible in the shadows. The whole scene was one of gloom.
Then the artist used some yellow tints to put the cheerful glow of a lamp in one of the cabin windows. That lone light, its golden rays reflecting on the snow, completely transformed the impression given by the painting. In contrast to the cold darkness of the surrounding forest, that light in the window created a warm feeling of love and security.
What happened on that canvas is a striking portrayal of one of the most dramatic events of all history. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem's stable, a light was placed in this sin-darkened world. The apostle John testified, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" [John 1:4].
During the week, as we commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus, let's be mindful of how much brighter this world is because He came into it. Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life" [John 8:12].
How has Jesus brightened your life? --- Richard De Haan
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in,
The Light of the world is Jesus. --- Bliss
WITHOUT THE LIGHT OF JESUS, WE WOULD BE IN THE DARK ABOUT GOD.
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. --- John 8:12
The Bible In One Year:
1 John 3-5
An artist was painting a winter scene. Snow blanketed the ground and the pine trees. Night was falling, and the landscape was enveloped in semi-darkness. A log cabin was barely visible in the shadows. The whole scene was one of gloom.
Then the artist used some yellow tints to put the cheerful glow of a lamp in one of the cabin windows. That lone light, its golden rays reflecting on the snow, completely transformed the impression given by the painting. In contrast to the cold darkness of the surrounding forest, that light in the window created a warm feeling of love and security.
What happened on that canvas is a striking portrayal of one of the most dramatic events of all history. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem's stable, a light was placed in this sin-darkened world. The apostle John testified, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" [John 1:4].
During the week, as we commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus, let's be mindful of how much brighter this world is because He came into it. Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life" [John 8:12].
How has Jesus brightened your life? --- Richard De Haan
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in,
The Light of the world is Jesus. --- Bliss
WITHOUT THE LIGHT OF JESUS, WE WOULD BE IN THE DARK ABOUT GOD.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
River Of Forgiveness
Read: 1 John 1:5-9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. --- 1 John 1:9
The Bible In One Year:
1 John 1-2
According to Greek mythology, King Augeus owned a stable with 3,000 oxen. Their stalls had not been cleaned out for 30 years --- hence our English word Augean, which refers to something exceedingly filthy from long neglect. Hercules, the mythical strong man, was commanded to clean the Augean stable in a single day.
When Hercules first saw the stable, he was dismayed by its size, filthiness, and stench. Then he noticed that it was located between two great rivers, the Alpheus and the Peneus. He put his great strength to work and diverted the rivers so they flowed through the building. Within a short time the stable was rinsed clean.
The story is a myth, of course, but myths by their very nature preserve the yearnings of the cultures that embrace and perpetuate them. The store reflects, I believe, our own longing for someone to wash from our lives the accumulated waste and filth of the years.
There is a powerful river of forgiveness that flows from the cross of Christ. No defilement, even though Augean, can withstand its cleansing flow. When we humbly confess our sins, all of our unrighteousness is washed away [1 John 1:9]. We can be sure that our "sins, which are many, are forgiven" [Luke 7:47]. --- David Roper
Lord, give me courage to confess,
To bare my sinful heart to Thee;
Forgiving love You long to show
And from my sin to set me free. --- D. De Haan
CONFESSION TO GOD ALWAYS BRINGS CLEANSING FROM GOD.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. --- 1 John 1:9
The Bible In One Year:
1 John 1-2
According to Greek mythology, King Augeus owned a stable with 3,000 oxen. Their stalls had not been cleaned out for 30 years --- hence our English word Augean, which refers to something exceedingly filthy from long neglect. Hercules, the mythical strong man, was commanded to clean the Augean stable in a single day.
When Hercules first saw the stable, he was dismayed by its size, filthiness, and stench. Then he noticed that it was located between two great rivers, the Alpheus and the Peneus. He put his great strength to work and diverted the rivers so they flowed through the building. Within a short time the stable was rinsed clean.
The story is a myth, of course, but myths by their very nature preserve the yearnings of the cultures that embrace and perpetuate them. The store reflects, I believe, our own longing for someone to wash from our lives the accumulated waste and filth of the years.
There is a powerful river of forgiveness that flows from the cross of Christ. No defilement, even though Augean, can withstand its cleansing flow. When we humbly confess our sins, all of our unrighteousness is washed away [1 John 1:9]. We can be sure that our "sins, which are many, are forgiven" [Luke 7:47]. --- David Roper
Lord, give me courage to confess,
To bare my sinful heart to Thee;
Forgiving love You long to show
And from my sin to set me free. --- D. De Haan
CONFESSION TO GOD ALWAYS BRINGS CLEANSING FROM GOD.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
God's Guidance
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid." --- Matthew 1:20
The Bible In One Year:
2 Peter 1-3
The Christmas story contains a surprising glimpse into the way God guides those who trust in Him. When the Lord was about to turn the lives of Mary and Joseph upside down, He revealed His plans to them at different times and in different ways.
Mary received advance notice from the angel Gabriel that she would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit [Luke 1:30-35].
But Joseph, her fiance, seems to have received no word from God at that time. Later, when he learned of Mary's pregnancy and pondered how to end their engagement without publicly disgracing her, "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit'" [Matthew 1:20].
Such is the mystery of God's guidance. Mary was told beforehand and Joseph had to struggle with what must have seemed a crushing blow. But no matter when God's word came to them, Mary and Joseph both faithfully obeyed.
We cannot predict all of what the Lord wants us to do nor how He will direct our lives, but we can be confident that He will guid us. And, like Mary and Joseph, we must be ready to follow His leading. --- David McCasland
God holds the future in His hands
With grace sufficient day by day,
Through good or ill He gently leads,
If we but let Him have His way. --- Rohrs
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING IF YOU LET GOD DO THE LEADING.
An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid." --- Matthew 1:20
The Bible In One Year:
2 Peter 1-3
The Christmas story contains a surprising glimpse into the way God guides those who trust in Him. When the Lord was about to turn the lives of Mary and Joseph upside down, He revealed His plans to them at different times and in different ways.
Mary received advance notice from the angel Gabriel that she would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit [Luke 1:30-35].
But Joseph, her fiance, seems to have received no word from God at that time. Later, when he learned of Mary's pregnancy and pondered how to end their engagement without publicly disgracing her, "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit'" [Matthew 1:20].
Such is the mystery of God's guidance. Mary was told beforehand and Joseph had to struggle with what must have seemed a crushing blow. But no matter when God's word came to them, Mary and Joseph both faithfully obeyed.
We cannot predict all of what the Lord wants us to do nor how He will direct our lives, but we can be confident that He will guid us. And, like Mary and Joseph, we must be ready to follow His leading. --- David McCasland
God holds the future in His hands
With grace sufficient day by day,
Through good or ill He gently leads,
If we but let Him have His way. --- Rohrs
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING IF YOU LET GOD DO THE LEADING.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Always Right
Read: 2 Peter 1:16-21
Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. --- 2 Peter 1:21
The Bible In One Year:
1 Peter 3-5
A weatherman boasted, "I'm 90 percent right --- 10 percent of the time." That's a ridiculous statement, but some people resort to that type of doubletalk to cover up a poor record.
The Bible's prophetic record, though, truly is accurate. Let's look at a few examples.
The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem [Micah 5:2] of a virgin [Isaiah 7:14] at the time specified [Daniel 9:25]. Infants in Bethlehem were massacred as prophesied [Jeremiah 31:15]. Jesus went down into Egypt and returned [Hosea 11:1]. Isaiah foretold Christ's ministry in Galilee [Isaiah 9:1-2]. Zechariah predicted His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a colt [Zechariah 9:9] and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver [11:12-13]. David had never seen a Roman crucifixion, yet in Psalm 22, under divine inspirations, he penned a graphic portrayal of Jesus' death. Isaiah 53 gives a detailed picture of our Lord's rejection, mistreatment, death, and burial. These few prophecies [and there are many more] should impress us with the realiability of the Bible.
Since these predictions have all been fulfilled, let us also accept with confidence what the Bible says about the future. Remember, we have a book of prophecy that is right --- all of the time! --- Richard De Haan
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever! --- Luther
YOU CAN TRUST THE BIBLE --- GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS WORD.
Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. --- 2 Peter 1:21
The Bible In One Year:
1 Peter 3-5
A weatherman boasted, "I'm 90 percent right --- 10 percent of the time." That's a ridiculous statement, but some people resort to that type of doubletalk to cover up a poor record.
The Bible's prophetic record, though, truly is accurate. Let's look at a few examples.
The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem [Micah 5:2] of a virgin [Isaiah 7:14] at the time specified [Daniel 9:25]. Infants in Bethlehem were massacred as prophesied [Jeremiah 31:15]. Jesus went down into Egypt and returned [Hosea 11:1]. Isaiah foretold Christ's ministry in Galilee [Isaiah 9:1-2]. Zechariah predicted His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a colt [Zechariah 9:9] and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver [11:12-13]. David had never seen a Roman crucifixion, yet in Psalm 22, under divine inspirations, he penned a graphic portrayal of Jesus' death. Isaiah 53 gives a detailed picture of our Lord's rejection, mistreatment, death, and burial. These few prophecies [and there are many more] should impress us with the realiability of the Bible.
Since these predictions have all been fulfilled, let us also accept with confidence what the Bible says about the future. Remember, we have a book of prophecy that is right --- all of the time! --- Richard De Haan
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever! --- Luther
YOU CAN TRUST THE BIBLE --- GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS WORD.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Thoughtful Praises
Read: Psalm 143
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. --- Psalm 143:5
The Bible In One Year:
1 Peter 1-2
Most of us long to praise God more joyfully than we do. One common hindrance is that no matter how hard we try, we often don't feel like praising Him.
Bible teacher Selwyn Hughes says that God has placed within us three main functions: the will, the feelings, and the thoughts. Our will, he says, has little or no power over our feelings. You can't say, "I am going to feel different," and then accomplish it by sheer willpower. What the feelings do respond to are the thoughts. Quoting another source, Hughes says: "Our feelings follow our thoughts like baby ducks follow their mother." So how can we make our thoughts the leader of our feelings?
David showed us the way in Psalm 143. Feeling overwhelmed and distressed [v.4], he took time to think about the Lord [v.5]. He remembered God's lovingkindness, trust-worthiness, and guidance [v.8]; His protection and goodness [vv.9-10]; His righteousness and mercy [vv.11-12]. Once David got going, his feelings began to follow his thoughts.
Name your own blessings daily; contemplate them thoroughly; speak about them to God and to others. Gradually your concern about feelings will diminish and you'll be praising God with joy. --- Joanie Yoder
Take control of my heart today,
Keep it filled with joy and praise
And gratitude for every good
You bestow on all my days. --- Sees
JOY THRIVES IN THE SOIL OF PRAISE.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. --- Psalm 143:5
The Bible In One Year:
1 Peter 1-2
Most of us long to praise God more joyfully than we do. One common hindrance is that no matter how hard we try, we often don't feel like praising Him.
Bible teacher Selwyn Hughes says that God has placed within us three main functions: the will, the feelings, and the thoughts. Our will, he says, has little or no power over our feelings. You can't say, "I am going to feel different," and then accomplish it by sheer willpower. What the feelings do respond to are the thoughts. Quoting another source, Hughes says: "Our feelings follow our thoughts like baby ducks follow their mother." So how can we make our thoughts the leader of our feelings?
David showed us the way in Psalm 143. Feeling overwhelmed and distressed [v.4], he took time to think about the Lord [v.5]. He remembered God's lovingkindness, trust-worthiness, and guidance [v.8]; His protection and goodness [vv.9-10]; His righteousness and mercy [vv.11-12]. Once David got going, his feelings began to follow his thoughts.
Name your own blessings daily; contemplate them thoroughly; speak about them to God and to others. Gradually your concern about feelings will diminish and you'll be praising God with joy. --- Joanie Yoder
Take control of my heart today,
Keep it filled with joy and praise
And gratitude for every good
You bestow on all my days. --- Sees
JOY THRIVES IN THE SOIL OF PRAISE.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
"Where's The Baby Jesus?"
Read: Luke 2:1-12
There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. --- Luke 2:11
The Bible In One Year:
James 3-5
It seems to happen earlier each year. Stores put up Christmas decoration. Newspaper ads announce "the perfect Christmas gift." Toy commercials punctuate television shows. Christmas music fills the air. Before you know it, there are banquets to attend, parties you can't miss, gifts to wrap, family gatherings to plan, baking to be done, and a host of other activities that manage to crowd our the real meaning of Christmas.
Delores Van Belkum told me a story about her young grandson that drives home the point. His mother and father had used a simple manger scene to tell Justin about Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. They wanted him to know that the Child born in Bethlehem was someone very special. As the holiday approached, Justin went on a shopping trip with his mother and grandmother. One salesperson showed him a sparkling display of Santas, toys, and decorations. He was fascinated. But he spoke words that far surpassed his years when he looked up and said, "But where's the baby Jesus?"
This Christmas, let's keep foremost in our minds the reason for the celebration --- the birth of God's Son. Then, as people listen to our words and observe our activities, they won't ask, "Where's the baby Jesus?" --- Dave Egner
Invite Him in this Christmas,
This Savior from above;
The gift He seeks you need not wrap ---
He only wants your love. --- Berg
BEWARE OF KEEPING CHRISTMAS BUT LOSING CHRIST.
There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. --- Luke 2:11
The Bible In One Year:
James 3-5
It seems to happen earlier each year. Stores put up Christmas decoration. Newspaper ads announce "the perfect Christmas gift." Toy commercials punctuate television shows. Christmas music fills the air. Before you know it, there are banquets to attend, parties you can't miss, gifts to wrap, family gatherings to plan, baking to be done, and a host of other activities that manage to crowd our the real meaning of Christmas.
Delores Van Belkum told me a story about her young grandson that drives home the point. His mother and father had used a simple manger scene to tell Justin about Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. They wanted him to know that the Child born in Bethlehem was someone very special. As the holiday approached, Justin went on a shopping trip with his mother and grandmother. One salesperson showed him a sparkling display of Santas, toys, and decorations. He was fascinated. But he spoke words that far surpassed his years when he looked up and said, "But where's the baby Jesus?"
This Christmas, let's keep foremost in our minds the reason for the celebration --- the birth of God's Son. Then, as people listen to our words and observe our activities, they won't ask, "Where's the baby Jesus?" --- Dave Egner
Invite Him in this Christmas,
This Savior from above;
The gift He seeks you need not wrap ---
He only wants your love. --- Berg
BEWARE OF KEEPING CHRISTMAS BUT LOSING CHRIST.
They Understood
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
[God] comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble. --- 2 Corinthians 1:4
The Bible In One Year:
James 1-2
A few days before Christmas, we received a beautiful floral arrangement with a card that said, "Remembering your loss and wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love and prayers, Dave and Betty."
Seven months earlier, my sister Marti and her husband Jim had been killed in a traffic accident. This was our first Christmas without them, so it was a great encouragement to have friends acknowledge our loss and express their love in a tangible way.
Dave and Betty understood our need to grieve and find God's healing because two decades earlier their daughter had taken her onw life. Because they had experienced the Lord's comfort over the years, they were able to come alongside us in a sensitive and caring way.
That loving act came as a striking example of Paul's words: "The Father of mercies and God of all comfort ... comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" [2 Corinthians 1:3-4].
When God touches our broken hearts with His peace, we are uniquely equipped to share that with others. What a wonderful gift to give and receive at Christmas! --- David McCasland
The comfort God has given us
He wants us now to share
With others who are suffering
And caught in life's despair. --- Sper
GOD DOES NOT COMFORT US TO MAKE US COMFORTABLE, BUT TO MAKE US COMFORTERS.
[God] comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble. --- 2 Corinthians 1:4
The Bible In One Year:
James 1-2
A few days before Christmas, we received a beautiful floral arrangement with a card that said, "Remembering your loss and wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love and prayers, Dave and Betty."
Seven months earlier, my sister Marti and her husband Jim had been killed in a traffic accident. This was our first Christmas without them, so it was a great encouragement to have friends acknowledge our loss and express their love in a tangible way.
Dave and Betty understood our need to grieve and find God's healing because two decades earlier their daughter had taken her onw life. Because they had experienced the Lord's comfort over the years, they were able to come alongside us in a sensitive and caring way.
That loving act came as a striking example of Paul's words: "The Father of mercies and God of all comfort ... comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" [2 Corinthians 1:3-4].
When God touches our broken hearts with His peace, we are uniquely equipped to share that with others. What a wonderful gift to give and receive at Christmas! --- David McCasland
The comfort God has given us
He wants us now to share
With others who are suffering
And caught in life's despair. --- Sper
GOD DOES NOT COMFORT US TO MAKE US COMFORTABLE, BUT TO MAKE US COMFORTERS.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Never Alone
Read: Hebrews 13:5-6
I will never leave you nor forsake you. --- Hebrews 13:5
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 11-13
Robinson Crusoe, the chief character in a novel by Daniel Defoe, was shipwrecked and stranded on an uninhabited island. Life was hard, but he found hope and comfort when he turned to the Word of God.
Crusoe said, "One morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, 'I will never, never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' Immediately it occured that these words were to me; why else should they be directed in such a manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of God and man?
"'Well then,' said I, 'if God does not forsake me,... what matters it, though the world should all forsake me ...?' From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition than it was probable that I should ever have been in any other state in the world; and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to this place."
Have you been forsaken by a friend, a child, a spouse? God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" [Hebrews 13:5]. So you too can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" [v.6] --- David Roper
When all around me is darkness
And earthly joys have flown,
My Savior whispers His promise
Never to leave me alone. ---
FEAR WILL LEAVE US WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US.
I will never leave you nor forsake you. --- Hebrews 13:5
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 11-13
Robinson Crusoe, the chief character in a novel by Daniel Defoe, was shipwrecked and stranded on an uninhabited island. Life was hard, but he found hope and comfort when he turned to the Word of God.
Crusoe said, "One morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, 'I will never, never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' Immediately it occured that these words were to me; why else should they be directed in such a manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of God and man?
"'Well then,' said I, 'if God does not forsake me,... what matters it, though the world should all forsake me ...?' From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition than it was probable that I should ever have been in any other state in the world; and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to this place."
Have you been forsaken by a friend, a child, a spouse? God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" [Hebrews 13:5]. So you too can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" [v.6] --- David Roper
When all around me is darkness
And earthly joys have flown,
My Savior whispers His promise
Never to leave me alone. ---
FEAR WILL LEAVE US WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Why Go To Church?
Read: Hebrews 10:19-25
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. --- Hebrews 10:24-25
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 8-10
In a letter to the editor of a British newspaper, a man complained that he saw no sense in going to church every Sunday. "I have been attending services quite regularly for the past 30 years," he wrote, "and during that time ... I have listened to no less than 3,000 sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else."
That letter sparked many responses. One, however, was the clincher: "I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals --- mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago."
The Bible assumes the importance of going to church, and the only admonition to do so appears in the context of the danger of forsaking the practice [Hebrews 10:25]. We need help to keep our faith and hope from wavering [v.23], and to love and do good works [v.24]. Just as physical food keeps us alive and strong, so also the spiritual nourishment of teaching and fellowship are necessary for our survival. --- Dennis De Haan
I love to worship with others,
To read the Bible and pray,
To sing the songs about Jesus,
And learn to walk in His way. --- Hess
TO KEEP GROWING IN CHRIST, KEEP GOING TO CHURCH.
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. --- Hebrews 10:24-25
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 8-10
In a letter to the editor of a British newspaper, a man complained that he saw no sense in going to church every Sunday. "I have been attending services quite regularly for the past 30 years," he wrote, "and during that time ... I have listened to no less than 3,000 sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else."
That letter sparked many responses. One, however, was the clincher: "I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals --- mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago."
The Bible assumes the importance of going to church, and the only admonition to do so appears in the context of the danger of forsaking the practice [Hebrews 10:25]. We need help to keep our faith and hope from wavering [v.23], and to love and do good works [v.24]. Just as physical food keeps us alive and strong, so also the spiritual nourishment of teaching and fellowship are necessary for our survival. --- Dennis De Haan
I love to worship with others,
To read the Bible and pray,
To sing the songs about Jesus,
And learn to walk in His way. --- Hess
TO KEEP GROWING IN CHRIST, KEEP GOING TO CHURCH.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
The Gift Of Obedience
Read: Zechariah 7
Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed? --- Zechariah 7:7
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 5-7
It's that time of year again when people think about God and goodwill more than they do at any other time. It seems that the nearer we get to Christmas, the more we notice that people have a willingness to express an interest in religious things. Both church attendance and church activities increase.
Does this heightened religious activity honor the Lord? We must be careful that what takes place is not what happened to the people of Zechariah's day. Although they engaged in religious activities, they were out to please only themselves. A vital element was missing --- obedience to God.
Instead of their conducting empty rituals, God wanted them to show their obedience to Him by: [1] administering true justice, [2] showing mercy and compassion, [3] refusing to oppress widows, orphans, and the poor, and [4] not planning evil against others [Zechariah 7:9-10].
We can best honor God during this special season by evaluating our own devotion to Him in light of these four commands to God's people. Our Lord does not want empty, self-centered religious activities from us. He wants the gift of obedience expressed in acts of kindness and helffulness for those less fortunate than we are. --- Dave Branon
Try to bring God's love and kindness
Into someone's life today;
Even just a gift of caring
Can the Savior's love display. --- Hess
KINDNESS IS ALWAYS IN SEASON.
Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed? --- Zechariah 7:7
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 5-7
It's that time of year again when people think about God and goodwill more than they do at any other time. It seems that the nearer we get to Christmas, the more we notice that people have a willingness to express an interest in religious things. Both church attendance and church activities increase.
Does this heightened religious activity honor the Lord? We must be careful that what takes place is not what happened to the people of Zechariah's day. Although they engaged in religious activities, they were out to please only themselves. A vital element was missing --- obedience to God.
Instead of their conducting empty rituals, God wanted them to show their obedience to Him by: [1] administering true justice, [2] showing mercy and compassion, [3] refusing to oppress widows, orphans, and the poor, and [4] not planning evil against others [Zechariah 7:9-10].
We can best honor God during this special season by evaluating our own devotion to Him in light of these four commands to God's people. Our Lord does not want empty, self-centered religious activities from us. He wants the gift of obedience expressed in acts of kindness and helffulness for those less fortunate than we are. --- Dave Branon
Try to bring God's love and kindness
Into someone's life today;
Even just a gift of caring
Can the Savior's love display. --- Hess
KINDNESS IS ALWAYS IN SEASON.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Immanuel
Read: Isaiah 8:1-10
"The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." --- Matthew 1:23
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 1-4
Since that first Christmas day 2,000 years ago, the assurance that God is with His people has taken on new meaning. Before Jesus was born, the Israelites were assured that even in judgment they could have hope because God was with them [Isaiah 8:8,10]. Yet they didn't know God as fully as we can today.
We have a great advantage because through reading the New Testament we can see the glory of God "in the face of Jesus Christ" [2 Corinthians 4:6]. And we can sense His presence in all situations of life because He is made real to us by the Holy Spirit [Romans 8:10-16].
When I started to be reassured that God is with me, I think about Jesus as He is revealed in the New Testament. I recall how He took little children in His arms and blessed them [Matthew 19:13-15]. Then I think of His crucifixion, which reminds me of all He endured to be my Savior [27:27-54]. Finally, I reflect on His promise, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" [28:20].
The birth of Jesus gave new significance to the name Immanuel, which means "God with us" [1:23]. Because He lived among us, died for us, and sent His Spirit to indwell us, we can rejoice! --- Herb Vander Lugt
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. --- Wesley
GOD CAME TO LIVE WITH US SO WE COULD LIVE WITH HIM.
"The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." --- Matthew 1:23
The Bible In One Year:
Hebrews 1-4
Since that first Christmas day 2,000 years ago, the assurance that God is with His people has taken on new meaning. Before Jesus was born, the Israelites were assured that even in judgment they could have hope because God was with them [Isaiah 8:8,10]. Yet they didn't know God as fully as we can today.
We have a great advantage because through reading the New Testament we can see the glory of God "in the face of Jesus Christ" [2 Corinthians 4:6]. And we can sense His presence in all situations of life because He is made real to us by the Holy Spirit [Romans 8:10-16].
When I started to be reassured that God is with me, I think about Jesus as He is revealed in the New Testament. I recall how He took little children in His arms and blessed them [Matthew 19:13-15]. Then I think of His crucifixion, which reminds me of all He endured to be my Savior [27:27-54]. Finally, I reflect on His promise, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" [28:20].
The birth of Jesus gave new significance to the name Immanuel, which means "God with us" [1:23]. Because He lived among us, died for us, and sent His Spirit to indwell us, we can rejoice! --- Herb Vander Lugt
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. --- Wesley
GOD CAME TO LIVE WITH US SO WE COULD LIVE WITH HIM.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Let God Do His Work
Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-11
Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. --- 1 Corinthians 3:7
The Bible In One Year:
Philemon
In our zeal to serve the Lord, it's easy to think that it's our responsibility to produce results. This causes us to place too much faith in our ability and too little faith in God's.
Paul observed this same tendency in the Corinthian church. Certain believers extolled the seed-planting ministry of Apollos. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul reminded them that it is God who brings the seed to fruition [vv.4-7]. Yet Paul acknowledged that their faithful efforts were part of God's plan, "and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor" [v.8].
Imagine a farmer sitting on his front porch. You ask him what he's doing. He answers, "Farming." You ask him what he's growing. He replies, "Wheat." "But your fields look unplowed and unplanted," you say. "That's right," he answers, "I'm farming by faith. Believing God for a harvest." "But shouldn't you be doing something?" you protest. He replies, "I am. I'm praying and believing!"
This story reminds us that God won't do our work for us, and 1 Corinthians teaches us that the results are not up to us. The best was to serve is to faithfully plant and water the seed, then trust God for the results. --- Joanie Yoder
God does not expect us
To make the seed bear fruit;
Jesus said to plant it,
And pray that it will root. --- Pendergraft
WE CAN PLANT THE SEED, BUT ONLY GOD CAN GIVE THE HARVEST.
Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. --- 1 Corinthians 3:7
The Bible In One Year:
Philemon
In our zeal to serve the Lord, it's easy to think that it's our responsibility to produce results. This causes us to place too much faith in our ability and too little faith in God's.
Paul observed this same tendency in the Corinthian church. Certain believers extolled the seed-planting ministry of Apollos. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul reminded them that it is God who brings the seed to fruition [vv.4-7]. Yet Paul acknowledged that their faithful efforts were part of God's plan, "and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor" [v.8].
Imagine a farmer sitting on his front porch. You ask him what he's doing. He answers, "Farming." You ask him what he's growing. He replies, "Wheat." "But your fields look unplowed and unplanted," you say. "That's right," he answers, "I'm farming by faith. Believing God for a harvest." "But shouldn't you be doing something?" you protest. He replies, "I am. I'm praying and believing!"
This story reminds us that God won't do our work for us, and 1 Corinthians teaches us that the results are not up to us. The best was to serve is to faithfully plant and water the seed, then trust God for the results. --- Joanie Yoder
God does not expect us
To make the seed bear fruit;
Jesus said to plant it,
And pray that it will root. --- Pendergraft
WE CAN PLANT THE SEED, BUT ONLY GOD CAN GIVE THE HARVEST.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
How Gentle Are You?
Read: Titus 3:1-8
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. --- Philippians 4:5
The Bible In One Year:
Titus 1-3
During my years as a pastor, I encountered many Christians who were anything but gentle. They had no patience for fellow believers with character flaws or who were involved in sinful practices. They also showed little kindness toward nonbelievers. They thought that gospel messages should always include dire warnings of the torments of hell.
Recently I heard about a company that had decided to open their stores on Sunday. Because they were located in an area with many churches, the corporation received scores of condemning letters from angry Christians. Some even said they were glad there was an eternal hell for those who had made this decision. Christian and non-Christian employees were offended and embarrassed. Lack of gentleness had harmed Christ's cause.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day were quick to judge and lacked gentleness. They criticized Jesus because He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners [Matthew 11:19]. They were shocked because He showed concern for these people instead of harshly condemning them. He didn't approve of what they did, but He saw them as sinners created in God's image whom He had come to save.
Let's follow Christ's example. --- Herb Vander Lugt
O to be like Him, tender and kind,
Gentle in spirit, lowly in mind;
More like to Jesus, day after day,
Filled with His Spirit, now and always. --- Ellsworth
NOTHING IS SO STRONG AS GENTLENESS, NOTHING SO GENTLE AS REAL STRENGTH. --- Francis de Sales
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. --- Philippians 4:5
The Bible In One Year:
Titus 1-3
During my years as a pastor, I encountered many Christians who were anything but gentle. They had no patience for fellow believers with character flaws or who were involved in sinful practices. They also showed little kindness toward nonbelievers. They thought that gospel messages should always include dire warnings of the torments of hell.
Recently I heard about a company that had decided to open their stores on Sunday. Because they were located in an area with many churches, the corporation received scores of condemning letters from angry Christians. Some even said they were glad there was an eternal hell for those who had made this decision. Christian and non-Christian employees were offended and embarrassed. Lack of gentleness had harmed Christ's cause.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day were quick to judge and lacked gentleness. They criticized Jesus because He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners [Matthew 11:19]. They were shocked because He showed concern for these people instead of harshly condemning them. He didn't approve of what they did, but He saw them as sinners created in God's image whom He had come to save.
Let's follow Christ's example. --- Herb Vander Lugt
O to be like Him, tender and kind,
Gentle in spirit, lowly in mind;
More like to Jesus, day after day,
Filled with His Spirit, now and always. --- Ellsworth
NOTHING IS SO STRONG AS GENTLENESS, NOTHING SO GENTLE AS REAL STRENGTH. --- Francis de Sales
Right And Wrongs
Read: 2 Timothy 4:14-18
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me, May it not be charged against them. --- 2 Timothy 4:16
The Bible In One Year:
2 Timothy 1-4
It's crucial to distinguish between personal wrongs, which we must be willing to forgive, and deliberate attacks on the gospel of Christ, which the Lord will judge. Paul drew that distinction in his letter to his young friend Timothy.
First, Paul wrote with respect to an opponent of the gospel: "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beward of him, for he has greatly resisted our words" [2 Timothy 4:14-15].
The "harm" Alexander had done to Paul was not to him personally but to his message, and he was now engaged in stirring up opposition to Timothy's proclamation of the gospel.
Then, as if to plainly contrast and distinguish between those who oppose God's work and those who personaly wrong us, Paul followed with these gracious words: "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them" [2 Timothy 4:16].
How sad that Paul's fellow Christians would desert the apostle in his hour of deep need! What should be done to them? Surely they're deserving of his righteous anger. Not so. Paul said, "May it not be charged against them."
Lord, help us to be gracious too. --- David Roper
You sacrificed Your life for us ---
You shed Your blood so we could live;
So help us, Lord, to follow You,
To love each other and forgive. --- Sper
TREAT OTHERS' FAULTS AS GRACIOUSLY AS YOU DO YOUR OWN.
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me, May it not be charged against them. --- 2 Timothy 4:16
The Bible In One Year:
2 Timothy 1-4
It's crucial to distinguish between personal wrongs, which we must be willing to forgive, and deliberate attacks on the gospel of Christ, which the Lord will judge. Paul drew that distinction in his letter to his young friend Timothy.
First, Paul wrote with respect to an opponent of the gospel: "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beward of him, for he has greatly resisted our words" [2 Timothy 4:14-15].
The "harm" Alexander had done to Paul was not to him personally but to his message, and he was now engaged in stirring up opposition to Timothy's proclamation of the gospel.
Then, as if to plainly contrast and distinguish between those who oppose God's work and those who personaly wrong us, Paul followed with these gracious words: "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them" [2 Timothy 4:16].
How sad that Paul's fellow Christians would desert the apostle in his hour of deep need! What should be done to them? Surely they're deserving of his righteous anger. Not so. Paul said, "May it not be charged against them."
Lord, help us to be gracious too. --- David Roper
You sacrificed Your life for us ---
You shed Your blood so we could live;
So help us, Lord, to follow You,
To love each other and forgive. --- Sper
TREAT OTHERS' FAULTS AS GRACIOUSLY AS YOU DO YOUR OWN.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Joy To The World
Read: Psalm 98
The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. --- Psalm 98:2
The Bible In One Year:
1 Timothy 4-6
While walking home from a church service in Southampton, England, 20-year-old Isaac Watts told his father that the metrical psalms sung at their services lacked the dignity and beauty that should characterize hymns used in worship. His father encouraged him to try to create something better. So in the year 1694, Isaac Watts began writing hymns, and eventually put the book of Psalms into rhyming meter for worship.
Watts took the prophetic references to the coming Messiah in the Psalms and expressed them in their New Testament fulfillment. His hymns proclaimed that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. When Watts came to Psalm 98, he wrote:
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.
This hymn has become a favorite of the Christmas season. It calls us to acknowledge Christ as Savior and King, and to open our hearts to His rule of love and grace.
The psalmist wrote, "Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!" [98:1]. Isaac Watts did just that in his proclamation that Christ has come, and we can rejoice in Him. --- David McCasland
TO FIND JOY AT CHRISTMAS, LOOK TO JESUS.
The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. --- Psalm 98:2
The Bible In One Year:
1 Timothy 4-6
While walking home from a church service in Southampton, England, 20-year-old Isaac Watts told his father that the metrical psalms sung at their services lacked the dignity and beauty that should characterize hymns used in worship. His father encouraged him to try to create something better. So in the year 1694, Isaac Watts began writing hymns, and eventually put the book of Psalms into rhyming meter for worship.
Watts took the prophetic references to the coming Messiah in the Psalms and expressed them in their New Testament fulfillment. His hymns proclaimed that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. When Watts came to Psalm 98, he wrote:
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.
This hymn has become a favorite of the Christmas season. It calls us to acknowledge Christ as Savior and King, and to open our hearts to His rule of love and grace.
The psalmist wrote, "Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!" [98:1]. Isaac Watts did just that in his proclamation that Christ has come, and we can rejoice in Him. --- David McCasland
TO FIND JOY AT CHRISTMAS, LOOK TO JESUS.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Showing Respect
Read: 1 Chronicles 13
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one way from the snares of death. --- Proverbs 14:27
The Bible In One Year:
1 Timothy 1-3
In Myanmar [Burma], children are taught to give objects to their parents and elders with both hands. I live in nearby Singapore, and I know that in Asia it isn't polite to use only one hand to give a business card to someone. And it's extremely rude to toss it across the table to the recipient. To show respect, I should use both hands to give my business card to a person.
In 1 Chronicles 13, we see how important it is to show respect to God. David had good intentions when he decided to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. During the process, however, Uzzah touched the ark in an attempt to prevent it from falling off the cart. God struck him dead. David was stunned and upset by God's anger. Why did the Lord respond so severely?
David came to realize that what he wanted to do for God had to be done with respect for Him and His specific instructions. God had commanded that the ark be carried by the sons of Kohath on poles, not on a cart, nor was anyone to touch it [Exodus 25:14-15; Numbers 3:30-31; 4:15].
What David learned is something we too must take to heart. Showing respect for God means learning what He wants us to do and then obeying Him completely. To please the Lord, we must do His work His way. --- Albert Lee
O help me, Lord, to show respect,
To always honor You;
And may I bring You highest praise
In everything I do. --- Sper
WE RESPECT GOD WHEN WE OBEY GOD.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one way from the snares of death. --- Proverbs 14:27
The Bible In One Year:
1 Timothy 1-3
In Myanmar [Burma], children are taught to give objects to their parents and elders with both hands. I live in nearby Singapore, and I know that in Asia it isn't polite to use only one hand to give a business card to someone. And it's extremely rude to toss it across the table to the recipient. To show respect, I should use both hands to give my business card to a person.
In 1 Chronicles 13, we see how important it is to show respect to God. David had good intentions when he decided to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. During the process, however, Uzzah touched the ark in an attempt to prevent it from falling off the cart. God struck him dead. David was stunned and upset by God's anger. Why did the Lord respond so severely?
David came to realize that what he wanted to do for God had to be done with respect for Him and His specific instructions. God had commanded that the ark be carried by the sons of Kohath on poles, not on a cart, nor was anyone to touch it [Exodus 25:14-15; Numbers 3:30-31; 4:15].
What David learned is something we too must take to heart. Showing respect for God means learning what He wants us to do and then obeying Him completely. To please the Lord, we must do His work His way. --- Albert Lee
O help me, Lord, to show respect,
To always honor You;
And may I bring You highest praise
In everything I do. --- Sper
WE RESPECT GOD WHEN WE OBEY GOD.
Why Am I Afraid?
Read: 2 Kings 6:8-17
Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. --- 2 Kings 6:16
The Bible In One Year:
2 Thessalonians 1-3
Columnist George Cantor told how he dealt with a childhood fear. Almost every night he would wake up in the darkness and imagine scary creatures lurking inside his room. Often he would be too scared to go back to sleep. Sometimes he would go and lie down by his parents' bedroom door, figuring that as long as he was near them, nothing would hurt him.
That child's need for some physical evidence of his parents' presence reminds me of the young servant of Elisha. He woke up early one morning and found that the Syrian army had surrounded the city. Alarmed and afraid, he cried out to Elisha, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" [2 Kings 6:15]. After Elisha prayed, the Lord opened the young servant's eyes. What he saw must have filled him with awe and wonder. The Bible says that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" [v.17]. The Lord's army was there to protect them.
We too at times long for God to give us some kind of reassurance that He is near, and sometimes He does. But that's the exception. He wants us to learn to trust His promise that He is with us. No matter how frightening the situation, God's people always have more on their side than the enemy has on his. --- Mart De Haan
At times our fears may loom so large
We long for proof that God is near;
It's then our Father says to us,
"Have faith, My child, and do not fear." -- D. De Haan
FAITH KNOWS THAT GOD IS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES.
Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. --- 2 Kings 6:16
The Bible In One Year:
2 Thessalonians 1-3
Columnist George Cantor told how he dealt with a childhood fear. Almost every night he would wake up in the darkness and imagine scary creatures lurking inside his room. Often he would be too scared to go back to sleep. Sometimes he would go and lie down by his parents' bedroom door, figuring that as long as he was near them, nothing would hurt him.
That child's need for some physical evidence of his parents' presence reminds me of the young servant of Elisha. He woke up early one morning and found that the Syrian army had surrounded the city. Alarmed and afraid, he cried out to Elisha, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" [2 Kings 6:15]. After Elisha prayed, the Lord opened the young servant's eyes. What he saw must have filled him with awe and wonder. The Bible says that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" [v.17]. The Lord's army was there to protect them.
We too at times long for God to give us some kind of reassurance that He is near, and sometimes He does. But that's the exception. He wants us to learn to trust His promise that He is with us. No matter how frightening the situation, God's people always have more on their side than the enemy has on his. --- Mart De Haan
At times our fears may loom so large
We long for proof that God is near;
It's then our Father says to us,
"Have faith, My child, and do not fear." -- D. De Haan
FAITH KNOWS THAT GOD IS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Give It Away
Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. --- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
The Bible In One Year:
1 Thessalonians 1-5
Parents, teachers, and school board members in central Texas were astounded when a retired couple offered 4-year college scholarships to all 45 children in a local school's first-grade class. The only conditions are that the child stays off drugs, graduates from the high school in that district, and attends an accredited Texas public university, junior college, or trade school. Years earlier, a company had paid half the college tuition for one of the donors, and he never forgot. "They helped me," he says, "and not it's my turn."
All of us have received a gift we can share with others. Although it may not be money, it's something that has enhanced our lives. Paul reminded the Thessalonians that "we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us" [1 Thessalonians 2:8].
What has been given to you that you need to pass along in the name of Christ? The gift of listening when someone needs to talk? Sharing a Bible-study group where people learn to nourish themselves from the Word? Sending a thoughtful card to someone with a heavy heart?
The gospel is always most effective when it is shared by people who joyfully give themselves away. --- David McCasland
The message you may give,
The words that come from you,
Most truly honor Jesus
When love is given too. --- D. De Haan
GOD GIVES TO YOU SO YOU CAN GIVE TO OTHERS.
We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. --- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
The Bible In One Year:
1 Thessalonians 1-5
Parents, teachers, and school board members in central Texas were astounded when a retired couple offered 4-year college scholarships to all 45 children in a local school's first-grade class. The only conditions are that the child stays off drugs, graduates from the high school in that district, and attends an accredited Texas public university, junior college, or trade school. Years earlier, a company had paid half the college tuition for one of the donors, and he never forgot. "They helped me," he says, "and not it's my turn."
All of us have received a gift we can share with others. Although it may not be money, it's something that has enhanced our lives. Paul reminded the Thessalonians that "we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us" [1 Thessalonians 2:8].
What has been given to you that you need to pass along in the name of Christ? The gift of listening when someone needs to talk? Sharing a Bible-study group where people learn to nourish themselves from the Word? Sending a thoughtful card to someone with a heavy heart?
The gospel is always most effective when it is shared by people who joyfully give themselves away. --- David McCasland
The message you may give,
The words that come from you,
Most truly honor Jesus
When love is given too. --- D. De Haan
GOD GIVES TO YOU SO YOU CAN GIVE TO OTHERS.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
It's All For Him
Read: Colossians 1:13-20
All things were created through Him and for Him. --- Colossians 1:16
The Bible In One Year:
Colossians 1:16
It's a little phrase of just two words at the end of Colossians 1:16 --- "for Him." Yet that little phrase gives God's own interpretation of history. In those two words He affirms that Jesus is the final and complete explanation of everything.
All that has happened and ever will happen is moving through time toward that climactic hour when every tongue will confess the lordship of Jesus Christ. Every knee, whether in grateful adoration or under compulsion, will then bow to Him [Philippians 2:10-11].
British historian H.A.L. Fisher apparently did not share that view. He sadly confessed, "Men wiser and more learned than I have discovered in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. These harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following upon another as wave follows upon wave ... nothing but the play of the contingent and the unforeseeable."
What about you? Are you overwhelmed by what seems to be the aimless sequence of events? If so, look once more at Jesus --- His life, death, resurrection, and promised return. Your troubled heart will be filled with hope and confidence as the world -- when you live "for Him." --- Vernon Grounds
One life to live for Christ my Lord,
One life to do my part,
One life in which to give my all
With fervency of heart. -- Brandt
CHRIST SHOWED HIS LOVE BY DYING FOR US; WE SHOW OUR LOVE BY LIVING FOR HIM.
All things were created through Him and for Him. --- Colossians 1:16
The Bible In One Year:
Colossians 1:16
It's a little phrase of just two words at the end of Colossians 1:16 --- "for Him." Yet that little phrase gives God's own interpretation of history. In those two words He affirms that Jesus is the final and complete explanation of everything.
All that has happened and ever will happen is moving through time toward that climactic hour when every tongue will confess the lordship of Jesus Christ. Every knee, whether in grateful adoration or under compulsion, will then bow to Him [Philippians 2:10-11].
British historian H.A.L. Fisher apparently did not share that view. He sadly confessed, "Men wiser and more learned than I have discovered in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. These harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following upon another as wave follows upon wave ... nothing but the play of the contingent and the unforeseeable."
What about you? Are you overwhelmed by what seems to be the aimless sequence of events? If so, look once more at Jesus --- His life, death, resurrection, and promised return. Your troubled heart will be filled with hope and confidence as the world -- when you live "for Him." --- Vernon Grounds
One life to live for Christ my Lord,
One life to do my part,
One life in which to give my all
With fervency of heart. -- Brandt
CHRIST SHOWED HIS LOVE BY DYING FOR US; WE SHOW OUR LOVE BY LIVING FOR HIM.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Is It Time To Pray?
Read: Philippians 4:1-7
In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. --- Philippians 4:6
The Bible In One Year:
Philippians 1-4
When people face trials, they often turn to prayer only as a last resort. I knew a man who was fighting a valiant battle with cancer. As people observed the gradual effect on his body and lifestyle, one person said, "Well, they've tried everything else. I guess it's time to begin praying."
Another man was going through an extremely difficult time at work. It was a crisis of major proportions that had ominous implications for him and for the future of his company. He just couldn't resolve it. Finally he said, "I've tried everything I know to get through this situation and nothing has worked. It's time to start praying."
In both of these instances, prayer was seen as a last-ditch effort to resolve the problem. Only after all other options were eliminated did the person decide to pray. It was a desperate "grasping at straws."
Instead of prayer being a last resort, it should be one of the first things we do. The Lord answers prayer, and He wants us to come to Him continually with all of our needs [1 Thessalonians 5:17]. The Bible tells us to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer ... let your requests be made known to God" [Philippians 4:6].
So don't wait. It's always time to pray. --- Dave Egner
Any hour when helping others
Or when bearing heavy care
Is the time to call our Father ---
It's the proper time for prayer. --- Zimmerman
PRAYER SHOULD BE OUR FIRST RESPONSE RATHER THAN OUR LAST RESORT.
In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. --- Philippians 4:6
The Bible In One Year:
Philippians 1-4
When people face trials, they often turn to prayer only as a last resort. I knew a man who was fighting a valiant battle with cancer. As people observed the gradual effect on his body and lifestyle, one person said, "Well, they've tried everything else. I guess it's time to begin praying."
Another man was going through an extremely difficult time at work. It was a crisis of major proportions that had ominous implications for him and for the future of his company. He just couldn't resolve it. Finally he said, "I've tried everything I know to get through this situation and nothing has worked. It's time to start praying."
In both of these instances, prayer was seen as a last-ditch effort to resolve the problem. Only after all other options were eliminated did the person decide to pray. It was a desperate "grasping at straws."
Instead of prayer being a last resort, it should be one of the first things we do. The Lord answers prayer, and He wants us to come to Him continually with all of our needs [1 Thessalonians 5:17]. The Bible tells us to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer ... let your requests be made known to God" [Philippians 4:6].
So don't wait. It's always time to pray. --- Dave Egner
Any hour when helping others
Or when bearing heavy care
Is the time to call our Father ---
It's the proper time for prayer. --- Zimmerman
PRAYER SHOULD BE OUR FIRST RESPONSE RATHER THAN OUR LAST RESORT.
Friday, December 03, 2004
True Love
Read: Ephesians 5:25-33
Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. --- Ephesians 4-6
The Bible In One Year:
Ephesians 4-6
One day I got a call from a young man named Ewing. He and our daughter Julie had known each other for nearly a year, and they were in love. Ewing wanted to know if he could marry Julie. After asking him several questions and getting the responses I needed to hear, I gave him my approval. Then came a big surprise. I asked him when he wanted to marry Julie, and he replied, "In 2 or 3 weeks." He loved Julie so much that he wanted to be with her all the time. True love called for action.
About a month later, just 2 weeks after the wedding, my new son-in-law said to me, "I just want you to know that Julie is my best friend. We have such a great time together."
Some of us who've been married a long time may think that our experience makes us experts on matrimony. But I believe we can learn from newlyweds. First, when two people are truly in love, they will deeply care for each other and cherish their time together. Second, true love means that a couple's relationship will be characterized by the good each one does for the other. How can two people with those characteristics be anything but best friends?
Jesus is the ultimate source of love and respect [Ephesians 5:25-33]. True love is Christlike love. --- Dave Branon
Look upon your partner's need ---
Love demands the loving deed;
Let your love be love that's true,
Prove it by the deeds you do. --- Anon.
A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE REQUIRES FALLING IN LOVE MANY TIMES --- WITH THE SAME PERSON.
Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. --- Ephesians 4-6
The Bible In One Year:
Ephesians 4-6
One day I got a call from a young man named Ewing. He and our daughter Julie had known each other for nearly a year, and they were in love. Ewing wanted to know if he could marry Julie. After asking him several questions and getting the responses I needed to hear, I gave him my approval. Then came a big surprise. I asked him when he wanted to marry Julie, and he replied, "In 2 or 3 weeks." He loved Julie so much that he wanted to be with her all the time. True love called for action.
About a month later, just 2 weeks after the wedding, my new son-in-law said to me, "I just want you to know that Julie is my best friend. We have such a great time together."
Some of us who've been married a long time may think that our experience makes us experts on matrimony. But I believe we can learn from newlyweds. First, when two people are truly in love, they will deeply care for each other and cherish their time together. Second, true love means that a couple's relationship will be characterized by the good each one does for the other. How can two people with those characteristics be anything but best friends?
Jesus is the ultimate source of love and respect [Ephesians 5:25-33]. True love is Christlike love. --- Dave Branon
Look upon your partner's need ---
Love demands the loving deed;
Let your love be love that's true,
Prove it by the deeds you do. --- Anon.
A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE REQUIRES FALLING IN LOVE MANY TIMES --- WITH THE SAME PERSON.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
A Little Kinder
Read: Ephesians 4:25-32
The kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared. --- Titus 3:4
The Bible In One Year:
Ephesians 1-3
Aldous Huxley [1894-1963], one of the world's leading intellects, was visiting with Houston Smith, a well-known professor of philosophy and religion. As they were driving to an engagement, Huxley said, "You know, Houston, it's rather embarrassing to have spent one's entire lifetime pondering the human condition and ... find that I really don't have anythng more profound to pass on by way of advice than, 'Try to be a little kinder.'"
The apostle Paul saw kindness in a different light. In Ephesians 4:32, he linked being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving with the way God has treated us. In Titus 3:4, he said that it was "the kindness and the love of God" that provided eternal salvation.
In a world where callous thoughtfulness and selfish indifference are all too common, kindness can make our lives fruitful when motivated by Christlike love. When our walk harmonizes with our words of witness, it will make a compelling impact on others by pointing them to the kind of love God has for them in Jesus Christ. If Huxley had learned what Paul had learned, he would have seen that trying to be a little kinder is one of the most profound truths of all.
What motivates us to try? There's no better reason than the love of God as shown to us by Jesus. --- Vernon Grounds
He saw me ruined by the fall,
Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
He saved me from my lost estate,
His lovingkindness, oh, how great! --- Medley
KINDNESS IS TREATING OTHERS THE WAY GOD TREATS YOU.
The kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared. --- Titus 3:4
The Bible In One Year:
Ephesians 1-3
Aldous Huxley [1894-1963], one of the world's leading intellects, was visiting with Houston Smith, a well-known professor of philosophy and religion. As they were driving to an engagement, Huxley said, "You know, Houston, it's rather embarrassing to have spent one's entire lifetime pondering the human condition and ... find that I really don't have anythng more profound to pass on by way of advice than, 'Try to be a little kinder.'"
The apostle Paul saw kindness in a different light. In Ephesians 4:32, he linked being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving with the way God has treated us. In Titus 3:4, he said that it was "the kindness and the love of God" that provided eternal salvation.
In a world where callous thoughtfulness and selfish indifference are all too common, kindness can make our lives fruitful when motivated by Christlike love. When our walk harmonizes with our words of witness, it will make a compelling impact on others by pointing them to the kind of love God has for them in Jesus Christ. If Huxley had learned what Paul had learned, he would have seen that trying to be a little kinder is one of the most profound truths of all.
What motivates us to try? There's no better reason than the love of God as shown to us by Jesus. --- Vernon Grounds
He saw me ruined by the fall,
Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
He saved me from my lost estate,
His lovingkindness, oh, how great! --- Medley
KINDNESS IS TREATING OTHERS THE WAY GOD TREATS YOU.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
The Battle Within
Read: Galatians 5:13-26
Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. --- Galatians 5:16
The Bible In One Year:
Galatians 4-6
In his letter to Christians in Galatia, Paul tried to get them to understand the inner conflict that all who belong to Christ will experience. This battle is between "the flesh" [our sinful human nature] and the Holy Spirit who lives within us [Galatians 5:17].
Because our self-centered nature wants its own way, it fights the rule of Christ within us. So we often end up doing our will rather than God's [v.17].
Once I prayed in desperation, "Lord, please show me how to overcome!" God directed me to Paul's words in Galatians 5:16 --- "Walk in the Spirit." I kept reading, and came to recognize my own "works of the flesh" --- my envy, anger, hatred, and selfish ambitions [vv.19-21].
I asked God for forgiveness, and I came to understand that I have been crucified with Christ [2:20]. The power of my sinful flesh has been broken [5:24; Romans 6:6-7]. I've gradually learned to bring this "death" into effect by allowing my flesh no more rights than a corpse! So I resolve daily to recognize and obey Christ's will alone. I sometimes fail, but repentance puts me back in step with the Holy Spirit.
We face this conflict every day, but the Spirit can overcome our sinful desires and win the battle. Which side is winning in your life? --- Joanie Yoder
Lord, grant me strength from day to day ---
How prone I am to go astray!
The passions of my flesh are strong;
Be Thou, my God, a shield from wrong. --- D. De Haan
GOD WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY, BUT WE MUST BE WILLING TO FIGHT.
Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. --- Galatians 5:16
The Bible In One Year:
Galatians 4-6
In his letter to Christians in Galatia, Paul tried to get them to understand the inner conflict that all who belong to Christ will experience. This battle is between "the flesh" [our sinful human nature] and the Holy Spirit who lives within us [Galatians 5:17].
Because our self-centered nature wants its own way, it fights the rule of Christ within us. So we often end up doing our will rather than God's [v.17].
Once I prayed in desperation, "Lord, please show me how to overcome!" God directed me to Paul's words in Galatians 5:16 --- "Walk in the Spirit." I kept reading, and came to recognize my own "works of the flesh" --- my envy, anger, hatred, and selfish ambitions [vv.19-21].
I asked God for forgiveness, and I came to understand that I have been crucified with Christ [2:20]. The power of my sinful flesh has been broken [5:24; Romans 6:6-7]. I've gradually learned to bring this "death" into effect by allowing my flesh no more rights than a corpse! So I resolve daily to recognize and obey Christ's will alone. I sometimes fail, but repentance puts me back in step with the Holy Spirit.
We face this conflict every day, but the Spirit can overcome our sinful desires and win the battle. Which side is winning in your life? --- Joanie Yoder
Lord, grant me strength from day to day ---
How prone I am to go astray!
The passions of my flesh are strong;
Be Thou, my God, a shield from wrong. --- D. De Haan
GOD WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY, BUT WE MUST BE WILLING TO FIGHT.
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