The Carpenter's Chapel (9)

Today the devotionals are taken from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

Preparing Them (1)11 Nov 2011'It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.' Lamentations 3:27Thinking maturity and spiritual growth will suddenly 'happen' to your children is like expecting an acorn to suddenly become an oak tree. Time, development and nurture are required to produce an oak tree - the same goes for raising children. And the earlier you start the better your results will be. 'It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.' Otherwise the passage of time will just produce unprepared children with habits and attitudes that are hard to shake later on when life requires them to take on responsibility. In the 'yoke' metaphor the untrained ox learns by being yoked to the well-trained one, sharing the workload and following its example. Parents tend to make two mistakes with their children. First, they over-function. They do everything for them, then blame the child for being lazy. Second, they under-function. They demand too much of the child, frustrating them and making them feel incompetent. The key to building character and confidence is not to do it for them but with them, teaching them responsibility. The yoke principle offers two great advantages: a) It provides the role-model advantage. 'Apprentice' your children by patiently, lovingly using on-the-job training to demonstrate and impart skills and competence. They'll appreciate you when the tools you provide them lead to a lifetime of natural and spiritual success; b) It provides the relationship advantage. Those training times and shared work leave space projects are great opportunities to develop and deepen an enduring and precious bond with your children.


Our Daily Bread

True Security

During the Cold War—a period of unrest between major world powers in the last half of the 20th century—Americans lived under the threat of nuclear war. I recall that during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, we seemed to be a heartbeat away from annihilation. It was heady stuff for a sixth-grader.
One of my strangest memories of those turbulent times was the school safety drill. An alarm would sound, and we would hide under our desks—for protection from atomic bombs. Looking back, I’m certain it wouldn’t have helped us in the event of a nuclear holocaust. It may have even given us a false sense of security.
While we may not face the same level of nuclear threat today, there are still many dangers that scare us—and some of them are spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our battles are “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” These are mighty foes indeed, but God has given us His protective love (Rom. 8:35,38-39) and the spiritual resources of His armor (Eph. 6:13-17).
The result? While we face powerful enemies, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). In our heavenly Father, we have true security.

Though danger lurks on every side,
In Christ our Lord we will abide;
Our God is strong, our hope is sure—
In Him alone we are secure! —Fitzhugh

Safety is not found in the absence of danger,
but in the presence of God.

 

October 1962

"I recall that during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, we seemed to be a heartbeat away from annihilation."

Fortunately Sheila, the other guy blinked!

Hi everyone, I regret that I have not posted on here like I should, It is just that I have occupied myself with other matters.
I hope that everyone is doing well. It looks like some good things have been posted here.
Glad to be back to work after nearly 2 years on the unemployment rolls.
Blessings to everyone.
Who knows, I may break in once in awhile with a post.
Charles

 

Charles, it is so good to see you posting. Welcome. So pleased to hear your good news regarding your job.

Blessings

Sheila

 

Today the devotionals are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (www.http//:utmost.org ) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org)

My Utmost For His Highest

The Changed Life


Nov 12 2011

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new —2 Corinthians 5:17


What understanding do you have of the salvation of your soul? The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically changed. You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you. One of the tests for determining if the work of salvation in your life is genuine is— has God changed the things that really matter to you? If you still yearn for the old things, it is absurd to talk about being born from above— you are deceiving yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the change very evident in your real life and thought. And when a crisis comes, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing change that is the very evidence that you are saved.
What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13 , or do I squirm and evade the issue? True salvation, worked out in me by the Holy Spirit, frees me completely. And as long as I “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7), God sees nothing to rebuke because His life is working itself into every detailed part of my being, not on the conscious level, but even deeper than my consciousness.


Our Daily bread

The Road To Blessing

Robyn and Steve have a counseling ministry that provides very little income. Recently, a family crisis forced them to embark on a 5,000-mile round trip in their well-used minivan.
After attending to the crisis, they started back to Michigan. While about 2,000 miles from home, their van began to sputter and stall. A mechanic looked at it and told them, “It’s done. You need a new engine.”
Unable to afford one, they had no choice but to coax the van home. Three days, a case of oil, and a lot of prayers later, they miraculously limped into their driveway. Then they heard of a “car missionary” who assisted people in ministry. Amazed that the van had made it, he offered to replace the engine free of charge. If Steve had gotten the van fixed en route, it would have cost him thousands of dollars he didn’t have.
In Exodus 15, the Israelites were led by God into the desert. Three days into their trip, they ran out of water and had no way to get it. But God knew about the problem. In fact, a solution awaited them in Marah (v.25) and Elim (v.27). God not only fixed their water problem but also provided a place to rest.
Even when our situation looks difficult, we can trust that God is leading. He already knows what we’ll need when we get there.

I know not by what methods rare
The Lord provides for me;
I only know that all my needs
He meets so graciously. —Adams

Facing an impossibility gives us the opportunity to trust God.

 

The devotional today is taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org).

I hope it will be a blessing to all who read it.

Faith or Experience?


Nov 13 2011

. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20


We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, “I haven’t had this experience or that experience”! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!
We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.
It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.

 

The devotionals for for today are taken from Word For Today(www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

Recognise When You Need Help14 Nov 2011'...Moses...became so tired...Aaron and Hur...stood on each side... holding up his hands...' Exodus 17:11-12We like to think of ourselves as self-sufficient, but it's wise to know when you need help. When Israel was fighting the Amalekites, as long as Moses held up his staff the Israelites prevailed. But when he lowered it the enemy gained the advantage. But like the rest of us, Moses was human and his 'arms...became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side ...holding up his hands.' God not only gave Israel the victory that day, He showed Moses there are times when we all need help. One pastor says: 'I remember a time I was deeply discouraged...I questioned whether I was the right person to pastor the church...A friend sensed my despair...took me out for coffee and listened to my concerns. He took time to [remind me] of all the ways God was using my leadership...He helped me gain the perspective I'd lost. By the end of our time together, I felt encouraged, read to continue...I'll always be thankful for the way he "held up my hands".' Most of us find it easier to give help than to receive it. Sometimes accepting help means giving up your role as the martyr or victim, tearing down walls of independence you've spent years building and letting other people be there for you. If that sounds like you, pray this prayer: 'Lord, You know I tend to rely on myself. Help me to accept the gift You've given me in the people who want to support and encourage me.

Our Daily Bread

Grieving From A-Z

Jerusalem was engulfed in flames, and the prophet Jeremiah wept. His prediction of divine judgment had largely gone unheeded. Now his terrible prophecy had come to pass with horrifying vividness. The short book of Lamentations records the prophet’s grieving process over the destruction of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah organized the book around the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, using a technique of alphabetic acrostics to aid the reader in memorizing the passages more easily. But using this technique also shows that he didn’t cut short his grieving process. He took deliberate and intentional time to reflect upon and even to write down his heartbreak. You might say he was learning to grieve from A to Z.
In the midst of his grief, the comfort of God surfaced. Reminders of God’s sovereignty and goodness gave the prophet hope as he faced the future: “The Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies” (Lam. 3:31-32).
If you’ve recently experienced a painful loss, remember to take adequate time to grieve and to reflect upon God’s goodness. Then you will be able to experience His comfort and hope for the future.


To experience God’s comfort
While you’re suffering with grief,
Try to focus on God’s goodness,
And He’ll bring your heart relief. —Sper

God allows sorrows and tears today
to open our hearts to the joys of tomorrow.

 

Today the devotionals are taken from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org)

Word For Today

Confront Your Fears (1)15 Nov 2011'God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7Fear is something you will experience each time you try something new, like a new job or a new relationship or a new investment strategy. You will never succeed as long as you keep giving in to fear. The corporate world risks failure every time they launch another product. The fashion world risks failure with each new clothing line. Yet they're willing to take multimillion-dollar risks to improve their merchandise and boost their sales. Do they always win? No, but without taking a risk they've no chance of succeeding at all. The poet wrote: 'There was a very cautious man who never laughed or played; he never risked, he never tried, he never sang or prayed. And when one day he passed away, his insurance was denied; for since he never really lived, they claimed he never died!' The fact is, we all fail! The failure rate of the human race is one hundred percent, and everyone (you included) qualifies for membership in this club. But that doesn't mean you have to live in the fear of failure. Faith in God is what gives you the courage to confront your fears and live the life He meant you to live. If you don't, you'll suffer the regret of 'what could have been.' You'll never be perfect, so you'll never be perfectly successful. That doesn't mean you will not succeed in life but you must try. Fear is a 'spirit,' and if you let it, it will control you. God offers you three better options: 'Power...love...a sound mind.'

Our Daily Bread

Baby Food

Have you ever tasted baby food? I have. It’s terribly bland. But babies have no other choice without teeth. They certainly can’t eat a nice, juicy steak!
Sadly, some Christians are content with spiritual baby food. They are happy to go over and over the simple truths of the Scriptures and don’t move beyond the basics of the gospel (Heb. 6:1-2). By not sinking their teeth into deeper truths and more difficult Bible passages, they lack biblical understanding and convictions to make right choices (5:13). They may have been Christians for many years, but their spiritual abilities remain underdeveloped. They remain babies.
As children grow physically, they learn to eat solid food that gives them strength and vitality. In the same way, every believer needs to take on the responsibility to feed himself on solid spiritual food. To fail to do this is to remain spiritually weak and undernourished.
You can roughly tell the physical age of people by how they look. Their spiritual age is revealed by their ability to distinguish good from evil and by their personal character that’s shown day by day.
Is this spiritual discernment evident in your life? Or are you still on spiritual baby food?


To handle the Word of truth
Takes diligence and care,
So make the time to study it
And then that truth declare. —Hess

Apply yourself to the Scriptures and the Scriptures to yourself.

 

Today the devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org) and My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org)

Our Daily Bread

When God Cleans House

God did some fall housecleaning this week. He sent a mighty wind through our neighborhood that made the trees tremble and shake loose their dead branches. When it finished, I had a mess to clean up.
In my own life, God sometimes works in a similar way. He will send or allow stormy circumstances that shake loose the “lifeless branches” I’ve been refusing to release. Sometimes it’s something that once was good, like an area of ministry, but is no longer bearing fruit. More often it’s something that’s not good, like a bad habit I’ve slid into or a stubborn attitude that prevents new growth.
The Old Testament prophet Jonah discovered what can happen when one refuses to get rid of a stubborn attitude. His hatred for the Ninevites was stronger than his love for God, so God sent a great storm that landed Jonah in a giant fish (Jonah 1:4,17). God preserved the reluctant prophet in that unlikely place and gave him a second chance to obey (2:10; 3:1-3).
The lifeless limbs in my yard caused me to think of attitudes that God expects me to dispose of. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians lists some of them: bitterness, anger, and evil speech (4:31). When God shakes things up, we need to get rid of what He shakes loose.


Lord, give me a listening heart and help me
to cooperate with You when You
point out changes that need to be made in my life.
I want to honor You and please You. Amen.

Christ’s cleansing power can remove
the most stubborn stain of sin.

My Utmost For His Highest

When He Has Come John 16:8

Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned . . .” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.
Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.

 

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow we travel to my family for my fathers funeral. I won't have access to a computer so if anyone feels led to post some words of encouragement or a devotional here please feel free to do so. We will be away for about a week.

Blessings

following-Him

 

Today the devotional is taken from My Utmost For His Highest, which can be found at http://utmost.org
The Forgiveness Of God

Nov 20 2011


In whom we have . . . the forgiveness of sins. — Ephesians 1:7


Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God – God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at what enormous cost to God it was all made ours.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace; it cost God the Cross of Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. Never accept a view of the Fatherhood of God if it blots out the Atonement. The revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement. God’s forgiveness is only natural in the supernatural domain.
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is slight. Sanctification is simply the marvellous expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life, but the thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven sin. Paul never got away from this. When once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vice, constrained by the love of God.

 

The devotional for today is taken from My Utmost For His Highest, which can be found at http://utmost.org . I hope it will be a blessing to all who read it.

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ


Nov 29 2011

He will glorify Me . . . —John 16:14


The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.
The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!
Jesus said, “. . . when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, . . . He will glorify Me . . .” (John 16:13-14). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.

 

Today's devotional is from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) . I hope it will be a blessing to all who read it.

"By the Grace of God I Am What I Am"


Nov 30 2011


By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . —1 Corinthians 15:10


The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.
Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.
There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.

 

The devotional for today is taken from My Utmost For His Highest, which can be found at http://utmost.org

I hope it will be a blessing to you.

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The Law and the Gospel


Dec 01 2011


Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all —James 2:10


The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

 

The Word for Today(www.ucb.co.uk) is the first of our devotionals today and it will be followed by My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org)

Word For Today

God's Grace 02 Dec 2011''If by grace, then it is no longer by works...'' Romans 11:6Paul writes: 'And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.' Dr. Gerald Mann tells the fascinating story of how he got his doctorate in Greek. There were only six students in his class. The professor had never given anyone an A. On the first day he held up a Greek textbook and to their amazement he announced, 'I have already written your grades and no matter how much you study or what you score, I have given every one of you an A!' Dr. Mann said, 'Out of six students, five of us learned more Greek in that class than we ever thought possible. The other fellow just got by and never really applied himself.' Understand this: Grace is the power to excel or licence to just get by. Either way, you're accepted and considered righteous in God's eyes the moment you trust in Christ. Why would God arrange it that way? Because the love He gives us is unconditional, and only a response of love can satisfy Him. What an amazing truth; God makes Himself vulnerable to the rejection of people like us! Perhaps you're wondering, 'How can I prove that I truly love God?' That's easy: you'll love your brother and sister (1 John 4:21). You'll love God's Word (Psalm 119:97). You'll love spending time in prayer (Jeremiah 29:12). Grace, rightly understood, doesn't prevent holiness, it produces it. 'The grace of God that brings salvation...teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives' (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

My Utmost For His Highest

Christian Perfection


Dec 02 2011

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect . . . —Philippians 3:12


It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.

 

Today's devotionals are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

I hope they will be a blessing to all who read them.

My Utmost For His Highest

Not by Might nor by Power"

Dec 03 2011


My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4


If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.

Our Daily Bread

Sandcastles

When our kids were young, my wife Martie and I enjoyed family vacations in Florida visiting our parents. It was especially wonderful to be there in the warmth for a brief respite from the Michigan wind-chill factor. I couldn’t wait to just relax on the beach with a good book. But my kids had other ideas. They wanted my help building sandcastles. Reluctantly, I’d get up to help, only to be quickly consumed by the project at hand. Before I knew it, I had spent hours creating an impressive castle—not thinking that it was only a matter of time until the tide would wash away all my hard work.
We often make the same mistake in life, spending lots of time and energy building our own little “castles” of stuff and basking in our accomplishments. It all may seem worthwhile, but in the end it’s worthless.
In Luke 12, Jesus challenged His followers to sell their possessions and give to the poor, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v.34). In other words, the way we spend our time and resources says a lot about our eternal perspective. As the old hymn goes, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” So what have you done today that will last for eternity?

Who measures how we’ve done in life
And judges our success?
Our God, who gives rewards to those
Who live in righteousness. —Branon

God wants you to spend your time and treasure building His kingdom, not your own.

 

Today the devotionals are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

My Utmost For His Highest

The Law of Opposition


Dec 04 2011


To him who overcomes . . . —Revelation 2:7


Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “. . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.






Our Daily Bread

Peace

In the days of Adam and Eve, peace was lost. As soon as they ate the forbidden fruit and realized their nakedness, they started blaming each other (Gen. 3:12-13) and introduced conflict to God’s peaceful planet. Sadly, all of their descendants, including us, have followed their bad example. We blame others for our own bad choices and become angry when no one will accept the guilt. Blaming others for our unhappiness breaks apart families, churches, communities, and nations. We can’t make peace because we’re preoccupied with placing the blame.
Christmas is the season of peace. The Old Testament tells the story of how God set the stage to introduce the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). Jesus came to break the cycle of sin and blame by making peace for us with God “through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). Instead of blaming us for all the trouble we cause, He bore the blame for all of us. He is now recruiting followers who, having received His forgiveness, want others to receive it as well.
When we accept forgiveness from God, we lose our desire to withhold it from others. And when we live in peace with God, we are eager to make peace with others. We can both give and receive the gift of peace this Christmas.

At Christmastime we celebrate
The coming of the Prince of Peace;
Though now our world is locked in strife,
One day He’ll make all conflict cease. —Sper

Jesus took our place to give us His peace.

 

The devotionals for today are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

My Utmost For His Highest

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

Dec 05 2011


. . . only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you —Genesis 41:40


I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God”— make it ineffective (Galatians 2:21). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
Paul said, “I beseech you . . . that you present your bodies a living sacrifice . . .” (Romans 12:1). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Our Daily Bread

Well Loved

A friend described his grandmother as one of the greatest influences in his life. Throughout his adult years, he has kept her portrait next to his desk to remind himself of her unconditional love. “I really do believe,” he said, “that she helped me learn how to love.”
Not everyone has had a similar taste of human love, but through Christ each of us can experience being well-loved by God. In 1 John 4, the word love occurs 27 times, and God’s love through Christ is cited as the source of our love for God and for others. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (v.10). “We have known and believed the love that God has for us” (v.16). “We love Him because He first loved us” (v.19).
God’s love is not a slowly dripping faucet or a well we must dig for ourselves. It is a rushing stream that flows from His heart into ours. Whatever our family background or experiences in life—whether we feel well-loved by others or not—we can know love. We can draw from the Lord’s inexhaustible source to know His loving care for us, and we can pass it on to others.
In Christ our Savior, we are well-loved.


Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know—
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so! —Robinson

Nothing is more powerful than God’s love.

 

The devotionals for today are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

My Utmost For His Highest

"My Rainbow in the Cloud"



Dec 06 2011


I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13


It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.





Our Daily Bread

Fret - Free Living

Does it bother you to see how much attention is paid in today’s culture to people who stand for all the wrong things? Perhaps it is entertainment stars who get the headlines while espousing immoral philosophies in their music, movies, or programs. Or it could be leaders who openly thumb their noses at right-living standards.
It would be easy to fret about this and wring our hands in despair, but Psalm 37 suggests a better way. Listen to David’s wise advice: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity” (v.1).
While it is right to be “salt and light” (Matt. 5:13-14) in this tasteless, dark world—attempting to counter sin by reflecting Jesus’ light wherever possible—we cannot let negative forces cause us to live in anger and wrath (Ps. 37:8). Instead, we must rely on God to have the ultimate say about evildoers: “They shall soon be cut down like the grass” (v.2). Beyond that, we should take David’s approach: (1) “Trust in the Lord, and do good.” (2) “Feed on His faithfulness.” (3) “Delight yourself also in the Lord.” (4) “Commit your way to the Lord.” (5) “Rest in the Lord” (vv.3-7).
We may not like what we see and hear from some aspects of society, but remember this: God is in control. Trust Him to do what is right. And don’t fret.


When tragedy, heartache, and sorrow abound,
When evil appears to have conquered the right,
We center our heart on our Father’s great love,
For He will bring hope in the darkest of night. —D. De Haan

Don’t despair because of evil; God will have the last word.

 

Today's devotionals are taken from Our Daily bread (www.odb.org) and Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Our Daily bread

Do This In Remembrance

When a US Navy vessel arrives or departs from the military bases in Pearl Harbor, the crew of that ship lines up in dress uniform. They stand at attention at arm’s length on the outer edges of the deck, in salute to the soldiers, sailors, and civilians who died on December 7, 1941. It is a stirring sight, and participants often list it among the most memorable moments of their military career.
Even for spectators on shore, the salute triggers an incredible emotional connection, but especially between the servants of today and the servants of yesterday. It grants nobility to the work of today’s sailor, while giving dignity to the sacrifice of those from the past.
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-29), it was surely with an eye toward creating this same kind of emotional bond. Our participation in the Lord’s Table honors His sacrifice while also granting us a connection to Him unlike any other act of remembrance.
Just as the Navy carefully prescribes the way it salutes the fallen, so too Scripture teaches us how to remember Jesus’ sacrifice (1 Cor. 11:26-28). These acts of reverence and thanksgiving serve to honor past action while giving purpose to present service.

Action Suggestion:
Read with fresh eyes the detailed instructions Scripture
offers for the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, and
experience anew its power in your spiritual journey.

The Lord’s Supper— Christ’s memorial that He left for us.




Word For Today

When Nobody's Looking07 Dec 2011''Glancing this way and that and seeing no one...'' Exodus 2:12When Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand, he looked around to make sure no one was watching. Ever done something wrong when nobody was watching? We all have! One pastor says he counsels people whose business travel makes them vulnerable. 'An executive finds that away from home she's inappropriately flirtatious, even though she loves her husband and wants to remain faithful. A high-powered professional struggles with [sexually explicit images] in hotel rooms, even though he's not tempted by them at home. The Internet sets innumerable ethical traps...By frequenting online chat rooms a wife becomes entangled in an emotional relationship with another man ...a husband struggles with the availability of Internet pornography...The sense that no one was watching allowed them to sin in ways they would never sin in ordinary, observed life.' Here's what you need to realise: 1) God sees you when nobody else does. When you couple that with a desire to please Him and not grieve Him, it makes a difference in how you act. 2) 'The godly offer good counsel...' (Psalm 37:30 NLT). If you know you're vulnerable in a certain area, share it with someone who will pray for you and hold you accountable. (Nowadays there are even computer programmes that will monitor your Internet activity and send a report to others). 3) Avoid situations that afford you too much privacy. One woman closed her personal bank account and opened a joint account with her husband because her spending was out of control. God created you to live in relationship with others, and the more open and honest you are, the less likely you'll be to stray.

 

The devotionals today are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk)

My Utmost For His Highest

The Impartial Power of God

08 11 2011
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified —Hebrews 10:14


We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “. . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood . . .” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.


Word For Today

'Just Enough'08 Dec 2011''...Each family had just what it needed.'' Exodus 16:18In the wilderness God provided His people with manna so that they wouldn't go hungry. It appeared miraculously each morning: 'Everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered...a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.' Ever notice there are times in life when God's blessings seem to '...overtake you...'? (Deuteronomy 28:2). Your prayers are getting answered, the doctor's report is good, the bills are paid, your job is going great and your children are finally on the right track. When that happens, rejoice and thank God for His goodness. Then there are other times when He gives you 'just enough' light to take one more step. That's when He's teaching you to trust Him on a daily (or sometimes hourly) basis; to test His Word and see for yourself that '...his mercies...are new every morning...' (Lamentations 3:22-23 NCV). Bottom line: God never lets us gather tomorrow's manna today. The Bible says He will '...supply all your need according to his riches in glory' (Philippians 4:19). He wants you to rely on the Giver and not the gift, to trust Him to meet all your needs, and to expect that He will bring good things out of bad situations. Instead of getting stressed out, He wants you to '...let [all] your requests be made known to God' (Philippians 4:6 NKJV), to stop fretting when you're alone because He will '...never leave you nor forsake you' (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV); to realise that no matter what life throws at you, you never have to question His love because it's '...everlasting...' (Jeremiah 31:3).