DEMONSTRATIVENESS
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:?
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART My child, how do I define love? Love is who I am. Love is what I did for you. Love is how I will always treat you. I chose to let you know how very precious you are to Me by dying for you. Is there any greater love than this? It didn't matter what you looked like, or what you had done. I demonstrated My love so you would know without any doubt My words are not empty. When I say, "I love you," I mean it, My child. Will you demonstrate your love for Me by letting Me love through you today?
A GRATEFUL RESPONSE You didn't just say You loved me, Lord. You showed me. Though I felt like a broken piece of discarded pottery, You treated me like a piece of fine china. Your demonstrativeness, Lord, Your love in action, won me over. As I love You in return, You are the one who changes me.
SIMPLE TRUTH
The miracle of God's love is not that He loves us¡ªbut that He loves us as we are.
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"What Must I Do?"?
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas [when the master incited the city since Paul cast the profit-making demon out of his slave girl], and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
¡ª Acts 16:22-30
Key Thought: Paul and Silas displayed such remarkable joy while enduring suffering and imprisonment that their jailer noticed! He knew to go to them when there was trouble. Their desire for the jailer not to harm himself not only saved his physical life but also opened the door for his family to join him in being saved eternally (Acts 16:30-34)! In the presence of such men of faith as Paul and Silas, the jailer knew the right question: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" May we live our lives with such faith and joy that others ask us this question, and we can lead them to do what the jailer and his household soon did.
Today's Prayer: Dear Father, may my life be noticed as a life of faith and joy in Jesus even in times of difficulty so others are drawn to him because of my example. Open my eyes to see and my heart to respond to the opportunities you give me to share my faith. May I share Jesus with gentleness and respect for those with whom I share my story. Give me the wisdom I need to hear the heart-cry of those I long to reach so that I can respond appropriately. I ask for this help in sharing Jesus with others, in his name and for his glory. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings: Matthew 28:18-20 1 Peter 3:15-16
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What it really means to surrender your life
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ¡°Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?¡± Then I said, ¡°Here I am! Send me.¡±
?Isaiah 6:8?
Over 200 years ago, a humble shoe cobbler by the name of William Carey stood before an austere group of ministers at a Baptist association in London, England. And he said to those men, ¡°God has put it on my heart to reach the masses with the Gospel message and to take seriously the command of Christ to take the Gospel to the world.¡±
Well, one rather pompous minister stood to his feet and said to Carey, ¡°Young man, sit down. When God chooses to save the pagan, He¡¯ll do it at His own time and in His own way.¡± But that would not suffice for William Carey. Bold in his faith, he went to India, led countless people to Jesus Christ, and sparked the modern missions movement!
All it took was one little shoe cobbler in England to change the world for Christ. And he did it despite the fact that many people, even Christians, were against Him going. What a bold testimony of faith!
What would your life look like if you served God with that kind of fervor? Where would you go? What would you do? Take a bold step of faith today and tell God, ¡°Wherever¡ whatever¡ whenever¡ I¡¯m yours!¡±
SURRENDER YOURSELF TO GOD TODAY BY FOLLOWING HIS CALLING ON YOUR LIFE¡ WHATEVER IT MAY BE!
Dr. Jack Graham
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Openhearted Generosity
The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
READ 2 Timothy 1:6¨C14
No one ever died saying, ¡°I¡¯m so glad for the self-centered, self-serving, and self-protective life I lived,¡± author Parker Palmer said in a commencement address, urging graduates to ¡°offer [themselves] to the world . . . with openhearted generosity.¡±
But, Parker continued, living this way would also mean learning ¡°how little you know and how easy it is to fail.¡± Offering themselves in service to the world would require cultivating a ¡°beginner¡¯s mind¡± to ¡°walk straight into your not-knowing, and take the risk of failing and failing, again and again¡ªthen getting up to learn again and again.¡±
It¡¯s only when our lives are built on a foundation of grace that we can find the courage to choose such a life of fearless ¡°openhearted generosity.¡± As Paul explained to his prot¨¦g¨¦ Timothy, we can confidently ¡°fan into flame¡± (2 Timothy 1:6) and live out of God¡¯s gifting when we remember that it¡¯s God¡¯s grace that saves and calls us to a life of purpose (v. 9). It¡¯s His power that gives us the courage to resist the temptation to live timidly in exchange for the Spirit¡¯s ¡°power, love and self-discipline¡± (v. 7).? And it¡¯s His grace that picks us up when we fall, so that we can continue a lifelong journey of grounding our lives in His love (vv. 13¨C14).
By Monica La Rose
REFLECT & PRAY How are you tempted to live timidly? How do God¡¯s grace and power help you live more boldly for Him?
Dear God, thank You that I don¡¯t have to live timidly, fearfully guarding myself from failure or hurt. Help me to lean into the courage You provide.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Paul¡¯s encouragement to live a Spirit-empowered life of ¡°power, love and self-discipline¡± (2 Timothy 1:7) echoes words from his letter to the Romans. There, the apostle wrote that believers need not ¡°live in fear¡± because they are ¡°heirs of God¡± (Romans 8:15, 17). In Romans 1:16, Paul testified of not being ¡°ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation.¡± In 2 Timothy, the apostle encouraged Timothy to ¡°join with¡± him in not being ¡°ashamed of the testimony about our Lord¡± (1:8). Instead, Timothy could live in God¡¯s power (vv. 8¨C9)¡ªthe power that ¡°destroyed death¡± (v. 10).
Monica La Rose
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Truly Alive Colossians 2:1¨C15
The second-century church leader Irenaeus famously said, ¡°Life in man is the glory of God; the life of man is the vision of God.¡± In Colossians 2, Paul is also talking about life and our vision of God. Christian living, he points out, is the life of Christ at work in us.
Our knowledge of God comes through Christ (v. 3). When we accept Him as Lord, we are empowered to live under His rule (v. 6). Instead of being taken in by fine-sounding arguments, ¡°human tradition,¡± or speculating about ¡°elemental spiritual forces¡± (v. 8), we look to Christ to understand what God is like (v. 9).
The themes Paul emphasizes in verses 9¨C12 counter some of the false teachings that the Colossians faced at the time. It appears that false teachers in Colosse were denying that Christ was truly human. They speculated about a vast hierarchy of spiritual powers and authorities and taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
In contrast, the gospel teaches that Jesus is enough. We are complete in Him (v. 10). More than this, we are united with Christ in such a way that His death becomes ours. This union with Christ in His death is the spiritual reality that Old Testament circumcision symbolized (v. 11).
Believers, who are united with Christ in His resurrection and by it, have been made ¡°alive with Christ¡± (vv. 13¨C14). By dying on our behalf, Jesus paid the debt. By rising from the dead, Jesus triumphed over evil (v. 15). This is just the basic gospel. Yet it is a message of immense spiritual power. Those who know Christ are alive in Christ. The glory of God is the believer truly alive in Christ.
>> Can you say that you are alive in Christ? The key is to come to Him in faith. Recognize that He died and rose for you. Trust in Him today, and His victory will be yours. For more information on what it means to be a Christian, go to knowing-christ.
? Pray with Us Lord Jesus, I want to be alive in You. I believe that You died and rose in my place, granting the forgiveness that I now ask to receive. I believe You are the Son of God. Accept me as Your servant and send Your Spirit to dwell in me. ?
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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*GOD¡¯S PROFITABLE WORD! 2 Timothy 3:16 ¡°All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Buffet restaurants are popular places to eat because there are so many food choices available. The problem is that there are so many options that it is common to eat more than is appropriate. Digestive misery is the result! In the case of God's Word, too many people seem to feel that they are permitted to select only the portions that they find agreeable and reject the remainder. Today's passage dispels that line of thought. We are told that ALL Scripture is the inspired (God breathed) Word of God. If all Scripture is given by God, we need to refuse to listen to those who choose to present only the portions they like and reject the rest. Paul goes even further when instructing his son in the faith, Timothy, the purpose of Scripture: It is for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. Notice that it is only as these attributes are applied that the spiritually mature individual will be completely equipped for every good work. Are you faithful in applying God¡¯s Word to your life? Remember His purpose for Scripture. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Matthew 20:8 'So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.' This parable begins with Jesus' statement that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who is a householder (owner of an estate). He went out early in the morning to hire workers to work in his vineyard for the day. An agreed upon price was set at a penny, the normal wage paid daily for a laborer. Later, around 9 a.m., the landowner encouraged others, standing idle in the marketplace, to work in the vineyard, not for a set wage but for 'whatsoever is right.' The landowner employed more laborers at noon, at 3 p.m. and even some at 5 p.m. when there was only one hour left to work. According to Jewish law, wages must be paid each evening before the sun sets. When it came time for the steward to pay the laborers, he began with those working the shortest amount of time and paid each man a penny (a full day's wage). Those working the entire day murmured, for they supposed they would have received more. They agreed, however, to work for a penny, the stipulated wage agreed upon. The context of this parable supports the teaching that it is impossible to earn the generosity of the Master. This is a lesson on grace. Regardless of whether or not our performance is better than someone else's, we all need God's grace because we have all come short of God's standard. The landowner gave freely, making all equal. Jesus is saying that the benefits of the kingdom are the same for all who have become subject to its King, regardless of what they have done. Therefore, those who are last (or least) in the sense that they have not served the Lord as long or as well as others, will truly become 'first' when they share equally of the Lord's goodness with those who 'have borne the burden and heat of the day' (Mt. 20:12). 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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The Kentucky Derby always has its share of drama. I remember the 2006 Kentucky Derby. That was a blowout! A horse named Barbaro took the lead in America's most famous race and left every other horse in the dust. Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by an astounding 6 & 1/2 lengths! Many thought that horse could go on to be one of the few who has ever won the Triple Crown. Well, sadly, an injury ended that dream. But it didn't take away the glory of Barbaro's dramatic Kentucky Derby victory. The horse was only part of the story that day. In some ways, the bigger story was about Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz. Eighteen years earlier, Michael Matz had been a passenger on an airplane flight that crashed in an Iowa cornfield. During the flight, he had struck up conversations with three young children who were traveling that day without their parents. Then came the crash. Many died that day as the plane caught fire. Survivors were struggling to find a way out of that burning wreckage, but all Michael Matz could do was think about those three children. He risked his life to find all of them and bring them out alive. And on that day, when the horse Michael trained crossed the finish line, there was jubilant celebration in the box where he was watching. Michael Matz, his wife, and the three (now grownup) children whose lives he had saved eighteen years before. Wow! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Legacy of Your Life." In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul's thinking ahead to the day when his race will be over; when he'll be in heaven celebrating the lasting legacy of his life. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, speaking to people he had introduced to Jesus Christ, Paul says: "What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." So, crossing the finish line to heaven - celebrating being there. First with Jesus, whose death and resurrection got you there, and then, with all those who are there (at least in part) because you helped to rescue them. You did what your Bible said to do: "Snatch others from the fire and save them" (Jude 23). You weren't content to just get you out of that burning wreckage of sin. No, you had to help those around you make it, too. That's going to make heaven even sweeter. Or is it? As you look at the legacy of your life so far, do you see many people you've pointed to Jesus? Can you see some folks who will be in heaven because you were part of helping them go there? How many people understand what Jesus did on the cross for them because you explained it to them? Have you been to some funerals, and looked into the casket and asked yourself, "Why didn't I tell them about Jesus while there was still time?" You can't have any of those days back. But you do have whatever days God still has ahead for you. And you can decide what kind of difference you want to make with the rest of your life. I hope it's to help as many people be in heaven with you as possible; to give as many people a chance at being rescued by Jesus as you can. Much of what we do and accomplish here won't mean anything, even one moment after our last breath. But there's one thing you can do that will last forever, and that's to help someone else live forever by showing them Jesus. The prophet Daniel described that day when "multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Every person you know is headed for one of those two destinations. Then he describes ultimate legacy: "Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3). Why? Because they'll be celebrating forever with people whose lives they've rescued. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
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Coffee Break "Storms Come" "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep." Matthew 8:24 This particular day that our scripture text is taken from started out for the disciples like any other day. They woke up in the presence of Jesus, heard His teachings, watched Him perform miracles, and communed with Him. But before the day was over, they found themselves in the middle of a storm afraid for their lives. Your day can start off as it usually does-- you can wake up with your heart and mind on the Lord, you can seek Him in prayer, you can read His word, study His teachings and have a wonderful time of communion with Him in worship. Then before the day is over you can find yourself in the same place the disciples did. Just because you are communing with Jesus, just because you are listening to His teachings, just because you are obeying Him, just because you are His disciple/Christian, just because you have "left all" for Him, and just because He is "in the boat" with you doesn't mean that storms won't arise in your life. It doesn't mean that the winds and waves of adversity won't strike. It doesn't mean that situations won't develop to try to capsize and turn your life upside down. The tempest, the destroyer, problems, trials and afflictions come even to those who are in close relationship to the Lord-- those who are walking with Him daily (just as the disciples did). But remember this, while you are not exempt from the storms of life you are not in them alone either. Jesus is in them with you. Have a great day. Storms even come to the lives of those who are following Jesus closely. But when they come, you are not going through them alone, He is with you. For further reading: Matthew 8:23-27 Psalm 34:19 John 16:33
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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~SOMETIMES~(Devotional, quotes, humor)
~SOMETIMES~(Devotional, quotes, humor) Sometimes God calms the storms and sometimes He calms his children. Sometimes life may not seem fair, but we know God is always faithful! We can't live a positive faith life with a negative mind. God teaches us to pray with our eyes upon him, not on the circumstances that may surround us. God will never let us go through temptations without a way of escape. But sometimes, He may let us experience trials. Trials work patience, patience works experience, and experience works hope, which maketh not ashamed. (James 1: 3). We may bend or bow low, obut we won't break if we hold on to Him. Like a tall willow tree, we'll spring back after the storm is over. Then, we'll appreciate what we learned during the contrary winds of life, for life's Anchor still holds! For every thing there is a season, both of storms and serenity. But, we know we can trust the Peacemaker in the times of the dark clouds of life. He who hung the moon and stars, by the words of His mouth, has a brilliant rainbow of promises awaiting. Just as He decorates the glorious heavens, He can decorate our lives with joy unspeakable, once the storm passes by. Hold on by faith! His delays in answering prayers are never His denials. Don't ever lose that last thread of hope! Keep clinging to it. God always holds the means of using it to stitch the pieces of life back together again, for our good and His glory! The faith walk is the grace walk! "Thru many dangers, toils & snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home." ¡ï+(?`v??)+ .`?.?.?? ¡ï Blessings in Christ, Jo Ann ¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î +J. P's Inspirations-2023/2016+ ¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î * - QUOTES AND ONE-LINERS- If you don't have anything to pray about, thank God that you don't. Salvation is what we receive, not what we achieve. To make a mountain out of a molehill, just add a little dirt. The problem with self made people is they worship their creator. A bad conscience has a very good memory. What we sow in time, we reap in eternity. GOOD without GOD becomes O. From---Life Is Short-Pray Hard Quotes by---Mary and David Compton * -Humor-Old Folks A foursome of senior golfers hit the course with waning enthusiasm for the sport. "These fairways seem to be getting longer and longer," said one of the foursome. "And these hills are getting steeper as the years go by," another complained. "The sand traps seem to be bigger than I remember them, too," said the third senior. After hearing enough from his buddies, the oldest, and the wisest of the four of them at 87 years old, piped up and said, "Oh my friends, just be thankful we're still on this side of the grass!" ** My Knee Hurts An old man limped into the doctor's office and said, "Doctor, my knee hurts so bad, I can hardly walk!" The doctor slowly eyed him from head to toe, paused and then said, "Sir, how old are you?" "I'm 98," the man announced proudly. The doctor just sighed, and looked at him again. Finally he said, "Sir, I'm sorry. I mean, just look at you. You are almost one hundred years old, and you're complaining that your knee hurts? Well, what did you expect?" The old man said, "Well, my other knee is 98 years old too, and it doesn't hurt!"  *
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Going without Knowing
Scripture Reading ¡ª Genesis 12:1-4
By faith Abraham, when called to go . . . obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
Abraham had lived in Ur, a big city in its day, and with his extended family he had moved to Harran (Genesis 11:31). (Ur was in modern-day Iraq, and Harran was in modern-day Turkey.) Abraham was prosperous, and even if he wasn¡¯t looking for God to take over his life, God was looking for him with a special plan in mind. Because of this, Abraham¡¯s life changed in a big way. (At that time his name was Abram, but God later changed his name to Abraham; see Genesis 17:5.)
In effect, God said, ¡°Leave your country, your culture, your clan, and follow me.¡± That¡¯s not easy to do when you are 75 years old and successful and settled, as Abraham was. And God didn¡¯t give Abraham a map to follow. God simply said, ¡°Go . . . to the land I will show you.¡±
When it comes to God¡¯s calling in our life, we like to have both clarity and content. We want a detailed description of where to go and what to do when we get there. But God seldom works that way. God wants us to exercise faith, not simply our intellect. He wants us to learn to walk by faith in him, rather than simply by sight. Not every call of God involves relocation, but every call does involve leaving some of our past behind and venturing into the unknown with God as our guide.
Lord, teach us what it means to listen for your voice and to respond in faith. Remind us that the safest, most joyful place to be is with you. Amen.
Written by: Dan Jongsma
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Genesis 1
There is a beautiful simplicity to Genesis 1 that masks its rich theological depth. Nothing about the straightforward description of each day¡¯s creation nor about the repetition of God¡¯s decreeing creation into existence (¡°Let there be¡¡±) or of declaring all his creation to be ¡°good¡± would rank this chapter as one of most difficult passages to read in the Bible. Even so, this passage is foundational for understanding the rest of the Bible in at least four ways.
First, Genesis 1 teaches that creation is the handiwork of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. While many primitive myths describe creation as having come as a result of the gods¡¯ fighting, dying, or procreating, or as being merely an extension of some god(s), Genesis 1 announces that creation is the distinct artistry of the sovereign Lord of the universe. That Creator/creation distinction is fundamental to all genuinely biblical theology.
Second, Genesis 1 demonstrates that creation is good¡ªin fact, it is very good. Against ancient teachings that creation is somehow evil and that real goodness only exists in the spiritual world, Genesis 1 records a repetition of God¡¯s divine approval on everything he created as good, and on the totality of his creation as ¡°very good¡± (Gen. 1:31). Unless we first recognize the goodness of creation, we cannot truly understand the horrific destructiveness of sin, or the ultimate goal of salvation as the good re-creation of the heavens and the earth.
Third, in the context of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), God here establishes the basis for giving his law by creating all things by his word.1 The God of the Bible is a talking God, not one of the mute idols that other nations worshiped. His word has extraordinary creative power, and part of the significance of that power is a demand that God¡¯s people listen to him and obey him when he speaks.
Fourth, Yahweh places humankind in a unique place of dominion over creation. God explicitly gives the man and the woman charge over all the animals in the sea, the heavens, and the earth, instructing them to fill the earth and subdue it, exercising benevolent reign over everything else that God created (Gen. 1:26, 28). While God did bless animals along with the man and the woman (Gen. 1:22, 28; see also Gen. 2:3), it is only the man and the woman who carry the distinction of being created in God¡¯s own image, to reflect his own glory in an intimate, personal way (Gen. 1:27).
Genesis 1 gives us a fly-by account of the creation story that undergirds the whole story of the Bible. Tomorrow, as we study Genesis 2, we will see the creation story from a different angle, zooming in on the story of God¡¯s specific purposes for the man and the woman.
1 Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1996), 102.
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Witnesses
Your brother¡¯s blood cries out to me from the ground. Genesis 4:10
READ Genesis 4:2¨C11
In his poem ¡°The Witnesses,¡± Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807¨C1882) described a sunken slave ship. As he wrote of ¡°skeletons in chains,¡± Longfellow mourned slavery¡¯s countless nameless victims. The concluding stanza reads, ¡°These are the woes of Slaves, / They glare from the abyss; / They cry from unknown graves, / We are the Witnesses!¡±
But who do these witnesses speak to? Isn¡¯t such silent testimony futile?
There is a Witness who sees it all. When Cain murdered Abel, he pretended nothing had happened. ¡°Am I my brother¡¯s keeper?¡± he said dismissively to God. But God said, ¡°Your brother¡¯s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother¡¯s blood from your hand¡± (Genesis 4:9¨C11).
Cain¡¯s name lives on as a warning. ¡°Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother,¡± John the disciple cautioned (1 John 3:12). Abel¡¯s name lives on too, but in a dramatically different way. ¡°By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did,¡± said the writer of Hebrews. ¡°By faith Abel still speaks¡± (Hebrews 11:4).
Abel still speaks! So do the bones of those long-forgotten slaves. We do well to remember all such victims, and to oppose oppression wherever we see it. God sees it all. His justice will triumph.
By Tim Gustafson
REFLECT & PRAY What situations of injustice and oppression do you know about? What might God be calling you to do today?
Dear Father, You¡¯re the God who sees. Help me to see oppression when it happens and show me what I can do to counter it.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Genesis, which means ¡°beginning,¡± is a book of origins. Genesis 1 tells how God created the universe and the first man and woman. Genesis 2 gives us the first wedding. Genesis 3 tells how perfect humanity became the sinful human race. Genesis 4 tells of the first family¡ªthe first parents, Adam and Eve; and the first sons, Cain and Abel. Adam and Eve were created by God, but Cain was the first human being conceived and carried in the womb of a woman. We also see the children in worship. Cain and Abel didn¡¯t come empty-handed but brought offerings to worship God, so they must have been taught about Him and how to worship Him (vv. 3¨C4).
K. T. Sim
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?Exodus 31
In Exodus 31, we find some of the clearest teaching in all the Bible about the purpose and importance of the Sabbath. In recent history, the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath holy has been largely forgotten among Christians. A lot of this is not willful disobedience but instead has to do with confusion surrounding the nature of the Sabbath under the new covenant. Jesus often corrected the Pharisees for their misguided views about the Sabbath, but what can we glean today from the Old Testament that is still applicable for the New Testament Christian?
In this context, Exodus 31:13 is so refreshing: ¡°Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.¡± In today¡¯s meditation, we will look at (1) what it means that the Sabbath is a sign, and (2) what the sign of Sabbath teaches us about the relationship of Yahweh to his people.
A sign is a symbol that points to another reality. So, when Yahweh says that his Sabbath is a sign between Israel and him throughout their generations, he is saying that the Sabbath points to something bigger than just the Sabbath. Every time Israel keeps the Sabbath, their behavior is pointing to the fact that their lives are governed by the covenant relationship that they enjoy with Yahweh, the living God of heaven and earth.
But more specifically, Yahweh gives the exact meaning of his sign: ¡°that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.¡± The word sanctify literally means ¡°to make holy.¡± In other words, the purpose of keeping the Sabbath was to teach Israel that Yahweh alone would make his people holy. There was nothing that they could do, no work that they could perform or duty they could keep to sanctify themselves. Rather, they were to rest from all their work on the seventh day as a perpetual reminder that only Yahweh could make them holy.
This is why Jesus criticized what the Pharisees did on the Sabbath¡ªthey turned Sabbath-keeping into a work that would make themselves holy, which is the exact opposite of Yahweh¡¯s intention for Sabbath-keeping.
Seen this way, Christians have good reason to rest from their work on Sunday, the Lord¡¯s Day. Jesus finished his work on the cross on Good Friday, and on Saturday (the Sabbath) he rested from his work, lying dead in the grave. Then, on Sunday, he rose from the dead as the fulfillment of God¡¯s Sabbath promise to make his people holy.
So, resting from our work on Sunday isn¡¯t a legalistic rule we keep to make ourselves holy. It is a perpetual reminder that only Yahweh can make us holy and that he did make us holy through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.
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Daily in Your Presence?
Day 236
RIGHTEOUS ONE
"They even killed those who predicted
the coming of the Righteous One."
Acts 7:52
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART My child, there is none righteous but one. I am the Righteous One, the God who longs to give My goodness to every person I've created. Those who accept Me and follow Me, I will clothe with My righteousness, just as I have done for you. No longer is there a barrier between you and heaven's gates. Our relationship, My child, is based on My righteousness¡ªand your acceptance of it. I'm so glad you're My child!
A GRATEFUL RESPONSE Through the years people have tried to tarnish Your name¡ªand the names of those who knew You. But You are the Righteous One, Lord. You are the only One worthy enough to be called "Good." Next to You, Lord, my goodness is like muddy water. Thank You for accepting me as I am.
SIMPLE TRUTH
God is not so concerned about whether we fall. . .but whether we get up again.
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"The voice of weeping shall be no more heard." ¡ª Isaiah 65:19 The glorified weep no more, for all outward causes of grief are gone. There are no broken friendships, nor blighted prospects in heaven. Poverty, famine, peril, persecution, and slander, are unknown there. No pain distresses, no thought of death or bereavement saddens. They weep no more, for they are perfectly sanctified. No "evil heart of unbelief" prompts them to depart from the living God; they are without fault before his throne, and are fully conformed to his image. Well may they cease to mourn who have ceased to sin. They weep no more, because all fear of change is past. They know that they are eternally secure. Sin is shut out, and they are shut in. They dwell within a city which shall never be stormed; they bask in a sun which shall never set; they drink of a river which shall never dry; they pluck fruit from a tree which shall never wither. Countless cycles may revolve, but eternity shall not be exhausted, and while eternity endures, their immortality and blessedness shall co-exist with it. They are for ever with the Lord. They weep no more, because every desire is fulfilled. They cannot wish for anything which they have not in possession. Eye and ear, heart and hand, judgment, imagination, hope, desire, will, all the faculties, are completely satisfied; and imperfect as our present ideas are of the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, yet we know enough, by the revelation of the Spirit, that the saints above are supremely blessed. The joy of Christ, which is an infinite fulness of delight, is in them. They bathe themselves in the bottomless, shoreless sea of infinite beatitude. That same joyful rest remains for us. It may not be far distant. Ere long the weeping willow shall be exchanged for the palm-branch of victory, and sorrow's dewdrops will be transformed into the pearls of everlasting bliss. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
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Reconciled to God Colossians 1:15¨C29
If you ask the average person to describe what it means to be a Christian, they will probably identify a moral view, lifestyle choice, or even a political position. While Christianity does have implications for all these areas, that is not what it means to be a Christian.
Today¡¯s passage reveals that Jesus Christ is the essence of the Christian faith. The heart of the Christian message has to do with the nature of Christ and the reason He shed His blood on the cross. Paul describes Jesus as both ¡°the image of the invisible God¡± and ¡°the firstborn over all creation¡± (v. 15). Paul¡¯s choice of words is deliberate, probably intended to counter aspects of the false teaching that had crept into the church in Colosse.
By taking a human nature, Jesus brings the image of the invisible God to light. The fact that Paul calls him the ¡°firstborn¡± does not mean that Jesus was the first created being; it means that He is superior to creation. Jesus existed as God before He was born in Bethlehem. Indeed, He existed as God before anything was created (v. 17). As Creator, Jesus upholds all creation.
Paul goes on to say that Jesus died ¡°to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross¡± (v. 20). By ¡°all things,¡± he primarily means people who are alienated from God because of sin (v. 21). As Creator, Jesus is the glue that holds the universe together. But He is also the Redeemer who reconciles us to God by the death of His physical body (v. 22). Paul reminds the Colossians that this was the message that was preached to them. It is the bedrock of the Christian faith.
>> With so many varying ideas about Christianity swirling about, we must remember the first principles of our faith. Christianity is about Jesus, the Creator who took on human nature to die for us.
Pray with Us What is there to fear when we are united with the Creator of all, the Son of God, and the all-sufficient Lamb whose blood has covered our sin? What can we do but worship You in all circumstances!
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Simplified Faith
SIMPLIFIED FAITH - August 23, 2023
How do you simplify your faith? How do you get rid of the clutter? How do you discover a joy worth waking up to? Simple: get rid of the middleman.
There are some who suggest the only way to God is through them. There¡¯s the great teacher who has the final word on Bible teaching. There¡¯s the father who must bless your acts. There¡¯s the spiritual master who¡¯ll tell you what God wants you to do. Jesus¡¯ message for complicated religion is to remove these middlemen.
He¡¯s not saying you don¡¯t need teachers, elders, or counselors. He is saying, however, that we are all brothers and sisters with equal access to the Father. Seek God for yourself. No elaborate channels of command or levels of access. You have a Bible? You can study. You have a heart? You can pray. You have a mind? You can think.
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Prayer for Focus?
A Prayer for Focus By Emma Danzey
Colossians 3:2 says, ¡°Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.¡±
Focus is something that we all could use more of in our daily lives. Whether it is keeping our mind fixed on what we are working on and zoning into the details that we need to tend to, focusing on our children or grandchildren who are present to show them how much we care or focusing on the sermon in church on Sunday.
The enemy loves to get us distracted, not only in small areas like the ones mentioned but also in a larger way. He wants us to be thinking with temporary mindsets However, in Colossians 3:2, God calls us to put our thoughts towards things above, not worldly things. Today as we pray and ask the Lord for focus, may we each have a renewed sense of what is eternally significant and purposeful. May we not miss the opportunities to see each day as a mission field for eternity. May we focus on the mission at hand with confidence.
Let's Pray:
Lord Over My Mind, I need you to help me today. Give me clarity and strength to think on things of you and not of my flesh. There are so many things competing for my attention. Help me to remember that the tasks and situations at hand are temporary. Remind my soul of what is spiritually significant. Reveal Your will and Your purposes to me and help me to live them out by Your Spirit.
God You say in Philippians 4:8, ¡°Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable¡ªif anything is excellent or praiseworthy¡ªthink about such things.¡± Please enable my mind to think on the things of You. Give me thoughts that are honorable and focused on Your love. When I am tempted to stray, redirect my thought patterns to bring glory to You.
1 Peter 5:8 says, ¡°Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.¡± God, I know that one of the enemy¡¯s favorite places of attack is on the mind of a believer. He cannot take our souls, so he loves to get into our heads with lies. Give me the armor of You to protect me from his schemes. Guard my mind and help me to take every thought captive to You. Help me to not live in a scattered way but on the solid Rock that is You. Be my steady and remind me of Your Scriptures. When I am tempted to stray in my thinking, renew my mind with the truth of Your Word.
Jesus, as I desire to serve You and focus on Your purposes, give me a sense of Your presence. Allow me to fix my eyes on You. I am not strong enough to run this race, but in Your power I can keep my focus on the finish line of faith. You say in Philippians 3:14, ¡°I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.¡± When I am tempted by laziness, apathy, or selfishness, remind me of the importance of the mission at hand to sharing the gospel with the world. Help me to press on by the strength of Your Spirit to accomplish all that I need to in Your name.
Remind me how You are working in and through me, even in the simplicity of the everyday encounters. Moments that seem insignificant, You use them for Your glory. Times when I feel like it is hard to stay on mission, redirect me with Your Word and through Your Spirit to stay the course.
Thank You for Your great gift of focus. Guide me to have Your mindset each and every day. When I am attacked with distractions and scattered in thought, still my soul and slow my mind from wandering. Give me the determination and the discipline that I need to accomplish Your will. In Your powerful name, I pray Jesus, Amen.
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Momsooky
