THE GREATEST!
Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. 2 Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name--He is holy. 4 The King is mighty, He loves justice--You have established equity; in Jacob You have done what is just and right. 5 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy. 6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called on the Lord and He answered them. 7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them. 8 O Lord our God, You answered them; You were to Israel a forgiving God, though You punished their misdeeds. 9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Who's the greatest, most effective evangelist ever? Billy Graham?
George Whitefield? Paul?
Nope. The best evangelist ever is God Himself.
Okay, half the readers of this article may be thinking, "Trick question!" The other half are dealing with the concept of God as self-evangelist. I'll help the second group.
Check out how Psalm 99:3-4 describes God: He is holy, He loves justice, He established equity, and He has done what is just and right. God uses the truth about Himself in people's lives to change their hearts.
How can they learn about Him? Through our words. Too often, however, our evangelism is about us: our church, our biography, our personality. We evangelize the good news about ourselves more than about God.
We often think an effective speaker or a high-tech multimedia program wins people to Jesus Christ. Those are great tools, and we should strive for excellence in our gospel presentations. We should also recognize, though, that the power resides in the gospel, not in our presentation of it.
We should be thankful that God has done such a great job of demonstrating that His way is better. He is no silent evangelist either. In Psalm 99:6-7, we see that He talked with Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. He speaks to people today, sharing His good news--through the Bible and through His Holy Spirit. If we trust Him to do the "heavy lifting" of evangelism, the process is a lot easier and more effective.
Try this question: Who is the greatest, most effective evangelistic team ever? You and God, of course. Granted, He gets most of the credit for that, but that was always the plan. --John Carvalho
DESTINATION POINTS
* What evangelist do I enjoy listening to the most? Why?
* In what ways do I need to allow God to take the lead in evangelism?
* Lord, I want to spread Your gospel and make disciples wherever I am. I know that I can't do it on my own. You take the lead through Your Word and Your Spirit.
LINKS:
How Can I Break The Silence?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0706
bottom line: Evangelism is about God--not us.
soul journey
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Let's Talk About It!
Read: Matthew 18:15-20
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. —Proverbs 3:3
The police in San Diego received complaints from a woman who said she was getting annoying phone calls. In the middle of the night a person would phone her, bark like a dog, and then hang up. Police eventually discovered that the source of the calls was a neighbor. He said that whenever he was awakened by the barking of her dog, he wanted to make sure she was awake too.
The neighbor's approach certainly didn't express the wisdom of God. The Scriptures tell us that it is often necessary to face a problem head-on (Matthew 18:15-20). At the right time and for the sake of all parties involved, an honest discussion is part of the solution.
Yet such a loving, open approach is not usually followed among Christians. Rather than trusting God and walking into a tense situation with a clear conscience and a desire for peace, we tend to play games. Hints are dropped. Affection is withheld. Conversation is abbreviated. The air gets chilly, and ice forms around a situation that can only be melted by a wise combination of mercy and truth (Proverbs 3:3).
Our complaints against others cannot be smoothed over by burying our anger. If a problem is not small enough to overlook graciously, then let's talk about it. —Mart De Haan
If you can't forgive a brother
For the wrong he's done to you,
Go to him and talk it over—
That's the Christian thing to do. —D. De Haan
The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.
daily bread
Read: Matthew 18:15-20
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. —Proverbs 3:3
The police in San Diego received complaints from a woman who said she was getting annoying phone calls. In the middle of the night a person would phone her, bark like a dog, and then hang up. Police eventually discovered that the source of the calls was a neighbor. He said that whenever he was awakened by the barking of her dog, he wanted to make sure she was awake too.
The neighbor's approach certainly didn't express the wisdom of God. The Scriptures tell us that it is often necessary to face a problem head-on (Matthew 18:15-20). At the right time and for the sake of all parties involved, an honest discussion is part of the solution.
Yet such a loving, open approach is not usually followed among Christians. Rather than trusting God and walking into a tense situation with a clear conscience and a desire for peace, we tend to play games. Hints are dropped. Affection is withheld. Conversation is abbreviated. The air gets chilly, and ice forms around a situation that can only be melted by a wise combination of mercy and truth (Proverbs 3:3).
Our complaints against others cannot be smoothed over by burying our anger. If a problem is not small enough to overlook graciously, then let's talk about it. —Mart De Haan
If you can't forgive a brother
For the wrong he's done to you,
Go to him and talk it over—
That's the Christian thing to do. —D. De Haan
The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.
daily bread
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Happy Among Crappie
By Dan Betzer
Jesus told us that He would make us "fishers of men." Apparently, some believers and some churches think that the fish are coming to us.
Recently I had the privilege of spending some time on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It is a massive body of water, created when the Osage River was obstructed by Bagnell Dam. My wife and I honeymooned there just 47 years ago this week.
The lake is filled with crappie -- maybe the best-tasting fish God ever created. There are places where they might be a bit bigger, but no place where they are more plentiful. One local told me the other day that he had caught over 40 of them just that morning.
Many fishermen use live minnows as bait, while others jig for them with doll flies. Ah, I have caught many crappie from those blue-gray waters. I would love to fish for them every day, but unfortunately, there aren't any of those "specs" (as they are called) in my back yard! I have to go where they are.
Jesus told us that He would make us "fishers of men." Apparently, some believers and some churches think that the fish are coming to us. They are not. We must go to them. The church must infiltrate its community and the world.
Remember Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan who found the beaten man dying beside the road? Jesus said that the Good Samaritan went to where the man was. We are just not going to catch many fish for Jesus from our pews. We have to go where they are.
How can we reach people we do not know? Whom we do not understand? This requires effort on our part. I tell you, though, a good day of fishing is well worth all of the effort expended.
Jesus expects it from us.
cbn
By Dan Betzer
Jesus told us that He would make us "fishers of men." Apparently, some believers and some churches think that the fish are coming to us.
Recently I had the privilege of spending some time on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It is a massive body of water, created when the Osage River was obstructed by Bagnell Dam. My wife and I honeymooned there just 47 years ago this week.
The lake is filled with crappie -- maybe the best-tasting fish God ever created. There are places where they might be a bit bigger, but no place where they are more plentiful. One local told me the other day that he had caught over 40 of them just that morning.
Many fishermen use live minnows as bait, while others jig for them with doll flies. Ah, I have caught many crappie from those blue-gray waters. I would love to fish for them every day, but unfortunately, there aren't any of those "specs" (as they are called) in my back yard! I have to go where they are.
Jesus told us that He would make us "fishers of men." Apparently, some believers and some churches think that the fish are coming to us. They are not. We must go to them. The church must infiltrate its community and the world.
Remember Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan who found the beaten man dying beside the road? Jesus said that the Good Samaritan went to where the man was. We are just not going to catch many fish for Jesus from our pews. We have to go where they are.
How can we reach people we do not know? Whom we do not understand? This requires effort on our part. I tell you, though, a good day of fishing is well worth all of the effort expended.
Jesus expects it from us.
cbn
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
RUBBLE
Romans 14:1-8
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. . . . 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble.
How they contrast with the world.
Erecting the right statues is exhausting work.
You must discard many, many things that aren't acceptable.
All day long, you must be so careful not to pick up any of the forbidden things.
You must keep your eyes on them all the time.
It's exhausting.
There used to be just one statue, but then I had to make another . . . and another.
Some believers in Jesus don't see the need for statues like mine.
They aren't encircled. Protected.
How blinded they are. They talk about freedom and the need to be careful in what we condemn.
Permissive sinners. That's what they must be.
Here I am, sweating, chiseling away at holiness.
While they walk about, talking about grace and even doing some of the things I know are wrong.
I have to keep my eyes on them too.
They want to tear down my statues. I know it.
They want to turn them into rubble.
Jesus, I'll be honest, one thing bothers me.
The more I build these statues for You, the less I can see You. Our relationship seems so cold.
I feel so fearful . . . so angry. You seem so distant.
The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble . . . on the outside.
But inside, they're hollow. Empty. Dumb.
Why do I build these images?
Why do I feel compelled to sculpt my own righteousness?
What is this hollow feeling inside me? --Tom Felten
DESTINATION POINTS
* What legalistic statues do I have in my life?
* How can I "live to the Lord" (Romans 14:8) and not to myself?
LINKS:
Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0603
bottom line: Making your own righteousness is futile.
soul journey
Romans 14:1-8
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. . . . 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble.
How they contrast with the world.
Erecting the right statues is exhausting work.
You must discard many, many things that aren't acceptable.
All day long, you must be so careful not to pick up any of the forbidden things.
You must keep your eyes on them all the time.
It's exhausting.
There used to be just one statue, but then I had to make another . . . and another.
Some believers in Jesus don't see the need for statues like mine.
They aren't encircled. Protected.
How blinded they are. They talk about freedom and the need to be careful in what we condemn.
Permissive sinners. That's what they must be.
Here I am, sweating, chiseling away at holiness.
While they walk about, talking about grace and even doing some of the things I know are wrong.
I have to keep my eyes on them too.
They want to tear down my statues. I know it.
They want to turn them into rubble.
Jesus, I'll be honest, one thing bothers me.
The more I build these statues for You, the less I can see You. Our relationship seems so cold.
I feel so fearful . . . so angry. You seem so distant.
The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble . . . on the outside.
But inside, they're hollow. Empty. Dumb.
Why do I build these images?
Why do I feel compelled to sculpt my own righteousness?
What is this hollow feeling inside me? --Tom Felten
DESTINATION POINTS
* What legalistic statues do I have in my life?
* How can I "live to the Lord" (Romans 14:8) and not to myself?
LINKS:
Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0603
bottom line: Making your own righteousness is futile.
soul journey
Monday, January 26, 2004
ABSURDLY SIMPLE
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Jesus had left implicit instructions to the few remaining faithful: TAKE MY MESSAGE TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. It seemed foolhardy and adventurous but naively optimistic, a doomed effort. Jesus planned for His followers to make disciples from every nation and tribe, bringing with them a new community, a new humanity.
A rag-tag band of disciples. An entire world. And a message about a Galilean carpenter who wasn't even sticking around.
Impossible!
So, where would they begin? Such a task would require strategic planning and precise maneuvering, but the activity of the disciples in those first days after Jesus' departure offers few examples of cunning leadership. We see few techniques to follow or leadership principles to reproduce. In fact, we don't see much of anything. They waited. Just waited.
And God began to stir. And people began to respond. And thousands at a time began to turn to the Messiah.
The reading of Acts reveals how the early church, in the throes of a revolution and faced with an impossible calling, did nothing remarkable, little that could be called innovative. In fact, one might say it was absurdly simple.
They gathered to hear God's revelation. They committed their lives to each other in relationship and care. They prayed and shared meals around the Lord's Table. And God moved and the world was changed.
Do we hunger for such a reality? Our mission is no smaller than the early church's, no less risky. Yet we often cave in. We surrender to comfortable paychecks and safe but distant friendships. We've lost sight that we are a community of ragged pilgrims. We don't share our lives and pray together. We don't truly live together. We don't love.
And the world isn't changed. --Winn Collier
DESTINATION POINTS
* What do I admire about the early church?
* How can I begin to live out the winsome ways of the Christians we read about in Acts 2?
LINKS:
Knowing God Through Acts
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb215
bottom line: The world is changed when we choose Jesus.
soul journey
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Jesus had left implicit instructions to the few remaining faithful: TAKE MY MESSAGE TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. It seemed foolhardy and adventurous but naively optimistic, a doomed effort. Jesus planned for His followers to make disciples from every nation and tribe, bringing with them a new community, a new humanity.
A rag-tag band of disciples. An entire world. And a message about a Galilean carpenter who wasn't even sticking around.
Impossible!
So, where would they begin? Such a task would require strategic planning and precise maneuvering, but the activity of the disciples in those first days after Jesus' departure offers few examples of cunning leadership. We see few techniques to follow or leadership principles to reproduce. In fact, we don't see much of anything. They waited. Just waited.
And God began to stir. And people began to respond. And thousands at a time began to turn to the Messiah.
The reading of Acts reveals how the early church, in the throes of a revolution and faced with an impossible calling, did nothing remarkable, little that could be called innovative. In fact, one might say it was absurdly simple.
They gathered to hear God's revelation. They committed their lives to each other in relationship and care. They prayed and shared meals around the Lord's Table. And God moved and the world was changed.
Do we hunger for such a reality? Our mission is no smaller than the early church's, no less risky. Yet we often cave in. We surrender to comfortable paychecks and safe but distant friendships. We've lost sight that we are a community of ragged pilgrims. We don't share our lives and pray together. We don't truly live together. We don't love.
And the world isn't changed. --Winn Collier
DESTINATION POINTS
* What do I admire about the early church?
* How can I begin to live out the winsome ways of the Christians we read about in Acts 2?
LINKS:
Knowing God Through Acts
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb215
bottom line: The world is changed when we choose Jesus.
soul journey
Sunday, January 25, 2004
ALL KINDS OF HEROES
Jonah 3:1-10
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. . . . 4 He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on a sackcloth. . . . 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.
If you follow golf a little (or not at all) you probably heard the name Annika Sorenstam a lot during the spring of 2003. She's arguably the best woman golfer in the world. And when she tested her skills by teeing it up against the men, lots of people called her a hero. Others thought Annika was just causing trouble. Her name and face were everywhere.
Did you know her younger sister is a pro golfer too?
During the LPGA championship, Charlotta Sorenstam was in the locker room when broadcast commentator Donna Caponi
started choking. Sorenstam rushed over, hit her on the back a few times, and did the Heimlich. Some people might say she just did what anyone would do. But "in my eyes," Caponi says, "Charlotta is a hero."
So who's the hero--Annika or Charlotta? How about both? Annika is a hero for pushing herself to the limit and persevering despite overwhelming pressure. Charlotta is a hero for keeping a level head and saving a life.
Lots of times, a hero is in the eye of the beholder. The people of Nineveh, after hearing Jonah's preaching and taking it to heart, probably plastered Jonah's face on trading cards and wanted to give him his own talk show. When you and I think of Jonah, he's the guy who ran from God, did a Finding Nemo inside a whale, then pouted when he didn't get his way. So is Jonah a hero? Yes--and no.
We don't all have to sign up for the same heroes. Not all of Jesus' followers have to see everyone from the same point of view. You might think Peter was the coolest disciple; your friend might identify better with John. You might look up to a few Christian athletes; your friend might learn more from reading biographies of long-ago believers.
Who's your hero? There are plenty of good ones to go around! --Tracy Carbaugh
DESTINATION POINTS
* Who's my hero? Why? Would other people see this person as a hero?
* What qualifies someone as a good example? Should I drop them as soon as they fail, or wait and see how they handle it?
* What disqualifies someone from being my spiritual hero?
* What are some ways Jesus is the perfect example of how to live a life that pleases God?
bottom line: Heroes don't have to be superstars.
soul journey
Jonah 3:1-10
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. . . . 4 He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on a sackcloth. . . . 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.
If you follow golf a little (or not at all) you probably heard the name Annika Sorenstam a lot during the spring of 2003. She's arguably the best woman golfer in the world. And when she tested her skills by teeing it up against the men, lots of people called her a hero. Others thought Annika was just causing trouble. Her name and face were everywhere.
Did you know her younger sister is a pro golfer too?
During the LPGA championship, Charlotta Sorenstam was in the locker room when broadcast commentator Donna Caponi
started choking. Sorenstam rushed over, hit her on the back a few times, and did the Heimlich. Some people might say she just did what anyone would do. But "in my eyes," Caponi says, "Charlotta is a hero."
So who's the hero--Annika or Charlotta? How about both? Annika is a hero for pushing herself to the limit and persevering despite overwhelming pressure. Charlotta is a hero for keeping a level head and saving a life.
Lots of times, a hero is in the eye of the beholder. The people of Nineveh, after hearing Jonah's preaching and taking it to heart, probably plastered Jonah's face on trading cards and wanted to give him his own talk show. When you and I think of Jonah, he's the guy who ran from God, did a Finding Nemo inside a whale, then pouted when he didn't get his way. So is Jonah a hero? Yes--and no.
We don't all have to sign up for the same heroes. Not all of Jesus' followers have to see everyone from the same point of view. You might think Peter was the coolest disciple; your friend might identify better with John. You might look up to a few Christian athletes; your friend might learn more from reading biographies of long-ago believers.
Who's your hero? There are plenty of good ones to go around! --Tracy Carbaugh
DESTINATION POINTS
* Who's my hero? Why? Would other people see this person as a hero?
* What qualifies someone as a good example? Should I drop them as soon as they fail, or wait and see how they handle it?
* What disqualifies someone from being my spiritual hero?
* What are some ways Jesus is the perfect example of how to live a life that pleases God?
bottom line: Heroes don't have to be superstars.
soul journey
Saturday, January 24, 2004
God Counts To Ten
By Martha Noebel
There are some of you who feel like the Lord is just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us with some bad thing. But God is not like that.
I just love how God uses practical everyday moments to show me spiritual lessons. He certainly sneaked up on me the other day.
I was in the grocery store line trying to check out when I began to notice a small child dancing around her mother. The young mother was obviously over it when this precious one who must have been this wound up all day. Her looks and tone of voice as she tried to guide the child to please stand still were ignored. I thought to myself, she could use a gentle pop on the bottom (my mother would certainly have chosen that option when I was a child).
Instead, this patient mother simply replied, "I'm going to count to ten!" I thought to myself, Ten! This little girl could have knocked over several rows of boxes and cans, and been out the door by then. And don't think she counted fast. As I passed by her she said, "One … two …" -- all real slow. I could not bear to watch. My mother would do the counting thing too, but she never went past the number three. I did see the mother and the daughter walking out of the store as I pulled out of the parking lot. So somehow, the little girl knew to respond.
The real shocker to me was later that day. The Lord reminded me of the story and spoke to my heart. He said, "I count to ten too." He reminded me that He is a patient, kind, and loving Father. He does not count to three and then pop us with something to get our attention. He waits and gives us every opportunity to respond to the gently voice of the Holy Spirit -- Who is trying to get us to slow down and stand still.
There are some of you who feel like the Lord is just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us with some bad thing. But God is not like that. God counts to ten real slow, just like that mother in the grocery store. He loves us and does not harm us. He has good plans for our lives.
For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29: 11 NLT).
Trust Him with your life today. He is always there for you, no matter what may come your way.
cbn
By Martha Noebel
There are some of you who feel like the Lord is just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us with some bad thing. But God is not like that.
I just love how God uses practical everyday moments to show me spiritual lessons. He certainly sneaked up on me the other day.
I was in the grocery store line trying to check out when I began to notice a small child dancing around her mother. The young mother was obviously over it when this precious one who must have been this wound up all day. Her looks and tone of voice as she tried to guide the child to please stand still were ignored. I thought to myself, she could use a gentle pop on the bottom (my mother would certainly have chosen that option when I was a child).
Instead, this patient mother simply replied, "I'm going to count to ten!" I thought to myself, Ten! This little girl could have knocked over several rows of boxes and cans, and been out the door by then. And don't think she counted fast. As I passed by her she said, "One … two …" -- all real slow. I could not bear to watch. My mother would do the counting thing too, but she never went past the number three. I did see the mother and the daughter walking out of the store as I pulled out of the parking lot. So somehow, the little girl knew to respond.
The real shocker to me was later that day. The Lord reminded me of the story and spoke to my heart. He said, "I count to ten too." He reminded me that He is a patient, kind, and loving Father. He does not count to three and then pop us with something to get our attention. He waits and gives us every opportunity to respond to the gently voice of the Holy Spirit -- Who is trying to get us to slow down and stand still.
There are some of you who feel like the Lord is just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us with some bad thing. But God is not like that. God counts to ten real slow, just like that mother in the grocery store. He loves us and does not harm us. He has good plans for our lives.
For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29: 11 NLT).
Trust Him with your life today. He is always there for you, no matter what may come your way.
cbn
Thursday, January 22, 2004
THROUGH JESUS' EYES
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
In John Grisham's popular novel A Painted House, he detailed the lives of three groups of people who were despised by many: Mexicans, backwoods hill people, and those who leased land to grow cotton. Prejudice and hatred ran high. Violence erupted. Terrible things were seen and done. Yet Grisham showed as well the kindness and integrity the people of each group were capable of.
Jesus has given us an enormous responsibility as "ministers of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). It is both awesome and serious because of its great privilege: God has entrusted us with the task of coming alongside lost people and telling them that they can be made right with God. We can whisper to their hearts that God loves them--enough to send His Son to die for them.
For us to achieve this task of ministry we must look at everyone through the eyes of Jesus. We must see people as He did. When He looked at the often-married woman of Samaria, He saw her as a person who needed the unfailing love of God. We must see them not only as they are, but as they could be. When Jesus looked at the cheating Zacchaeus, He saw him as someone whose heart would be transformed by the love of God. When He looked at the adulterous woman dragged before Him, He saw a self-despising, desperate person who needed the deliverance and respect that only God can give.
We can't be ambassadors of God's reconciliation if we paste labels on the foreheads of those who need Him. Followers of Jesus are people who look past the appearance and the history to see a person God loves, a person for whom Jesus died, a person He can transform, a person who can one day share heaven with us.
We can do that only when we look at people through the eyes of Jesus. --Dave Egner
DESTINATION POINTS
* How would I say in my own words the phrase, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors"? (1 Corinthians 5:20).
* Whom do I tend to look down on? How can I begin to see people as Jesus did?
* To whom should I be ministering Christ's reconciliation right now?
LINKS
The Mind Of Christ
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0209
The Compassion Of Jesus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0208
bottom line: Through Jesus' eyes we see without prejudice.
soul journey
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
In John Grisham's popular novel A Painted House, he detailed the lives of three groups of people who were despised by many: Mexicans, backwoods hill people, and those who leased land to grow cotton. Prejudice and hatred ran high. Violence erupted. Terrible things were seen and done. Yet Grisham showed as well the kindness and integrity the people of each group were capable of.
Jesus has given us an enormous responsibility as "ministers of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). It is both awesome and serious because of its great privilege: God has entrusted us with the task of coming alongside lost people and telling them that they can be made right with God. We can whisper to their hearts that God loves them--enough to send His Son to die for them.
For us to achieve this task of ministry we must look at everyone through the eyes of Jesus. We must see people as He did. When He looked at the often-married woman of Samaria, He saw her as a person who needed the unfailing love of God. We must see them not only as they are, but as they could be. When Jesus looked at the cheating Zacchaeus, He saw him as someone whose heart would be transformed by the love of God. When He looked at the adulterous woman dragged before Him, He saw a self-despising, desperate person who needed the deliverance and respect that only God can give.
We can't be ambassadors of God's reconciliation if we paste labels on the foreheads of those who need Him. Followers of Jesus are people who look past the appearance and the history to see a person God loves, a person for whom Jesus died, a person He can transform, a person who can one day share heaven with us.
We can do that only when we look at people through the eyes of Jesus. --Dave Egner
DESTINATION POINTS
* How would I say in my own words the phrase, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors"? (1 Corinthians 5:20).
* Whom do I tend to look down on? How can I begin to see people as Jesus did?
* To whom should I be ministering Christ's reconciliation right now?
LINKS
The Mind Of Christ
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0209
The Compassion Of Jesus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0208
bottom line: Through Jesus' eyes we see without prejudice.
soul journey
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
WORLD-CHANGERS
Acts 17:1-9
1 They came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
Wilbur and his younger brother Orville were unlikely candidates to change the world. Although both went through high school, neither received a diploma. They were interested in mechanics, not academics, and after a few years in the printing business, they began renting, selling, and manufacturing bicycles. But their growing interest in aviation led them to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they made the world's first flight in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine 100 years ago today.
At the time, hardly anyone noticed. Only five other people witnessed the flight. The Dayton Journal in their hometown ignored it and the only three newspapers that reported the story got the facts wrong. It's obvious that no one at that time could foresee how much the airplane would alter our entire way of life.
Are you doing anything today that is likely to change the world? At first, the answer may seem to be "no." But if you're a follower of Jesus, your obedience to Him each day plants the seeds of the gospel, which is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).
The early followers of Jesus were accused of having "caused trouble all over the world" (Acts 17:6). One translation calls them--"these that have turned the world upside down" (KJV). In Greek, this means "to stir up, excite, or unsettle." Whether it's Paul and Silas in Thessalonica or a young person living unselfishly in a pleasure-seeking culture, to follow Jesus challenges every system of belief that doesn't acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.
When our witness for Jesus stirs up the people around us, we should follow Paul's example of focusing on Him, not ourselves. His goal was to show that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), who has the power to make people new when they turn to Him.
You are a world-changer if you follow Jesus and remain true to Him in every situation of life. You can't imagine the far-reaching results of your daily obedience to the Lord. --Dave McCasland
DESTINATION POINTS
* Why can an ordinary Christian be considered a world-changer?
* What makes it difficult for me to understand the effect of my words and actions?
* What have I done to change the world today?
bottom line: Live for Jesus to reach a dying world.
soul journey
Acts 17:1-9
1 They came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
Wilbur and his younger brother Orville were unlikely candidates to change the world. Although both went through high school, neither received a diploma. They were interested in mechanics, not academics, and after a few years in the printing business, they began renting, selling, and manufacturing bicycles. But their growing interest in aviation led them to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they made the world's first flight in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine 100 years ago today.
At the time, hardly anyone noticed. Only five other people witnessed the flight. The Dayton Journal in their hometown ignored it and the only three newspapers that reported the story got the facts wrong. It's obvious that no one at that time could foresee how much the airplane would alter our entire way of life.
Are you doing anything today that is likely to change the world? At first, the answer may seem to be "no." But if you're a follower of Jesus, your obedience to Him each day plants the seeds of the gospel, which is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).
The early followers of Jesus were accused of having "caused trouble all over the world" (Acts 17:6). One translation calls them--"these that have turned the world upside down" (KJV). In Greek, this means "to stir up, excite, or unsettle." Whether it's Paul and Silas in Thessalonica or a young person living unselfishly in a pleasure-seeking culture, to follow Jesus challenges every system of belief that doesn't acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.
When our witness for Jesus stirs up the people around us, we should follow Paul's example of focusing on Him, not ourselves. His goal was to show that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), who has the power to make people new when they turn to Him.
You are a world-changer if you follow Jesus and remain true to Him in every situation of life. You can't imagine the far-reaching results of your daily obedience to the Lord. --Dave McCasland
DESTINATION POINTS
* Why can an ordinary Christian be considered a world-changer?
* What makes it difficult for me to understand the effect of my words and actions?
* What have I done to change the world today?
bottom line: Live for Jesus to reach a dying world.
soul journey
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
New Beginnings Make New Endings
By Cathy Irvin
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it.
I recently saw this quote, "No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending" (Unknown). I really began to think about that statement. The conclusion was we don't start over but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives.
As a believer in Christ, it is not about saying I will do this and I won't do that and then dropping the idea or falling short. It is more about asking the Lord to help us each day, to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff.
If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord. In the beginning of this past year, He spoke to me in that still small voice in prayer and said, "I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life." He also said to tell others the same thing.
This year I am determined to make Him my all and all. He wants our undivided attention in spite of the distractions and temptations that lie waiting around the corner. He has to be our main focus.
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it. Did we want to get more "INTIMATE" with the lover of our soul? I looked up the word intimacy and the meaning is to be close, familiar, very personal and private.
Do you want a new ending this year? How do you want the ending of your life? If you're not a Christian, please know that this could be the best New Year of your life. Your life can be filled with hope and peace. To know what the ending will be is an extra bonus. Why should every year be the same as the one before with nothing really changing? After all, the New Year resolutions may or may not get accomplished.
If you are a Christian and you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now is the time to rekindle the love affair with Him. He calls us to Himself and says, "Come away my beloved." Can you hear Him? He is tugging at your heart. The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. That statement will be for someone who took the time to get to know Him, love Him, and that obediently followed Him.
cbn
By Cathy Irvin
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it.
I recently saw this quote, "No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending" (Unknown). I really began to think about that statement. The conclusion was we don't start over but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives.
As a believer in Christ, it is not about saying I will do this and I won't do that and then dropping the idea or falling short. It is more about asking the Lord to help us each day, to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff.
If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord. In the beginning of this past year, He spoke to me in that still small voice in prayer and said, "I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life." He also said to tell others the same thing.
This year I am determined to make Him my all and all. He wants our undivided attention in spite of the distractions and temptations that lie waiting around the corner. He has to be our main focus.
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it. Did we want to get more "INTIMATE" with the lover of our soul? I looked up the word intimacy and the meaning is to be close, familiar, very personal and private.
Do you want a new ending this year? How do you want the ending of your life? If you're not a Christian, please know that this could be the best New Year of your life. Your life can be filled with hope and peace. To know what the ending will be is an extra bonus. Why should every year be the same as the one before with nothing really changing? After all, the New Year resolutions may or may not get accomplished.
If you are a Christian and you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now is the time to rekindle the love affair with Him. He calls us to Himself and says, "Come away my beloved." Can you hear Him? He is tugging at your heart. The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. That statement will be for someone who took the time to get to know Him, love Him, and that obediently followed Him.
cbn
Monday, January 19, 2004
Stepping Into The Jordan
By Linda Brown
Are you at a crossroads? Have you been spinning your wheels too long?
Are you at a crossroads? Have you been spinning your wheels too long? We want to see God move in our lives. If we don't take a step of faith, we are going to stagnate and die. We are like our nation right now. We are at a crossroads.
I am reminded of several stories in the Bible and how God moved for them.
1 Kings 4:1-7 is about the widow and the oil. The widow was told to collect the pots. She was asked to trust God for her needs. If we trust Him and have faith, He will supply our needs. God will provide! What do we have? God will add to it to supply the remainder of what we need.
I Kings 17:13-16 tells another example of a widow who was asked by Elijah to bake a cake for him. She only had enough for one more cake. We must trust God that He is going to supply our needs.
John 6:9-13 reminds us of how God multiplied the loaves and fishes. He can take our meager bit and multiply it.
Joshua 3:15,16 speaks of our need to step out by faith. The children of Israel had to step into the Jordan before God moved on their behalf. We've got to step out by faith so that we can let God work.
"…the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water began piling up…".
Deuteronomy 1:21, 27-32 exhorts us to be like Joshua and Caleb. The spies saw giants in the land, but Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report.
It took the Israelites 40 years to make an eleven-day journey to Canaan. We don't want to have the wilderness mentality that keeps us in bondage! We need to let go and let God! We need to take that step of faith and step into the Jordan. God will give you the peace and provide. We need to trust Him and He'll take care of the rest.
A word of prophecy was given at a prayer meeting recently. It said, "Put your hand in the hand of the Shepherd… It is a season of growth. It is a season of challenge. It is not a season of pulling back. You are at a time now where I am challenging you to grow, to trust me, to put your faith in me. I have never let you down and I will not let you down now."
Let's face it. We can't, but God can! Let's not limit God. Let us step into the Jordan!
cbn
By Linda Brown
Are you at a crossroads? Have you been spinning your wheels too long?
Are you at a crossroads? Have you been spinning your wheels too long? We want to see God move in our lives. If we don't take a step of faith, we are going to stagnate and die. We are like our nation right now. We are at a crossroads.
I am reminded of several stories in the Bible and how God moved for them.
1 Kings 4:1-7 is about the widow and the oil. The widow was told to collect the pots. She was asked to trust God for her needs. If we trust Him and have faith, He will supply our needs. God will provide! What do we have? God will add to it to supply the remainder of what we need.
I Kings 17:13-16 tells another example of a widow who was asked by Elijah to bake a cake for him. She only had enough for one more cake. We must trust God that He is going to supply our needs.
John 6:9-13 reminds us of how God multiplied the loaves and fishes. He can take our meager bit and multiply it.
Joshua 3:15,16 speaks of our need to step out by faith. The children of Israel had to step into the Jordan before God moved on their behalf. We've got to step out by faith so that we can let God work.
"…the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water began piling up…".
Deuteronomy 1:21, 27-32 exhorts us to be like Joshua and Caleb. The spies saw giants in the land, but Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report.
It took the Israelites 40 years to make an eleven-day journey to Canaan. We don't want to have the wilderness mentality that keeps us in bondage! We need to let go and let God! We need to take that step of faith and step into the Jordan. God will give you the peace and provide. We need to trust Him and He'll take care of the rest.
A word of prophecy was given at a prayer meeting recently. It said, "Put your hand in the hand of the Shepherd… It is a season of growth. It is a season of challenge. It is not a season of pulling back. You are at a time now where I am challenging you to grow, to trust me, to put your faith in me. I have never let you down and I will not let you down now."
Let's face it. We can't, but God can! Let's not limit God. Let us step into the Jordan!
cbn
Sunday, January 18, 2004
THE WHITE PAGES
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
At the Christian university I attended we were often addressed by the founder, a man who had been one of the popular "tent evangelists" early in the 20th century. His chapel talks were usually sprinkled with helpful sayings--some of which have been incorporated into the fabric of my own life.
One I've found to be helpful, especially for the new year, is "Remember, there are no blots on the pages of the future!" By this he was emphasizing a foundational truth of the Christian faith: God forgives us for our past sins and also helps us lead godly lives, doing things that reflect our desire to love Him and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
As you look back over the past year, you may recall some bad decisions that brought a bunch of problems into your life. You may feel ashamed and disappointed about those failures. You wish you could just erase them. Well, the truth is you can't. And you may still be living with consequences of those bad decisions. They may be shouting accusations at you: "Loser, sinner, weakling, bad Christian, bad son, bad daughter, bad friend!"
Consequences and accusations do make it more difficult to write your life on those blank pages that lie before you now. And so do our fleshly desires. But don't forget that those pages are still pure white! With God's help you can write beautiful things on each one. What's needed is your willingness to ask God's forgiveness for past sins. Then, accept His forgiveness as motivation to change your direction, to reflect what you know God wants you to do.
Lay your Bible open right next to your "daily diary" of wonderfully white pages to assist you in your walk this year. That way the blots, smears, and tear stains will be fewer every day. --Dean Ohlman
DESTINATION POINTS
* How have I been focusing on the blots in my life instead of the future blessings?
* Lord, remind me every day to be careful about what I write on the clean pages of my future.
LINKS:
Soul Journal
http://www.rbc.net/sj/sjournal
How Can I Start Over?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/ 9c6/9c6016.html
bottom line: The future pages of your life are still clean.
soul journey
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
At the Christian university I attended we were often addressed by the founder, a man who had been one of the popular "tent evangelists" early in the 20th century. His chapel talks were usually sprinkled with helpful sayings--some of which have been incorporated into the fabric of my own life.
One I've found to be helpful, especially for the new year, is "Remember, there are no blots on the pages of the future!" By this he was emphasizing a foundational truth of the Christian faith: God forgives us for our past sins and also helps us lead godly lives, doing things that reflect our desire to love Him and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
As you look back over the past year, you may recall some bad decisions that brought a bunch of problems into your life. You may feel ashamed and disappointed about those failures. You wish you could just erase them. Well, the truth is you can't. And you may still be living with consequences of those bad decisions. They may be shouting accusations at you: "Loser, sinner, weakling, bad Christian, bad son, bad daughter, bad friend!"
Consequences and accusations do make it more difficult to write your life on those blank pages that lie before you now. And so do our fleshly desires. But don't forget that those pages are still pure white! With God's help you can write beautiful things on each one. What's needed is your willingness to ask God's forgiveness for past sins. Then, accept His forgiveness as motivation to change your direction, to reflect what you know God wants you to do.
Lay your Bible open right next to your "daily diary" of wonderfully white pages to assist you in your walk this year. That way the blots, smears, and tear stains will be fewer every day. --Dean Ohlman
DESTINATION POINTS
* How have I been focusing on the blots in my life instead of the future blessings?
* Lord, remind me every day to be careful about what I write on the clean pages of my future.
LINKS:
Soul Journal
http://www.rbc.net/sj/sjournal
How Can I Start Over?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/ 9c6/9c6016.html
bottom line: The future pages of your life are still clean.
soul journey
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Today's scripture is Matthew 25:6
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."
Don't get caught sleeping when Jesus returns. Wake up now to the Holy Spirit. Let Him put you on the inside track and get you ready for your Lord. Because just as Jesus foretold, there is a cry going out at midnight. The Spirit of the Lord is announcing His return.
Can you hear it in your spirit? Can you sense the Lord saying, "Get up and come out to meet Me. Fellowship with Me. Get in
the light now, and at that crucial hour, you'll be on the inside of My plans."
Obey Him quickly. For, behold, the bridegroom cometh!
bible shack
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."
Don't get caught sleeping when Jesus returns. Wake up now to the Holy Spirit. Let Him put you on the inside track and get you ready for your Lord. Because just as Jesus foretold, there is a cry going out at midnight. The Spirit of the Lord is announcing His return.
Can you hear it in your spirit? Can you sense the Lord saying, "Get up and come out to meet Me. Fellowship with Me. Get in
the light now, and at that crucial hour, you'll be on the inside of My plans."
Obey Him quickly. For, behold, the bridegroom cometh!
bible shack
Friday, January 16, 2004
REAL LIFE
1 John 1:1-5
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Jamie thought her life was normal. She thought her experiences at home weren't any different than what other kids knew as real life.
She was wrong.
Jamie's mom married a man who initially seemed like a nice guy. But a few years later the controlling behavior began. Jamie and her younger sister were not allowed to play outside. Their stepfather had forced them to watch porn with him. Mental, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse went on for years.
Recently, Jamie sent me an e-mail that came with a plea. Please make others aware of abuse that may be occurring all around them--even in their own homes. Let them know that this is not the way God designed life to be.
Jamie writes: "Growing up, I thought this life was normal. I assumed that was what a father was supposed to do, as my step-dad would constantly tell me he was being the good father. He told me to never tell anybody.
"I thought this went on behind the doors of every house and I just had to brave it. After joining the Navy, however, I learned that life is not full of abuse and beatings. A little girl is supposed to run to her father after he comes home from work and say, 'Hi Dad, I missed you.'"
Jamie has now found a father to love--her heavenly Father. She's received the real life Jesus offers: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
Her earthly father may have robbed Jamie of her innocence and a happy childhood. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has provided the way for her to experience the love of God.
She has found pure love that brings joy as it is shared with others (1 John 1:3-4). If you, or someone you know, have been hurt by an unhealthy relationship--bring that pain to your Father in heaven. He is the source of real life. --Tom Felten
DESTINATION POINTS
* Do I know of anyone who has been or is being hurt by abuse? How can I reach out to help?
* What does our heavenly Father provide to those who have been abused?
LINKS:
When Trust Is Lost
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb922
When Violence Comes Home
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb951
God Our Father:
What It Means To Be His Child
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0108
bottom line: Real life is found in God's perfect love.
soul journey
1 John 1:1-5
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Jamie thought her life was normal. She thought her experiences at home weren't any different than what other kids knew as real life.
She was wrong.
Jamie's mom married a man who initially seemed like a nice guy. But a few years later the controlling behavior began. Jamie and her younger sister were not allowed to play outside. Their stepfather had forced them to watch porn with him. Mental, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse went on for years.
Recently, Jamie sent me an e-mail that came with a plea. Please make others aware of abuse that may be occurring all around them--even in their own homes. Let them know that this is not the way God designed life to be.
Jamie writes: "Growing up, I thought this life was normal. I assumed that was what a father was supposed to do, as my step-dad would constantly tell me he was being the good father. He told me to never tell anybody.
"I thought this went on behind the doors of every house and I just had to brave it. After joining the Navy, however, I learned that life is not full of abuse and beatings. A little girl is supposed to run to her father after he comes home from work and say, 'Hi Dad, I missed you.'"
Jamie has now found a father to love--her heavenly Father. She's received the real life Jesus offers: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
Her earthly father may have robbed Jamie of her innocence and a happy childhood. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has provided the way for her to experience the love of God.
She has found pure love that brings joy as it is shared with others (1 John 1:3-4). If you, or someone you know, have been hurt by an unhealthy relationship--bring that pain to your Father in heaven. He is the source of real life. --Tom Felten
DESTINATION POINTS
* Do I know of anyone who has been or is being hurt by abuse? How can I reach out to help?
* What does our heavenly Father provide to those who have been abused?
LINKS:
When Trust Is Lost
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb922
When Violence Comes Home
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb951
God Our Father:
What It Means To Be His Child
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0108
bottom line: Real life is found in God's perfect love.
soul journey
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Let's Not Kid Ourselves
Read: James 1:19-25
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
A child was told by his mother, "Go look in the mirror and wash your face." He insisted, "I already have!" But she replied, "You're only kidding yourself!" His dirty face proved to her that if he really had looked in the mirror, he ignored what it revealed. He may have seen the truth about himself, but he didn't act on it.
The apostle James taught that anyone who hears God's Word but does not obey it is kidding himself. He is like someone who looks at himself in a mirror but goes his way unchanged (James 1:22-24). He hears and reads God's Word, but then dismisses it, not letting the Scriptures change him. The person who looks into the mirror of God's Word, however, longing to be transformed by it, "is not a forgetful hearer" (v.25). He wants the Word to reveal his true needs and show him truths to obey. As he obeys, he progressively becomes more like Jesus. James said that kind of person "will be blessed in what he does" (v.25).
If we honestly want to become more like Christ in our attitudes, actions, and reactions, we must look into God's mirror, the Bible, regularly. But let's not kid ourselves—just looking isn't enough. God's Word will transform us, but only if we obey it. —Joanie Yoder
Lord, help me heed Your every word,
Commands that I have read or heard;
As You reveal Your will each day,
Help me to follow and obey. —Fitzhugh
Open your Bible prayerfully, read it carefully, and obey it joyfully.
daily bread
Read: James 1:19-25
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
A child was told by his mother, "Go look in the mirror and wash your face." He insisted, "I already have!" But she replied, "You're only kidding yourself!" His dirty face proved to her that if he really had looked in the mirror, he ignored what it revealed. He may have seen the truth about himself, but he didn't act on it.
The apostle James taught that anyone who hears God's Word but does not obey it is kidding himself. He is like someone who looks at himself in a mirror but goes his way unchanged (James 1:22-24). He hears and reads God's Word, but then dismisses it, not letting the Scriptures change him. The person who looks into the mirror of God's Word, however, longing to be transformed by it, "is not a forgetful hearer" (v.25). He wants the Word to reveal his true needs and show him truths to obey. As he obeys, he progressively becomes more like Jesus. James said that kind of person "will be blessed in what he does" (v.25).
If we honestly want to become more like Christ in our attitudes, actions, and reactions, we must look into God's mirror, the Bible, regularly. But let's not kid ourselves—just looking isn't enough. God's Word will transform us, but only if we obey it. —Joanie Yoder
Lord, help me heed Your every word,
Commands that I have read or heard;
As You reveal Your will each day,
Help me to follow and obey. —Fitzhugh
Open your Bible prayerfully, read it carefully, and obey it joyfully.
daily bread
PARTING THE RED SEA JORDAN
Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.
15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
If you get the chance later this spring, stand near a river. Listen to the sounds of the rushing water. See how the current
carries along leaves, sticks, and branches. Then look at the depth and appreciate the power of the water.
Now imagine the water splitting apart, creating a path from the riverbank you're standing on to the other side. Picture yourself walking across the river on dry ground.
That's what happened when the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14-17). It was flood season and the water was very high. At other times in the year, the water was so low that it could be crossed with little effort. But at this particular time, it took a miracle.
The movie's not out yet, but the miracle in Joshua 3 is just as spectacular as Moses' parting of the Red Sea. When I first read this story about Joshua and the Israelites, I had a hard time appreciating its significance. In the Old Testament, God did all kinds of magnificent things. It was a different time, a different place, right? So why should the parting of the Jordan River mean anything to me? God did for His people what they could not do for themselves.
The Israelites couldn't cross the Jordan on their own, so He parted it for them. We can't cross "the Jordan" on our own either. Without God, we can't fully forgive. Without God, we can't truly love. And without God, there is no heaven and no hope for mercy. Bottom line, God has always and will always be doing for His people what they can't do on their own.
Sometimes we can be so proud. We think we know so much and can do so much on our own. Knowledge can make us conceited. But without God, we would cease to exist. The very air we breathe is a gift from Him.
God is still performing miracles today. He may not be parting oceans and rivers (although He can if He chooses), but He is
doing wonders in my life that I know I can't do on my own. --Allison Stevens
DESTINATION POINTS
* What has God done for me that I couldn't have done on my own?
* How do I acknowledge the things God does for me that I can't do on my own?
* In what ways have I neglected to give Him credit for what He does for me?
LINKS:
Knowing God Through Exodus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb112
bottom line: God alone can help us cross life's rough waters.
soul journey
Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.
15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
If you get the chance later this spring, stand near a river. Listen to the sounds of the rushing water. See how the current
carries along leaves, sticks, and branches. Then look at the depth and appreciate the power of the water.
Now imagine the water splitting apart, creating a path from the riverbank you're standing on to the other side. Picture yourself walking across the river on dry ground.
That's what happened when the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14-17). It was flood season and the water was very high. At other times in the year, the water was so low that it could be crossed with little effort. But at this particular time, it took a miracle.
The movie's not out yet, but the miracle in Joshua 3 is just as spectacular as Moses' parting of the Red Sea. When I first read this story about Joshua and the Israelites, I had a hard time appreciating its significance. In the Old Testament, God did all kinds of magnificent things. It was a different time, a different place, right? So why should the parting of the Jordan River mean anything to me? God did for His people what they could not do for themselves.
The Israelites couldn't cross the Jordan on their own, so He parted it for them. We can't cross "the Jordan" on our own either. Without God, we can't fully forgive. Without God, we can't truly love. And without God, there is no heaven and no hope for mercy. Bottom line, God has always and will always be doing for His people what they can't do on their own.
Sometimes we can be so proud. We think we know so much and can do so much on our own. Knowledge can make us conceited. But without God, we would cease to exist. The very air we breathe is a gift from Him.
God is still performing miracles today. He may not be parting oceans and rivers (although He can if He chooses), but He is
doing wonders in my life that I know I can't do on my own. --Allison Stevens
DESTINATION POINTS
* What has God done for me that I couldn't have done on my own?
* How do I acknowledge the things God does for me that I can't do on my own?
* In what ways have I neglected to give Him credit for what He does for me?
LINKS:
Knowing God Through Exodus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb112
bottom line: God alone can help us cross life's rough waters.
soul journey
Sunday, January 11, 2004
GET OUT OF HELL FREE
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. . . . "41 Then He will say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . " 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
In an online column, Randy writes about strange--but true--news items that he gleans from newspapers around the world. When a reader didn't like a story he wrote and suggested a place he'd like him to reside, Randy created the "Get Out of Hell Free" card. Using the game of Monopoly for his inspiration, he produced parody cards that look a lot like the original "Get Out of Jail" card.
Hmmm. Very clever. I'm guessing that Randy doesn't believe that there really is a place called hell. If he did, he probably wouldn't be joking about it. A lot of people think that hell is the place where most of their friends will end up. You know, maybe like the bar scene in Star Wars--a little weird, but a mostly friendly place, where you can hang with your buddies and have a good time.
But it won't be party-time in hell. Jesus said that it's a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a place of "fire" (Matthew 13:40-42; 25:41; Revelation 20:15), "torment" (Luke 16:28), and "eternal punishment" (Matthew 25:46).
There will be no good things like friendship in hell, because God will not be there. The Bible says that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, and faith will be nonexistent in hell, for they are the fruit of the Spirit. "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Nobody really wants to go to hell. But by not choosing Jesus, people do choose that final destination. Only through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, can any of us avoid that terrible place.
The only way to really "get out of hell free"? Believe that Jesus, who never sinned, was crucified. Believe that His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary paid for your sin. Believe that He rose after 3 days. The cost of your debt was Jesus' life. It wasn't free for Him, but it is for you. Confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to save you. --Cindy Kasper
DESTINATION POINTS
* Have I made a choice about where I want to spend eternity?
* Am I a sheep or a goat? (Matthew 25:33).
LINKS:
What Does The Bible Say About Hell?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q1002
bottom line: To deny hell's reality leads to a rude awakening.
soul journey
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. . . . "41 Then He will say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . " 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
In an online column, Randy writes about strange--but true--news items that he gleans from newspapers around the world. When a reader didn't like a story he wrote and suggested a place he'd like him to reside, Randy created the "Get Out of Hell Free" card. Using the game of Monopoly for his inspiration, he produced parody cards that look a lot like the original "Get Out of Jail" card.
Hmmm. Very clever. I'm guessing that Randy doesn't believe that there really is a place called hell. If he did, he probably wouldn't be joking about it. A lot of people think that hell is the place where most of their friends will end up. You know, maybe like the bar scene in Star Wars--a little weird, but a mostly friendly place, where you can hang with your buddies and have a good time.
But it won't be party-time in hell. Jesus said that it's a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a place of "fire" (Matthew 13:40-42; 25:41; Revelation 20:15), "torment" (Luke 16:28), and "eternal punishment" (Matthew 25:46).
There will be no good things like friendship in hell, because God will not be there. The Bible says that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, and faith will be nonexistent in hell, for they are the fruit of the Spirit. "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Nobody really wants to go to hell. But by not choosing Jesus, people do choose that final destination. Only through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, can any of us avoid that terrible place.
The only way to really "get out of hell free"? Believe that Jesus, who never sinned, was crucified. Believe that His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary paid for your sin. Believe that He rose after 3 days. The cost of your debt was Jesus' life. It wasn't free for Him, but it is for you. Confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to save you. --Cindy Kasper
DESTINATION POINTS
* Have I made a choice about where I want to spend eternity?
* Am I a sheep or a goat? (Matthew 25:33).
LINKS:
What Does The Bible Say About Hell?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q1002
bottom line: To deny hell's reality leads to a rude awakening.
soul journey