"And Every Virtue We Possess"

. . . All my springs are in you —Psalm 87:7

Our Lord never “patches up” our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. He completely remakes a person on the inside— “. . . put on the new man . . .” (Ephesians 4:24). In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ. Once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying-up experience!

The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.

And every virtue we possess
Is His alone.

my utmost for his highest

Wrong Worship
by Dave Branon

Read: Acts 19:23-41

This trade of ours [is] in danger of falling into disrepute. —Acts 19:27

If you really want to get folks upset, threaten their economy.
A bad economic picture gets politicians voted out of office, and the threat of a downturn nearly got the apostle Paul kicked out of Ephesus.

Here’s what happened. Paul came to town and started “reasoning and persuading concerning . . . the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). For more than 2 years he shared the gospel, and many began following Jesus.

Because Paul was so successful in getting people to see that there is only one true God, many Ephesians stopped worshiping the goddess Diana. This was bad news for the local silversmiths, who made their living creating and selling Diana statuettes. If enough people stopped believing in her, business would dry up. A commotion and an uproar broke out when the craftsmen figured this out.

This Ephesus incident can remind us to evaluate our reasons for worshiping God. The silversmiths wanted to protect their worship as a way of protecting their prosperity, but may that never be said of us. Don’t ever let your worship of God become an avenue to good fortune.

We worship God because of His love for us and because of who He is, not because loving Him can help our bottom line. Let’s worship God the right way.

We worship God for who He is,
And not because of what we’ll get;
When we acknowledge what we owe,
We’ll thank Him that He paid our debt. —Sper

Don’t worship God to gain His benefits— you already have them.

our daily bread

near
by winn collier

Matthew 1:18-25

Immanuel . . . means, “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).

A musician friend of mine has a cousin named Emmanuel. My friend wrote a song alluding to Emmanuel’s fairytale-like wedding. The ceremony was outdoors in a picturesque setting with fine weather and wooded surroundings.

As the time to commence neared, however, many grew nervous because no one had seen the groom all day. Soon, however, a distant figure came through the field. It was the groom on a white horse, dressed in full silver armor with a purple plume waving atop his head. Emmanuel desired to make a dramatic appearance because he wanted all to know he loved his bride—and was coming for her.

The knighted groom’s name couldn’t have been more perfect. The Old Testament narrative tells us that all history had waited for another Immanuel to come, to come for us. Matthew (echoing the prophet Isaiah) makes sure we hear the name of this One who is coming for us: Immanuel. There’s a whole world of hope in that name. Immanuel, we are told, means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).

In Immanuel (Jesus), God has come near. God walked our streets. God breathed our air. God felt our pain. God laughed. God cried. God—in Jesus—was among us, next to us, right beside us.

Our loss and shame and sorrow have built walls around our heart. Few see who we truly are. Few know what makes us sing or dance. Few know what makes us want to run away, or what fills us with dread. We may fear that if another ever saw all that was in us, they would turn away in disgust. Distance, disconnection, loneliness—unfortunately, these are common descriptors of our relational experience.

How powerful, then, to know that the purposes of God are centered on this desire—for God to be near us. God with us.

our daily journey

cradle, cross, and crown
by k.t. sim

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Luke 1:26-35 
You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will name Him Jesus. . . . The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David (Luke 1:31-32).

What do you consider to be a good representation of Christmas? The potbellied Santa Claus? The nativity scene complete with baby, hay-filled manger, and donkeys? The iconic Christmas tree? For Luke, Christmas was best represented by a cradle, a cross, and a crown.

A cradle. The angel Gabriel told a confused young virgin that she “[would] conceive and give birth to a son” (Luke 1:31). This supernaturally conceived (Luke 1:34- 35) baby would be Mary’s own flesh and blood. Imagine, the all-powerful Creator in a cradle as a helpless infant, a real baby with a belly button! Mary’s boy child is the human (albeit sinless) son of Mary (Luke 1:31) and the divine Son of God! (Luke 1:32,35). This picture is profoundly mystifying.

A cross. “You will name Him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Jesus, the Greek equivalent of Joshua, means “the Lord saves” or simply “Savior.” The angel reiterated Jesus’ name in an appearance to Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, and spoke of His mission: “You are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus became our Savior “when He was hung on the cross” (Galatians 3:13).

A crown. “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David” (Luke 1:32). Some 1,000 years before, “God had promised . . . that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne” (2 Samuel 7:11-13; Acts 2:30). This baby would be born King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). “And He will reign forever; His Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:33).

Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and nativity scenes will be common sights this month. But Jesus is the One we must seek and celebrate. Let’s bow before the Son of God in the cradle, the Savior on the cross, and the King on the throne (Philippians 2:10-11).

our daily journey

The Focus Of Our Message

I did not come to bring peace but a sword —Matthew 10:34

Never be sympathetic with a person whose situation causes you to conclude that God is dealing harshly with him. God can be more tender than we can conceive, and every once in a while He gives us the opportunity to deal firmly with someone so that He may be viewed as the tender One. If a person cannot go to God, it is because he has something secret which he does not intend to give up— he may admit his sin, but would no more give up that thing than he could fly under his own power. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with people like that. We must reach down deep in their lives to the root of the problem, which will cause hostility and resentment toward the message. People want the blessing of God, but they can’t stand something that pierces right through to the heart of the matter.

If you are sensitive to God’s way, your message as His servant will be merciless and insistent, cutting to the very root. Otherwise, there will be no healing. We must drive the message home so forcefully that a person cannot possibly hide, but must apply its truth. Deal with people where they are, until they begin to realize their true need. Then hold high the standard of Jesus for their lives. Their response may be, “We can never be that.” Then drive it home with, “Jesus Christ says you must.” “But how can we be?” “You can’t, unless you have a new Spirit” (see Luke 11:13).

There must be a sense of need created before your message is of any use. Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to “bring . . . a sword” through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself.

my utmost for his highest

Breathtaking
by Julie Ackerman Link

Read: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

A man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life. —Ecclesiastes 8:15

A popular slogan says, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I see the phrase everywhere, on everything from T-shirts to pieces of art. It’s a catchy phrase, but I think it’s misleading.

If we measure life by breathtaking moments, we miss the wonder of ordinary moments. Eating, sleeping, and breathing seem “ordinary” in that we do them every day, usually without much thought. But they are not ordinary at all. Every bite and every breath are miracles. In fact, having breath is more miraculous than anything that takes our breath away.

King Solomon may have had more breathtaking moments than anyone. He said, “I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure” (Eccl. 2:10). But he expressed cynicism about it by saying, “All of it is meaningless” (v.17 NIV).
Solomon’s life reminds us that it’s important to find joy in “ordinary” things, for they are indeed wonderful. Bigger is not always better. More is not always an improvement. Busier doesn’t make us more important.
Rather than look for meaning in breathtaking moments, we should find meaning in every breath we take, and make every breath meaningful.

All that I want is in Jesus;
He satisfies, joy He supplies;
Life would be worthless without Him,
All things in Jesus I find. —Loes

Breathing is more miraculous than anything
that takes our breath away.

our daily bread

"It is Finished!"

I have finished the work which You have given Me to do —John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him— something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.
Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. “We see Jesus . . . for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor . . .” (Hebrews 2:9). The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ— “It is finished!” (John 19:30). That is the final word in the redemption of humankind.
Anything that lessens or completely obliterates the holiness of God, through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Never allow yourself to believe that Jesus Christ stands with us, and against God, out of pity and compassion, or that He became a curse for us out of sympathy for us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by divine decree. Our part in realizing the tremendous meaning of His curse is the conviction of sin. Conviction is given to us as a gift of shame and repentance; it is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of His hatred.

my utmost for his highest

The Changed Life

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

What understanding do you have of the salvation of your soul? The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically changed. You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you. One of the tests for determining if the work of salvation in your life is genuine is— has God changed the things that really matter to you? If you still yearn for the old things, it is absurd to talk about being born from above— you are deceiving yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the change very evident in your real life and thought. And when a crisis comes, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing change that is the very evidence that you are saved.

What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13 , or do I squirm and evade the issue? True salvation, worked out in me by the Holy Spirit, frees me completely. And as long as I “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7), God sees nothing to rebuke because His life is working itself into every detailed part of my being, not on the conscious level, but even deeper than my consciousness.

my utmost for his highest

slightly off?
by Poh Fang

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1 Samuel 13
But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. The Lord has already appointed him . . . because you have not kept the Lord’s command (1 Samuel 13:14).

Argh . . . I’m no longer perfect.” I groaned inwardly. The realization struck me when we replaced our home television with a 42-inch set. The color was good, the sound perfect, but what happened to the subtitles? Why were they so blurry? I had lost my 20-20 vision! My doctor informed me that my left-eye vision is slightly off by a few degrees.

It dawned on me that when something is off the mark by a teeny-weeny bit, we usually let it slide. For it’s more convenient to simply leave it alone than to deal with it. This attitude, however, can be fatal when carried over to the way we deal with sin. Saul is a perfect example.

If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that Saul’s actions didn’t seem to be all that bad (1 Samuel 10:8, 13:9). On the surface, it appeared that Samuel was late, and that the survival of Saul and the nation was doubtful unless someone acted quickly (1 Samuel 13:8). Saul certainly seemed to be the man to do it.

Why was it so wrong for him to sacrifice a burnt offering? (1 Samuel 13:10-11). Saul had assumed a role that wasn’t his. He offered the sacrifice in direct disobedience to God (1 Samuel 13:13). Instead of waiting on God’s timing, he essentially infringed on the function of a priest (Leviticus 6:8-13).

This situation reveals a flaw in Saul’s perspective. His sight was not fully set on obeying God. Did he do anything about it? No. In 1 Samuel 15, we read of another battle and another act of disobedience. Once again, he used piety as a cover-up (1 Samuel 15:20). But Samuel, God’s spokesman, said, “Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, He has rejected you” (1 Samuel 15:26).

There’s no so such thing as being slightly imperfect in following God’s commands. Let’s pursue His holiness today.

our daily journey

Waiting . . .
by Julie Ackerman Link

Read: Luke 2:22-38

Blessed are all those who wait for Him. —Isaiah 30:18

Autumn is hunting season here in Michigan. For a few weeks every year, licensed hunters are allowed to go out into the woods and hunt for various species of wildlife. Some hunters build elaborate tree stands high above the ground where they sit quietly for hours waiting for a deer to wander within rifle range.

When I think of hunters who are so patient when it comes to waiting for deer, I think of how impatient we can be when we have to wait for God. We often equate “wait” with “waste.” If we’re waiting for something (or someone), we think we are doing nothing, which, in an accomplishment-crazed culture, seems like a waste of time.

But waiting serves many purposes. In particular, it proves our faith. Those whose faith is weak are often the first to give up waiting, while those with the strongest faith are willing to wait indefinitely.

When we read the Christmas story in Luke 2, we learn of two people who proved their faith by their willingness to wait. Simeon and Anna waited long, but their time wasn’t wasted; it put them in a place where they could witness the coming of Messiah (vv.22-38).

Not receiving an immediate answer to prayer is no reason to give up faith.

Not ours to know the reason why
Unanswered is our prayer,
But ours to wait for God’s own time
To lift the cross we bear. —Anon.

Waiting for God is never a waste of time.

our daily bread

The Unrivaled Power of Prayer

We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered —Romans 8:26

We realize that we are energized by the Holy Spirit for prayer; and we know what it is to pray in accordance with the Spirit; but we don’t often realize that the Holy Spirit Himself prays prayers in us which we cannot utter ourselves. When we are born again of God and are indwelt by the Spirit of God, He expresses for us the unutterable.
“He,” the Holy Spirit in you, “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27). And God searches your heart, not to know what your conscious prayers are, but to find out what the prayer of the Holy Spirit is.

The Spirit of God uses the nature of the believer as a temple in which to offer His prayers of intercession. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:19). When Jesus Christ cleansed the temple, “. . . He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple” (Mark 11:16). The Spirit of God will not allow you to use your body for your own convenience. Jesus ruthlessly cast out everyone who bought and sold in the temple, and said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer . . . . But you have made it a ’den of thieves’ ” (Mark 11:17).

Have we come to realize that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him. We have to remember that our conscious life, even though only a small part of our total person, is to be regarded by us as a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” He will be responsible for the unconscious part which we don’t know, but we must pay careful attention to and guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.

my utmost for his highest

rules and order
by Poh Fang

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1 Corinthians 14:26-40
When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, . . . one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you (v.26).

As you step into the room, you’re greeted by a cacophony of noise. Everyone is talking, but no one is listening. For a moment, you think you’ve stepped into the New York Stock Exchange—but it isn’t that loud, lively place. It’s a church meeting in Corinth.

Obviously, the church in Corinth was anything but boring. It was bustling with activity. But, to maintain order, Paul needed to lay down some rules. He instructed that the primary principle of all activities in the church should be corporate edification. For “when you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:26). And it must be done in an orderly manner because “God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Bible teacher Ray Stedman summarized it this way, “When the church comes together, it can be built up in marvelous ways. It can be such a strengthening thing to meet together, to encourage one another in our faith, to share in the exercise of spiritual gifts, to be taught by the mind of God, by the Spirit of God, through the Word of God, and to be comforted in times of trial and testing and pressure. This is the purpose for the church getting together. But whatever you do, do not let it become an endlessly confusing ministry, misrepresentative of the character of God, who is a God of order and decency.”

It’s exciting to attend a church that conforms to God’s instructions. So, brothers and sisters in Jesus, let’s play our part.

our daily journey

didn’t see it
by Tom Felten

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Acts 12:6-19
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” (v.14).

When a certain member of our family lost his brother’s new iPod Touch—in our home—a cloud of disappointment and bewilderment filled the air for several days. (How can you lose an iPod in a house?) Prayers were sent up and theories abounded as we strived to find the costly gadget. And then, below the very cushions where people had sat and prayed days before, the lost music and video player was found . . . deep inside the workings of our sleeper sofa!

This episode in the days of my family’s life reminds me of a humorous story found in Acts 12. It begins, however, in a not-so-funny way. The apostle Peter had been imprisoned in Jerusalem by King Herod (Acts 12:3).

As a favor to Jewish leaders, Herod already had seen to the killing of James (the brother of John). It looked like Peter was next on the list. As the apostle was being held in chains, the “church prayed very earnestly for him” (Acts 12:5). But then, the night before Peter was to go to trial, he was miraculously set free by an angel (Acts 12:7). Having gained his freedom, he headed for a safe place—the home of Mary, John Mark’s mother (Acts 12:10-12). (Here’s the funny part.) As Peter gently knocks at the gate of the home and quietly calls out, a girl named Rhoda hears him and is filled with joy. But instead of opening the door, she runs back and tells the others! Initially, the other believers, who had been diligently praying for Peter’s release, don’t believe her. So Peter keeps pounding on the door, and they finally let him in (Acts 12:13-16).

This amusing account packs a point: Is there something you’ve been earnestly praying for that God has already answered? It may be time for you to grasp the reality that God’s response has already been made plain.

our daily journey

Too Busy To Know God?
by Randy Kilgore

Read: Luke 10:38-42

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. —Luke 10:39

One day when I was waiting to board a plane, a stranger who had overheard me mention that I was a chaplain began to describe to me his life before he met Christ. He said it was marked by “sin and self-absorption. Then I met Jesus.”

I listened with interest to a list of changes he had made to his life and good deeds he had done. But because everything he told me was about his busyness for God and not his fellowship with God, I wasn’t surprised when he added, “Frankly, chaplain, I thought I’d feel better about myself by now.”

I think the New Testament character Martha would have understood that stranger’s observation. Having invited Jesus to be a guest at her home, she set about doing what she thought were the important things. But this meant she couldn’t focus on Jesus. Because Mary wasn’t helping, Martha felt justified asking Jesus to chide her. It’s a mistake many of us make: We’re so busy doing good that we don’t spend time getting to know God better.

My advice to my new airplane friend came from the core of Jesus’ words to Martha in Luke 10:41-42. I said to him: “Slow down and invest yourself in knowing God; let His Word reveal Himself to you.” If we’re too busy to spend time with God, we’re simply too busy.

Savior, let me walk beside Thee,
Let me feel my hand in Thine;
Let me know the joy of walking
In Thy strength and not in mine. —Sidebotham

Our heavenly Father longs to spend time with His children.

our daily bread

i want to live
by roxanne robbins

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1 Samuel 2:6-10
The Lord gives both death and life (v.6).

My 6-year-old son, Wasswa, was outside riding his bicycle. I was in the kitchen when he came running to me with a cut under his left eye. As blood oozed, my frightened child cried out, “I want to live! I want to live! I want to live!”

Wasswa wasn’t merely frightened by the blood, he was terrified that he was going to die. And while his reaction might seem extreme, a glance at his past explains his fear.

Before he came to live with me, Wasswa had felt the “sting” of death multiple times. When he was just 18 months old, his twin brother died. At age 4, he lost his mother and father when they died of AIDS. Seven of Wasswa’s nine aunts and uncles, living in the same village, also died during the first 5 years of his life. In his impoverished community, more people were dying of disease than surviving. So it’s understandable that Wasswa thought death was encroaching on him as well.

No one wants to die young. When death taunted King David, he pleaded with God to spare him. “He broke my strength in midlife, cutting short my days,” David recalled. “But I cried to Him, ‘O my God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I am so young!’” (Psalm 102:23-25). In response, God continued to protect and preserve his life. As Samuel declared, He is sovereign over both life and death.

Because of sin, “all creation was subjected to God’s curse [death]” (Romans 8:20). The good news is that Jesus Christ gives us victory over death. Through Him we can take heart that nothing, not even “death . . . fears . . . worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38-39). We can rest in His sovereign hands.

our daily journey

Individual Discouragement and Personal Growth

. . . when Moses was grown . . . he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens —Exodus 2:11

Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After he launched his first strike for God and for what was right, God allowed Moses to be driven into empty discouragement, sending him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared to Moses and said to him, ” ’. . . bring My people . . . out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ’Who am I that I should go . . . ?’ ” (Exodus 3:10-11). In the beginning Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God.

We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and yet when we start to do it, there comes to us something equivalent to Moses’ forty years in the wilderness. It’s as if God had ignored the entire thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged, God comes back and revives His call to us. And then we begin to tremble and say, “Who am I that I should go . . . ?” We must learn that God’s great stride is summed up in these words— “I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him— our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be “well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We are focused on the right individual perspective of things; we have the vision and can say, “I know this is what God wants me to do.” But we have not yet learned to get into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.

my utmost for his highest

A No-Smiling Policy
by Anne Cetas

Read: John 13:31-35

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. —John 13:35

Usually we’re told to smile before someone takes our picture. But in some parts of the US, a no-smiling policy is enforced when getting your photo taken for a driver’s license. Because of identity theft, these motor vehicle departments carefully check new photos that are taken to be sure they don’t match photos already in the system. If someone gets a picture taken under a false name, an alarm is sent to the operator. From 1999 to 2009, one state stopped 6,000 people from getting fraudulent licenses. But why no smiling? The technology recognizes a face more easily if the person has a neutral facial expression.

Jesus prescribed a good way to recognize a Christian. He told His disciples, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The ways to show love to fellow believers are as endless as there are people with needs: a note of encouragement, a visit, a meal, a gentle rebuke, a prayer, a Bible verse, a listening ear, even just a friendly smile.

The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). Can others recognize, by our care for fellow Christians, that we know and love the Lord?

For Christians to be recognized
As people who follow the Lord,
Their love for one another is
A virtue that can’t be ignored. —Sper

One measure of our love for God
is how much we show love to His children.

our daily bread

The Cost Of Fighting
by Bill Crowder

Read: James 4:1-10

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? —James 4:1

During a documentary on World War I, the narrator said that if Britain’s casualties in “the war to end all wars” were marched four abreast past London’s war monument, the processional would take 7 days to complete. This staggering word picture set my mind spinning at the awful cost of war. While those costs include monetary expense, destruction of property, and economic interruption, none of these compare to the human cost. Both soldiers and civilians pay the ultimate price, multiplied exponentially by the grief of the survivors. War is costly.

When believers go to war with one another, the cost is also high. James wrote, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (James 4:1). In our own selfish pursuits, we sometimes battle without considering the price exacted on our witness to the world or our relationships with one another. Perhaps that is why James preceded these words with the challenge, “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (3:18).

If we are to represent the Prince of Peace in our world, believers need to stop fighting with one another and practice peace.

The wars and fights within the church
Disrupt our unity and peace;
How can we show the peace of Christ
Unless our conflicts cease? —Sper

When Christians are at peace with one another, the world can more clearly see the Prince of Peace.

our daily bread

the right heart
by Tom Felten

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2 Chronicles 30:1-21
May the Lord, who is good, pardon those who decide to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony (vv.18-19).

Having grown up in a musical home, I started writing songs at an early age. Some have taken months—even years—to compose. Others have come together in minutes, as the lyrics leaped onto the page. One day, after contemplating what God truly desires from us in worship, I experienced one of those “instant song” (just add melody) moments as these lyrics flowed from my pen: It’s in the heart, not in the voice. It’s out of love, not out of choice.

That song excerpt captures what King Hezekiah of Judah lived out in 2 Chronicles 30. King Ahaz, the previous king, had “continued to reject the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:22), but Hezekiah reopened the temple even as the people of Judah began reopening their hearts to God (2 Chronicles 29:3).

After getting the temple “restored to service” (2 Chronicles 29:35), the good king prepared his people to celebrate the Passover. In fact, he even invited the people from Israel (to the north) to come and join the festivities (2 Chronicles 30:1). But an issue surfaced that threatened this sacred festival of worship to God: If Hezekiah and the people were to celebrate the Passover on the prescribed dates, the priests would not be prepared in time and not all the people would have made it to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:3).

So what to do? Hezekiah pushed back the Passover one month. Even with that unheard of alteration, some of the people arrived late and weren’t properly cleansed for the ceremony (2 Chronicles 30:18). But the king allowed them to take part anyway, noting they had come with hearts that indicated their desire “to follow the Lord” (2 Chronicles 30:19).

Hezekiah revealed an important aspect of worship to God: It’s more important to have the right heart and attitude than to simply go through the motions in a certain way or at a certain time. Let’s worship God with truly devoted hearts today.

http://www.ourdailyjourney.org/2011/10/04/the-right-heart/our daily journey

The Story Of A Wall
by David C. McCasland

Read: Ephesians 2:11-22

He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. —Ephesians 2:14

While visiting the ruins of Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England, I reflected on the fact that this may be the most remembered achievement of the Roman emperor who came to power in ad 117. As many as 18,000 Roman soldiers manned this 80-mile-long barrier, built to keep the northern barbarians from invading the south.

Hadrian is remembered for building a physical wall to keep people out. In contrast, Jesus Christ is remembered for tearing down a spiritual wall to let people in.

When the early church experienced tension between believers of Jewish and non-Jewish birth, Paul told them that, through Christ, they stood equally in the family of God. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation . . . so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace . . . . For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:14-15,18).

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Christian faith is the unity among those who follow Jesus. Through His death on the cross, Christ has removed the barriers that so often separate people and has drawn us together in true friendship and love.

God’s people have so much to do
In serving Christ today
That they should use their precious time
To share, to love, to pray. —Branon

Christian unity begins at the cross.

our daily bread

Artist of the earth
by sheridan voysey

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Psalm 104 
O Lord, what a variety of things You have made! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your creatures (v.24).

In her book Source, art historian Janine Bourke says that many of the world’s most celebrated artists developed their greatest work when they retreated to nature. Monet painted his Waterlily series after moving to his garden-home at Giverny. Picasso was most creative when based at Cỏte d’Azur in France. Jackson Pollock’s abstract paintings were inspired by Long Island landscapes. The sea became a theme for Ernest Hemingway after he moved to then unpopulated Key West in Florida.

Bourke also notes that many of these artists were animists or pantheists. Overwhelmed by the beauty of their locales, they believed that the earth was sacred and worthy of worship.

Artists aren’t the only ones to look at creation and see something divine. “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities— His eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). The sky reveals the glory and creativity of God (Psalm 19:1-2). Nature itself speaks of it (Psalm 19:3-4).

The Christian vision of the world, however, goes a significant step beyond the pantheist’s. Creation is not God but points to a Creator who is even more amazing.

An ancient Hebrew poet captured this idea extremely well. After a breathtaking survey of the earth’s beauties, he says, “O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all” (Psalm 104:24). Another poet called on these same valleys, streams, lions, and trees—exhorting them to bow and worship the Creator (Psalm 148:1-14).

The greatest artwork can only reveal a fraction of an artist’s genius. This world is the same. Why bow to the artwork of earth when the Artist behind it is so much greater?

our daily journey

Going Through Spiritual Confusion

Jesus answered and said, ’You do not know what you ask’ —Matthew 20:22

There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you.

The Shrouding of His Friendship (see Luke 11:5-8). Jesus gave the illustration here of a man who appears not to care for his friend. He was saying, in effect, that is how the heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think that He is an unkind friend, but remember?He is not. The time will come when everything will be explained. There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness. When God appears to be completely shrouded, will you hang on with confidence in Him?

The Shadow on His Fatherhood (see Luke 11:11-13). Jesus said that there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father?as if He were callous and indifferent— but remember, He is not. “Everyone who asks receives . . .” (Luke 11:10). If all you see is a shadow on the face of the Father right now, hang on to the fact that He will ultimately give you clear understanding and will fully justify Himself in everything that He has allowed into your life.

The Strangeness of His Faithfulness (see Luke 18:1-8). “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find the kind of faith that counts on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him right now.

my utmost for his highest

The Goodness Of Work
by Randy Kilgore

Read: Genesis 1:26-31

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” —Genesis 1:26

Some Christians grow up believing work is bad—that it’s a curse brought about by Adam and Eve’s sin. Left uncorrected, this mistaken belief can cause people to feel that what they do in their jobs every day isn’t important to God—or at the very least, isn’t as important as the work of missionaries and pastors. This is not true, as Genesis 1:26-31 teaches us.

First, we learn that God Himself works, as evidenced by the labor involved in creation and by the fact that He rested on the seventh day. Then we discover that we were made in His image (v.26) and that we were granted dominion over creation. This implies that we are to work to tend creation. Clearly, the tending of God’s creation is work—noble work, for God looked upon His labors and declared them “very good” (v.31).

It mustn’t escape our notice either that work was declared good before sin entered the picture. In other words, work didn’t result from the fall and therefore is not a curse. We see this idea again in Genesis 2, when God “took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (v.15).

Let’s approach each day’s labor—whether at a job or doing another activity to help our family—with an awareness of the dignity and nobility God granted it in creation.

Our daily work is used by God

To help us care for daily needs;

And work that’s done as to the Lord

Gives witness to our words and deeds. —D. De Haan

  

God, give me work till my life shall end—

and life till my work is done.

our daily bread

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ —John 11:40

Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?

Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).

my utmost for his highest

The Purpose of Prayer

. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

“Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.

my utmost for his highest

reconciliation
by k.t. sim

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Genesis 32:1-5 
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9).

Jacob conned his older twin brother and got his birthright (Genesis 25:29-33). Then he cheated Esau a second time when he tricked their father into giving him the blessings that belonged to Esau—the firstborn (Genesis  27:36). In anger, the older brother swore to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41). So their mother advised Jacob to hide out at his uncle’s place (Genesis 27:43-45) for a period of time that stretched to 20 long years. Finally, after that lengthy stay, God wanted Jacob to return and reconcile with Esau (Genesis 31:3,13). In obedience, Jacob did two things:

• He initiated the reconciliation (Genesis 32:3). Esau was in Edom. To meet him there, Jacob deliberately had to travel hundreds of miles south of his hometown. It required significant effort to travel that great distance. It was inconvenient, time-consuming, and costly. But he ignored those valid excuses not to see his brother.

• He humbled himself (Genesis 32:4-5). He called his brother “my master Esau,” and labeled himself “[Esau’s] servant” (Genesis 32:4). According to the customs of his time, Jacob was now the head of the family (having stolen that position from Esau 2 decades earlier). But by honoring his older brother, Jacob acknowledged the natural birth order. He referred to Esau as the master, the lord of the family.

Jacob let his brother know why he came back. “I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me” (Genesis 32:5). He asked for reconciliation.

Is there someone with whom you need to reconcile? Someone from whom you need to ask for or receive forgiveness? Jacob showed us the three attitudes that should characterize your peace-making efforts—a willingness to reconcile, an attitude of genuine humility, and true sincerity.

You need to make the first move to initiate reconciliation. Then humbly and sincerely pursue true forgiveness.

our daily journey

Birds, Lilies, And Me
by David C. Egner

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. —Luke 12:22

In the episodes of an old television show, the veteran police lieutenant always said this to the young officers on their way out to the street for their day’s assignments: “Be careful out there!” It was both good advice and a word of compassion because he knew what could happen to them in the line of duty.

Jesus gave His followers a similar warning, but in even stronger terms. Luke 11 ends ominously with these words: “The scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things” (v.53). In the continuation of this account, Luke says that Jesus compassionately instructed His disciples to “beware” (12:1) but not to worry or be afraid (vv.4-7,22).

Jesus was promising to guard, protect, and care for them as they went out into the world. He assured them that because He cared for simple things like birds and lilies, they could be certain that He would take care of His “little flock” of believers (vv.24-32).

We cannot know the future. But we can know this: No matter what comes, we are under the loving, caring, watchful eye of our great Shepherd, who also happens to be the Son of God!

I walked life’s path with worry,

Disturbed and quite unblest,

Until I trusted Jesus;

Now faith has given rest. —Bosch

If Jesus is concerned about flowers and birds,

He certainly cares about you and me.

our daily bread

Three Dollars' Worth of God

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

Most of us can blow through three dollars without even thinking twice. It’ll get you a cup of Starbucks, a few snacks for a road trip, or a squeak toy for your new puppy. But one thing is for sure: it won’t buy you soul-to-soul intimacy with the Creator of the universe.

Someone once wrote: “I’d like to buy three dollars’ worth of God. Please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a rebirth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I’d like to buy about three dollars’ worth of God, please.”

I wonder if you are among those who want just enough of God to get yourself to a comfortable place, but not enough to pay the price of a deepening relationship with Him. If we want to be in tight with Jesus, we’ve got to abandon the idea that a mere acquaintance with Him is enough and that we have all we really need in and of ourselves. Self-sufficiency is life’s greatest barricade when it comes to intimacy with God.

I find it interesting that all the “self” terms we throw around make us wither with guilt. Just say the word self-centered and we wince. The same applies to self-indulgent and self-serving. But when we think of self-sufficiency, our eyes glaze over with pious apathy. We don’t consider it as much of a no-no as the other “self” sins. But, I’m telling you, with God self-sufficiency is a big deal.

In fact, Jesus reproved the Laodiceans about their self-sufficiency in no uncertain terms. He said, “because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The Laodiceans were three-dollar Christians. Their self-sufficiency blinded them to their great need for Jesus. They didn’t have many material needs—in fact the text says that they were loaded—so they thought they didn’t need God. But in their self-sufficient attitude they had left Jesus standing outside the door of their hearts. They had enough of Him to get into heaven, but He didn’t have much of them in return!

But Jesus didn’t give up on the Laodiceans, just like He doesn’t give up on you and me. He wants to be much more than the divine “911” call of our lives—only hearing from us in moments of desperation and emergency. He wants us to abandon ourselves in our quest for intimacy with Him. He wants our souls to reach out for Him with passionate desire every day! I think the psalmist said it best when he wrote, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:2). That’s a far cry from being satisfied with a measly three dollars’ worth of Him.

Ever feel there should be something more to your life? It’s Jesus you’re looking for—and a lot more than three dollars’ worth! If you’re looking for transformation, rebirth, and enough of God to “explode your soul,” you will only find it in a self-sacrificing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ—and that is priceless.

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Do you have a three-dollar relationship with God? Pray and ask God to give you a sense of your need for him. Incorporate Acts 17:28 into your prayer.
• Read Colossians 1:15-20. Do you think it’s possible to buy three dollars’ worth of God based on this passage? Why or why not?
• True intimacy with God comes from accepting Christ as Savior. Have you done this? If not, read Romans 3:10-18, 23; 5:8; 6:23; and 10:9. Pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior.
• The letters Christ wrote to the churches in the book of Revelation are about their ongoing sin. If Christ were to write you a letter about patterns of unconfessed sin in your life, what would the topic(s) be?

strength for the journey

Ponder Your Path
by David C. McCasland

Read: Proverbs 4:14-27

Keep your heart with all diligence . . . . Ponder the path of your feet. —Proverbs 4:23, 26

A 47-year-old Austrian man gave away his entire $4.7 million fortune after concluding that his wealth and lavish spending were keeping him from real life and happiness. Karl Rabeder told the Daily Telegraph (London), “I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things I did not wish for or need. It was the biggest shock in my life when I realized how horrible, soulless, and without feeling the ‘five-star’ lifestyle is.” His money now funds charities he set up to help people in Latin America.

Proverbs 4 urges us to consider carefully our own road in life. The passage contrasts the free, unhindered path of the just with the dark, confused way of the wicked (v.19). “Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live” (v.4). “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (v.23). “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established” (v.26). Each verse encourages us to evaluate where we are in life.

No one wants to go through life on a selfish, heartless road. But it can happen unless we consider where we are going in life and ask the Lord for His direction. May He give us grace today to embrace His Word and follow Him with all our hearts.

If we pursue mere earthly gain,
We choose a path that ends in pain;
But joy remains within the soul
When we pursue a heavenly goal. —D. De Haan

You are headed in the right direction when you walk with God.

our daily bread

Saints
by Marvin Williams

Read: Colossians 1:1-2

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse . . . . —Colossians 1:2

It’s probably not a name we would use for ourselves, but the apostle Paul often called believers “saints” in the New Testament (Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2). Did he call them saints because they were perfect? No. These people were human and therefore sinful. What then did he have in mind? The word saint in the New Testament means that one is set apart for God. It describes people who have a spiritual union with Christ (Eph. 1:3-6). The word is synonymous with individual believers in Jesus (Rom. 8:27) and those who make up the church (Acts 9:32).

Saints have a responsibility through the power of the Spirit to live lives worthy of their calling. This includes, but is not limited to, no longer being sexually immoral and using improper speech (Eph. 5:3-4). We are to put on the new character traits of service to one another (Rom. 16:2), humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3), obedience, and perseverance during hardship and suffering (Rev. 13:10; 14:12). In the Old Testament, the psalmist called saints “the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Ps. 16:3).

Our union with Christ makes us saints, but our obedience to God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit makes us saintly.

Oh, to be filled with His life divine,
Oh, to be clothed with His power and might;
Oh, to reflect my dear Savior sublime,
Always to shine as the saints in light! —Anon.

Saints are people whom God’s light shines through.

our daily bread

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

“Be on your guard…a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

One of my all-time favorite moments in the life of Jesus was when a man in the crowd asked Him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13).

I have always thought that if I had one chance to talk with Jesus, getting more money for me might not be the best topic to choose. But nevertheless, the guy in the crowd was ticked that he hadn’t gotten his full share; and instead of taking the opportunity to go deep with Jesus, he could only think of how deep his pockets would be if Jesus would put the hammer to his brother.

As usual, Jesus took the opportunity to teach about the real essence of life and true riches. He replied, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite non-Bible stories.

A young investor stood looking out into the cool Gulf waters on the end of pier in a small coastal Mexican village. Having spent the last several months working hard toward gaining his securities license, he left for a few days of sun-soaked pleasure in Western Mexico. As the sun sank into the pale horizon,he a single fisherman docked his boat along the far side of the pier. The young Wall Street banker walked over to the boat and saw several large yellow fin tuna gasping for air. The young executive complimented the tanned fisherman, a wise-eyed, weathered man, on the quality of his fish and asked how long it had taken to bring in the catch.

“Not long at all,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, why not stay out longer and catch more fish?” the young New Yorker asked smiling.

“I have enough for today,” said the fisherman, “this is what I need to feed my family.”

“What do you do with the rest of your time?” the young man asked curiously.

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I enjoy some wine and laughter with friends. It’s a full and happy life,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, I’m a Harvard MBA and have just completed my investment securities training. I could help you. You could spend more time fishing and with the proceeds from the larger catch, buy a bigger boat. Then you could catch even more fish. With those profits you could buy several more boats and hire captains to fish for you, and eventually you could open your own cannery. Then you would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City or LA or even New York where you could run your expanding enterprise.”

“How long would that all take?” asked the somewhat bewildered fisherman.

“Fifteen, maybe twenty years, max.”

“But then what?”

“Well, when the time was right, you could announce your IPO, sell your company stock to the public, and become very rich. You could be worth millions,” retorted the proud young investor.

“Millions? Then what?”

“Then you could retire and move to a small coastal village like this one where you could sleep late, fish a little in the morning, play with your grandkids, take a siesta, and enjoy wine and music with your friends in the evening.”

The fisherman grinned, tipped his hat at the young advisor, and shook his head as he walked off the pier without a reply.

When Jesus finished His warning about the emptiness of a life that is driven by greed, He told the story of a rich man who built bigger barns to hold all his stuff. To the surprise of His audience, Jesus called him a fool, not because he had lots of stuff but because he had lots of stuff and was not rich toward God!

Which makes me wonder, if you had one shot at talking to Jesus, would you want Him to make you rich, or would you want Him to lead you in the prosperous pursuit of becoming rich toward God?

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Whose work ethic more closely resembles yours—the village fisherman’s or the New Yorker’s?
• Would you rather be rich by the world’s standards or rich toward God? How are you proving the accuracy of your answer by the way that you spend your time and attention?
• Just for fun, put yourself in the shoes of the man in the crowd. If you could go up to Jesus and ask one question, what would it be?

daily strength

tough sledding
by Jeff Olson

Read: Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (v.28).

While we were on vacation in Alaska, our family visited the kennels that house Denali’s sled dogs. There we got to observe and learn about these amazing animals that help park rangers patrol the vast wilderness of Mount McKinley National Park during the long, harsh winter months.

One of the intriguing things we discovered about sled dogs is their incredible stamina. Patrols using the tireless canines can last up to 6 weeks—and the dogs are more than up for it. Alaskan Huskies live to run and pull. The only problem is that they don’t know when to stop. Rangers have to make them stop and rest. Otherwise, they’d simply run themselves to death.

Maybe it’s my love for dogs, but I saw a parallel to my life that was striking. I too love to “run” and “pull” my own weight. I’m the kind of person who is typically on the go and has trouble slowing down and resting. In fact, my family understandably gets after me when I wolf down (pun intended) a meal standing up.

A sled dog’s need for rest resonates with the words of David in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength” (Psalm 23:1-3).

This is a wonderful description of God’s loving care for us. Too often, however, I am running so hard that He can’t restore my weary heart. It’s why I need a wise and loving Shepherd who says, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary” (Matthew 11:28).

God meant for us to work and to pull our own weight (Genesis 2:15). But He also knows we need rest or we will run ourselves ragged.

Jesus, may we learn to respond to Your call to rest.

our daily journey

Sharing The Word
by David C. McCasland

Read: Psalm 19:7-14

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. —Psalm 19:10

Jerry McMorris began reading the Wall Street Journal 50 years ago as a student at the University of Colorado. His appreciation for that publication and for his alma mater led him to donate hundreds of WSJ subscriptions for CU’s business school students. McMorris told the Colorado Springs Gazette: “The Journal gave me a good, broad perspective of what was going on in the business world, and I got into the habit of reading it at the start of my business day. It helps get across to students real business-world issues.”

Many people enjoy introducing others to the writings that have shaped their lives. It’s not surprising, then, that followers of Christ enjoy sharing God’s Word with others. Some support Bible translation and distribution while others invite friends to study the Word with them. There are many ways to pass along God’s truth to people hungering for encouragement and help. Our goal is to enable others to experience the great benefit we’ve found in knowing Christ and being guided by His Word. The psalmist said, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (19:7).

The Word of God, which guards our hearts and guides our steps, is worth sharing with others.

As we read Your Word, O Lord,
Our spirit will be fed;
We then can share with others
That precious living bread. —D. De Haan

The Bible: Know it in your head, stow it in your heart, show it in your life, sow it in the world.

our daily bread

Free 4 All
by Dave Branon

Read: Ephesians 1:7-14;2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. —Ephesians 2:8

In an effort to assist people struggling to provide for their families during tough economic times, the church I attend created a program called “Free 4 All.”

We brought lightly used items to the church and opened the doors to people of the community. They could come and take home anything they needed.

While the day was a huge success as far as the amount of goods people were able to pick up, it was even better for this reason: Six people trusted Jesus Christ as Savior at the event. Indeed, these six new believers took part in the greatest “Free 4 All” of all time—the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The items that were taken to the church on this special day had already been purchased. They were then given without cost to all who simply asked for them. Likewise, eternal forgiveness for our sins has already been purchased. Jesus paid that price when He died on a cross on Golgotha’s hill 2,000 years ago (Rom. 3:23-25). He now offers salvation at no cost to all who simply repent and believe that Jesus has the power to forgive and save (Acts 16:31).

Each of us is needy spiritually—and only Jesus can meet that need. Have you accepted what He offers without cost at the world’s biggest “Free 4 All”?

I know by faith in whom I have believed,
I know that God’s free gift I have received,
I know that He will keep me to the end,
My Savior, my Redeemer, and my Friend. —Anon.

Salvation is free, but you must receive it.

our daily bread

Love and Life on the Big Screen

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

One problem with Bible-polished rule keepers is that from a distance we all tend to look pretty good. Especially compared to those who don’t keep God’s rules. And believing that we are looking good keeps us thinking pretty well about ourselves, which destroys any thought about how stunningly wonderful God’s grace is to us.

When I taught on Sundays at the church where I served as a teaching pastor, my face was broadcast on three big screens at the front of the church—sort of an evangelical jumbo-tron! I have to admit, I’m not crazy about people being able to see my face from that close range, magnified hundreds of times! No matter how hard I have worked to look my best, my increasingly flawed face—wrinkles, spots, and blemishes—is projected larger than life for all to see. And, as unsettling as it is, I have to say to myself, “That’s you, baby—like it or not!”

Seeing ourselves for who we really are and admitting it is the first step in understanding the richness of God’s grace. Grace becomes an amazing gift when we finally see ourselves the way God sees us—up close and personal, magnified hundreds of times, warts and flaws front and center. The apostle Paul wrote, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

No use kidding ourselves. God is well aware of everything in your life and mine—actions, attitudes, thoughts, and responses. Game’s up! I’m a sinner, and so are you. We don’t need a Sunday jumbo-tron to discover that. What is so surprising is that it is our terribly broken condition that prompts God’s grace and love to flow to us. It’s our blemishes, our sin, and our stupid self-centeredness that makes us desperately in need of God’s grace. And thankfully He is willing to give it abundantly!

When I first got married, I tried so hard to make Martie believe I was a great husband. I didn’t want her to know how selfish I could be, and I tried to veil my insecurities so she’d think I was strong and confident. Inevitably, though, the real me showed up. My selfish agenda was out there in plain view for her and everyone else to see. Guess what? She loves me still. Through the years her love has not been dependent on me being husband of the year or father of the decade. I thank God for that. Her love for me is like God’s love for all of us. It was demonstrated in spite of our failures, not withheld because of them. That’s the grace that God chooses to love us with. And that’s the grace that drives me to want to love Him in return.

Feeling broken today? Or unlovely, out of place, behind the times, too little too late? Are you stuck in a stubborn pattern of sin you can’t break? God’s got you on His screen, nothing is hidden from His view, and still in this moment you are the object of His love and grace.

If you find it hard to develop a heart of love for God, it may be that you have spent too much time thinking about how cool you are. We all need a huge reality check! Seeing yourself as you really are and knowing that He loves you still is a great way to stimulate your heart to express your love and gratitude to Him in return.

YOUR JOURNEY…

• What makes it hard for you to see yourself as the sinner you really are—Comparison, rationalization, excuses, pride?
• Write down the sins that constantly pop up in your life. Ask yourself, “Where would I be today if it weren’t for God’s grace in my life?”
• Who needs the touch of God’s grace from you in spite of their sin?
• Does the realization of the unbelievable grace of God in your life make you feel more free to keep sinning or motivate you to clean up your act? Why?
• What difference would it make if you lived as a debtor to His grace rather than in a self-deceived sense of how good you are?
• Take a few moments today to thank God for the love He showed you in Jesus.

daily strength

Visible Reminders
[By Joe Stowell from the pages of Our Daily Bread]

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."  Colossians 3:2
What’s the first image you see when you turn on your computer? Maybe it’s a family portrait or a special vacation picture. Or perhaps your favorite pro athlete.

How about an artist’s rendition of Jesus? A man once wrote to me about his lengthy battle with pornography—a disheartening cycle that punctuated seasons of victory with crushing forays back into an online world of empty lust. Finally, he found that putting a visible reminder of Jesus in the corner of his computer screen helped him achieve lasting victory. That constant reminder of the One who set him free caused the offensive Web sites to lose their appeal. The man wasn’t tapping into some gigabyte good-luck charm. He was giving himself a simple reminder of the teaching of Colossians 3 where Paul says, “put to death . . . fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness” ( Col 3:5).

When we turn our eyes toward Jesus, He becomes a powerful reminder that our old life “died, and [our] life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Whether it’s a verse taped to the dashboard of your car or a picture on your computer, choose a tangible way to lift your thoughts into the presence of Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.  —Lemmel

The best way to keep sin at a distance is to make sure Jesus stands between you and temptation.

daily strength

O. B. Markers
by C. P. Hia

Read: Jeremiah 5:21-31

I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. —Psalm 119:75

In the game of golf, out-of-bounds or O. B. markers designate when a ball has gone out of play. If a player’s ball goes out-of-bounds, a one-stroke penalty is imposed.

The prophet Jeremiah warned the southern kingdom of Judah about their persistent rejection of God’s boundaries for them. He said that even the sea knows that the sand on the seashore is its O. B. marker, “an everlasting barrier it cannot cross” (Jer. 5:22 NIV). Yet, the Lord’s people had defiant and rebellious hearts (v.23). There was no fear of God, who gave them rain for their crops (v.24). They grew rich on deceit (v.27) and ignored the pleas of the disadvantaged (v.28).

God has given moral boundaries in His Word for us to live within. He gave them not to frustrate us but so that by keeping within them we may enjoy His blessings. David wrote: “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right” (Ps. 119:75). God told Israel through Moses, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life” (Deut. 30:19).

Don’t test God’s boundaries and invite His correction. Make wise choices to live within His O. B. markers in His Word.

The Lord has given us commands,
And told us to obey;
Our own designs are sure to fail,
If we neglect His way! —Bosch

A small step of obedience is a giant step to blessing.

our daily bread

The Price of the Vision

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord . . . —Isaiah 6:1

Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?

My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

my utmost for his highest

starry night
by roxanne robbins

Psalm 19:1-6 
The heavens proclaim the glory of God (v.1).

When poet, lecturer, and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson was asked what people would do if the stars came out only once every thousand years, he replied, “If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare.”

Building on Emerson’s response, author Paul Hawkins, in a commencement speech to the Portland University Class of 2009, said, “If the stars only came out once every thousand years, no one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. “Instead,” Hawkins lamented, “the stars come out every night and we watch television.”

Ever since God created the stars on the fourth day (Genesis 1:16), the brilliant lights haven’t ceased to shine. We, however, too often neglect to “stop and consider” these and other miracles of God’s creation (Job 37:14).

As we grow older, we tend to resemble Mark Twain’s fictional character Tom Sawyer, who remembered stargazing as an important part of his past but not his present. “We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars,” Twain wrote, “and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.”

King David argued that an upward gaze is important regardless of our years or stage in life. For “the heavens,” David said, “proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

Don’t wait 1,000 years to be dazzled by God. Instead, look into tonight’s evening sky and see what He has done!

our daily journey

Occupational Hazard
by Julie Ackerman Link

Read: Philippians 1:12-18

The things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. —Philippians 1:12

My occupation is words. Whether I am writing or editing, I am using words to convey ideas so that readers can understand. I can usually see what’s wrong with someone else’s writing (though sometimes not with my own) and figure out how to fix it.

As an editor, I am paid for being critical. My job is to see what’s wrong with the way words are used. This ability becomes a disability when I carry it over into my personal life and always look for what is wrong. Focusing on what’s wrong can cause us to miss everything that’s good.

The apostle Paul had reason to focus on what was wrong in the Philippian church. Certain people were preaching the gospel out of selfish ambition to add to Paul’s suffering (Phil. 1:16). But instead of concentrating on the negative, he chose to look at the positive and rejoice in it: Jesus Christ was being preached (v.18).

God wants us to be discerning—we need to know good from bad—but He doesn’t want us to focus on the bad and become critical or discouraged. Even in circumstances that are less than ideal (Paul was writing from prison), we can find something good because in times of trouble God is still at work.

The eyes of faith when fixed on Christ
Give hope for what’s ahead,
But focus on life’s obstacles
And faith gives way to dread. —D. De Haan

When your outlook is blurred by problems, focus on Christ.

our daily bread

Bull’s-Eye!

"Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth."  Psalm 86:11

If we’re not careful, we may become like the man who prided himself on being an expert archer. The secret to his success was that after he shot his arrow at the side of a barn, he painted a bull’s-eye around the arrow.

It’s easy to live our lives doing what we want and thinking that our ways and instincts are right on target when in reality our “bull’s-eye” shots at life are not on target at all. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Sometimes it may feel right to seek revenge, hoard money, chase pleasure, or yell at people who yell at us. But God’s ways are different from ours. He has painted a bull’s-eye on forgiving those who have hurt us, on giving generously to those in need, on living to please Him rather than ourselves, and on turning the other cheek. We need to pray, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth” (Ps. 86:11). And then we need to aim to follow His ways in all that we do and say.

But we all need help to aim at the right target. Thankfully, the bull’s-eye is already painted in the brushstrokes of God’s truth as revealed in His Word. When we aim our lives at God’s Word, we’ll discover that His ways are right on target—every time!

God’s given us His holy Word
To help and guide our way;
And if we read and follow it,
We will not go astray.  —Sper

God’s ways are our targets for living.

daily strength

A Family Reunion
by David C. McCasland

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:4-12

We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. —1 Thessalonians 2:7

For the past 29 years, the annual Celebration of Life reunion in our city has brought together members of a unique family. The festive gathering reunites doctors, nurses, and staff from Colorado Springs’ Memorial Hospital for Children with former patients from its neonatal intensive care unit. Some are infants in strollers while others are young teens. Their parents have come with them to say thank you to those who saved their children’s lives and gave them a second chance. Edward Paik’s article in The Gazette quoted Dr. Bob Kiley’s heartfelt response: “Both professionally and personally, for all the staff, this solidifies why we’re in this job.”

I wonder if in heaven there will be many such times when spiritual caregivers and those they helped as “babes in Christ” will reunite to share stories and give praise to God. The New Testament describes how Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy worked among the young believers in Thessalonica with gentleness, “just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (1 Thess. 2:7), and with comfort and encouragement, “as a father does his own children” (v.11).

Helping new believers at a critical stage in their faith is a labor of love that will be cause for great rejoicing at the “family” reunion in heaven.

Friends will be there I have loved long ago,
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet, just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me. —Gabriel

One of heaven’s pleasures will be to share our earthly stories.

our daily bread

Getting Even or Getting Better?

“It is mine to avenge; I will repay . . . . If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-20

I’ll never forget an older woman who came to my office and heatedly dumped on me a long list of objections about her husband. I asked how long she had been married. It had been more than 40 years. I have never in my life, nor would I ever, counsel anyone to break up a home. But as she went on and on about how miserable he was, I finally said, “Why have you lived with him so long if he’s so bad? Did you ever think about just checking out? I’m not advising it, but I’d like to know what you think.” She said, “Oh, no! I’d never walk out of this marriage.”

I thought that was an honorable attitude until she continued. It was evident that she hated him so much that walking out of the marriage would have meant she couldn’t torment him anymore. For her, that was a reason for staying. Why would she want to give up the opportunity to shred her enemy at every turn?

Got any people like that in your life? People you’d like to take every opportunity to even the score with? Take my advice: Forget it! You’ll only lose sleep and waste precious energy if you are living to get even with someone. As someone well said, “Bitterness is the poison you prepare for someone else and end up drinking yourself!” So thankfully, God has a better way. He’ll deal with your enemy if you get out of the way and pour out love instead of venom.

Joseph understood this dynamic when he, as a ruler in Egypt, could have made toast out of his hateful brothers. But instead he said to them, “Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19). Joseph was free of the “do evil for evil” syndrome and admitted he had no business getting back at his brothers because God is the one who carries out justice. With Joseph, you can experience emotional liberation from your enemies when you pray, “God, they are in your hands! I give them to you to deal justly with them!” When that is our prayer, we are set free to follow the liberating way of Romans 12:19-21 where Paul writes:

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

So don’t get in the way. God has not equipped us to personally carry out justice and vengeance on our enemies. That’s why things always get messed up when we try. He is the only one who has that right and the power and wisdom to do it well.

YOUR JOURNEY…

• What are the emotional and spiritual downsides to trying to carry out your own revenge?
• Have you ever known a situation to get better when enemies did their best to keep evening the score?
• Shock an enemy with acts of love. It takes two to fight!

daily strength

Touch a Life
by Anne Cetas

Read: Galatians 6:6-10

Let us not grow weary while doing good. —Galatians 6:9

My friend Dan, who was soon to graduate from high school, was required to make a senior presentation. He had 15 minutes to share how he had made it to the point of graduation and to thank those who had helped him along the way.

I gazed around the room before he started to talk. All kinds of people—young families, teachers, friends, church leaders, and coaches—were in attendance. He began to talk about the ways each person had touched his life. One woman had “been like an aunt and had always been there” for him. A 30-something man “shared Scriptures often and gave counsel.” Another man had “taught him discipline and hard work.” A church friend had “taken him to football practice every day” because his mom couldn’t. A couple had “treated him like he was their own son.” One commonality—they were all just ordinary Christians who had reached out to make a difference in his life.

Paul called it doing “good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). We can help shape another person’s life by showing an interest and taking action. And, as happened with Dan, we can reap a harvest (v.9).

Look around. Is there someone whose life needs your touch?

Lord, grant me a heart of compassion
So burdened for others’ needs
That I will show Your kindness
In attitudes, words, and deeds. —Fitzhugh

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can,
for all the people you can, while you can.

our daily bread

Stay Focused! 
by Rick Warren

“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.” Hebrews 12:2 (GNT)

A number of years ago, I made a list of young pastors in America that I thought needed prayer, just like people prayed for me when I was just starting Saddleback Church. Ten years later, as I look back on that list, half of those guys aren’t even in ministry anymore. They flamed out financially, emotionally or morally. They are no longer serving God.

Life is not a 50-yard dash; it is a marathon. I want you to make it to the finish line. The only way to do that is to focus on Jesus, not your circumstances. As Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” To endure the unendurable you must see the invisible – Jesus.

In dog obedience training, they put a dog at one end of a room and its master at the other end of the room, with a plate of food in the middle. And then the master calls the dog. If the dog eyes the food, he’s a goner; he’ll go straight for it. So they teach the dog to focus his eyes on the master. If the dog keeps his eyes on the master, he won’t be tempted. Instead of heading for the food, he’ll head straight to the master.

You need to keep your eyes on your master or you’ll get distracted. Get your mind off your circumstances and your problems and focus on God’s goodness to you in your past, his closeness to you in your present and his power to help you in your future. Do what Jonah did as he sat in the belly of the great fish: “When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord” (Jonah 2:7 LB).

If you find yourself at a point where you’ve lost hope and you think you’re never going to get a job, or you’re never going to get married, or you’re never going to have a baby, or you’re never going to get over your illness, turn your thoughts to the Lord and focus on him.

Daily Hope