Devotionals from God’s Daily Word Ministries January 2006 These devotionals are provided by God’s Daily Word Ministries. They may be freely copied and distributed. If you would like to receive daily devotionals via email, send a request to devotions@gdwm.org or subscribe on the internet at http://www.gdwm.org Scripture references are from: The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture references for lessons on John: The New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. The Baby Grew 1-9-06 So it's time to start back into our routines - time to get back to work and recover from the holidays. We've enjoyed celebrating the birth of Jesus and seeing Him peacefully sleeping in a manger - but now it's time to pack Him away until next year. What?? Steve, I can't believe you said that! Unfortunately, many around the world give Jesus center stage for a short season around Christmas and then continue with their "normal" life while keeping Christ tucked conveniently out of sight. But let's take a close look at what we just celebrated. The promised baby was born among the animals in the town of Bethlehem; "She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7). The wonderful image of baby Jesus in a manger has, for many, become the complete picture of Christmas. The baby is easy to celebrate: He is cute; He is gentle; and He asks nothing of us - while lying in a manger, He requires no decision or commitment. It's even easy to love baby Jesus without ever facing the truth that He loved us first, and loves us now more than we can possibly comprehend. But as we leave this Christmas season and prayerfully grow in our relationship with God, we MUST not leave the baby in the manger or pack Him away. The baby was a precious gift from our Heavenly Father, but the purpose of this gift was for the baby to grow...and then to die...and then to live again! Jesus walked this earth for 33 years and then: "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.' When He had said this, He breathed His last" (Luke 23:46). Jesus lived to do the will of the Father, and He died on a cross to set us free - this is why the baby was born! John 3:14-16 "The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Remembering the birth of Jesus causes us to reflect on God's love and gives us reason to say, "Thank You!" But remembering His life and death requires a decision; "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36). Jesus was (and is) the One who provides the way to eternal life, but only for those who truly believe in His sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. As another Christmas season passes, let's continue to reflect on the complete purpose of His birth. Let's keep Him at our side for every step of this new year and always remember...the baby grew! Have A Great Day! Teach The World His Grace 1-10-06 When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He said; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Jesus clearly said the most important thing we can do in this life is to love God with absolutely every part of our being. But He immediately added; "the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). After our love for God, we are called to love others. But at the end of His ministry, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus set a new standard for our love. John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Love for others had always been important, but now Jesus called the command "new" and changed the standard from the way we love ourself to the way He loved us. Why is this significant? Jesus came into the world with the single purpose of dying for the forgiveness of our sin so we could be restored to a right relationship with God - this is true love; "God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16). We didn't do ANYTHING to deserve this love. We were completely lost in a world of sin and God looked down on us, and loved us: "God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). This degree of love, poured out for those who are utterly undeserving, is the definition of God's grace. Peter said we are saved by this undeserved love; "it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11). Paul said the same in many different ways: "{We} are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24), and, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). The concept of grace is essential in beginning our relationship with God as well as continuing with every step of our journey along His path. But, try as we might, we can never adequately convey the meaning of God's grace with words. We must continue to proclaim His truth through spoken and written words, but in this important area of God's grace, we are given a "new command" to teach through our actions. We have been given an incredible gift! We are given a gift we can never repay, but a gift we must share. The world is in great need! It's lost and desperate to know the grace of our Lord and Savior. Let's pour out love to those around us in the same manner it was poured out on us - undeserved and without restraint! Let's live out Jesus' new command and, through love, teach the world His grace. Have A Great Day! Prevent The Sparks 1-11-06 Every year, sparks from hot campfires or careless matches start fires which consume millions of trees in beautiful forests. Once begun, these fires move unrelentingly through hills and valleys - nothing is safe from the fury of the flames. Every year, sparks from hot tempers or careless words start fires which consume millions of lives in beautiful relationships. Once begun, these fires move unrelentingly through self-esteem and trust - nothing is safe from the fury of the tongue. James 3:5-6 "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body." Our tongue has incredible power to build up and encourage, as well as tear down and destroy. When we place our trust in Jesus, our sins are eternally forgiven; but the day will come when our careless words are revealed and we see the full extent of the damage we've done; "men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36). In what must be one last sorrow-filled moment before we enter our eternal glory, we all come face to face with our sin; "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Perhaps the purpose of this moment is to permanently etch in our soul a full appreciation for His love. Even with all my careless words, He loves me and wants to spend eternity with me in fellowship. Amazing! David prayed that God would "set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalms 141:3). While this is a wise prayer, our lips must be seen as an absolute last line of defense - once our words escape they can almost never be fully recovered. We must strive to control the sparks at the true source; "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). If our heart is filled with the ways of the world, our mouth will naturally speak the world's wisdom which is "foolishness in God's sight" (1 Corinthians 3:19). Rather, we must fill our heart with the ways of God and allow our mouth to overflow with His love; "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalms 119:11). Have we been the cause of some raging fires or smoldering embers? If so, we must pray for healing and believe that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). We must fill our heart with the power of His Word and "not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths" (Ephesians 4:29). Let's stop the destructive fires. Let's begin today to fill our heart with His Word and prevent the sparks. Have A Great Day! Desires of Our Heart 1-12-06 We often talk about the gift of Salvation as a transformation of the heart. Jesus came to give us eternal life through faith in Him and His sacrifice on the cross. His death established a new covenant for all who would come to Him in faith; "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin" (Matthew 26:28). When we enter into this covenant we are transformed; "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). This is the same transformation referred to by Paul: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is also referred to as the "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit" (Romans 2:29). As we continue our walk with God - as we continue our journey with a new and transformed heart - we begin a process of being "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). This transformation, which begins in our heart, continues for all the rest of our days. We may call this process growth or maturity, but the result is a heart which is becoming more and more like Jesus. Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." This verse is sometimes misinterpreted to say that God has promised to fulfill all our current desires. There are people all over the world thinking that if they "pursue" God, they will receive an increase in their financial status - a better job, a nicer car, or a bigger home. This is a sad misapplication of scripture! When we are far from God, our heart is full of worldly desires. Apart from God, we will spend a lifetime trying to fulfill these desires only to find we are never satisfied or content. But God says we need not spend our life chasing these unfulfilling desires. As we are diligent to draw close to God, learn of His ways, and become obedient to His commands, He gives us new desires - the desires of Jesus. As we love the Lord with all our heart, our current desires are replaced with something infinitely better. The single desire of Jesus was to glorify His Father by completing the work He was given to do (John 17:4). Jesus was content beyond our comprehension because He was truly one with His Heavenly Father! The wonderful blessing from God is that as we delight in Him, He transforms our desires and also gives us the ability to fulfill these desires. This is the only way we will ever find true contentment and peace. Let's learn to live each moment delighting in our Lord. Let's allow Him to continue the transformation by giving us, and then teaching us how to satisfy, the desires of our heart. Have A Great Day! John 3:27-30 - Lesson #31 1-13-06 We continue with our study of the gospel of John. In our last lesson, we saw the disciples of John the Baptist express their concern that people were now coming to Jesus to be baptized. It's possible his disciples were feeling threatened, perceiving a reduced significance caused by this new minister named Jesus. John 3:27-30 "John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ," but, "I have been sent before Him." He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.'" Notice John's leadership in this situation. His disciples were greatly mistaken. They had just revealed issues of pride, insecurity, loss of focus, and a general misunderstanding of ministry. But rather than beat them down for their lack of understanding, John used this opportunity to build them up with some wonderful truths. John begins with a general truth which can be applied to all areas of life: ALL we have is by the grace of God. This means all our abilities as well as our perceived lack; it means the grandness of our ministry as well as our apparent insignificance. We are given our ability, our task, and our position by God. And using what He gives to glorify His name makes whatever we do very grand indeed! Jesus would teach this same lesson later in His ministry; "without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). This is something we need to be reminded of over and over again - I speak from experience! "And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). The moment we begin to think we have accomplished anything in our own strength, watch out! John reminds his disciples that from the very beginning he has been saying he was simply the voice crying, "Make straight the way of the Lord" (John 1:23). John always knew his role was to prepare the way for Christ. Just as the friend of the bridegroom makes the wedding plans and brings the bride and groom together, so John was sent to bring together Christ and the children of Israel. Once this is accomplished, the friend of the bridegroom is content to decrease and allow the bridegroom to increase. How foolish when we think we are more than we really are - and how foolish when we think we are less. We are who we are, for the purpose of glorifying God by bringing others to His Son. Let's diligently give Him our all, using all He has provided in every opportunity He makes available. Let's glorify Him by keeping Jesus as our only focus and continually lift Him higher and higher! Have A Great Day! Sow To Please The Spirit 1-16-06 In the spring, a farmer prepares the soil, plants the seed, and waits several days for the first signs of life. Many weeks pass before a few inches of growth occur and several months go by before it's time to harvest. Much hard work and patience go into reaping a bountiful crop. The soil of our Spiritual field is rich, full of nutrients and moisture; and, whether we realize it or not, we are working hard and planting in our field every single day. Let me say that again: Every day as we go out into the world we are planting into our Spiritual field. Anything we plant is going to grow and produce a harvest according to what we have planted. Galatians 6:7-9 "A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Every day we are given the opportunity to go into the field and plant new seed; "His compassions never fail, they are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). We are also given the choice of which seed to plant. Seeds of faith and forgiveness are essential for our eternal survival. Seeds of hope and trust are necessary for a life of peace and contentment. And seeds of love, purity, worship and praise are the seeds which will make our fields beautiful - a fragrant offering to the Lord. But there is another type of seed - the seeds of lies and deception, of worldly passions and self exaltation. Unfortunately, once these seeds are planted, they can grow faster and stronger than all competing plants. If allowed to grow, these sinful seeds will rise up to dominate the field and choke everything which draws us closer to God: "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature" (Luke 8:14). Today is a new day with a new opportunity to plant. We must not grow weary of planting that which draws us closer to God; "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think of such things" (Philippians 4:8). Today, we WILL plant - so let's plant wisely! Let's sow seed which glorifies our Heavenly Father and honors Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and let's nurture our field with an unending love. Let's sow for a bountiful harvest which is free of weeds as we daily abandon the sinful nature and sow to please the Spirit. Have A Great Day! Tested By Praise 1-17-06 The longer and closer we walk with God, the more we realize how He uses every opportunity to shape and mold us - to chip, file, and sand the rough edges - as we are gradually "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). This is His desire for everyone who trusts in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. We often learn through personal experience how our trials are used to teach us valuable lessons and refine us into Children of God with the character of Christ; "the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:3). Our trials teach us to persevere in the faith and provide an opportunity to trust God with all our heart when we have no where else to turn. But a more subtle refinement of our character occurs as we receive praise for who we are or for what we've accomplished. Proverbs 27:21 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives." This isn't referring to how we train ourselves to verbally respond to a compliment; rather, the reaction of our heart is what reveals our true belief and submission. God is the sovereign Creator and Lord of ALL! All our abilities and gifts were given by Him. He deserves ALL the praise and maintains the right to redirect us as He chooses. Our motivation must be our love for God and our desire to serve Him through all we do - it must never be driven by the praises of man. The praise we receive from others is not an indication of God's approval nor a valid measure of success. We take far too much ownership of accomplishments and most often we simply forget: "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). Every step of our journey must be established by God and accomplished in His strength. Every day there are those who refuse to turn to God because they fear the loss of their status and praise; "they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God" (John 12:42-43). And every day there are those who are unduly diverted in their walk with God because of their gluttonous desire to feed their pride-filled ego with praise. Unrestrained pride will always choke our relationship with Jesus. As we are transformed, we WILL begin to accomplish His work; "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10). But as praises come for the work we accomplish, we must present them to God for His approval and guidance. He may return the praise as a Heavenly blessing; but He may also dismiss it as an unnecessary distraction and ask us to walk in a new direction. Either way, we must continue to serve with an obedient and loving heart. We must be determined to never lose our focus as a result of being refined and tested by praise. Have A Great Day! Entrusted With His Secret 1-18-06 We have been given an incredible gift. Jesus Christ came into this world two thousand years ago to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin and to bring us back into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus knew God's plan of grace before the world was ever created; "This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 1:9-10). We are a fortunate people living in a uniquely blessed time; "He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake" (1 Peter 1:20). Through faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, we can now "approach the throne of grace with confidence" (Hebrew 4:16), knowing we have been made clean and our relationship with God has been restored. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." I'll say it again...we are a very fortunate people. Through no effort of our own, we have been born in a time where the "secret things of God" have been revealed. We have been given the opportunity to hear the full gospel message and believe. Thank You Lord! But God has done more than just give us this opportunity to hear and believe: He has "entrusted" us with His message of Salvation. To prove faithful to His trust we must live in a manner which upholds the gospel message for all to see. We are saved by a grace which cost God the death of His one and only Son. This grace must be cherished and honored with a life void of all compromise and hypocrisy. An understanding of His great love ought to cause us to surrender ALL and live each day to bring Him glory and honor. Proving faithful to His trust also means we must confidently and accurately share His message of hope with all who cross our path. We must diligently study His Word and be prepared to share His grace through our words as well as our actions. No matter how hard life may sometimes appear, we are truly blessed. We have been given a gift which can sustain us through our most difficult circumstances and provide an eternal home filled with praise and worship. When the world beats us down, we can be encouraged that the Creator of the Universe believes in us. He has revealed His Son and made us stewards of His message of grace. Let's live lives worthy of the trust we have been given. Let's prove faithful to the great honor of being entrusted with His secret. Have A Great Day! Attitude of Encouragement 1-19-06 EVERYONE needs encouragement. No matter how secure and confident someone may appear, everyone needs to be reassured, built up, and comforted. We are all called to minister to one another, every day, with encouragement; "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13). True encouragement requires us to be "others" oriented: "Consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4). We will never effectively encourage until we begin to look outside our own needs and intentionally examine the needs of others. And our encouragement of others will always be hindered if we become threatened when they begin to heal and grow. 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His Kingdom and glory." I was excited when each of my children learned to roll over, and I cheered when they began to crawl. When they started to walk I clapped my hands and beamed with pride, as if my kids were the first in the world to ever move about on two feet. Each small accomplishment was encouraged and my manhood was never threatened by their progress. I wasn't worried about losing my position within the family and I had no desire to be the only walker in the house; and every time my children fell, I picked them up and encouraged them with full confidence of their future success. Our journey with the Lord actually begins long before our day of Salvation as He calls us and draws us to the cross - we would never even seek if He didn't first call and soften our heart. This part of the journey (the part that places our life in His secure arms of Salvation) may last MANY years and require encouragement from many different people. But as we place our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and continue our journey (with all the many hills and valleys), our walk is definitely much easier and enjoyable if we join with others and walk together. Let's encourage one another with each wonderful step toward Heavenly glory. Let's be proud and excited for the accomplishments of others no matter how great or small. And let's refuse to become threatened when we witness others mature and grow - we are absolutely secure in the love of God (and we really don't want to be the only walker in His Family!). Let's turn our hearts outward and begin to minister with a compassionate, loving, and secure attitude of encouragement. Have A Great Day! John 3:31-35 - Lesson #32 1-20-06 In our last lesson we saw John the Baptist respond to his disciples when they questioned him about people coming to Jesus to be baptized. The focus of John's reply was that "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). The passage which follows may be the continued words of John the Baptist, or it may be words written by John the Apostle as a way of further explanation. In early Greek writing there are no quotation marks so we really can't be sure; but we CAN be sure that these are the inspired words of God with a purpose of giving credible and superior authority to the witness of Jesus. John 3:31-35 "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand." The first reason why the witness of Christ is superior is that He comes from heaven. All other witnesses - from the prophets to John the Baptist - came from the earth. And though they spoke the words of God, their understanding was in terms of the world and their testimony was flawed by a body of sin. But Jesus came directly from heaven, without sin, and spoke as one with first hand knowledge - an eye-witness of the truth. In ANY court, this testimony is to be preferred. And yet, no one believed Him. We strive to interpret the Bible in what is called the normal literal sense - literal as understood by the original audience in a normal reading. In this sense, the phrase "no one received" doesn't actually mean "no one." Rather, it is used to signify a relatively small number as compared to those who should have received His testimony. But when anyone does receive, they understand the truth of God and approve His message. The second reason why His witness is superior is that Jesus was given full authority. Other witnesses received only what was necessary to accomplish God's purpose, but Jesus received ALL - not a measured amount; "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). Jesus is the complete declaration of God on earth (John 1:18). And full declaration required full gifting. He was given the fullness of the Spirit as well as all else; "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father" (Luke 10:22). The entire gospel of John was written so we "may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31). And this message is presented with great clarity in this third chapter. Jesus Christ is the true gospel message - He came from God, speaking the word of God, with the full authority of God. The power of His witness is greater than ALL. Let's be ones who receive His word without reservation. Let's submit to the authority of His truth and believe. Have A Great Day! The Final Victory 1-23-06 Today, all over the world, there are people facing situations which threaten to send everything they hold dear crashing to the ground. It may be the result of bad decisions or circumstances completely out of their control; but either way, they awoke in the middle of a whirlwind and absolutely cannot determine which direction to turn. There are many others who awoke tired and discouraged, and don't even know why. Today is much the same as others but they're questioning the usefulness of continuing. I can make this bold prediction about today, not because I have any insight into this particular day or period of history, but because that is the nature of life. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. The result is a bunch of imperfect circumstances! Even when we begin to walk with Jesus we struggle with these imperfections which distract us and steal our joy. Why begin a message on such a depressing note? First, we need to understand we're not alone. Many more people are struggling than we can possibly imagine. The need for encouragement is huge and will increase as the time of our Lord's return draws near. Next, we need to know how we can live a life of peace and how we can pass this peace to others. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we don't receive the promise of a trouble free life - we receive the promise of an Eternal Life in the presence of God. Many of our troubles here on earth will remain, but an understanding of our eternal promise should encourage us as we shift our focus from life in terms of days and years, to life in terms of eternity; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Jesus saw these same struggles in His disciples. He wanted them to live a life of peace and contentment, but He also knew they would face many difficulties. After a night of teaching His disciples about their relationship with the Father through faith in His Son, Jesus gave these words of encouragement: John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus came to conquer sin and death through His sacrifice on the cross. When we come to Him in faith and receive the transforming gift of His Spirit, we ought to keep this truth at the front of ALL our thoughts: the battle has already been won! As we climb into the ring day after day - even as we grow weary, lose a few rounds and want to quit - let's always remember that through our risen Lord we have an eternal hope. Let's continue with the peace and assurance that in Christ we have been granted the final victory. Have A Great Day! Step off the Shore 1-24-06 When Moses died, God assigned Joshua to the position of leadership. The people of Israel needed to know God approved of Joshua and would continue to direct them as they entered the land of Canaan. God was aware of this need and chose to work through Joshua as the people prepared to cross the Jordan river; "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses" (Joshua 3:7). Once across the Jordan, there would be MANY battles to fight - battles which would only be won by learning complete trust in God. God told Joshua to have the priests carry the ark of the covenant directly into the Jordan river, which was flowing at flood level during the harvest season. He promised that when the priests stepped into the water, He would cause the river bed to dry and the waters to be "cut off and stand up in a heap" (Joshua 3:13). With all the Israelites waiting in great anticipation, the priests picked up the ark - their most honored possession - and took their greatest step of faith. Joshua 3:15-16 "As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away." God always teaches us about faith and trust by directing us down a path we think is too hard to travel - into circumstances we don't understand. After all, if we could clearly see and understand, there wouldn't be a need for faith. But we often miss the opportunity to experience the true glory of God because we fail to obey and take the first step. By working through Joshua, God gave the people confidence in their new leader. By requiring an initial action (the first step), He taught a valuable lesson on obedience and trust. The river did not gradually pull back as the priests approached. Nothing happened to the river until the priests left the safety of the shore and stepped into the water. God patiently waited for a full commitment before revealing His mighty hand. I often hear from people who are hesitant about completely giving their lives to God. Mostly, they are scared. They are scared by what they can't see or understand, so they remain where they are. They desire to have a more fulfilling life but are paralyzed by the fear of what they may lose in the process. Oh, if we could only see the life we would gain by giving Him our all! God is waiting. He's ready to pull back the flood waters and lead us into a bountiful new land - a land filled with His peace and true contentment. But we MUST commit. Let's trust Him with every area of our life. Let's take a firm hold of His hand and boldly step off the shore. Have A Great Day! This is The Way, Walk in It 1-25-06 God's desire is that we walk down the path He lays before us. This path begins with the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus; "For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life" (John 6:40). The path continues with living a life of holiness; "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do" (1 Peter 1:15). We walk further down His path as we learn contentment "in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12), as we are filled with joy, prayer and thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), and as we begin to truly rest in the peace which only He provides; "Peace I leave you; My peace I give you" (John 14:27). It's important to remember that each step down God's path is for the purpose of being "conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He may be the firstborn of many brothers" (Romans 8:29). Every step, no matter how difficult, brings us closer to the person God desires us to be. Have we entered onto God's path through faith in Jesus Christ? Are we now continuing down the path God desires for us to walk? When confronted with choices, is it obvious which direction we should go? Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" When we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we are adopted into God's Family and begin a journey which lasts the rest of our days. At the moment of Salvation God gives us His Spirit to guide us along His path; but many times when His Spirit calls, we're too busy to listen - or we choose not to respond. If we have entered onto God's path and now desire to follow where He leads, we MUST make time to simply slow down and listen; "In repentance and rest is your Salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" (Isaiah 30:15). Our eternal Salvation is a transformation which occurs in an instant, but the earthly joy of our Salvation is found in our daily repentance and quiet guidance from God - His presence is our only place of true peace. The guiding voice of His Spirit still calls every day, but the competing noise is often so great that we stray from the path and become entangled in the weeds - and there is definitely no peace or contentment in the weeds! Let's get out of the weeds and continue on His path. Let's set aside quiet time to listen for guidance - to hear which way to turn - to simply rest in His loving arms. And let's be determined to boldly follow when we hear His gentle voice calling, "This is the way, walk in it!" Have A Great Day! Praise Him Even More 1-26-06 I don't recall ever being asked to explain the importance of breathing. It's pretty well accepted that breathing is a good idea and we should do it many times every day - a lack of breathing is definitely bad for our physical health. It's not an exaggeration to say that praise is as important, should become as natural and occur as often, as our breathing. For if we choose not to live a life of praise, we will just as surely suffocate and spiritually die. The life of praise requires only a little instruction and a great deal of application. To begin with, we must learn to ALWAYS praise! Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Notice that rejoicing is so important that Paul decided to repeat himself. If we are living to love and glorify God, He has promised to work ALL things together for the good (Romans 8:28); so why do we wait for what appear to be the proper conditions for praise? If we really understood and believed that God is in control, wouldn't we praise Him regardless of our particular situation? "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). There is never a wrong time to praise God and there are never circumstances which don't deserve our thankfulness. Job lost absolutely everything he had except his wife. He then developed sores over every part of his body and was so miserable that his wife encouraged him to "Curse God and die!" (Job 2:10). Job was in great pain and heavy sorrow, but he knew all things came from God with a purpose; "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). God is in the good as well as the trouble; we must learn to praise Him in ALL situations! Our life can become difficult and painful; we may feel bored and unfulfilled, cheated and abused. But if we look at the reasons which keep us from praising, we will find "self" expectations and pride - we will find a life lived according to the desires of the flesh and not according to the fruit of the Spirit. Every portion of our life is to be offered "as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). As we fix our eyes on the eternal glory we have through Jesus we will find more and more reasons to praise. Let's never allow our earthly circumstances to direct our praise: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). If we're still breathing, we should still be praising! He has given us eternal life - an eternity of worship in His presence...that's a GREAT gift! Let's look for the hand of God working around us each and every day. Let's praise Him with all our heart - and then let's praise Him even more! Have A Great Day! John 3:36 - Lesson #33 1-27-06 We now come to the end of the third chapter. At the beginning, Jesus talked to Nicodemus about eternal life; "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Jesus said being born again was a Spiritual birth given to "whoever believes in Him" (John 3:16). We saw how Christ is to be lifted up; "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30), and how the testimony of Christ is above all; "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God" (John 3:34). It's fitting we leave this chapter with one last look at the absolute seriousness of the gospel message. John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." We've seen this language earlier in the chapter: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already" (John 3:18). And John used similar words when writing his letter; "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). Though these words are consistent and clear in meaning, I doubt we give much thought to what they truly imply. The first part of the verse represents the positive side of the gospel, truly the good news. Jesus Christ came to die for the forgiveness of sin. Those who believe in Him have eternal life. Notice we have eternal life at the moment of belief, not at a future time, or after performing certain tasks, but right now! But there is another side. Not really part of the gospel, more like the necessary reason for the gospel. For why did Christ have to die? Because the sin we all inherited from Adam put us in a state of condemnation with no hope of life. Without Jesus, there is no good news - none! Many seem to think Jesus is for those who need extra help, for those who can't quite do it on their own. The strong and self-assured don't really need Jesus. Or maybe Jesus is for those who want to add Him to their bag of blessings. And if I'm content with my life, maybe Jesus is a blessing I can do without. I pray we can see these views as perversions of what is clearly stated in Scripture. The truth is that without Christ we are condemned, right now. The message is not: Believe or you will be condemned. The true message is: You are condemned, so believe. The wrath of God is His utter hatred of sin. Without eternal life through belief in Jesus, God's wrath abides or remains on us because sin also remains. There is no middle ground. There is no option for trying your best, no grace granted for being cleaner than most. Either we believe, and live forever; or we refuse to believe, and remain dead - forever! The choice is clear, choose life. Believe He died as a sacrifice for our sin and live forever. Receive His forgiveness, be born again, and live! Have A Great Day! A True Heart of Thanksgiving 1-30-06 In the message "Praise Him Even More" we considered our command as well as our need to rejoice and praise in order to sustain Spiritual life. A heart that has not been transformed by the Spirit of God cannot truly praise, and a transformed heart that does not praise will surely cease to pump Spiritual life through the body. Silas had joined Paul on his second missionary journey. Early in the journey, the two men were seized and brought before the authorities: "These men are Jews and are throwing our city into an uproar" (Acts 16:20). For this act they were stripped, beaten and thrown in prison with chains around their feet. However, their hearts continued to praise God and give Him thanks in spite of their conditions. Acts 16:25 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." Giving thanks in the form of prayer, praise, song, celebration, or simply as an attitude of thankfulness is mentioned well over one thousand times in the Bible. It's no surprise that having a heart filled with thanksgiving should be an integral part of the Christian walk. We need to see this world and the entirety of our life with new eyes - eyes that see God's hand at work in every moment of every day. If we believe in the One True God as the Creator of the Universe and accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, we should be compelled to give thanks - regardless of our circumstances. We should begin to see the evidence of God all around, and praise Him even for the air we breathe. A heart without praise and thanksgiving is empty and does not yet understand a sovereign God or His plan. If our surroundings are continually dictating the thankfulness of our heart, perhaps we ought to ask God to reveal His loving plan in even greater clarity. Yes, God wants to see us live a life of true peace and contentment; but first and foremost, He desires for us to surrender our life to Him and bring Him glory and honor in ALL we do. Only then, and only with the power of His Spirit, will we be able to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We cannot produce thanksgiving by simply trying to be more thankful. We only become thankful by taking our heart back to the very origin of our new nature - back to the saving grace of Jesus. Let's return to the point where our life was made new and once again learn to rejoice; once again learn to absolutely trust; once again learn to live with a true heart of thanksgiving. Have A Great Day! He is Our Joy 1-31-06 When Jesus came to earth, He took on a human appearance and accepted many human limitations. He knew His purpose long before He was crucified: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31). But He also knew the pain He must endure - and that the pain would be very real! In the hours before His death, Jesus was beaten, whipped, spit on, laughed at, yelled at and made to wear a crown of thorns. The Creator of the Universe was required to lay bloodied and disfigured as nails were hammered through His hands and feet. His chosen people had turned against Him and demanded His death - and those He loved the most had deserted Him. Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus endured more humiliation, disappointment, and pain than we can imagine. But the "joy" that allowed Him to endure the cross was the very reason He came to the world. He came to bring God's children back into a relationship with their Heavenly Father. The sacrifice of His death allowed a bridge from death to life. His joy was knowing that God's children would be able to come to Him and truly know Him - that they could talk with Him and worship Him...that they could sit in His presence and be comforted in His loving arms. We are those children. We are the joy that allowed Him to "endure the cross." How much love is wrapped up in this deep sustaining joy? Enough love to walk with us through the hottest fires, enough love to carry us when we're weak - and enough love to NEVER let us go! "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). We all face various kinds of trials, but the One who "endured" continues to walk by our side today. He has given us Himself - a true joy which allows us to endure even as He endured. He has given us an eternity to worship in His throne room, an eternity to be comforted and praise His Holy Name! He has given us a love and an unequaled strength which this world cannot begin to understand! We too can face our "cross" with great hope. We WILL endure any and all trials. We will endure because He is our joy. Have A Great Day!