Longing For Rescue
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Posted:Feb 24, 2015 4:25 am
Last Updated:Feb 24, 2015 4:28 am 19716 Views
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She will bring forth a , and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
Bible in a Year: Numbers 9-11; Mark 5:1-20
The movie Man of Steel, released in 2013, is a fresh imagining of the Superman story. Filled with breathtaking special effects and nonstop action, it drew crowds to movie theaters around the world. Some said that the film's appeal was rooted in its amazing technology. Others pointed to the enduring appeal of the Superman mythology.
Amy Adams, the actress who plays Lois Lane in the movie, has a different view of Superman's appeal. She says it is about a basic human longing: Who doesn't want to believe that there's one person who could come and save us from ourselves?
That';s a great question. And the answer is that someone has already come to save us from ourselves, and that someone is Jesus. Several announcements were made regarding the birth of Jesus. One of them was from the angel Gabriel to Joseph: She [Mary] will bring forth a , and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins Matt. 1:21
Jesus came He did so to save us from our sin and from ourselves. His name means the Lord saves and our salvation was His mission. The longing for rescue that fills the human heart ultimately is met by Jesus.
Shout salvation full and free,
Highest hills and deepest caves;
This our song of victory
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Jesus name and mission are the same He came to save us.
INSIGHT: When the angel spoke to Joseph about Mary's baby, he said that the 's name would be a clue to His identity: You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins Matt. 1:21. Jesus would also be called Immanuel, which means God with us(v.23). Jesus came to rescue us.
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The Unseen World
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Posted:Feb 23, 2015 4:57 am
Last Updated:Feb 24, 2015 10:16 am 19662 Views
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The Angel of the Lord [was] standing in the way. Numbers 22:23
Read: Numbers 22:21-31
Bible in a Year: Numbers 7-8; Mark 4:21-41
Did you know that the microbes on just one of your hands outnumber all of the people on the earth? Or that millions of microbes could fit into the eye of a needle? These one-celled, living organisms are too small for us to see without a microscope, yet they live in the air, soil, water, and even in our bodies. We constantly interact with them, even though their world is completely beyond our senses.
The realities of the spiritual world are also often not visible to us humans, as the prophet Balaam discovered. He was trudging along the road with his two servants when his donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand (Num. 22:23). To avoid the angel, the animal walked into a field, crushed Balaam's foot against a wall, and lay down with Balaam still on her back. Balaam was angry and struck the donkey. He didn't realize something supernatural was going on until God opened his eyes (v.31).
The Bible tells us that a spiritual world does exist, and we may sometimes encounter realities from that realm both good and bad
(Heb. 13:2; Eph. 6:12). Because of this, we are encouraged to be watchful, prayerful, and prepared. Just as God rules the world we see, He also rules the unseen world.
Heavenly Father, help us to be strong in You
and in the power of Your might. Open our
eyes so that we may see the spiritual
realities You have for us.
All that is seen and unseen is under God's sovereign power.
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Weighed Down
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Posted:Feb 20, 2015 1:58 am
Last Updated:Feb 20, 2015 2:00 am 19841 Views
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Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
Read: Hebrews 12:1-5
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2
August 10, 1628, was a dark day in naval history. On that day the royal warship Vasa set out on her maiden voyage. After taking 2 years to build, being lavishly decorated and holding 64 cannons, the pride of the Swedish navy sank only one mile out to sea. What went wrong? The excessive load was too heavy to make her seaworthy. Excess weight pulled the Vasa to the bottom of the ocean.
The Christian life can also be weighed down by excess baggage. Encouraging us in our spiritual journey, the book of Hebrews says: Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (12:1-2).
Like the lavishly decorated ship, we may project to others an impressive exterior. But if on the inside we are weighed down with sin, our perseverance can be impaired. There is a remedy, however. By relying on God's guidance and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, our load can be lightened and our perseverance buoyant.
Forgiveness and grace are always available to the spiritual traveler.
Father in heaven, too often I try to mask the burden
and weight of sin in my life with the outward activities
of the Christian life. Forgive me. Help me to set aside
the things that keep me from running a good race.
Perseverance is as much about a strong won't as a strong will.
INSIGHT: We are told in today's passage to lay aside everything that hinders our daily walk of faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the example of a cloud of witnesses helps us to persevere (12:1). These witnesses are most likely the people listed in chapter 11 who walked in faith looking for the promises of God. We are also told to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (12:2), who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is our example of patient perseverance, having endured the cross and the hostility of sinners, and He is now seated at God's right hand (vv.2-3). With the saints behind us and Christ ahead of us we can press on.
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Whose Will?
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Posted:Feb 19, 2015 2:44 am
Last Updated:Apr 20, 2024 7:16 am 19733 Views
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O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. Matthew 26:39
Read: Genesis 39:1-6,20-23
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45
May all things happen according to your will, is a greeting frequently exchanged during Chinese New Year. As wonderful as that may sound, events turn out best when God's will plays out and not mine.
Given a choice, Joseph would not have wished to be a slave in Egypt (Gen. 39:1). But despite his captivity, he was âsuccessful because the Lord was with [him] (v.2). The Lord even blessed his master's home for Joseph's sake (v.5).
Joseph would never have chosen to go to prison in Egypt. But he did when falsely accused of sexual assault. However, for the second time we read: the Lord was with Joseph (v.21). There, he gained the trust of the warden (v.22) so that whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper v.23. His downward spiral into prison turned out to be the start of his rise to the top position in Egypt. Few people would choose to be promoted the way God promoted Joseph. But Joseph's God blesses, despite, and even through, adverse circumstances.
God had a purpose for bringing Joseph to Egypt, and He has a purpose for placing us where we are. Instead of wishing that all things happened according to our will, we could say, as our Savior did before going to the cross, Not as I will, but as You will Matt. 26:39.
Lord, it is far too easy to chase my own desires and
passions. Forgive me for my selfish wants and pursuit of
self-centered activities. Help me to place You first and to
look for what You are doing and want to do in my life.
Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God's will.
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Whose Will?
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Posted:Feb 19, 2015 2:37 am
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2015 2:43 am 19365 Views
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O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. Matthew 26:39
Read: Genesis 39:1-6,20-23
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45
May all things happen according to your will, is a greeting frequently exchanged during Chinese New Year. As wonderful as that may sound, events turn out best when God's will plays out and not mine.
Given a choice, Joseph would not have wished to be a slave in Egypt (Gen. 39:1). But despite his captivity, he was successful because ÂÂthe Lord was with [him](v.2). The Lord even blessed his master's home for Joseph's sake (v.5).
Joseph would never have chosen to go to prison in Egypt. But he did when falsely accused of sexual assault. However, for the second time we read: the Lord was with Joseph (v.21). There, he gained the trust of the warden (v.22) so that whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper v.23. His downward spiral into prison turned out to be the start of his rise to the top position in Egypt. Few people would choose to be promoted the way God promoted Joseph. But Joseph's God blesses, despite, and even through, adverse circumstances.
God had a purpose for bringing Joseph to Egypt, and He has a purpose for placing us where we are. Instead of wishing that all things happened according to our will, we could say, as our Savior did before going to the cross, Not as I will, but as You will Matt. 26:39.
Lord, it is far too easy to chase my own desires and
passions. Forgive me for my selfish wants and pursuit of
self-centered activities. Help me to place You first and to
look for what You are doing and want to do in my life.
Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God's will.
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Mirror, Mirror
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Posted:Feb 18, 2015 5:48 am
Last Updated:Feb 18, 2015 5:51 am 19332 Views
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He who . . . is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25
Read: James 1:19-27
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22
How often do you see your reflection in a mirror? Some studies say that the average person looks in a mirror 8 to 10 times a day. Other surveys say it could be as many as 60 to 70 times a day, if glancing at our reflection in store windows and smart phone screens is included.
Why do we look so often? Most experts agree that itâs to check our appearance, especially before meetings or social gatherings. If something is amiss, we want to fix it. Why look if we don't plan to change what's wrong?
The apostle James said that reading or hearing God's Word without acting on it is like looking in a mirror and forgetting what we've seen (1:22-24). But the better alternative is to look closely and act on what we see. James said, He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does (v.25).
If we hear God's Word without taking action, we fool only ourselves (v.22). But when we examine ourselves in light of Godâs Word and obey His instructions, God liberates us from all that keeps us from looking more and more like Him each day.
Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us.
Give us wisdom and guidance as we
read its pages. Make us sensitive to Your
voice and give us hearts to obey.
The Bible is a mirror that lets us see ourselves as God sees us.
INSIGHT: Various metaphors are used in Scripture to describe God's Word: a mirror (James 1:23); fire and a hammer (Jer. 23:29), a lamp
(Ps. 119:105), water (Eph. 5:26), a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), a seed (1 Peter 1:23), food (Job 23:12), and milk (1 Peter 2:2). The Word of God reveals, consumes, breaks, illuminates, purifies, convicts, regenerates, satisfies, and nourishes the believer. It is not enough to know God's Word; we need to obey it (James 1:22-25).
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Building A Bridge
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Posted:Feb 17, 2015 3:54 am
Last Updated:Feb 17, 2015 3:56 am 19100 Views
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Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 1 Thessalonians 1.8
Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28
James Michener's Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American West. Through the eyes of a French-Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the European-based community of St. Louis. As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds.
Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds those who know and follow Jesus and those who do not know Him. Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshiping culture, so Paul said of them, For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place 1 Thess. 1.8. The bridge they were building had two components: the word of the Lord and the example of their faith. It was clear to everyone that they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God v.9.
As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Christ.
Father, help us live in such a way that others
will want to know about Your . May we not
merely try to do what's right but instead
live as people forgiven and loved by You.
Live the gospel, and others will listen.
INSIGHT: In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that the greatest things are faith, hope, and love v.13. In today's passage, he commends the people of the church in Thessalonica for exhibiting these very traits. They work in faith and labor in love while hoping in Jesus Christ 1 Thess. 1.3
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Taming The Untamable
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Posted:Feb 16, 2015 3:46 am
Last Updated:Feb 17, 2015 6:42 am 19089 Views
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No man can tame the tongue. James 3,8
Read: James 3:1-12
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27.51-66
From Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs to Siberian foxes, humans have learned to tame wild animals. People enjoy teaching monkeys to act in commercials or training deer to eat out of their hands. As the apostle James put it, Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind (3,7.
But there is something we cannot tame. All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. No man can tame the tongue, James tells us v.8.
Why? Because while our words may be on the tip of our tongue, they originate from deep within us. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34. And thus the tongue can be used for both good and evil (James 3.9. Or, as scholar Peter Davids put it, On the one hand, [the tongue] is very religious, but, on the other, it can be most profane.
If we cannot tame this unruly tongue of ours, is it destined to be a daily problem for us, always prone to speak evil? (v.10). By God's grace, no. We are not left to our own devices. The Lord will set a guard over my mouth; He will keep watch over the door of my lips (Ps. 141.3. He can tame the untamable.
Lord, my mouth sometimes speaks words that
don't honor You. Thank You that by Your Spirit
my untamed tongue can be brought under divine
control. Please guard my mouth today.
To rule your tongue, let Christ rule in your heart.
INSIGHT: James's letter is filled with practical wisdom that deals with responding to trials (ch.1), living out our faith (ch.2), taming the tongue (ch.3), interpersonal conflict (ch.4), and waiting on the Lord ch.5.
James is sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament.
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The Word Among Us
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Posted:Feb 13, 2015 1:58 am
Last Updated:Feb 15, 2015 10:53 am 19261 Views
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Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
Psalm 119:24
Read: Psalm 119:17-24
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75
The Word of God comes to us in many forms. Bible-centered preaching, Scripture reading, songs, study groups, and devotional articles bring to us the truths of God from Scripture. But we can't overlook personal reading and studying either.
My heart has recently been touched by a careful, paragraph-by-paragraph study of Deuteronomy alongside the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Both passages contain codes of belief: The Ten Commandments Deut. 5.6-21 and the Beatitudes Matt. 5.3-12. Deuteronomy shows us the old covenant the law God wanted His people to follow. In Matthew, Jesus shows us how He has come to fulfill that law and establish the principles of the new covenant, which frees us from the burden of the law.
The Holy Spirit comes alongside the Word of God to teach, empower, instruct, convict, and purify us. The result is understanding, repentance, renewal, and growth in Jesus. Theologian Philip Jacob Spener wrote:
The more at home the Word of God is among us, the more we will bring about faith and its fruits. Let's pray with the psalmist: Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law' so that we might live it out in our lives Ps. 119.18.
Heavenly Father, we bow in Your presence. Let Your
Word be our rule and guide, Your Spirit our teacher,
and Your greater glory be our supreme concern,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
When the Word of God is within us, it flows out from our life.
INSIGHT: Psalm 119 is a celebration of God's law, broken down into 22 sections that follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. When we take a look at the individual sections, we see that the psalmist's personally looks to God's law as a source of life and guidance. In today's passage, the psalmist celebrates God's grace as he acknowledges that it is only through Him that he can keep His Word v.17.
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The Well-Watered Life
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Posted:Feb 12, 2015 2:07 am
Last Updated:Feb 12, 2015 2:08 am 19301 Views
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He shall be like a tree planted by the waters . . . ; its leaf will be green. Jeremiah 17.8
Read: Jeremiah 17:1-8
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 13; Matthew 26:26-50
I have a friend who lives on a ranch in the wide-open spaces of Montana. The road to his home is a long trail that winds through the parched and barren landscape of the wilderness. As you drive toward his home, you can't help but notice the contrasting strip of green trees and vibrant vegetation meandering through the ranch. One of the finest trout rivers in North America cuts through the property, and anything that grows near its banks gets the benefit of an unending source of vital water.
This is the picture Jeremiah paints when he says that those who trust in the Lord are like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river Jer. 17.8. Many may choose the wilting heat and choking drought of life apart from God, but those who trust in God will be vibrant and fruitful. Depending on Him is like putting our roots into the refreshing water of His goodness. We are strengthened with the confidence that His steadfast love for us will never fail.
God will ultimately make all things right. Trusting that He will turn our pain to gain and use suffering to mature us empowers us to become fruit-bearers in a dry and thirsty land.
Lord, thank You for not leaving me alone
in the withering heat of life. I will put the
roots of my trust into the river of Your
unfailing promises and steadfast love!
Put your roots down by the river of God's goodness.
INSIGHT: The words of Jeremiah 17.7-8 echo those of Psalm 1:2-3: Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord . . . . They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do
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