Small Things Become Big Things - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.-Luke 16:10
I read about a study that a business group conducted on infidelity in the workplace. Not surprisingly, they concluded that extramarital affairs in the workplace ultimately led to breakdowns in other areas of life.
In other words, if people were being unfaithful to their spouses, they also would pad their business expenses and cut corners in other areas of their jobs. It makes sense, doesn't it? If someone is willing to take down one wall, then why not kick down other walls too?
Small things become big things. If you're willing to cheat on a test in school, then will you also lie on your r�sum�? And if you're willing to cheat in school and lie on your r�sum�, then in what other areas will you be willing to cheat?
Little compromises turn into big problems. Little things turn into big things.
We don't think about this sometimes. We'll say, "It's all right. This is just a minor infraction." But we're not thinking about the repercussions yet.
In the Bible we find story after story of lifelong repercussions that came as a result of a single decision. Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, and it cost him paradise. Esau compromised for a single meal and lost his birthright. Samson's sexual compromises cost him his strength, his eyes, and ultimately his life.
Are there some small areas where you're making compromises now?
Deal with those, because the Lord is revealing them for your own good. Little compromises turn into big problems. Jesus said, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities" (Luke 16:10 NLT).
In a single moment in time, you can make a decision that affects your entire life.
An Anchor for the SoulBy Max Lucado
Sometimes we just run out of hope. When we do, where can we turn? Hebrews 6:19-20 says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”The anchor has one purpose—to steady the boat. You and I need a good anchor. Why? Because you have a valuable vessel—your soul. When God breathed into Adam, he gave him more than oxygen, he gave him a soul. The anchor for the soul is set, not on a boat or person or possession, but it is set in the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus has entered on our behalf. In other words, our anchor is set in the very throne room of God. Death, failure, betrayal, sickness, or disappointment—they cannot take your hope, because they cannot take your Jesus.
God Works Within Us
Ephesians 3:20-21
Let these words slowly sink into your understanding: “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (v. 20). What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.
Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If He would change this situation or fix that problem, then my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask bigger—He wants to change us!
What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Scriptures, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Then rely on His wonderful promise to do even more than you have asked or imagined.
Look at What You Have
by Max Lucado
Linger too long in the stench of your hurt, and you’ll smell like the toxin you despise. I spent too much of a summer sludging through sludge. Oil field work is dirty at best. But the dirtiest job of all? Shoveling silt out of empty oil tanks. The foreman saved such jobs for the summer help. Thanks boss! My mom burned my work clothes. The stink stuck!
Your hurts can do the same. The better option? Look at what you have. Your hurts and pain took much, but Christ gave you more! Catalog His kindnesses. Everything from sunsets to salvation—look at what you have.
Let Jesus be the friend you need. Talk to Him. Spare no detail. Disclose your fear and describe your dread. Will your hurt disappear? Who knows? And in a sense, does it matter? You have a friend for life. What could be better than that?
Prayer for Peter and James
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” (Acts 12:1-2)
Verse 2 of our text rather casually records what may have been one of the lowest points of apostolic time. James was killed with the sword—James, one of the only three disciples in Christ’s inner circle. He was one of only three to witness the resurrection of the synagogue ruler’s daughter (Luke 8:51-55); one of three to catch a glimpse of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2); and one of only four to sit with Christ on the Mount of Olives and learn of the future (Mark 13:3-4). In Gethsemane, after their last supper together, Christ allowed him, along with Peter and John, to witness His agony in a special way (Mark 14:32-34).
He was highly trained by Christ Himself, and the fledgling church could ill afford to lose his leadership. But suddenly he was arrested and slain! A tragedy it would seem to lose such a leader. Think what James might have accomplished had he lived longer, much as Peter and John did. Could it be, however, that his martyrdom was a blessing in disguise? Certainly God allowed this to happen, but for what purpose?
The answer may be found in the verses following our text. Peter had been taken prisoner and was to be executed the next morning (Acts 12:6). However, the church had learned a lesson. No prayer for James is recorded, but for Peter, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5), and Peter was miraculously freed by an angel and joined the prayer meeting.
What would have happened had the believers prayed for James as they did for Peter? Of course, that question has no definite answer, but prayer such as was offered for Peter followed the apostles and early church leaders in their work from that time on. JDM
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” (Acts 12:1-2)
Verse 2 of our text rather casually records what may have been one of the lowest points of apostolic time. James was killed with the sword—James, one of the only three disciples in Christ’s inner circle. He was one of only three to witness the resurrection of the synagogue ruler’s daughter (Luke 8:51-55); one of three to catch a glimpse of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2); and one of only four to sit with Christ on the Mount of Olives and learn of the future (Mark 13:3-4). In Gethsemane, after their last supper together, Christ allowed him, along with Peter and John, to witness His agony in a special way (Mark 14:32-34).
He was highly trained by Christ Himself, and the fledgling church could ill afford to lose his leadership. But suddenly he was arrested and slain! A tragedy it would seem to lose such a leader. Think what James might have accomplished had he lived longer, much as Peter and John did. Could it be, however, that his martyrdom was a blessing in disguise? Certainly God allowed this to happen, but for what purpose?
The answer may be found in the verses following our text. Peter had been taken prisoner and was to be executed the next morning (Acts 12:6). However, the church had learned a lesson. No prayer for James is recorded, but for Peter, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5), and Peter was miraculously freed by an angel and joined the prayer meeting.
What would have happened had the believers prayed for James as they did for Peter? Of course, that question has no definite answer, but prayer such as was offered for Peter followed the apostles and early church leaders in their work from that time on. JDM
The Brightness of His Rising
“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 60:3)
This beautiful Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament book of Isaiah compares the coming of Christ to the rising of the sun.
The rest of this chapter in Isaiah seems to stress His coming in glory at the future end of the age (e.g., “the LORD shall be thine everlasting light,” Isaiah 60:20), but our text verse had at least a precursive fulfillment when the Gentile wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to honor Jesus soon after His birth.
Other Messianic prophecies used a similar metaphor. For example, there is Malachi 4:2: “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.”
Christ Himself made the same comparison. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). He would not serve as the light for only the Jews; He is the light of the whole world!
The theme of global light through Christ is often found in the Old Testament. “I the LORD . . . will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. . . . It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).
It will all be perfectly and eternally fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: . . . for there shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:23-25). HMM
“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 60:3)
This beautiful Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament book of Isaiah compares the coming of Christ to the rising of the sun.
The rest of this chapter in Isaiah seems to stress His coming in glory at the future end of the age (e.g., “the LORD shall be thine everlasting light,” Isaiah 60:20), but our text verse had at least a precursive fulfillment when the Gentile wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to honor Jesus soon after His birth.
Other Messianic prophecies used a similar metaphor. For example, there is Malachi 4:2: “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.”
Christ Himself made the same comparison. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). He would not serve as the light for only the Jews; He is the light of the whole world!
The theme of global light through Christ is often found in the Old Testament. “I the LORD . . . will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. . . . It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).
It will all be perfectly and eternally fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: . . . for there shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:23-25). HMM
Make a Choiceby Max Lucado Maybe your past isn�t much to brag about. Maybe you�ve seen raw evil�and now you have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?
Healthy bodies. Sharp minds. But retired dreams. Back and forth they rock in the chair of regret. Lean closely and you�ll hear them.
If only I�d been born somewhere else. . .
If only I�d been treated fairly. . .
If only I�d had more opportunities. . .if only. . .
Put down the scrapbook of your life and pick up the Bible. Read Jesus� words in John 3:6: �Human life comes from human parents but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.�
Lo, I Come
�Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.� (Hebrews 10:7)
These marvelous words (in Hebrews 10:5-7) are an interpretive quotation from Psalm 40:6-8, which in turn was being cited prophetically as the testimony of the eternal Son of God as He prepared to leave heaven and �the bosom of the Father� (note John 1:18) to descend to Earth to become also �the Son of man,� with no �where to lay his head� (Matthew 8:20).
He first took up residence on Earth in the womb of Mary, then in a manger, then a house in Bethlehem, then somewhere in Egypt until the death of King Herod, who had tried to kill Him, then in the home of his foster father in a despised village, eventually on a cross on which His enemies would impale Him, and finally for three days in a borrowed tomb.
And all this, amazingly, was to do the will of His Father in heaven, which He fully understood would include the terrible death of the cross. �Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again� (John 10:17).
We can never comprehend such love�only believe it and receive it. �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life� (John 3:16). Now we can testify with Paul �the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God [His faith, not ours!], who loved me, and gave himself for me� (Galatians 2:20).
But anyone who ignores that love should note this sobering truth: �He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God� (John 3:18). HMM
Praying with Impact1 John 5:14-15
Since praying is such a common practice for believers, over time it's easy to fall into habits that result in a lifeless and empty prayer life. Instead of a dynamic conversation with thoughtful requests and active listening for God's response, our prayers can seem more like grocery lists. Because communication with the Lord is such a vital part of the Christian life, we occasionally need to step back and examine how we're doing.
Begin by asking yourself these questions:
How effective are my prayers? Is God answering my petitions, or does it seem as if they never go past the ceiling?
Who am I praying for? Are most of my requests for myself or others?
What am I asking the Lord to do? Have I looked in the Word to see what He wants, or am I trying to get Him to intervene according to my plans and desires?
When do I pray? Is it only during emergencies or when I need something?
If you discovered any selfishness in your answers, you're not alone. Most of us struggle to enter God's presence with our eyes focused on Him instead of our needs. But the only way we'll be able to pray with impact is to fill our minds with Scripture so we can find out what the Lord wants to do.
Your prayer life can become effective and dynamic if you'll approach the Lord with a clean heart (Psalms 66:18), align your requests with His will, and believe He will do what He says (Mark 11:24). Then you'll be able to pray with absolute confidence knowing that He will hear and answer your petitions.
Living in the Daylight - by Greg Laurie -
�And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.� (Revelation 12:5)
This remarkable scene was part of a great vision given to the apostle John as the Lord was revealing to him �the things which shall be hereafter� (Revelation 1:19). He had seen an amazing �sign� in heaven�a woman �clothed with the sun . . . travailing in birth,� with �a great red dragon� awaiting the delivery and ready �to devour her child as soon as it was born� (Revelation 12:1-4).
Although the whole vision is richly symbolic, the figure of the man child clearly refers to Jesus Christ, because it is He alone who must eventually rule all nations �with a rod of iron� (Revelation 19:15). Thus, the symbolic �woman� must suggest His human mother, Mary, but also Eve, the �mother of all living� (Genesis 3:20), for in His human birth, the Son of God became also �the Son of man� (Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13). The vision, in fact, dramatizes the long warfare between the great dragon (i.e., Satan�Revelation 12:9) and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
In the vision, the �man child� will have been �caught up� (i.e., �raptured�) to heaven, and the dragon and his angels �cast out� to earth (Revelation 12:5-9). But when Christ returns from heaven, all believers, living and dead, will also be �caught up� to meet Him in the air, and thus may well be included in the man child of the great �sign.�
There has been continuous warfare between the seed of the Serpent and the spiritual seed of the woman. The Dragon is forever �wroth with the woman� and with �the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ� (Revelation 12:17). But Christ will finally prevail and cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). HMM
The Man Born Blind
�And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.� (John 9:2-3)
Mankind has always found it easy to fall into the trap of thinking that suffering of any sort is due to sin. To be sure, much suffering is due to sin, and even after repentance and forgiveness, scars may remain. Furthermore, evil and its attendant grief surround us. Our civilization is plagued by sin and its evil fruits�some of which reach even the most godly Christian. Indeed, �the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain� (Romans 8:22) as a result of the curse brought about by sin. If there had been no sin, there would have been no suffering.
But this does not imply that all personal suffering stems from personal sin. The blind man was the way he was to bring glory to God, we are told. Although many at the time failed to recognize �the works of God� when this man was healed, countless millions have glorified God throughout the centuries for this act of creation.
Now some may ask, how could God have been glorified in this grown man�s life of blindness up until his healing? Actually, all life is a miracle, even the single-cell amoeba. Nothing living could possibly have arisen by accident, and as such testifies to the marvelous �works of God.� In this case, the item of interest was a human being, complete with fully functioning organs and systems. Even though he could not see, he could smell, taste, hear, speak, touch, move, walk, eat, breathe, digest, think, etc. This could not be the result of time and chance acting on �primeval slime,� as the evolutionist would claim. Any living system points to a loving Designer. Those who �willingly are ignorant� (2 Peter 3:5) of such facts are more blind than the Pharisees. JDM
Everything Beautiful in His Time
�He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.� (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
In verses 2�8 of Ecclesiastes 3 appears a remarkable listing of 28 �times,� arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., �a time to be born, and a time to die,� v. 2). The entire section is introduced by God�s definitive statement: �To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven� (v. 1). It is then climaxed by His remarkable assurance in the words of our text for the day. Everything that God has made is beautiful in its appropriate time�even death and war, killing and hating, and all the other �negatives� in the list, as well as the 14 �positives��healing and loving, building and planting, and many others.
The pronoun (implied) could be either �its� or �His,� and since all our �times� are �in thy hand� (Psalm 31:15), it is fitting to recognize that the appropriate time for �every purpose under heaven� is His time�God�s time.
Thus, everything that God has made is, in fact, beautiful when accomplished in His own time, in His way, as set forth in His Word. We may not understand many things in our time, for �no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.� Nevertheless, when God made us, He �set the world in [our hearts],� so that the very deepest roots of our nature assure us that God exists and cares. The Hebrew word for �world� means, literally, that �world without end� (compare Ephesians 3:21). Thus, all that happens to us, if accepted and applied according to God�s Word, becomes beautiful, and �we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose� (Romans 8:28). HMM
Our Heart's DesiresPsalms 145:17-21
If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? Your answer reveals a lot about who you are. The psalmist writes, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). There is nothing wrong with desires--they motivate us to achieve great things. But not all of our yearnings come from God.
Consider your aspirations and what they say about who you are:
Do you hope for a position of authority in order to be in control? Longing for personal advancement in order to manipulate others reveals a lack of integrity, whereas a godly person craves righteousness.
Do you dream about wealth and fame? Perhaps there's a void in your spirit that you're trying to fill. But only God can meet the insatiable needs of the human heart.
Are you afraid to ask the Lord for what you want? Maybe you think He won't listen, but God tells us to approach His throne with boldness and confidence (Heb. 4:16).
If the Lord doesn't respond affirmatively to your prayers, ask Him to make your desires conform to His will. Whatever you do, don't take matters into your own hands and go after what you want. There is always a high price to pay for rebelling against God.
God cares for us bountifully, but that doesn't mean we can expect Him to deliver whatever we want, whenever we want it. Only when our dreams align with His plan for our lives does He fulfill them. The thoughts that preoccupy us are an accurate barometer of the state of our relationship with Christ.
A Worldly Heart2 Peter 2:9-18
God warns us against misguided desires, because sinful passions can lead to emptiness, suffering, disappointment, pain, and even death. Wise believers let the Father direct their yearnings--and then make changes if necessary.
Impure desires have been part of the "flesh" nature since the fall of man, and they can be hard to see in ourselves. Instead of obvious things like theft, drugs, or immorality, they often involve more subtle attitudes and behaviors, like hoping for a rival's downfall, despising authority (2 Peter 2:10), obsessing about wealth (1 Tim. 6:9), or even speaking arrogant and vain words. Since worldly passions can cause great damage (2 Peter 2:18), believers are to deny them (Titus 2:11-12). But we can't overcome these desires on our own. Submitting to God's Spirit is the only way to live righteously.
The Lord knows what we really desire--and more importantly, what we need--even when cloudy judgment leads us astray. And He understands honest mistakes. When a believer misinterprets the Spirit's guidance or receives bad advice from a friend, God looks at the heart. He may allow the consequences of a poor choice to play out, but He won't shame His children for an honest mistake. He can turn a bad situation into something good (Rom. 8:28).
God can save us from worldly desires, but we must be willing to commit ourselves to Him and trust that His response is the best thing for us. When we put our lives entirely in the Father's hands, we can claim the wonderful promises He has for us and then rest in His grace.
Healthy bodies. Sharp minds. But retired dreams. Back and forth they rock in the chair of regret. Lean closely and you�ll hear them.
If only I�d been born somewhere else. . .
If only I�d been treated fairly. . .
If only I�d had more opportunities. . .if only. . .
Put down the scrapbook of your life and pick up the Bible. Read Jesus� words in John 3:6: �Human life comes from human parents but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.�
Lo, I Come
�Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.� (Hebrews 10:7)
These marvelous words (in Hebrews 10:5-7) are an interpretive quotation from Psalm 40:6-8, which in turn was being cited prophetically as the testimony of the eternal Son of God as He prepared to leave heaven and �the bosom of the Father� (note John 1:18) to descend to Earth to become also �the Son of man,� with no �where to lay his head� (Matthew 8:20).
He first took up residence on Earth in the womb of Mary, then in a manger, then a house in Bethlehem, then somewhere in Egypt until the death of King Herod, who had tried to kill Him, then in the home of his foster father in a despised village, eventually on a cross on which His enemies would impale Him, and finally for three days in a borrowed tomb.
And all this, amazingly, was to do the will of His Father in heaven, which He fully understood would include the terrible death of the cross. �Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again� (John 10:17).
We can never comprehend such love�only believe it and receive it. �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life� (John 3:16). Now we can testify with Paul �the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God [His faith, not ours!], who loved me, and gave himself for me� (Galatians 2:20).
But anyone who ignores that love should note this sobering truth: �He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God� (John 3:18). HMM
Praying with Impact1 John 5:14-15
Since praying is such a common practice for believers, over time it's easy to fall into habits that result in a lifeless and empty prayer life. Instead of a dynamic conversation with thoughtful requests and active listening for God's response, our prayers can seem more like grocery lists. Because communication with the Lord is such a vital part of the Christian life, we occasionally need to step back and examine how we're doing.
Begin by asking yourself these questions:
How effective are my prayers? Is God answering my petitions, or does it seem as if they never go past the ceiling?
Who am I praying for? Are most of my requests for myself or others?
When do I pray? Is it only during emergencies or when I need something?
If you discovered any selfishness in your answers, you're not alone. Most of us struggle to enter God's presence with our eyes focused on Him instead of our needs. But the only way we'll be able to pray with impact is to fill our minds with Scripture so we can find out what the Lord wants to do.
Your prayer life can become effective and dynamic if you'll approach the Lord with a clean heart (Psalms 66:18), align your requests with His will, and believe He will do what He says (Mark 11:24). Then you'll be able to pray with absolute confidence knowing that He will hear and answer your petitions.
Living in the Daylight - by Greg Laurie -
Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.-Romans 13:13
Daniel wrote about the future, which happens to be our past. And the book that bears his name is powerful Old Testament Scripture that gives us an overview of human history. It also gives us a penetrating look into our future as well.
And today, with twenty-twenty hindsight, we can see that the prophet was 100 percent accurate. The Bible is the one book that dares to predict the future, not once, not twice, but hundreds of times with perfect accuracy.
So in the case of Daniel, if what he predicted for his future happened as he said it would, can we therefore trust the Bible and what it says about our still distant future?
Yes, we can.
Not only that, but it's a reminder to us that God is in control of what is happening in the world today. God is sovereign over the affairs of nations and the leaders of nations.
And one thing that comes out clearly in the book of Daniel is this simple fact: Jesus Christ is coming back to establish His kingdom on Earth.
What are we supposed to do, then, in light of the fact that Christ is coming back? Romans 13 gives us a great answer to this question:
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us live cleanly, as in the daylight, not in the "delights" of getting drunk or playing with sex, nor yet in quarrelling or jealousies. Let us be Christ's men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling. (verses 13-14 PH)
How clear is that? It tells us what we should focus on in these critical days.
The Man Child�And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.� (Revelation 12:5)
This remarkable scene was part of a great vision given to the apostle John as the Lord was revealing to him �the things which shall be hereafter� (Revelation 1:19). He had seen an amazing �sign� in heaven�a woman �clothed with the sun . . . travailing in birth,� with �a great red dragon� awaiting the delivery and ready �to devour her child as soon as it was born� (Revelation 12:1-4).
Although the whole vision is richly symbolic, the figure of the man child clearly refers to Jesus Christ, because it is He alone who must eventually rule all nations �with a rod of iron� (Revelation 19:15). Thus, the symbolic �woman� must suggest His human mother, Mary, but also Eve, the �mother of all living� (Genesis 3:20), for in His human birth, the Son of God became also �the Son of man� (Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13). The vision, in fact, dramatizes the long warfare between the great dragon (i.e., Satan�Revelation 12:9) and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
In the vision, the �man child� will have been �caught up� (i.e., �raptured�) to heaven, and the dragon and his angels �cast out� to earth (Revelation 12:5-9). But when Christ returns from heaven, all believers, living and dead, will also be �caught up� to meet Him in the air, and thus may well be included in the man child of the great �sign.�
There has been continuous warfare between the seed of the Serpent and the spiritual seed of the woman. The Dragon is forever �wroth with the woman� and with �the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ� (Revelation 12:17). But Christ will finally prevail and cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). HMM
The Man Born Blind
�And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.� (John 9:2-3)
Mankind has always found it easy to fall into the trap of thinking that suffering of any sort is due to sin. To be sure, much suffering is due to sin, and even after repentance and forgiveness, scars may remain. Furthermore, evil and its attendant grief surround us. Our civilization is plagued by sin and its evil fruits�some of which reach even the most godly Christian. Indeed, �the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain� (Romans 8:22) as a result of the curse brought about by sin. If there had been no sin, there would have been no suffering.
But this does not imply that all personal suffering stems from personal sin. The blind man was the way he was to bring glory to God, we are told. Although many at the time failed to recognize �the works of God� when this man was healed, countless millions have glorified God throughout the centuries for this act of creation.
Now some may ask, how could God have been glorified in this grown man�s life of blindness up until his healing? Actually, all life is a miracle, even the single-cell amoeba. Nothing living could possibly have arisen by accident, and as such testifies to the marvelous �works of God.� In this case, the item of interest was a human being, complete with fully functioning organs and systems. Even though he could not see, he could smell, taste, hear, speak, touch, move, walk, eat, breathe, digest, think, etc. This could not be the result of time and chance acting on �primeval slime,� as the evolutionist would claim. Any living system points to a loving Designer. Those who �willingly are ignorant� (2 Peter 3:5) of such facts are more blind than the Pharisees. JDM
Everything Beautiful in His Time
�He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.� (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
In verses 2�8 of Ecclesiastes 3 appears a remarkable listing of 28 �times,� arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., �a time to be born, and a time to die,� v. 2). The entire section is introduced by God�s definitive statement: �To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven� (v. 1). It is then climaxed by His remarkable assurance in the words of our text for the day. Everything that God has made is beautiful in its appropriate time�even death and war, killing and hating, and all the other �negatives� in the list, as well as the 14 �positives��healing and loving, building and planting, and many others.
The pronoun (implied) could be either �its� or �His,� and since all our �times� are �in thy hand� (Psalm 31:15), it is fitting to recognize that the appropriate time for �every purpose under heaven� is His time�God�s time.
Thus, everything that God has made is, in fact, beautiful when accomplished in His own time, in His way, as set forth in His Word. We may not understand many things in our time, for �no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.� Nevertheless, when God made us, He �set the world in [our hearts],� so that the very deepest roots of our nature assure us that God exists and cares. The Hebrew word for �world� means, literally, that �world without end� (compare Ephesians 3:21). Thus, all that happens to us, if accepted and applied according to God�s Word, becomes beautiful, and �we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose� (Romans 8:28). HMM
Our Heart's DesiresPsalms 145:17-21
If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? Your answer reveals a lot about who you are. The psalmist writes, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). There is nothing wrong with desires--they motivate us to achieve great things. But not all of our yearnings come from God.
Consider your aspirations and what they say about who you are:
Do you hope for a position of authority in order to be in control? Longing for personal advancement in order to manipulate others reveals a lack of integrity, whereas a godly person craves righteousness.
Are you afraid to ask the Lord for what you want? Maybe you think He won't listen, but God tells us to approach His throne with boldness and confidence (Heb. 4:16).
If the Lord doesn't respond affirmatively to your prayers, ask Him to make your desires conform to His will. Whatever you do, don't take matters into your own hands and go after what you want. There is always a high price to pay for rebelling against God.
God cares for us bountifully, but that doesn't mean we can expect Him to deliver whatever we want, whenever we want it. Only when our dreams align with His plan for our lives does He fulfill them. The thoughts that preoccupy us are an accurate barometer of the state of our relationship with Christ.
A Worldly Heart2 Peter 2:9-18
God warns us against misguided desires, because sinful passions can lead to emptiness, suffering, disappointment, pain, and even death. Wise believers let the Father direct their yearnings--and then make changes if necessary.
The Lord knows what we really desire--and more importantly, what we need--even when cloudy judgment leads us astray. And He understands honest mistakes. When a believer misinterprets the Spirit's guidance or receives bad advice from a friend, God looks at the heart. He may allow the consequences of a poor choice to play out, but He won't shame His children for an honest mistake. He can turn a bad situation into something good (Rom. 8:28).
God can save us from worldly desires, but we must be willing to commit ourselves to Him and trust that His response is the best thing for us. When we put our lives entirely in the Father's hands, we can claim the wonderful promises He has for us and then rest in His grace.
Connections in Heaven - by Greg Laurie -
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. And He will show them His covenant.-Psalm 25:14
When my grandkids were small and we were going out to eat, I would say, "Now, we can go into this restaurant the regular way, or we can go the secret way. Who wants to go the secret way?"
All of them would raise their hand. "We want to go the secret way, Papa!"
So I took them in the side door. They thought it was really special, an adventure. That's because we all love secrets.
The psalmist David wrote, "The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him" (Psalm 25:14 NKJV).
Here's something interesting that we ought to consider: a Christian has a better handle on what is happening in the world than some of the so-called experts. Why? Because we believe what the Bible says about the last days. We know what will happen.
Jesus said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes" (Matthew 11:25 NKJV).
Are you facing trouble or difficulty right now? Here's what you need to do: pray. When you don't know what to do, when you don't know the answer, you need to pray. When you're having problems with your spouse, problems with your kids, or problems at work, you need to pray.
What did the early church do when James was arrested and executed, and then Peter was arrested too? We read in Acts 12 that the church offered constant prayer to God for him. And what happened? An angel rescued Peter from prison.
When Daniel faced what seemed like an impossible situation, he prayed. He was a man on earth who had connections in Heaven.
If you're a follower of Christ, then you have the same.
Walking in God's Will - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.-Psalm 19:8
Some people are running around today trying to get a direct revelation from God. They want the Lord to give them a word from Heaven: "Do this. . . . Turn right. . . . Turn left."
Yet most of the time when I find myself in the middle of the will of God, it isn't because I heard a word from the Lord. Rather it's because I was simply living by the Word of God, applying biblical principles.
Daniel, for example, needed the interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. He had a good biblical template to follow, which was the story of Joseph from Genesis.
Joseph, too, had the ability to interpret dreams. He was thrown in prison on false charges, and while he was there the Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who told him what his dream meant. As a result, Pharaoh placed Joseph in a position of influence.
This brings up a simple point: the Bible tells us how to live. This is why we need to know the Bible. It's why we need to study the stories of the Bible and the teachings of the Bible. And it's also why we need to memorize passages from the Bible.
When we do this, we start learning how to think biblically. Because the best way to know the will of God is to know the Word of God.
So when a situation comes up, you think, "Wait, there's a story in the Bible I just read that had a very similar situation. I'm going to apply that here." Or, "I just thought of a verse I memorized that applies to this situation."
As you apply God's Word, as you live biblically, you'll find that you're walking in God's will.
Hold the Course - by Greg Laurie -
But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is.-2 Timothy 3:10
Not long before Pastor Chuck Smith went to Heaven, I had lunch with him one day. Pastor Chuck, by the way, was a man of few words when you hung out with him privately.
As we were eating, I said, "I have a question for you. If an older Chuck could speak to a younger Chuck, what would you say to yourself? What is the message you would pass on to a younger version of you?"
He looked up at me and said, "Hold the course." Then he went back to his meal.
I thought, "Hold the course. . . . What does that mean?"
Then I said, "Like keep doing what you're doing?"
"Right."
"Oh, like keep reading the Bible? So just keep praying? Just keep walking with the Lord?"
"Right. Hold the course."
Chuck Smith did that throughout his life. And we need to do that throughout our lives, too. We need to hold our course to the very end.
Are you a person of purpose? The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, "But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is" (2 Timothy 3:10 NLT). And what was that purpose?
He said in Philippians, "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (3:10-11 NLT).
In other words, Paul's purpose, his reason for existence, was to know God and to become more like Christ.
What is your purpose? Everyone has one. Is your purpose knowing God? Is your purpose becoming more like Christ? That is the Christian life. We should be people of character and purpose.
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