DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.25.20

Jesus Christ Our Creator �For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whetherthey be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.� (Colossians1:16) Before one can really know Jesus Christ as Savior or Lord, he must acknowledge Him as offended and rejected Creator, because He was our Creator first of all. This is such an important doctrine of the New Testament that it is remarkable how rarely it is emphasizedin modern evangelicalism. Creation by Jesus Christ is the doctrine with which John begins his great gospel of salvation: �In the beginning was the Word,�All things were made by him;�and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not� (John1:1, 3, 10). It is the foundational message of the book of Hebrews: �God .�hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds� (Hebrews1:1-2). The apostle Paul said that he had been called specifically to preach �the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by JesusChrist� (Ephesians3:8-9). When a person becomes a believer in Christ, receiving His very life by the new birth, he is said to be �renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him� (Colossians3:10). In the final book of the Bible, Jesus Christ is called �the beginning of the creation of God� (Revelation3:14). But of all the biblical passages identifying Jesus Christ as Creator, the most definitive of all is our text for today. Everything in heaven and Earth was created by Him and for Him! �For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whombe glory for ever. Amen� (Romans11:36). HMM What Jesus Wants for Us - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. -John 17:21 Before I heard the gospel message, the love that Christians had for each other won me over. I watched them on my high school campus and thought, "Is this for real, or arethey making this up? Is this an act? Do these people really love each other?" After all, I was used to hanging around with people that I liked. Certain kids hung around certain kids. But as I watched the Christians, I realized they were from everykind of background imaginable, yet they obviously had something in common. When Christians are unified and when they love one another, it's a powerful witness to a lost and divided world. And that is just what Jesus wants for us. In John's gospel we find His prayer for us: "I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in usso that the world will believe you sent me" (17:21 NLT). Now, I'm not calling for unity at any cost because the most important thing is truth. But sometimes Christians divide over ridiculous things. They'll get upset over someminor thing, so they decide to leave fellowship altogether. It reminds me of a story I heard about a man who had been stranded on a desert island. When rescuers finally found him, they noticed he'd built three huts on the island. "I built those huts myself," he told them. "Wow! What is this hut here?" "That's my house." "How about this one?" "That's my church." "That's fantastic! And what's the third hut?" "Well," he said, "that's the church I used to go to." As Christians, we should seek to live in unity and love one another as Christ has loved us. Is This All There Is? by Max Lucado Something is awry�we feel disconnected. We connect with a career, find meaning in family, yet long for something more. We feel the frustration I felt on Christmas morning, 1964. I assembled a nine-year-old�s dream gift: a genuine Santa Fe Railroad miniature train set, complete with battery-powered engine and flashing crossing lights. I placed the locomotive on the tracks and watched in sheer glee as threepounds of pure steel wound its way across my bedroom floor. Around and around and around and . . . around . . . and around . . . After some time I picked it up and turned it the other direction. It went around and around and around . . . �Mom, what else did you get me for Christmas?� Similarly, our lives chug in long ovals, one lap after another. First job. Promotion. Wedding day. Nursery beds. Kids. Grandkids. Around and around . . . Is there anything else? Our dissatisfaction mates with disappointment and gives birth to some unruly children:drunkenness, power plays, eighty-hour workweeks, nosedives into sexual perversions�all nothing more than poorly disguised longings for Eden. We long to restore what Adam lost. As someone once said, �The man who knocks on the door of a brothel is seeking God.� First job. Promotion. Wedding day. Nursery beds. Kids. Grandkids. Around and around . . . Is there anything else? Our dissatisfaction mates with disappointment and gives birth to some unruly children: drunkenness, power plays, eighty-hour workweeks,nosedives into sexual perversions�all nothing more than poorly disguised longings for Eden. We long to restore what Adam lost. As someone once said, �The man who knocks on the door of a brothel is seeking God.� Where and when the brothel fails, Jesus steps forth with a reconnection invitation. Though we be �dead in [our] transgressions and sins (Eph.2:1) and separated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18), whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (I John 5:1). Reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan�this rebirth comes from God.� (John 1:13.) Don�t miss the invisible, inward miracle triggered by belief. God reinstates us to Garden-of-Eden status. What Adam and Eve did, we now do! The flagship family walked with God; we can too. They heard his voice; so can we. They were naked and unashamed; we canbe transparent and unafraid. No more running or hiding. �Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we�ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven�and the future starts now!� (1Pet. 1:3�4 MSG). From 3:16, The Numbers of Hope Love So Amazing, So Divine “In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” (Colossians1:22) The past three days we have studied the verses of the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” We have seen insights into the sufferings of Christ on the cross for our behalf, the love that led Him there, and its bountiful gift to believers. We are now preparedto consider our response. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. The author, Isaac Watts, begins verse four with a mention of creation. If we were to own it, it would not suffice as a suitable gift, for He is the Creator of all (Colossians1:16-17), including the vastness of space, the intricacies of life and Earth systems, the mighty spiritual angels, and even the creation of His image in man. “There is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ,by whom are all things, and we by him” (1Corinthians 8:6). He is Lord of all! He knows us better than we know ourselves, and yet He loves us so. The most amazing line of the hymn is the final couplet. A fitting response to His love would be a complete offering of one’s soul, life, and all. He is our great Creator and the offended Judge. He gave up aspects of His eternal essence in order to take up ourlikeness and die for us. He is our everlasting King. It all focuses in on the cross—the wondrous cross! “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John14:27). “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever” (1Timothy 1:17). JDM Hold on Tight! - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. -Jude 1:21 I don't keep myself saved, but I keep myself safe. God saves me. That's established. But I keep myself safe, which means that I keep myself in the love of God. Though God's love is unsought, undeserved, and unconditional, it's possible for me to be out of sync with His love. Jude wrote, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (1:21 NKJV). He was basically saying, "Keep yourself awayfrom those things that are unlike Him. Keep yourself from any influence that violates His love or brings sorrow to God's heart. And keep yourself in a place where God can actively show His love to you." In John 17 Jesus prayed to the Father, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (verse 15 NKJV). In this context "the world" refers to a mentality. It's talking about a culture, a way of thinking, and the world system under the control of Satan. That's why the Biblecalls the devil "the god of this world" (see 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT). There is God's part and our part. If you were on a diet, for example, you wouldn't hang around donut stores, would you? Just as donuts aren't good for diets, there are things that feed sin. That's what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliverus from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13 NLT). Basically, that's saying, "Lord, help me not to put myself in a place where I could fall into sin." So, God will keep you, but if you're yanking your hand out of His hand, that's a problem. God is holding on to you. But the question is this: Are you holding on to Him? The High Cost of Wavering Faith Deuteronomy1:19-40 God has given believers personalities, abilities, and spiritual gifts which will equip them to accomplish His specific plans for their lives. But each one must choose to step out in faith and obedience. At times the Lord challenges us to do something thatseems beyond our ability, but if we back off, we�ll miss His awesome blessings. Let�s learn from the Israelites who made several choices that led to unbelief, resulting in a lifetime of aimless wandering. They . . . � Listened to the wrong voices. To walk obediently with the Lord, we need to guard ourselves from being swayed by those who don�t understand the greatness of our God. Not only that, but we must also learn to recognize the lies of Satan.He wants us to become ineffective, accomplishing little for the kingdom of God. � Relied on human perspective.At times trusting God conflicts with human reasoning. But those who choose to trust Him�even when the external evidence points to an impossibility�will find that He is bigger than any obstacle. � Let feelings overcome faith. Perhaps the biggest hindrances to obedience are fearand inadequacy. An internal focus is a trust killer. The way to overcome our feelings is to rely on the Lord and His promises. He will equip us for whateverHe calls us to do. Every challenging call to obedience is a fork in the road of our lives. To go the way of unbelief will lead to a lifetime of regret and aimless wandering, but to courageously trust God and do what He says will result in the greatest blessing of your life.The choice is yours. The Value of Prayer - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. -Philippians 4:6 If I had to name a sin that was prevalent in the church today, it would be prayerlessness. Breaking God's commandments is the sin of commission. In contrast, the sin of omissionis not doing what we should do. So often we miss out on what God wants to do in our lives because we don't pray. Yet prayer isn't painful; it's simply a commitment we make in which we call out to the Lord.However, we don't pray as much as we ought to. We can pray anywhere, even in times that we're feeling stuck. Paul prayed in a dungeon. Daniel prayed in a cave filled with hungry lions. Peter prayed on the surface of the water,and then he prayed underwater. And Jonah prayed from the belly of a great fish. The main thing is that we pray. God doesn't care so much about the length of your prayers. He doesn't care about the eloquence of your prayers. But He does care about the heart of your prayers. That is true of worship as well. God is not so interested in your posture, your volume, or even your pitch (though it's nice to have great pitch). More than anything else, Helooks on the heart. Jesus said, "For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8 NKJV). You might say, "Well, if that's the case, then why pray?" Here's the answer: Prayer is not informing God; prayer is inviting God. When I call out to the Lord in prayer and offer my petition, I'm not informing God of something He doesn'talready know. I'm inviting God into my situation, into my challenges, and into my problems. We should think of prayer as a relationship between a father and a child. The value of prayer is that it keeps us in touch with God. To Hear the Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado The Beatitudes end with this compelling promise— “Great is your reward in heaven!” (Matthew 5:12). The Book of Revelation could be called the Book of Homecoming. In Revelation 21 verse 2, John describes heaven as a “bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Verse 4 says “there will be no more death.” The most hopeful words are in verse 5 , “I am making everything new.” The Master Builder will pull out the originalplan and restore the vigor, the energy, the hope, and the soul. Each step you take brings you closer to home. Before you know it, you’ll enter the City. You’ll hear your name spoken by those who love you. And maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will removehis pierced hands from his heavenly robe and… applaud. When Faith Wavers James 1:5-8 If we believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He has promised, why do so many of us habitually waver in our prayers? Instead of exercising bold faith, we come to the Lord “hoping” He will hear us and answer our requests, but we’re just notsure He will. With this kind of thinking, we cannot expect to receive anything from Him. One reason we are so prone to doubt is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances. We asked, and nothing happened. But the Lord is not some cosmic bellhop who jumps in response to our requests. He sees past, present, and future and knows the righttime for every answer. His invisible hand is already at work on our behalf—arranging situations to accomplish His will, opening hearts, and preparing us to receive what He wants to give. Another cause for uncertainty is ignorance. If we don’t know God’s ways, we will be disappointed in His response. All too often our prayers are accompanied by expectations of how He will work. When He fails to intervene according to our timetable or anticipatedmethod, we start to doubt. But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways gives us stability as we wait for His answer. To overcome doubts, spend time in the Word to learn God’s principles and ways. Then you’ll begin to grasp what He wants to achieve in your life and how He goes about it. Examine your past from a biblical perspective—faith will grow as you see the unexpectedways He answered your prayers. His Head, His Hands, His Feet “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side....AndThomas answered and said unto Him, My LORD and my God.” (John 20:27-28) Perhaps no other means of execution ever inflicted more physical pain than Roman crucifixion. Today as we ponder verse three of the precious hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” we reflect on the facts that when Christ was crucified, a cruel crown of thornswas mashed down upon His head and His body was held suspended in place by painful Roman spikes nailed through His hands and feet. He knew what awaited Him, for a description of the dying process had been written long beforehand (Psalm22). Yet, He endured it all out of love for us. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? We get some perspective of His love from these verses: “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” (John3:16). “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation forour sins” (1 John 4:9-10). He has done it all for us. We cannot earn salvation, but we have an obligation to conform our lives to His example, even His death. Scripture informs us that we can “know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being madeconformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10). His death on the cross and His resurrection pave the way for us to follow. JDM Curefor the Common Life Many people dread their work. If you’re one of them, try changing your attitude toward your work! God’s eyes fall on the work of our hands. One stay-at-home-mom keeps this sign over her sink: “Divine tasks performed here, daily.” Indeed, work can be worship. Peter wrote, “You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God.” (1 Peter 2:9). So, let every detail in your life—your words, actions, whatever—be done inthe name of the Master, Jesus. (Colossians3:17). You don’t drive to an office, you drive to a sanctuary. You don’t attend a school, you attend a temple. You may not wear a clerical collar, but you could, because your work is God’s pulpit! The Power of Patience Hebrews6:9-15 Picture yourself waiting in a checkout line that hasn’t moved for ten minutes. Many of us would feel frustrated. We live in a generation that expects instant results. Everyone struggles with some degree of impatience. We’re born with this trait—think about a three-month-old who wants milk in the middle of the night. The inborn reaction is to fuss at the first hint of discomfort and to keep at it until the need is met.Patterns from our old “flesh” nature make this a continual battle for most people, but one that is very worthwhile to fight. Not I, but Christ “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life whichI now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians2:20) The second verse of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” continues by rightly identifying the focus of a believer’s affections. This song does not direct our affection to objects like the cross or the blood and so imply improper worship, but it clearly specifiesthe deity and work of Christ as paramount to us. We worship Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing on our behalf. His death makes all the difference to us. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. We know that “being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians2:8). What happened there? “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans5:10). Today we no longer have an obligation to render animal sacrifices to God for our sin, but we do need to offer something better than even our best. Scripture asks us to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans12:1). We do not literally sacrifice ourselves to His blood, but we cherish and recognize that the shedding of His blood on the cross makes it all possible. JDM The Prince of Glory “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things bythe word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) One of the most precious hymns of the Christian faith is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” written by Isaac Watts. Let us use its rich rehearsal of truth in poetry to guide our Bible study these next four days. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. The great King of all creation laid aside aspects of His immortal attributes and became a mortal man so He could die for us. Simultaneously man and God, He endured death for condemned sinners, then He re-entered His lifeless body. The hymn writer called Himthe “Prince of glory,” a fitting affirmation on the eternal Son of the Father. Having once again retaken His created life, the Creator offered us eternal life—a free gift to undeserving sinners. Having paid the sufficient price for all our sin, thereby removing all penalties levied against sinful man, He offered us eternal life also. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). Nothing we do in this life gains us eternity; works are worthless. “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Working for rewards can avail nothing, but rather we look to the cross of our wondrous Christ. JDM Heaven's "Whoever" Policy by Max Lucado “. . . whoever believes in him shall not perish . . .” Some years ago I took a copy of God’s “whoever” policy to California. I wanted to show it to my Uncle Billy. He’d been scheduled to visit my home, but bone cancer had thwarted his plans. My uncle reminded me much of my father: squared like a blast furnace, ruddy as a leather basketball. They shared the same West Texas roots, penchant for cigars, and blue-collar work ethic. But I wasn’t sure if they shared the same faith. So after several planes, two shuttles, and a rental-car road trip, I reached Uncle Billy’s house only to learn he was back in the hospital. No visitors. Maybe tomorrow. The Need for Friendship 2Timothy 4:9-22 Independence is a prized attribute in our culture, but biblically, it isn't a worthy aspiration. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the erroneous quote, "God helps those who help themselves." The very fact that the Lord formed the church--a community of believers--should tell us that He did not create people for self-sufficiency or isolation. When we place faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us so we can have a fulfilling relationship with the Lord and satisfying friendships with one another. In God's design, a close, committed biblical friendship between two believers serves to buildboth toward Christlikeness. Look at any of the saints in Scripture, and you will find evidence of reliance upon a close friend or confidante for support. Paul, in particular, spoke freely and often of his dependence upon dear companions and encouraged othersto form intimate partnerships as well (2Tim. 2:22). For Our Transgressions “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peacewas upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah53:5) The 53rd chapter of Isaiah (actually, the chapter should begin at Isaiah 52:13) contains the clearest and fullest exposition of the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for our sins to be found in all the Bible. Our text verse is the central verse of this chapter, which, in turn, is the central chapter of Isaiah’s seconddivision, chapters 40–66. Although the chapter and verse divisions of the Bible were not part of the original inspired text, it almost seems that some of them (notably here in Isaiah) were somehow providentially guided. Part 1 of Isaiah contains 39 chapters and part 2 has 27 chapters,just as the Old and New Testaments have 39 and 27 books, respectively. Likewise, the major themes of the two Testaments—law and judgment in the Old, grace and salvation in the New—respectively dominate the two divisions of Isaiah. Many other correlations canbe discerned—for example, the second division begins with the prophecy of John the Baptist and ends with the prophecy of the new heavens and the new earth, just as the New Testament does. Be that as it may, this central verse of the central chapter of Isaiah’s salvation division surely displays the very heart of the gospel. Christ was “wounded” (literally “thrust through,” as with great spikes) and “bruised” (literally “crushed to death”) forour sins. On the other hand, we receive “peace” with God because He was chastised (i.e., “disciplined”) in our place, and we are forever “healed” of our lethal sin-sickness because He received the “stripes” (i.e., great welts caused by severe blows) that should havebeen ours. What wondrous love is this! HMM What Does Jesus Pray For? - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. -Romans8:34 What does Jesus pray for when He prays for us? What does He say when He intercedes for us? In John 17 we find the true Lord's Prayer, a prayer that only Jesus could pray. Here Jesus said, "Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I amcoming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are" (verse 11 NLT). Jesus prays for our protection. That's His heart toward us. The Bible tells us of a time when Jesus was with the disciples and turned to Simon Peter and said, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat" (Luke 22:31NLT). Now, would it freak you out if Jesus said that you? "Hey, the Devil has been asking about you by name, that you'd be taken out of God's protection." Jesus could have stopped there and just let that hang for a moment. But He went on to say, "But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So whenyou have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers" (verse 32 NLT). Many of us know people who have made a so-called commitment to follow Christ, but they mysteriously crash and burn. They fall away spiritually and are no longer interested infollowing Jesus. Maybe you've thought, "Wow, if someone like that could fall away, am I next?" That's entirely up to you, because God has given you a free will. He doesn't want you to fall away, but you have to do your part. The moment you fail to move forward spirituallyis the moment that you essentially begin to go backward. It�s Going to Be Okay by Max Lucado Bill Tucker was sixteen years old when his dad suffered a health crisis and consequently had to leave his business. Even after Mr. Tucker regained his health, the Tucker family struggled financially, barely getting by. Mr. Tucker, an entrepreneurial sort, came up with an idea. He won the bid to reupholster the chairs at the local movie theater. This stunned his family. He had never stitched a seat. He didn�t even own a sewing apparatus. Still, he found someone to teachhim the skill and located an industrial-strength machine. The family scraped together every cent they had to buy it. They drained savings accounts and dug coins out of the sofa. Finally, they had enough. It was a fine day when Bill road with his dad to pick up the equipment. Bill remembers a jovial, hour-long trip discussing the bright horizons this new opportunity afforded them. They loaded the machine in the back of their truck and secured it right behindthe cab. Mr. Tucker then invited his son to drive home. I�ll let Bill tell you what happened next: Shadow Dwelling - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. -Psalm 121:5 Road bikers know that if you're out riding and someone is ahead of the pack, you can draft if you get right behind them. They can help pull you a little bit. The psalmist wrote, "The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade" (Psalm 121:5 NLT). If you want to stand in the shadow of God, if you want to draft behind God, you need to be close to Him. We have God's assurance that He loves us and isn't going to lose us. He isn't going to forget about us. God instructed the Jewish priests to pronounce this blessing over the people of Israel: "May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be graciousto you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace" (Numbers 6:24-26 NLT). Then in the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:5 tells us, "And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealedon the last day for all to see" (NLT). Also, Jude wrote, "I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:1 NLT). Let's say, for example, that you've been able to pay off your mortgage. Don't keep making payments, because you own your home now. It's yours, so enjoy it. In the same way, you are continually kept by the Lord. You are safe. It's a continuing result of a past action, because Jesus paid for your salvation. He purchased it foryou. Live in it, enjoy it, and let it affect everything that you do. The Basis for Discernment Hebrews 4:12-13 Since spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God's perspective, it requires that we know how He thinks and acts. The Bible is His unchanging, infallible revelation of Himself. However, the Lord doesn't simply give us a list of facts about His character and ways. All throughout the pages of Scripture, He illustrates who He is and how He operates. Although the Bible is ancient, it's not a dead book. It's alive and as fresh as if He were speaking directly to you. The stories may have taken place centuries ago, but the principles and applications are current and relevant. It's our instruction book abouthow to live. Guidance for decisions and discernment about situations are found from Genesis to Revelation. God's Word is active and piercing. The words don't simply sit on the page. They penetrate our hearts and judge our thoughts and motives. This convicting quality is why some people don't like to read the Bible. But self-discernment is essential if we don'twant to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Some Christians live on a surface level, never understanding why they react to situations the way they do. But if we'll approach the Word of God with an open spirit, it will bring to light our hiddenmotives and reveal unrecognized sins. Spiritual discernment involves seeing not just our circumstances but also ourselves from God's perspective. Have you learned to embrace the piercing sword of Scripture, or have you avoided doing so because it makes you uncomfortable? Remember, God's Wordcuts only so that it can heal. The Ransom Price �Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom formany.� (Matthew20:28) The thought that the death of Jesus and His shed blood were somehow the ransom price paid to redeem lost sinners from an eternal prison in hell has been a stumbling block to many of those very sinners. Yet, that is the teaching of Scripture, whether it appealsto their reasonings or not. �Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.�But with the precious blood of Christ� (1Peter 1:18-19). In the Old Testament economy, ransoms were paid for various reasons, such as freeing slaves. The last use of �ransom� in the Old Testament, however, seems to foreshadow the New Testament concept. �I will ransom them from the power of thegrave; I will redeem them from death� (Hosea13:14). But to whom was the ransom of Christ to be paid? Not to the devil, of course, or to any human king. It can only have been paid to God Himself, for He had set �the wages of sin� to be �death� (Romans6:23). For a time, these wages had been paid in part �by the blood of goats and calves� offered on the altar as a temporary covering for sins. But that was only until the true ransom could be paid. �How much more shall the blood of Christ, who�offeredhimself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?� (Hebrews9:14). Such a sacrifice was not foolishness as the scoffer claims, but �the power of God, and the wisdom of God� (1Corinthians 1:24). �For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time� (1Timothy 2:5-6). Praise God�the ransom has been paid and we have been redeemed! HMM What Makes Heaven Heavenly by Max Lucado You will be you at your best forever. Even now you have your good moments. Occasional glimpses of your heavenly self. When you change your baby�s diaper, forgive your boss�s temper, tolerate your spouse�s moodiness, you display traces of saintliness. It�s theother moments that sour life. Tongue, sharp as a razor. Moods as unpredictable as Mount Saint Helens. This part wearies you. Just think what Satan has taken from you, even in the last few hours. You worried about a decision and envied someone�s success, dreaded a conversation and resented an interruption. He�s been prowling your environs all day, pickpocketing peace, joy, bellylaughs, and honest love. Rotten freebooter. But his days are numbered. Unlike he did in the Garden of Eden, Satan will not lurk in heaven�s gardens. �There shall be no more curse� (22:3 NKJV). He will not tempt; hence, you will not stumble. You will be you at your best forever! Christ will have completed his redemptive work. All gossip excised and jealousy extracted. He will suction the last drop of orneriness from the most remote corners of our souls. You�ll love the result. No one will doubt your word, question your motives,or speak evil behind your back. God�s sin purging discontinues all strife.