DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.4.20

Light for Every Man “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John1:9) The Bible clearly teaches that faith in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ is essential for salvation. Jesus Himself said: “I am the way...no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This means that there is no salvation whatsoever in Islam or Buddhism, and certainly not in evolutionary humanism—or anything other than faith in Christ! But what about the millions over the ages who have lived and died without ever hearing about Christ? Paul answers: “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans10:18). That is, they have heard! Our text reminds us that Jesus Christ is the true Light that has been sent to every man in the world. Paul was referring to the familiar 19th Psalm, which reminds us that God’s glory is declared by the heavens themselves. Paul also stressed that even God’s “eternal power and Godhead” are “clearly seen” “from the creation of the world,” so that those who don’t see are “without excuse” (Romans1:20). Thus, as Peter said, “in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:35). Although Christ hasprovided at least some light for “every man,” the tragedy is that “men loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). But for those like Cornelius (to whomPeter was sent with the gospel—Acts 10) who act on whatever light they have (in nature or conscience or any possible remnants of primeval truth in theirnative religion), God will send more light, for “he that doeth truth cometh to the light” (John 3:21). HMM Today I Will Make a Difference by Max Lucado Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I willnot let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference. I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage ofa giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference. I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… Iwill get up. It’s OK to fail… I will rise again. Today I will make a difference. I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant peoplein my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends. A Clean Heart Psalms 119:9-11 Reaching our full potential begins with a clean heart—one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. However, each of us was born with a nature bent away from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as deceitful and inclinedtowards wickedness. Pleasing self is man’s normal state. Salvation changed our hearts and lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior, we each became a new creation—with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny our selfish desires and obey God. With clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities ourloving Lord has given us. Profit and Loss “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a mangive in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew16:26) In these materialistic days, many people have become abnormally occupied with investments and returns, capital gains and losses, balance sheets and cash flows. This is nothing new, of course. The prevalence of covetousness is so universal, in one form or another,that God had to place a prohibition on it in the Ten Commandments. The Lord Jesus made a heart-searching comparison one day when He posed a surprising question relative to divine bookkeeping. Not even the riches of all the world could purchase one human soul, yet people often seem willing to sacrifice their souls in pursuitof riches. Is such an exchange really a sound investment? Merely to ask the question is to answer it. Earning wealth is good if it is acquired honorably and by the will of God, but coveting wealth and hoarding wealth are foolish sins. Here is another of many divine profit-and-loss statements: “There is [he] that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: thereis [he] that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Proverbs13:7). The true measure of profit and loss is the balance sheet kept in heaven. One must first glean an account there, however, and this means coming to God empty-handed, on the basis of Christ’s free gift of His own riches. “Though he was rich, yet foryour sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2Corinthians 8:9). He died for us, that we might live through Him. Then, once our heavenly account is established, here is real investment counseling: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.…For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew6:19-21). HMM Songsin the Night �Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.� (Psalm 42:7-8) There are times in the life of a believer when he seems about to sink under great avalanches of trouble and sorrow. But then �I call to remembrance my song in the night� (Psalm77:6), and God answers once again. In the book of Psalms, the theme of conflict and suffering is prominent, but always there is also the note of hope and ultimate triumph. The very first psalm, for example, notes the conflict of the righteous with the ungodly but promises that �the way of the ungodly shall perish� (v. 6). The second psalm foretells the final rebellion of the heathen against God and His anointed but assures usthat God will �vex them in his sore displeasure� (vv. 2, 5). In Psalm 3, the believer says: �Many are they that rise up against me.� But then he remembers that �salvation belongeth unto the LORD� (vv. 1, 8). He cries in Psalm 4: �Hear me when I call, O Godof my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer� (v. 1). In Psalm 5, immediately after the first imprecation in the psalms (�cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions�) occurs the first specific mention of singing in the book of Psalms: �Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them evershout [literally �sing�] for joy, because thou defendest them� (vv. 10-11). The Lord Jesus and His disciples sang a psalm even as they went out into the night of His betrayal and condemnation (Mark 14:26). This is His gracious promise: �Ye shall have a song, as in the night.�And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard� (Isaiah 30:29-30). HMM Traveling Light by Max Lucado I fell asleep in the Louvre. The most famous museum in the world. The best-known building in Paris. Tourists are oohing and aahing, and that�s me, nodding and snoring. Seated on a bench. Back to the wall. Chin to my chest. Conked out. The crown jewels are down the hall. Rembrandt is on the wall. Van Gogh is one floor up. The Venus de Milo is one floor down. I should have been star struck and wide eyed. Denalyn was. You�d have thought she was at Foley�s Red Apple sale. If there was a tour, she took it. If there was a button to push, she pushed it. If there was a brochure to read, she read it. She didn�t even want to stop to eat. But me? I gave the Mona Lisa five minutes. Formula for Personal Growth James 1:22 Growing in Christ involves far more than just attending church, tithing, and listening to a sermon. In fact, many believers do these yet remain stagnant in their walk. There are two elements necessary for us to become more like Jesus: instruction and involvement. The first of these, learning truth, is vital to a healthy walk with God. Our Savior proved the importance of instruction by devoting much of His time on earth to it. The apostle Paul is another example, as he wrote letters to educate Christians about godliness. Under Surveillance - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. -1 Corinthians 10:11 This may come as a surprise to you, but Christians are being watched. We're being watched very carefully all the time, especially by nonbelievers. And they're not exactly rooting for us. They kind of like it when we mess up because then they can say, "You see? That's why I'm not a Christian." Yet when a believer goes through difficulty and gives glory to God, it's a powerful witness to a watching world. Take Paul and Silas for example. They wound up in prisonfor preaching the gospel, and they had an especially cruel jailer. But there in that dark, damp dungeon, Paul and Silas sang praises to God at midnight. The jailer had never heard anything like that. And ultimately it resulted in his believing. He said to Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30 NLT). Not only do nonbelievers watch Christians, but younger Christians watch older Christians. They're wondering, "How does an older believer deal with the onslaught of age orillness or the loss of a spouse? How does an older believer deal with uncertainty and unrest in our culture?" They look to older believers for inspiration and an example. As they should. One day those younger believers will be the older believers, and they'll model the same thing for the next generation. Do you think Job knew that one day we would study his life? I think he just experienced it all in real time and was honest in the way he reacted, yet here we are still talkingabout him today. Therefore, would it you give you a measure of comfort to know that by the way you face your hardships, challenges, and trials, you're giving hope to others? God uses thesethings in our lives for His purposes. Hope for Every Stage of Life - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. -Exodus2:24-25 Talk about a guy who messed up his life. Moses blew it big time. Pharaoh's daughter adopted him as an infant, and they were training him, presumably, to be the next pharaohof Egypt. But Moses, an Israelite, knew this wasn't the life that he wanted to live. He wanted to help his fellow Israelites get free from the bondage of Egypt, and he sensed hisdestiny early on. He had the right idea, but he went about it in the wrong way. One day Moses saw an especially cruel Egyptian taskmaster beating an Israelite, and he stepped in. He killed the taskmaster and hid his body in the sand. But sand shifts, and before long Pharaoh found out what happened. He effectively put out a contract on Moses's life. Moses suddenly went from being the Prince of Egypt toa fugitive from Egypt. And as Exodus 3 begins we find Moses, now 80 years old, living in Midian and tending sheep. One day deep in the wilderness, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. He told Moses that He had seen the suffering of His people and was appointing him to return and demandtheir release. Moses was stunned. He hadn't heard from God for 40 years. But in reality, God was preparing him. Those 40 years may have seemed like a waste of time to Moses. But God wasgetting him ready. Pastor Chuck Smith once told me that everything is preparation for something else. So, think about your own life for a moment. You might be going through something thatmakes no sense to you right now. Maybe you're asking, "Why am I going through this trial at this stage of my life?" or "Why am I facing this crisis?" Here's why: God is molding you into the man or woman that He wants you to be. The Law of Liberty �So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.� (James2:12) On Independence Day, Americans should give thanks to the Author of liberty that we have been privileged to live in this �sweet land of liberty,� where we can worship God freely in accord with His Word. Liberty is not license, however, and the essence of theAmerican system is liberty under law. Fundamentally, that law is �the law of nature and of nature�s God��the natural laws of God�s world and the revealed laws of God�s Word. Within that framework we do have liberty�but not liberty to defy either the physicallaw of gravity or the spiritual �law of liberty.� The latter is formulated in Scripture and has been applied over the centuries, in the English common law and later in our system of constitutional law, both of which are based on Scripture. Some today, seeking license rather than liberty, might recoil at the very idea of �the law of liberty,� calling it an oxymoron, or contradiction in terms. But Jesus said that only �the truth shall make you free� (John8:32). �Sin is the transgression of the law� (1 John 3:4), and �sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death� (James1:15), not freedom! No one can be saved by the law, but those who are saved� by grace through faith in Christ�will love God�s law, for it is �holy, and just, and good� (Romans 7:12).We should say with the psalmist: �So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts� (Psalm 119:44-45). There is, indeed, a law of liberty, and whoever will walk in real liberty will find it only in God�s law of life, through His revealed Word. For �whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doerof the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed� (James 1:25). HMM Diving intoLife Headfirst by Max Lucado Steve Lyons will be remembered as the player who dropped his pants. The White Sox were playing the Tigers in Detroit. Lyons bunted and raced down the first-base line. He knew it was going to be tight, so he dove at the bag. Safe! The Tiger�s pitcher disagreed. He and the umpire got into a shouting match, and Lyons steppedin to voice his opinion. Absorbed in the game and the debate, Lyons felt dirt trickling down the inside of his pants. Without missing a beat he dropped his britches, wiped away the dirt, and� uh oh� twenty thousand jaws hit the bleachers� floor. Within twenty-four hours of the �exposure,� he received more exposure than he�d gotten his entire career: seven live television and approximately twenty radio interviews. The Believer's Purpose Galatians5:13 God has a purpose for your life. If that weren't true, He'd have taken you home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever wonder why He left you here? The Lord intends to influence others through you. Our purpose is to be a vessel through which Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a Savior. Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is threefold. The Powers of God �I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and whichis to come, the Almighty.� (Revelation 1:8) In these days of rampant humanism, blatant materialism, and effete religionism, the very concept of an all-powerful God who created, controls, and judges all things seems anachronistic, but God is still there and is still the Almighty. Three Greek words are translated �power� in Scripture� exousia (�authority�), dunamis (�ability�), and kratos (�strength�). Each is attributed in unlimited extent to God the Creator as incarnate in Christ the Redeemer. �All power [�authority�] is given unto me in heaven and in earth� (Matthew28:18). �For thine is the kingdom, and the power [�ability�], and the glory, for ever� (Matthew 6:13). �That ye may know� the exceeding greatness ofhis power [�ability�] to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power [�strength�], which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, andpower [�authority�], and might, and dominion� (Ephesians 1:18-21). He is the �Almighty God� of Abraham (Genesis 17:1), �the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth� (Isaiah40:28). �Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased� (Psalm 115:3). God can do whatever He pleases, except anything contrary to His nature. He �cannot lie� (Titus 1:2), for He is �the truth� (John14:6). His inspired Word is inerrant��the scripture of truth� (Daniel 10:21). We can be certain that He did not �create� the world by evolution, forthat would be contradicted both by His infallible Word and by His omnipotence. Being all-powerful, God would surely not create by such a cruel, inefficient process as evolution. HMM Fresh and Flourishing - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. -Psalm 92:14 We think of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as great patriarchs of the faith, and indeed they are. But they were pretty flawed people too. Abraham, as godly as he was, had serious lapses in his faith. Isaac was biased and didn't listen to the Lord. Jacob's mistakes are legendary. So when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and said, "I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6 NLT), I thinkHe was telling Moses that He was giving him a second chance. I think God was saying, "Moses, I am the God of men who have failed and who need second chances. I am the God of ordinary men and women who have accomplished extraordinarythings. That means I can use you." Moses was 80 years old, an age when people are long past retirement. This shows us that God has a plan for every stage of our lives. God wants to use us when we're young.God wants to use us when were middle-aged. And God wants to use us when we're old. Researchers have done extensive studies on those who have entered retirement. People who chose to live a life of leisure or no longer had any purpose in life died at a youngerage. And in a study that followed 7,000 people at the age of 50 for more than a decade, experts found that people died at a younger age if they felt their lives had little purpose. As a Christian, your life has purpose. God has allowed you to go through all that you've gone through to mold you into the man or woman that He wants you to be. You havesomething to offer. You have something to do. God still wants to use you.