DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 8.8.20

Acceptable Sacrifices “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 2:5) In the Old Testament theocracy of Israel, it was the responsibility of the Levitical priesthood to be “daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices” in atonement for the sins of the people, and this continued until Jesus Christ “offered onesacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews10:11-12). The old priesthood has now been set aside. Only the sacrifice of Christ and our identification with Him through faith is acceptable for our salvation. Nevertheless, there is a new priesthood—a spiritual priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices—and it is vital that we who are now His priests offer sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to God. The first and most basic sacrifice is set forth in one ofthe Bible’s key verses: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans12:1). Three other acceptable sacrifices are outlined in the concluding chapter of Hebrews. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forgetnot: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews13:15-16). The continual offering of praise to God, in all circumstances acknowledging His wisdom and goodness, is an acceptable sacrifice. Doing good works—not for our salvation but because of our salvation—is acceptable. So is “communicating” (Greek koinonia)—sharing what we have with others. With these sacrifices, God is “well pleased.” It is our high privilege as His holy priesthood to offer up these spiritual sacrifices. HMM Take Every Thought Captive Today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions. Today’s jealousy is tomorrow’s temper tantrum. Today’s bigotry is tomorrow’s hate crime. Today’s anger is tomorrow’s abuse. Today’s lust is tomorrow’s adultery. Today’s greed is tomorrow’s embezzlement. Today’s guilt is tomorrow’s fear. Could that be why Paul writes, “Love … keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5 NIV)? Some folks don’t know we have an option. Paul says we do: “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Do you hear some battlefield jargon in that passage—“capture every thought,” “make it give up” and “obey Christ”? You get the impression that we are the soldiers and the thoughts are the enemies. It was for Jesus. Remember the thoughts that came his way courtesy of the mouth of Peter? Jesus had just prophesied his death, burial, and resurrection, but Peter couldn’t bear the thought of it. “Peter took Jesus aside and told him not to talk like that.… Jesus said to Peter, ‘Go away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don’t care about the things of God, but only about the things people think are important’” (Matt.16:22–23). See the decisiveness of Jesus? What if you did that? What if you took every thought captive? What if you took the counsel of Solomon: “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Prov.4:23). You are not a victim of your thoughts. You have a vote. You have a voice. You can exercise thought prevention. You can also exercise thought permission. Change the thoughts, and you change the person. If today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions, what happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others? Paul says absolutely! It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in. It’s not enough to keep no list of wrongs. We have to cultivate a list of blessings. The same verb Paul uses for keeps in the phrase “keeps no list of wrongs” is used for think in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whateveris lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (RSV). Thinking conveys the idea of pondering—studying and focusing, allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us. Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet. Fire in the Bones “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heartas a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah20:9) When God’s Word really becomes a part of one’s soul, that one can never be the same again. As dejected Jeremiah said in his imprisonment: “The word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily” (Jeremiah20:8). So, he said: “I will not…speak any more in his name.” But he could not quit! God’s Word was burning in his bones, and he must let it out. “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah23:29). The psalmist David had a similar testimony. “I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue” (Psalm39:2-3). When the resurrected Christ “expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself,” the two disciples from Emmaus later testified: “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened tous the scriptures?” (Luke24:27, 32). Of all the symbols applied in the Scriptures to God’s Word, that of fire is the most awe-inspiring. Fire was not a discovery of some primitive man, as evolutionists imagine, but has always been an instrument of God’s judgment, from the flaming sword in Eden(Genesis3:24) to the lake of fire in hell (Revelation21:8). In fact, God Himself is said to be “a consuming fire” (Hebrews12:29). The word of fire in the burning heart cannot be contained but must be proclaimed at any cost. As Paul acknowledged: “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1Corinthians 9:16). HMM The Practices of Maturity Hebrews5:12-14 Believers are on a continual growth track that ascends higher and higher. This side of heaven none of us ever "arrive," but we each have a responsibility to press on to maturity. Though many people think those who know a lot about the Bible are the spiritually mature ones, Hebrews 5:14 adds the element of practice to the growth equation. This word means a custom or habit. Christian growth requires the discipline of godly habits carried out daily. The most important practice to cultivate is a personal devotional time. Since God is the source of all spiritual development, you can't neglect Him and expect to become mature. Transformation begins with time in His Word and prayer. Those Whom God Calls Fools “Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hathhe not made thee, and established thee?” (Deuteronomy32:6) This rebuke was by Moses as he warned the people of God just before their entrance into the Promised Land. It contains the first use of the Hebrew nabal (translated “fool” or “foolish”) in the Bible. Here it is applied to God’s chosen people after they had been redeemed out of Egyptian slavery by God. This implies that the most foolish of all people are those who have known about God and Hisgreat salvation and yet have turned away from His Word. Paul writes in similar scathing terms of those who had known of God’s great deliverance of their fathers from the evil world before the Flood and yet then abandoned Him for idolatry. “When they knew God,...their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselvesto be wise, they became fools” (Romans1:21-22). David used the same word about those who decide they can explain things without God, just as many intellectuals in modern America do. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.…Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as theyeat bread: they have not called upon God” (Psalm53:1, 4). Even prophets and preachers can become fools if they follow their own wisdom instead of God’s Word. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel13:3). Jesus rebuked even those He dearly loved because they were surprised and discouraged when He was crucified. “O fools,” He said, because they had been “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke24:25). God help us to maintain believing hearts, not foolish hearts, as we serve Him! HMM TheSword “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew10:34) The Christian life is a life of war, and the Christian soldier must be a skilled swordsman if he is to survive and win. In our text, Jesus taught that a peaceful life would not be the Christian’s lot but a life of swordsmanship instead. The first “sword” mentioned in the Old Testament was not a sword of metal but a “flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis3:24). Likewise, the final sword mentioned in the New Testament is “the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth” (Revelation19:21). This is the fiery sword with which the coming “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) will be defeated, “whom the Lord shall consume with the spiritof his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (v. 8). “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah11:4). The mighty “word of the LORD” by which “were the heavens made” (Psalm 33:6) is still a flaming sword, turning every way, for “out of his mouth went a sharptwoedged sword” (Revelation 1:16), as John saw Him in His present glory. Furthermore, we can wield this same sword by His Spirit, for “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews4:12). The Christian armor, as outlined in Ephesians 6:13-17, is all defensive armor with the one exception of the prayerful use of “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17). In this wonderful text, the spoken “word of God” is in view—the sword applied, on either edge, turningevery way, probing exactly when and where needed in each encounter of every battle of the Christian warfare. HMM TheLasting Noahic Covenant �And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters ofa flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.� (Genesis 9:11) When God gave Noah this promise, the world had just been through the devastating cataclysm that flooded the entire globe and destroyed all except those on the Ark. The world was fearful and barren, and there seemed nothing to prevent another such flood fromcoming on the earth. Nevertheless, God�s promise�not only to Noah but also to the animals (Genesis 9:9-10)�has been kept for over 4,000 years. God later reminded Job of thispromise when He told him that He had �shut up the sea with doors.�And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed� (Job38:8, 11). The psalmist also referred to this covenant. When the whole earth had been covered �with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled.�Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that theyturn not again to cover the earth� (Psalm 104:6-7, 9). God has kept His Word, and there has never been another worldwide flood. Sadly, however, many modern compromising Christian theologians and scientists have said that the Flood must have been only a local or regional flood in order (they hope) to please theevolutionists, practically all of whom insist that the earth is 4.6 billion years old and never had any global flood. If that were true, however, then God has broken His promise. There have been numerous local and regional floods in the world since Noah�s day. But God has kept His promise. The Flood indeed was a unique cataclysm in which �the world that then was, being overflowedwith water, perished� (2 Peter 3:6), and such a flood has never occurred again. HMM Daily Devotion: When the Gospel Divides - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. -Matthew 10:34 When I've preached in prisons, no one has disagreed when I've pointed out that we're all sinners. They know it. On the other hand, those who think of themselves as moral might hear that and say, "Wait a second. What are you talking about? I'm not a sinner. I'm a good person. I liveby certain standards and rules." Yet Romans 3 tells us, "As the Scriptures say, 'No one is righteous-not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless.No one does good, not a single one'" (verses 10-12 NLT). That doesn't sit well with some people in a society where there's so much emphasis on self-image and self-worth. Yet God essentially says, "You're not good. And there isn'teven one righteous person." That stings. It cuts. It hurts. But then God's Holy Spirit works within our hearts. We begin to recognize that it's true, and we believe it. So, we accept God's remedy. And that which initially broughtus pain ultimately brings us life. Jesus said, "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34 NLT). So, if you're seeking to live a godly life and it's causing division because you're unwilling to compromise your faith in Christ, don't lament. Think of it this way: It'sbetter to temporarily offend someone who doesn't know Jesus Christ and see them ultimately come to faith than to never offend them in any way and see them enter eternity without Him. If you're going to be a true disciple in a given situation, it may bring temporary division. It may cause temporary pain. But ultimately, it can bring the greatest harmonyof all. When the Church Is Unstoppable -by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. -Matthew 5:14 I don't know when things have been any darker in our culture spiritually. Our culture is awash with depictions of violence. People flaunt immoral lifestyles. They wink atthings the Bible says are clearly wrong. Lying has become so commonplace that we accept it now, even among our leaders. As believers living in an ungodly world, it's so tempting for us to simply say, "Forget it. There isn't anything we can do. Obviously, we'll never impact this world." We wonder if we can ever make a difference. We wonder if we can effectively penetrate this culture with the Good News that God gave us to proclaim. We could just throw up our hands and say, "We might as well just retreat into our Christian subculture and hope that our problems eventually go away or that the Lord returnssoon and gets us out of here." But we need to remember that Jesus Christ gave us a mandate, which is to affect this world as both salt and light, as His representatives. The answer lies in the source of our power. If we rely on our own strength and methods, we cannot make much of a difference. If we rely on our own abilities, we surely willfail. We need a power beyond ourselves. And with God's power behind us, launching us into this culture, we can make a difference in this world-the only real difference. Yet thisonly will happen through the church that the Spirit of God empowers, the church that obeys the Word of God. There is no way we can impact our culture in our own strength. We can't do it through programs. We can't do it through gimmicks. We can't do it through any of our own devices. But if we choose to be driven by God's limitless power, then nothing can stop us. My Struggles Are about Him by Max Lucado What about your struggles? Is there any chance, any possibility, that you have been selected to struggle for God�s glory? Have you �been granted for Christ�s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake� (Philippians1:29)? Here is a clue. Do your prayers seem to be unanswered? What you request and what you receive aren't matching up? Don�t think God is not listening. Indeed he is. He may have higher plans. Here is another. Are people strengthened by your struggles? A friend of mine can answer yes. His cancer was consuming more than his body; it was eating away at his faith. Unanswered petitions perplexed him. Well-meaning Christians confused him. �If you have faith,� they said, �you will be healed.� No healing came. Just more chemo, nausea, and questions. He assumed the fault was a small faith. I suggested another answer. �It�s not about you,� I told him. �Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks upthe volume of God�s song.� Proven Faith 1 Peter 1:3-9 Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that�s only the beginning. From then onward, our faith�or lack of it�shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when thewinds of adversity blow. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds, but others are toppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true, we need to examine the source of our faith. Inherited faith: If you grew up in a Christian home, you probably adopted some of the beliefs of your parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for his own beliefs. Magnificent Obsession �For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.� (1 Corinthians 9:19) In his letter to the Ephesians (4:11-16), Paul noted that Christ had given specific gifts to the church�apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Paul himself was all of these, however, and he wanted to win as many people as he could from allwalks of life. He therefore sought to be �made all things to all men, that [he] might by all means save some� (1 Corinthians 9:22). This, indeed, was a magnificent obsession, and every Christian should seek to emulate it as the Lord enables. Paul was not saying, however, that a man should become as a woman to win women to the Lord, or that a woman should become as a man to win men; neithershould he become a humanist to win humanists. One should never dilute the doctrines of the faith or Christian standards of conduct in order to win commitments to the church. Paul was not laying down guidelines for witnessing, either for the church or for individual Christians; he was giving his own personal testimony. Nevertheless, we should seek to be understanding and sympathetic to people of every background. �Give none offence,neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God� (1 Corinthians 10:32). We should try to �be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth� (2 Timothy 2:24-25).Remembering it is �God that giveth the increase� (1 Corinthians 3:7), we should never compromise truth in order to gain converts, but �speaking the truthin love� (Ephesians 4:15) beseech others to �be ye reconciled to God� (2Corinthians 5:20). HMM When Church Works - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationshipto Christ. -Colossians 1:28 I heard one person describe church as something that most Americans go to three times in their lives: when they're hatched, when they're matched, and when they're dispatched. That's how it is for a lot of people. When they typically go to church, they don't understand what's going on. The messages don't make sense to them. The music seems tocome from another era altogether. It doesn't seem to be helping them or addressing what they're facing. So, they don't want to be a part of the church. It's not something they're really interested in. I don't think church has to be that way. I think it can be vibrant. It can be exciting. It can be innovative. And it can be enjoyable. Yet at the same time, it can be thoroughlybiblical. It also can impart knowledge and truth and help change our lives. That's why, as I've often said, the holiest moment of the church service is when God's people come away changed people, doing what they can to turn their world upside down. Also, I think one of the reasons that so many churches are ineffective or falling apart is because they've strayed from God's original plan. We can find clear principlesin the church as Jesus originally set it up and as the early believers applied them, turning their world upside down. The church began and was maintained by Christ's power, and it worked through His principles. It was the Spirit of God working through the Word of God in the hearts and livesof the people of God. I think it's wonderful when someone looks at the church and sees different ages, different cultures, different tastes, and different ethnicities with one thing in common:Jesus Christ. That, to me, is what people should see in the church today.