DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 8.28.21

Preachingthe Resurrection “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace wasupon them all.” (Acts4:33) There are multitudes today who believe that Christ’s resurrection was a “spiritual” resurrection, insisting that the idea of a dead body returning to life after three days in the grave is completely unscientific and impossible. This was not what the apostles preached with great grace and great power, however. They would hardly have been excited about any kind of spiritual resurrection, since everyone— both Jews and the pagan Gentiles—believed in life after death. If that was theirmessage, no one would have doubted, and no one would have cared. Even when the disciples saw the resurrected Christ, they first “supposed that they had seen a spirit” (Luke24:37). Christ even had to urge them to “handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke24:39). When the disciples finally became convinced of His bodily resurrection, they were quickly transformed into courageous evangelists, willing even to die in support of their glorious message of salvation. The resurrection was, indeed, contrary to scientific lawand all human experience, and this very fact proved to them that their Lord was Himself the divine lawgiver and author of all human experience. All other founders and leaders of human religions, ancient or modern, are themselves subject to death, but He alonehas triumphed over death. Only the Creator of life can conquer death, and the resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is Creator as well as Savior. Therefore, when we today, like the apostles of old, proclaim the resurrection of Christ, we know that His name is above every name, and this enables us also to witness with great power, in great grace. HMM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- God is So Much More by Debbie Holloway For your Maker is your husband--the LORD Almighty is his name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth - (Isaiah54:5). It is natural and good for us to turn to God for comfort when we are overwhelmed by life. Scripture, prayer, and meditation can help us through anxiety, loneliness, divorce, the death of a loved one, and depression. Divorce rates continue to skyrocket, andmany women (including single mothers) struggle to fill the hole in their lives with promises of God’s faithfulness. Many women use Scripture to remind themselves that, like Hosea married Gomer, the LORD said: “I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy” (Hosea2:19). As I have been pondering this notion of God acting as husband to an aging single, a neglected wife, a grieving widow, or a lonely divorcee, something interesting came to mind. Something that maybe changes the way we think about God as a husband figure. Marriage today is not what it was for biblical authors. Today, in the Western world at least, marriage is a union based on commitment, love, and common interest. We marry someone who shares our worldview, so we can journey through life together. We marrysomeone to whom we are physically attracted, so that we can enjoy them to the fullest. We marry for romance; we marry for personal fulfillment. Mostly, we marry because we want to – not because we have to. Women who remain single are fully capable of earning a living, doing good works for the Kingdom, and enjoying life. Women in the ancient near east had a much more complex understanding of marriage. Yes, in Genesis 2, the Song of Solomon, and other places, we see that God’s plan was for marriage to create emotional and physical fulfillment and pleasure. But marriage for ancient Israelite women was more than emotional and physical partnership. It was – literally – a lifesaver.A woman who married gained the chance to have her own home. A woman who married gained the chance to have sons (essentially the life-goal of any ancient near-eastern woman). A woman who married would be provided for, fed, and cared for. If anyone hurt her,she had a legal protector and a place to find safety in much greater measure than if she still lived in her father’s household (or, God forbid, had no father or family). Kind of makes looking to God as “husband” to fulfill emotional needs seem… pretty shallow, doesn’t it? Check out this passage in Isaiah that really elaborates on the significance of the metaphor: ---------------------------------------------------------- Building Muscles of Faith 1 Kings 18:22-36 "I wish I had great faith." These are words that almost every Christian has said at one time or another. But faith is like a muscle, which must be exercised in order to become strong; just wishing cannot make it happen. Christians are to believe God, not only for salvation but for everything. Rather than a spiritual "plateau," faith is actually a process that involves increasing degrees of trust throughout life. Little faith hopes that God will do what He says; strong faith knows that He will; and great faith believesthat He has already done it. Elijah was a man of great faith. He saw increased challenges as opportunities for God to do His work—and the prophet believed Him for the supernatural. So can you. The Lord may not do every miraculous thing you ask of Him, but He does some extraordinarywork in and through each person who is obedient and willing to trust in Him. You may be thinking, I am not good enough for the Father to use me. The Scriptures are filled with examples of weak and flawed people whom the Lord used to achieve His purposes. He is looking, not for perfection, but for individuals willingto believe Him. He not only works through people of faith; He transforms them. Start by reading God's Word to learn what He wants you to do. Each day's situations and needs are opportunities to trust Him. Ask the Lord to bring to mind verses that apply to your circumstances. Trust Him and do what He says—your faith "muscles" will grow,and He will be glorified. ---------------------------------------------- OurRock of Salvation “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity,just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy32:4) Here in the song of Moses, which God instructed him to write for the children of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land (note Deuteronomy 31:19), is the first of at least 40 references in the Bible to God as the Rock. There are four others just in this song. In verse 15, He is the “Rock of [Israel’s] salvation.” In verse 18, He is “the Rock that begat thee.” See also verses 30and 31. Note some of the other wonderful metaphors picturing God as our great foundation stone. He is “my strong rock” in Psalm 31:2 and “the rock that is higher than I” in Psalm 61:2. In Psalm 62:7, He is “the rock of my strength” and “the rock of my refuge” in Psalm 94:22. Isaiah calls Him “a great rock in a weary land” and “the rock whence ye are hewn” (Isaiah32:2; 51:1). During the wilderness wanderings, the Israelites were supplied continually with water from the rock, and the apostle Paul tells us “that spiritual Rock that followed them...was Christ” (1Corinthians 10:4). And, of course, Christ told His disciples that Peter’s confession of Himself as the “Son of the living God” was the Rock upon which He would build His church (Matthew16:16, 18). But to unbelievers He is “the stone which the builders rejected” (Matthew21:42), “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (1Peter 2:8). “Therefore,” said Jesus, “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew7:24-25). HMM ------------------------------------------------- Sick on the Scenic Route by John UpChurch “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” - Philippians3:12 On my way home from North Carolina, I followed my impulse to jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway that meanders along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains. Late spring had hit, and the trees on that slithering byway had burst into color. And if you know me,you know I can’t resist a scenic detour in spring… or summer… or anytime I’m sure my car won’t get stuck for some reason. If you’ve ever had the chance to sling along the Blue Ridge, you’ll find it hard to keep your eyes on the road. Gasp-worthy valley vistas pretty much assault you wherever you turn with their seductive greens and purples and blues. The only problem with awandering gaze, however, is that many of the turns on that road completely bend back on themselves. So, you’re constantly looking out in awe—and then whipping the car back on the road before you become part of that valley view. In fact, those stomach-churning curves nearly got the better of me. Never before or since have I suffered from motion sickness while driving. But that road, with all its flipping and flopping, beat me up. By the time I finally escaped that tangled beastof a road, I was actually happy to see the interstate and all its rush-hour traffic (well, for the most part). At least those bumper-to-bumper shenanigans meant I’d be going straight. For many of us, our pursuit of Christ swings us around in much the same way. We whip around curves that seem to take us the long way round, nearly bumble off the road because something shiny catches our eyes, and let the cares along the way nauseate us.It’s a circuitous route, this Christian life, and one that doesn’t move us from start to finish quickly. But it’s a path paved by the One who made us His own. --------------------------------------------------- Another Divine Helper John14:16-18 Have you ever wished you had a 911 number that rang in heaven whenever you had a need? Well, I have good news for believers. We all have divine assistance that’s even closer than a phone call: our Helper dwells within us. But if we are unaware of Him, we’llmiss many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life—the Holy Spirit’s presence. Christ knew that when He left the earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate for the task He was giving them—to evangelize the world. Though they’d spent three years with Jesus, all they had seen and learned would still not sufficiently equip themfor what lay ahead. They needed supernatural help, and so do we—someone who will come to our aid, empower our service, and transform us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can achieve all this. Consider His qualifications: ------------------------------------------------ It�s Time to Step Up - by Greg Laurie � www.harevst.org And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. �Deuteronomy 6:6 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/its-time-to-step-up/- Listen There are many people today trying to figure out how to fix our country. They have various ideas about how to deal with all the problems we�re facing as a nation. But something that no one seems to be talking about is at the root of everything: the breakdown of the family. Studies have shown that you can take almost every social illin America today and trace it directly to the breakdown of the family�and specifically to the absence of fathers. When the family is strong, the church is strong. And when the church is strong, the nation is strong. But when the family breaks down, the nation breaks down with it. I believe there�s a full-throated, all-out attack on the family in our nation today. It�s time for moms and dads to be the spiritual leaders in the home. And it�s time forgrandparents to be spiritual leaders too. In fact, we need grandparents as never before. Many grandparents today have stepped up to raise grandkids that moms and dads have abandoned. And I thank God for those grandparents.But I think we make it very hard to teach our children spiritual things by putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We feel that we need to spend a specific amount of time talking to them about things we�re not comfortable with�in the most boring way imaginable. But the best way to teachkids spiritual values is to weave them into everyday life. The Bible says this about God�s commands: �Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you aregoing to bed and when you are getting up� (Deuteronomy 6:7 NLT). You can�t save America, and neither can I. You cannot save all the families in America. But you can save your family. So start there. ------------------------------ God's Rescue Mission � Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org �For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.��1 Corinthians 1:18 Before I was a Christian, I always had an interest in Jesus Christ. He fascinated me. I knew that He existed at one time, but I never thought of Him as someone that I couldenter into a relationship with. I learned some things about Jesus by looking at religious art. For example, I learned that He often walked around carrying a lamb, and sometimes He carried a staff as well. But pretty much everything I learned about Jesus came from movies. However, there was a part of His story that I didn�t like: the ending. In fact, I wondered why no onehad ever made a movie about Jesus that ended differently. I didn�t like the fact that He died on the cross. I wanted to edit out that part of the story. It made no sense to me at that time. And it wasn�t until I became a Christianthat I realized it was all about that part of the story. It was all about the cross. Actually, that was the Lord�s purpose and plan from the very beginning. Revelation 13:8 tells us that He was �the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world� (NKJV). The birth of Jesus took place so there would be the death and resurrection of Jesus. His death on the cross wasn�t an afterthought on the part of God the Father. Before there was a solar system, before there was a planet called Earth and a garden called Eden, before there was a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, before sin enteredthe human race, a decision was made in the councils of eternity. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit decided that the Son would come to Earth on a rescue mission. That is why the cross is so important to us as Christians. There is power in the message of the cross. ----------------------------------------------- Living Water by Kelly Givens Jesus answered, �Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring welling up to eternal life.� � John4:13-14 The last time I visited Washington D.C., a lot of construction was going on at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. It was no sight worth seeing - all that was there was dry concrete and construction cones. But after nearly two years and $34 million worthof renovation, the pool was finally filled and ready to be enjoyed by tourists once again. Unfortunately, less than a month after reopening, the pool was no longer reflecting. Instead, it was full of algae. Visitors described it as similar to �split pea soup.� Disgusting! You would never know all the money and time that went into renovating it. I can�t help but see a similarity between the reflecting pool and our own hearts. We so often put on our �Sunday best,� attended every church function, volunteer and do ministry in order to fix ourselves and mask our sin problems, but no matter what we do,eventually our algae-like sin comes back. Algae can grow easily in the reflecting pool because it is shallow and small. Likewise, sin keeps growing when we draw from our own shallow and small resources to fix ourselves up. But the resources Jesus has to offer are better than ours - when we let himfix us, we are drawing from deep, pure water brimming with eternal life. Jesus says that when we drink of the water he gives, that it becomes in us �a spring welling up to eternal life.� What does that mean? I imagine it�s like God going to the reflecting pool in D.C. and carving out a pool so deep, vast and pure that no algaecould ever form. It�s nothing man could ever make, but the solution is permanent and beautiful. ---------------------------- How God Views the Self-Directed Luke 12:16-21 We've all heard jokes about men who refuse to stop and ask for directions. But in reality, there's probably a good bit of truth to the stereotype, and it isn't limited to males. Plenty of men and women in this world zoom along without slowing down to askfor guidance. If you were to look at the situation from a spiritual perspective, you'd see a world of lost souls desperately trying to save themselves. They think they can earn their way into heaven through hard work and the accumulation of good deeds. But they're wrong. Today's passage from Luke describes a wealthy person who makes a lot of plans based only on his own thoughts, desires, and experience. Take the time to look at the passage again, and notice how many times he used the words "I" and "my." What you'll see isthat his focus was squarely on himself. This parable is a sad picture of the self-directed man trying to make his own way and secure his own future with no help from anyone--including God. The Lord didn't mince words: He called the man "fool" (v. 20). Worldly wisdom amounts to nothing in the eyes of our omniscient, all-wise Father (1 Cor. 1:20), and He expects His children to request and follow His guidance. The message for us today is clear: When we figure out our own plans and take action with no thought about what God would advise, we are behaving like fools. The Lord has a plan for your life. He knows where you'll succeed and where you'll fail. Be wise andask Him for directions. ------------------------------------ OurRock: The Creator �Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.� (Deuteronomy32:18) Just before his death, Moses predicted the coming apostasy of Israel in a prophetic �history� of Israel. Not only did his prophecy come true for the nation of Israel, but the same could be said for much of Western Christianity today. Moses recounted the fact that Israel had been blessed greatly of the Lord, but instead of drawing closer to Him, they grew �fat, and...Forsook God which made [them], and lightly esteemed the Rock of [their] salvation� (Deuteronomy32:15). The use of the term �rock� refers to the rock that Moses struck, yielding water to sustain them in the parched desert region. The rock followed the people on their journeys and provided an ever-present reminder of God�s marvelous provision. (Ifone should further doubt as to the identity of the Rock, �that Rock was Christ,� 1 Corinthians 10:4.) They totally forgot, however, the God of their creation and salvation, and sacrificed to demons, old gods, and to any new gods around (Deuteronomy32:17). God has given us life, and without His daily sustenance all life would cease. How foolish it is to attempt to live life without the One �that begat� us�who gave us life and even now maintains it. All too often the Creator God is excluded from our churches,our government, and our schools. Even many Christians live their lives as practical atheists, making decisions and living their lives just as if no God exists. Let us recommit ourselves to giving the rightful place in our lives and in our sphere of influenceto �the Rock that begat� us. �I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he� (Deuteronomy32:3-4). JDM --------------------------------------- He Can Make All Things New - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org In fact, according to the Law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness �Hebrews 9:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/he-can-make-all-things-new/- Listen William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, wrote, �No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.� We love the idea of Heaven, hope, and forgiveness, but none of it would be possible without the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus said, �For this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many� (Matthew 26:28 NLT).And Hebrews 9:22 tells us, �Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness� (NLT). Let�s say, for example, that you�re struggling with guilt over a sin that you committed years ago. It may have been a very serious sin, and you can�t seem to let it go.You�re saying, �I just need to forgive myself.� But can you actually forgive yourself? No. You�re not in a position to forgive yourself. Instead, you need to understand the power and completeness of God�s forgiveness that was purchased for you by the bloodof Jesus Christ. He paid the price for your sins and has forgiven and justified you. The Bible says, �Since we have been made right in God�s sight by faith, we have peace with God becauseof what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us� (Romans 5:1 NLT). This is not something we do; it�s what Christ has done for us. And He promises to cleanse us from all sins, not some sins (see 1 John 1:7�9). I don�t know what the narrative of your life is, but I can tell you this: God can change your story. It can have a different ending than you�re expecting�if you turn itover to Him. Today can be a fresh start. He can make all things new. -------------------------------- Live Expectantly - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Eat it with your traveling clothes on, prepared for a long journey, wearing your walking shoes and carrying your walking sticks in your hands; eat it hurriedly. This observanceshall be called the Lord�s Passover �Exodus 12:11 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/live-expectantly/Listen Some people eat slowly, and other people eat quickly. My wife, for example, cuts every bite of food perfectly. She eats slowly and can even have a nice conversation duringthe meal. My bites of food, on the other hand, are too big. I�m like a shark. Have you ever watched a shark take a bite of something? That�s me. It�s why I can�t pick up food to goand actually get it home before I eat everything. I tend to eat every meal with a sense of urgency. When the Israelites observed the Passover in Egypt, they had to eat their meal with urgency as well. They had to be ready to move at a moment�s notice. The Passover was to be a new beginning for Israel, and the Lord gave Moses detailed instructions for something they would do from that day forward. They were to rememberwhat God did for them�that He passed over them in His judgment upon Egypt because they did what He told them to do. God said, �These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, forthis is the Lord�s Passover� (Exodus 12:11 NLT). If we were to update this verse for the 21st century, it would read something like this: �Have your running shoes on, have your suitcase packed, have your cell phone charged,have your passport ready, and be ready to go out the door.� As believers, we need to live with a sense of expectancy of the return of Jesus Christ. We need to be ready to go. Are you ready to go? Are you ready for opportunities to share the gospel that might come your way? Be ready. Be alert. This is how we�re to live in light of Christ�s imminent return. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM