DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 9.3.22

Asking God with Confidence By Lynette Kittle �Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you� - Matthew 7:7 As a Senior Publicist for the largest publisher in the world, pitching media outlets and asking boldly for author opportunities was hard at first but soon became easy to do. The more I asked, the easier it became to ask. Because publicity work involves constantlymaking requests, I soon discovered how, in the long run, learning to ask unhindered and without fear is a very beneficial skill to acquire in life. As well it�s a career where one has to learn to be unafraid of being rejected, hurt, or offended if people say �no thanks,� respond rudely, or totally ignore requests. It's also one that involves unexpected surprises like shooting for the stars and findingout that sometimes they�re reachable. Most importantly, it teaches how to rely on God�s leading rather than our own ideas. Like Proverbs 3:5,6 urges, �Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.� Overall, publicity work is like boot camp training for letting go of the fear of asking, it�s an intense course in how to practice what Hebrews 3:16 urges, �Let us then approach God�s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.� Practice, Practice, Practice Growing up as the baby in the family and as a �daddy�s girl,� my mother and brother would often push me to ask my dad for things rather than asking themselves. Reluctant to approach him on their own, they routinely asked me to be the messenger, and becauseI was confident in my dad�s love for me, I had no fear of asking him. Sometimes my requests surprised him, and he would chuckle at my boldness in asking him, not knowing many times that I had been put up to do so. Most often, my generous father would say �yes� to my requests. Like my dad wanted to meet my requests, James 1:17 explains God�s heart as our Father, towards us. �Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.� Looking back, I see how my family�s push to be the one to ask my dad was great training for my future publicity work but even better preparation in teaching me how to be bold in approaching and asking my Heavenly Father. It Doesn�t Hurt to Ask Like in publicity work, where it doesn�t hurt to ask, isn�t it better to ask God than not ask at all? Although some Christians might believe it�s not right to ask God for anything or impose heavy restrictions on what is okay or not okay to ask Him, He encouragesus to ask. As James 4:2 explains, many Christians are experiencing lack because they aren�t asking God. Others think they can�t ask God because of who they are or what they�ve done but asking God isn�t dependent on our failures or our accomplishments but rather on whom He is. �For God does not show favoritism� (Romans2:11). As well, God is a giver, and it�s not His nature to withhold from us. As Psalm 84:11 describes, �For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.� Start Asking God God is the ultimate giver (John 3:16), �He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all�how will He not also, along with him, graciouslygive us all things?� (Romans 8:32) He is the God who longs to fulfill the desires of our hearts (Psalm37:4). So keep asking Him and if you haven�t been asking, start asking today. Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been hesitant in asking God for anything, thinking He doesn�t care, isn�t listening, or you�re undeserving to receive? If so, step out in the coming weeks and start turning to Him when needs come up, asking Him to lead you in your requests,and see what happens. ------------------- TheFourfold Witness to Christ “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth:at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” (Deuteronomy19:15) In the Mosaic law, at least two reliable witnesses were required to convict a man of a crime. Jesus Christ was charged with blasphemy, claiming to be the unique Son of God. Not only was there the required double witness, but actually a fourfold witness to the “crime.” The witnesses not only agreed that the claim was made but also that the claim was true! The first was John the Baptist, who said, “I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John1:34). To so testify was John’s very reason for being, for he “was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light” (John1:8-9). There was also a second, more potent witness. “I have greater witness than that of John,” Jesus said, “for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me” (John5:36). The great teacher Nicodemus had to acknowledge, “No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John3:2). Furthermore, there was the direct testimony of God from heaven. “The Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me” (John5:37). “There came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2Peter 1:17). Most importantly, there is the testimony of the Bible. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John5:39). We no longer have such direct testimony, but we will always have the Holy Scriptures, eternally proclaiming the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. HMM Tuesday ------------------ Cana Christian Not Sin? “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocatewith the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1John 2:1) If the question is asked “Does a Christian not sin?” then the answer is no. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1John 1:8, 10). Even the most godly Christian does sin occasionally—in thought if not in deed, in omission if not in commission. The God-given antidote is 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanseus from all unrighteousness.” But there is a danger if we use such verses as an excuse for sinning or for taking sin too lightly. If the question is asked “Can a Christian not sin?” then the answer is yes! God indeed, in Christ, has made every provision necessary for a believer never to commit sin, and we are without any legitimate excuse whenever we do. This must be so for at least two reasons. In the first place, Jesus Christ in His humanity is our example, and He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews4:15). He accomplished this, not because of His deity, but solely in His humanity. Secondly, God has commanded us not to sin, and He would never command us to do the impossible. For every temptation, there is a way of escape (1Corinthians 10:13), and we have no excuse if we fail to take it. Our only recourse is to repent and confess the sin. Our text commands us to sin not! But then, it also reminds us that Christ is our great advocate before the Father. He is righteous and has already taken our sins away as our propitiatory sacrifice, so “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth usfrom all sin” (1John 1:7). HMM -------------------- AColony of Heaven “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians3:20) The term “conversation” in this verse is from a Greek word (politeuma) used only this once in the New Testament. It is related to the word for “city” (polis) and has to do with the proper behavior of a good citizen. Consequently, some translationsrender the word as “citizenship,” stressing the fact that our true home is not in any earthly city but in heaven. Since we are now stationed here in a foreign land, as it were, one particularly picturesque rendering calls us “a colony of heaven.” We are pioneering settlers, attempting to establish a beachhead for our homeland in a distant, dangerous country. The Lord Jesusprayed to His Father, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John17:18). “Go ye into all the world” was His commission, “and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark16:15). A similar figure is used in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “We are ambassadors for Christ.” As such, it is vitally important that our “conversation” (i.e., “lifestyle”) be one that honors the heavenly kingdom and our great King. Then, when our colonizing efforts succeed and new citizens are added to the heavenly kingdom, they can testify with us: “[The Father] hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians1:12-13). As citizens, and colonists, and ambassadors from heaven, we are here only temporarily, of course. Our real home is with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are looking for Him to establish His eternal kingdom here on Earth as it is in heaven. HMM ----------------------- What Does Your Righteousness Look Like? By Clarence L. Haynes Jr. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20 If there is one thing you can say about Jesus, he has a way with words. In this teaching on the sermon on the mount, he makes a statement that could only be seen as shocking. Especially when you consider who he is talking about. In those days, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the ones the people looked up to. They were the ones peoplewere supposed to follow, and in one sentence, Jesus says, whatever they are doing, you must do better. Why was this such an important statement? To grasp this, you need to understand the nature of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. This was not the only time Jesus ever mentioned their righteousness or the way they lived. He had a lot more to say.Here is one instance which relates well to what he said in this verse. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” – Matthew 23:25-26 In this verse, Jesus identifies the problem with the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Their righteousness was outward only. It never went beyond the surface. They did a good job of making the outside look good because they looked thepart. The problem was on the inside, they missed the part. In effect, what Jesus was saying is this type of righteousness is not righteousness at all therefore don’t practice it. What is righteousness? Before we go further and get to a personal application, let’s define the type of righteousness Jesus was referring to. There are two ways to look at this verse. In one context, the Pharisees and teachers of the law were attempting to gain righteousness throughtheir own efforts. If you believe that is the way to righteousness, Jesus says it’s not. In another context, the righteousness Jesus was talking about emphasizes what you say in comparison to what you do. This is where I want to focus your attention. Lookat what Jesus says in the previous verse. “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:19 (emphasis added) The problem the Pharisees and teachers of the law had is they did not practice what they were teaching. Their righteousness was only superficial. What does your righteousness look like? This leads to a question to ponder in this moment. What does your righteousness look like? Consider what would happen if we were to pull back the curtain of your life. What would that reveal? Would there be a clean outside but a heart that was not? Hopefully,this is not the case. To be clear, ultimately, we are justified and made righteous through Christ. However, in this context, Jesus is also talking about your words and your actions. Is your outside truly a reflection of what is inside, or is it just for appearance’s sake? Jesus was trying to help his disciples see that the part of you no one sees is more important than the part of you that everyone sees because the part no one sees is who you really are. So how do your insides look, and who are you when it is just you andJesus and no one else around? The way you answer that question will help determine if your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. As we search our hearts today, it is safe to say we all have areas where what we say and what we do don’t always align. This is why we ultimately depend on Jesus’ righteousness and not our own. But beyond that, we need to seek to be people who desire anoutward life that reflects an inward transformation. When that becomes your heart's desire, you are on your way to having a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Intersecting Faith and Life: “There are two sorts of hypocrites: ones that are deceived with their outward morality and external religion; and the others are those that are deceived with false discoveries and elevation; which often cry down works, and men's own righteousness.”– Jonathan Edwards --------------------- This is Not All There Is By Anne Peterson "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 We all do it. We face something really difficult in our lives, and we ask, “Why?” Why is this happening now? Or why is this happening to me? It’s normal to ask this question, but the problem is, we seem to stay there. And when we are asking that question, peace alludes us. “I’ve told you these things.” When we turn to God’s Word, something happens inside of us. It’s the same thing that happened when Jesus would speak to his disciples. They would get glimpses of another world. Being human, we get wrapped up living in this world. And we sometimes forget thereis a spiritual realm. Paul referenced this as he told us where our focus should be. Paul said we should fix our eyes on what we don’t see because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2Corinthians 4:18). This world has trouble. John 16:33 tells us in this world, we will have trouble. Peter told us we shouldn’t be surprised when we face difficult times. That we shouldn’tthink it’s strange (1 Peter 4:12-13). He explains as we participate in suffering, later, we’ll be overjoyedwhen Christ’s glory is revealed. I didn’t always see that connection. When I recently read in Peter about suffering, it confirmed all of it again. Peter asked, how is it to our credit if when we’re beaten for doing wrong and we take it patiently? But if we suffer when we’re doing what is right and we take it patiently, thatpleases God (1 Peter 2:20). There is a purpose in suffering. Then, how can we take heart? If this world was all there was, it would be disheartening. We’re born, we suffer, and then we die. The end. But Jesus told the disciples to take heart because he overcame the world. When we accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, our sins were forgiven. Butat that moment, we were also appropriated Christ’s righteousness, and we became joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). There is more going on than meets our physical eyes. There is an enemy of our souls who was once a beautiful angel named Lucifer. He wanted to be higher than God, so God cast Satan out of heaven, and he took 1/3 of the angels with him, which are known asdemons. Satan loves to discourage Christians. He does it by telling us lies. Lies such as, “God doesn’t care about you. If God cared about you, why does he let so many bad things happen to you?” The short answer is we suffer in this world because it’s a fallenworld. When sin entered the world, everything changed. One day things will be different. A day is coming when our tears will be wiped away. A day when God will create a new heaven and a new earth. We will live without the presence of evil. And for me, the most exciting thing is that one day I will be able to look right into the face of the onewho sacrificed his life for me. That one thought has kept me going through some pretty dark times. Those of us who have accepted Jesus will no longer suffer. In heaven, there will be no more diseases. No more brokenness. No strained relationships. Can you imagine? In the meantime? So how do we live in this world while we’re waiting for the next? Paul tells us, that we are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans12:2). What is it that transforms our minds? God’s Word. When we saturate ourselves with the Word of God, we can focus on what is unseen instead of what is seen. In the meantime, when I hear negative things from the enemy, I know they are lies. All Satan can do is lie because there is no truth in him. But God’s Word is truth. So when I focus on the truth, I can recognize lies. I also find it helpful to sing old hymnswhich are laced with truth from God’s Word. Hymns like Great is Thy Faithfulness or Amazing Grace. When I take walks, I focus on God’s character, and then I’m never surprised to look up and see a deer or hear the birds chirping away. Even though I am in this world, it’s becoming more and more obvious that I am not part of this world. I remember a hymnthat talked about us being pilgrims. At the time, it didn’t make as much sense to me as it does today. That’s exactly who we are. We really are just passing through. ----------------- Hearing God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path �Psalm 119:105 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hearing-god-3/- Listen There are a lot of people today who say they hear the voice of God telling them to do this or that. But what we must remember is that God never will contradict His Word. Healways will lead us according to what the Bible says. Some people come up with some lame concepts, such as �We�re not married, but God has told us it�s okay to have sex.� I could assure them that God didn�t say that because inHis Word, He says, �You shall not commit adultery� (Exodus 20:14). God won�t contradict His Word. Let�s say you were hoping for a letter from someone. You stand at the window, waiting for what seems like an eternity for the mail carrier to come by. Finally, he drives up,and you bolt over to your mailbox. You�re looking for that letter. Maybe it�s from someone you�re in love with. Maybe it�s an answer to a job application. Maybe it�s something you ordered in the mail. Maybe you�ve won the sweepstakes. But imagine this. What if you had a handwritten note sent to you from God? Would you carry it around in your pocket for a couple of weeks and open it when you got around toit? I doubt it. You probably would tear it open as you�re thinking, Wow, God spoke to me! What does He have to say? The Bible is a written letter from God. A lot of us carry it. We have it in different colors and sizes. We have it in different translations. Some of us even have it on oursmartphones or tablets. But we never read it. Yet it�s a letter from God to us. If you want God to speak to you, then open up His Word. --------------------------- U.S.E.Your Faith �For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shalllive by faith.� (Romans1:17) Today�s verse contains a portion of Habakkuk 2:4, emphasizing that those who have been twice-born can live using the same faith that God granted us so that we could believe (Ephesians2:8). An acronym for USE can help focus our thoughts. U�Use what you have. Moses had only a rod when God called him to deliver the nation of Israel (Exodus4:2-6). We should use the talent and equipment already in our possession, just like the widow of Zarephath, who gave her meager grain (1Kings 17:10-16). Daniel used his secular position (Daniel6:14-23), and Esther used her beauty and bravery (Esther4:13-17) to accomplish His will. S�Start doing it. Nothing happens unless we become involved. The priests of Israel participated in the miracle at Jordan when they obeyed and stepped in the river (Joshua3:5-17). The widow did not reap the bounty until she followed Elisha�s instructions and borrowed pots from her neighbors (2Kings 4:1-7). After the miracle of the oil, she surely wished that she had not limited God�s supply. The man who was born blind had to wash as instructed before he could see (John9:1-7). And those at Lazarus� tomb had to open it before they could see him resurrected (John11:39). God instructs, we obey, and He performs. E�Expect it to happen. The centurion understood our Lord�s authority when he asked Him to heal his servant (Matthew8:5-13). The Syrophoenician woman insisted on being healed (Matthew15:21-26), and the nobleman went home confident that his son had been saved (John4:46-53). Circumstances will vary, but God�s �formula� does not. HMM III --------------------- Reasons to Surrender 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 As we learned yesterday, God tells us to surrender our lives to Him. This is no small task. All our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right�everything is put aside in order to make way for our King�s will. But perhaps youhave wondered why God can ask this of us. The Lord has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is sovereign�the King and Ruler over the entire universe. As a result, we are under His authority, whether we choose to submit or not. Next, through His deathand resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us; we should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him. Undoubtedly, God is entitled to ask that we yield our life to Him. At the same time, surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalm31:19 states, �How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You . . .� So, while He is the Almighty One with all authority to demand our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most. Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for good. Will you trust God enough to handthe reins over to Him? ------------------------------- Why You Need to Hear the Gospel Again By Sarah E Martin �Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you getup.� � Deuteronomy 11:18-21 I was again hearing the words spoken to me my whole life. From flannel graphs in Sunday school to today�s sermon preached from Genesis 3. I had heard this story before. I was a guest in my friend�s church which met in an old chapel with all the traditional trimmings�pews, hymnals, and the smell of old wood. The pastor preached on the Fall, the fateful turn of humanity�s tale whenman�s faith in God shattered, and so did everything else. Sin entered the world, and what was formerly home and belonging became unreachable and lost. God�s voice was no longer the only one we listened to. As the pastor told this story, he delivered a powerful presentation of the gospel. He made connections withinScripture that drew out a certain angle of the light of the good news that my heart just happened to need to hear that week. You would think that after all these years, I would cease to be amazed by the Bible�s message and all the ways we can see it from Genesis to Revelation. You�d think that eventually, I would graduate and perfectly embody all of its truth in each corner ofmy life and wouldn�t need it poured into my ears over and over again. But, reader, I do. And so do you. Though the stories never change, the essential message that we are broken and Christ is the answer remains the same, and God continually delivers it anew to us as we walk along the way. He�s made us to need his Word like we need food, to come to life ashis Spirit helps us hear what we couldn�t before. Every verse of the Bible tells us that to be alive, to be sustained, to remain vital, with fresh life pouring and flowing through us, we need words. Though I had heard it countless times, I have a tendency, symptomatic of being human, to let even the most sacred truths sit filed away, archived like a thing I�ve collected rather than the living, breathing thing it is, �dividing soul and spirit, jointsand marrow� (Heb. 4:12). If this happens to the gospel in your life, you will quickly begin to work and strive for what Jesus has alreadydone for you, placing a yoke that isn�t his, and therefore isn�t freedom, back on your sore shoulders. But hearing the pastor deliver God�s Word afresh both humbled me and lifted me in the way that only Jesus can do. The truth is that mankind failed, and we continue to fail. But God sent his son, Jesus, to become like us and to do the unthinkable by takingon our curse so we might be free. And looking to him in faith is all it takes to be healed. That�s it. I don�t know about you, but I would be crushed if it wasn�t for this good news sustaining every moment for me. This is the good news we need to hear and receive every day�that we�re sinners, and Christ is our savior. Whether it�s from a pastor, a minister, a family member or a friend, hearing the gospel spoken out loud, taking shape in another person�s words is life-givingto our faith. When was the last time someone spoke these words out loud to you? When was the last time you spoke them out loud to someone else? Or even to yourself? When the enemy tempted Jesus with his twisted words, challenging him to use his power to satisfy his hunger, Jesus responded, �It is written: �Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.�� (Matt. 4:4) It is easy to forget the power of words. In the daily onslaught of messaging and information, words can gradually become common, misused, and drained of their worth. But Christians can�t forget our need for the words that come from the mouth of God. In the beginning, God spoke, and a cosmos of life and light and earth and stars erupted out of nothing, spread across all existing space, and continues to expand to this day. The words of God began life in the most literal as well as spiritual sense. Itshouldn�t surprise us then that it is the Word of God that sustains the life in us. When we believe in Christ, God puts a new spirit in us that is living, active, and sustained by God himself. His words and our abiding in them is what feeds that life. Intersecting Faith and Life: Was the last time you were strengthened by someone speaking the gospel to you in their own words? Ask the Lord to bring to mind someone you can encourage with, or perhaps share with for the first time, the simple gospel. Further Reading: Deuteronomy 11:1-21 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ------------------------- Hearing His Voice - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out �John 10:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hearing-his-voice-3/- Listen As you get to know your Shepherd, you will come to realize that when He calls you, it is always worth obeying. When He says something, it is for your benefit. If He says, �Go this way,� it�s because He has green pastures and still waters for you. If He says, �Stop! Don�t do that,� it�s because He is trying to protect you from potential danger, possibly something that is even life-threatening. The fact that God speaks to us is clear throughout the pages of Scripture. To some, like Moses, God spoke audibly. To others, like the prophet Elijah, He spoke quietly onat least one occasion. Often we look for the big events, the earth-shaking circumstances in which God speaks. And many times He is speaking to us, but it is in a still, small voice. We should tryturning off the television, the radio, and the telephone and just listen. With all the noise in our world, with all the information that bombards us, we can hear all those voices but miss the most important voice of all. Maybe one reason we don�t hear Him is because we never stop and listen. We should heed the words of Psalm 46:10, which says, �Be still, and know that I am God.� Once we have heard the voice of God, we need to follow. Jesus said, �The sheep follow him, for they know his voice� (John 10:4). The word follow means to deliberately decideto comply with instruction. It is a deliberate choice for sheep to follow the shepherd. We need to deliberately decide to follow our Shepherd, to do what He tells us to do. When God Almighty speaks to you in that still, small voice, will you listen? Will you follow Him. --------------- A True Slave of Christ �For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransomfor many.� (Mark 10:45) In His final earthly days, our precious Lord boldly journeyed toward Jerusalem to that �beautiful awful cross.� This was set against the trembling fear of His disciples (Mark10:32). He confided to them the upcoming tragic events of His last days. He would �be delivered unto the chief priests�and they shall condemn him to death�and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: andthe third day he shall rise again� (vv. 33-34). Although the Master Servant demonstrated selfless boldness on His approaching suffering, James and John demanded that the Lord serve them and grant them dual thrones in glory, one on His right and one on His left (vv. 35-40). Our Lord�s response was directed to all who are �in Christ.� We must take up that same cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). Jesus called us slaves of the Kingdom,and said, �Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant [Greek doulos, lowest male slave] of all� (Mark 10:43-44). Jesus came to serve and to pay on the cross the purchase price for our redemption. His lifeand death serve as an example for believers to follow. What is our attitude toward those who are spiritually bankrupt and in desperate need of the gospel? Do we intentionally serve those whom God providentially brings into our lives, or do we demand service? Like our Lord, are we interruptible, willing to lay asidethe busyness of our all-important schedules to serve even the lowliest person in need? Jesus did! CM --------------------- God'sGrace �Bear ye one another�s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.� (Galatians6:2) Although Christ has set the believer free from legalistic bondage, he is now under a still higher law�the law of Christ. It is also called �the law of the Spirit of life� that has made us �free from the law of sin and death� (Romans8:2). The law of Christ does not consist of many detailed ordinances that we are duty bound to obey. It is a law that we want to obey out of love for Christ. �Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law� (Romans13:10). Paul says that �the end of the commandment is charity [that is, Christian love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned� (1Timothy 1:5). James calls it �the royal law,� defining it simply as �Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself� (James2:8). Instead of a law bringing us into bondage, it is �the perfect law of liberty� (James1:25), setting us free from slavery to sin. It not only gives us the desire to please the Lord but also the will and the ability to do so. It is not as though we are now without law and thereby free to indulge our carnal appetites. Paul explains his own new nature thus: �For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more...(being not withoutlaw to God, but under the law to Christ)� (1Corinthians 9:19, 21). In Christ, �the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,� and He is �the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth� (Romans3:21; 10:4). But though we �have been called unto liberty,� Paul commands us to �use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another� (Galatians5:13). Thus, to believe in Christ is also to obey Him. HMM -------------------------- Our Heavenly Home Revelation 21:22-27 As enjoyable as traveling may be, most of us would admit to having a sense of security and delight upon arriving back home. There's just something comforting about opening the door, seeing familiar things, and feeling we're where we belong. The apostle John was given a vision that included glimpses inside our future home, the new Jerusalem. You may be surprised to know that some things from our old abode will be missing. But what replaces them will be infinitely better. For one thing, there were no church buildings in John's vision, "for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Rev.21:22). No longer will denominations divide up the body of Christ. Nor will the sun or moon shine on the city in that day, "for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb" (v. 23). Imagine--no need for electricity, flashlights, or candles. One other difference is that the city gates will always be open. Since sin will not be a factor, locks will be unnecessary in our heavenly home. Death and decay will also be absent. In fact, nothing impure will ever enter that future residence--utter holinesswill characterize the heavenly place, and suffering will be a thing of the past. What we have to look forward to is the abundant life in Christ, pure and unmarred. Think about the comfortable feeling you have as you open your front door. That's but a hint of what we'll feel some day on arriving at the place our Father has lovingly and personally prepared for us in heaven. We will finally--and permanently--be "at home" in a way that defies description. ----------------- Seeing Obstacles through God's Eyes Joshua 2 Jericho was the first city that the Israelites needed to conquer in their quest for the land of Canaan. When Joshua sent a pair of spies to check it out, he probably didn't realize that he would receive a glimpse of God's impressive behind-the-scenes activity. God wants us to look at every obstacle through the lens of His unlimited strength and resources. Anything that appears to block His plans is an opportunity for Him to demonstrate His sovereign power. Just because we don't see anything happening, that doesn'tmean He's inactive. Always remember that God is at work on the other side of our obstacles, arranging the details and bringing His plans to fruition. When the spies returned to Joshua, they reported that the people of Jericho were scared to death. Having heard about the Jews'deliverance from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, they were gripped by fear of the Lord. The stage was set for the conquest, yet by that point, Joshua had done nothing. Sometimes we think we need to be involved in the solution to our problem, but God is not limited with regard to whom or what He can use to accomplish His will. In this case,He worked in the hearts of the enemy by instilling demoralizing fear. For Christians, great obstacles need not be reasons for discouragement. Although much of the Lord's activity is silent and invisible, we can be sure He is dynamically working out His will for our lives. When the pieces of His plan are in place, He will moveus on to victory. ------------------------- United in Mind and Thought By Emma Danzey 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agreewith one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." I Appeal to You Brothers and Sisters In this passage of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is addressing a challenging issue among the church at Corinth. He uses the word appeal. This word carries weight. We normally think of appeal used in the context of legal cases or a serious plead. However, Paul is using this verb to bring up the topic of unity. There were, unfortunately, divisions among the people ofGod. They were split over church leaders. Paul begins his message with a plea from the Lord to the men and the women. In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ There is no true power in anything that we say or do if Jesus is not in it. Paul makes the point that he is bringing a message in the name of Jesus. He is coming with a word from the Lord. People can have many different opinions, but ultimately, we too shouldbe seeking what God says through His Word. If what we want to share is not in agreement with what the Lord already has said, then it is not from Him. We cannot claim that we are carrying a message from God if it does not aline with the Bible. 1 Timothy 3:16-17 says, �All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.� That All of You Agree with One Another in What You Say and That There Be No Divisions Among You Divisions seem to be everywhere. The enemy has been loving the chaos He has set forth among the believers of today. If people want their positions more than Jesus, they miss the point. God calls us to agree with one another in what we say and not to let therebe any divisions among believers. Unfortunately, we know good and well that divisions have happened and continue to happen due to sin and the work of the enemy. However, we are called to stand up and live in unity among believers in Jesus. We are called to be discerning and wise. We willnot agree on a lot in this world, but we are called to agree with one another in Christ. Jesus is the way, and we are exhorted to keep the main thing the main thing. But That You Be Perfectly United in Mind and Thought Humanly speaking, we cannot accomplish perfect unity of mind and thought. So what did Paul mean? 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, �The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, �Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ.� When we as the church body all have the Holy Spirit, we have access to the mind of Christ. We can think and live like Jesus, not our sinful flesh, through the power of His Spirit in us. This means that barriers that would naturally stand in our way no longer matter. We can come together in perfectunity of the gospel. We can stand arm and arm next to people who are different from us but who place their faith in Christ, believe His Word, and have His Holy Spirit. There is nothing we can do to force unity; all we can do is surrender to the work of the Spirit and live our lives in a way that models it and welcomes oneness to other believers. By the powerof the Living God, we can be one church with one mission serving under our one Savior. Intersecting Faith and Life: How is God appealing to you to be more unified in the body of Christ? What divisions are in your community of believers? How can you move towards being perfectly unified in mind and thought? Further Reading: Acts 4:32 2 Corinthians 13:11 Galatians 3:28 -------------------------- Distorting God�s Word - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, �Has God indeedsaid, �You shall not eat of every tree of the garden�?� �Genesis 3:1 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/distorting-gods-word-2/Listen A story is told of the comedian W. C. Fields and how, shortly before he died, he was flipping through the pages of a Bible. Whenasked what he was doing, Fields replied, �Looking for loopholes.� In the same way, I think the Devil has been reading the Bible for a long time, looking for loopholes. In the Garden of Eden, hetwisted the Scriptures. He took God�s words to Adam, which invited him to eat from every tree in the Garden (with one exception), and he twisted them into a prohibition designed to cast doubt on God�s goodness. He said to Eve, in effect, �If God really loved you, He would let you eat from any tree you want. But because He is saying thatyou can�t eat from that tree, He clearly doesn�t love you.� The Devil�s first words to Eve ended in a question mark, designed to cast doubt on God�s love: Has God indeed said . . . ? Hewas quoting God, yet he completely twisted what God said. The same was true of Satan�s temptation of Jesus, where he said, �If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down [from the temple].For it is written: �He shall give His angels charge over you,� and, �In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone�� (Matthew 4:6). How interesting. The Devil was quoting the Scriptures, though he left out part of the originaltext. Notice that with Eve, he questioned God�s Word. He didn�t deny that God had spoken; he simply questioned whether God had reallysaid what Eve thought He had said. That is what the Devil will do with God�s Word. He will misquote it. He will mischaracterize it. And he will distort it. --------------------- The Right Path to Follow - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. �Psalm 19:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-right-path-to-follow/- Listen You will sometimes come across Scripture passages that you don�t fully understand. In such cases, talking to a pastor or a mature Christian can probably help you. But whatabout those times when you encounter a verse in the Bible that you don�t agree with? In such cases, you have to change your opinion. We don�t adapt the Bible to the way we think because the Bible is always right, and we aren�t. Sometimes, people make statements such as �My God would never judge a person� or �I believe in a God who . . .� and start describing their own made-up god. However, thereis only one God, and He is revealed in the Bible. We don�t make God conform to us; we make ourselves conform to God. Psalm 19:7 says, �The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple� (NLT). In the original language, the word translated into �simple� comes from a word meaning �an open door.� This describes people with a mind like that. Everything comes in and goes out. They don�t know what to take in or what to keep out and are thus na�ve. They are open to everything and closed to nothing. However, the Bible says that when simple-mindedpeople, who are too open-minded, immerse themselves in Scripture, they can become biblically grounded and develop a biblical worldview. The next verse tells us, �The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living� (verse 8 NLT). The Bible has set up the right path for us to follow. We don�t have to lose our bearings in the fog of human opinion. As we read the Scriptures, we can know they�re reliable. God�s Word gives us incredible wisdom, so let�s devote ourselves to its study. --------------------- Life--Light--Love �All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; andthe life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.� (John 1:3-5) The apostle John, designated as �the other disciple, whom Jesus loved� (John 20:2), used the concept of agape love more than any other New Testament writer, even teaching that �God is love� (1 John 4:8). Likewise, John tells us that �God is light,and in him is no darkness at all� (1 John 1:5), and he uses the concept of light (phos) more than any other writer. In just the same way, he uses the primary word for life (zoe) more than any other writer and discusses �that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,of the Word of life� (1 John 1:1), identifying Christ as life and the fountain of life. Christ, of course, has existed �from the beginning� and is the Creator of physical life on Earth (Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:28). But in a special way, He is �the life� (John 14:6), and, as we see in our text, �in him was life,� denoting salvation and eternal life basedon His own atonement for sin. Concerning light, Christ not only created physical light (Genesis 1:3) and later light sources (Genesis1:14), but He is light, referring to revelation of the things of God to men, for His �life was the light of men.� But most of all, �God is love.� The first time John mentions agape love, we are told that �God so loved the world� and that His free and undeserved love drove Him to give �his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, buthave everlasting life� (John 3:16). �Herein is love...that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins� (1John 4:10). JDM ----------------------- God's Clear Instructions Joshua 6 Joshua needed guidance as he faced one of the most crucial moments of his life. Because the Lord had promised him success in conquering Jericho, he knew the outcome of the battle, but as the day of combat approached, he needed a specific strategy for victory.What he heard the Lord say must have made his jaw drop. Can you imagine the soldiers' thoughts as they carried out this bizarre battle strategy? In confusing times like this, it's good to remember three requirements for benefiting from God's instructions. We need: � Faith to believe the Lord � Courage to obey Him � Patience to wait for His timing. When God gives us clear instruction through His Word or His Spirit within us, our response shows how much we trust Him. If we truly believe Him and His promises, precise and complete obedience will follow. His victory in any area of struggle is availableonly to those who act upon His directions. Submitting to the Lord's timing is also an essential part of obedience. What would have happened if the army decided to bypass God's plans for the first six days and skip straight to the seventh day's march around Jericho? They would have missed the victory. How often do we beg the Lord for guidance, yet hesitate to obey when He finally gives it? Living by faith can seem like a huge risk when His instructions make no sense or require a lengthy wait. But knowing His eternal perspective and unlimited power canstrengthen our resolve to obey.