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Monday |
| Fixed Destiny |
| God . . . has begotten us . . . to an
inheritance incorruptible and undefiled . . . , reserved in heaven for
you. — 1 Peter 1:3-4 |
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A number of years ago, Jim Kaat, a star pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
baseball team, was asked by a sportswriter what it meant to be a Christian
and a professional athlete. Kaat answered by relating an experience that
had taken place on the pitcher's mound a couple of weeks earlier.
It was at the end of a crucial game—a game the Twins needed to win if
they were to have a chance at the league championship. Kaat needed to get
only one more batter out and the Twins would win the game. He said that as
he prepared to throw the ball the thought went through his mind, I'm
sure glad my destiny isn't riding on this next pitch!
As Christians, we have a similar assurance. When we receive Jesus
Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are born again into the forever family
of God. At that moment we are given an eternal inheritance that can never
"fade away, reserved in heaven" for us. Furthermore, Peter
assured us that we are "kept by the power of God" (1 Peter 1:5).
God will guard our souls to the end. So, we may live freely as children of
God, having a bold confidence rooted in the character and word of our
heavenly Father.
Our destiny is not riding on the next "pitch" we make.
Through faith, it is forever fixed in heaven.
Redemption! Oh, wonderful story—
Glad message for you and for me,
That Jesus has purchased our pardon,
And paid all the debt on the tree.
Our salvation is secure because God does the holding. |
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Tuesday |
| Why Me? |
| God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8 |
| A pastor was asked, "Why did
Jesus choose Judas to be one of His disciples?" He thought deeply
about the question for a while but could not come up with an answer. He
said that he kept running into an even more baffling question: "Why
did He choose me?"
That's a question that has been asked throughout the centuries. When
people become painfully aware of their sin and are overcome with guilt,
they cry out to Jesus for mercy. In joyous wonder they experience the
truth that God loves them, that Jesus died for them, and that they are
forgiven of all their sins. It's incomprehensible!
I too have asked, "Why me?" I know that the dark and sinful
deeds of my life were motivated by a heart even darker, and yet God loved
me! (Romans 5:8). I was undeserving, wretched, and helpless, yet He opened
His arms and His heart to me. I could almost hear Him whisper, "I
love you even more than you loved your sin."
It's true! I cherished my sin. I protected it. I denied its wrongdoing.
Yet God loved me enough to forgive me and set me free.
"Why me?" It's beyond my understanding. Yet I know He loves
me—and He loves you too!
Love sent the Savior to die in my stead.
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary's cross He was led.
Why should He love me so?
God loves us not because of who we are, but because of
who He is. |
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Wednesday |
| Just You And God |
| Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive
with me. — Psalm 35:1 |
| Ron wasn't having a good week. His
new job had thrust him in the midst of some people who were foul-mouthed,
rude, and obnoxious. Ron is one tough guy, but after 2 months of working
in that environment, he wasn't sure he could tolerate any more ungodly,
uncouth behavior.
Ron is by no means alone. Perhaps you too are in an environment that is
not friendly to godliness—either at work, at home, or elsewhere. If so,
what can you do? Here are some suggestions that may help you survive and
even thrive:
Concentrate on God's goodness and depend on it. Our circumstances
do not change the truth that the Lord is good all the time (Nahum 1:7).
Stay true to your convictions. Daniel refused to give in when he
was surrounded by the ungodly (Daniel 1).
Immerse yourself in the Bible. Listen to God in His Word. It will
encourage you (Psalm 119:49-50).
Do good for those who oppose you. Return good for evil (Matthew
5:44).
Trust God to be your companion. He will never leave you. And He
won't forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
When it's just you and God, that's enough.
When we are weak and in despair,
Our mighty God is near;
He'll give us strength and joy and hope,
And calm our inner fear.
With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can
face whatever is before you. |
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Thursday |
| Let Loose Your Praise! |
| Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the
Lord Most High is awesome. — Psalm 47:1-2 |
| On the left side of the aisle three
people sat stiffly in the pew; on the right side sat a man in a
wheelchair. When the congregation stood to sing, the man on the right had
someone help him stand. The three on the left had their arms folded; the
man on the right strained to lift his weak arms toward heaven. As the
music swelled to a crescendo, the man on the right closed his eyes and
struggled to make his mouth form the words of the familiar song; the three
on the left stared straight ahead, their lips sealed.
Obviously I do not know the hearts of anyone in this story, but when I
heard it, I knew I had to examine my own. The story reminded me that I
often do more pouting than praising in church. Instead of concentrating on
the God I worship, I often criticize the way others are worshiping.
When King David worshiped the Lord exuberantly, his wife called him
shameless. He said, "I will be even more undignified than this and
will be humble in my own sight" (2 Samuel 6:22). He knew that being
God-conscious couldn't co-exist with being self-conscious.
Taking worship seriously means taking ourselves less seriously. Worship
is not about holding on to our dignity; it's about letting loose our
praise.
Worship, praise, and adoration,
All are due to Jesus' name;
Freely give your heart's devotion,
Constantly His love proclaim.
We can never praise God too much! |
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Friday |
| "Not Enough
Mercy" |
| Love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you. — Matthew 5:44 |
| A nationally known radio
commentator once went on a tirade against Christians. He ridiculed their
views of the endtimes, particularly the return of Christ for His church.
He said that "the evaporation of 4 million people who believe this
nonsense would leave this world a better place."
It wasn't long before the network apologized to any listeners who were
offended. But the commentator himself refused to say he was sorry. He
received hate mail, venomous condemnations, and even death threats from
professing believers. This convinced him more than ever that the world
would be better off without people filled with this kind of hatred.
It's unfortunate and sad to see Christians become so enraged. As Joseph
Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute, said, "There's too much
mean and not enough mercy." When followers of Jesus spend more time
condemning their enemies than praying for them or showing love to them,
they lose their spiritual credibility.
Jesus expects us to stand out from the world by letting our "light
so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify [our]
Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). One way we live that out is by
obeying His command to love our enemies (v.44).
It's easy to love one who loves in return,
There's no test of character—nothing to learn;
The real lesson comes when we follow Christ's call
To love those who'd rather see us take a fall.
The warmth of love can melt the heart of an enemy. |
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Saturday |
| Trouble At The Top |
| "I have no pleasure in you," says the
Lord of hosts. — Malachi 1:10 |
| Leadership has its privileges, but
more important—it comes with huge responsibilities.
Through the years, I've observed the lives of many Christian leaders.
I've noticed that they don't always demonstrate godly traits. Sometimes
there can be trouble at the top.
When God removes His hand of blessing because a leader engages in
ungodly activity, everyone suffers. That's why it's so important for every
Christian in a leadership position to strive daily to keep his heart
attuned to God and His Word.
In Israel in 500 BC, there arose some leadership issues that God dealt
with directly. Apparently the priests who were supposed to be serving God
weren't. They had stopped honoring the Lord, and they were offering
defiled sacrifices (Malachi 1:7-8). Those actions caused God to remove His
blessing from the priests. He could not accept their sacrifices (v.10).
Imagine the difficulties this brought on the people.
Are you a leader? At home? At work? At church? Stay close to God. Give
Him the glory and honor due His name. Obey His Word. Worship Him in spirit
and in truth (John 4:24). Don't risk losing the Lord's blessing by causing
trouble at the top.
They truly lead who lead by love
And humbly serve the Lord;
Their lives will bear the Spirit's fruit
And magnify His Word.
Follow the leader who follows Christ. |
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Sunday |
| A Change From Within |
| The purpose of the commandment is love from a
pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. — 1
Timothy 1:5 |
| On several occasions I have been
encouraged when men I knew to be dishonest and immoral agreed to talk to
me about their conduct. Yet each time I was disappointed at the outcome of
our meetings.
In each situation the person said he believed in God and wanted to
escape hell. Some rationalized by saying that everybody, even churchgoing
people, are basically selfish. They do good only to be rewarded, and avoid
evil only to escape punishment. Those who reasoned this way believed that
because they sometimes were kind and gave generously to charitable causes,
their chances of going to heaven were as good as those of the Christians
they knew. One man vowed that he would do his very best to be more honest,
moral, and kind. But like the others, he wanted to have eternal life
without the forgiveness and inner change that only Jesus can give.
The apostle Paul told Timothy how to deal with religionists who focused
on externals. He reminded him that the purpose of godly instruction is a
life that reflects a radical inner change: "love from a pure heart,
from a good conscience, and from sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5).
Has God changed you from within? You can have a life-changing encounter
with Jesus if you'll trust in Him.
HOW TO BE CHANGED FROM WITHIN
Admit that you are a sinner and turn from your sin.
Believe that Jesus died for you and rose from the dead.
Call on Him to be your Savior and Lord.
When God changes you, He works from the inside out. |
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