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01-11-2009, 07:29 PM
No Return to the Law
11 Now when Peter[a] had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you[b] compel Gentiles to live as Jews?[c] 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2
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As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the 'sinners' and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?' On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' Mark 2:14-17
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Do the Will of the Lord
Do the will of the Lord in all that you do and you will be well pleasing in the Eyes of the Lord.
The will of the Lord is to obey His commandments, the words of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The will of the Lord is to abound in all of the Spiritual fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith and temperance.
The will of the Lord is to obey the law and the prophets as summed up by the two great commandments of Jesus Christ; to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul; to abound with love for all people, including your enemies.
Brethren, do not think that it is easy to do the will of the Lord?
Spiritual greatness is achieved by doing the will of the Lord.
©01/12/2001 Jim Welch
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Coffee Cakes and Coffee
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water. . .shall in no way lose his reward (Mt. 10:42).
It was an early morning after I had dropped the kids off at school. I had my usual hour before I myself had to be in class. I had bought my usual cup of coffee, and this time I picked up a package of three small coffee cakes--my favorite kind. I then pulled into an empty parking lot in front of the building that my class was in. I parked, opened my Bible, and bowed my head in preparation for my morning quiet time with God.
I felt so close to Him. And then a smile came across my face as I thought about God being right there with me. I thought of what I would do if anyone else were there in the car with me--I would offer them one of the coffee cakes I had with me. Then I smiled even more, in a silly kind of fashion, as I asked God if He would like one. The mere words coming out of my mouth made me smirk, however I was quite serious. I did not expect Him to materialize beside me or that one of the coffee cakes to suddenly disappear, but in my heart I just wanted to share what I had with God, as we sat together over morning coffee.
Then I heard His voice clearly within my heart. He said to me, "Even as you do unto the least of these, by brethren, you have done it unto me." I was struck by that, and sat there thinking about what that could mean to me. I then understood that He was telling me that the way I could share with Him was to share with others--the way I could give to Him and to love Him, was to give to and love others. The thought was very enlightening. And I responded by assuring God that next time I was in a similar situation, I would go to someone and do just what He had told me. His reply was to tell me to go do it now. I looked around, but saw no one. I then saw the building in front of me where my classes were and thought that there might be someone in there, even though it was still quite early. I told God I would go in there and that the first person I came across I would share with that person my coffee cake.
The first person I met was the department secretary. But she told me she could not have those kinds of sweets. The next person to come in was one of my professors. I asked him if he would like to share my coffee cakes and he invited me into his office. We sat down, ate, and I shared my story of what had brought me to him. Our conversation moved from one thing to the next, and eventually found its way to some of the troubles I was having in school. God used him to speak to me regarding my anxieties, and I left there with much more than I had came in with.
I left my professor's office with a new peace for where I was in school, my life, and God's will. Though my intention was to give, I was the one who received. Though my desire was to sacrifice (albeit a coffee cake), I was the one who gained. And what began as a desire to share a coffee cake with my Lord, became a life-changing moment, bringing peace to a troubled heart.
We can never ever out give God.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38).
Day by Day Devotionals
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January 12
Read Genesis 34 -- 36 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ge+34-ge+36§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
Don't miss reading why Jacob, surrounded by the immorality and idolatry of the Canaanites, remained faithful to God.
Jacob's prayer was answered and Esau welcomed his return. Following Esau's departure, Jacob continued on toward Bethel since the Lord had said: I am the God of Bethel . . . return unto the land of thy kindred (31:13). But, just a short distance from Bethel, Jacob discovered the beautiful valleys and opportunities for financial gain at Succoth, and built him an house (33:17). He then came to Shalem . . . and pitched his tent (33:18) on the border of the Promised Land. It appears that he expected the blessings of God upon his "almost complete" obedience when he there erected an altar (33:20) and settled his family.
For ten years Jacob's stay seemed to be successful. Then we read of the tragedy of his daughter Dinah. When the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her (34:2). After their sister's rape, Dinah's brothers Simeon and Levi retaliated with murder and their brothers looted homes and destroyed property, violently taking out their revenge upon the inhabitants of the city.
Oh, how often children suffer eternal consequences because of their parents' poor example or disobedience to train up a child in the way he should go (Prov. 22:6). Proper training can be accomplished only by teaching them to read and obey the Word of God. When parents become too involved with achieving material goals, they often neglect spiritual responsibilities to their children during their teachable years. This leaves the door open for worldly pursuits to gain control of their hearts. That often leads to a series of far-reaching, long-term consequences.
Often, as we increase materially, we decrease spiritually and it is not until we are faced with a crisis that the Lord is able to get our attention.
We can learn from Jacob's tragedies that he didn't give up when his situation looked hopeless. Instead, he turned to the Lord, who said: Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from . . . Esau thy brother (35:1).
We too need to be reminded of how we began our walk with the Lord, trusting Him for help, strength, and guidance. But, as time passes and God continues to bless us, often we lose the sense of urgency or the same simple dependence upon God that we had in the beginning. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matt. 6:11-13).
Thought for Today:
We seldom realize the far-reaching effects of our disobedience. Our best defense is to read and obey all of the Word of God.
Christ Revealed:
As God Almighty, El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One (Gen. 35:11). Jesus is the Lord . . . which is . . . the Almighty (Rev. 1:8).
Word Studies:
34:2 defiled = raped; 34:3 his soul clave unto = his heart was set on; (see 34:4,12); 34:7 wrought folly in = brought dishonor and shame; 34:19 deferred not = did not delay; 34:20 gate = place of administration; 34:27 spoiled = plundered; 35:1 Bethel = House of God; 35:2 strange = false; 35:12 seed = descendants; 36:7 bear = support; 36:15 dukes = chiefs of the tribes.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for International Shortwave Radio Broadcasts in honor of Rick Hash • Executive Director of the IBRA in our Washington DC Branch: Reverend Michael Hall • Government Official: Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX) • Country: Turkey (64 million) in Asia Minor and southeastern Europe • Major languages: Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic • Official resistance to Christian witnessing • 79% Sunni Muslim; 20% Alawi Shi'ite Muslim; .2% Christian; .04% Jewish (25,000); .09% Armenian Orthodox; .02% Syrian Orthodox; .02% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength (Is. 40:31).
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My Life’s in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 12, 2009
The Real Nature of Tithing
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, see if I will not open up for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." - Malachi 3:10
It is said that God's instruction on stewardship is that we give a tenth of our income. But is that what He actually says? Take another look at the verse. It begins with an interesting choice of words. It says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." The first word in that verse is not "give," it is "bring." This wording is intentional and indicates the true nature of what a tithe is.
Think about it. If you're going to give a present to someone, you must first be the rightful owner what you are giving away. You can't just walk into a store and grab something to give to someone without paying for it. A gift must first be owned before it can be given away. So, scripture is very clear here: We are not the owners of the tithes that we bring before God, we are simply stewards of the blessings God has entrusted us with. When we tithe, we are just bringing to Him what is rightfully His. Are you willing to bring a tithe to God? You'll never regret it. When we bring a tithe to God, He promises us we'll be blessed.
Do you believe Him?
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Temptation
Bible Reading: Genesis 3:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15; 2:18.
When Eve looked at the forbidden tree in the garden, it was "pleasing to the eye". The fruit looked good to eat, and she wanted to gain the wisdom that the serpent promised her it would bring. Temptation is always pretty. The devil is not going to show you the ugly consequences of disobeying God. He is always going to concentrate on what looks good or feels good. When you yield to sin, it will open your eyes to its' ugliness. But God can open you eyes before you fall, if you will ask Him.
Moment of Meditation: Anticipation of a desired things is often more exciting than its' fulfillment, particularly when the thing desired is sinful.
A Talk with Jesus: Jesus, open my eyes to the deception of temptation. Amen.
For Further Study: Matthew 4:1-11; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Hebrews 5:14; 2 Peter 2:7-9.
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Trust in the Lord
Daily Devotional for January 12
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
Trust is a valued thing. When trust is broken in a marriage, the problems bring steps of separation; and after awhile the marriage is dead. When trust is broken at the workplace, most of the time there will be a new employee.
2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: he can not deny Himself". God Almighty trusts us with the gospel. Our Lord will not turn His back on us when we fail, for He trusts us. He saved us and he keeps us from falling.
If we sin, 1 John 1:9 the recovery verse is used; then our fellowship is restored "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
No matter what you are going through, trust Him and He shall bring it to pass, "Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" 1 Peter 5:7.
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When Right Is Wrong
January 12th
READ: Mark 6:53-7:30
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men" (Mark 7:6-7).
Those are insightful words. With our Lord's keen perceptiveness, He plunges right to the heart of the issue, When the Pharisees ask Him. "Why do your disciples not observe the traditions?" He points out to them, first of all, the effect that the observance of tradition has upon our lives. It produces hypocrites. "You hypocrites," He says. I am sometimes amazed as I read through the gospels at the bluntness of Jesus' language! In fact, Matthew's account tells us that the disciples said to Him afterward, "Do you realize that you offended those Pharisees?"
But notice what He is doing here. He is pointing out the result of traditional "worship." And He utilizes the word of the prophet Isaiah to show us what it is like. According to Isaiah, there is that which consists of right words but wrong attitudes. Everything outward is right, but inwardly the mind and heart are wrong. That, Jesus says, is hypocrisy--to look as if you are doing something religious and worshipful and God-related, but inside to have an entirely different attitude.
A few years ago, many of us were puzzled and offended when young people would say to us, in one way or another, "We don't want to come to church because churches are filled with hypocrites." Some of us could not understand what they meant. We knew there might be some churches that were filled with hypocrites, but not ours! We had honest difficulty with this. We could not see where there was any hypocrisy in a thoroughly Bible-centered, evangelical church such as ours. But what they were saying was this: "You use great words--wonderful words--but you don't really mean them. You talk about love, but you don't love. You talk about forgiveness, but you don't forgive. You talk about acceptance, but you don't accept." And they were right.
That is what tradition can do to us. It externalizes religion, makes it outward instead of inward. As long as we are fulfilling the prescribed outward form, we think we are acceptable before God. That is the terrible danger of tradition. This particular form that Isaiah mentions here--right words and wrong attitudes-is widespread among Christians. We all suffer from it at times, and we ought to recognize it and admit it. And it has resulted in what is probably the most deadly danger to the evangelistic message of the church--the self-righteousness of Christians--thinking that because we do things in the "right" way, and say the "right" words, and believe the "right" doctrines, we are thus pleasing to God.
Father, I confess the many, many times I have done the outward things with the inward heart far removed. Thank You that You know me, and You have already made provision for my forgiveness. Teach me to worship You in spirit and in truth.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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Sacrifices and Ordinances Revealed God's Divine Love
Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Heb. 10:11, 12, RSV.
In patriarchal times the sacrificial offerings connected with divine worship constituted a perpetual reminder of the coming of a Saviour, and thus it was with the entire ritual of the sanctuary services throughout Israel's history. In the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the Temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day, by means of types and shadows, the great truths relative to the advent of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and King; and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners.
The sacrifices and offerings of the Mosaic ritual were ever pointing toward a better service, even a heavenly. The earthly sanctuary was "a figure for the time then present," in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices; its two holy places were "patterns of things in the heavens"; for Christ, our great High Priest, is today "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 9:9, 23; 8:2).
From the day the Lord declared to the serpent in Eden, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" (Gen. 3:15), Satan has known that he can never hold absolute sway over the inhabitants of this world. When Adam and his sons began to offer the ceremonial sacrifices ordained by God as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan discerned in these a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries that have followed, it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion. Untiringly has he sought to misrepresent God and to misinterpret the rites pointing to the Saviour. . . .
While God has desired to teach men that from His own love comes the Gift which reconciles them to Himself, the archenemy of mankind has endeavored to represent God as one who delights in their destruction. Thus the sacrifices and ordinances designed of Heaven to reveal divine love have been perverted (Prophets and Kings, pp. 684-686).
In word and in deed the Messiah, during His earthly ministry, was to reveal to mankind the glory of God the Father. Every act of His life, every word spoken, every miracle wrought, was to make known to fallen humanity the infinite love of God. . . .
Thus, through patriarchs and prophets, as well as through types and symbols, God spoke to the world concerning the coming of a Deliverer from sin (Ibid., pp. 696, 697).
From Lift Him Up - Page 18
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The Call
by Momong
Mark 1: 14-20
Heb 1: 1-6 / Psa 97
Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
(Mark 1:17)
Come, let us not procrastinate
The time that we await has come;
Repent that our eternal fate
Will be assured in God’s kingdom.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “This is the time of fulfillment,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Reflection
For hundreds of years, the Jews had been waiting for the fulfillment of salvation that God had promised through the prophets. Israel had been a great nation from the time Moses brought it to the promised land, up to the reign of King David and King Solomon. But because of its infidelities, Israel was in turn subjugated by successive nations, like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and up to the time of Jesus, by the Romans. Under the yoke of this mighty nation, the Jewish people had long been waiting for the promised Messiah, so that when Jesus proclaimed that “this is the time of fulfillment” and “the kingdom of God is near,” the first four apostles responded in earnest immediately.
Later, the apostles realized that the call to serve in the kingdom of God did not mean being drafted for political or military service. It meant a higher calling of reorienting their whole being in order to spread the Gospel of salvation. It meant sacrificing everything: their livelihoods, their family, and even their lives. Relationships would be compromised — “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name” (Mark 13:12-13) – but only because one’s true family in the kingdom of God are all who consider themselves God’s children. As Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt. 12:50).
We all hear and heed God’s call in various ways. It may be to enter the vocation of a religious life, or merely to serve in a renewal community. Or even to find time to give of yourself to the handicapped or less privileged. To celebrate her 60th birthday, my wife decided to spend time with the ‘residents’ of the Group Home for Girls & Women run by the Dept. of Social Welfare, and give them free lunch packs from Jollibee. Ellen, Nellie, Chat and Rey joined us in the center to give cheer to these unwed mothers and abused children. The occasion also provided an opportunity for us to share with the women the hope of the Good News of God’s kingdom.
Yes, the kingdom of God is here. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is among you.” It is within every one who regards others as his brothers and sisters; it is in the hearts of all who are willing to sacrifice an amount of their time, privilege, abilities and resources so that others who have less in life may learn to have hope in God and His kingdom because of their example.
Lord, in our hearts we hear Your call, and surrender to Your will. Grant that we may have the confidence and courage to leave the comforts of home, relationships, and privilege in order to become “fishers of men” for Your kingdom. Amen.
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GROWING UP
“I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, page 13
“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” - Psalm 32:1
For what it’s worth: Rebellion and sin are both good words to describe my diseased days. And I nearly died that way. What a blessing to have been rescued and carried to AA where I have a way to face my past: Steps 4 and 5. I have done those Steps, but I am still spiritually immature. I can still beat up on myself about my past and too easily rebel against God’s will in the present. I’ll be grateful when I grow up spiritually. I have tasted the joy mentioned in the Psalm, and I want more.
God bless you!
Joe W.
11 Now when Peter[a] had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you[b] compel Gentiles to live as Jews?[c] 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2
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As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the 'sinners' and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?' On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' Mark 2:14-17
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Do the Will of the Lord
Do the will of the Lord in all that you do and you will be well pleasing in the Eyes of the Lord.
The will of the Lord is to obey His commandments, the words of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The will of the Lord is to abound in all of the Spiritual fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith and temperance.
The will of the Lord is to obey the law and the prophets as summed up by the two great commandments of Jesus Christ; to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul; to abound with love for all people, including your enemies.
Brethren, do not think that it is easy to do the will of the Lord?
Spiritual greatness is achieved by doing the will of the Lord.
©01/12/2001 Jim Welch
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Coffee Cakes and Coffee
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water. . .shall in no way lose his reward (Mt. 10:42).
It was an early morning after I had dropped the kids off at school. I had my usual hour before I myself had to be in class. I had bought my usual cup of coffee, and this time I picked up a package of three small coffee cakes--my favorite kind. I then pulled into an empty parking lot in front of the building that my class was in. I parked, opened my Bible, and bowed my head in preparation for my morning quiet time with God.
I felt so close to Him. And then a smile came across my face as I thought about God being right there with me. I thought of what I would do if anyone else were there in the car with me--I would offer them one of the coffee cakes I had with me. Then I smiled even more, in a silly kind of fashion, as I asked God if He would like one. The mere words coming out of my mouth made me smirk, however I was quite serious. I did not expect Him to materialize beside me or that one of the coffee cakes to suddenly disappear, but in my heart I just wanted to share what I had with God, as we sat together over morning coffee.
Then I heard His voice clearly within my heart. He said to me, "Even as you do unto the least of these, by brethren, you have done it unto me." I was struck by that, and sat there thinking about what that could mean to me. I then understood that He was telling me that the way I could share with Him was to share with others--the way I could give to Him and to love Him, was to give to and love others. The thought was very enlightening. And I responded by assuring God that next time I was in a similar situation, I would go to someone and do just what He had told me. His reply was to tell me to go do it now. I looked around, but saw no one. I then saw the building in front of me where my classes were and thought that there might be someone in there, even though it was still quite early. I told God I would go in there and that the first person I came across I would share with that person my coffee cake.
The first person I met was the department secretary. But she told me she could not have those kinds of sweets. The next person to come in was one of my professors. I asked him if he would like to share my coffee cakes and he invited me into his office. We sat down, ate, and I shared my story of what had brought me to him. Our conversation moved from one thing to the next, and eventually found its way to some of the troubles I was having in school. God used him to speak to me regarding my anxieties, and I left there with much more than I had came in with.
I left my professor's office with a new peace for where I was in school, my life, and God's will. Though my intention was to give, I was the one who received. Though my desire was to sacrifice (albeit a coffee cake), I was the one who gained. And what began as a desire to share a coffee cake with my Lord, became a life-changing moment, bringing peace to a troubled heart.
We can never ever out give God.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38).
Day by Day Devotionals
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January 12
Read Genesis 34 -- 36 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ge+34-ge+36§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
Don't miss reading why Jacob, surrounded by the immorality and idolatry of the Canaanites, remained faithful to God.
Jacob's prayer was answered and Esau welcomed his return. Following Esau's departure, Jacob continued on toward Bethel since the Lord had said: I am the God of Bethel . . . return unto the land of thy kindred (31:13). But, just a short distance from Bethel, Jacob discovered the beautiful valleys and opportunities for financial gain at Succoth, and built him an house (33:17). He then came to Shalem . . . and pitched his tent (33:18) on the border of the Promised Land. It appears that he expected the blessings of God upon his "almost complete" obedience when he there erected an altar (33:20) and settled his family.
For ten years Jacob's stay seemed to be successful. Then we read of the tragedy of his daughter Dinah. When the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her (34:2). After their sister's rape, Dinah's brothers Simeon and Levi retaliated with murder and their brothers looted homes and destroyed property, violently taking out their revenge upon the inhabitants of the city.
Oh, how often children suffer eternal consequences because of their parents' poor example or disobedience to train up a child in the way he should go (Prov. 22:6). Proper training can be accomplished only by teaching them to read and obey the Word of God. When parents become too involved with achieving material goals, they often neglect spiritual responsibilities to their children during their teachable years. This leaves the door open for worldly pursuits to gain control of their hearts. That often leads to a series of far-reaching, long-term consequences.
Often, as we increase materially, we decrease spiritually and it is not until we are faced with a crisis that the Lord is able to get our attention.
We can learn from Jacob's tragedies that he didn't give up when his situation looked hopeless. Instead, he turned to the Lord, who said: Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from . . . Esau thy brother (35:1).
We too need to be reminded of how we began our walk with the Lord, trusting Him for help, strength, and guidance. But, as time passes and God continues to bless us, often we lose the sense of urgency or the same simple dependence upon God that we had in the beginning. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matt. 6:11-13).
Thought for Today:
We seldom realize the far-reaching effects of our disobedience. Our best defense is to read and obey all of the Word of God.
Christ Revealed:
As God Almighty, El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One (Gen. 35:11). Jesus is the Lord . . . which is . . . the Almighty (Rev. 1:8).
Word Studies:
34:2 defiled = raped; 34:3 his soul clave unto = his heart was set on; (see 34:4,12); 34:7 wrought folly in = brought dishonor and shame; 34:19 deferred not = did not delay; 34:20 gate = place of administration; 34:27 spoiled = plundered; 35:1 Bethel = House of God; 35:2 strange = false; 35:12 seed = descendants; 36:7 bear = support; 36:15 dukes = chiefs of the tribes.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for International Shortwave Radio Broadcasts in honor of Rick Hash • Executive Director of the IBRA in our Washington DC Branch: Reverend Michael Hall • Government Official: Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX) • Country: Turkey (64 million) in Asia Minor and southeastern Europe • Major languages: Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic • Official resistance to Christian witnessing • 79% Sunni Muslim; 20% Alawi Shi'ite Muslim; .2% Christian; .04% Jewish (25,000); .09% Armenian Orthodox; .02% Syrian Orthodox; .02% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength (Is. 40:31).
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My Life’s in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 12, 2009
The Real Nature of Tithing
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, see if I will not open up for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." - Malachi 3:10
It is said that God's instruction on stewardship is that we give a tenth of our income. But is that what He actually says? Take another look at the verse. It begins with an interesting choice of words. It says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." The first word in that verse is not "give," it is "bring." This wording is intentional and indicates the true nature of what a tithe is.
Think about it. If you're going to give a present to someone, you must first be the rightful owner what you are giving away. You can't just walk into a store and grab something to give to someone without paying for it. A gift must first be owned before it can be given away. So, scripture is very clear here: We are not the owners of the tithes that we bring before God, we are simply stewards of the blessings God has entrusted us with. When we tithe, we are just bringing to Him what is rightfully His. Are you willing to bring a tithe to God? You'll never regret it. When we bring a tithe to God, He promises us we'll be blessed.
Do you believe Him?
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Temptation
Bible Reading: Genesis 3:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15; 2:18.
When Eve looked at the forbidden tree in the garden, it was "pleasing to the eye". The fruit looked good to eat, and she wanted to gain the wisdom that the serpent promised her it would bring. Temptation is always pretty. The devil is not going to show you the ugly consequences of disobeying God. He is always going to concentrate on what looks good or feels good. When you yield to sin, it will open your eyes to its' ugliness. But God can open you eyes before you fall, if you will ask Him.
Moment of Meditation: Anticipation of a desired things is often more exciting than its' fulfillment, particularly when the thing desired is sinful.
A Talk with Jesus: Jesus, open my eyes to the deception of temptation. Amen.
For Further Study: Matthew 4:1-11; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Hebrews 5:14; 2 Peter 2:7-9.
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Trust in the Lord
Daily Devotional for January 12
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
Trust is a valued thing. When trust is broken in a marriage, the problems bring steps of separation; and after awhile the marriage is dead. When trust is broken at the workplace, most of the time there will be a new employee.
2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: he can not deny Himself". God Almighty trusts us with the gospel. Our Lord will not turn His back on us when we fail, for He trusts us. He saved us and he keeps us from falling.
If we sin, 1 John 1:9 the recovery verse is used; then our fellowship is restored "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
No matter what you are going through, trust Him and He shall bring it to pass, "Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" 1 Peter 5:7.
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When Right Is Wrong
January 12th
READ: Mark 6:53-7:30
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men" (Mark 7:6-7).
Those are insightful words. With our Lord's keen perceptiveness, He plunges right to the heart of the issue, When the Pharisees ask Him. "Why do your disciples not observe the traditions?" He points out to them, first of all, the effect that the observance of tradition has upon our lives. It produces hypocrites. "You hypocrites," He says. I am sometimes amazed as I read through the gospels at the bluntness of Jesus' language! In fact, Matthew's account tells us that the disciples said to Him afterward, "Do you realize that you offended those Pharisees?"
But notice what He is doing here. He is pointing out the result of traditional "worship." And He utilizes the word of the prophet Isaiah to show us what it is like. According to Isaiah, there is that which consists of right words but wrong attitudes. Everything outward is right, but inwardly the mind and heart are wrong. That, Jesus says, is hypocrisy--to look as if you are doing something religious and worshipful and God-related, but inside to have an entirely different attitude.
A few years ago, many of us were puzzled and offended when young people would say to us, in one way or another, "We don't want to come to church because churches are filled with hypocrites." Some of us could not understand what they meant. We knew there might be some churches that were filled with hypocrites, but not ours! We had honest difficulty with this. We could not see where there was any hypocrisy in a thoroughly Bible-centered, evangelical church such as ours. But what they were saying was this: "You use great words--wonderful words--but you don't really mean them. You talk about love, but you don't love. You talk about forgiveness, but you don't forgive. You talk about acceptance, but you don't accept." And they were right.
That is what tradition can do to us. It externalizes religion, makes it outward instead of inward. As long as we are fulfilling the prescribed outward form, we think we are acceptable before God. That is the terrible danger of tradition. This particular form that Isaiah mentions here--right words and wrong attitudes-is widespread among Christians. We all suffer from it at times, and we ought to recognize it and admit it. And it has resulted in what is probably the most deadly danger to the evangelistic message of the church--the self-righteousness of Christians--thinking that because we do things in the "right" way, and say the "right" words, and believe the "right" doctrines, we are thus pleasing to God.
Father, I confess the many, many times I have done the outward things with the inward heart far removed. Thank You that You know me, and You have already made provision for my forgiveness. Teach me to worship You in spirit and in truth.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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Sacrifices and Ordinances Revealed God's Divine Love
Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Heb. 10:11, 12, RSV.
In patriarchal times the sacrificial offerings connected with divine worship constituted a perpetual reminder of the coming of a Saviour, and thus it was with the entire ritual of the sanctuary services throughout Israel's history. In the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the Temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day, by means of types and shadows, the great truths relative to the advent of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and King; and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners.
The sacrifices and offerings of the Mosaic ritual were ever pointing toward a better service, even a heavenly. The earthly sanctuary was "a figure for the time then present," in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices; its two holy places were "patterns of things in the heavens"; for Christ, our great High Priest, is today "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 9:9, 23; 8:2).
From the day the Lord declared to the serpent in Eden, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" (Gen. 3:15), Satan has known that he can never hold absolute sway over the inhabitants of this world. When Adam and his sons began to offer the ceremonial sacrifices ordained by God as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan discerned in these a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries that have followed, it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion. Untiringly has he sought to misrepresent God and to misinterpret the rites pointing to the Saviour. . . .
While God has desired to teach men that from His own love comes the Gift which reconciles them to Himself, the archenemy of mankind has endeavored to represent God as one who delights in their destruction. Thus the sacrifices and ordinances designed of Heaven to reveal divine love have been perverted (Prophets and Kings, pp. 684-686).
In word and in deed the Messiah, during His earthly ministry, was to reveal to mankind the glory of God the Father. Every act of His life, every word spoken, every miracle wrought, was to make known to fallen humanity the infinite love of God. . . .
Thus, through patriarchs and prophets, as well as through types and symbols, God spoke to the world concerning the coming of a Deliverer from sin (Ibid., pp. 696, 697).
From Lift Him Up - Page 18
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The Call
by Momong
Mark 1: 14-20
Heb 1: 1-6 / Psa 97
Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
(Mark 1:17)
Come, let us not procrastinate
The time that we await has come;
Repent that our eternal fate
Will be assured in God’s kingdom.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “This is the time of fulfillment,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Reflection
For hundreds of years, the Jews had been waiting for the fulfillment of salvation that God had promised through the prophets. Israel had been a great nation from the time Moses brought it to the promised land, up to the reign of King David and King Solomon. But because of its infidelities, Israel was in turn subjugated by successive nations, like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and up to the time of Jesus, by the Romans. Under the yoke of this mighty nation, the Jewish people had long been waiting for the promised Messiah, so that when Jesus proclaimed that “this is the time of fulfillment” and “the kingdom of God is near,” the first four apostles responded in earnest immediately.
Later, the apostles realized that the call to serve in the kingdom of God did not mean being drafted for political or military service. It meant a higher calling of reorienting their whole being in order to spread the Gospel of salvation. It meant sacrificing everything: their livelihoods, their family, and even their lives. Relationships would be compromised — “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name” (Mark 13:12-13) – but only because one’s true family in the kingdom of God are all who consider themselves God’s children. As Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt. 12:50).
We all hear and heed God’s call in various ways. It may be to enter the vocation of a religious life, or merely to serve in a renewal community. Or even to find time to give of yourself to the handicapped or less privileged. To celebrate her 60th birthday, my wife decided to spend time with the ‘residents’ of the Group Home for Girls & Women run by the Dept. of Social Welfare, and give them free lunch packs from Jollibee. Ellen, Nellie, Chat and Rey joined us in the center to give cheer to these unwed mothers and abused children. The occasion also provided an opportunity for us to share with the women the hope of the Good News of God’s kingdom.
Yes, the kingdom of God is here. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is among you.” It is within every one who regards others as his brothers and sisters; it is in the hearts of all who are willing to sacrifice an amount of their time, privilege, abilities and resources so that others who have less in life may learn to have hope in God and His kingdom because of their example.
Lord, in our hearts we hear Your call, and surrender to Your will. Grant that we may have the confidence and courage to leave the comforts of home, relationships, and privilege in order to become “fishers of men” for Your kingdom. Amen.
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GROWING UP
“I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, page 13
“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” - Psalm 32:1
For what it’s worth: Rebellion and sin are both good words to describe my diseased days. And I nearly died that way. What a blessing to have been rescued and carried to AA where I have a way to face my past: Steps 4 and 5. I have done those Steps, but I am still spiritually immature. I can still beat up on myself about my past and too easily rebel against God’s will in the present. I’ll be grateful when I grow up spiritually. I have tasted the joy mentioned in the Psalm, and I want more.
God bless you!
Joe W.