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Old 05-05-2016, 10:13 AM   #1841
GOLDDUSTERS5703

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Prayer Marathon

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 | Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 19–20; Luke 23:1-25

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Do you struggle to maintain a consistent prayer life? Many of us do. We know that prayer is important, but it can also be downright difficult. We have moments of deep communion with God and then we have times when it feels like we’re just going through the motions. Why do we struggle so in our prayers?

The life of faith is a marathon. The ups, the downs, and the plateaus in our prayer life are a reflection of this race. And just as in a marathon we need to keep running, so we keep praying. The point is: Don’t give up!

There is never a day when we don’t need to pray.
That is God’s encouragement too. The apostle Paul said, “pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17), “keep on praying” (Rom. 12:12 nlt), and “devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2). All of these statements carry the idea of remaining steadfast and continuing in the work of prayer.

And because God, our heavenly Father, is a personal being, we can develop a time of close communion with Him, just as we do with our close human relationships. A. W. Tozer writes that as we learn to pray, our prayer life can grow “from the initial most casual brush to the fullest, most intimate communion of which the human soul is capable.” And that’s what we really want—deep communication with God. It happens when we keep praying.

Dear Father, we often struggle to spend time with You. Help us to make the time, and help us sense Your goodness and presence.

There is never a day when we don’t need to pray.

INSIGHT:
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary provides illumination on how Paul’s concluding prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 summarizes key points covered in this epistle: “Paul embraces all his exhortations in a prayer for sanctification, and assures the believers that a faithful God will answer it. . . . Though human surrender and obedience are necessary, sanctification is essentially a divine work (cf. Rom. 15:16; Eph. 5:26). Wholly (holoteleis)implies that no part is lacking; the whole person is to be kept blameless.” Every aspect of human nature is to be made whole in Christ.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-05-2016, 10:52 AM   #1842
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Old 05-06-2016, 10:37 AM   #1843
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No Greater Joy

Read: 3 John 1:1-8 | Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 21–22; Luke 23:26-56

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

Bob and Evon Potter were a fun-loving couple with three young sons when their life took a wonderful new direction. In 1956 they attended a Billy Graham Crusade in Oklahoma City and gave their lives to Christ. Before long, they wanted to reach out to others to share their faith and the truth about Christ, so they opened their home every Saturday night to high school and college students who had a desire to study the Bible. A friend invited me and I became a regular at the Potters’ house.

This was a serious Bible study that included lesson preparation and memorizing Scripture. Surrounded by an atmosphere of friendship, joy, and laughter, we challenged each other and the Lord changed our lives during those days.

Be a voice of encouragement to someone today.
I stayed in touch with the Potters over the years and received many cards and letters from Bob who always signed them with these words: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). Like John writing to his “dear friend Gaius” (v. 1), Bob encouraged everyone who crossed his path to keep walking with the Lord.

A few years ago I attended Bob’s memorial service. It was a joyful occasion filled with people still walking the road of faith—all because of a young couple who opened their home and their hearts to help others find the Lord.

Thank You, Lord, for the people who have encouraged me to keep walking in Your truth. May I honor them by helping someone along that road today.

Be a voice of encouragement to someone today.

INSIGHT:
Today’s reading is taken from the apostle John’s final letter, written near the end of his life. John is the only one of the twelve apostles who was not martyred for his faith. However, according to tradition John was tortured and later exiled on the Island of Patmos. John kept in touch with those congregations he had nurtured earlier in his ministry. He wisely understood that health can be experienced in mind, body, and soul and so includes this in his prayer (v. 2). His word choice is kind and relational. He writes that his highest joy in ministry is to hear how those he has ministered to are moving on in their faith in Christ (v. 3).
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-09-2016, 01:24 AM   #1844
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Thank you.
 
Old 05-09-2016, 09:30 AM   #1845
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Keep Climbing!

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 7–9; John 1:1-28

Encourage one another daily. Hebrews 3:13

Richard needed a push, and he got one. He was rock climbing with his friend Kevin who was the belayer (the one who secures the rope). Exhausted and ready to quit, Richard asked Kevin to lower him to the ground. But Kevin urged him on, saying he had come too far to quit. Dangling in midair, Richard decided to keep trying. Amazingly, he was able to reconnect with the rock and complete the climb because of his friend’s encouragement.

In the early church, followers of Jesus encouraged one another to continue to follow their Lord and to show compassion. In a culture riddled with immorality, they passionately appealed to one another to live pure lives (Rom. 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:1). Believers encouraged one another daily, as God prompted them to do so (Acts 13:15). They urged each other to intercede for the body (Rom. 15:30), to help people stay connected to the church (Heb. 10:25), and to love more and more (1 Thess. 4:10).

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has connected us to one another. Therefore, we have the responsibility and privilege with God’s enablement to encourage fellow believers to finish the climb of trusting and obeying Him.

When was the last time you needed to urge someone to keep following Jesus? Who has encouraged you or stirred you to pursue holiness, to keep praying, or to enlarge your love for Jesus and others?


Share with us at Facebook.com/ourdailybread

Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

INSIGHT:
Paul commended the Thessalonian Christians for being “a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess. 1:7). In today’s reading, Paul urges them to continue to live lives that “please God” (4:1). As believers, our desire should be to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way” (Col. 1:10).
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-09-2016, 10:26 AM   #1846
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That was a good one!
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Old 05-10-2016, 09:34 AM   #1847
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Our Divine Defense

Read: Nehemiah 4:7-18 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 10–12; John 1:29-51

Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

Under Nehemiah’s supervision, the Israelite workers were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. When they were nearly half finished, however, they learned that their enemies were plotting to attack Jerusalem. This news demoralized the already exhausted workers.

Nehemiah had to do something. First, he prayed and posted numerous guards in strategic places. Then, he armed his workers. “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked” (Neh. 4:17-18).

What we do for Jesus will last for eternity.
We who are building God’s kingdom need to arm ourselves against the attack of our spiritual enemy, Satan. Our protection is the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. Memorizing Scripture and meditating on it enable us to “take [our] stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11). If we think that working for God doesn’t matter, we should turn to the promise that what we do for Jesus will last for eternity (1 Cor. 3:11-15). If we fear we’ve sinned too greatly for God to use us, we must remember we’ve been forgiven by the power of Jesus’ blood (Matt. 26:28). And if we’re worried we might fail if we try to serve God, we can recall that Jesus said we will bear fruit as we abide in Him (John 15:5).

God’s Word is our divine defense!

God, thank You for the Bible. I believe that Your Word is alive and active. Please help me to remember it when I am worried or fearful, when I need encouragement and inspiration.

God’s Word is a divine defense against attacks from the Enemy.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-12-2016, 09:00 AM   #1848
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Ambassador of Love

Read: John 3:9-21 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 15–16; John 3:1-18

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17

In my work as a chaplain, some people occasionally ask if I am willing to give them some additional spiritual help. While I’m happy to spend time with anyone who asks for help, I often find myself doing more learning than teaching. This was especially true when one painfully honest new Christian said to me with resignation, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to read the Bible. The more I read what God expects from me, the more I judge others who aren’t doing what it says.”

As he said this, I realized that I was at least partly responsible for instilling this judgmental spirit in him. At that time, one of the first things I did with those new to faith in Jesus was to introduce them to things they should no longer be doing. In other words, instead of showing them God’s love and letting the Holy Spirit reshape them, I urged them to “behave like a believer.”

We are to be ambassadors of God’s love and mercy.
Now I was gaining a new appreciation for John 3:16-17. Jesus’ invitation to believe in Him in verse 16 is followed by these words. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. But by giving these new Christians a checklist of behaviors, I was teaching them to condemn themselves, which then led them to judge others. Instead of being agents of condemnation, we are to be ambassadors of God’s love and mercy.

Father, help me not to judge others today. Let me learn this until it changes me into someone more like You.

If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, that’s probably not our mission either!

INSIGHT:
In John 3:1–21 Jesus is having a conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus and tells him these important things about the kingdom of God: God’s Spirit gives new life and entrance into His kingdom, and this is not obtained by our own efforts (vv. 5–8). God sent Jesus to show us His love, not His condemnation (vv. 16–18). People hide in the darkness because of their sin, but Jesus is the Light and whoever follows Him is in the light (vv. 19–21).
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-13-2016, 08:50 AM   #1849
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Unseen, Yet Loved

Read: 1 Peter 1:1-9 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 17–18; John 3:19-36

Though you have not seen him, you love him. 1 Peter 1:8

Like others in the blogging community, I’d never met the man known to us as BruceC. Yet when his wife posted a note to the group to let us know that her husband had died, a string of responses from distant places showed we all knew we had lost a friend.

BruceC had often opened his heart to us. He talked freely about his concern for others and what was important to him. Many of us felt like we knew him. We would miss the gentle wisdom that came from his years in law enforcement and his faith in Christ.

In recalling our online conversations with BruceC, I gained a renewed appreciation for words written by a first-century witness of Jesus. In the first New Testament letter the apostle Peter wrote, he addressed readers scattered throughout the Roman Empire: “Though you have not seen [Christ], you love him” (1 Peter 1:8).

Peter, as a personal friend of Jesus, was writing to people who had only heard about the One who had given them reason for so much hope in the middle of their troubles. Yet, as a part of the larger community of believers, they loved Him. They knew that at the price of His own life, He had brought them into the everlasting family of God.

Lord, we have never seen You, yet we believe in You and love You. Strengthen our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ who love You as well. Make us one community in You.

Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbor.

INSIGHT:
Why was there so much tension between Jewish and Gentile followers of Christ? In part, the answer is found in how ancient Israel had come to understand their relationship with God. As His “chosen people,” Israel had been given the law of Moses and a land of promise in order for them to live in relationship with God and with one another. Clearly, no other people group was given this unique access to and relationship with God.

This relationship, however, was never intended to be simply for their benefit. As they lived in covenant relationship with God, they were also intended to draw the surrounding Gentile nations to the God who sought relationship with them as well. The prophet Isaiah had taught them, “He says, ‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth’” (Isa. 49:6).

As a result, Israel’s relationship with God had a missional element to it—to bring the nations to the Creator who loved them. By the time of Christ, however, this mission had not only been lost, it had been turned inside out. In the minds of the Jewish people, Gentiles had become enemies of God’s people rather than objects of God’s love.

Perhaps that is why Jesus reached out to Gentiles wherever He went: a Roman centurion, a Samaritan woman, a Canaanite woman, and more. The Son of God was teaching us by example that He had come for the lost sheep of Israel, but that He had also come to bring light to the world (John 8:12; 9:5). The heart of His children should reflect the heart of His Father, who is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Reflection Questions
How does Jesus’s attitude toward “outsiders” inform our love for those who do not yet know Him? Are there people in your life you have been hesitant to reach out to? How can we, in prayer, seek the help and heart of our loving Father to reach out to those who need the Savior?

For further study on this important topic, read the free Discovery Series booklet How Can I Break the Silence?

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What is your opinion of the Reflection Questions?
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-16-2016, 10:29 AM   #1850
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Is He Good?

Read: Genesis 3:1-8 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 24–25; John 5:1-24

He said to the woman, “Did God really say . . . ?” Genesis 3:1

“I don’t think God is good,” my friend told me. She had been praying for years about some difficult issues, but nothing had improved. Her anger and bitterness over God’s silence grew. Knowing her well, I sensed that deep down she believed God is good, but the continual pain in her heart and God’s seeming lack of interest caused her to doubt. It was easier for her to get angry than to bear the sadness.

Doubting God’s goodness is as old as Adam and Eve (Gen. 3). The serpent put that thought in Eve’s mind when he suggested that God was withholding the fruit from her because “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (v. 5). In pride, Adam and Eve thought they, rather than God, should determine what was good for them.

Let's help each other see the truth that God is good.
Years after losing a daughter in death, James Bryan Smith found he was able to affirm God’s goodness. In his book The Good and Beautiful God, Smith wrote, "God's goodness is not something I get to decide upon. I am a human being with limited understanding." Smith’s amazing comment isn’t naïve; it arises out of years of processing his grief and seeking God’s heart.

In times of discouragement, let’s listen well to each other and help each other see the truth that God is good.

Lord, we will praise You in our difficult times like the psalmist did. You know us, and we turn to You because we know You are good.


For more on this topic, read Why Doesn't God Answer Me from Discovery Series.

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:9

INSIGHT:
Today’s reading unveils one of the central strategies of our enemy, Satan. In addition to suppressing God’s truth, Satan uses Scripture for his own evil ends by tempting the believer to doubt its truth. When we experience doubts concerning the Word of God, we can follow our Lord’s example and cite Scripture with confidence (Matt. 4). Scripture is an offensive weapon against our enemy (Eph. 6:10–18).
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-17-2016, 09:01 AM   #1851
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Time to Grow

Read: Galatians 6:1-10 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25-47

At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

In Debbie’s new home, she discovered an abandoned plant in a dark corner of the kitchen. The dusty and ragged leaves looked like those of a moth orchid, and she imagined how pretty the plant would look once it had sent up new bloom-bearing stems. She moved the pot into a spot by the window, cut off the dead leaves, and watered it thoroughly. She bought plant food and applied it to the roots. Week after week she inspected the plant, but no new shoots appeared. “I’ll give it another month,” she told her husband, “and if nothing has happened by then, out it goes.”

When decision day came, she could hardly believe her eyes. Two small stems were poking out from among the leaves! The plant she’d almost given up on was still alive.

Please give me patience, dear Lord, with myself and with others.
Do you ever get discouraged by your apparent lack of spiritual growth? Perhaps you frequently lose your temper or enjoy that spicy piece of gossip you just can’t resist passing on. Or perhaps you get up too late to pray and read your Bible, in spite of resolving to set the alarm earlier.

Why not tell a trusted friend about the areas of your life in which you want to grow spiritually and ask that person to pray for and encourage you to be accountable? Be patient. You will grow as you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you.

Please give me patience, dear Lord, with myself and with others. Help me to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He shapes my desires and helps me to grow.

Each small step of faith is a giant step of growth.

INSIGHT:
When the Scriptures were written, much of the culture was agrarian. Even the city-dwellers, like those who made up the church at Galatia, were familiar with the natural rhythm of planting, growth, and harvest. No doubt Paul’s encouragement to keep doing good had a ring of truth that modern and industrialized people might miss. The harvest takes hard work, investment, and time.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-17-2016, 01:24 PM   #1852
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I just know had a thought in my head and then saw this last post and read Galatians 6:9 awesome how God gives us guidance!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1*-‬2 NIV
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Old 05-18-2016, 11:53 AM   #1853
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The Bread That Satisfies

Read: Luke 10:38-11:4 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 4–6; John 6:1-21

Give us each day our daily bread. Luke 11:3

I learned to recite the Lord's Prayer as a boy in primary school. Every time I said the line, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11), I couldn't help but think about the bread that we got only occasionally at home. Only when my father returned from his trip into town did we have a loaf of bread. So asking God to give us our daily bread was a relevant prayer to me.

How curious I was when years later I discovered the booklet Our Daily Bread. I knew the title came from the Lord’s Prayer, but I also knew it couldn’t be talking about the loaf of bread from the baker’s shop. I discovered as I read the booklet regularly that this "bread," full of Scripture portions and helpful notes, was spiritual food for the soul.

He is the Bread that satisfies.
It was spiritual food that Mary chose when she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened attentively to His words (Luke 10:39). While Martha wearied herself with concern about physical food, Mary was taking time to be near their guest, the Lord Jesus, and to listen to Him. May we take that time as well. He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and He feeds our hearts with spiritual food. He is the Bread that satisfies.

I sit before You now, Lord, and want to learn from You. My heart is open to hear from You in Your Word. Teach me. Feed me.

“I am the bread of life.” Jesus

INSIGHT:
Martha was lovingly rebuked by Christ for her attitude in Luke 10:38–42. Yet later, in John 11:17–27, she made a profound statement of trust and dependence upon Christ following the death of her brother, Lazarus. Then in John 12:1–7 she once again served Jesus and His disciples, yet without any mention of the kinds of frustration pictured in Luke 10. It seems that Martha had grown in her relationship with Christ.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-19-2016, 09:12 AM   #1854
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Great Literature

Read: Psalm 119:97-104 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 7–9; John 6:22-44

How sweet are your words . . . , sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Recently I came across an article describing what constitutes great literature. The author suggested that great literature “changes you. When you are done reading, you’re a different person.”

In that light, the Word of God will always be classified as great literature. Reading the Bible challenges us to be better. Stories of biblical heroes inspire us to be courageous and persevering. The wisdom and prophetic books warn of the danger of living by our fallen instincts. God spoke through various writers to pen life-changing psalms for our benefit. The teachings of Jesus shape our character to become more like Him. The writings of Paul orient our minds and lives to holy living. As the Holy Spirit brings these Scriptures to our minds, they become powerful agents for change in our lives.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and its powerful influence in my life.
The writer of Psalm 119 loved God’s Word for its transforming influence in his life. He recognized that the ancient Scriptures handed down from Moses made him wise and more understanding than his teachers (v. 99). It kept him from evil (v. 101). No wonder he exclaimed, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long,” and “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (vv. 97, 103).

Welcome to the joy of loving great literature, especially the life-changing power of God’s Word!

Lord, thank You for Your Word and its powerful influence in my life. Help me learn to put its truth into practice.

The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to change the people of God.

INSIGHT:
When we hear the word law, we think of obligations and regulations, so the psalmist’s exclamation of love for God’s law might sound strange to our modern ears. However, the Hebrew word translated “law” is torah and literally means “direction” or “instruction.” At this point in Israel’s history, Torah had become the designation for the books of Moses. In the Hebrew context it included more than just the religious and civil regulations. It also included the stories, songs, poems, and laws in the first five books of the Old Testament. Yahweh had spoken, and His instructions and directions—whether through law, story, or song—always lead to wisdom (Ps. 119:98).
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-19-2016, 09:22 AM   #1855
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Psalm 119 is full of awesome.
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Old 05-20-2016, 09:18 AM   #1856
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Chili Peppers

Read: James 1:22–27 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10–12; John 6:45-71

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. James 1:27

“My mother gave us chili peppers before we went to bed,” said Samuel, recalling his difficult childhood in sub-Saharan Africa. “We drank water to cool our mouths, and then we would feel full.” He added, “It did not work well.”

Government upheaval had forced Samuel’s father to flee for his life, leaving their mother as the family’s sole provider. Then his brother contracted sickle cell anemia, and they couldn’t afford medical care. Their mother took them to church, but it didn’t mean much to Sam. How could God allow our family to suffer like this? he wondered.

Sometimes the best witness is kindness.
Then one day a man learned about their plight. He got the essential medicine and brought it to them. “On Sunday we will go to this man’s church,” his mother announced. Right away Sam sensed something different about this church. They celebrated their relationship with Jesus by living His love.

That was three decades ago. Today in this part of the world, Sam has started more than 20 churches, a large school, and a home for orphans. He’s continuing the legacy of true religion taught by James, the brother of Jesus, who urged us not to “merely listen to the word” but to “do what it says” (James 1:22). “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (v. 27).

There’s no telling what a simple act of kindness done in Jesus’ name can do.






Sometimes the best witness is kindness.

INSIGHT:
James’s letter to the churches was likely written from Jerusalem sometime before his death in ad 62. As a Jewish Christian, James wanted to be sure that both Jewish and non-Jewish Christians understood and obeyed the heart—not just the letter—of the Old Testament law. When the book of James was written, the best mirrors in the world were made of Corinthian bronze. While they were quite inferior to our modern glass mirrors, they served the same purpose—they reflected reality so the person peering in could become more presentable. James wanted his readers to know that the Scriptures are like mirrors in that they show us what is really going on inside so we can make the necessary changes.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-23-2016, 08:49 AM   #1857
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Name: GOLDDUSTERS5703
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Why Me?

Read: Ruth 2:1-11 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1-27

Why have I found such favor in your eyes? Ruth 2:10

Why have I found such favor in your eyes? Ruth 2:10

Ruth was a foreigner. She was a widow. She was poor. In many parts of the world today she would be considered a nobody—someone whose future doesn’t hold any hope.

However, Ruth found favor in the eyes of a relative of her deceased husband, a rich man and the owner of the fields where she chose to ask for permission to glean grain. In response to his kindness, Ruth asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness? . . . I am only a foreigner” (Ruth 2:10 nlt).

When we come to Him in salvation, we are under His protective wings.
Boaz, the good man who showed Ruth such compassion, answered her truthfully. He had heard about her good deeds toward her mother-in-law, Naomi, and how she chose to leave her country and follow Naomi’s God. Boaz prayed that God, "under whose wings" she had come for refuge, would bless her (1:16; 2:11-12; see Ps. 91:4). As her kinsman redeemer (Ruth 3:9), when Boaz married Ruth he became her protector and part of the answer to his prayer.

Like Ruth, we were foreigners and far from God. We may wonder why God would choose to love us when we are so undeserving. The answer is not in us, but in Him. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8 nlt). Christ has become our Redeemer. When we come to Him in salvation, we are under His protective wings.

Dear Lord, I don’t know why You love me, but I don’t doubt Your love. I thank You and worship You!

Gratefulness is the heart's response to God's undeserved love.

INSIGHT:
The book of Ruth demonstrates the redemptive nature of God’s commandments. While many Old Testament laws may sound strange to modern ears, adherence to these laws provided food for the hungry, protection for the foreigner, and hope for the childless widow.
__________________
1997 CTD2500 "CASPER"

PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-24-2016, 11:17 AM   #1858
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Name: GOLDDUSTERS5703
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No Worries

Read: Mark 4:35–5:1 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 22–24; John 8:28-59

Let us go over to the other side. Mark 4:35

A comfortable plane ride was about to get bumpy. The voice of the captain interrupted in-flight beverage service and asked passengers to make sure their seatbelts were fastened. Soon the plane began to roll and pitch like a ship on a wind-whipped ocean. While the rest of the passengers were doing their best to deal with the turbulence, a little girl sat through it all reading her book. After the plane landed, she was asked why she had been able to be so calm. She responded, “My daddy is the pilot and he’s taking me home.”

Though Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen, they were terrified the day a storm threatened to swamp their boat. They were following Jesus’ instructions. Why was this happening? (Mark 4:35-38). He was with them but He was asleep at the stern of the craft. They learned that day that it is not true that when we do as our Lord says there will be no storms in our lives. Yet because He was with them, they also learned that storms don’t stop us from getting to where our Lord wants us to go (5:1).

Storms don’t stop us from getting to where our Lord wants us to go.
Whether the storm we encounter today is the result of a tragic accident, a loss of employment, or some other trial, we can be confident that all is not lost. Our Pilot can handle the storm. He will get us home.

What storms are you encountering today? Perhaps you have lost a loved one or are facing a serious illness. Perhaps you are having difficulty finding a job. Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith and take you safely through the storm to the other side.

We don't need to fear the storm with Jesus as our anchor.

INSIGHT:
Jesus’ calming of the storm is a remarkable witness to the power of our Creator over nature, for He spoke directly to the storm threatening the ship He and His disciples were in. He rebuked the wind and waves and said, “Quiet! Be still!” (4:39). The Greek word used here for "still" denotes the muzzling of a hostile animal. When we are overcome with worries and concerns, we can trust that our powerful Creator will still our fears.
__________________
1997 CTD2500 "CASPER"

PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-25-2016, 09:38 AM   #1859
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When the Woods Wake Up

Read: John 11:14-27 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 25–27; John 9:1-23

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. John 11:25

Through cold, snowy winters, the hope of spring sustains those of us who live in Michigan. May is the month when that hope is rewarded. The transformation is remarkable. Limbs that look lifeless on May 1 turn into branches that wave green leafy greetings by month’s end. Although the change each day is imperceptible, by the end of the month the woods in my yard have changed from gray to green.

God has built into creation a cycle of rest and renewal. What looks like death to us is rest to God. And just as rest is preparation for renewal, death is preparation for resurrection.

I love watching the woods awaken every spring, for it reminds me that death is a temporary condition and that its purpose is to prepare for new life, a new beginning, for something even better. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

While pollen is a springtime nuisance when it coats my furniture and makes people sneeze, it reminds me that God is in the business of keeping things alive. And after the pain of death, He promises a glorious resurrection for those who believe in His Son.

Read these encouraging verses that remind us of the hope of resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.


Share what you've learned from these verses in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Every new leaf of springtime is a reminder of our promised resurrection.

INSIGHT:
John 11:1–27 is the third time the Gospels record Jesus raising someone from the dead. In Mark 5:22–43 Jesus goes to the house of a Jewish leader named Jairus and raises his 12-year-old daughter. In Luke 7:11–17 Jesus interrupted a funeral procession in the town of Nain and brought a widow’s dead son back to life. John 11 is unique since it is the only time a name is given for the resurrected person. In this case Lazarus, an abbreviation of Eleazar, was brought back from the dead. His name means “one whom God helps.”
__________________
1997 CTD2500 "CASPER"

PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
Old 05-26-2016, 12:31 PM   #1860
GOLDDUSTERS5703

Name: GOLDDUSTERS5703
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Like Sheep

Read: Isaiah 53:1-6 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28–29; John 9:24-41

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. Isaiah 53:6

One of my daily chores when I lived with my grandfather in northern Ghana was taking care of sheep. Each morning I took them out to pasture and returned by evening. That was when I first noticed how stubborn sheep can be. Whenever they saw a farm, for instance, their instinct drove them right into it, getting me in trouble with the farmers on a number of occasions.

Sometimes when I was tired from the heat and resting under a tree, I observed the sheep dispersing into the bushes and heading for the hills, causing me to chase after them and scratching my skinny legs in the shrubs. I had a hard time directing the animals away from danger and trouble, especially when robbers sometimes raided the field and stole stray sheep.

As our shepherd, He calls us back to safe pasture.
So I quite understand when Isaiah says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way" (53:6). We stray in many ways: desiring and doing what displeases our Lord, hurting other people by our conduct, and being distracted from spending time with God and His Word because we are too busy or lack interest. We behave like sheep in the field.

Fortunately for us, we have the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us (John 10:11) and who carries our sorrows and our sins (Isa. 53:4-6). And as our shepherd, He calls us back to safe pasture that we might follow Him more closely.

Shepherd of my soul, I do wander at times. I’m grateful that You’re always seeking me to bring me back to Your side.

If you want God to lead you, be willing to follow.



INSIGHT:
Isaiah 53 is part of a “servant song” that includes Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and focuses primarily on the Servant’s suffering, which would be fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus. The Old Testament provides several foreshadowings of that suffering, and each brings its own perspective. In the Passover (Ex. 12), we see the cross from the Father’s perspective as Christ becomes our Passover Lamb. In Psalm 22, we see the cross from the perspective of Jesus Himself as David describes Christ’s suffering experience. Isaiah 53, however, describes the cross from the perspective of humanity. It tells us what they saw, what they failed to see, and what they desperately needed to see—the depth and passion of God’s rescuing love.
__________________
1997 CTD2500 "CASPER"

PHILIPPIANS 4:13
 
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