How Jesus Taught Us to Pray (4)
29 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in The Encouraging Word Tags: Christ, Gideon, God, Israel, Jesu, Midian, New King James Version, Paul
“Deliver us from the evil one.” Mt 6:13 NKJV
Jesus taught us to pray: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (v.13 NKJV). Satan knows your areas of weakness and he will exploit them. But there’s good news. It’s your weaknesses, not your strengths, that draw you closer to God and make you lean on Him. Paul wrote: “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me” (2Co12:9 NLT). At first this verse doesn’t seem to make sense. You want to be freed from your weaknesses, not boast about them. But Paul gives you several reasons: (1) Your weakness prevents pride. Paul writes: “So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations” (2Co 12:7 TM). You’ll often find a weakness attached to strength, acting as a governor to keep you from becoming boastful or running ahead of God. Gideon chose 32,000 men to fight the Midianites, but God reduced his numbers to 300 (See Jdg 7). Why? So that Israel would know it was God’s power and not their own that saved them. (2) Your weakness creates fellowship. Your struggles show you how much you need the support of others. Vance Havner said, “Christians, like snowflakes, are frail, but when they stick together they can stop traffic.” (3) Your weakness enables you to help others. It’s the broken who become masters at mending. Your most effective ministry can come out of your most painful experiences. The things you’re most reluctant to share are often the very things God will use to help others.
http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/how-jesus-taught-us-to-pray-4/
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Everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire. Num 31:23
27 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in O Christian.com Tags: Belial, Christ, God, God the Father, holyspirit, Israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ
The great aim of this enactment was to render these articles ceremonially clean. They had been in the use of the Midianites, and required cleansing, before they could be appropriated by Israel. But the cleansing processes were to be determined by their texture. Fire for what would stand fire; water for what could not stand fire.
We must be thoroughly cleansed. – If a man will purge himself, he shall be a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use. Not clever- ness, but cleanliness, is the prime condition of service. Jesus will not put throne-water into impure and polluted receptacles. What fellow- ship hath Christ with Belial? We shall not be passed through fire, unless we can stand it. – Our faith is too precious to God to be exposed to risk. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we are able, lest we be dis- couraged, and make shipwreck. If, then, you are called at this time to pass through an unusually searching ordeal, be sure that your Heavenly Father knows that you can endure it. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
We must go through water, if not through fire. – The law provided also that “all that abidethnot the fire, ye shall make go through the water.” The one is negative, the other positive; the first appertains to John the Baptist, the second to the Holy Spirit. The latter is the best; but be thankful, if you cannot endure it, that there is a discipline more tempered and gentle, which will yet render you meet for the handling of the Holy Saviour.
http://devotionals.ochristian.com/f-b-meyer-devotional.shtml
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“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. iv. 6).
26 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in O Christian.com Tags: Anxiety, Christianity, First Epistle of Peter, God, Israel, Jesu, Psalms, Worry
Commit means to hand over, to trust wholly to another. So, if we give our trials to Him, He will carry them. If we walk in righteousness He will carry us through.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.” There are two hands there–God’s hand pressing us down, humbling us, and then God’s hand lifting us up. Cast all your care on Him, then His hand will lift you up, exalt you in due time.
There are two cares in this verse–your care and His care. They are different in the original. One means anxious care, the other means Almighty care. Cast your anxious care on Him and take His Almighty care instead.
Make no account of trouble any more, but believe He is able to sustain you through it. The government is on His shoulder. Believe that, if you trust and obey Him, and meet His will, He will look after your interests.
Simply exchange burdens. Take His yoke upon you, and let Him care for you.
http://devotionals.ochristian.com/a-b-simpson-devotional.shtml
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Teach Your Children
23 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Bible, Ezra, Israel, Jerusalem, Levite, Moses, Nehemiah, Torah
“The Levites . . . instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” — Nehemiah 8:7-8
With the success of Nehemiah’s persistent campaign to rebuild Jerusalem and return the exiled Jews to their ancestral towns and villages in Israel, Ezra the Scribe – along with his fellow priests, Levites, and Nehemiah himself – embarked on a companion project: the renewal of Israel’s spiritual health through studying Scripture.
This national revival commenced with the public reading of the Books of Moses. In order to facilitate understanding of the Biblical text, Ezra arranged for the Levites to clarify the words’ meaning, thereby allowing each person present at the public reading to understand what was being read.
An ancient Talmudic interpretation explains the various clauses in Nehemiah 8:8 – which describes the Levites’ efforts to explain the Biblical text – as referring to the way in which the Torah is studied and read even today.
In other words, Ezra and his companions did not aid the Jewish people in understanding the Bible merely on a one-time basis. Instead, they took the opportunity of widespread interest in the Holy Scripture to develop a method for understanding and studying the Bible that would stand the test of time. For they knew that the divine values inherent in every word, every syllable, every letter of the biblical text are crucial for the existence of a moral society in any age, not just their own.
Our own generation has borne witness to an increase in accessibility to the text of the Bible the likes of which our ancestors could only have dreamed. The Bible has been translated into over two thousand languages; commentaries and other resources for understanding and discussing the Bible can be accessed on the Internet at the click of a button, or else in public libraries, or bookstores across the world. Never before in world history has it been easier for the average person to engage seriously with the Living Word of God.
We therefore have before us a mission – a momentous responsibility. If we wish to see the ethical heritage of the Bible preserved in the modern world – a world that so desperately needs it – we must renew our own commitment to reading, studying and living Scripture. We must resolve to be students, and perhaps even teachers of the Almighty’s Word.
As we do so, we become part of the ancient project that began with Ezra and Nehemiah themselves.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/teach-your-children
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Speak Up!
22 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Joe Stowell Tags: Books of Kings, Elisha, God, Israel, Naaman, New Testament, Old Testament, Samaria
“If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:3
If you’re like most people, you think that when God does something important, He uses important people to get it done—people like John Stott, Billy Graham, or Joni Eareckson Tada. The rest of us just fill space until Jesus comes. But that’s not true.
Most often in Scripture, we see that God uses ordinary folk to get things done. Just take a look at the unlikely prophets of the Old Testament and the disciples of the New Testament.
The girl in 2 Kings 5 was just an ordinary servant. Yet she bravely suggested that Naaman go to the prophet of Israel for healing. What sounds like a simple request was actually a bold suggestion. For Naaman to go to Israel, it would mean turning his back on the local pagan gods, inviting criticism from his countrymen for putting the military might of his nation at risk.
This nameless servant could have paid a steep price for making a suggestion like that, but she knew where the true source of healing was. Because of her deep concern for Naaman’s well-being, she courageously put herself at risk to direct him to that source—the one and only living God.
Like this young servant girl, let’s be willing to be used by God to guide family and friends to the true source of hope and healing.
God can take a lowly vessel, Shape it with His mighty hand, Fill it with a matchless treasure, Make it serve a purpose grand. —Bosch
God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary work.
Fear Not
22 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Our Daily Bread Tags: Christ, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Isaiah, Israel, Jesu, Sunday
My wife became seriously ill during her pregnancy with our second child. As the doctors struggled to find the problem, she continued to grow weaker—dangerously so.
Watching her suffer was a helpless and horrible feeling for me, and there were days when it felt as if God were not hearing our prayers. One Sunday, while I was looking for comfort from Scripture, my eyes landed on the first verse in Isaiah 43.
“Fear not,” it begins, and ends with “you are Mine.” Instantly, the Holy Spirit made the words personal. The intimate way God addresses Israel reminded me of His always-present attention to us too: “When you pass through the waters . . . through the rivers . . . through the fire” (v.2). Each phrase rose up in crescendo, from the pages to my heart.
Our comfort in that hour came not from promises of healing or miracles, but from knowing we were never alone. We had many other frightening times, including just after Ethan’s birth, when it looked as if both he and Cheryl would be lost. But God had used His words to comfort us and prepare us for those harder moments!
Let these words be a reminder to you that you are never alone.
A Stranger to Danger
21 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Book of Nehemiah, God, Israel, Jerusalem, Middle East, Nehemiah, Religion and Spirituality, Second Temple
“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been singed with fire’.” — Nehemiah 1:3
Known primarily as one of the major players spearheading the Jewish return to Zion at the outset of the Second Temple period, Nehemiah’s story begins in the imperial court of Persian Babylonia. It is there that Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer, received the bad news that those brave Jewish settlers in Israel – those who had taken the first steps in returning from the Babylonian Exile to their ancestral homeland – were in peril. Impoverished, and beset by hostile neighbors, the fledgling community cried out for a leader who would help them achieve their goal of rebuilding Jerusalem and re-cultivating the land.
However heartbreaking this news was, we must remember that Nehemiah was an exalted servant of the Persian emperor. He had a comfortable position at the court; the king liked him. What could have induced him to leave and make the arduous journey to the land of his ancestors? In the verse cited above, we read that Nehemiah was ultimately moved to action when he heard the plight of the city of Jerusalem, particularly the sorry state of Jerusalem’s once impregnable city wall.
The 16th century Jewish sage, Rabbi Samuel Eidels, noted that the word employed by our verse to describe the wall’s disrepair possesses the Hebrew root “Y-Z-T,” meaning, “singe.” The sense conveyed by this root stands in stark contrast to the more dire tone conveyed by an alternative root, utilized several verses later, “A-K-L,” meaning, “consume [by fire].”
In other words, according to Rabbi Eidels, Nehemiah was not informed of Jerusalem’s impending doom – of the complete and utter destruction of its city wall. Rather, Nehemiah was told simply of some damage the wall had taken. And while this news was certainly cause for concern, we would have expected Nehemiah merely to offer his sympathies, or some words of encouragement, and then move on to some other issue.
Instead, Nehemiah turned his entire life upside down, arranging to assume personal responsibility for the safety and upkeep of the community of Jerusalem – and in the process demonstrated to us the proper commitment to Israel’s welfare. After all, Israel is the land in which God Himself has chosen to rest his Name. Nehemiah knew that if we are to be true servants of God, we must be prepared to defend His Land, and His people from even the slightest threat.
Consider what you might do today to show your support for God’s people and His land..
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/a-stranger-to-danger
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Grass on a Rooftop by Mark D. Roberts
19 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in The High Calling Tags: God, Israel, Lord, New International Version, O God, O Lord, Psalm, Psalm 1
May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown.
Every now and then as I read Scripture, a word or a phrase jumps out at me. Sometimes this happens because the Spirit of God stirs in my mind. Sometimes I am simply struck by the beauty or even the oddness of an expression.
As I was reading Psalm 129, the phrase “grass on a rooftop” caught my attention. That’s not something you hear every day. In ancient Israel, roofs of common homes were often made of beams and branches covered with thick mud. When the rains came, grass seeds embedded in the mud would sprout. But because its roots were shallow and its source of water temporary, the grass on the housetops wouldn’t thrive. It would wither and die even before it was fully grown.
I don’t want to be like grass on a rooftop. I don’t want to look as if I’m flourishing in life, only to shrivel up and die. Rather, I want to be like the trees described in Psalm 1. They are planted along a riverbank, with roots burrowed deep into rich and well-watered soil. Thus, they bear fruit in season and “their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (Ps. 1:3).
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: What aspects of your life have been like grass on the roof? What helps your roots to grow deeply so that you might live a fruitful life?
PRAYER: O Lord, I don’t want to be like “grass on a rooftop.” I don’t want to look good for a moment, only to wither away. I want my life to bear fruit for your kingdom, not just now, but for as long as I live.
So help me, Lord, to let my roots grow deeply in your soil. May I be continually nurtured by your Word.
May I be watered by your Spirit. May I spend intentional, regular time with you and your people, so that I might be like the trees in Psalm 1.
All praise be to you, O God, because you give me life abundant and eternal. Amen.
Total Devotion
18 May 2012 1 Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Ezra, God, Holy Land, Israel, Jew, Judaism, Second Temple, Temple
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” — Ezra 7:10
Ezra, a great priest and teacher of Israel, was extremely blessed. When he began his journey to the Land of Israel he was given many gifts by the king of Persia who supported his initiative and even encouraged Jews to join him.
The king furnished Ezra with gold, silver, cattle for offerings, and as much food as he needed for the way. He gave Ezra power to govern in the Holy Land and waived taxes for anyone working in the Temple. This was a far cry from the previous kings who had outlawed building the Temple altogether!
In addition, Ezra and his followers journeyed safely and securely over the four month period that it took them to reach Israel. Nothing that they had brought with them was stolen or damaged along the way. A highly unlikely scenario in the ancient world!
What did Ezra do that allowed him such wonderful and unusual divine providence? It seems that he got a huge dose of help from above. Something that we could all stand to receive!
Judaism has an oral tradition that says “Align your will with My Will, in order that I will align My Will to your will” (Ethics of our Fathers 2:4). In other words, when we want what God wants, then God wants what we want. When we dedicate our lives to doing God’s work and His will, we become partners with Him. We play for the same team – and who wouldn’t want the Master of the Universe as their teammate?
The Scripture teaches us that Ezra wholly devoted his life to study, observance, and teaching the word of God. So it’s not surprising that God took extra special care of him. Ezra’s world revolved around God, and so God made the world revolve around him.
Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone needs to quit their jobs and become a teacher or scholar of the Scriptures! You can be fully committed to God’s will and still be a doctor, a business owner, a teacher, or a mother. There are always opportunities to pass along God’s word and God’s love. And of course we teach best by example – by living the words that we teach.
Without a doubt, there is always room to grow in our devotion to God. For the most part we are on the same page. “Don’t murder,” check. “Don’t steal,” got it. But then it can get a little more difficult: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone” (Leviticus 19:18). “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:8). Not always so easy! But as we make it our will to do His will, God’s will becomes our priority, and we become His.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/total-devotion
