Read: Genesis 2:1-7
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In a 1950's novel, there is a scene in which in which four village men confess their sins to one another. One of the men, Michelis, cries out, "How can God let us live on the earth? Why doesn't He kill us to purify creation?" "Because, Michelis," one of the men answered, "God is a potter; He works in mud."
This is literally what the Lord did in Genesis. The sovereign Creator formed and shaped humanity by unique design. This process involved fashioning a man from the dust of the ground. The word formed in Genesis 2:7 describes the work of an artist. Like a potter, molding and fashioning mud into a pot or some other earthen vessel, so the Lord God formed humanity from clay.
God's work with dust and mud continued by breathing into man the breath of life, changing his form into a living soul. This made man a spiritual being, with a capacity to serve and fellowship with the Lord.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God continued working in and with mud, sending His Son Jesus to die for humanity and then regenerating those who receive Him so that we can enjoy fellowship with Him. In gratitude, let's use our hands to do good works for His glory.
-Marvin Williams
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God is the only One who can make the dirty clean.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Humble Valor
Read: Philippians 2:19-30
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A report by the Chicago Tribune said: "Scores of Americans, from clergymen to lawyers to CEOs, are claiming medals of valor they never earned." Fabrication of war records and bogus claims of bravery are more widespread than imagined. One man, who falsely claimed a Navy Cross, later felt shame and said that real heroes rarely talk about what they've done.
Heroism is marked by an unselfish risking of life for the benefit of another. In Philippians, Paul commends two of his colleagues as true heroes of the faith. Timothy's unselfishness and proven character gained Paul's praise as a true son who had served with him in the gospel. (2:22) And Paul described Epaphroditus as "my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier" (v.25) who risked his life for the work of Christ (v.30).
Paul told the believers in Philippi to "hold such men in esteem" (v.29). Honoring fellow believers for their unselfish service to God is a biblical mandate. It is not hero worship, but an attitude of respect for a life well lived.
Through a word of encouragement or a tangible expression of appreciation, who can you honor today for their humble valor in serving the Lord and helping others in His name?
-David McCasland
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Faith in Christ can make extraordinary heroes out of ordinary people.
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A report by the Chicago Tribune said: "Scores of Americans, from clergymen to lawyers to CEOs, are claiming medals of valor they never earned." Fabrication of war records and bogus claims of bravery are more widespread than imagined. One man, who falsely claimed a Navy Cross, later felt shame and said that real heroes rarely talk about what they've done.
Heroism is marked by an unselfish risking of life for the benefit of another. In Philippians, Paul commends two of his colleagues as true heroes of the faith. Timothy's unselfishness and proven character gained Paul's praise as a true son who had served with him in the gospel. (2:22) And Paul described Epaphroditus as "my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier" (v.25) who risked his life for the work of Christ (v.30).
Paul told the believers in Philippi to "hold such men in esteem" (v.29). Honoring fellow believers for their unselfish service to God is a biblical mandate. It is not hero worship, but an attitude of respect for a life well lived.
Through a word of encouragement or a tangible expression of appreciation, who can you honor today for their humble valor in serving the Lord and helping others in His name?
-David McCasland
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Faith in Christ can make extraordinary heroes out of ordinary people.
Monday, October 5, 2009
What Are We Holding On To?
Read: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
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Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to life in recent years on film. In the second epic story, the hero, Frodo, reached a point of despair and wearily confided to his friend, "I can't do this, Sam." As a good friend, Sam gave a rousing speech: "It's like in the great stories....Full of darkness and danger they were....Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something." Which prompted Frodo to ask: "What are we holding on to, Sam?"
It's a significant question, one that we all need to ask ourselves. Living in a fallen, broken world, it's no wonder that sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the powers of darkness. When we are at the point of despair, ready to throw in the towel, we do well to follow Paul's advice to Timothy: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12).
In life's battles, let's hold on to the fact that good will triumph over evil in the end, that one day we will see our Master and Leader face-to-face, and we will reign with Him forever. You can be part of this great story, knowing that if you have trusted Jesus for salvation you are guaranteed a victorious ending!
-Joe Stowell
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The Trials of earth are small compared with the triumphs of heaven.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Looking for Signs
Today in the world there are so many people wanting God to show them a sign. Jesus said, "It's an evil and adulterous generation that seeks a sign" (Matthew 12:39). He then went on to say, "The only sign that will be given is of the prophet Jonah who was three days and nights in the belly of the great fish. This was in reference to His own death, burial and resurrection. Even in our churches we are looking for signs from God to confirm that He is present with us. The Bible says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. If we are truly His then His Spirit is with us wherever we go. He has promised that He will be with us. The Bible also says that where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).
When Jesus was on this earth, He did many miracles. Even after the Pharisees witnessed many of these miracles themselves, they were still asking to see more signs. Jesus knew that they had already seen enough signs that should have convinced them that He was the promised Messiah. The problem was not their sight but their hearts. The Pharisees has already made up their minds and hardened their hearts so no matter how many miracles Jesus did, their opinion of Him was not going to change. People often say, "If only I could see a sign I will believe." The response that Jesus gave (refer to Matthew 12:39) didn't only apply to the Pharisees but it applies to all people. We have plenty of evidence - Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, and His ascension and centuries of His work in and through believers around the world. Instead of looking for additional signs, we need to reflect on what He has already done and come to the knowledge that He is who He says He is and does what He has promised. With His last breath on earth Jesus said, "It is finished". He fulfilled everything that He came to do. The only thing that is left for Him to do is return to earth and gather the Believers to Himself.
The Word of God tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The beginning point of our faith should believe in God's character: He is who He says He is. The end point should be to believe in God's promises: He does what He says He will do. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don't see those promises materializing before our eyes, we demonstrate true faith. This is the foundation of our salvation and our prayers. Jesus said that those who believe with out seeing are blessed. We believe the promises of God because we believe His Word. We know through reading the Bible that God does not lie. The Bible says that God is not a man that He should lie. When He created the heavens and the earth and everything in the He said, "Let there be" and it was so. We must have faith to know that if God says something it will happen.
Even though Jesus said He wouldn't give the Pharisees any signs, God has set many signs before us. We shouldn't need signs to see the truth. The Bible says that the truth has been written on our hearts. If we need signs to believe then we lack faith. The truth is that everywhere we look there are signs of God's existence. The Bible says the heavens declare His handy work. There are many signs posted. The sign that we need to notice is the one that says there's a gap set between God and man. There's a bridge that crosses over into God's kingdom. The problem is that the bridge has been washed out by sin and there's an enormous gap in the bridge that separates us from God. So many people are heading towards the bridge thinking they can pass safely. They are missing the posted signs along the road of life. Either they are too busy looking at the scenery around them or they are going too fast through life to notice the signs of impending danger awaiting them just ahead. They are unaware that what awaits them is a long drop into the abyss.
If we take time to examine the signs that are posted throughout the Word of God, we will see clearly that the bridge is out. We will seek to only One who can repair that bridge. When we are sick, we go to a doctor. So when we need something fixed, we call in the experts who can fix the problem. In this case no matter what we do, we can not repair this bridge ourselves. We don't have what it takes because we have the very thing in our lives that washed the bridge out in the first place. It's only when we call on Jesus that He will come into our lives and repair the gap that gives us passage into God's Kingdom.
John 14:6 -- Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
When Jesus was on this earth, He did many miracles. Even after the Pharisees witnessed many of these miracles themselves, they were still asking to see more signs. Jesus knew that they had already seen enough signs that should have convinced them that He was the promised Messiah. The problem was not their sight but their hearts. The Pharisees has already made up their minds and hardened their hearts so no matter how many miracles Jesus did, their opinion of Him was not going to change. People often say, "If only I could see a sign I will believe." The response that Jesus gave (refer to Matthew 12:39) didn't only apply to the Pharisees but it applies to all people. We have plenty of evidence - Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, and His ascension and centuries of His work in and through believers around the world. Instead of looking for additional signs, we need to reflect on what He has already done and come to the knowledge that He is who He says He is and does what He has promised. With His last breath on earth Jesus said, "It is finished". He fulfilled everything that He came to do. The only thing that is left for Him to do is return to earth and gather the Believers to Himself.
The Word of God tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The beginning point of our faith should believe in God's character: He is who He says He is. The end point should be to believe in God's promises: He does what He says He will do. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don't see those promises materializing before our eyes, we demonstrate true faith. This is the foundation of our salvation and our prayers. Jesus said that those who believe with out seeing are blessed. We believe the promises of God because we believe His Word. We know through reading the Bible that God does not lie. The Bible says that God is not a man that He should lie. When He created the heavens and the earth and everything in the He said, "Let there be" and it was so. We must have faith to know that if God says something it will happen.
Even though Jesus said He wouldn't give the Pharisees any signs, God has set many signs before us. We shouldn't need signs to see the truth. The Bible says that the truth has been written on our hearts. If we need signs to believe then we lack faith. The truth is that everywhere we look there are signs of God's existence. The Bible says the heavens declare His handy work. There are many signs posted. The sign that we need to notice is the one that says there's a gap set between God and man. There's a bridge that crosses over into God's kingdom. The problem is that the bridge has been washed out by sin and there's an enormous gap in the bridge that separates us from God. So many people are heading towards the bridge thinking they can pass safely. They are missing the posted signs along the road of life. Either they are too busy looking at the scenery around them or they are going too fast through life to notice the signs of impending danger awaiting them just ahead. They are unaware that what awaits them is a long drop into the abyss.
If we take time to examine the signs that are posted throughout the Word of God, we will see clearly that the bridge is out. We will seek to only One who can repair that bridge. When we are sick, we go to a doctor. So when we need something fixed, we call in the experts who can fix the problem. In this case no matter what we do, we can not repair this bridge ourselves. We don't have what it takes because we have the very thing in our lives that washed the bridge out in the first place. It's only when we call on Jesus that He will come into our lives and repair the gap that gives us passage into God's Kingdom.
John 14:6 -- Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Monday, August 31, 2009
Finding Our Calling
Read: Ephesians 4:1-16
A continuing struggle as we seek to follow Christ is trying to find our calling in life. While we often think in terms of occupation and location, perhaps a more important issue is one of character - the being that undergirds doing. "Lord, who do You want me to be?"
In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" (v.1). He followed this with three "be's," as one translation renders it: be humble, be gentle, be patient, "bearing with one another in love" (v.2 NIV). Paul wrote this from prison, a difficult place where he continued to live out his calling from God.
Oswald Chambers said: "Consecration is not the giving over of the calling in life to God, but the separation from all other callings and the giving over of ourselves to God, letting His providence place us where He will - in business, or law, or science; in workshop, in politics, or in drudgery. We are to be there working according to the laws and principles of the Kingdom of God."
When we are the right people before God, we can do whatever task He sends, wherever He puts us. In so doing, we discover and affirm His calling for us.
- David McCasland
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It's not what you do but who you are that's most important.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Passion for People
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:9-21
"He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." -2 Corinthians 5:15
Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
This quote appears on a Web site intended to help people discover what they are passionate about so they can live with greater significance.
The apostle Paul's passion in life was largely driven by concern for the eternal destiny of others. In 2 Corinthians 5, he names three things that fueled his passion. First, he recognized that he was accountable to Christ for his service and wanted to give a good accounting at the judgement seat of Christ (vv.9-10). Second, Paul was driven by Christ's love and a desire that others would know the love that he had experienced. In verse 14 he wrote, "For the love of Christ compels us." Finally, he understood that a lost and dying world needs the Savior (v.20).
What are you passionate about? Paul's passion for people was fueled by the love of Christ - and ours should be as well. Let's apply Twain's words of challenge to our efforts in outreach: "Sail away from the safe harbor." Share the love of Christ with someone today.
-Bill Crowder
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Talking to Christ about others helps us talk to others about Christ.
Weekly Devotionals
Hi there. I get so much out of these devotionals, I just wanted to share them with everyone who cares to read them. I was going to do a daily devotional, but I knew I would get busy and miss a day every now and then. So weekly it is. If you get anything out of them yourself, please feel free to share them with whomever you feel could use a lift in their day, or their week. I get this little devotional called "Our Daily Bread", as well as a weekly devotional from a prayer group I am a part of at work. I am always able to take something away from it, and use it in some part of my life. I hope you can too. If you have any comments, anything you want to share, a devotional that has affected your life in some way, I would love to hear about it. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me.
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." -Acts 4:12
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12
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