DEVOTION - SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

“A REAL RETURN”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

Have you ever felt like you were investing in a worthless cause? Maybe it was a relationship where the other person just wasn’t into it the same way you were, money you sunk into a project that never got past the planning stage, or countless hours learning a skill you never used. We all know that feeling of putting a lot into something and getting little or nothing out of it.

But now let’s raise the stakes. This time it’s not a relationship with another person, it’s not finances, nor is it lost time…it’s a god. Imagine you’ve spent your entire life sacrificing everything to a god, but you never receive anything in return—because the god isn’t real.

The Prophet Habakkuk describes this in the book that bears his name. He talks about those who’ve dedicated themselves to the false gods and idols that were so prevalent in that day. Then he observes how lifeless and void of value these “gods” are:

“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, the molded image, a teacher of lies…Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. (Habakkuk 2:18-19 NKJV)

No matter how much a person invests in them, they’re a worthless cause. But in the next verse, Habakkuk flips the script by saying, “But the Lord.” There is one true and living God, and He stands in stark contrast to the worthless things that were being worshipped back then—as well as the lifeless things we dedicate ourselves to today.

No matter how much we put into something, if it’s not the God of the Bible, ultimately it’s a worthless investment. On the other hand, when we invest in the One who lives and dwells in His holy temple, it’s a worthy investment that yields a return as real as He is.

Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JUNAE 10. 2011

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

“THE ROAD TO MERCY”

BY

DR JAMES MACDONALD

Psalm 25:6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

There is always tension, difficulty, and suffering on the growing edge of our relationship with God. That's where the change is going on, where we are learning to trust God. Those difficulties start a series of steps on the road to mercy:

The bigger the trial gets, the more I know I need God.

The more I need God, the closer I am drawn to Him.

The closer I get to Him, the more I sense His holiness.

The more I sense His holiness, the more I realize my own sinfulness.

So the closer I get to God, I think, "Whoa! I really haven't been on the program. There are things in my life that are not pleasing to God." Could you think of some things in your life that are not pleasing to God? You're not better than anyone else. If by God's grace you have progressed through the years to a deeper level of holiness—even that's not because of you—it's only because of God's grace in your life. So the closer you and I get to God, the more we have a sense of our own sinfulness.

No wonder David says, "Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love." Actually in the Hebrew, the words for "mercy" and "love" are both plural. The verse means, "Remember Your merciful acts, God. Remember Your acts of chesed, of steadfast loving-kindness." David is not referring to the word "remember" as in, Did You forget? He's saying, "Remember the stuff that You always do, God. Do Your stuff! Do it for us! God, You were merciful and loving to Abraham and Moses. You were merciful and loving to Your people. This is who You are, God! Do it in our generation. Be to me as You have always been. Advance Your reputation, God. Be here today as You have been through thousands of years. Be merciful to me, God. Be loving." He goes on: "for they have been from of old." "Lord, You've always been like this. Be it again!"

If you know God's holiness, you also know how badly you need His mercy.
—James MacDonald

DEVOTION - MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011

“OBSERVE HIS TESTIMONIES”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.
Psalm 119:2

“Get serious.” That’s an admonition to people who take things lightly. Jesus’ mission was to make disciples, learners who will take Him and His Kingdom with seriousness. Popular cultural religion often degenerates to a casual item of curiosity. But there’s a proportionate relationship between experiencing God’s blessings and taking Him seriously. Those who treasure His ways and search Him out to follow Him—to become His disciples—enter a zone of joy and strength.

DEVOTION - FRIDAY , JUNE 3, 2011

FRIDAY,  JUNE 3, 2011

“FLOOD”

BY

JON BARNETT

Fossils speak of death, and death speaks of sin and judgment, not of creation and development.  When correctly interpreted, whether theologically or scientifically, this world- wide witness in the very earth itself testifies of a sovereign Creator who controls and judges His creation.  Rather than evolutionary progress over many ages, these stones cry out concerning a judicial termination of one age.

The Biblical record is complete with a first hand account of that great hydrodynamic convulsion with which God judged the wickedness of the antediluvian world.  Whatever geological problems may be suggested, there can no longer be any question that, if the word of God be true, the Genesis Flood was a world covering, cataclysmic judgment imposed by the strong hand of God.

Because we live in a world of scoffers please join me in II Peter 3 and see what the Lord tells us what to do when you find yourself in a world that denies their Maker!

1.   TRUST THE WORD v. 2

2.   EXPECT THE SCOFFERS v. 3

3.   RESIST THE LIE v. 4

4.   AFFIRM THE CREATOR v. 5

5.   REMEMBER THE JUDGE v. 6

6.   ESCAPE THE FIRE v. 7

7.   SEEK THE SAVIOR v. 8-9

It will be a moment of sheer terror when unbelievers face a holy God and realize with absolute certainty that they are eternally lost. That must have been the feeling of the people of Noah’s day when they saw the flood waters rise above their heads and knew the door to the ark was unalterably shut.

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DEVOTION - THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011

“FORGIVENESS”

BY

DR JOHN ANKERBERG

Samuel 13:23-15:12, Luke 16:1-18

Thought from Today’s Old Testament Passage:

Absalom’s prank succeeded in persuading Joab to bring him to his father for reconciliation. Although David’s kiss was a sign of complete reconciliation and restoration of Absalom’s position as the king’s son, it was given reluctantly. The fact that his father did not give him instant, wholehearted forgiveness rankled in his soul.

God had not forgiven David half-heartedly. God did not say, “Well, I forgive you, but we will not have fellowship any more. I will not restore to you the joy of your salvation.” When God forgives, He forgives completely. You and I are admonished: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). Has God forgiven us? Yes! How are we to forgive others? The same way that God does. David should have forgiven Absalom. He is setting the stage for rebellion.

Oh, my friend, our God is a God who forgives. Galatians 6:1 tells us, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” It appears that many of us don’t read that verse correctly. We think it says, “If any man be overtaken in a fault, take a baseball bat and hit him over the head!” We are reluctant to forgive, and we can be very mean at times, very unloving, and critical. There are times when the truth should be spoken, but when forgiveness is asked for, it should be extended immediately.

J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1981 by J. Vernon McGee.