Breaking Free

By Poh Fang Chia

Read: Romans 8:1-11

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. —Romans 8:1

Bible in a Year:
Psalms 68-69; Romans 8:1-21

The elephant is the largest land animal on earth—and one of the most powerful. Yet it takes only a strong rope to restrain one. Here’s how it works. When the elephant is young, he is tied to a large tree. For weeks, he will strain and pull, but the rope holds him fast. So eventually he gives up.

Then, when the elephant reaches his full size and strength, he won’t struggle to get free, for once he feels resistance, he stops. He still believes he’s held captive and can’t break free.

Satan can play a similar trick on us to hold us captive. The Bible assures us that there is “no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). We have been set “free from the law of sin and death” (v.2). But the enemy of our soul tries to make us believe we are still dominated by sin.

What shall we do then? Reflect on what Christ has done. He died for our sins and declared an end to sin’s control over us (v.3). He rose from the dead and gave us the Holy Spirit. Now we are empowered to live victoriously in Him because “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in [us]” (v.11).

In Christ, we are set free.

He has our salvation wrought,
He our captive souls has bought,
He has reconciled to God,
He has washed us in His blood. —Wesley

Experience true freedom— take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.

My Help Comes From the Lord

From: 2Praise God

by NAQUAN on SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

“I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 (NASB)

I sat on the floor and cried. I felt overwhelmed and so alone.

“Who is going to help me now, Lord?” I whispered.

My assistant and close friend had just informed me she was no longer able to partner with me in my ministry. Circumstances beyond her control made it impossible for her to continue to work alongside me as someone I depended on. No longer there to help me. No longer there to be my sounding board, my prayer support, my “other half” in a very real sense.

I felt like I was losing my right hand.

Have you ever felt that way? As if you are suddenly on your own, without anyone to hold you up?

And yet, God had something He wanted me to learn in that difficult moment.

Just hours earlier, I had spoken to a group of women about the seasons of our lives in which we need to be pruned. I gave the example of how rosebushes need to be pruned. They look choppy after the pruning, but come spring, the roses bloom brighter and more beautifully than ever.

But here I was, being pruned in my own life, and feeling like I was losing my right hand!

God, this doesn’t feel like pruning, I prayed. This feels like my right hand is being chopped off! Please God, not her. She’s all I have right now. Please don’t take my right hand.

Desperate for God’s presence and His comfort, I reached for my Bible. Not knowing where else to turn, I opened to the Psalms. Years earlier, my cousin had shared how Psalm 16 comforted her when it came to experiencing loss in her family. I read the Psalm aloud and stopped suddenly after reading verse 8:

I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Lord, I prayed, I’m complaining I’ve lost my right hand, but You are my right hand. You are the One who helps me, counsels me, encourages me. You are the One who never leaves my side.

Dear God, I’m so sorry I didn’t see it before. You truly are my Right-hand Man.

I read through the rest of Psalm 16, and smiled at how it ended:

“You will make known to me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; In your right hand are pleasures forever,” (Psalm 16:11, NASB).

God was telling me, in my moment of fear and anxiety, that not only was I not alone, but I never would be. Even without my friend to help me. With God at my right hand, there is joy in His presence and pleasures forevermore.

I realized that day there is no one else I would rather have at my right hand.

I got up off the floor and walked out of the room with my Bible in my hand, my head held high and my Right-hand Man at my side.

I have never walked alone in this job yet, I thought to myself. And I never will.

Morning

From: Biblegateway

“We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.”
Romans 8:28

Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world’s tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he hears a voice saying, “It is I, be not afraid.” He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He can say, “If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall to me if God ordains it.” “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet; the poisonous drugs mixed in fit proportions have worked the cure; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed out the proud flesh and facilitated the healing. Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing that God rules all, that he governs wisely, that he brings good out of evil, the believer’s heart is assured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, “Send me what thou wilt, my God, so long as it comes from thee; never came there an ill portion from thy table to any of thy children.”

“Say not my soul, From whence can God relieve my care?’

Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.

His method is sublime, his heart profoundly kind,

God never is before his time, and never is behind.”

Evening

“Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?”
Numbers 32:6

Kindred has its obligations. The Reubenites and Gadites would have been unbrotherly if they had claimed the land which had been conquered, and had left the rest of the people to fight for their portions alone. We have received much by means of the efforts and sufferings of the saints in years gone by, and if we do not make some return to the church of Christ by giving her our best energies, we are unworthy to be enrolled in her ranks. Others are combating the errors of the age manfully, or excavating perishing ones from amid the ruins of the fall, and if we fold our hands in idleness we had need be warned, lest the curse of Meroz fall upon us. The Master of the vineyard saith, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” What is the idler’s excuse? Personal service of Jesus becomes all the more the duty of all because it is cheerfully and abundantly rendered by some. The toils of devoted missionaries and fervent ministers shame us if we sit still in indolence. Shrinking from trial is the temptation of those who are at ease in Zion: they would fain escape the cross and yet wear the crown; to them the question for this evening’s meditation is very applicable. If the most precious are tried in the fire, are we to escape the crucible? If the diamond must be vexed upon the wheel, are we to be made perfect without suffering? Who hath commanded the wind to cease from blowing because our bark is on the deep? Why and wherefore should we be treated better than our Lord? The firstborn felt the rod, and why not the younger brethren? It is a cowardly pride which would choose a downy pillow and a silken couch for a soldier of the cross. Wiser far is he who, being first resigned to the divine will, groweth by the energy of grace to be pleased with it, and so learns to gather lilies at the cross foot, and, like Samson, to find honey in the lion.

Addictions Are Dangerous and should not be feed. What other things should not be feed that could hurt you?

Brown Bear	Grizzly Bear	Brown Bear Cub
Triplet Spring Cubs	Grizzly Bear Cub	Grizzly Bear
Brown Bear Cub	Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear	Brown Bear Cub	Grizzly at sunrise
Grizzly Bear

Don’t Feed the Bears

 

From: Streams In The Desert

And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me (John 11:41).

This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed had been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again. But Jesus gives thanks for what He is about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle!

Who thinks of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting out for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received?

And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or unreasonable in the Master’s order. Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of the miracles. Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith.
–Dr. Jowett

PRAISE CHANGES THINGS

Nothing so pleases God in connection with our prayer as our praise, and nothing so blesses the man who prays as the praise which he offers. I got a great blessing once in China in this connection. I had received bad and sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed, but the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, but the darkness only deepened. Just then I went to an inland station and saw on the wall of the mission home these words: “Try Thanksgiving.” I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return. Yes, the Psalmist was right, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”
–Rev. Henry W. Frost

From: Through the Bible

August 4

2 Chronicles 12:1,5 (NIV) 1After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD…

5Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.'”

Rehoboam began with greed and immediately lost two-thirds of the nation. That did not humble him. He continued in his pride. After strengthening his army and defenses, he abandoned the law of the LORD. As the leader went, so went the nation. They followed his bad example in forsaking God.

An innumerable army, led by the king of Egypt, came against him and captured all the cities he had fortified and armed. One by one they fell. Then the prophet Shemaiah came and told Rehoboam that since they had abandoned God, God had abandoned them. Since they wanted to proceed without God, God allowed them to. What would our life be like without the protection of the hand of God? When a man or family or nation is walking in the fear of the LORD, they are surrounded by a protecting influence. You will never know all the things the LORD spared you from that the enemy planned against your life. That is why the end of the LORD’s prayer says, “Deliver us from the evil one.”

When we step outside of a trusting dependent relationship with God, that invisible hand of protection is lifted and the enemy is allowed in to bring us to our senses. It worked for Rehoboam. He and his leaders humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is just.” Then God could have mercy on them and allowed Jerusalem to remain, though subjugated. All the treasure amassed in the temple was carried away by the enemy. Sin has consequences, and though we are allowed to continue and are restored relationally, there is a great loss because of our rebellion.

Consider: Draw near to God now so that He does not have to use tragedy to draw you back.

August 4

Romans 1:16-17 (NIV) 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The Apostle Paul lived in a world that was similar to ours. Philosophies and a variety of religious beliefs permeated the Roman world. The preaching of the cross was quite contrary to the religions man had created, but Paul was not ashamed to be different. He did not mind not fitting in, for he knew the power of God that could save anyone who would believe. We need to carry that kind of confident boldness into our world.

Since Paul would later say that God does not respect one person over another, what does this mean that the gospel is to the Jew first? Certainly it is not first in importance. Throughout Scripture we can see that it is God’s order. Even Jesus’ ministry went to the Jew first. Even though God knew that they, as a nation, would reject Him, He still went to them first. It is God’s desire that all receive the salvation He has provided for them, and He knows the best order to make that possible.

Verse 17 is the verse that broke through to Martin Luther’s conscious mind and showed him salvation was not attainable by works. To be justified with God, to be made acceptable in His eyes, can only happen through faith. No amount of good deeds, no particular ritual, simply a heart that places its hope and trust in the God that made us through the way provided by the cross. Abraham believed God. That belief was credited to him as righteousness. Everyone comes to God the same way, as Martin Luther later summed up, “By grace alone; through faith alone”.

To live by faith includes more than a one-time comprehension of God’s sufficiency. It is a daily reliance on His all-sufficiency. It is a daily dependence on His power, provision, and His life to be what He calls each of us to be.

Consider: Are you living by faith today? Are you trusting more in the unseen than in what you can see?

God Helps with Your Troubles:
Bible Solutions for Problems, Suffering, and Hardship

From: GospelWay.com

Everyone has troubles. We face problems, affliction, suffering, and hardship. We need strength, endurance, and patience. Why do people suffer? Are all trials the result of sin committed by the one who suffers? Why does God allow trials, worries, anxieties, and difficulties? Should we blame God and turn from Him? Can troubles and suffering actually make us better people? Is it possible to faithfully endure our difficulties? What solutions does the Bible offer to help us endure and overcome our problems, afflictions, and hardships?

Introduction:

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We can especially appreciate these words when we think of the suffering endured by the one who spoke them. Different people deal with different problems and afflictions, and it seems that some suffer more hardships than others do. But we all know by personal experience and from the experiences of those we know, that Job’s statement is true.

Troubles concern us, not just because hardship itself is a burden, but also because affliction can lead to spiritual temptations. We may be tempted to feel that our trials justify committing sin. We may become so discouraged that we blame God for our troubles, lose faith in Him, or begin to doubt His goodness and mercy. As Job’s wife said, “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

The purpose of this study is to offer Bible answers to questions people often ask about suffering. Why do people suffer? Can good come from suffering? Is it possible to endure affliction with patience and faithfulness? How can God give us strength to endure our hardships and overcome our temptations? What does the Bible say?

Question #1: Why Do People Suffer?

The Bible Teaching

There are several reasons, not just one reason, why people suffer.

Sometimes people suffer as a result of their sins.

King Saul lived a miserable life and eventually was slain because he had rebelled against God (1 Chron. 10:13,14).

Judas killed himself because he had betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:3-5).

Likewise today, alcoholics may develop disease, thieves may be imprisoned, etc.

Some people think this is the only reason people ever suffer, but we will see that it is not.

Sometimes innocent people suffer as a result of other people’s sins.

This may result from cruelty or accident, as when innocent bystanders are killed by a drunken driver, or when a thief violently attacks his victims.

In other cases wicked people may harm righteous people because they resent them. This kind of religious persecution is described in many verses.

1 Peter 2:19-23 – Jesus is an example of one who committed no sin at all, yet He was persecuted and killed by wicked men. So we may follow His example and suffer, not for our faults, but when we do good.

John 15:18-20 – The treatment Jesus received should warn us of the treatment we can expect. The world hated Him and persecuted Him, and it will do the same to His servants.

2 Corinthians 11:23-26 – Paul’s life shows that Jesus’ followers truly often are persecuted.

2 Timothy 3:10-12 – All who live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution.

(See also 1 Peter 4:12-16; Heb. 11:35-38; 1 Thess. 3:2-4; Acts 14:22; John 16:33; Gen. 50:20)

All people suffer as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin.

God originally placed Adam and Eve in a state of bliss with no problems of any kind. But He warned them of the consequences of sin. When they sinned anyway, He decreed they would endure pain, suffering, hardship, and eventual death (Gen. 3:16-19). All people since that time have endured these same problems. In particular, because of Adam, all people die (1 Cor. 15:22; Heb. 9:27).

Much of the suffering people endure, therefore, cannot be attributed to any particular sin committed by anyone now living. It is just the common lot of mankind because sin is in the world.

This does not mean, as some teach, that people today are born guilty of Adam’s sin or will be eternally punished for it (Ezek. 18:20; 2 Cor. 5:10). But we do suffer in this life because of it.

Some suffering is simply a temptation from Satan.

Job 1:1-2:10 expressly states that Job’s suffering was a temptation from Satan. He hoped that, because he was suffering, Job would turn away from God.

Many other passages teach that Satan is responsible for the suffering of other people. (See 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38).

Lessons We Should Learn

Suffering is not limited to those who are wicked.

Some people think that only wicked people suffer, but God is on the side of the righteous and will remove all their troubles. It follows that, if a person is suffering, he must have committed some sin he should repent of.

This was the theory of Job’s friends (Job 4:7-9); disproving this idea is a main theme of that book. This same false doctrine is taught by many “faith healers” who teach people that God must remove all their problems if they are right with Him.

But we have learned that even righteous people suffer. This is important for the following reasons:

* We should not conclude that we have been guilty of sin every time we have a problem. Maybe we are suffering because of sin, so we should examine our lives. But maybe we are suffering for other reasons, perhaps because we are righteous.

* We should surely never reject a Bible teaching just because it may lead to suffering. If all suffering was the result of our own sin, and if a course of action led to suffering, then we would conclude it was a sinful act. But we have learned that godly people often suffer for doing right.

* We should not become Christians thinking it will automatically solve all our problems. If this is our motive, we may fall away when the hardships come.

But the main lesson to learn is the next point:

God should not be blamed for the existence of suffering.

If we believe that all suffering results from a person’s own sin, and if we see good people suffering, we may be tempted to blame God or to think He is not keeping His promises. But we have learned that all people suffer, whether or not they are righteous.

The command to endure suffering is just another part of a Christian’s life, like the command to study the Bible, pray, worship, etc. Faithful Christians of all ages have suffered; we are not the only ones. We should expect suffering to come, so our faith will not be shaken when it does.

The ultimate and primary blame for suffering rests on Satan who tempts people to sin and thereby brought sin into the world. The secondary blame rests upon people, ourselves included, who have given in to temptation and committed sin that led to suffering.

Yes, God did create suffering as a punishment for sin, but only after He had given people a life without problems and had warned them of the consequences of sin. When they chose to sin, He should no more be blamed for punishing them than a parent should be blamed when he must punish a rebellious child. (Cf. James 1:13,15.)

Remember, if you blame God and reject Him because you are suffering, then you are doing exactly what Satan wants you to do. He has defeated you! The only way to defeat Satan and really overcome hardship is to maintain your faithfulness to God in spite of it.

God’s Word: Showing Us How to Live

Introduction

Galatians 6:1-18: Paul gives the Galatians instructions for living in community, exhorting them to “obey the law of Christ.” He concludes by warning them again about those who are advocating circumcision, emphasizing that what is important is being a “new creature” based on faith in Christ Jesus.

Today’s Scripture: Galatians 6:2

Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.

Today’s Reading

¹ My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. ² Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ. ³ If you think you are something when you really are nothing, you are only deceiving yourself. ⁴ You should each judge your own conduct. If it is good, then you can be proud of what you yourself have done, without having to compare it with what someone else has done. ⁵ For each of you have to carry your own load. ⁶ If you are being taught the Christian message, you should share all the good things you have with your teacher. ⁷ Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. ⁸ If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life. ⁹ So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. ¹⁰ So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith. ¹¹ See what big letters I make as I write to you now with my own hand! ¹² The people who are trying to force you to be circumcised are the ones who want to show off and boast about external matters. They do it, however, only so that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Even those who practice circumcision do not obey the Law; they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast that you submitted to this physical ceremony. ¹⁴ As for me, however, I will boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world. ¹⁵ It does not matter at all whether or not one is circumcised; what does matter is being a new creature. ¹⁶ As for those who follow this rule in their lives, may peace and mercy be with them—with them and with all of God’s people! ¹⁷ To conclude: let no one give me any more trouble, because the scars I have on my body show that I am the slave of Jesus. ¹⁸May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, my friends. Amen.

Reflect

What instructions does Paul give? How is community among believers built and sustained based on these instructions? Are these instructions relevant for your community of faith? Why or why not? Paul exhorts the Galatians to “obey the law of Christ,” which means that followers of Christ are to love one another because they have been accepted by God and have received God’s Spirit. What does obeying the law of Christ mean to you?

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV)

Three-year-old Elle arched her arm and pointed her fingers. “You’re frozen, Gaga!”

I stopped in place, one arm behind me, the other in the air. She giggled, then quickly unfroze me.

If you are in the vicinity of anyone under the age of 6, you’re familiar with the movie, Frozen. In it, two sisters struggle in their relationship with each other and in finding acceptance.

At one point Elsa, the older sister, sings these words:

“Let it go, let it go …
“And I’ll rise like the break of dawn …”

Let it go.

Those are words I sensed God speaking to me years ago.

Let go of the past that you cannot undo.

Let go of the warped view you have of yourself. It doesn’t match the one I have as your Heavenly Father.

Let go of the hurts that hold you too tightly.

Just as I playfully stood frozen while my granddaughter giggled, there was another time when I felt frozen. I couldn’t take a step toward healing.

“Let it go, sweet daughter,” was a whisper I heard from God to discover the Suzie He saw me to be.

Maybe you’ve sensed God asking you to let something — or someone — go.

Let go of the mistakes you once made. I’ve forgiven you.

Let go of the anger that’s consuming your thoughts.

Let go of condemnation, so you can live free.

You want that desperately, but it can be hard to let go when you don’t know what that means. May I share the definition of letting go with you? It was freeing for me when I finally understood it.

Letting go is giving up what is beyond your control to embrace what you can change.

In Isaiah 43:18-19, God spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah saying: “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert.”

The people held so tightly to the past that they missed the new things God wanted to show them.

God speaks the same warning and truth to us. We can’t control the past, but we can focus on the miracles around us today.

We can’t control the words that once shaped our hearts, but we can replace them with truth from Scripture.

We can’t control negative people, but we can choose joy for ourselves.

Letting go isn’t easy in the beginning, because holding on is our natural response. But there’s so much hope! Just as the prophet Isaiah describes new roads in the desert and rivers in the wilderness, as we give up what we can’t control to embrace what we can change, new ways of thinking, relating and living are carved into our very being.

And the beautiful thing about letting go?

It doesn’t just change us.

It has the power to alter the next generation, and the next after that, like the cute little blonde-haired, blue-eyed darling chasing her Gaga through the house, singing, “Let it go!”

Dear Jesus, I’ve wanted to let go for a long time, but I didn’t know how to do that. Now that I do, I’m ready to take that leap of faith. I give up what I cannot control to embrace what I can. Thank You for carving new roads in the desert of my heart and new rivers in the wilderness of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

From: Streams in the Desert

I will make all my mountains a way (Isaiah 49:11).

God will make obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives. There are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. Those heavy claims, that uncongenial occupation, that thorn in the flesh, that daily cross — we think that if only these were removed we might live purer, tenderer, holier lives; and often we pray for their removal.

“Oh, fools, and slow of heart!” These are the very conditions of achievement; they have been put into our lives as the means to the very graces and virtues for which we have been praying so long. Thou hast prayed for patience through long years, but there is something that tries thee beyond endurance; thou hast fled from it, evaded it, accounted it an unsurmountable obstacle to the desired attainment, and supposed that its removal would secure thy immediate deliverance and victory.

Not so! Thou wouldest gain only the cessation of temptations to impatience. But this would not be patience. Patience can be acquired only through just such trials as now seem unbearable.

Go back; submit thyself. Claim to be a partaker in the patience of Jesus. Meet thy trials in Him. There is nothing in life which harasses and annoys that may not become subservient to the highest ends. They are His mountains. He puts them there. We know that God will not fail to keep His promise.

“God understandeth the way thereof and knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven”; and when we come to the foot of the mountains, we shall find the way.
–Christ in Isaiah, by Meyer

The meaning of trials is not only to test worthiness, but to increase it; as the oak is not only tested by the storms, but toughened by them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicarious Intercession

From: My Utmost For His HIghest

 . . having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . —Hebrews 10:19

Beware of thinking that intercession means bringing our own personal sympathies and concerns into the presence of God, and then demanding that He do whatever we ask. Our ability to approach God is due entirely to the vicarious, or substitutionary, identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Spiritual stubbornness is the most effective hindrance to intercession, because it is based on a sympathetic “understanding” of things we see in ourselves and others that we think needs no atonement. We have the idea that there are certain good and virtuous things in each of us that do not need to be based on the atonement by the Cross of Christ. Just the sluggishness and lack of interest produced by this kind of thinking makes us unable to intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests and concerns for others, and we get irritated with Him. Yet we are always ready with our own ideas, and our intercession becomes only the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means a radical change of all of our sympathies and interests. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them. Am I stubborn or substituted? Am I spoiled or complete in my relationship to God? Am I irritable or spiritual? Am I determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?

Wake Him Up!

From: Get more Strength.org

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Elouise worked the cash register in the food court at Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. She was, by far and away, one of my favorite people. I liked a lot of things about Elouise: her happy smile, helpful spirit, and love for everyone. But what I liked best was her down-home, streetwise wisdom that came out in some of the most memorable quips. I could give you a bunch of them, but here’s one that just might be a good word for you.

One morning, as I reached into my pocket to pull out the cash for my breakfast, I asked Elouise how she was doing, to which she replied, “Not all that great.”

“Really?” I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Well,” she quipped, “I had to wake Him up this morning!”

I wasn’t quite getting where she was going with that, so I asked, “What do you mean? Wake who up?”

“Don’t you know your Bible?” she teasingly said with an obvious sense of joy at stumping the Moody president. To save me any further embarrassment, she went on to say, “When the disciples thought they were going to die in the storm at sea, they had to wake up Jesus so He would help them. I had to wake Him up this morning,” she said, “’cause I needed His help!”

See why she’s one of my favorite people?

What she didn’t say, though, was that it seems like Jesus was the last resort for those panicked disciples. Luke tells us that it wasn’t until the boat was nearly swamped, and it was clear that they were in great danger, that someone had the brilliant idea to wake up Jesus.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we are usually pretty slow as well to wake Him up. Well, actually, we don’t need to wake Him up since the God who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3)! In reality, we’re the ones who need to wake up. We need to wake up to the truth that we are not as capable as we think we are to deal with life’s challenges; that our wisdom and instincts are flawed; that trying to manage life by the seat of our pants usually gets us into a heap of trouble.

So, thankfully, the writer to the Hebrews assures us that we can come to Jesus with what the text literally says is “unstaggering confidence”—confidence that He understands our plight and is ready to help us in our time of need. And, in case you’re wondering how He will help you in your time of need, think about His grace that will help you endure, His mercy, His power to overcome, His wisdom to show you the way. And don’t forget His calming presence and His peace that passes understanding in the midst of life’s storms. They are all available for the asking!

So, next time you are overwhelmed with life and don’t know what to do, take a little advice from my friend Elouise: wake Him up! And don’t wait until He is your last resort. You’ll get exhausted and disheartened if you try to bail out your boat all by yourself!

Which reminds me of a wonderful old song that we used to sing in church when I was a boy. It goes, “I need thee, Oh, I need thee! Every hour I need thee! Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.” You’ll need Him sometime—probably today—so make that the theme song of your life.

He maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth and his hands make whole (Job 5:18). The Ministry of Great Sorrow From: Streams in the Desert   As we pass beneath the hills which have been shaken by the earthquake and torn by convulsion, we find that periods of perfect repose succeed those of destruction. The pools of calm water lie clear beneath their fallen rocks, the water lilies gleam, and the reeds whisper among the shadows; the village rises again over the forgotten graves, and its church tower, white through the storm twilight, proclaims a renewed appeal to His protection “in whose hand are all the corners of the earth, and the strength of the hills is his also.” –Ruskin   God ploughed one day with an earthquake, And drove His furrows deep! The huddling plains upstarted, The hills were all aleap!   But that is the mountains’ secret, Age-hidden in their breast; “God’s peace is everlasting,” Are the dream-words of their rest.   He made them the haunts of beauty, The home elect of His grace; He spreadeth His mornings upon them, His sunsets light their face.   His winds bring messages to them Wild storm-news from the main; They sing it down the valleys In the love-song of the rain.   They are nurseries for young rivers, Nests for His flying cloud,Homesteads for new-born races, Masterful, free, and proud.   The people of tired cities Come up to their shrines and pray; God freshens again within them, As He passes by all day.   And lo, I have caught their secret! The beauty deeper than all! This faith–that life’s hard moments, When the jarring sorrows befall,   Are but God ploughing His mountains; And those mountains yet shall be The source of His grace and freshness, And His peace everlasting to me. –William C. Gannett

Happy Endings

May

by jeff olson

The 1995 movie Apollo 13 contains two famous radio transmissions:

The first: “Houston, we have a problem.”

And then: “Hello, Houston . . . this is Odyssey. It’s good to see you again.”

Together, these two messages form the bookends to the real-life drama of NASA’s struggle to bring three astronauts safely back to earth. An explosion crippled their spacecraft partway into their April 1970 mission to the moon.

The minutes leading up to the second of the two radio transmissions were particularly dramatic as people the world over anxiously gathered around television sets and collectively held their breath to see if the crew survived reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. Cheers and tears of joy and relief exploded across the globe when the astronauts finally returned home unharmed.

Not every story has a thrilling, happy ending like Apollo 13. But the Bible reveals that those who believe in Jesus will experience one! Much as the crew of Apollo 13 endured, life as we know it can be an ordeal and it will inevitably break our hearts. Death and decay will take away our health and every person we love. But the sacrificial death and dramatic resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the happiest of endings.

This is the “happily ever after” that Paul wrote about in offering hope and comfort to those in need (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Quoting the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, Paul confidently declared the future resurrection of the dead when he wrote, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Sometimes, all can seem lost, especially when death takes those we love. But the truth of the cross and the empty tomb emboldens us with the hope for a “happy ending” that is beyond description.

PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD, AND PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN YOUR WORLD.

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Today’s Devotions

Through The Bible

 THANK YOU FOR ENCOURAGING US AT SIMPOSIOUS.COM 

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“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

Hello, my name is Lysa and I want people to like me. So, I will sometimes say yes when I really want to say no. And when I do say no, I sometimes worry about how much I’m disappointing that person.

I would much rather write this in past tense. Like, “I used to struggle with this, but I’ve matured past it. So, let me share how I bravely say no and never fret over that decision.”

But this isn’t a past-tense issue in my life.

No matter how I want to spin what this is, I have to be honest. I was born with the Need to Please Disease.

My heart races. I feel sick to my stomach. And I wish I could become invisible when someone requests something from me that I know is unrealistic right off the bat. My head says no, but my mouth says yes, and before I know it, I’ve just added another item to my already overflowing to-do list.

It’s part of my DNA to love others and not disappoint them. But I have to realize real love is honest. Real love pursues authenticity rather than chasing acceptance.

We must not confuse the command to love with the disease to please.

So here’s how I’m challenging myself to overcome the Need to Please Disease by making peace with these realities:

I am going to disappoint someone.
Every “yes” will cost me something. Every “no” carries with it the potential for disappointment.

Either I will disappoint this person by not meeting their expectations, or I will disappoint my familyby taking too much time from them. Do I wish I could say yes to everything and still keep my sanity? Yes! But I can’t. So here’s how I will say no:

“Thank you for asking me. My heart says yes, yes, yes — but the reality of my time says no.”

A good verse for this is our key verse today, Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe” (ESV).

I must pause before giving immediate answers.
Sometimes it might be realistic for me to say yes, but I’ve learned to let my yes sit for a spell. Pausing allows me to assess how much stress this will add into my life. The person asking me for this favor probably won’t be on the receiving end of my stress. It’s the people I love the most who will start getting my worst when I say yes to too many people.

So, here’s how I will give myself time to make an honest assessment:

“Thank you for asking me. Let me check my calendar and think through some other commitments I’ve already made. If you haven’t heard back from me by the end of the week, please connect with me again.”

A good verse for this is Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (NIV, 1984). What this says to me is we don’t set our hearts up to dread what lies ahead.

Some people won’t like me.
In an effort to keep my life balanced, I will have to say no to many things. If someone stops liking me for saying no, they’ll eventually stop liking me even if I say yes right now.

There are some people I won’t please no matter how much I give. And some people won’t stop liking me no matter how many “no” answers I give. My true friends are in that second group, and I love them for that.

Here’s a great verse for this: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10 (ESV).

I challenge you to pause this week when asked to add something new to your plate. And remember … pursue authenticity by being honest rather than chasing acceptance by always saying yes.

Streams In The Desert

Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the day of trouble? (Job 38:22-23).

Our trials are great opportunities. Too often we look on them as great obstacles. It would be a haven of rest and an inspiration of unspeakable power if each of us would henceforth recognize every difficult situation as one of God’s chosen ways of proving to us His love and look around for the signals of His glorious manifestations; then, indeed, would every cloud become a rainbow, and every mountain a path of ascension and a scene of transfiguration.

If we will look back upon the past, many of us will find that the very time our Heavenly Father has chosen to do the kindest things for us, and given us the richest blessings, has been the time we were strained and shut in on every side.

God’s jewels are often sent us in rough packages and by dark liveried servants, but within we find the very treasures of the King’s palace and the Bridegroom’s love.
–A. B. Simpson

Trust Him in the dark, honor Him with unwavering confidence even in the midst of mysterious dispensations, and the recompense of such faith will be like the moulting of the eagle’s plumes, which was said to give them a new lease of youth and strength.
–J. R. Macduff

If we could see beyond today
As God can see;
If all the clouds should roll away,
The shadows flee;
O’er present griefs we would not fret.
Each sorrow we would soon forget,
For many joys are waiting yet
For you and me.
If we could know beyond today
As God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away
And tears must flow;
And why the darkness leads to light,
Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;
Some day life’s wrongs will be made right,
Faith tells us so.
“If we could see, if we could know,”
We often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more,
He leads us till this life is o’er;
Trust and obey.