Saturday, March 05, 2011 – Daily Devotion

8:00 a.m. – Prayer

8:15 a.m. – Devotion “I Love You More Than Anything”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jdui_Kx-Ug

8:43 a.m. – Study Sunday school lesson

Daily Encouragement

March 3, 2011
A Space for Grace
Lysa TerKeurst

 

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground…" Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

 

Devotion:
Life is good. Life is hard. Life is full of amazing moments. Life is dotted with things that bump into my happy. Up and down and up and down… do you ever feel this way?

I can wake up cheerful and determined to keep a good attitude today and then someone makes a hurtful comment. Someone makes a mess without bothering to stop and clean it up. An unexpected bill makes my pulse race. I get an ugly email that starts off, "Shame on you." Lovely.

These things crash down on me like a wave I didn't see coming. I go under. My heart gets snagged. My emotions well up. My attitude heads south.

I suspect you understand.

Yesterday, after the "shame on you" email, I lifted up a little prayer to Jesus. It was honest. It was simple:

"What is the deal Jesus? Why do I always seem to have little pieces of brokenness in my life every day? It's so frustrating. I need your perspective on the brokenness or I need a break from it."

There was no answer.

No instant verse.

Nothing.

Until this morning. 

With a tired heart I sat at my kitchen table and opened up my tattered and worn Bible. I read, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord…" Hosea 10:12 (NIV).

Sow for yourselves righteousness…
In other words, I must sow righteousness into my life - right choices that honor God. I have to remember I always have a choice in every situation. I can choose to honor Jesus in the midst of it all. Even when I am dishonored, I can choose to honor Him.

Reap the fruit of unfailing love…
There will be fruit in the midst of every choice that honors God. It will be the fruit of being able to remember God's unfailing love. Romans chapter 8 teaches me nothing shall separate me from the love of God. Yet, that is Satan's great tactic to get me entangled in little things, making me forget or doubt God's unfailing love. 

I must resist the distracting entanglements by honoring God in this choice I am faced with right now.

Break up your unplowed ground…
The blessing in these broken circumstances can be found in the way it tills the ground of my heart. Breaking up the unplowed soil of my heart will make it ready for new life, new growth, new maturity. 

For it is time to seek the Lord…
It's time for me to seek God like never before. And part of seeking Him is allowing for grace space in my life. When the circumstances of life leak me dry, I can see this emptiness as an opportunity. Instead of reacting out of emptiness, I can choose to see that this emptiness is the perfect spot for grace to grow deeper and more widespread in my life. 

As I give grace to those who don't deserve it, the mercy jars of heaven will lavish it back on me. And, oh how I desperately need a lavish dose of heaven's grace.

"… for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you," Hosea 10:12.

The showers…
Then the growth comes. As I make right choices that honor Him, I start to look at life and people, and annoying circumstances differently. I change. I become more complete. I sense a new closeness with God. I don't go under quite as easily when the waves of life rush at me and over me.

And I even dare to whisper thank you when the need for grace spaces comes again and again.

Dear Lord, show me how to seek You more and more in the midst of everyday life. Please help me to see my emptiness as an opportunity. As space for grace in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 - Daily Devotion

7:45 a.m – Pray

8:30 a.m. – “Faithful”  Song

8:36 a.m. – Scripture “One Year Bible”

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11

Deuteronomy 21-22:30 Listen to this passage Deuteronomy 21 Atonement for an Unsolved Murder  1 If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was, 2 your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. 3 Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke 4 and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck. 5 The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. 6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8 Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person.” Then the bloodshed will be atoned for, 9 and you will have purged from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD. Marrying a Captive Woman  10 When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, 11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails 13 and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. The Right of the Firstborn  15 If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. 17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him. A Rebellious Son  18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. Various Laws  22 If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, 23 you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 22  1 If you see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. 2 If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you and keep it until they come looking for it. Then give it back. 3 Do the same if you find their donkey or cloak or anything else they have lost. Do not ignore it.  4 If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet.  5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.  6 If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. 7 You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.  8 When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.  9 Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.[a]  10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.  11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.  12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear. Marriage Violations  13 If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her, dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” 15 then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. 16 Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels[b] of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.  20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.  22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.  23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.  25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.  28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[c] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.  30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.[d] Footnotes: Deuteronomy 22:9 Or be forfeited to the sanctuary Deuteronomy 22:19 That is, about 2 1/2 pounds or about 1.2 kilograms Deuteronomy 22:29 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams Deuteronomy 22:30 In Hebrew texts this verse (22:30) is numbered 23:1. New International Version, ©2011 (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Luke 9:51-10:12 Listen to this passage View commentary related to this passage Samaritan Opposition  51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village. The Cost of Following Jesus  57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”    But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 10 Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two  1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[b] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.    5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.    8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Footnotes: Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did Luke 10:1 Some manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17 New International Version, ©2011 (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Psalm 74:1-23 Listen to this passage Psalm 74 A maskil[a] of Asaph. 1 O God, why have you rejected us forever?    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago,    the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—    Mount Zion, where you dwelt. 3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.  4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;    they set up their standards as signs. 5 They behaved like men wielding axes    to cut through a thicket of trees. 6 They smashed all the carved paneling    with their axes and hatchets. 7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;    they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. 8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”    They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.  9 We are given no signs from God;    no prophets are left,    and none of us knows how long this will be. 10 How long will the enemy mock you, God?    Will the foe revile your name forever? 11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?    Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!  12 But God is my King from long ago;    he brings salvation on the earth.  13 It was you who split open the sea by your power;    you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert. 15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;    you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;    you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;    you made both summer and winter.  18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD,    how foolish people have reviled your name. 19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;    do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant,    because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;    may the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;    remember how fools mock you all day long. 23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,    the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. Footnotes: Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term New International Version, ©2011 (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Proverbs 12:11 Listen to this passage  11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,    but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011 – Daily Devotion

10:00 a.m. - Prayer

1:02 pm – Song “I’m In Love” Darwin Hobbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7tXDEOGIw

1:15 pm – God’s Word

Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 12:10

Deuteronomy 18-20:20

View commentary related to this passage

Deuteronomy 18

Gifts for the Priests and Levites

“Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the LORD, for that is their share. 2 They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The LORD himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.

3 “These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. 4 You must also give to the priests the first share of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time. 5 For the LORD your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the LORD’s name forever.

6 “Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the LORD chooses for worship. 7 He may minister there in the name of the LORD his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the LORD there. 8 He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family.

A Call to Holy Living

9 “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering.[a] And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the LORD your God forbids you to do such things.”

True and False Prophets

15 Moses continued, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai.[b] You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’

17 “Then the LORD said to me, ‘What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. 20 But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the LORD’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

Deuteronomy 19

Cities of Refuge

“When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes. 2 Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 3 Survey the territory,[c] and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.

4 “If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety. 5 For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.

6 “If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died. 7 That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge.

8 “And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them, 9 you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.) 10 That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.

11 “But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge. 12 In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death. 13 Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you.

Concern for Justice

14 “When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.

15 “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16 “If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, 17 then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. 18 The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, 19 you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. 20 Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing. 21 You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 20

Regulations concerning War

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! 2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’

5 “Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, ‘Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house. 6 Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. 7 Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.’

8 “Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’ 9 When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.

10 “As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. 11 If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. 12 But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. 13 When the LORD your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town. 14 But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the LORD your God has given you.

15 “But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. 16 In those towns that the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. 17 You must completely destroy[d] the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the LORD your God has commanded you. 18 This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the LORD your God.

19 “When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them? 20 You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it falls.

Footnotes:

a. Deuteronomy 18:10 Or never make your son or daughter pass through the fire.

b. Deuteronomy 18:16 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.

c. Deuteronomy 19:3 Or Keep the roads in good repair.

d. Deuteronomy 20:17 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.




Luke 9:28-50

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The Transfiguration

28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.[b] Listen to him.” 36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil[c] spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power.

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” 45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[d] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

Using the Name of Jesus

49 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”

50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”

Footnotes:

a. Luke 9:33 Greek three tabernacles.

b. Luke 9:35 Some manuscripts read This is my dearly loved Son.

c. Luke 9:42 Greek unclean.

d. Luke 9:48 Greek in my name.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.




Psalm 73:1-28

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Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.

2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.

My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

3 For I envied the proud

when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

4 They seem to live such painless lives;

their bodies are so healthy and strong.

5 They don’t have troubles like other people;

they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.

6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace

and clothe themselves with cruelty.

7 These fat cats have everything

their hearts could ever wish for!

8 They scoff and speak only evil;

in their pride they seek to crush others.

9 They boast against the very heavens,

and their words strut throughout the earth.

10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,

drinking in all their words.

11 “What does God know?” they ask.

“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”

12 Look at these wicked people—

enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?

Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?

14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;

every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others,

I would have been a traitor to your people.

16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.

But what a difficult task it is!

17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

19 In an instant they are destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors.

20 When you arise, O Lord,

you will laugh at their silly ideas

as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,

and I was all torn up inside.

22 I was so foolish and ignorant—

I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

23 Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,

for you destroy those who abandon you.

28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.




Proverbs 12:10

View commentary related to this passage

10 The godly care for their animals,

but the wicked are always cruel.

Thursday, February 24, 2011 - Daily Devotion

6:00 a.m. - Plyometrics P90x

12:00 pm. - Weights @ Gym

2:00 p.m. - Daily Devotion

God's Love Changes EverythingMicca Monda Campbell

"Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:11b (NIV)          

Devotion:In the story of the adulteress woman found in John 8:1-11, we can see clearly that Christ's love is greater than sin.

It must have been an unruly scene until Jesus stepped into the situation. Caught in the very act by the Pharisees, the woman's fate hung in the balance. I imagine that the adulteress woman felt unbearable loneliness and fear as she lay naked in the streets at the mercy of those whose desire was to stone her to death.

Sin does that. It separates us from God, causing us to experience isolation and fear. This is a sure sign we need to search our souls and confess our sins so that we can have peace and enjoy Christ's sweet presence again.

On the other hand, it's not a sign that God's love is absent.

For years, I held on to my mixed bag of emotions blaming God and others for my troubles. I was alone, afraid, and angry, but not by my choice I reasoned. I was this way because others gave up on me, I insisted. And Christ—well, if He really cared then why didn't He free me from the pain that haunted me day and night?

Over time, I opened my eyes to the real problem. Instead of looking at myself, my eyes were always on someone else. When I finally did take a good long look at myself, I realized I was a child of God who had stomped my foot, crossed my arms, and turned my back on Him for not letting me have my way. Holding the Lord at arm's length only prolonged the healing of my wounds. In that honest moment with myself, I let go of my anger and fear and re-opened my heart to God.

Broken before the Lord, I asked for His forgiveness. I surrendered anew to His plan for my life. What was God's response? It was pure grace. I got up from my knees a new person. I was no longer afraid or angry—just filled with Christ's love and peace.

The adulteress woman also found indescribable love when she came face to face with her sin and her Savior. Publicly caught in the act of adultery, she must have felt shame and brokenness. But feeling broken is actually a good emotional place to be when we need to reach out for Christ's love and forgiveness.

All eyes were on Jesus as the Pharisees waited with rocks in hand to see if Christ would condemn and punish her. Jesus said, "Let any one of you that is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (vs. 7b). I picture the woman, hardly believing her ears, staring deep into the Savior's eyes. First with great terror, but then knowing by His gentle eyes that no matter what happened next, she could face it.

She must have felt relief when she heard the rocks drop to the ground and the scattering of feet. Then, "Jesus asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" (vs. 10-11)

Jesus gave this woman what every heart needs—love and forgiveness. Don't misunderstand. The woman was guilty and, according to the laws of the day, should have been put to death. However, instead of condemning her Jesus chose to save her.

He chose to save us all by dying on the cross as payment for our sins. Do you need forgiveness today? The Bible offers this promise: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1John 1:9). 

Just look at me. I'm living proof.

Dear Lord, I have felt so guilty. Today, as I look into Your eyes of love, I believe that You are reaching out and offering me forgiveness. I accept. Renew my spirit as I turn from my sin and run into the safety of Your embrace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 – Daily Devotions

7:20 a.m. Devotion
Song “Going Up Yonder”

7:26 a.m. Pray
Scriptures:

Proverbs 12:10; Psalms 73:1-28; Luke 9:28-50; Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20

Proverbs 12:10

10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.



Psalm 73:1-28

Psalm 73

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy

b. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat

c. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.



Luke 9:28-50

The Transfiguration

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”



Deuteronomy 18-20:20


Deuteronomy 18

Offerings for Priests and Levites

1 The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the LORD, for that is their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them.

3 This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. 4 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, 5 for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.

6 If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, 7 he may minister in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD. 8 He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.

Occult Practices

9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

17 The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

Deuteronomy 19

Cities of Refuge

1 When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess. 3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. 5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. 7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

8 If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, 9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities. 10 Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities, 12 the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. 13 Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.

14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

Witnesses

15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 20

Going to War

1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

5 The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. 6 Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. 7 Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” 8 Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.

10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the LORD your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

16 However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.

19 When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?[b] 20 However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

Footnotes: