Week of May 11

Guidebook
By Skip Heitzig

I was saved at about age 18. I’ll never forget the reaction I got from people at my church the first time I came in carrying a Bible. Some of them gave me strange looks, like I was from another planet. One of them actually said, “What did you bring that thing for?” I wanted to say, “What should I bring? A coloring book?”

George Mueller said, “The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and in our thoughts.” A consistent, daily exposure to the Bible will do more for you than anything else in your Christian walk. It will teach you everything that pertains to life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3). As you know God’s Word you will get in touch with the author Himself, and it will make you strong, wise, and equipped for service.

There are some prerequisites for receiving and understanding the truths of the Bible. You have to have a new heart; you have to be saved. If you don’t have the Holy Spirit living within you, it’s foolishness to you. Secondly, you need a hungry heart, because God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Third, you must have an obedient heart. You should be like Samuel, who said, “Speak, Lord, your servant hears.” Pray that whenever you open the Bible.

Let me suggest a Bible reading method, if you don’t already have one. This is one of several that I use.

On Sunday, read the portion that the congregation will be going over that day. On Monday, read from the books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. On Tuesday, read from the historical books, Joshua through Esther. On Wednesday, read from the poetical books, Job through Song of Solomon. On Thursday, read from the prophets, Isaiah to Malachi. On Friday, read from the Gospels. (That means you’ll be reading much more from the Gospels than from any other book, which is good because the emphasis is on the life of Christ.) On Saturday, read something from the rest of the Bible, Acts to Revelation.

You can read long or short portions, as much as you want. Just put a bookmark where you stop, and pick it up again there on that day the following week. My experience is that this method gives you enough variety that you won’t feel you’re “stuck” in one book. Instead, you’ll find you can’t wait to get back to it the next week.

Whatever method you use to read the Bible, read it devotionally. In other words, read it so that your own spirit is nourished by it. Don’t approach it academically as much as “applicationally.” Read it, meditate on it, and then pray about how you should apply it to your life. Don’t examine it as a textbook, but to encounter God, to find out what He is saying personally to you.

Let me restate that: You must have a consistent desire to obey it. If you have no desire to put it into practice, it’s a very boring book! Instead, you should treat it as a guidebook for living. Let it bring “vigor” to your spiritual life. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16).

Copyright © 2012 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

Myths & Facts:The North Carolina Marriage Protection Amendment

Myth: The amendment isn’t necessary.

Fact: Unless North Carolina passes the Marriage Protection Amendment, our present marriage laws are vulnerable to politicians and activist judges overturning them and imposing same-sex marriage here. This is what occurred in New York, New Hampshire, California, Massachusetts, Iowa, District of Columbia, Vermont and Connecticut. Already, lawsuits have been filed in North Carolina to invalidate our marriage laws! We need the Amendment to ensure that lawsuits like this are not successful.

Myth: The amendment is just more big government telling people how to live their private lives.

Fact: The amendment will prevent government from re-defining marriage for us without our input or our vote. Marriage has a definition that predates government, and the amendment will insure that government, either through an activist judge or legislative action, cannot redefine marriage. Once the amendment passes, only another vote of the people of North Carolina can change the definition of marriage.

Myth: Marriage is simply about loving couples making a public commitment of their love.

Fact: Marriage certainly provides an opportunity for a couple in love to declare their commitment to each other, but the government doesn’t regulate marriage to provide a forum for public commitment simply because two people love each other. Marriage is unique because it is the social institution we recognize to channel the biological drive of men and women with its inherent capacity to produce children into the ideal family units. Marriage provides the best opportunity of ensuring that any children produced by that sexual union are known by and cared for by their biological parents, and that benefits us all. It is because of children that government regulates and licenses marriage.

Myth: The amendment prohibits same sex couples from entering into private contractual agreements.

Fact: No. The Marriage Protection Amendment is very clear: “This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts." Thus, the Amendment allows same-sex couples and others to enter into, and enforce, private legal agreements. For instance, a private company could agree to provide health benefits to any couple it chooses, and the couple could enforce this agreement in court.

Myth: The measure strips important public benefits for same-sex partners of city and county employees.

Fact: Government benefits that are currently received by unmarried couples can continue to exist, even with the passage of the Amendment. Universities and other local governments, under the Amendment, can grant benefits to an individual government employee that he or she could share with another person of his or her choice.

Myth: The measure contains vague language that could have profound unforeseen consequences.

Fact: The amendment is two sentences and easy to read and understand. It means, simply, that marriage will continue to be only between one man and one woman and that private parties can enter into enforceable contracts with other private parties.

Myth: The amendment could invalidate domestic violence laws as they are currently applied to unmarried couples.

Fact: This myth is an example of the length to which opponents of the amendment are going to attempt to trick voters into opposing the amendment. No state with a similar amendment has ever ruled that it has any impact on domestic violence laws. In Ohio, their Supreme Court made clear that their marriage protection amendment would not impact the application of the state domestic violence laws. The same is true in North Carolina.

Myth: The amendment could interfere with existing child custody and visitation rights that seek to protect the best interests of children.

Fact: The amendment has nothing to do with child custody laws or arrangements.

Myth: The amendment could result in courts invalidating trusts, wills, and end-of-life directives– which are not “private contracts” – in which an unmarried partner is a beneficiary and/or is entrusted with the care of a loved one.

Fact: The amendment has nothing to do with trusts, wills and end-of-life directives. The amendment puts our existing definition of marriage into the constitution where it will be safe from future legislative or judicial tampering. It will not interfere with private agreements governing the end-of-life decisions made by same-sex partners.

Myth: The amendment should be called the “anti gay amendment.”

Fact: The amendment is pro-marriage, it is not anti-anyone and doesn’t even use the words “gay” or “homosexual.” Our current marriage laws limit marriage to only one man and one woman. The amendment does not change that.

Myth: The amendment signals to gay people that they are second-class citizens.

Fact: Thousands of gays and lesbians have chosen to make North Carolina their home, where marriage has always been defined as the union of one man and one woman. All citizens of our state – gay and straight – are respected and welcomed, but that doesn’t mean that marriage should be redefined.

Myth: The amendment is bad for business.

Fact: Marriage is not only good for families and children, but also good for business. Research shows that states with a marriage protection amendment in their state constitution are the nation’s top performing economic states. This includes eight of the top ten “best states for business” (according to a survey of 556 CEOs) and eight of the top ten states for job growth (according to Moody’s Analytics, Nov. 23, 2011).

Myth: Polls show that the amendment is trailing badly and will fail.

Fact: Every legitimate poll of likely or actual North Carolina voters has shown the marriage amendment has extensive support in the Tar Heel state. This includes polls by PPP, the Civitas Institute, and Public Opinion Strategies. The only survey claiming that the amendment is trailing is an outdated Elon University Survey, but this poll admits that it “does not restrict respondents by voter eligibility or likelihood of voting.” Every state in the nation to consider a marriage amendment has approved it, including states like California, Wisconsin, and Maine.

Week of April 9

The Intensity of Christ's Love and the Intentionality of His Death
by John Piper

The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. "When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, "I love you."

Therefore, to feel the love of Christ in the laying down of his life, it helps to see how utterly intentional it was. Consider these five ways of seeing Christ's intentionality in dying for us.

First, look at what Jesus said just after that violent moment when Peter tried to cleave the skull of the servant, but only cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" (Matthew 26:52-54)

It is one thing to say that the details of Jesus' death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.

That is what Jesus said he was doing in Matthew 26:54. "I could escape this misery, but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the Word of God.

A second way this intentionality is seen is in the repeated expressions to go to Jerusalem--into the very jaws of the lion.

Taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." (Mark 10:32-34)

Jesus had one all-controlling goal: to die according the Scriptures. He knew when the time was near and set his face like flint: "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).

A third way that we see the intentionality of Jesus to suffer for us is in the words he spoke in the mouth of Isaiah the prophet:

I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

I have to work hard in my imagination to keep before me what iron will this required. Humans recoil from suffering. We recoil a hundred times more from suffering that is caused by unjust, ugly, sniveling, low-down, arrogant people. At every moment of pain and indignity, Jesus chose not to do what would have been immediately just. He gave his back to the smiter. He gave his cheek to slapping. He gave his beard to plucking. He offered his face to spitting. And he was doing it for the very ones causing the pain.

A fourth way we see the intentionality of Jesus' suffering is in the way Peter explains how this was possible. He said, "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23).

The way Jesus handled the injustice of it all was not by saying, "Injustice doesn't matter," but by entrusting his cause to "him who judges justly." God would see that justice is done. That was not Jesus' calling at Calvary. (Nor is it our highest calling now. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord, Romans 12:19.)

The fifth and perhaps the clearest statement that Jesus makes about his own intentionality to die is in John 10:17-18:

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Jesus' point in these words is that he is acting completely voluntarily. He is under no constraint from any mere human. Circumstances have not overtaken him. He is not being swept along in the injustice of the moment. He is in control.

Therefore, when John says, "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16), we should feel the intensity of his love for us to the degree that we see his intentionality to suffer and die. I pray that you will feel it profoundly. And may that profound experience of being loved by Christ have this effect on you:

The love of Christ controls us . . . . He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15. 

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

March 19

Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ's Work, Not Mohammed's
by John Piper

DECEMBER 24

Boldly Proclaiming Good Tidings of Great Joy

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:10

The angel said that we have received “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” God wants this message known around the world.

Now I know that you may not be a preacher, but you can be a “reach-er”! What would happen if every believer went out into their neighborhood and said, “Jesus is Lord!” How will the world know if we don’t tell them? Oh, we need to be bold for Jesus.

The skies are going to split open, and the trumpet is going to sound. The dead in Christ will rise, and the angels will once again be heard! “He’s returned!” The Savior born in a manger will return as a Monarch to rule and to reign!

Are you joyfully sharing the Good News of Christ this Christmas? Will you be bold and share His Good News with someone today?

DECEMBER 8

Bank Breakers

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. 1 TIMOTHY 6:18

If you could leave each of your children one million dollars as an inheritance, would you?

I imagine that for most of us, our first response to this question would be favorable. After all, the Bible says, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" (Proverbs 13:22). But there's more to blessing our kids than leaving behind large quantities of money for them. In fact, far too many adults who receive an inheritance windfall act like lottery winners, unable to handle the pressure and temptation of having too much all at once.

So perhaps this would be a good time to ensure that the financial priorities and perspectives you're handing down to your children are anchored in a biblical foundation. Teach them:

1. God owns it all. Some in the Christian community have taught their children that the tithe (10 percent) is the Lord's, but the other 90 percent is theirs to spend as they please. Our children need to learn that money is the EKG of our hearts—a track record of what we value.

2. Giving is the privilege and the responsibility for every follower of Christ. There's more than one way to instruct your children to give. My dad used to sit down at our dinner table and make out his check for the church every Sunday. He never said a word to me about giving, but he modeled how to give. Our children need to see us setting aside portions of our income to help Kingdom causes and needy people. Allowing them to participate in these decisions offers them hands-on, generational training in how good it feels to give.

Leaving your children an inheritance is more than just giving them money.

Give and train them with the ultimate inheritance: God's perspective on money.

DISCUSS

How does your checkbook reflect your true values that you will pass on to your children? Talk about how well you are doing in passing on God's perspective on money, giving and wealth.

PRAY

Pray that you will never feel ownership, only stewardship, of the money that God entrusts to you.  

Visit the FamilyLife® Website, or Own Your Own Copy of This Devotional

Week of December 2

Surprised by Jesus
By Skip Heitzig

I have a confession to make: I am a practical joker. When I hear one of the staff coming, maybe with a cup of coffee, sometimes I will hide behind something, and I’ll jump out and scare them with a loud voice. And they’ll often spill the coffee. I know that one day it’s all going to come back on me!

But with that picture in mind, I think you can understand John’s reaction in Revelation 1 when Jesus Christ appeared to him on the island of Patmos. John says His voice was like a trumpet. It was loud, “as the sound of many waters” (v. 15). It must have startled him, much like my practical jokes startle the staff as I jump out. And John fell at Jesus’ feet.

But I want to draw your attention to what Jesus says about himself. Verse 8 says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” He calls Himself “the First and the Last” in verse 11, and again in verse 17, and He goes on in verse 18, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore.” When Jesus introduces himself to John he unmistakably says that He is deity; He is God. Any Jew who heard this would know that this is reserved only for God. He’s speaking of His eternal nature.

I say all this because I think the modern church needs a new awareness of Jesus Christ, high and lifted up, and in charge. There’s a dangerous lack of reverence in many Christians’ lives. When you see Jesus in glory I think He’s going to surprise you. John’s description of “His eyes like a flame of fire” sounds like a very penetrating gaze, seeing into everybody’s heart. One day the loving, saving Jesus will stand as the judge over all mankind.

Whenever people really encounter God, they get humble. Isaiah said, “Woe is me, I am undone,” and when Peter saw Jesus’ power displayed, he said “Depart from me, I am a sinful man.”

So as we enter the Christmas season, we should remember the true identity of the baby in the manger. You might not be aware of it, but when Isaac Watts wrote the hymn “Joy to the World” he was writing about the second coming of Christ, not the first. As you sing words like “He rules the world with truth and grace,” keep that in mind. Remember to reverence Him, because He is God.

Copyright © 2011 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

Grace from Heaven's Bank

Romans 2:4

Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Understanding grace doesn't mean that you can sin without penalty. Understanding grace means that you never want to sin again. It is the goodness of God that motivates us to repentance and holy living. 

I read of a rather unusual accountability partnership that demonstrated the power of grace over sin. Paul was trying to break his habit of using profanity. Swearing had become a second language to him and he desperately wanted to overcome it. He began meeting with another man from his church, and with Bill's help, set up an aggressive plan for purifying his speech.

Here's the plan: each Sunday Paul would report to Bill the number of times he had used profanity during the week and would put five dollars in the offering plate for each incident. The first week cost Paul one hundred dollars! Although the following weeks improved to some degree, he was not having the success that he desired, not to mention the fact that he was quickly running out of money!

After a few weeks, Bill had an idea that he thought might make the difference. He informed Paul that things were going to change the following Sunday, but he wouldn't tell him how they would change. Curiosity gnawed at Paul all week. A few times he tried to find out what the new plan was, but each time Bill simply responded, "Trust me, Paul. This new strategy will cost you less and challenge you even more."

Sunday finally arrived, and before the worship service began Paul looked more discouraged than ever. Bill knew his friend had failed again. This time Bill put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Paul, my new plan is called grace." Bill then took out his own checkbook, wrote in the church's name, dated it, signed it, and left only the amount blank. He handed the check to Paul and said, "Your sin still costs something, but you can go free on my account; just fill in the numbers—I'll take care of the cost. Oh, by the way, next week there will be more grace."

That first week of grace cost Bill fifty-five dollars, but the second week cost him only twenty. And there was no third week . . . Paul was so overwhelmed by the grace of Bill that his heart broke to think of his friend having to write another check to cover his sin.

It was only after the discovery of Bill's grace and love toward him that Paul was able to overcome his life-long, sinful habit of swearing.

If you are feeling overcome by sin today, look again to the cross. Counseling sessions, accountability, personal discipleship, and twelve-step programs won't be enough to ward off the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Only when you gaze upon the grace of God, realizing again that He paid the debt for your sin with the blood of His Son, will you find enough motivation to consciously quit your sin.

Christ handed you a blank check . . .  how much will it cost Him today?

Prayer Point: Thank the Lord for His goodness—it leads to repentance. Thank Him for His grace—it is undeserved favor and love. Thank Him for His mercy—it withholds eternal punishment, which we so clearly deserve.

Extra Refreshment: Read Isaiah 53. 

Discipling and Disciplining

The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries and Dr. R.C. Sproul is to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness. For more information, please visit www.ligonier.org or call them at 800-435-4343.
© R.C. Sproul. All rights reserved.

November 18th 2011

Trusting Beyond Understanding

¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
²O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
³Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. ⁴Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long. —psalm 25:1-5

If you've never been at the place where the trials are so significant that you don't even know what to do, then you won't understand Psalm 25. David is pleading, God, I'm not seeing it. I know You have ways, but I have to learn them because everything that's happening makes no sense to me at all. A big part of trusting is learning this truth: trust must extend past understanding.

In August of '09 I taught Psalm 25 in my church. 98 percent of our people knew nothing about what I was facing and dealing with, but my circumstances sure caused me to understand verse 5 where David says: "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation." The word salvation can have many meanings in Scripture. Most literally, it means to “make wide.” It's contrasted with a person who is in a narrow place full of trouble and distress. I'm stuck here. I can't move. It's too tight, God. It's closing in. It's very dark. And he's saying here: You're the God who gets me out. That's what he's claiming by faith. If you've ever been in the I-need-God-to-get-me-out-of-this place, that's what this is about. I wait for You. No one but You can get me out of this. You are the God of my salvation.                     

Well, when you say that you're waiting, that means that you're accepting God's timing and the wisdom of it. You're confessing this: I'm not fussing. I'm not fuming. I'm not fixing. You’re not thinking in the back of your mind, Oh, I could do a few things to get me out of this situation. I've got some insights. I could say some things. I could get some balls rolling. I could take hold of this if I had to.

Waiting means you’re no longer relying on what you can figure out or even understand. It is deliberately relying on God through prayer and flat-out trust. This is way beyond me, Lord. I’m leaving it in Your hands. I know I don’t have to understand in order to trust You. I'm waiting on You for my salvation; You have to get me out of this narrow place. —James MacDonald

Journal

·         Where are the “narrow places” in my life and how am I waiting on the Lord regarding those matters?

·         What have I learned about waiting?