Monthly Archives: March 2015

Be generous in your praise and everything else (1 Corinthians 16:5-18), Mar 31, 2015

Today’s Podcast

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 16:5-18
Set – Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16
Go! – Judges 9-10; Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16

1 Corinthians 16:5-18
⁵ Get ready. I will come your way after traveling through Macedonia. For I’m just passing through Macedonia ⁶ and will probably stay with you through the winter so that you may provide for my next journey (wherever that may be). ⁷ I want to reconnect with you, not just pass through; if the Lord is willing, I hope to stay awhile. ⁸ But until Pentecost, I plan to stay in Ephesus ⁹ because, not only has God opened a significant door here for me to serve, but also there is a lot of opposition against me.

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, see that he is comfortable and untroubled; his work is the Lord’s, as is mine. ¹¹ No one should treat him badly. Send him on to meet me in peace because the brothers and sisters here and I are looking for him. ¹² You shouldn’t expect to see our brother Apollos, although I tried to persuade him to come to you with the rest of the brothers and sisters, because now is not the best time for him to come. When it’s his time, he will come.

¹³ Listen, stay alert, stand tall in the faith, be courageous, and be strong. ¹⁴ Let love prevail in your life, words, and actions.

¹⁵ Finally, brothers and sisters, I call on you to follow your leaders. People like those in the house of Stephanas—you know they were among the first believers in Achaia, and they have devoted their lives to serving God’s people— ¹⁶ I urge you to submit to the authority of such leaders, to every coworker, and to those who offer their backs and shoulders for the work. ¹⁷ I celebrate the arrival of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, as they have supplied me with what you could not. ¹⁸ They have been a breath of fresh air for me as I know they are for you, so respect and honor those like them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul does something at the end of this letter as he does in most of his letters that too many people forget to do today. Pay attention to his words. In the very last words he gives gratitude for his co-workers in the faith. Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus are pointed out as men to follow, respect, and honor. He gives glowing remarks to these men who labor with him in building My church in trying times.

In an age in which everyone seems to look out for number one, grabbing all the attention and glory for themselves, it’s important see how My servants do things. They point not to themselves, but to others. They give credit for their success first to Me and then to those around them. They brag on the success and talents of others and put them in the limelight instead of themselves.

Generosity goes a long way in this world and the next. It goes against everything the world teaches, but it is a principle in My book that works every time. A seed that’s planted in the ground and forgotten brings a harvest. Love given away brings love in return. Kindness extended to others reaps kindness multiplied. When good things are hoarded for oneself, you’ll find they decay and disappear in the closets of your life. When they are given for others to share and benefit from them, they return multiplied, just like the seeds planted for harvests.

The world will try to convince you otherwise, but My plan always works. The world’s plan doesn’t. Remember, I created the world and all the rules and principles that make it work. You can try to manipulate those rules all you want, but ultimately, they are still My rules and they will work the way I intend them to work. Just as the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening, My principles are just as steadfast and true. You can’t get past them.

So try doing what Paul does. Give away the credit to others. Share the glory with those around you. Let generosity rule your life and hold on tightly to only the relationships in your life. Let everything else just rest loosely on your outstretched palms and let Me use whatever you have for the good of others. You’ll be surprised at what happens in your life. You’ll be awed by the increase in your joy, your contentment, your comfort, your peace of mind. You will be overwhelmed by the real meaning that comes to your life when you let go of it and live for Me.

Let generosity be the new watchword for your life this week and see what happens.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Seeds, trees, bodies, and more (1 Corinthians 15:35-58), Mar 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 15:35-58
Set – Psalms 42; 1 Corinthians 15
Go! – Judges 8; Psalms 42; 1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:35-58
³⁵ Now I know what some of you are thinking: “Just how are the dead going to be raised? What kind of bodies will they have when they come back to life?” ³⁶ Don’t be a fool! The seed you plant doesn’t produce life unless it dies. Right? ³⁷ The seed doesn’t have the same look, the same body, if you will, of what it will have once it starts to grow. It starts out a single, naked seed—whether wheat or some other grain, it doesn’t matter— ³⁸ and God gives to that seed a body just as He has desired. For each of the different kinds of seeds God prepares a unique body. ³⁹ Or look at it this way: not all flesh is the same. Right? There is skin flesh on humans, furry flesh on animals, feathery flesh on birds, and scaly flesh on fish. ⁴⁰ Likewise there are bodies made for the heavens and bodies made for the earth. The heavenly bodies have a different kind of glory or luminescence compared to bodies below. ⁴¹ Even among the heavenly bodies, there is a different level of brilliance: the sun shines differently than the moon, the moon differently than the stars, and the stars themselves differ in their brightness.

⁴² It’s like this with the resurrection of those who have died. The body planted in the earth decays. But the body raised from the earth cannot decay. ⁴³ The body is planted in disgrace and weakness. But the body is raised in splendor and power. ⁴⁴ The body planted in the earth was animated by the physical, material realm. But the body raised from the earth will be animated by the spiritual. Since there is a physical, material body, there will also be a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ That’s why it was written, “The first man Adam became a living soul”; the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ Everything has an order. The body is not animated first by the spiritual but the physical; then the spiritual becomes its life-giving source. ⁴⁷ The first man, Adam, came from the earth and was made from dust; the second man, Jesus, has come from heaven. ⁴⁸ The earth man shares his earth nature with all those made of earth; likewise the heavenly man shares His heavenly nature with all those made of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have carried the image of the earth man in our bodies, we will also carry the image of the heavenly man in our new bodies at the resurrection.

⁵⁰ Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever. ⁵¹ Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. ⁵² It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed! ⁵³ We’ll step out of our mortal clothes and slide into immortal bodies, replacing everything that is subject to death with eternal life. ⁵⁴ And, when we are all redressed with bodies that do not, cannot decay, when we put immortality over our mortal frames, then it will be as Scripture says:

Life everlasting has victoriously swallowed death.
⁵⁵ Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?
Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?
⁵⁶ Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. ⁵⁷ Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, who brought us victory over the grave.

⁵⁸ My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted—be unshakable—do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Since the resurrection on that first Easter morning, My followers wondered what their spiritual bodies would be like. Many speculate on the substance, shape, and size of something you cannot comprehend. I returned after the resurrection in a form all of My disciples could understand, in a way. Even then, My form was incomprehensible. I appeared behind closed doors, yet didn’t fit their criteria for their legends of ghosts and spirits. I appeared as flesh and blood with scars in My hands, feet, and side. I ate and those around Me could see Me, talk to Me, hear Me. Yet I came at went at will at distances the people of those times could not understand.

Paul glimpsed a piece of heaven and the spiritual bodies there when I met him on the road to Damascus. What he saw, he could not describe. Ezekiel caught a glimpse of My glory and words failed him when he tried to describe the scene. John tried his best to describe the throne room of heaven, but couldn’t begin to share the splendor of his vision with the limitation of the words in his vocabulary.

Paul’s description to settle the questions of early believers provides some thought and insight into just how difficult it is for you to comprehend something to incredible to begin to understand. The best Paul could do is share the change that happens between seeds and the plants they produce. It’s a good analogy, though.

From a tiny acorn, I produce the mighty oak tree. To look at that small seed, the size of the end of your finger, I grow something you could never imagine it housing. I talked about a mustard seed, barely visible, that produces a plant in which birds build their nests. Who would dream it could happen.

Now imagine your bit of creation dust as the physical casing of that spiritual body Paul talks about. The body that seed produces at the final resurrection of the dead is as incomprehensible as those scenes that Paul and John saw of heaven. If I tried to describe those new bodies to you, you could not comprehend them. Just know that there awaits those who trust in Me new bodies, spiritual bodies, unlike anything you know.

You will know each other. You will know Me. You will live forever. You will experience no pain or suffering. You will know no night or darkness. You will labor in love as I created you. You will worship Me throughout eternity as I intended at creation. All things will become new. Indescribable. Incomprehensible. Paul says earlier in his letter, “Now you see as through a darkened, distorted piece of glass, but then you will see and know clearly even as I have known you throughout your life.

Don’t worry about what the next life will be like or what kind of body you will have. It doesn’t really matter. Just know that you’ll like it…But only if you love Me more.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Can you be a Gideon? (Judges 6:1-21), Mar 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Judges 6:1-21
Set – Judges 6; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14
Go! – Judges 6-7; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14

Judges 6:1-21
¹ When the people of Israel again did what the Eternal One considered evil, He made them serve the Midianites for seven years. ² The power of Midian prevailed over Israel so that the Israelites built for themselves hiding places in the mountains, in caves, and in safe strongholds. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted seed, the soldiers of Midian, Amalek, and others from the east would rise up against them ⁴ and destroy their farms and fields as far as Gaza in the west, leaving them nothing to eat and no livestock. ⁵ They would come up with their tents and their livestock, as thick as a cloud of locusts. They and their camels were so numerous they could not be counted, and they left the land desolate behind them.

⁶ So the people of Israel were impoverished because of the Midianites, and they cried out to the Eternal One for help. ⁷ When the people of Israel cried to the Eternal for relief from the Midianites, ⁸ He sent a prophet to them.

Prophet: Here are the words of the Eternal God of Israel: “I brought you out from slavery in Egypt. ⁹ I delivered you from the Egyptians, from all who would have oppressed you. I drove the Canaanites out before you and delivered their land into your care. ¹⁰ But I said to you, ‘I am the Eternal One, your True God, and you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, those people in whose land you settle.’ And you have not listened to Me.”

¹¹ Now in Ophrah, the Eternal’s messenger sat under an oak tree that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon, the son of Joash, was beating out wheat in the winepress so that the Midianites could not see what he was doing. ¹² The Eternal’s messenger appeared to Gideon.

Messenger of the Eternal One: The Eternal One is with you, mighty warrior.

Gideon: ¹³ Sir, if He is with us, then why has all this misfortune come on us? Where are all the miracles that our ancestors told us about? They said, “Didn’t the Eternal deliver us out of Egypt?” But now He has left us. He has made us servants of the Midianites.

¹⁴ The Eternal turned to Gideon and addressed him.

Eternal One (speaking through His messenger): Go out with your strength and rescue Israel from the oppression of Midian. Do you understand that I am the one sending you?

Gideon: ¹⁵ But, Lord, how am I supposed to deliver Israel? My family is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least of my family.

Eternal One: ¹⁶ Go. I will be with you, and you will totally destroy the forces of Midian as one man.

Gideon: ¹⁷ If You do look on me with favor, then give me a sign that I’m really hearing from You. ¹⁸ Wait here until I return and bring out my offering and place it in front of You.

Eternal One: I will stay here until you return.

¹⁹ So Gideon went into his house, cooked a young goat, and made cakes of unleavened bread from half a bushel of flour. He then put the meat into a basket, poured the broth into a pot, and brought the food out to present it to Him under the oak.

Eternal One: ²⁰ Put the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour out the broth.

Gideon did as he was told. ²¹ Then the Eternal’s messenger touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff he carried. Fire raged out of the rock and consumed the food, and the Eternal’s messenger vanished from sight.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Gideon was anything but a mighty warrior until I met him and made him one. Notice what he did before I came to him. Gideon hid in the wine press to thresh his grain because he feared the retribution of the Midianites who invaded the land like locusts. But I chose Gideon to act as the judge, the military leader for Israel to rescue them from the hands of these invaders.

If you look back through history, you’ll find I do that a lot. I choose the most unlikely characters to do spectacular things for Me. Gideon rightly noted he came from the weakest clan of the weakest tribe in the nation. How could lead such a defenseless, unorganized band to defeat such a formidable foe? The answer is he couldn’t, but I can…through him.

Was Gideon afraid? Absolutely, until he understood I would fight his battles. Did he understand how I would use him to defeat his enemies? Not at this point, but he willingly volunteered to act as an instrument in My hands. Would Gideon volunteer if he knew I would ask him to defeat the Midianites with just 300 men? Probably not at this point. But Gideon trusted Me and that’s all I really asked of him.

You might think you’re not good enough, strong enough, smart enough to do something I’ve asked you to do. That’s not unusual when I call people to important things. I know your capabilities. I gave them to you. But in your weakness, I am your strength. In your foolishness, I am your wisdom. I know My plans for you. And I don’t make mistakes.

The job I want you to do for Me is suited best for you and you alone. Otherwise I wouldn’t ask you to do it. Just trust Me. Like with Gideon, I’ll be there for the whole journey. I won’t leave you to face the job alone. I’ll make you successful when I give you a task. Just say yes to Me and trust Me to carry you through.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Love is a choice, not an emotion (1 Corinthians 13), Mar 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 13
Set – Psalms 39, 41; 1 Corinthians 13
Go! – Judges 4-5; Psalms 39, 41; 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13
¹ What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or a crashing cymbal. ² What if I have the gift of prophecy, am blessed with knowledge and insight to all the mysteries, or what if my faith is strong enough to scoop a mountain from its bedrock, yet I live without love? If so, I am nothing. ³ I could give all that I have to feed the poor, I could surrender my body to be burned as a martyr, but if I do not live in love, I gain nothing by my selfless acts.

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; ⁵ it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs ⁶ or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! ⁷ Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. ⁸ Love will never become obsolete. Now as for the prophetic gifts, they will not last; unknown languages will become silent, and the gift of knowledge will no longer be needed. ⁹ Gifts of knowledge and prophecy are partial at best, at least for now, ¹⁰ but when the perfection and fullness of God’s kingdom arrive, all the parts will end. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke, thought, and reasoned in childlike ways as we all do. But when I became a man, I left my childish ways behind. ¹² For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God. ¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Listen carefully. This is what it’s all about. I created humankind to have loving relationships with Me and with each other. The church is all about love. My coming in human flesh and dying on the cross is all about My love for you. The entirety of the Bible echoes My love for My highest creation and My plan to redeem fallen humankind.

Today’s problem is that love has been hijacked by the entertainment world and made it something I never meant it to become. The cheap lust that the world substitutes for real love continues to pull people, young and old, into its clutches. But My intentions for men and women were much higher than the temporary pleasures Satan uses to tempt lost souls.

Read Paul’s description of real love in several different translations and let its meaning soak into your heart. Understand what I want from you as you relate to one another. I want you to love Me and love one another with the conscious, deliberate love Paul describes. It’s not an emotion, it’s an action. It’s a decision you make when you love one another. Here’s that description again to show you it’s not an emotion.

“Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. Love will never become obsolete.”

I gave Paul these words because love is an action, a practice, a purpose, a choice you make every day with those around you. You can love your spouse, children, and family. You can love your brothers and sisters in Christ. You can also love your enemies. How? Because love is a choice, an action, a purpose, a practice you exercise each day. With My help, there is no one you cannot love. And remember what I told you in My word. If you cannot love your brother whom you can see, you cannot love Me whom you cannot see.

It might not be a bad idea to put this part of Paul’s letter in a place you can read it every day for a week to remind yourself what I want from you in your relationship with Me and each other. Give it try and see where you might be falling short.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God has a task for you (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), Mar 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Set – Judges 2; 1 Corinthians 12
Go! – Judges 1-3; 1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12:12-31
¹² Just as a body is one whole made up of many different parts, and all the different parts comprise the one body, so it is with the Anointed One. ¹³ We were all ceremonially washed through baptism together into one body by one Spirit. No matter our heritage—Jew or Greek, insider or outsider—no matter our status—oppressed or free—we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Here’s what I mean: the body is not made of one large part but of many different parts. ¹⁵ Would it seem right for the foot to cry, “I am not a hand, so I couldn’t be part of this body”? Even if it did, it wouldn’t be any less joined to the body. ¹⁶ And what about an ear? If an ear started to whine, “I am not an eye; I shouldn’t be attached to this body,” in all its pouting, it is still part of the body. ¹⁷ Imagine the entire body as an eye. How would a giant eye be able to hear? And if the entire body were an ear, how would an ear be able to smell? ¹⁸ This is where God comes in. God has meticulously put this body together; He placed each part in the exact place to perform the exact function He wanted. ¹⁹ If all members were a single part, where would the body be? ²⁰ So now, many members function within the one body. ²¹ The eye cannot wail at the hand, “I have no need for you,” nor could the head bellow at the feet, “I won’t go one more step with you.” ²² It’s actually the opposite. The members who seem to have the weaker functions are necessary to keep the body moving; ²³ the body parts that seem less important we treat as some of the most valuable; and those unfit, untamed, unpresentable members we treat with an even greater modesty. ²⁴ That’s something the more presentable members don’t need. But God designed the body in such a way that greater significance is given to the seemingly insignificant part. ²⁵ That way there should be no division in the body; instead, all the parts mutually depend on and care for one another. ²⁶ If one part is suffering, then all the members suffer alongside it. If one member is honored, then all the members celebrate alongside it. ²⁷ You are the body of the Anointed, the Liberating King; each and every one of you is a vital member. ²⁸ God has appointed gifts in the assembly: first emissaries, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, healers, helpers, administrators, and then those who speak with various unknown languages. ²⁹ Are all members gifted as emissaries? Are all gifted with prophetic utterance? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Or are all gifted in healing arts? Do all speak or interpret unknown languages? Of course not. ³¹ Pursue the greater gifts, and let me tell you of a more excellent way—love.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I really want everyone involved in the work of My church. There are a handful of leaders in a congregation that I’ve given the skills to manage the business of the church. But I don’t expect them to do everything because I didn’t give them the skills to do everything. I gave pastors the gift of preaching My word, sharing the good news of what I can and will do for you. But I didn’t give them all the skills necessary to fulfill all the responsibilities I planned for My church.

Today, too many parishioners think they only need to warm a seat in the sanctuary and they fulfilled their responsibility to Me. That thought is so far from the truth. I gave each individual in the congregation just the right skills and talents I need to help My church complete all I want it to complete. When everyone gets involved with the skills I gave them, the very gates of hell can not hold it back from the success I have for it.

The problem most churches have is you’ve told yourselves for too long that the work is someone else’s responsibility. Since when did that work ethic become part of My plan? You may not be gifted in teaching, but if you’re not, that’s probably not the job I had in mind for you anyway. Standing in front of a crowd might make you want to faint. If so, I probably didn’t give you the gift of preaching.

Perhaps, though, you have a tremendous knack for carpentry. I gave it to you for a reason. Would it hurt you to give some of that talent to support My church or the people I direct you to help? Maybe you are at the top of your league in some sport. Could you spare some time for some of the kids in your neighborhood to teach them some of your skills…for Me? I gave you those talents for a reason. I want you to use them to carry out My plan for you.

You see, it takes all kinds of talents to carry out the plans I have for your particular congregation. I have a job for every single individual there. I just need you to get on board and recognize the skills you possess came from Me for My purposes. I have plans for you, individually and collectively. When all of you work together to build My church and My kingdom, amazing things can happen. But when you try to let a few carry the load, they don’t have all the skills they need, no matter how hard they try.

It’s time for you to pitch in and do your part. Did you ever think about tithing your time to Me? Remember, I want your living sacrifice much more than I want your money or material goods. Everything in the world is Mine, so I don’t need your money. I gave you particular talents because I want you. I want your time. I want your commitment to the plans I have for you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You must choose each day (Joshua 24:11-28), Mar 26, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 24:11-28
Set – Joshua 24; Psalms 44
Go! – Joshua 23-24; Psalms 44; 1 Corinthians 11

Joshua 24:11-28
¹¹ When you crossed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan and came to Jericho, the leaders of Jericho fought against you. So did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave them all into your power.

¹² I sent hornets ahead of you to run off the two kings of the Amorites; it was not done by your bow or sword. ¹³ I delivered to you fields you had not worked and towns you had not built, yet today you live in them. You eat the fruit of olive trees and of grape vineyards you did not even have to plant.”

¹⁴ So remember: fear the Eternal and serve Him sincerely and faithfully. Put away from you any gods your ancestors served across the Euphrates River or in Egypt, and serve only Him. ¹⁵ If you decide that you’re not willing to serve Him, then today is the day for you to choose whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors bowed to in the land beyond the great River, or the gods of the Amorites whose country you possess. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Eternal.

People of Israel (responding): ¹⁶ Nothing could be further from our minds than abandoning the Eternal to serve other gods. ¹⁷ We know that the Eternal One our God rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. We remember that He performed all those great signs in front of us. He protected us from the people we passed as we traveled. ¹⁸ And we know that He removed the Amorites and all the peoples who lived in Canaan. We, too, will serve the Eternal One, for He is our True God.

Joshua (warning them): ¹⁹ If you think you will be able to serve the Eternal, you are wrong. He is a holy God and a jealous God; He will not tolerate your shortcomings and your sins. ²⁰ If you desert Him and worship these foreign gods, He will fall upon you and totally consume you, even though He has done all this great good for you.

People of Israel: ²¹ All the same, we choose to serve the Eternal.

Joshua: ²² All right, then. You are witnesses—against yourselves, if it comes to that—that you have made this choice to serve the Eternal.

Israel: We are witnesses to it.

Joshua (repeating): ²³ Then you must put all other gods away from you and turn your hearts to the Eternal God of Israel.

Israel: ²⁴ We will serve the Eternal One, our God, and we will obey His voice.

²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem and gave them statutes and ordinances to obey. ²⁶ Joshua wrote the words in the scroll of the law, and he had a large stone set up underneath the oak tree near the Eternal’s holy place.

Joshua (to all the people): ²⁷ This stone will also be a witness to your vow. It has heard all the words the Eternal spoke to us, so it will be a witness if you turn your backs on your True God.

²⁸ So he sent the people away, back to the lands He had given them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Everyone must make a choice about whether they will follow Me. Joshua made the choice early in his life while assisting Moses in the Exodus of Israel from the bonds of slavery in Egypt. Then as Joshua neared the end of his life, he called on the rest of the Israelites to make a choice for themselves. They did. But they didn’t keep their covenant with Me.

Joshua tried everything he could to remind the people of their promise to follow Me. He wrote the covenant on a scroll. He had a memorial stone erected under an oak tree near the tabernacle where they worshipped Me. He called all the elders together and had them and all the people personally vow their allegiance to Me.

Joshua gave all of them the consequences that would follow if they failed to keep their vow and the rewards they would gain if they kept it. Still, over time they forgot what they pledged and fell away from Me and began to worship the pagan gods of the nations I defeated for them. It’s truly a wonder to Me as to why they would trust the idols of the lands I defeated instead of trusting Me after I clearly showed My power over them. But they did.

You must make a choice also. And just as with the Israelites, you will find yourselves bombarded by a host of other gods that try to sway you from worshipping Me. Today’s gods don’t appear as idols of wood, stone, or silver, though. Today, Satan has become more subtle in his attempts to gain humankind’s attention. The most sought after god of the world today finds itself in the form of money and material goods.

Men, women, and young people around the world seek material goods and socio-economic status as their prime objective rather than pleasing Me. They chase the dollar and the things they think will earn them more. They worship money instead of Me. People give themselves to the pursuit of making more regardless of what it takes to do so. They sacrifice almost anything to accumulate more things that won’t last and in so doing, give up what is really important.

Families become secondary. Spiritual growth becomes unimportant. Support to others becomes a waste of hoarded resources in their eyes. Relationships are built only for what they can provide rather than for the joy of the relationship. The world turned My creation upside down for so long that what I ask of you seems topsy-turvy. But trust Me. Following My way leads to real life. Real joy. Real peace. Real riches. Just try it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Exit signs and work ethics (1 Corinthians 10:12-33), Mar 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 10:12-33
Set – Psalms 47; 1 Corinthians 10
Go! – Joshua 21-22; Psalms 47; 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:12-33
¹² So let even the most confident believers remember their examples and be very careful not to fall as some of them did.

¹³ Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward. ¹⁴ So then, my beloved friends, run from idolatry in any form. ¹⁵ As wise as I know you are, understand clearly what I am saying and determine the right course of action. ¹⁶ When we give thanks and share the cup of blessing, are we not sharing in the blood of the Anointed One? When we give thanks and break bread, are we not sharing in His body? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we, though many, are also one body since we all share one bread. ¹⁸ Look no further than Israel and the temple practices, and you’ll see what I mean. Isn’t it true that those who eat sacrificial foods are communing at the altar, sharing its benefits? ¹⁹ So what does all this mean? I’m not suggesting that idol food itself has any special qualities or that an idol itself possesses any special powers, ²⁰ but I am saying that the outsiders’ sacrifices are actually offered to demons, not to God. So if you feast upon this food, you are feasting with demons—I don’t want you involved with demons! ²¹ You can’t hold the holy cup of the Lord in one hand and the cup of demons in the other. You can’t share in the Lord’s table while picking off the altar of demons. ²² Are we trying to provoke the Lord Jesus? Do we think it’s a good idea to stir up His jealousy? Do we have ridiculous delusions about matching or even surpassing His power?

²³ There’s a slogan often quoted on matters like this: “All things are permitted.” Yes, but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” they say. Yes, but not all things build up and strengthen others in the body. ²⁴ We should stop looking out for our own interests and instead focus on the people living and breathing around us. ²⁵ Feel free to eat any meat sold in the market without your conscience raising questions about scruples ²⁶ because “the earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Lord.”

²⁷ So if some unbelievers invite you to dinner and you want to go, feel free to eat whatever they offer you without raising questions about conscience. ^28-29 But if someone says, “This is meat from the temple altar, a sacrifice to god so-and-so,” then do not eat it. Not so much because of your own conscience [because the earth and everything on it belongs to the Lord], but out of consideration for the conscience of the other fellow who told you about it. So you ask, “Why should I give up my freedom to accommodate the scruples of another?” ³⁰ or, “If I am eating with gratitude to God, why am I insulted for eating food that I have properly given thanks for?” These are good questions.

³¹ Whatever you do—whether you eat or drink or not—do it all to the glory of God! ³² Do not offend Jews or Greeks or any part of the church of God for that matter. ³³ Consider my example: I strive to please all people in all my actions and words—but don’t think I am in this for myself—their rescued souls are the only profit.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I want you to focus on two things you heard from Paul’s letter today; first, about temptation and second, about your actions and words.

So many today think they cannot live the life I’ve asked you to live. They forget I’ve sent My Spirit to live inside you to give you assistance. I can help you and guide you. I can give you the strength you need to withstand temptation, but most often I give you a way of escape. What most people do, though, is fail to look for the way of escape. Instead, they try to withstand the blast from Satan in their own strength and fail.

I always give you an escape, but too many fail to look for the exit sign. The best way to keep from yielding to the temptations of life is to find the exits and run as fast as you can. Remember, I always make a way of escape for you. Take it!

The second thing so many forget today is to do everything for My glory. When your aim focuses on My outcomes instead of your own, giving glory to Me instead gaining glory for yourself you will prosper more than you can imagine. You may not gain prosperity as the world measures it, but you might. I might entrust you with the riches of the world as I did Abraham, Joseph, Solomon, and others. But I will certainly give you other riches like the internal peace that only comes by knowing your spirit is secure in Me.

In his letter, Paul talks about eating and drinking, not offending others by your actions. But if you’ll operate with the thought in mind to give Me glory by your actions, you’ll never have a problem with trying to figure out what you should do. Just ask Me the question. “What would Jesus do in the this situation?” You’ll get your answer and you’ll give Me glory in your actions and in your words.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Vengeance belongs to God (Joshua 20), Mar 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 20
Set – Joshua 20; 1 Corinthians 9
Go! – Joshua 18-20; 1 Corinthians 9

Joshua 20
¹Then the Eternal One spoke to Joshua.

Eternal One: ² Tell the Israelites, “You must set apart cities of refuge, as I directed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who accidentally or unintentionally kills a person may flee there. These cities shall be set up as a refuge from anyone seeking blood revenge. ⁴ If the slayer flees to one of these cities, he can stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain the case to the elders of that city; then the fugitive will be taken into the city and given a place, and he will live among them. ⁵ If the person seeking to avenge in blood comes after him, the people of the city may not give up the slayer since the neighbor was killed by mistake and there was no premeditation or prior hatred. ⁶ The slayer may remain in that city until there is a trial before the congregation. And when the high priest who currently holds the office dies, then the slayer may return home to the town from which he fled.”

⁷ So they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee (in the hill country of Naphtali), Shechem (in the hill country of Ephraim), and Kiriath-arba (Hebron, in the hill country of Judah). ⁸ Beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer (in the desert plateau from the tribe of Reuben), Ramoth in Gilead (from the tribe of Gad), and Golan in Bashan (from the tribe of Manasseh). ⁹ These, then, were the cities set aside to be sanctuaries for all the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who killed a person accidentally could flee there and not die at the hands of someone seeking blood revenge until there was a trial before the congregation.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Vengeance is Mine. It was true during the most violent times of ancient biblical history and is still true today. The laws that meet out punishment for crime is necessary to keep order in society, but ultimately, I will dole out the appropriate punishment for the sins and evil of the world. Vengeance is and always will be Mine and belongs to no one else.

You might say, “But you don’t know what he or she did to me.” Yes I do. I know all things. Still, vengeance belongs to Me alone. That’s the reason I set out the cities of refuge in the early days of the nation of Israel. I wanted reason and justice to prevail, not the heated emotions that follow an action. I know the motive and intent of men’s hearts and so I own the final say in giving the punishment due each, not you.

I didn’t want family members to conduct mock trials and hold the blood of the innocent on their hands because of rash decisions made in the heat of the moment. The cities of refuge reduced that opportunity and placed it into a more just system. Witnesses must prove guilt before priests who I would hope would also consult Me before making their final decisions about the guilt or innocence, and punishments given to accused.

Laws changed through the years and you no longer go out and kill those who wrong you. But I’ve see society at work. You can kill in more ways than with knives and guns. Words can ruin and destroy people just as easily as weapons. You can cut as deeply as a dagger with your words and ruin reputations with just a few sentences on a piece of paper or a few characters in an email. But remember, vengeance is Mine, not yours.

There are no more cities of refuge. I wish there were. I wish I could take all the times people exact revenge on another person, separate them, and put one into a city of refuge until real believers can consult Me on what should be done. What a different world it would be! How much violence, gossip, and discord would decrease if I could do it!

Think about the cities of refuge the next time you think you’ve been wronged and want revenge. Remember vengeance is Mine, not yours. Don’t let yourself get trapped by your emotions and do something you’ll regret. I’m the Avenger. Vengeance is Mine…always. Let Me handle the outcome. I will, trust Me. Yes, I want all to come to saving knowledge of Me and have their sins forgiven, but I also know best how to deal with the consequences, the guilt, the restitution, the punishment in this life and the next. I am the one who can bring justice to the world. After all, I give you My grace and you don’t deserve it either. All have sinned and come short of My glory. But I am the giver of grace and mercy. I am also the deliverer of justice and wrath.

Vengeance is Mine, not yours.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You are your brother’s keeper (1 Corinthians 8), Mar 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Corinthians 8
Set – Joshua 17; 1 Corinthians 8
Go! – Joshua 15-17; 1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8
¹ As to the concern of eating food dedicated to idols: we know that all of us have knowledge, but knowledge can be risky. Knowledge promotes overconfidence and worse arrogance, but charity of the heart (love, that is) looks to build up others. ² Just because a person presumes to have some bit of knowledge, that person doesn’t necessarily have the right kind of knowledge. ³ But if someone loves God, it is certain that God has already known that one.

⁴ So to address your concerns about eating food offered to idols, let me start with what we know. An idol is essentially nothing, as there is no other God but the One. ⁵ And even if the majority believes there are many so-called gods in heaven and on earth (certainly many worship such “gods” and “lords”), this is not our view. ⁶ For us, there is one God, the Father who is the ultimate source of all things and the goal of our lives. And there is one Lord—Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King; through Him all things were created, and by Him we are redeemed.

⁷ But this knowledge is not in everyone. Up until now, some have been so familiar with idols and what goes on in the temples that when they eat meat that has been offered first to some idol, their weak consciences are polluted. This is the issue. ⁸ Again, here’s what we know: what we eat will not bring us closer to God—we gain nothing in feasting and lose nothing by fasting. ⁹ Now let me warn you: don’t let your newfound liberty cause those who don’t know this to fall face-first. ¹⁰ Let’s say a person (someone who knows of Jesus) sees you eating in the temple of an idol; and because the person with a weaker conscience is still unsure of things, he becomes confident, follows your lead, and eats idol food. ¹¹ Now, because of your knowledge on display in your conduct, the weaker brother or sister—for whom the Anointed One died—is destroyed! Ruined! ¹² What’s more, by living according to your knowledge, you have sinned against these brothers and sisters and wounded their weak consciences—and because you sinned against them, you have sinned against the Anointed One, the Liberating King.

¹³ So if any type of food is an issue that causes my brothers and sisters to fall away from God, then God forbid I should ever eat it again so that I would never be the crack, the rise, or the rock on the road that causes them to stumble.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul’s words seem to cause a lot of people discomfort and discord in the church today. Some go much too far on the side of anything not specifically prohibited in My word is permissible. That’s clearly not what I want from you. Others go too far the other way and declare anything that in any way might cause anyone any kind of disturbance must be banned. This too is not what I want from you.

I inspired Paul to write the words. I want you to help your brothers and sisters grow in Me. That means discipling them. I expect you to help them eventually grow to understand that what they eat doesn’t mean anything. Idols don’t mean anything. What is dedicated to senseless pieces of wood and stone mean nothing. But I also know that it sometimes takes time to change from an infant to an adult spiritually just as it does to grow from an infant to an adult physically.

Just as you would help a child grow to maturity by keeping them from dangerous activities at an early age, I expect you to keep my infant children from things that are dangerous spiritually. For instance, you don’t let children play with fire or knives. So don’t entice my spiritual children with things that may become harmful to them in their infancy. That’s the message Paul shares with his readers.

Today, the problem may not be food dedicated to idols. The problem might look like soccer practice instead of prayer meeting. A night at the movies instead of a night at the church’s revival service. Sunday on the lake instead of Sunday in worship. None of the former are bad and in some instances might even be necessary at times. But when they cause one of My spiritual infants to fall because of your behavior and their lack of discipleship, I have a problem.

You see, just as with Cain and Abel, you are your brother’s keeper. I expect you to do everything you can to help each other grow in your understanding of Me and My kingdom. How will you help your brothers and sisters this week through your actions and your words?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God does the impossible (Joshua 14:6-15), Mar 22, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 14:6-15
Set – Joshua 14; 1 Corinthians 7
Go! – Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7

Joshua 14:6-15
⁶ Some members of the tribe of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, including Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite.

Caleb (to Joshua): Remember what the Eternal said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me in Kadesh-barnea. ⁷ I was 40 years old when Moses, the Eternal’s servant, sent me out from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land of Canaan. I brought back an honest report. ⁸ The others who were sent as spies only discouraged the people and melted their hearts, but I obeyed the Eternal One, my God, completely. ⁹ At that time, Moses swore an oath to me: “Someday the land on which you have walked will be given to you and your children as an inheritance forever because you have been completely faithful to the Eternal One, my God.”

¹⁰ So here I am. The Eternal has spared my life these 45 years since He spoke this to Moses while Israel was in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old, ¹¹ still as strong today as I was when Moses sent me into this country, able to fight and able to work.

¹² So now I ask that you give me this hill country the Eternal spoke about on that day. You heard then how the Anakim were there with great fortified cities, and so they are still. Because the Eternal goes with me, I will drive them out, just as He has said.

¹³ So Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. ¹⁴ Hebron belongs to the descendants of Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, even now because he obeyed the Eternal God of Israel completely. ¹⁵ (In ancient times, Hebron was called Kiriath-arba after Arba, who was the greatest of the Anakim.) So that land was peaceful.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Caleb had a special place in the promised land because he had a special place in My kingdom. Of all the spies who went into Canaan to report on the land I would give the Israelites, only
Caleb told Moses My people should go in immediately and take it because I would be with them. All the other spies cowed to their fear of failure in the face of people bigger and better equipped for war than they. They forgot that God plus one is always a majority.

All but Caleb and Joshua forgot a few months earlier I delivered them from Pharaoh and the great Egyptian army. The Israelites didn’t lose a single person when I defeated Pharaoh’s army. I kept them safe, fed them, gave them water. I did miraculous things they saw with their own eyes, yet when they saw the size of the people in the land, they forgot Me and what I could do for them. Only Caleb and Joshua believed I could lead the Israelites to victory despite the odds against them in men’s eyes.

So Caleb, the Kenizzite, received his reward. He received all the land he spied out for the nation when he entered it forty years earlier. He also has a place in My kingdom. A place reserved for him in heaven. My servant did what I asked of him and will have a great reward because of his faithfulness among the unbelievers with whom he worked. He tried his best to convince others of who I am and what I can do. It wasn’t his fault they failed in their own faithfulness. Caleb did his part and will find his reward because of it.

The point is, trust Me. I can do all things. Something that looks impossible to you, if I’ve told you to do it, I’ll be with you and together we will make it happen. I just want you to allow yourself to be an instrument in My hands. I know what you are capable of much better than you. Remember I made you. I also know how best to use you to complete My plan on earth. So make yourself available to Me. That’s all you need to do. I’ll do the rest through you. Just believe in Me and let me take care of everything else.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.