A lesson from Mary – For young girls

A lesson from Mary – For young girls

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27

It is difficult for us to understand, 2,000 years later, the significance of the angel Gabriel's appearance to Mary in Nazareth.

After all, he could have found the future mother of the Messiah in Rome, the capital of the greatest power on earth at the time. He could have found her in Athens, the cultural center of the world, or in Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the world.

But God chose Nazareth, an obscure but extremely wicked city that was notorious for its sin. Upon hearing that Jesus was from there, Nathanael said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).

What is amazing about Mary is that she lived a godly life in a godless place, and she did so as a very young teenager. Commentators believe she may have been as young as 12, but not much older than 14.

Here she was, a nobody living in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere-precisely the kind of person that God goes out of His way to call. He chose an unknown girl in a relatively unknown city to bring about the most-known event in human history, an event so significant that we actually divide human time by it.

Maybe you are trying to live out your faith in a godless place today, at work or school or among unbelieving family members. You're wondering if it can be done. It can be.

Mary stands as an example for us, proving that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Greg Laurie

She loves me... She loves me not...

She loves me... She loves me not...

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

Did you ever try to figure out whether or not someone you loved, loved you in return? Who knows when, but a long time ago some romantic had the idea that you could solve the dilemma by pulling petals off of a daisy. Remember how it works? “She loves me, she loves me not . . .” When you got to the last petal, you’d have it figured out. And, the beauty of it was, if you didn’t like the outcome, you could grab another flower and start over!

Sometimes I wonder if that’s how God feels about our love for Him. We know from Scripture that God’s love toward us is faithful, undaunted, and unchanging (Lamentations 3:22-23). But, quite frankly, our love for Him is often fickle and erratic. One day it’s “we love Him,” and a couple of days later it looks like “we love him not.” And while we would never say it that way, sometimes that’s really what it is! One day we resonate with intimacy toward God, and the next, we feel distant and disconnected.

I suspect that part of the problem is our understanding of the word love. We use the same English word to speak about so many things. I could say, “I love the Chicago Cubs; I love deep-dish pizza; I love the family dog; and I love my wife” using the same word for all, but meaning dramatically different things. Then we take that same word and say, “I love God.” No wonder the meaning gets lost!

That’s why I’m thankful for the writings of the apostle John. He moves the discussion about our love for God from the realm of our fickle feelings to tangible, practical ways that we can express our love to God regardless of how we feel. John tells us that God feels loved by us when we surrender to Him and obey (1 John 5:3). He also tells us that loving God is expressed to Him by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 4:21). And in today’s verse we see that our love for God is also proven when we choose to love God more than the world! “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

So, thankfully, our love for God doesn’t need to rise and fall on how we feel on a given day. Loving Him is about our choice to put Him first and care about the things He cares about! And that is something we can do on a regular basis regardless.

If you’ve been caught in a “petal-pulling” love relationship with Jesus, set yourself free by choosing to express your love to Him in concrete ways every day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the good feelings follow your good choices!

Joe Stowel

“Kill me now!” – Is this your shout?

“Kill me now!” – Is this your shout?

If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now -- if I have found favor in your eyes--and do not let me face my own ruin." Numbers 11:15

...while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 1 Kings 19:4

Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. Jonah 4:3

What kind of a person feels like this? A schmo like me, at times, sure. Maybe you, or people you know. Surely not the heroes of the Old Testament.

Well, truth is, even God's greatest leaders and prophets got to the point in their respective stories where, even after witnessing indescribable miracles and blessings, their circumstances were so overwhelming, impossible and undesirable their attitude was, "Just kill me now, Lord!" Exhausted in body, soul, and spirit, they cried out that they had had enough. They could go no longer in their own power.

The first quote above is from Moses, who had a People Problem. The wandering Israelites were hungry, and as usual, it fell to Moses to solve the problem. He cried out to the Lord, "Was it I who conceived these people? Was it I who brought them forth?" He looked around and couldn't figure out how to satisfy everyone.

The second quote is from Elijah, who had a Pity Problem. This was a prophet who had just called down fire from heaven, destroyed the prophets of Baal, and witnessed the end of a long drought. But just a few verses later, one vow from one wicked queen has him in such despair that he fears he can't go on like this.

The third quote is from Jonah, who had a Pouting Problem. He'd finally obeyed to the point of going to Nineveh and preaching repentance, but when the Lord relented and stayed his hand rather than destroying the city, Jonah wasn't happy. He folded his hands and "became angry" that the destruction he forecast never arrived.

Consider who these men were and what they had seen, what the Lord had done through them. Moses parted the Red Sea and led a people out of slavery. Elijah stood strong for Israel during a time of tremendous pagan influence, prayed down fire and rain, and actually never died (so chalk up at least one unanswered prayer!). Jonah is one of the first stories we tell our children, about how God provided a great fish to swallow him for such a period as he could learn about obedience and repentance.

Not only that, but these guys all show up in the Gospels, in one way or another. Moses and Elijah are present at Jesus' transfiguration (Mark 9). In Matthew 12:38-41 (NIV), Jesus tells the Pharisees they won't get any sign from him other than the sign of Jonah, foreshadowing the three days He Himself would spend in the belly of the Earth.

But interestingly enough, Christ never felt this way. He knew His destiny was to die, and even prayed that such a cup might pass from Him. And let's not forget that He is our example, not Moses, not Elijah, and not Jonah, great as they were.

When we feel the way that these guys did, we need to realize that anyone wanting to die is under attack. And our enemy can bring that attack through people, pity, and pouting. It comes when our body is not healthy, our soul is not happy, and our spirit is not holy.

But conveniently enough, Paul shows us a prayer that covers all these bases. He writes, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

You aren't alone when you feel like you can't go on, like you would be better off dead than standing strong in the face of the overwhelming task God has given you, especially when you are weak in body, soul, and spirit, and the enemy is on the attack. And truly, it is comforting to know that some of the Bible's greatest faith warriors and miracle workers shared these feelings. But it doesn't mean they were right. Let us not indulge hopelessness, for it is always around us. Instead, let us remember that we serve a God of miracles and we follow the One who never copped to people, pity, or pouting, but willingly laid His life down.

This weekend, develop a plan that gives you exercise and rest in proper amounts for your body, soul, and spirit, so that you will be less prone to attack.

Shawn McEvoy

Why don't Christians follow all the laws in the Old Testament?

Why don't Christians follow all the laws in the Old Testament?

Q: Why don't Christians follow all the laws in the Old Testament, and not just parts of it like the Ten Commandments? Christians believe it's all part of God's Word, don't they?

A: Yes, the whole Bible is God's Word, and every part of it has lessons to teach us. The Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)

At the same time, Christians have always believed that many of the laws of the Old Testament no longer apply to us the way they once did -- and the reason is because Jesus Christ has fulfilled them. They pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah -- and once He came, they were no longer needed.

Let me give an example. In Old Testament times, the priests carried out animal sacrifices every day to make atonement for the sins of the people. But through His death on the cross, Jesus paid the final price for our sins -- fully and completely. No more sacrifices are needed, because He is a final sacrifice for sin. Our sins have been forgiven because all our sins were placed on Christ, "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (Hebrews 10:18).

Does this mean we should just ignore those parts of the Old Testament? No, not at all. They teach us just how seriously God takes sin, and they remind us too of what it cost God to make our salvation possible. Most of all, they point us to Jesus Christ, who loved us so much that He was willing to give His life for us. Have you responded to His love by giving your life to Him?

Billy Graham

Why do my colleagues laugh when I talk about Jesus?

Why do my colleagues laugh when I talk about Jesus?

Q: I'm a firefighter and also a Christian. I know I'm in a dangerous profession and that every day might be my last, and that's one reason I gave my life to Christ several years ago. But most of my colleagues just laugh when I try to talk with them about Jesus and heaven. Why is this, do you suppose?

A: Let me first of all commend you and your colleagues for your dedication. The same is true for all those who willingly put their lives on the line so we can live in safety and freedom. Our world is a better place because of you, and God has given you a very important responsibility.

I don't know why your fellow firefighters aren't interested in God and refuse to give any thought to eternity; why don't you ask some of them? One answer may be that they have always prided themselves on being strong and self-reliant -- and they think it would be a sign of weakness to turn to God. But that isn't true; it takes courage to admit we need God in our lives.

Another answer (at least for some of them) might be that they secretly hope God will reward them and let them into heaven because of all the good things they do for others. But this isn't what the Bible teaches, because only Christ can save us from our sins and give us the new life we need. The Bible says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Pray for those you work with -- and pray too that God will help you be a witness to Christ's love by the way you live. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Billy Graham

Honor God in your work

Honor God in your work

Heaven's calendar has seven Sundays a week. God sanctifies each day. He conducts holy business at all hours and in all places. He uncommons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures.

Workdays? Yes, workdays. He ordained your work as something good. Before he gave Adam a wife or a child, even before he gave Adam britches, God gave Adam a job. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it" (Gen. 2:15 NASB). Innocence, not indolence, characterized the first family.

God views work worthy of its own engraved commandment: "You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest" (Exod. 34:21 NASB). We like the second half of that verse. But emphasis on the day of rest might cause us to miss the command to work: "You shall work six days." Whether you work at home or in the marketplace, your work matters to God.

And your work matters to society. We need you! Cities need plumbers. Nations need soldiers. Stoplights break. Bones break. We need people to repair the first and set the second. Someone has to raise kids, raise cane, and manage the kids who raise Cain.

Whether you log on or lace up for the day, you imitate God. Jehovah himself worked for the first six days of creation. Jesus said, "My Father never stops working, and so I keep working, too" (John 5:17 NCV). Your career consumes half of your lifetime. Shouldn't it broadcast God? Don't those forty to sixty hours a week belong to him as well?

The Bible never promotes workaholism or an addiction to employment as pain medication. But God unilaterally calls all the physically able to till the gardens he gives. God honors work. So honor God in your work. "There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good" (Eccles. 2:24 NASB).

Here is the big idea:

Use your uniqueness (what you do)
-- to make a big deal out of God (why you do it)
-- every day of your life (where you do it).

At the convergence of all three, you'll find the cure for the common life: your sweet spot.

Max Lucado

Give them something to Eat

Give them something to Eat

Our world is full of people in deep spiritual need. Most have never placed their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and are literally starving right before our eyes. But even many Brothers and Sisters who love the Lord are desperately hungry to know Him more, or they have been wounded and are in need of long term spiritual nourishment.

God's Word tells us to have open eyes and a soft heart such that we can recognize the needs and bring them before our Father in prayer; "In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). But then we are told to carefully listen for God's leading and fully expect to be put to work.

One afternoon, a crowd of over 5000 people had gathered to hear Jesus teach; "He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing" (Luke 9:11). The disciples saw it was getting late and would soon be time to eat. They recognized the need of the people, came before Jesus, and "presented their request."

Luke 9:12-13
"Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to Him and said, 'Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.' He replied, 'You give them something to eat.'"

When the disciples approached Jesus, they presented the need... but they also presented their solution. They knew the people were growing hungry, but their solution was to send them elsewhere for food. We often make this same mistake when we limit God by our own vision and understanding. Jesus' solution to this need was to bless the few provisions the disciples could gather and then accomplished His work through their hands; "They all ate and were satisfied" (Luke 9:17).

God never asks us to do something without also providing the necessary tools to accomplish all He desires. We have been empowered by His Spirit and equipped through His Word. Yes, we must continue to pray; but our prayers ought to be with an understanding that God may very well direct us to carry His life-giving food and be a vessel for His healing.

There can be no greater work here on earth than to take part in restoring someone's relationship to our Heavenly Father. Only God can truly heal, but He has invited us to join Him in this awesome work. Let's continue to lift up the many needs to God in prayer, but then let's prepare for His answer - His invitation - which calmly says, "You give them something to eat."

Steve Troxel