BE A REVOLUTIONARY

READ: Luke 6:27-38

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. – Luke 6:27

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 5-7

People who can love their enemies are revolutionaries. A graduate student named Jack became such a revolutionary. One summer he asked God for a ministry. He contacted several organizations but found no openings. Finally he had to take any job available. He ended up driving a public transportation bus in Chicago. A street gang rode his bus every day without paying and made threats against him.

One day they dragged him off the bus and beat him unconscious. In the hospital, Jack was bitter toward them and God. “Lord,” he complained, “I prayed for a ministry and all You gave me was this lousy job and a beating!”

Jack pressed charges, and the gang members were arrested and found guilty. But during the trial, God began replacing Jack’s bitterness with compassion and love. When the judge pronounced the sentence, Jack asked for permission to serve their combined jail time. Stunned, the judge said, “There’s no precedent for this!” “Yes, there is,” Jack replied, explaining that Jesus died on the cross for a guilty world. Jack’s request was denied, but he began visiting the young men in jail and saw most of them come to know Christ.

When we love others in that way, it’s revolutionary! – Joanie Yoder

Doing good to those who hate us,

Lord, is difficult to do;

Help us by Your grace to love them,

Praying they will turn to You. – Sper

To love a friend is natural; to love an enemy is Christ-like.

SAYING GOOD-BYE

WE WERE THERE!

READ: Col. 2:20-3:11

You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:3

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 1-4

Christa McAuliffe was one of the seven astronauts who lost their lives in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986. She had been selected from among many applicants to be the first teacher in space. Her commitment to education and the space program had captured the imagination of many. At a memorial service, one teacher said, “When Christa stepped onto that shuttle, we stepped on with her. And when she died, a part of us died too.”

These comments about Christa remind me of a much deeper identification – the believer’s spiritual union with Christ. Because of our relationship to Him, we can say, “When He was lifted up on that cross, we were there with Him. When He died, we died!” The apostle Paul said that we died with Christ (Col. 2:20; 3:3), and we were also raised with Him (3:1). Therefore, in Him we are accepted and forgiven by God (Eph. 1:6-7).

What remains to be seen is whether our lives show that we really do believe we were united with Christ in His death and resurrection. Our confession of faith must be more than a memorial statement. It must show that we have put away our old life of sin and have set our mind on things above. – Mart De Haan

I have been to the cross where my Saviour died,

And all my life is made new –

In the person of Him I am crucified.

I have been to the cross. Have you? – Frazee-Bower

To show His love, Jesus died for us; to show our love, we must live for Him!

ARMED AND EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE

RUGGED AND READY

READ: James 1:1-12

The testing of your faith produces patience. – James 1:3

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 38-40

When computers are prepared for demanding environments such as the military, they undergo a process called “ruggedization.” They are subject to extreme testing so that they will function well in the harshest conditions. Tests are conducted for shock, vibration, and exposure to extreme temperatures. This testing ensures reliability and performance under the harsh conditions of the battlefield.

If that reminds you of the spiritual ruggedization you’re undergoing, take heart. It is God Himself, our loving Father, who allows times of testing to prepare us to serve Him. When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, the Bible offers the surprising instruction to “count it all joy …, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3). Through it all, God invites us to ask Him for wisdom. Why? That we might know how to respond properly. He gives this wisdom “liberally” to all who ask (v. 5).

If life was like a clean, air-conditioned office, then off-the-shelf Christians would be adequate to meet the need. But we inhabit a world engulfed in a life-or-death spiritual battle. As we trust God through the difficult times, we’ll become rugged and ready, tested and prepared for greater usefulness. – David McCasland

God has a purpose in our heartaches,

The Saviour always knows what’s best;

We learn so many precious lessons

In each sorrow, trial, and test. - Jarvis

God allows adversity into our lives not to break us but to better us.

A SHEER DELIGHT

WHAT FAITH IS AND DOES

READ: Hebrews 11:1-6

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 35-37

When I was in my mid-teens, I sometimes wondered if my faith was real. I had sincerely placed my trust in Jesus Christ, yet the injustices in society and writings of unbelievers raised doubts in my mind. I didn’t dare mention this to anybody. However, I repeatedly committed myself anew to Christ and to His teachings for my life.

Many have told me that they are troubled by the description of faith in Hebrews 11:1. To them it defines faith as absolute intellectual certainty – something they don’t always have. But in its context, this verse explains both what faith is and what it does. It affirms the certainty that comes as we continue in our commitment to trust Jesus and His Word. As we do, we become assured of the reality of God and the heaven that awaits us.

To test the validity of this statement, consider the steadfast faith of elderly believers who have continued trusting Jesus through great trials, sorrow, and pain. They will tell you that Jesus has become so real and precious to them that they are absolutely sure of Him and the truthfulness of His promises.

Don’t let times of doubt discourage you. Keep trusting and obeying the Lord Jesus and His Word. As you do, your confidence will grow. – Herb Vander Lugt

There can be those times when our minds are in doubt,

When we ask what our faith is really about;

We can believe Him, we know that He cares

For our God is real, as the Bible declares. – Fitzhugh

Feed your faith and your doubts will starve.

JESUS' DIFFICULT WORDS

THE LONELY LIFE

READ: Philippians 4:10-13

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. – Hebrews 10:24

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 32-34

Statistically speaking, it should be impossible to be lonely on planet earth. After all, there are more than 6 billion of us roaming around on this big rock.

But many people in our world are lonely. One woman told me she has outlived every close relative or friend in her life. In her loneliness, she wonders why God allows her to remain.

If you’re lonely, perhaps we can offer some encouragement. Using God’s Word, discover how the following three actions can help to ease your loneliness:

Learn contentment. Read Philippians 4:10-13, then ask God to help you to depend on Him each day and to learn to be content in any situation.

Do well for someone. Read Hebrews 13:1-3, and then look for someone in need of help. You’ll get rid of loneliness for both of you.

Worship with God’s people. Hebrews 10:21-25 emphasizes the value of worshiping with other believers. Find someone with whom you can praise God.

If you’re feeling lonely, lean on Jesus for contentment. Help someone else. And worship God with other believers. These actions will redirect your thinking and remind you that when you know God you’re never alone. – Dave Branon

If you are feeling all alone,

Reach out to someone who’s bereaved;

You both will find encouragement

And loneliness will be relieved. – Sper

Many people are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.

THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY

THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS

READ: Exodus 31:12-18

On the first day of the week … they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. – Luke 24:1-2

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 28-31

This is the time of year when I go on “the hunt” – not for after-holiday deals on decorations but for the perfect calendar. I start looking in December, but I don’t get serious about my search until January. My requirements are simple: I want a week-at-a-glance, book-type calendar that will lie open on the counter near the telephone. It must also begin each week with Sunday, not Monday. It’s this last criterion that complicates my search. More and more calendars start the week with Monday, the day God considers second.

This trend, like others in our culture, gives the least prominence to what God considers most important. He chose to give special significance to 2 days of the week, the first and the last. He rested on the seventh day after creating the world (Gen. 2:1-3), and on the first day Christ rose from the dead after redeeming the world (Luke 24:1-7). Under the Old Covenant, the last day was reserved for rest. Today, under the New Covenant, believers celebrate the first day of the week in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection.

Although the calendar I use is not crucial to my faith, it does help me remember that my life begins and ends not with the work I do for myself but with the work God does for me as I worship and rest. – Julie Ackerman Link

THINKING IT OVER

Do I make time in my schedule for worship and rest?

How can worship transform my thinking and living?

How can rest help me to see God and life more clearly?

Time spent with the Lord is time well spent.