A Self-Righteous Spirit

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine…

 

Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? - Matthew 7:4

 

But is it not a kindness to a friend to take the mote out of his eye? If we met a neighbour with a cinder in his eye, would it not be a brotherly thing to stop and take it out for him? Then why is it not just as true a kindness to want to cure another’s fault, even though we have the same fault ourselves? If we did it in the right spirit it would be. We are bound to seek the welfare of our friends in every possible way, and therefore, if we discover in them things that mar their beauty, we should seek the removal of those things.

But the trouble is we are not apt to look at our neighbour’s faults in this loving and sympathetic way. To begin with, we do not know, or at least we do not confess, that we ourselves have beams in our own eyes; we are not even aware that there are motes in our own eyes. It is the self-righteous spirit that our Lord is here condemning. A man holds up his hands in horror at the speckle has found in his neighbour’s character; and his neighbour, looking up, sees in him an immensely magnified copy of the speck. Will the neighbour be greatly benefited by the rebuke?

Suppose a bad-tempered man lectures us on the sin of giving way to temper, or a dishonest man on some apparent lack of honesty, or a liar on the wickedness of falsehood, or a bad-mannered man on some discourtesy of ours, or a hypocrite on insincerity, what good will such lectures do, even admitting that we are conscious of the faults? We are only irritated by the unfitness of such rebukes from those in whom the faults are ten times greater than in us. We wonder how people can have the face to talk about motes in our eyes when huge beams project from their own eyes. Truly this is not the way to tell others of their faults.

The Song Of Victory!

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

The children of Israel were in a hopeless predicament!

The Red Sea was before them; the mountains were to the left and right; and
Pharaoh and his iron chariots were closing in from the rear. God‘s people
seemed helplessly trapped—like sitting ducks just waiting to be cut down.
Yet, believe it or not, God purposely had led them into this precarious spot!

It was panic time in the camp of Israel. Men shook with fear, and women and
children wept as they huddled around grandparents and other kin. Suddenly Moses
was mobbed by irate family leaders who cried, “Surely this is the end! Weren’t
there enough graves in Egypt to bury us there? You had to drag us out here to
die? We told you in Egypt to let us alone. It was better to be slaves there
than to die in this miserable wilderness!” (see Exodus 14:10-12).

I wonder if even Moses had a moment of trepidation about their circumstances.
Yet when this man of God wept, the Lord seems to have chided him: “Wherefore
criest thou unto me?” (Exodus 14:15).

No one in Israel could have known what a great deliverance God was about to
bring! Suddenly the winds parted the sea, and the people walked through the
parted waves on dry ground. When Pharaoh and his powerful army tried to follow,
the waters began to rage again, closing in and drowning them all!

What a sight it must have been! The people of God looked back from the other
side and saw their mighty enemy destroyed like tin soldiers. Then a song went
up in the camp as, once again, they realized God had delivered them from
impossible circumstances! Scripture records their reaction—and the song they
sang:

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake,
saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse
and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an
habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Exodus 15:1-2).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22838?src=devo-email

Greater Things Are Yet To Come

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

By Gary Wilkerson

God wants to do mighty things through us. He wants to express His love to the
world through us. So if we are clinging to one thing that gets in the way of
His accomplishing that—some willfulness, some refusal to trust Him for
everything—He points it out to us.

Sometimes God wants us to add something to our lives before He brings His best.
This may involve something we have not done, so He wants us to ask, “Have I
been slow to respond to something God has asked me to do?”

We find an example of this in Acts, when the disciples added a new member to
replace Judas. While in the Upper Room, they drew lots and chose Matthias. It
seemed like such a small thing. These same men had seen Jesus work wonders,
open blind eyes, cast out demons, even raise a man from the dead. They had seen
God’s kingdom advanced on earth as never before in history. And when Christ
ascended to heaven, He gave them this incredible word: “You will do even
greater works, once I send you My Spirit. He will empower you. Greater things
are yet to come!” (see Acts 1:1-8).

Indeed, these same disciples would go beyond Israel and the Middle East, into
Europe and India and Africa, preaching the good news of Christ to the nations,
all within their generation. What made it so important to add another disciple?
They did it for one simple reason: Peter sensed it was something God wanted them
to do.

“In those days Peter stood up among the brothers . . . and said, ‘Brothers,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the
mouth of David concerning Judas . . . For he was numbered among us and was
allotted his share in this ministry’” (Acts 1:15-17). Peter was referring
to Psalm 109:8: “May another take his place of leadership.”

There is a great lesson here for Christ’s church today. That is, never
overlook a nagging issue of the heart, no matter how small. God puts His finger
on these matters for a reason: to reveal our heart’s response to Him. Greater
things are yet to come!

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22808?src=devo-email

Christ’s Blood :The Necessity

Read | Romans 3:21-26

Romans 3 communicates the very heart of Scripture. Apart from the cross of Christ and His atoning death, no one can be declared righteous.

In other words, there is only one way to become a child of God—through the blood of the Savior (John 14:6). Good works and right living will not earn the Lord’s favor, because every person inevitably sins, and a sinner cannot enter the presence of holy God. The shedding of Christ’s blood on the world’s behalf made it possible for anyone to be cleansed of sin and have a relationship with the Creator. The only requirement is trusting Jesus as Savior.

For God to be just, He must remain true to His own principles. His holiness dictated that “the soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). The penalty for sin—namely, death—had to be paid in a way that was acceptable to God. He explained through Moses why a blood sacrifice was required: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement” (Lev. 17:11). A life must be given for a life to be spared.

On that basis, the heavenly Father provided a perfectly sinless sacrifice for all mankind. The only way God’s justice could be satisfied and His holiness could be maintained was for Jesus Christ to take our guilt and sin upon Himself and die in our place.

When we say that there is only one way to the Father, we mean that a person must believe Jesus Christ died as a perfect sacrifice. To trust in anything else is to ignore God’s holiness and the admonition of His Word (Acts 4:12).

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Peacemakers

Here’s Today’s Devotional From The Vine…

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. - Matthew 5:9

This seems to be too much an overlooked beatitude. There are many people who are really strifemakers rather than peacemakers. They do not seek to heal estrangements between others, to prevent quarrels and contentions, and to bring together those who have begun to drift apart. Indeed, their whole influence goes toward widening breaches, intensifying bitterness, and exciting anger and hatred. When they find in any one a germ of suspicion or dislike of another, they stimulate the evil growth. Is it not time that we should get our Lord’s beatitude down out of the skies and begin to work it into our lives? Is it not time that we should become peacemakers in a world whose beauty is marred by so much strife?

The peacemaking spirit is divine. No one in heaven finds delight in separating friends. Just so far as we get the peacemaking spirit into our lives do we bear the mark of God’s image. To be peacemakers we must first of all strive to live peaceably with all men. “If it be possible , as much as in you lieth,” says St. Paul, “be at peace with all men.”

But, further, we are also to strive to make and promote peace between others. Our ministry is not to be confined to the settlement of great quarrels, but may find even its most fruitful work in the healing of the petty contentions which we discover all about us. Whenever we find one man angry with another, we should seek to remove the angry feeling, The little rifts in others’ friendships we should strive to heal. The unkind thoughts of others which we find in people’s minds we should seek to change into kindly thoughts. We can do no more Christ like service than to seek always to promote peace between man and man, to keep people from drifting apart, and to get them to live together more lovingly.

Encouragement For All Seasons

Apr 22, 2013

Read | Deuteronomy 7:7-9

Spring, summer, fall, and winter—these are the seasons of the year. Life also has its seasons. Some are filled with joy, while others are characterized by difficulty. Take comfort because there is a principle from the Bible that can encourage and sustain you through every season: Our God is faithful.

We learn about this attribute of the Lord from passages like 1 Corinthians 1:9, where Paul says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” To say that God is faithful means He always does exactly what He says He will do.

How reassuring it is to know that He will keep His promises to His children and never leave their side, whatever “season” of life they are in. No matter how deep, how dark, how depressing, how hopeless, or how good things may seem, the child of God can count on the Father’s abiding presence.

So regardless of your present trials or triumphs, embrace these three truths:

1. God will be faithful to you because it is His very nature (Ps. 36:5).

2. God knows all about your situation; you are never alone in any season of life (Ps. 139:7-12).

3. God is omnipotent, so He has the power to meet every single need, and He knows how to move you through the various seasons of your life (Rom. 8:28).

Hold onto this fact: You will change and seasons will change, but our wonderful God is always the same. That means He won’t fail you, He won’t waver on you, and He won’t vary—you can fully rely on Him. And He will never forget about you; He is with you always. Great is His faithfulness!

http://www.intouch.org

“Christus Victor”

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2013

David and Goliath, a colour lithograph by Osmar Schindler (c. 1888) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“CHRISTUS VICTOR”
By Gary Wilkerson

“Christus Victor” is the Latin phrase the early church fathers used to
describe Jesus and His atonement. Roughly translated, it means, “Our victory
is not in ourselves, but in Christ.” If we defeat an enemy when the odds are
fifty-fifty, we are tempted to think, “I won the battle.” But when our
enemy is nine feet tall; when we have rebuked him but he comes back stronger;
when we have exhausted all our resources; when we have thrown up our hands and
said, “I can’t do this,” then God says, “I have you right where I want
you.”

Usually Old Testament stories are taught to children not as spiritual truths
but as moral instruction. For example, the lesson of Jonah is usually presented
as, “Don’t disobey God or you’ll get into deep trouble.”

Most of us were taught the story of David and Goliath in Sunday school and the
lesson is, “Be brave and courageous.” The trouble with this interpretation
of David’s story is that we are teaching our children to do something they
are unable to do. There was not a single Israelite soldier who could have
survived a hand-to-hand fight with Goliath. That battle was beyond even the
bravest man.

Likewise, when we are in a spiritual battle, bravery and boldness are not
sufficient. David knew he was no match for Goliath. In fact, he wasn’t even a
soldier yet; he was too young. The only thing David was armed with when he
showed up at the battlefront was bread and cheese for his brothers. Yet the
difference with David was that he knew the battle was not his but God’s. When
he heard Goliath’s taunts, he testified:

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down
and cut off your head . . . that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword
and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our
hand” (1 Samuel 17:46-47).

Spiritual victory is never our own—it comes from our Deliverer. In this story
David is a picture of our Deliverer, Christ. He cuts through all our anguish and
despair with an authority no demon can stand up to. Goliath had no chance that
day, for one reason: The battle was the Lord’s.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22450?src=devo-email

The Believer’s Destanation

Read | John 14:1-3

The Bible is clear that those who trust in Jesus as their personal Savior will have eternal life. Furthermore, it promises that followers of God will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

The New Testament contains approxi- mately 200 references to heaven, most of which are from the teachings of Jesus Himself. Obviously, the topic was quite important to our Lord. Why, then, do we often fail to talk about it ourselves?

Sadly, one reason we ignore the subject is that we simply feel too satisfied here on earth. Maybe we think we have it pretty good, whether because of a loving family, a stable job, or a nice home. Surrounded by such comfort, it can seem hard to imagine an even better place.

Other people, however, do not have it so easy here on earth. They are the ones who most easily grasp the concept of heaven. They are the individuals who live their lives in need, nursing the belief that life beyond earth will supply all that they lack.

You see, it is rarely our desperation that makes it difficult to envision our heavenly home. Rather, our success is oftentimes the greatest obstacle to a desire for the everlasting home where we truly belong. We can become so distracted by earthly things that we grow blind to the spiritual reality of eternal life. Why don’t we think more about heaven? Very simply, it is because many of us don’t want to go yet!

What in your life might be obstructing the view of your heavenly home? Jesus has gone before us to prepare our eternal dwelling, and who would know how to fix a place to our liking better than our Creator? Don’t let anything dim your vision of the excellent future home awaiting you.

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Walk In The Spirit

By Gary Wilkerson

Most of us would admit we rarely feel God’s grace at work in us. That’s why
we are prone to doubt that His presence abides in us. Paul addresses this
dilemma for us in Galatians when he writes, “I say, walk by the Spirit, and
you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, ESV).

It sounds simple enough but we tend to take Paul’s counsel here as a hard
command to be obeyed. We grit our teeth and say, “I will walk in the Spirit
today.” Then once we stumble, we think we are not “being spiritual” so we
try even harder. Suddenly we are under the law again because we have turned to
our fleshly ability, rather than trusting that we are already in the Spirit.

Paul says, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law”
(5:18). In other words, the Spirit of God abides in you, giving you access at
all times to His grace, which empowers you. When Paul says, “Walk in the
Spirit,” he means, “Walk under grace, not the law.”

Paul then shows us the result of a walk in the Spirit: “The fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (5:22-23).
Take note: These things do not come about because of what we do. They are the
fruit of the righteousness God has put in us—the result of His work in us.

You may not feel very loving at times, but love is in you because God put it
there. You may not feel joy and peace, but God has implanted both deep within
you. His Spirit is at work in you every hour of every day, to His great glory
and to your deep blessing.

In one of the most amazing passages in Scripture, Paul gives us God’s
response to the human condition: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. . . . There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from
the law of sin and death” (Romans 7:25, 8:1-2).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22362?src=devo-email

“Nicky,Jesus Loves You”!

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

I am not against using modern methods in ministry. We employ many such things
in our ministry but we do not receive our direction from these "ministry
tools." We spend time on our knees, seeking the Lord for direction in every
area of outreach. Yet, prayer is a lost practice among many ministries today.
They rely on computers and modern methods rather than on Christ.

Today, "experts" have taken over the reins of the church. Sin is seen in
psychological terms and called a "disease." A drug addict is said to have a
"weakness." Altars have been replaced with counseling rooms. Prophets of
holiness have been replaced by psychologists and social workers spouting the
latest man-centered jargon. In short, Jesus is being dethroned—and Freud is
being exalted.

Fifty years ago God led me to start a ministry to drug addicts and alcoholics
in New York City. We had no money and no how-to books, only total dependence on
the Holy Spirit. A sign in our offices read, "No one shines here—only the Holy
Ghost!" During our chapel services, we prayed, "Lord, our help isn't in
psychology or psychiatry, but in the Holy Spirit. We can't work on the head
unless you change the heart!"

Nicky Cruz, one of the first gang members we encountered, was a killer at
heart. A psychiatrist we knew took an interest in his case. After spending an
entire day with Nicky, the psychiatrist decided Nicky was incorrigible,
hopeless. (Little did this man know that Nicky delighted in confusing all "head
doctors.")

Yet Jesus had other plans for Nicky, and Christ accomplished in five minutes
what the experts said could not be done. Nicky was not psychoanalyzed; his head
wasn't examined. No, God sent an arrow into his heart and that arrow was the
truth of the gospel: "Nicky, Jesus loves you!"

In a single moment, out went Nicky's heart of stone, replaced with a heart of
flesh. Nicky wept, hugging us all. He was supernaturally transformed by the
power of God after society's experts had written him off.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22266?src=devo-email